Since being banded, I've been really trying to watch what I eat. I try to make good choices in food and I measure everything. And now I can't help but think, it's NO wonder I was so fat when I started this journey! My portion sizes were totally out of control!!! And I had NO idea until I started reading labels and measuring all of my food. Wow! I can't wait until I reach the "green" zone so that my band will do all of the measuring for me but, until then, I'll keep reading labels and measuring my food for sure. This has definitely been an eye-opening experience for me!

I did the same thing. I plugged in a typical pre band day into myfitnesspal and was horrified by how much I was truly consuming. I ate like 4,000 plus calories some days. Ugh.

I'm almost horrified to think of how many calories I was consuming in a day. I can tell you this, we used to eat out a lot and having looked up nutrition information for all of my old favorites, I know that I frequently consumed well over 1000-1500 calories in 1 sitting.

I often think the same thing!! It's truly amazing what we learn on this journey. I also never used to consider myself a stress or emotional eater. HA! Now that I actually pay attention to what I'm eating, it's insane how many times I STILL wander into the kitchen in search of comfort when I'm stressed. I can't even imagine how many mindless calories I consumed in my pre-band days!

The first week post-op was eye opener for me. Every other commercial is a food or restaurant and showing portions that could feed a small army.

Glad to see you have journeyed to the small side!

Yes, it is an eye opener. I didn't realize just how much we overeat until taking this journey. I can't help but look at what others eat and I just want to say, "Oooo, you're going to eat all that?" But I don't. I just do what I'm supposed to do. I no longer count calories or measure my food. After a while, you pretty much know how much you can and cannot eat.

Edited January 24, 201412 yr by Lady VS

I really saw how much I was overeating the first time I measured a serving of cereal and poured it in a bowl. I know my normal bowl was 2-3 times more.

I seem to be eating a quarter of what I used to consume -- as far as how much on a plate, etc. And I was certainly eating more frequently, too.

If someone had shown me what I would be eating in a typical day, as far as the ...quantity and portion size, and then tell me I would not experience any hunger on top of that, always feeling satisfied, and have no desire or interest in eating - cravings, ....PLUS having more energy that I know what to do with....

I would have said that they were full of you know what, and that they were trying to sell me on a scam! There is no way a person can survive on so little and still be so healthy, and never hungry?

I would have read into this as no different than those "Miracle" diet cures, pills, gizmos, whatever, advertised on TV everyday....

What were they smoking????

And yet....there it is....it really is real, and amazing to say the lest...it does work!

I used to eat an entire LARGE pizza, with toppings, all by myself every Friday night, and wash it down with plenty of soda or beer....NOW, it is impossible to eat 1/2 slice, so I don't even bother anymore....and that is but one example....

Me and my friends were once asked to leave an "All you can eat" steak restaurant...I don't eat meat anymore....

Edited January 24, 201412 yr by B-52

Yup, it's amazing how little I eat now. I didn't realize that my portions were out of control either cause everyone around me were consuming the same quantities. My child eats more than me, he just giggles at the food portions on my saucer. I think as a whole America has become super sized from super sized portions, it's so obvious that the acceptable portion sizes are HUGE. If you eat a truly normal portion, and leave food on your plate, the waitress thinks something is wrong. It's definitely been an eye opener since becoming banded. But I'm so happy I took the first step to begin a journey of a thousand miles