ape349

Hi Ape - thanks for the compliments. I started losing weight before being banded, by totally committing to the process - I went to counselling and joined weight watchers to help me get started (I really need to be held accountable to make this work for me). I started a journal where I documented everything I ate, including portion sizes so that I couldn't lie to myself anymore about what I was eating. After being banded, I tried to stick to around 1000-1200 calories per day, I documented everything I ate and I started exercising at a gym. I also made a conscious decision that I would eat everything (ie no low carb for me) because I wanted this journey to not be about a "diet" that I would do and then finish, but rather a lifestyle that I would adopt forever. I am finding that was a terrific idea for me as I am finding that I will never be able to eat the quantities that I would like to, but I can still eat everything (including chocolate and pizza) in moderation. Good Luck!