Getting through the holiday season!

Made it through my first holiday season with my band!  For Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day I felt the need to make a million and one things that are on my "do not eat" list and still make things that were "legal" for me to eat as well.  Even though I couldn't eat all the pies, cookies, chocolates, & side dishes I made for each day it still felt great to be able to provide my family and friends with all those yummy treats.  When I was making all my truffles and cookies it almost felt like I was testing myself, and it feels great to be able to say that I won!  I did not try a single thing, and Peter reaped the benefits of occasionally being my taste-tester.

Eating with the band is definitely different.  There is no such thing as a fast meal anymore, unless its a protein shake :-).  Everything has to be cut small and I have to take my time chewing and waiting between bites.  I have gotten "stuck" a few times this month and it usually passes (up or down) with in 15-20 minutes, each time it happens it is because I was not fully paying attention. 

I have noticed over the last week that I seem to be eating a little bit more and that I am getting hungry earlier between meals.  I have to listen to my band and see if that is just because I ate a little bit more over the holidays or if I actually need a fill.  I decided I need to try and figure out which it is over the next two weeks, rather than get a fill this week.  If I had gotten a fill I would have had to go back to clear liquids (24 hrs), 2 days protein shakes, 2 days mushy foods, then back to normal foods.  I would have still been on mushy foods for today (New Years Eve) and since we are going out to dinner I decided waiting on that fill was a GREAT idea!

Tonight we are going out to a pub with 2 other couples for dinner, followed by dancing!! I can not remember the last time I went out dancing and was actually excited about it, my guess is that it was back in college :-)

Here are my 6 month side by side pics from 12/8/11

And here is a Christmas 2010 vs Christmas 2011!

Wishing all of my family and friends a very happy, healthy New Year!!