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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.

My brother is a highly intelligent man. This was proven decades ago, when IQ tests (performed while his teachers and parents tried to figure out why he was a miserable little bugger) showed a genius level IQ. I know that sentence sounds unsympathetic to my brother, but we were all miserable - our parents, his teachers, me, and my brother. The decades that have passed since then haven't given him any more common sense or made him any less miserable. A good example of that is his reaction when I first talked with him about my weight loss surgery. This highly intelligent and (by then) well-read man said, "Wow! So, you have the surgery, and then you eat anything you want and you still lose weight!" Well, no, I told him. Not really. In fact, nothing like that. During the 6 years of my weight loss surgery journey, I have (over and over and over again) witnessed bariatric patients who came out of the operating room after surgically successful procedures still wondering why they couldn't eat anything want and still lose weight. Their disappointing weight loss was and is a perpetual puzzle to them because somehow they had not grasped that behavioral change is required for weight loss success. It's easy to label those patients as stupid or ignorant or deluded, or to blame their bariatric team for failure to properly educate those patients about what would be required of them both pre- and post-op. All of those things could be a factor. In March 2012 I attended 2 sessions of a required pre-op nutrition and education class. My BMI then made me obese, but not morbidly so. I had gained weight after a complete unfill and was preparing to say goodbye to my beloved band due to medical problems aggravated by my band, planning to revise to vertical sleeve gastrectomy in the same procedure. The dietitian leading the class was a perky, pretty 20-something girl, adorably pregnant, who had clearly never struggled with her weight before. Her slightly condescending attitude was hard to take, but about halfway through the class I thought I could understand her attitude. She had just named a long list of foods we should not eat after surgery (including fried foods, candy, baked goodies, soda, alcohol, salty snacks, etc.) when I heard a woman nearby say bitterly, "I don't know. That seems like an awful lot to give up." Since I had known the before and after of WLS, I was strongly tempted to respond to her, but I held my tongue (wisely, for once). I don't know just why so many people think that WLS is magic, that you can eat anything you want and still lose weight; that you don't have to give up a single food or behavior or attitude in order to succeed. Maybe we can blame that kind of thinking on the media, or maybe we can blame it on the deeply-entrenched denial that tends to go along with obesity. But the fact is, you can't eat anything and still lose weight unless you're dying of cancer or AIDs or some other fatal disease, and probably don't want to eat a single bite of anything anyway. And I'd trade dying of cancer for WLS sacrifices and success any old day, wouldn't you?

Day 3 here. Definitely not getting enough protein. Only bought vanilla premiere protein and can barely get it down because of the aftertaste. I ordered protein powder online Thursday and because of the holiday, will not receive it until Mon/Tues. I'm waiting on my husband to get home so I can do some liquid food shopping. Took another test, negative and have cramps so that is the last I will be writing about that. Went out last night and brought my crystal light with me. Did not miss the alcohol; but had major food cravings. There were snacks all over the place. My toddler has been having tantrums all weekend. He's non verbal with limited vocabulary so that's how he shows me he's upset. Despite that I've been trying to give him as many hugs as I can besause I will not be able to hold him for a few weeks. Ive been having creamed soup for 1 meal each day and its the only thing that holds me if only for a couple of hours but I feel like I'm cheating, each can has 9g of carbs plus the 1% milk I use. So I'm looking for alternatives. Oh and I have had no BM in 2 days. But, I'm down to 281 Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

How has everyone been? I've been so busy and lazy I forgot to check in. So what is new? I feel like I am getting back on track and things are back to normal. I don't feel like I have to be censored and everything seems to be natural now. So far I am keeping my food down and I am slowly added different fruit and veggies to my diet. I am just afraid to eat pasta, rice and bread. The other day I wanted some Raman noodles but I got scared and bake me some fries instead. Also I've been on a carb kick lately but at least I am choosing smart carbs. Wait smart carbs? Is that even possible? One thing I noticed about being back on track is my triggers days made an appearance and this past Sunday was it. AKA Sunday Funday. Why Sunday? Just in case you guys haven't noticed but I love sports and Sundays consist of sports. Also I love True Blood and Dexter. So did I handle my trigger day? Easy... I planned it. I know I will be drinking and there may be a possibility that I go off my healthy lifestyle because I will tell myself this is my "cheat day". So, I double my workouts on Sunday and preplan my dinner. Well I should say me and my friends plan the dinner. I love my friends by the way for two reason One the are on the mission to find lap band friendly recipes and two they found low calories drinks to make. How cool is that but I have a confession to make. Sunday I finished a whole bottle of Moscato at first my friends were like that wasn't too bad until one of them look up how many calories are in bottle. I am ashamed to say it but I will tell you this I see why alcohol is empty calories so I will need to be careful. Trust and believe I worked out another 30 mins when they left. I am still learning but I feel like everything is back to normal. Thanks for reading .

Terry, I'm so sorry, but you made me laugh out loud. I wasn't laughing at you per se, as much as I was laughing at the fact that everything you described sounds exactly like what would happen to me. No matter who I'm with, I always end up being the one to "fall down". Curious about the drunk one minute, sober the next. I wonder if because of the surgery and the hormone changes if your body is processing alcohol differently. Very, very interesting. Thanks for the peek inside your adventures. Always QUITE entertaining. Glad you're well and safe (all but a few cuts, scrapes and bruises).

NOTE: As always, this is a funny look at the things that have happened/are happening as I continue on my weight loss journey. I in NO way plan to replace food with alcohol or need to be told how bad I am for drinking one night with a friend (mind you it's a friend I haven't seen in 15 years). Please don't feel the need to lecture me or get passive aggressive with your comments. As my regular readers know, I am just giving a comedic side to WLS. Also, remember that everyone's journey is different and just becasue I may or may not be doing it the same way you are, does not mean that I am better or worse than anyone else. Ok, I think I covered it all. As always, enjoy and I hope the story puts a smile on your face. Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged but I've been one little busy beaver. I had my friend and her family in from Costa Rica, then my friend from Ireland came in for two weeks (she is still here), and while she was here, my brother-in-law and niece came for a two night visit. Needless to say, I've been the hostess with the mostest. I've really missed doing my blogs. They seem to keep me focused and help me put things in perspective. I've also not had time to do myfitnesspal.com. So, for about a week and a half, I haven't written any of my food intake down. That just makes me feel like I've been a bad, bad girl....and not in a kinky good way. (sorry, those hormones are still pouring out of the fat cells LOL) Anyway, I have so many stories for you all. I wish I could just sit down and type them all for you but I can't so today I am going to let you know about my first drinking experience since the sleeve and the interesting things I've learned from that experience. I hope I can give you a good idea of how the night went as I am not sure if I remember it all....but more on that later. First, you have to understand how I met my Irish friend Cat. 15 years ago, I worked and lived at the beach. Cat worked at the same place and even though she didn't live with me, I swear there were times I thought she did. We were 21/22 and we were having fun. We worked hard and played harder. We spent many nights at a bar across the street from my house and only a 1/2 block away from work. I somehow was able to keep up with all the Irish kids that were in town for the summer. I could go one for one with them with any drink (except Guinness. That stuff is REALLY thick). I was even told I had become an honorary Irish lassie ( I even learned most of the Irish pub songs that they sang). I tell you all this to explain that after 15 years, loosing more than 1/2 my stomach, and a lot of weight I for some reason thought I could still drink like a fish. Never mind the fact that I haven't drank in almost a year (except for an occasional glass of wine or a night cap). So, we go into a local bar and order two drinks. I got a L.I.T (long island iced tea) as I have always enjoyed them when they are done well. As I drank my drink and did some catching up with my friend, I could feel the effects of the liquor seeping into my blood. I won't lie, I enjoyed it. Paying less to feel this way was great (before anyone freaks, I don't plan to go out drinking on a regular basis......BUT....it was nice to go out and spend less money and get tipsy). This is about the time I knew the night was getting ready to change. The bartender (a little bored) asked if we wanted shots. "Are you buying them for us?" I asked. Of course he wasn't but after talking it over with Cat, we decided, "Hey, why not"? Now as I explained already, I haven't seen Cat for a long time and we needed to go on "a tear". Patron it was. Lick. Slam. Suck. OHHHHH how smooth. Now, from that moment on, the night began to just blend together. I know I played pool...and lost. (wonder why!!!) The drinks went down easier than I ever remember them going down and I have to admit, I was enjoying myself. Through it all, I never felt “drunk”. I mostly felt tipsy and then I would feel mostly sober....then tipsy again...and so on and so forth. I never thought anything about it as I was having fun and enjoying being out and about...the alcohol was just an added positive. Then, we decided to go to another bar only a block or two away. Now, you have to understand that drinking and feeling tipsy was a whole new experience to me. I would go from being (or should I say feeling) sober then in just a few moments, I would be “footloose and fancy free”. The back and forth wold happen so fast, it wouldn't make any sense but to be honest, I wasn’t trying to make sense out it as I really didn’t care.. So, when we left to go to the other bar, I REALLY thought I was sober...that is until the curb jumped up and tripped me. I know it grew at least a foot with out telling me. There is no way a sober gal, like myself, could have missed that curb. Then, as always, I did my thing. I fell. I fell hard...and I fell fast. My knee was the only thing between my face and the pavement and because of that it was all scrapped up. Even my hands had stones imbedded in them, and I am sure I messed up my back just a little more than it was. It was such a hard fall that even the person driving passed stopped to make sure I was alright. Poor Cat, was so concerned, and all I could say was, "Really, I had to fall TONIGHT?" LOL...then it happened. I felt DRUNK. I collected myself, raised myself up from the ground, dusted off my knees and hands and tried to focus on the person only a foot away from me. Needless to say, it took awhile to focus....mostly because my glasses went flying off my face were now in Cat’s hands. Not seeing well is only intensified when your half blind. LOL Once I put on my glasses, Cat and I began the walk (she walked I stumbled) to the other bar. Then it hit me when we were almost there. I was sober. It was like I hadn’t had a drink at all. How was this even possible? So, I did what any sober person of sound mind and body would do....I ordered a drink. LOL As I was sipping on my drink, we decided to get something to eat. I also figured that maybe getting a little food in my tiny stomach may help....it didn’t. I still went back and forth from sober and drunk but now it was happening faster than I can even begin to describe. After finishing up there, it was time to get home. Yes, we were safe about it and no, we didn't just wait for me to "feel sober".. I thought my husband would find my stories funny...and he did when I told them to him sober. But BAM, next thing you know I’m drunk again. This of course caused an argument. Now, I should be more honest. My lack of knowing when to just keep my mouth shut and go to bed is what caused the argument....nothing else. But for some reason I felt it would be a great idea to go for a walk. So I walked out the door and made it down three steps and then THUMP....yes, that’s right, I fell down the steps. I figured this would be a good time to go back inside with my head down and my tail between my legs. Once I did that and listened to my husband give me a very short lecture, I took my Tylenol and went to bed. When I awoke the next morning, I remembered why it was that I no longer drink like I am still in college and then I then looked at my knee. I should say I felt my knee...then I looked at it. Yep, it was bad. It was all scrapped up and swollen. It was so stiff that I was unable to walk down the steps of my condo to get to the pool. I felt like a total gimp having to take the elevator because I was sloppy drunk...or should I say a sloppy sober one minute, drunk the other person? Anyway, .I did get the to pool and worked it out. I had to as the day after my Irish drinking reunion, I had my 20th H.S. reunion (more on that tomorrow) and I figured I would have to be able to walk that night for it. It worked. I got my knee working (and ended up hurting my shin...not sure how), and I was ready to face all the people from H.S....or at least as ready as I'd ever be. Funny thing is, I was more upset to realize that I was no longer Irish!!! Apparently when they took my stomach, the doctors also took my Irish drinking crown as well. Needless to say, lesson learned. Funny thing is, I am sure it won’t be the first or the last lesson I learn after having this surgery....I mean it’s only been three months. But to be honest, this lesson was a fun one to learn...up to the point I fell down...no, that didn't damper the mood.....it was fun until I woke up the next day hung over. LOL

I cannot imagine drinking a shot of vodka now. I take a liquid supplement with 12% alcohol and 1/2 T dose gives me a buzz.

Alcohol is empty calories you know- but you're a Grownup so YMYBYC ( your money- your body-your choice) Okay?

I wonder if the "quick drunk" thing is more common in RNY patients since the pyloric valve is bypassed. Liquids go directly into our intestines (and right into our blood stream). I know alcoholism is a risk with any WLS, but the rapid intoxication may be more of an issue with RNY. I don't know this for a fact, though...

Hi Vets, I checked with Alex and he gave me the go-ahead to collect information that would go into a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section that is easy to find on the Website (actually he asked if I could help coordinate it when I asked if we could do it)! That may help alleviate some of the concerns I've seen lately about re-answering questions over and over and give a resource to those that need it. I believe it would be easier than searching the forum because it is hard to figure out an exact topic to search at times and as a newbie, searching may not be the first thought of how to find information. The vets have been answering (or at least viewing) the questions over and over so I am posting this in the vets section because I feel you are the experts for this but am eager to also hear from people that are not vets as well. So three things I am asking for to collect the information for Alex to post: a) Topics for FAQs (see beginner list below) Information to put into the FAQs c) Helpful hints on how best to provide the information and set it up (any web experts out there that can help advise?) Do we need to separate out for sections for each type of procedure or is the information universal for all procedures? How best to collect the topics and information to go into the topics? (I know SharePoint would be good but I don't think we have that with this site.) I'm sure you long timers have a list of what should be there, but here is few to start: - Hormone changes after surgery and impact on mood - Alcohol when if at all? - What to bring to the hospital for surgery (I saw someone has started a list already so this one may be close to being done for content!) - Surgery in Mexico - Pre-Op diet - Post-op diet - Maintenance diet - How often should I weigh and pros and cons of different frequencies - Stalls and what to do - Plastic surgery - Surgery regret - Challenges pre-op - Challenges post-op - Challenges in maintenance - Insurance approval and what to do if not accepted - Helpful hints for each stage - What to drink to keep Water amounts to where they should be each day - What to eat to get in the Protein - What not to eat and why - What to expect day of surgery. - What exercise works best at each phase? - Thing I should definitely call my doctor right away about I know that we have many different inputs from our own doctors and NUTs and would need to preface the FAQs with the information that your doctor's and NUT's advice should be followed over what is posted here, but it is to give folks an idea of what we have been told by outs for our WLS. Any other ideas are welcome and appreciated! Thank you!

Carbonation? Maybe. I have vodka and tonic with ice. Knocks the bubbles right out ... for me. I don't know what your doc recommends regarding alcohol. IMO there is nothing wrong with alcohol per se, but it does have a lot of calories. I've been drinking too much during BBQ's this summer and my weight loss stalled. So, just take care. Don't be me. :nervous

Anybody have issues with alcohol now that they cant eat? I find myself struggling with alochol now. So sad anout this. Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app

So basically I had some weird throat infection the entire pre-op diet week, which I only had to actually do for 1 week. So eating nothing but full liquids was fine because I didn't feel that great anyway and slept A LOT. The hardest day, believe it or not, was the clear liquid day the day before surgery. I did okay though once I got some SF jello. It's hard finding ones that are not a deep red. I did find some pink and orange ones, though! So I didn't actually feel too horribly nervous until that morning. I wasn't due until 12:30 and the hospital is about 45 minutes away. Around 10:30 AM on Wednesday (June 27) they called to ask if I wanted to come in early because they had a cancellation. I said sure but it will only be like maybe 15 minutes earlier because I live 45 minutes away. So we ended up leaving about 11:15 because I had to wait on my mom to shower. I had already done all that and my bag was packed so I was ready! We got to the hospital about 12:15 or something. We had a hard time finding where we were suppose to go but we got it. Yay! Luckily we had gotten a parking spot that was in the first row from the door so that was nice. I grabbed my bag and my turtle pillow pet and walked in, taking my piercings out and shaking all to hell trying not to fling the pieces around and get them in the baggy I brought for them. I got to the desk and they had me to go an admission desk to sign some papers and get my wrist band and some folder with stuff in it that I still haven't actually looked at. I don't know what is in it, lol. Just some papers. Anyway so they asked us to wait in the waiting room. We did not even get our butts in a chair and they had called me in, they told my mom to wait outside because they were just going to run some tests real quick that they routinely do. So they brought me in and it looked like the same pre-op area where I was with my sister at a different hospital for a pregnancy complication. Not to sound as morbid as it may but it was strangely comforting to feel like I was in a place I had seen before. I was given a cup and asked to use the bathroom and pee in the cup for a pregnancy test. They do this routinely I guess, it's mandatory. Boy was I ever exploding cuz I filled that whole entire freakin' cup! Sorry for TMI there lol. So I go back to my waiting area and asked where to put it and the nurse says to put it on a little table at the end of what was to be my bed that another nurse was writing in my chart at. So I set it there and said MERRY CHRISTMAS! And giggled nervously. She laughed at me, too. So then I was given my robe and socks and a bag to put my clothes in and told to change and they pulled the curtain. Oh man was I shaking so bad! I got it all there and put it on the chair next to the bed and sat down, she undid the curtain and I got situated on the bed and they put a warm blanket on me. Then they had a nurse come put an IV in me and it took her forever. I have tiny veins. They put a 20 in me and said it'll be good until I'm under and they'll switch it to a 18 or whatever. They drew 2 vials of blood and then whatever. Stuck some little sticker node things on me and asked me questions like who I am and what surgery I'm having. Then the anesthesiologist asked some questions too like if I have diabetes and etc I said not that I know of. It's true, I didnt know lol. They did get a CBC and whatever else with that blood they took and I never heard much back so I guess I'm ok. So then they hooked up an IV and then came the Versed. That's the happy medicine they gave me so I can relax. At some point during the questioning they got my mom for me and she was sitting with me. But once they put the IV in they made her hug me and go back to the waiting room. This was around 1:30 by this time. And then the praying hit as tears started rolling down my face when she left the room and I started praying, HARD!! But the Versed hit and I felt okay. They rolled me to the OR and I remember looking at all the gadgets in the room thinking Hey! This is just like on TV and in videos of sleeve related things I had seen before. That was comforting, too. But I was doped up on Versed so that's probably it, too. They aligned the operating bed up to my bed and locked them all in place, then had me help myself from the bed to the operating bed. I was not scared at this point but they were laying my arms out on the little arm tables and had an oxygen mask laying lightly on my face. I was okay with that! That were touching me a lot and it felt comforting. Then they said they would be making me sleepy and I was out. I remember when I first woke up they said I'm waking up and asked me how I feel. I said owww pain. It hurts. They said they are giving me pain medication RIGHT NOW. And it felt better right then. They had given me Dilaudid when I needed the rougher med but they used Toradol for inflammation and pain in the meantime and Fenergan for nausea or whatever it's called. They gave me something else right before surgery too for like acid or whatever but I forget what it was. So I was in and out a lot. Dilaudid pretty much makes me pass out. I had gotten a swab sometime in the later evening and I think a droplet had gone down my throat and I got nauseated and started dry heaving. This lasted only a brief period because the nurse took an alcohol prep pad and waved it in front of my nose telling me to breathe deep and I did. The aroma strangely made me calm down from heaving. I didn't have true on nausea at all. Just onset of heaving. I had another 2 or 3 bouts of that that night as they gave me Dilaudid but they started giving the Fenergan with it and I was fine after that. At home I dry heaved only 2 times from pain medication and that's been it. I stopped taking that nasty garbage. So at home I just staked out on the couch as best I could. Tried sipping my liquids and pacing the house or taking my dog on mini walks. It felt good to walk! I'm now 4 days out and I feel almost just fine except for 3 things. One I feel as if maybe I am getting a cold, I have that pre-cold groggy feeling. And the other 2 are pains. One is in my shoulder from gas pain, and the other is that odd diaphragm area spasming that is horrid but luckily only lasts a couple of seconds. I had trouble getting my liquids in but I'm doing okay. I feel okay and energetic during the day. I sip a little protein, a little soup, or vitamin water zero or sobe life water or just plain water. I got some pain cramping when I had colder liquids at first but it seems to do ok now. I also really like SF chocolate pudding. Im going to try a fudgsicle later tonight. As far as food goes. I get weird cravings for things. I know it's in my head and I have to control that. But sometimes I'm just confused at my body because my stomach grumbles all the time, but it gets really loud at random times and it doesn't hurt but it pangs like that familiar feeling pre-op when I would be so hungry that my stomach would growl and pang like that. So I'm not sure if I'm hungry or what. But it's really annoying and eating a little pudding or soup does alleviate it a little. Although the noises don't stop for long at all. I also wanted to add in here that I do get a bit grossed out by some foods now that I woulda just been like "ehh" about before and not really gotten that weird gag feeling when something smells or tastes gross. I can't even eat broth of any kind and some of these "cream of" soups do the same thing. I have no idea why! I do like those soups normally so not sure what the deal is now but I'm dealing with trying out other things. I realized I can get a soup that has things in it but blend and strain it afterwards and it does actually hold the tastes of everything that was in that soup. I had a tomato and rice by Campbell's and blended and strained it out and it tasted like it. I have a bacon and bean soup that's also 98% fat free that I found and i'll do the same thing with that. It sounds good, something different. I don't have to resort to only 1 kind of soup! Just strain strain strain! Another thing I did was today my parents had something for dinner in a skillet that had green beans, onions and chicken breast chunks. It had a lot of juice that tasted really delicious that I strained out and sipped on. It was really good! Other than that, I feel great. I feel super apprehensive about the type of sips I take and how much soup or pudding or whatever I should eat. I don't know what my limit is and I definitely don't want to PUSH it. I never truly feel hungry to begin with so I'm not sure when I'm FULL if that makes sense. I haven't felt much tightness yet from eating those things but I think I read a few places that people don't always feel that tightness too much until mushy phase. So I'm not too worried about it. I'm just worried about what will happen if I do push it on accident. The only other uncomfortable thing has been a couple bouts of hiccups. Those HURT! Oh my gosh do those hurt. The pain was horrid and I had a few moments in my head that I would probably not go through this again had I known how it would feel but it didn't last that long for me so I think that maybe I do not truly think that at all. If I use this tool wisely and utilize it well to lose weight like I need to then I will be fully satisfied. I just hope that I can stay on track. I know I will.

My body reacts much differently to alcohol post-op. I get a quick buzz but it goes away very fast. I've never been hung over since I had surgery.

Some of us are still here wanting to get others to learn from their bad experiences and never see it happen to any one else. Paying it forward. Surgeons who say they'll mark up your records to interfere with your doctors' caring for you and blocking care should never ever happen. It did in my case. I investigated and found a lot of covering up both in administration and in doctors and the govt. That's why i stay around. No one deserves this - and the only way to stop it to post things like the tape where the doctor talked about me to someone off the street. When you see docs like that, that is why you need to ask questions. Get someone who doesn't do that sort of thing. Help others out of that situation. Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at. Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at. Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL

Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at. Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL

@la0525: 3.5 yrs out. Average 1800-2000 a day for maintenance. In weight loss phase i was doing much, much less. But once that was over, I upped my cals to the levels it is now (actually my avg calorie intake was higher 2000-2200 around year 2 cuz i was exercising lots) Regarding the issue number of calories, it’s actually quite easy to take in a high number of calories in the early months (or whenever, for that matter): just eat low-volume, high-cal foods. Like butter, oils, sugar, sauces/dressings, alcohol, fatty meat, cheese, nuts, etc. And of course candy, chips, etc. I mean i could/can eat more than one serving of chicharron/pork rinds (50g+) easily and that would be 500+ calories already. I think the best way to utilize the small stomachs for weight loss in the early months is to identify what foods fill you up and which ones are sliders, and eat accordingly. This will be different for everyone so it’ll be trial and error. Of course this is a simplistic directive as nutrition and individual food tolerances are important factors. There used to be a member on here that would share pics of the ridiculous amounts of food she would eat (in volume), but total calories were surprisingly low cuz she was very creative with her ingredients. So when you read about people who can’t eat any more than x calories and get discouraged because you can eat 3x calories, keep volume and calorie density in mind. Good Luck! ❤️ …and CONGRATS on ur anniversary and successful weight loss! The 80lbs loss SHOWS. You look great!

Brenda-A "pb" is a productive burp-I've never experienced one but from what I gather it's when you don't tolerate some kind of food (either because of not chewing or your pouch doesn't like it) and when you burp the actual food comes with it. A golf ball is the feeling like you've swallowed a golf ball-I've only had this a couple of times-once with meds and once with food-I think it's caused by muscle spasm, swelling (my doc calls this "pouchitis") or gas. Whatever the cause there are several different remedies to help-most people recommend warms sips of something. Check on the main site and there is a thread with all the definitions of these acronyms and many other good tidbits. I've only lost 15lbs since surgery so as you can read from my above post I've been discouraged as well. I also realize I'm mourning my love of food (cue violins please) and I had hoped that this would be offset by bigger wt losses but no such luck. (i've told this story before but it's very illustrative of my feelings): I was crying one day feeling very frustrated while I was cooking dinner for all the kids-I desperately wanted to eat spagetti (mmmm) I should point out at this point that my husband is an engineer who has never had a wt problem-but anyway he was attempting to comfort me (notice the word attempt) I told him that I felt like an alcoholic bartender while I was cooking and he looked at me and said "But I thought this is what you wanted" Nooooooooooooooo-I don't want to be hungry-I want to be skinny.Uh I meant to say healthy, yeah healthy. No really I want to be able to shop something other than the "Beautiful Woman" section. Plus size? Plus what? Hi Brenda-nice to meet another mom of many!

A Post-Op & A Doc (Cari De La Cruz and Connie Stapleton, Ph.D.) have officially designated 2015 as the Year of Recovery. There are just six, basic ingredients, which, if added to your life, can help you reach and manage your goals to lose weight and keep it off. The good news is: 1) You already have everything you need to begin following the recipe. 2) It doesn’t involve shellfish, peanuts or milk, so you can’t possibly be allergic to it, 3) There is no baking, cooking, sautéing or mixing required, because the Recipe for Recovery doesn’t involve food, but does involve eating. We like to say that obesity is “all about the food, but it isn’t about the food” (which makes you wonder why we’re talking about a recipe and ingredients). Well, let’s start here: Do you eat when you’re upset, stressed or worried? What are you eating to avoid? Are you eating to avoid a person? a situation? a feeling? By following the Recipe for Recovery, you can learn to deal directly with any upset, stress or worry related to any “what” or “who” so you don’t need to turn to food for a short-term “high” or “fix.” Here’s another one: Do you eat when you’re bored? What do you need when you’re bored? Are you in need of a hobby? Companionship? What are you doing to find a healthy hobby or seek healthy companionship so you don’t automatically turn to food? These are some of the important questions you’ll begin to ask yourself as you learn follow the Recipe for Recovery. We know these are tough things to think about – especially when we’re busy plotting our next snack or obsessing about the box of donuts in the break room at work – fortunately, you don’t need to answer these questions BEFORE you can begin choosing to live in Recovery From Obesity. In other words, you don’t have to know what, where, or why in order to stop the destructive eating behaviors. Basically, food is often a SYMPTOM of a problem – not THE PROBLEM. For example, you might have a problem with interpersonal relationships or issues at work, or perhaps a battle within yourself – like an “emotional storm” -- where you say really mean, negative, unpleasant things TO yourself ABOUT yourself. Rather than addressing the problem, you turn to food, so food becomes the focus rather than the actual problem! Unfortunately, food is a temporary (very temporary) reprieve from unpleasant feelings, memories, or thoughts and though it provides a chemically induced euphoria…it’s short-lived. What is true for the alcoholic is also true for people who abuse themselves with food, which means the problem will still be there when the food is gone…. and then you have the hangover to deal with -- usually in the form of self-brutality by way of horrendously abusive self-talk. Yikes! We created the Recipe for Recovery from Obesity to help you learn to deal with the real issues (stress, worry, boredom, frustration, fear) in healthy ways (and to hopefully avoid the self-destructive eating and subsequent emotional hangovers). Here are the six ingredients that make up the Recipe for Recovery: 1. AWARENESS: Awareness is always the first step in change, which is why we refer to it as the essential ingredient to weight loss and weight-management. It’s pretty hard to change something you’re not aware of. You might know that you’re obese, but are you aware of how you are contributing to the problem? Maybe you’re stuck in your weight loss journey, or you’re regaining, or you never made it to your “goal” – you’re aware that there’s a problem – but you don’t know what to do next. Becoming AWARE of your issues is the place to start. 2. ACCEPTANCE: This is often an overlooked ingredient in weight loss/management. If you don’t accept that weight and the associated issues are ongoing problems in your life, then it’ll be pretty difficult to make the necessary changes to lose that weight and keep it off! The truth is, there are many things we need to accept in our journeys of weight loss/management that you may not have ever considered, such as the fact that you’ll have to eat right and exercise regularly, and will probably have to forego (or greatly limit) some of the foods you really love. The process of acceptance may include having some anger, fear and even mourning. Accept it – and get on with the process! 3. ATTITUDE: We call this the flavorful ingredient (and for some of us, this one is pretty spicy!) We all have different “tastes” when it comes to food… and life, which means that we don’t all like the same things or do the same things in exactly the same ways! Variety is the spice of life? Well, we think attitude is the FLAVOR of recovery! Focusing on attitude and having a positive one can make all the difference in your Recovery results! 4. COMMITMENT: You’ll use this staple ingredient at least once (and sometimes several times) each day in your Recovery journey, especially when you inevitably develop a case of the “I-don’t-wannas” – you know, those moments when you just “don’t wanna…” workout…log your food…manage your portions, pass on the cookies, etc. Adding a dash or a splash of commitment to your life helps you make the next wise choice. Every wise choice moves you toward your desired goals – a healthier self and a better quality of life. 5. ACCOUNTABILITY: Often quite underused, Accountability is an ingredient to help ensure the recipe is prepared as directed. We know it can be tempting to try to do things your own way, and we also know how that’s worked in the past! That’s where accountability really brings the Recipe for Recovery to life! Use accountability to do what you said you’d do when you began your weight loss journey. Whether you chose surgery, medically supervised weight loss, or another structured program, you agreed to do certain things, so this ingredient really matters. Hold yourself accountable for following through with doing the things you said you would do to get the weight off and keep the weight off. 6. EFFORT: The sixth (and key) ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery is Effort. Without ongoing, consistent, “use-it-whether-you-feel-like-it-or-not” – continual effort, the recipe will NOT turn out the way you want. Let us repeat: Your Recovery will NOT be successful if you do NOT use this key ingredient. When you put forth effort, you see results in the direction you are working toward. When you withhold efforts, you also see results – but not the ones you want! And, guess what? You can’t overuse this ingredient, so add it liberally and realize the fullness of a life in Recovery! It may sound like a lot of work, but if you want what you say you want (a healthy life in Recovery From Obesity) -- these ingredients really add up to a winning result!

I don't avoid fat other than trans fats, and I make sure I eat at least one meal a day with a minimum of 10 grams of fat -- I take my vitamins with that meal, as many vitamins are not properly absorbed without fat. I do eat some pretty high fat foods such as avocados, eggs, nuts (small amounts) and fatty fish, but as long as I stay within my calories for the day I don't care. My cholesterol and triglyceride numbers are always fantastic so I think I must be doing something right. As far as carbs go, when I was in weight loss mode, I kept carbs under 60 grams per day. I don't count carbs anymore now that I am in maintenance (well, MFP counts them for me but I don't even look at the number). However, my carbs tend to stay in the low range naturally as I eat a lower-carb diet in maintenance: no more than one serving of whole grains per day (no refined grains), no bread, no sweets, no starchy veggies, no tropical fruit, no alcohol, and modest amounts of dairy, beans, and legumes. This eating plan works well for me.

I was told no alcohol for 6 months Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

I think food addiction is a thing for sure. I haven't been diagnosed with that, but I believe its a real thing. I've said this time and time again that this is 80% head, and only 20% body. You have to fight the urge, change your ways, and cope in different ways. I suffer from PTSD from childhood sexual abuse, and I think eating helped me cope with that. When I had my psych eval the doctor asked me if putting on weight, was it like a security blanket for me? Did I think that I'd be fearful of a reoccurrence (of my trauma) if I was thinner? I answered, no, but I didn't know the full scope of how being "thin" would feel like. I have been heavier my whole life. Even in high school I was athletic, but heavy. So who knows, as I get smaller, will I feel more vulnerable? My point is, that a lot of people cope with stress, trauma, anxiety, ect. with eating. I think this might as well be a food addiction. It's just like how alcoholics reach for the bottle. We use it in the moment to cope. Its a temporary fix, and doesn't solve the problem. I used to be this way as well, but I hit my rock bottom. I literally felt disgusted by my actions and knew that I was heading towards an early grave. I no longer rolled my eyes when people expressed concern for my health, because I knew they were right. I was fearful. I think therapy is a great idea, and I always recommend to establish with someone prior to surgery. It doesn't matter who you are, everyone would benefit from talking it out with professional from time-to-time. Ultimately, I hope that you get help, and have this surgery. Your life will change forever.

No, it is your responsibility to follow the rules. It is government money that is used, so they dictate the rules. This means that you are responsible for the 20% if you didn't wait the year without drugs. For such cases, it is better to use better options which are medicare advantage plans good. You have to plan such things to know the rules in advance. Plus, it will get you free from risks and tell you exactly what you have to do to protect your health. I personally plan everything to know what I can't consume, like alcohol or drugs.

I'd be very interested in learning more about how "you fell off the wagon". What did you start eating, how much, how often, was alcohol involved? There are a lot of people on this forum who are concerned about long term maintenance. We all take notice to someone who fails after 7 years of success (there but by the Grace of God go I).

I was 264 and now am 146. I had the sleeve 4/14/14. I have had zero weight gain, however, I am the type to make a decision and stick with it. I made permanent changes and never backslide. I will eat something naughty at times but always stick to the overall plan. I don't drink alcohol and do not focus on food. I did the psychological work to permanently change my emotions. I have done serious work as health us a serious business. I no longer have any medical issues. Diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems are gone. I only take an allergy pill, rather than 12 pills and 4 shots. The surgery is not a miracle, it is a tool. Your mind is the key. If you are the type that gives yourself permission to self destruct, you must take care of that. That was my approach. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App