omgsharon

I am really struggling with tracking my food. I have tried many different trackers, both digital and paper but I just can’t seem to stick to it. I have ADHD, time blindness and object impermanence (out of sight out of mind). The crazy thing is that even when I eat, I do not think “Oh I need to write this down” never. It just doesn’t occur to me. I recently switched to clear acrylic tumblers because I still wasn’t meeting my water goals. I bought (2) 40 ounce tumblers so I only have to refill it once. This has been working for me. The goal is 64 ounces of water per day so if I don’t completely finish the refill as long as I get below 1/2 on the second round I am good. Switching to the acrylic tumblers helped with my out-of-sight-out-of-mind issues so now I can see exactly how much water is in the tumbler as opposed to others where I had no idea… it’s just a bottle… wonder how much is in it? LOL I have a huge aversion to meticulous counting. I bought Japanese-style condiment dishes to use as plates/bowls to control portion sizes. They hold approximately 3 oz of food. I also purchased multiple sets of pretty “toddler” flatware that matched my regular flatware… it’s just smaller…. This controls my “bite size”. So, how I do go about hacking my brain to be able to track food? Because even if I do remember to do it at the end of the day, it is inevitable that I will miss something or not remember exactly how much I ate. The memory clarity/issues are a daily struggle. I struggle using digital apps with my all or nothing brain. I have an iPhone and iPad and use native apps like Reminders, Notes and Calendar to move through the day. I really don’t want one.more.app.to.keep.up.with… but I am willing to try if someone has found something that works for spicy brains. Does anybody else struggle with this? How did you work through it?

This makes the most sense to me. I will eat whatever is in the refrigerator already prepared. If it requires me to “put it together” after a stressful whatever that day, I am less likely to make the correct choice. It’s weird to say but I can eat the same thing over and over and over and over again. It’s easier to just eat leftover leftovers than to have to make another decision. I’ve been trying to meal prep on Sundays for hubby so he can have healthy lunches for work but his food plan and mine don’t always mesh. I did make a plan for this week and so far it has been easy to follow because most everything is cooked for breakfast and lunches and he sometimes cooks the dinner, especially if it is something that I can’t tolerate(tuna, anything spicy, bbq anything, Asian & Mexican are all hard for me. I love it but it doesn’t love me right now). I guess I just never equated making my meal plan at the beginning of the week can also be my tracker. I thought I had to do both and I was failing miserably in my mind… I am at least following my meal plan 75-80% of what I had originally wrote down. I don’t work tomorrow, so I think I will plan out the weekend and next week… then cook and put it in my single serving containers.

I feel like I need to track because I’ve only lost 40 lbs in a year since my surgery. Though I did have some significant issues about 4 months after surgery. Things are going much better now and I feel like I “need” to “do” something. This was a lot of pain, effort and mental anguish/anxiety to go through and my final result be just 40 lbs. LOL I do know clothes are fitting better. Wearing smaller sizes. But I also know that I will forget to keep tabs on myself because I become blind to things that are not built in/hardcore habits for me. I think because I have the issue with object impermanence that I need to be super aware of what I am doing/eating or else all this effort was just an exercise in futility. Does this make sense? EDIT: I also forget to eat or wait too long to eat. Food has never played a vital role of importance in my brain in my life … it’s more like a fire… I don’t notice it when it is out or smoldering. I do notice it when it’s become a full blown issue that needs to be corrected. Like I don’t remember I need to eat until I start getting shaky or jittery because I’ve let my blood sugar drop too low. This has been an issue my entire life. So I need a way to stay on top of my food / eating habits, etc so I can be more balanced in my approach. This is my thinking anyway. Maybe it’s not right… I don’t know

Don’t be discouraged at the stall. I had surgery on 12/18/23 at 219. A year and 1 month later I am at 180 and have been here for 6 months. Sometimes I dip into the 170’s but I bounce back to my current set point of 180… Currently… I am ok with that because I can see the changes in how I look and how my clothes fit. I have struggled with eating the proper amounts of protein since having a set back in March 2024. I am struggling really hard with acid reflux and getting enough sleep. It is getting better and I am willing to put my weight loss on hold while I try to get this under control and avoid a corrective surgery. Give yourself some grace. This is hard to do. 💖 Just try to stay positive, be focused and talk to your care provider. Ask lots of questions, don’t leave until you feel like you truly understand which direction to go next when they help you lay out a new plan. … and take notes because it’s hard to remember everything they say during the appointment.

VSG Day 12/18/23 I am just a few days post-op and feeling ok other than a bit of constipation and gas pain in my shoulders from the surgery. I am struggling to meet my liquid goal of 64oz but I am getting enough to keep my urine clear according to the daily chart my surgeon has me filling our every day. I have a lot of bruising but almost zero pain. I didn’t take any of the pain meds they sent home. I don’t know if I have a high tolerance for pain or a really good surgeon. I’m a little loopy I think from not getting proper nutrition on the liquid diet, so my grocery order is being delivered.