Menus and Miles Wed 1/13/15

Hi guys,

MENU: (DS Maintenance Mode)
Pre-B - protein coffee with 1/2 & 1/2 (30g)
B - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt w/blueberries
S - 2 regular coffees w/1/2&1/2
S - 1 oz Farmer's Cheese and 3oz ham
L - 1 cup homemade veggie/beef soup
S - 1/2 cup peanuts
D - chicken stir fry w/asparagus and mushrooms
S - 1/2 cup CarbSmart ice cream

VITES:
morning batch: done
calcium batches: done
iron: done (told I need to stop all iron for 2 weeks...ferrittin is a little high)
evening batch: started
heme iron: stopping for 2 weeks

MILES:
none

Hi Gina!!

Day 3 of 5 day pouch test.  This is soft food day.  I have done great so far and I do think my pouch is still working.  This has been a great confidence builder. 

Just got home from muscle pump.

decaf protein coffee  33g
eggbeaters, cheese
lemon tea protein 13g
sausage/pumpkin soup w/ cheese
Caribbean cooler protein 13g
baked fish
protein hot chocolate  23g

You're doing great! I wish I had your willpower.  I'm hanging in there too. Not eating after 5PM and reducing carbs. 

Price do you mind if I ask you a question about the 5 day pouch test? It is just to find out if your pouch still has restrictions? And to help get back on track to eating proper foods? Do you think some times we stop recognizing the signs of restrictions? I have thought for some time now that I either must have stretched out my pouch because I am able to eat way too much! But after getting back on track with my plan I do seem to notice again a fullness much sooner. Thanks for any input you or others might have!

I think it is all of that!!! for me, over time, instead of eating very small portions like we were taught, I was almost seeing how much I could eat instead of how little.  Realistically, that was about 2c not many plates full but 2c was too much to maintain my body weight and I was slowly creeping up.  This has shown me that 4 ounces of dense protein or 1 cup of more liquid really is ok with my body.  they say you really can't stretch your pouch but I do think we can overfill it.  This does help you get back on track with what we should be eating and I now know that I really don't have to eat so much to be ok.  I guess a lot of it is a mental game but isn't our mind why we needed WLS to begin with.  I always ate stuff that was good for me, I just ate way too much of it.  So in my WLS way, I was going back to that by eating way more than I really needed to. 

My Dr group recommends 5 small meals a day forever.  They are ok with protein shakes unlike many who want no suppliments after a certain time.  During this 5 day test, I have been having 3 meals and 4 suppliments (morning and afternoon at 1/2 scoop).  That has been working fine even with my muscle pump on 2 of those days.  That is what I will continue on day 6 and beyond.

I think I had just gotten to the point of TOO comfortable with relying on my pouch! I began to lye to myself and say it would handle and take care of anything I did to it. Ugh! I would not only eat poor food, but I  also on a regular basis would eat until it was full. I see now after trying to get back on track that I need and MUST only eat until satisfied and NEVER to the point that I feel full. It's difficult after being away from the plan for so long, but the only way to get rid of the weight I have gained. Thank you for your response!

My best lie to myself was, I guess my body is happy at this weight.  Truth was, I was happy eating more which put me to that weight. 

It's a 5 day plan, but it has to be a life long commitment.  Even last night I caught myself thinking my 1/4c of veggies could be 1/2c.  For me it will have to be eating until you are no longer hungry, not eating until you are full.

One other thing this plan says is not to drink before and after meals.  I knew that from before and the after made sense but the before never did.  She says that food stays longer in a dry pouch than it does in a wet one.  I have tried to do that this time since I have no problems getting my fluid in during the day.  Maybe it is helping also to stick to the portion sizes.

It is encouraging that I have gone from 137 to 133 since Sunday. 

You're doing AWESOME!! I have gone back to the no drinking before and after also, but now need to work on slowing down and chewing more! I was always a fast eater but after WLS I was in such fear of the horror stories you hear of eating too fast I slowed down. But I have gone back to eating too quickly again. So that's today's challenge. Work on portion sizes again and SLOW down :)