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PB...I couldn't agree with you more....maybe he is a little scared, you know, when you lose all of this weight and want to move on with your life. Or, is he typically a pessimistic person? If he typically is this way, chalk it up to his typically negative personality and look him in the face and say "screw you, this is about me for a change". He can either take it or leave it. It seems, most of us women, that we get so wrapped up in our marriages and children that we lose sight of us, who we really are. We have let ourselves go and sucumb to the everyday stressors in our lives that afford us the ability to turn to food as our comforting agent. Our junk food is like someone elses crack, alcohol, heroine, meth, etc. etc. You do what you feel is right for you, not what is right for your husband or kids for a change. You will be surpirsed how much happier you will be knowing you did something for yourself, something that will not only make you feel better about yourself on the outside, but something that your body/health will appreciate you for for years to come. To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying amen to what society tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive~Robert Louis Stevenson

I'm a little over a year post op, and I was about 10 months when I tried my first drink. I've never been a big drinker, but I have always been curious. I drank one shot (2 oz) of fireball over the course of 10 minutes or so. Like @@Djmohr, it affected me quite strongly and quite quickly, and was gone very quickly (maybe half an hour). I did count the calories. I have not had any alcohol since then and I don't really have any desire to. Perhaps a little glass of wine at Thanksgiving, little glass of champagne at New Years, etc. It's just not really worth the calories without some kind of special occasion to me.

Out of all the bars Quest sells, these do not have the Erythritol sugar alcohol listed as an ingredient. vanilla Almond Mixed Berry Bliss Peanutbutter Supreme chocolate Brownie Peanutbutter and Jelly Apple Pie

I am very angry. I discovered that yesterday when my husband came back from getting his hair cut (we use the same person), and said "We were talking about you getting the LapBand, and she (the hair stylist) said she sure wished you could see a nutritionist before doing this". Something snapped inside my head . . . I actually heard it. It took me a moment to realize that it was inside my head and not something that my husband heard. The anger came out . . . not literally, but all the anger that I have kept inside of me for years and years. I've never been good at expressing anger because I have always been "the nice one". Whenever my family or friends want to do something I do it (whether I really want to or not), because I'm "the nice one". My Mother taught me that we always put others first (that's what Christ did), and everyone's feelings come first. So, whenever I have gotten angry in the past, I felt guilty and so I hid it. Well, not anymore. I told my husband that I did not appreciate him discussing my LBand with anyone else. It wasn't his to discuss. It was my decision, and I will choose who I tell and who I don't. I left to go get ready for this award supper for his 15 years at the company, which I cannot tell you how much I did NOT want to go. I cried the entire time I was getting ready. He came in about 20 minutes later, and that's when I let him have it. I told him that he needed to take a couple of days and decide whether or not he was really going to support my decision. He's either on board with it or not. And it doesn't really matter to me at this point. His decision doesn't affect mine. For the 1st time, I told him this was ALL ABOUT ME!!! I am tired of being fat, and fearful that each time I step on the scales I will tip the 300lb mark. I watched "The Half Ton Man" on the Discovery Health Channel yesterday, and my husband said, "I don't have any idea how people can get to that point". I told him I understood completely, and that I could get to that point so very easily. He said he didn't believe me, so I got up and left. People with addictions get that way. I have an addictive personality. Smoking and eating are my addictions. The truth about a food addict is that it's the one addiction you can never get away from. Smokers, alcoholics and people who use drugs . . . . once they get sober, they don't ever use cigarettes, alcohol or drugs again. When you're a food addict, you can't not ever eat again. It's the one addiction that you have to keep using. Who am I angry with? Everyone and no one. I'm angry at my family and friends, the strangers I see at the store. I'm angry at me. Last night was torture. I smiled, made polite conversation and laughed in all the appropriate places, because socially that's what they expect you to do. Today, my husband asked me what was wrong, and I told him that I was angry. Not the yelling, spitting kind, but the kind that comes from way down deep. He asked if I was angry at him, and I told him that this wasn't about him, but me. I will talk with him about it when the time comes, but it's not now. Tomorrow I go for my first appt with the Doc about getting the LBand. I told my husband I didn't want him there.

1 - I chug a bottle of water after I work out. I am at 8.6 in a 14 cc band 2 - pregnancy stretch marks fade 3 - I tell on a need to know, I eat healthy and get a lot of exercise is good enough for people I do not know 4 - It is up to you and how you use your tool. Go at it to succeed an you will 5 - mine does not show so I do not know 6 - I eat chicken all the time! Some people it helps to switch to dark meat because it has more moisture in it 7 - yes, but you will always have to work with it 8 - Alcohol slows down your weight loss. you need to find other was to decompress 9 - I take adult gummy multi vitamins 10 - I have gone from a 48dd to a 38dd and mine sag, but I am 49 and started out at 304 You can do it, just do what your doctor tells you and use your tool wisely

I've made it through an entire weekend on liquid only! This is an accomplishment that I must celebrate, as it struck during a very busy time. Yesterday, being that it was the 10th anniversary of 9-11, I had been booked to sing at 3 different events throughout the day. The first one was not as hard because there was not a meal or food involved. But the second event was a Banquet WITH LUNCH!!! The biggest issue I had was that I didn't want to draw attention to what I was doing. Not only that, the meal was served FAMILY STYLE. So for those that might not know what that is, they put enough food on the table for everyone and then we have to pass the plates. So every item had to be passed in front of me, through me, and across me! I had to explain why I couldn't even eat green beans, which of course are healthy in most aspects! BUT....I planned ahead. I stopped and bought a can of chicken broth and brought it with me. Then, very quietly, I asked the server if she wouldn't mind warming it up, to which they were so accommodating to do and thankfully it was rather satisfying! The hardest part of the meal for me was when they served cake and ice cream. Homemade cake, with buttercream frosting! I LOVE that kind! But....I made it through. I didn't even have one bite! Then the last event was for an Honor Flight celebration and they had alcohol! My mom had a wine cooler and she knew I couldn't have one. I ended up leaving rather quickly after I sang the National Anthem and God Bless America. There were thousands of Harley riders there celebrating our great nation. The main event was the Grand Funk Band, so I stayed just long enough to mingle and then went home to relax. I am half way there, but I feel as though it is an eternity today for some reason? My surgery is Wednesday next week and Tuesday is an all-day fast/cleanse. But maybe at this half way mark is when it gets tough! I have learned some things though that I would like to share. I've learned to listen to my tummy. It growled today. That was in a way a good sign, because I knew it was time to get my broth for lunch. I've also been paying attention to the 'full' feeling in my tummy, which I have to admit I am not good at noticing. I know I will need to understand that for after surgery. Thank you for your comments on my last post, please keep sending them, it is encouraging to know that what I write or feel is seen by someone else. Hope your days are going well and you are pressing through whatever phase you are in! Let me know if anyone is out there who has surgery next week as well? It might be fun for us to keep each other up to date on our healing and growth! Weight: 206 (down 7 lbs!)

I've had no problem with beer - I choose the light variety all the time though as it does really make a difference in calories consumed. when drinking from the bottle straight though you may find it a bit hard to swallow because of the carbonation. I found beer easier to drink from the glass. It's no fun when you take a nice swig and it all comes back up and maybe hits somebody in the face (unless it is someone who is giving you unwanted attention). That's been my experience with beer. Other alcohol, no problem. :Banane34:

That's what goes through my mind, that I've boarded a train to Crazy Town. I mean, am I really going to have more than half of my stomach removed? Voluntarily!? It seems insane! And when they tell me things like "you can't drink within 30 minutes of your meal time", and "no caffeine or alcohol ever again", I think, who can live like that? SO the big huge doubt creeps in...even if I can get through the horrible pain of surgery, and the horrible liquid diet (because those are just temporary), is this surgery going to RUIN MY LIFE? While it's true, I've struggled with my weight over the years, and now that my doctor says I have PCOS, I no longer believe I can lose the weight on my own. And it's also true that the weight affects my quality of life; I don't get out and do things I would do if I were normal weight. And I have some health problems that come from my weight, the worst of which is my knee. However, on the flip-side of the coin, I'm not suicidal! LOL. I mean, I don't miss the things I can't do all that much. I've adapted. I'm not a happy fat person, but I also don't want to be a miserable thin person for the rest of my life, or WORST (and here's another big doubt creeping in) a miserable ONLY LESS FAT person for the rest for the rest of my life! Part of me still thinks I won't be able to get down to a weight, even with the surgery, that I will be happy with. My primary care doctor says I have like no metabolism at all. And right now, I don't think I even eat all that much. So what if I get this Horrible Surgery, go through all this pain, limit myself for the rest of my life so that I can never have a margarita, or a Starbucks again! And after all that, I'm still the fattest girl in the room? Or I still can't fit into Designer clothes that only go up to size 12? Should I stop the train and jump off now? I have to do 6 months of classes and counselling prior to surgery for my insurance, and October will be month 2. Can anyone help me feel better about this?

Saturday, August 1, 2009 Progress Isn't Just Measured in Pounds Lost. In 12-step programs there is a saying: Progress not Perfection. I wrote in response to a comment on a post: Progress isn't just measured in pounds lost. I came home late last night and tried to write my blog but couldn't. I kept falling asleep. I reread what I wrote and thank God I didn't publish the post. I could not get my thoughts together. Part of what threw me was that I wasn't yet able to write about having had a chocolate malt while I was out with my husband. Intellectually, I don't believe there was anything wrong with that. It was a conscious choice on my part to allow myself a treat. But the subconscious fear was also there, waiting to sabotage me. Will this trigger me to start eating a lot of carbs again? There are a lot of so-called experts out there who believe that carbs, especially simple carbs like sugar, trigger binges. They may be right. But a freshly made turkey or a spit-roasted chicken can do the same to me and according to the gurus, protein isn't supposed to do that. So was the malt the healthiest choice I could have made? No. Was it a bad choice? No. What's going to make me binge? The malt or the guilt? I vote guilt. Today, I am right back on my protocol. I may eat a little less to make up for yesterday's extra calories. I may not. I am one of those "get a phone call may travel" kinds of people. Some days I have an idea what I'm going to do for lunch and supper, other days I don't. I always leave myself open to possibilities. So is progress not ever having a chocolate malt? Or is progress making it a conscious choice to have a treat and then getting right back on my food protocol? Is progress pretending I didn't have that chocolate malt or going ahead and writing about it and working through the issues it brought up? I think you know where my vote lies. All things in moderation is a very Biblical concept. Do I want to flaunt that chocolate malt and lead others astray who might not be able to handle it? No. I would not flaunt alcohol in front of an alcoholic either. What's right for me is not right for everyone. We learn the difference through trial and error. Let me tell you. I see so many people beating themselves up for gaining a lb., not reaching a certain BMI, falling off their food protocol, losing too slowly. I think they would be better off keeping a progress journal with entries like: My stomach doesn't stick out farther than my boobs. I can sleep on my stomach. I'm not snorting myself awake. I can cross my legs now. I can walk for over an hour. I had a treat and got right back to my food protocol. I didn't binge. Good for me! I've said this before in an early blog: Don't "should" on yourself. Don't "should" on others. Don't let other people "should" on you (don't internalize their criticisms.) Or, as the Bible says, "Judge not that ye be not judged."

Thursday, June 11, 2009 Goodbye to food---at parties I have at least 5 parties to attend over the next 3 weekends and I'm going to have to attend them without having food as a crutch. I'm going to have to bring food and not eat it. I have to talk to people without relying on food to allay my social anxiety and fear of putting my foot in my mouth in one of my impulsive, ADHD moments. I won't be able to gorge myself on foods I would never have in my home or buy for myself. That's the thing about parties. I love to go to parties because of the food, and I hate to go to parties because of the food. At my church we're into celebrating everything, and everything involves food--delicious food and lots of it. At school people bring special treats for everything. At weekly faculty devotions, the leader is supposed to bring a treat. If my husband and I want to do something special, we go to a cheap restaurant in order to stay within our budget. Family get togethers are dominated by food. I really don't know how to talk to people without food smoothing the way. Alcohol has never appealed much to me--its always been food. The food is killing me. More insidiously than alcohol or nicotine, it is still killing me. But unlike alcohol and nicotin and other addictive substances, I need it to live. How can something that God created so good, become so evil for me? Imagine a world that sin had never entered. Where genetic alterations that make some people prone to addiction had never happened. Where celebration never turns into debauchery--of any kind, either by choice or by uncontrollable compulsions and cravings. That's what paradise would look like, and what it will look like when Christ comes again to establish his new heaven and new earth. Party!

Have you drank at all? If not I would suggest drinking something before the big day because your body is going to respond to alcohol a lot differently than before! I personally don't drink that much but if I do decide to drink it is usually vodka and Water mixed with either a splash of pineapple juice or lime. Lots of people don't drink because of the empty calories but i think having a drink every once and a while is perfectly fine, just be careful with sugary drinks such as daiquiris or margaritas... You will feel terrible afterwards. Also, I have experienced that it is nearly impossible for me to drink after I have eaten, I have to wait at least an hour afterwards to drink anything with alcohol in it! Best of luck to you on your big day!! Hope everything is exactly how you have pictured it!

I am by no means a big drinker....I drink a few times a year at best.....I have family coming home and would like to enjoy a few socialables....I am worried about how it will hit me and what to have.....does it hit you faster now that your stomach is smaller? Please let me know what to expect.

So when I had my sleeve done 6/8, I recall asking the nutritionist if I'd be able to eat regular food for our family's annual 4th of July trip to Vegas. She assured me I would. So flash forward to last Wednesday, my 3 week surgiversary and the day before our trip. I'd heard about 3-week stalls and I was a little apprehensive, but I was 39 pounds down and feeling confident. This weekend I had only one Protein drink. I ate pretty much what I wanted to, including a frozen lemonade and a slice of key lime pie. I had oysters and fish and ribs and chicken and even a little potato puree and some grits with my redfish at Emeril's. I had a Philly cheesesteak slider, but I did not eat at Craftsteak, which didn't disappoint me anywhere near as much as I'd expected. I even had a pretzel dog in the airport when our flight was delayed. No other way to say it...I overate and I was waaay off my diet plan. A couple of times to the point of feeling uncomfortably full, and once to the point of throwing up. Also, since I know it's a topic here, I should mention alcohol. I tried two adult beverages, and neither of them sat well. Both were, in fact, unfinished. I'm not normally a drinker, but when it's 106 degrees outside and you're at the pool paying $15 for a frozen lemonade, virgin or not, you figure you want your money's worth. I definitely got more bang for the buck from the virgin drinks. After all that I came home and I'd gained 0.6 pounds. I'm about to go to the deli across the street from my office and get a scrambled egg with cheese. Time to get back on track and over my totally self-induced 3-week stall. Truth is, I'm looking forward to it, but I also know I've got to learn to eat healthy even in social and vacation settings or I'm not going to feel my best. That's going to be a struggle for me, because I've always linked so many happy memories to food. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

BE CAREFUL!! They are not lying when they say the alcohol will effect you differently after the band! A few sips will feel like you drank 2 glasses!!! Go SLOW!!! And make sure you have someone there who will take care of you!!

You'll be fine. I cheated a bit on my pre-op. Plus, not all pre-ops are the same. There are lots of generic pre-ops, and those tuned to the patient. Mine was super generic, like, the nurse didn't even bother to check anything other than my BMI before prescribing me my pre-op diet. Just do your absolute best to stick to the diet and make sure those slip ups happen as little as possible. Avoid fats and alcohols and you should be doing just fine. Good Luck!

I am feeling the same way as you Chris (I was sleeved 10/19/11). I feel like I am being deprived of food. I was supposed to be on clears for 7 days, liquids for 7 days, and mushies for three weeks. I made it to day 4 on clears and felt like I was starving (in my head not physically) so I decided to move on to full liquids. That did the trick for about 4 days so I moved on to mushies on day 10. Here I am 10 days later and I find myself "topping off" as often as I can because of the head hunger. I fight with myself, I drink Water or a Protein shake, I occupy myself, but none of these things work. I am only 20 days out from surgery and already considering solid foods. I know this is bad and potentially dangerous so I have not seriously considered it yet. I am just saying what I feel. Sometimes I think that I will never succeed in beating this addiction. In the past, I have "beaten my addiction", or so I thought. I learned that I simply transferred my addiction to something else and ultimately, I transferred it to food. I agree with your alcoholic analogy. I was able to stop other things because I simply don't touch them but you can't just stop eating. I would take any advice on how to conquer my food addiction so that I do not sabotage my sleeve. Heck, I would love advice on how to transfer the addiction to something healthy like exercising or volunteering or anything. Just a thought... Can a person have their tastebuds removed? LOL! That would do the trick!

First off, sorry for the long post. I had my surgery 10/20. Am one of the very, very lucky ones and had no complications, almost no pain, eating just fine, healed fast, etc, etc. So I'm only two and a half weeks out. But I'm already finding I'm having food issues. Big surprise...none of would be obese if we didn't :wink1: But there's a couple things going on and I need your input....please! I really didn't think I would have this issue since I was so freakin' prepared for so long and did so much reading and research about this. I honestly thought I would happy and free from food and wouldn't want it anymore and would savor and enjoy my little sleevie amounts and be satisfied. Pshaw.....yeah right. First off, whenever I eat, I notice a feeling of pressure in my lower esophagus. I thought at first it was cause I was really tight. My leak/swallow test showed that the contrast wasn't going anywhere and it was just sitting in my esophagus right after surgery. I had to sit, walk around, sit, etc, for 20 minutes before some of it moved through. But my surgeon wasn't concerned....normal swelling, etc, etc. Was sent home with no problems, drinking got easier, etc, but the pureeds thing always felt pressure, tight and thought it was that. But now I think I'm just overeating. In fact, I'm sure of it. The main problem is that my actual tummy never feels ’full’. I don’t know if, since they cut out the stretchy part of the stomach (fundus), that they cut out the ‘stretch receptors’ that tell you when you’re full, but my tummy itself doesn’t feel full, but I know I’m full when there is food in the lower part of my esophagus. This is not good since I’m now using this as a guide to feel full. Now, bring in the emotional, head hunger part of it. It is hard to stop eating at only a 1/3 or ½ cup of food, especially when it tastes good. We all know that, we all overeat when food is really good and poke it in till we are full, that’s why the obese get obese! But in a way this is worse, because I only get a couple of nibbles in and then I HAVE to be done. Which means I MENTALLY feel unsatisfied and incomplete. My head's like, "Yah, really? So where's the rest of it? That was over way too fast. I'm waiting!!!" I really, really need to get a grip on this because I have started ‘grazing’, or what I call ‘topping off’. Like, I’ll eat a scrambled egg for Breakfast, and I’ll have that full feeling (up top, not in my tummy), then in about 15 – 20 minutes, the pressure feeling goes away, then I’ll go take a couple more bites of something, seafood or chicken salad, or refried Beans, till that pressure feeling comes back, etc, etc, all day!! This is DISASTROUS!! It’s been proven time and again that bariatric patients fail and gain back weight because they learn to graze to overcome the loss of bingeing. They can’t eat huge amounts, so they eat little amounts constantly. The other downside of this, is that because I’m always topping off, I can’t drink my fluids like I’m supposed to. You’re not supposed to drink until ½ hour, 45 minutes after a meal, but I never let my little pouch empty like it should. So, I’m not getting in enough Water, either. *SIGH* This really is a transition and you really, really have to get over the fact that you will not feel mentally satisfied or replete at first, for a while, until this becomes the new normal. At least, I HOPE it’s temporary. I’m also hoping it will get better when I can eat more substantial food, then food will stay in my tummy longer and hopefully I’ll feel fuller longer. But again, most of it is mental and I need to overcome that full feeling with satisfaction and overall well-being. I just need to eat to nourish myself and not for pleasure or comfort. I will be able to enjoy wonderful food again, just not a lot, and I need to be okay with that. I know I will be, but it’s tough right now! Like an alcoholic with just a couple of drops of wine three times a day So, I know I need to get on track with a routine and a schedule, and drink my water, and I've pretty much done that the last day or two. I don't really need advice on what to do (although it's always welcome!), since I know what I'm supposed to do, and I will do it.....but my questions are this: 1. Does the dissatisfied feeling ever really go away? Do you start to feel satisfied and complete mentally once you get used to your new 'normal'? I know everyone's different, but this really is mental for me since I just WANT more food, the taste, the texture, but my body is satisfied. I know this a huge adjustment - I'm just wondering if this is something I will always struggle with, or if it gets better. Did most of you feel this way at first? After your tummy healed, anyway, and you were on your way to regular food? Was your head a little messed up cause it was waiting for more? 2. Will I feel more satisfied when I eat more solid food? Deli meats, harder cheeses, etc. I seem happy now with what I'm eating (chicken salad, scrambled eggs, tuna fish, refried beans) I'm not missing food, but maybe I don't feel full as long because I'm eating mushies? But that really doesn't make sense cause chicken salad is pretty dense and Protein packed. 3. Does your actual tummy start to feel full, or is this just me who can't feel it because I've done so much damage and overeating over the years, lol?? I don't want to keep using the pressure/esophagus litmus test to know when I'm full..... Thanks so much, everyone. I hope you all know how important you are to all of us....I am so grateful I have my sleevie family on here!

Well this is my first blog on this site. I have this itch to write some thoughts out but I find my other online blogs pretty lonely. I have a livejournal that I frequent occasionally but it seems none of my friends on there are active anymore. And I have a tumblr but my friends that I've added don't add me back so I'm feeling a little lonely on the blog part. It's not so much that I want comments, I really appreciate them, but more than anything I just want to feel like at least I have the potential to reach somebody.. anybody. There is something that is very hard for me to deal with and I don't really know where I can talk about it with open arms. I just feel that if I put it out there that someone, somewhere is going to use it against me like what had happened on another website in the past (obesityhelp). I have a disorder called borderline personality disorder. Basically it is very hard to explain and pretty complex. BPD is not a chemically induced problem but rather learned behavior from a traumatic childhood of some sort. They say it is usually linked to familial problems but I had more problems from my school mates and people in the neighborhood constantly beating on me and making fun of me, that is what the doctors think was the trigger at least. I've ALWAYS been fat my whole life since I was like 8 but before that my sister was probably the culprit. There are things that I have only had a teeny tiny light shed on that she did to me but I do not even remember that specifically. I just remember the other parts. I have this in addition to OCD, so instead of having a life full of drug or sex addictions, I have addictions to other things that are repetitive in nature. I do a lot of video games because I take to them and I can get "lost" in them as I become addicted to them without much health risk. I get "addicted" to crafting things with my hands, like arts and crafts. I do a lot of jewelry crafting and other crafts that allow me to "obsess" over learning to make. I've sort of contorted that way as a means of managing my problem on my own with BPD and not being a statistic. Apparently BPD is curable and is usually cured as the person ages, but it doesn't always happen. I also have read that a lot of people with BPD never make it to older ages because they are prone to suicide before then. I feel I manage decent on my own but I am not perfect. I can keep myself from unhealthy habits such as drugs or alcohol or shopping, but I can't seem to control my thoughts. And I wonder how this will effect me in the long run of the WLS process. I don't think that it will be an issue with food because I have come to face that addiction and I don't get addicted to food like I do other things like my crafting. It's not the same. Food is a whole other subject for me. It's something that my family values a lot and Chef's run in my family down my fathers side. There is always gourmet food and lots of it around. Lots of fried foods and delicious elaborately cooked cunconctions that are just so delicious but not really healthy. I've never learned how to eat right or the right portions so basically trying to diet is so foreign to me. I don't understand how things go together with food (unfortunately that is never a craft I took to) although I can cook but I pretty much have to stick to a recipe because my brain just does not put things together with food very well. It's just hard for me. From the ages of 13 to around 19 I was what you may know as a cutter. I use to cut myself. I have not done it since around 18 but I say 19 because I had a little slip up that year. I have overcome that obstacle, as well. I had lots of therapy and psychological evaluations and drug trials but in the end it was something I quit doing on my own. But I will always utilize things I learned from my counselors. I had one counselor that had learned of my fascination with a book from school called Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes. We had learned as a school project how to make origami paper cranes and I took to making them very well that I got an award in class. That was in 5th grade. I had this counselor when I was about 15. So in the book when Sadako was in the hospital with leukemia, her friend had taught her the origami cranes to keep her occupied and they hung them from the ceiling until she passed. And I just loved that book, it reached out to me for some reason. So my counselor asked me to teach her how to make the cranes, and we would each make a crane of a different color paper and size each session we had. When I stopped seeing this counselor she flattened each crane and placed them in a box that we decorated together. I still have that box. I am by no means a hoarder, but I take to things that hold sentimental value. When my Mamaw passed away, my great aunt sent home her purse full of some personal belongings that were originally in that purse but some not. I asked my mom when she brought it home to me because I couldn't go to the funeral, what my sister had gotten. My mother told me nothing, she didn't have many personal belongings left because she went through a phase where she was giving away her belongings to people at church (she had dementia). I asked my mom, why did I get all of this then and nothing for her? She said, Thelma (my aunt) thought I ought to have it because she knew I take more value in things like that, the sentiment. It's so true that I do. Not everything do I keep but just little trinkets here or there from times in my life or people or memories of either. I don't know. Since I'm not going through with the WLS with insurance I am curious if they will still ask me for a psychological evaluation. Should I get one even if they don't because of this problem? Does anyone else have any sort of personality disorder or borderline? I'm so afraid of making a post in a forum because I don't want to be judged. I am not crazy nor incapable of doing things for myself. I am very smart and very much capable of working and things. I take no medications although I'm sure someone would try to put me on some but after having so many problems arise from medications I decided to self-help and I feel it has been good for me. I did in my teens along with cutting have issues with sex and drugs but I have overcome that on my own and I feel that I have a pretty good idea of how to keep myself from going to any bad place like that as I've not slipped up since those times. Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest. Having BPD really makes things a lot harder on the brain aspects of things. I can usually catch myself when I am thinking too irrationally and all but sometimes I do get confused about being in denial, too under exaggerated or if I am being too much. Is there anyone out there who understands this, at all, whatsoever? Am I alone? Reference link: http://www.mayoclini...isorder/DS00442

S1M1, I think most of us have been in the same situation, with the fear of losing our friend, food. Personally, I didn't think I had a food addiction until after I was banded. Then I KNEW I had a food addiction. Having a food addiction while dieting is like telling an alcoholic they can only have a drink in moderation. That's what we're up against. But the band makes this process SO much easier. So many new bandsters get the idea that the band will do all the work. You HAVE TO WORK! I still have to watch what I eat on a daily basis. The band just makes that whole process so much simpler. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

@@judyoz careful! Alcohol is drinking your calories. Your surgeon or dietitian should've gone over that with you. Abstaining from alcohol is a small price for getting thin and healthy.

No alcohol? Really? I was well-versed on the no-carbonation thing (I miss you, Dr. Pepper), but didn't know alcohol was a no-no. I found a sugar-free margarita mix (Baha Bob's) and was looking forward to trying it, but now I guess I better ask first.

Good Lord, Ryan!!! That sounds like a torture chamber instead of a stress test! Sanded your chest and poured alcohol on it?!?! It's a wonder your fist didn't start flying!!! Ummm....Maybe Patty just doesn't get that being banded is having major surgery? After all she has gone through, the thought of Lapband surgery may seem more like a pin prick to her. Maybe she just needs more time and information to put it in the right perspective. Or, she may be making it out to be a minor thing so you won't know that she is really scared and concerned for you. When the time comes, I bet she'll be 100% behind you, too. Good luck with the rest of your tests!

@Xx1jpt5xx alluded to this, but I want to emphasize it. I think it might help you understand your husband if you think about his weight and eating as an addiction, not a failing of willpower. There are studies that show that foods, especially highly palatable ones, trigger the same brain chemicals as illicit drugs. Food scientists know this and engineer food to be more palatable because it keeps you coming back for more. Unlike other addictions (alcohol, drugs, gambling...), you have to have food to survive so abstinence isn't an option. I think compassion and empathy will get you a lot farther with him than trying to convince and coerce. Most of us fighting against obesity already have a ton of shame and feel like failures that we can't just fix it. It sounds like he is aware there is an issue and wants to do something different. That is a positive in this. I am also glad he has a partner like you that clearly loves him and wants the best for him. Maybe look into tips for supporting people with addictions and try to translate those to this situation. It might also help if you and your husband attended an information seminar at a local bariatric center so you have more information on the process and procedures.

The great thing about erythritol as a sugar alcohol is that for MOST people, it doesn't cause the GI disturbances that malitol, xylitol and sorbitol do. The molecule that makes up erythritol is so much smaller, and very little of it can reach the colon to feed the bacteria that would cause the upset. And for the percentage that does make it- well the intestinal bacteria can't digest it. Erythritol enters the blood stream and 90% is actually excreted in the urine untouched. It has a zero glycemic index too! The warning for it is that should you consume over 50g at once you may have stomach upset/grumbling.

Had my first wine at 4 months. Had first hard liquor (vodka and whiskey) about six months out. Can't do beer at all...too much carbonation. I did manage to drink hard cider after letting it set over ice for a bit. I probably drink alcohol 3-4 times/month. I did have 2-3 cocktails everyday for 10 days straight when I was on vacation and then at a conference back in October. The 3 notable results were....1) I discovered alcohol does not affect me any differently than preop...I barely get buzzed. 2) that much alcohol gave an upset stomach (gastritis) that was fortunately fixed with 10 days of omeprazole, and 3) I gained 4 pounds that was most likely Water weight because it came off easily in a week. I know transfer addictions can happen after bariatric surgery, and I definitely used to turn to food AND alcohol for comfort. So I make it a point to NOT drink when I'm sad or upset or stressed. I consider those "trigger emotions" and make sure I do not default to the old habits during those times.