Tuesday, July 13

Band vs. Food

I haven't posted lately about how my band treats me, so I figured it was time. I'm often surprised by what I can/cannot eat and how much/little I can eat.

I don't have what I'd consider a "typical" day in eating, but I'll tell you what the last few days:

Yesterday:
B: Homemade cappuccino with 2% milk
L: 1 c. broc-cheese soup
D: 1/2 McD's mac snack wrap + 10 fries
S: Coffee with creamer and 2 Costco choc chip cookies
(Yes, it was an awfully unhealthy day...)

Two days ago:
B: Coffee with creamer
L: 4 oz. of italian shake n bake chicken breast with spaghetti sauce
D: 1/2 c. bbq shredded pork + 1/2 c. sauteed brussel sprouts
S: Handful of M&Ms + handful of blueberries

I realize I don't make the healthiest choices, however, I also am quite satisfied, so until the scale stops or something else makes me change my ways, I'll keep on keepin' on.

I'm often amazed by how little I eat. I mean, really, really little amounts of food. Sometimes I will feel a bit stuck after 2 bites, and I am done until the next meal. And I don't starve to death in the mean time, despite what I used to think would happen if I didn't gorge at every meal.

I rarely eat what I would consider a LOT anymore. Take last night - I had 1/2 of a snack wrap and a few fries. DH had THREE double cheeseburgers and most of a large fries. I'm not too proud to admit I would have eaten the same thing in the past. Maybe only 2 burgers, but still at least 3-4x as much food as I eat now.

Along the lines of what I can/cannot eat, it's also often surprising.

Things that consistently cause me problems, much to my surprise and/or dismay:
  • Potato chips - every. single. time. I eat them, I get stuck or PB.
  • Thick pasta - not surprising, I guess, just sad.
  • Smooshy potatoes - as in mashed, in soups, etc., anything where they get a bit 'gluey', I cannot do. I miss clam chowder.
  • Rice - again, not surprising so much, but a bummer for sure.
  • Lettuce - especially if it is slimey/soggy (like on the snack wrap, I had to pull it off). I miss salads. A lot. (Thanks, Janice, for making me remember this!)

Things I can eat that I didn't think I'd be able to:

  • Pizza - as long as I go slow and it's a thin(ner) crust, I'm fine.
  • Tortillas - again, slow and steady and I'm fine.
  • Skinny pasta - angel hair and thin spaghetti work just fine.

I'm sure there is more for both lists, but of course, I cannot think of them right now. If/when I do, I'll edit. (This post was much more exciting and informative in my head!)

Finally, in this episode of Band vs. Food, I have to tell you, I still have many thoughts of "I sure wish I could just dig into {insert food here} without having to think about the consequences." Huge bites of pizza, a massive burger, a Chipotle burrito, a bag of chips with a vat of dip, and so on. Sigh. It is totally worth it, don't get me wrong, but 34 years' worth of eating one way isn't easily erased. Sometimes I watch DH eat, and I miss my comfort zone. Which leads me to my final thought - I absolutely could not have lost 94 lbs without the band. My addiction to food is just too strong. Maybe someday, but honestly, I think I'm a lifelong bandster.

20 comments:

  1. I think I am going to be a life long bandester also! I love eating food way too much! :)

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  2. I'm so with you here! I feel like I eat tiny, tiny amounts of food compared to what I used to, although perhaps I still eat more than I should...!

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  3. I am totally with you on the addiction to food. There have been times I have broken down in tears when something I am dying to eat doesn't work.

    Lifelong bandster I am as well.

    Still jealous of your 94 pound loss and your pool!! :)

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  4. Funny but I think about the same "big bites" sometimes. It took me an hour to eat a piece of toast last night. Missed the enjoyment of warm buttered toast. But you're right. The band helps us lose this weight and keep it off. I sometimes wonder if I should take a big bite, chew it and then just spit it out. I can still eat chips and potatoes but having problems after a few bites too. Can't understand how the band has gotten so tight since my fill a month ago. I have to learn that I don't really need as much food. You are doing great and maybe, just maybe we'll one day be told we eat like a bird!

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  5. I am definitely going to be a lifelong bandster....food is my heroin!

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  6. Whatever you are doing it is working! :) For the most part, you can eat a little bit of everything (with a few exceptions). I see a picture of food and imagine taking a big bite.
    Memories! :)

    So far I can eat everything. I'm only 7 weeks out, so time will tell and I only have 5 cc in my band. I haven't tried salads yet.

    Even my daughter comments how little I eat at each meal. Just a few bites of each item and that is enough. Love our bands!!!

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  7. I love this post. Chock full o' good info and since you are ROCKING the band, it is such great advice for us newbies.

    Congrats on your success!!!

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  8. I agree with you.. sometimes I have my moments when I'm at a restaurant and I'm literally just staring at someone with envy who is eating a big burger and I wish I could do the same.. but then that thought passes and I realize how much help this band has given me and I press on. You are doing so well Amy!!! I envy YOU now!!

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  9. Gawd, I think about digging into a burger or Chipotle burrito all the time still! I did it just last night. I was watching the hubby take humungo bites of his burger with bun and all the fixins' and I just sat there and cut up my patty into teeny bites and sighed. But, you are right...I would not have been where I am right now continuing doing those things either. So here to living long and prosper with our bands :)

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  10. Every once in a while I'll forget my new life and I'll take this MASSIVE bite of something and try to eat it really fast so I can have ANOTHER massive bite. I revert back to my primitive "whoever eats the fastest gets the mostest" mindset. Fortunately, somewhere in that first bite I realize I'm in for a world of hurt so I start chew chew chewing and swallowing small portions at a time. It's times like this I truly want to hug my band back.

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  11. This is a great post. I too, am astonished at how little I eat & am satisfied. I can eat a slice of pizza too, but I have to be careful. Bread is pretty much out for me now, but pasta is still a go.

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  12. Totally with you on sometimes missing the old way of eating. Also with you on this still be worthwhile!

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  13. I can totally relate to as well to the missing the old ways. Sometimes, I would love to just sit in front of the tv eat whatever fast food crap I picked up on the way home and not have to think about it. But... the band is saving my life and it is worth it.

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  14. My doc pretty much said up front banding is a life long thing - and I should be willing to commit to them following me the rest of my life.
    Amy I think you're doing excellent. I wouldn't feel too bad about your snack choices either - I think this all about eating in moderation (severe moderation) not a diet.

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  15. You are doing really well. Thanks for sharing your lists!

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  16. I'm glad it's working so well for you. I'm praying I'll still be able to eat pizza.

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  17. Life long bandsters unite!!!!!!!!!

    Count me in on that.

    I have still not tried the pizza, I think I am too scared to.... what if I can eat it? I just love it so much I haven't worked out yet if I want to be able to eat it or not.

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  18. great post!! I am a life long bandster as well..my band has a mind of it's own on different days what I can tolerate!

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  19. This is really interesting to me. How much fill do you have in your band again? i can eat WAY more than that on a typical day so I guess I'm not at a good fill level yet. I'm still relying on willpower to ensure I pick the right things to eat since I can eat so much of it.

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  20. Sherry, I'm at 11.25cc in a 14cc band. So pretty tight!

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