Things Newbies Need to Buy!
There is a lot of discussion of gadgets and devices that are helpful in the kitchen after WLS. Blenders (or Magic Bullets) for protein drinks. Pedometers. Etc.
But we seldom talk about the ordinary things we need, and I had it brought home to me recently that what seems ordinary and necessary is not necessarily in everybody's kitchen.
So, I suggest the following four things.
ONE. I have a digital timer on my fridge and I use it constantly. I just set it to 30 minutes. Why? Because I just ate and it will remind me when it's okay to drink my water.
There are so many different things we do by "time" and getting used to a timer could be your niftiest trick. Saves a lot of "thinking" and just lets you go do whatever you need to until it beeps again.
TWO. A digital food scale. I thought these were so standard among people who have dieted that it went without saying. When a diet plan says 2 oz of meat, I assumed people knew that yes, this means you actually weigh it. I have a friend who did WW for six months online and only lost about ten pounds. She was using her treadmill religiously. She went to doctors for her weight. And it wasn't until we were talking a few weeks ago that she mentioned that she had never weighed anything, didn't even have a scale. And she knew she probably should get one.
Seriously???
She worked that hard at it without actually weighing or measuring her food?
So, if that is you, and you are here ready to cut 85% of you stomach away--get a digital scale and use it. They aren't expensive. And they even come in colors! Mine is red!
THREE. Real measuring cups. Not a coffee cup or a big spoon, but real measuring cups. See above.
FOUR. A cloth tape measure. Buy a tape measure and measure yourself before, so that you can measure yourself during. [Okay, I am going to admit right now I haven't done this and I wish I had. I have a tape measure but I haven't been using it.] Read the following very carefully:
You will hit stalls when you don't lose weight. You will be frustrated and discouraged. And there is a very strong likelihood that during those times if you measure yourself, you'll find that your body is losing inches even when the scale doesn't show it. I'm going to repeat that:
You'll find that your body is losing inches even when the scale doesn't show it.
Now this is the place where somebody can respond, "I don't weigh my food and I've lost XX number of pounds in XX months." Yes, this is true. It is also true that you might have lost more if you'd been more precise. But that's not really even the point. I think the real point is, there are people who can say, "I have smoked all my life and I'm 80 years old and clearly it didn't hurt me." There are always exceptions.
But we're talking about math here. And chemistry. And facts. Your body requires a certain amount of fuel. Too much and you gain. Not enough and you lose. Measuring the fuel gives you as much control over your body chemistry as you can have. Not measuring leaves it at least somewhat up to chance.
Okay, so I'm starting the list:
1. A timer.
2. A digital scale.
3. Measuring cups.
4. Coth tape measure.
I think there is a strong reason to believe that the more weight you have to lose, the more important these things are.
Who's next?
But we seldom talk about the ordinary things we need, and I had it brought home to me recently that what seems ordinary and necessary is not necessarily in everybody's kitchen.
So, I suggest the following four things.
ONE. I have a digital timer on my fridge and I use it constantly. I just set it to 30 minutes. Why? Because I just ate and it will remind me when it's okay to drink my water.
There are so many different things we do by "time" and getting used to a timer could be your niftiest trick. Saves a lot of "thinking" and just lets you go do whatever you need to until it beeps again.
TWO. A digital food scale. I thought these were so standard among people who have dieted that it went without saying. When a diet plan says 2 oz of meat, I assumed people knew that yes, this means you actually weigh it. I have a friend who did WW for six months online and only lost about ten pounds. She was using her treadmill religiously. She went to doctors for her weight. And it wasn't until we were talking a few weeks ago that she mentioned that she had never weighed anything, didn't even have a scale. And she knew she probably should get one.
Seriously???
She worked that hard at it without actually weighing or measuring her food?
So, if that is you, and you are here ready to cut 85% of you stomach away--get a digital scale and use it. They aren't expensive. And they even come in colors! Mine is red!
THREE. Real measuring cups. Not a coffee cup or a big spoon, but real measuring cups. See above.
FOUR. A cloth tape measure. Buy a tape measure and measure yourself before, so that you can measure yourself during. [Okay, I am going to admit right now I haven't done this and I wish I had. I have a tape measure but I haven't been using it.] Read the following very carefully:
You will hit stalls when you don't lose weight. You will be frustrated and discouraged. And there is a very strong likelihood that during those times if you measure yourself, you'll find that your body is losing inches even when the scale doesn't show it. I'm going to repeat that:
You'll find that your body is losing inches even when the scale doesn't show it.
Now this is the place where somebody can respond, "I don't weigh my food and I've lost XX number of pounds in XX months." Yes, this is true. It is also true that you might have lost more if you'd been more precise. But that's not really even the point. I think the real point is, there are people who can say, "I have smoked all my life and I'm 80 years old and clearly it didn't hurt me." There are always exceptions.
But we're talking about math here. And chemistry. And facts. Your body requires a certain amount of fuel. Too much and you gain. Not enough and you lose. Measuring the fuel gives you as much control over your body chemistry as you can have. Not measuring leaves it at least somewhat up to chance.
Okay, so I'm starting the list:
1. A timer.
2. A digital scale.
3. Measuring cups.
4. Coth tape measure.
I think there is a strong reason to believe that the more weight you have to lose, the more important these things are.
Who's next?
[I'm not gaining weight. I keep lowering my goal!] [I LOVE MY SLEEVE!]
A shaker bottle for mixing your protein drinks. I actully have two. One for work and one for home. They are also great for travel when a blender is not available.
A small cooler and a couple of those re-freeazable ice things. Great for when you are on the road and need to bring your protein with you. Don't gamble on getting what you need at a corner store some where.
Small fridge & freezer storage containers. We eat so little amounts at a time, there is alway a lot that needs to be stored for later. I invested in a vac****ealer so things last longer in the freezer.
There ya go!
My scale is 20 years old but still weighs exactly like the scales at the doc offices so I am not replacing it, but it only weighs in half-pound increments. It looks like a lot of people have scales that weigh in tenth-pound increments. I can't decide whether I'd like that or not. On the one hand, it shows "losses" that wouldn't show up on my scale. But on the flipside, it may show more fluctuation, too, which might drive me batty.
My scale is 20 years old but still weighs exactly like the scales at the doc offices so I am not replacing it, but it only weighs in half-pound increments. It looks like a lot of people have scales that weigh in tenth-pound increments. I can't decide whether I'd like that or not. On the one hand, it shows "losses" that wouldn't show up on my scale. But on the flipside, it may show more fluctuation, too, which might drive me batty.
[I'm not gaining weight. I keep lowering my goal!] [I LOVE MY SLEEVE!]
Good luck!
If you haven't already checked it out, look at myfitnesspal.com. You can get a free account there to log your food and liquids (very important), weight and measurements. A lot of us are on myfitnesspal and it really is easy.
Because logging everything is as important as weighing and measuring!
If you haven't already checked it out, look at myfitnesspal.com. You can get a free account there to log your food and liquids (very important), weight and measurements. A lot of us are on myfitnesspal and it really is easy.
Because logging everything is as important as weighing and measuring!
[I'm not gaining weight. I keep lowering my goal!] [I LOVE MY SLEEVE!]
Yes!!! I have some small cerami**** cream bowls that I paid too much for years ago simply because I loved the colors. And now I'm using them at every meal. They are perfect for cottage cheese and greek yogurt, or just about anything else I measure with a cup. And I'm loving using them.
[I'm not gaining weight. I keep lowering my goal!] [I LOVE MY SLEEVE!]
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