slrm2m2
Recipes, recovery and life post RNY
Sep 21, 2013
My binge eating disordered started to rear its head at the 11 month post-op mark and I've been battling with it ever since. Its starting to quiet down with a lot of work. I'm doing cognitive behavioural therapy and attending Overeaters Anonymous. I am making progress and I am actually grateful for hitting a new low post-op with my food because it forced me to really take responsibility for how disordered my eating has been for almost my entire life. I can recall binge eating when I was very young...kindergarten, perhaps?
My recovery focused plan of eating includes planning 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. I weigh and measure and track my food on myfitnesspal. I am abstaining from all junk food and most refined carbs (I do ryvita crackers, whole wheat pita, low carb wraps and oatmeal in moderation) . I exercise in moderation. I weigh myself about once a month, and only if I am feeling peaceful about it. If the number on the scale will have distorted power over my self concept that day, then I bypass it. I trust that following my plan of eating will result in maintaining a healthy weight. Recovery is 3 fold, emotional, spiritual and physical, so there is much more that I am working on, but I won't go into the details here.
I never cooked before my RNY...eating out at restaurants or convenience foods at home. Since surgery, I have learned to cook and I am so happy to finally have this life skill under my belt. Some of my go to recipes these days...
Homemade chicken fingers - chicken breast sliced, 1 egg, flax seed, crushed ryvita, spices. Mix the flax seed, crushed ryvita and spices. Dip chicken pieces in egg, coat with ryvita/flax mixture. Bake in oven. Surprisingly moist and delicious! I always ate the frozen kind before surgery....these are so much healthier.
Ground turkey meatballs - approx. 1 lb ground turkey, chopped onion and any other mixed veggies you want to add, flax seed, an egg, spices of choice (I use an India butter chicken spice mixture at half its recommended amount). Bake in oven. I freeze in portions and grab and go for lunches during work week.
Salmon cakes - can of salmon, flax seed, egg, onion, some grated carrot and chopped spinach, spices (I use garlic powder, onion salt and dill or a greek seasoning mix)
Chicken stir fry - heat 1 tsp on oil, add chicken breast cut up into small pieces and saute in a wok pan with tamari (or soy), some garlic and ginger. Add some sugar free orange jam for a ginger-orange tasting sauce. Add cut up, mixed veggies (carrot, onion, mushroom, celery, zucchini, broccoli) and cook until firm soft.
Healthy Nutella and ryvita crackers- 1 tbsp hazelnut butter, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 packets splenda or some granular splenda. Mix together and spread on ryvita crackers. Add some sliced banana for an extra treat.
Flax protein powder muffin- half scoop protein powder, 2 tbsps flax, one egg, cinnamon, splenda to taste, 1/2 tsp oil. Spray non-stick in a mug, microwave. Yummy.
Homemade trail snack mix- dried unsweetened cherries (not all that easy to find in a grocery store unsweetened, I go to a health food store), unsweetened cocoa nibs, raw almonds and some kashi go lean cereal. Also extremely yummy!
i eat cottage cheese and an apple almost every day for breakfast. Lunch varies, but If don't have anything cooked in my freezer to take, then I often eat beans with cheese or those individual canned flavoured tuna tins, sometimes a protein bar and yogurt. Lunch always includes raw veggies, baby spinach and a piece of fruit.
The RNY took the weight off and gave me a chance to regulate my eating and lifestyle habits when it comes to food. It also provides ongoing restriction, which helps me control my portion size. But I have found that I need to do the other work, the real work that will lead to lasting lifestyle change. Recovery from my eating disorder takes time, but I believe that there is a solution and I am working my program of recovery each day.
Before RNY I didn't really truly believe that I had an eating disorder. Post-op, the insanity of still trying to misuse food to deal with life became glaringly clear to me. Its been a major gift to get out of denial about it and start recovering.
