My hubby and I went to a picnic. I ate cubes of ham and cheese, yummy refried beans and baked chicken. Ah but then I ate 2 brownies, a half piece of cheesecake, and tortilla chips! The old Debbie is definitely back and I'm depressed about it!

No she is not back, she is just peaking through but the NEW Debbie is stronger and more powerful. You will be fine.

Well pick yourself up and climb back on the horse. No one is perfect. Just as long as it doesn't become a habit you will be fine. Next event like this take something along you are allowed to have.. sugar free pudding or some low carb ice cream.

Khy

You recognized it and can move on. Congrats on seeing it for what it was, owning it, and getting back up on the sleeve.

I realize how incredibly tight my sleeve is when I read something like this. Two week ago I had a "bad" day.I was just so sick of watching every bite. I bought a 1 piece chicken meal (leg) w/ those little cups of cole slaw and baked beans. It took me the whole day to eat it. And I'm over 5 months out. I don't want people to take this the wrong way, but the further out I get, the more often I wish I could eat a little more. Yes, it sets you up for having to be responsible. But this deprivation is getting old. It sometimes feels a little prisionish to not be able to even eat a normal size grilled chicken leg. So try to look at it that way. Yes, you will have to be a bit more responsible to make sure you eat right. But you can eat. And a few months from now, you might realize what a mental health gift that is because I really sometimes feel like a prision of war.

And as a side point, I am not losing weight fast. My body knows this isn't right. So if you have a larger capacity, don't think it means less or slower weight loss. It doesn't. You will be able to do fine with this. Just not perfect and unfortunately it sometimes seems a lot of people are all about perfection. I'm more about being at peace with my decision.

Thank you everyone for your input. I'm doing a little better today trying to get back on track. I think the slow weight loss also bums me out and I want to eat but I'm not allowing the old ME to take over again. I WILL SUCCEED AT THIS! And you all are a great support system!

Wondering...

This is the exact reason I had the sleeve... might sound a little strange, but ... I want to have a treat now and again!! Don't beat yourself up! The old you isn't back... it was a treat. Nice one... it won't be a regular thing, so just enjoy the moment!

Oh, and congrats on your weight loss so far! =]

Debbie,

I remember how frightened I was when I discovered that I could eat bad stuff and in fact, it went down easier than the protein I had been struggling with. I suspect it took you quite a bit of time to eat that stuff too.

My way of dealing with the fear is to make plans for how to deal with overeating/bad eating:

First, I am honest with myself. I am going to have to be responsible for what goes in my mouth every day. And that if I choose to have bad stuff on a regular basis, I won't get to goal and weight will creep back until I probably weigh what I did to start with. It happens. Knowing that I will have to make that choice helps me face it now, while it's easier. At only three months out, it is still easier to not overeat or eat bad stuff. I'm hoping getting these good habits now will help me later when I can eat more.

Second, I set myself up for success at home. I'm careful to keep foods I like that are healthy at home. I don't care if they cost more or they are a pain to find and I have to drive around to get them or order them online. And I don't buy stuff I like that is bad for me. Not that it's not here: hubby loves snacks and he buys stuff, but it's easier to resist if he gets it. And few of our favorites are identical, so mostly it's not my favorites that get brought in.

Third, I do enjoy eating out or going to parties. But I eat only a bite or two of the bad foods and I eat protein first so there is less room. Also, I concentrate on having fun instead of the food.

Fourth, I'm not currently tracking what I eat (except protein), but if my weight loss slows or stops or if I hit goal and my weight creeps up, I will return to tracking.

Finally, if all else fails, I plan to ask for sessions with my bariatric program psychologist. That's what they are there for!

Who knows if I will succeed at getting to goal and staying there as the years go by. But if I don't, it won't be from lack of planning :-)

Lynda