At Goal
Celebrating Food: The Princess & Prince Rules
by Terry Simpson, MD, FACS
Be a princess! Ok, if you are a guy, we can modify that – but there are a few things about weight loss surgery that will get you on your way to being at your goal!The Princess & Prince Rules
Never eat in a place that serves you through a window, or where you would eat in a car. A princess or prince does not eat in a car. A princess or prince is not served standing from a window. In spite of fast food places working to lower calorie counts, or fat, or trans-fat – the food quality at most of these places is just poor. The calorie counts are high. Think of them as fast calorie places, and if you have calories in storage, (fat), then don’t think about adding to them at someplace that was an old haunt.
You are going to be eating less food—so eat great food. What makes great food? Food that is grown locally, food that is fresh, something that tastes great! If you like Mexican food, then go somewhere that is authentic, where they make their own salsa , where they don’t cover poor quality meat with cream cheese, more cheese, and lots of calories. Instead, go somewhere that makes it fresh. This may look like a dive, but if the food is fresh, and quality is good—then enjoy it. We want to celebrate food and that means you should find an environment that has great food! So why, as a member of royalty, would you eat somewhere that the food is at best, average? Part of the venture is finding new places where you look over the menu with a skeptical eye and find something that is new, something that is fresh, and something that will make you want to come back.
The best part of a good meal is the first bite. You remember that first, great, mouth-watering bite! You may even remember the last bite! Those are the memories. What about the other bites? Well, if you eat too much then the food will not be a fuel, instead, it would be converted to fat. So, watch your portions.
In the diet world they have you eat a lot of salads. You may have even convinced yourself that salads are wonderful. Really? Lettuce? Nah. Those are simply vehicles for salad dressing, and salad dressing is nothing more than an excuse for your body to store more fat. Fresh vegetables are better.
One thing about vegetables; cooking them lightly is so much better than raw. I know, Mom said the cooking destroys all the best parts. Well, Mom was wrong. Humans do not have the enzyme to break down a lot of the vegetable fiber (which is ok). But for your body to get at some of the nutrition, a small amount of cooking will release them. This has been shown in many vegetables. So, enjoy some cooked vegetables, and get the best nutrients out of them.
Potatoes –oh they were a staple when you were heavy. Guys especially love meat and potatoes. Potatoes should be a condiment, not a serving. Potatoes, in whatever form, are processed quickly by the body and stored as fat. So instead, focus on the vegetables. Here is one simple exercise: name every vegetable dish (not salads) that you like. If you have less than ten, then it is time to expand your horizons.
New foods, new restaurants, new recipes, new dishes—this is the exciting part of weight loss surgery. It is not just an operation – it’s a lifestyle.
Terry Simpson, MD, FACS is a weight loss surgeon in Phoenix and has authored several books. For more information visit www.drsimpson.net.
Click here for the PDF version of this article from its appearance in OH Magazine
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