Debra Rossing

>I was wondering if I could pick your brain regarding protein and
impulse control. I'm pretty knowledgeable about diet and behavior and
more specifically the types of issues he has. But I haven't heard this
about protein. When you said this, immediately I wondered if he was
getting enough. I remember many times him saying that EXACT sentence...
"my brain won't let me stop" sometimes he'd even add an "i want to stop
but I can't help it".

Yeah - we've heard that last phrase too.
It was mostly a 2+2 kind of thing..."what are the patterns to this
behavior? what are the commonalities?...etc" (I do software testing for
a living so this kind of tracking down glitches is second nature to me).
What we noticed was that times when we ended up in these situations, he
had not eaten much for several hours. Even though he had what would be
considered reasonable meals (omelettes for breakfast, PBJ for lunch, etc
along with misc snacks), these issues would usually pop up at those odd
times - 8 pm or 4 pm or 10:30 am or whatever where he was most likely to
have gotten caught up in something (and often we'd be caught up right
there with him) and not notice the time going by then things got rocky.
So, we did a few things:

- we discussed it with him after the fact once things calmed down (in
the moment when the lightbulb went on and the bell went ding I just said
"hmm you haven't had anything to eat for a while, come help me make a
snack - do you want strawberry jam or grape jelly on your peanut butter
sandwich?") We talked about how it seemed like on days/at times when he
had protein foods often, his brain behaved better than it did when he
didn't have protein.

-he asked what foods had protein, and requested a list be posted on the
kitchen chalkboards so that if he felt like he needed protein, he
wouldn't have to think too hard, he could just look at the list

-we focused for a time specifically on making sure to have things like
string cheese, pre-sliced cheese cubes, nut butters, etc (his favorite
choices) on hand and made sure to bring them out regularly eg if he was
playing a videogame with DH (a favorite past time then and now), I'd say
"I'm going to get a snack, would you guys like some cheese and
crackers?" or even simply bring them some snacks. We put a mini fridge
down in the finished basement area where the PS2 used to reside for most
of the year so they could keep snacks *and water bottles* (hydration
level has since shown itself to be another factor in the whole mix of
things) close at hand. We'd keep a ziplock of "ogre mix" (as we came to
call it with the advent of Shrek) on hand - we'd take some assorted
whole nuts (pecans, peanuts, etc) plus some dried fruit (raisins,
craisins, apricots, etc) plus some assorted other bits (crunchy cereal,
semi sweet and/or white chocolate morsels - where I got a
white-chocolate-eating kid I'll never know, I prefer it the darker the
better, like 70% cocoa lol - Reese's pieces or M&Ms, etc) What makes it
an "ogre mix" is that instead of mixing it like trail mix, we'd leave it
in layers ("ogres have layers") All sorts of grab'n'go ready to eat type
things. And, too, sometimes it meant going to the kitchen at 9 pm and
making a cheese omelette by request.

The result of this is that, over time, we've gotten into a habit of
spreading out proteins over the whole day more. Particularly, having
protein in the morning seems to set the stage for a better day over all.
So, a whole grain English muffin with nut butter is good, as is oatmeal
because DS and DH like penut butter on
their oatmeal (gives me the willies but it's their choice - serving
oatmeal in our house is like a build-your-own-sundae party lol) And, DS
has become sensitive to how it feels when he's just starting to need
protein and we can get to it *before* it becomes an issue. Prevention is
a whole lot easier than mopping up.

Don't know if that answers anything but there you have it. If you have
specific thoughts or questions, feel free and I'll come up with
something or other :-)

Deb


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swissarmy_wife

Thanks, we're going to give this a shot. Mine doesn't like any meat.
He says he is a vegetarian except for cheeseburgers. LOL I've been
wanting to have more healthy snacks readily available to them. They
are getting sick of grapes and pears. :-)

We've already identified some triggers for him as well. Unfortunatly,
video games seems to be a trigger for him. I've gone from severe
limiting to no limits since I took him out of school 2 years ago. The
problem isn't while he's playing. It's afterwards. He will go
absolutely bonkers! (and I do mean a much more extreme version of the
word bonkers.) And there is no stopping him! I've always been at
somewhat of a loss over this. It's extremely frustrating, but it's
him. He's always been that way. I'm going to try offering him better
snacks and more water while he plays.

Thanks Again. I'll let you know how it goes.

--- In [email protected], "Debra Rossing"
<debra.rossing@...> wrote:
>
> >I was wondering if I could pick your brain regarding protein and
> impulse control. I'm pretty knowledgeable about diet and behavior and
> more specifically the types of issues he has. But I haven't heard this
> about protein. When you said this, immediately I wondered if he was
> getting enough. I remember many times him saying that EXACT sentence...
> "my brain won't let me stop" sometimes he'd even add an "i want to stop
> but I can't help it".
>
> Yeah - we've heard that last phrase too.
> It was mostly a 2+2 kind of thing..."what are the patterns to this
> behavior? what are the commonalities?...etc" (I do software testing for
> a living so this kind of tracking down glitches is second nature to me).
> What we noticed was that times when we ended up in these situations, he
> had not eaten much for several hours. Even though he had what would be
> considered reasonable meals (omelettes for breakfast, PBJ for lunch, etc
> along with misc snacks), these issues would usually pop up at those odd
> times - 8 pm or 4 pm or 10:30 am or whatever where he was most likely to
> have gotten caught up in something (and often we'd be caught up right
> there with him) and not notice the time going by then things got rocky.
> So, we did a few things:
>
> - we discussed it with him after the fact once things calmed down (in
> the moment when the lightbulb went on and the bell went ding I just said
> "hmm you haven't had anything to eat for a while, come help me make a
> snack - do you want strawberry jam or grape jelly on your peanut butter
> sandwich?") We talked about how it seemed like on days/at times when he
> had protein foods often, his brain behaved better than it did when he
> didn't have protein.
>
> -he asked what foods had protein, and requested a list be posted on the
> kitchen chalkboards so that if he felt like he needed protein, he
> wouldn't have to think too hard, he could just look at the list
>
> -we focused for a time specifically on making sure to have things like
> string cheese, pre-sliced cheese cubes, nut butters, etc (his favorite
> choices) on hand and made sure to bring them out regularly eg if he was
> playing a videogame with DH (a favorite past time then and now), I'd say
> "I'm going to get a snack, would you guys like some cheese and
> crackers?" or even simply bring them some snacks. We put a mini fridge
> down in the finished basement area where the PS2 used to reside for most
> of the year so they could keep snacks *and water bottles* (hydration
> level has since shown itself to be another factor in the whole mix of
> things) close at hand. We'd keep a ziplock of "ogre mix" (as we came to
> call it with the advent of Shrek) on hand - we'd take some assorted
> whole nuts (pecans, peanuts, etc) plus some dried fruit (raisins,
> craisins, apricots, etc) plus some assorted other bits (crunchy cereal,
> semi sweet and/or white chocolate morsels - where I got a
> white-chocolate-eating kid I'll never know, I prefer it the darker the
> better, like 70% cocoa lol - Reese's pieces or M&Ms, etc) What makes it
> an "ogre mix" is that instead of mixing it like trail mix, we'd leave it
> in layers ("ogres have layers") All sorts of grab'n'go ready to eat type
> things. And, too, sometimes it meant going to the kitchen at 9 pm and
> making a cheese omelette by request.
>
> The result of this is that, over time, we've gotten into a habit of
> spreading out proteins over the whole day more. Particularly, having
> protein in the morning seems to set the stage for a better day over all.
> So, a whole grain English muffin with nut butter is good, as is oatmeal
> because DS and DH like penut butter on
> their oatmeal (gives me the willies but it's their choice - serving
> oatmeal in our house is like a build-your-own-sundae party lol) And, DS
> has become sensitive to how it feels when he's just starting to need
> protein and we can get to it *before* it becomes an issue. Prevention is
> a whole lot easier than mopping up.
>
> Don't know if that answers anything but there you have it. If you have
> specific thoughts or questions, feel free and I'll come up with
> something or other :-)
>
> Deb
>
>
> **********************************************************************
> This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
> are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
> the system manager.
>
> This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
> MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.
>
> CNC Software, Inc.
> www.mastercam.com
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>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Deb

--- In [email protected], "swissarmy_wife"
<heatherbean@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks, we're going to give this a shot. Mine doesn't like any
>meat.
> He says he is a vegetarian except for cheeseburgers. LOL I've
>been
> wanting to have more healthy snacks readily available to them. They
> are getting sick of grapes and pears. :-)
The majority of our proteins are not meat nowadays anyhow, lots of
nuts, beans, whole grains, cheeses. Things like slices of cheese cut
into shapes with mini cookie cutters are fun and easy. So is string
cheese - portable, single serving stuff. Nuts are handy snacks too.
Maybe even make up little mini cheeseburgers that can be eaten in one
or two bites. Last summer, DS went through a longish spurt of eating
hot dogs cold straight from the fridge (not my first choice lol)
because they were quick and easy - he could grab one and be nearly
done with it by the time he got back to the where the game system was.

> We've already identified some triggers for him as well.
>Unfortunatly,
> video games seems to be a trigger for him. I've gone from severe
> limiting to no limits since I took him out of school 2 years ago.
>The
> problem isn't while he's playing. It's afterwards. He will go
> absolutely bonkers! (and I do mean a much more extreme version of
>the
> word bonkers.) And there is no stopping him! I've always been at
> somewhat of a loss over this. It's extremely frustrating, but it's
> him. He's always been that way. I'm going to try offering him
>better
> snacks and more water while he plays.

I might look at what it is about the *situation* that leads to the
behavior rather than saying it's the games. For instance, is he
playing in a near-dark room (my guys often lose track of time and it
heads toward sunset and they didn't realize how dark it actually was
in the room until I came in and turned on a light); is there enough
space for him to move as he plays (wireless controllers are a MUST at
our house so DS can jump and move while playing); when he stops, what
happens next? For instance, is there a space where he CAN get very
physical for a while. I know that DS absolutely NEEDS big muscle
activity. While he is VERY active while playing (I get tired watching
him play videogames he uses so much energy at it) it's not the same
thing. So, I'll try to arrange some silly game such as "boy pinball"
where he bounces off furniture and walls and tries to get past
my "flippers". Or, I'll suggest he get on our new exercise bike (he
used to use the mini trampoline often but that's lost a bit to the
bike). We've also got an adjustable, kid level (in terms of height
and firmness) punching bag (a "peanut" bag) for him to just pound on.
Even something like asking for his assistance to bring firewood up
from the basement to help start a fire is good - anything that really
exerts those big muscles in his arms, legs, and back. On the other
hand but still related, I'll often offer a back rub or foot rub to
him and give him some good deep muscle massaging (often with
something like soothing vanilla scented lotion). It still gets to the
heart of the muscle-need.

--Deb

swissarmy_wife

It's been 7 days since you wrote this, and I just wanted to tell you
what wonderful advice it was! We've been trying for some higher
protein snacks (since he isn't fond of meat) and I really see a
difference. He's definitely been a little more focussed throughout
the day.

Thanks again!

--- In [email protected], "Debra Rossing"
<debra.rossing@...> wrote:



> - we discussed it with him after the fact once things calmed down (in
> the moment when the lightbulb went on and the bell went ding I just said
> "hmm you haven't had anything to eat for a while, come help me make a
> snack - do you want strawberry jam or grape jelly on your peanut butter
> sandwich?") We talked about how it seemed like on days/at times when he
> had protein foods often, his brain behaved better than it did when he
> didn't have protein.
>
> -he asked what foods had protein, and requested a list be posted on the
> kitchen chalkboards so that if he felt like he needed protein, he
> wouldn't have to think too hard, he could just look at the list
>
> -we focused for a time specifically on making sure to have things like
> string cheese, pre-sliced cheese cubes, nut butters, etc (his favorite
> choices) on hand and made sure to bring them out regularly eg if he was
> playing a videogame with DH (a favorite past time then and now), I'd say
> "I'm going to get a snack, would you guys like some cheese and
> crackers?" or even simply bring them some snacks. We put a mini fridge
> down in the finished basement area where the PS2 used to reside for most
> of the year so they could keep snacks *and water bottles* (hydration
> level has since shown itself to be another factor in the whole mix of
> things) close at hand. We'd keep a ziplock of "ogre mix" (as we came to
> call it with the advent of Shrek) on hand - we'd take some assorted
> whole nuts (pecans, peanuts, etc) plus some dried fruit (raisins,
> craisins, apricots, etc) plus some assorted other bits (crunchy cereal,
> semi sweet and/or white chocolate morsels - where I got a
> white-chocolate-eating kid I'll never know, I prefer it the darker the
> better, like 70% cocoa lol - Reese's pieces or M&Ms, etc) What makes it
> an "ogre mix" is that instead of mixing it like trail mix, we'd leave it
> in layers ("ogres have layers") All sorts of grab'n'go ready to eat type
> things. And, too, sometimes it meant going to the kitchen at 9 pm and
> making a cheese omelette by request.
>
> The result of this is that, over time, we've gotten into a habit of
> spreading out proteins over the whole day more. Particularly, having
> protein in the morning seems to set the stage for a better day over all.
> So, a whole grain English muffin with nut butter is good, as is oatmeal
> because DS and DH like penut butter on
> their oatmeal (gives me the willies but it's their choice - serving
> oatmeal in our house is like a build-your-own-sundae party lol) And, DS
> has become sensitive to how it feels when he's just starting to need
> protein and we can get to it *before* it becomes an issue. Prevention is
> a whole lot easier than mopping up.
>
> Don't know if that answers anything but there you have it. If you have
> specific thoughts or questions, feel free and I'll come up with
> something or other :-)
>
> Deb
>
>
> **********************************************************************
> This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
> are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
> the system manager.
>
> This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
> MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.
>
> CNC Software, Inc.
> www.mastercam.com
> **********************************************************************
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>