I have noticed a new way that I look at calories. I equate them to money. Before the band, I had a vague idea about needing to eat around 2000 calories a day to maintain my weight but I never really counted them, it was like a checkbook with an unlimited supply of money.

Now when I get up in the morning I think about how I have 1200 calories in my "account". If I eat (spend) more than that my account gets overdrawn. I can make a deposit by exercising, if I choose to. Or I can just "live within my means" and choose my food wisely. Obviously the band helps tremendously in this with portion control, but I often look at something and decide it just isn't worth the "cost".

Just like if I were shopping, I would never buy something without seeing how much it cost, now I would never eat something without seeing how much it "cost" in calories.

So here is my food budget, 250-300 for each of my three meals, and 150-200 for my snacks. If I want to spend more, I have to work harder (exercise) and make more.

So keeping a journal of my food is similar to keeping a checkbook journal for me, and equally effective.