good morning!!!!!!!!! before i start this thread....u all are looking sooooooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!! i'm seeing more and more loss everyday on here!!!!!!!!!!!! u all are amazing!!!!!!!!!! so here it goes....i have completely changed the way i eat....don't get me wrong i enjoy what i eat....but its a complete change...no bread...no pasta...no fast food...(i do treat myself to el pollo loco every friday...1 chicken breast...1 side of small pinto beans...and sometimes i go all out to my favorite mexican food restaurant and eat a WHOLE TABLESPOON OF GUACAMOLE....lol...thats my cake...chocolate ....cookie) other then my occasional treats...i eat very healthy...my best friend had weight loss surgery she stills eats fast food...mac and cheese...starbuck fraps...hasnt really changed her eating habits....yes she eats a lot less...but just a lot less of the same food that got her to need weight loss surgery....but here's my question (finally...lol) is it better to completely change ur eating habits...well u eventually get tired of it ?????? or is it better to incorporiate unhealthy foods into ur diet?????? i look at it two ways...eventually ur going to hit a plateau and stop losing...if u havent changed ur eating habits...there is a good possibility ur weight will come back...on the other hand well u stay eating healthy (i know its up to each individual)...i'm starting to worry that i've been eating so healthy that if eventually i eat a small portion of mac and cheese i'll blow up again...or is that just my yo-yo dieter's frame of my mind???????????

i am almost 8 weeks out, and I, like many of u, have made some changes. I don't crave chips and stuff like that, but I am a big fan of sweets. My stratagy has been to allow myself something small everyday. If I have a latte from starbucks, that is the treat for the day. My portions are only 4 oz at a time, so I try to make my meals healthy. I do on occation have popcorn for a treat, but I find that I stay away from fast food joints ( with the exception og wendys chili)... it's all about balance for me. I won't weigh in until friday, so I don't know how much ive lost this week, but Ive been losing about 2-3lbs a week, and am very happy with that.

I try to keep with the "all in moderation" plan of action. I don't want to crave something and then deprive myself and then go hog wild.

good luck to all,

amy

Myself personally I eat healthy most of the time. But if I'm at a party or a family meal I do induldge a bit . But one of the great things about the band for me is even when I'm bad I can't be anywhere near as I was in the past. I used to be one of those people that just liked to eat. And was always on the go so I'd mindlessly stuff things in my mouth. I think the biggest benefit of the band to me so far is teaching me to eat slowly , chew and really enjoy my food. I was at a birthday party last Saturday . I ate a small piece of cake. Because I took my time I really enjoyed it. I was every bit as satisfied with that piece as I used to be with one 3x the size. Actually maybe even more so because I didn't feel all guilty afterwards I think a big part of this journey for slot of is establishing an eating pattern that's healthy but dosent control every aspect of life. So my advice to anyone is if you have a nagging cravingis to satisfy it and be done with it. For me part of getting thin is leading a normal life. And even the thinnest , healthiest people I know all believe in an occasional treat.

Jennifer I agree with u totally... i was a grazer and now I am so much more mindful of my eating habits. and its hard to feel guilty with such small amounts of food!

amy