The best thing since sliced bread

I recently received an unexpected package in the post. It turned out to be a free sample of a new cookie developed by Weight To Go. 'A diet chocolate cookie', I thought, 'how marvellous!' A day or two later I found myself peckish and remembered the cookie. As I tore off the silver foil wrapping I couldn't help noticing how heavy it felt - dense and solid - not like a normal cookie at all. I glanced at the nutritional information and was horrified to see that this mere cookie would set me back more than 400 calories. Granted, it had a higher proportion of protein and fibre, and less saturated fats than a 'standard' cookie, but at a whopping 400+ calories this was not just going to be a snack, more a meal replacement.

I bit into to it and discovered it had the density of a car tyre, and was as chewy as molten rubber. The taste was a mixture of yoghurty, chocolatey (but only slightly), burnt egg white! Now, I'm willing to eat stuff that tastes and feels really nasty if the nutritional benefits are there, but this thing not only weighs half a tonne, it has more than 400 calories in it! It might have lots of protein and fibre, but surely I'd be better off eating a banana? In fact I'd probably do better, calorie-wise, eating a banana dipped in chocolate sauce to be honest! Sorry, Weight To Go, but this is a case of tear up the recipe and start again.

That said, the Weight To Go shakes are, for me, literally, the best thing since sliced bread. I NEVER start my day without a strawberry shake, and over the past four years they've solved a life-long problem I used to have with eating breakfast - namely - I didn't! They're not cheap, but for anyone with a gastric band who finds it difficult, like me, to eat solid food in the morning, then these shakes provide the perfect protein-rich kickstart to the day (along with a mug of strong black coffee, of course!).

The pain in Spain….

….falls mainly on the grain.

Basically, I'm in Spain for a week, working in the field. I was here at the same time last year and experienced the same problems with my band then as I'm experiencing now. It's got really tight, and I'm struggling to know why. It's taking me ages to drink anything, I've just tried to eat half a banana and had to rush to the toilet to throw up, I can't eat any bread at all, and I'm only managing soup and soft stuff in the evenings. But why? Here are some thoughts:

Flying: Last year, I thought it might be something to do with the flight - the cabin pressure or associated dehydration. But the only things I can find on the web about bands and flying are anecdotal, and relate only to long haul flights, so this doesn't seem likely.
Activity: I've been getting lots of exercise, but I get intense periods of exercise at other times of the year too and have no effects like this.
The food: I've not been having my usual breakfast (half a litre of strawberry milk-based protein shake), lunch is a huge white baguette with cheese or tuna and salad (I don't normally eat bread, and never white), and evening meals are 3-course, large, and very low in fat (I normally have a small, protein-rich meal with a 'normal' fat portion).
Drink: Earlier in the week there is no doubt that I got dehydrated, but for the past couple of days I've been working much harder to make sure I get enough to drink.
Climate: Last year it was very warm, but this year has been much cooler - more like typical British temperatures in October. So this doesn't seem likely.
Medication: I am taking methylphenidate for my ADHD and it is known to suppress appetite - but I wasn't taking this last year.

So the most likely thing seems to be the change in my food and drink habits. I'll be back here again next year and I'm not sure what I can do to change things, to be honest. However, on the plus side, although I'm suffering a little at the moment, this glitch may result in kick-starting some more weight loss….

Last year, I arrived in Spain weighing 17st and 3lbs. I arrived home after one week sighing ten pounds less. Then, without any particular effort on my part, I lost a further 22lbs over the following six months or so. So when I arrived in Spain this year, I weighed 14st and 13 lbs. The way I am feeling at the moment, I will not be that weight when I get home tomorrow. And who knows, maybe the loss will keep coming?