To snack or not to snack???
This is so hard to admit.
I have not felt physical hunger since surgery, so that means if I have a snack it's 100% head hunger. And I have been known to give in. That's why I've been posting to the food thread, to keep me on track. Over the Christmas break I started to have some not-so good-snacks, like chocolate kisses or m&m's. When the food thread started I vowed to post and make better choices. So far so good. I do find if I have enough protein - like 20g per meal - I do much better through out the day and don't want to snack. I think that if I were to have heathly snacks I wouldn't worry about it so much.
I have not felt physical hunger since surgery, so that means if I have a snack it's 100% head hunger. And I have been known to give in. That's why I've been posting to the food thread, to keep me on track. Over the Christmas break I started to have some not-so good-snacks, like chocolate kisses or m&m's. When the food thread started I vowed to post and make better choices. So far so good. I do find if I have enough protein - like 20g per meal - I do much better through out the day and don't want to snack. I think that if I were to have heathly snacks I wouldn't worry about it so much.
~ SANDY ~ 5'9" HW 291/SW 274/GW 174/CW 155
Starting BMI 40.4 Extremly Obese ~ Current BMI 22.8 Normal
Well, I will put my two cents in.
I never snacked before surgery... it's not part of my family's culture... and we just never did it, so I never got used to it. The most we would do is nuts or seeds.
To keep me going in between meals, I do Skinny Lattes or milk... but I typically don't need much to get me from Breakfast to Lunch or Lunch to Dinner.
My worst time of the day is Dinner to sleep. I eat dinner and THEN the head hunger starts screaming: ice cream, sweets, carbs, more food!! It's hard to control. I have stocked up on things like WW ice cream, fudgesicles and No Pudge Brownies for those occasions. I am slowly cutting back on those as I learn to control my head hunger.
I never snacked before surgery... it's not part of my family's culture... and we just never did it, so I never got used to it. The most we would do is nuts or seeds.
To keep me going in between meals, I do Skinny Lattes or milk... but I typically don't need much to get me from Breakfast to Lunch or Lunch to Dinner.
My worst time of the day is Dinner to sleep. I eat dinner and THEN the head hunger starts screaming: ice cream, sweets, carbs, more food!! It's hard to control. I have stocked up on things like WW ice cream, fudgesicles and No Pudge Brownies for those occasions. I am slowly cutting back on those as I learn to control my head hunger.
(deactivated member)
on 1/9/09 5:20 am - MN
on 1/9/09 5:20 am - MN
No Pudge Brownies??? What are those? BTW - where are you going that you're looking for your passport? Hopefully somewhere warm!!!
Tracy, I've seen the No Pudge products at Cub and Trader Joe's. Not sure where Elena gets them, but that's where I've seen them.
Here's a web for more info...though watch the sugars! Seems high to me for a serving, but I could be wrong.
http://www.nopudge.com/
Here's a web for more info...though watch the sugars! Seems high to me for a serving, but I could be wrong.
http://www.nopudge.com/
Tracy,
Obviously I have different plumbing than you, but I know from going to all the local pre surgery sessions that most programs do NOT suggest you have snacks throughout your day. PNC was the exclusion when they said that Skim milk was to be your snack. (directly from the program material I kept)
For me personally, with the DS, I need to eat on average 6 small meals a day. For the purpose of the food thread, I label some of those as "snacks" because I didn't know how else to do it. I guess I could say "lunch 1", "lunch 2", etc. I guess I hadn't thought about how that "snack" word might throw some off.
I also remember my surgeon in the pre op class talking to the RNY'ers and saying that if they needed a snack during the day, it should be popcorn or a handful of nuts, or something with fiber/protein.
Every program is so different as is every person. I really believe that we cannot judge or compare ourselves to one another after surgery. What works for one may not work for another.
I personally have also witnessed enough patients post op who go into the "old tape" mentality (as Darla would call it) of their old dieting habits. Eat less and lose. Well, after surgery, that mentaility does NOT work! So I do believe you need to eat 3 square meals, protein first every day. If you experience hunger between any of those meals (which some may depending on their surgery or metabolism), then you have a snack. Preferrably it is mostly made up for protein &/or fiber so that is sustains your body longer.
If you personally are snacking and not seeing the results you are looking for, then I think you've already answered your own question.
Obviously I have different plumbing than you, but I know from going to all the local pre surgery sessions that most programs do NOT suggest you have snacks throughout your day. PNC was the exclusion when they said that Skim milk was to be your snack. (directly from the program material I kept)
For me personally, with the DS, I need to eat on average 6 small meals a day. For the purpose of the food thread, I label some of those as "snacks" because I didn't know how else to do it. I guess I could say "lunch 1", "lunch 2", etc. I guess I hadn't thought about how that "snack" word might throw some off.
I also remember my surgeon in the pre op class talking to the RNY'ers and saying that if they needed a snack during the day, it should be popcorn or a handful of nuts, or something with fiber/protein.
Every program is so different as is every person. I really believe that we cannot judge or compare ourselves to one another after surgery. What works for one may not work for another.
I personally have also witnessed enough patients post op who go into the "old tape" mentality (as Darla would call it) of their old dieting habits. Eat less and lose. Well, after surgery, that mentaility does NOT work! So I do believe you need to eat 3 square meals, protein first every day. If you experience hunger between any of those meals (which some may depending on their surgery or metabolism), then you have a snack. Preferrably it is mostly made up for protein &/or fiber so that is sustains your body longer.
If you personally are snacking and not seeing the results you are looking for, then I think you've already answered your own question.
I'm like Sandy - I haven't felt "hunger" ever since surgery (THANK YOU, GOD!) Although the bit about knowing that the snacking is then a head thing? Yeah, that's a little disturbing... but true.
I really want to find and read that book about Mindless Eating - 'cuz that's my biggest food-related problem! I do snack. I don't do milk, I'm assuming I don't need to go into the reasons why again
. But I know that milk is a triple threat - protein, liquid AND calcium - so I try to make my snacks something that will give me those things! Cheese, yogurt, beef jerky, turkey sticks, maybe some nuts.. Once in a while I will have a few whole wheat crackers with my cheese. I TRY to avoid my trigger foods, which would be salty/crunchy things, but I do allow them in small quantities once in a while. When I want something SWEET, I try to refocus on my beverage!
Good thread, Tracy! Lots to think about!
I really want to find and read that book about Mindless Eating - 'cuz that's my biggest food-related problem! I do snack. I don't do milk, I'm assuming I don't need to go into the reasons why again
. But I know that milk is a triple threat - protein, liquid AND calcium - so I try to make my snacks something that will give me those things! Cheese, yogurt, beef jerky, turkey sticks, maybe some nuts.. Once in a while I will have a few whole wheat crackers with my cheese. I TRY to avoid my trigger foods, which would be salty/crunchy things, but I do allow them in small quantities once in a while. When I want something SWEET, I try to refocus on my beverage! Good thread, Tracy! Lots to think about!
Imperfect does not = unsuccessful
From my clinic they ask you to refrain from snacking. However, I'm not able to get in all my protein most of the time between the 3 meals. So I kind of spread things out through the day so that I can get it all in. I try to stay within the right calorie range and protein range. I have really tried to make sure that anything I eat outside of a meal has protein or fruit. Right now they way I have things going I'm seeing the scale move.
God Bless, Angela 
"You can't love if you don't love yourself"
"You can't love if you don't love yourself"
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