•     Drink water or flavored water to curb the hunger pangs
•     Ignore the hunger and acknowledge that it is fleeting and survival is not at risk
•     Establish a predictable and consistent eating schedule so your body becomes accustomed to when you will eat
•     Double check to be certain you are following the Protein First rule. That means mostly protein at every meal of the day. Generally we are advised to consume 80-130g protein a day with any gastric surgery.
•     Identify and minimize visual cues that trigger hunger pangs (avoid/ignore media advertising, place snack foods in closed cupboards, avoid office break rooms, etc.)
•     Take a brisk walk before giving in to hunger (this will rev your metabolism)
•     Feed hunger pangs with warm hearty vegetable soup in a measured 1-cup serving.
• 5 Day Pouch Test Soup Recipes
•     Avoid feeding hunger with the same types of food you did before surgery - If you eat the same food that contributed to your obesity before surgery it will contribute to your obesity after surgery. Again, Protein First!

For more informative and inspiring reading please visit
our 5 Day Pouch Test Articles Collection.


Remember, we are all in this together and we are here for you.  Please be sure to take a look at some of the free download worksheets LivingAfterWLS has available for you. These free tools are designed to support your best efforts for improved long-term health with weight loss surgery. Download Tools

Thanks for joining me, I value the time you give to our publications. If you enjoy the 5 Day Pouch Test be sure to participate in our LivingAfterWLS Project 2014: "Uniting like minded people through education, support, and community while promoting health sustainability and weight management with weight loss surgery." Learn more here: Project 2014.
 
Sincerely,

 
Like many overweight people, I was born into a culture of obesity characterized by the classic motherly food pushers. You know the kind, the grandmothers serving up fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes with drippy-good gravy offering seconds, "Eat, eat! Grandma made this special for you." Or, "Eat. You are too skinny!" (I really never heard that one, but I know many skinny kids who became obese adults who heard that). Or What about, "What, you didn't clean-up your plate? But children in the world are starving! Are you as ungrateful as to waste food?" I think I see you smiling and nodding your head: you know the food pushers in your family as well as I know mine. What to do?


If you have had weight loss surgery and if you are doing the 5 Day Pouch Test you have taken responsibility of your fork and your health. You clearly understand this personal contract with yourself and you are doing your best to honor it. It is difficult for those outside your head and your heart to truly understand what doing the right thing means to you. You have changed, but they still live in a culture of obesity and the food pushers will always be food pushers. We cannot change them. What we can change is how we respond to them. Here are three strategies to keep in mind. You may need to use different strategies for different personalities. As you look at your social (eating) calendar in the weeks and months ahead think of whom you will encounter and how you will deflect their food pushing. A pre-plan is like armor that will shield your health during this trepidatious eating season.

Talk Love.
Do you have a food pusher who believes that food equals love? I thought so. Rejecting food from this person feels to them like you are rejecting their love. This is particularly true if the person prides him or her self in being a great cook. They are most easily offended with food rejection and must be handled gently. With any luck there will be healthier selections and you can say, "That chocolate cake with the mile-high icing looks spectacular, but the roasted chicken was so delicious I would like to have a bit more of that instead. You have a talent for cooking the perfect chicken," and on and on. This replaces the rejection of the chocolate cake with accolades for the roast chicken, and you may even score a take-home package of chicken. If there isn't a deflection option try saying, "I'll have a piece of cake a little later, but I would love to hear about your (grandchild, neighbor, vacation, pet, diverticulitis, etc.) You always have the most interesting stories to share." Hopefully by the time the story is told (and I do apologize if it a long and tedious story - I have been there too!) the cake is forgotten.

No Thank You: No Explanation.
This is for the know-it-all-tried-every-diet-here's-what-
you-should-do food pusher. Any explanation is going to be met with a "helpful" piece of advice, a scare-tactic, or an argument. You know the kind of pusher I am talking about and we all have them in our life. Make like a broken record and simply say, "No, thank you." Say it directly, with a smile. Say it as many times as you need to. A person cannot argue when there is no data presented with which to argue. This is tough to keep up but give it a try. I will take the "No, Thank you" over a "weight loss surgery is sooooooo dangerous" debate any day of the week.

Be a Health-Zealot.
This is the one my food pushing mother hates. So I use it often and it works. When she serves up "health food" (deep fried fish with reduced-fat tarter sauce) I passionately describe my love of broiled salmon, the healthy omega 3s, the intense taste of tangy fresh citrus and aromatic herbs, and the light energetic feeling from eating such clean food. And I decline the deep-fried fish. She cannot take it! Change of subject at once. (Sorry mom, if you are reading this, but it is true). When people push foods that are clearly unhealthy only to hear about healthy foods they feel guilty. And nobody likes to feel guilty. But this is a sneaky method of evoking guilt because instead of saying to mom, "You know better! You know that this is artery-clogging, cholesterol-raising, sodium-saturated, disease-causing crap!" I am zealously describing what I like to eat, not scolding her for what she likes to eat. Try it. By the way, mom, I really am scolding you, but with love.

Enjoy your holidays by being prepared. Above all else remember that good health is a gift you have chosen for yourself and you deserve it. Nobody has the right to take that from you by pushing food on you that does not reflect your choices. Be strong. You Can Do This!

 
Question: I'm starting Day 1 today, tried last week and kept making it until around 3pm and then would eat off the plan. How can I prevent afternoon hunger or cravings that take me off the plan?

Answer: One of the mistakes I see made during the 5 Day Pouch Test, and in our daily routines, is we try to muscle through afternoon hunger with will power or difficult attempts to ignore it.  If we truly have afternoon hunger, as opposed to an afternoon snacking habit, a better strategy is to acknowledge it, plan for it, and make sensible choices. Rather than respond with a bag of chips or a soft cookie plan for the hunger and be ready with a cup of yogurt, a protein bar or shake, slices of deli meat and cheese, or even a cup of soup. During the 5 Day Pouch Test, always select your snack choices from the approved menu to keep you on track for day 6.  As you enjoy your allowed afternoon food think about how rewarding it is to acknowledge your afternoon hunger as a biological need and then respond to that need in a mindful and healthy way.

Question: I cannot seem to get past Day 1 without messing up and have to start over the next day. How can I get Day 1 perfect so I can move on to Day 2?

Answer: Remember - the 5DPT is never about perfection. Who among us can possibly live up to the lofty standards we set for ourselves? The 5DPT is about learning, re-learning, growth, understanding, kindness, and self-nurturing. Each meal is a new opportunity independent of anything that has come before. Do your best, learn, and march forward with the same gritty determination you had going into WLS. With that said, there are ways to increase your performance on the 5DPt. Here are a few quick hints:

• Schedule the 5DPT when it fits into your life and there are the fewest days where you are not in control of your schedule or diet.
• Plan your 5 days and write down meal plans, exercise schedules, and strategies for moments that will present challenges.
• Shop ahead of schedule and do your cooking in advance, if possible. Many of the recipes are family friendly and can be shared to avoid cooking tempting things for other people.
• Ask for support. Get with your family, friends, online support groups, or others who will empower your efforts. Avoid people who are spoilers and avoid becoming your own spoiler.
• Journal your effort. You are going to the effort to use the 5DPT as a catalyst for change. Use the 5DPT journal to record the event and lessons learned. This becomes a useful resource any time we feel slightly off track. Download the Journal 

Question: I'm having a hard time finding something for breakfast on Days 4 and 5. What can you recommend?

Answer: Traditional breakfast usually means whole grains, dairy and fruit or juice. The focus on a high protein breakfast presents a challenge to our traditional practices. The 5DPT is a good time to look outside of the cereal box for high protein choices. Protein first thing in the morning is a great way to raise our metabolic thermostat because it takes a lot of energy to metabolize protein. More importantly, a breakfast of 70% protein or more will stabilize our blood sugar and prevent hunger cravings. Here are some ideas:

Eggs, leftover tuna patties from Day 3, measured portions of cottage cheese or yogurt, peel-and-eat shrimp, ground beef, chicken, or turkey patties grilled or broiled, each provide ample protein to start the day. And of course, in a pinch, we can always count on protein drinks or meal replacement bars for the first meal of the day.  Day 4 Recipes

Question: Can I have a salad or vegetables with meals during the 5DPT?

Answer: Vegetables are to be used only as ingredients in meal preparation, such as salsa on grilled fish or the Carb Monster Soups. By restricting vegetables and fruit (complex carbohydrates) during the five days your body is forced to go into high metabolic burn to digest the protein. This should result in weight loss. In addition, restricting complex carbohydrates and eliminating processed carbohydrates helps regulate your blood sugar (glucose) preventing cravings and energy swings. 

On Days 1 and 2 the soup recipes are made with vegetables and legumes to help counter carb cravings or carb withdrawal associated with the change in diet when beginning the 5 Day Pouch Test.  Soup Recipes

Vegetables and low-glycemic fruit should be gradually introduced back to the diet on Day 6 and beyond. The focus must always remain on Protein First. A portion-controlled high-protein diet is how we lose weight after a surgical gastric procedure, and that is how we can maintain a healthy weight for the rest of our life.

5 Day Pouch Test Website

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Comforting on Day 6 and Beyond
Understanding the Liquid Restrictions of WLS

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