Thursday, March 28, 2013

JUST STOP IT!

Every night for the past 4 nights, I've overeaten at dinner and felt lousy afterwards.  Like right now.  Breakfast and lunch haven't been too bad because I've been eating at my desk and working between bites, but when dinner hits the table I just can't seem to control myself.  I've decided I NEED some itty bitty forks to control my bite sizes.  And it might not hurt to count the number of times I chew.  I don't know...any suggestions? 
I also keep forgetting not to drink before & after meals.  I kind of suck at being banded  :)
See, this was waaaay too much food for me!  But Fattie Mon insists that I load my plate up and eat it till it's gone.  I didn't actually finish all of this...BF was happy to help me out...but I did eat too much of it.

12 comments:

  1. It sounds like you have a couple of good ideas already to try at least : smaller fork, dish up a smaller amount to start with (maybe even weigh/measure the portion?), count chews, stop drinking before/after.

    Some other ideas...you say you are starving by dinner...are you waiting too long to eat? Would a protein drink (I was going to say a cheese stick or few nuts..then remembered nope, not yet!) or a few bites of yogurt or something help as a snack between lunch and dinner? Are you drinking enough between meals? Can you come up with any other reasons you might be eating more/faster/less mindfully at dinner...like could it be because you are eating with BF and feel more rushed, or have TV on or...? Would a smaller plate help, or dishes that control portion size? (I have little bowls that measure 2 and 4 oz).

    Finally, I think you need to not be so critical on yourself, the fact you are thinking about it and noticing it is great! It looks like the types of food (by the pic, lol) you are eating are super, and it is a million changes to make, and not every successful bandster makes every change - you will find what works. Meaning maybe you don't need to do every one of those changes, but you will find the ones you absolutely DO need to change - or which ones you need to change for NOW, and which you can gradually let go of. Maybe for NOW you count chews, but not later....or itty forks now, but not later..?

    Detective work! You are doing so great, and going to continue to rock this out!! You got this!! You have to learn to use this new tool - unfortunately we don't get to practice with it until we just have it!! YOU DO NOT SUCK!

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  2. Everything Cheri said. You are WAY TOO EARLY in this game to be feeling like you've failed or that you suck. I am so glad that many people at my surgeon's office, on multiple occasions, thought to remind me that having the Lap Band comes with a serious learning curve. AT LEAST six months of living with it and working with it and figuring it out. I'm almost 5 months out and still learning about things.

    Nobody expects you to be perfect out of the gate. As far as things that have helped me? I found a set of mini appetizer utensils that I used for the first few months. (I found them at Kohl's, but have also seen them at Bed Bath and Beyond.) Also, like Cheri suggested - smaller plates. I NEVER use a full-sized dinner plate anymore. It's always a saucer. And another thing that has REALLY, REALLY helped me is to take the time to cut up my food into right sized bites before I eat ANYTHING. I know they say that you eat faster this way, but it works the opposite for me. And I have more of a problem with right-sized bites than I do with fast eating anyway.

    You will get there. In the meantime, try not to beat yourself up for not being an expert. It's like learning a new instrument or a foreign language - you're never going to be perfect at it the first time you try. Give yourself some time and some slack. :-)

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  3. I went to World Market and got tasting plates and appetizer utensils. It makes a HUGE difference mentally to see the food laid out like that. Makes you feel like it's more than it is - it's horrible when you lay it out on a huge plate and you think "that's it??"

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  4. Everything they said! It's a huge learning curve, lots of things to remember, but you'll get to the point where you don't even think about it anymore. I put a post-it note on my cabinet to remind me to always get smaller plates. I bought little 1/4 cup ramekin bowls for my sides, and I measure and weigh everything when I'm home.
    But remember, you also don't have a ton of restriction yet, and your normal hunger is going to start coming back. So, you're still going to want more food than you will once you start getting regular adjustments. You'll get there!

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  5. Everything they've said, but DEFINITELY don't wait too long to eat. For me, that is a recipe for disaster! When I get too hungry, I eat too much, too fast, and most of the time it comes right back up!

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  6. You guys rock. Thanks for putting it in perspective for me. You all make some very good points...I think this weekend I shall venture out and get some kids' dinnerware :) And maybe try to be a little more patient with myself. But UGH, I have actually gained back a couple of the pounds I lost last week. LAME!!!

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  7. Look at my weight record under my "Progress Pics" tab. The week after surgery I lost almost 3 pounds, then the very next week, I gained them back, and kept them on for yet ANOTHER week. It's all bandster hell related. Like Kay said, even though you have the band, you don't have any restriction, so you're still hungry like you were pre-band. Eventually, with band maintenance, it starts to move in the right direction. Remember - weight loss with the band is a slower process than with other methods! Hang in there!

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  8. Monica - You are not lame and stop calling your self Fattie Mon. Seriously, I'm going to kick you in the butt the next time I see you. Love you and knock off the negative talking to yourself! Remember when Chandler Bing thought he was listening to a smoking cessation tape at night but it turned out to be a tape about becoming a stronger woman....I am going to find one for you.

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    1. Hahahahaha I totally remember that one! Best show ever :)

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  9. It takes practice you will get there. I got stuck a bunch as a reminder. I so hope you dont have that issue. Do you weigh and measure your food? I weigh and measure everything. I also track calories, fat, sugar and protein daily. Also use the small utensils and don't take more than 2 - 3 oz of protein. If it's not on the plate you wont eat it. At least that works for me :)

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  10. you can't fail before you really start. while you are waiting for your first fill, use this time to practice the portion control that you will live with the rest of your life. six weeks is a long time to be unrestricted and dependent on yourself for monitoring your food intake--but you can do it (assume first fill at 6 weeks because mine is--but you might be sooner depending on your surgeon).

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  11. Hey, I didn't read everyone's comments. But first, you're fine. Breathe.

    Ok. Second, whenever you portion something out, half it. Then if you're still hungry, go back for more. Also, slow down and listen to your body. I have a terrible time of stopping when I'm full, but if I eat slower, then I notice that my tummy's full. So I take a few more bites, then put a napkin over my plate. Seriously. It works!! Helps from not picking at it more and shoving unwanted crap in your mouth.

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