Post Op MYTHS!

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, we lived on a completely different Food Planet where what we ate was often super sized, super bad and we convinced ourselves that we had bad metabolisms and 'didn't eat much.' What are the Food Myths that many of us fight for and yet still cling to?

1. IT'S A MYTH

that you have amazing superpowers and can handle Everything in Moderation (EIM). This week someone asked: "Can I eat fried chicken if I remove the crispy skin?" The answer is NO, but not for the reason you may think. No fried chicken because even Superman doesn't have the ability to NOT eat the coating on fried chicken. Fatbrain is tricking your regular brain in order to just somehow 'get it on your plate' and then itís not pretty.

You are fortunate that in the BariatricEating Support Group on Facebook, we remain fluent in Fatbrain and are not fooled.

2. IT'S A MYTH

that you must feed all hunger immediately. So what if you *think* you are hungry? Real hunger that is felt in your stomach is easily satisfied by drinking an Inspire. Emotional hunger is a mental craving that hits you fast for a specific food - and that food is not normally broccoli. Handle EMOTIONAL HUNGER with Mindfulness. Think of three words to describe how you feel - bored, tired, mad, hurt - and find a non food way to deal - walk, color, crochet, go to Zappos website and look at shoes. You do not need food for emotional hunger.

3. IT'S A MYTH

that you must fill yourself to the gills at each feeding. Instead of focusing on finishing, think about each bite while you chew it and STOP spooning when you don't care about another bite. We are way too worried about PORTION when we need to be paying attention to how we FEEL while eating so we can stop BEFORE we are physically full. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH IS ON A PLATE - YOU DON'T NEED TO FINISH IT. No More Clean Plate Club!

4. IT'S A MYTH

that protein drinks must be jumbo sized, full of fruit and thick to create fullness. Itís the protein fuel in a drink that creates what is called SATIETY, not the volume. Satiety is the feeling of satisfaction created by protein, no matter what thickness. Protein does not rapidly fizzle and burn for fuel and your body has to WORK to process it. Use this to your advantage. A smooth light Inspire creates more fullness than a supersized thickshake of a non quality brand of shake because of the protein.

5. IT'S A MYTH

that meals must be multicourse extravaganzas. You can make one serving of vegetable roasted alongside a meat on a single sheet pan. Each day doesn't have to be Thanksgiving and you do not need to feed your family members starches. They can eat the way you eat and you can be proud of that. Stop thinking of your "diet" as a punishment. Most normal sized people eat what we call The Bariatric Diet with the only lasting effect being that they are NOT morbidly obese - it's how normal people eat through life.

6. IT'S A MYTH

that there is healthy fast and processed food. You will need to plan, assemble plates and even *gasp* COOK, to get to goal and maintain the life you will grow to love. Buying a fish sandwich and removing the part of the bun that has not FUSED to the cheese is NOT a good plan and you sort of already know that. Eventually FRIES will end up in that bag because Fatbrain will convince you that the MEAL is only .85 cents more than the sandwich alone and you can take the rest 'home to the kids'. WE ALL KNOW WHERE THAT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD. Outsmart Fatbrain and get an Unwich at Jimmy Johns.

7. IT'S A MYTH

believing that if you are not losing weight that 'it's not you'. Open your mind and recalculate your calories - because weight loss is math and numbers do not lie. You may *think* that you are only eating 800 calories a day, but if you are not losing weight there is a miscalculation somewhere. Itís not that you are unlucky or you have a bum thyroid, its that you are taking in more calories than your body is burning. Boom.

Sometimes people forget and don't count snacks or make hideous substitutions that include cream cheese. In the words of Dr. Now, "NO snacks, you don't need snacks!" To remedy the situation, you must take in fewer calories than your REALITY - journal EVERY BITE that goes into your mouth as you are likely judging and adding incorrectly - Or you can burn more calories by moving more - OR HERE'S AN IDEA: YOU CAN DO BOTH! Attack weight loss via Diet and Exercise and you will have little reason to say "I donít know why Iím not losing!" #nomathawards #howmuchisadab #drnowisahardass

After Weight Loss Surgery, throw out what you thought you knew about Nutrition. Be open to learn about your new life with food. Post ops can happily exist on our New Food Planet where macaroni and cheese is NOT a vegetable and we CAN be happy with deli turkey and pepperoncini wrapped up in a big butter lettuce 'tortilla', BUT we have to be willing to LET GO of the Myths that led us to needing surgery.