Eating around my pouch

nilklynn

Today I caught myself eating around my pouch. Eating, waiting, eating more. I fear it's becoming a proble. Once you derail a bit, what are your strategies for getting back and staying on track? My will power seems to be lacking lately. Yet I'm so scared of failing. My 'you've got to live/enjoy food in moderation' philosophy is not working! It's triggering cravings that I can't control. What do you do??

anbrdr

This can be hard. If you must snack, make sure you are buying the right things, beef jerky, freeze dried Edamame, fresh Edamame, carrots, light cheese, turkey pepperoni are my staples.
Be diligent and honest with your food tracking. If you eat/drink it all before dinner, you're gonna have a bad time

ki4eld

I found Intermittent Fasting and haven't looked back. The longer I delay my eating, the more I can eat during the hours that I'm typically hungry. When I find myself trying to snack, I do a "hard reset" meaning I cut out every carb I can, go back to mostly liquids for a day, and start over like a brand new patient. I pull out my "how-to" literature, concentrate on eating slowly (even use a timer), practice chewing well (and counting the chews), and triple-check I'm measuring my portions properly. I also make sure I pre-log all the day's food. That way, I know when and what I'll eat and I know I can't be hungry because I can see what I'll be eating.

This is the mental game I often talk about. Surgery is great and it's a wonderful tool, but you have to take the time before surgery to learn the rest of the tools, because surgery is just one of them. And most importantly, before surgery you have to get yourself together with the mental game. Learn your triggers (food, situations, emotions) and learn how to get past them. In the long run, the mental game is what's going to keep you successful, not the surgery itself.

Good luck.