RJ'S/beginning

We still live in the real world with real food. We have to learn to balance food with moderation. I have things I can no longer tolerate. Like beef, pork, bananas, ice cream..on and on..Does not bother me..I have some new favorites! But I still eat pizza, I will have a cookie ( not a box of Cookies ) and I will not feel guilty..If we could have gotten a handle on our addictions before surgery we would have done it without it. Turning this program into another diet ( failed )They all failed before! Now learning to live and coincide with food, now that's the ticket. Eat to live not live to eat. Enjoy the journey and the changes you will make and the learning you will do about yourself and why you chose food as a comfort....Use your tool to fix your thinking and how you respond to food and why.Then the rest will follow!

The time for shame is over. You have made a big difference in your life. You took control of the beast and you are dealing with it. I can't imagine being ashamed of something that saved your life and probably is making you a better, healthier person. People on here like myself were over 300 -- 400---500 +. and started to live again...We are making a change that is all in the past.. Pick your head up and be proud of what you have accomplished and keep the photos as a reminder of where you came from and how hard you worked and who you are becoming. It is a celebration for you. The time for you. It is about you. You can't do this again.....You will never go back.. You have shown fortitude to work on yourself and make yourself a better, happier you. Don't pick at the past but move forward....There is no going back...We live on. We grow, we change and we conquer!

AJS for every 1 person that had complications are 99 of us who didn't. The complication rates are 1% on average. And while complications can and do occur without anyone being at "fault" the best you can do is follow all instructions closely, never ever cheat, and expect you are going to be in that 99 number rather than the 1 person. For very one that has had a rough journey here are 99 who had an easy recovery. Educate and arm yourself and then know that you are more likely to be just fine than not. When I was about to get my date for surgery my surgeon asked me, what is the worst thing that can happen to you? I side stepped that question because I thought I knew what the worst thing was and had already made peace with it. He was not satisfied until I said the words out loud. You can die from this surgery!!!!!! That's right like you can die having any other surgery as well. Like having wisdom teeth removed... The chances are pretty small as GG Said but don't kid yourself anything worth having involves risk and you have to decide if you are ready for what ever is coming to you. Once you have figured that you want to be there for your son and husband for many years to come and want this bad enough to change your life...Only you can answer that question.. So many come on the forum and talk about regrets when they are a few days out and they are in a little bit of pain or discomfort...It is real... This is it..Your working toward a better life and a healthier you....Your doing this because it is time to take control of the thing that controls you... Lots of work but lots of wonderful things ahead of you as well.. I am one that was not part of the 99% and I tell you..I would not go back for anything...All those years wasted, existing and not even living..Wish I could have had this a long time ago...Even with all the complications.....

This is a problem with anyone who gives up an addiction... There are several people on here that have given up alcohol and food addictions at the same time. The first part of the plan is to admit that you have a food addiction. That you are a food addict. That you use it as your coping mechanism in life. If you past 50 years old the chances of you taking on another addiction is about 30%..... Take the time to find out what caused the addiction in the first place and turn it around. Instead of living to eat. Eat to live...I now spend my hard earned money on quality and not junkie foods. I buy the very best of everything for me and mine because we are worth it....Next I read every label and spend a long time enjoying shopping now instead of rushing through, grabbing something quick and shoving it down. If I can't pronounce it I don't eat it...lol I look for different recipes and have started to try new foods. There are other things you can do as well. Like write down every day 5 nice things that happened to you the day before and read them as your stress levels rise...This is not easy to do... Next take up a hobby, volunteer somewhere. Get your body moving (walking gym, exercise ) instead of watching the T.V Plan ahead.....Have something with you that you can fool yourself into thinking it is unhealthy but really is..Like a Protein cookie. All these things were mentioned to me by a substance abuse councilor....This is your time to make it work.. This is up to you...This is about you...no one else...No one will shove the food down your throat...We have to fix the brain and the body will follow suit.....

I doubt very many people are at risk for leaks or any other complication. But me I started having difficulties from the get go.....I was the luck of the draw I think. It has nothing to do with my surgeon. Or my team..They have been there with me through it all...I thank god for them.... I was his first patient to ever go through anything like this...And from what I gather his last so far.....This has cost me dearly..But it could have cost me my life if I kept on the path I was on. So I view my team as miracle workers...And love them all to death...... If you are doing what you are supposed to do and have few complications I think you will not have to worry....Unless you abuse your sleeve by over eating or grazing constantly........

Every surgeon seems to have a different idea about all the different aspects of WLS. When I went to the hospital last Sunday the first thing they did was put me on fluids and a heavy antibiotic in case of a leak. Now I also have a situation that is rare as well. I have a couple staples that have wiggled their way out of the scar tissue and are just dangling there...He has to go in and get them...It can cause other organs damage if left there and they dislodge... I try to be different then all the rest of you have you not seen that in my experience....lol

Try adding G2 Gatorade to your water. Coffee, tea they are diuretics. You may find that if you drink 1/2 Gatorade with 1/2 water every day it will help with hydration. BUT call the surgeon just to be on the safe side.....

I am 17 months almost 18 months out and just spent 6 days in the hospital because my surgeon was worried that I had a leak...It was an ulcer and so I escaped that one....it can happen far out as well. Just not likely.... Most surgeons feel that you are risk free at about 9 months... I of course have been an exception to most rules being that I have had one complication after another......You having the Lap Band there is more of a chance of it slipping then leaking...

You might find that keeping a Protein Bar in your purse at all times will help during these situations. Also keeping some nuts, seeds too. You will find that you can get along well using this method as a resort instead of Mikee Dee's. I found Smart for life bars really helpful when I have been caught out and have nothing to eat. I am quite satisfied with this as it is a Meal Replacement. I would not worry at this point about portion size...Some eat 1/3 c. some 1/2 cup...some 3/4 cup and most up to 1 cup. Not one cup of chips but dense protein first and then veggies and then carbs.... Just try to stay around a cup if you can....1 cup is not that much when you put it on your plate.... A 1/3 of a cup. My body would shut down and go into a stall...I would not get enough protein in to keep myself healthy... up to one cup is what my team recommended and it works for me....

Try a gentle stool softener. I use Senokot. S. It has worked quite well for me....Taking Iron pills can either make you bound up or be a laxative for you. most find it a bounder upper...lol. The first few weeks you are taking in less bulk and so your still thinking you need to go like you used to but you don't. But if you have that bloated feeling take this.

You hit the nail on the head when you said the word snacking....No WLS is going to work unless you fix the reasons why you are sabotaging yourself. Fix the brain and you will fix the body. If you have to snack pick a couple of almonds. Or some raisins. Nothing junkie. High calories and no benefits to body health at all. What you have is a tool. Not a fix it all! You have to be a driven person to do this. And continue for the rest of your life or you will find yourself back to what you started as. This information is not new to any of us. It is for me as well as you. We are in this together. It could be me later on... So breath deep, regroup and get it together kid. Okay...Back to basics and dense Proteins and stay away from carbs unless complex okay. Keep up the exercise and don't weigh yourself every day...That just discourages you more. We are all struggling with this demon in our lives. You are not alone no matter what surgery you chose. Basically....we have to see it as a tool and not a fix...We have to fix ourselves a long the way!!!

There is a constant discussion about whether you can or can't stretch your sleeve. Personally I have been told that you cannot stretch it. It will relax and a pocket can form under the flap at the bottom near the small bowel. That can be very dangerous... Others will say that you can stretch it. But if the surgeon took the pouch out then it can't! Just because you can eat an egg MC Muffin does not mean you should. I am certain that you can stay away from fast food joints forever if you put your mind to it. I have read on here that some can eat 2 eggs no problem. We are all different and our pouches are different according to surgeon and height and on and on. If you keep Protein first. Dense protein and then veggies, fruit and then carbs. You will continue on your way. For those times you can't..Try to eat complex carbs. They make a complete protein..And your body needs it... When a person goes back to old habits it can stop you cold from progressing to your goal. Around 1 cup of food per meal seems to be the standard. If you can eat more then that. Stop...If you are still hungry drink some Water....64 oz. is a lot to take down in a day..... Don't graze. Don't push until you can do what you know you shouldn't. I personally know of a girl who lost 1/2 her weight and said this sucks and she has remained at this weight for over 12 years....She had a lot more to go but did not fix her head. A man who lost all his weight and then gained it all back by drinking again...Fix your head and the body will follow. Follow the plan and figure out what is head hunger and what is the real deal....We can fool ourselves into thinking we are starving or we need more. It is surprising how little humans really need to eat to stay a live and be healthy.. Just take a deep breath and regroup...Go forward and figure out what the trigger food is for you and stay clear.....k All the best.

I am a veteran and also one of the unfortunate patients who is still battling complications because of this surgery. I was just released from a 6 day stay in hospital due to another complication. It has been some of the most pain I have ever felt and the most difficult adventure I've ever been on. I am almost 18 months post op and really encourage you to make sure that you know the risks. The first week or so after the surgery you will wish you never had it done and think you lost your mind. But as things progress and you start to head toward goal things will change. You will see your tool as an aid to get you there and you will depend on it to help you lose weight while you change your thinking about food. Fix the head you fix the body. Now for your question: With everything I have gone through and am still going through I do not regret one moment of this decision. I was existing before and now I am living. Really living....That can't be taken from me......It has been worth every moment of my ordeal. I am very proud of my accomplishments and would do it again even with the complications in a Carolina second!

Mess up again and see what happens to you missy...Follow your teams instructions and be so very good to the helper in there.....I'm still here and paying attention to your progress. Oh and by the way little one you were petrified that the leak would not heal. That is only natural! Congrats on being able to go forward from now on.......

It has been 17 months since I was sleeved. It has been the road from hell getting to where I am right now....I am still here so not everything is bleak!

PM me anytime...for any reason...I will help as much as I can through my own experience...okay! Your doing an amazing thing to help yourself......We know because we did it too...

Life is happening to you in all sorts of ways now....You did not eat a cake today..You missed some meals...Drink a Protein shake and have some dense protein 30 min. after... should get you through the night.....I can think of way worse things to be upset about... @@skinnygirlwithin Think about the weekend coming up about Wednesday and then plan for it.....Your doing great...Stop tripping yourself up.... We all have good days and bad days. But if it is always the weekend...Plan, plan and plan for it..okay!!!!!67 lbs...phantasmagoria!!!!!!!!!

Your standing out now in a good way. and as a bonus...Your getting healthier and stronger and more energy as you go along.! Working with inner city kids must be quite the task. But rewarding eh? I have seen the movies based on true stories. But I always imagined that they were tame rather then true reality... I admire your strength not only in regards to your journey. But also your fortitude for teaching children whop really need you.

If I could like this comment 100 times. It would not be enough...you are so right.....on all accounts!!!! Thanks for your wise input!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You will find both opinions of this forum... Personally...I eat the yolk as well. i can only put so much in my body and if I am going to eat an egg..Well it is all going down to help with the Protein intake.. That is just how I feel about it.

They cut up to 85 % of your stomach out. Do you really think that your system is going to take that well. It is going to take time for all the crap to leave your system that they put in there, swelling to go down and healing is a major time consuming effort. you have to give your body some rest and keep on the program and look forward. Get the scale out of the equation and wait a bit before you weigh yourself again...There is no reason why you can't lose the weight. Trust your sleeve by doing what you are supposed to do and it will come off. K

Better then hiding the scale. take it outside and hit it as hard as you can with a sledge hammer or ax Trust me...we have addictions and it is very common to trade one for another.....Obsession with all healthy natural foods. size, numbers, so on and so on. Part of this program is to fix your head. You are not ready for the scale because you can't stay off of it. I am sure that I have only weighed myself maybe 6 or 7 times in 17 months. Every weigh in I lost weight...I did not think of numbers I only looked at sizes...I watched how my clothes fit and judged from there. It was a little nerve wracking to even go on the scales when I was required to. But you know...It has worked for me..I stick to the program most of the time and can feel my body changing.... I remember that I was stuck on size 20 for what I felt was forever but I still did not dust off the scale....It took years to put my weight on and I never used a scale then..Why now? I do drink tea. I have 2 cups a day no sugar and a little milk. Soon I won't because it is getting warmer here. So I will look for other things to drink. I also drink low calorie hot chocolate. That just makes me think I am cheating and I am not. Take my advise...Smash that scale!!!!

no. they never gave me that. i am actually glad, it sounded fricking scary. but i have issues with hydration, i just came home tonight from the ER, had to get a bag of Fluid cuz i was dizzy and sick which = dehydration. Ana..how many times have I encouraged you to drink G2 Gatorade. It helps keep your electrolytes up and will make your trips to the ER disappear. 17 months later and I still drink 1/2 of a bottle diluted with Water and I can feel it if I don't drink it..Oh yes I get my 64 oz of water in as well. But that really makes a difference.

WHAT GOES ON IN THE BACK YARD If you enjoy watching wildlife in slow motion this is really cool. Enjoy! Be sure to have your sound turned on (and watch it in HD, full screen). The hummingbird doing rolls chasing a bee is not to be missed. Be sure to watch closely (around 2 min 40 sec) and check out the BABY BAT under its mother. Unreal!!! If you never knew what goes on in the garden when you aren't paying attention, watch this - some of the finest photography you will ever see. http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4?rel=0