Eating too much (lot of food talk in this post)

I don’t want to write this. I almost made it a blog post so no one would read it!!

I am pretty sure I am eating too much. I would KNOW FOR SURE if I was eating too much if I’d measure and track my food, but I am not doing those things. Even though I know I should.

The only really stupid thing I have had to eat is a few bites of two different hot dogs. No breads, no chips, no sweets, no fast food burgers and fries. I am scared all of that stuff will make me sick.

I am at the moist solid food stage. So: scrambled eggs, moist chicken. Doc says I can try other new foods “very carefully.” I am eating like 85-90% protein and an occasional bite of potato or vegetable. It is just so nice to eat “real food” (in my head meat = real food; I guess that needs to change) instead of protein shakes and cottage cheese and greek yogurt. I am sick of that stuff.

I miss food. Makes me sound like an addict.

Today I had maybe 2 oz of BBQ pork, then another oz a few hours later, then an ounce of baked chicken with 3 small pieces of potato, then ⅓ of a sugar free popsicle, and then another 1.5 oz of chicken. Like I said I am not measuring so these are approximate, but nothing I have eaten at any sitting would overflow one of my ½ cup bowls I’ve been using.

This sounds like a lot of food to me!

Also today I have just been sitting and then the head hunger hits: “Hmmm … I would like a bite of ….” something, and off to the kitchen I go.

I know I am eating too much because I am not letting myself get hungry between meals - I am just eating when something ‘sounds good.’

I can identify my problems (I think):

• I had no energy - woke up tired
• I sat on the couch all day (after church) and watched TV
• House full of food
• Didn’t even try to distract myself from food

So if I know what I am doing wrong, why am I not doing what’s right?

I feel bad that I am eating so much, like I deserve to be yelled at/ridiculed/shamed. I don’t want to mentally beat myself up. I feel like I deserve any mean comments anyone makes - I don’t want to feel bad! I want to be able to hear comments and suggestions and (gasp) even constructive criticism and use it to make better choices. And at the same time I am flinching inside.

I see my therapist on Friday. Thank goodness.

Oh honey. Don't be so hard on yourself. We are in the season of barbeques which makes it hard to always make good choices, but it sounds like you did. I really would recommend a food scale because it is hard to guess what 3 oz of meat looks like. Also you may not feel full this early on so you can't trust your stomach. My scale was a life saver the first few weeks. But the good news is that your strategy for approaching barbeques is spot on- always protein first. At about 3 weeks out, I was having 3 meals and 2 snacks. Eventually my plan says to do 3 meals with no snacks when you can get in all your protein that way.

Thanks mollz :) and man I really need that group hug - it was cute!

My goal for tomorrow is to use my food scale.

Sorry at three weeks she needs to be harder on herself.  I am a blunt person when I see someone this new out potentially hurting them self and putting them self at risk.  Hate me if you want but  at three weeks it is vital to put those soft foods in a measuring cup and only eat what you are allowed, for me that was 1/4 cup.  You have just had your stomach cut from top to bottom and thru all those nerve ending.  You may not now be able to "feel" full.  Your sleeve isn't heald and you are putting yourself at risk for a leak.

Can you have canned tuna and chicken and such to met your need for met.

Please, please for your health measure and let that sleeve heal.  The season is no excuse.

Take care and big hug!

The going back and forth to the kitchen to eat even if it is just protein is basically grazing!  What helps not graze and become more aware of what you are eating is to eat at set times everyday.  In others words you want to train and discipline you body to not crave foods all day long.  For example, when my sons were babies, I fed them on a strict schedule.  What happened was that they didn't cry all day wanting to be fed.  They would only to be fed at their standard meal time.  I had friends whose babies cried all day long wanting to be fed, and every time they opened their mouth, someone stuck a bottle in their mouth.  What happened, they developed the habit of eating all day.  So it is with adults, set a time for meals and only eat at the prescribed times, and you will train your body to get hungry only at those times!  When there is no schedule, your body will always think it's hungry!  Sorry this was so long, but trust me it works!  

Eat on a set schedule.  That will keep you from eating when you feel like it or when something sounds good.

Right now, you need to be looking at food as something you NEED rather than something you WANT.  This means eating not when you WANT to, but when you NEED to, and eating what you NEED rather than what you WANT. 

A red flag here:  "Like I said, I am not measuring."  You are just 3 weeks out of surgery and NOT measuring?  This is a habit you need to be forming, not avoiding.  Especially so soon after surgery.  Your new sleeve is still very swollen and the fact that you aren't measuring foods is putting you at risk for springing a leak--remember, if they're going to happen, they're generally going to happen in the first few weeks post-op. 

Start measuring out what you eat, and make a schedule to eat on.  Personally, I eat small meals roughly every 3-4 hours.  I am nearly 11 months out, and this practice has kept me from grazing.  Also, drink, drink, drink.  When I am not eating, I am drinking either tea or water.  This also helps me keep from eating when something "sounds good."  

It is good that you can pinpoint your problem areas, but now start thinking of what you can do to minimize or eliminate those problems.  Identifying what your problems are is a good start, but without an action plan in place to solve them, they'll still be problems.  You don't deserve to be ridiculed, but you do deserve to be healthy and to get help.  Just don't self-sabotage in an attempt to get yourself healthy.

Good luck to you.

I think the order for eating is proteins first, then veggies, not carbs.  Veggies can fill you up, and have less calories and carbs than potatoes.  Check out Eggface's blog and you'll see lots of good recipes, and she has a section for "pureed foods" and has a great recipe for a ricotta cheese bake.  Also, many people enjoy chili with melted cheese.  Maybe spending some extra time cooking with recipes will fill up some time for you, and give you a better variety.  You need to take the time for yourself and do things right - if you start off by neglecting the necessary steps, it will end up leading to more problems.  Eating on schedule is important too.

BTW, no need to "flinch" here.  Some people post looking for people to say everything's all right - you're wise enough to know that everything is not all right and you're looking for solutions.

Good luck to you.  I had my surgery 5/14 and can't wait to start the pureed stage at the three week mark!

You didn't mention what you are drinking and I know from experience thirst can feel like hunger.

My day goes something like this:

DRINK (16 oz)

EAT (2 oz)

DRINK (16 oz)

EAT (2 oz)

DRINK (16 oz)

EAT (2 oz)

DRINK (16 oz)

EAT (2 oz)

DRINK (16 oz)

I don't always get everything in but that's my goal when I wake up each morning.  I usually drink either tea or water and try and fini**** before I can eat again.  With the waiting 30 minutes after I eat it takes all day and depending on how busy I am I run out of day. But I find with this schedule it's really hard to graze...I'm too busy floating away with liquids lol 

Give yourself a break because you are learning, we all had to learn and some of us (me) took longer then others.  But do measure, you may be getting in less then you think you are.

God bless, Michelle

PS on another site someone said they put a white board by their fridge and ticked off every time they accomplished what was on their list for the day.  I think this is a great idea :)

Another thing you might try is to log your food and drink every day using a site such as www.myfitnesspal.com. It's pretty easy to use, and later on when you start incorporating exercise into your routine, it can handle that, too.

Logging is a great tool for keeping accountable and really understand what your stomach can deal with comfortably. You can set up the entries to match your eating regimen such as Breakfast/Morning Snack/Lunch/Afternoon Snack/Dinner/Evening Snack. I just use one snack section, and added a vitamin section as well because I wanted to make sure I was getting everything in every day--and if I wasn't, I wanted to know it!

Good luck. It doesn't sound to me like you're doing anything horribly wrong, just not imposing the structure that you really need to ensure that you stay healthy and meet your protein and fluid goals. Take the time to do this, and you won't feel that awful sneaking anxiety about being a bad girl.

I have found that if I weigh, measure and record my food, I actually feel better about things, feel more in control.  Sometimes if I think I have had a bad day, once I look at  my numbers I find I am doing ok protein,carb calorie wise.  \

Anne