Banded Girl

Several WLS bloggers are posing what they had to eat today (or yesterday). I figured that I might as well jump on the bandwagon! Here’s what I had today:

10:00ish: I've never had the full-fat Fage before. It was truly amazing.

3:30ish: Macadamia nuts -- I had a few more than this.

4:45ish: I realized I hadn't had much to eat today, but didn't want to eat. Drank some decaf with 8oz milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut oil instead of solid food.

7:30ish: Made myself eat; we call this "Sausage Medley." Reduced fat sausage, bell pepper, onion, and shredded potatoes topped with cheese and an egg. The bowl holds a bit less than a cup.

This is NOT a typical day of eating for me. It’s super skimpy on the veggies. I don’t really eat yogurt anymore, but I’m on a pretty strong antibiotic right now and trying to stave off a yeast infection. I eat potatoes once every few weeks. My food choices are generally more solid and less mushy.

I also posted a visual food log in December, and another for two days last June. The way I eat has evolved so much over time and I’m grateful to have these visual reminders of how far I’ve come–even in the four and a half months since I last did this.

(Want to see what other WLS eat? Check out Former Fat Dudes, Journey to a Healthier Me, Melting Mama, WLS Vitagarden, Beariatric, The World According to Eggface, and Bariatric Foodie!)

A few weeks ago, Jessica sent me a couple of questions regarding how I eat and how my polycystic ovary syndrome has changed since I’ve been banded. Sorry it’s taken so long for me to get back to you, Jessica!

Her questions were:
1. do you eat low-carb or just smaller portions?
2. how has your PCOS changed (if at all) with the band?

When I’m eating to my ideal, I focus on consuming a lot of protein and fewer carbs. I try to stay away from sugar, potatoes, bread, and pasta. I try to eat low-glycemic fruits and veggies.

When my choices fall on the less-than-ideal point in the spectrum, I still try to watch my portion sizes and to eat only when I’m hungry (I’ll write more about this in an upcoming post). So, if ice cream is on my menu for the day, I eat a serving (or even half a serving) and not a gallon. I firmly believe that this has been why I’ve maintained my weight loss for the last six months–I’ve not been making great choices about the content of my meals, but I’ve been watching my portions and trying to eat when my body needs food, not for emotional reasons.

As far as PCOS post-band goes…I really don’t know. I really wish I could be more definitive for you! I’ve used hormonal birth control for six years to control my symptoms, so I can’t say that I’ve noticed a huge difference since June of 2009. I did have to switch they type of birth control I was using about a year after I got banded. My old brand just wasn’t working well for me; I assume because of hormonal changes associated with weight loss.

I hope that answers your questions, Jessica!

Does anyone else have a question for me? Feel free to leave a comment or email me using my contact form.

Missing: Coffee with Half & Half and creamer, early morning.

Midmorning: Cheese Stick

Lunch: Turkey, Potato, and Cheese Soup (Before & After)

(This square container holds a little more than 1.5 cups.)

Mid-afternoon: Spicy Turkey Tamale (Before & After)

Mid-afternoon Take 2: Raspberry Greek Yogurt and Almonds

Evening: Trader Joe's Black Refried Beans, Egg

(This was .5 cup black beans, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and one egg.)

Later Evening: Trader Joe's Lemon Flavored Water

I only drank a few ounces of the electrolyte water while I exercised.

Speaking of exercise: 45 minutes on the treadmill. I ran a little, but mostly worked on an incline. Asthma’s still being kind of stupid.

My level of restriction has been much more manageable today. Eating was slow-going, but I got food in! Yesterday was a major challenge, though. Jury’s still out on the unfill debate.

Dear BG:

Fats are essential to our diets. Our bodies need fat to absorb certain vitamins. Our bodies need fat to produce healthy hair, skin, and nails. Fat helps keep us warm and provides us with energy.

So the next time you’re at the grocery store, looking at the selection of roasts, don’t pick the one with almost no fat. It’ll be too dry for your band to deal with. A little bit of fat will be okay!

♥ BG

(Aside: Trans fats are bad. If an ingredient in something you’re thinking about eating is “partially hydrogenated” ANYTHING, do not eat it!!! Unsaturated fats, like those found in nuts and avocados, are considered better for us than saturated fats, which generally come from animal products. That doesn’t mean that animal fats are totally evil, though!)

Wow. Long days at work, spent wrestling with PowerPoint? My brain is breaded and deep fried right now. But I’m posting!!

Question for my fellow bandsters: How do you feel after you eat string cheese? Full to the brim? Still hungry? Place me firmly in category #2. The cheese, it does nothing! Do I need a fill? I don’t really *want* a fill, but do I *need* one?

Am I over thinking things right now because I can?

Probably.

Dr. Arya M. Sharma reports that Violeta Moize from the University of Barcelona in Spain published a Bariatric Food Pyramid.

Image from Dr. Sharma's Obesity Notes

What do you think of the pyramid? Is it a good tool for bandsters?

Edit:  I have a question!  Why are legumes under both “preferent intake” and “control intake”?

Packing, cleaning, and the thoughts of moving, unpacking, and getting organized are stressing me out. I’m not good at the domestic stuff.

I made a complete list of my debt last night, and it’s stressed me out. I feel like I’m never going to be able to get ahead. I feel like I’m never going to be able to save for retirement. I started thinking about my friend’s wedding in January and how I’m not going to be able to go–because I’m not going to be able to buy a ticket to Peru or save for a hotel. It made me sad.

I had lunch with a coworker and found out about some things happening in the company I work for. I’m now worried about my job security and it’s stressing me out.

So I’m stressed. I’m stressed and I’m hungry. I’m stressed and I’m hungry and I WANT ICE CREAM. Right now I’m drinking orange juice. I can’t remember the last time I had a drink with calories in it, but here I am with freaking orange juice.

I ate too much tonight and I feel horrible. My band let me know that I overdid things by helping my back hurt in the special “I have a lap-band and I’m too full” way. I don’t think everyone gets that sensation, but I sure do. And it makes me want to cry.

I’m expecting a gain tomorrow, just so you all know. Maybe even a substantial gain. It’s okay. I just need to make it through the next week and I’ll be alright. Just one more week. I can do anything for a week.

Also, tomorrow is my last free fill before my year of included aftercare expires. Maybe liquids for two days and mushies for two days will help get me back on track.

I hate this, guys. I feel like I did pre-band. Stressed, borderline depressed, overfull, and completely out of control of my body and food choices. Do. Not. Want.