Everyone here seems to be able to eat healthy and able to stick with the program. Why aren't I?

How do you avoid your favorites/sliders like ice cream, etc.? I know some people will say it is ok once in a while is ok, etc. But if I could do that, I wouldn't have gotten fat. Yes, the lap band helps considerably with how much I can eat, but how have you learned to control what you eat? I have wanted to eat healthy in the past and was only able to do that for a while, just like dieting - only for a while. Yes, I have an eating disorder. There is no bariatric counselor in this area. Counseling wasn't in my program. How do you all do this? How have you made the mental changes?

Terry

I am good about eating healthy 90% of the time, 10% of the time I eat whatever I want just because I want it. For me, it works. To think anyone is going to be "good" 100% of the time is completely unrealistic. Honestly, anyone who says they are is either God or lying, and I seriously doubt God needs a Lap Band

At the beginning it was tough. Shockingly, the longer I ate healthy the more my taste buds changed. I actually crave things like salad now. I guess the longer I eat healthy the easier it gets. I feel so much better and when I eat junk I can really feel the difference. I get sluggish, sometimes my stomach even gets upset. It's almost like it's own aversion therapy.

It's a learning process and it's also a forever battle.

Journaling works for me and exercise if I am out there walking I don't want to mess it up by eating additional calories. I keep telling myself this is for my health! Good luck!

I can still eat just about anything I'd want (unless it's bready like pizza) but I'm not letting myself. Sometimes I see that I haven't done well that week and the scale reflects that. Every time I've followed the plan perfectly (no Water with meals, 1 cup of food or less, Protein and veggies, etc.) then I've seen my weight reflect that. It's enough of a motivator that I've been *mostly* good. Doesn't mean I don't still love my loves (chips for me) but also not having much hunger has helped... do you feel like you're in the green zone? It's easier to make good choices for me now that I'm not hungry much.

One thing I've told myself, if I do it all right then I can have a treat at the end of the day if I'm still hungry. I've probably indulged too often but honestly? I don't usually want that treat later. It's working okay for me. Someone above said 90 good, 10 whatever... I've been more like 80/20 but am going to kick it up to 90/10 so I can lose better.

You can do this!!

in the beginning I did very well eating healthy and avoiding sweets I was just too scared to try my old habits until 1 day my cousin who had the gastric bypass told me that she be eating sneakers and that just opened up a can of worms for me because I was like wow if she can eat that what can eat

By the time I finally made the decision to get the lapband I was so depressed about my weight. It took me a whole year and many more failed attempts at dieting in that year. I desperately needed help. I had no problems loosing, my problem was keeping it off because of the constant hunger I felt and getting discouraged when the scales wouldn't budge and I'd be like to hell wiith it all and put all that weight back on plus some. I was becoming more and more of a recluse, avoiding social situations, making excuses for canceling on people.

It took a hell of a lot of courage to get myself to the first appointment with my surgeon, I even was tempted to cancel because I was so ashamed of myself, I even cried at that appointment. My appointment was an hour long and he went through the whole process of the lapband and asked me about my dieting history. When he said to me you're a perfect candidate for lapband I could have flown over the desk and hugged him. I knew the lapband was what I needed to help remove that constant hunger and give me control back.

I left his office that afternoon confident that this is what was going to help me gain my life back. From the first day of my prep op diet, a whole month of Optifast, I told myself every day you can do this, you're going to learn to live again and enjoy life. Was I 100% compliant on my optifast stage, no I wasn't. But I did make a healthier choice the few times I ate. Have I been 100% compliant since being banded, no I haven't, but if I have eaten something that wasn't so healthy I didn't beat myself up, I enjoyed the small unhealthy choice and got in with it.

Three months ago today I was banded. I can honestly say every day has been a learning curve, I stick to my new diet 95% of the time, I allow myself my chocolate treat when needed but that's fine, it's part of my new healthy lifestyle change. I no longer crave the junk I used to gorge on, I actually crave fresh healthy foods. I've eaten the odd donut or chocolate chip cookie and it didn't taste that great.

I am regaining my life again day by day, I'm growing in confidence, my days of full blown depression are in the past, I'm in control of what goes into my mouth. Wanting all these things helps me stay on track every day now. I'm not that 166 kilo heavy weight I was months ago, I'm a 137.5 heavy weight as of this morning.

I'm no longer in a cloud of darkness, I no longer always wear black to hide my fat body, not that it hid it that well, I wake up every morning in color now, if that makes sense, and I dress in colors now. food once made me the person I hated so much. Now food is under my control, thanks to this wonderful tool.

All the above positives is what helps me stay on track.

Thanks Summerrsin well written and motivating. i will be banded Oct 25th.

Ty goldenlife, I tend to babble on a bit at times but if one of my posts motivates just one person then that makes me happy. Personally this forum has motivated me and the success stories bring a happy tearr to my eye. I hope to be posting in the success section some day.

I totally understand.and I wish there was a brain band along with the Lapband.it takes a lot of will power to eat correctly even in smaller amounts.that's why I hate when people say you took the easy way out with surgery. But it's a process one day at a time. Like others have said it's hard early on but your taste buds change and as the weight comes off your desires change. I still eat crap sometimes but not as often or as much as I use to. I think because I have consistently lost weight each month it helps me not sabotage myself. Sorry I don't have any concrete answers except to say it gets easier to eat right the longer you do it.

This topic was exactly what I needed! Thank you all for your responses. I'm feeling a lot better about this decision and whether or not this will be something I can stick with.

I haven't been banded yet and I'm going for my initial appointment in 2 weeks. Today, I've really been feeling like "what's the point?" I knew that I failed at many diets in the past and I couldn't understand how this was going to be any different for me. But after reading this thread, I can totally see myself not wanting to sabotage my weight loss. If I'm actually seeing results, that might motivate me to do better. Obviously, I still love certain junk food, but I think that would be a small sacrifice if I'm actually losing the weight and seeing results.

Now I'm motivated again - great thread!

I really like what Miss said. I'm compliant about 90% of the time too. At first when I'd give in to a craving I'd think "this is it! It's over! I've ruined it & now I'm going to fall off the wagon" but then the next meal or next day or so I'd find I wanted to eat healthily & the craving was gone. Now do I run for the fridge when I see a tv commercial about food? No. I try to fight those. But when I can't stop thinking about a certain chocolate with a caramel center I know it's better to just eat it and get back on track. :-)