Texas Lap Band Surgeons Talk With You

When I think about the phrase “I’m starving to death” I think about what a physician….no, not your wonderful, sweet, kind, thoughtful, caring (is that overkill?) surgeons, told a patient of mine a long time ago…….”It takes a body approximately 40 days to starve itself to death.”  We may have those thoughts but, in reality, we know it isn’t going to happEaten.  The only way to prevent that feeling from coming though is to recognize it, prepare for it, and take action against it!  Here are few ways to help get past that starving to death feeling.

#1   EAT!!!!  You are not going to lose fat by eating only 450 calories a day.  Your body needs fuel so it’s going to get it one way or another… by you feeding it regularly….or by saving every little morsel you give it…..or by stealing it from your muscles.  I had someone come to me and tell me they had hit a plateau.  So we started going through what she had eaten over the last few days….400 calories one day and 450 calories the next.  Get real…..a 2 year old needs more than that!!!  If you continue to do that you not only stay hungry, maybe not physically hungry but nutritionally hungry, but you are defeating yourself before you even get to the race!  Can’t even slog with so few calories! (that one’s for you Dr. K)  You will learn in your journey that its all about NUTRITION NUTRITION NUTRITION!!  If you think that eating this little will help you lose weight faster then we need to review a few things together….remember it’s nutrition not malnutrition!.  Not only do you feel hungry, you may feel like you are failing because you haven’t lost “enough”.  Of course not….your body is not going to let you with that little to sustain it.  Now you may END UP losing weight…right after you lose a lot of hair…energy….skin tone…..even sex drive….got you with that one didn’t I!!!

#2    Be ready to EAT!!!  But not as a hobby.  Eat to maintain your body.  You chose to have weight loss surgery.  Give up food as a hobby and find a new one.  Believe me I know this one was really hard for me.  What I am trying to say is you need to eat at regular intervals to keep your brain from telling you it is hungry but you don’t need to make it a mission to go to the movies for the popcorn or a picnic for the fried chicken.  On the other hand, you need to prepare for those times that you will be in certain situations….for example, if you are going to a movie and think you may need a snack then prepare for it….don’t let the concession stand be your only option…..I’m here to tell you that they do not search your purse or coat pockets for healthy snacks upon entering the theater.

#3   EAT with your family.  Just because you have had weight loss surgery doesn’t mean everyone in your family needs to lose weight.  There are going to be times when they have things you can’t tolerate and it WILL get to a point that it is OK with you.  You can still enjoy the time around the table with your family. You don’t have to be segregated to the table in the corner or wait until everyone else is done.   When he was in high school my son told me….”Mom, we are so lucky we get to eat dinner together every night.  My friends don’t have that.”(Yes, I cried later) Dinner is a bonding time for a lot of families….a time to fulfill more than our nutritional needs. But it can also be a time of realization for your whole family. Sometimes the “starving to death” feeling has nothing to do with food….it is an emotional need that requires fulfillment.  The pleasure we feel when our kids enjoy our cooking is sometimes beyond words.  Let your family see the person (you) who cares enough about them to take care of yourself.   In learning how to satisfy your own needs you can help your family learn how to help you. They aren’t going to know what you can eat until you tell or show them! (Inspired by last support group topic “how to not let your loved ones sabotage your weight loss”) What better example can we set…..OK, so there may be some better but let’s pretend this is the most important one   See you at Wadley,  November 9th @ 7PM for support group —Lori