I am 8 1/2 years out from RNY. For me one of the hardest things to learn was the difference in Head Hunger and Stomach Hunger. The surgeon does surgery on our stomach not our head; we have to do the work on that. And if you are like me I was (am) a compulsive eater, emotional eater, stress eater, grazer and also addicted to carbs/sugar. I am still all these but am able to manage them (for the first time in my life).
I remember when I had surgery a couple of weeks later I cried for Pizza, I wanted it so bad. Food (especially) sugar/carbs) have been my drug of choice since I was a little girl! Breaking the cravings and being disciplined didn't come over night. But because I do not eat bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, or sugar (ever) I have broken the cravings, I don't want them or think about them. It is kind of second nature, now. Sometimes we have to get counseling to help us with this. There is nothing wrong with that, I did it myself. Also, find a support group and attended. It is so important.
Whether it is true stomach hunger or head hunger you are feeling you need to learn how to handle it. Find something to do when you want food. Take a walk; call a friend, what ever it takes to make you stop thinking about food. Also, our stomach growls all the time, it is the remnant stomach working it doesn't mean we are hungry. I can eat and 5 minutes later it is growling so loud the neighbors can hear it! LOL
WLS is is NOT A DIET; it is a life style change. I hate to tell you this, but the further out you get the more you can eat and if you don't learn healthy eating and exercise habits, it will be much harder later. This is manageable and you can do it!!! You just need to learn the skills to do it!
No one ever said WLS was easy and if they did they didn't know what they were talking about! WLS is a tool to use to lose weight and keep it off.....learn to use your tool!!! As time goes by it does get easier to manage if create healthy habits from the start.
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!!! AND NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!!!
Hugs,
Ginger
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Can I Really Lose Weight and Keep It off?
Many people think that Weight Loss Surgery is like a "Magic Pill"! You have the surgery and never have to worry about it again. This is a "False" statement. It is the "tool" I needed to give me a "Full" feeling (full switch). I now know when I am full. I actually feel "normal" now. This is the first time in my life I have been able lose the weight and maintain the weight loss and I have lost hundreds of pounds in the past and gained it back plus more.
The way I do it is eating healthy and exercising regularly. Sounds so simple doesn't it! Well, when you make it a "lifestyle change" it does come easier. I have to stay on top of it every day, but it is so worth it!! For me WLS was the best thing I ever did in my entire life!!!
I read this article and thought it was very good and wanted to share it with you. Now, all of it doesn't exactly pertain to a WLS patient but in a lot of ways it does.
Remember to always follow your surgeon's guidelines. And never forget how important it is for us to get our protein in and take our vitamins.
Take care,
Ginger
Can I Really Lose Weight and Keep It Off?
By Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness
MSN Health & Fitness Exclusive
Q. I find it so hard to lose weight, and when I do, I seem to gain it right back. Is it true that the body has a set point when it comes to weight? Am I fighting a losing battle?
A. It seems that there is a fairly stable weight range where the body tends to hover. But “set point” is not the preferred term in scientific circles because it implies that there is a gauge or mechanism somewhere in the brain or body that is responsible for maintaining weight at a specific point on the scale. While research has identified a number of mechanisms that kick in to regain lost fat, there is no specific area that has been identified that determines a certain set point. So the concept is usually discussed in terms of the body’s ability to regulate its weight or, specifically, fat mass, around a fixed level, give or take a few pounds.
While it seems that this body-weight or body-fat regulation keeps fat mass stable in both directions, there are stronger mechanisms for protecting against weight or fat loss than against weight gain. So it’s easier to regain weight you lose from dieting and harder to take pounds off. In theory, the body’s ability to regulate a stable supply of fat is a good thing, since fat is the body’s main energy source. A resistance to permanent weight or fat loss is a way to ward off starvation by keeping energy ready in times of famine.
The set point isn’t necessarily permanent, however. That’s because if you do get heavier, new fat cells can develop. Once fat cells exist, you can’t get rid of them and they have a biological need to be filled. So, a higher weight or level of fat mass becomes the new “normal.“
Body weight and body fat mass are used a bit interchangeably here. It’s true that body “weight” represents more than just body fat mass and fluctuations on the scale can represent differences in the different components that constitute body weight—such as fluids, fat and muscle. But there is a relationship between increased fat mass and increased body weight. It appears that it’s the amount of fat mass that is preserved rather than the scale weight changes, although scale weight is likely to be a reflection in fat weight changes—especially when the pounds are higher in number. For example, if someone gains 15 or 30 pounds, chances are that the increases are mostly fat tissue, as opposed to water or muscle weight.
Obesity researchers aren’t sure exactly when a modified set point, or fat mass range, is triggered, and there appear to be individual variations—some people might gain more fat and do so more quickly. But the more you gain and the longer you are at the higher weight or, more precisely, increased fat mass, the more likely you are to create a higher regulated bodyweight or a higher set point. That’s why public health efforts in combating obesity address not only weight loss, but the prevention of weight gain. For many people who find themselves on a weight gain trajectory, often the first step is do what it takes to stop gaining, and then to think about losing.
It would be convenient for those trying to lose, if a new lower set point could also be established. That appears to be less likely, probably because of the body’s survival mode. Preserving fat makes more sense than wasting it. But data from the National Weight Control Registry suggests that the longer one maintains weight loss, the easier it becomes. Whether this is because the healthier lifestyles become a habit after a while or the body puts up less of a fight to regain the weight over time, is unclear.
OK, so that’s the bad news. But can you overcome your set point? Yes!
Many people have successfully lost weight and kept it off for years. It’s true that many people lose weight and gain it back, but it is possible to become a successful loser. It requires dedication and discipline, but it can be done.
Dieting alone is not the only way to lose weight or to keep it off since you can eat less and decrease fat from the cells, but a variety of biological mechanisms kick in to encourage the fat regain. What’s interesting is that energy-preserving mechanisms kick in whether you’re a lean person trying to lose 5 pounds or you’re overweight and trying to drop 50. Successful “losers” adopt long term lifestyle strategies to keep weight down including:
Work out every day.
Exercise guidelines suggest that those trying to manage their weight need to fit in at least 60 to 90 minutes of moderate and/or vigorous exercise on most days of the week. Although even 30 minutes of exercise is helpful, very few people who have lost weight are able to maintain it without doing significant amounts of daily exercise. Although any kind of cardio workout counts, walking is the most common.
Focus on fiber.
Eat a high-fiber diet filled with lots of fruits and vegetables. Overweight and formerly-obese people may have defective satiety mechanisms—it takes more volume to feel full and satisfied from a meal. Eating lots of plant foods allows one to fill up with fewer calories. Watch the dietary fat. Consume good fats found in foods such as avocados, nuts and oils, but keep your diet low fat. People who have higher-fat diets tend to consume more calories.
Keep a food and exercise diary.
Write down your daily meals and bouts of activity. This helps keep you on track by identifying when you’ve diverged from your plan. If you get super busy, it’s easy to go several days without exercising or to skip meals and fall into unfavorable eating patterns. Keeping a log keeps you focused.
Weigh on a regular basis.
There is some debate about this practice because some people believe that body-weight numbers on a scale are less important than body composition or that regular weighing leads to obsessive fixations on body weight that can lead to disordered eating or exercise behaviors. There is some truth to both of these perspectives; however, research suggests that those who do weigh are better able to keep their weight in check. Just like the food log, it’s a gauge by which a person can detect wild fluctuations. Since body weight can vary daily by as much as five pounds simply from fluids shifts, one or two days of dramatically different weights aren’t as important as the trends in weight over time. So if you do weigh, keep track and compare over days and weeks. If two weeks from now you are consistently three to five pounds heavier for another few weeks, and your food log shows an increase in fast-food eating and a decrease in working out, you can assume that you have gained more fat and adjust your behaviors accordingly.
The way I do it is eating healthy and exercising regularly. Sounds so simple doesn't it! Well, when you make it a "lifestyle change" it does come easier. I have to stay on top of it every day, but it is so worth it!! For me WLS was the best thing I ever did in my entire life!!!
I read this article and thought it was very good and wanted to share it with you. Now, all of it doesn't exactly pertain to a WLS patient but in a lot of ways it does.
Remember to always follow your surgeon's guidelines. And never forget how important it is for us to get our protein in and take our vitamins.
Take care,
Ginger
Can I Really Lose Weight and Keep It Off?
By Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness
MSN Health & Fitness Exclusive
Q. I find it so hard to lose weight, and when I do, I seem to gain it right back. Is it true that the body has a set point when it comes to weight? Am I fighting a losing battle?
A. It seems that there is a fairly stable weight range where the body tends to hover. But “set point” is not the preferred term in scientific circles because it implies that there is a gauge or mechanism somewhere in the brain or body that is responsible for maintaining weight at a specific point on the scale. While research has identified a number of mechanisms that kick in to regain lost fat, there is no specific area that has been identified that determines a certain set point. So the concept is usually discussed in terms of the body’s ability to regulate its weight or, specifically, fat mass, around a fixed level, give or take a few pounds.
While it seems that this body-weight or body-fat regulation keeps fat mass stable in both directions, there are stronger mechanisms for protecting against weight or fat loss than against weight gain. So it’s easier to regain weight you lose from dieting and harder to take pounds off. In theory, the body’s ability to regulate a stable supply of fat is a good thing, since fat is the body’s main energy source. A resistance to permanent weight or fat loss is a way to ward off starvation by keeping energy ready in times of famine.
The set point isn’t necessarily permanent, however. That’s because if you do get heavier, new fat cells can develop. Once fat cells exist, you can’t get rid of them and they have a biological need to be filled. So, a higher weight or level of fat mass becomes the new “normal.“
Body weight and body fat mass are used a bit interchangeably here. It’s true that body “weight” represents more than just body fat mass and fluctuations on the scale can represent differences in the different components that constitute body weight—such as fluids, fat and muscle. But there is a relationship between increased fat mass and increased body weight. It appears that it’s the amount of fat mass that is preserved rather than the scale weight changes, although scale weight is likely to be a reflection in fat weight changes—especially when the pounds are higher in number. For example, if someone gains 15 or 30 pounds, chances are that the increases are mostly fat tissue, as opposed to water or muscle weight.
Obesity researchers aren’t sure exactly when a modified set point, or fat mass range, is triggered, and there appear to be individual variations—some people might gain more fat and do so more quickly. But the more you gain and the longer you are at the higher weight or, more precisely, increased fat mass, the more likely you are to create a higher regulated bodyweight or a higher set point. That’s why public health efforts in combating obesity address not only weight loss, but the prevention of weight gain. For many people who find themselves on a weight gain trajectory, often the first step is do what it takes to stop gaining, and then to think about losing.
It would be convenient for those trying to lose, if a new lower set point could also be established. That appears to be less likely, probably because of the body’s survival mode. Preserving fat makes more sense than wasting it. But data from the National Weight Control Registry suggests that the longer one maintains weight loss, the easier it becomes. Whether this is because the healthier lifestyles become a habit after a while or the body puts up less of a fight to regain the weight over time, is unclear.
OK, so that’s the bad news. But can you overcome your set point? Yes!
Many people have successfully lost weight and kept it off for years. It’s true that many people lose weight and gain it back, but it is possible to become a successful loser. It requires dedication and discipline, but it can be done.
Dieting alone is not the only way to lose weight or to keep it off since you can eat less and decrease fat from the cells, but a variety of biological mechanisms kick in to encourage the fat regain. What’s interesting is that energy-preserving mechanisms kick in whether you’re a lean person trying to lose 5 pounds or you’re overweight and trying to drop 50. Successful “losers” adopt long term lifestyle strategies to keep weight down including:
Work out every day.
Exercise guidelines suggest that those trying to manage their weight need to fit in at least 60 to 90 minutes of moderate and/or vigorous exercise on most days of the week. Although even 30 minutes of exercise is helpful, very few people who have lost weight are able to maintain it without doing significant amounts of daily exercise. Although any kind of cardio workout counts, walking is the most common.
Focus on fiber.
Eat a high-fiber diet filled with lots of fruits and vegetables. Overweight and formerly-obese people may have defective satiety mechanisms—it takes more volume to feel full and satisfied from a meal. Eating lots of plant foods allows one to fill up with fewer calories. Watch the dietary fat. Consume good fats found in foods such as avocados, nuts and oils, but keep your diet low fat. People who have higher-fat diets tend to consume more calories.
Keep a food and exercise diary.
Write down your daily meals and bouts of activity. This helps keep you on track by identifying when you’ve diverged from your plan. If you get super busy, it’s easy to go several days without exercising or to skip meals and fall into unfavorable eating patterns. Keeping a log keeps you focused.
Weigh on a regular basis.
There is some debate about this practice because some people believe that body-weight numbers on a scale are less important than body composition or that regular weighing leads to obsessive fixations on body weight that can lead to disordered eating or exercise behaviors. There is some truth to both of these perspectives; however, research suggests that those who do weigh are better able to keep their weight in check. Just like the food log, it’s a gauge by which a person can detect wild fluctuations. Since body weight can vary daily by as much as five pounds simply from fluids shifts, one or two days of dramatically different weights aren’t as important as the trends in weight over time. So if you do weigh, keep track and compare over days and weeks. If two weeks from now you are consistently three to five pounds heavier for another few weeks, and your food log shows an increase in fast-food eating and a decrease in working out, you can assume that you have gained more fat and adjust your behaviors accordingly.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Great Recipes for the Cooler Weather
Tomato Pie
Ingredients
• 4 – 5 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• Pesto (you can buy or make it see recipe below)
• 1 (9-inch) pre-baked deep dish pie shell (I don’t use a pie shell)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
Layer the tomato slices, then pesto in pie shell, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and then place provolone cheese on top, and then start another layer with tomatoes. (Kind of layer like lasagna) ending with cheese on top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.
To serve; Let cool a little, cut into slices and serve warm.
*Pesto
Basil leaves
6 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
I put basil leaves in my food processor (it takes a lot) and put in about 6 cloves of garlic (I like a lot of garlic you can use less if you like) and turn it on and drizzle in about ¼ cup of olive oil. Makes a great pesto that you can even freeze and take out a spoon at a time when you need it.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Mexican Soup
3 cans pinto beans
2 cans rotel
4 – 6 chicken breast (boiled- save broth)
½ - 1 lb pasta
2 Cups shredded cheese (Cheddar)
6 cloves fresh garlic (diced)
Boil chicken in about 8 – 10 cups water. Take chicken out of broth when fully cooked and dice. Pour beans, rotel and garlic into broth and bring to a boil. Add diced chicken to broth with other ingredients (except pasta)
Cook pasta in separate pot and drain. (This gives you an option if some people like me don’t eat pasta)
In a bowl put a scoop of pasta and add soup. Top with shredded cheese.
THIS IS A HEART SMART MEAL IF YOU LEAVE OUT THE CHEESE.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Taco Soup
4 chicken breast (boil in 8 – 10 cups of water and save broth)
2 packages of taco seasoning
2 cans pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
olive oil
2 large scallions (diced)
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic (finely diced)
Cheese (your choice)
Fresh spinach (couple of handfuls)
Boil chicken until done. Take out of broth and dice.
In broth add taco seasoning and wish. Then add all canned ingredients (do not drain beans).
In a separate sauce pan sauté garlic, onions, whites of the scallions in olive oil. When finished add to the broth. Bring to a boil. Add diced chicken and the green part of the scallions. Add spinach stir until spinach is wilted.
Put into a bowl and top with cheese.
Ingredients
• 4 – 5 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• Pesto (you can buy or make it see recipe below)
• 1 (9-inch) pre-baked deep dish pie shell (I don’t use a pie shell)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• Salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
Layer the tomato slices, then pesto in pie shell, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and then place provolone cheese on top, and then start another layer with tomatoes. (Kind of layer like lasagna) ending with cheese on top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.
To serve; Let cool a little, cut into slices and serve warm.
*Pesto
Basil leaves
6 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
I put basil leaves in my food processor (it takes a lot) and put in about 6 cloves of garlic (I like a lot of garlic you can use less if you like) and turn it on and drizzle in about ¼ cup of olive oil. Makes a great pesto that you can even freeze and take out a spoon at a time when you need it.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Mexican Soup
3 cans pinto beans
2 cans rotel
4 – 6 chicken breast (boiled- save broth)
½ - 1 lb pasta
2 Cups shredded cheese (Cheddar)
6 cloves fresh garlic (diced)
Boil chicken in about 8 – 10 cups water. Take chicken out of broth when fully cooked and dice. Pour beans, rotel and garlic into broth and bring to a boil. Add diced chicken to broth with other ingredients (except pasta)
Cook pasta in separate pot and drain. (This gives you an option if some people like me don’t eat pasta)
In a bowl put a scoop of pasta and add soup. Top with shredded cheese.
THIS IS A HEART SMART MEAL IF YOU LEAVE OUT THE CHEESE.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Taco Soup
4 chicken breast (boil in 8 – 10 cups of water and save broth)
2 packages of taco seasoning
2 cans pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
olive oil
2 large scallions (diced)
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic (finely diced)
Cheese (your choice)
Fresh spinach (couple of handfuls)
Boil chicken until done. Take out of broth and dice.
In broth add taco seasoning and wish. Then add all canned ingredients (do not drain beans).
In a separate sauce pan sauté garlic, onions, whites of the scallions in olive oil. When finished add to the broth. Bring to a boil. Add diced chicken and the green part of the scallions. Add spinach stir until spinach is wilted.
Put into a bowl and top with cheese.
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