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Which is exactly the point. Healthy skepticism is not bad. But look at both sides of the picture. Do not automatically dismiss a study because of where some of the funds came from. Just keep an open mind. And science is generally not based on one study alone but the replication of research findings by other independent research groups. So the authors of the original article that I cited came to the following conclusions: However, the one thing that the authors cannot overcome is the fact that food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are notoriously unreliable. People regularly underreport how much alcohol they consume, for instance. I barely remember what I ate for lunch, and that was just a few hours ago. There's simply no good way to get around this shortcoming, though the fact that the authors detected something of a dose-response (i.e., the more artificial sweeteners a person consumed, the less likely he or she was to develop cancer) strengthens their case. Additionally, there is the nagging issue of confounding. People who drink artificially sweetened beverages may have other health habits that are responsible for lowering the recurrence of cancer. Perhaps people who drink more Diet Coke also eat more celery. The authors did their best to adjust for such confounding, but there's always the possibility that something goes undetected. Overall, I find the result interesting but unconvincing. If artificial sweeteners really do decrease the recurrence of cancer by more than 20%, then they should begin a clinical trial pronto. That is why I thought the authors of the article presented a well balanced article. And also their conclusion was to target more research to prove whether these findings were real or due to other confound issues.

You are definitely not alone in this struggle. Last night I had a couple of drinks - used up that last chilled bottle of champagne (no more carbonation for me!). Oddly, the drinks weren't that good (I pretty much stopped drinking a month ago so this was a true last blast). I just wanted to have a "mimosa funeral" since Monday I'm starting my own version of a 2 week pre-op diet and alcohol can be a real no no after surgery. Hang in there!

My surgeon recommends no alcohol for at least 6 months post-op. I'm currently 2 months out and don't plan to drink anytime soon. I would say, follow your plan, its there for a reason.

The carbs and sugary food are what is making you hungry. It also doesn't engage your restriction, so you can eat a lot of them. No one like to hear this, but you have to stop eating them, all of them, immediately. Take three days and eat nothing but lean, unprocessed meat (no sausage, bacon, deli meat, salami, jerky), eggs, green veggies, and healthy fats (olive oil and grass-fed butter. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want, but eat only those things. This will help you kick the cravings for carbs and sugar. You also won't ever feel true hunger as you get to eat as much as you want, whenever you want. So, you will learn to distinguish true hunger from head hunger/cravings. Also, even eating as much as you want, you won't gain weight and will likely lose. After those three days, keep eating that way for two days but get (or revive) a myfitnesspal.com account and start tracking your intake. After those next two days, add in modest amounts of dairy, fruit, nuts, and beans/legumes. Set a calorie goal for yourself -- I would think you will lose weight at 1500 calories -- and stick to it. Avoid grains, starchy veggies (potatoes, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, lima beans), sweets, liquid calories, and alcohol. Stick to your calorie goal. You absolutely can do this, I promise. 25 lbs may seem like a lot but it really isn't that much to take back off. I have done it before and I know you can too. Good luck!

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.

When is it ok to have a drink? I'm 10 wks out. I know every dr has their own opinions . What do you think? How have you done, if you've had it?

Next time you go to the doctor, be sure you are not rushing around shopping or doing things before your appointment, go early, and do some meditating/relaxation exercises while in the waiting room. Have your appointment in the early morning because your pressure should be lowest then. Ask the nurse to let you sit quietly and rest for 5 minutes in the blood pressure area before they take your pressure. Close your eyes and take slow breaths like stoongal said, and relax during those 5 minutes. Be sure you are not drinking any alcohol at all in your diet, because that raises BP. As already pointed out, so does salt. I hope things get better for you.

Looks like u definitely had a reaction to the tape speak with ur dr. You should be able to wipe it down with a alcohol wipe to keep it disinfected and let the gauze off of it air is good for it usually at this point. There are anti itch creams that will help with the itch. I would not take benedryl without asking the dr first. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So my questions: 1. How will the LAP-BAND® help me lose weight? There is something magical that once you hit your "sweet spot" you can only eat about a cup of food at a sitting - and your body stays satisfied with that - thinking it is full....I find I don't crave sweets or junk food...bread has NO pull at all as my body craves the Protein that it needs to function well. I would've NEVER believed that pre op - as i was a carbaholic! 2. What kind of diet needs to be kept after the LAP-BAND® is installed? Like she said - you first eat your protein - as I found if you aren't getting enough protein your hair will start to fall out...not cool! You will find that once you have eaten your protein you haven't room for much else! But if you want to eat a scoop of frozen yogurt or something as a treat you can, and it is no big deal...you just have to be careful at the "slider" foods that go through the band and don't leave you feeling satisfied. I shoot for more solid protein that will stay with me longer. 3. If I/We/anyone can’t maintain a diet regiment before the LAP-BAND®, how can we expect that it would be any different after the LAP-BAND®? You still have to work on WHY you overeat -or make the choices that you do...it isn't an easy fix, which folks seem to think it is. (common misconsception) If you are prone to turn to food when upset - you still will even with the band, and you can "eat around" the band by overeating with slider type foods that go right through....and thus circumventing the band. So it isn't a cure all - but it helps you control your portions of foods and you can still eat "real food" - it just takes a LOT less to satisfy your body. 4. Are there medications or supplements that need to be taken after the LAP-BAND® is installed? I just take my gummy Vitamin - some docs recommend a Calcium supplement, too.....your doctor will go over what they recommend. It isn't like the gastric bypass, though, where you have to take a lot of things for the rest of your life. (or so I am told by others...) 5. If insurance covers the procedure (I am investigating that with my insurance right now), and there is a problem with the device such as a leaky port, who covers the expense of fixing it? My mom's friend had to have her lapband replaced as it sprung a leak - her insurance covered it...I think typically if they cover putting it in, they would cover anything else that had to be done...but I would definately check with your insurance company. 6. Are there other manufacturing defect problems that can occur with the LAP-BAND®, and if so who absorbs the cost of repair? Haven't heard of anything on this either....... 7. I am noticing the number one side effect of the LAP-BAND® is nausea and vomiting. Is that a temporary problem or an ongoing problem? Can be ongoing depending on what you are trying to eat! If you are sticking to the right types of foods (protein - not breads and things that get stuck) then you won't have any trouble with PB'ing (which reminds me of a baby spitting up -just a burp) - but once you hit your sweet spot and have good restriction you will find that you have to eat slow and chew well ---- or else you can still struggle a lot with the "vomiting". I struggled the first 4 months or so...but then everything became habit and I haven't had any problems for a long time. 8. Is there any restriction on drinking alcohol when you have a LAP-BAND®? Not that I know of - course you wouldn't want to drink too much since it is empty calories.... Good luck! Kim

I have ulcerative colitis but have never had to have any surgery regarding it. Like you, I also have inflammation issues and bone spurs in my knees and heel. Similarly, I find the foods that are "good" for most people - fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, etc. give me real problems, whereas slider foods like bread, rice, pasta, fried chicken, chocolate, etc. have no problem going through my system. I always felt really frustrated that I have a disease that makes most sufferers thin, but that I am one of the outliers in being obese (although I did find an article somewhere that indicated about 30% of Crohn's/Colitis sufferers are obese). I'm on Pentasa which helps keeps things quiet and regular - but everytime I go on it I also gain weight as I can keep more of the food and nutrients "in" than without it. I'm of a similar weight to you, but since I'm shorter my BMI is 48. I'm having gastric sleeve surgery in Mexico in 5 weeks, I hope it will help with a lot of my issues. My gastroenterologist here in Japan seems to think it will help some of my symptoms, but he isn't an expert in bariatric surgery. However, the problem is my large intestine, not my stomach, so I think I'll be okay with (and research shows that WLS really helps UC sufferers - although it's more mixed with Crohn's sufferers). Sorry, I don't have any insights for you - as you probably know, people who suffer from Crohn's/UC can be affected by different foods (and stress and other factors). However, I've tried a few things in the past couple of years, and here's what I've discovered (for me anyway): -symptoms are usually worse when I'm having my period -alcohol often aggravates symptoms -although I eat a lot of protein (fish, chicken), too much beef can be problematic (I don't eat much pork other than bacon) -I tried going gluten-free for a while (with real food, not "gluten-free" products from stores) and my symptoms pretty much disappeared after one day. It was amazing. I kept going to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet waiting for something, anything to happen, and nothing did. So clearly I have some level of gluten intolerance that makes things worse. That only lasted a month though. -Any gassy vegetable is off-limits for me, which sucks, since in Japan almost all salads are made with cabbage, which makes it impossible for me to buy a salad anywhere. Broccoli, beans, cauliflower, eggs (sometimes), etc. plus other veggies like carrots, potatoes, daikon (a kind of radish), peas are all problems. Raw is definitely out, but I can handle most cooked veggies (other than the gassy ones). -I've also developed allergies to a lot of (raw) fruits and vegetables in the last 5 years. I don't know how connected that is, but my last gastroenterologist (who was fantastic - I miss him) was very much of the opinion that allergies are very common to sufferers of C/UC. -I love spicy food but it's just not worth it anymore.

Thank you! Yea, sadly they won’t lol My calorie intake eating as I would say like a beast protein after protein yesterday was about 600. Thankfully, I realized where I was gaining all the weight gain, it was from alcohol, I could drink a bottle of wine like it’s no ones business as I cleaned my home. So I quit the fun drinking and now am just focusing on fueling my body with what it needs

yes, cross addiction is very common. In many cases, we are "addicted" to food....we use it when we are stressed, sad, happy, depressed, etc. We use it to Celebrate and to soothe us in bad times. A big part of successful WLS is learning how to not use food this way. We have to find another way to deal with our emotions. And yes, in many cases, food is simply replaced with another addiction.... shopping, gambling, drugs, alcohol, sex, exercise, etc. This is where the psych eval, counseling and therapy comes in. You have to find a constructive way to deal with the mental and emotional aspects of your relationship with food. Alcoholism and drug addiction are definitely seen in post WLS patients.

Debra, I think what hurt the most was my mom rolling her eyes when I started telling her about the lapband. Yesterday we went out for 'Nanny's day out' <what we call my mom> and I had one plate with meat/veggies and it wasn't loaded then I took a plate and got about 1 spoon full of 4 desserts, which I didn't finish off. Then she looked at me and said 'you going to get another plate?' with a look that said 'I know you are'. Well, I didn't eat any more than her skinny behind. She's skinny because she had 60% of her stomach removed years back because of ulcers. No matter what we do, we MO people are perceived to be fat pigs that can't control themselves. But alcoholics are 'sick' and get all the help they can. Anorexics are 'sick' and get help. Insurance helps them and employers have programs set up for their 'illness'. Well, they have the same choices that we do: to drink that alcohol or not eat same as we have a choice to eat more. Ok, my soapbox is getting a good workout!! Sorry.

Great question. I have a question, how long after band surgery should one try and introduce wine or alcohol?

I hate to even mention this but it did cross my mind... For all the reasons others are stating, plus the fact you aren't even of drinking age yet. I'm not saying to go out and be an alcoholic but enjoy your twenties. Let yourself be your own restrictions and not a life changing surgery. Best of luck! Sent from my LGMP450 using BariatricPal mobile app

Having a good fill cuts your appetite and makes it easier to make good choices. Not being able to stick to the diet can be a great reason to get a fill. Protein schmotein anyway. A half cup of veges is a very worthwhile thing to ingest. I'd hate to see what you'd look like after a year on a diet of meat only. The thought of eating only protein items is ridiculous, its very unhealthy. Protein first does not mean protein only, she SHOULD be eating salad and veges, not thinking that these are the wrong things to eat. Personally, I eat bread and cereals too. But I know that with good restriction I have less appetite, am more easily satisfied and dont have the desire for sweet foods and extras. I wouldnt hesitate to get a fill in her situation but she does need to commit to sticking to the rules too. You can be super tight and still not follow the rules. Alcohol, chocolate and ice cream will always go down fine so she needs to eat these foods in moderation.

My doc didn't ban alcohol...he just said stay away from the carbonated beverages like beer and champagne because it can stretch the pouch, gas, bloating, etc. and count those liquid calories because too many of them and you will be starving and not losing weight. I'm not much of a drinker either, but I do like to bust out a Daily's frozen pomegranate margarita pouch during the summer sometimes. :-)

The risks related to alcohol are that we are told not to drink our calories and if you drink too much and get sick, you risk slipping your band.

Hello Personally I would NEVER tell someone just because I don't want them to be pissed that I'm not eating chinese food at their party. This is a medical issue and a lifechanging operation that you should keep to yourself if you so choose. If your already so sure she's gonna spill your secret then is she really such a good friend? Tell her your really not feeling well and your sorry but your too sick to eat chinese or drink alcohol. If she's not mature enough to be understanding of your pain/health/feelings then she's probably not mature enough to be going to university Just my two cents Good luck with whatever u choose !

I definitely agree, as I sat down for my psych veal, he asked if I had insight into the addiction model relating to food. He went on to say it makes no sense to him and food is not an addiction. I launched into a 10 minute speech about my views and it most certainly is. Times of joy, eat, times of sorrow, eat, boredom, eat, birthday, eat, graduation, eat, gathering, let's eat!! Well looks at drugs and alcohol, it's all the same. As post op speaking my (triggers) are bill boards with a red bright and shiny large fountain coke from mcdonalds. Or it's my birthday where are we going for dinner. I found it hard to believe he had no insight into this connection what so ever. Food is an addiction, it makes us happy, it makes us sad, it makes us sick,it makes us salivate just to the smell of it.

I think that @FluffyChix makes a good point, and you should really evaluate your diet. I am over 5 years post-op. I had diabetes prior to surgery and that problem is still in remission. But I control what I eat. I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague. I also restrict myself to about one meal per day containing complex carbohydrates (such as pasta and bread). I also avoid all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds pre-op solely on eliminating carbonated beverages from my diet and I will not go back.

You can dump from sugar free foods sometimes because they use sugar alcohols in place which will make you dump just like sugar if you are prone to dumping. I found that out one night with sugar-free Italian ice :/

Mine was an hour long conversation. She touched on multiple subjects.....she was trying to see if I had an addictive nature (cigarettes, alcohol addictions), mental illness, and did I fully understand what was involved, and that VSG is not a quick fix.......it's interesting to see how these appointments vary from dr to dr.

Welcome Anitalynn!! I am new as well, and have decided that the band is definitely for me. I have gotten tons of info from LBT....good & bad...that has helped me come to this decision. That is in addition to prayers asking for guidance. Alexandra - I love what you have to say. This is a reality check and you help put eating into perspective, especially for us newbies. Your experience and advice gives me great inspiration....THANKS! I went on the Optifast program last year and lost over 30 lbs in 3 mos doing the first phase which basically liquids (this was a physician controlled program). The most important thing I took away from this program is that I AM "addicted" to food just like a alcoholic or a drug addict. I use food for reasons other than to sustain my body. I also asked the question as to why should I get the band when I know I can lose weight by eating right and exercising, which I need to do in order for the band to be successful. WELL, I've learned from many experiences here at LBT that the band is not what makes weightloss successful, it's the person and the band is only a "tool" (heard that many times here) to be used. I look for the band to do just what Alexandra said. For me personally, I intend to read Dr Phil's book, The Ultimate Weight Solution, and take a deep look into the reasons I eat emotionally. This emotional need will still be there with or without the band and I need to come up with other ways of dealing with the stresses that lead me to eat. I look at the band as a tool that will help keep me honest in my food choices so I can work on those other issues. Keep researching and getting feedback so you can make a decision that is best suited for you. I can't wait to get my band, but I don't think it is for everyone. Best of luck regardless of which direction you go....hope we all get the chance to know you better. :clock:

for me I believe that my overeating is a lot like alcoholism...once an overeater...always an overeater. I'm scared to think what would happen if I had to have my band removed. I feel greatful that I got the band when I did because I was beginning to eat myself to death and I didn't care...(thats changed) I would love to think that I would be able to control myself if the band had to come out but lets face facts for me...if I was able to "control" it...then I would have stopped at 1 piece of pizza instead of the entire thing!