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You have a big job of mentally reframing what is "good" food. I agree with the others that you will be able to have those foods again, in limited portions, but the bigger job is to start training your brain to love the healthy foods and start despising the unhealthy ones. Ice cream and simple carbs are the seducers that got you into trouble in the first place. You have to start thinking about them in term of what they actually do to your long term health. An exercise of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in overcoming addictive behaviors is to make a list of all the benefits of healthy foods (lower cholesterol, lower glucose levels, lower BP, weight loss, anti-oxidants, vitamins, etc) and a list of the bad things unhealthy foods will do (increased weight, BP, glucose, lipids, depression, loss of quality of life, higher rate of heart attack, cancer ,and stroke, decreased longevity, etc.) If you practice this daily, your brain really will start to "re-wire" to seek out a delicious food choice rather than a poor one, and you will have increased endorphin release by making the choice. Healthy choices are part of the lifestyle changes you agree to tackle when you agree to WLS. Don't obsess on the ice cream. You'll have it again, eventually. But use this first year to make the lifestyle changes and rewire your thought patterns so the sweets and treats will never take you down again. PS: Another thought. Before surgery, I cannot count the number of times i would pray, "Please, God, I'll give up anything if You can just help me get this weight off." Then I had surgery and the weight came off. I am dead serious in saying that if I NEVER can have a bite of ice cream or sugar again, it is a sacrifice worth every single day of being a normal weight and having my life back. The fact is that you have to be willing to give up the junk if you want the health. You can't keep flirting with the food that made you fat in the first place. You can't have it both ways. Until you really hardwire the healthy habits and healthy food, don't put yourself in the way of temptation by entertaining thoughts of the junk food.

Hey Guys, I am newly posting but have been reading along since last year. I got sleeved on March 4th, 2020. The day I got the surgery the hospital I was in had 2 covid cases, and then the city shut down. I haven't been to a support group meeting (obviously because covid) but thank you all for your post they have been my support since. I just wanted to check in with anyone else that may have had the surgery in March to see how you are doing? I have been feeling a bit depressed lately. I don't know if it's from the pandemic or the slowing of my progress or a combination of all. I have lost a total of 70 lbs since March but I haven't lost anything for the past 2 months and it's depressing me. I did lose a lot of inches but it has been hard to get workouts in and I am getting concerned about the loose skin. I got the surgery at 243lbs and am currently 172 lbs. I am thinking of going back to a soft foods diet but I barely get 1000 calories in a day. Just looking for some other stories or support/suggestions here. BTW I don't regret a thing and good luck to everyone that is going through the process!

I am so happy to see some fellow lap banders out there still fighting the good fight and sharing some positive stories. I've had my band since March 2008. I lost the majority of my weight in the first 6-9 months (from 200lbs down to 140lbs, i'm only 5'2") and managed to stay within a maintenance range for the past 12+ years, which included 2 pregnancies and a my fair share of fluctuations along the way. In the past year i have made some more habit changes that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2". I have didn't have a physical adjustment (a fill), to get me there, as i've had good restriction for the last few years, but it was a mental adjustment that got me there for sure! I can totally relate to the feelings you're having about going back in for an adjustment, and especially to the situation where a lot of the members of my old practice had left. But the thing is, the lap band is ALL ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS! That's how our tool works! Going back in and checking on your band and seeing if you need an adjustment is the best thing you can do for yourself! And you know what, it will probably take more than one adjustment to get you to the right spot! And that is just fine! That's how it works with the band. In fact, they'll likely do a full check (complete with barium swallow) on how your band is looking and how your restriction is looking and that is a good thing too! We need to take care of our tool. An adjustment is probably just want you need...but don't forget to make it more than just a fill! Bring back some of the behaviors that led to succeed the first time around! Best of luck and hope to hear an update on how you're doing!

I hope things improve and I'm glad you are able to look on the bright side!! Praying that your kitty makes it home safe and sound!

I really think i had an advantage when it comes to this having been a previous LB patient. Its a whole lot different when you CAN'T eat it vs SHOULDN'T. As the band got tighter, bread, rice, grits, some potatoes, drier meats like port, white chicken, veggies like asparagus, fruit like apples.... just would not go down. If i even tried it would get stuck and have to "uneat" it. So i just stopped. I really thought it would be harder, but after a few times of throwing up... you learn to stay away. Now with the sleeve, it's super easy as i have just gone back to that way pretty much. a few weeks ago i found myself dipping my toe in the deep part of the pool..... realized that it was/is a dangerous place to be. So back to the kiddy pool so to speak. Last night i cooked one of my favorite meals..... smothered chicken (boneless thighs) green beans and rice.... I sooooo badly wanted the rice.... but i stayed away. I found the wanting of these things never go away, but the acting on them can.

That sucks. I suffered a few "ball drops" during the process. My advice is stay on them. Thats what I did. Insist that you see another shrink, or whatever it takes to get your paperwork submitted. Talk with your surgeon if you can. He can make things happen if he wants to. Good luck.

I agree. If you tell yourself "I can never have _______" again, you will probably want it MORE! I went to dinner with my sister, and while I did not let them leave the bread basket (luckily she is also on a diet), I did have two amazing bites of cheesecake...and that was enough! I brought the rest home and told my son "Eat it or throw it away!" so I wouldn't be tempted. I know that I can't keep those things in my house, but if I'm out, then I will indulge (a little!).

Typical for who and there personal circumsances? Hasn't been two weeks yet so I would say 9lb is pretty good. Reset your expectations. First few weeks are a bit skewed...there is surgery weight (as in IV fluids and inflammation), weight loss from pre op diet (and if a lot lost then don't expect to lose a lot in the first few weeks post op), body getting use to the various post op food stages, surgery day weight, gender, incidental activity levels, hydration/dehydration levels. If you are going to stick around, it would be helpful if you filled in your profile, weight, height etc, it gives context to any questions and helps frame responses. It is difficult at this stage to meet goals, a calorie goal is probably even more difficult. Focus on water, protein (very helpful for healing/recovery from surgery as well as helping feel satisfied), volumes etc. What calorie goal has been set for you at this stage of your post op progress?

From reading your posts I can see that you're well versed in nutrition and CICO, surely you know for every one gram of carbohydrate stored in the body (as glycogen) there is approximately 2-3 grams of water retained. I didn't say I gained a kilo of FAT. It likely was water weight from the 7 day carb fest, and my return to eating a low carb diet would have flushed out that water weight. Regardless, it was the scare that I needed to get myself back on track, and show me I'll always need to be vigilant with my food choices.

+1 for the chapstick i also brought a bottle of biotin spray for the unbelievably sore/dry throat that i woke up with after the surgery. (everything else I brought was left untouched in my overnight bag...well except my phone)