I've just started LitenEasy which is a home delivered 1200 calorie diet. I'm doing it not to lose weight but just to get back into some good habits. I've been skipping meals eating rubbish, you name it. I can easily eat my way through 1800 calories a day or so, and have been complaining that my band gives me no restriction. I need to eat a fair amount of wholegrain foods - breads and cereals - full of soluble fibre to manage my digestive system after bowel surgery and I have definitely not been doing that.

WELL!! Being fed a balanced diet makes me realise I have PLENTY of restriction. I cant finish 1200 calories worth of bread, protein, fruits and vegetables. Breakfast is usually cereal, fruit and toast/spread. I have to break it up, eat some at home and ahve the toast at work. Morning tea is fruit. Lunch is something hot or a sandwich or salad, and dinner is protein/veg/carb. I feel like I am eating all day.

I still get the munchies for something sweet and carby in the afternoon, hungry or not. THat's OK, I'm maintaining, I can have a bikkie with my cuppa if I want to. But I need to limit it, once I start on those foods, its hard to stop.

Just goes to show how easy it is to fall into the slider food habit - not necessarily UNhealthy sliders, but too much yogurt, soup, etc. The foods I choose were making a difference each day in the realm of 500 calories! For me, that's been the difference between maintaining or gaining impercetibly - every couple of months a kilogram appears outta nowhere.

lesson learned!

It's funny how easily 500 calories/day can creep into your life isn't it?

Happy to hear you're " taking the bull by the horns", as we say in Texas!! lol I am scared to be getting so close to the maintenance part of all this! Best Wishes to you on your continued journey!

I think u did right to get some order back to your eating habits now u dont want to ruin your beautiful new tummy do u .. stick with it and start looking into making your own menu up instead of paying someone else

For sure, its just stupid busy around here at the moment - its mid year for school, reports due, and so many extra curricular things on that I haven't been walking in the door till 6, 6.30, three kids to feed, a run or gym to get done, more work at home, a cat that shits in the bath, two other cats and a dog to feed, the house is a mess, I've got a zillion medical appointments for everything from cancer follow up to pelvic floor physiotherapy - you get the picture. At times like this, home delivered food is a godsend. But its not a long term solution.

I think a personal chef that could work it all out for me would be great. As you say life is busy enough as it is without having to figure out a calorie counted menu plan for the rest of your life.

Jacqui, I just love how you still manage to keep your head in the game even when things get hectic.

Things in life happen and tend to take over for awhile sometimes. It's great that you don't let them get you off track for long before you nip them in the bud.

Love this post...as I too met goal a month before my one year anniversary and almost immediatly fell into old habits and the scale stopped moving at all and now is moving in the wrong direction...ugh..I'm so embarrassed and cry as I type this message...everyone keeps telling me how good I look but in private I am so upset with myself for slipping back...well I have an appointment with my doc in 3 weeks..I am gettn back on the wagon..goin grocery shopping today...nooooooo junk!