Good Morning. Tricks You've Learned

This one I just got from the Bites & Vites post on the DS board...go ahead and make an open-faced sandwich but eat your way down to the bread...you'll probably be too full to eat the bread. But, you won't feel deprived because you didn't even put it on your plate. Same goes for rice or pasta. Make yourself eat the protein and veggies first...it's like a pecking order thing. Protein first, veggies second and a little bread or pasta only if you have room. So, if you're struggling early out with feelings of deprivation, try it and let us know if it works for you.

Got any tricks up your sleeves?

--gina

Chips are my weakness. I missed them horribly after surgery. So I found the recipe for the parmesan cheese chips that I used to eat all the time. They were salty and crunchy and gave me my chip fix with protein and no carbs.

Now that I'm further out, I eat lots of veggies and some fruit. You can eat a lot of them for little calories. Usually I can't even finish the portions that I set out for myself. So if I am "starving" and feel like I want to eat a lot, I go for the veggies.

Last tip/trick...I prepare and measure all my food the evening before. I have an area in the fridge for my food. It makes it easy to grab and go, that way I avoid fast food or going for the bad snacks that I still keep for my kids.

Heck, at this point I can only get in the protein. I am lucky to have fruits and veggies LOL. Still trying to meet a daily goal too.

I (usually) start my morning with 20 oz of water.  This wouldn't have worked in the early days post-op, but now that my tummy is healed, my body reacts soooo beautifully to the injection of hydration first thing.  With the last few sips, i take my vits, and a few minutes later I have my breakfast.  

Breakfast is often the proteiny leftovers from dinner last night.  I never eat traditional American breakfast food any more (unless I'm on the road and being fed by someone else, in which case I have some of a cheesy omelette.)  

 I  learned how to drink water !!    I start  my day with a glassful  of  cold filtered water .... then  2 glassfuls of protein chai tea  ( thanks  Gina for that eminently useful n delicious recipe )  

then  i exercise 

then  have brekkie afterwards  ( preceded by glass of water ) 

always water before eating 

sips of water  during the day 

protein first but lots of veggies  n fruit n salads  as well-  i allow myslef to snack  between meals as long as its fresh  high fiber and fat free .  That basically boils down to  raw veggies ,  salads ,  and  some fresh fruit .  Occasionally  garden grown shake and baked squash oieces  will  sneak in there though ( ohh theyre yummy )   and  diet hot chocolate .....

Hot  fresh vegetable soups and purees are amazingly good.low cal , filling and nutritious.  

mealtimes its protein first 

a protein coffee in the afternoon 

and i like slimming  and healthy   red wine  instead of  fattening  ( and not so  good for the liver )  fancy ****tails .   I also  dump on sugar and theres a LOT  of simple sugar syrup in those hi- calorie  liquid concoctions  ....so  its kind of a a no brainer .  

i dont need the pasta or the bread  ....justt the sauce  :) 

desserts SUCK  !!  I HATE dumping so i swear  ill never eat another one .... taste .. yes ..actually   eat ... NO 

Its much better to ATTEND the party  and look HOT  than to  attend to the  craft wagon lol ... or the refreshments table  lol ...

THIN FEELS  SOOO  much better  than anything TASTES !!! 

Before  something jumps in my mouth .. I replay the yowza yowza yowza  dumping tape  over in my head  ...  and  the  huge sinking feeling   when i realized i was regaining ....  

Mmmmmmmmm Ava, shake n bake zuchinni sounds yummy!!!!!  Never thought to try and prepare it that way for a treat.  I come from the battered and deep fried zuchinni part of the country.  The first bite is tasty and then you feel like crap and have gotten yourself all off track.

Thanks for the idea.

 Gosh, Julie... you look just like a young Sharon Stone!  I'm sure you have heard that before. ;)

the paremesan flavor .... on a lightly pammed cookie sheet with squash slices baked at 350 approximately 10-20 minutes depending on type of squash ( just check the BOTTOM for doneness - or watch for shrinkage ) .... tastes exactly the same i swear ..... U can put them on broil for a sec to brown the top to make em even more perfectly crunchy too....

i serve it to dinner guests all the time they have no clue everythings fat free until i tell them - they just say YUM !!!

BTW this is awesome with regular winter squash too ...just takes a bit longer ....its a GREAT homemade healthy snack food !!

 Ava, I would love that zucchini shake and bake recipe! Thanks!

Ginaaaa,
ur so right putting that stuff on ur plate makes u feel like u r not being deprived cuz even if u try to eat the not so good stuff ur already full.
5 day pouch test author Kaye says that to take 2 bites of protein , 1 bite of veggies, and treat carbs like a condiment lol