Getting back into the mindset?

I'm a little over 9 months out from surgery and am 95 lbs down.  I started at 286 and am now 191 with a BMI of 33.  I look better, I feel better, am no longer taking any prescription medications except my acid reducer. My high cholesterol and high blood pressure are completely resolved.  I'm in great health.  I've had a consultation already for a breast reduction and a panniculectomy.  I'm in a good place health wise, but I'm still 45 lbs from goal. 

In the past couple months I've started working a new job.  It's Deli/Bakery work.  I'm still working on my degree so I have to take a part time job that will work around my class schedule.  Work was so hard to find so I had to take something that I had experience in, which is cake decorating and making pastries.  You can see where I'm going from here, I'm sure.  I've been around all these sweets plus the food in the deli.  It gets very busy and sometimes I just have to grab whatever I can to eat.  Sometimes it's a good protein choice like meatloaf or stuffed cabbage and other times it's a chicken strip, depending on what is being served in the hot case that day.  I  could take my lunch but there's a problem with that.  I'm in class all day long and take my lunch to school and then go to work afterwards.  So if I brought something it would probably not be good by the time I got to work.  I could get lunchmeat (like sliced turkey) and I did for awhile but it gets old really fast. 

So here's my issue.  I tolerate anything just fine - even bread.  But, I still have restriction and can only eat 4-6 ounces at a time.  I need to get back into the mindset of healthy protein first.  I need to stay away from the sweets, which I've been craving insanely.  I was really shocked when I was able to eat a donut without complication.  It scared me.  I do NOT want to do the pouch test because I know my sleeve is just fine.  What's going on is in my head and I need to find a way to get back into the mindset that I was just after surgery and kick the carb monster to the curb!

I would highly recommend bringing your lunch and snacks with you. A small lunch bag/cooler can hold a frozen cold pack, which will keep your food cold. I do this everyday, including weekends, if I am going to be away from home for any length of time. Cheese carries well, but can be high in salt and fat. Hardboiled eggs, tuna salad packs, fruit, veggies, and a multitude of other things carry well.  Also, leftovers from the night before can carry well: chicken, any type of meat. If you have a small cooler with a cold pack or ice, the food will keep. Jerky travels well, apple with peanut or almond butter, edamame,veggies make good snacks.

As you know, the more that you eat sweets, the more that you will crave them. Also, the restriction only works with dense protein. It is a bear getting away from the carbs.

Gail

Almost 20 years ago I used to work in a Dunkin' Donut shop, and to this day, I can hardly eat donuts.  I watched the donuts being fried, and it disgusted me to see all the grease they soaked up.  I watched the fry vats being cleaned out and saw the yucky dirty grease.  The whole process turned me away from them.

Can you take a look around your bakery and find the yuck factor and think about it?  Perhaps if you find that, and if you keep healthy stuff in a little personal cooler, you can stay more on track.

I see your problem with working in the cake/deli world.  If this were me, I'd try to view the cakes/breads as non-edibles.  Not even an option.  Deli meats are often very high in salts and have hidden carbs.  Personally, I'd pack my meals.  Like the previous poster, there are cold packs that will keep your food cold.  Eat the high density proteins first, always.  It will be hard to break the carb monster once again, but it is necessary.  Go cold turkey, you can do this.  If you continue snacking on breads, donuts or cake, even just a bite here and there, your weight will climb.  Just reality.  Count the cost, it's not worth it.

Thank you all for your input.  I'll try to view them differently, it's so tricky! 

Here's my problem with taking food with me. I leave the house shortly after 7am.  I take my lunch with me (usually a soup or lunchmeat.)  I have a protein shake on my way to school and eat lunch around noon.  I get out of class at 3 and go straight to work and am not back home until about 9 or 9:30 pm.  So even if I pack something in a cooler or a thermos, It won't be good by the time 5 or 6 rolls around when I'm finally able to eat.  My college and work are both 30 minutes away from home and I have 10 minutes to get from class to work, so there is no time to go home and get something else.  I just feel like it's a no win situation and am trying to find a way to make it work.  I've asked my boss to consider putting more healthy high protein foods in the hot case so I'm hoping she will! 

I just really need to get off the carbs again!  I know what I need to do I'm just having difficulty actually doing it.

I pack my little insulated cooler at 6:30 AM and the frozen pack that I used, is still cold by 6 PM. Or get a bigger cooler and pac**** in it. You can do this. Chili freezes well and can be thawing during the daytime, so that it will be ready at night. Also, you can freeze other foods that can be thawing during the daytime. A can of tuna travels well. Greek yogurt travels well. Can you store any healthy entrees/frozen meals at work? Is there a staff refrigerator?

People pack food in coolers with ice and other frozen food that can last a few days on a camping trip. I believe there is a way to do this.
 
The carbs are tough to come off, but you can do this. The visualization techniques that the others gave you, are great suggestions.

Gail

I have NO idea why you THINK the food won't still be good stored in a cooler a mere say 12 after later.  I honestly think you just want to fool yourself into believing that...and believe me it's OK but you need to get real.  IF you invest in ice PACKS and pack them AROUND your dinner and it's in a cooler it should last and STILL be cold for 12 hours...especially since the weather is cooling off.  And I'm talking a cold pack on the bottom, all four sides and on top (you know overkill).

Not sure if once you get to work if you have access to frigeration and/or microwaving??

Sounds like the hot case DOES have SOME healthy high protein foods and for NOW.  You are craving sweets...well I crave them too when I'm surrounded by them...and we won't EVEN talk about the number of donuts I can eat in a sitting...really we won't.  But you'll HAVE to find a way to make it work.  Getting over the head game is something that MANY of us battle for LIFE.  My first love in baking and I have almost NOT baked in the last 4 years since surgery...it's a slippery slope I can't handle.

It CAN be done but you have to dig DEEP and discover in the LONG run what is it that you WANT...and focuse on THAT want more then the other want.

Ms Shell

I hear you and I know where you're coming from.  Addiction to food is a nasty habit to break and getting away from that "but I want it" is even harder.  I think your first step is to decide what you really want more.  The food at the deli or shedding the rest of your weight.  The voice that wants a party in your mouth is going to do it's best to win and convince you that you really do deserve a treat because you work somewhere less than optimal and you're away from home for so long each day so come on, dig into that case of food or sweets just a little.  I have that voice as well but I also have an adult voice that is getting stronger.

If you work in a grocery store, they have a dairy section.  Walk over there and get some greek yogurt.  If you need something sweet, get some fresh berries to put in it.

My go to when I'm away from home is a Quest bar which can be ordered online.  No chocolate mess.  I leave them in my car when it's 90 degrees and they are just fine.

You're coming up with the reasons that make it difficult.  Time to start a list with everything that's possible and keep it handy as you plan each day.  There's no reason to do a pouch test, it's our head that needs screwed on correctly, not our Sleeves.

I ate a cupcake at a birthday party last night.  Cupcake and steak and water.  I passed up everything else but that "I really really really want it voice" spoke up loud and clear.  I know that I'll be detoxing today and have to really be the stern voice of reality for a few days.  Was it worth it?  Probably not, am I human?  You betcha.

You can do this if you plan.  I'm off ot make my plan for the day too!

Hi Lee,

I've been thinking about you alot lately. I can't imagine the anxiety that must be going through you right now. I am sending tons of good wishes and thoughts.

"The party in my mouth" phase is so true, and I laugh everytime I see or hear it. The one cupcake isn't going to make you gain weight, it is the dozen or entire cake that did that in the past. I find that small bites are satisfying. My brother took me out to dinner last weekend, and we shared a piece of a delicious cheesecake. I had a few bites and was fine with it. If I had the piece at home, I would have have eaten the entire piece, by grazing on it.

The choice to indulge now and then, is a healthy one, so that we don't start feeling deprived. My attitude has really shifted from one of deprivation, to one of it being a choice. I choose not to have piece of bread, wine, sweet, etc. I like to sample things, but I am able to stop there. It has been very freeing. Looking at things as having a choice, puts me in control, not my head hunger. It doesn't always win, but most of time, it seems to work.

I totally agree about the pouch test. I don't think that I could last through that. I use exercise to work my way out of small weight gains. It really helps me to maintain my weight.

Take Care and hope to see you soon,

Gail

coming from someone who gained weight eating cake and coffee and canoli, and i dont mean a pound or two i mean over 20 lbs..
I know what its like to crave cake, you have been lucky it hasnt made you gain weight yet, but believe me it will..Its not something i wish on anyone to have to turn around and take it off again..

maybe its time to shock your self into what you are doing, by doing a food journal of one day that you allow your self all these goodies and see where you really are in the way of calories.. it certainly shocked me to see that one coffee i was drinking had 800 calories...

If you want to eat meats there is no reason you can not freeze your amounts in small portions and take those with you in a chiller when you set out in the moring still frozen..

They also have gel containers to put  food in where you can freeze it over night and then take it out before putting your food in...

you  could also take ready to drink protein shakes and put them in the fridge once your at work they dont need to be stored chilled..

there is always jerky that doesnt need to be stored chilled.
..

But i agree with lee you have to want to do this, and look for the reasons and ways it can work not the ways it  wont work...