Call it whatever you want but I am on a diet!

I know many of us are adverse to "dieting" but the bottom line is the band, or my soon to be VSG, is just a tool which helps us in losing weight and keeping it off. The bottom line is 'calories in, calories out'. In addition to this, I do not believe all calories are created equal!

I am really sick of dieting too but that's what I am doing in order to lose my weight. I had lapband surgery to HELP me lose weight and keep it off. That is all its meant to do when we follow the rules. That is all it does when it works for me. I am still the one dictating to my fork what to put in my mouth. If I am presented with a 1/2 cup of chicken and a 1/2 cup of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, I have to make a conscious decision to eat the chicken. If I eat the chicken, there is a very good chance that I will not be tempted to want the ice cream later.

That is the beauty of the band for me. It limits the quanity I can eat and satisfy's me because I am eating lean proteins and healthy carbs. When I feed my body this good stuff, I can fight the sugar monster. When I throw in my exercise regime, the Lapband or soon to be VSG and healthy eating, I will continue to lose this weight and hit my weight loss goal. Is this dieting? You bet my soon to be skinny ass it is!

Once I hit my weight loss goal, that is when I expect my VSG or band to really kick in and help me to maintain! Once all this weight is gone and off of me, I will feel like I evened the playing field with my thin counter-parts and I can begin to eat just about everything I want IN MODERATION. If I gain a lb here or there, I know how to get it off. But what a difference getting off a few lbs will be compared to the daunting task of getting off 50 or 75 or 100 lbs???!!!! Never again.

I have lost 50+ lbs. since being banded in March of 2010 and I have kept it off to this day even with my numerous problems with fills/unfills. This is the first time in my life that I have been able to accomplish this. While I would like to say that I owe it all to the band, I can't. The band showed me that I could do it with help that it provided. Once I saw this was possible, I was determined to continue my weight loss journey. I fought my doctor with each fill/unfill knowing that without the help of WLS, I couldn't do it. He knew pretty early on that my body was not tolerating the band. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for never giving up on me and being patient with me until I finally got it. In me, he saw a women who was not going to let go. He saw how hard I was working to lose more weight.

For me to continue to lose the rest of my weight, I will need the help of the VSG (as the band is coming out next Friday) If I eat primarily high protein, low carb and continue my exercise regime, I will lose weight. I will be dieting...plain and simple but with the help of WLS, it will make the dieting a little easier.

WLS is providing me with a "do over" in life that I am forever grateful for. I will never allow myself to disrespect my body the way that I have and to become overweight ever again!