Ezma

Oh guys, I understand so well what you're talking about. It's like I'm trying to sabotage myself and sometimes I just don't care. I really think it's a physical response sometimes and not just psychological. I know my issue with simple carbs is physical, it's very much like an addiction. However...... I AM STRONGER THAN MY CRAVINGS!!

Welcome to the family of bandsters. You're gonna love it. The band works for you when you work with it. And keep in mind that you won't have good restriction for several months so you will have to work hard at what you eat until the band can help you out more. An NSV is a Non-Scale Victory. It's anything that isn't pounds you lost. Might be a friend not recognizing you from the back, fitting into theater seats better, etc. For me the weight started coming of 2 weeks prior to surgery with the pre-op diet. I lost 16 pounds then and after that it was 10-12 pounds a month for the first 6 months. Then it slowed down a bit to about 8 pounds a month. Now I'm having trouble but I have some issues going on and should be back to dropping soon. I had just over 200 pounds to lose though so I was losing it a bit faster than you would if you had less to lose. Good luck and enjoy your new life. Always remember that the band is only a tool and you have to do the work, it just makes it easier.

Yep, you can say it. I really do want to get back on track again. I'm very fortunate to have a super supportive family. It will help a lot having him here. Sounds like you guys have been doing really well with your craving for the most part. Keep it going. I want on the "kickin' our cravings" train.

Yay hubby is home!!!!! Boo healthy eating begins in the AM.

Welcome back Nikki. We can't give you a fill, though I wish I could, but we can help you stay motivated until you can get it. I really need to get back on track myself. I've gained 3 pounds, 5 from my lowest weight and I want them back off.

Yay Denise! I'm so glad your shakes got there. Let me know if they are good frozen cause ice cream has been calling me big time. I've avoided it some days but others have been horrible. The other thing that has me in it's grips now is pumpkin scones from Whole Foods and zucchini walnut muffins from Starbucks. Hoping hubby gets out of the hospital today so I won't have to face Starbucks all the time. There's one right in the hospital lobby and I have to walk by it every day. Well, I don't walk by it or it wouldn't be a problem. LOL

I'm getting very excited about Thanksgiving. I might not be able to eat much but it'll be the first time in a long while that the family has all been together. I'm bringing the vegetables this year, very excited about cooking something new for dinner. This is what I'm making - Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts ( It has fresh roasted chestnuts, parmesan cheese and lemon in it. It's also supposed to have bacon but I'm already using bacon in the green beans.) Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage and Hazelnuts

This is my biggie - Cuisinart Hard Anodized Non-stick 10 piece cookware set But this is what I want most - Healthy Hubby

Becca - good to see you back again. I went and got caught up on your blogs too. Sorry to hear you were having trouble with your band. Did you get back to a good restriction yet?

Well, I decided I would get back on track when hubby gets out of the hospital. It's just too hard right now and quite frankly I'm in a "piss on it" mood about food. Good news is that he's coming along really well and looks like he should be out tomorrow or the next day, most likely the next day.

Gibson - I missed you. Where the heck have you been? Never, never, never feel like you have to avoid this site please. We're here for you when you're losing and especially when you aren't. Frustration seems to be a partner of the band. You know there's bound to be someone here that has been or is going thru the same thing you are, sometimes they are just quiet about it. Let it out and let us help if we can. Come back little Gibson. You're doing good by the way. With all the frustration you had, all the time without any restriction and you still managed to keep from gaining it all back. Way to go!!!!!! :thumbup:

I'm really struggling right now. I have a double whammy making it hard to eat right. First off and probably the toughest is that I'm so tired and so busy with the hospital and all that goes with it (phone calls, paper work, emails, etc) that I don't feel like packing and dragging food with me so I end up eating out. It's very difficult to eat right. And secondly, it's hard to want to eat right. I just want to give myself some pleasure and for me, food is the easiest way. Old habits really do die hard. I'm getting better each day but it's really a struggle and I have 4 pounds to lose again, only 2 up from Tuesday but still it's up. I have to find a way to care about losing weight again. I know it's for me but it's so hard when I'm getting more energy to do all those things we always wanted to do and he's getting sicker and less energy. Okay, enough of that. Pity party is over. Time to move on and get back on track. Please!

Ready - you two are just so cute. You're both truly blessed to have such a wonderful relationship. And you deserve it!

Just gonna say a giant ditto to everything you said there Tap. DITTO

He is doing better. Thank you for asking. The antibiotics have cleared up half of the infection and got rid of the fever. And either the blood thinner or reduction of his steroids have helped to reduce the swelling all over his body. He has been up and moving around move. Yay! Right now it looks like he'll come home on Saturday. Today I get to learn how to give him a shot in the belly then it's off to work. At least I hope that's the way it will go. It's tough to miss so much time at work right before Christmas.

Hey Tap. How was your portion size on that peanut butter? If you kept that to a reasonable amount I'd say you did really well. That apple helped to bulk it up and make you feel like you were having a lot. Plus the preparation made it so much better than mindlessly chomping away at nuts and having no idea how many you were eating until the container was empty. Sounds like you did great! I think I'm over the ice cream as long as I keep the mint chocolate chip out of the house.

Guess who came to visit me again last night? Yep, Mr. Ice Cream. And it tasted not so good. Can't say it was horrible but it was blah. Bad news - I finished it anyway even though it was only mildly edible. Good news - Sugar Free pudding sounds so much better now. Yay!

Well, I'm doing it again. I'm doing the stress eating and the "whew, I'm done with the diet, now give me that" eating. But the good news is I'm posting here so I can get it out in the open and move on. I'm determined to eat healthy today. It's amazing how fast you feel sluggish after eating a bunch of sugar. Plus I think I figured out how I was gaining even when I thought I was being good on south beach. Turns out starbucks breve latte has a lot, and I mean a lot, of half and half in it. Explains why it tastes so good and why I could gain a couple pounds in a couple days of strict dieting. Probably would have been alright if I had only had one but I was drinking 3-4 large size ones at the hospital. So now I'll make it at home and take it to the hospital. That will also keep me away from the healthy, yah right, zucchini walnut muffins and the whole wheat cranberry scones. Today is fresh and clean and new. I intend to keep my body that way also.

Thank you Tap. I really needed to hear that today, more than you will ever know. Thanks.

Ready, I'm glad you posted. We all have bad days. Lord knows I've had some very recently. So I'm glad you posted because I know it means you are ready to get back on the program. You go girl!

Down 1.6 this morning but still up 1.4 from my lowest point. Switched to phase II today and boy or boy do strawberries taste great. I'm amazed that I didn't cheat at all this last week or so. I've been extremely tempted because my husband is back in the hospital again. This time it's due to a blood clot in his leg. They are supposed to put a filter thing in today since the normal long term blood thinner they use doesn't react well with his chemotherapy. I knew something was wrong the past weekend because he was so down and tired, he was running a fever and the back of his calf thigh and behind his knee was hot, angry red and super sore. I'm really getting tired of hospitals and I get to go rip someone a new hole this morning. They tried to give him the wrong dose of chemo and wouldn't listen when he told them it was wrong plus the pain meds they gave him weren't doing much and they wouldn't get new orders for something different. They did finally give him the right dosage of chemo but it was 2.5 hours late. Plus on top of that, he's still sitting in an ER room because they don't have a hospital room for him yet. Makes me so sad to see him feel like no one wants to care for him because he's dying anyway. Man do I want some ice cream! But I am stronger than my cravings~!

That sounds heavenly and super healthy too. I'm gonna have to try it soon.

Tap is not bad! Tap just had a very normal, though not so kind to the band, food adventure yesterday. Tap is motivated and strong and back on track today. :thumbup:

Going to go on phase 2 tomorrow. That should be a piece of cake. Well, no cake but should be easy. It's pretty much the way I want to eat anyway. Only problem I have with it is the artificial sweetners. The fruit should help me get rid of most of it but I still need some sweet in my coffee. It's the price I'm going to have to pay to get rid of this weight I guess.

Okay, the chickpeas sound wonderful and I'd love the recipe. But 4 cups? Wow! You were having a day weren't you? Oh well, it happens and we can move on. You are stronger than your cravings, dear Tap. You've proved that over and over again. I'm sure you don't feel that way today. All is good.