i just wanted to share something i realized...

since the end of november (around my birthday), i had been starting to eat badly. things that i knew i could eat more of (regardless of the band) and a lot of it. it started with, "oh, its my birthday today... its ok" and "oh, its thanksgiving..." and "for the sake of the holidays... " and little by little, i gained a few pounds and, before i knew it... i was eating crappy and feeling just as bad. not just physically... but emotionally too!

but january 1... i pledged to get back on track and i have been. it hasn't even been that hard to get back into it. so after taking a break from being healthy... and returning to being healthy.... here is what i wanted to share...

I'd forgotten how GOOD it feels to be healthy (and losing!)!

and.... Breaks are overrated!

so... if you're struggling because you've lost that momentum you had when you started... you can do it!!! all december, i struggled to get back on track.. but then i realized... mentally, i had to be there. i couldn't do it because i was stressed... it made it worse. so i gave myself until dec 31, knowing that january 1 was a new start and mentally, i was ready to be back. and it FEELS SO MUCH BETTER!!!

no cookie, cake, Pasta or anything feels as good as seeing a pound less on the scale!!!! seriously... i've lost what i gained, plus an extra 2 pounds down... and i feel better than i did eating the 'junk food'...

Avoid alcohol - empty calories. And it hits you harder since you're banded. Alcoholism in banded patients increase. Just saying. Why trade foodaholic for alcoholism?

Yup I totally fell off for about 10 days and gained a little because of it. But, I got on the scale December 28 and went "Oh crap!", got back on track, and have since lost it all again plus an additional pound.

I just look at it as being human. The trick is to catch it early and not to let 5 pounds gained turn into 20 pounds gained.

Best wishes

In there's no trading food for alcohol for me. I love them both equally. I am pretty careful about it, my point was over the holidays there was a little more, along with all the other overindulgences....

Gotcha. Just be careful with the booze though.

I did, bigtime, gained back more than I'd like to admit- 16 lbs! I gave in to my nemisis, ice cream. However, back at it again, lost 5.5 lbs last week, we'll see what this week brings, doing pretty well. Now I don't buy ice cream, that's for sure!!!!

I was lucky that I'd just been banded the previous holiday season. This season, however, ooh boy. I'm really rather disappointed with how easily I excused my poor choices with "it's the holidaaaays~!" The weight gain on the scale still makes me cringe, though thankfully I'm losing again.

I'm certainly glad to be back on track though.

Gotcha. Just be careful with the booze though.

For sure.

Breaks are truly overrated! I shared with you all approimately a month ago that I was having difficulty keeping any food down

and it was suggested that I go to the doctor to see what was going on. Well I went and my band was to tight, so they took out some of the fluid. Needless to say things that were previously giving me a problem were no longer a problem. I took a little break during Christimas and I gained a few pounds back. I was so upset with myself for allowing this to happen. But I have put that all behind me, I've gotten back on track, and I totally agree that BREAKS ARE OVERRATED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone for sharing! Its great to know I wasn't the only one struggling through these first "banded holidays" . Congrats to all those that jumped back on the bandwagon... those few pounds that were gained come off a lot faster than u think and you will be back to losing! Let's keep it going!

Avoid alcohol - empty calories. And it hits you harder since you're banded. Alcoholism in banded patients increase. Just saying. Why trade foodaholic for alcoholism?

My sister did that with her gastric bypass, really sad.