Hi all,

I'm a new bandster, and I just relized that I'm stuggling becasue I have not followed a good balanced diet.:help:

Now I eat a lot, becasue I starve myself all day long, eat one big meal, and keep snacking all night long. I know its totally wrong. But don't forget (we) I got the band, bucasue I never knew how to eat properly, otherwise we wouldn't need the band.

Most of the times I want to eat 3 balanced meals a day, but I don't know what to eat, and end up making the bad choices. Plus my doctor is at the other side of the world, which make it really hard to consult him.

COULD you please direct me to any posts that has a detalied journal of what to eat? or if you could write me an example of your diet.

Thanks a lot

Hey Magic..

I think if you base each meal around 4 ounces of meat - fish, chicken or lean beef and then add 1/2 Cup of cooked veggies - green Beans, peas and carrots, cauliflower and broccoli (tops only), then you will have no problems. Eat the Protein first, veggies last. Sometimes at dinner, I find I'm a bit hungrier and might add 1/4 cup of some canned fruit - peaches or pears are best for me.

I also keep cans of tuna on hand for those hungry days. Drained and mixed with 2 tablespoons of a fat free dressing like thounsand island is great. Excellent protein and very low calorie.

I typically avoid Snacks, but now and then I pop a small 100 calorie bag of Pop Secret popcorn.

I also eat 1/2 cup of Fiber One Cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk, or 1 cup of oatmeal with 1 teaspoon of real butter and some Splenda, or 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup of canned fruit for Breakfast.

For the chicken and beef - I use a slow cooker or, as we call it - a crock pot, so the meat is very tender and juicy. I buy frozen grilled, non breaded, fish fillets for my fish.

I typically eat between 700 and 1,100 calories per day and between 75 and 100 grams of protein, depending on my menu for the day. If you'd like I can send you a copy of my food journal.

Hope this helps you. *hugs*

Sue,

You are truly becoming my mentor. I can't find the words to thank you for all of your support, wisdom and continuous help to all of my questions and concerns. you are truly the best *Hugs*:hug:

My doc suggests a low carb high Protein diet, he's mentioned atkins a few times (been there, done that, ain't going there again lol).

I try to eat veggies & protein first and then a few bites of carbs.

At my first appointment with the dietician, I told her I was concentrating on getting in my Protein, and she told me not to do that...to put protein, veggie, and starch/carb on my plate and alternate bites. However, I am not really following her advice...I do what Susan does...protein first and then veggies. I find I don't usually have room for carbs in any significant amounts, so I suppose in a way I'm still doing Atkins. And I also allow myself a treat of some sort every few days.

Good luck with your journey!

Emily

Sue,

You are truly becoming my mentor. I can't find the words to thank you for all of your support, wisdom and continuous help to all of my questions and concerns. you are truly the best *Hugs*:hug:

Heyas Magic, Thank you for your very sweet words. It makes me feel good to know that I can help. *Hugs ya back* :hug:

I've struggled a little with the timing of eating... eating correctly and getting all the liquids I need in for the day....

I travel for my job and for example was on the road yesterday from 6 a.m. for 3 hours til I arrivied at my customers... worked 8 hours and drove 4 hours home (traffic in Nashville)... it was a long day and very hard to balance my eating and drinking.

I shoot for this...

Wake-Up - coffee with Cream & Splenda / Bottle of Water

20 minutes or so later - Fiber One (1/2 cup) with skim milk

1.5(ish) hours later - Bottle of Water (2nd of Day)

lunch - Lower Calorie Fast food - like small 1/2 subway or Grilled chicken breast... I stay away from fries and no soda. I eat fast food since I'm normally between clients or on the road (and I had to take a lunch it's just annoying to me)

1.5(ish) hours later - Bottle of Water (3rd of Day)

At Gym - Work out 30 - 50 minutes cardio + circuit / Bottle or two of Water (4th & 5th of Day)

dinner - 3 - 4 oz of meat, 1/2 cup of veggies

Evening Snack - Fiber One Again or Weight Watchers Snack

Bottle of Water before bed (6th of Day)

I use weight watchers to track my points since I've learned the plan well and it helps me stay focused. I like that I can have whatever I want on it but try to stay with lower point options. It helps me to not feel deprived at Events like Birthdays since everything is allowed.

I can't say I've had huge success since I've only lost about 4 pounds since surgery (the rest was pre-op) and it's been about 8 weeks. I do think that my effort will pay off but I understand how hard it is to be patient. That is my # 1 weekness. I can be "soooo" displine for about 4 - 5 months, but if results don't come I get depressed and give up.... that's why I'm so excited about the ability to get fills. I hope to keep the depression at bay.

There are a few keys that REALLY make a difference.

#1) You need to keep a food journal. If you want the one my doc sells I could email you the web site.

#2) You need to get in 100grms of Protein a day

#3) You need to drink 64oz of Water a day

#4) I have to stick to 30-35grms of fat a day (yours may be different, depending on your weight.)

#5) I have to stick to 75 carbs a day (yours would probably be the same?)

#6) I get 1000 calories a day (yours may be higher and probably would be simply because you are male)

#7) I check in weekly to be weighed and be accountable.

They tell me to really watch the sugar, but watching the carbs pretty well takes care of that. I really don't feel all that deprived. I loosen up a little on the weekends too, but I'm right back on the scale on Monday and so far, the scale is moving (slowly) down.

I can't believe what a big difference there is when I obey (especially the first 3 rules) these easy guides.

I'm never going on a diet ever ever again, lol. It honestly works for me not to diet. But I guess in doing that I did eat well before surgery (just too much) and I have a family to feed too so I do make an effort to eat from all food groups, not eat loads of fat, avoid junk food and of course portion size is taken care of.

I really truly believe that as far as the actual numbers of weight loss are concerned, apart from people who suffer from insulin resistance and the like, portion sizes are all that matter. If you eat less than you burn up you will lose weight and that's as difficult as it needs to be.

I dont believe in high Protein low carb diets or any other altered way of eating. I just eat what I feel like eating day to day. Today I had an apple and a banana for breakfast, a curried egg sandwich for lunch, a few crackers and we're having tacos for dinner. I eat small amounts now because of my band, I've made a big effort to get more exercise and now run regularly and the weight is just melting away.

If you really have lost touch with what constitutes a healthy diet I think you cant go wrong cutting out a lot of the fat, decreasing processed carbohydrates - so avoid too much white bread, Pasta, rice etc and getting fresh fruit or veges with every meal

Mercedes - I completely agree with you! Those are important keys to success. And while not everyone will agree that they are essential, I'm sure that noone will dispute their value for those who follow them!

Nice post. You stick to those keys and you will succeed. No way around it. (unless you have a medical condition which would be a totally different matter) Mercedes, you should join the Gone for Good Club and post your weekly weigh-ins with the group. We post on Wednesdays, but that doesn't mean you have to actually weigh on Wednesday.

I'll tell you my goals for eating right now, and then how I manage. My goals "loosen up" progressively, but this is for the current stage.

Goals:

• 500 - 1000 calries per day. Right now I'm at the low end of that.
  
• 65 - 70 gm Protein per day, at least 20 of which comes from food.
  
• <15 gm carb per day.
  
• <10 gm fat per day.
  
• >80 oz Water per day.
  
• Fish at least 1x daily (ti's so darned good for you).
  
• Veggies at least 1x daily.
  
• Multivitamin every day.
  
• K daily.
  
• 1600+ mg Ca daily.

The calories right now are easy, because I'm in my 4th week post-op and still have no appetite. I have to work to get the 500 calories in, and manage mostly thanks to the low carb orange juice I'll mix in my Breakfast Protein shake.

For protein, I'm still doing shakes for about 40gm/day. The rest I find I can get in 1 decent sized fish filet, or a creative combination of tuna, tofu, Beans, or chicken. Those are still my staples. In a few weeks I hope to have some appetite back and be down to 1 shake a day.

Carbs & fat - I just pay attention to what I eat. Generally if you shop around the perimeter of the grocery store, where the "whole" foods are, you're pretty safe in this area. Minus dairy, of course, and I just substitue fat-free alternatives.

Water is easy for me b/c pre-op I was 120+ oz per day. I drink pretty much constantly when I'm able to based on my surgeon's up to & after food guidelines. Even when driving I always have at least one bottle of water in the car.

Fish is not my favorite food but few other things can give you as much "goodness" per ounce, so I'm experimenting with different seasonings and such to find the most palattable. I try to cook about 12 fillets at a time, which will give me & DH dinner, plus enough leftovers that he can have it for lunch the next day if he wants, and I have enough for about 4 lunches (which means I throw a lot of it away) Tuna is a non-fillet option, but doesn't have quite as much "goodness" -- but I love albacore, so sometimes I compromise.

Veggies - I always try to have one serving of fresh steamed veggies with dinner. Throughout the rest of the day, or if I don't make veggies, I will drink low sodium, low cal V-8. IMO there are things in veggies you just can't adequately replace with pills.

Ca, K, and multivitamin are really non-optional for me. I take a multivitamin and 1 of 3 Ca chewables every morning. At lunch I will have another Ca, and at dinner I will have the last and my K. When I eat any kind of "low carb" diet I have to have supplemental K or my muscle cramps will be out of control. Hopefully I can get off the K supplements as I introduce more fruits & veggies into my diet.

Here are some general tips I would suggest:

• Use www.fitday.com or similar to track not only your meals, but all progress.
  
• Don't pay that much attention to the scale. The scale represents the total weight of your body's mass, which includes your skin & everything in it. It will never give you a true indication of how much fat you've lost, especially if you're excercising (and also especially if you're not). Instead, I would recommend that you measure yourself every week or two and record your measurements, and use them to track your progress. Better yet, if you have access to a BFA, use it. The scale is quick & easy, but you have to be aware of what it's really measuring and always, always take it with a grain of salt.
  
• If you do weigh, wear the same outfit (nekkid is best, if you're at home) and weigh at the same time of day... for example, if you decide you're going to weigh every 2 weeks, don't weigh at 8pm one time and 6am the next.
  
• Take pictures, nekkid if it won't bother you. Often there's a mental block where we just can't see the changes in our body that others can, or that our numbers tell us have to be there. Being able to do a before/after is one of the best ways to see that yes - we are making progress!

......mark this for later reading.......looks very interesting information