Eating Too Much?

[DebiC 181]

6 weeks out. Have been on regular foods for 2 weeks now.

I worry that I eat too much. Not so much wrong things, just too much. For instance if I have a salad with my meal I can eat a cup or more of that, yet my doctor wants me to eat 1/2 cup of food or so at a meal. No more than 4 oz. I only eat 3 "meals" a day. But at night I still have that habit of wanting something sweet. So I might have 1 bite of ice cream, 1 cookie or 1/4 of a cupcake.

I know he would disapprove, but yet I feel that is something I enjoy and I don't think I'm over doing it.

I only have the opportunity to weigh every month-I weigh more than my regular doctors scales so have to wait until I have appt with surgeons clinic. Too far away to go to just to weigh in.

Because I started out with such a high weight-my weight loss is much less noticeable. A few years back I lost 100# on WW and still wore the same size clothes. So I don't expect to SEE any difference for several more months.

Just hard to gauge if i am on the right track. I keep reading how much everyone else is losing and just don't feel like I'm having the same success.

[PdxMan 4,292]

Well ... salads and food, as far as quantities go, are two different things. Once chewed, salad scrunches down to mere nothingness. That one cup of salad, I think, relates to about 1/16 of a cup of food. I regularly eat the equivalent of two Cereal bowl size salads with about 3 oz of tuna and about 2 oz of diced up cheese. I started that around the 14 week mark, though. IMO, you're fine with the cup of salad at 6 weeks, but you do need to be getting your Protein in first.

I'm guessing what your Dr wants is 1/2 cup of lean Protein. chicken, fish ... that kind of thing. Once you do that, eat salad until you feel the restriction.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

46 pounds in 6 weeks is very good. I would not compare my weight loss to others, we are all different. I would watch the sugar until you lose much of your weight. It might not be very many calories (you do log your food don't you to keep track?) but sugar has a tendency to make you hungry... the more you eat, the more you want.... Some foods are "sliders" and just mush up and slide right down... perhaps salad is that for you. LIke PDXman said, eat your Protein first to make sure you get the restriction and your requirements, then if you want a treat later, how about surgar free pudding cup, a SF hard candy or jello.... I would stay away from Cookies or cupcakes... I know they are yum, but you are here for a lifestyle change, and follow your Docs plan as close as you can so you will have not regrets or slower weight loss than you can..... the honeymoon phase does not last forever. It gets harder to lose and slower later on....At 11 months I had quiet a few sugar treats this christmas and had a weight gain... Im back on the streight and narrow for a week, to shake that sugar craving and lose those extra pounds! Jump back on girl, you are doing great with the weight loss!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Keep up with your weight loss and try to follow your surgeon's eating plan. When I eat sugar, I start wanting more and more of it. Just a bite is a trigger for me. Stay on track and you will have an even better smile at the end.

[DebiC 181]

Thanks PdxMan for the advice about salads. It's hard for me to get used to the Protein first-I have spent a lifetime training myself to eat my veggies first. It's that upside down WLS food pyramid!

The "Treat" things I talk about are usually just a something before bed. A longtime habit I need to work on kicking. Not really much of a trigger since I am eating it just before bed. The problem is that I generally have had my dinner meal about 4-5 hours before bed. Not really wanting a Protein snack just as I am heading up to bed. Unfortunately I can't have any artificial sweeteners, otherwise Feedyoureyes suggestions would fit the bill.

I just need to retrain my old habits (afterall, look where they got me in the first place!)

thanks everyone for your advice. I was just feeling kinda down today.

I don't believe in weighing yourself everyday. That can be frustrating. But it would be nice to be able to weigh myself once a week so I can have some positive feedback. When I lose 15 more pounds I'll be able to weigh whenever I want on my doctors scale.

[lml32937 65]

Perhaps instead of a cake, cookie or something "bad" for you- a peice of fruit (orange, apple or bannanna) would kill the sweet tooth. I had this issue when I first got my lapband and learned to variate my fruits and this helped- I also started different cereals that were sweet and had only a few bites like Shredded wheat or Grape nuts- they satisifed the crunchy and the sweet.

All habits are hard to break-

You should be able to go to a fire station or perhaps call around to other physicians offices to weigh yourself- some of the WW groups will let you weigh in there as well because they have the "heavier" scales.

I agree with everyone else- though- keep with your doctor's plan and dont divert- it's not worth it...

One other thing are you exercising?? sometimes when you change your routine or rev it up the scales will begin to move again...

PS Something my doctor told me about weighing in only once a month- you mentally know that you are going and therefore perhaps you can "trick" your mind into the first 1-2 weeks of well I can eat it because my weigh in is in 3-4 weeks etc.. but in all actuallity you are only cheating yourself.... 1-2 lbs a week is the appropriate loss for us he says...

[coops 1,790]

When I was in the early days, and needed a 'sugar fix' I would have a milky coffee with a sugar in it. That hit the spot for me...

Could it be worth a try for you? =]

Good luck