Monday, November 2, 2009

A Typical Day's Menu

Selkie asked what a typical day's menu might be like on this new regimen. Tom and Teresa eat somewhat differently due to the differences in their surgical procedures. However, since the part that is probably most "amazing" about this last seven months is Tom's 130 pound weight loss, here's His usual daily meal plan:

BREAKFAST --
Milk shake (1 scoop of fat free, sugar free ice cream, 1/2 cup of skim milk, 2 scoops of chocolate flavored protein powder)
Coffee with chocolate protein powder
Crystal Lite Orange drink with Emergen-C vitamin supplement
Liquid Calcium supplement

LUNCH--
High protein power bar (peanut butter and chocolate flavor)
CarbMaster (high protein) yogurt
Hummus
Wheat Thins 5-grain crackers
Jello sugar free pudding cup

DINNER --
Some sort of protein source (meat is generally difficult, but fish works and so does a meat substitute product made by Quorn which is really very good)
Sometimes we supplement with a bit of fruit or some vegetables. Applesauce works well, winter squash is good, mashed potatoes go well... Other vegetables seem very problematic.
In the last couple of weeks, Tom has been able to add a small (very small) glass of wine sometimes.

3 comments:

selkie said...

wow- that seems so little - is hunger an issue? And I assume a vitamin regime is in order? Hope this isn't too nosy - just find it fascinating.

Unknown said...

selkie, I am very much on a nutritional supplement program including two daily chewable multi-vitamins, liquid calcium citrate, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 (weekly nasal spray). I/we are tested extensively every few months for every nutrient, mineral, etc. known to man. The test they do is for 94 different values and requires 9 vials of blood to be drawn as well as a urine sample.

Hunger is a result of a hormone that is secreted into your stomach. That portion of my stomach was removed (well technically, actually none of it was removed......but it was "disconnected" and set aside). I no longer have the physiological ability to experience what is typically thought of as hunger. t has not had that same "revision" with the procedure she underwent, but for both of us we simply don't experience hunger as we did. We eat because we know we must to be healthy, but when swan asks us if we are hungry or "ready to eat," we both are only able to say we know we need to. I no longer experience a sense of "I need to eat." Eating is now an exercise in knowing I need to eat to fuel my body and be healthy. It isn't an intense need to quiet the urgency created by hunger.

All the best,

Tom

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.

selkie said...

This really casts a new light on eating to me. I have always thought of myself, for instance, as an "emotional" eater; it is when I am stressed or unhappy that I break my own healthy eating regime. I had never heard that there is actually a hormone responsible (damn it, I want that hormone GONE lol)

I do know when I am on the VERY low calorie, very LOW carb diet that works best with my body, wihtin a couple of weeks, I DO lose the "urges" and like you, have to actually almost force myself to eat and then only in small healthy quanitities. But if I break that regime even slightly, the urges come flooding back and I'm right back.

Obviously with you, that wouldn't happen as that part of your body simply isn't accessible any more.

It must require a whole new mindset....