Strategy: Imagination, Visualization...and h20

January 05, 2018

This past autumn, I was on a little road trip with a friend. We were returning home, late in the evening, tired, and hungry as neither of us had had dinner, so we drove thru a fast food place so we could hit the road quickly. I was not very familiar with this particular chain, so ordered simply, a sandwich: mostly meat and bread. I am not a huge fan of meat but was hungry and thought it would be filling. It turned out to have nothing but meat on it, and I had been craving a lot of mustard. As I was driving, I decided not to get off the highway & go back for mustard, but just to eat it and *imagine* mustard on it-I knew what it tasted like, and it kind of worked: obviously it wasn't mustard, but imagining it made it more palatable.

My ups and down with weight loss have never included bariatrics but I read a sparkBlog from someone who used lapband so did a little wiki emedicine research (img: https://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:Adjustable_Gastr
ic_Band.png):

and learned that it costs $15k, often $3.5k out-of-pocket w/insurance; and that it is less invasive, tho still considered major surgery, often n/a after age 55, reversible, laproscopic w several incisions, and functions by making a smaller food pouch than the total stomach, which normally holds 6 cups of food, versus 1/2 cup of food in the pouch.

As I am a big believer in the power of the mind, imagination and visualization, I am thinking that I can visualize my own virtual-mind gastric band every morning setting the intention for the day of not over-eating for my stomach.

So I did a little research about stomach size & stretching it out, which, somewhat surprisingly, I had never researched, but had assumed that I had a bigger, stretched out stomach, due to binges, over-eating, and super-size portions. Turns out that the stomach just becomes more stretchable, especially due to binges, but can also be less stretchable within a month:
www.stack.com/a/does-ove
reating-actually-stretch-y
our-stomach-the-answer-mig
ht-surprise-you (stomach pic above from this link)
Elsewhere I learned that the stomach holds about 32 liquid ouces, and the bladder feels full with just 5 fluid ounces.

So putting imagination, visualization and drinking water (or unsweetened hot herbal teas in these days of bomb cyclone! like my fav razz zinger

) to fill up when the stomach feels empty is my strategy of the day.

I tried it today: I cut the amount of oatmeal I made by 25%, but put it in a larger flat container, and literally could not tell the difference, even several hours later, not getting any hungrier, partly because I was drinking my morning coffee. A bonus I just realized: if the main entree is reduced, so are the accoutrements-if I reduce it by 50%, I could reduce the peanut butter (for MUFA's & protein), milk (for protein and texture) and jam (for sweetness) I reduce. Thus saving calories via not over-nourishing myself.

Member Comments About This Blog Post

v MOLUX252627
Very interesting. Good luck on your journey.
1317 days ago
v MILPAM3
You have quite the imagination.
1317 days ago
vCD4994568
You have a great mind-set. There have been many times (when on the road or away from home) and I start feeling that little 'I might be getting hungary' feeling but I cannot stop so I drink something warm (water, tea, coffee) and I am not hungary. Always amazes me when it works. It works all the time but still amazing.
1317 days ago
v DEBIGENE
I still believe the only way to lose weight permanently is to change the mindset. I believe if you don't change the way you think about food and the healthy benefits of it you will not eat healthy and hence you will not lose the weight. I'm not saying deprive yourself I'm saying enjoy special treats in portioned quantities on occasions not a regular basis. If you deprive yourself when you do have something special you will over eat it. Of course exercise is a vital part of healthy living as well.

I know bariatric surgery is necessary for some BUT the mindset must change first for that as well or the weight WILL come back even after the surgery has taken place. I know several people this has happened to.
A great example I can relate to regarding the surgery is my brother. He is a quadriplegic since 2005 and he was very heavy. So he went on weight watchers and all he could lose was 30-35 pounds mainly because he could not exercise mainly because he was so big and in a wheelchair. He researched and decided on the sleeve surgery and he was a complete success, lost over 100 pounds and was able to exercise as well. He has been able to keep the weight off for several years now Without the weight he has been able to partake in numerous sessions of physical therapy AND is now using a walker to walk on most occasions. He really is a miracle. You can see a pic of him before and after on my SP if you are interested.

I hope you don't mind my 2 cents here on your blog. Changing your mindset really is the BEST way to lose weight and keep it off and yes it does take time and practice to do that.

1317 days ago
v 1CRAZYDOG
I wish you luck!
1318 days ago
v ALEXTHEHUN
Hi, I just had my lap band insertion surgery right before Christmas. So this is all quite new to me -- although not entirely since my spouse had it done about 10 years ago.
So it will be interesting to see how it works for each of us. I agree; I too thought I could do it myself and, perhaps I could have done. But the fact is, I didn't ever succeed.
I hope it works well for you. Your way is a whole lot less expensive and bother.
Cheers,
Alex
1318 days ago
v KPHEALTHY4LIFE
Good luck, I look forward to seeing how this works for you.
1318 days ago
v36BEATRICE
Good idea! Actually I know someone who lost 22 lb through hypnosis, imagining having had a lap band surgery.I feel a bit reluctant to visualise it for myself. But who knows?
Good luck with your own process.
1318 days ago