| November 12, 2004 |
 |
 |
 |
| Well, I went to Wal-Mart with my friend Joy last night. We walked over to the Girls' clothing section to look for jeans for her daughter (she wears a Girls' size 14).
While looking at the clothes, we kept comparing them to our bodies. Joy kept saying that they would be way too long on her daughter. They were long enough to be a perfect length on me. Then, Joy commented that some people who are short like me shop in the girls section (if they are skinny enough). Well, just for kicks, I decided to try on a Girls' size 14/16 pair of sweatpants. I tried them on over my pants...... THEY FIT, and they were the perfect length on me. I of course had to buy them Also, they were cheaper than the sweat pants in the misses section. Curious Diva Mickey 229/170/120 (15 weeks PO) 1# away from -60#'s |
|
 |
 |
 |
| POSTED ON TMB ~ More Tips for Weight Loss & Maintenance
One of my friends from another WLS board asked me to speak at their support group tomorrow evening over in Arlington. As I was gathering my thoughts, I decided to share with this board what I have learned in the past 30 momths since my Roux en Y gastric bypass about losing and maintaining weight. 1) We must be diligent with our food choices and keep in mind that bad carbs drive weight gain/loss. This is FOREVER. Bad carbs = bread, crackers, potatoes, cereals, rice, pasta, popcorn, anything ending in *tose* (fructose, sucrose, lactose = sugar) Good carbs = limited dairy (such as low-fat cheese), beans 2) As we make our choices, choose PROTEIN FIRST�� ALWAYS. I STILL use a SMALL saucer or small bowl to control portions. Once at goal weight, add a bite or 2 of a favorite carb but remain cautious of overdoing it. Remember that it is VERY hard to *de-carb* once started back on carbs. CARBS DRIVE OUR WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN 3) Know and acknowledge when *stress eating* becomes an issue and deal with it... don't push it under the rug because we CAN gain back the weight we have lost!!! If you are prone to "stress eating", keep in mind that emotional stress can hinder weight control by triggering the release of stress hormones into the blood. The body perceives that hormone influx as a sign of an emergency and responds by conserving fat and increasing hunger. One way to lose weight has been to try to starve oneself or eat too little. This can also put the body into emergency mode and bring on the same reaction of conserving fat. This is one area we have discussed here on the board. We are encouraged by our nutritionists, PCPs and surgeons not to skip meals. Lack of sleep may compound these effects. (This is another argument for getting enough sleep each night.) Chronic stress can trigger food cravings by depleting levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which encourages feelings of relaxation and well-being. Comfort foods such as chocolate and simple carbs may bring temporary relief by increasing this serotonin level. But often these are loaded with calories and are devoid of much nutritional value. Remember that stress is not only when you feel particularly anxious or frustrated or harried. These are the more obvious signs of stress. The effects of stress can be very subtle, like this proneness to "stress eating". Instead of giving in to this stress eating, practice more helpful forms of Stress Management. These include deep breathing/relaxation, getting the sleep we need, maintaining a good level of activity throughout the week, etc... Hope this helps!! Hugz n Texas Blessings, Cathleen C |