I just realized...

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

So this morning I made a Protein Shake since I've been low on Protein intake lately. I was looking in my frig (think "grazing mode") and I saw this head of Romaine lettuce I got yesterday. I was thinking Mmmmmm, I have a great head of lettuce, cheese, broccoli, and other yummies, I could make a salad instead!

I started laughing at myself. You know, before surgery that stuff would have sat in the frig until it went bad and then I would have pitched it in favor of fast food, or some other gross, greasy, nasty, no-nutrition kind of food.

It just got me to thinking about the changes in my thinking since WLS. I have made a complete 180 in my thinking. I used to eat salad right before the PASTA! Now I look forward to the salad and generally skip the Pasta.< /p>

I go to several different grocery stores according to produce. One has great Romaine lettuce (big outside leaves, not all the hard white crunchy parts I wanted when I was banded or bad things would happen), another has great Chyote selections, another has the best tomatoes for Pico de Gullo. I actually go to four different grocery stores for PRODUCE! That is not ME! This person buying up produce is a person I do not know. I walk into a fast food place and it stinks. I used to live there! I look in my frig and knowing I can only eat a small quantity I can't decide which veggies I want the most. Who is this person?

I'm not really sure what happened. I used to turn my nose up to most of what I eat today. I didn't even know what pinto Beans or lentils were until after surgery, not kidding. For the first time in my life I crave the good stuff but I'm not 100% sure how that happened.

I do believe habits are learned and we learn to like garbage food, we can learn to like the good stuff. That is part of it. But it's more, I don't just like the good stuff today, I crave it. I prefer it over the bad stuff. Bad stuff meaning trans fats, etc.

I used to look at shopping carts of skinny people in the grocery store and see all this produce and stuff that did not look good. I wondered if it was really worth it, life is too short to eat like a rabbit. Today I *am* that person. I eat like a rabbit in quantity too! Do you realize that my Shih Tzu eats more than I do? Or, she can eat more than I can. In the beginning that bothered me. I wanted my quantity back. Today I don't give a rip. I eat when I'm hungry and I don't usually push it. Oh, I still have my moments when I am eating something I really like and I want more just because it tastes good but for the most part I'm over it. I think if I had my stomach back I'd be back to old behaviors in quantity again but I'm totally cool with not being able to eat like a heifer anymore.

This morning's grazing behaviors just got me to wondering how this happened. How was this produce-buying, anti-fast food person created? I have no will power, I have no self discipline, where did it come from?

Thoughts? Anyone?

[Malaika 50]

It's amazing how strong your subconcious can be ... I would love to have a salad .. however, salad was one of my favorites before WLS.

Whenever I go to Sam's, the checkout person- the one at the door - always says "you have one of the healthiest carts I've seen all day."

I did eat healthy before my WLS; however, I ate too much and even too much of a good thing is not good for you.

The WLS has definitely helped control portions ... I intend to take advantage of that once I am on solids and beging exercising regularly too.

Congrats on becoming the health nut instead of the "grazer" ...

[MacMadame 81]

I think it's the lack of ghrelin. Hormones are SO powerful. I knew that intellectually but, of course, I was sure that they didn't rule ME. Ha!

In my case, it's not produce so much. I've always liked it. But I also ate a lot of junk and much of it disgusts me now. So it's changed my thinking about food a little, just not dramatically.

The big difference for me is movement. I have to be moving. I get antsy if I sit too long. I used to ALWAYS sit. I never stood if I could sit and, if I had to stand, I'd lean on something. It's like my brain was telling me to take it easy and conserve energy. Now it tells me to MOVE IT!

I think, though, that you also have to be open to it. I decided to see where the surgery took me even before I had it. I see people still trapped in their old ways of thinking and it makes me sad because I feel like they've missed this great opportunity.

But everyone is different, of course. I doubt they are sad if they lose their weight. :lol0:

[learned2bskinny 81]

WasA,

You sound before like I am now. I can't wait to become the person you are! Just thinking about the WLS coming up has made me not desire fast food nearly as much as before I made the decision to have the sleeve. A few more weeks, and I will join the ranks of the Sleeved! I can't wait!!!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

It's amazing how strong your subconcious can be ... I would love to have a salad .. however, salad was one of my favorites before WLS.

Whenever I go to Sam's, the checkout person- the one at the door - always says "you have one of the healthiest carts I've seen all day."

I did eat healthy before my WLS; however, I ate too much and even too much of a good thing is not good for you.

The WLS has definitely helped control portions ... I intend to take advantage of that once I am on solids and beging exercising regularly too.

Congrats on becoming the health nut instead of the "grazer" ...

I think about my diet before surgery and I realize a child wouldn't grow if they ate what I did. ;o) I got fat from white carbs, period.

WasA,

You sound before like I am now. I can't wait to become the person you are! Just thinking about the WLS coming up has made me not desire fast food nearly as much as before I made the decision to have the sleeve. A few more weeks, and I will join the ranks of the Sleeved! I can't wait!!!

If I drive by Burger King or some similar place I get a craving but all I have to do is walk in there and the stench kills the craving. I think it might be habit more than anything but maybe not since I don't really eat that stuff anymore.

I'm so afraid of getting back into the fast food mode that I avoid them like crazy now. I want nothing to do with fast food, that's what got me fat. White carbs and trans fats.

NEVER AGAIN! ;o)

[Malaika 50]

If I drive by Burger King or some similar place I get a craving but all I have to do is walk in there and the stench kills the craving. I think it might be habit more than anything but maybe not since I don't really eat that stuff anymore.

I'm so afraid of getting back into the fast food mode that I avoid them like crazy now. I want nothing to do with fast food, that's what got me fat. White carbs and trans fats.

NEVER AGAIN! ;o)

I'm so "lucky" in that regard, in that I gave up fast foods about 5-6 years ago. Occassionally I would go there with a friend who was "craving" fast food (of course she's about 5'4" and weighs 108 lbs) and I barely could get back to the office until it slid right on through. To me, that's just not enjoyable, so I gave them up. I can do Arby's, rarely, but that's about it.

[Elisabethsew 50]

When I weighed 440 pounds, I ate nearly all my meals out. To lose weight, I decided to work on one meal at a time and started with Breakfast using a substitution method. Instead of 2 Bagels with butter and jelly, I had one and sustituted melon or berries for the second one. When that became routine, I kept the berries and substituted Cereal for the bagel. It got to the point where I was eating just fresh fruit for breakfast and then I moved onto lunch.< /span>

The one thing I hated about the band was that it did NOT allow me to eat healthy. Heartburn and reflux ruled my life and healthy foods seemed to aggravate that condition. Now that the band is out of me, I am enjoying eating all the foods that I could not tolerate and am back to healthy eating. I eat out about once a week and cook all the rest of my meals so I have control of the ingredients. I am loving the sleeve and feel like I got the quality back in my life.

[Malaika 50]

When I weighed 440 pounds, I ate nearly all my meals out. To lose weight, I decided to work on one meal at a time and started with breakfast using a substitution method. Instead of 2 Bagels with butter and jelly, I had one and sustituted melon or berries for the second one. When that became routine, I kept the berries and substituted cereal for the bagel. It got to the point where I was eating just fresh fruit for breakfast and then I moved onto lunch.

The one thing I hated about the band was that it did NOT allow me to eat healthy. Heartburn and reflux ruled my life and healthy foods seemed to aggravate that condition. Now that the band is out of me, I am enjoying eating all the foods that I could not tolerate and am back to healthy eating. I eat out about once a week and cook all the rest of my meals so I have control of the ingredients. I am loving the sleeve and feel like I got the quality back in my life.

That's great Elisabeth. We very seldom eat out anymore. I am hoping once I am on solid foods that I will feel have more of a desire to cook. Right now (full liquids) I find that I have a very difficult time figuring out what to eat and what sounds/tastes good. I feel as though the only option available to me is Soup and I don't really like Soup. Once I am able to eat other things, I may actually find a desire to cook and be creative again.

[Ruthi 60]

You still have some time to get in the mood for cooking, by the time you are on solids, Bod will be on Clear Liquids. You have at least 6 more weeks to get into that mood

[Malaika 50]

You still have some time to get in the mood for cooking, by the time you are on solids, Bod will be on clear liquids. You have at least 6 more weeks to get into that mood

It may take all that and more ... I asked him the other night ... think gaucomole is a mushie? ?And he said yes ... so now I've been trying to figure out what I can eat it on when we're there ... LOL

Maybe I should walk to the RX and get an ice cream and bring it back to the room???? Would that be mean?:lol0:

[MacMadame 81]

I have kids and, if it were up to them, we'd eat at McDonald's every night. Now, we don't. I won't allow that. But we eat out more than I like and sometimes it's at fast food places. I've learned to navigate the menus though and make the best choices I can.

[Elisabethsew 50]

That's great Elisabeth. We very seldom eat out anymore. I am hoping once I am on solid foods that I will feel have more of a desire to cook. Right now (full liquids) I find that I have a very difficult time figuring out what to eat and what sounds/tastes good. I feel as though the only option available to me is Soup and I don't really like Soup. Once I am able to eat other things, I may actually find a desire to cook and be creative again.

I've always enjoyed cooking and I'm famous for my baking. LOL. Since I am always busy, I prepare meals in advance when I find sales. For example, buy one/get one free chicken cutlets is a great sale. I buy several pounds and then spend a few hours cooking them and portioning them out to freeze. When I don't have the time or feel like cooking, I take something out of the freezer, add a steamed veggie, and I'm all set. I too gave up all fast food about 8 years ago and this method prevent me from having an excuse to go to them.

[Malaika 50]

I have kids and, if it were up to them, we'd eat at McDonald's every night. Now, we don't. I won't allow that. But we eat out more than I like and sometimes it's at fast food places. I've learned to navigate the menus though and make the best choices I can.

Well with the push towards eating healthy, the fast food places are keeping up somewhat in trying to offer healthy alternatives, which does make eating at them when necessary a little easier.

[Malaika 50]

I've always enjoyed cooking and I'm famous for my baking. LOL. Since I am always busy, I prepare meals in advance when I find sales. For example, buy one/get one free chicken cutlets is a great sale. I buy several pounds and then spend a few hours cooking them and portioning them out to freeze. When I don't have the time or feel like cooking, I take something out of the freezer, add a steamed veggie, and I'm all set. I too gave up all fast food about 8 years ago and this method prevent me from having an excuse to go to them.

Well the fact that they pass through me in not time at all is definitely a deterrant to me to keep from going to them! :lol0:

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Well with the push towards eating healthy, the fast food places are keeping up somewhat in trying to offer healthy alternatives, which does make eating at them when necessary a little easier.

I think they are doing a better job than they used to but you should check out some of the food labels for the "healthy" choices.

McDonalds salads are loaded with calories, fat, and sodium.

McDonalds Yogurt is loaded with suger (but it's good! <g>)

There is a sub place, I'm drawing a blank! It starts with a C. They have tuna salad, one serving is 1000 calories.

It's hard, restaurants are in the business to sell things that taste good and fat and/or sugar is what makes things taste good. One would think tuna or yogurt would be good choices but they really aren't.

It's hard, if you are in a rush and stop at a fast food joint it is VERY hard to make good choices.