40 Part I: Eating Right with Every Bite
What if you do experience nausea or vomiting? Stop eating and drinking until
the feeling passes. If you’re vomiting to the point where you can’t keep down
water, call your surgeon immediately.
Being Mindful of Portion Sizes
Portion size is key to your weight loss efforts. We often find that people
basically know what to eat but just eat too much of it. For example, you
probably know that olive oil is much healthier than lard. But did you know
that each has the same number of calories — about 135 calories per
tablespoon? So more isn’t better just because something is good for you!
The advantage you now have is that your pouch will let you know when you
have eaten too much (of course, by then it may be too late and you may feel
nauseated). By having to slow down your eating, you will tend to eat less. To
help you eat slowly, try the following tips:
✓ Take pencil-eraser-size bites of food.
✓ Use smaller utensils, such as infant spoons and forks and salad plates to
help control portions.
As you learn to savor your food and are more aware of your eating, really
listen to your body and stop when you are satisfied. You may need to relearn
how to do this. While you’re eating, ask yourself frequently, “Am I still
hungry?” By eating more slowly, you reach the point of satisfaction and are
able to recognize it before you get too full. Do not keep eating until you are
stuffed.
Your dietitian may provide you with menu suggestions. You may want to
follow these for a while until you get the hang of meal planning, at which time
you can get creative with foods you like. Many foods can be adapted to lower
fat or lower sugar versions that promote weight loss if consumed in the
correct portions. This book provides many easy, tasty, healthy recipes that
you will want to try.
Use the bariatric food guide pyramid (shown in Figure 3-1) to help you design
your own menus in the recommended portion size. Remember, the portion
sizes are recommended as the limit. Listen to your body and stop when you
are satisfied!
