In my position at TLCEdge, I give a lot of seminars. I also get to speak to loads of post operative patients. The one rule I mention the most is PROTEIN! Protein runs your body. It keeps your hair on your head, keeps your head from hurting, keeps you awake and functioning! Protein is good and necessary for survival. One of the rules is to have at minimum, 60 grams of protein a day. Most people need a little bit more, but that is based on a calculation that I leave to all the Dietitians and Nutritionists.
The best way to figure how much you need to keep your body moving, is to look at your hand. Figure on your palm for protein and your fingers being veggies and starches. The palm, its size and thickness, is what you need 3 times a day for your body. Now I am short (5'1") and my palm is relatively small. When I look at mine, it is the size of a small hamburger pattie, or a 2" by 3" piece of chicken or fish. The thickness is about 1/2 inch. My husband is 6'1". His palm is much bigger and he needs more to survive. Trust me, if he ate my size palm for 3 meals, he would be very grumpy! You don't have to weigh and measure everything. Who has time? Just eyeball your amounts, but be sure and get at least a palm's worth 3 times a day.
When you get your protein in front of you (this would be chicken, fish, pork, beef, beans), before you touch anything on your plate, cut your protein in half and eat one half before you smell, taste or touch anything else on your plate! Sometimes we get full very quickly. If you are eating your protein first, then you will get full on what you need. If you don't give your body enough protein, it goes into a starvation mode and you won't lose weight. I know it sounds weird, but it goes into caveman mode and doesn't release anything cause it doesn't know when you are going to feed it again.
Always know that in weight loss, our bodies work against us. If you don't give it enough of what it needs, it won't give you what you want (weight loss). So go out there and get your protein-Yum!
That's about what I do when I eat. I do take one bite of veggie first. It's an old habit from before banding.. I always at least sampled my veggies while I was still hungry, that's when they taste the best.
ReplyDeleteAfter that first taste of veggie, I eat about half my meat/fish/chicken/whathaveyou. Then I go back & forth, bite of veggie, bite of meat.
Good post.
Cynthia,
ReplyDeleteI don't talk much, but want you to know that I am reading and benefoiting from your inspiration and wisdom. Thanks for all of the good advice and please keep it coming.