Introducing: LAWLS Community Hints

The current issue “You Have Arrived” is all about dealing with the real world after weight loss surgery. I asked for reader hints in that newsletter and have received some great responses. For the benefit of all I will be presenting these hints in a column titled “Community Hints”. Please check in often for new hints and post your own hints right here to the comments. You can also email your hints to kayebailey@livingafterwls.com

Let’s Keep On LivingAfterWLS!

Kim Stover on Food Pushers:
I am now the food pusher. I have everyone that I know, eat on my behalf. I enjoy every bite vicariously through them. I know who in the office is a "good eater" and who is a "bad eater". The good eater is either overweight or blessed with one of THOSE metabolisms. I can ask a good eater to try a cinnamon roll and literally taste it while they eat it because of the look on their face, the movement of their body and the sounds that come gurgling from their mouths.

One of the best food eaters is Paula Dean on the Food Network. When she takes a bite of her bacon wrapped shrimp, I can feel the fat running out of the corner of my mouth. If something is particularly sinful, she'll bounce as she's chewing. That is enough for me. Perhaps it's because I can visualize things so clearly. Now the bad eaters will take a bite and say, "It's alright." and then proceed to toss the rest in the trash. Or they'll say, "It's not worth the calories. My gosh, look how many grams of fat are in this thing!". These folks are thin or are winning the battle of the bulge. Once identified, I scratch these people off of my list of approved tasters. Keep in mind, I work in an office that's in charge of buying food to sell in our stores. I'm surrounded by food, huge amounts of food in it's best form, for nine hours a day, five days a week. I used to be the chief taster, now...I take the advice of my nutritionist. She said that if there was something that I absolutely needed to taste, to take a small portion and save it for my lunch. Make it part of my meal. This has been the best for me. It has kept me from grazing all day!

The Old Pepper Trick
One of our friends from Texas said, “The only adjustment I still have to make is learning not to eat that one last bite that sends me to the bathroom to get rid of it! I seem to have this trouble the most when I really like the meal! I just want to keep getting that taste! So, the process of learning continues!”

I think she can benefit from Kathy in San Diego’s advice:

The only hint I have to share that I have been using is the same one I learned back when I was dieting and it works for me- if I have taken too much on my plate at a buffet or the serving size at a restaurant is too big (and I can't take it home for whatever reason) I douse the excess with pepper. That way no matter how long it sits there, I won't be tempted to keep picking away at it. I did this to some chocolate pie the other night and my daughter's friend was so shocked but soon she tried it too!