Question:
its hard to control the amount of carbs everything has sooo many

I'm 90 months out and have lost 100 lbs, but I still want to lose 21 more lbs to meet my goal i exercise 4 times a week ,but i'm scared to eat and I still do protein shakes as meal replacemnt,but my probelm comes at night (bedtime) i'm always really hungry then and tend to snack And I CAN"t gain this weight back...I refuse to be Big ever again suggestions ....PLEASE..    — minkii68 (posted on June 3, 2008)

June 3, 2008
WOW! Congrats on the 100lbs. That's a lot of work done. Rejoice! Is that 9 months? What are you snacking on? Protein would be a good choice. Small bites, like a thumb nail and chew, chew, chew. Remember, no drinking with food so it satisfies you longer. It sounds like you are not taking in real food? Only shakes? Give us an idea of what you've been eating?
   — waterlover

June 3, 2008
You know the answer. You have to EAT. That's why you're so hungry. I don't do much in the way of carbs either. Look for a book called "Before and After" by Susan Maria Leach. It has lots of WLS-friendly, low carb recipes that will make eating less scary. You can also go to her website, bariatric eating dot com. You need to eat, you're not meant to be on just protein shakes for the rest of your life, and you will not go back to being what you were just because your food is not liquid. Good Luck!!
   — Shirley D.

June 3, 2008
If you have only protein shakes, you'll definitely be hungry at night before bed... You must eat food during the day, but concentrate on proteins, like a 1/4 or 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese. Low fat, low sugar yogurt. Tuna, chicken, beans, peanut butter. Stay away from breads, crackers, potatoes, rice. Eat some vegetables, unsweetened applesauce. I personally still use baby food to get in my vegetables, because they're all natural and pureed, so it's very easy to eat. I buy canned white meat chicken at the grocery store or Walmart, it is near the canned tuna. It's already cooked, very conveneint, and the chicken is softer. Have some cottage cheese and canned chicken as a snack before bed. I am lazy about cooking, and I like to put some canned chicken in a bowl, pour a little low sugar spaghetti sauce over it, then put a dollop of Riccotta or cottage cheese on top, then heat it up in the microwave. It is kind of a lasagna or italian type of taste, really delicious and full of protein. Good luck and congratualtions on losing 100, wow!
   — Gina S.

June 3, 2008
Aside from all of the very good advice above, I have learned to break nighttime/bedtime patterns by keeping occupied some place away from the kitchen! I actually stay on an entirely different floor and sew, crochet, work on computer, etc. until it's bedtime. I avoid TV at all costs... it leads to snacking!
   — Donna_in_PA

June 3, 2008
Self control is difficult.... and the fact that you are almost at your goal weight is tremendous!! congrats on the 100 keep it up and you need to eat Protein at nite.. I get hungry at nite too. I eat either a healthy protein snack or some fruit or cut up veggies with hummus I call this my pig out... LOL I can have 4 pieces of veg and hummus and can not eat another bite... its healthy and protein.... also I find when I am hungry sometimes its just thirst have some water first and 20 mins later if your still hungry have the suggestions above.. oh yeah I also have some cold shrimp sometimes too...so becareful ok!! and good luck hun!! XO ELisa
   — Elisa S.

June 4, 2008
A few suggestions... therapy/counseling, more sleep, and eat a variety of foods. Try a small amount of cereal for breakfast, protein supplement for a mid-morning snack, yogurt or other healthy lunch, remaining protein supplement for mid-afternoon snack, a healthy dinner... and a healthy snack if needed in the early evening. Eating before bed is not good (reflux). If you feel like you are going to hit the kitchen, go to bed. When our bodies are tired, they crave energy (carbs). Fiber and protein will both keep you satisfied longer, but you need to eat balanced meals. If you are afraid of over eating, measure your portion and put the rest away.
   — gonnadoit

June 4, 2008
The best course of action for you is to see a nutritionist. A nutritionist will be able to set you up with a dietary lifestyle that will meet your nutritional needs and your dietary preferences so that you are likely to STICK with it. You will also be able to LOSE those last few pounds because he or she will be able to CALCULATE the calories that you need to consume to lose the weight at the maximum rate that your body will allow without triggering your body's metabolism set point. This is probably the problem you are having now. You need to eat a certain number of calories a day before your body starts holding on to all the FAT that it has stored and actually starts robbing your body of it's own PROTEIN instead. What your body takes instead of the fat is MUSCLE. You do NOT want it to do that. Muscle BURNS fat! Your body does not discriminate from WHAT muscle it robs the protein FROM either. It will take it from your HEART muscle as readily as it will from your LEG muscle. You need to eat a certain amount of both PROTEIN and CARBOHYDRATE a day and for each person that amount will be different depending upon what their GOAL is. If your goal is to lose weight and you are a SMALL WOMAN, the requirements will be different than if you were a large MAN who wants to MAINTAIN your weight. This is why you cannot use someone ELSE'S dietary program to optimize your weight loss. I hope this helps, Hugh
   — hubarlow

June 4, 2008
I'm guessing that 90 months is a typo and you're 9 months out...? I think you need to get some help with this... maybe some counseling to help you deal with your fear. If you aren't part of a WLS support group, then I highly suggest finding one. Protein shakes are not meant to replace food/meals. You need to be eating real food and supplementing with the shakes... or having them as a snack. Please get in touch with your surgeon about this and if you have not seen a nutritionist, ask your surgeon for a referral. You are probably hungry at night because you're drinking shakes rather than eating. You might want to increase your exercise... either more often or something more intense. Please get some help with this. Losing 100lbs is great, but you can't live the rest of your life on protein shakes. You need to start eating real food. Good luck.
   — mrsidknee