Matt Frassica, Admin for BariatricEating Support, BariatricEating 101, and No More Bariatric Regain shares his tips to losing the weight and KEEPING IT OFF
Losing 150 pounds and going from a size 48 jeans to a 33, I am often asked … “How do I stay on track?” I thought about this for a long time so that I could formulate a clear response. Then all at once it came to me… HEY! I can share this because most of my ideas and inspiration comes from others in this group, both members and admins. It’s not just one thing, it’s a few things that work together.
Matt Frassica’s Top 5 Ways to Stay on Track
1. Since I do not plan my meals, count my calories, carbs, or protein grams, I keep my pantry and fridge stocked with all the foods I KNOW will keep me successful. Today, I bought 3 different kinds of lettuce, frozen chicken thighs, zucchini, pork rinds, unsweetened almond milk, cold brewed coffee, ground pork, Boar’s Head kielbasa, onions, pepitas, Oikos Plain Greek yogurt, napa cabbage, grape tomatoes, sliced Swiss cheese, and jars of olives, peppers and capers.
This BIG ‘ole list means I have a dozen or so different meals I can make from it. Nothing to tempt me; nothing that I have to “watch my addiction” for; and all the flavors blend well with each other. So although I don’t meal plan, I do plan for my overall success.
2. I start every day, without fail, no matter where I am, with an Inspire protein coffee. Why Inspire? Because I hate eating breakfast, but I LOVE my Inspire. If it tastes good, gets me 20g of protein, AND a coffee, I KNOW my day starts off well and I have 20g of protein in the bag. Remember I don’t count anything, so a start of 20g means I am off and running! I also keep a bag of Inspire in EVERY corner of my life, including in my backpack, so that if I am not near food, I have SOMETHING to feed me.
3. MOVE YOUR PATOOKAS! It does not matter if I walk, garden, run, swim, lift weights, dance, throw a football (just kidding, I don’t do the sports), or climb a hill – I so SOME kind of physical activity several times a week. It’s good for the heart, it is a NATURAL ANTI-DEPRESSANT, and it helps keep flabby skin toned.
4. Become one with the camel. That’s right – I carry water with me EVERYWHERE. I have water bottles, filled, at my desk, in my fridge, in my car, at my office – all the places I might “forget” to drink my water, I have no excuse. 120 ounces a day.
5. NO MORE MOURNING. Pre-surgery, I HAD to have my marshmallows, candy corn, Peppermint Patties, and Milky Ways. I used to use the phrase “I NEED chocolate…” I used that phrase as much, if not more, as I see others here use the phrase “I NEED CRUNCH…” I have news for us – we don’t need that crunch any more than I needed that chocolate, so let it go, and stop mourning. I need oxygen. I need to be able to sleep without a CPAP machine. I need to be able to keep my 46 year old heart healthy and active. Mourning food that we DO NOT NEED is as unhealthy as eating it. That’s right, it is. Our brains are powerful machines, and if we are in a constant state of mourning for these things, what do you think that does to our mental health? It ain’t good. So I let those things go, had a funeral for them, and instead embraced the new life I CHOSE to live.
Make absolutely no mistake. This is the most challenging and rigorous journey I have ever undertaken (notice I refuse to call it “difficult”). Labor in childbirth; kidney stones; the death of a loved one… these are difficult. Eating delicious meals of protein and colorful vegetables is not.
Find your top 5. They may be different than mine, and THAT IS OK! We are on this journey together.
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