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I had surgery in July in Mexico with Dr. Corvala.....I actually had surgery the day before Julie....I am down almost 60lbs....I eat everything and do everything...as a matter of fact I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas, tried out new restaurants and (ok not the best choices, but it's Vegas) had a few too many adult bevy's....I am still down 1/2 lb.... I have learned that I need to order what I really want from a menu...yes there will be left overs, and yes, sometimes it is easier and better to order one meal for me and my husband and eat "family" style..... other than that...it has been great.... Read my blog, go back to July, and you can see what I was doing, eating and feeling...I write about 1 a week now, but will get back into the swing of writing with the new year... I started at over 300 and am now in the lower 240's!!!! so yes, would I do it again...in a minute....would I go to Mexico...No doubt! Just think of your stomach at a wayyyyy smaller size....I can eat about 4-6 oz of food, if it is soft and mushy I can eat maybe 8-10oz...but still think about a 1 cup measure, that is 8 oz.....so if you are full (and for the first time in my life I knew what full felt like....).....I have now made it through the Holidays and am down 4 lbs in December...it is a slower month than any other month, but also I indulged in alcohol, Cookies, etc...so all in all it beats my usual 10+lbs gain...... good luck and keep us posted...

I meant only good carbs, I think at this stage bad carbs (refined sugars cakes chocolate ALCOHOL) shouldn't be part of are diet. In fatsecret.com the carbs come out when you log you're food in. I do agree though you need to see what your doctor recommends. As I said earlier I wouldn't recomend the bad carbs at this stage

What you're experiencing is very normal. Including the ***-sitting husband! LOL Your body has gone through a traumatic experience and needs time to heal. It is definitely hard to eat enough right now. You're probably on a liquid-only diet right now, so just try to have whatever you can. Broths, SF Jell-O, and Water. Sip your water whenever possible. sleep if your body tells you it needs sleep. Now is the time to rest and recuperate. Tell your husband to get you something if you need him to. But don't forget that you need to walk, so sometimes getting yourself something is good (as long as it doesn't mean lifting or doing anything you're not supposed to do). Walking will help with the tummy sounds, etc., too. When your dr says you can have Protein, add some high protein/low-or-no sugar shakes - maybe start off with some that are already made since they should be very smooth. If necessary, water them down (or add skim milk). It will take time to work up to the amounts you are "supposed" to have. Just remember, as you progress, to do it slowly and don't add anything that doesn't assist your being healthy (NO candies even when/if the dr says you can have them in moderation, and don't drink alcohol except once in a blue moon and very little of it). Take it from someone who regained 76 lbs and has been struggling to get down below the almost 50 lbs she finally lost!!! (As for the alcohol, that's because even many drs don't know the latest research on WLS and drinking. It turns out that RNYers get high quickly, may feel like it went through us quickly, but the effects and blood alcohol levels stay longer - plus we tend to become addicted to it very easily. Don't risk cross addiction.) End of "lecture." LOL Good luck! ♥

Thanks so much guys, today was better. No binge today, I did have a snickers, but I will say that is the only candy I have eaten today and after the past couple of days just that alone is a jumping a big hurdle for me. I still have not eaten over 1000 calories today, so that makes me feel better too. I will have to go cold turkey and I wish I could automatically get that feeling you have after you have done the Atkins for 2 weeks and you don't crave anything, let alone want anything to eat and yet you have massive amounts of energy. Damn that Atkins for working so well when you actually stick to it! HA! I'm at least in better spirits today and also realized it is PMS time so that could be the fire behind some of the madness and uncontrollable everything!! I know the peanut butter cups should be considered and taxed like cigarettes and alcohol, but that wouldn't stop me either way. Self control is coming back, it just took the horse and buggy instead of the Astin Martin...hopefully I can grab hold soon and stay off of sugar for a while. I bought the carnation choco breakfast drinks, so I will try them in the morn and see if that curbs my addiction any. Good luck everyone and thanks for the support!!

Nykee :wave: - Have you ever read the book "Potatos not Prozac"? I'm not finished reading it yet, but the nurse who wrote it equates sugar sensitivity to alcoholism (her specialty was working with alcoholics and stumbled on the connection to sugar sensitivity by accident). I thought it was very interesting, and from reading your past eating habits and current food logs I wouldn't be surprised if you have sugar sensitivity in a big way. (((hugs)))

To Photo nut, If it where just something we could do by making good, smart decisions, and or good judgement calls, none of us would need a lap-ban. Why do people keep eating till they are 550 lbs ???? Why do alcoholics drink till they die ??? Why do drug addicts use there drug till there is nothing left of body mind or spirit???? Why do people gamble themselves and there family into bankruptcy???? Because we are SICK !!! We are addicted to food or swallowing as much as the addicts are addicted to heroin, crack......... whatever. We will do it no matter what, like the addict spending there family food money on drugs. My sister who had a lap-ban installed last year went into a deep depression and finely into a nervous break down because she could not eat anymore. It was not the being fat, it was the act of eating & swollowing large amounts of food that she craved, the fat is a side effect of the pleasure we seek. The act of eating is how we cope with life and all it's ups and downs, it's how we deal with our joy's and our sorrow's. We devoeloped this habit by not dealing with our feelings and emosions and wanting to hide them, so we eat, and eat, and eat, till we feel better and fill that hole in our soul. I have been dealing with my 500 + lbs for years, and have lost over 1500 lbs in the last 20 years and have learned the hard way it's an inside job. As you said (Photo Nut) that the Ban is only a tool, and a way to help us not over eat. It's not the answer, we have to find some kind of help for the fact we are on a death mission, and don't feel we deserve to be happy. It's taken me a long time to get this far (I am 53 today) and I am not there yet. I still overeat (as much as the band will allow me to) and I need a fill and I balk at getting it, I have been 350 + lbs for 3 years now and am losing so slow it drives me crazy. I want to be normal so bad I can taste it, but...... do I go get a fill???? Noooooo, I wait, and wait because I still want to be able to eat a full meal at diner, and eat a full sandwich. I know I have a ways to go, but I am on the right track and I am not fooling myself that this is the magic cure. I'm an enlightened FAT person, and I know how I got here and what I use my eating for. I know some people have a gland problems, and that kind of stuff, but......... on the whole it's us compulsive overeaters that really fill up these threads. Thank you so much for this thread, I think it was great and I hope to hear more. Peace. Butch

Before people start arriving, try to sit down & eat some of the turkey chili ahead of time. This may help you to better resist the temptations around you tonight. Keep Water in your hand to sip throughout the party, and be very careful not to overdo the alcohol. Since you're not even a month out yet, you don't have any way to know what foods might not sit well or make you sick. Good luck!

That's probably the stupidest post I've ever read on here!!! First you compare smoking pot to smoking CRACK and then advise someone to DRINK alcohol over smoking pot .... I stopped smoking about a month ago because I was warned by my therapist that they will do a drug test with the pre-surgery testing, for the anesthesiologist. I've going to give myself about 2 weeks after surgery before I light up again ... I think I'm looking forward to that more than anything else :heh:

Little birdie toooooo funny!!!!!!!! We are all grown up we make choices and decisions about our lives every day. Working in the treatment field (drug, alcohol, mental health, gambling) I have seen many sad cases of abuse and dependance daily, yet I still drink on occasion. If it does not impact your life in negitive manner then to each his own. LOL

I agree....that was a dumb post. In my opinion I would smoke mary J. before I would drink alcohol or eat crap after I get the band.

I think a lot of people are very ignorant when it comes to smoking pot, let alone all other drugs (including alcohol, which is the worst). I think the reason that you don't seem to know or understand very much, is that they say when you start smoking pot, your brain stays at the same age as when you started. So Jimbo must have started smoking at age 12, because it seems like that is about as much as he knows.

I admit it...smoking weed is my vice, but I lead a very active, productive life. I have an awesome job, and a very fullfilling life. My days are long & my life is fulfilling & the fact that I just happen to smoke every once in awhile does not hold me back from anything I want in this life! It's a mindset. I'd rather smoke weed than drink alcohol any day. I admit, I love it & the only reason it is illegal is because it's such a money maker for the government to keep it illegal. Just another way for them to hold us down. I'm scheduled to be banded August 29th & was worried about being tested for marajuana use beforehand, but from reading this post it looks like I don't need to quit!

I actually agree...I was a RX person...I liked the 'scripts. Mostly uppers though...before my band I battled addiction to Phentermine/Adipex (which is basically Meth in a pill). I had others that I liked too, but this was my fave EVER! I did pills for a long time (all through Jr. High and High School)...and I quit before I got the band...I have to admit the side effects SUCK! I STILL cant get as much done because the phentermine really messed up the chemicals in my brain to think that it needs that stimulation to work. Before I started taking them I could muster up enough energy to get stuff done and I slept normally....now 3 years sober from them, I STILL have to force myself to get anything productive done. I hate the feeling, and the only why to fix it, is to fight it...which you dont want to do because you just never have any energy that isnt generated by something else...i.e. your lazy all the time. The saddest part of all is the fact that I have NEVER taken a pill that wasnt prescribed to me, so all my addictions were to my own pills! What I dont understand is the companies that do a hair test for employment, I mean a female could have just been around pot at a party or something and inhaled some of the smoke and its in her hair until she gets that part cut off, which could take forever to grow! I mean she could have been around it a year or more ago and never been around it since, and still be refused employment....thats ridiculous! What should matter to employers (which I do understand WHY it matters) is if you have used it in the last 30 days or so, basically recently, and how much is in your system. I also think that there should be a quantity level just like with alcohol as to how much can be in your system before you are denied/terminated from employment. I used to be one of those people who HATED anything that had to do with pot, and couldnt stand it when I knew my friends were doing it....but I had a terrible misconception of what it did to people...I thought it was this terrible drug that made you do weird things and hurt people and stuff (like a hard drug)....but after going to a few parties and witnessing effects...I soon realized that these people didnt want to get off the couch, much less hurt someone or go psycho lol! Thats when I became tolerant of it, and I actually wouldnt mind it being legalized in some way...I mean Salvia is perfectly legal and is WAY more dangerous than weed.

I agree that pot is better than alcohol. Unfortunately it’s illegal and my job does random drug testing. I am concerned about the smoking in front of kids, though. I’m also that way around drinking around kids. I’ve got neighbors who drink every fricken day and their kids just watch that. Same with weed – I wouldn’t see a problem with kids knowing about it, but if my babysitter decided to come over high I’d be pissed the same as I would be if they had a few beers beforehand. That said, I’m not sure why it’s illegal…anyone know? WTH – it grows natural!!! Oh, I would also like to add that it can be addicting…maybe not chemically, but neither is food – and yet I’m addicted to it. I have the same addiction to food that alcoholics have to alcohol. Behaviors can be modified by it and then we start craving the things that make us feel good. Again, not knocking it. All things in moderation, though – and not necessarily in front of kids. Whether you’re slapping around the wife, or getting so high you think your big toe is the funniest thing in the world. You got to have your wits about you sometimes, and getting high doesn’t help that.

I think it is time to admit that there are other additions going on in here right now, some are addicted to drugs, alcohol, food etc. but no one has mentioned the more dangerous addiction which is the addiction to chaos, the addiction to always cause a scene, complain, whine, talk louder and badder than the rest. Insult the rest of the world so ONE can feel better. Yes people this is an addiction as well, it is deep seeded and there is very little help except to recognize and walk away. Don't waste your breath, it does no good. There is no reasoning, just turn and walk away and the problem will disappear as if it never where here. After that....Toke on fellow smokers!!

I had a single glass of wine ???? at 4 weeks while on a date night with my husband. I sipped on it for an hour and enjoyed it immensely. I have no intention of giving up alcohol completely, but I have greatly reduced my intake. No more drinking during the week or even every weekend. In social situations only, which isn't that often.

chocolate for dinner is a bad idea for sure, but I think a piece of chocolate (especially dark) every now and then is fine! I get sent tons of European goodies for Christmas from my family in the UK, and though I allow my husband to eat most of them, I refuse to completely avoid them. I am down to 135 lbs too On top of that, I don't avoid alcohol- they sent me some nice brandy and I have one glass of that a couple times a week with my husband. I'm of the opinion that so long as you enjoy the naughty stuff in moderation, it's good for your soul. What got me to being obese was not having the ability to "moderate"- I'd go through an entire box of chocolates in a day, along with massive portions of everything else. I am happy I can no longer go nuts, but I don't really care to over indulge now, even if I could.

Just like a recovering alcoholic, I'm a recovering food addict. It's going to be a life time addiction that I will have to manage forrrrrrrreverrrrrrrr.

Avoiding problems with strippers, alcohol, and the like.... Thanks for clarifying that you use this as a blog....a one way conversation....instead of for change. I'll just sit back and read about your life and be part of your audience. Entertain us, girl!

Actually, just last night i had a professor comment on one of the girls in my classes weight. She had taken him in a previous semester. She walked in late and the worst thing in the world happened, he said "Hello Ms. Ramos, glad to see your holidays went well, I see you drank a lot of alcohol and ate plenty of holiday food." OMG I could have died because I weigh a good 60 lbs more than she does, so I automatically began to think, "What is he gonna say about me?" I need this class, there is no dropping it. Also, my college doesnt have too many big girls, and if they do, they are just that, big girls, not obese or MO or anything. A little overweight or just plain overweight, mostly all under 200lbs. You dont see many that are obese or MO, I think I have seen like 3 or 4 MO, and a little more than that obese all year. ITS very discriminatory in my classes, the way you look. I am blond hair green eyed, "fat" girl. you know God wasted his time on my looks because he put me in a horrible body! Im not ugly by far, I know that, not to sound cocky, but I wanted you guys to know that I dont think that. Ive always been told how it was a waste for me to be so pretty and be so big. I sit in my classes, I am the ONLY blond! PERIOD! The only one out of 30-50 people, ONE BLOND. That is this semester, there were a few more last semester. I get it for that. However if I was Blonde and Thin, think of all the attention I would get in that field. No I dont have to be the center of attention, mainly because I dont know what that feels like, so I guess not. Im not loud and overbearing whatsoever, remember, they apparently dont hear me speaking. I was asked to leave conversation A, because it did not have anything to do with me, a friend of mine was trying to talk to a boy she liked and vise versa, I had no place in that conversation, it was definately a 2 person relationship. The other one I had no business in because it was the guy's best friend and my friend, and they were discussing something private between those two....it was none of my business whatsoever.....just felt weird, although i had no place in either conversation. I miss all the attention i got from going to the club....I dont go any more because of some drama, and school started back. Im probably going tomorro night tho. I love the way the gay guys compliment me and pay attention to me! Give me stuff and be so nice to me. The girls there dont even hit on me, they know I am straight, and they arent all judgemental on my weight NeWay. I feel comfortable there, hell i practically work there lol! I just want to find that one special guy that can soften my heart. Put up with my crazy antics. Listen to what I say. But put me in my place when I am wrong. A real man will stand up to me, but not be mean or rude, just stand up for themselves. I dunno??? I cant afford counseling by the way, my psychiatrist lives about 8-9 hours away and shes the only one I could ever trust with my head....Not to mention we cant afford it anymore anyways. Guys Im not depressed, i have a good time, i am happy with life, i just wish i was happier with life.....

12 years out. I had several blood transfusions after my WLS so I had big regrets. The issue was that I replaced food with alcohol (was not a drinker prior to WLS) 3 years ago I got my sh*t together and got serious about supplements and started Keto. I am now at a healthy weight 145 and plan to eventually get back down to my lowest weight (135) which was pre covid. I gained 10 pounds when the lockdown started. I don't regret the surgery as much now as most if not all the issues I had were avoidable and just really my fault for not following the post op way of life.

I have had insomnia since I was a kid and have to change sleep meds every few years. Oh and I have anxiety/ocd and ADHD. I was on an extended release form of ambien prior to surgery and just like you, I found that it stopped working. I had to add alprazolam to it to sleep through the night, but that's not great long term. My therapist said because of the absorption rate, going back to the highest dose of ambien should fix that. Unfortunately I still struggled to sleep more than 3 hrs unless I added the alprazolam again. But I recently tried alcohol free zzzquil in its place and it does the trick! I started with a 15ml dose and I'm adjusting down from that, because it was a little hard to wake up the first time but I wasn't groggy at all. Hopefully this works for you too or gets you closer to something that does!

It's a surprising, but common error for folks to read on message boards of one or two persons' WLS experiences and then extrapolate from that to "all WLS patients' experiences." As in ... "everybody who has WLS has complications / regains all their weight / becomes anorexic / loses their teeth / becomes an alcoholic / gets divorced / can't eat real food / whatever." FTR, at 15 months post-op (sleeve) I've never thrown up once. I average 90-100 grams of Protein a day. I still have a protein drink about 5 times a week. It's just food. Like milk. Like chicken, burgers, eggs and Beans. BTW, my sister who has never had WLS also has a protein drink for Breakfast during the week. She finds it convenient.

Sugar is on of the most toxic chemical we can put in our body. I am a sugar addict and struggle with this all the time. I do have to read all labels for 5 different types of sugar. I even avoid food products with sugar alcohol in there. If I do eat something sweet, I crave more of it.....it's really dangerous for me. I find that if I stick to things like organic meats, spaghetti sauces that are organic no sugar listed I am ok. I realize that I can only eat organically grown foods that are not processed due to needing the nutrition value from that food. This is a choice that I have to make and I do fail at times and have to recoop my focus and start over........

I have had wine a few times, I am almost 6 months out. I too got tipsy after 2 glasses. The big thing, I think, is the fact that alcohol is high in calories. Drinking your calories can easily cause weight gain. So I try to keep alcohol to special occasions and not too excess.