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

rainbow - I am the same way.  Completely addicted when it comes to food.  It's like heroine to me.  If I eat at McDonalds once I will go again and again.  The same with cookies...I will eat the whole package.  I just stay away from those foods that trigger these behaviors in me...because once I start I can't stop!!!  I have a feeling this will be the way I am forever. 

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. 

I agree!! I was too scared for the first year to even eat or drink certain things even WHEN I had doctor approval. I can't tell you how long it took to try a bite of pizza or take a sip of soda. I did it eventually but never in the beginning and now that kind of stuff is disgusting to me. I refused to lose control and give in. I needed to take that time and learn why I ate my way to 300+ pounds. I vowed that I needed to be a success, otherwise there would have been no point in going through surgery!

I can understand your irritation, but I have to say I would never have surgery with a surgeon who had those rules!  It amazes me the different rules every surgeon seems to have.  And I'll be honest with you, because of that I pretty much follow my own rules.  I do follow the basic rules of no soda, no water 30-60 minutes after eating, small bites, etc., but I don't follow rules that I see no reason to follow.  My dr. says no straws, but I still use straws.  I don't have a problem with them.  The registered dieticia my dr. uses who gave us the food laws we were to follow told us to have a protein shake EVERY day forever.  While others say after you're on solids you should get all your protein thru foods, not liquids.  Sometimes I have a shake, other days I don't.  I got a band to eat like a normal person.  That doesn't mean an automatic ban of certain foods.  There are certain foods I don't eat anymore, some because I choose not to and some because my band won't let me, but I choose what I eat.  Maybe I'll lose slower than some because I might make poor choices sometimes, but that's up to me and I'm happy with it.  I don't measure or weigh my foods either.  Another rule I'm breaking per the RD.  Maybe I'm just a rule breaker and some of those you overhear might be like me.  Who knows.

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"! :-(

I agree with some of the others you have to find your own way during this process.  I wouldn't want some doc telling me no more carbs for the first yr expect through fruit or veggies I wouldn't make it and that is the honest truth .

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 .

.

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. 

As someone who has been in 12 step programs for a long time I totally agree with everything you have posted.  And have found your honesty about kicking up your food plan and exercise program with excellent results to be very inspiring---I'll be trying Zumba on Monday morning.  The band part of my journey is very new but the recognition that I have a disease/addiction has been with me for a long time---and food addiction is very very tough---harder than other addictions I can tell you from experience. 

Keep sharing your journey---I for one am paying very close attention!
Thanks
Harmony

Hi Harmony-This reminds me of something my sponser tells me-she says that I have a disease and when I am eating properly then that disease is at bay but all the while it is over in the woods doing pushups=getting stronger as I move further away from a trigger (insert food, alcohol, shopping, gambling)my disease is lying in wait for me. I must always remain vigilant-