Just out of curiosity, can I have your comments on bread, diet coke and cookies?

I think I'm gonna miss movie theater popcorn ???????????? popcorn is my fav! How can I go to the movies lol.

Thank you AvaFern for putting it all in perspective. I have a surgery date but still grappling with that I'll have to completely transform my habits (including giving up my over 2 liter a day Diet Coke habit). I am weening myself off it now, but I do see this as a long road, and as I'm losing the weight, I'd like to develop long-range eating habits, which include occasionally enjoying some foods that I like (though I've heard tastes do change after the surgery). In any case, I've been really fearful of "life after surgery," and your post is helpful.

I am almost 6 weeks post op and went to the movies on Thursday.

I took one of my premier protein peanut butter crunch bars and cut it up into small bite sized squares and put it in a baggy.

It gave me something to munch on.

I thought it was quite genius. Lol

I am almost 6 weeks post op and went to the movies on Thursday.

I took one of my premier protein peanut butter crunch bars and cut it up into small bite sized squares and put it in a baggy.

It gave me something to munch on.

I thought it was quite genius. Lol

I do this when I'm playing cards or watching a movie on tv. I recently did it for a road trip too. I'm pre op so I'm trying to instill healthy habits now.

I generally cut up pieces of beef Jerky when I think I might need a snack at an event but really, to put it in perspective, why can't one spend two hours without eating?

I look back at my fat days and shake my head at my "need" for a large bucket of popcorn, a gigantic soda and candy for such a short period of time.

@@AllisonK1986

I go to the movies all the time without eating popcorn or candy. I'll buy a Chai tea and sip it during the movie.

Hopefully you will get to the point where food isn't the focus of everything you do in life. It took me a while, but I'm there. I focus on the moments, the company I'm with, and the experience.

It's just so freeing not being a slave to food anymore. I can honestly say I eat to live, not live to eat.

I'm still pre op and pop corn is like basically only junk food I really like so that's like my semi addiction. And coming from a southern household and being married to an Arab wherein each culture food is the center of everything, I'm doing my best to break the cycle.

You can make your own low carb Cookies and you can make or buy low carb high Fiber bread. You don't have to give those things up forever. You do however have to have some self control.

People on this board will tell you not to eat cookies and other things while they are snarfing down yogurt that is full of sugar.

These are my favorite Snacks right now. http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/ They taste just good enough to seem like a brownie, but not good enough to be a brownie, no triggers. They are just a good tasting Protein product, better than a Quest bar.

A cookie recipe http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/03/lemon-almond-shortbread-cookies-low-carb-gluten-free.html

Also search for low carb mug cakes.

Just remember just because something it low carb, you still need to track all of your calories and watch your portions.

The bread is harder, there are lots of low carb bread recipes out there, and there are also low carb breads you can purchase. You can get healthy life at most grocery stores in the midwest for $1.99-2.99 a loaf, not sure about the rest of the country. One slice has 6 net carbs. http://www.healthylifebread.com/ Or you can order bread http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_dp_s_web_0?ie=UTF8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Great+Low+Carb+Bread+Co. Which as you see is expensive and should probably just be treat level.

You can have a lot of sandwiches on lettuce leafs, you can order from Jimmy Johns like that.

Don't let yourself feel deprived, because that can lead to making a lot of bad choices or binge eating. Just learn how to make good options yourself at home.

Low Carb cheesecake is another great option.

I drink Water at the movies. After surgery it is a great time to just sit and chug a bottle of water with no interruptions. I never ate at the movies before anyway, we always went right after a meal and were already full. We go almost weekly, if you add in movie snacks it makes it too expensive.

Edited September 26, 201510 yr by OutsideMatchInside

I'm still pre op and pop corn is like basically only junk food I really like so that's like my semi addiction. And coming from a southern household and being married to an Arab wherein each culture food is the center of everything, I'm doing my best to break the cycle.

Understood. It's hard, but you'll get there post op.

I pretty much deprived myself the first year to get to where I wanted to be. The closer I got to goal, the more I loosened up a little and started moderating some foods in preparation for maintenence. You'll be able to have a handful of popcorn at the movies someday, as long as you learn to moderate those things as just very rare treats. I also abstain from some things because I just can't moderate certain foods. It's a balance that has to be learnt.

I also abstain from some things because I just can't moderate certain foods. It's a balance that has to be learnt.

I am smack dab in the middle of doing this right now.

After kidding myself for the past 1 1/2 months that I "got this" and eating things I shouldn't, not drinking enough and not exercising like I was, now all I am is 1 1/2 months behind in my progress. Granted, I haven't gained anything, but I sure as heck haven't lost either.

I have to abstain from anything off plan. I have not learned to balance yet. @@Babbs was there a point in time that you can say you learned this?

I am 10 months out and almost at goal (over 100 lbs). I don't eat bread, Cookies or Pasta by choice because in the past, eating them took me to a place where I couldn't control my eating, so for now, I still don't go there. But as I see the weight come off, I'm very content with not eating those foods, I don't feel deprived.

Diet soda, I drink that, probably more than I should, I know it's not a good choice, but I really feel that having that taste (the lemon-lime of diet Mt. Dew) satisfies some kind of taste craving that Water does not satisfy for me, and it's less calories than any food item. I still drink plenty of water, and some sparking no-calorie lemonade drinks, but I do have some soda at this point.

I do feel like it's time to expand my food choices a bit, so that I don't get bored with what I eat, but I've lost a lot of weight in the past (without the sleeve) and gained most of it back, so I'm VERY cautious about adding expanded foods back into my diet.

The very best to you in your journey

I think I'm gonna miss movie theater popcorn ???????????? popcorn is my fav! How can I go to the movies lol.

I don't know if you are being serious or not, but I eat movie theatre popcorn on occasion--every few months--in maintenance

I am almost 6 weeks post op and went to the movies on Thursday.

I took one of my premier Protein Peanut Butter crunch bars and cut it up into small bite sized squares and put it in a baggy.

It gave me something to munch on.

I thought it was quite genius. Lol

I have brought jerky, Quest bars, cut up veggies-- but now our local theatre checks your purse for "contraband!" Last time I made my 13 yo son hide it in his cargo pockets! He was freaked out till I explained it wasn't ILLEGAL technically and the worst that could happen is they'd make us throw it out.

We made it past the checkpoint and he said "omg what a rush!" I think I've created a monster ????

You can make your own low carb Cookies and you can make or buy low carb high fiber bread. You don't have to give those things up forever. You do however have to have some self control.

People on this board will tell you not to eat cookies and other things while they are snarfing down yogurt that is full of sugar.

These are my favorite Snacks right now. http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/ They taste just good enough to seem like a brownie, but not good enough to be a brownie, no triggers. They are just a good tasting Protein product, better than a Quest bar.

A cookie recipe http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/03/lemon-almond-shortbread-cookies-low-carb-gluten-free.html

Also search for low carb mug cakes.

Just remember just because something it low carb, you still need to track all of your calories and watch your portions.

The bread is harder, there are lots of low carb bread recipes out there, and there are also low carb breads you can purchase. You can get healthy life at most grocery stores in the midwest for $1.99-2.99 a loaf, not sure about the rest of the country. One slice has 6 net carbs. http://www.healthylifebread.com/ Or you can order bread http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_dp_s_web_0?ie=UTF8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Great+Low+Carb+Bread+Co. Which as you see is expensive and should probably just be treat level.

You can have a lot of sandwiches on lettuce leafs, you can order from Jimmy Johns like that.

Don't let yourself feel deprived, because that can lead to making a lot of bad choices or binge eating. Just learn how to make good options yourself at home.

Low Carb cheesecake is another great option.

I drink Water at the movies. After surgery it is a great time to just sit and chug a bottle of water with no interruptions. I never ate at the movies before anyway, we always went right after a meal and were already full. We go almost weekly, if you add in movie snacks it makes it too expensive.

All good choices! Check out Eggface's blog and her protein cakes! I make them and slices are the perfect Breakfast or "cookie" type treat!

I also do low carb mini cheesecakes and everyone loves them at family events and they don't even know they are healthy!

I do take issue with the "scarfing down yogurt which is full of sugar" comment. Yogurt with no sugar added does still contain sugar, but it's lactose/milk sugar which is HUGELY different in the way it acts in the body. And Greek yogurt sill has way more protein than it does sugar (again it's all milk sugar/lactose). So Greek yogurt with no sugar added is a good choice.

And you can disagree, that's all good, but please don't use words like "scarfing down" which gave huge negative connotations. I eat a lot of Greek yogurt with no sugar added, but I have never "scarfed it down"

I also abstain from some things because I just can't moderate certain foods. It's a balance that has to be learnt.

I am smack dab in the middle of doing this right now.

After kidding myself for the past 1 1/2 months that I "got this" and eating things I shouldn't, not drinking enough and not exercising like I was, now all I am is 1 1/2 months behind in my progress. Granted, I haven't gained anything, but I sure as heck haven't lost either.

I have to abstain from anything off plan. I have not learned to balance yet. @@Babbs was there a point in time that you can say you learned this?

I'm not @@Babbs but in my experience there are certain things I just had to abstain from and others I can do in moderation. Some foods are just plain old triggers (for me chips, crackers...) and others I can do in moderation (most sweets). You need to learn YOU.