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I don't understand why you'd want to get this if it hasn't been around for a long time. The sleeve is very safe, without a lot of surgical connections/re-routing. I was sleeved on Sept. 26th. My diabetes was gone in 2 days! The other co-morbidities, sleep apnea & non-alcoholic fatty liver will go away in 3 - 4 months. At some point EVERY surgery wasn't around for a long time. Although you had the sleeve in comparison to RNY, the sleeve hasn't been around for a long time either. The decision is solely between an individual and their surgeon, so I wish everyone the best no matter which surgery they choose!

You look fantabulous. .. Im 1 year out and only lost 55 pounds. I went from a tight size 18/20 & wear size 6 jeans now that are a little to big, i even have a size 4 white denim skirt. My only problem is my tummy, i look about 5 months pregnant. I can exercise much due to 2 back surgeries. I can't eat much, but i have been vacationing & drink8ng like a fish daily. As of this week alcohol is out during the week. Im thinking about a tummy tuck. Keep up the great work.

To me anything over 1 maybe 2 g of sugar is considered high in sugar and I prefer completely sugar-free if possible. now in maintenance phase it might be acceptable to me. But I have had a lot of success so far and been able to keep my weight loss working with minimal stalls, ( yes everyone has to deal with them as we all know) Now while I truly believe in the natural sugars are much better than added sugars, avoiding sugars , even natural ones, is that much better and helps greatly to keep me on track. The Low glycemic effect is fine if you are a diabetic and you are avoiding spikes in blood sugars, but make no mistake, low glycemic index does not mean better for you, It simply means the sugars are more complex and require more time to be digested and absorbed into the blood. Think of them as time release sugars, so while they don't hit your bloodstream all at once like say straight glucose etc, they do last longer in your blood and give you a higher sugar/blood baseline. Here's the biggest hint, sugar in your bloodstream all acts in the same general way in the metabolization and utilization of sugars and fats etc. SO basically once your body pulls sugars or even sugar alcohols, into your bloodstream, the sugars all act in the exact same way. Low glycemic index is just a way of saying the sugar enters your bloodstream at a slower rate, but it still enters your bloodstream as all sugars do, and in the same way. I realize that many people cannot or will not choose to live with this low sugar low fat, low carb way that I do, and I respect that, as we say everyone's journey is their own, and that is as it must be. What helped change my mind on sugar is the fact that we have a hard time grasping how much sugar is a gram? Sure it is a number, but what does that number really mean? This next statement is what made me change the way I handle sugars. 4 grams of sugar is the same as 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. So I hold that image in my head when I look at sugars on a label. 8 grams of sugar in your yogurt, or any product, equals two whole teaspoonfuls of granulated sugar. And even if the glycemic index is lower, it still all goes to the same place, it just takes more time to get there. I am not trying to evangelize, or change anyone's mind, or make you feel bad or anything, I promise. But these are the reasons I do what I do, and eat how I eat. I hope that I have been able to explain this without coming off as a butthead or arrogant. I know my posts have a tendency to come out that way.

HUGE TRIUMPHANT update! Since giving up my 4000-5000 calorie per week red wine passion last week (yes, just last week!) I am down another 2 pounds bringing me to an all-time record low of 207 pounds. (Start weight: 259 pounds). A mere 5 days ago, I stopped my over-consumption (and consumption completely) cold. My 500-calorie per night wine-guzzling habit ended on July 17th. I have been alcohol free since then, and, consequently, I am down 6 pounds. This cannot be a coincidence, especially after the scale had not moved in weeks and weeks. I feel terrific. I am triumphant. I feel like I've won the lottery. To think - the ONE hundreds are just 8 little pounds away. I cannot believe how easy this 'sacrifice' has been, and how quickly I have seen results. Should have given up the grape months ago...!

congratulations on your weight loss, I get depressed too. But I know all this will be worth it... why do you think you get depressed Well because food is always there birthdays, holidays, etc... And now i wont be able to eat that much. I hope it gets natural so i can be more happy, but i now also now that food and a bad life style got my obese and with this tool i would be able to enjoy more things than just food. yeah I feel the same way sometimes that's why I'm having a hard time with the liquid diet because I just wanna chew things what do you think is different about teens having this kind of surgery i mean hoy is life going to be for us? well I mean everyone I know who is older and had this surgery have lived in their twenties and have a care free life. Ours will be a lot less care free social experiencenes will be different we can occasionally indulge but won't be able to pig out our potential night life will be affected as far as alcohol and because we are younger we hopefully will have more years to maintain this new healthy life because old habits die hard... what was your starting weight

I actually feel sorry for her, people are at a bad disposition when uneducated and just plain ignorant about others, this wasn't easy for me, just like a recovering alcoholic I had make admissions, and cried at times, I also had to be willing to become dedicated to a different way of life, and learn wrong from right as far as how and what to eat, it was very hard telling my wife NO! When she asked for something and I had to go to the gym, now she smiles and I know she is proud that my selfishness at certain times is a positive one, I lost a couple of close friends in recent years to health problems, and my entire birth family, so it was easy for me to turn away a couple friends who became very ugly and negative when I announced my decision, ultimately the negative comments and remarks should have no bearing on you since this a very personal journey, we are all here to support each other but it's your body, your pain, and your failures and achievements, keep your head up and be proud of the scars you now have, choose to be the better person and walk away each time, let others begin to see it for what it is, eventually she or he will repel others away with their negativity...........

So the new big boy on the market is the power crunch bar. all different flavors and pretty dang delicious. High Protein, 5 g of sugar ( not too bad) right? No Sugar Alcohols, great? Seems great right? Well after ingesting a piece of one at a friends house. I picked up a couple in my local Vitamin shoppe. I mean they looked good, But when i got them home, i gave them to my wife to give out at her place of work. Why? simple. My god they are loaded with FAT! and not even good fat but Saturated fat. Wow. what the heck? For example the chocolate mint has 13g of fat!!! a whopping 6 grams of saturated fat!! that is 30% of a normal person's daily recommended fat intake on a 2000 calorie diet. For a sleever that is like 29% too much. Then I realized its the old bait and switch. Lower the sugar and calories, increase the fat for taste. Just like Low fat usually means high sugar. Don't even get me started on the No sugar added, tagline that other products used.

I am 7 weeks out as well, and I have only lost 22lbs since my surgery. You are not losing slowly, that seems normal to me. If anything you might want to avoid just counting net carbs and try counting your total carb intake (including fiber), because there is research suggesting that certain Fiber and sugar alcohols affect glucose levels similar to other carbs. Honestly though you seem to be doing fine. Just think, would you have lost 25 lbs in 7 weeks before you had surgery? I know this is easier said than done because I am still very anxious about my weight loss and I want to do everything possible to ensure that I get to goal. Just make good choices and exercise. I exercise 5-6 days per week, never eat more than 700, and always eat less than 40 grams of carbs (total carbs!), and drink about 64-100oz of Water every day. I do all these things and I have only lost 22lbs since surgery. Unfortunately, part of this experience is learning to go with the flow, even when you think that flow is too slow!!!!!!

Imma say something blunt: If alcoholics can kick alcohol and diabetics can kick sugar, you can kick sugar, too. I don't know everything you'll need to do, but here are some obvious changes to make: * Don't buy it. * Don't let anyone else in your house buy it and bring it home where you could eat it. * Become more personally accountable and become more accountable to others, e.g., tell those you spend time with that you're not going to eat any more sugar. * Invite the support of those who love you (see above) and ask them to support your new sugar-free lifestyle. * If you really think you're an addict (you used that word, I think), then treat it like an addiction and get yourself into an addiction program, either out- or in-residence. * Stop regarding and using sugar like a treat. If you're an addict, it's dangerous to you. Treat it like poison. * Figure out what other activities or things you can use as rewards instead of sugar. * Don't hang out with people who eat a lot of sugar. * Identify all the hidden sugar in foods you are now eating that you think are sugar-free. I'll guarantee you there are some sugar-laden foods somewhere in your diet right now that you don't know about yet. * ... and other things. I know you know this, but the longer you go without eating any sugar, the less you will crave it. Good luck! I appreciate that you replied to my post and offered some tips. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but some of what you said reminds me of people who say no one really needs bariatric surgery. We just need to be more personally accountable and diet and exercise. Do you not see bariatric surgery as a tool for dealing with obesity and kicking the things that made people obese in the first place?

Imma say something blunt: If alcoholics can kick alcohol and diabetics can kick sugar, you can kick sugar, too. I don't know everything you'll need to do, but here are some obvious changes to make: * Don't buy it. * Don't let anyone else in your house buy it and bring it home where you could eat it. * Become more personally accountable and become more accountable to others, e.g., tell those you spend time with that you're not going to eat any more sugar. * Invite the support of those who love you (see above) and ask them to support your new sugar-free lifestyle. * If you really think you're an addict (you used that word, I think), then treat it like an addiction and get yourself into an addiction program, either out- or in-residence. * Stop regarding and using sugar like a treat. If you're an addict, it's dangerous to you. Treat it like poison. * Figure out what other activities or things you can use as rewards instead of sugar. * Don't hang out with people who eat a lot of sugar. * Identify all the hidden sugar in foods you are now eating that you think are sugar-free. I'll guarantee you there are some sugar-laden foods somewhere in your diet right now that you don't know about yet. * ... and other things. I know you know this, but the longer you go without eating any sugar, the less you will crave it. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing. I met a man who was quite large. He overheard me talking with a friend about my upcoming sleeve surgery. He said, very politely, he had the bypass done 5 years ago in Belgium because they have the lowest infection rates and MRSA, but besides that, he said he lost 100lbs, but regrets ever having it done. His comment was as he pointed to his stomach, they changed this and then as he pointed to his head, but they did not change this. It also scares me, and they say it's after 18 months to 2 years, that the appetite and overeating can come back. He said he is never hungry but cannot stop drinking sodas and snacking. I am having it done 8/3, an right now we just have to take it day by day, just like an alcoholic, I guess. I am not going to worry about what might be in 2 years, but it is good to keep it in mind. Lets all hope we do great and keep it off.

This is an interesting topoic, which points to a larger problem - we don't know who asked "can I cheat/eat something not on program" akin to one that I hear often with alcohol etc. I have seen videos of WLS failures who obviously went back to potato chips and high fat food. I think much of the touch love and goal shaming I see is a reminder to lurkers that "no you can't eat crap all the time." Yes we said "occasionally" but some of us think others are going to hear "it's OK, eat crap." I don't blame the people on these boards who offer cautionary advise, it is a important reminder. One that often can't be echoed enough. But for the most part I have found the people here to be very forthcoming about their struggles, their successes and very encouraging. We have a nice mix of caring nurturing types and tough love types. Between the two I think the message gets out to those who need to hear it. At least I hear it and appreciate it.

At 3 weeks I was on soft foods. I drank 1 Protein shake a day and the rest was Water. So I was getting in about 60 g of protein a day and maybe around 50 ounces of water at that point. Your Protein Shake is not as high as it could be to help you and it has sugar alcohols in it as well as sugar. Premier Protein has a ready to drink that has 30g of protein and that is half your day's goal. If you just can't drink those for whatever reason, then try some others. Isopure makes a ready to drink carb zero that has 40 g protein in it. It is a large bottle but you can sip on it throughout the day and add water to complete your ounces. In time you will be able to consume more and your protein won't come from shakes/drinks and more from food. Your tummy is still healing and swollen, hang in there!

I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the reasons why I gained weight over the years before my surgery. As time went on I became diabetic and that can lead to a whole slew of problems. Fortunately today there is a wide range of options that I can use to control my craving. I am 26 months post op from RNY surgery and I am stable weight-wise in a maintenance mode. I am at the bottom end of the scale. Sugar is a very complex issue, so let me describe the rules that I currently follow. My diabetes went into remission the day I left the hospital and has remains so over these past 26 months and I periodically check my blood sugar levels to validate the approach that I use. I strictly avoid processed sugar in its many forms. That includes most foods ending in (-ose). That includes sucrose (table sugar), fructose (honey), dextrose (glucose), corn syrup, corn solids, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice. I look at food labels on the products I buy. I first check the % sugar under the total carbs. If it lists more than 5 grams of sugar, then I look at the ingredients portion of the label. If one of these sugars is among the first 5 ingredients listed, I generally avoid the food. [The manufacturers are required to list the ingredients by the percentage within the product, so the first item listed is the highest percentage of the food in the product, and the second item listed is next in percentage. That is why I focus on the first five ingredients.] This approach is a holdover from the surgery. After my RNY surgery, the part of my stomach that processed sugars and fats was cut away. If I ate either sugar or fats in high levels, it would immediately cause a bad reaction by my body rejecting it. This is called dumping syndrome. After about the first year, my body evolved and my intestines now begin to perform the functions that my stomach once performed. Therefore, I can eat sugars and fats and absorb it. I use the following types of sugars: natural sugars (found in fruits and milk), artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda), very low calorie natural sweeteners (such as stevia, and sugar alcohols). These products offer me a wide range of options to control my sweet tooth. After my first year following surgery, my body can once again process fats and this in my opinion is the key. Fats have the ability to take away hunger and they in my opinion are the key in the maintenance stage. Generally, I will have a cup of coffee in the morning with a large scoop of whip cream. The whip cream is home made and contains no sugar. I use Splenda in its place. Throughout the day, eat a few Adkin's treats. These products are similar to candy bars but contain no processed sugar. They take away the craving because they contain fat and use sugar alcohol as a sweetener. I also consume natural sugars found in fruits in moderation and natural sugars found in milk. I consume whole milk and eat real butter. [This approach is not something you can do right after surgery, you need to wait until your intestines evolve.] As I say, I periodically validate my approach by monitoring my blood sugar levels. I have informed my nutritionist of my approach and they seem to be fully onboard. [sometimes between you and me I think they are a little bit in awe, because my weight levels are still falling 26 months after surgery.]

HI all. DAy 6 and felling almost human today. A little hard with a get together and I cant eat or drink alcohol. But I got through it and am happy. Energy returning finally only a short nap today. How is everyone else feeling?

Bless your heart! I will freak out if that happens... I am glad they didn't proceed if it was risky, but yuck! My preop liver shrink diet is low carb, 3 Protein shakes a day. No alcohol. What's your starting weight if you don't mind me asking? Have you ever been diagnosed with a fatty liver?

This is from a slightly different perspective, but I was in a relationship over the course of a few years when I went from being mildly overweight to morbidly obese. Part of my weight gain was for the normal reasons of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and emotional disregulation, but the speed in which I gained was largely because of medications I was taking for a mood disorder. When I look back over that relationship, a big part of the deterioration was because of the weight gain. When you date someone who's 170 pounds and they shoot up to 250 in such a short period of time, it just changes everything. Part of it was the physical attraction, but I think more of it was how poorly I coped with my body image. I struggled with moving, I hated myself for letting it happen, and I projected that negativity into my relationship. My partner wasn't being shallow as we fell out of love, they were experiencing the pain of what it's like to love someone who doesn't value themselves. We ask ourselves on this site how we are going to address the emotional aspects of what lead us here, and we fight a battle to get to where we want to be. And when you look at all of the obese people throughout the country, we are in the minority of people who are actively fighting and winning this battle. Everyone deserves to be valued and treated with respect, but when it comes to choosing romantic partners, I don't get angry when people aren't interested because of my weight. Like others have said, we choose people who are most attractive to us, and obesity is one of the most visible personal demons out of them all. If every alcoholic had a bottle of wine on top of their heads, Id be hesitant too.

I ran into this same question the other day and I asked the nurse on duty, her response was "your on a pre op diet. Is beer part of that pre op diet?" Was pretty clear the answer was something I already knew. Seriously, alcohol is a no no for life for many reasons. They say a little wine or liquor on the rocks or its Water after a year but beer is carbonated. So if you can do without it - do it. Btw I sat with 20 professional firefighters in a bar who were all off duty drinking beer and eating wings, I managed on water and had a couple wings. No one minded, I still had a great time. You can pass the beer, I'm sure your surgery and new life beyond matters more.

Hi all I'm scheduled for surgery on Monday. During the 2-week pre-op diet I've been very good and followed my surgeon's guidelines closely. However, we are traveling this weekend and I am by a brewery I've always wanted to visit. I have had no alcohol in two weeks. If I have a beer tonight (Saturday) will it cause problems for surgery on Monday? I don't want to screw up the procedure or be turned away because I had a beer two nights before. Help!

I want to throw up just reading about drinking alcohol, I'm 2 weeks out????

I'm really sorry to hear about this! When I began considering surgery, I was concerned about telling my family cause a lot of them are kind of nutty and not very supportive generally. My mom is an alcoholic, my sister has expressed bigoted views toward overweight people for years, etc. The person I'm closed to and really trust is my dad. He also happens to be a surgeon. I value his opinion on medical topics, so I talked to him first and asked him to keep things between us at first. He totally gets the whole WLS thing and told me he's behind me 100 percent. Months later, he actually agreed to mention it to my other family members first. I asked him to let them know if they made negative comments that they will not sway my decision one bit and I don't want to hear them. I have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate negative comments. So my dad told them and I haven't heard anything negative from anyone but my sister and I shut that down so fast. I'm not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I'm more than happy to answer questions or field genuine, politely expressed concerns from important people in my life. But with inappropriate comments from anyone, I politely tell them I'm not interested in talking and exit the conversation. I've only had to do this twice. Most people have been great! I'm lucky to have my dad, my best friend and my boyfriend as my greatest cheerleaders in this. I'm really sorry to hear about this! When I began considering surgery, I was concerned about telling my family cause a lot of them are kind of nutty and not very supportive generally. My mom is an alcoholic, my sister has expressed bigoted views toward overweight people for years, etc. The person I'm closed to and really trust is my dad. He also happens to be a surgeon. I value his opinion on medical topics, so I talked to him first and asked him to keep things between us at first. He totally gets the whole WLS thing and told me he's behind me 100 percent. Months later, he actually agreed to mention it to my other family members first. I asked him to let them know if they made negative comments that they will not sway my decision one bit and I don't want to hear them. I have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate negative comments. So my dad told them and I haven't heard anything negative from anyone but my sister and I shut that down so fast. I'm not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I'm more than happy to answer questions or field genuine, politely expressed concerns from important people in my life. But with inappropriate comments from anyone, I politely tell them I'm not interested in talking and exit the conversation. I've only had to do this twice. Most people have been great! I'm lucky to have my dad, my best friend and my boyfriend as my greatest cheerleaders in this. I'm really sorry to hear about this! When I began considering surgery, I was concerned about telling my family cause a lot of them are kind of nutty and not very supportive generally. My mom is an alcoholic, my sister has expressed bigoted views toward overweight people for years, etc. The person I'm closed to and really trust is my dad. He also happens to be a surgeon. I value his opinion on medical topics, so I talked to him first and asked him to keep things between us at first. He totally gets the whole WLS thing and told me he's behind me 100 percent. Months later, he actually agreed to mention it to my other family members first. I asked him to let them know if they made negative comments that they will not sway my decision one bit and I don't want to hear them. I have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate negative comments. So my dad told them and I haven't heard anything negative from anyone but my sister and I shut that down so fast. I'm not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I'm more than happy to answer questions or field genuine, politely expressed concerns from important people in my life. But with inappropriate comments from anyone, I politely tell them I'm not interested in talking and exit the conversation. I've only had to do this twice. Most people have been great! I'm lucky to have my dad, my best friend and my boyfriend as my greatest cheerleaders in this.

I think, that she must have some good qualities to have a loyal friend like you,but if she were a good friend to you,then you wouldn't have to worry about jealousy making her nasty towards you and you wouldn't be afraid to share such an important piece of yourself. Yes, that's true. She is an excellent friend. I think everyone has that one thing that they can't deal with due to a bad past experience. For some it's a bad shopping or restaurant experience. For some, it's being bullied. For some it's getting your hair done or something at a certain place. For many, it's a bad relationship. There are many people who won't touch a drop of alcohol due to watching the downward spiral of an alcoholic. And there are many even smaller things. I won't touch tuna with a 10 foot pole after vomiting it when pregnant over 10 years ago. There are people (I am one of them) who never realized how many people they have had bad experiences or associations with until it's time to name your baby. LOL Point being that everyone (E V E R Y O N E) has an avoidance subject/issue that they can't deal with based on their association with a horrid past experience. This just happens to be hers. I don't judge her for it. I just don't want to put her, myself, and our friendship through the anxiety triggered words and actions that I know would result. I have to do what's necessary for myself.

I love this thread because it reminds me that in my cravings and occasional 'cheats' I am human and not alone. My vice is not food, funnily enough. It's wine. I love red wine. I've had a love affair with all things grape since I worked in the Vintages division of the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I attended wine tastings and became knowlegeable and educated in the amazing world of fine wines! The fuller and headier the better. A rich gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon, a Pinot or a Shiraz - I can easily drink a bottle at a time (hello, AA?!) if given the opportunity! (Hangs head in shame). OKAY so the calories: The calorie count in wine changes from grape varietal to varietal, but on average there are 625 calories in a bottle. And usually (here comes the big confession) when I've had that much wine, I get munchy and inevitably visit the fridge for a small plate of cheese (havarti or sharp cheddar, usually...) or salsa and baked chips. Would I do the recommended 1oz (a pair of dice) for the cheese? Hell no. Bring on the deck of cards! Now we're adding an additional 500 calories on to that 625 just consumed in delicious liquid. And the chips? Don't get me started. Ooooh boy. Man do those calories add up. I'm realizing that this love of wine (and it really is a deep and cuddly love!) has got to stop. It stops today, actually. Just writing this has hardened my resolve. So it's not fast FOOD, or restaurant FOOD that is my enemy. Its red wine. Tomorrow is my 46th birthday. I will be gifting myself with an alcohol-free life and getting back on track with my weight loss!

§ Start getting in better shape. I walked, lifted, and did as much as I could 5 times a week getting ready for surgery. § Started practicing eating slower for lunch. § Watched many videos, talked to people who had been through it. § Oh, but best work was preparing for the mental changes with my therapist and worked through this book: http://www.amazon.co...=bariatric book § I drank a great deal of alcohol so I weaned myself off and slowly cut the caffeine. § Followed the pre-op diet to the letter § Shopped two weeks before surgery for the foods I would need for the first two weeks. § Revised my will and power of attorney just in case something went wrong § Tried pureed meal ideas and Protein drinks before surgery so I had some meal plans. Things I took that I liked: Laptop, earbuds, slip on shoes, pants with elastic, iPod with audio books, shorts. Oh, gas-x dissolving strips - take those. Wish I had brought my favorite Isopure drinks, but found a GNC near the hospital. Keep the bag light.

I told my husband and my immediate family, and his immediate family. I also told my five best friends. I did tell all of them that I wasn't broadcasting it, as I wanted to tell only people I knew would be supportive. The week after surgery, my mother-in-law's friend asked me how I was feeling after surgery. Lol. So I just assume everyone tells at least one person. And I wanted to have control over who knew, not because I was ashamed but because it was private. When anyone asks me how I'm losing weight, I tell them eating small meals, eliminating sugar and alcohol, and lots of Protein. The only issue I have is when someone who is also extremely obese asks me (like a coworker and a neighbor did) and I don't tell them because I do feel like this surgery saved my life. However, I'm guessing they both know about weight loss surgery and either they don't want it or can't afford it. But I feel bad nonetheless that I don't tell them how much the surgery benefited me.