Search the Community

I'm 47 and all I can say is I do it ALL as a postop. Most of the time, I eat what I like in very small quantities. Beer with dinner? Errr... no. Can't do that anymore, but get drunk with my friends, ya, occasionally. I almost always REGRET it afterwards and I'm a bit of a "light weight" (literally) now, but alcohol is not a problem in general. I DO have to work it in around food since eating\drinking together are a no no. It makes me uncomfortable, so I just don't anymore. The calories... are a different story and will still catch up with me if I indulge too often. I HAVE made major changes, do get that wrong. I exercise regularly now, make sure I get my 70+g Protein, all supplements and weigh once per week, (no more). I can't over eat anymore period. If I eat too much sugar, (it has to be WAY too much), I'll dump painfully, (just not worth it). My relationship with food is forever changed. So you don't have to change EVERYTHING, but everything will change if you hope to be successful. I'm definitely NOT sorry I did this and wish it was available when I was in MY 20's. Maybe I would't be trying to relive them now!

i was sleeved by dr. fernando garcia in t.j. exactly 11 months ago. he is great the staff is kind. you will be safe i promise. my advice is LISTEN to what they tell you. if you are not hungary after great. dont worrie. just dont over eat or eat the wrong food. no diet cokes no alcohol. and you will look great and feel better. honestly i love being sleeved. but its still hard. im hungary, and fight eating right. is it easier than before yes.

I was not commenting on the effects of sugar alcohol, and xylitol. Also thank you for posting peer reviewed evidence as far too many people don't understand the importance of peer review. I always read real research ( peer reviewed), and never get sucked into the fitness woo( pseudoscience), and bro science. My advise also comes from my surgeons, and an outstanding registered dietitian, and not a nutritionist as nutritionist is not a professional title or actually certification. Net carbs does not have any actually scientific backing, and was created for marketing. There is no standard for how net carbs are counted on packaging or printed. All the current research does support the concept of net carbs. While xylitol for example has little effect on blood sugar, many packages use sugar alcohol as their reason to off set carbs in their net carbs calculation. That is very bad, and can be dangerous for some with diabetes. There is a reason net carbs don't appear on the nutrition labels. That's because it is not a regulated term by the FDA. It's a made up term by food manufacturers. It's also important to understand not all sugar alcohols are equal. Some do raise blood sugar. So how does the lay person know which raise blood sugar, and which don't? How do you calculate the net carbs not knowing if the sugar alcohol in that product has a higher glycemic index? You also need to be careful subtracting fiber in some products. Should someone subtract fiber to figure out net carbs? Well if they do that, and eat protein bars they need to be careful. Most protein bars use a form of fiber isomalto-oligosaccharides(IMO). IMO is highly processed and barely a fiber. On the glycemic index it is also equivalent to grapefruit or apple juice. I wouldn't call either of those low glycemic index. IMO also has 2 calories per gram. That counts for something. The point of my post is you need to be very careful with net carbs. You seem informed, and as such my post was directed at you, but it was for people who may just think net carbs printed on packages are what they can go by. It's much safer to count all carbs, and more important calories.

The difference is the effect on blood sugar levels and insulin response. Whether that is why you avoid carbs or not is a personal preference. But that is why I, and many plans, don't count them. This is an article with plenty of peer reviewed scientific articles quoted, with the pubmed links included-- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-alcohols-good-or-bad#section4 And here's a rather dense scientific peer reviewed article about the metabolic effects of xylitol- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3128359/ Interestingly the scientists have also shown links to positive effects on gut bacteria, bone density and collagen production! So, the science community quoted in this article doesn't think it's BS, they aren't marketing anything. Read, do research and make an informed decision. Or go by your surgical teams' plan... you trusted them to cut you open, trust their dietary advise over the advise of strangers on the internet.

I just got my Nugo sample pack today and tried the Brownie Crunch. It is really good tasting and satisfied my hunger just fine. Each bar has 16 g of protein, 19 g of carbs (2 g are sugar carbs, others are sugar alcohols or something not counted in net carbs) and 7 g of fiber. After I finish the 3 bars in the sample pack this weekend I am going to put in an order for a box or two of my favorite flavor. I can see myself eating 1 a day or maybe not even that often. It depends on the impact of these on my goals.

Yes, lean Cuisine has a lot of salt but I would be more concerned with the carbs. Most of the frozen dinners have rice, potato, or Pasta. So you could be getting way to many carbs for the amount of Protein. Sorry but the booze has to go. If someone said they were on a diet but ate 3 ice cream cones every Friday and Saturday night you'd think they were wasting their time on a diet. Admittedly I can say this easily because alcohol means nothing to me. If you gave me the choice of a rum and coke and a snickers bar there would be no contest. Great job on your exercise program that is a huge part of the battle.

I had surgery on July 17th this year. I didnt really follow the post surgery diet. (I know bad!) I recieved my first fill august 20th, where I weighed 245. I have religiously worked out since then, 5 times a week for an hr everyday.. im very athletic and do bootcamp classes, run atleast a mile everyday or the tredmill! Also, I've been eating leancuisine meals religiously through out the weekday. breakfast- oatmeal & apple (200 cal) Lunch- Lean cusine (250 cal) Dinner- Lean Cusine (300 cal) and I usually eat 1 cup cottage cheese through out the day. So like 800 cals a day. I do have a cheat day on saturdays but i never go crazy.. just let my self drink alcohol. lol Also, I need a fill but kinda broke right now. (I can't wait!!) I have changed my life style so much!! Its awesome! Although, I weighed 231.6 this past Saturday morning. I cheated over the weekend drank/ate alot.. Today I weighed 237!!! WTF Its been like 3 months and ive only lost 10 LBS!! How are all of yall losing so much weight?? I dont get it! What am I doing wrong?! Cheating one day a week should NOT make me gain that much.. im sure its Water weight and ill prob be like 234 tmrw. But still thats only 11 lbs down! HELP ME PLEASE!!! Amanda, July 17-surgery ( 250 ) August 20- first fill (245) Current- 235

Dave, you can't compare food portions post-banding with food portions pre-banding. That's because it's completely different. Once you're healed up and start getting fills, (usually starting about six weeks after surgery), you won't be able to eat like you once did, and you won't want to. The placement of the band at the top of the stomach puts pressure on the Vagus nerve, which controls hunger and production of ghrelin, the chemical that causes hunger pangs. So you'll eat a smaller meal, but the miraculous part is that you'll feel full after a small amount of food. And if you're feeling full, and are not hungry, you can safely stop eating without any problems. It doesn't matter that you only ate a fraction of what you used to, your stomach THINKS it's full. And that is the magic of the band. If you use it right, you can eat less and not feel like you are not eating a typical full meal. Once you get out of the habit of eating "big," you'll be able to focus on eating healthy, and eating smart. And the natural side effect of eating smart is weight loss. Easy, simple, and remarkable weight loss. You made a comment in your reply to my last post that it's our culture, and that everything is about food. I used to think that, too. Then I learned that holidays are about family. Food is just something we do to have a reason to get together. My family still knows and loves me as much as before. And we still get together. They eat "big," and I eat what I want, until I'm done. I still socialize and enjoy the time together, but the one difference is I eat less than I used to. Oh yeah, and I take up a lot less room at the table. Okay, you asked about my recovery. I'll try to be brief. Ask me if you want to know more about anything: I had surgery Monday, December 6, 2010. My doctor did not require a pre-op liquid diet. They put me on high Protein, low carb instead, to try and shrink my liver. I only had to do one day of clear liquids, on the day before surgery. During the surgery itself I had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired, so where most band patients end up with five or six incision sites, I ended up with thirteen. I spent two nights in the hospital because they wanted to monitor my recovery, since mine was so involved. I was discharged on Wednesday, Dec. 8th. I had several weeks of sick time available to me from work, so I opted to take three weeks off work for recovery. My surgeon required three weeks of liquid diet after surgery. Nothing pureed or creamy. Only Protein shakes, and liquids you can see through. I had no appetite for quite awhile, and managed to get along drinking two ounces of Protein shake every hour from waking up till going to sleep - about 16 hours a day. In between the protein shakes I was drinking 64 ounces of Water daily, roughly four ounces per hour for those same 16 hours. Things went along normally for the first week, until I hit the only speed bump I've had. I discovered I was lactose intolerant, something I never knew. On the Monday one week after surgery I started having "dry heaves," but I wasn't throwing anything up. My body just had the wracking spasms that go with that. After consulting my surgeon (who was about two hours away), I made a trip to the Emergency Room. They gave me a single pill, and the urge to throw up instantly stopped. They found I was dehydrated, and gave me two bags of fluids via IV. After that I was fine. My Nutritionist and I went through trying a number of alternate liquids for protein shakes, different kinds of milk, soy, whatever, but nothing helped. I finally started drinking ready-to-drink shakes (Muscle Milk Light and/or Premier Protein Shakes, both of which were great, taste good, and filled me up perfectly with no side effects.) They worked great, and from there on out I was fine. At the three-week mark I went on soft foods for a week, (slider foods, thicker Soups, creamy stuf, and pureed foods.) It was like heaven. Then I did a week working my way back onto solid foods. The first thing I had was Wendy's Chili. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was amazing, and remains my "go to" food when I need a high protein meal that's easy to get, tastes great, and is perfectly band-safe. By the time I was back on solid foods, I felt absolutely normal. I can't feel the band at all, and I was ready for facing life as a bandster. At six weeks after surgery my hernia repair doctor (who had done his part during the band surgery) cleared me from all restrictions. I'd been on a "light duty" thing, not allowed to lift more than 15 pounds prior to that. On the same day, if I recall things correctly, my surgeon gave me my first fill. It was 3cc's, to go with the 3cc's he put in during the band placement surgery. So I was suddenly at 6cc's in a 14cc band. A month later I got another 2cc fill, which put me at 8cc's. A month after that I got a .5cc fill, putting me at 8.5cc's. And just today I got another .5cc, so I'm now at 9cc's. My surgeon's team and I agree I'm right at my sweet spot now, and I probably won't need any more major fills - just small .1cc or .2cc fills from here on out. My hunger is well under control, and I can go four hours or more without feeling hungry. You asked about my daily routine. For the last few months it's been pretty consistent: I've chosen to follow a modified South Beach kind of eating plan, with higher protein, lower glycemic carbs. I avoid (note I didn't say "never eat") fried foods, heavy sauces, and Desserts. So when I'm looking for a meal, I will gravitate toward a higher protein option. I eat "real world" food, not "diet food" because I know I have to function in my own life. I eat out in restaurants regularly. I don't drink alcohol, or anything with carbonation. I know some bandsters do, but I choose not to. I don't miss it. I do use artificial sweetener (Splenda, or one of its derivatives) when I want to sweeten something. I do drink coffee, tea, and unflavored iced tea often. When I wake up, I have a cup of coffee while getting ready for work. In the car while driving to work I have a ready-to-drink Premier Protein shake. (160 calories, 5grams of carbs, 3g sugar, and 30g of protein.) It kick starts my metabolism, and balances my blood sugar. About an hour after getting to work I have what I call a "naked sandwich." It's a Breakfast sandwich without any bread: A fried egg, a sausage patty, and slice of cheese. About 300 calories, and about 20g of protein. I'm good to go till lunch at that point. For lunch I usually have some solid protein, like a grilled chicken breast, roast beef, steak, pork loin, or similar. I may mix it in a salad, usually with a touch of a vinaigrette dressing. Sometimes I'll get a grilled turkey BLT sandwich, and set the bread aside. I'm fortunate to work at a hospital, and the cafeteria offers a pretty good selection of choices. If the volume of food is fairly large, like a full-sized sandwich, I usually only eat half of it during my lunch break. I take the rest back to my desk as leftovers, and I may or may not eat it as a mid-afternoon snack, if I need it. When I leave work I go directly to the gym, where I work out for about an hour or so. I usually ride a recumbent bike in the "fat burn" mode, but lately have been gradually adding some weight training. On my way home I may grab some dinner (like Wendy's Chili or their half-sized Apple Pecan Chicken salad. Maybe a Sourdough Chicken Club sandwich from Jack in the Box. Good stuff!) I don't get the "meal deal" at fast food places - so I'm not tempted by French fries or soft drinks, and I usually peel off the bun or bread and set it aside. Later in the evening, if I feel the urge to have a snack, I'll eat a cheese stick or two, or a cup of lowfat yogurt. I don't keep "trigger" foods in my house. No junk food, desserts, chips, or empty calories. And I drink water all day long. I keep a bottle of it with me at work, in the car, and at the gym, a tall glass with ice water at home, and anytime I'm awake. It really helps. If I go out to a restaurant for dinner, I try to select something higher in protein, and substitute steamed vegetables for any sort of potatoes. One favorite is at Olive Garden. They have a Steak Toscano. 12 ounces of grilled to order steak. I eat about a third at the restaurant, then take the rest home, where it makes two more meals. It's very filling, and the whole thing is only 400 calories and has 20g of protein. That's about all there is to it. As you can see, I'm following what works for me. I am NEVER hungry, I get in at least 100g of protein every day. I take my Vitamins and supplements daily, I drink lots of water, and I work out regularly. I was banded five months ago this past Monday, and as of today I've lost 83 pounds, with more to follow. My surgeon says I'm doing exactly what they expect, in terms of weight loss, and they are very encouraged that things are going so well for me. I hope this gives you some real world tips you can use. I learned what works for me, and I do my own thing in terms of how I eat, and what it means for me to be banded. I don't measure anything, and as I said, I drink with meals. But I eat slowly, I chew thoroughly, and I take small bites. All that is in deference to how the band works. I manage it, but I don't let it manage me. The rest is in the details, sorting out how to make the most of it. Hope this helps. Dave

Ok trying again to respond but sent you a PM with what I found VASELINE TOTAL MOISTURE CONDITIONING LOTION. With the following ingredients Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil or Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Protein, Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), Carbomer, Lecithin, Keratin, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Potassium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Collagen Amino Acids, Mineral Water, Fragrance, Triethanolamine, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Urea, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Disodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891). Looks to have both ingredients you want. Good luck

Funny thing regular food is not my problem, its sweets. I also had to leave the alcohol alone.

One point ... if you are one of those for whom alcohol does not give you much of a buzz anymore you are probably in more danger. You *might* have a tendency to drink more than you once did to find that buzz. The extra drinks would put your liver under strain at a time when it's working hard to detox your body. No judgment. Just info.

You were lucky that you were able to vomit. I drank too much a couple of months after being banded. Woke up in the middle of the night and tried to make myself vomit as usually that would help to make me feel better quicker. Needless to say i couldn't. It was the most horrible feeling. The positive part of that is I now try extra hard not to imbibe too much alcohol as I know how awful I will end up feeling. Hopefully your band is OK> I would baby it for a few days to give it a break and hopefully let it settle.

Thanks. I hesitated to ask the alcohol question as it seems to be a big no-no post surgery, and while Im not a boozer, I do enjoy my social drinking and would hate to give it up forever.

I' ready to be able to put some cream on them, too. I've been washing them with dial soap, and they look great (no infection) they are just really dry and itchy now. How did you get the sticky goo off your skin from the steristrips? Someone mentioned alcohol - but NO WAY! That would burn, I still have a few small scabby spots, and 1 place where I put a bandaid to keep my bra from rubbing and the band aid pulled all my skin off with it.

I share some of the same challenges in terms of being single and feeling like being a hypocrite. I also have another perspective I wanted to share that I think you might want to think about. I had a different WLS 15 years ago, the gastric banded gastroplasty. I actually did pretty well, and about the 160# mark I met someone. I was in my late 20's and although I had dated some prior to that, it had been many years at that point since I had been in a serious relationship. I got immediately sucked in by all the feelings a person experiences when they have the attention of another person paying attention to you. I was feeling great with my transformation and all the attention I was getting. Here is the problem. He wasn't really all that overweight, a potbelly, but he had horrible eating habits. A few months into the relationship I did tell him I had had WLS, and expressed that I really needed to start eating better. I was constantly tempted around foods that were not going to help me stay on track. It wasn't that he wasn't supportive of ME doing it, but he had no intentions of changing his ways which in a way I guess isn't totally out of line. It would have been nice if he would have taken some steps to improve his eating habits while we were together, but he didn't seem all that affected by his poor lifestyle choices. Moral of the story, I ended up regaining about 30# in that relationship that lasted about 2 years. I'm not blaming him, but I'm just going to say that being around someone who doesn't share your same healthy lifestyle habits is like drinking in front of an alcoholic everyday. That's pretty tough, ESPECIALLY when someone is still trying to get to goal or even at maintenance. I have tried some online dating at this point, and although I'm not now due to my busy schedule- because of that experience I just mentioned, one of my criterias when dating is that it isn't about what they look like as much as their lifestyle habits. Ok, so logic says if they aren't at a healthy weight then their eating/ exercise habits may not be great which is quite possible but not always. I will not get in another relationship where the other person does not already practice healthy lifestyle choices. That doesn't mean I expect or even want someone who is a gym rat- that doesn't appeal to me either. Think about what you need to support you in your life goals and this should include your desire to reach or maintain your goal weight. It's not hypocritical in my opinion to turn down being in a relationship with someone who is overweight because I'm not turning them down because of their weight but because I don't think they are healthy for me. I hear periodically of situations where people start dating and they become motivated by that other person to become healthier as well. They have to want to do it for themselves or it won't last, but I guess I'm just saying don't be afraid to set your own standards and stick to them. I also concur with the others about just dating to have fun. You can find a way to slide into the conversation that you haven't been dating in awhile and just want to meet a bunch of people right now so that he knows up front that you aren't interested in getting serious. This way if he asks you out again, he won't automatically assume it has as much to do with his looks as it might be that you are out "shopping" around. Have fun with it!! I wanted to add one last thing here. I ended up regaining a bunch more later on, but because I had already regained approximately 30#, I got into a really bad pattern that I wasn't able to stop. Don't let this happen to you!

Hey Jennifer... I am getting banded tomorrow, but I know about steri strips...lol.. you do not want to remove them. The main thing is make sure the site is completely healed..no opening in the skin...it sounds like they are already in the process of falling off... They usually come off on thier own..10 days..You can trim the curled edges off..I wouldn't take them off because you risk seperating the newly healed skin..only if your doctor recomends..As far as the sticky stuff, once your site heals..you can use rubbing alcohol to remove it..but make sure you are healed...it would burn...lol. Hope this helps..

BlueAngelEyes, I am so sorry you have family members who are undermining your success. For some reason they want you to fail, or else they think THEY will be embarrassed if you gain the weight back! Please try to find one or two friends you can TRUST to have your best interests in mind and who will support you. Being said, I have found that even my few close friends who know about my surgery really don't want to hear about it every day. They like to know I'm losing, but not totally into hearing me out about struggles. That is where this forum is so good. Exercise has a couple of really good benefits after surgery. First (maybe the most important), it gives YOU control. You cannot know what your pain will be like or what your food tolerances will be, how long it will take to progress from stage to stage, what your emotional fluctuations will be like, how your healing will progress, or if your weight will come off slowly or quickly. You have no control over those things. BUT.. you CAN have true control over exercise goals. It gives such a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, and helps divert the tendency to form new addictions. Exercise can become your new obsession/addiction (a lot better than buying shoes, drinking, or gambling!) Get yourself an inexpensive step tracker. I think mine cost $29 on Amazon. It is a highly motivating little friend. Start wearing it now to see what your baseline is. Work up to 10,000 steps a day. After surgery, start right up with walking, walking, walking. Get up to 10,000 steps as soon as you can do so comfortably. (Several of us here were up to 10,000 by the end of week 2.) Start taking a walk every single day. As the weight comes off, you will go further and faster. It's just amazing to see progress. I also started wall pushups 3 times a day. Started at 25 per set, and now do 50 per set. Later, I got 3 pound weights and started an upper body strengthening routine. I also incorporated stair climbing. Anyway, exercise is such a great tool for your MIND as well as your body. It will reduce depression and anxiety, as well. You start out with small goals, and track them daily - just like your food. Exercise also helps you set up a pattern of activity that you can maintain for the rest of your life. You have to make major changes in your diet and lifestyle if you are going to keep the weight off. You have a wonderful took with WLS, BUT after the "Honeymoon" period (a year, give or take), hunger can come back and restriction will not be so noticeable. You HAVE to have your lifestyle, dietary, and mental habits in place and well established if you want to succeed longterm. (I HAVE done the research and this is what everyone says.) OK, for diet - start making modifications NOW. GIve up the addictions you can't have after surgery. I think this is another key to feeling better after surgery. Surgery and recovery is hard enough by itself. You don't need to be going through withdrawal at the same time! For me, that meant caffeine, sugar, soda, all processed food, anything artificial. (My goal was to make every bite post-op, and for the rest of my life as nutritionally dense and healthy as possible.) Of course, smoking and alcohol would be in there, too. I saw how much better I felt, and again, it gave me control. Even in the hospital, I did not eat the jello or weird protein supplement that was full of artificial sweetener/ flavors. I had herbal tea, broth, and my own protein shake that I knew I liked. That was just fine. I was the first one of the surgery group that day who was out of bed and walking! Soooo...….. in my opinion, you have 2 things to focus on - your diet, of course, Getting your fluids and protein in will be the first goals. But exercise can start on day one. It will help prevent complications, boost your metabolism, give you more energy, help beat depression/anxiety, give you control and empowerment, and set you up for long term success. I promise that you will have struggles with eating. Everyone does. A LOT of your focus and frustration will revolve around eating. Exercise is actually a lot easier in the sense that it is predicatable and controllable. It helps you feel positive about SOMETHING, even on the worst of days. Above all, don't listen to the naysayers. They are already experts on WLS, right? You have to take control over YOU, in spite of what any one else says. Surgery is for YOU - not for them. Stick with the forum support. We are all here for you.

Onmyway, I don't have any advise for you, just my story which is not complete yet. I too hesitated to get a revision because of my experience with the band. My current doctor told me in January, "it's not your fault. The band doesn't work". I didn't believe him because I knew I had eaten around my band at times, was totally out of control with cravings at times. But I started the process toward revision because I knew I had to do something. I was desperate. I lost 60 pound slowly with the band and have now gained it all back after having an empty band for 3 years due to complications. I was very conflicted, trying to figure out what to do. I had to go to a nutrition class once a month for my insurance to cover revision and I started going even though I wasn't sure I was going to have surgery again. When I got there, I thought "I've been through all this before. I know all this". And I thought "I don't have to practice. I can do it when the time comes. If it comes". By the third class, something changed for me. I started believing that there was a chance I could be successful with the sleeve. I got 3 books about the sleeve and started reading. The truth is that I am a carb addict and when I am able to stay off of them for a period of time, I don't crave them as much. I just have never really committed myself to staying off of them before. Now I have. I need to. I decided to go for a sleeve. I took an optional fourth nutrition class to finish learning implementing all the new behaviors I would need to follow after the sleeve and I would need to start practicing now. Stopping alcohol was hard as it had become my replacement behavior after the band, one thing that went down easy. Getting down to 1200 calories was hard. Cutting out carbonation was hard. Increasing exercise with my arthritis was hard. But slowly I have implemented everything including going down to 1000 calories a day and 50 gms or less of carbs from veggies and fruit. I'm not losing an ounce yet but I am sticking to it for the first time because I have committed to doing this. I need to lose some weight before surgery to make it safer. I am hoping for the experience that a lot of sleevers have: not being hungry and not having cravings. But even if I don't get lucky with that, I'm going to be as good a sleever as I was bad a bander. All that said, I haven't got my sleeve yet and haven't been successful with it yet. But I think if I can start to believe in myself, you can too.

What Donna said! :clap2: I also feel that this check list is something we should all use as a plumb line. Have a peek at it and see where you stand before you go in for another fill. Since you said you can't eat much at a time, it might just mean that you already have enough restriction and just need to tweak other areas. Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention

start tracking your intake, increasing water intake, eliminating caffeine, sweets and alcohol, start meal prep research and invest in any needed tools, try a variety of protein shakes and powders, research recipes and phases....the more you do to prepare the easier the transition will be after surgery. I personally invested in glass meal prep containers, measuring cups, shaker bottle, personal blender, 1/4-1/2 c storage containers. I also had a variety of premade shakes available, protein broths and soups, hot chocolate and chai tea (from BP store), and a vanilla, chocolate and unflavored protein powder for adding to food to supplement protein. Also, get in the routine of being active everyday if you are not already. Hope this helps and good luck!

Hi April.. My name's April, too. Here's the deal with VSG: you won't care about food after this surgery, so there is NO slipping back into old habits. You will lose the HABIT after the surgery. However, it's always a good thing to be evaluated by a food shrink, aka nutritionist, so you won't cross-adict to something else, like for instance, alcohol or drugs. Because after this surgery, you really won't care about food anymore, so if food is your crutch now, you'll have to wean yourself off the crutch or find a more healthy crutch - like exercise - so you're doing something good for yourself, because food will become something you simply don't care about any longer. It won't taste the same and you'll lose the Ghrelin so you won't feel hungry basically at all. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is. If you're not sure what Ghrelin is, click on the word to know more.

Gayla, I think most docs do know what they are doing but it appears you got one that didn't. I have a friend who got LBS and her surgeon put it on wrong and shortly afterwards lost his medical license over his alcoholism. He moved to Florida I hear. She had to have her band removed. There are some bad ones out there that's for sure. And I do agree that surgeons may embelish results or screen the % of results. My only advice for you is to somehow try to find the enthusiasm you once had for the band and try to find those positive thoughts that have been crushed by a bad doctor. Can't blame you for being pissed but the band won't work for you till you can find the silver lining in the crap you've been dealt. tmf

Here's a quick review of one of my favorite candies. Russell Stovers Sugar Free Pecan Delights. I like these as an occasional treat, but not for everyday snacking. They do contain sugar alcohols and may cause gastric distress. When I first tried them, I was on the Atkins Diet. I learned the hard way, you shouldn't eat 6 of them at once. I was making a bee-line for the bathroom about 30 minutes later. :-P I don't recommend them to anyone that is still eating less than 1000 calories a day. If your caloric intake is that low, you need to pack as much nutrition into every bite as possible. And candy is not nutrition. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

I've tried plenty of alcohol, lol. It's no problem.

I am a long-term yo-yo dieter (up to 50# at a time). I no longer diet at all. I eat what my family eats and I still drink alcohol in moderation, almost every weekend and wine with an occassional weekday dinner. I've been an obsessive exerciser with past 'diets' and I exercise now about 2-3x a week for 30-45 min....for me this was all about living my new lifestyle from the very beginning. The hardest part...NOT dieting...I'm a good dieter, but who can live that way forever...it's been slower WL than dieting, but I can truly say I'm not going to be doing anything any differently when I get to goal...I've been in the 'normal BMI' range for a month or so now. I'm an open book on my blog: THE SWEET SPOT