I'm in six months waiting, what should I eat?

I am on month one of the insurance required 6-month dietitian visits and so far I haven't lost any weight and I'm afraid to disappoint my dietitian by showing up with no progress.  I have been trying to implement more exercise, which has been hard finding the time to do so considering it's late at night when I get home from work.  I have done one thing the dietitian asked me to do and that was eat before I go to work.  Anyway, I meet with my dietitian next week and I want some ideas on how to improve my eating habits for the second month and maybe show some weight loss.

I would suggest cutting out all white carbs & sugar (breads, potoatoes, pasta, rice, sweets, candy, etc).  Focus on eating lean protein and veggies.  This is much like the post op eating plan.  Also, cut out soda (even diet) and drink lots of water.

Six months seems like a long time, but it will fly by.  It's a great decision you're making to establish some good habits now!

So let's play this game that we always play -

Tell us what you're eating.

How many calories a day, how much is protein and carb?

If you're not logging it now, congratulations, today is the day you start logging!  It will help prepare you for after surgery anyway.

So.

What's going in your mouth?

Lets see today I had this:
Breakfast: Yakisoba package cheddar cheese

Mid -morning: 6 cups of cheddar cheese popcorn

Mid afternoon: Yakisoba again

Dinner: Ropa Vieja, about 1 cup of that with 1.5 cups of rice and beans and two tortillas, .5 cup sour cream .25 cup cheese

I figured that all to be around 2000 calories according to SparkPeople.com.  Part of my problem is I live with my parents and brother who eat whatever they want, my dad being obese, my mom is not and my brother is morbidly obese.  I'm looking to move out in July in hopes that this will help get my out of control eating under control because then I am not just eating what everyone else is eating because it is there.  My parents eat out a lot and order pizza at least 2 times a week.  I have been buying more greek yogurt as of late and finding ways to incorporate that into my diet too.

Our families are often the worse influences on our eating habits. Just like you, I'm noticing very markedly how many bad habits are lurking in my household as well...only I have a bit more power in my household since I am the parent. I'm hoping to make a difference for my children through this whole process...make us all aware of how our eating affects our health. You never know...you could start your parents and brother on a better track when they see your success through this process.

 
Way too many carbs.  Where are the fruits and vegetables?  There's nothing nutritious in noodles, popcorn, and tortillas.  You body needs nutrients.  Try to choose foods based on high nutrient content, not just calories.

I understand living with family that isn't dieting.  I have to cook for my husband and my daughter, neither of whom have a weight problem.  Go buy some raw veggies, a bag of salad, and some fruit.  Try to add those to your plate at meal times and you'll go far.

Do you have a food scale to weigh your foods so you know exactly how many ounces you're eating?

During my supervised diet,since we had the time to do so, my nutritionist had me add new steps each month. For example,the first month she wanted me to focus on not skipping meals and drinking more water. The second month , she wanted me to continue this but to start focusing on portion size. The third month, I had to begin choosing better quality of food . It is definitely hard when you are living with people who dont eat healthy. However, you have to remember that you are always gonna be around this . You have to make the right choice for you. Extremely hard, yes, but worth it ! I would definitely start working on cutting out the carbs,because they are an addiction and for me personally , it took some major work to get myself off of them ! 

I know I focused on getting soda (yes, diet also) and any other caffeine out of my system slowly so I would not go into caffeine withdrawal post-op. I then added in one to two protein drinks a day and the other meal was a healthy one so I did lose weight before surgery.

On my 6 month I gradually cut out white carbs, sugar, fast food and all carbonated drinks I didn't make all the changes at once by the time surgery rolled around I had lost 24 lbs and didn't have any of the withdrawal symptoms to deal with on top of recovery. Set small goals each month so that it will not be too overwhelming.
I also tried to consciously eat slower( still a problem some days) and traied myself not to drink with meals( hardest for me to give up). You will do fine. I am so glad I had the 6 months to really wrap my head around this whole new life.