Eating Poll

[manderoo 2]

A Do you eat mostly healthy food with a few treats here and there?

B Do you eat all healthy food and NO treats/trigger foods until you've reached goal?

C Do you eat what you want just in smaller portions?

I'm wondering if people who do choice B and are very strict lose weight faster or if it really is calories in, calories out, so it doesn't really matter what you choose?

[Rachel412 116]

Do I need to pick one of the three? Honestly, I think I'm mostly A with a bit of B. I do mostly eat healthy foods. When I cook, it's always baked, grilled, etc with at least one veggie side and then a grain side- usually brown rice. I tend to have under 1/4 cup of the grain with a meal, if I'm sill hungry after eating the rest. I do allow myself a "treat" now and then, but I certainly also do sometimes eat the "wrong" thing at a meal. To me a treat is a snack- but a wrong choice would be, for example, the 2 pieces of pizza I had for lunch yesterday

My weight loss tends to go for a week, then sit still for a week, then go for a week. I weigh every day but only count the downs, not the ups.

[Cindy C 150]

I would have to pick C. I have eaten whatever I wanted the entire 3 years since banding and have lost over 140 pounds, however; I must say, the things I want have changed drastically.

[icequeen813 3]

A Do you eat mostly healthy food with a few treats here and there?

B Do you eat all healthy food and NO treats/trigger foods until you've reached goal?

C Do you eat what you want just in smaller portions?

I'm wondering if people who do choice B and are very strict lose weight faster or if it really is calories in, calories out, so it doesn't really matter what you choose?

From the beginning,I have made mostly healthy choices,never denied myself. However I still don't drink carbonated drinks& very little alcohol. My theory is...why drink 150 calories when I can eat it! It is calories in,calories out. I have been exercising 3-4days/wk from the beginning.

[SageTracey 608]

A. No carbonated drinks (and I am surprised that I don't even miss them!) I have the very occasional alcohol and even then it is associated with dancing so they balance each other out (little alcohol, lots of dancing!)

[FadnoMore 4]

I think that I am mostly "A" with "B" at times, it's still a learning process you know!

[marfar7 1,533]

I'm totally a C'r! I love having the band - it allows me to eat the foods that I love just MUCH less of them. For instance, tonite for dinner I had 1/2 of a homemade taco. I've never been able to stop at less than 4 before my lapband. For Breakfast on most days I eat 1 egg and 1 pc of bacon. Or 1/2 a bagel with cream cheese. Or a carton of yogurt. I've never cut anything out (and that includs soda, altho I drink very little of it, but I now drink the real stuff, as I learned that most people who drink diet soda are overweight) - including bread, Pasta and rice. I can't eat more than 1 pc of bread tho.

My fiance, who's lost 80lbs over the past 18mths on a lo carb diet, hates me when I can buy a box of Cookies and eat just 1. He has to eat the whole package. I used to be like that too tho. Now I can eat just 1 and it takes care of that "snack monster". I've wondered if all the people who describe their diets as being so perfect really are - or are they lying? If I could be that good all the time, I would've never needed the band!

Marci

A Do you eat mostly healthy food with a few treats here and there?

B Do you eat all healthy food and NO treats/trigger foods until you've reached goal?

C Do you eat what you want just in smaller portions?

I'm wondering if people who do choice B and are very strict lose weight faster or if it really is calories in, calories out, so it doesn't really matter what you choose?

[manderoo 2]

Thanks for your honesty Marci.........that makes me feel human.

[Jachut 487]

Its really A) and C) together - I eat what I want in much smaller portions, with the odd treat here and there, but what I want truly IS mostly healthy food.

Although...... a lot of people here would call my diet terribly UNhealthy because of the carbs (and types of carbs) it contains. Normally I wont touch white carb foods apart from as a treat. But for the last nine months I've had to be on a low fibre, low residue diet, pretty low on fruit and veg and thus high in carb foods. I cant handle too much fat or Protein, so that leaves meb with, well, carbs.

Today I've had:

breakfast: 1/2 cup weeties flakes with some tinned peaches on top and skim milk

Lunch: 3 cruskits with avocado, cranberry sauce and brie, a choc chip cookie

dinner: (is going to be) lamb rogan josh (cross fingers this works for me, its not TOO hot and spicy), white rice and well cooked green Beans.

I'll probably throw a small skinny latte in there somewhere, and a small glass of whine with dinner.

That's a very average day forb me. One or two things like Cookies or a wine, the rest healthy food. I dont faff around with Protein or such and I need the stuff like white rice to prevent diarrhoea. My poor old digestive system is very very touchy after what its been through. Hopefully, now my ileostomy is reversed, I can gradually add in more fruit and veg and wholegrain products. I would normally like salad for lunch, or a good Soup like minestrone, but cant handle it right now.

I think its calories in/calories out. Plenty of people would tell me I cant lose weight with so many crappy white carbs in my diet but truth is, I'm thinner than I've ever been, I'm struggling to keep weight ON. But Healthwise, if you're a C) and the foods you choose are McDonalds, packaged donuts and white bread, then you may be thin, but that only means you'll make a good looking corpse, lol. There's health to consider as well.

[Bluegreen 0]

I found this post and responses very helpful. I am pre-op now, with about 85 lbs to lose, and trying to eat healthy, but I find it difficult. The perfect post-op scenario for me is to be able to eat what I want in very small portions. (Much like the French Women Never Get Fat book.) I expect to give up certain foods like carbonated beverages and bread, but overall I want to eat good quality food that I enjoy, including dessert.

I joined the YMCA about a month ago and have been doing Water aerobics and Water walking 3 to 4 times per week. At some point, I hope to switch to lap swimming. Of course they have all sorts of exercise equipment, so I may decide to try out the the other equipment at some point.

I have to agree with marfar7. If I could restrict myself to lean Protein, fresh fruits and veggies, then I wouldn't need the surgery. I could easily just lose the weight. I am counting on the band to help me with Portion Control and hunger, which are my biggest problems right now.

[oceangirl6 0]

awesome weight loss!!!!!!!!

I would have to pick C. I have eaten whatever I wanted the entire 3 years since banding and have lost over 140 pounds, however; I must say, the things I want have changed drastically.

[New2011 1]

I agree congrats on the weight loss. Thanks everyone for being honest. I was really strict in the beginning and now I eat a small amount of whatever my family eats. I have lost 65 pounds since January and I am really happy with that, but I have a lot more to loose. So recently I have been being hard on myself due to not being so strict because I have hit a plateau. Part of it is due to not being able to work out. I had a sinus infection and then last week viral meningitis which of course I didn't want to do anything.

Before that I had been doing a good job of at least working out three times per week and so I was still loosing weight pretty well. I think the worst part is I have started thinking, how much can I eat, rather than being happy that only a little bit makes me full. I don't like this kind of thinking so it is helpful to hear from everyone. Thanks. '

awesome weight loss!!!!!!!!

[Dreamalways07 12]

I am all the way B. I have yet to eat bread, drink soda, or any kind of chips, candy, chocolate, nothing sweet. I have not missed this things yet. I am losing about 7 pounds a week. I also am a gym rat. I am to afraid to eat bad foods just yet lol

[SUEBDOO 0]

I eat 3 regular meals a day

Breakfast is typically a bowl of mixed Fiber one cereals with a sliced banana and skim

lunch is typically chicken or tuna salad with or a lettuce salad with chicken or beef strips

a "normal" dinner steak, chicken, fish just a smaller protion

bedtime snack....I Love sugar free pudding with redi whip or a skinny cow ice cream.

I exercise 30 minutes every day

[Debora Anne 3]

A Do you eat mostly healthy food with a few treats here and there?

B Do you eat all healthy food and NO treats/trigger foods until you've reached goal?

C Do you eat what you want just in smaller portions?

I would have to pick A and B - However I still do not drink any carbonated beverages (nor have I wanted a Diet Coke -which is incredible since i was "addicted" 1 month before the band I have been to gun shy to try pasta-bread or rice

I was very pretty strict before this week - I am on vacation and have had a little wine this week and a couple of chohlate candies - I do have to admit the foods I want now are very different