I am doing the 5 day pouch test. Has anyone else tried it? If so did it work? I am on day 2 and feel so tired and hungry. Tammy

Definitely yes, that does make sense. Don't get me wrong, there are days I still struggle, and days I fail. I just know that each time I'm needing comfort, I'm beginning to see it. I see the pattern there. That's a good thing, because if I can see the pattern, I can avoid the pitfalls, or at least be more aware of them. Kudos to you, Sami for realizing and being honest with yourself (and to those who help you be accountable)! That's the first step in continuing successfully with the mental aspect of our surgery and its outcome. You're doing great!! Keep up the fantastic work!

Hi Brenda, I know that your right, and the tool is only as good as the operator that is using the tool. My problem is trying to get my MIND and BODY on the same page of the book for weight loss and for my health. I am finding it more difficult to keep in mind the tool, when the mental me just wants to go back to eating for comfort. I am not saying that I can't do this, I am just admitting that I am having a more difficult time than I imagined that I would. I guess I am asking everyone else, am I the only one that does this? Are we all really only feeding are bodies what is on the program and not going back to what comforts us. I do stay on the straight and narrow about 70% of the time, I get into trouble on the weekends, when I am bored, or someone brings treats into my office every Friday. I guess that is what I am asking, I want to know what other people are doing to fight this demon. To win this race. I am concerned about how I may behave when life get tough for me again. In my past I would gain 90 lbs in a few months but keep on trucking, just getting fat, but going to work everyday and taking care of everyone else first. Now I have to find a new techinique. Does that make since?

Hello Sami! I know that having gastric bypass has aided us in losing weight, and that's what it's meant to do. There is, however, something that we all must remember: the surgery is ONLY a tool, nothing more. It helps us in many ways, but it can backfire if we don't change our lifestyle PERMANENTLY. In short, they operated on our intestinal system, not our brain. We can still have the same mindset we did before surgery. We had an addiction to food for probably more than one reason. The reasons for our addiction don't go away because we had surgery. Those reasons are why we had to undergo a psych eval and counseling pre-op. The good news is, it's NEVER too late to change the way we think about food. To me, food was my comfort. It was what I turned to when I was sad, happy, miserable, joyful. Food was my way of coping and celebrating. Now, food is to nourish my body. It's sometimes still very hard not to think of food as comfort, but it has to become HABIT to think of food only as our nourishment, and not our security blanket. Just like any other weight loss tool, weight loss surgery can fail. It's not a cure-all or a quick-fix. It's a tool, and if not used properly it won't work permanently. We are all still close enough out from our surgery that our tool will still work for us. Let's commit to following the program and maintaining our health and weight loss. Count me in! We just recently bought a Nintendo Wii gaming system. It might not be equivalent to a 30 minute workout, but it's more exercise than sitting on the couch watching TV (my favorite passtime)! It's wonderful for when the weather stinks and we can't be outside walking or doing other things. It's also GREAT family fun! God bless! Brenda

Wow you own a babery? That would be the most difficult job in the world for me, I mean I know that my will power would never allow me to just look at the cookies, I would only eat certain kind, but it would be enough to send me over the edge. The strange thing is that I agree with your co-worker about obese people being so picky, I am miss food snob, if it isn't just so-so I will not eat it. I am like the girl in Harry Meet Sally in restauants about what I want, how I want it prepared, what I will eat or not eat. I did really good for a several months, now that the weight loss got so easy I stop trying so hard. I am realizeing that I am going to have to continue to work for this weight loss and that nothing is free in life. SO I will pick up my protein drinks, get my but to the gym (I do enjoy my new gym once I get there, the problem is getting off the couch and going to the gym in these dark winter evenings) and pick up my water intake. I am back down two lbs from yesterday, so that is good. One good day of eating, and I am off to a rough start today, but I can make it up with lots of water. I am going to get a big ice water right now. Thanks Amy for writing back. I always enjoy the support on the boards. I just wonder sometimes how many of us are really honest about what it going on in our lives that make us do crazy things. I am trying to be honest with myself, and I am finding it the most difficult to not LIE to myself when it comes to my body, food and what I choice to but between my lips. Nothing taste as good as being thin feels...I am trying to live by that statement. Sami Sue