Trial and Error

One of my favorite education professors at my alma mater, The University of Texas at San Antonio, taught me a lot about great science practices for the classroom. And the biggest lesson that stuck with me is "trial and error is okay" as a teacher, as a student, and in your personal life.

We use trial and error all the time. If you go to a dressing room, you bring several different sizes, colors, and styles to find the right outfit. Trial and Error.

If you are looking for airline tickets, trial and error is used a lot to find the cheapest flight with the fewest travel hassles. Sometimes you hit it; sometimes you think to yourself to never try that again.

Ever stick your toes in the pool or the ocean to see how cold the water is? Trial and Error.

You have probably already figured this out, but I have been in a trial and error mode since my lap-band surgery. At first it was to test how much you could eat without getting nauseated or feeling over-full. Then, as you healed, you experimented with different types of solid food.

I clearly remember when I ran my first test to see what I could tolerate. I had company about a month ago, and because the purpose of their visit wasn't for pleasure, we had a lot of those stress-eating foods out in plain sight all over the counter tops in the kitchen. Even though I was still technically on a soft diet, that darn tortilla chip was screaming my name. So when no one was looking, I took one and popped it in my mouth. Then feeling that it might have been a serious error, I chewed the heck out of it. Pulverized it. But it was so good, and it felt good mentally that I could still have an occasional indulgence.

I went to the doctor today for my second month checkup. I was a little worried since I had only lost four pounds this month. I told myself it was to be expected since I had truly been experimenting with different meats and vegetables to see which ones I could eat. I knew that once I started eating nothing but solids that the weight loss would slow down. I had also had a change in my blood pressure medicine due to changes in the insurance coverage and had been retaining a little more fluid than normal. I went into his office waiting for the "lecture" to come about my eating habits.

He wasn't worried. He stated that it was to be expected since I wasn't able to run every day and couldn't ride my bike as much because of my other itty bitty problem. And he reassured me that it was normal that I worried about how much I ate until I figured out what my new normal was going to be. We discussed the importance of healthy foods and continued awareness of portion control. And then he gave me another fill into the band. It was like, okay if you don't do it on your own, I am gonna make it harder for you by squeezing your stomach some more.

I have started back to subbing in the classroom so I do think about eating during those days. I try to pick healthy foods for my lunch bag. The doctor reminded me that one of the better things to stick in it was the high protein drinks. They fill you up with the good stuff.

My trial and error will continue. My weight today was 264, and while I didn't meet my goal of eight to ten pounds a month, I am still heading downward in the right direction.

And my 4-F "aha" moment? After I got my fill, the doctor looked at me and said, "Your pants are a little loose. Have they always been like that? Or is this something new?"

I guess my grin told him the answer to that!