Getting real

Okay, there really is movement and I can think clearly again.  (Man, being constipated sucks.  I'll take its opposite problem any day of the week!)

And now that I'm feeling better and that the motility issue isn't determining what I do or don't eat, I'm reviewing my food journal (I have such an historically dysfunctional relationship with food that I write down what I eat every day -- currently I'm on Day 346 of not having missed a day of journaling my intake), and I've come to a few provisional conclusions:

• I've been eating far too many refined carbs.  I mean, fruit's okay now and then, and even the occasional complex carbs like potatoes or pop corn work for me -- but chocolate-covered Nutter Butter cookies?  Donut holes? Who the hell did I think I was kidding?! (Er, myself, that's who!) I had cut those out as of last week, but I'm reaffirming my decision to continue leaving those things alone!

• Eating high-fat isn't the answer. As far as calories go, fats aren't usually a problem for DSers because at least at the outset, we malabsorb, on average, about 80% of the fat we eat.  However, over time our ability to absorb fat increases -- no one knows by how much, and no doubt it varies by individual -- and while we certainly don't go back to absorbing the same amount of fat as a non-DS person, it's probably not a good idea to mainline fat, even when one's, er, irregular. 

So, going forward, while I'm not going to go out of my way to eat low-fat, per se (because as I've stated in earlier posts, I do need a fair amount of fat to keep my system operating smoothly), I am going to pick and choose those fats carefully. When I do have them, my goal is to combine them with, say, protein (an occasional breve latte is fine) rather than with carbs (an apple fritter is not -- unless I'm going for a rare, deliberate indulgence -- emphasis on rare and deliberate).

• I need to return to daily high protein/low carb bars and shakes. Not all WLS or DS patients use them, but they've really helped me be successful. 

I'd been getting really sick of Pure Protein RTD shakes and bars (about 35 grams of protein and 3 net carbs) -- particularly the bars -- and so I'd been skipping my morning shake and opting for Zone Protein bars as an afternoon supplement.

Zone bars are tastier but not as nutritious or as efficient for me (only 16-17 grams of protein and about 25 grams of carbs).  Uh, they're good for snacking when I'd be inclined to go for Nutter Butters (which is how I used to use them), but otherwise?  I need something that packs a bigger protein wallop and has fewer carbs, thanks. Oh Yeah bars have a good protein count but their carb count is high as well, and they have a lot of calories, so for the time being I'm going to return to Pure Protein bars and shakes. (There are other choices with higher protein counts, but 35 grams is enough when combined with the rest of my diet.)

Bottom line: Pure Protein products have worked for me.  I'm a little tired of them?  Tough. I'll manage! (Note: I had a Pure Protein shake for breakfast, and you know what? It was filling, and I felt really good about that choice.)

• I need to limit treats/go sugar-free on sweets: I've been getting complacent about my weight loss, and gradually the sweets have crept in -- not only in packages of cookies and donuts, as outlined above, but in chocolate as well.   

No one has gotten fat on an occasional cookie or donut -- but packages of them?  Yes, that's how I ended up at 280 pounds. Thanks to my DS, I can't put away packages of junk food in a single sitting anymore, nor would I absorb the same amount of them if I could -- but I can eat regular-sized portions of foods now, and if I eat the wrong foods often enough, I will gain weight.

If you're a DS patient who's about 2 or more years out, you will, too.  I suspect the same thing is true for RNY gastric bypass patients.  WLS is not a free ticket to eating anything and everything you want.

So, as the first step in cutting back, I stopped at a drug store today and stocked up on some sugar-free candy: a couple of pieces satisfy me (i.e., I find sugar-free, -"itol" sweets to be self-limiting in that I never want to indulge in them to excess), and the carb and calorie counts are low.

Having fought so hard for yourself, for this surgery, for a second chance at life and health, why would you run the risk of screwing it up?

That's the question I asked myself. That's the question I ask any other folks who are in the same post-honeymoon phase of WLS as I, and who are in the this for the long haul. (which is everyone who chooses WLS, by the way).

More importantly, I've replied to my own question by backing up good intentions with actions -- not just in what I've stocked in the way of treats (and I believe in treats, trust me!) but in meal choices as well. First the Pure Protein shake for breakfast.  Then, later,   my husband and I went out for lunch.  Good Mexican food.  I ordered two burritos (one chicken,  one beef), rice and refried beans. 

• I ate the filling only of the chicken burrito and left the flour tortilla
• I had two bites of rice
• I ate 2/3 of the refried beans topped with melted cheese 
• I took home the second burrito (out of which I will eat only the beef filling) and the remainder of the beans
• I left the rice on the plate and didn't take it home

I drank water throughout my meal, and was perfectly content. There's more than enough left over for my dinner this evening. I did not leave the table hungry, I did not feel deprived. I felt good.

Had I not had this come-to-Jesus epiphany, indirectly triggered by the past week's irregularity, I would have gone ahead and eaten the flour tortilla and most of the rice because I will always be an overeater at heart, regardless of the amounts I consume.  It's like being a dry drunk: you may have stopped drinking, but you still have the mentality of an alcoholic.  I still would have had leftovers which I would have taken home, and I would have eaten them. And that's my point: I would have eaten the entire, carb-laden meal over time, but because it would have been stretched out over multiple meals, I would have been able to disguise the carb consumption to myself.

So it's back to basics for me, and I suspect that a couple of weeks of adhering to the basics of healthy DS eating will correct whatever irregularity issues I've been having as well as lower the number on the scale (which was 160.4 today).

And if it doesn't?

I'll take further action.  Because I like being in the 150s, I'm in this for life, and I'm not going to screw this up.

Comments

[*S*]

Sounds like you've got a clear overview and strategy based on your experiences, Deluzy. Good for you! BTW, speaking of Target, you might cruise the lunch pack aisle and score some of the 100 cal packs of cookies for a treat. I've done that now and again - think, 1 pack per week. Works for me and automatic portion control is a plan, even though I'm not an overeater on a regular basis.

*S*

[Deluzy]

Oooh, those 100-calorie packs are total triggers for me -- can't have 'em in the house! Go figure -- I, too, thought they'd be the perfect solution for portion control but they just didn't work for me that way.

If I want a cookie, I can stop by a bakery and buy one.

[*S*]

You mean like you'd eat more than one pack at a time? I never considered that possibility, dense gal that I am.

Bakeries are so not a plan for me. I was at a bakery with a friend last week and reminded of how much I dislike most American baked goods - way too sweet and nasty shortening/fat.

*S*

[Dagny]

Great post Deluzy! Very interesting how several of us are hitting the same mental/physical place all at the same time. We've lost it and somehow that's turning out to be easier than getting down to THE REST OF OUR LIVES!

Thank you for sharing your strategies. And no, those 100-calorie packs would be triggers for me too! Stay away!

PS. FiberSure. Several servings every day. Well-priced at warehouse clubs. Good stuff....