Help

I get no sign what so ever to show me I have had enough to eat.That is mostly after having no idea what to eat.....I just cannot seem to know what to eat....

No soft stop and well,the hard stop comes about 20 minutes after I have stopped eating.I get a pressure pain in my stomach and back(area where stomach is)

I now know already that this happens too often but do I stop eating after I get the "idea" that I have had enough?No.......and so the pain comes and well,I have to sit it out....

Stupid.The problem is will I ever learn?

I had one fill and well,some restriction if I should use it correctly......

What do you all do with your heads?

I have fine days and terrible days but it is so exhausting that I sometimes wonder what have I done?This is never going to work.........and then well....I try again because what can I do now?

How did you all manage to lose weight?

Look at how much you have lost. It is working. You must be quitting sooner than you used to - maybe just not soon enough.

I am also struggling with eating too much so I am really trying to stop when I feel satisfied. I have decided I"m like a goat or a horse and don't want to stop until its all gone. So I'm making/getting/planning less food. If I am still starving, I can have a few bites more. Generally, what I've been doing is going for a walk and then it I am still hungry afterwards I eat a little more. I know that's not what the plan says but its my method for controlling myself this week.

Good luck and don't beat yourself up. You have obviously done something right to get this far.

RQ has a great suggestion, Desertmom. It really is hard, very hard to know how much is really enough, especially if you're one of those people who gets the "enough" signal only after those two or three more bites than was necessary. I'm one of those people too, and it's been the biggest challenge.

Taking less food on your plate is a great way to start. Then really pay attention to the subtle cues your body/band is giving you that you are near the end of your meal. Do you have to take a deep breath at some point? Like a sigh, almost? Or do you yawn or hiccup? These are the "soft stop" cues that some people get--with me it's the deep breath. When that happens I just push my plate aside and resolve to wait five minutes. If I have to get up from the table and walk away, I do that. Often I'll go to the bathroom, or to get the mail, or some other little errand that has been waiting.

More often than not when I get back I'm able to leave the rest of the meal there. Or maybe I'll take only one more bite. The idea is to really put your observational skills to work and try to find out how your band sends you the signal that you have had enough and your pouch is full--BEFORE you take too many more bites and over-fill it. If you do that, of course, you'll know it the hard way.

I know this sounds silly but then again, look whos typing this. I am an eater. I didn't eat all day long but when I sat down to eat I ate. Without a fill I find I can eat about 2/3 of what I use to eat. So what I do is make my plate and cover half of it with a napkin. I then only eat what is visable. So I get the satisfaction of making the plate the way I used to but the napkin forces me to evaluate how I feel after I have eaten the visable portion. Sometimes I will leave the table and come back after a couple of minutes. If still hungry I may uncover a slight portion and then follow the same procedure. More often then not I find I am satisfied. Like I said it sounds silly but it works for me.

Eat to Survive.......................

Desertmom, that's one of the great things about the band, it helps provide the dicipline!

I get no sign what so ever to show me I have had enough to eat.That is mostly after having no idea what to eat.....I just cannot seem to know what to eat....

I'm not sure if I'm reading your post right. You are having a difficult time knowing WHAT to eat in addition to WHEN to stop eating?

Sorry if I don't make any sence, but I'm sort of loopy these days.

If you are having a difficult time knowing WHEN to stop, then I think the suggestions of setting the timer for 20 miniutes is a good idea and might work well for you. As soon as the little timer goes DING! You stop eating. I also like Mike's suggestion about the napkin. That might work well for you too.

As for WHAT to eat... Well, get your hard Proteins in first. then your veggies, then your carbs. If you are still hungery, then have more vegies. The serving size that Jessie suggests to use is a tuna can size for your food.

If you are having menu planning issues, that is something else. I know that we've had several threads on menus and meal planning. Perhaps if you don't see anything that works there for you, you could start a new thread?

hi

Ok, I suppose that I do get a very strong clue to stop eating.It is not physical however and is therefore more easily ignored.I read a book with the title "I can make you thin" by Paul McKenna and it is really amazing if you practice the principals of the book.

1.Eat only when you are hungry.......stomach not head. 2.Eat what you want to not what you think you should eat. (one only wants junk the first few times and for some reason you then want real food.....)3.Eat consiously and enjoy ever mouthful 4.When you THINK you are full,stop eating.

The one thing that changed in me since reading that is that I definately get a THOUGHT that I am full and should stop eating sometime while I am still busy eating.I guess that should be my signal to stop.

I dont want to because I still have an issue with wanting to eat just for the sake of eating.......

What confuses me about the WHAT TO EAT is that when I ate what I wanted I lost weight for a good while but then I started wanting more again and started eating what I think I should have.Protein,veg,carb.....and I stalled immediately.....and I started eating way to much......

Look I suppose having to work so hard for every pound is also something new to me.....I have always lost weight very fast on Atkins but now I just dont lose fast no matter what I do.....(only exercise really helps to lose faster)

The point is that ALL OF YOU ARE RIGHT.....OK?

I just find dealing with all this very tough.I just cannot deal with all the issues I have with eating...or not eating.....and me being so into all the pop psycology and having studied psycology always able to identify everybody's issues so fast, being so in touch with myself and all (LOL) dont know how to say no to myself and get like a naughty stubborn child when I cannot eat....

So, enough said.I am no different from anyone else.My issues are huge and difficult.I am bored,low drive and lazy to boot and I know that ONLY I CAN CHANGE THESE THINGS.And that sucks sometimes.....not having a quick fix.When the scale goes down all is well but when it doesnt I go nuts.

Having this forum and seeing myself being so pathetic is good therapy.I am ashamed of myself and will cheer up and do the right things....

Thanks for good advice and I will start implimenting some of the strategies.(and thanks for allowing a whine.........