I made poor food choices today, all day today, portions were fine, just poor food choices, even dessert and then chocolate, geez. I knew better and still did it. I'm going thru some stressful things right now, got into it with my ex-husband today which set me off so my whole day has been yuck. On another subject, my metabolism must be non-existant and I mean that truly. I'm 47, had a hysterectomy in '04, take hormone therapy for that and if I don't I get hot flashes and night sweats so still must be going thru menopause, this losing weight is slow to come for me, feeling discouraged at the moment. Tomorrow is another day I guess. Chin up!

Tomorrow is another day , we all have those days ,you can't beat yourself up for it just have to pick yourself up dust yourself off and start new.I hope tomorrow is brighter for you

I made poor food choices today' date=' all day today, portions were fine, just poor food choices, even dessert and then chocolate, geez. I knew better and still did it. I'm going thru some stressful things right now, got into it with my ex-husband today which set me off so my whole day has been yuck. On another subject, my metabolism must be non-existant and I mean that truly. I'm 47, had a hysterectomy in '04, take hormone therapy for that and if I don't I get hot flashes and night sweats so still must be going thru menopause, this losing weight is slow to come for me, feeling discouraged at the moment. Tomorrow is another day I guess. Chin up![/quote']

Donna you are human, enough said. Brush today off and don't dwell on the making bad choices food wise. I too was an emotional eater, I'd eat when I was depressed, sad, angry, happy, hell I just turned to food for everything! Even being in the greenzone when I feel any of those emotions instinctively I go to the pantry BUT because I am in greenzone and not really interested in food except when I need to eat I just look at every shelf then close the door and walk away. What I have retrained myself to do instead of turning to food during those emotional times I've replaced the food with other things. If its during the day I put on my walking shoes and walk off my emotions or I go into my garden or at night time I go to my computer or read or take a nice relaxing bath. It's a huge mental challenge but we have to try and change the urge to want to turn to food as a comfort thing during emotional stress.

Now with the slow metabolism activity will get that going even if its just walking. I turned 50 in December last year and went through menopause without taking anything, the hot flushes and night sweats drove me insane but at the time I didn't realise it was menopause, I just put it down to being overweight so by the time I did go to my doctor I had suffered through the worst of it, he wanted to put me on hormone replacements but I declined them.

I always thought my age and all the years of yoyo dieting was going to make it hard to drop the amount of weight I needed to drop. If I don't walk I either slow right down or maintain so I walk and walk and walk. There were a few weeks I didn't walk last month because of the crazy heat spell we were having ( summer here in Australia) and my scales stayed the same every day for nearly two weeks but once I got my butt moving again the scales started moving too.

I also find keeping active keeps me emotionally healthy too.

You've come so far and have lost so much weight so far. I know you've said you're going through stress at the moment with your ex but if you abandon yourself he wins again, don't let him do that to you!

Personally also if my scales haven't gone down one week or only a bit I don't stress over it, eventually they will and that's one less stress I put myself under.

Just try to find that strength in you and keep marching on!!

I'm not sure where you are at with you Banded Journey, date of surgery, # of fills, Green Zone or not,....so I won't get into the nitty-gritty.....

When I was first starting out, and things were not going good, I always thought about improving the Band's performance.....I always asked myself "Should not things be different because of th band?" and if not, WHY???

But now, for me...it is a lifestyle, not a "White Knuckle" Diet......

I enjoy things like ice cream, different scrumptious Desserts, etc, etc...... from time to time and do not feel guilty about it at all......nor do I gain weight......and because of that I no longer even "Fear" gaining weight, or falling off the wagon, etc, etc....

I look at the total picture...can't loose sight of the Forrest because of the trees....

I have many friends I socialize with who are all very thin and fit.....I find I eat and drink the same things as they do when go out together...., we all have the same activity levels (exercise)...the word "Diet" is NEVER used....

They do it because they were brought up that way...the have the "Discipline" that led to their lifestyle......I can do it because I was Banded, WLS....and has become the same LIFESTYLE for me now....a day to day "Normal" way of looking at things....

But Like I said at the outset...I am unaware of where you're at with the band.....

If you are just starting out, I can understand your frustrations......for me, when I was first starting out, and things did not go well, I always asked myself "Is not the band supposed to perform better than this?" "Did I not have WLS for a reason?"

I got down on the band, not always myself.....and I would tell my Dr. I cannot control my hunger and cravings, portion sizes....he always understood, and would tell me not to worry and explain to me how this all is supposed to work......

And for me...It Does....

So don'r\t be so down on yourself as though this is Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, but ask yourself if your band is doing anything to help you, and if not, why?

All of the above posts have great advice in them. Retraining ourselves to step away from the emotional eating carousel isn't going to be easy (it's the one aspect of this journey I am challenged by most!) B-52 says what I've thought about this from the beginning and why I chose the band over other WLS options,

Normal weight people do not (usually) obsess over their food choices. They eat a balanced diet every day and enjoy treats on special occasions. Most normal weight people do not exclude ANYthing from their diet unless it's an allergy/tolerance thing. Most normal weight people get an appropriate amount of exercise every week, whether its formal training or just an active lifestyle.

I am going to live like a normal weight person. I AM GOING TO LIVE LIKE A NORMAL WEIGHT PERSON.

In order to stop associating my food choices or eating according to an emotional response, I have to stop attaching guilt or pleasure to my food (not to be confused with appreciating quality food). I am going to stop beating myself up when I have something I once considered a non-diet food, when it's eaten at an appropriate time and place, not under duress, and in appropriate quantities. I went into this with the idea that I would never place any food item on a prohibited list but that I would, with the help of the band and other resources, relearn how to eat like a normal weight person eats.

I think it is unrealistic to think that I will never have another piece of chocolate, never experience a fresh Krispy Kreme doughnut, never enjoy a gourmet meal on a cruise ship, or experience new foods when we travel. I will eat one of my famous sauerkraut balls on New Years Day, I will have a spinge on St Joseph's Day, I will enjoy the fish fry we have after a good fishing weekend, and sample the extraordinary offerings at our community pot lucks.

I will appreciate food for what it is and not place undue value on what it is not. This is my mantra. This is the lesson I am learning as I shed the weight that resulted from my old understanding of food, the crutch that held me up when I didn't think I could hold myself up without it. I am stronger than the old ways. I have wasted enough of my life living like that. I am deserving of it. And it will bring me as much joy as I have been blessed to have in my life to this point.

And so are you, so have you, so will you. Forgive yourself and move on.

Today is a new day. Strive to make it different than yesterday. Do not dwell on yesterday or that could lead to an unproductive new day!

I made poor food choices today, all day today, portions were fine, just poor food choices, even dessert and then chocolate, geez. I knew better and still did it. I'm going thru some stressful things right now, got into it with my ex-husband today which set me off so my whole day has been yuck. On another subject, my metabolism must be non-existant and I mean that truly. I'm 47, had a hysterectomy in '04, take hormone therapy for that and if I don't I get hot flashes and night sweats so still must be going thru menopause, this losing weight is slow to come for me, feeling discouraged at the moment. Tomorrow is another day I guess. Chin up!

eating is not bad and its def not the end of the world

food is comfort and you were merely comforting yourself.

ms donna, being a gorgeous babe that you are, it saddens me

that that A hole of a ex hub has hurt you this bad.....that being said,

so you ate. so you overate. so what.....its not that bad.....unless you ate

like 3 large pizzas and a couple cases of beer...

every time we feel we (did bad) we hammer our minds

that is the diet mentality thinking...you are not dieting. you are just

eating better and in smaller amounts. just do better today.

Amen! to what everyone said. You had one bad day, you will be fine! We are learning a new way of living. We are learning to eat to live, not live to eat. "Falling off the wagon" is normal, just get back up and start again. Dark chocolate can be girls best friend at times. Just eat a bite and put it away in the freezer for another stressful day! Best to you, Karen

Hang in there Donna...~hugs~

We've all been there. Don't let the turkey get you down on yourself.

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words and words of kindness, they all meant so much. You'd think afer almost 2 yrs of being divorced we'd be done with things but we're not. My name was still on our marital home of all things and I knew this and he has been in contempt for not getting my name off of the loan and deed but what good would it have done to throw him in jail, he doesn't work, I don't get paid alimony! Thank God no kids involved. This week finally I deed the house over to him but all of this has forced me into bankruptcy because he filed bankruptcy cause he couldn't pay for the 300K house, go figure. This has all taken a toll on my health. To be married to someone for 25 yrs and see him for what he is today, wow. Yesterday I had to travel to Nashville to the dr which took all day with travel time, eating out and my appt, my mom and I chose to eat at Red Lobster, we shared fried flounder, I had one piece of fish, 2 bites of baked potato and 4 bites of cole slaw and the kicker was the biscuit, yes I was able to get down a buttery biscuit, that's my guilt. Then on the way home I was starving and realized I didn't want to wait on myself cooking something when I got home so I stopped at Cracker Barrel and got a bowl of beef stew, cherry cobbler to go. When I got home I ate half of the stew and 3 bites of the cobbler and mom ate the rest. Oh it didn't end there, this is confession time, I ate 4 white chocolate Lindtz. This was all my guilty pleasure from yesterday and today I stepped up on the scale and have gained 1.5 lbs since last Thurs when I was in for an unfill, OMG! I'm embarrassed, my dr will die...

Today didn't start out so well, I kind of ate a slider food for breakfast, cream of wheat but I felt tight and didn't really want anything else. I hope it stays with me for a few hrs since it didn't contain any protein to speak of.

Ok, ya'll from one southern gal, there you have my guilty pleasures of yesterday. I'm dusting myself off and starting over. Thanks again for the encouragement.

Donna

((((((Donna))))))))