my plan to get back on track

what is the importance of protein after two years out ..
i have been thinking why can not we eat like normal people do , people who did not have any wls do we have special nutrition needs ..
there was a previous post i read about protein and it got me thinking

i want to lose weight fast but at the sametime i just can not follow so many rules and i hate cooking and i hate planning because i am always so busy and do not have much time to cook prehand ..
i know all of the above mentioned are just execuses..

but here is the truth .. i want to eat only what my body needs and i do not want to have to track everyday my food intake..

if i make it a priority to eat protien vegetables and fruits and complex carbohydrates everyday , drink enough water and exercise wont that be enough ...
 i am not saying i wont track my calories , i am just saying not everyday i just do not see it practical for me ..

what do you think guys?

i figured i am two years out when will i learn to listen to my body and not my head when will i learn to have internal control and not an outside one.

i think my major problem is that i have neglected my body's needs .. the challenge is to actually listen to it and not to my head ... it's always whether i should eat or not ..........then i would rebel against it , completely let go and eat crap ..

i need to be aware of my eatings but i also need to strengthen this voice inside of me that tells me that i need to drink water now and instead of heading to diet pepsi i drink water because usually i do not listen to this voice and i head for something else and when i do not and my head tells but what you want to eat now the ' bad food' is not allowed i just rebel against it and completely let myself go..

so i decided to stop everything and give it a try ..
concentrate on only one type of food per meal ( to limit my choices )
eat every 3-4 hours
stop when i do not want to eat anymore
and drink water instead when my head tells me that i should go eat it's actually not true i am thirsty
and exercise not because i want to lose weight because it feels so much better when i do ..
once or twice a week i would weigh my self and track my calories

but i want to keep it simple and i want to have no pressure  on me
 
i want to fix my problem from the core and i want to lose weight at the sametime ..

so what do you think ?

First off no matter how much you WANT to be normal we are NOT.  Normal people don't NEED WLS to lose and maintain their weight...so therefore by nature of the fact that we needed to we aren't normal and seriously the sooner you come to that conclusion the better off you can be.

Now as far eating what your body needs that's PERFECT but do know it's only perfect IF it works for YOU.  Everything about this journey is about finding what works for YOU.   You may NEVER or rather may ALWAYS struggle with listening to your body and NOT your head because again that's just the way you are wired.  It sucks but it IS what it IS period.

I think your plan is GREAT.  Just know that it's alot of trial and error.  I listen to my body which HATES processed carbs in ALL forms, even those whole grains...I gain...so therefore like you mentioned mainly my meals are proteins, vegetables and limits of fruit.  Right now I'm FIGHTING with my head that doesn't really want me to succeed and wants a donut or cake or a sandwich...all of which I CAN have in moderation and ONLY once I get the 20+lbs I gained PLUS another 20lbs to get me to MY goal come off.  The EASY part for me is I do LOVE to cook (most times).  So I plan out my breakfast and lunch on Sunday.  My dinners vary because I tend to be really disciplined for breakfast and lunch.

Anyway just know you CAN do this.  It is a daily commitment to YOU.  Much success.

Ms Shell

So just focus

Normal people need a lot of protein too. It's just that conventional wisdom and the medical establishment are sticking their fingers in their ears and saying "la la la la, I can't hear you" when presented with all the evidence that their current recommendations (high carbs, lots of fruit, low fat) are not healthy eating.

how much protein do you think I need, Marie?  49 year old woman maintaining. I'm too lazy to research, I'll just ask you!

You may need to track protein and calories (and carbs just for fun****il you get your head back in the game.  Tracking really helps me be more aware of what I am doing.  I don't drink carbonated drinks because that was on my list to stay away from - and I don't retain any fluids since I stopped the diet soda.  I bet you can eat the healthy foods most of the time once you get your mind back in the game.  I am in the process of deciding how far off course I will let myself get before I spend the money on counseling.  You just have to figure out what works for you.
Good Luck
Kathy

I have to chime in that I agree, we are not normal.  We needed weight loss surgery!  Maybe we need the external controls more then some other folks.  I know I NEED to track, otherwise I am simply fooling myself.  I tried living with my head in the sand for 55 years, I just got fatter and fatter.  Maybe you want to just listen to your body.  My body lied to me all the time!  I didn't need the sugar, or the extra servings of whatever.  As a food addict, I know I have live differently, I have to be vigilant and tract and keep my protein high and my carbs low.  If that's the price I have to pay to remain at a healthy weight, well, so be it.
Life is not always fair.  Good luck in your journey!

I can ONLY skip the logging and tracking of food if I eat NO fruit or complex carbs. My "internal control system" somehow gets shut off by eating carbs. I can eat fruit and healthy carbs only if I carefully track my food intake.

So, your plan would not work for me. But everyone is different.

I say do what works for you.  YOU are the one "living" your life!  I will also give you some advice......i think it is a good idea to keep up on labs....to check for deficiencies....etc.  Look for symptoms of protein deficiencies....low energy.....weakness look on line for others.  also weigh/check fit of clothes.....for any weight gains.....catch them early....easy to get back on track  KWIM?  If you do those you can try it out .....and see how it goes for ya.  Let us know how things are progressing...good luck!  Go for it.....you can be our own little "guinea pig"  Oops!  that might not be a good term....how about...test subject....for an experiment!

loooooooooool well i will sure keep you updated that is what i am intending to do from now on to always be on the wall of OH ..
i do not mind being your test subject .. after all we learn from each other..
but it is one thing for sure i need to relearn how to listen to my body and at the time being i will take your advice guys and i will track my food out of fun until my mind gets back to it

gotta start from somewhere there is no doubt to that ...

thanks to all of you

well we all get told pretty much the same thing in the weight loss phase but then maintenance - we are on our own. looks like you are still looking to lose some at two years out. its doable. my surgeon says 70 g protein per day during weight loss and for the rest of your life. So if you plan your eating around that then there is less room for carbs and excess calories. personally i still track everything and i may do so forever. has become an easy habit and i get nervous if i don't know where i am for the day. i get my 70 g from food most of the time now but once in a while i get short (like yesterday) and have to have a protein coco. nothing wrong with that so be prepared to do it once in a while.

But if you hate to track and plan then find about four or five meal combinations that you know will give you the protein. GY or cottage cheese for breakfast, an individual tuna serving and piece of fruit for lunch, chicken breast or small steak or burger with a green veggie for dinner. keep this stuff on hand so its always available. buy the roasted chickens at the supermarket so there is always a cooked chicken around.  a few standard meals makes it easy. might get boring but then come up with a new set. this is the only thing i can think of for you to do if you dont want to track, don't like to plan or cook and want it simple without pressure. you might track your food one day a week to see if you are hitting the protein and calorie limits. I really thought i would hate tracking all this as i have in the past but its worth it to me now.

The water is a good thing. go for that. and serve a small portion and stop when its gone, not a bigger portion and stopping when you are stuffed.

And try to follow the rule of reaching for protein first any time you are going to eat. can get old but it will serve you well to make it a habit. will fill you up and leave you sated for longer so you don't want junk. GL and let us know how it works.   Diane