Question:
Am I eating to much in a day ????

Hi all my WLS siters and Brothers...! Im 8 mo post op ... I had my Surgery on Feb 2-2003... and Im wondering if Im eating to much, I started on my Purees and stayed on them till I was 6 mo's out , now Im getting MUCH better with eating ...like I get a saild from wendys and can eat almost half of it for lunch and then the rest for dinner, I dont eat the dressing that the saild comes with...I use Kraft Italin with MOST of the oil squezed out and I put 3 cap fulls on my saild, I dont eat the crutons and I remove the bacon and pitch that in the trash, I can eat 1 taco from taco bell, I get one hard taco easy on the greens extra cheese NO sour cream! I drink TALL homemade ice tea sweetend with splenda over shaved ice and I eat the ice , I have about 3 to 4 of these a day, I once in awile eat a slice of pizza, however its one slice and I NEVER et the bread ,I just eat the cheese toppings... Am I eating to much ??? Becasue I can eat alot of salid almost as much as I used to eat ,before the surgery , I eat saild every day! almost twice a day! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IM DOING WRONG!!! PLEASE....because my weight is at a stand still!:-(    — Michelle M. (posted on October 7, 2003)

October 6, 2003
If anything, I'd say you're eating too little. Your body needs calories or it will go into starvation mode and do whatever it takes to preserve what little energy it has. I also don't see any protein intake other than cheese topping on pizza. You should be getting a minimum of 65 grams of protein a day which is best accomplished with lean meats, cottage cheese, string cheese, eggs, etc. Salads are good for you, but they should be eaten only after you have eaten protein. Eat a grilled/baked chicken breast then, if you have room, eat a little salad. Are you getting 64 oz (minimum) of non-caffienated drinks? Why did you stay on puree's for 6 months? Was that your surgeons recommendation? Most plans have you on normal foods by 6 weeks post-op. I think you need to contact your nutritionist if you have one, if you don't have one, as your surgeon to recommend one for you. Good Luck
   — Carolyn M.

October 6, 2003
Well I just had my surgery on 10/1 - and so I am totally new to the losing side, but after reading what you eat and reading what we are *supposed* to eat on the diet, I don't see much, if any protein in your diet. Is this *all* you are eating or are you just giving a brief photograph of a possible day's menu? I haven't ever read much about salads being a typical daily choice for us as a standard meal - between them lacking protein and the fact that leafy lettuce if not chewed properly really can cause stoma blockages and other complications. (But again, I'm a newbie, so I could be wrong.) If you are a big salad fan, how about ordering one of the chicken salads, eating the chicken (or cheese if it has it) first and then picking at the lettuce last? It sounds like you're drinking a lot of ice tea - but is it decaf ice tea? If not, you're missing out on the actual "water" since caffeine is basically making whatever you drink not count as a water. Are you exercising at all? You didn't mention that either :) Good luck to you - you're a lot further out than me and I wish you the best at getting off your plateau!! - Lynne
   — Lynne D.

October 6, 2003
Don't base how much you can eat on salad. Lettuce chews down to almost nothing (has a lot of water in it). Also, have to agree with the others, not enough protein. I get almost all my protein from shakes, but I still eat some kind of protein at each meal. Also, don't be so afraid of the fats. Our bodies need some fat and we malabsorb it anyway. If you're going to limit intake of anything, it should be simple carbs, not fats. Also, I suggest drinking plain water, the caffeine in the tea is a diuretic, and can lead to dehydration. You may not be eating enough to keep your metabolism going as strong as it could be. Try increasing the protein and water and exercise if you are not already. I checked your profile and you have had an awesome loss so far. By tweaking your eating just a little, I'm sure you'll continue to do great.
   — Ali M

October 6, 2003
I agree with Carolyn that you're likely not eating enough. I love salad, but a few things that I do to it up the protein in it. I add chopped meat (chicken or steak) and use only leaf lettuce (maybe a bit of head lettuce - which has more water and less nutrients in it). I also add shredded cheese to it and seeds. I also find that if I take the meat and cheese and marinate it in the dressing a few hours before making the salad it helps to break down the meat a bit so it's easier to eat. Ratio is about 1 part meat and 1 part cheese and seeds to 2 parts salad.
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