I used to think that food journaling was a tedious task and that it didn't help me stay on track. That may have been true prior to my surgery, but these days, it's one of the most critical pieces to my continued success. For starters, because I can't just crack open an entree and eat the whole thing, it means I save a lot of time in having to log things because I've already got the other half of said entree on another page from the day before or whatever. But more importantly, I find that when I look back at how I used to track things, I was being so complex! That's why it was so tedious!
These days, I keep a very simple journal in my purse at all times and I simply list the time, the items I ate, the calories and the protein. That's it. All I really need to know is whether I am eating at consistent times throughout the day and make sure that I'm getting some variety since post-op it's easy to fall victim to malnutrition.
Perhaps at some point I'll be better at photographing what I'm doing since the visuals may help, but for now, here's a peek into the last few days' worth of my pouch:
Tuesday
- 8:00 AM - 2 oz. cottage cheese with 3 stone wheat crackers
- 11:00 AM - 2 oz. chicken salad with 2 stone wheat crackers
- 12:30 PM - 1 Colby Jack cheese stick
- 3:00 PM - 1 sesame torte with artichoke hummus
- 6:30 PM - 1/2 cup chicken chili with 5 saltines
- 8:00 PM - Jamba Juice yogurt and sorbet bar
- Total calories: 815; Total protein: 48 grams
Wednesday
- 8:00 AM - 1 egg, scrambled with Laughing Cow chipotle cheese and 1/2 sandwich thin, toasted
- 10:00 AM - 1/2 banana with 1 TBsp peanut butter
- 12:00 PM - 4 oz. chicken breast, grilled
- 3:00 PM - 1 mini Babybel cheese with 5 saltines
- 8:00 PM - 2 cheese ravioli in a bolognese sauce
- Total calories: 787; Total protein: 64.2 grams
- 6:30 AM - 2 oz. cottage cheese with 3 stone wheat crackers
- 10:00 AM - 1/2 banana with 1 TBsp peanut butter
- 2:00 PM - 3 pieces vegetarian sushi
- 5:00 PM - 1 oz. mixed nuts, raw and unsalted
- 8:00 PM - 2 oz. chicken salad with 2 stone wheat crackers
- Total calories: 791; Total protein: 41 grams
I guess all of this is to say that with not a lot of effort, you can start to take control over the thing that used to control you. I went to the support group last night and for the first time was able to sit on the post-op side and let me tell you, it was like a two way mirror back to myself when I was sitting there. A lot of the things that people on the post-op side would say sounded like a dream: "You won't be hungry"; "People will have to remind you to eat"; "You won't crave sweets", etc. But now that I'm on that side, I see just how true it is.
A friend who is dieting told me she finds it difficult to stick to 1,200 calories a day. She also has a normal sized stomach. I found that impossible pre-op. In fact, I used to have trouble sticking to 1,600-1,800 a day which was my target. But now, even 1,000 calories seems like too much to me. I simply can't eat that much unless I'm eating the wrong foods (i.e. high in fat/sugar, low protein, high carbs, etc.)
I realize it won't always be this way. That at some point, I will be able to eat a plate of food and that I can stretch my stomach again if I'm not careful. But this time, immediately post-op, where I can really focus on what 'full' feels like, how much is enough and getting into the habit of simply listening to my body tell me what it needs, is invaluable.
For those of you playing along at home, I am down 22 pounds in 2.5 weeks. I am a pound away from shifting from 'morbidly obese' to merely 'obese'. I am fitting back into the clothes I'd grown out of pre-surgery. I chopped off my hair yesterday because I could. I've gone from tight 1X clothes to comfortable XLs and the L's are making an appearance and while some of them even fit, I'm going to give it another 15 pounds or so before I wear them anywhere.
The next thing on my to do list is to sign up for a local 5K in the fall so I have something to work towards on the exercise front. Who's in?
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