A couple of questions...

Hi folks, just curious about the following:

1.  How often do you weigh yourself?  In the past I have weighed every day but that makes me too neurotic.  Once a week, once a month, ???

2.  Why is it that I can get full on a couple ounces of protein, but can eat huge amounts of junk food and never get full?

3.  What foods do you eat to stay full?

Thanks tons!

Hi Anne,

For me...  
1.   I have been weighing every morning.  It's motivating!  
2.   I think that protein is more satisfying and junk food
     just  slides right  through.
3.  Meat, low fat ricotta cheese and my favorite snack is Trader 
     Joe's red pepper & tomato soup.

Have a great day and Keep on BOTTING!
Deb

Now, I only weigh every week or 2!  I get really bummed weighing more often because the loss is so much slower.  I hate looking at daily flucuations!

Protein, even chewed real well is denser and takes longer to leave out stomachs.  While Junk food generally chews down to mush and slides right through.

As for full, I try not to ever eat till full.  Full is NOT comforting anymore, it is uncomfortable!  But ideally to stay full longer you need to eat Protein.   And make sure you are drinking enough.  I found that sometimes when I "think" I am hungry if I drink something it takes care of the hunger.  I just needed more fluids.

Now if I can only remember all of this for myself and follow it. I need to get rid of my bad habits before they get set in cement again!

I belong to another board and weigh in weekly. I do admit to stepping on the scale a "few" times a week. When I was a new post op...I was stepping on the scale EVERY TIME I went into the bathroom...was I slightly obsessed?
Carolyn's right...protein is more dense...thats why it fills us up so quickly.

Hi Anne,

Great questions!

1.  I used to weigh myself every day.  It was very motivating to see the amazing weight loss after I had surgery.  It was also motivating to see that I was maintaining my weight.  When I regained weight and worked to take it off, it made me crazy.  I would be "on track" and weight fluctuations would make me frustrated and tend to get into the "what's the use" thinking.  Now I weigh myself once a week.  The temptation to get on daily is still there but I really have made the commitment to weekly.  It works best for me so I don't get caught up in the numbers. 

2.  Dense protein definitely stays with us longer.  It gives us satiety for a longer period of time.  Junk food contains sugar and fat with a little (or no) protein.  Sugar and fat do nothing for us nutritionally or give us satiety so they don't stay in our pouches for long.  The cycle of sugar and fat creates us wanting more and more. 

3.  I eat a lot of protein.  For me, I eat a lot of turkey and chicken, Southwestern Egg Beaters (huge satiety there and pure protein), Morningstar soy sausage links.  Recently I purchased some Kay's Naturals single portion Kruncheez and protein cereal to munch on.  If I eat those with a dense protein, I'm satisfied.

Refine what "full" is for you.  That's one thing I had to do.  Rather than eat to a 10 (Thanksgiving full), I define my full as 6-7 (sometimes an 8) on the hunger scale. 

Thanks for your post!!

Cathy

I tend to weigh myself daily, but I do skip days (like over the past two weeks).  I'm afraid that if I don't weigh myself, I'm going to lose control.  (To reinforce that thinking, I did gain a couple pounds over the last two weeks.)

Softer/less dense foods don't stick, and I can consume lots more.  That is why it is really important to stick with the rule "protein first".

When I need to be full, I look for proteins and fiber.  A chicken salad, bean salad, etc...

Kris

1. I had my surgery on a Tuesday, so my official weigh-in day is Tuesdays.  I created a weight chart with the dates for every Tuesday listed and every Tuesday morning I record my weight on the chart.  That's the ONLY weight that counts for the whole week.  If someone asks how much I've lost on a Sunday afternoon, I use Tuesday's number.  If I happen to jump on the scale mid-week, that number isn't real ... only Tuesday's number is real.

2. Carbs begin digestion in our mouth using the enzymes in our saliva to begin being broken down into glucose.  The more simple the carb (bread, chips, sweets) the quicker the digestion process is.  Foods that are high in protein take longer for the body to digest, so we feel fuller longer.

3. My morning oatmeal with whey protein powder keeps me full forever!  On days when I eat that it's not uncommon to forget to eat lunch (which is just as bad, of course).  Salad with meat also keeps me full for a long time.  So a combination of high quality protein with complex carbs that contain a high amount of fiber ... that's my dream meal.

Pam

1. not that I would recommend this to anyone but I weigh my self 1st thing in the morning and right before I go to sleep.   Its a horrible habit but I'm not ready to break it. 

2.  good question... its evil isn't it : )

3. if I have a bowl of steel cut oatmeal in the morning (sometimes I make it will milk and raisins)  It keeps me full and I have to remind myself to eat lunch.  Also the fiber is good for us, but I can't eat it everyday ... the fiber works to well on me (sorry tmi i know)