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Can we come with you for Thanksgiving?! Wow. Thanks for sharing your plans. The closest thing I've had to dessert since being banded on 9/1 is a 4oz serving of dark chocolate or butterscotch sugarfree nonfat pudding with a tiny dab of fatfree Cool Whip type topping. Works for me!

I sooooooooo appreciate the question you pose above, missjoany -- "How are all of you going to cope with holiday food?" I'm hoping there will be tons of discussion on this issue for the next few months. I just shared an article from my doctor that I found interesting in a separate post. Thanks for opening this discussion. It's an important question for all of us to ponder and share.

Above missjoanny asks "how are you all going to cope with the holiday food?" This is very much on my mind, too, and I look forward to supporting each other through all of this. For starters, I'd like to share this article that I received from my doctor this week: How to Let Go of Your Food Crutch Even though you say you want to be successful with your surgery, do you sometimes eat when you wish you wouldn't? When it comes to eating, is guilt a frequent companion of yours? Welcome to the club. In our culture, with the amount of unhealthy food we're exposed to, and with the holiday stresses bearing down on us, it's safe to say many Americans, including WLSers, will be using food as a crutch in the coming weeks. In fact, eating food with no nutritional value during the holidays has become such an accepted pastime, we don't even realize that we are eating to deal with feelings. And because holiday eating is sanctioned by nearly everyone, we have a golden opportunity to hide in plain sight -- to use our crutch without anyone really knowing we're using it. We take a brief vacation from the guilt (or at least we try to). "I am not going to feel deprived at Thanksgiving," we insist. "I can handle a little indulgence." "I've been so good this year, I deserve a holiday from food rules!" "I've modified the recipe; this is *healthy* fudge." Clearly, some of us *can* handle a little indulgence, but why do we tempt fate? Why do we turn to food with gusto and self righteousness? Feelings. Many of us don't want to feel our feelings. We don't like the discomfort of deprivation, longing, feeling different from others, isolation, loneliness, anger, fear, sadness, shame, loss, or abandonment. The truth is, however, that finding healthier ways to deal with our uncomfortable feelings is essential to long-term success. Even when you feel resistance to putting down the food crutch, it boils down to this: Do you want long-term obesity remission or don't you? I had to look in the mirror and ask myself that question a few days ago, as I obsessed about whether or not I should make gluten-free brownies for myself. "Maybe I can handle desserts," I reasoned like a pro. "Maybe it's been the gluten all along, and I really can handle more sweets!" When I asked myself whether or not I wanted to keep my obesity in remission, I knew the answer immediately -- yes! Some of us aren't so lucky. We really don't know what we want. We don't know if putting down our food crutch is possible, or even desirable. Is it worth feeling all those negative feelings just so we can stay a size 12 (or whatever)? Apparently, the answer for some of us is "NO!" The only way to know if it's worth it is to give it a try, to put down the crutch long enough to see what might happen once we get used to living without it -- and to see that we can survive, or even better, thrive. There are a ton of resources available to help us learn to stop using food as a crutch, but the bottom line is that we need to put down the offending foods, identify and feel our feelings, find healthier ways to deal with those feelings, and get as much support as necessary to accomplish this challenging task. Here's what seems to work for most people: 1. Devise a strategy you will experiment with when you have uncomfortable feelings, instead of using food as a crutch. 2. Take a few minutes first thing each morning to visualize yourself moving through your day, trying out your new strategy, allowing your feelings, and making healthy food choices. 3. Resolve to be self aware before, during, and after your eating -- no matter what. 4. Welcome your feelings warmly and "make small talk" with them, so you can understand what they are trying to tell you about your needs. 5. Honor your needs. 6. Notice without judgment the thoughts and feelings you are having about your feelings. 7. Make notes about what you did in response to an uncomfortable feeling instead of eat, and how well it did or didn't work for you. 8. Resolve to stick with the experiment until you know whether or not the new strategy can work. 9. If the new strategy is not working, get more support. If it still isn't working, do some research and try another strategy. 10. Never give up! As one of my coaching clients reminded me recently, the only way out is through. To keep obesity in remission, we need to practice putting our food crutch down, and bravely feel our feelings, as often as we can. It's possible!

Thanks for your reply. Interesting that the scale moved after increasing your calories. I sometimes wonder if I'm doing an injustice to my metabolism intaking 800-ish per day. I can understand nervousness re: a fill, me too! Please let us know how your next appointment goes.

Thanks for your encouraging words, Kat. My doctor has had patients who didn't get a fill for a year. The more I read about fills and restrictions, the more I think -- "Hey, if it works, don't fix it!" Best of luck to you!

Hang in there! It sure seems that all of our doctors have a variety of strategies on just how to use the band, huh? Your time will come! Best of luck!

Hi, I was banded Sept 1. At my first post op appointment on Oct 1, we decided to not give me my first fill since I was doing well "as is". I'm allowed up to 1200 calories per day, but am satisfied at taking in 700-800 calories and 65-70 grams of protein. I'm wondering where I fall on the "normal" scale and just how to think about this. Will my fellow September bandsters please share your current calorie intake and if you've had a fill or not? Thank you.

Woohoo! Took me awhile but here I am joining you all on the other side. Thanks for moving us over, Brian!

What's your doctor say? If you haven't called him yet, do right away!

I was banded on on 9/1/10 and now weigh 230 lbs. I just began using Stephanie Huckabee's Powerfit Harmony videos and am very happy with them. They are on clearance sale at QVC. For less than $25 (which INCLUDES shipping) you get TEN DVD with various 20 minute workouts - cardio, upper body, lower body, etc. - PLUS three resistance bands of varying resistance strengths. Also, the instructor (known for her FIRM series workouts back in the day) is available for support on her website and Facebook. I am enjoying these because they offer a variety of exercises and difficulty level which will help me stick with them. Right now, I'm doing them with no resistance and just concentrating on learning the steps. Check out the video and reviews: Stephanie Huckabee's Powerfit Harmony 10 DVD Collection - QVC.com I am not associated with the video or QVC, just wanted to share a tip!

I want to applaud all of us September 2010 Bandsters. WE DID IT! :thumbup: I was banded on 9/1/10 and had my first post op appointment today. My doctor did not give me a fill. I've been taking in about 700 calories with about 70 grams of protein per day and feeling satisfied. I'm not hungry between meals, but am hungry by the time of the next meal. I've been walking or using a stationary bike for 30+ minutes 6 days per week. I've lost 17 pounds since my surgery date of 9/1/10 and 26 pounds overall.

I'm a week and a day post op and feeling good. Even through the worst times (which still weren't as bad as I had expected) my #1 feeling = RELIEF at believing my yoyo weight will finally come to an end. Good luck everyone. Keep positive thoughts!