My secret to dieting is...

Not dieting. Tell dieting to go eff itself. Dieting represents a state of mind. A temporary position in life, if you will. Something to endure to get to a goal and then go back to the status quo.

This is unacceptable. Mostly because from the moment we decided on lap band, they pound into your head with a metal hammer the idea of making healthy choices and to think about this as a lifestyle change. I thought, "blah blah blah" because I have heard this all before. As everyone knows, that crap is easier said than done. SURE I can just change the way I think about eating in the blink of an eye. SURE I can force myself to not like donuts and pizza. Can you feel the sarcasm? I was sure I could do this for a while but we all know what happens when we feel like we are being deprived of something. We just want it more. This thought process was what frightened me the most about taking such a drastic step. What if I failed again?

This is why I think everyone who needs to lose weight, whether it's through traditional methods or surgery AND traditional methods, needs to seek counseling. You need to talk to someone about when and why you eat. I am telling you, it helps. My counselor said to me one day, "Try not to think of it as not being able to eat what you want. For every meal, ALWAYS eat something you like. Make sure it's healthy and it fits into your plan but don't eat things just because you are supposed to. You need to eat what you like or you will feel deprived."

Holy cow. What a revolutionary concept. Don't eat food you don't like just because it's healthy. I frankly had not thought of that. I guess, subconsciously, I had resigned myself to eating plain salad and chicken. Then, one day, I wouldn't be able to take that anymore and fail...AGAIN.

I found this advice freeing. I went home and scoured the web for awesome, yummy recipes. I found stuff that I look forward to eating. 70 calorie faux Frosty-like smoothies? Yes please. Breadless meatball subs? Hell yes. Thin crust pizza? AWESOME.  In the process, I ran across a few other "bandsters" who had made the journey before me and were successful.

That brings me to the second thing anyone who wants to lose a lot of weight, needs. An excellent support system which consists of understanding friends and family along with people that have made the journey before you and have been successful. A few times I have run across forums that were filled with people who had failed at losing weight with the band and blamed it on anything/everyone but themselves. These people can have a negative impact on your outlook and you need to be wary.

On Friday, I hit the 30lb mark with absolutely no fill in my band. I may need a fill in the future but that's ok. I don't have anymore cravings. I don't miss foods. In fact, we went to the State Fair this weekend I ate bites of everything my family had. Pumpkin funnel cakes, ice cream, corn dogs, etc...you get the point. We got home at 9 and I promptly worked out. Did I lose weight that night? Hell no. Did I gain? Nope. I even logged ALL of it in my food diary. It was 1600 calorie kind of day.

My point is this journey is going to be on my terms. If I want something I am going to have a small portion and not feel guilty about it. This is the way I am going to live the rest of my life and I am actually really excited about that.