Question:
I have no variety in my diet...I don't know why....
But I eat the same thing practically EVERY day. I have about 3/4 of a Zesty Chicken Bowl (no dressing) from Taco Bell just about every night. I eat a slice of thin crust Tombstone pizza for lunch EVERY DAY. I normally have an egg and piece of bacon or sausage for breakfast. I don't want to go try new restaurants and could care less about cooking a "home cooked" meal. My family is so sick of Taco Bell and Tombstone pizzas, but I just want the same thing, over and over again! Is anyone else like this, or do I have some kind of problem? — Jennifer C (posted on October 27, 2002)
October 27, 2002
No, I don't have that problem. I can't wait to try something new. I look
through my old cookbooks and try to modify them for my needs. I only cook
stuff that cooks quickly -- as quick as a tv dinner. There's lots of foods
like that. The Campbell soup cookbook might be a good one for you. The
meals are usually one-pot meals and very tasty and much healthier.
— Darlene P.
October 27, 2002
I'd like to know how you are able to eat like that every day and still lose
weight. Sounds like a lot of carbs and fat to me. Guess I'm just jealous
as I know I couldn't get away with it!
— LLinderman
October 27, 2002
CJ, my first glance at your profile page was rather upsetting. Your most
recent post says you're tired and achey all the time. RED FLAG!!! You're
getting sick, and you need more protein!!! I don't know if you're taking
vitamins, either, but you better get with it, girl, or your family will be
more than sick over what you're feeding them. If you don't want to take
care of yourself for you or your family, then do it for those who are
trying to get approved for WLS. The more people get sick after WLS, the
less likely insurance companies will be to approve the surgery for those
RESPONSIBLE people who really deserve it! Sorry, but I have no sympathy
for those who don't take care of themselves. You better start on some good
protein shakes right away, get your labs done, and make sure you're taking
all your vitamins. Then, if you're still tired and achy, get thee to a
doctor pronto!
— Leslie F.
October 27, 2002
Hi there, 2 out of my 5-6 meals a day are basically the same Monday-Friday.
Breakfast if a protein bar (not the same kind every day). Lunch is either 3
oz of chicken or tuna, 1/4 cup ff cheese, mixed with 1 tablespoon of light
miracle whip and sometimes with a mini box of raisins. I mix it all
together and have 7 reduced fat Triscuits with it. It just taste good and I
enjoy having it for lunch every day, plus it's over 30 grams of protein.
For me Taco Bell or Pizza is a once in awhile treat, not something you eat
every day. I'm not real strict with carbs, but you should really cut back,
you don't want to get into a bad habit.
— stacjean
October 27, 2002
CJ, I think that you need to stop weighing yourself on the scale every week
- I've been a post-op for almost 3 1/2 months and I have gotten weighed on
the average about every two weeks or less (and that was skewed because of
some Dr's visits in the middle). I usually just get weighed once a month
at my support group meeting.
<p>
That Zesty Chicken Borden Bowl without Dressing (for the whole thing - 13.5
oz) is 460 calories (170 from fat) and has 19g of fat, 1450mg of Sodium,
55g of carbs (3g of sugars) and 20g of protein. Even multiplying those
values by 75%, that's an awful lot of food, a lot of fat, salt and carbs...
<p>
Eating that slice of Tombstone pizza every day doesn't help either - adding
more carbs to the diet.
<p>
You need to get healthier in your diet. Fix some skinless chicken breasts
and have a couple of ounces of that for dinner along with some tomato
slices instead of having that Zesty Chicken Bowl. Have some tuna salad on
crackers instead of a slice of pizza for lunch. Have the egg and skip the
bacon or sausage for breakfast.
<p>
Keep track of your foods on a site like FitDay.com. Start the exercise, up
the protein and water and your energy will increase and your weight will
decrease...JR
— John Rushton
October 27, 2002
Sounds to me like you need to start eating more normal foods, stop eating
out and start coog some healthy meals, your setting yourself up for a fall,
sorry to sound so harsh, but I couldn't eat that way if I wanted to ,
because I would be sick all the time, your eating way too many carbs and
fat the way it sounds.. try going back to the basic foods for a just a
week and see how you feel, I bet you will feel 100% better...
— bikerchic
October 27, 2002
I have the exact same problem and I am 19 mos. post-op. I will go for
weeks and sometimes months and eat the same thing. Right now I have been
on a Yogurt kick for about 4 months. They are just easy to eat and digest.
I have also gone a few weeks with nothing but cheese and crackers and of
course protein drinks. I have lost 157 lbs so far. I may not eat the way
other post-ops do but I feel pretty good and all my blood work is great. I
have loads of energy. My opinion as long as you are healthy and have good
blood work and feel fine then eat what you want, as long as you get your
protein in and vitamins and dont eat to many sweets. As for your family,
make them what they want for dinner, I do, then I eat what I want. This
way I dont feel like I am subjecting them to my food problems. Good Luck
and e-mail me if you want to chat.
— lynbaby B.
October 27, 2002
To the previous poster: Yes, you are eating the same thing every day, but
you are eating healthy everyday. From what CJ describes in her question,
she is not.
— John Rushton
October 27, 2002
While I think a diet like CJ's would be a little boring, I don't see where
it's all that unhealthy. I don't see any carbs in that diet except for a
the thin crust on one slice of pizza. What's that, about 6 saltine
crackers? Other than that it's cheese, eggs, sausage, chicken and the
salad vegitables? Along with vitamins and maybe a little more protein
isn't that just fine? I think CJ's question was if it was okay to eat the
same foods...which I would think it's just fine. You family may not think
so.
— Scott L.
October 27, 2002
Scott - there are 55g of carbs in an entire Zesty Chicken Border bowl (this
is from the Taco Bell site). If she's eating 3/4 of it (and I wonder where
the other 1/4 goes - in the trash or for a snack later), then she is eating
42g of carbs just at dinner.
<p>
I couldn't find any nutritional info on the web on Tombstone Thin Crust
Pizza (Kraft must hide all of their nutritional info somewhere), but for
generic "pizza with meat, thin crust" on Fitday.com - for 1/8 th
of a 12" pizza, it is 208 calories, 93 of it from fat. 10g of fat,
544mg of sodium, 19g of carbs and 9g of protein.
<p>
Add to that the fat from the egg and bacon/sausage for breakfast. Yes, CJ
may be getting in protein, but at what expense. As someone below said,
the Taco Bell and Tombstone may be fine as an occasional treat, but for
every day?!?!?! Frankly, eating like that is how I got into needing WLS
in the first place.
— John Rushton
October 27, 2002
CJ....I totally understand what you are going through. Though you shoose
different foods than I do for your everyday meals I too have been getting
those awkward looks from my family and with heads tilted they look at me
and say, "CHINESE AGAIN?". I am so hooked on the chinese
resteraunt around the corner. They have a dish there that is nothing but
pure protein. It is called beef balamaki and is so good. It is thinly
sliced steak cooked at my table over a open fire......I love it! I think I
am addicted. I am very careful not to eat the rice that comes with it and
only have the broth from the won ton soup. I have read some of the other
posts and have to agree that carbs may be an issue, but I myself don't
think about carbs to much. I just make sure I eat my protein first and
then if there is room I might have a bite or two of carbs. I just wanted
you to know that you are not the only person that wants to eat the same
thing everyday. I could eat chinese food everyday forever, but I don't
think my family would be to happy. I wish you all the luck. Open RNY
7/5/02 -64 lbs.
— DRutherford
October 27, 2002
Donna...if you looked at CJ's profile, you see that she talks about lack of
energy, about slow weight loss and plateauing. If she's eating the same
things every day, it is reasonable that her diet is contributing to the
lack of energy, slow weight loss and plateaus. That's why she should
change it up a little as well as eliminate some of the carbs. If you look
at my menu over the course of the week, there are a lot of meals where I
have had the same things (I like the imitation crabmeat), but I concentrate
on protein and fluids and try to limit carbs to those incidental to what I
take in for my protein source. I'm down 96 lbs (as of 2 weeks ago) since
my open RNY of 7/17...JR
— John Rushton
October 27, 2002
It is absolutely normal for you to go through different phases of only
wanting particular foods. I went through a tomato phase. I wanted
anything that had tomatoes in it or on it. Salsa, spag. sauce, pizza,
lasagna, those yummy little grape tomatoes. I don't see anything wrong
with what you are eating. I don't count every little thing that I put into
my mouth. I just follow my body's cues with what it wants and when it
wants it and when its done! I made it to goal within 10.5 months doing it
this way and I'm still losing. I looked up your Tombstone pizza thin
crust: 12 gr. of carbs for 1/8 of the pie. So that would bring your total
to 54 grams of carbs in a day. Sounds good to me. We also malabsorb fats,
therfore I have never worried about fat grams. There are many others who
eat fast food every day, eating small quantities, that have made it to
goal. Michelle Curran is one of them. Maybe you can get advice from her,
she is 'the expert' in my book.
— Cheri M.
October 27, 2002
I am exactly like that! I can eat the same thing over 7 over, days on end.
Might be good, like my celery & apple kicks OR it might be that I can't
get enough pasta & bread. Of course, volume is not so much an issue.
I can get SOME pasta & bread, not a lot. But then I switch back to just
celery & squirt cheese or PB for weeks. Lately I wanted a carrot.
That was my meal at least twice/day (I do 4 meals). Presently, I am back
on my absolutely fave comfort food. Baked potatoe, frozen spinach,
buttered, lightly sprinkled with grated cheddar & sunflower seeds. Go
figure. I get all my protein & calcium supplementally, so my fave foods
usually are veggies.
— vitalady
October 27, 2002
Hey John, you want to watch that imitation crab. If you get the kind made
from Surimi fish it only has 8.6 carbs to 10.2 protein (per 3 ounce
serving)...but if you get the kind made from generic white fish, the carbs
are even higher. I was shocked when I found this out!
— [Deactivated Member]
October 27, 2002
I think we all get on these kicks at times where we eat the same things
over and over again. But, that's not the real issue here. The issue is
that CJ is feeling like crap, so either what she's eating lacks enough
protein and vitamins to keep her healthy, or she's not absorbing what
little she's getting from these foods. That should be a wakeup
call...something is very wrong here. She should be feeling fabulous right
now, and she's not.
— Leslie F.
October 27, 2002
C.J., no where do you say whether you are taking vitamins, B-12, calcium.
Are you? Have you had your blood checked lately? Your profile mentioned
that you are tired and achy alot. You could be low in B-12 or iron. While
it may be the lack of variety of food in your diet (where are the healthy
vegetables?), it could also be a vitamin deficiency. Also are you getting
in all your water too? Dehydration makes you tired.
— Cindy R.
October 27, 2002
I personally think some of you are being a bit harsh to CJ. Come on...do
you all plan to go through the rest of your ENTIRE life and not eat some
fat and carbs? Geez. I really don't think her diet is that horrible. I
personally didn't have this surgery to NEVER eat the food I want again. I
had the surgery to limit HOW MUCH I could eat! Bacon and sausage have
nutritional value in them, and we all need some fat to live. I know I go on
binges of wanting the same food for days in a row. I know everyone is going
to yell at me, but I have had a slice of bacon every morning for the past
week...and surprise...I still lose weight! I dont think CJ was asking us to
critique her diet. I think she was asking if any of us eat the same things
over and over again. I know we had this surgery to become more healthy, but
we also have to LIVE with it the rest of our lives. I will NEVER say NEVER
again. If I want a piece of pizza or a slice of bacon...I will have it. The
minute I deprive myself is the minute I feel resentful, angry, and start
REALLY messing up. We are all different I suppose...Good Luck to you CJ!
(open RNY 7/23/02 -74 lbs)
— Shawnie S.
October 27, 2002
Just wanted to thank everyone for their input about the lack of variety in
my diet. For about a month, all I wanted was salmon, salmon, salmon!! This
time, my craving isn't so healthy....My sister in-law who is 6 YEARS
post-op open RNY (1996-Dr. Waits) told me today not to worry, the cravings
will come and go...But she agreed with everyone else..--UP my protein,
watch those carbs, and GET MY LABS done!!! Thank you everyone for your
support!
— Jennifer C
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