Dulci

My initial loss with my band was amazing (and a little scary), but the joy of seeing pounds dropping off on a daily basis was truly fantastic. As I was looking at my weight this morning, I noticed that I had only lost 5 pounds during the month of April and was tempted toward the negative by comparing my loss with what I did when I was first banded.
 
Then I started to think about my bike ride on Sunday, 28 miles, 23 miles two days before, Both at speeds that it took me 5 months of work up to last year to be able to sustain for 15 miles.
I thought about my spin class and the progress I have made during it, where I had to stop and rest halfway through when I first started.
I thought about the fact that it is time to go shopping for clothes again because my pants are starting to bunch at the waist when I tighten my belt enough to hold them up.
I thought about the fact that I am down to one belt because I haven't punched holes in the other two.
I thought about the fact that the fat percentage on my scale hit a new low number this morning.
I thought about all the weight that I lost on WW, and how 5 pounds in a month would have been a cause for celebration.
 
Yup, the low hanging fruit of my band journey is all gone, but that's ok I burn more calories when I have to climb the branches to reach the higher fruit.
 
Father God, please help me to remain thankful for all that you have given me instead of focusing on what I don't have...

I know how to eat healthily.
I know that when something tastes good, I will continue to eat, regardless of whether or not I'm full.
I know that when I lose weight, I look great, I feel great physically, I am more confident and out-going.
I know that my husband loves me regardless of my body size.
I know that my husband finds me attractive regardless of my body size.
I know that I can make changes that are good for me.
I know that I can break bad habits.
I know that I have never learned to maintain my weight. I am in a constant state of weight change, either gaining or losing. I am hopeful that the band will be the tool (along with my NUT) to help me learn to maintain my weight.
I know that I allow myself to let my weight hold me back. I have avoided seeing friends and relatives because I am ashamed of my appearance.
I know that food is not medicine, and it is certainly not a panacea to cure all that ails me. Eating won't cure depression, sadness, loneliness. Food will not cure a cold, a headache, a stomach ache, or anything else.
 
I know that I am worthy of being healthy and happy.

I quit smoking over 12 years ago. I didn't want to quit smoking; I quit because my husband had serious heart problems. If he didn't quit, his doctor said he would live 10 more years. My husband stated point blank that he would not be able to successfully quit if I was smoking.
 
I recall feeling panicky at having to quit smoking. In my nicotine addicted mind, cigarettes were paired with so many activities and I couldn't imagine enjoying any of them without a cigarette. Before we quit, I wanted to go on vacation because I couldn't imagine relaxing at the beach without smoking. I wanted to go our favorite steak restaurant so I could have a post-dinner cigarette with a glass of port in the lounge. I wanted to go to Atlantic City and play the slot machines. It took me many years to realized that my pairing of pleasurable activities with cigarettes was a component of my nicotine addiction.
 
Prior to being banded, I started having those same panicked pairing of activities. Could I enjoy a meal at a restaurant without overeating? Would I enjoy holidays without overeating? Could I go to a theme park and not gorge on junk food?
 
I am still learning to live with my band. But I am confident that I am unpairing pleasure from food addiction. Thanksgiving was a wonderful day and meal. I savored the few bites of cheesecake (low fat/no sugar) that I tasted. I enjoyed our office holiday lunch and ordered a drink and an appetizer. Because I ate slowly and chatted while I was eating, I finished my meal around the same time as the people that had three courses. I went to Disney and ordered kids meals; I was satisfied with the portion sizes and saved a lot of $$$.
 
I know that overcoming a food addiction is a process. However recognizing that I have one is a good beginning.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I found some fantastic silverware for lap banders. I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond yesterday and they pointed me to some appetizer spoons and forks. They are classy looking, silver, and come in a box of 12 for $15 each. The size of the utensils will help with keeping the bites small and the looks of them are nice for the dining table. If worse had come to worse I would have just eaten my food with a baby spoon that had Peter Rabbit on the end of it, but thankfully that won't be the case now. ; ) So, I wanted to let you know about my find. Also, they have adorable little tasting plates and bowls that are just right for our portions and they look fantastic. I bought a couple plates, but I plan to go back and get more. Hey, I am going to be eating like this forever and I want something nice to eat off of and with.
 
Take care,
Jen

I quit smoking over 12 years ago. I didn't want to quit smoking; I quit because my husband had serious heart problems. If he didn't quit, his doctor said he would live 10 more years. My husband stated point blank that he would not be able to successfully quit if I was smoking.
 
I recall feeling panicky at having to quit smoking. In my nicotine addicted mind, cigarettes were paired with so many activities and I couldn't imagine enjoying any of them without a cigarette. Before we quit, I wanted to go on vacation because I couldn't imagine relaxing at the beach without smoking. I wanted to go our favorite steak restaurant so I could have a post-dinner cigarette with a glass of port in the lounge. I wanted to go to Atlantic City and play the slot machines. It took me many years to realized that my pairing of pleasurable activities with cigarettes was a component of my nicotine addiction.
 
Prior to being banded, I started having those same panicked pairing of activities. Could I enjoy a meal at a restaurant without overeating? Would I enjoy holidays without overeating? Could I go to a theme park and not gorge on junk food?
 
I am still learning to live with my band. But I am confident that I am unpairing pleasure from food addiction. Thanksgiving was a wonderful day and meal. I savored the few bites of cheesecake (low fat/no sugar) that I tasted. I enjoyed our office holiday lunch and ordered a drink and an appetizer. Because I ate slowly and chatted while I was eating, I finished my meal around the same time as the people that had three courses. I went to Disney and ordered kids meals; I was satisfied with the portion sizes and saved a lot of $$$.
 
I know that overcoming a food addiction is a process. However recognizing that I have one is a good beginning.

I quit smoking over 12 years ago. I didn't want to quit smoking; I quit because my husband had serious heart problems. If he didn't quit, his doctor said he would live 10 more years. My husband stated point blank that he would not be able to successfully quit if I was smoking.
 
I recall feeling panicky at having to quit smoking. In my nicotine addicted mind, cigarettes were paired with so many activities and I couldn't imagine enjoying any of them without a cigarette. Before we quit, I wanted to go on vacation because I couldn't imagine relaxing at the beach without smoking. I wanted to go our favorite steak restaurant so I could have a post-dinner cigarette with a glass of port in the lounge. I wanted to go to Atlantic City and play the slot machines. It took me many years to realized that my pairing of pleasurable activities with cigarettes was a component of my nicotine addiction.
 
Prior to being banded, I started having those same panicked pairing of activities. Could I enjoy a meal at a restaurant without overeating? Would I enjoy holidays without overeating? Could I go to a theme park and not gorge on junk food?
 
I am still learning to live with my band. But I am confident that I am unpairing pleasure from food addiction. Thanksgiving was a wonderful day and meal. I savored the few bites of cheesecake (low fat/no sugar) that I tasted. I enjoyed our office holiday lunch and ordered a drink and an appetizer. Because I ate slowly and chatted while I was eating, I finished my meal around the same time as the people that had three courses. I went to Disney and ordered kids meals; I was satisfied with the portion sizes and saved a lot of $$$.
 
I know that overcoming a food addiction is a process. However recognizing that I have one is a good beginning.

I posted this as my status today:
 
"This journey, regardless of how much or how little support we have, is an individual one. No one else can lose the weight for you. Take the encouragement, the support, the good w/the bad and separate the meat from the bones... and ultimately do what works and what's best for you! That is always a key in success!"
 
How does this tie in to honesty? Well, I'll tell you. I've noticed, not only in the few short days I've been banded, but in the entire time I've been researching lap band, that everyone has advice to give. We all want the keys to success; what it took for others to lose the weight; the exercises and the food they ate. But the truth is, what works for one won't always work for everyone else.
 
Not everyone gained the weight because they've over eaten or because they're lazy. Just like everyone has their own reasons for gaining the weight, everyone will have their own means of losing it, even if we are all using the same tool. Encouragement and advice are great and I know we all have a lot to learn on this journey, but it starts with being honest with ourselves.
 
We were honest (or vain) enough to realize we needed the lap band and now it's about being honest enough to admit our limitations and strongholds. Food is an addiction that we're trying to kick (we know that), but my food addiction isn't yours. My habits are not yours, and I have to be real enough with myself to understand that if I'm going to succeed, I have to do what is going to work for me.. and you need to do what will work for you. This starts with listening to your surgical team, dietician, nutritionist, etc.
 
If there's one thing that remains consistent in all of the advice I've received from successful lap banders, it would be, "If you follow the rules, you'll lose the weight." Not just the universal lap band rules, but those set forth for your individual program, for your individual needs. One of the dangers of trying to follow the regimen of someone else is that you may not be able to live up to it, because it's not tailor made for you. And on this journey, that is one thing I think is definitely a plus; the capability to contour the band to work for YOU! Remember that there are people that have health issues and co-morbidities that may affect their regimen. Don't waste time trying to compare yourself to everyone else, do what works for you!
 
We all want to be successful.. get this weight off and strut our stuff! Be healthier...be happier! For me, it's starts with doing what works for me and building from there! =)
 
O well, that's enough ranting for now. Just had a few things on my mind I wanted to share.
 
All the best!!
-Mary-