Intro and Beginning of a Normalized GIGO Diet

I'll make this short. In November 2019 I had a gastric bypass as a last-ditch effort to lose the 300 pound body I existed in. But I developed a hiatal hernia and other issues, despite losing 80 lbs. 

On March 11, 2021 I went back under the scalpel to fix the hernia. Funny how I noticed that all abdominal surgery diets resemble one another. The have the same phases: Clear, Liquid, Puree, Soft, and Restricted Regular. Finally, the patient returns to normal eating...and gains it all back unless they permanently change how much and what they eat. 

It all comes back to the calories for me. Garbage in my mouth, garbage out and glued on my butt. However, I have learned through repetition that some so called diet foods suffer not from a lack of taste but a lack of imagination. Diet food can be cheap, easy, and flavorful.

You know what's even easier? Counting calories. Eating healthy food. Give up the carbonated beverages, and yes, even the diet sodas. So here's my diet list. It's the slow train to success. Garbage In, Garbage Out. Gold in, Gold out. Everything matters. 

1. Eat your veggies first. Fill up on the delicious veggies you like, especially the green ones. Then eat the meat, then the carbs. You'll eat less of the garbage and more of the gold. 

2. Raw veggies are best, but a veggie is a veggie. Veggies can be added to any meal. Fruit can be added to any meal. 

3. You don't belong to the Clean Plate Club. Learn to listen to your body when it says, "I'm full!" Then push the plate away.  

4. Take a picture of what you eat and drink throughout the day, but you don't have to share your meals with everyone on social media. The idea is to make a simple reference to count calories for yourself. If you had a big 350-calorie oatmeal with fresh blueberries in the morning, you may want to remember to make up for it with an extra spoonful of green beans or Brussels sprouts at dinner. Were you good all day? Then by golly, spoon up that 1/2 cup serving of ice cream recommended on the side of the carton and throw on some fruit or nuts. Enjoy. Love your food and yourself again. 

5. You don't have to stick to societal rules. Most breakfast foods are carbs. They're quick energy, but they don't last and you crash. Then you head for the quick and easy (vending machine, fast food line, or whatever is "grab and go.") So, what if you have a thick homemade soup for breakfast? It's warm, filling, delicious, and just as easy to dump from a jar as any "breakfast food." Skip the carbs. If you're bored with eggs, then have a leftover you saved from a previous meal. The world's cuisines just opened up to you. 

6. Play with your food. Try a different cuisine or spice. Marinate your meat and/or vegetables. Even so simple a thing as throwing in a spice, adding a veggie, or serving seasonal fruit and cheese for dessert is a way to change it all up. 

Have fun with your food and enjoy life again. Enjoy food again without guilt.