A bandster pet peeve
I really do believe that if we are to live with this for life, we all need to find our own individual ways! I could always lose pounds - by depriving myself! But this is the first time in my life I have been able to maintain that loss! I'm not good at deprivation!
Kate
Highest 290, Banded - 248 Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.
Happily banded since May 2006. Regain of 28lbs 2013-14. ALL GONE!
But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,
I also find the longer I stay away from something the less of a pull I have toward it. Like soda...I know longer want soda anymore...but I would never drink it again because I would go right back to what I was before...a total soda-holic
Then, without question cmagouirk, you are a true carb addict, and it's excellent that you know and acknowledge that fact. It is the first step to recovery. The next step is to educate yourself in order to acquire the tools to overcome your addiction. If you would like to read a couple of books around this subject, I'd recommend
1) In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts (Dr. Gabor Mate), and
2) The End of Overeating - Taking Control of the Insatiable North American Appetite (David Kessler, MD)
The first book helped me understand my addiction and the second book explained to me how the companies that package our foods conspire, for the sake of the almighty dollar, to make and keep us addicted to the sugar, salt and fat in those foods.
We CAN beat this monkey on our back, but we have to acknowledge and understand it first. Sounds to me like you are already halfway there.
~*Ashley*~ Highest weight: 330ish Current weight: 198
We all take our own path on this journey. Congrats to you for doing so well with the rules and with the band. I wouldn't worry about those others. They're just finding their own way and hopefully if their way doesn't work, they'll find another way. This journey has a lot of twists and turns, but hopefully we all get to the place we want to be.
cat
What I find even more frustrating is those that DON'T follow the rules.............but excell with the band. I mean I want everyone to do well. We all got this for the same reason. But it does annoy me when some don't follow the rules and just drop the weight off effortlessly and I followed the rules and have had to struggle with no "sweet spot"! :-(
Like Cat said I didn't get the band to say I cant eat this food or I cant eat that food that isn't what the band is designed for the band is to help you limit your food intake not to ban you on foods .
Eating pizza isn't what got me fat well it it is, but what got me fat was sitting down and eating half of a pizza and a large sub that is what got me fat , not the food itself because I had no control over how much I eat.
Like tomorrow for Superbowl Sunday I'm having a slice of pizza and some wings am I going to feel guilty absolutely not because I can eat one slice have two or three wings and I am happy and it will keep me full for a good 4-6 hrs . I dont think there is anything wrong with that. I eat pizza as a treat once a month because it is one of my favorite foods and once a month eating pizza isn't going to put weight on me .
I havent given up any of my carbs I eat bread twice a week which is low carb bread , I eat baked potatoes but I eat them food within my cup of food I am allowed .
I dont eat pasta because its my choice not because of the band but just because of the carbs but if I wanted to I could .
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I havent given up anything I use to enjoy I eat all my favorites in moderation and I watch how often I eat them foods.
Last night my son had a sleepover and I got them 2 lg pizzas that was so tempting to eat a piece pizza is my downfall but I held my ground 1st i wasn't hungry and number 2 I knew I was having pizza for the Superbowl .
My doc knows what I have been eating but heck what can he say I'm losing anywhere from 8-9 pounds per month and that is with a empty band , not much he can say to me lol.
I just believe the band is a tool to help with portion control , its not in me to ban me from foods .
Its all about moderation not deprivation !!!!!
Well I agree with moderation I also must remind you that a lot of people get be obese because moderation is an issue. I did get 350+ pounds because I kept thinking "moderation" is ok...but then would end up eating way too much and end up kicking myself. So there are some things I have to deprive myself from for that very reason. I am thinking a lot of us have this obsessive food problem. I CAN'T just eat one cookie...I want 20!!!
I did actually try to follow my doctor's strict first year rules and of course I cheated...a lot..but I didn't lose much of anything. Now I am following his rules to the tee and I'm losing lots. I did recently expand on the carbs on the advice of my nut because of my intense exercise routine. But her advice is healthy carbs... like whole grain bread or applesauce no added sugar. No carbs via cookies and candy. My nut is also strict but I'm glad because she had me cut all processed foods...no frozen dinners or canned food. The food I make (via crock pot or other quick fixes) is lots yummier and doesn't have all of the chemicals and preservatives the premade stuff has....and I control the amount of sodium that goes into the food too. She had me change over to organic so I don't get hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and other chemicals in my food. My nut has opened my eyes to a different way of eating.
For me deprivation works for me...but I don't call it deprivation. When you have the relationship I have with food you wouldn't call it deprivation.... no more than you would say a drug addict depriving himself of heroine. With my food behaviors I was killing myself just like a drug addict (maybe slower) but I was killing myself. I think a lot of people are like me if they are honest with themselves. And if you aren't losing weight maybe you do need to cut the pasta out of your diet. And that was what I was complaining about. People who don't lose weight and cheat but wonder why they aren't losing weight or blame the surgeon or the band. That is what I said irritates me. Not people who are maintaining or losing weight just fine and have their little moderations once in awhile.
Keep sharing your journey---I for one am paying very close attention!
Thanks
Harmony