Check in if you are 4-5 months out of surgery and need an eating tune-up!

I know I do!  I saw a post from Katie regarding old habits creeping in and should she go back on a liquid diet to "reset" her appetite.  In a nutshell, anyway.  I was encouraged by how many people popped in to say that carbs have been creeping back in.  I myself have been snacking on chips and crackers.  They are very easy on my pouch.  I was warned that they would be, and it's best to stay away, but will-power fell to the wayside and I munched the first time on vacation.

So, it's great to know I am human and not the only one!  So, what can we do to battle this?

I came up with the idea to buy some different color bell peppers and keep them sliced.  When I feel like munching on a chip, the plan is to grab a pepper slice and dip it in something like a chip.  I am hoping the "crunch" and the saltyness of whatever I am dipping will fill my cravings. 

Any other ideas out there??

Sally

Hi Sally,

I have let my guard down this week and yes those old habits have been creeping in.  Wayyy too many carbs in my diet lately.  I'm resetting myself today and I won't let a few bad moments destroy all the hard work I have put in!  Food is the devil and I intend to continue treating it that way.  LOL 

Good luck!!!

 try sticking to one serving.. if you have to have chips then eat the 12 chips it says is a serving, that's what I do.   I love pita chips.. sea salt pita with tuna for lunch and if it says 8 chips that's what I have it satisfies me and I'm not going over board.  I will NEVER sit down with a huge bag of chips in my lap again because before you know it, it's gone!

I'm glad that works for you.  I tried to measure out servings and it did work for awhile, but now I just grab some as I walk by the cupboard.  I need to get it out of the house!!!!!!

Poor kids.  It's not their fault I am a compulsive overeater. 

 Well you know I'm having some trouble. I am trying SO hard to make good choices. I know I make way better choices than I did pre-op but still not as good as I could be doing. 

 There are people who can do things in moderation and those that can't or won't. We can parse the difference b/w can't and won't so for the sake of not starting a war of semantics, I'll say I fit into the category of "won't do moderation" when it comes to carbs - my old demon.  If you can do chips & crackers in moderation (e.g. one serving less than once daily or weekly), then great! I probably can't and won't try. It doesn't enter my house. If my husband MUST have something that would normally tempt me - I tell myself I'll get sick if I try and he tries to buy something of least temptation for me. 

Alternatives to the snack monster are Just the Cheese snacks, string cheese, kale chips, pickles. I occasionally buy nuts but find myself eating them too much if I buy them with regularity. I also tend to start on the snack habit on protein bars, so only buy them as treats.

Carbs are easy on most everyone, even those who dump. The question is, are you an all or nothing type of person? If you think it's gonna be too slippery of a slope, don't even start on the path.

I'm in the "can't eat just one" category.  I know that from years of attempts at losing weight and keeping it off.  My addiction to refined carbs is one of the main reasons my first WLS failed.  I decided that I needed to do things differently this time or I may as well forget it.
The biggest changes I made was to eliminate refined carbs, eat at least 100 grams of protein a day, drink at least 100 oz of fluids a day and to stick with 3 meals a day with one protein snack at night if I need it.  
This works for me and if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I too have noticed that chips and crackers feel good on ethe pouch.  I am 4 months out and starting to try things that I know are BAD for me.  I got some sugar free popsicles that I try to grab instead of chips or a cookie.

I'll be six months out September 1. I am still about 20 lbs from my goal weight. I feel so lucky and so blessed to have had this surgery and this turnaround in my life. I haven't been this thin in twenty years or more.

That said, I've realized its just me and my willpower now. I can pretty much eat anything, and I can eat more than I should be able to, in my opinion. So for me, I have come to realize that its just going to be an every day, every hour, every minute thing for me, and I have to make good choices.

I do notice that if I stay completely away from carbs and eat only the "good" ones, the cravings for carbs go away. So that would be the smart thing to do. BUt I am not always so smart.

 Same here...and im so mad at myself for it too. I can eat way more than 6 oz of food. I can eat jusgt about anything too. So now its down to my old enemy...self control. Sigh...obviusly thats something im NOT very good at. Im very disappointed in the fact that i dont really dump on much of anything and usually if i do its not SO bad that it makes me not eat it ever again lol. I really wanted to be a dumper. I can remember the first few mo out of surgery and how much i whined about not being able to eat or tolerate food...man id KILL to be that way again now :(. Here's an idea...for all of us here that are in this post op time frame and feel our old habits coming back...lets make ourselves more accountable by posting on here daily what weve eaten, what weve steered away from and what we've done to exercise! Anyone with me?