Eating because...

I just finished my frozen greek yogurt with 4 strawberries & sf chocolate syrup.  I have this just about every night at this time...I'm not even hungry but if I don't I will be UNDER calories and protein for the day.  I don't usually eat breakfast because I just can't seem to get my pouch to accept anything early on but coffe or flavored water.  I know I should be eating more but I just can't get it in.  So...I started having this nightly snack  to add a bit of protein before bed.  Sometimes I make the frozen greek yogurt with peanut butter & sf chocolate syrup.  I figure it's so much better than ice cream (even low fat/low cal stuff).  But, I'm frustrated because I know I'm not hungry I just am fighting a non-winning battle.  What do  I do.  Today the scale is down to 119.6.  I'm supposed to gain.  I don't want to but I can't seem to anyways???

Stephanie, have you thought about joining the daily accountablity thread for ideas and such and actually seeing what you are eating and maybe get ideas on how to increase your intake. I see you are about 14 months post-op, I was there also at a year out where I needed to stop the loss.  I didn't really do to much extra except add an extra shake and a high protein snack and the weight stopped, I actually gained some in the next 6-8 months to an acceptable weight for me. The regain, although necessary for some of us can be challenging and emotional, please post and know you aren't alone in this.

It took alot of trial and error on that meal to get where I am and this summer it's going to have to change somewhat. I have to have something warm in my pouch first thing or I just can not eat the rest of the day. I started out with malto meal and/or oat bran cereal. Moved to oatmeal. These are horrible choices because there isn't hardly any protein in any of them so I added protein powder on occasion and now I pretty much add Textured Vegetable Protein along with soy milk. That brings the protein to about 26 to 32 grams for that meal...Not bad AND it warms up my grouchy pouch.  This summer I think I may switch to a protein shake with a banana added to it and see if I can do the cool thing for the summer. But if the cool doesn't work, I'm back to hot cereal. My scale wavers from 120 to 122..I'm suppose to gain too but it's really hard. I'm usually getting between 1700 calories to 2300 calories a day...Usually more like 1800 a day...Not the normal in any WLS circles... Snacks include 1 oz cheese sticks, wrapped in lunch meat, pudding cup with added TVP or even yogurt with TVP, protein bars, sometimes nuts, sometimes roasted green peas. Mostly meals include meat and veggies (but I stay away from carbs as much as I can) But I'm thinking that I need to quit the salads for a while cuz they just don't add calories OR protein... You're totally welcome to come on into the Accountability thread. Some really good different ideas there for snacks, meals and all sorts of things. I'm just about two years out but there are things other people eat that I often give a try to see if my pouch will take them. That's how I found out I don't really do well with the NSA Coffee Ice Cream that Carla was eating each night...I just can't eat that stuff. dump city..So each pouch is different..and we all live and learn.

Thank you for the suggestions! I too have to start out with something hot...I use coffee though which I know is not a good choice.  I've tried adding protein powders but it just makes it taste nasty.  This morning I took my vitamins first thing with some crystal light and my pouch is screaming.  Trying to warm it up right now.  I so wish I liked oatmeal.  I keep trying it but just can't swallow it...it looks and smells wonderful.  I have been posting on the main board thread that Charlie does for months.  I will start posting here as well ~ I can never have too many recipe ideas especially for my family.  Thank you again for taking the time to respond to my post.

I was addicted to coffee alot earlier than to foods, unfortunately. I drink coffee too. I just have to make sure I stay away from caffiene after 7 pm at night...I need my sleep more than I need the coffee. I used to feel the same way about oatmeal so malto meal was good. If I add a scoop of protein powder (chocolate) to that, it's alittle like chocolate malto meal without the sugar and with the added protein. There's also cream of wheat or farina..or Oat bran cereal. Or Polenta. I've been doing them all but I switched to oatmeal when I had the scare about celiac sprue..Wheat tends to give me bad things like eczema..That and stress but I think life is stress anymore.  You might even check for a recipe for cottage cheese pancakes..Those are yummy too with SF syrup...Not bad, I'm just a microwave person in the morning. Whatever I can toss in the micro..I have so much to do in the mornings with getting ready and packing my 25 pound lunch (kidding but sometimes it feels that way) and cleaning.. Some of my favorite snacks are bison jerky or beef jerky, dark chocolate covered edamame nuts, soy nuts, Chocolate covered coffee beans (oh MAN, if you love coffee, you'd LOVE these!)

I have had the cottage cheese pancakes and they are super good.  I too have a very hectic am.  I'm up at 5 to be in the shower, dressed and ready for 5:30 so DH can get in.  I then have a 3yr old and a 4yr old to get motivated, dressed, fed and off to daycare.  Then, I have a 50 minute commute to work...just about the only quiet time I get in a day.  I pack my lunch at night so all I have to do is grab it in the morning as I'm walking out the door with 50 other things in my hands.  I don't want to get OT but of course DH doesn't help in the mornings...oh but wait come to think of it he doesn't help ,much in the evenings either (when he's  home)...oh yeah he reminds me how hard he works all day.  SORRY!! I'll have to try the chocolate covered nuts.  I love the SBD energy mix so much so that I had to stop buying it!!  I can't do beef so I have to stay away from the jerky.  I even tried Bison, it is so much better than beef but it still got stuck and caused major foamies.  I MISS RED MEAT!!

Dawn, my pouch is sensitive also in the morning, I have to have coffee before I can even attempt any type of food.  Even trying to take vitamins before something warm hits my pouch is aweful. 

After drinking coffee basically since I was in 6th grade, the results of the upper endoscopy before WLS showed no ill effects but if I start getting burning or anything, I know it's time to get rid of the coffee...I'm sitting her now waiting for my required half hour after my oatmeal before I'll finish my second cup of coffee..I drink a cup, eat my oatmeal, take my vitamins and THEN finish the second cup...I'm SO OCD, it's hillarious

OCD...yeah I have it and sometimes it drives me nuts what I make myself go through for a routine but hey I think it has also benefited my WLS journey.

every day i question whether im getting in enough protein.  i worry about that and my vitamin intake.  thats where i have trouble.   i seem to be getting in enough calories because my weight is maintaing up and down the same 2-3 pounds for a long time now.  but i worry that i need to mix it up and get in a higher protein level. as to salads, i love them again.  but, i make sure that i put in at least two protein items with that salad.  either some cut up chicken, or some cheese ( i like crumbled feta).  i also will open canned beans and add to my salad to up the protein.  ive been learning that salad cant just be salad, it has to include protein or im full after eating it, with no nutritional value. good luck, this journey is so awesome and every day i think we all need to fine tune what we do. hugs, jacki