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I am sitting here waiting on the insurance company to approve the surgery so I can start my new life! I am so excited about this procedure. I have had weight issues since I was abused by a family member when I was approx. 10 years old. I guess I decided to hide behind the weight and it would protect me. :thumbdown: But it started coming on when I was in the 5th grade. Up until then I was thin. In fact, my mom told me that when I was a baby they had to take me to the doctor because I would not eat... WELL not having that problem now!:eek: Anyway, I was active in Jr. High and High school, being a cheerleader all through those years. I was still larger than all the other girls, but had/have a great personality and pretty enough face, that I didn't let my weight become an issue in my life until I was married and having babies. Not being able to blame the pregnancies on my weight gains. Only gained 12 lbs. with first pregnancy and 20 with the second! It really started when ex husband started having affairs that the weight came on and it came on fast, I am one of those ladies that keeps everything inside until she decides to explode! Well it took me 18 years to finally explode and when I did, I lost 120 lbs of my own and his 180 lbs as we divorced. Then I did the rebound thing... I KNOW I KNOW,, stupid and he turned out to be an alcoholic and all the weight I had lost came back on as I saw my life going south again.... Then we divorced and I lost some of the weight after that. No my thyroid is pretty much shot, I am on medication but the doctor told me that with my thyroid issues I would have a lot harder time loosing weight and that is when I decided to try the route of the lap band. I have done alot of research and think this will work for me as it will help me to keep it off. My support system isn't very good with family, my mom is always telling me about these shows she watches on tv about the lapband and all the bad stuff that happens. :mad:(Yes, I told her to stop watching so much tv.!) So I am looking for a different support system and that is where I came across this site. I am hoping to connect with a few people on here to help keep my spirits up and my head up at the same time. Anyone out there interested in supporting one another in this adventure I am game!:bored::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I am sitting here waiting on the insurance company to approve the surgery so I can start my new life! I am so excited about this procedure. I have had weight issues since I was abused by a family member when I was approx. 10 years old. I guess I decided to hide behind the weight and it would protect me. :rolleyes2: But it started coming on when I was in the 5th grade. Up until then I was thin. In fact, my mom told me that when I was a baby they had to take me to the doctor because I would not eat... WELL not having that problem now!:eek: Anyway, I was active in Jr. High and High school, being a cheerleader all through those years. I was still larger than all the other girls, but had/have a great personality and pretty enough face, that I didn't let my weight become an issue in my life until I was married and having babies. Not being able to blame the pregnancies on my weight gains. Only gained 12 lbs. with first pregnancy and 20 with the second! It really started when ex husband started having affairs that the weight came on and it came on fast, I am one of those ladies that keeps everything inside until she decides to explode! Well it took me 18 years to finally explode and when I did, I lost 120 lbs of my own and his 180 lbs as we divorced. Then I did the rebound thing... I KNOW I KNOW,, stupid and he turned out to be an alcoholic and all the weight I had lost came back on as I saw my life going south again.... Then we divorced and I lost some of the weight after that. No my thyroid is pretty much shot, I am on medication but the doctor told me that with my thyroid issues I would have a lot harder time loosing weight and that is when I decided to try the route of the lap band. I have done alot of research and think this will work for me as it will help me to keep it off. My support system isn't very good with family, my mom is always telling me about these shows she watches on tv about the lapband and all the bad stuff that happens. :mad:(Yes, I told her to stop watching so much tv.!) So I am looking for a different support system and that is where I came across this site. I am hoping to connect with a few people on here to help keep my spirits up and my head up at the same time. Anyone out there interested in supporting one another in this adventure I am game!:blushing::thumbup::biggrin::thumbup::thumbup::tt2:

I was getting nervous yesterday about the lack of contact from my surgeons office, so I gave a call to the Insurance coordinator there and she said things were going fine. I should have my approval any day now. I trust her assessment because she does this for her job. It makes me a bit less apprehensive about the timing. I now have appointments at the hospital and with the surgeon for pre op stuff first thing next week. Surgery is still planned for the 29th. I spent a lot of the rest of the day thinking about how vulnerable I am to addictions. My wife has been at her wits end with me and I really don't blame her. I have been difficult. I called the psychologist that did my bariatric evaluation. It was really strange when I talked to her in my evaluation. I have talked with so many different "shrinks" at the Veterans Administration that could not believe that I was not a smoking alcoholic. Many times they kept trying to get me to admit I drank or smoked so they could get an "easy fix" for a veteran. When I sat down with the new, non VA person, it felt like a watershed moment for me. I was able to actually discuss myself rather than what I considered a confrontation with all the VA whacks. I will still have to see the VA but I called the new person back and scheduled another session. I am really introverted today, so perhaps that is why I am having such a struggle writing today. I think I will close for now. Thanks for reading, I will be back.

Do not be fooled by "Sugar Free", there is still sugar alcohol in the products as well as sucralose. Attached is a link to help you with the different between fat free and sugar free products. http://www.momswhothink.com/diet-and-nutrition/sugar-free-or-fat-free-to-lose-weight.html Either way I have found taking in natural sugar and fats will help curb your cravings and assist you in staying full longer. Try Salmon for fats or organic raw butter. How about cooking with coconut oil. It's wonderful. As far as sugar I love pineapple. Sweet and satisfying. Hope the article helps.

I am waiting for my insurance to OK my lap-band surgery. But in the mean time i am eating like i always have,its like i know i will never be able to have these foods again. And i guess maybe i will feel deprived and have mad cravings? why do i do this knowing i need to change? I feel like i want to eat everything ,i guess like a alcoholic having his last drink before going in to rehab. I just hope that i can get over these feelings and have better control of my eating. Maybe i will have to change or die.

The band is NOT surgically induced bulimia! NO! no! No! The band is about restricting you portion sizes, not restricting your life. My DH and I go out all the time, and yes, I have drinks, but many bandsters find that alcohol affects them much easier than before, and blended drinks like margaritas will Close lots of folks down from the restriction it brings. We usually order off the appitizer menue too, or we share, or we bring home all the left overs so I have "good" lunches for days! I know that not being "normal" is the fear of so many baby bandsters, that and worry that the band won't work for them. Because the Band is a lifestyle, it will take some work and mental adjustment on your part to figure how how to live with your new lifestyle. Like figuring out that eating in your car is a thing of the past... Or at least eating while you drive is ...

God, I'm so glad I'm not alone! My no-no's: 1. Drinking wine with Sunday dinners at the inlaws 2. Eating way too fast and not chewing enough 3. Having a cookie or brownie about 2 times a week 4. Sharing those damn orange cheetos with my kids 5. Not exercising enough 6. Too much alcohol, period. I love red wine and margaritas! Talk about empty calories...

I think there are some people who need formal help to deal with their issues surrounding why, what, when, where and how they eat. I think there are some harsh realities for all of us to face up to about why we ate so much and let ourselves gain until we reached some state of fatness that required surgery. But I also think that by being honest with yourself and facing up to the reality you can face the issues and move on without professional help. By the way I think if you are prone to falling victim to another addiction seeing a shrink won't stop you it will just give you a neutral person to talk about your new addiction with. I think that if look at alcoholics, gamblers etc until they were ready to give it up and stop on their own they didn't stop. If you mentally aren't ready to give up all the comfort of food, mentally and start channelling that time and energy you spent eating into something out there are tons of other things that are safe you can obsess about. I can say after 5 years I am still not a gambler, huge drinker, smoker, druggie or basically anything else but a person.

I, too have not experienced dumping. I had had 1 alcoholic drink with tonic. I have had a few bites of coconut cream pie and 2 Oreos in 14 weeks. That alone is a miracle! I wanted it to make so sick and it didn't. After the 3rd bite of the pie, my stomach just made it clear it had had enough. I knew that going any further down that path would lead to nothing good. I think that is the surgery working, providing gentle reminder not to push it. I think that is worth the price I paid for surgery....

Re read the whole thread, that is discussed up thread. Many people count net carbs, as in take the total carbs (my Quest bar wrapper here says 26) subtract the fiber grams as they are "good carbs" (my wrapper says 17) and some subtract the sugar alcohol grams as well because of how they are digested (wrapper says 6g erythritol). So 26-17 = 9 net carbs Or 26-17-6 = 3 net carbs As someone else said unthread her nutritionist doesn't agree with that. Mine does. You need to find out your doctor or nutritionist recommendations on that or if you don't have that option do your own research and form an educated opinion. Oh ok. Thanks so much for explaining. I was scared of getting attacked by people thinking I was being judge-y. Lol. The only way to learn is by asking and I knew nothing of the net carb concept. I'll definitely ask my medical peeps! Thanks again!

Most people also subtract sugar alcohols and that's a bit more questionable. Quest bars do have sugar alcohols and the net carbs they advertise subtracts those.

Mark, I agree. Quest bars are excellent tasting. The Fiber amount in them are substantial. I find them to be an excellent addition to the menu. I have one every two or three days when something sweet just seems good. The extra fiber is certainly welcome with a low carb diet, for sure. I look at the labels of the various flavors and select ones with less sugar alcohol. I understand there is now a pumpkin flavored version, too. Cool stuff. I was in Academy Sports today with my son and we found them for sale in there over by the weight lifting gear. Super cool. I seem to go to Academy on a weekly basis anyway....now I'll grab them as I do. They had over a dozen varieties.

Also, do you guys count your carbs by the full amount on the ingredients list, or do you deduct the fiber & sugar alcohol content, like people do who do Keto (counting macros)... When I say I eat less than 20 carbs - I am calculating it with the fiber & sugar alcohol subtracted.

Just remember everyone is different. Would you say this to an alcoholic??.. relax, Don't worry, you'll mess up one day...you'll binge again. To me a candy bar isn't just a candy bar. A drink isn't just a drink. A line of coke isn't just a line. It's ok that you are "lmao" at my trouble. I know we are all different. I was just asking how ppl prefer to eat their Protein bars.

When does your doc allow alcohol? My doc doesn't allow it for 6 months, probably a good thing For me Lol

I'm also 5 months out, and over the weekend we went grocery shopping for family that came in for Christmas. I realized how much I hate food shopping! Espeicially having to figure out what meals to make for other people! It made me SOO irritated! As far as food - I've been fine. I don't drinnk alcohol anymore, because I've found that even after a sip or 2 I start feeling it!! Can't wait to get back to my regular meal and exercise schedule!! Down 70lbs!!

I was banded in Sept. 08. First fill Nov. 08. Second fill - January 09. After the second fill (total of 3cc in a 10cc band) all my problems started. I developed reflux at night - not necessarily heartburn - but liquid coming up. I quit eating at least 2 hours before bed. Didn't matter. My surgeon ordered an endoscopy. I had it yesterday. The first thing the gastro doctor said afterward was that he thought my band slipped upward. And I said how could that be resolved and he said my surgeon would have to reposition it. Then he said my surgeon might have deliberately placed it high if he wanted me to lose more weight (my BMI was under 35 before surgery). Anyway, he said it was higher than in most he had seen and I also have a hiatal hernia. He said the pouch is high, small and tight and there is no place for the food or liquid to go but up. So I got the whole sheet on hiatal hernia care - elevate the bed, no alcohol, no chocolate, blah, blah, blah. My husband suffered from GERD, hiatal hernia and eventually barrett's esophagus than turned into esophageal cancer. He died of it 3 years ago. So I could write the book on treatment of all these conditions. The lap band was supposed to reduce my hunger. It hasn't. It was supposed to make me feel satisfied with a smaller amount of food. It hasn't. I have changed the way I eat - I eat my Protein, then a little later a veggie, then later a fruit. My eating is spaced out over the day. Same foods, same calories - and it seems to help some with the discomfort that was happening when I ate. But the reflux remained. I have a LOT to discuss with my surgeon. I want my last fill removed for starters. So, since I got the band I have developed a hiatal hernia and reflux (I didn't have them before). Anyone else have this problem and if so, how did you and/or your doctor solve it? Thank you. P.S. My gastro doctor and surgeon work out of the same hospital and refer patients to each other and I doubt he will write anything in his report to second guess my surgeon. You know how that is.

I really like the MIO idea... Can't stand Vodka but bet it would work with Bacardi. There is a liquor store around the corner and I'm hoping I can find "skinny girl" (as seen on TV lol)... I've heard they are low in sugar. Anyone ever tried them? I never realized alcoholic beverages don't have to have calorie, sugar, ect listed.

Can you go online and look at the nutritional stats for the drinks etc? I don't drink at all and honestly all that I have heard and the dangers of drinking with RNY if i did I would stay away from it as far as I could. You might want to research the dangers of drinking alcohol and death and serious issue for rny patients. Liver damage issues and death being serious consequences. (my friend's aunt died from liver damage due to drinking after rny and it was just wine a few times a week, not sure how much that is but does not seem like she was a drunk) On line they talk about how doctors just seem to ignore it and do not educate their patients, so if we are trying to be healthy we should at least research and educate ourselves if our doctors are not going to do it. Maybe someone has some solid info (betting DLCoggins does) to share? I just thought we should be aware and make educated decisions about our bodies and health. I would post the info I found I just don't have the info with me where I am currently.

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My sleeve paper work says "no alcohol until 1 month post op"... I've sipped on a glass of wine & I was fine... Good luck

It sounds like you're doing fine. But I worry about your Protein and Fluid intake. Heads-up – my doc said getting your protein level up quickly and maintaining it throughout is the best chance of preventing hair loss. He also said that hydration is a key to skin elasticity. Armed with that info, I try to get in 80-100 grams of protein and 100+ oz. of liquid every day. Anything else is gravy. Besides those two stipulations, my doc's only other rules are to take multi-vitamins and Calcium-citrate-plus-D every day, and keep carbs as low as possible. For me that means no starches or sugars (including alcohol). Here's my plan. Maybe it will help you get some ideas. Good luck! Rog Below is a "typical" day's menu: As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but my doctor just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your protein and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss. Okay, here's an example of my day: I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work. I count my morning Protein Shake as a meal, not a fluid. (30 grams of protein) 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.) After that, I drink a 24-oz. tumbler of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light throughout the morning. (Lots of frequent sips) Then I walk for 40+ minutes. Then it's lunchtime - tuna salad or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies if there's room. About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz tumbler of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack. At around 4:00 or 4:30, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies or a V-8 if you're getting enough protein at other times.) Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.) Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean steak, fish, chicken, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies. Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening. If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello or sugar-free popsicles are good. And if I'm short on protein or still hungry, another yogurt or protein shake. (I'm not worried about the calories because this menu only provides 700-900 per day.) So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid. If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work. The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. Beef or turkey Jerky is my on-the-fly meal. A 3 oz bag is over 30 grams of protein and about 200 calories. The sodium can be high, so watch for that. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip the dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home. I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal". In the meantime, this eating plan is working really well.

Ask your Team about their position on Alcohol. Their advice is is top tier since that's who will monitor your medical progress. Everything else is anecdotal at best. Good Luck ♥️

First, let me say I agree with the whole 'don't break the rules, stay on plan' thing. If I were to look back on my posts here, I suspect I might find a post or two saying just that. Over and over. Could you expand on the alcohol and the idea it is a life and death decision? I've never heard this, and obviously, never heard medical support for it. In my personal situation, I had and have liver issues which for me mean: Alcohol and many drugs that may be hard on the liver I have to stay away from. But this is because I have specific medical concerns. DS: I don't remember the ins and outs of DS well enough to make any claims. Sleeve, Band: For surgeries that leave the pyloric valve in tact food/drink digestion works pretty much as pre-op. The restrictive nature reduces volume and things related to volume. RNY: the 'bypass' part causes anything one eats or drinks to dump directly into the intestines. As such, any alcohol consumed forces the body to work on it all now. This can be overwhelming to the liver. You can hit alcohol poisoning on much less alcohol. Drink often enough and cirrhosis can become an issue quicker. In the weeks can take for your innards to heal completely after surgery I've never heard that alcohol poses any sort of unique life and death threat. A good choice: definitely no. A life and death choice: I'd like to see the math. I do so enjoy learning new things. Thanks, Tek

Hi guys, I just discovered this forum today and it seems like it is a fantastic resource. The amount of information that is on here is staggering. Apologies if I've posted this into the wrong forum. I've just started the process of this, I had my first meeting with the surgeon this week and I have booked all of the other appointments. I'm pretty nervous and I'm still on the fence about the whole thing. I'm a 33 year old dude, I'm about 6 ft tall and tip the scales at about 330. I'd love to get down to about 200-210. The surgeon seems to think that I'll be able to shed about 90-100lbs with the procedure. So that sounds great, but I still have some reservations about the procedure. I have so many questions that I really don't know where to begin. I suppose the first question would be: If you had to do it over again, would you go through with the procedure again? Are the sacrifices and the complete and total life change worth it? How difficult has it been to make these changes? What about alcohol, can you still drink? What happens/if you drink beer? Another concern is the excess skin, are there things one can do to help prevent this from being too big of a problem? Any advice, suggestions, etc.. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any and all feedback.