Search the Community

I am glad you are seeking help. I worry about Paxil is know to cause weight gain. There are lots of antidepressants on the market that don't have that side effect. Speak with your doctor concerning that if you notice you are not able to lose weight or gain.

Thought I should introduce myself since I've been lurking around. My name is Cassandra, I'm 29, I've been married for 7.5 years and I have an 18 month old son. I'm from Lubbock, TX. I was diagnosed with PCOS as a teen but my weight gain began in my very early 20's. I put on 70 lb in a matter of 12 months. I was always average sized (size 10 or so) and athletic throughout high school so the sudden weight gain accompanied by major hormonal changes was a shock to my system. Over the years I've become less physically active because I become frustrated with little to no results from so much effort. As a result I've gained an additional 30 lb on top of the 70 I gained at first. I also struggled with infertility as a result of the PCOS. It took 5 years to conceive our son, and only with the help of medical intervention. I also had some complications during pregnancy such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes that were caused by my weight. I'm hoping to have more children in the future, but I do not want to put my future children or myself at such a high risk. I need to fix this now. So now I have 100 lb to lose, and I've decided that WLS is my best option for success. I met with a surgeon (Dr. David Syn) and because of other health issues that have me dependant on nsaids, we have chosen the sleeve. I had my psych eval and endoscopy, so I am now only waiting on insurance approval. Actually they should be submitting to insurance today. I'm hoping for a quick approval process but I'm prepared to have to wait. I may end up needing to complete 12 weeks of supervised nutrition, and in the worst case scenario, I might need to wait out a 6-month pre existing condition period, which will end August 1st. Thanks for reading, I'm hoping to learn a lot from this forum.

I, too, had a lapband erosion and was terribly sick with peritonitis. I’ve never been so close to death but my weight gain since the removal has me scared into getting the sleeve. I am currently going through a six month supervised diet, etc. I am looking for surgery after the first of the year.

So 5/18/21 was my gastric sleeve surgery. Just 6 years ago I was at my goal weight of 141. In 6 year I reached 267. The biggest I’ve ever been. in the past was 217, (31 years ago after the birth of my second daughter) I do believe I know the reason for so much weight gain in six years. If anyone is interested I’ll share later to compare stories. Anyway the first couple of days weren’t bad. I felt more pain then anything. But for three days now I’ve been hungry but have no intentions of not eating right. For now I’ve learned to stay out of the kitchen and my daughter is giving great support and encouragement. If anyone could share with me about bowel habits and changes, colors, pain in the middle chest, or any other types of changes I’d appreciate it.

good Job... Its definitely easy to fall back on weight,, because Food taste so good! But keep it up and next time.. Once you notice a weight gain of over 20 pounds... Know you need some adjusting to your eating and get your lab band Filled again.

I am currently working on an appeal for the very same reason, insurance denial. I chose the sleeve for several reasons, 1. malabsorption - I want t be able to absorb all the nutrients my body needs. 2. food choices - I want to be able to eat a variety of foods and eat foods recommended by the national guidelines for healthy eating. (relatively little chance of dumping syndrome) 3. I want to maintain my stomach's pyloric sphincter. In the RNY, the bottom of the pouch does not have a sphincter, instead it just has a small opening which can stretch out over time, resulting in food passing through the stomach quickly, and becoming hungry quicker. This often results in weight gain. 4. The fundus of the stomach (which produces ghrelin to make you hungry) is removed, often resulting in lessening hunger pains. 5. the part of the stomach that is left is not as stretchy, and less likely to stretch out of shape over time. 6. the amount of food that can be eaten is a little larger than the RNY and I think that amount is healthier and better for me. These are the things that have made me stick to my decision despite ignorant insurance companies.

I can totally relate to this! I did exactly this!!!!!!!!!!!! I had no weight requirements and my PCP was so understanding of my weight gain. Two months before my surgery (Sept) I ate absolutely the worst I've ever ate. Like bread w/ every meal. Pasta. Potatoes. Ohmygosh. I can even begin to describe but I felt like you and I thought i needed to. But then I went for my last appointment the weigh in or whatnot its called and realized OMG I'm the heaviest I've ever been and I gained SO much weight! And something like clicked and I left the office and said no more!!!!!! And I did the shake thing and a one small meal thing up to the 2 weeks before the surgery (which is next week btw) and the weight is like coming off so fast already just by eating right! Its crazy. Anywho. Point is. You can do this. We will eat delicious foods again, but this is a tool for us not to eat ALL the delicious foods lol . We got this!!! You got this!!!

I was raised on healthy food and skim milk. I never tasted soda until I was in my late teens because when I wasn't at home I was in boarding school, another junk food-free zone. When I finally did try it I was really shocked; I thought it tasted horrible. This proved lucky. I never acquired the addiction to the stuff that so many people seem to have. I was also really late having my first Big Mac experience. I was 35 when I ate my first Big Mac and fries. Now, those I enjoyed. I am inclined to believe that when parents raise their kids on good food the kids will often carry on with this style of eating in adulthood. Both of my brothers along with myself continued to prefer quality food as adults. One of them went on to become a superb cook. Two of us had problems with weight because we were so very fond of what was on our plates and because our genetics favoured weight gain. (This is why I love my band.) I suspect that sometimes children are not properly fed because their parents run out of time and energy by the end of the day, possibly because they themselves are not eating healthily. It takes time and good organisational skills to make good food for dinner and to pack good lunches for the kids to take to school. I also suspect that most people know very little about food and nutrition. I have always preferred good food but I have learned a helluva lot since being banded. This is because I now scrutinise the nutritional content list on all prepared foods. This is a real learning experience and often not in a reassuring way. One of the things that I have learned is that most vegetable soups and pasta sauces are pretty much devoid of vita C as well as just about every other nutrient. :omg: Learning how to eat properly is a challenge. I think that this should be taught in schools but more importantly, no junk food should ever be available in a school cafeteria. I think that all parents should lobby their local school boards about this.

The Nemours (A.I. Dupont) Children's Hospital here in Delaware is creating a Lap-Band program through their Weight Loss Clinic. I found out about this because my son is a patient there. They apparently are partnering or being funded in some way for a research study with the FDA to do lap bands on 13 year olds - that is the age group specified for them to work with. The Dietician I spoke with about this said the children do have to be at least 100 pounds overweight to be considered and there is extensive counseling and nutritional education to be involved. She brought it up to me at our last visit a few weeks ago. My son is not a candidate, though he at 8 years old has asked if he can get a "rubber band" around his stomach too so he can lose weight like mommy. He is currently about 60 pounds overweight at 4'9" and 136 pounds. I disagree with the generalization that having an overweight child is because you are a "bad" parent. I am in no way a bad parent and I have an obese child. My son's weight gain is from medication (anti-convulsants, anti-anxiety/psychotic medications, steroids and corticosteroids) and from his chronic severe health conditions. He has permanemnt damage to his lungs resulting in chronic asthma (which is also exercise-induced) and he has damage to his brain (bands, and bands of damaged tissue throughout his brain). He was a normal weight and proportionate until he was 3 years old and started on the anticonvulsants. Even with the steroids and corticosteroids his weight was maintanable and in a normal range until then - he has been on them since birth. He has been under the care of multiple doctors since his birth and I was warned about the weight he would gain because of the medications he is on and his limited ability to exercise and be active because of his severe asthma. Will he be a candidate at age 13 or more? I don't know. Would I consider it for him at that age, again, I don't know. The determination will be his physical and mental health (because of the epilepsy and brain damage he has a mood/behavior disorder) and if the benefits of the surgery would outweigh the risks. As a parent of a child in this situation, and having been banded myself, it is comforting to know that it *might* be an option for my son. I am hoping that we can continue to manage his weight through diet and exercise but that has not been working as well as we would like. His conditions are chronic and he will be on these medications for the rest of his life. Losing the weight he carries in his abdomen would absolutely help with his asthma and breathing difficulties not to mention his self confidence. Kids can be very cruel and they don't understand that he is different because he cannot help it, not by choice. He doesn't look "sick" so they, like the rest of society tends to do, just assume he has no self control and eats and eats and eats and has a weight problem. It's a difficult situation for any child to be in and whatever reason put them there, my heart goes out to all of them.

I Lost ALL my excess weight also....without really trying either....what I mean is, that with the lap band I eat less, a lot less, than what I used to because the band controls my portions....Since my portions are now controlled, I now concentrate on eating healthy, low fat, high Protein foods....I do not count calories....and there are foods I will not, and in some cases cannot, eat anymore....pasta, breads, red meat, rice, etc, etc... With the band, it has become a new lifestyle...eating good nutritious foods, and never overeating...it becomes a day to day, natural part of me without giving it a second thought.... I was fat because I ate too much, and always the wrong foods....now, and for the rest of my life, that is the complete opposite....so that old lifestyle caused to me gain weight, UN-naturally, with this new lifestyle I naturally returned to a normal weight..... My Dr. says there is simply no excess weight - fat, left to loose, and that as planned, my body reached a equilibrium, a natural - normal state of balance.... Most importantly, this is not a diet where when I reach a goal I can turn it on or off....it is a permanent thing!! Always to be there and always to be this way....so I have no fear of ever "Falling off the wagon" and ever gaining the weight back...I do not see how that would be possible...as long as the band is there, it is impossible for me to over eat....and it is difficult to eat bad foods..... With the band, I still have to think through why someone would only loose 50-60 %, OR LESS, and then stop....of course, one's weight is always equivalent to one's eating habits....perhaps they are holding back and not letting the band work to it's intended potential....following bad advice? From those who have not accomplished it themselves and think they know all the answers? There is certainly a lot of that going around. But it is something I'll never know.......but everyone is different and one thing is for sure....I will not and cannot argue with other peoples success experiences....if it worked, then that's all that matters.... I do know, that I am 100% happy where I am at right now...and have been for over 2 years...in the Green Zone....I also know that if I were to get any Fluid taken out at all, even the slightest, (not that I need or want to), it would tip that balance and my hunger/cravings would return, plus my portion sizes would increase, which result in weight gain...so I hope that never needs to happen....

I gained a couple pounds when I started on puree/mushee too. Then I stalled. I was like GREAT! A stall AND a weight gain?! It came off plus 2 pounds after the stall broke. No worries. I have the same feelings.. "I'm going to be fat forever! I did this surgery in vain!" Don't fret, It WILL come off.

I also do not diet, do not count calories and simply eat smaller portions but I think it would be easy to "cheat" the band if your head wasn't in the right place. Unfortunately most of the high calorie foods that cause weight gain do not cause pain and discomfort. Well for me they don't, I think if they did it would be great as it would discourage me from eating them. chocolate and the foods I mentioned earlier are too easy to eat . B52 maybe the reason you don't have an issue with these type of foods is because you are male? Males seem to naturally prefer foods such as steak, meat etc whilst us females are generally the ones that have issues with chocolate. I am sure that there are some exceptions to that rule but on the whole it seems to be true. There are people that have been banded that have had limited success. I believe that for many of them it was because they were unable or unwilling to change their eating to the way that it is recommended you eat with a band. A lot of them were looking at the band as being a magic wand and it isn't. It is possible that the band was not the correct type of surgery for them. They may have been better suited to something such as a bypass which causes malabsorption of food as well as restriction and some people also get dumping syndrome. I think it is important to carefully investigate the different types of surgery available and work out as far as possible (with the help of a Dr) which one would suit you and your particular type of eating issues best.

Is it true that increasing your cardio will make you gain weight or stall for a bit? I have doubled my cardio and keep fluctuating between 2 pounds on the scale. Is this muscle holding onto water? Will drinking more water (I average about 80oz) help? TIA!

I did not have a sudden onset of memories, as you had, but have very vivid memories of my childhood. It is tramatizing in both instances and yes these issues are tied to weight gain even when we do not know it. I experienced molestation, rape (twice in one month), physical, emotional and verbal abuse starting at the age of 4 until the age of 15. Ironic that my weight problems began at 15.. something to ponder. You are not alone. You are not to blame and you will be ok. I too have eaten and pushed down all emotions. I am not yet banded and do not know what I will do when there is nothing to stop them from surfacing. Keep us posted on how you are doing. As you are here for support, others will find support in following your journey.

I think the older lap bands had that gap in it that allowed for more of a weight gain if soda was drank and the stomach could stretch more as it would slip through the part of the band that didn't hold the silicone in the older bands... the new ones go all the way around so no slippage and no stretching as easy.. that is what our RN told us in class.. more are losing better with the new improved lap band

Today is day 10 of my liquid diet. It has been rough, and I hate it. I have started these gas pains and tremendous bouts of gas inside my tummy. Today, I woke, no weight gained nor lost, but, Im bloated, and my jeans are tight. Three days ago, these very jeans, fit. And fit good. Now, they feel as if I was poured into them. I feel bloated, and full of gas, that I cant release. I dont know what to do about it. I just cant wait until this is over. Maybe just maybe I need to lay off soup for a while. I have noticed when I do eat the soup I get more gassy. So, back to the basics, just plain ole liquid thats sure to make me sick. And to top it all off, Im depressed cause I cant eat good food. And a certain someone in my life finds it ok to eat in front of me, tons of good food without remorse. Anyway, I had to rant. Any solutions for the gas? :cursing:

There are only a few things that most of us have total control of.....total decision making ability. One of those is what goes into our mouths. It is a simple truth. Simple doesn't always translate to easy, though. Examine the why's behind your weight gain. Why are your behaviors not in line with your desires to lose weight? Why haven't you exerted control ? What will it take to reach the point where you are in control ? The surgery is not the prime mover. It is simply an aid.....a tool. It can be defeated if you allow it. Once you truly gather your resolve to lose the weight you will employ whatever tools that are available for you now.....pre-op...and the weight will begin to fall off. The surgery + your resolve will amplify the results.

I had the copper one before and had it removed for the same reason, plus it was making my bleeding so heavy that I became severely anemic. GYN recommended I try Mirena because it will cause less bleeding but not if it will keep me from losing weight. GYN told me what you just said about the 5% but I keep seeing complaints about weight gain. Anyway I will give it some time to see what happens. Thanks!

4 yrs ago had a Mirena placed. My body rejected it a couple months later. Exact same thing, bleeding like a miscarriage (3 months). August 2012 after over an hour appt with my GYN decided it was the best option to try again. Although my chances of a 2nd rejection are at 30%... So far so good. Still dealing with random spotting. Haven't had a heavy period yet (before 10+ days of Heavy flow). You guys have made me question the weight gain aspect though. Surgery date 5/16/12, I've lost 110 lbs but I've bounced up and down 2 lbs since it was placed. I really never put 2&2 together. Thank you I'll have to bring this up with my Dr.

Ok, this is my 2 cents worth, take it for what you will... Sounds to me like you are eating mostly sliders, which tend not to keep you full the 4-5 hours it should. So you are likely eating more calories than you should. Calories are calories not matter the form. The weight gain may have caused your band to get tighter, making it more difficult to eat solids. Which would mean you need a slight unfill, even a cc could make a difference. Questions to ask yourself- Are you drinking enough Water? Are you taking small bites and chewing well when you attempt to eat solids? Are you making good choices with the food you are putting in your body - good carbs, healthy Proteins, Fiber? A trip to see both the doctor and nutritionist maybe all you need to get yourself back on track. You can do it, just have faith. You haven't failed until you give up!

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then. I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life. But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight. I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well. I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision. I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes). I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there. I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious: I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

Did anyone gain on there last month of the pre-op diet? I have 5lbs to lose by my scale before Wednesday! I hate my scales I never know what I really weigh. Anyway if you gained did you not get approved at 1st or what happened? Just trying to prepare myself for the worst case scenario. Thank you ☆Jeni☆

I was banded on July 1st. Before that I had lost a substantial amount of weight by JUST changing my eating habits. My doctor is very strict when it comes to carbohydrates and by me cutting out bread Pasta rice and potatoes I was able to lose alot of weight. Since being banded I have lost another 10 lbs. Yes, crackers and ice cream go down easy but honestly they are also triggers for weight gain. Making better food choices is key to weight loss. Exercise makes a difference too but with the weight loss I have experienced so far I was doing very little. I have now started to work out on a regular basis and I am sure this will only boost the weight loss. I believe that the band is what you make it. If you are looking for an easy way out then don't do it because it is definataly NOT that. But if you are looking to change your lifestyle it will work WITH you. For every disaster story there is 2-3 success stories. I will be one of those success stories! I wish you well with your decison!

My name is Celeste, I live in Connecticut, and have battled my weight now for 10 years. I was on a diet and exercise routine prior to becoming pregnant with my son 10 years ago. I was loosing weight slowly thanks to a personal trainer, I was told by my OBGYN though that it would be an up hill battle as I had PCOS. (Poly cystic ovary syndrome) I became pregnant, and gave birth to a beautiful boy I named Brandon. I nursed Brandon and after about four weeks began to put on weight, a pound a week. I became devestated, no matter my best efforts at weight loss, I continued to gain. When I was about 25 I started falling asleep driving. I went and found out I had Hoshimotos, Hypothyroidism. I struggled even further with weight loss even with proper medications. I went to an endocronologist that took me off meds because I was borderline. This began the downfall and weight gain circuit for me. I went to the gym, followed weight watchers, only to continue to gain and put on weight. Obviously this was because I wasn't on meds but I thought I would just hold out. I got married to a wonderful man and ended up getting pregnant a month after we were married. I went to the OBGYN who flipped a gasket because I was not on anything for my hoshimotos and sent me to the doctors, finally on the right meds, I did not gain but five pounds during pregnancy. I mean really, I shouldn't have because I had so much fat anyway. After my daughter was born I dealt with my Endocronologist and was still on meds. Now on meds and regulated I went into a diet and exercise fury and only gained muscle mass but kept fat, so the scale kept going up until a year ago I couldn't fit into my size 20 jeans anymore. I had enough! So six months or so ago I checked my insurance and decided to go this route. My other choice was biggest loser but knew I wouldn't lose all that much and probably get voted off. LOL So here I am, post op now a week and a day, still a little sore but thrilled at my decision. There have already been some challanges but I am sure everything will level off soon. I am excited, and look forward to starting new habits for myself and my family. A ten year old, a two and a half year old, my father whom is disabled from a stroke so I take care of him, three dogs, full time college and a husband, I keep myself busy and just need to remember to eat.

Are you fed up with struggling with overeating, starting another d-i-e-t that you know will probably blow up on you, or wishing your pants were not so tight? Here are five simple things you can implement today to control your cravings, eat less, and thrive more. Are you fed up with struggling with overeating, starting another d-i-e-t that you know will probably blow up on you, or wishing your pants were not so tight? Here are five simple things you can implement today to control your cravings, eat less, and thrive more. 1. Sleep. Don’t keep working harder and harder. Play it smart. Women who average five hours or less of sleep per night weigh more, gain weight more easily, and crave more carbohydrates and fattening foods—and it’s not in their heads! Sleep deprivation leads to chemical changes in your body that cause overeating and weight gain (even if you don’t overeat). Aim for at least seven and a half hours of sleep per night. Not only will you be less hungry, your productivity, focus, and creativity will probably improve. You may even find yourself accomplishing more than when you were burning the midnight oil. Additional bonus: you’re likely to feel a whole lot better. 2. Pay attention to your feelings. Emotional eating—eating as a response to feelings—is a major cause of overeating and packing on the pounds. Stress eating, comfort eating, eating out of frustration and even eating out of boredom or happiness can all sabotage your weight loss plans. Develop strategies to check in with yourself and with how you are feeling so that you can respond to your emotions in ways that don’t involve food. Added bonus: when you address your feelings instead of feeding them, you will be taking charge of your life and responding to what you really need. When you do this, life gets better. 3. Carve out time for you. Stress and overload can be a direct path to weight gain. If you’re feeling time crunched, you’re likely to make the all-too-common mistake of cutting out the activities that are actually the best for you. Me-time helps you relax and unwind. It also gives you an opportunity to pay attention to yourself and what you need to function and flourish. When you meet your needs and care for yourself in quality ways, you are less likely to find yourself using food as a “special treat” or a “band aid” to help you get through the day. Practice giving yourself a five or ten minute time out a few times a day. The bonus: these short breaks help you get perspective on your day. You’re likely to feel more organized and relaxed as a result. 4. Feed yourself quality food at regular intervals. If you are trying to eat less, it can be tempting to cut back too far and allow yourself to get too hungry. Big mistake. While depriving yourself with strict diets may initially seem to create results on the scale, in the long run, eating too little leads to stronger cravings (usually for foods that will spike your blood sugar levels quickly), overeating, and binge eating. Do you find that your healthy eating plan always gets blown in the afternoon or evening? Try eating smaller, more frequent meals during the day and make sure that you are including some protein each time you eat. Bonus: when you feed yourself well, both your energy levels and your mood are likely to improve. 5. Savor. You might be surprised to find how little of what you eat you actually allow yourself to savor and enjoy. Eating on the run and multitasking while you eat mean that your attention is divided between food and your hunger and whatever else you are doing. When you eat without giving it your full attention, you are likely to eat more and not feel as full. Impose a ban on multitasking when you eat. Take your time and practice eating mindfully—paying complete attention to your food—the taste, smell, even the texture. Notice how full or hungry you are and allow yourself to enjoy the act of eating. Bonus: savoring is a pleasant activity and it tends to be relaxing. Practicing enjoying your food in this way and getting in the habit of doing one thing at a time is a great strategy for reducing stress. If you apply the concept of not multitasking to other areas of your life, you’re also likely to see an improvement of the quality of your results.