5-Day Pouch Test... Day One

I am doing this 5-day pouch test. You can read all the gritty details here, or just let me give you the basics. (This may get long, as I think some background info is needed.) After weight loss surgery (in my case a Rouen-Y gastric bypass on October 12, 2004) patients are to follow a STRICT diet that is mainly protein in its make-up. Right after my surgery, I was only able to consume about 2 tablespoons of food at a time (and only three times a day) so it was very important that those 2 tablespoons were the best sources of protein I could get. I ate lots of eggs, lots of pinto beans (mostly from Taco Bell- and this was encouraged from the Dr.'s) and lots of cheese. But as time went one, under the guidance of the doctors and nutritionist, I was able to add a little volume to my diet, and a year out from Surgery, I was able to eat about 1 cup of food at a meal (still only 3 times a day). This additional volume, while still needing to be high in protein, can also allow for adding in some startches and vegetables as tolerated (some patients can never eat this stuff again, their new stomachs just can't tolerate it). Or there are those, like me, who have no problem eating most anything. But this can also make it easier to slip back to old eating habbits, as it has been for me. While I still can't eat more than a cup at a time, I have found myself consuming more and more meals that have very little or no protein in them at all, as well as snacking inbetween meals, which is a big NO-NO!

That is where this 5-Day Pouch Test comes in. It's kind of like hitting the reset button. It is supposed to help me tighten my pouch and to get back to eating more protein based meals again. The first two days are liquids only and I must drink at least 64 oz of water/no calorie liquids (like crystal light) each day (I can have protein shakes and soups as much as I want- as long as they have no carbs in them - no pasta or potatoes ). I decided to do this over the weekend, where I have more distractions to keep me from wanting to "cheat" and eat something. If I get to feeling snacky- I can get on the computer, I can get up and do laundry, I can watch tv- you see what I'm getting at. The Third day I can start adding soft proteins like eggs, canned tuna or chicken, and beans back to my diet. The fourth day I can add some firmer proteins like hamburger and other ground meats. And the last day is basically any protiens I can tolerate. And by this time I should not be craving carbs anymore. (Hopefully)

So I am about halfway thorugh the first day, however I didn't plan very well (well- I wasn't very sure until this morning that I was even gonna go through with it). So I am waiting for my soup to cook in the crockpot, and have had a Slim-Fast and am looking at my Girl Scout Cookies I got yesterday, thinking to myself that I REALLY WANT ONE!!! So that is why this post is getting so long, I am trying to forget about the cookies.

I am struggling with the water part. So we'll see how it goes. I'm lucky to get 48 oz of fluid a day, and that's mostly diet soda- but after waking up this morning feeling like I might be getting another UTI- I figured I might as well go for it- it will only lead to me getting in more fluids, and since I'll be drinking more anyway- I'd be halfway through the thing anyway. I am trying not to be very negative about this (which is hard when all you want to do is eat something!), it is something I am choosing to do. I need to do something to get myself back on track with my weight loss tool that I fought so hard for four years ago. I have back-slid quite a bit, especially this last few months. And it scares me at times. I am also dealing with hypoglycemia issues, which I think I could control better if I were following closer to the program again. So here it goes!

Thanks to Laura for making me think about getting myself on track again- and check out the folks who are taking the NO SUGAR PLUNGE with her!