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Yes liquids are a funny thing, I can down a 44 oz drink now in a few mins as long as no food is with it. Some foods like a ribeye now I can eat 4 oz and other softer foods I can get 6-8 oz. The restriction is still there a year out. As long as the surgeon does the work correctly you can expect long term restriction on solid foods, Liquids you have to be careful and stay away from any high calorie drinks or alcohol as they can run right through the sleeve.

My name is Morgan and I am 22 years old. I have been overweight all my life. I grew up where we would go to burger king about 4 nights a week and on the way to school we would get McDonalds for Breakfast. Once I hit 200 pounds at a very young age I kept telling myself I wouldn't gain anymore weight. Then I would get to 225 and tell myself I would never get to 250. Then I hit 250 and said I would never hit 300 pounds. The huge BUT (not pun intended lol) is I never did anything about the whole losing weight thing. I kept eating the way I did. I was so self conscious and had zero self esteem. I ended up turning to drugs, alcohol, sex, and self harm. I have come a very long way in this journey already. I met the most amazing, caring, honest, trustworthy man and I quite the drugs and alcohol and self harm. We got engaged and set our wedding date and then found out we were expecting We kept our wedding date though because I knew if we pushed it off until after our son was born, then who knows how long it would be before we could actually plan the wedding and get married. We got married May 14th, 2011 while I was 8 months pregnant and it was incredible. I loved being pregnant while I got married. The feeling is indescribable because yes it was a commitment day for myself and my now husband but also to our unborn child. The pregnancy was a rough one and I was on bed rest from 14 weeks until about 30 weeks. Normally during pregnancy you gain weight but I ended up losing 40 pounds which was ok because I went into the pregnancy at 370. After my son was born on June 10th, 2011 I weighed about 330. Over the last year I have gained all that weight back and am now up to 374 I am sick of being overweight! I have tried diet plan after diet plan and I get so frustrated when I know I am doing good on the diet and exercising but I would only lose a little bit of weight. I want to raise my son with him knowing how to eat healthy. I want to be healthy for my son and husband and obviously myself so I can live longer and be able to enjoy doing activities with them instead of losing my breath after walking up a small flight of stairs. My aunt had gastric bypass done in 200 and has lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off. After seeing my aunts success, my mother decided to get the surgery done in 2003. She has lost over 150 pounds and has maintained a healthy weight since then. I have been wanting to get this surgery done for a long time now there were just things holding me back. 1. I didnt have the insurance or out of pocket money to get it done. 2. I was mentally not ready to get it done. Now I know it is the right time and I am ready to jump in and make the commitment. I am ready to change my life for the better by starting fresh. Eating healthy. Exercising. Taking up softball and hip hop dance. I am determined!!! I finally have insurance that is going to cover my surgery and I could honestly not be happier! I have my first pre-op appointment September 5th to meet with the surgery center, psychologist and dietitian. I cannot explain how motivated I am and 110% ready! I will be starting weight watchers on September 1st so I can get in to the routine of things before surgery. I have an amazing support system that will help me through my life long journey. I also have been diagnosed with PCOS so it has been very hard to conceive. Our son was a miracle baby, due to having PCOS and not having a period or ovulating for more than a year. Having this surgery will hopefully improve my PCOS and eventually after my surgery and weight loss we will be able to try for baby number two. I also know that this surgery will improve my depression, self esteem, self confidence and make me enjoy and respect life life more. I am on here to look for advice, support, input, similar stories and make friends. I am looking forward to starting my new and healthy life Here is a recent family picture when we went to Yellowstone at my highest weight of 374. The second picture is of my mother at my sons 1st birthday in June. She used to weigh the same as me and got the gastric bypass done and is now in her target weight range, healthy and happier than ever. It is very inspiring!

Anyone aware of any good Protein bars? I checked over 20 at my local grocery store and all of them had a ton of sugar or sugar alcohols! HW 283. SW265. SD 3/22/13! CW 244.

You can drink alcohol in moderation too. Wine (particularly red) is actually good for you in small quantities. I eat whatever I fancy depending on what type of restaurant it is. I can pretty much guarantee I'll always avoid the bread and garlic bread though!

Careful with the Werther's. Lots of us are very sensitive to the sugar alcohols in them, and this can become more of a problem postop. I discovered the mini Werther's preop and was SO excited---until I discovered that 1/3 of the "serving" had more sugar alcohol than my poor gut could tolerate. Horrible cramps and diarrhea ensued---which is likely something you don't want to experience. So, take it slow with them until you determine whether your body has difficulty with sugar alcohols. Some people have no problem at all with them---but for others, they are misery.

White carbs are to an overweight person as alcohol is to an alcoholic. We all struggle to stay away from them but try or you may open Pandora's Box. Lose the weight first and get into good habits before you start eating pasta and bread.

You're doing great ! ! ! 1. When do you think I will be able to have sushi? I AM DYING HERE! HAHA - We already talked about this one LOL. See how your body tolerates it, go slow, and I hear the sashimi works great. The rice might be uncomfy just eat slow, and see how your body reacts. First signal of discomfort, stop. 2. They doctors told me to stop drinking 30 mins before my meals, not to drink during my meals, and to wait 30 mins after my meals before drinking. I have been doing this, but i find it annoying and hard to do at time. Is this something that I will always have to do? Or is it mostly in the first X amount of months that I have to do this? I have never had to stop drinking before my meals. With my band, I had to because liquid fills up your pouch, but we have stomachs so I was instructed to just not drink with my meals and to wait 30 minutes after my meal. 90% digestion occurs in the intestine. Drinking while eating will push the food through, and you may experience some hunger sooner if you flush the food through. I sip with a meal on occasion. I can fit more in. I still DO NOT experience hunger, but if I drink when I eat, I can fit more food in at this point. Early out, there really isn't room for liquids. It might be uncomfortable to drink. A couple of sips to wet my whistle after spicy/salty food never hurt. I took a big drink on accident once, and it hurt and caused some cramping. Lesson learned, sips are okay, big drinks not so much. 3. Will I ever be able to have Sprite or 7up ever in the future. I am not much of a soda drinker at all, and I realize it does stretch your sleeve. I'm talking a soda every once in a while. The only time I had soda was when I would go out to resturaunts or something. Lately I have been craving sprite (it's wierd), but do any of you down the road (6+ months post op) have soda at all? Also wondering for New Years about the soda thing cause I usually mix alcohol with soda, by then i will be almost 7 months post op. - I drink soda. I've drank soda on occasion since being at goal. They're empty calories, it hasn't caused my sleeve to stretch at all, and I enjoy a soda here and there. My surgeon doesn't believe it'll stretch the sleeve anymore than eating bread, Pasta and rice will stretch it. I can eat the same amount of food right now that I could at 7-8 months post-op. There hasn't been any change or negativity from me drinking soda. I'm not an advocate to go against doctor's orders so check with them. For my program, nothing is off limits for life. Moderation is the key. I drink rum/cokes regularly without issue. Well regularly, on the rare occasion that I go out drinking, that is my preference. I drink socially without any ill effects. My suggestion on drinking post sleeve is to drink at home first. It might hit you hard and fast the first time. At this stage for me, my alcohol tolerance is back to pre-op.

I haven't had a carbonated drink (and I was a 2l a day diet coke addict), nor any alcohol since 1 week pre-op....in Feb. I've considered having a glass of wine at different times, but then just said, hell for the same calories I could have XYZ. I prefer to eat than drink, so wine has lost every time! Not to say that won't change sometime, but so far, no alcohol.

Amazing advice! I can't thank you enough. I am in Marketing as well and my husband is a chef so we are out quite a bit or out with friends. I do understand that things have to change and will change but I wasn't sure how to handle "going out." Your tips are invaluable and so practical. I was very nervous because I lost most of my weight prior to surgery (during my pre-op diet) so I thought I would have a lot of time to ease into having my band. I haven't had a fill yet and I'm not on food yet - I don't know how much more weight I'll lose in two weeks before I'm actually eating so I was really afraid that I would fall back into thinking I could eat and drink like I used to. I'm sure the band will remind me! I am a little worried about "barfing." It sounds as if it has happened quite a bit to you. I'm still two weeks out on liquids so easing into mushies and alcohol and the such is making me nervous. May Pre-Op Diet started: June 7, 2011 Surgery Date: July 22, 2011

Well how soon for alcohol then? I am about 10 days post op and would love a glass of wine but I really do not want to mess myself up after spending all that money!!!!

So I'm having my surgery in around 4 months or so. No set date yet. I used to drink a lot on the weekends, but I quit that so I can lose weight. I probably won't be drinking after surgery until I lose the weight I want to lose. So, can you drink when you've had the surgery?

Most likely that was my doctor (I know mine did a live VSG on Saturday, not sure if other docs were doing this). Yes, he's a leading surgeon with close to 12 years in VSG surgeries. He absolutely said what most have said here -- the sleeve CAN stretch, but only to 2 or 3 times the size it's reduced to. So if you can hold 3-4oz now, then with enough overeating and time you might be able to hold 6-10oz in the future. He also stresses that this surgery is not a magical "cure" forever. It is absolutely possible to regain all of your weight back and more IF YOU CHOOSE to lapse back into your old, bad eating habits for a period of time. The smaller stomach is a TOOL to help us get to goal without fighting the hunger and enormous volume we used to be able to take in. Doing this surgery is a lifelong commitment. One everyone should do whether they have this surgery or not. It's knowing how to eat for optimum health instead of abusing food for "sport" -- how to incorporate exercise into our lives forever. Most obese people have a hard time getting past the first few weeks or months of a diet because it's not fast enough and we become discouraged. Going to the gym hurts, and for good reason because we've got so much pressure on our knees, ankles, and backs!! The surgery is just a good friend who keeps you motivated and limits your ability to truly do more damage. But the real challenge is making changes to eat healthy, watch the nasty carbs (white flour, rice, etc.), count calories when you can, pay attention to portions, drink plenty of the RIGHT fluids (kick the soda habit FOR GOOD), and make activity and exercise an essential part of your life. There are plenty of people who have successfully held off regain for many years. Some in our group are going on 4-5 years. Just like RNY or DS, the surgery is just one step. The rest is up to you. If anyone thinks they can have this surgery, lose the weight and then just go back to junk food, alcohol, sugar -- just in smaller portions, and not in moderation -- they are fooling themselves and will most likely regain. There is an image on this forum showing a stomach right after surgery and then 4 years out. It is stretched but still teeny tiny

If the sadness and other symptoms of depression is long lasting, intense, or interferes with daily life (work, relationships, self care), you owe it to yourself to see a professional for an assessment. Think about it this way: if you were feeling bodily pain of the same duration and intensity, would you get it checked out? If so, then treat mental pain the same way. One thing I've thought of is what happens to people who use alcohol or drugs to cope (whether they have an addiction or not) and then stop using. The very lack of a major coping tool that was effective for sadness and anxiety (regardless that this was a tool that hurt in the big picture, it can be pretty dang effective for a while) can uncover existing mood problems or simply make every day stresses much harder to cope with until the person forms other coping methods. I think most people in cultures with abundant food use food to cope with stress, sadness, anxiety, etc and those morbidly obese probably more often or intensely than average. Learning new coping methods is a fairly easy problem to solve. Recovering from a mood disorder is usually a bit more difficult but depression is a very treatable problem through therapy and/ or medication.

Sweetie, I've been obese for over 20 years and I was one of those "you're taking the easy way out" people until earlier this year. I'll tell you one thing: YOU are the only person who can make this decision for you. What finally flicked the switch for me this year was realizing that I've fought my weight for over 20 years, repeatedly saying "I can do this myself...I don't need the easy way out!" And yet...here I am. 215 lbs overweight. So if I can do it myself...why haven't I? I am now able to look at this surgery as a tool and not as an easy way out. In fact, if you look at the facts and what we all have to do before and after surgery...this is NOT easy. This is a tool, not a quick fix or a guaranteed thing. We all have to work to get the weight off and change the way we're living our lives. Finally, I thought about my Dad...who was never able to beat his alcoholism and died at the young age of 67. I realized that if there had been a surgery that would have helped him to stop the drinking...I would have supported him. I would have wanted him to do it. Because I would have had so many more years with my Dad...and now he's gone. I'll never have that. You have to do what is right for you. Let your friends and family know that you've made your decision and that you're standing by yourself. Make it clear that you've heard their input...and now it's time for them to shut it. You can stand your ground and have healthy boundaries...you're going to need to flex those muscles in the months and years to come. As far as support is concerned, you have it all right here sweetie. You can do this. And we will support you and be here for you.

I have posted a few times today. I understand how people can lose their cool when someone is so cock sure of them self. I am not perfect either, in fact quite far from it. I am not an alcoholic, but I have gone to "12 step" meetings and all I can say is to try to do right one day at a time. If you are having trouble being good one day, then try to be good for one hour. If that is too difficult, then try one minute. If all else fails, walk away for a while. "Time out" works good for adults, too. Another "12 step" lesson is that when you do fail, get right back on the wagon. This process is important whether we are talking about alcohol, drugs, eating, codependency, brutality (verbal or physical) or anything else that they have programs for (or even for things we need to control that they have no programs for). You are a good person. Most of us here at LBT are good people (even the Republicans:faint:) and we all make mistakes, except God, Allah, Jesus, etc.:faint:

I would talk to your doctor first, just to be sure, but when mine were mostly fallen off, I rubbed them with a little rubbing alcohol and they came right off.

I suggest a carb detox. It seems like you are filling your days with too many snacks/junk food (carby). After 3-5 days on a limited carb intake, your cravings will decrease. But the more you eat it, the more you want it. Here's an example of what I ate/drank today: 9am: Iced coffee with sugar-free caramel syrup, Water (0 everything) 10am: 2.5 oz. turkey sausage, 2 oz. egg beaters, 1 oz. shredded cheese. (9g fat, 185 cal, 3 carb, 0 Fiber, 3 sugar, 21.5 protein) 11am-2pm: finish coffee & 66 oz. water 2pm: 2 oz. chicken, 1 oz. broccoli, 1 oz. blue cheese, 1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream, hot sauce (mixed together), plus 1 oz. turkey pepperoni & 1 oz. cheese (19g fat, 350 cal, 2.5 carb, .75 fiber, 1 sugar, 35.75 protein) 3pm: 16 oz. iced tea w/ 1 sweet & low 3pm-6:30pm - drink 34 oz. water 4pm: finish work - go to gym - 40 minutes elliptical 6:30pm: 1/2 c. chili Beans, 1 tsp. bbq sauce, 2 tbsp. cheese, 2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream (4 fat, 192 calories, 24 carbs, 6 fiber, 3 sugar, 11.5 protein) 7:30-10:30: drink 34 oz. water 9pm - do 3 sets of 20 arm exercises & thighmaster daily totals: 32g fat, 727 calories, 29.5 carbs, 6.75 fiber, 7 suger, 68.75 Protein a lot of people tell me i eat too little. i eat when i am hungry and try not to when i am not hungry. i know i have a real problem with compulsive eating, so i cannot let myself snack or graze unless i am truly hungry. i also don't believe that weight loss means "one-size-fits-all" - some people lose on 1500 calories a day, others on 700. it just depends. it's not just that eating/exercising this way makes me lose weight (which it does), it makes me FEEL better. over memorial day weekend, i had some crackers & pizza & bread, etc. when i came back home, it was SO HARD to not eat them. i just wanted to stuff my face w/ carbs. but i did a 3 day very limited carb intake (20g or less), and the cravings went away. for the most part, i try to stay below 30g net carbs (meaning total carbs minus fiber - sugar alcohols DO count) a day, and no more than half of those in sugar. i try to get all of my carbs only from foods naturally (i.e. beans, veggies, etc). it causes fewer cravings. just my $.02

So I FINALLY attended my 1st informational session. My foot is in the door. The way my surgeon's office works is that I have a list of things I must accomplish before I can even schedule a appointment with the surgeon. Once I have completed them all, then I will need to send in a completed packet to the office and wait for them to call me. The process seems kinda crazy, but the good thing is that I certainly can't rush into this without giving it plenty of thought. I honestly believe that this decision has got to be the hardest decision i have ever made. Getting married, buying a home, having a baby, even choosing to have my entire thyroid removed...they were major decisions but I think they were obvious. I just know that I need to lose this weight...and I need to do something now before it multiplies. I am just not comfortable in my own skin anymore. I hate how I can feel folds of fat touching other parts of skin...i hate the friction between my thighs and that they ruin every single pair of pants I own. I don't think I have co-morbities that coincide with my weight right now. But I know that if I keep going on as I am right now, I will get one. I have chosen right now to only tell my husband, my mom, and a friend that I want to get the LB. I really don't want anyone else to know. While I do sometimes talk openly about being a fat chick to people, my weight issue is very personal for me. I am sensitive about it. It really sucks to have my flaw be so exposed to everyone. I don't like that people immediately know that I am lazy, weak, and obviously have food/body issues by just seeing that I am fat. I just don't think that alcoholics have to deal with that type of criticism since they don't have to wear every drink they ever had. Well, anyways...I decided to tell my manager that I was exploring WLS. I only wanted to tell him because I knew that I would have to occasionally need to ask to leave work a little early for all of the doctor appointments and meetings I will need to attend. So I wanted him to know why. It was so incredibly hard for me to tell him...to the point where I had tears swell to my eyes. They weren't sad tears...I think it was my nerves. Well let me just say that I don't have a friendship relationship with my manager. He has no personality...i think he is part robot. So I told him that I wanted him to keep it confidential...even after I have it done. I was entirely embrassed after I spoke to him...I felt like a idiot. I just wish I hadn't cried. BUt I think that this is just such a personal thing to me...that I kinda got scared talking to someone outside of my circle about it. Makes it real. My husband says that is going to support my decesion but he isn't too thrilled with it. He tells me that he loves me as I am...but I think he is just comfortable with who I am. However, I am sure he would love a hotter version of myself. He has been feeling insecure about it and thinks I am going to change the person I am when I lose some weight. I have told him that I am not doing this to change my life into something completely different. I love my husband, my son, my home , my life....I just want to improve it.

I wasn't hungry AT ALL and was so dizzy and light-headed that I felt horrible even laying down. It felt like when one drinks too much alcohol and the room is spinning (the last thing one feels like doing is eating and drinking when one feels like this.) It was the dizziness that was the WORST. And Parrot...I know! I have been so sick and my nurse thinks that I am having anxiety attacks (but I am not). I live in a very small NE town and the doctors around here don't know anything about lapband and wouldn't know how to help me. I can only rely on my lapband doctor (who is nicer than the nurse). He really does try to help me. The problem is that the problems come and go so sometimes when I see him my chest doesn't hurt (like on Monday). He focused on my dizziness and that has gone away. Now that I am eating again though...my chest pain is back.

I agree with everyone else. Those "rules" just don't sound right. I do the sublingual B12, never used Protein shakes/drinks regularly because they made me sick, and I eat anything and everything. I drink soda, alcohol, through a straw, and I'm over 2 years out with zero issues. The pre-op diet (if yours is all liquids, mine wasn't liquids at all just low carb) yep that sucks, and the couple of weeks of liquids to allow your staple line to heal suck, but those things are temporary. So, by your program's rules, I would be the least compliant patient. By my program, I'm one of the biggest successes ! ! ! I would ask more questions, and really evaluate the "why" behind these rules/suggestions.

I was basically a functional alcoholic before my WLS. I drank every day for years. I used both food and alcohol as coping mechanisms. I drank with friends. I drank alone. Part of the problem was my tolerance. I could out drink a football team and barely felt drunk. I stopped drinking alcohol cold turkey the day I started my preop diet. It was simply part of what was required to be mentally committed to WLS. Postop I had my first drink of wine at a birthday party about 4 months out. Once In maintenance I've had a few cocktails 2-3 times/month. I was looking forward to being a cheap drunk, but alas, alcohol does not affect me any differently. At this point the thousands of calories in alcohol I used to drink just aren't worth the mini buzz I get. Having a drink now is more or less the same as the occasional desert or carby meal that I indulge in. So despite some horrible losses and the emotional trainwreck that is my life at this point, I am still choosing not to use food or alcohol for comfort. For me these choices are just part of the lifelong commitment that I made when I decided to have WLS.

Sunday, July 26, 2009 Celebrate! Several people posted the past 2 days about having kids with major addictions. Some are taking care of grandchildren or have never seen their grandchildren due to removal from birth parent due to child endangerment. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with addiction with their grown children. I have attended Alanon for years, gone to counseling, work currently a little bit with Celebrate Recovery. Spent some time posting back to those struggling. My first husband had an issue with alcohol. One of the best things I'm doing is dealing with my own addiction to food. I see codependency as closely tied into food addiction. Tough love and taking care of ourselves in relationships aides our own recovery and sets a good example to the other addicts or potential addicts (like our children) in our lives. I had a wonderful Sunday. Church this morning and then a luncheon with a group that 20 years ago sponsored several Ethiopian refugees at a former church. One of the refugees was out here visiting with his wife and kids. We all reminisced about that time and some of the funny cultural differences and situations that arose. I ate a little bit of everything that looked good to me but did not overindulge. Then I sang on a praise team at a special service this evening. We're a multicultural church and we had our annual Taste of Reconciliation. I had a few tastes of various countries, focusing on protein, a little of this and that. Did not overindulge. Didn't want to bp in the middle of a song on stage. LOL. Then we moved into the sanctuary where my praise team and invited singers and groups from other churches also sang--sometimes in other languages. We had a dynamite short sermon, dynamite music of all styles, I got to sing in Spanish. Haven't sung all summer since choir took a summer break. People left on such a spiritual high. Loved it. Worship; acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God; 12-step recovery groups; spreading the good news of the Gospel and how we can recover even from our addictions; having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, I try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all my affairs. Today was a gift. So many of the elements of recovery were there. Many of the things most precious to me were celebrated. God is good all the time, All the time God is good.

I never thought I'd let myself get to goal (120) and then regain. But like so many others before me I know what I have to do to get back on track. As of now I am 170. 2 years out last month. January last year I was 125lbs and loving life. It has been an incredibly rough year, but I can't let that be an excuse. I'm no expert, but that's pretty significant regain I had the surgery for my health and now I'm getting back to where I was at the beginning at an astonishing rate. My food choices are terrible, I put alcohol and soda back in my "diet" and I went back to snacking. Ugh! Anyone else in a similar boat? What has helped you besides getting back to the basics? Is there anything in particular that has helped you the most with losing the regain? Any support and encouragement is welcome--I've been pretty down on myself lately. But I know I can get back to at least a healthy weight. This time I'll probably aim for 130-135. I came back here since this community was so incredibly supportive to me early post op. And for that I thank you all!

Just as many people drink booze without becoming hardcore alcoholics, lots of people smoke marijuana without going on to harder drugs. In fact, I know quite a few people who have been smoking recreationally for many, many years now without ever moving on to anything harder. Marijuana and, for that matter, booze are gateway drugs for those individuals who are that way inclined. The reasons for drug abuse and addiction are debated; it is believed that psychological problems play a role as do genetics. In the case of pornography, it is likely safe to say that all perverts look at pornography. But very few men who look at pornography will go on to commit anti-social acts. This being said, I do believe that there is "normal" pornography and "abnormal" pornography; an interest in anything to do with violence towards women, pedophilia, and bestiality is a bad sign, in my opinion.

At 2 weeks post op, the first thing I see is the Baked potato. A lot of drs are different. We were given specific instructions on how to eat and what to eat. first 2 weeks clear and full liquids, weeks 3 &4, High protein foods Puree'd, nothin gstringly, plenty of fluids, 80 oz.plus Protein shakes, protein up around 60-90. EVERy DAY. No white carbs, no pizza, not even WW bread It took me about 7 months before I was brave enough to eat Pzza topping. Tried WW bread at 6 months, paid dearly for that. 6 hrs stuck. Contact your nutritionist, get suggestions. You are still in the healing stages. You now have a band around the stomach. heal and let the stitches set, walk and learn how to make menus during this time. Not to mention the 5 glasses of wine. I bet that blew you away , not having any solids to soak up that alcohol. Dont get me wrong, I like to splurge as well. I had to fight to get this band and I think that nothing taste as good as thin feels. I am 14 months out, down to a size 6/8 and I did not get here by eating like a normal person. l have had lots of temptations. and some I have given into. You need to get things in order if you are going to make this band help you lose any weight at a steady rate. Take this time slowly, make menus , learn how to eat slowly, lean how to eat good healthy foods. It's a tool, not a miracle. I am at the gym 5x week, walk 4 miles 7 x week , muscle is the name of the game. If you are not moving, you're not losing. Use that energy. Good luck.