Chimera

I quit smoking on November 1, 2010 after 28 years of 1-2 packs a day. I had two half-hearted attempts prior, but I was one that loooooves smoking - I didn't want to quit but I knew I had to if I wanted to live. I went on Wellbutrin and my Dr. recommended stacking Nicotine replacement as well - I don't tolerate the gum or lozenges well, so I used the strongest nicotine patch they make. I joined quitnet and I swear - the Wellbutrin is some kind of magic drug. The first weeks were not pleasant, but with the Patches and reminding myself that the incessant craving only last a minute or two, and then the urge passes. Believe me, in the beginning the urge is literally every 15 seconds, I never, ever thought I would be able to quit. Now I never think about them - ahh well maybe once every few weeks I do. What keeps me quit is remembering my husband in tears because he was so happy my quit was successful. And never wanting to go through the hell of quitting smoking again - ever. I am free now.

Hope you are feeling better and home safe.

Sweet! I think you might like it DesertRat, I know I certainly did. The comments section on Amazon from readers has great information too - paraphrasing from one post, and the author: We are biologically wired to respond to sugar, fat, and salt. As processed food became an industry designed to create a profitable product, our waistlines grew. In 1960 women between the ages of twenty and twenty nine weighed an average of 128 pounds. In 2000, that number grew to 157. In the forty to forty-nine age group, it grew from an average of 142 to a whopping 169 pounds! Yes, ladies, the average perimenopausal woman in America weighs 169 pounds, so don't feel alone. It is so true - I was watching news footage from the mid 70's last week, and just about everyone is thin. Link to the comments: http://www.amazon.co...howViewpoints=1 If you guys have HBO - this new documentary The Weight of the Nation is very enlightening - I am so glad that I am able to have the surgery after seeing the truly staggering statistics of how obesity is ravaging our culture. http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/

I really believe it is a multi-layered issue - I know that I am much better to able to control my own, as well as my family's weight gain and moods by eliminating processed carbs and sugar from the house. I read a great book last year about these issues called The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite - by David Kessler, former head of the FDA. http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Overeating-Insatiable-American/dp/1605297852 He himself wanted to lose a few lbs and found it quite challenging, as a scientist he started to do research as to why humans have been roughly the same body composition since the beginning of time (with considerations for improved hygiene, advances in medicine etc.) and why in the 1980's obesity numbers began to skyrocket. He talks about how the combination of sugar and fat is one that does not exist in nature - two substances that we are genetically hardwired to want to consume in quantity when available - our biology has not had time to catch up with our industry in nutshell. Lab rats consume 'rat chow' as their main form of nutrition, when scientists started to feed them layered combinations of fat, sugar, salt (as restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, and the like do.) these rats no longer would eat their nutritious yet bland rat chow - their dopamine centers lit up like a Christmas tree, setting up a cycle of addiction - so much so that these rats would cross electrified floors that would almost kill them to get to the bad stuff. These substances do the same things to us. It is a good read. One thing that the nutritionist at my surgeon's office said is that there are no essential carbohydrates - our bodies will make what we need from Protein and fats. I have noticed that when I drop the carbs down to 20g or less a day - which is akin to Atkin's induction levels and my pre-surgical recommendation - I am always satisfied with very little and do not have hunger cravings like I do when I consumed carbs, sugar, caffeine, and diet soda.

My goodness talk about going all in with quitting smoking the day before your vsg - my quit day is November 1, 2010 - quit after 28 years of 1 -2 packs a day and I will never go back. I never want to go through the hell of quitting again. Great work and I hope I will have such success with my own surgery - which is 3 days away, yippee!

I did not check my mobile phone messages yesterday afternoon until this morning - and lo and behold the surgery coordinator had left four messages telling me they have to reschedule my monday morning surgery. I went in for my hospital run dow appointment this morning, had another blood draw, an ekg, and they gave me my pre-sugery soap and stopped by after - thank goodness it will be the same day, just in the afternoon rather than the early, early morning. It is so funny how fixated I have become on the date of May 21st - we even clump together in our support group meetings, those of us who get our surgeries on the same date. I am glad I am still May 21 haha. And an update on my husband - who had his VSG and hiatal hernia repaired last tuesday morning - he is doing great! He was even out mowing the lawn on Friday. I feel so much more relaxed after helping him with his surgery. I know that not everyone has the same experience, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that my procedure and recovery will be as silky smooth as his has been. He feels no physical hunger - only a bit of head hunger - he is very bored with only liquids with two more weeks of liquids to go. I will soon feel the same pain - our surgeon wants us low fat, atkins induction style (less than 20g carbs - 100+ g of protein) the three weeks prior to surgery - with the day before surgery all Clear Liquids. 4 days to go - what a journey

Thanks Pookeyism - I was pretty surprised that my husband did it as well. His sister had a Roux 2 years ago and it changed everything for the better, she's now lost about 150 lbs., feels great and has no complications - that fact sent our family to a seminar and we were blown away by the statistics - especially when my surgeon said that if our BMI were over 40 we had a higher mortality rate if we sat in the chair and did nothing as opposed to having WL surgery. That started the ball rolling

Glad to hear that you are feeling better - things will be better when you are home I am sure

Just checked my husband post op instructions and it says 4 weeks.

Best of luck to you! My husband had his surgery last Tuesday and is doing just great and my own is next Monday on the 21st - so glad we are doing this together

Started this whole journey last year after attending the seminar in the spring - finally having surgery next monday, and hubby had his last tuesday is doing great. Yes it has been a long wait but it has given us time to attend many support group meetings, do lots of reading and research to prepare for the procedure and the new way of life that comes with it.

I second Nancy with Premier Protein - it is my husbands and my favorite by a long stretch - we also use a lot of nectar when the mood for other flavors strikes. You can get it at Costco. Best of luck - my own VSG is on the 21st.

I found Reviva brand liquid high potency multi-Vitamins at costco - I add 2 tablespoons to my Premier Protein drink in the morning and it seems to be helping my tummy upsets tremendously. I feel like I am a professional protein and supplement tester after a year of this stuff before surgery lol. They do have carbs - I think it is in the 3-5 range. Those Bariatric Advantage french vanilla vitamins are beyond unpalatable - and I grew so sick of the berry flavor I had to find an alternative. Thy need to invent a Vitamin patch

My husband had his VSG and hiatal hernia repair yesterday mornign at 8:00 a.m. and he is doing great - not too much pain, no nausea. I am on my way to visit him, pop over to another bldg for my own 4 hour pre-op & consent appointment. 13 days and counting for my surgery. My Dr. only wants clear liquids the day before - I think he has us do more of a low fat Atkins approach for 2 -3 weeks prior. 4 shakes and lean protein with a low carb veggie dinner etc.

May 21

I hear ya! My surgery date is also the 21st - and my husband is having his on May 8th. gonna be fun around our house

May 21 - Seattle, WA, Dr. Ross McMahon

It has been a long road - but with BCBSiL's recent waiver of the pre-sugery weight loss program (which I have been doing since last year) - I got a call this afternoon saying I have been approved, I wasnt even planning on submitting until next week lol. May 21st - will be perfect - schools out! Surgeon: Ross McMahon, Swedish Hospital, Seattle.

I too am glad that I will be having a VSG rather than a Roux or a Band - at my hospital support group the VSG group has had spectacular weight loss with little to no complications while a good portion of the band folks cannot say they have had the same experience. I think with our group many of the band folks insurance would not cover the sleeve so that is one reason they went for that procedure.

Hoping your surgery went well! Sending positive healing vibes your way.

My husband and I are both coming up on our surgeries - I need to do the same thing with making a list, it is nice to see how much you have accomplished. A big one for me is quitting smoking after 28 years, something I never thought I could do successfully. Do you know when you are having your surgery?

I do know that at my hospital support group - they have contemplated the idea of separating the surgery types - especially lap bands from vsg's, because I guess the lap banders often get the band because their insurance wont cover the vsg and there is some negative energy there. I am pre-surgery, but when meeting some of the folks there I can definetley feel that vibe..which is kinda crazy.

I was a bit anti-surgery before my family and I attended the information seminar. I thought that the mortality rate for bariatric patients was sky high, but I was incorrect - actually, my surgeon went over the statistics and numbers - and as it turns out if I sat in the chair and did nothing at the BMI I was at, my mortality chance was a whole lot higher than if I had surgery. He also discussed the statistics regarding weight loss and keeping it off - which as we all know with traditional diet and exercise programs the percentage of successful losses of all of ones excess body weight are very small - like 1% of the population, whereas with bariatrics it has exponentially higher success rates. I have done everything and have not had the success I have always sought so I am looking forward to having the tool of a sleeve to increase my own odds of success

A great way to come down gently from the coffee demon is to combine your regular coffee with decaf and over a week, gradually up the amount of decaf. It really does help with the headache. Now I am a coffee addict - I just love everything about it, making it, smelling it, drinking it, thinking (dreaming) about it lol - can you tell I am a Seattleite? I will be having surgery this May and I have decided I need to give it up - all caffeine in fact, because I am addicted to it, when I start weaning myself off of it I could be on an episode of Intervention I am so crabby. My love of coffee has gone way beyond love - it is hard core addiction. I have heard that caffeine is an appetite stimulant as well - so I really want to up my chances of success after so much failure in the WL dept. I was able to quit smoking after 28 years of a pack a day - I can do this too.

I am still waiting for my surgery - but my surgeon says that vsg patients can expect to lose up to 50% of their excess body weight within the first 6 months following surgery, then another 25% of that in the next 6 months, and the last 25% during the next year, so two years rather than one - these figures seem to be pretty reasonable, certainly for me when there is a lot of excess weight Hang in there!