I would like to know how many men are losing the battle of eating what is right and what is wrong. My battle is thinking that I can still eat the before food and still lose weight. When I go to the grocery with my wife and buy a simple pound of lunch meat for sandwiches, I end up litteraly living near the fridge. I end up going back to the old ways of eating like a old boar hog. After finishing the old way of eating food that I know is wrong, I feel like I have wasted my time. Then I go for a days eating like I should and lose weight. But the the little guy on my shoulder says Hey it's alright to go back and try some of that old food. Guess what I gain back what I lost. So I am looking for others that have been here and have changed their ways to eating right all the time. So let me hear from the men on this site.

Fitzie,

I’m not very far into this journey, but I have my own internal plan for success (which basically is to dramatically reduce my daily caloric intake). My problem has always been with volume. I have eaten my share of bad foods that helped to get me to where I am but the one thing that really packed on the pounds for me was the quantities that I would eat. I am looking to the lapband (and so far it working) to help me drastically cut my portion size down.

One of the things that always contributed to my diet failures in the past was the restrictions – can’t eat this can’t eat that. I know there are restrictions with this lifestyle, but they seem more palatable to me than what I have gone thru in the past. Since my portions are much smaller now, and I seem full longer, I feel like I am less likely to go overboard. I fell like this tool lets me eat the food I like (within reason) and the band keeps the portion size down. I have been eating between 1200 and 1600 calories a day (with what I consider to be tasty meals) and have been losing .2 - .6 pounds a day (which might actually be too much too soon). Some days I have eaten meals that are not physically bigger, but do have more calories. On those days, my loss usually stalls or I gain about half a pound.

For me, that one day stall is ok about once a week just to give myself a little satisfaction. The trick for me is to not overdo it during that one meal, and to make sure not to let it go past one meal. I want to give myself a treat, not start a trend. I also am a big fan of weighing myself daily. If I did treat myself the night before and have a stall or gain, I let the band help my get things back in control quickly.

Hey Fitzie.

I think it all comes down to self discipline (I know that's difficult to hear, and probably not at all what you wanted to hear). It's not that you should never splurge on an occasional treat.......it's just that you have to go into it knowing that you'll have to make up for it somewhere down the line (via increased exercise, decreased calorie consumption, or both!!).

Perhaps I don't have the healthiest outlook though, lol.

great topic... something I needed to read as I am going through the same thing right now... right vs. wrong.

I have found lots of food that "gets around the band" aka... I can eat more and not worry about that "oh crap... i ate too much feeling". I have realized that the problem is not the band, but its what I am eating. The band works... and it works great... I was 280 and now I am 235... but I am bouncing around the 235 mark, not because I am eating too much, but because I am eating too much of the wrong things... and not excesizing.

So... thanks for the post and I am going to start posting my day to day to get back on track... I will not clog up this forum though... I will start a new thread.

Thanks... this board rocks!

I run about a 1000 calorie defecit per day, and haven't lost anything in one month. I have had a lot of sugar free chocolate cravings, but I account for the calories. I am getting frustrated....a month of doing everything right and averaging 1200 calories a day, and no net weight loss!!!!!!!

Fitzie - you do not mention when you were banded or if / how many fills you have had. Band is like an internal control mechanism for me - reminds me when I begin eating too much (eating goes from subconcious to concious) and then I stop. Maybe you need a fill ?

I can only speak for myself. I've done really well. My eating is incredibly structured. I weigh and/or measure everything. I've also created a list of "never again" foods for me that include: most sweets, deep fried foods, sausage and bacon. For the most part, I've followed my list. I occasionally will have Italian sausage if I'm eating out, but the only sweets that I've had since August have been sugar free pudding or sugar free popcicles.

I don't know why I've done well, because I've had plenty of times of being on diets and losing the battle. I guess it's just the right time for me. I will say that I live in constant fear of falling off the wagon and getting back to where I was, and I know that it's definitely a day by day thing for me.

Bryan

I agree with everything that Kartman said. For me I didn't want to be told there are things I could never eat. If I want a cookie - I have a cookie. But now I eat one or two - not a bag of oreos in a sitting.

Couple of other things

Early on I measured out my food. This helped me learn what a portion should look like. I had no idea and the food industry in the US doesnt help.

Also don't allow yourself to eat next to the fridge. Measure out what your going to eat - put the food away and eat. I find if I leave the food out, I eat mindlessly.

Think about why you're eating. Are you actually hungry or is it for lack of anything better to do. If so find a hobby, take a walk - drink some water.

I was banded on dec.08, 08 in Harrisburg. I go for my 2nd fill on the 24th of this month. I am going to have the Dr put as much as possible in me to get me off this plateau of slowing weight loss. Will keep you informed as of how i do.

I also struggle with this constantly. A little thing that I have done when I feel the need to pig out or eat something unhealthy, I punish (maybe the wrong word) myself by going to the gym even if I have already been that day. Believe me 45 minutes on the elyptical will cure that craving. Might not work for everyone but it has helped me. My mind now tells me if you want taco bell you have to go the gym first.

One suggestion. I'm still learning how to tell when I'm "really" full after so many years of eating way past the point of satiety. So I weigh everything I eat. Never have a meal with more than 4-5 ounces of food, and never eat any more frequently than two hours between meals or snacks. What I know is that 4-5 ounces fills me up, so I don't try to make myself gague when I'm "really" full. I'm learning to recognize the signs, but for me, right now, it's really useful to have the food measured out so I know when I should be full.

Fritzie,

Based on your fill history I'd contend that you are not at restriction yet. This is often the toughest time, because your mind wants you to be losing immediately after surgery (or the next few months after) yet the band is not adjusted to give you the restriction that it eventually will. The beauty of restriction is that it keeps you from eating too much at any one sitting. Yes, over time you can learn how to "game" the restriction, but for me restriction was an "ah-ha" moment. I finally understood what the band's true function was.

Before I felt restriction I just considered myself on a diet and didn't expect to lose massive amounts of pounds during this period. In fact, not gaining was the main goal - though I did lose 10-15 pounds over the first 2+ months. The first month after I felt restriction I lost 13 pounds (and it was the month of Dec!).

Finally, while we all have different ways to work the "mental" part of eating; weighing daily, guilt, measuring and weighing food, exercise, willpower, etc., I try to remember that this is a marathon not a sprint. I didn't get to 300 pounds overnight and I'm not going to get all the weight off overnight either. If I decide to eat or drink something, I make that choice and try to enjoy it in the moment. If I feel guilty while I'm doing it, what's the point - there's no enjoyment for me. I know that if I enjoy it without guilt, I won't feel as compelled the next day to "do it again", that's just what works for me.

For me, being obese was such a helpless, negative and hopeless feeling. Now that I have taken the positive step with the band, and I have seen some success, I really try to feel empowered, hopeful and happy. I still find my brain saying, "well you've lost 60 pounds, but you won't lose 20, 30 or 40 more, so you're a loser". But that's a tough line to swallow - since I have seen the results and I know 6 months from now I will weigh less than I do today - I don't know if it will be 5# or 50#, but I do know I will.

My finale thought (I know I've already gone on and on) is this - the body is a very complex thing, you can eat 1000 calories a day for 2 weeks and not lose any weight, then you have 5 shots of Tequila one night and lose 5 pounds. I don't believe there's an immediate, direct correlation between what you did and the scale. Over time you will see the results, but I don't need to see it everyday to keep me on track. Tomorrow's another day, a new day with zero calories consumed - and therefore a new beginning.

That's my opinion, but I could be wrong