NWgirl

I have a little over 60 to get to my highest "healthy" BMI, and I would totally opt for the band at my current weight. I didn't understand when I first started what a lower BMI would look like, but now that I'm getting into the lower 30's, I can see why people with lower BMI's would opt for it. I am still fat and unhealthy.

I know the FDA made the change to approve lapband for 30 BMI+, but most insurances are not covering that low at this point. I'm sure as co-morbidities rise with the way we eat in this country, they will reconsider.

It's when you are at proper restriction with the band. Aka sweet spot.

I recommend getting The Bandwagon Cookbook and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery

Make sure you are exercising your lungs using the spirometer you should have received.

Ask your surgeon- I would vote no because of the extra sodium usually found in marinades (healthy or not), but your Dr may be okay with it.

I know Costco sells liquid vitamins. I would recommend going into a supplement store and talking to them about the feedback they've received on their stock. There are also places that sell band specific multi's- Unjury (O-Purity brand), Bariatric Advantage, Celebration, etc. My surgeon said I could also use Centrum chewables.

I am at restriction and do not worry about those things. I do remind myself to chew well when I'm eating, but everything else is second nature. I have also not experienced any eliminations of food from my diet, but it's not always a one size fits all approach.

The insecurity that the spouse feels when the other is going in for WLS is pretty common. The psuedo joke (from him) of me leaving him when I get thin is still popping up once in awhile. There's only so much you can do to reassure someone that you love them regardless of how you look!

Liquid diets are usually pretty low in calories. The key is to get a lot of protein in, which will help you stay fuller longer. Making sure to drink a lot of Water will also help

I am newer, but from my reading around it seems as if when you are getting refilled, the cc amount to restriction is different due to the band sitting differently. Good luck to you!

You look great in your profile pic! Don't beat yourself up, just keep trekking along trying to make good decisions.

Try using sugar free syrups to change up the flavors. I have also read if you drink through a straw, you won't smell the powder.

whoever does your fills should pull all fluid from the band and see if what is in there matches what they have on record. If it doesn't, you should fill again and then the next time you're in, have them pull all out and check again. If you're missing fluid 2x in a row, it's likely you have a leak.

It seemed like the article only showed about a 3% increase in alcohol related addictions in its study population after two years (about 7% of people who started the survey already had issues, and the total at end of two years was 10% ish).

I would totally recommend a book called "The End of Overeating. Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite." It talks about how the food industry has specifically manufactured foods to be addictive. It's an interesting read and gave me insight into why I crave certain foods. Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food—when one slice of pizza turns into half a pie, or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag. But it's harder to understand why we can't seem to stop eating—even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food? Dr. David Kessler, the dynamic former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry, now reveals how the food industry has hijacked the brains of millions of Americans. The result? America's number-one public health issue. Dr. Kessler cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat, and salt. Food manufacturers create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a nation of overeaters. THE END OF OVEREATING explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it's so easy to overindulge. Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders. THE END OF OVEREATING uncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits—and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed our nation—from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises. For the millions of people struggling with weight as well as for those of us who simply don't understand why we can't seem to stop eating our favorite foods, Dr. Kessler's cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and useful tools to help us find a solution. There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do.

Keep your chin up. I still think about food often, but not nearly as much as before. I have heard some people always struggle with the mental aspect and some forget to even eat!

Good job! Those darn carbs can be so devilish!

Unfortunately, the cost is a risk you took in getting the surgery. Who would pay for the removal if not you? Most banded folks find that after awhile, the pain of eating certain food outweighs eating the food and they choose not to eat it.

This is sad I'm glad that your surgeon elected to not put the band in, some would have probably done it anyways to get money. I know that hernias can cause the band to slip, so maybe he determined it was too big of a risk? I hope you find something that works for you. The best of luck to you.

It's a slow stop response of your body telling you that you're full. Some people get them. I used to get them in the beginning, but do not any longer.

http://abcnews.go.co...25#.T-PSD_UVrhJ The difference between the band and the bypass is that the band can cause increased intoxication, but that is due to eating highly decreased calories. The bypass issue is that they actually have the plumbing differences that cause the increased metabolic absorption of alcohol, so they can drink til they are drunk and wait a short amount of time and the metabolism will have negated the effects, letting them consume more alcohol. Dr. Mitchell Roslin, a bariatric surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the link between gastric bypass surgery and increased alcohol use has been attributed before to the shifting addiction theory and that this is false. The shifting addiction theory is that if a person has an impulsive drive to eat and the ability to eat large amounts of food is taken away, then he will shift his addiction to another addictive substance, like drugs or alcohol. "A gastric bypass patient has a small pouch [for a stomach] so alcohol goes straight into the intestine and is absorbed rapidly," said Roslin. "When it is absorbed rapidly, there is a high peak and rapid fall." The higher absorption rate makes alcohol more addictive, he added. Laparoscopic gastric banding, where an adjustable band in placed around a patient's stomach and limits how much food the stomach can hold, did not have an associated risk with increases in alcohol problems. King said this is to be expected as gastric banding does not change the anatomy and thus the metabolism of alcohol like gastric bypass does.

Call your insurance and ask what type of WLS they cover. Some do not cover the sleeve.

I burped in excess the first month. I believe it was related to gas because I could have not consumed anything for a couple hours and be burping away. It'll pass.

oops, I meant to put only something related to bypass and the sleeve! Glad you caught it!