I have finally reached the end of the pureed stage and am now allowed to begin chewing my food again. Naturally I am not supposed to go directly to Outback Steak House and order the big sirloin. I have learned that even though I am eating only a couple of tablespoons of food I need to make my meals last for 25 minutes. This gives me time to chew thoroughly. Also by eating slowly I give myself time to recognize when fullness sets in. I have regretted having too much in my little pouch since this leads to a visit from my old buddy Chuck!.
Many years ago, when I first went to Weight Watchers, I remember hearing that it takes 20 minutes to recognize when one's stomach is full. It is not hard to go way past merely satisfying hunger to overeating before the 20 minute warning. Ah, the story of my life.
In addition to eating slowly, I am not supposed to drink liquids until 30 minutes after my meals. This is supposed to keep the pouch from emptying too quickly. Actually if I try to drink too soon I find that my feeling of fullness becomes uncomfortable and may risk losing my meal (that Chuck again) An overfull pouch feels very different from that overstuffed, post-Thanksgiving,, unbuttoning your waistband, oops I did it again feeling. Instead I feel like I've swallowed a fist-sized rock.
So, as you can see, I have a lot of behavior modification to do. Since I am eating such a small volume of food I can't afford empty calories. I've been having quite a few sugar-free popsicles during the hot summer weather. They are yummy but don't have any nutrients. I need to make the small meals count. I have been adding my protein powder to yogurt and sugar-free pudding. I also made eggnog in my blender with Egg Beaters, milk and the protein powder. I need to get the fat-free half and half for the next time I do it so it will be thicker. It was pretty good except I overdid the nutmeg.
Enjoy the fleeting summer while you can. It will be fall before we know it.
Best wishes,
Marlena of Mohegan.
No comments:
Post a Comment