Damn Candy!!! ?? For people over a year out

Hi there. Our surgeons are part of the same practice. What about attending the small and large support groups. I find that they really help me.

I do go to the meetings...are you in the Methodist group?

I am nearly three years out. I still come here for support. I need it to remain present in the journey. Yup..I ate candy today. So did most everyone else in the world. You eat it and then find a way to get it out of the house. My son has "hidden" his candy in the room now. I told him as long as I didn't see it he could keep it.
I personally think the 5 day pouch test is a fad diet that just sets you up to feel bad about yourself.  If you are having some problems think about a solution that address that..like not drinking with your meals or  eating protein first. One thing and change that one thing today.
My one thing today was increasing my fluid intake. I think it makes me feel better when I remember to get the fluids in.
Deb T.

Well, I see you are so close your goal weight.. thats so exciting.. I am trying to hit it before Christmas.. thats my goal.. I started a Carb Detox program.. right before Halloween..I plan to keep  on this plan until Christmas.. I started increasing my protein 100grm per day.. religously logging my food on Calorie tracker  on LIvestrong.com == free phone App ..

I am drinking 4 protein shakes per day, salads,fruit, low fat cheese,greek yogurt etc. Its been difficult with all the Pot lucks, food events, Happy friggin Birthdays.. here is a huge cake at work events.. Argghh.. its hard.. its a challenge but I am worth the effort and.. torture..

As the Holidays roll in, I think this detox thing will help me stay on course..After the new year I can resume to incorporating other thiings but for now  this is the path I have chosen..

I try to focus on today.. right now.. not tomorrow.. I have control over this moment. I cant keep tempting foods around me..

Michelle

Yes I am very close to the weight I set for myself...my doctor said I really need to be done so for me its not so much the weight as not gaining any weight and just being healthy. Your plan sounds good I really have to keep focused. I know exactly what you are saying about all the food lately and that is why I want to be focused now before Thanksgiving and Cmas.
Thanks for the encouragement!!!

can someone explain to me what the 5 day pouch test is?

I was reading in another message thread about this "5 day ouch test" and other than  to put it alongside fad diets it was listed as something not to try.  I too am curious as to what it is supposed to be.  Not to try it, just wondered myself.

I beg to disagree with you. It sounds like there is plenty here for you considering the challenges you describe. I am 3.5 years out and maintaining and I find something new here every day. The only way for there to BE meaningful stuff for people 1 year + out or more is for there to BE people 1 year + out or more to discuss it. (/end soap box)

Now onto the issue at hand.

The five day pouch test, without any evaluation in WHY you are not sticking to your plan, is useless. Just doing liquids or whatever it is not effective. The problem is not physiological, it's most likely psychological. If you pair a 5 DPT with some introspection (thinking about why you "slipped") it could be helpful but without the mental work all the 5DPT is is another fad diet. Fad diets don't work as you saw on day 2.

I would suggest you spend some time thinking about your eating behaviors and consider especially the following:

1. Was it really that bad?
2. Why was it that bad? Because of my expectations or because of the actual behavior?
3. Why did I feel the need to exhibit that behavior?
4. What was I feeling at the time when I exhibited the behavior? Anger? Anxiety? Depression?
5. How would I LIKE to feel?
6. What is my goal? Has it changed? If so, how?
7. How can I behave from this point onward that will get me to my goal?

To me it sounds as if you just need a head check. Doing this isn't always easy. It means you have to own up to "stinkin thinkin" but it does work if you keep at it.

Good luck.

Just before I read this a co-worker came around delivering cupcakes that were brought in for her birthday.  I took one, partly to be polite, but honestly also partly because I wanted a bite of the damn thing.  This post came along at the right time! I dumped it in the trash without even a nibble.  I'm not happy with my old behavior popping up lately either and I've got to stop.   


Meg

You want to get away as much as possible from a diet mentality of going on and off - thinking of things in those terms cultivates a psychological tendency that is chaotically caught up in cycles of deprivation, desperation, want, rebellion, indulgence, guilt, remorse, and self loathing or self harm. It creates a schism between your mind and your body that can really get in the way of making measured, mindful, peaceful choices according to what really works for your life (the pattern that will ultimately more likely to be successful to get to goal and to maintain).

Each and every action you make around food is an individual choice. Sometimes you will make choices that support your goals and sometimes you will make choices that won't. Start purposefully, intentionally developing your thought process about your food choices this way. Each and every time you come to make a decision about food take a moment to understand where you are and articulate to yourself what the choice is about and whether or not it supports your goals.

So, it's morning, I'm about to go downstairs and make my protein coffee. It's the thing I want most in the world right now. I can articulate the following things about what it would mean to choose to have my protein coffee: It gets early protein in me so my metabolism has something to get my body moving for the day. It helps me fulfill my protein targets for the day. It is a good protein, low cal, low fat, low carb and super tasty. It makes me feel like I am prepared to start my day well. I like the taste and experience of it. This choice supports my personal goals (to nourish my body, to keep me healthy, to be in balance, to keep my calories at a moderate level to facilitate my weight loss, to eat protein first), to enjoy my experience of food while not making food the way I experience life). Nothing is competing with these goals today - they remain my primary goals, and I choose to support them by choosing to drink my protein coffee.

That choice might seem like a no-brainer, but it is a choice, and cultivating awareness of your choices even when they are no-brainers will help you cultivate behaviour that considers your goals and your choices as a part of coming to decide what/when/how you eat every time. If you can cultivate this behaviour, when you come face to face with whatever choice it is where you feel struggle with food, it helps make you powerful to make the choice that supports you, and that will keep you in a balanced mind/body, working together to meet your goals.