Imagine my resistance when I was told at the beginning of the pre-op bariatric classes that I would need to keep a log of all of the food I eat and that I would need to show it to the facilitator every week. I was resentful, but compliant. I didn't say anything about how I felt, just did what I was told. Secretly I hated tracking every single thing I ate. I mean, how do you track when you make a sandwich? Let's see.
2 pieces of whole wheat bread
1 slice of cheese
2 slices of turkey breast
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of mustard
1 piece of lettuce
2 slices of tomatoes
Are you freakin' kidding me? All of that for one measly sandwich? Grr, okay. I did remember I was using MyFitnessPal before, so I could scan the food with a barcode. It still felt cumbersome, but whatever. In the beginning, I'd have to catch up on my days that I would have something to show when I had to produce my food log on my phone. Over time, though, I would log things in as I had them, even after we weren't required to show our food log any longer. After a while, it became habit and I'm even doing it together with a bunch of people who help me stay more accountable. Accountability is a big thing for me. I definitely have to be accountable to myself. Yet, knowing that other people are going to see what I'm doing is something that helps me stay away from certain foods enough to the point that I'm now doing it on my own because it's what I choose, not for fear that someone else will judge me.
This weekend my mom is staying with me. She likes taking care of me and making the meals. It's a sweet thing because it allows her to still be a mom taking care of her child. I do have to talk to her about making less starchy food because I don't really eat it as much as I used to. When she came with her belongings today, she brought something I used to have as a child. My mother is Filipino (I'm Filipino on her side and Hungarian, Norwegian and German on my dad's side for anyone who's curious), so there are certain dishes that are staples in that diet, most of which I just can't eat in any great quantity. The thing she brought today was a food called Pan De Coco. It's sweet white bread with a coconut sugary concoction in the middle.
I know it sounds a little weird, but it's really good. I rationalized in my head that having one wouldn't be bad at all since they are so little. She only brought two, so she would have one and I would have one. After I was done with my meal, I logged that piece of bread in along with other things I had. I realized in that moment, like a slap upside my head, the brilliance of logging in all your food. That little piece of bread had 349 calories and 61 grams of carbs.
Speechless.
So, seriously, log your food. If you don't use MyFitnessPal, then use some other method that gives you nutritional values. It is a major eye-opener. I remember eating several of these things in one sitting when I was a kid. I could never do that now without my blood sugar going through the roof. I still managed to end the day with eating 1238 calories and having burned a lot through exercise, so everything was manageable. The issue, though, is that I don't want to travel down that road where one bad choice leads to another. I've been doing great with my food intake and I want to continue on that positive trend.
Water Challenge Day 84: Drank 178 of 178 ounces
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