Crying over granola!

[suzannethemom]

Yesterday I met with the dietitian. I don’t have a surgery date yet, but she is having me start a 1,300 calorie diet with 45% carbs, 30% Protein and 25% fat. No refined carbs, coffee, alcohol, etc. It is in preparation for surgery to adjust to restricting food intake. I was writing down healthy snack ideas like Greek yogurt with granola (my favorite). Then I saw that granola is not allowed because it is a refined carb. I started crying! I think I was crying more about the idea of a diet than the actual granola. It’s been an emotional week for me as I launch forward on my WLS journey. All my tests are done. I have two appointments left (follow up with psychologist and dietician). It finally feels like this is really happening.

 

[missyinacage]

Aww. It's amazing the things that make us emotional during this journey. I love granola, but it is high in calories, and most are made with a lot of sugar. You can make your own, which I don't lol or you can just use nuts, seeds or plain oats to give you some texture, which I do! I actually love a tablespoon of pumpkin or sunflower seeds in my yogurt. The salt really adds something.

You are going to do great! So hang in there okay?

 

[KarenWV]

One thing to keep in mind is that you aren't saying goodbye forever to your favorite foods. Several months after your surgery, once you are at or close to your goal weight, you can have a small amount of granola or other "cheat" foods. Actually you can have it sooner, but the longer you can go without while developing healthier eating habits, the better.

Plus, you might be surprised at how your tastes change after WLS. When I learned pre-surgery how carbs turn to sugar and are stored as fat, I lost my cravings for bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and most sweets etc. post-surgery. You might not even like granola, or be able to digest it for several months. You can do this. You are not a hostage to your favorite foods and cravings. You will be able to control them, rather than the other way around.

 

[missyinacage]

Karen, this, This, THIS!! It is so important, and I don't think anyone, doctors, nutritionists even in the group, talk enough about it. My husband is currently devasted by the fact that he can't have a cheeseburger ever again. I am like, UM, you made cheeseburgers 2 weeks ago and they were delish! But the program has told him he may not be able to eat red meat and shouldn't anyway. So, now he thinks I am "cheating", and he can't have it. This is why I stopped going to the program nutritionist, even though I got 2 free years of visits!!

The entire key to success, IMHO, is learning to eat "cheat" foods in moderation. Actually, it's more like learning that there are no cheat foods to begin with.

Most of us spent years dieting, which is just a list of foods you can and cannot eat. So, when we would mess up, we'd eat EVERYTHING we weren't 'supposed' to have, usually in excess, since we would be re-starting our diet .. tomorrow or Monday or next week. Those habits, which for many of us lasted our entire lives, are hard to break. How many times have you allowed 1 food decision to escalate into an entire day or week of unhealthy eating?

This is the mentality that has to change; THIS is the struggle. Learning not to DIET. No, you cannot eat like a toddler at a dessert buffet every day, but a bit of chocolate, or granola or a small cheeseburger is fine. Food is like every other decision you make in life ... sometimes you put your extra money in savings; sometimes you go on vacation. Neither choice is bad; in and of itself. But the majority of the time you should be making responsible decisions that improve your circumstances and avoid negative consequences.

 

[suzannethemom]

YES, yes yes! It’s all such a mind f**ck! When I was going through BED therapy, my dietician used to always say “ALL foods are good. There is no bad food.” It used to frustrate me and I would challenge her and say “But what about corn syrup and donuts and hot dogs?” I finally understand what she was saying. She meant that all foods are acceptable in moderation. Like you said, we can allow ourselves a small bite of chocolate or a small cheeseburger at some point in our journey. It should never be ALL OR NOTHING, which is a mindset that has ruined my eating habits in the past. I will not let that kind of thinking control me anymore.

 

[dianeseattle]

"missyinacage, post: 119052, member: 15287"
but a bit of chocolate, or granola or a small cheeseburger is fine.

Go ahead and try to eat a whole cheeseburger or box of chocolates post-op. You'll be on your knees worshipping the porcelain goddess all day.

You'll still fight obsession and your eating disorder but your pouch is boss. You have to have an insidious urge to die in order to defeat the tool.

Just make sure you get your nutritional supplements in 3 or 4 times a day, because food won't so much enhance your health as it will be disappointing.

If one can focus on the miracle of health instead of a few restrictions, therein lies the reward.

A cure for self-pity post-op is to volunteer at a soup kitchen or food bank. There he'll see the true mission of food.

 

[3momchaos]

I add chopped almonds to my Greek yogurt. I put them in my food processor, not to get them flour like, but just chopped up enough. Might be an idea if you like almonds, or maybe another nut?

 

[suzannethemom]

I love chopped almonds in my oatmeal. I keep a container of them in my refrigerator. I just never thought it would taste good in yogurt. I will give it a try.

 

[KarenWV]

Maybe slivered almonds would work also & might be easier to digest for some. Just a thought...

 

[missyinacage]

Go ahead and try to eat a whole cheeseburger or box of chocolates post-op. You'll be on your knees worshipping the porcelain goddess all day.

You'll still fight obsession and your eating disorder but your pouch is boss. You have to have an insidious urge to die in order to defeat the tool.

I have to respectfully disagree here. The idea that you cannot overcome your pouch size just isn't true and can lead people to believe that WLS is a miracle cure, instead of the tool it is.

I mean, okay, I cannot eat a full-sized cheeseburger in one sitting. But I could eat 4 cookies. I could eat a 2oz cheeseburger several times a day. It's always going to be about healthy choices and calorie intake. I know too many people who can easily overeat after WLS to ever suggest that someone has to make a special effort to do it.

 

[Kcuster83]

I learned through life of dieting that you tend to find healthier substitutes for things you love. I LOVE meatballs, just eating them plain. Or with sauce, spaghetti, subs, whatever. If you read the package of frozen ones they are pretty bad and very high fat, and most recipes calls for a lot of random crap which increases the calories/fat. So I created a hella good recipe for turkey meatballs with NO bread filling or to hold them together. There really isn't much in them other than meat and seasoning and some very finely chopped onion. I found "classico spicy red pepper sauce" (which really has no spicy to it) that is only 40 calories per serving and only 4 sugars. The best low calorie low fat low sugar sauce I can find. Usually the lighter sauces are VERY watery but this one still has a thicker consistency. Anyway, I put sliced zucchini and squash in the sauce and eat it right out of a bowl. 4oz meat and a half a cup of sauce= 200 calories, 24 g protein, ,4 g sugar, 2 carbs. OF PURE DELICIOUS! You could even put it over spaghetti squash and maybe add 30 calories. We tried low calories and low carb crab cakes and it was a COMPLETE fail. The texture was so far off! It was like eating a crab quiche. haha So if anyone masters that one, please share!! You can do this, I am no cook I just get creative and sometimes it works and sometimes I throw it in the trash. haha Another tip: Is sometimes it is very easy to just modify your favorite recipe by using healthier options, google is your friend here.

 

[moremeatplease]

One thing to keep in mind is that you aren't saying goodbye forever to your favorite foods. Several months after your surgery, once you are at or close to your goal weight, you can have a small amount of granola or other "cheat" foods. Actually you can have it sooner, but the longer you can go without while developing healthier eating habits, the better."

i'm on day 3 of pre-op diet (they only have me on it for 7 days, which seems unusual), and i already miss wine terribly. the thought of going SEVERAL months after without it is like the death of a close friend. does that make me sound like an alcoholic? i was able to stop with no problem, but i can't see living the next 6 months without it. but (hopefully) i'll do as i'm told, lol!