March Bandsters: MASTER THREAD

[HarleyGirl 1]

Publicly commiting to getting back on the "FOOD JOURNAL" wagon!!

I've been far too lax about that!

Happy Monday, All!

I had a fantastic weekend, hope you guys did too!!

[Fenton 3]

Sweet Jesus! I turn my back for a few days, and the item becomes All A-Dub, All the Time!

Annie! Enough mourning! The hair loss is temporary, and though your plummeting weight may have you revving up to have at the menfolk, there's no hurry!

I don't know how possible it is to obey the very sound advice of "just accept yourself" - particularly in our circle. All of us are clearly people who've had a hard time "accepting themselves".

But it certainly is a question of confidence. And, FWIW, I think that's a really foxy haircut!

I can understand your wariness of men your age - there are *probably* some good ones out there, although I think we all know that men suddenly ripen at the age of 47, at which point they're perfect until they die. And after they're buried, they remain perfect in memories.

But if you're nervous and wary of approaching/being approached, so what? You can last without a steady boyfriend for another few months. You'll be thinner, and your hair will grow back, and then you'll probably become scarily sexually aggressive in your empowerment!

If I were you, I'd rock the wig as a look. You've got a pretty face - why not show it off by wearing a bunch of different wigs, different styles, different colours? Many guys like a bold woman, and you seem pretty bold. And it would be a way of being really upfront about things.

In ANY case, this is just temporary. And there are lots of guys who'll love you just the way you are.

[Fenton 3]

So, I did badly this weekend. I was at a conference for thriller writers, and it was my first, and I went in knowing no one, and it was pretty high stress. I ate out with strangers a lot, and I used it as an excuse to eat badly. I didn't do too badly Wednesday - Friday, but Saturday I blew it, and went back to my old patterns of pathological eating on Saturday and Sunday.

Well, I wasn't as bad as my REAL old patterns, but I recognized that my eating was thoughtless and uncontrolled. It wasn't, like, going out to dinner and having the duck breast and enjoying it, it was more like gorge-y, binge-y. I had two slices of pizza, and two ice cream bars, for example. I allow myself the occasional small slice of pizza (the gourmet ultra-thin crust with few toppings kind), but haven't had two since being banded, nor have I had an ice cream bar.

At some level, I was in that All-or-Nothing mode - I decided I was going to have whatever I wanted, since I'd already had Chinese food, so I'd already ruined my calorie count for the day.

I didn't feel good - emotionally or physically - eating that way. I'm going to be ultrarigorous for the next few days.

So that's it: I confessed! My confession is over.

[Fenton 3]

Oh, also: I deliberately avoided LBT because I didn't want to talk about how I was eating. To do that would have been to become mindful, and to have been mindful while trying to eat like that would've made it less pleasurable.

Proof of the value of LBT, I think.

[westcoastmom 3]

You know I have to confess that I still eat some of the foods that I really have always liked. There are certainly things I cut out - I don't eat breads, rice or potatos because I know they can cause problems. But since I do still eat things like very thin pizza or quesidilla's. I don't like meat very much and tend to eat too much dairy.

But I have found that when you drastically reduce the amount of food you eat, you can really still enjoy some of the things you really like. It has felt a bit more like I am eating "whole" healthy foods and not just diet foods.

When I track my foods, I also know when I have room left for a treat. It feels good to have something small at the end of the day.

At the support group for our office, people there talk about never having some of the foods they really liked before banding. It might be that they are very restricted. But I always felt like that it what got me in trouble with dieting in the past - feeling deprived and then not being able to keep it up.

Fenton - 2 slices of pizza doesn't sound that bad! And I just have to say that moving from NY/CT to Seattle, the one thing we miss the most is NY pizza!

[ajoneen 0]

So, I did badly this weekend.

I didn't feel good - emotionally or physically - eating that way.

So that's it: I confessed! My confession is over.

Through the ministry of Lap Band Talk may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of Protien, and of BP's, and of the Spirit of pizza.

(please, please, please no one take offense)

Edited July 14, 2008 by ajoneen

[Desdemona 48]

Annie---I REALLY like your cut too! In fact – I noticed that you are looking good too (weight-wise).

Fenton—I know exactly what you mean regarding the conferences. I always go with a plan of “being good.” It works for the first day or 2 and then I eat something that is off my plan. But - I also have found that I can at least try to make better off-plan choices so there isn’t any weight gain by the time I get back home. It’s important to be realistic about what we have to deal with. Last summer I was in a poor area of central Africa with nothing but potato potato, and more potato with a very small amount of meat everyday. There was just no way I could stick to low carb. I have found that it can help a lot to at least bring low carb bars with me on trips.

[Desdemona 48]

I posted this on another thread but I wanted to pass this info along here too just in case anyone was interested in this.

Last week I had a body composition analysis done using the Bod Pod. It only takes a few mins and gives you some really useful information about your body. The charts that are posted on the net (BMI, metabolic) are good but they only give you averages for other people of your age, gender, height etc. I wanted to get my own body measured so I could know exactly what was going on with ME. There are other types of tests out there but most of them have a higher degree of error. The Bod Pod matches the underwater testing that has always been considered the gold standard method. It gave me exact readings on total weight, total fat weight, total non-fat weight, body mass, body density. In addition to giving me my resting metabolic rate, it also told me how many calories my body consumes on sedentary, low active, active and very active days. I feel this is very helpful because it removes a lot of guess work and worrying for me. I now know that despite what anyone says – I am NOT losing muscle instead of fat. I have a very healthy muscle mass. I know exactly how much fat I have and will be able to go back and check to make sure that the weight I’m losing is fat. If I stall or gain a bit of muscle – I’ll be able to see (and not worry) that it is indeed muscle and that I’m not doing something wrong. I also know-- for sure – how many calories my body is burning under various conditions. The initial cost was $60 and subsequent trips will be less (although that may be because I’m part of a study). They also provided me with some individual counseling so I feel reassured that I’m doing OK. I just find it helpful because in the past – I have felt so discouraged when I don’t lose as fast as I think I should. Then when self proclaimed gurus start telling me that I’m dong this or that wrong, it only gets me more upset, confused and discouraged. Now I know that my body just decided to slow down and rest a while after losing 40lbs. Now I’m on the move again. I found out about it through my surgeons office. He is at a teaching hospital and they had a Bod Pod at the medical center. Here’s a link to info on the Bod Pod if anyone is interested.

Life Measurement, Inc. BOD POD

[hopeinapril 1]

Hey Shamrocks!

Annie - love the new hairdo! It really is cute. Imagine how easy it will be to take care of!

dangerous trip for me today. I promised a friend of the family that I would go to a dairy with her today. They make fabulous ice cream. (one of my weakness - the real stuff - not that stuff that is in the freezer at the super market!) The good news is that they sell it by the ounce. I am going to get 2 oz. That is my goal. I'm hoping I can make it last for a while, because I won't be eating any more for a while!

How are the rest of the shamrocks doing?

[scrappy_friend 0]

Amanda I didn't know you were so spiritual?

[texgirl 0]

Fenton, I don't think 2 slices of pizza is all that terrible. Seriously, how many did you eat at a time before being banded? I typically ate 4 pieces. 1 slice is best but you could have done worse than 2!

[ajoneen 0]

Amanda I didn't know you were so spiritual?

I'm not. The closest I come to religion is the Goddess of green lights and when I get the "frick'n Bjesus" scared out of me.

[Firework 4]

I just got back from my 2nd fill, and boy did I need it. I was in Bermuda for a week and did not do so great eating wise. I am hoping this fill helps. I now have 3.5cc in my band. I wasn't looking forward to the fill because of how painful the first one was, but this one wasn't nearly as bad. So I'll be on liquids for 24 hours and then mushies. I hope the scale starts to move down again soon!

Erika

[anniedub 0]

Thanks everyone, for your kind and supportive comments.

I think I've decided to stick with super-shortness, but still not 100% sure. I just want to sleep on it another day.

Fenton and others, I can sympathize with the slip-ups in food lately. For some reason, my brain has been telling me that chocolate is the way, the truth and the light lately (once again I hope no-one gets offended!).

I've pretty much managed to stay pure, but I did slip last night. And eat a fair amount of chocolate. Nothing like what I would have eaten pre-band, but still.

So I'm just upping my exercise the next few days, and preparing for a less-than-desirable result on the scales this week, but accepting that it's my own fault and I am the only one who can change it for next time. Back on the wagon! :confused_smile:

[nycm00 0]

Annie, I too love the hair. I hope you come to feel comfortable in it, because that's what really matters.

I too have been craving chocolate lately. I usually have a cup of coffee instead. It's working so far. I know I'm not the type that can have a little bit and stop.

My band is fine now. It must have been that PB last week that made me so tight. There is a HGUE fluctuation in how tight my band is. Some days I can eat ANYTHING...other days I better stick to liquids if I know what's good for me.

Christine