Hello,

As per my post op directions I am following the Protein first rule; but I am wondering if there is a time when that changes?

Is it a forever thing? Do I do this just while I am losing? Will there ever be a time, in the near future, when I can eat my veggies first?

Any long term sleevers out there with some wisdom for me?!

Thanks in advance =]

I think the answers are going to vary. Some feel they have to because they can not make the best decision the majority of the time, or they fall into a cycle of bad food choices when they stray from structure. For me, I haven't had that issue.

I only follow the Protein first rule about 85% of the time. Sometimes a girl just wants a big, fat juicy, leafy salad, ya know? And, on those days, I eat a big, juicy, leafy salad and no meat. It happens a couple times a week, with maybe another day that I might just eat veggies for 2 out of my 4 meals.

I am so bored with meat that it's disgusting sometimes, so I have to change things up. I did not practice this until I was below goal and wanted to experiment with how I felt. Some days, I felt like my body was telling me " feed me something green, Seymour, feed me something green NOW" so I listened and my colon thanked me.

I do not always eat protein first and I"m finding that I'm eating a lot differently than I was even just 5-6 months ago. I used to eat one thing on my plate until it was gone then I moved onto the next thing etc etc until I was satisfied. But, I've gone back to an old trick in this weight loss program that I did through church called "weigh down workshop". One of the practices is that you taste everything you've ordered, whatever tastes best, I eat. Then I rate the rest of the meal and proceed accordingly. Sometimes that creamed spinach wins over the ribeye, sometimes the loaded baked potato wins, but more often than not, the meat does win, just not every meal. Sometimes, I even eat a few bites of meat, a few bites of veggies then back to the meat.

I only did protein first through my losing stage. Now, it's kind of "whatever the heck I want".

I do not suffer from the "eat a carb, crave a carb" thing. I do not deal with hunger. If I've been bad on protein in a day, I'll grab a bag of beef Jerky, and gnaw on that as a snack. I really do eat things in moderation, and it's kind of whatever my body wants at meal time.

Cheers Tiff... I know I have to keep the rule for now and until I get to goal or near to goal... I am just getting a lil bored of meat; I think I am going to have to experiment and try some new tastes!

I visited a NUT the other day to discuss maintenance and how to be successful. Her one tip was to still eat Protein first - she said to think of it as a plus in a sink. Definitely do not have to eat as much as before, but to eat it first. Then, move to veggies and fruit. And then, if I wanted it, some carbs.

Maintenance is definitely different for everyone and guidelines are just that. We all have to find what works best for us. But, this little tip seemed to make sense to me. Stop up the sink so things don't slide through, but this gives me a way to incorporate other flavors and nutrients without overdoing it. That's what I am going to be practicing in the next few weeks. I'll let you know how it works.

Maybe something to think about when you are ready to stop losing and maintain.

I was looking at recommended Protein amounts for everyday people, not just wls people, and I found a lot of the same. This was on About.com "Currently, the recommended amount of protein for most adults is around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds, so a person who weighs 165 pounds (75kg) would need about 60 grams of protein per day. "

I think this chart is good too. It comes from a UCLA brochure about Proteins.

RECOMMENDED GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER DAY

(Based on activity level and body weight)

sedentary x 0.4 gm/lb.................110 lbs = 44 gms............175 lbs = 70 gms...................250 lbs = 100 gms

moderately active x 0.6 gm/lb..110 lbs = 66 gms............175 lbs = 105 gms................250 lbs = 150 gms

(exercise 1-2 hours daily)

highly active x 0.8 gm/lb............110 lbs = 88 gms............175 lbs = 140 gms.................250 lbs = 200 gms

(marathon runners/professional athletes/body builders)

Thanks for the info Eureka-C... interesting that wls and non wls should be consuming the same or similar amounts... looks like it is protein all the way home then...lol... at least we know that we are on the right tracks!

=]

I learned from the nutritionist, that Protein is the only nutrient source that we cannot get from a pill. We can take Calcium, all sorts of Vitamins and minerals, but unless we consciously choose to eat (or drink) protein, we aren't going to get it anywhere else. This made sense to me. I get tired of the protein stuff too....but after finally getting my hair back after having bald spots to cover up....I will eat or drink the stinking stuff.

Dr. Chaisson

4/7/2010

Preop weight: 365

Todays weight: 236

Goal weight. 160