the weigh it is

i always remember in weight watchers people saying how important it was to weigh and measure all the time for a few reasons...even when eating at home, eating the same bowl of cereal or cottage cheese or whatever every day, that portion can grow from day to day if you're not keeping it in check by measuring it regularly. i remember my leader suggesting that even if it wasn't practical to weigh every meal and snack every day, to be sure and measure each of your staples at least once a week to keep the visual fresh in your mind of what an ounce or a cup looks and feels like. the other great reason for measuring when at home is that it makes you that much better at estimating when you're not at home.when weight watchers worked for me (and it did work for me), i was very diligent about weighing and measuring and just submitted to it as a way of life.

for me, even though it's not as much about the calories at this point as someone on a "diet," per se, it's just as important to weigh and measure. although my stomach's small size will stop me from eating too much in one sitting in any significant way, it would not stop me from eating an ounce or two or even three over the 4-6 ounces i'm supposed to stick to, especially if it's a food that goes down easier which tend to be the highest calorie and fat foods, lucky me. if i eat more than 4-6 ounces in one sitting often, and certainly with any kind of regularity, my pouch will stretch and small amounts of food will no longer fill me -- pouch stretchage is one of the main reasons for weight regain in WLS patients. so my solution is to weigh whenever i can - i have a scale at home, and i'm not afraid to admit i have one at work too. 

today's lunch* weighed in at exactly 6 ounces, which tells me i was probably a little on the hungry side when i was preparing it. the bowl felt heavy to me, and i was a little nervous to weigh it. why? because if it were over 6 ounces, i would have had to put some back, and that moment is still amazingly hard for me. it's MINE and i don't like when it's taken away. i pay close attention how i'm feeling anytime i eat and force myself to stop if i'm feeling full, but i am particularly mindful of that potential when i'm eating an amount that's at the top of my range, like today. today's lunch felt perfectly filling, and i think incidentally, the warmth was a nice touch. LOL. i find that different temperature foods make my pouch and my satiety levels feel different, and these past few days, hot food has been working.

*the strangely unappetizing looking meal you see here was actually quite delicious and was as follows: 2 trader joe's turkey meatballs, about 1/3 cup quinoa with roasted vegetables and 2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese, all melted together.