bulawookie

but that we just have to make sure we don't go back to our old ways of eating those things all the time. He says "that's why we have surgery-so we can eat what we like in smaller portions and within reason". I think what it boils down to is that it is important that we cut ourselves some slack ​I like what you are talking about here. From the beginning of writing you were in damnation role and as you kept writing you got real sensible and true about a vacation splurge. A test of so to speek. You are so close to goal that you may have to redefine where your motivation comes from. When we started we had vast amounts of negative reinforcement. Loads of negative thoughts and experiences that propelled us forward into losing weight. Now you have to ask yourself what motivates you for this last stretch? You have lost as much as some folks weigh so when your mind is set and motivators re-engaged you will lose this last little bit. On vacation slips.....if you hadn't splurged a little you would have come home feeling deprived. Our bodies also need little vacations from the new way of eating we have adapted. Just like our muscles get used to the same exercise routine so we have to change it up. Your little splurge was a good thing and now your body will go back into weight loss mode. You are great. Thanks for your post.

First go find something that weighs 50 pounds. Pick it up. Walk around with it. Tell me then how you feel. You are walking around every minute of every day with 50 pounds less on your joints, muscles and bones. You have done fantastic. Take a look at your photo's before losing the weight. Do like I do when I can't feel the impact of my loss. Go ahead and ask people if they notice your weight loss. Then thank them and tell them you have worked really hard to lose the weight. This last part solidifies in your mind that you have lost weight and that all the hard work has positive results. Write down the compliments people give you. When you are having a down day go back and re-read your compliment journal. Only journal compliments. You will begin to train your brain to remember the true compliments. Right now your brain hangs on to the negative experiences of being heavy. When you re-read the compliments your nervous system does not know the difference in a vividly imagined event and the real thing. So you relive those moments you got compliments. Your nervous system will hang on to those positive events. We are good at always vividly remembering negative comments and experiences yet we discard the positive. A compliment journal helps your nervous system relive those great moments. I have a compliment journal. I journal what the person said. I journal how it made me feel. When I have a bad day or feel discouraged I pick up my journal, flip through it and re-read and re-experience those positive feelings. Don't be afraid to ask others if they have noticed your weight loss. Other's don't always say it but if you help bring it out of them it is the same as an unsolicited compliment. Here for you. And Wow!! I bet you have a hard time lifting that 50 pounds up and walking around!!

Those last pounds will come off but they are the hardest to lose. Think of all the folks you know without the band who want desperately to lose 10 pounds. You will get it off but start thinking in terms of one pound at at time.

Anxiety is caused by the difference in how we want things to be and how they are right now. Practice mindfulness. Ground yourself by feeling your body and where it is now. Thinking too much about the future or the past causes anxiety because we don't have control over the past or future. But we do have control over the present moment. Focus on your present moment. Grant me the serenity to accept the way things are The courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference

The goal is not too focus on what amount is in the band but to focus on how hungry you are feeling. In the green zone you can only eat small meals and not get hungry again for 4 to 5 hours. That is a glorious feeling. Are you there? Are you able to stay full 4 to 5 hours at a time? If so.....great you are in the green zone. Believe me you do not want to be too tight. It is great your doctor looked at the passage of barium through your band. That is the most accurate measure of the amount of your restriction. So if he said no more fills for a while then that is great news to you.

Occasionaldream You are too tight. You can't lose weight when you are too tight. Go get an some fill taken out and you will be amazed to feel the band work as it is designed to do.

Oh My Gosh I am soooooo glad you said you are catching yourself wanting to eat when you don't feel hungry. Isn't that an awesome feeling. Now it is easy to not eat when we aren't hungry. The band takes that unnecessary hunger away and I am so glad you are feeling that wonderful reward. And wow down 35 pounds is fantastic.

I can not tell you how much Hospice helped me while my Dad was dying. They have an incredibly beautiful perspective on death. They bring you peace and hope. Heaven really is our goal. The hard work is here on earth. It helped me to know my Dad would be out of pain and live eternally in heaven. Think that about your brother. My surgeon said not to expect weight loss until 4 or 5 fills. You are not even restricted yet and are losing weight so you are doing very well. One member in my monthly support group inspires me. She lost 50 pounds in a whole year!! Losing slowly worked very well for her. She far in front of us on body image because the slow loss gave her mind time to keep up with and adjust to her changing body. Wow. So a pound a week is tremendous progress. We can not compare ourselves to others on the site. Compare oneself to oneself and go easy on yourself while your brother is dying. You are doing God's work by being with him every day. I applaud you.

That is a lot of calories. Go in for your fills because you will be amazed at how restriction really gets you full fast and keeps you full. Some of us do not lose any weight until we feel restriction. We need so much less food than our minds are trained to think we need. Having the band lean on our Vegas nerve really takes the hunger away.

Ok no worries. You need to know it may take up to 5 fills before you can expect proper restriction. Once you are tighter you will be amazed at how you body tells you when to stop eating. With smaller portions you will notice, "Wow, I am full and not going to eat all of this!". You will start to serve yourself less and be amazed at the full feeling you get really soon. We are here for you when you get discouraged. You are winning.....you are already down in weight. Eventhough you took on a few pounds you are still down. My surgeon told me he does not expect weight loss at all until you feel restriction. So the weight you have lost already is all on your own which is an indicator of how hard you are working. Great on the exercise!! You will make it. Just know with fills you will soon know what it feels like to not feel hunger and cravings.

Oh dear I was exactly where you are right now. My pre-surgery diet was not perfect to say the least. It is a time to practice patience not perfection. You sound like you are expecting yourself to be perfect which none of us are. I have to tell you a wonderful benefit of the band. It really really curbs hunger!! It works to keep you from being hungry which is miraculous. It gives you the peace of mind to get through each day without thinking about food all the time. Before the band we don't get through breakfast before we are dreaming about lunch. And at lunch while eating we start obsessing about what we will eat for dinner. Once you are banded your life does not revolve around food all day. It is a peaceful feeling. Get your band and you will see how easy these food cravings get. Let us know how you are doing.

Banded May 15th and down 26 punds! I am so proud of myself and just wanted to share. I have been stuck with developing a reward system that does not involve food. In the past food and overeating has been my reward. Overeating numbs me to a place of uninteresting, dull days of isolation. So I joined a few meet up groups who do community service, hike local trails, go to happy hours and listen to live music. I am so happy I have found a great source and avenue of a healthy reward system that will help keep me motivated to move forward with my weight loss. Earlier tonight I went to my doctors office lap band support group. Many members said I was looking so good. They all said they noticed how much weight I have lost. It made me feel so very very good. I have been following the rules. I am not in the green zone yet so I have to deal with a bit of real hunger issues. Lining myself up with positive, motivating people in my community is the best reward I could come up with. At the support meeting tonight several members said they really noticed the weight loss change in how I look today. Those non-scale victories are going to keep be going and keep me motivated for a long time. Hope sharing this helps some of you out there!! Would love to hear your comments!!

jkitch pm me and we can exchange emails and phone numbers!! Need the same that you do!!!