Saturday, March 23rd

Happy Iowa, Day 6,

Liz, I always enjoy seeing your daughter's pic. She is such a light in those pics. The pendant is lovely.

It has been a good trip but I am weary; yet up early, even for Central time. I have seen many people and eaten many restaurant meals. Until the last 12 hours, my eating has been very good. Since then, not so much and no surprise to you, the excess has been sort of secret. (Lets face it, my mom can feel the theft of a single chocolate chip.)

Lunch with my wayward brother was really good. For one thing, he doesn't seem to know he is wayward. That's good news for my parents who take his failure to call as a sign of rejection. This family topic has been emotionally draining.

Speaking of drained, I am sort-of regretting that I scheduled my redwood trip back to back with the Iowa trip. I miss my peeps and pups!!!!! (Understatement of the century.) But, time off is hard to get (or change) so it is what it is. I'm looking forward to Redwood rejuvination plus (of course) DianeS and fresh fudge sign.

Food addiction: I'll leave that to the experts to decide. I know I misuse food but I think it shifts between being the chicken and egg.

I think I am more susceptible to weight gain than average. For one thing, science says I need fewer calories than the average woman my age/weight. Whether the reasons are pure genetics, epigenetic, microbiome or a combination of all, I can't say. I know for sure I also have non-food issues (the chicken) that turn to food (the egg) for comfort.

I also know for sure that food science can drive the desire to overeat processed food. I am pretty sure that I do better with appetite if I avoid added sugar, particularly if combined with fat.

I, too, prefer overeating in privacy. Hiding wrappers....heavy sigh. (There is a haiku waiting to happen in that; or at least a Yoda teaching).

In a victory of sorts, I was stunned there was NO QUESTION that I wouldn't pack travel snacks/meals on this trip or eat when it wasn't a usual time to eat. This is such a sea change. VSG has made a lot of things easier, but I think I will take a personal victory lap for breaking such a long standing behavior. We shall see how the second 1/2 of the trip goes....

Best wishes for a fab Sat,

Shel

141.8

Ditto ditto the quick to regain pattern. It took me all of Spring Break week to put on 9#. Last Sunday I was at 148.6. Simple carbs and sugar do that to me- calories are not all the same. Down about 7#s today from that high-6 days. How much fat I take in doesn't seem to matter, and while I surely am taking in fewer caloeies, I haven't been restricting the quantity- the difference seems to be the type of calories. I have no explanation for the quick and painless drop in weight. (Maybe it is the Whipple?)

Shel- you and I have similar brothers! My brother is gone for years at a time- I mean YEARS. I know that he has deep seated issues with our father that keeps him away- his absence, while affecting the rest of the family by his absence- ( I miss his company greatly) does not seem to be because of any issues with the rest of us. When the very rare instance occurs to bring us all together, it is if he is as loving and close as ever--no disconnect at all.

Travel foods for me used to be "starvation" insurance as well as opportunity to mindlessly occupy my self with food- and a denial/disregard of real consequences. The VSG has removed the fear of starvation before I arrive excuse, and it has been easier to travel "food commando".

Two posts in and some truths are being presented for me to think about. Travel foods... Oh my stars I never made the connection before that I bring snacks with me on the plane for "insurance". And it's probably gotten WORSE since WLS since I can't gorge myself with a huge meal beforehand as another kind of insurance. But yes, I allow myself plane snacks of the type I would NEVER keep in my desk or at home. What is going on here, why am I so afraid of feeling hunger in this setting. I can deal with it other places. And I pack snacks for road trips, but they're whole foods, part of my normal eating, and actually also a kind of insurance, but good insurance, to help me resist impulsive, unhealthy food...

In all the other ways we can fatten up, I forgot about the craft of food science and designer foods that make our pleasure centers explode like a hit of heroin. Another reason to cling to more whole foods.

I don't have any scientific proof that I gain easier or lose slower except my science experiment with WLS and a subject of one. In order to sustain a weight loss rate of 8-10 pounds a month, I had to drop to 800 calories a day, a feat I could not accomplish without WLS. And as others have found, eating processed carbs seems to have a way outsized effect on my weight. I do not like these observations, but I am also grateful that treatment in the form of a well constructed sleeve exists. I again say, obesity is a chronic disease, and I am not cured, but living with a tool to help me stay in remission.

Greetings Maintenance Travelers

155 today. I for one know positively that I gain weight more easily than most people. It just is. No way could I have stayed on a 6-700 calorie diet for 10 months without VSG. Even now I only need 1300-1400 calories per day to maintain. I am a highly efficient organism and no doubt would have survived early evolution.

Hmm, travel snacks. I usually take some cheese sticks as its hard to get something small and healthy at most airports. Many years ago I flew to the Philippines. Long flight -10 hours - from Seattle to Tokyo. We had a meal right after takeoff and then another 9 hours later before landing. I was starving. It was a night and I guess we were expected to sleep but I was miserable. So now I always take something. But its no longer peanut m and m's.

No secret eating for me anymore. Years ago when I lived along I used to make dance meals and would have a fear of the phone ringing and interrupting my meal. Weird. But there is no one to hide my eating from except DH and I feel no need to. He eats junk all the time which I choose to ignore.

Hey the sun is out, I am feeling a little less congested and life is good. Time to get out and about today.

Diane S

I would take something, too, in this cir****tance!

And so this happened: I was at a basic breakfast-all-day chain restaurant with 12 loud relatives. The waitress was taking my order: 2 egg omelet, ham and veggies, no-cheese and the waitress said "that comes with hash browns and pancakes" and I vaguely nodded. Because really, who cares....I'm not eating that much besides the eggs and sometimes it is fun to have a bit of pancake and hash brown without having to paying for a separate order.

Mom manages to over-hear from several chairs down and yells "you could have fruit instead!!!!" Then, in case I failed food ordering in school she yelled: "Substitute TWO FRUITS for the hash browns and pancakes!"

I start to consider changing my order and then thought **** It and told the waitress I would have I what I ordered.

For God's sake, what would happen if I actually ate hash browns and pancakes at one meal?

Lordy she has problems. I am glad I am no longer (completely) humiliated by this.

Are you frigging kidding me? Does your mom always do stuff like this? Glad you refused the manipulation. My mother (RIP) used to do all kinds of stuff to force me to do things I didn't want to do and I became very oppositional. Still am. Tee Hee. Bet you were in Denny's or Cracker Barrel. d

I had a lifetime of this behavior directed at me, particularly around anything food related.....see how effective she was at keeping me from gaining (more) weight? :)

It was a Village Inn which are apparently also in WA state although I have never noticed them.

Good ol Village Inn. In law school we would go their for Sunday brunch after Saturday nights partying. We once observed a kid drinking the syrup straight out of one of those little pitchers they bring on a tray of assorted syrups. Kins of put me off syrup for a long time.

I used one of those little pitchers today...