Well done, Esteban!

I've slowed down the past month or so but I'm going in for a band adjustment next week, in hopes of kicking myself back into gear. I know most of it is my food choices, but I've also been able to fit more in at meals, so I'm going to get a little more fluid in that band!

I really want to get under 200 by March (23 lbs to go), so it's time to get back on track!

Thanks everyone for the kind words of support. Sharing my success with my social circle has been somewhat of a minefield of emotions that I really was not expecting. Most are kind. Some are mad, some are jealous. But, over all they are supportive at one level or another.

Early things I have learned are that just about everything I have heard from doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, has been right on the money on how to expect the band to work. I really have had no surprises.

The surgery helps medically and mentally. Medically because all sorts of health related numbers are down to levels I used to have ten years ago. Mentally because there is no doubt about whether or not I will be able to stay on this new eating plan long enough to achieve the goals I am after. In the past, there was always the fear of failure, of giving into tempation, of just becoming bored with whatever diet regime I undertook at the time. Now, that option is not present. I cannot opt out of this choice without undergoing another surgical procedure. That is a lot more motivation than just worrying about how fast I would put the pounds back on once I stopped eating the Nutri-System's food, etc.

Short term changes have been buying the dessert size plates and bowls to match my dinnerware so four ounces of food actually fills up a plate/bowl. Something about a plate full of food (no matter how small) is more satisfying than sitting down to a full size dinner plate with my new portion of food. I am also wearing all the "old" clothes from the back of my closet for the time being. Financially I cannot replace my entire wardrobe right now so I am going to just have to look a little baggy for the time being..no matter how much it bothers my mother-in-love.

The long term effects are a bit harder to imagine right now. I am still in the "honeymoon" stage and just enjoying exploring things I can do today that I was unable to do just six months ago, much less things I haven't done in years. Like Monday when we went to a movie theater, in a mall, that we were unfamiliar with. Six months ago, if I had discovered we parked on the wrong side of the mall, I would have gotten back in the car and driven to the closet possible parking space. Monday, I said " Well, its a bit of a walk and if we want to be on time we better hurry." My partner was visibly shocked. It felt REALLY good.

Thanks again for all the support. Hope everyone is staying warm in whatever part of country your dealing with this current cold spell.

Esteban

In (Judy) Garland, TX, where the high yesterday was at 12:00 a.m. and that was 41 degrees and will be the warmest we get until sometime this weekend. Brrrrrrrrrrr............