Lisa O.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

It's not that big!  I took these pictures the other day while waiting for my fill.  This is the model that always sticks in my mind when I think about portion size.  It's not that much room!  Of course the pouch stretches to accomodate what your are eating, but if you constantly over fill that pouch, (the bulge above the band), it eventually will lose elasticity and will get larger and larger.  Once the pouch gets wider than the band width I believe that's what they call a pouch dialation.  Constant pressure from over-filling the pouch pushes down on the band and over time can cause your band to slip. 




This is the model of the Realize band.  I like this one because it shows, off to the left, a variety of opening sizes created from different fill levels.  My PA says that ultimately the opening for good restriction is the size of a dime, so I guess that would be the 3rd or 4th example going down.  Restriction keeps food in your pouch longer so you stay as full as possible and should be able to go 4 hours without feeling hungry.  You can see from this example how liquid calories will still go right through the band opening, or at leas a lot faster than dense food choices and that's why you don't stay as full as long.


Interesting stuff, huh?

Lisa O.

Starting weight:  221.4
Goal by Easter:   207.4

Feb. 15-
Feb. 22-
Mar. 1-
Mar.  8-
Mar. 15-
Mar.  22-
Mar.  29-

I've done some recent work with a "Life Coach" that specializes in weight loss.  She believes this comes from the years of conditioning, that many obese people have been exposed to, that for one reason or another lead us to believe that we are not good enough, perfect enough, pretty enough, etc. to deserve to be thin.  She says it begins usually very early on, often started by our interpretation of things said to us by our families, schoolmates, etc., and then is picked up and perpetuated by us!  We take up the belief and it becomes "Our Truth", when actually it's someone elses.  What I'm workiing on is using my mantra to override this lifetime of conditioning.  I KNOW I'm good enough, succesfull enough, etc. I have to remind myself of this over and over again and often! 

So for all of you that have bought into a lifetime of conditioning or have adopted someone elses perception as your own, repeat after me...."I AM ENOUGH!"  Whatever "YOUR TRUTH" is repeat it often and believe!

the sugar craving

We’ve all experienced it -- the quiet voice in our head that convinces us to hit the local 7-11 at midnight for a chocolate bar or another helping of pie after dinner. Let’s face it: Sugar makes us happy and most people who claim to be addicted to sweets will tell you this. Sounds funny, right? Actually, it’s truer than you think.

Recent studies prove that humans are programmed from an early age to crave sugar. And once the body has experienced sugar’s sweet rewards, it does not take much time for it to be officially addicted.

The sugar addiction begins at birth. Human breast milk is very sweet, so even infants begin to recognize the pleasurable feeling they get from sweet foods.

But what causes the craving?

After eating a sugary treat, the brain releases natural chemicals called opioids, which give the body a feeling of intense pleasure. The brain then recognizes this feeling and begins to crave more of it.

Researchers have identified that there are certain areas in the brain (specifically, the hippocampus, the insula and the caudate) that are activated when one craves sugar.

There is also scientific evidence that shows that these same areas of the brain are activated when drug addicts crave drugs; which proves how “real” a sugar addiction can be.

the sugar rush

So, what exactly happens in your body when you consume sugar?

After sugar enters the bloodstream, blood sugar levels rise, causing the pancreas to release insulin (insulin is needed to convert sugar into energy).

When a large amount of sugar is consumed, more insulin is released. The insulin converts the sugar into an instant energy source -- which explains the jolt or “high” you get from a donut or a piece of cake. After high levels of insulin are released, blood sugar levels begin to decrease rapidly, resulting in the “crash” you feel shortly after eating a sugary treat.

In addition to converting sugar into energy, insulin also stimulates the storage of fat. Therefore, the more sugar you eat, the more insulin you produce, and consequently, the more likely it is that you will gain weight.

Along with obesity and tooth decay, sugar has also been linked to more serious health conditions, including increased mood swings, a depressed immune system and diabetes.

Find out why sugar and heroin addictions are similar, and how to kick your habit.

drugs and sugar

As mentioned above, sugar activates the brain’s pleasure center, which releases opioids that fuel a craving for more sugar. Recent studies on cravings and addiction show that heroin and morphine produce the same chemicals in the brain.

Still think a sugar addiction is not serious?

The same studies show that sugar also activates areas in the brain that reinforce behaviors. This means that -- similarly to a heroin addiction -- your body learns to want and need more of the substance that makes it feel good.

To prove this point, scientists provided humans with a compound to block opioid receptors in the brain. Shortly after receiving these compounds, people were less interested in sugary or sweet foods.

the science behind the addiction

Studies from Princeton and the University of Minnesota involving rats reinforce how addictive sugar can be. When sugar was given to the rats, they exhibited addiction-like qualities, including intense cravings, withdrawal and bingeing symptoms. When the rats were weaned off sugar and then presented with the option to consume it again, nearly all of them exhibited typical relapse symptoms.

In addition to animal research, brain scans performed on human subjects showed that the sight of ice cream in normal patients generated the same feelings of pleasure in the brain as images of crack pipes did for crack addicts.

sugar in disguise

The average American consumes around 160 pounds of sugar each year. This is no surprise when you consider that sugar is in everything from ketchup to salad dressing and canned soup to deli meat.

Food marketers are great at incorporating sugar into many products under a variety of aliases. Common names for sugar can include sucrose, fructose, dextrose, and high-fructose corn syrup -- none of which actually sound like the word “sugar,” but essentially mean the same thing.

Throughout  your lifetime, it is probable that you have been eating more sugar than you were aware of; so ultimately, your body is probably already addicted.

Many of the foods that you probably consume every day are packed with sugar, including fruit juice, iced coffee and tea drinks, yogurt, wheat bread, and most breakfast cereals (even Bran Flakes and Special K have sugar in them).

Even if you have one can of regular (non-diet) soda, you are consuming nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is, approximately, the maximum recommended daily allowance.

Sugar does not give your body anything but a quick boost of energy -- it is completely devoid of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that you find in natural foods. Oh, and it makes you fat.

kick the craving

Although I realize that it is probably impossible to eliminate sugar from your diet entirely, I can help you limit your intake. Here are some tips:

•    Banish packaged products -- including those made with white flour -- and stick to food in its original form. Instead of canned fruit or juice, eat a piece of whole fruit.

•    Drink plenty of water throughout the day; you may be mistaking dehydration for hunger. 

•    Eat protein at every meal; it is digested more slowly than simple carbohydrates and will leave you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. You will therefore be more likely to resist the urge to eat dessert every night after dinner.

•    Give up your favorite sweet food for three weeks. It is likely that after three weeks, your tastes will have changed and your craving for sweets will not be as strong.

•    Resist impulse snacking. If you crave a donut, take 15 minutes to think about it or go for a walk instead. Chances are, that after this delay period, your craving will have subsided.

Most of you know by now that I recently had to get my band totally unfilled.  I was throwing up daily for 5 days because I kept trying to eat eventhough I should have gone on liquids after a particularly unpleasant experience I had PB'ing popcorn and other crap I ate at the movies.

I write this in interest of total disclosure because I'm aknowleging to you, my freinds, that this was mess was totally of my own creation and not some "flaw" of my Lap band. 

I've been goofing off and eating a lot of sweets since Christmas.  I am very addicted to sugar and haven't been able to get control of my carb addiction like I have in the past and have kept on eating chocolate, licorice, popcorn, cookies, etc.  The regime that helped me lose 115 lbs went out the window and I've been trying to get back in the groove for a few months now.  I had great restriction so the band did it's part in that it would stop me from eating too much in one sitting.  BUT I  CHOSE to abuse the tool and keep trying to eat, Pb, eat some more, Pb, etc.  I guess some would call this bulemia, and by definition I guess they'd be right,  but I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing but was caught up in the fog of denial.  I wasn't sticking my finger down my throat to throw up, but over-filling my band hoping that it would go down "this time".

So, I had to get honest with myself and after 5 days of tightness and not being able to"stop the madness" I went to the doctor and he unfilled my band for 6 days to let the swelling and irritation go down.  I'll start getting my band filled again on Tuesday but with new awareness.  I can't eat processed sugar.  It's just too hard for me to control and I will over and over again sabotage my desire to get healthy, physically and mentally, if I'm feeding my sugar addiction! 

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have fallen into this trap of pushing my band to the limit and causing stress on the tool I've been so blessed to have.  I'm not asking for others to confess, but if you are eating and pbing and eating some more, you need to stop before you ruin your band and the opportunity to do something about the obesity that plagues us.  "To thy own self be true."   I'm ready to get some therapy so this journey won't be wasted because I lost the weight but never worked on the issues I have with emotional eating.

Admitting there's a problem is the first step.  If this sounds familiar, be honest with yourself. 

butterfly shared this on the forum and I agree that it's a very good article so I wanted to keep it handy.

De-Stress in 3 Minutes or Less
Stop Emotional Eating Before It Starts
-- By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert-
What is the single, most common problem that most dieters face when trying to lose weight? Will power? Nah. Temptation? Sometimes. Emotional eating? Bingo! That’s why it takes so much more than good intentions and information about nutrition and exercise to be successful. The ability to manage difficult situations and feelings effectively—without turning to food and eating—is a necessary foundation for a successful weight loss plan and healthy lifestyle.

Fortunately, there are many proactive steps you can take to keep functioning on all your mental cylinders during tough times. These steps range widely from basic relaxation techniques to the development of a reliable support network. Other options include:

* Keeping a food journal to help you identify your emotional eating triggers
* Cultivating mental and emotional well-being through practices like meditation, mindfulness, massage, and yoga
* Developing good problem solving skills
* Turning to the Message Boards for help and support when you need it; offering help to others as a way to get your mind off your own troubles and gain a little perspective on things

But all of these things take time, and there are many instances when you need something you can do right now, to keep yourself grounded, focused and able to make good decisions. After all, you don’t always have time to take a walk, relax in a hot bath or call a friend to talk things over. That’s what we’ll be talking about here—a 3-minute trick for handling stressful situations in the moment.

Minute 1: Stay Grounded
Emotional eating happens when you lose your connection to your grounded self. Stress itself is not what makes you reach for something to eat. In fact, stress is often a good thing and your grounded self knows this! We need the physical stress of exercise to keep our bodies in good shape just as we need the stress of intellectual and emotional challenges to keep our minds healthy.

Nine times out of ten, what really leads to emotional eating is getting caught in a "mind storm" of worst-case scenarios, projections, misinterpretations, and all the emotional overreactions that come with these thoughts. This "storm" turns a manageable challenge into something that makes you feel helpless, overwhelmed, ashamed or afraid—and sends you to the kitchen to find something to stuff those extreme feelings. When you can stay grounded in the moment of stress, you have many more options.

Here are some simple ideas to keep you grounded when something (or someone) pushes your buttons and your feelings start to spiral out of control:

* Take a few deep breaths. (You can also count to 10, if that helps.) If the stressful situation involves someone else, take a timeout and agree to continue the discussion in a few minutes.
* Remind yourself where you are. Take a look around, noticing and naming the colors and shapes in the space around you.
* Notice the physical sensations you are experiencing. Whether it's a sinking feeling, turmoil in your stomach, tension in your hands or jaw, restricted breathing, or heat on the back of your neck, try to name the feelings that go with the sensation. Is that sinking feeling fear, or dread? Is the heat a symptom of anger?

The idea here is to stay in your body and in the moment—with what’s real—instead of going inside your mind where all those unreal scenarios are just waiting to get spun out-of-control.

Minute 2: Reality Check
Once you’re calm enough to start thinking productively, put all those thoughts that are clamoring for attention inside your head through a quick reality check. Here are several very common thought patterns that have no place in reality. Do any of these apply to you?

* All or nothing thinking
Example: You go over your calorie limit or eat something on your “forbidden” list, and then decide to keep eating because you’ve already “blown it” for today. Reality: Weight loss is not a one-day event. If you stop overeating now, you’ll gain less and have less to re-lose later. That’s something to feel good about!

* Reading your own thoughts into someone else’s words
Example: Someone made a mildly critical or unsupportive remark to you, and you feel completely devastated. Reality: The more bothered you are by such remarks, the more likely it is that you are being overly critical of yourself. When you treat yourself with respect, what others say won’t matter nearly so much.

* Either-Or thinking
Example: You make a mistake or have a bad day and feel like a complete and hopeless failure. Reality: No one does well all the time. Mistakes are a necessary and valuable opportunity to learn—if you don’t waste them by getting down on yourself.

* Taking care of other people’s business
Example: Something is going badly for someone you care about, and you feel responsible, or pressured to fix it. Reality: People need to learn from their own problems. You aren’t doing anyone a favor by trying to fix things just to make yourself feel better.

Minute 3: Putting Things in Perspective
Most common problems that you face in everyday life are much easier to handle when you keep them in perspective and avoid making mountains out of molehills. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to make sure you aren’t in the mountain-making business:

* How big a deal is this, anyway? If I knew I was going to die in a week, would this be something I would want to spend this minute of my remaining time on?
* Will any bad things happen if I postpone thinking about this until I have more time to figure things out?
* Do I have all the information I need to decide how to respond to this? Do I really know what’s going on here, or am I making assumptions? Am I worrying about things that might not even happen? What do I need to check out before taking action?
* Is there anything I can do right now that will change or help this situation?
* Am I trying to control something I can't, like what other people think, say, or do?
* Have I really thought through this problem, and broken it down into manageable pieces I can handle one-at-a-time?

Use this approach whenever your thoughts or situations begin to feel overwhelming, and you'll quickly find that the mountains that seem impossible at first can quickly morph into what they really are—manageable hills that you DO have the ability to climb. All it takes is three little minutes of your time.

This online article points out the different things we can do to reduce belly fat, lose weight and get healthier:


The Best Way to Lose Stomach Fat Through Smart Eating

Tired of having too much belly fat? For many people stubborn abdominal fat is a big problem. Not only is it an ugly turnoff but studies have shown that deep belly fat -- AKA "intra-abdominal" fat -- is probably the most dangerous type of body fat. The best way to lose stomach fat as quickly and healthily as possible is a combination of smart eating and regular exercise. Follow the proven diet tips below and you'll soon be watching your ugly belly fat melt off (while feeling a lot better at the same time)...

1. Eat some form of protein at every meal - Lean protein is a "fat burning" food because speeds up your metabolism, stabilizes blood sugar and insulin levels, helps to build muscle tissue, and keeps you feeling full. Lean meats, eggs, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and whey protein powder are all great forms of healthy, high quality protein.

2. Eliminate most grain products from your diet - For the most part, eating large amounts of grain foods is going to make losing stomach fat much more difficult. Try eliminating all foods containing wheat, corn and rice and see if you don't feel better, have more energy, and lose more weight in less time.

3. Eat lots of veggies and a couple servings of fresh fruit each day - Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits are the best carbohydrates to eat when you're trying to burn belly fat and get leaner. They're high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients but low in calories. Raw is best but steamed veggies are a good choice as well. Avoid high-calorie dried fruits and fruit juices.

4. Watch for sugar - Sugar comes in many forms and it can definitely ruin your weight loss efforts, sometimes without you even noticing. Learn to read labels and try to avoid anything that contains more than a gram or two of sugar per serving. Obviously avoid all soft drinks and juices that contain sugar, corn syrup, etc. Even things like canned tomato sauces often contain high levels of sugar so you must be on the lookout at all times!

5. Limit processed foods - In general, the less a food has been processed or touched by other humans the healthier it is for you. Processed snack foods -- including many of the so-called "diet" foods -- aren't going to help you lose your abdominal fat. Eating foods like lean meats,  fresh or steamed vegetables, raw nuts, and raw seeds on a regular basis -- and avoiding highly processed foods as much as possible -- is going to get you to your weight loss goals faster than just about anything else.

6. Eat one portion of "starchy" food per day - For many reasons, eating high-starch foods like breads, cereals, and pastas is counterproductive when trying to lose body fat. You'll get a leaner, better-looking body in less time by only eating one serving  or less of starchy food per day. The healthiest choices are sweet potatoes, oatmeal (no sugar added), quinoa (a very unique and healthy grain you can find in many health food stores), and beans (no fat or low fat).

7. Limit alcohol consumption - If you regularly drink alcohol you're really shooting yourself in the foot in terms of your weight loss progress. It's called a "beer belly" for a reason and you'll never lose it if you're downing more than one drink (12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine) per day.

8. Eat more "good" fats each day - Avoid eating foods containing or cooked in vegetable oils made from corn, sunflower, and safflower. Also, avoid all partially hydrogenated oils -- the main source of dangerous trans fats. At the same time, don't try to completely cut fat out of your diet because it will hurt your overall health and make losing weight much more difficult. Focus on getting more good fats into your diet by cooking with olive oil and eating foods rich in healthy omega-3 fats like fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

9. Drink a lot of pure water - Drinking lots of water throughout the day is definitely one of the best ways to lose stomach fat. When you drink large amounts of water you help to curb your appetite, control food cravings, speed up your metabolism, and flush toxins out of your body. For an added fat burning "boost" make the water ice-cold so that your body has to burn more calories to warm it up.

 

Bette B. posted her resolutions today and it made me think about mine.  I stopped making resolutions years ago becasue the inevitable failure always did more harm than good. 

Thanks to God's grace and my Lap Band, I had a very blessed 2009 and I feel even more hopeful for this coming year.  Here is a list of the things I want to accomplish. 

-Forgive the  S.O.B. that almost caused me to take severence after 27 years at the same company and all of the other people there that didn't have anything to offer me but sympathy. 
- Continue to be thankful for the job I found within the same company that's ended up being a really good job working with some really amazing people I didn't know before.
- Once a week buy food for the food bank when I do my weekly grocery shopping.  I heard someone who did this on the radio today and I really liked the idea of giving back 52 times a year on top of my Unitied Way contribution. 
-Have more social gatherings.
-Work harder to stay in contact with old friends.
-Work harder to make new friends
-Find a church we both like
-Finish decorating completely, at least one room in our house
-Cook more
-Reach Onderland and at least my first weight goal of 195. 
-Yes, more nookie!
-Walk more
-Clean one closet, drawer, book case, etc. each month
-De-clutter and get rid of the "stuff" that clutters my home and my mind.  
-Make a budget and stick to it.
-Pay off the Visa
-Organize my parents accounts so I can see what they truly have to live on
-Sing more
-Love more
-Search for the bright side in every situation

Lisa O.

1.  Defend your castle-  You have control what comes into your house.  Clean out the pantry and fridge.  Get rid of any trigger foods and things that you struggle to resist or know you shouldn't eat.  If you have others living in your home, they need to "buy on" to what you're trying to accomplish and support your effort.  Don't feel that YOU have to be the strong one and just avoid the foods you shouldn't eat if they are in your home.  Let DH have his stash if he needs one, but tell him you need him to hide it, keep it in his car, the garage, where ever, but don't try to be unrealistically strong and just ignore it because you will lose the battle eventully.  You're only human afterall!

2.  Take action, use distraction-  I find that having something at hadn that I can do to distract me when I get the urge to snack, nibble, binge, etc., really helps!  I have puzzle books all over the house, Sudoku, crosswords, novels, etc.  I also use my laptop a lot!  I either log on to OH or play computer Scrabble.  I also do a lot of cupboard cleaning!  If I feel the urge to snack I find a small project'; I'll clean a drawer, walk the dogs, put in  a load of laundry, take a bath, exercise, anything!  It works...and my house is cleaner!

3.  Who are you talking to, dear?  My friend Jean, suggested that I have a conversation with myself everytime I am tempted to eat something between meals. Stop and ask yourself these questions:   Am I really hungry?  What am I feeling right now?  What can I do instead of eating to address this feeling? 
The idea is to stop yourself from mindless snacking that happens as a result of almost anything besides REAL hunger, If you're following the band rules and are eating three meals a day and getting at least 60 grams of protein you shouldn't be hungry once you have some restriction.  Oftentimes, if I take the time to ask those three questions, I'll find that I'm bored, tired, stressed, angry, sad, etc. but I'm rarely truly hungry.  Half the time I just need to go to bed because I find that I use a number on a clock as my signal to go to bed versus whether or not I feel tired!   If you can devise a way to identify what you're feeling at any given time, you will learn a lot about why you overeat.

4.  There's no such thing as too much liquid-  Always have a beverage at hand.  I drink a lot of no calorie flavored water, diet snapple, ice tea, hot tea, 25 calorie hot chocolate, SF spiced cider, boullion, etc.  I find hot beverages comforting, especially at night they keep my out of the cupboards.  Liquids will fill you up and tide you over between meals.  If you think it's inconvenient to have to go to the bathroom all the time, you'd better give yourself an attitude check!  Jeez!  Just consider it exercise!

5.  Eating well is a full-time job-  When I decided to have WLS I promised myself that I would also take the time to learn how to eat well.  You don't have to use a dietician to do this if you have access to the internet.  I do a lot of reading now on nutrition, but mostly I educated myself on low carb eating.  It's the perfect diet for bandsters because the focus must be protein first.  Learn the difference between simple and complex carbs.  Make a list of carbs to avoid.  Sign up for and USE an online tool for meal tracking like the daily plate.com.  Have a plan to succeed through better nutrition and adopting a healthier lifestyle, not just weight loss.  For the first 9 months I was dedicated to my food journal and learning how to eat properly for the band.  It's not all about weighing, measuring and counting calories, (although as part of your nutritional education I believe it's important), but it's about knowing what you are putting into your body for maximum results!  Eating the same stuff that got you fat, even less of it, is not going to help you acheive your goals.



Whit restriction, the band will control the QUANTITY of food you eat, but you need to control the QUALITY if you want to change your habits and work toward a helalthier life!

I'm sorry you're feeling this way.  You do realize that happiness doesn't come from a dress size, right?  Those women may be a size 2, but they surely have just as many issues and esteem problems as we do.  Afterall, SOMETHING must drive them to stay so thin! 

You are beautiful no matter what you weigh.  Beauty shines outward from within.  It's defined by your heart and soul and your actions not a number on the scale.  Now, whether you FEEL beautiful or not, that's a whole different issue.  We have to work hard to reach a healthy weight but we have to work HARDER to have a healthy mind, confidence and positive body image.  Whether you see a therapist or read books, or come to OH, we all need help unwinding the years of conditioning that brought us to this point.  Trust me, it's a lot harder than making the scale go down, but it can be done and oftentimes the work on the body and the work on the head go hand in hand. 

I'm focusing on a simple thing that Jean M. taught me.  When I KNOW I'm not hungry but go looking for something to eat anyway, I stop and ask myself 3 questions:
1.  Am I really hungry?
2.  What am I feeling?  Sad, bored, angry, stressed, etc.
3.  What can I do other than eat to address how I'm feeling?  Find a diversion, go to bed, work out, call a friend, etc.

Usually, If I can stop long enough and go through this routine it works.  It also helps me get in touch with my feeling that I usually don't pause long enough to acknowledge.

The other part of your question, "Will I ever feel full"?  Well, for me it's like this.  I'm rarely hungry.  But feeling full is entirely a different thing.  Feeling full is not always physical, but emotional.  Yes, I can eat until my stomach hurts but my head will still say that it's not enough food.  It's the head hunger, not the physicalness of having a full stomach.  Does that make sense? 

So no matter what it all comes down to addressing the emotional side of why we overeat and use food for comfort.  You will get restriction and even today your probably don't really feel hungry if you're eating enough protein.  Work on the head and heart and you will be the most confident and secure woman at any wedding you go to in the future.

I believe in you!  Do you?