polkat50

Keep an eye out for a new SIPS/SADI forum! I contacted the admin and he said he would start one specifically for us.

More and more research is showing that putting a cap on the variety of foods and tastes you experience will help you control your weight. In Dr. Oz’s book, The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management, he devotes a chapter to the Pick and Stick strategy. Although I had been eating the same thing for Breakfast and lunch (dinner is the same every day except on weekends), it was validating to read that I was doing something right.
At a wedding last weekend, I was excited by all the food choices at the buffet table. Instead of sticking to a serving of dense meat, vegetable, and fruit, I decided to put a few spoonfuls of different foods on my plate. I ended up with a plate with tiny piles of black eyed peas, turkey, baked fish, ambrosia, pineapple, apple slice, shrimp, and kiwi. While chatting with relatives for the next three hours, I hung on to this plate of food and dabbled in it every few minutes until it was gone. Late that night I reflected on my meal at the wedding and realized that how eating like that everyday could lead to weight gain.
The following is an excerpt from the chapter that explains the strategy:
Yeah, sure, variety may be the spice of life, but it also can be the death of dieting. When you have a lot of choices for a meal, it’s a lot easier to slip out of good eating habits, and into ham-induced bad ones. When you sit down at a diner and are presented with a menu that’s the size of a phone book, it’s easy to give in. One way to get away from fat bombs is to eliminate choices for at least one meal a day. Pick the one meal you rush through and automate it. For most people, it’s lunch. So find a health lunch you like—salad with grilled chicken and olive oil, turkey on whole-grain bread-and have it for lunch every day. Yes, every day.
Think of your dog: Penelope stays the same weight when she has her regular food every day. But as soon as she starts gorging on variety of nightly table scraps, the puny poodle looks more like a massive mastiff. How does Pick and Stick work? It seems that when you have meals rich in flavor variety, it takes more and more calories to keep you full (think of Thanksgiving, when you eat a lot of different things, stuff yourself, and still have room for pumpkin pie). So when we experience meals with lots of diverse flavors-think Mexican or Indian cuisine, we tend to eat more to satisfy our taste buds.
Now, we don’t want you to become bored with food, but if you make this a habit at least one meal a day, it’ll decrease your temptations and help you stop thinking about food so often. In fact, we usually prescribe two meals that are the same each day for our patients. It’s one of the ways to automate your brain so your habits follow. Of course, we don’t want you to stop enjoying diversity of flavors, but it will control your appetite.
Automate the Process: One of the reasons why we’re a society of shotputters instead of a society of milers is that we have millions of choices about what to eat. And while our variety is a win for the food industry, it is a miserable defeat for our waists. One of the ways that you’ll be able to reboot your body is by stripping away the millions of choices to automate your actions. You’ll eat essentially the same meals for breakfast, lunch, Snacks, and change up options for dinner. By decreasing the variety of food eaten throughout the day, you’ll decrease the chance for the hedonistic rampages that can be so dangerous.
Another trick: Use extra-light virgin olive oil, which has less flavor and may help control taste cravings.

Sorry it's been a while since I've checked in on the forum. It looks like everyone is doing well. I'm almost 3.5 post op now and feeling fantastic! For those of you that are freshly post op or getting ready for your procedure, the most important thing to remember is you do improve everyday, trust me! I have absolutely no regrets and wish I had done this several years earlier.

I just started drinking Isopure, they are fruit flavored drinks (like a Vitamin water) but not very sweet. Just had my first one. They come in 8oz and 20oz bottles. 15 and 40 grams of Protein. They are a nice alternative to the Protein Shakes.< /p>
Another good product for getting your protein in is the Oykos Triple zero yogurt, 15 grams, four flavors - all smooth with no bits in them.

I am 49 years old and scheduled to have SIPS on June 30. I know many people who have had RNY with great success. I have chosen SIPS due to my need for NSAIDS and Prednisone for management of degenerative arthritis. I am excited and nervous as well. I am terrified that I will not wake up from my surgery. That being said I have confidence in my surgeon. These forums have been an invaluable tool in preparing for my surgery. Please keep posting!