Greetings to everyone,

I am at a place right now where my complacency seems to be catching up with me, and I knew that if I came out here and 'fessed up, you all could kick-start me back on the right path.

I was banded on 2/27/10, and have lost just under 65 pounds. I feel a LOT better, have more energy, etc., and I know my health has improved, so I'm happy about all of that. I got my third fill on 7/21, for a total of 5.5 in a 10 band. However, based on my perceptions, I can still eat too much, and I've discovered that I can easily get down some things that are probably not helping the situation. In the midst of all of this, I have just moved from WV, where I had lived for 25+ years, down to FL, with all the commotion surrounding that. I'm just about to get back started up at the local gym, after having been slack for 2-3 weeks while I was packing up the house. I think that some of what I'm experiencing may just be in reaction to the stress of the life change.

Here are the challenge areas:

1) I'm not getting enough Protein

2) I'm not getting enough Fluid

3) I tend to be leaning towards slider foods

I'm not seeing a weight gain through all of this, thank heavens, but I'm not losing either. Do I just need to stop beating myself up over this, considering all the churn in other areas of my life, and do my best to reset, or am I just indulging in a pity party (in which case, please feel free to give me a swift kick in the keester).

Thanks for your support-

Christine

You just had a big life change. Cut yourself some slack, but not too much! Praise yourself for getting back into the gym when life allowed you to do so, especially in an entirely new environment. I, to this day, don't have the guts to go to a gym!

If you're still eating more than you need to, get another fill when possible. It's all a head/control game until you have restriction.

Since you're going for slider foods, stop buying them. Keep them out of the house. It's never bad to treat yourself once inawhile, but don't make them an everyday thing.

As for protein, up your meat content if you can, or go back to protein shakes/protein bars. Both work great. I've been eating 1/2 of a South Beach Diet protein bar in the morning to help push me past 60g. I also use hemp seed in my food (like sesame seed) which is 11g protein per 2 tbsp! Can't beat it.

In all, I think you're doing good for someone who just had a big life change. 65lbs is a great loss, and once you get back on the wagon, you'll be losing even more. :scared2:

It's totally non-productive to beat yourself up. Life got stressfull and busy so you slacked a little. It's great you didn't gain! 65 pound loss is great!

Judging from your post, you know exactly what to do. Now do it! You can get back on track! Keep us posted on how your doing. Best wishes!

65 pounds down is AMAZING. As is your ability to pinpoint specific things you need to work on.

Not enough Protein and too many sliders? Simple fix. When you add back in adequate dense, solid protein, you won't have room for the sliders. (If you have trouble with dense protein some of the time, or need a protein boost some days, you can add a Protein Shake now and then as needed.)

Not enough Fluid? This is another one, that if addressed, will help you address the slider issue. Make it a non-negotiable---get a one-liter Water bottle, and make it a rule that you will have 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Then, add other fluids as they find their way into your life (protein shakes, etc.)

It doesn't sound to me as though you're way off track---and it seems as though you have a good handle on things. You'll get there!