Now I know...

[She Smiles 2]

...what restriction feels like!

I packed myself a small amount for lunch - three bits of chicken off a kebab, a heaped tablespoon of turkish rice and the small salad we had left over from the turkish dinner we had belatedly for my fiance's bday last night. It would have been about 1 1/2 cups of food all up maybe?

And I just ate (some of) it. Really slowly. And in tiny (half teaspoon) bites. And chewed LOTS. A couple of mouthfuls I didn't do all of this (I was distracted by Dr Phil haha) and boy did it hurt. I didn't PB, but it was definitely saying "you didn't chew me enough and there is too much to fit through here lady!". I was super careful last night, as I always am when we got out to eat, but it happened a couple of time there too. I just had to sit back and let it settle for a minute or so and the could eat a little more. I think my band is finally doing its thing!!

I threw half of the rice and alot of the lettuce leaves (I ate all the carrot and onion and some lettuce) in the bin! You sure wouldn't have caught me doing that 4 months ago!!

Yay :clap2: Careful slow eating is what I will be doing from here on in!

[susannah 2]

Hi Meredith, I think we all have to remind ourselves of the rules each and every time we eat. I was being very hard on myself, but when you think about it, it takes longer than five weeks to relearn how I have been eating for my whole life!

So how much can you eat now? Only a few bites? I want to have restriction, but not so much that I can't enjoy a small meal. I want to have some quality of life after all.

Susannah

[She Smiles 2]

I can eat about half of what I could before my last fill, which is what I wanted (I guess thats the great thing about the band being adjustable, we can all have it how we want it and how it works for each of us). I was starting to feel like a lot of my weight loss was due to the commited exercise I was doing, I want for it to be a combo of the band and my hard work at the gym.

As for how much I can eat now, we went to the sushi train for dinner tonight and I could only eat 2 pieces of sushi in tiny bites at a time. And I was full. I'm a cheap date - my dinner cost $3.50 haha

I think the trick is to eat slowly and savour every bite. I love the taste of food, but thats how I got to the weight that I was to start with. I need to develop a different relationship with food, and yeah, thats going to take some time :girl_hug:

[susannah 2]

Hi Meredith, I love sushi. I have not had any yet though because I am too scared to. Have your grocery bills fallen dramatically? I have found that I am spending hardly any money on food anymore. I also obviously don't get snacky or take away food anymore, so I am saving a lot. Have you noticed this also?

Another thing, how do you go with buying new clothes due to weight loss? Do you buy a new set of clothes for each size you drop, or do you wait until the clothes are really baggy or two sizes too big, and then get a new set? I imagine it could get expensive if you have to buy a new set for each size.

Susannah

[Jachut 487]

I've felt for a long time that my weight loss is almost entirely due to my running, and in reality, it probably is. My band just does not provide me with that great restriction and I *think* I have 3ml in a 4ml band!

I'm going on the 26th. I'm really afraid of being tight, dont want to live that way but I only have about 8kg left to lose, if this fill is the one that does it, then I dont have to stay that way for very long, lol. I can always get a bit out.

I needed to read this to spur me on, thanks!

[She Smiles 2]

Jacqui, if you have proper restriction as the Drs say it should be, you should lose that last 8kg in 2 months and will then be able to go onto a maintenence fill level. 2 months is such a short while to know that you will get to your goal!!

As for food, yeah susannah, I spend a lot less on food because I used to buy my lunch nearly every day. We spend more on groceries now becuase I am buying better food, lean meats and lots of veggies etc. Plus my fiance still eats like its going out of fashion, so we still have to cater for him. But I'll make the same amount of spagetti or stir fry for dinner as I did before my band and my fiance and I will eat dinner and I will get 3 or 4 lunches out of it to freeze too. Or if we do go out, I'll get the smallest serve, instead of the largest like I used to. And I don't snack much either. I'll keep some rice crackers handy just in case, but if I need a snack, 3 or 4 of them and I am right. A packet lasts for ages! Dont' be scared of sushi! Just take tiny bits and chew it to a mush. Nows probably your best time to try it (get a hand roll and cut it up into bits at home) because you don't have too much restriction. I was worried it would be a no go after my last fill, but phew! its still ok!! I love it too!

As for the clothes situation, I have a lot of clothes from when I put all my weight on over the past 6 years. I'm your typical obese person who lost a heap of weight on their own (I got down to 63 kilos from 90 when I was 22 and at uni and had time to go to the gym for a couple of hours a day). But of course, I put it all back on and then some as soon as I stopped going to the gym (this is why I realise now the exercise has to be a part of my life FOREVER). So I have clothes from about a size 10-12 to a 24 in 3 cupboards in my house - good thing I hung onto them all! The only thing is I am losing it slower off my tummy this time (I think that might be an age thing??), so a lot of the pants I have don't fit me even though I weigh less than I did when I wore them on the way up because my body is a different shape now. So, I have bought bits and pieces. I generally just buy things on special or if they are cheap to start with. For example I got some 3/4 pants from crossroads for $15, and a tshirt from jay jays for $15. And I am having to buy all new bras and undies as they get big too because I threw all the smaller ones out. And I do wear them until they are big and start to look a bit silly haha But I try not to even go into expensive shops like jacqui e and places like that yet because I know the clothes will only fit me for a month or so! I figure if I'm doing all this hard owrk, I can treat myself every now and then with some thing new! i deserve it!!! And so do you!! :woot:

[MzAngel 0]

I remember as my weight was dropping i only bought a few essential pieces but it still felt like a waste of money as i only wore them for short

periods of time before they were way to big.

I reakon we should start some sort of clothes swapping thing in the forums. LOL. At least that way we could all save a little more money.

[susannah 2]

Hi, Meredith I may get brave and have a handroll tomorrow. I was supposed to have started solids already, but have been scared to. Now that my port may need revising because of it coming away from its stitches, I am worried about the stiching around the actual band too. My surgeon gave me no indication that this would be the case, but I am a natural born worrier!

Susannah

[She Smiles 2]

I can totally understand your concern and aprehension Susannah! But your band will be healed enough to handle solids now. Just take it really slow and chew it to mush and you will be fine. You'll know if something is not quite right, and if that happens, just stop, go back on to liquids and see your surgeon asap. He would have mentioned if he thought there might be a problem with the stiches on yor band too. It'll be ok, go and enjoy that sushi! You deserve something yummy at last. Plus you should start getting your calories from solid foods so your band can do its thing and make you feel full !

[Goannabanda 0]

Welcome to the land of the restricted Meredith!

I've had good restriction for a couple of months now - but still haven't got my head around the fact that only 1 wheat bix at Breakfast is enough. Or that 2 VitaWheats with salmon & cottage cheese is lunch. Or that 1/2 omlette can be dinner. If only I the restriction worked on one's head too! LOL!