CoachCher

Okay I’m sure each one of you has a fickle band like me. It is enough to drive you insane, one day you’re wide open and the next your band is so tight you can only take two or three bites and your done. I know, I know, I’ve been there done that, it actually happened to me last week. I was eating a ham steak; took three bites and I could feel the tightness in my chest. At lunch I had chicken tacos and was able to eat just fine. How can that be? It boils down to the actual food we are eating, some foods are more dense than others so it makes it harder or easier to get full, depending on how you look at it. Take what I ate for example. The ham steak was much thicker than the cubed chicken I had at lunch. I waited too long to eat and basically tried to scarf my food. I should have taken the time to chew the ham much more than I did the chicken cubes. Had I taken the time to really chew the ham I could have had more than three bites. We are all guilty of this, we eat too fast and don’t chew well enough then we get frustrated because we want to eat more but we can’t. Don’t get upset if you take a couple of bites and you’re full, it’s one meal. I hear this all time “I only had three bites and I couldn’t eat anymore”. I know how it feels it still happens to me even four years out. When this happens to some band patients; they automatically think that’s it “I’m too tight and I need an un- fill”. Look at what you ate and how fast you ate; it can be as easy as slowing down and paying attention to how you are eating. We have to be aware of what we are doing as patients and not be so quick to blame our fill amount. I have stated this before and it’s worth repeating, if you are stressed or eat too fast this can cause premature fullness. If this is happening to you from time to time, start paying attention to your eating patterns. A. Are you waiting until you are starving to eat, then you try to scarf down your food? Don’t let yourself get to this point, eat well before you reach starvation mode. B. Do you test your band to see if you can eat something? If you do that’s fine just make sure you are chewing to liquid before you swallow. This will help you avoid PB’s. C. Are you getting stuck every time you eat, no matter what the food is? If this is happening you could be too tight and need to schedule an appointment with your surgeon. D. Do you choose band friendly meals because you know you can eat it? It’s okay to eat softer foods if you are going out or will be with a big group. However don’t make it a common food choice just because you know you can get it down. I know it can get frustrating from time to time. Try to be patient and honest with yourself before you decide if you’re too tight or just right.

Okay I’m going to be very real and honest here. I’m going to tell you about my year two band journey. But before I do that, let me tell you about year one. Year one I was very motivated and committed to my band journey. I watched what I ate (too an extent) and workout on a semi regular basis. Semi being the key word here, I was about as committed as I could be at the time. I mean come on, I had surgery and that was supposed to be the end of the road right. No additional commitment on my end, the surgery was going to do everything for me (yeah I know good thought process going into this journey). Now don’t get me wrong I did try to be the best band patient I could, considering I had to give up what I most wanted “FOOD”. I consider my 1st year successful; I lost sixty pounds without a lot of effort on my part. It was great, the weight was coming off, I was discovering a new me. My life in general was going great on all accounts, and then something awful happened. I gave up on my band. I became complacent; I was enjoying my weight loss and the new found me. So here we are now at my year two journey. I basically focused on every aspect of my life except for my weight loss. I didn’t work out for a year, I didn’t visit my surgeon, and I didn’t weigh myself. I completed my certification to become a Certified Life and Wellness Coach, so I could help others taking the same journey I was taking. I put all of my focus into building a business, and I placed my weight loss on the back burner. So basically year two of my band journey can be considered a failure, no weight loss in year how is that possible? I’ll tell you how it’s possible, I was happy with the new me. I liked the new clothes I was wearing, I liked being able to get around and do the things I wanted to do, I was enjoying life like I had never enjoyed life before. So I really don’t consider year two a failure, I consider it a learning experience. I mean “Come on” I didn’t lose one pound in a year’s time, however I didn’t gain one pound in a year’s time either. How many other diets/programs do you know of where you stay stable for that amount of time? My light bulb moment came when I was coaching with my coach (business coach of all coaches). She asked me what my goals were, and where I saw myself in 5 years. What came out of my mouth next was unexpected. I said I wanted to reach my weight loss goal (what do you mean you want to reach your weight loss goal, you’re happy with the new you, you don’t need to do anymore, your fine how you are now) then I proceeded to say I signed up for 120 pound weight loss and I’ve lost 60 of those pounds and now I want the rest to come off. By reaching this goal, I can be an inspiration to others and most importantly I will have accomplished something I set out to complete the first time in my whole life. Being morbidly obese you have a built in excuse as to why you don’t achieve your goals. I’m too fat to exercise, it’s too hard, and you feel defeated before you even start whatever project is you want to work on. Well now I’m not morbidly obese; I don’t have the built in excuse. How can I inspire others to reach goal if I’m not at goal myself? Oh trust me; that one tiny little question opened up a flood gate of emotions, thoughts, and feelings I didn’t even know resided in me. So I really had to take a hard look at myself and re-evaluate my game plan. A plan is exactly what I came up with. I made an appointment to go see my surgeon. When I got there I was weighed and yep sure enough the exact same weight I was from my last visit, fourteen months earlier. Dr. Veninga comes into the room, looks at my chart and too my surprise the last time I saw him was for a un-fill. I haven’t had a fill in over a year, are you kidding me? I was shocked I haven’t had a fill in over a year. So Dr. Veninga asked me what I wanted to do, I said give me a fill and let’s get this band doing what it was designed to do; help me lose weight. That was two months ago and 20 pounds later I can honestly say, “I was failing my band”. I became comfortable with the new me, I lost my focus on my goal, and I just became downright lazy in my weight loss efforts. Now I am working out 6 days a week, eating good healthy food and really reaping the benefits by following my band rules. I know I’m a food addict always have been always will be. By accepting this fact, doesn’t mean I’m a terrible person; it means I’m a realistic person. I follow a food program and workout program 6 days a week and then on Saturday (or whatever day you choose) I give myself a “Free Day” I can eat what I want without guilt or regret. I am a complete believer of everything in moderation, if you deprive yourself of everything you want, you only set yourself up for failure. I’m a complete chocoholic, and now with my plan I know on Saturday’s I can have my chocolate completely guilt free. So I ask each of you to do what I did and ask yourself the hard question. “Is your band failing you or are you failing your band”? If you’re not following up with your surgeon and getting the support you need. Unfortunately you are not going to see the results you want to see, should see and most of all deserve to see. If you’re not losing a minimum of six pounds a month you might need a fill or a un-fill. Yes you can be too tight and that serves no good purpose, you will not see weight loss being too tight. Keep in touch with surgeon, he/she wants to help you and they can’t help you if they don’t know what is going on. I wish each one of you a successful, fun filled (no pun intended) band journey.

I hear this from my clients all the time, they are "Self Sabotaging" themselves and don't know why. I know I was guilty of doing this in year two and didn’t even realize I was doing it. For me I fell into a comfort zone, I liked the new clothes I was wearing, my new found self assured attitude, and my life focus had shifted. I believe we all have different reasons as to why we sabotage our weight loss efforts. Being successful brings a whole new “Spotlight” on us and that scares the hell out of us. With success brings responsibility, commitment, and life change. Who wants to take all of that on, I know I didn’t. Or we are afraid of the new found attention we are going to receive; attention from the opposite sex, our boss will have higher expectations from us, our friends and family want more from us. We can make excuses all day long as to why we do what we do, bottom line is you signed up for a “Life Changing” surgery. Are you going to continue to make excuses or are you going to embrace the life you signed up for and commit to the change? If you want to continue to make excuses then I’m sure you have heard the old saying “If you continue to do what you have always done, expect to receive the same results”. Nothing is going to change until you are ready to change. If you have agreed to commit to change then there are some things you can start doing today to help ensure you achieve success like never before. 1. Pre-Surgery- Remember back to your pre-surgery week, you were ready to take on the world. Bring that sense of excitement back into your life and watch yourself soar. 2. Remove unrealistic goals- Dr. Vuong says it best “Don’t commit to run the Boston Marathon if you don’t even own a pair of running shoes” You don’t have to take on the world in a day. Set realistic goals for yourself, write those goals down and follow through. 3. The Buddy System- Let others help you; you don’t have to take this journey alone. We need to be accountable to someone, find someone who is taking the same journey you are. Commit your goals to them and allow them to do the same. When we have others accountable to us, it’s so much easier to be accountable to ourselves. 4. Food- Create a food diary and keep track what you are eating. Dr. Terry Simpson has a great tip: Using your cell phone take pictures of everything you eat throughout the day, take a picture of your meal before you eat it then another after your done. This will give you clarity as to what you are really consuming throughout the day. 5. Exercise- If you have not already committed to an exercise program, and then you are not going to achieve the results you want from your “WLS” journey. Find something you love and yes I mean love. If you choose an exercise program you dread, guess what is going to happen, you are going to make excuses as to why you can’t do it. By finding something you love you will be excited to do it. 6. Self Care- We always want to take care of everyone else first, we always put ourselves on the back burner. Honestly would you treat your children, friends and family the way you treat yourself? I’m guessing no. We want to give our best to our children, friends and family. But guess what by placing ourselves on the back burner we are not giving them our best. Take some time to enjoy the things you like to do. Go to the movies with your girlfriends, go play a round of golf, reconnect with an old hobby, just find something that gives back to you. 7. Purge the negative- If you have something or someone who is bringing negative energy into your life; purge it. We have so much going on in our lives we don’t need any negative outsiders bringing us down. Negativity just drains you and sucks up your energy, make a decision it’s going to stop. 8. Celebrate the positive- Look at all you have accomplished to date. You have made changes, you’ve lost weight, went down a size or two or three. Remember how good you felt when you accomplished small milestones; think how good you are going to feel when you accomplish big milestones. 9. Follow up- If it has been a while since you have seen your surgeon, make an appointment. Don’t give me the excuse he/she is going to yell at you because you have gained weight. Go in with the mind set you are coming clean and you are ready to commit to the process. Your surgeon works for you, you are paying them to “Care” for you so go get the care you need. 10. Coaching- If you still think this overwhelming contact me to set up a complimentary coaching session. I know it can be overwhelming; but with a game plan in place you can turn this around. I can help you find out what is blocking you from the success you need and deserve.

Hi Krygo, My eating varies from day to day. Some days it's 6 meals a day and some days it's 3 meals. Really you need to find what works for you and make sure you focus on at least getting in 3 meals a day.

I’m all for celebrating successes, for relishing what’s working, for gargling the fine wine of glorious triumph. Don’t let me stop you frolicking in the Yes’s. (In fact, I’d encourage you to do it even more than you’re doing now.) But there’s wisdom in the No’s, in the “whoops”, in the “dang it … I fell for that again” as well. Here are four mistakes that I made this year … and what I’ve been learning along the way. Placing exercise on the back burner I have been so busy building a business, working with clients and planning conferences; I placed my “Fitness” regimen on the back burner. I am enjoying all the new opportunities, the new clients I’m coaching, planning the National LAP-BAND Conferences. Throughout all of this I was sluggish, worn out and just plain tired. Then it hit me I haven’t been working out. I remembered back to when I was working out regularly how energized I was. So I made the commitment to exercise back in September and to my delight lost 20 pounds, I’m full of energy and my creative process is back in full force. Have you placed your exercise regimen on the back burner? What can you do to make it a priority? Making up stories of why not Time and time again, my courage has failed me; this is what happens. I want to do something bold. And then immediately, like an old fashioned ticker-tape, I get a steady streaming message of reasons why I shouldn’t, why there are other easier things to do, why it wouldn’t work anyway. When I’ve wimped out and not done it … nothing bad happened and nothing spectacular did either. When I summoned my courage, took a breath and stepped into the unknown and made the bold request … sometimes nothing happened and sometimes, fantastically, something did. What’s the story you’ve got going on about what you can’t do? Forgetting to eat Trust me this is a new concept for me, I’ve never forgotten to eat in my life. I have my Protein shake in the morning with my 20 oz glass of Water, do my work out then go into my office and start working. I’m coaching with clients, exchanging emails with colleagues, booking guest for “The Band Banter” Talk Show and the list goes on and on. Then I get this ginormous headache about three in the afternoon and it dawns on my I have not had anything to eat since seven in the morning. food is fuel; it’s what keeps us going. I now set my alarm at noon so I can take a break to eat. I know that sounds crazy, it’s crazy to me. We have to “Eat to Live; not Live to Eat”. Have you started skipping meals? What can you do to ensure you get daily nourishment? Stopped breathing Busy! This year’s been crazy-busy. I like to think that I’m not one to think that busy is some sort of perverse badge of honor, some mark of “look how important I am”, I’ve barely got time to put on makeup. Except, I get seduced by that story of Busy = Important too. And as I’ve rushed here and there, worked on weekends, stretched myself thin, I’ve noticed this: The faster I run, the less I breathe. When I remember to take a breath, when I stop thinking this is All Very Very Important, things get a little calmer, a little less stressful, a little easier. What have you promoted to Extremely Important? How much value do you place in being Busy? What mistakes did you make in 2008? Let me know in the comment section of this post. I’d love to hear what you’ve been learning!

How many times have you had a fill; then bam you can no longer eat like you could before? I hear this from clients all the time “I get stuck all the time”. After years of being banded I completely understand this concept and the frustration that comes with it. I have discovered three golden rules to help minimize getting stuck. Golden Rule One- Take smaller bites. Trust me this is a new concept for us bandsters. However our pouch is not designed for the larger bite any longer so please take smaller bites; this will help you avoid getting stuck as much. Golden Rule Two- Chew your food to liquid form before you swallow. This is probably the hardest rule to follow; I know it was for me anyway. If you take too large of a bite and have to chew it to liquid form you are going to get frustrated, angry and dread eating. By following rule one makes rule two much easier to follow. Golden Rule Three- Don’t eat if you are stressed or angry. The band is very fickle and will tighten up on you if you are stressed or angry. When you sit down to eat; try to be as calm and relaxed as you can. A lot of us start feeling anxiety right before we eat because we are afraid of getting stuck. This is actually causing a double negative. We are worried about getting stuck before we even eat so we cause an adverse effect with our band. Think back to your pre-band days and how relaxed you were when you would sit down to eat a meal. There was no stress or anxiety about eating, well guess what it should be that way now as well. If you follow these three golden rules eating a meal should be much easier. Now of course if you are following “The Three Golden Rules” and you are still getting stuck you may very well be too tight. If this is the case contact your surgeon to have some of your fill removed. As you are learning to eat with your tool be kind and patient with yourself. There is a learning curve you need to overcome. It is a foreign concept to us learning how to eat again after all these years. The more you follow the golden rules the more enjoyable your journey will be.

Theme: Body, Mind, and Spirit August 7-8, 2009 South Shore Harbour Resort Clear Lake, TX Enjoy the beautiful views from this waterfront hotel and hear some of the top speakers in the world of weight loss surgery, including: Erik Wilson, MD - Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery at UTHSC-Houston Mary Jo Rapini, LPC - Therapist on Big Medicine and author of Is God Pink? Dying to Heal John LoMonaco, MD - Plastic Surgeon on Big Medicine Christopher McClintock - Founder of Personal Best Fitness and author of Exercise for Lap-Banders …and several others, including a special Mystery Guest! Browse our great vendors, pick up a fabulous outfit at our professional clothing exchange, and savor the 4-Star Sit-Down Luncheon. Plus, Dr. Vuong will announce the winner of the Lap-Band Giveaway, and host a Silent Auction benefitting Snowdop Foundation & Wounded Warrior Project. Limited to 250 participants - register today! Call 409-933-3022 or download the registration form here.

Alex and I are working hard to put together the next "National LAP-BAND Conference". As we are searching venues we are finding NJ is much cheaper than NYC. Per the poll most people are willing to spend $100.00 per night, we found a venue in NJ for $119.00 per night. So we would like to know if you guys are ok with NJ or if you prefer to actually be in NYC. At the last confernce the participants said they wanted to enjoy the host city, so you will get the opportunity to spend Saturday evening in NYC. Alex and I would like an approximate head count as well. If you could answer these questions it will help us to plan an amazing conference for you guys. What location do you prefer NYC or NJ (keep in mind NJ is much cheaper than NYC)? We are going to post a poll of "Who's coming" so be sure to answer the poll question as well. Alex and I hope you are as excited as we are, this is going to be an amazing conference. It will not be the same if you're not there!! UPDATE 2009 - New York City Banded Together-Lapband Talk National Event<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> When:<o:p></o:p> March 20-21, 2009<o:p></o:p> Friday Meet & Greet 6pm-9pm EST<o:p></o:p> Saturday Conference 8am-5pm EST<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Where:<o:p></o:p> The Marriott LaGuardia Airport<o:p></o:p> 102-05 Ditmars Boulevard <o:p></o:p> East Elmhurst, NY 11369 <o:p></o:p> www.marriott.com/lgaap <o:p></o:p> Lodging:<o:p></o:p> The Marriott LaGuardia Airport<o:p></o:p> 102-05 Ditmars Boulevard <o:p></o:p> East Elmhurst, NY 11369 www.marriott.com/lgaap <o:p></o:p> We have a special rate of $139 for guest rooms at this lovely hotel. Be sure to book early,as the room block will sell out. <o:p></o:p> There is a Friday reception, so come stay with us for the weekend! <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> To book your reservation for the conference visit https://www.bandedtogether.net/Events.php<o:p></o:p>

The Band Meltdown Challenge is a 12-week healthy living contest. Participants are encouraged to record their progress with before and after photo's. They are also asked to record their inner transformation in a short essay and they are judged on the quality of their outer and inner transformation. Crucial steps to success in your Summer Band Meltdown Challenge 1. Register now for the Summer Band Meltdown Challenge 2. Take your "Before" photos 3. Start your transformation — Follow our exercises, empowerment and nutrition recommendations for best results. 4. Take your "After" photos 5. Record your inner transformation 6. Keep up the great work — Look what you've done in 12 weeks! Enjoy your progress, but continue on with your new healthy lifestyle. Lose the weight you want, feel better, improve your health and change the way you look at weight loss! Access insider tips, advice and help from the experts Health & Wellness Coach Cher Ewing, Personal Trainer Christopher McClintock, Nutritionist Suzette Kroll. Get motivated and stay on track with a community of your fellow bandsters. Weekly tips from our nutritionist expert Suzette Kroll. Weekly motivational and empowerment tips from our health & wellness expert Cher Ewing. Weekly fitness tips from our personal trainer Christopher McClintock. The official kick off date for the challenge is June 15, 2009 so register today. Deadline to register for the challenge is June 12, 2009 Join in on all the fun over at the Band Meltdown Challenge Website

Join us as we welcome Dr. Duc Vuong on "The Band Banter" Talk Show In this two part series we are going to discuss the “Best Practices” which get the most out of your gastric band. In part one, we will cover Social Eating, Gastric Band Nutrition and Staying Focused throughout your gastric band journey. In part two we will discuss Satiety, Goal Weight vs. BMI, Exercise and The Importance of Support Groups. Date: 05/18/2009 Time: 6:00pm CST Where: The Band Banter Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio We hope to "HEAR" you there. Thanks, Cher & Krys

Please join us as we welcome "Banded" Surgeon Dr. Duane Tull. Dr. Tull will share his experience has a banded surgeon. This is our first banded surgeon so we are thrilled to see how different a banded surgeon is compared to a non-banded surgeon. This is going to be a fun, educational show. Date: 05/04/2009 Time: 6:00 pm CST Where: "The Band Banter" Talk Show We hope to "Hear" you there!! Thanks Cher & Kris

Please join me as I welcome Michelle Rojo- successful post-op. Michelle is going to share with us the mind set she had when she embarked on this journey and how she successfully lost 114 pounds in her first year. Michelle is 33, certified in nutrition and weight loss management. Michelle is the on site store manager of Bariatric Eating a nutrition store that specializes in products for WLS patients. Michelle enjoys coaching her daughters softball team and working out at the gym (something she dreaded for 20+ years) Her goals are to continue to be successful with her band, educate and inspire those that are looking into lap band, and to become a healthy fit person. Don't miss this inspirational story of courage, hope, and success! Date: 02/16/09 Time: 6:00 pm CST Where: "The Band Banter" Talk Show The show is interactive so be sure to join us in the chatroom to ask our guest questions or to hear from other bandsters. I hope to "Hear" you there!!

The show is every Monday at 6:00 pm CST. We look forward to having you join us :thumbdown:)

I was about six months post op and visiting friends. We all sat down for dinner (grilled pork chops, broccoli, and mashed potatoes) I found the smallest pork chop got some broccoli and a little mashed potatoes on my plate and thought "OH" this is going to be so good. We were just having general chit-chat over dinner and I was not paying attention to my chewing. I guess it was about 3 bites into my meal and I knew I was in trouble. I didn’t have time to excuse myself; I knew I had to leave the table and I had to leave now. I either ate too fast or didn’t chew well enough and bam I could feel the tightness in my chest. I knew I had an elephant on my chest and he wasn’t moving. Earl scooched down and made himself very comfortable, no matter what I did to move him, he wasn’t budging. I was in the restroom for over an hour; I had all sorts of visions running through my head about how to make this tightness in my chest stop. I thought of the car thief who uses a coat hanger to break in, I thought maybe I could perform surgery on myself and remove the band, the longer the episode lasted the more crazy my thought process became. My friend came and knocked on the door and said my plate was still on the table (Are you kidding me I have been in here over an hour and the last thing I want to think about is eating again) no I’m good go ahead and remove my plate. After an hour and half my PB from H E double hockey stick came to an end. My poor friends kept coming and checking on me to make sure I was ok; talk about being embarrassed and humiliated at the same time. I was exhausted by the time the whole experience was over. I came out of the restroom to a standing ovation (yeah really). Of course I was asked if I was still happy with my decision to have the band and I answered with a “You better believe it”. So if you can learn anything from my experience I would hope it would be one of three things. A.Don’t eat and carry on a conversation at the same time. B.Don’t experience a PB (Productive Burp)for over an half hour without contacting your surgeon. C.Avoid Elephants named Earl they are not nice elephants. I have not had a pork chop to this day.

Lap-band Personal Trainer Christopher McClintock will be on the show this evening. You don't want to miss this show, Christopher is going to share with us how to get the most out of our fitness program. Remember fitness is very important to our success so come learn from the best. Date: 04/13/09 Time: 6:00 pm CST Where: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thebandbantertalkshow.com We hope to hear you there!!

Please join me Monday 03/23/09 as I welcome Mary Jo Rapini from TLC's Big Medicine. Mary Jo is a psychotherapist specializing in intimacy and relationships. She works in Houston, Texas at Methodist Hospital, maintains a private practice, and is a renowned lecturer and author. Mary Jo's philosophy: The Essence Triangle- Self, Relationships and Wellness. Mary Jo's Goal is to empower women to gain the freedom to be all they can be before worrying about intimate relationships. Women must understand their bodies, their sexuality, and their own passions and gifts. Tonight we will be discussing Online Dating. Date: 03/23/2009 Time: 6:00 pm CT Where: "The Band Banter" Talk Show Call in number: 347-237-4004 **Big Announcement**- For all you single folks, you will not want to miss tonight's show. I hope to "HEAR" you there tonight!! Thanks, ~CoachCher~

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Trotta Associates is conducting focus groups with patients who have received either the Lap-Band or the Realize Band procedures for weight loss purposes. They are looking for patients of any age and period of time since surgery in the Los Angeles area at this time. Patients will receive $100 cash for participating in the group happening April 16th in Marina del Rey for 2 hours. All patients would need to go through a 5 minute screener to verify they qualify. Please contact me directly to learn more.

Due to the economy and its decline we have not met the expected attendance as originally planned when we first organized the 2009 NYC Gastric Band Conference. At that time we expected approximately 100-150 attendees with less than a week away we have less than 25. Unfortunately since we have such a low attendance we cannot meet the minimum financial obligation contracted with the hotel. As you might expect we have to postpone this conference to a future date, ideally between September and October 2009. We are very excited and hopeful for an economic upturn that will result in an even more spectacular conference, with more speakers, vendors and attendees. We look forward to seeing all of you then.

Please join me Monday 03/09/2009 as I welcome Mary Jo Rapini from TLC's Big Medicine. Mary Jo is a psychotherapist specializing in intimacy and relationships. She works in Houston, Texas at Methodist Hospital, maintains a private practice, and is a renowned lecturer and author. Mary Jo's philosophy: The Essence Triangle- Self, Relationships and Wellness. Women don't need a boyfriend or a husband to be complete. They need a strong support system that reinforces what a good man is and does, and includes women who are brave enough to make individual strides and be their own person. On tonight's show we will be discussing healthy relationships and online dating. Date: 03/09/2009 Time: 6:00pm CT Where: "The Band Banter" Talk Show Call in number: 347-237-4004 This show is interactive be sure to join us in the chatroom to be involved in the conversation. I hope to "HEAR" you there!!

Are your emotions making you make poor food choices? In these emotional times it’s very easy to fall back into bad habits. I know I’m finding myself eating things I know I shouldn’t be eating. Sure we can all make the excuse “Good Food is too expensive”. Who suffers when we allow our minds to go there? We do!! I’ll give you an example of eating things I know I shouldn’t be eating. It was 10:30 on Saturday night I was starving, instead of going to the kitchen and making a shake or a bowl of cereal; I jumped into my car and went to Jack in the Box. My morbidly obese alter ego showed up and I ordered 2 tacos, onion rings and an egg roll. Now most of you know I consider “Saturday” my free day and I eat what I want without guilt. Okay this was beyond a free day, this was complete and total insanity. I knew as soon as I placed the order I wouldn’t/couldn’t eat everything I ordered. It was if I had stepped back into time and had no problem ordering all of that food. Sure enough I get home and sit down to eat this crap I had just ordered. I seriously only ate a small amount of the food; a couple bites of the taco, a couple of onion rings and a couple of bites of the egg roll. I had all of this food left over and knew I wouldn’t eat it the next day. This kind of food does not make good leftovers, nor should we want this as a leftover meal. Not only did I spend $6.43 on crap at 10:30 on a Saturday night, I wasted a ton of food. So what did I learn from this experience; I still have to fight my “Inner Fat Girl”. Was it my emotions that allowed me to make that decision; you Betcha. I gave into an impulsive craving and just went for it. Bottom line is we can blame our poor eating choices on whatever we choose. I don’t want our emotions to be an excuse as to why we are making poor choices. Own it, accept it and then get back on track. After really thinking about it, I know what caused me to make the decision to drive thru at 10:30 and buy crap. I was sad and lonely and wanted food to comfort me. It had comforted me so many times in the past and this was going to be no different. The great news is it was different, it didn’t comfort me, it didn't make me happy and yep you guessed it I was still lonely when I was done eating. I was watching a report on the news the other day and it was saying as “Americans” we are turning to comfort food during these trying times. Most Americans are seeking comfort food to help them through. It’s cheaper and easier to feed a family. We can’t fall into this mind set/trap. As banded patients we have to make better choices. This is a lifestyle we signed up for, think of it as a marriage for better or worse we have to make good healthy choices. I am almost five years out, I know better. When I think of my “Free” day I do allow myself to eat foods that I would not eat during the week. However what I did Saturday night was much different. I allowed myself to go to the dark side, I let my inner “Fat Girl” take control, and I didn’t even try to fight it. I would encourage to look at what you’re eating and ask yourself “Why am I eating this”? Then be very honest with yourself, yes it will be hard but well worth the time to figure it out early instead of 20 pounds later. If you are still finding yourself reaching for food to comfort you or to fill a void in your life contact me today, so we can discuss the void in your life. Together we will create a plan and get you on the road to weight loss success.

Got your tickets yet? The 2009 National “Gastric Band” Conference is just two weeks away! The focus of this year's event is "Living the Gastric Band Lifestyle", and speakers will address topics such as post-op eating, fitness, and emotional changes for patients who are considering or have had the Lap-Band® or Realize Band procedure. The goal is to educate all weight loss surgery patients on the tools for success, so their determination and motivation will result in a lasting transformation and a healthy new life. Loyal members of Lapband Talk are eligible for a special discount on event tickets. Just click here for the Conference Link and enter Username: limited1 and Password: offer. See you in the Big Apple

The NYC 2009 National Lap-Band Conference- NYC, NY March 20-21, 2009 will focus on “Living the Lap-band Lifestyle”. This conference is designed to educate, motivate and inspire the lap-band patient to embrace every change throughout their journey. Determination, Inspiration, Motivation, and Transformation will take center stage at the 2009 NYC National Lap-band Conference hosted by Banded Together to be held in New York City, NY March 20-21, 2009. Some 150 participants from all over the United States are expected to attend. The NYC 2009 National Lap-band conference is expected to help both the pre-operative and post-operative patient prepare for the “Lap-band Lifestyle”The focus of this campaign is to promote a healthy lifestyle so that life can be lived to the fullest. Educating people about the health benefits of the LAP-BAND will increase awareness and therefore expand the direction of this promotional campaign. Among other issues, the conference will address, post-op eating, post-op fitness and post-op emotional changes. The “Living the LAP-BAND Lifestyle” campaign is meant to address the whole lap-band experience. The conference is designed to educate all Lap-band patients so their transformation to better health allows them to achieve more Results, Support and Success. Obesity is a terrible disease; as a result patients are cheated out of the greater opportunities life has to offer them. Weight Loss Surgery has given many patients the gift of taking back what obesity has robbed them of: self-esteem, self-confidence; and self-love. The NYC 2009 National Lap-band Conference will present a summary of how to embrace all the changes a person can experience and how to live their best life. Organized and planned by Banded Together & Lap-band Talk; The NYC 2009 National Lap-band Conference, themed "Living the Lap-band Lifestyle," will present a mix of national and local speakers. Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Brian Jacob; Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Duc Vuong; Plastic Surgeon Dr. Matthew Schulman; Certified LAP-BAND Lifestyle Coach Cher Ewing; Fitness Trainer Lisa Avellino, Nutritionist Sharon Zarabi and Licensed psychologist-.Dr. Connie Stapleton. This wide-ranging group will present a combination of main talks and breakout sessions designed to inspire the Lap-band Patient. More information about The NYC 2009 National Lap-band Conference can be found at https://www.bandedtogether.net/Events.php

Due to the economy and its decline we have not met the expected attendance as originally planned when we first organized the 2009 NYC Gastric Band Conference. At that time we expected approximately 100-150 attendees with less than a week away we have less than 25. Unfortunately since we have such a low attendance we cannot meet the minimum financial obligation contracted with the hotel. As you might expect we have to postpone this conference to a future date, ideally between September and October 2009. We are very excited and hopeful for an economic upturn that will result in an even more spectacular conference, with more speakers, vendors and attendees. We look forward to seeing all of you then.