banded, banding, bands--verb--To assemble or unite in a group

[illuminationlady 7]

I know the following is lengthy and most of these things we already do but I thought it was very helpful to be reminded. Plus Gloria asked me for them.

Here is a list of behavior modifications that I got at support group last Monday. It is from a book called The Emotional First Aid Kit: The Practical Guide to Life after Bariatric Surgery.

1. Eat only as advised by your bariatric doctor. Usually this will be three meals per day. Try not to allow yourself to snack between recommended meals while making this transition. If you must, make it a bariatric-friendly snack.

2. Eat very slowly and place you eating utensil on the plate between bites. As a bariatric patient you will be advised to chew your food at least 25 times, so this in itself will slow you down.

3. Do no engage in other activity except eating at mealtime. Concentrate only on eating. Avoid reading, watching television, or too much conversation. This time is about eating only.

4. It is most important to eat in a specific place. Choose a room where you will do all of your eating, and promise yourself not to eat anywhere else. If possible, eat in the same chair. Do not eat while driving or doing other activities as you will quickly lose track of the amount you have consumed. It is important not to establish a connection between driving and eating.

5. Stay out of the kitchen except when absolutely necessary. Keep the kitchen light off so the room is not so inviting, and try to take alternate routes that don’t lead you past it if possible. Make sure food is stored only in your kitchen.

6. Use small plates, bowls, and utensils.

7. Do not keep leftovers on the table to invite additional nibbling after you finish. Instead, get up from the table immediately and do something else. It may be helpful to store leftovers in the refrigerator before your meal so you will not be tempted to eat more later.

8. Keep food out of sight as much as possible. Dot not keep it on the counter or in see-through containers. Keep your healthier choices in see-through containers so you learn to choose those before the others.

9. Do not leave bowls of small snacking food son the counter or table. We will eat “one or two” every time we pass.

10. Use these principles at work too. Take all Snacks out of your drawers and off of your desk including candy dishes for “clients or coworkers”.

11. Bring healthy Snacks and meals with you to work so you will not be at the mercy of the cafeteria, fast food, or vending machines.

12. Do not eat lunch at your desk. Go to the lunchroom or a picnic table outside, but break the psychological connection between your desk and eating.

13. At break time, avoid the break room where others may be eating or where vending machines are located. Instead, take a stroll outside or inside your building. Make phone calls, do some stretching, or balance your check book.

14. Learn to change your routine. If you go to the refrigerator first thing after work, learn to go directly to another room so you will eventually break that connection.

15. Learn to read labels on grocery store items. Shop only when you are not hungry and bring a prepared list. Avoid certain aisles that might be tempting for you, like the crackers and Cookies aisles, for example. There will be little or no food appropriate for a new bariatric patient in that aisle.

16. Play soothing music while eating. It tends to slow us down.

17. Try not to nibble while preparing foods. This is a common trap. We may not eat much at dinner but we do not count all those bites taken during preparation. Plan ahead so you are not hungry while preparing meals, and try strategies such as brushing your teeth or keeping sugar-free hard candy around if you need something.

18. If munching while you cook is a problem for you, try to prepare several meals at once to decrease the amount of time you will be vulnerable.

19. Keep healthy snacking alternatives available, such as sugar-free hard candies, sugar-free popsicles, or sugar-free flavored Gelatin.

20. Always keep a bottle of Water with you. It will keep you feeling fuller between meals and is very healthy.

21. Always have an escape route. Do not put yourself in a situation where you feel unable to control your eating. If you find yourself overwhelmed at any time, have a plan for how you will allow yourself to leave.

22. Monitor your progress. Assess your BMI on a weekly or monthly basis. Weigh yourself weekly. Keep track of your workouts. Many people have difficulty when they stop monitoring themselves. We tend to feel more responsible for eating and exercise when we have to be held accountable.

23. Be aware of visual cues for eating. Let’s say someone puts donuts on a desk nearby you at work or there is a community candy bowl you pass by several time a day. A little snack here and there may feel like nothing, but it all adds up. Break the connection between eating and the cue. Move the donuts to another part of the office. Get rid of the candy dish. If you find your cue is being with a particular friend, then attempt to alter the connection by going to a movie instead of dinner.< /span>

24. When you have a craving, try waiting 10 min. before you eat anything. When you do not immediately respond to cravings, they tend to decrease in intensity. If you do this over time, the craved food will lose its strength and power over you.

Have a great day!

[LeighaMason 19]

IL--You should post this as a blog, I was reading it when my MIL was here (not banded) and she had me print it for her as well. Thank you for sharing.

[Cocoabean 430]

Ok everyone, get this. Some of you may have read my story of jury duty last year and sliming in the jury box. We sent the defendant away for life after a three month trial.

Well today we had a unit meeting for work at a local restaurant.

The server was the aunt of my defendant!!

Wowser! I wonder if she recognized me!

[LeighaMason 19]

I wanted you to expand on the throwing things in the courtroom part.

[Cocoabean 430]

Hi Leigha,

Oh my gosh! I was sooooo mortified.

I was sitting in the front row of the jury box. I had placed my coffee mug on the railing in front of me. As the defense attorney was walking past us to give closing arguments I reached forward to grab it. Being the klutz that I am I missed it.

I ended up knocking it so hard it flew about three feet forward and darn near hit the attorney. Of course, the gallery was full as this was a high profile case in San Diego, so all eyes were on me. I wanted to crawl into a hole and not come out.

The attorney was very nice and picked it up for me. I felt bad that I found her client guilty after that, but oh well. The evidence was just too strong.

I was very happy that the mug was empty!!

[Countrychic 1]

ok guys so i have my surgery tomorrow and when i went for my preopt i found out that i lost 15 lbs on the preopt diet. i was soo proud of myself. i am sooo nervous today i hate surgery and the thought of being put under and not having any control over anything. i hate that feeling you get after coming out of th anteshia (sp?). but i am soo exicted to have this done. tomorrow is going to be the first real step into my healthy lifestyle. i even went out and bought a new purse and wallet to congratulate myself on making this 1 year wait worth it. my surgery is scheduled for 11:30 am and we have to be at the hospital at 10am so for those of you who pray please keep me in your prayers. i will be proud to join the banded community. :sad:

[btrieger 21]

CC, there is nothing to be nervous about. They ask you to take a deep breath and the next thing you know you are lying in the recovery room.

Gloria and IL, I love both lists!! I have been planning on creating a FAQ because the same questions keep getting asked over and over. I'll put the combined list there if I ever get around to it.

Denise, I though embarrassing situations like your mug only happen to me. Thanks for the reassurance that I am not alone!

[theknewme 0]

LeighlaM & Atgoalgirl I want to thank you for all your kind support!

Atgoalgirl I read your blog and from my research the rules you mention are what I already know and plan on doing. I know it's not a magical fix, but a fix that can work to help me if I work with it.

I guess I have been floating around and reading about people plateauing and forgeting why I initially signed onto this sight...for moral support!

I appreciate everything and am totally excited about the new me. I want my daughter to be proud of her new svelt mom, because kids can be such critics! Right now I'm healthy have no health issues, no joint problems other than the diffuculty in moving and being extremely tired all the time!

I look forward to fostering some wonderful relatioships with everyone I have met on this thread so far!:thumbup:

[atgoalgal 0]

good morning everyone...

It's another beautiful day, here in the New England! I'm heading to visting friends in CA next week, so I'm hoping that winter will be gone by the time I come home.

theknewme: thanks for getting back to all of us. It sounds like you know what you need to do to work your tool. I think all of us wanted to make sure that you went in eyes wide open and weren't expecting a magic wand

Illuminationlady: thanks for posting the list. Some helpful stuff here, even though it is long - here's another one - don't eat with your hands - if anyone wants to take that one on, let me know it works for you

countrychic - good luck today; come back and tell us about your surgery day story

bestsyb - I knew about the extra weight from working out, but I didn't know why - thanks for that. I'm one of those people who need to know why

cocoa - I am picturing u in that courtroom - uh oh!!

Leigha - You're making me think about the 3 types of people - interesting; also (now u r going to hate this, but..); when I go to my last 5 lbs. my doctor told me that those 5 lbs would take 6 months to get off. It didn't take 6 but it tool 3. The lower our % body fat, the harder our bodies work to hold onto the fat that's left. Those last pounds were really tough. Then when I go there, my doctor suggested I work to stay in a 10 lb wieght range. First I was mortified, but I think that really was the best advise I ever got to maintain my weight - and I never maintained any weight ever in my entire life.

Elfie, Jen - hadn't see u in a while; good to hear from u.

Bob - sounds like you are back in full force

Have a great day everyone!

[BetsyB 9]

13. At break time, avoid the break room where others may be eating or where vending machines are located. Instead, take a stroll outside or inside your building. Make phone calls, do some stretching, or balance your check book.

Hm. I disagree with this. First, social isolation need not be part of weight loss. Learning to live among others who eat differently is very important.

But also, self-isolating at mealtime during the workday can have fallout in terms of professional advancement. I've worked in environments where doing this would have been career suicide---being part of a team very much relied on being part of the corporate culture. There was never pressure exerted to eat or drink a certain way---but being present, at least most of the time, was critical. (I didn't read it, but Comcast had a cover story on their main page about this topic just a few days ago, too--the gist of the headline was that you shouldn't do this if you want to move ahead.)

I'm all for eating differently than workmates, and even excusing oneself to take a walk (after inviting others to join). But if I'd done this at my last corporate job? I would have been pushed out. And I definitely would not have the freelance career I have now.

Okay----going back to read more!

[DizzyLizzy 21]

Betsy, thank you for that info on weight lifting! Seems like every time I tried to research that, I’d only get bits and pieces of all the info, no one ever really summed it up like you did. Now it makes sense!

I have to say, even though my weight is not dropping as fast as I had hoped, my clothing sizes are due to my increase in muscle! Before I started working out, I could pretty much tell my weight by adding a zero to my clothing size. So before I had my son when I was 290 – 300 I was wearing a size 30! Now I’m back at 290 – 300 and I’m wearing size 24 and even some 22’s!

I haven’t had a chance to completely catch up, but it looks like everyone for the most part is doing well…good job guys!

We had an absolutely beautiful day in Indiana yesterday, sun was out, I think it got up in the 60’s! I had planned on getting out and playing ball with my son when I got of work, but unfortunately he got in trouble in school AND after school care! So instead of outdoor fun, he spent the evening in his room. And my daughter has been a mess for a while, so she got sent to her room too! At least I got to workout in peace!!!!

Have a good day!

[illuminationlady 7]

Good Morning all! Just to let you know my DH decided to surprise me with a road trip to DC and back up the US for my birthday. I won't be posting as much and didn't want to just drop out of sight. We are taking a computer but won't have much time for the boards. I will miss you but try to check in. Love and Hugs to all of you...

[BetsyB 9]

IL, how FUN! When do you leave?

Bon voyage!

[illuminationlady 7]

IL, how FUN! When do you leave?

Bon voyage!

Today at 10 am. So I'm going crazy right now!!!

[Cocoabean 430]

Hey Bob, I am the queen of embarrassing moments.

Illumination, have a fantastic trip!!! And happy birthday! That is quite the treat, enjoy.

Everyone, buy stock in kleenex. Ugh! My cold moved up from my chest into my head. Now I feel like my face is going to explode. The stuff coming out of my nose is a nasty shade of yellowish brown, so I have an appointment this afternoon.

Top it all off, DH and I are going to New Orleans on Sunday. I have a conference that I must attend. He'll be having fun. :ohmy:

So, I am sort of hoping this is bacterial and I get some antibiotics. That should get me feeling better before the conference starts.

Then to top it all off, my seat assignments got messed up and I have center seats. Good thing I knocked off those last two pounds over the past few weeks! I'll fit nicely in the seat, but I am sure my seat mates will be soooo happy to have 'Sniffles' sitting next to them.

So, as y'all know, I've been checking my blood sugar in the mornings.

Monday and Tuesday I didn't walk because my personal trainer, Butters, was camping with the DH and I was doing taxes. (And yes, I do realize I could have gone alone, but didn't :thumbup:).

I also wasn't have high Protein dinners while they were gone (read cereal).

Well, Tuesday morning it was 115. And Wednesday morning it was 116! Yikes!

Butters had a lesson yesterday, he is doing great by the way! We took a walk around the parking lot of the Petsmart while we waited for the trainer. I had a high protein dinner last night. This morning my sugar was 97!!

Boy, if that isn't motivation to walk and eat right, I don't know what is!

A part of me is hoping that the high readings might have been influenced by the cold. I have read that infections can affect sugars.

Ok, off to check what else is going on around the boards!!!

Have a great Thursday everyone!