Question:
Concerned By Less Than Healthy Food Choices

Yesterday I had a starbucks latte about 8 reg cookies, 8 sugar free cookies, chips, nachos, pretzels, a little chicken salad and some crackers and barely any water. No...I did not eat this all at once, IT WAS OVER THE COURSE of the whole day and night but I lost 2 pounds. Anybody else?    — Les K. (posted on June 27, 2003)

June 27, 2003
Les-Yes, me. Your day yesterday sounds like mine, and to be honest, I don't feel very well.
   — Lesa H.

June 27, 2003
You had your surgery less than a month ago. You can eat just about anything in the beginning and you're still going to lose weight. Does that mean you SHOULD? Absolutely NOT. You must take advantage of your "honeymoon period"...you'll never have six months in your life where you'll be able to lose weight so easily and so rapidly. Why are you eating like this? It's not hard to out-eat the pouch and fail this surgery...you wouldn't be the first. And I'm sure you don't want to be in that category. There's tons of info on this site to help you get back on track. Best to nip this behavior in the bud. Sorry to be so stern, but this is outrageous eating behavior for less than a month out, or really any time after WLS.
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 27, 2003
Her surgery was over a year ago.............2002
   — Laureen59

June 27, 2003
I think the best thing to come out of yesterday is your recognition and admitting to ALL OF US (and some not so forgiving! see below) that you're still normal! Yeah, yesterday was a bad day. So what?! Tomorrow will be a better day. Think of what you would have eaten pre-op on a bad day...laugh in the face of THAT! why don'tcha! You're doing great. You know, we have to remember that we cannot change a lifetime of eating habits in 4 weeks, 4 months or even 4 years. Our old crutches are going to be will us forever. The choices we make will hopefully change and evolve OVER TIME and I'm sure yours will, too! Don't be so hard on yourself. We are always the hardest on ourselves and during those times it's when you need support. You sought it by writing to us about your bad day and you'll get the support you need right here, too!! Baby steps every day. You know what you have to do to be successful on this crazy food path. Keep reminding yourself every day, especially the tough days! Keep up the good work!! I'm proud of you!
   — msmaryk

June 27, 2003
Well, I am six weeks out and I ate dorritos today. I don't know why, I just did. I was stupid and now I feel like crap! It is hard to just stop the old eating habbits.
   — Tami H.

June 27, 2003
Sorry, my mistake...you're a bit over a year out. But still it's crappy eating. I have NO IDEA how you lost 2 lbs. Is this regular day of eating for you? Maybe you're one of those people who'll just keep losing and losing weight. Despite your crappy eating, are you taking all your supplements at least?
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 27, 2003
So you had a bad food day. It's not the end of the world. Mary K was right. Just get back on track. We're all human and prone to have bad days and make poor choices. You know how to use your tool, so don't beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day to make the right choices. Keep your chin up. You've come a long way and this won't ruin everything. :)
   — adeas

June 28, 2003
Sorry that you have had some judgemental responses here from a few folks! NONE OF US IS PERFECT. The only saving grace for us is that we don't absorb or digest like the rest of the world and tomorrow is another day. I am 2 years post-op now and sometimes make bad choices too, but don't beat yourself up. Just try to do better the next day. Maybe you are right in that maybe you upped your calories and tricked your body...but the long-term effect besides weight loss is higher cholesterol or other yukky things if we do eat this stuff even if we don't lose or gain weight after doing so. As you know, the more we deviate from THE PLAN of eating right, the easier it becomes. Ouch! I wish you lots of luck and follow your own intuition post-op...don't ask questions on the board for which you might get some mean responses unless you were wanting some of those folks to slap you on the hand which they did.
   — Molly S.

June 28, 2003
Everyone has their days like that but don't kid yourself into thinking that regularly eating that way will keep you losing. Losing weight is not about what we ate yesterday it is a compilation of the week. You probably don't eat like that all the time or you would not lose weight. I would not beat yourself up but be aware of what you are putting in your body and how it makes you feel.
   — Carol S.

June 28, 2003
i had a dtay like that a little over a week ago. the best advice i got was to avoid beating myself up over it, minimize the carbs and get back on track. i did just that and have been doing well ever since. none of us can be perfect all the time -- we'd be pretty unsuferable if we were!
   — carolsaunders

June 29, 2003
I am not passing judgement. I have done the same things. I am only 10 weeks out. But you know that this surgery is not a cure all. I think people forget there are reasons you got to the point you were at before the surgery. I am reading a book on how to watch and hopefully fix my addiction to food. I also am seeing a therapist. I know if I don't do these thingssd. I will be right back were I started. I hope the best for you.
   — Jennifer M.

June 29, 2003
A previous poster already said this, but I'm surprised more didn't... what you do in a single day is not generally reflected on the scale right away. Your loss could have been from any number of changes your body's been going through. I eat carbs, but limited. I've still lost (-45 10wks). I eat absolutely NO refined sugars. I'm too afraid to see if I'll dump. I have a hard time getting in all of the required water, but I work towards it each day. At first I didn't think water & protein would have such a drastic effect on the loss, but that thought has since diminished as I've seen the differences according to how I eat. Best wishes!
   — Diane S.

June 29, 2003
Your human, and I doubt there are too many out there that are a year or more post-op who haven't had some bad choice days. Sometimes just shaking up the routine can cause a weight loss, and in this case, it may have been the addition of those calories or just the different eating pattern from your norm. Don't get used to it though. It will catch up with you if you continue bad eating, and will not if you just return to good eating. I think the most important aspect of what occured is the lack of water- dehydration can set in so quickly and make you feel sluggish, ill, and can effect your system in a negative way.
   — Cindy R.

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