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The "Eight Golden Rules" for lap band patients By: Paul O'Brien, MD, We have formulated eight “Golden Rules” for getting the best result from the procedure. It is of vital importance that you follow these rules. The success of the procedure requires us to place the band correctly, but it equally requires that you follow these rules. I have been tempted to call them guidelines rather than rules. They are not absolute. A thunderbolt will not come from the heavens and strike you down if you break one of them. And, almost certainly, every patient has at one time or another broken each of the rules. However, they are more than guidelines. They do need to be followed to get the best results. If you do transgress one of them, I want you to feel guilty, admit to your sins and work out how you will avoid doing something so terrible ever again. But do remember that if the band is not correctly adjusted you will not be able to follow the rules. You must be in the green zone to follow them. So, before being consumed by self loathing at your weakness, do consider if correcting the adjustment is needed and come in to talk to us about it. We have already discussed these rules within the preceding chapters. Within these rules is a condensation of the advice in those chapters. We are repeating the key elements of the advice. We state the rules, briefly expand on what each rule intends and then restate them. If you are unsure about what they mean, reread the earlier chapters on eating, exercise and adjustment, and if still unclear, talk to us. THE EIGHT GOLDEN RULES for losing weight and keeping it off 1. Eat three or less small meals per day 2. Do not eat anything between meals 3. Eat slowly and stop when no longer hungry 4. Focus on nutritious foods 5. Avoid calorie-containing liquids 6. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day 7. Be active throughout the day 8. Always keep in contact with us 1. Eat three or less small meals per day The Lap-Band works primarily by taking away your appetite. If it is adjusted correctly you should not feel hungry. You may eat up to three times a day. We don’t mind if you eat less than three times per day. Many people do not feel like Breakfast and some will miss a midday meal. If you don’t feel inclined to eat, don’t eat. If you find you are getting hungry between meals, tell us. We will probably consider adjusting the band a little tighter. There is not much room for food as there is a virtual stomach rather than a real space above the band. As you eat, the food seeks a space and you need to keep that space quite small. Therefore each meal should be about the amount of food you can get into half a glass. If you eat more than that you will not lose weight so easily and you will gradually stretch the stomach. This can lead to the need for a further surgery later on to reduce the enlarged stomach. The adjustability of the band is the key to allowing you to be happy with this small amount of food. If you find that you are tending to eat more than that, tell us and we will consider adding more Fluid to the band. Always use a small plate, put a small amount of food on the plate and always try to leave some. Remember the angels. They need their share. 2. Do not eat anything between meals No Snacks, no biscuits with your coffee, no fruit, nothing. All food must be restricted to meal times. One of the most frequent causes for failure is the taking of snacks between meals. If you are getting hungry between meals and are tempted to have a snack you must tell us. It is probably due to inadequate adjustment and you may need more fluid added to the band. Between meals you can only have zero calorie liquids – Water, mineral water, tea, coffee, low calorie sodas. 3. Eat slowly and stop when no longer hungry When you have eaten enough you will no longer be hungry and signals from your stomach to your brain tell you that you do not need any more. These signals take time to be generated. Give them that time. Each meal should be stretched out over 15 – 20 minutes. If you eat rapidly you will already have eaten too much before you realize that you have had enough. However, do not eat beyond 30 minutes. Throw away whatever you haven’t eaten at that time. That is the end of that meal and you must have nothing else until the next meal. Try to make each meal last for 15 - 20 minutes. Try to sense when you have had enough and stop before you feel at all uncomfortable. Use a small plate, put a small amount of food on the plate, and develop the habit of always leaving some of it uneaten. Once the meal is finished it is essential that you take no further food until the next meal time. This has to be avoided absolutely. The slow emptying of the stomach gives you a feeling of fullness which should make it easy for you to achieve this. You must ensure that this indeed does happen. 4. Focus on nutritious foods Foods that are high in Protein (meats, especially fish, eggs, dairy, lentils Beans and nuts) and foods that are high in complex carbohydrates (vegetables, some cereals) are best. Simple sugars are worst. Be careful with foods that are high in fats as they are dense form of calories. Be careful with fruits as they contain quite a lot of sugar. The good foods can come from all the main food groups and include vegetables, meats, eggs, cereals and dairy. There is no need to focus unduly on the particular foods in fine detail. It is not rocket science. It is simply selecting foods that are good (protein and complex carbohydrates), being careful with those that are not so good (fats, alcohol) and avoiding those that are bad (simple sugars). And take a well balanced Vitamin and mineral replacement each day. 5. Avoid calorie-containing liquids Any calorie containing liquids will tend to flow past the restriction of the band and not give you any feeling of satiety. You are then more likely to take too much. You are only allowed to drink: water mineral water tea or coffee (with low fat milk if you wish but no sugar) low calorie soft drinks (but be careful with the gas) An exception to the “no liquid calorie” rule is a glass of wine with meals which we have shown is good for your health and good for your weight loss when taken in a modest amount. 6. Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day This is at least as important as all of the other rules. Not only must you take in less calories but you must use up more calories. Exercise will improve your general health as well. Initially, while you are severely obese this can be difficult, but, as your weight decreases, it becomes easier. As you become fitter and healthier, you get greater enjoyment from exercise. We understand that not everybody is sports minded and exercise may be something quite new for you. Start slowly and seek to build up activity progressively. Aim to put together 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most and preferably all days. Walking is ideal to start off with. As your fitness improves, progress to more vigorous walking and even jogging, cycling, aerobics, swimming, and light resistance training. As your weight comes down your exercise capacity will increase and your general activities during the day will increase. This is to be encouraged and the more active you are the better the result will be. Your exercise program should be aerobic. You should be puffing and, if you check your pulse, generally it should be up around 120 – 140 beats per minute. There are a wide range of activities that will allow you to achieve this. If you can manage it, a personal trainer or fitness consultant can be an excellent assistant. They can provide an individual program according to your specific preferences and lifestyle that is realistic and achievable. Regular exercise requires commitment. The more effort you put in, the greater benefits you will see and feel. 7. Be active throughout each day Think of movement and activity as opportunities and not as inconvenience. Try to be active every day in as many ways as you can. Make it a habit to walk or cycle instead of using the car. Become active in the garden and do things yourself instead of using machines. Avoid sitting down at all cost. You should see sitting down as an opportunity for activity lost. Try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. We tend to be more active when outdoors. Use a pedometer as a stimulus to you to show how your activity level is increasing. If you are using a pedometer, aim to get beyond 10,000 steps per day – this represents a very good level of routine daily activity. 8. Always keep in contact with us We want to follow you permanently. There will never be a time when we say that the job of controlling your obesity is done and we do not need to see you anymore. There will always be a need to check your progress, monitor your health, check for nutritional deficiencies, make sure that you understand the rules, bring you up to date with new developments and adjust the volume of fluid in the band. There is always going to be a very small loss of fluid from the band over time. For example, if you had 3 ml of fluid present and we checked the volume after a 6 month gap, there would probably be about 2.7ml present. This occurs because the balloon of the band is not totally impermeable. If 3 ml was the correct volume, you would be starting to get hungry and eat more with a volume of 2.7ml. It is important you understand that this can happen and come back to see us for replacement of that small loss. This is the main reason that we want a maximum of 6 months between appointments. With this said, always follow your own doctor's protocol! There is a reason they give then to you! Also, my PA said she didn't quite agree with the "no snack" thing but if I could do with out and still be in the guidelines then wonderful. I am 3 years post op, and am in the green zone. (FINALLY) My recommendations may be different from newly banded receipants! Good luck and happy losing!!!! ~Jen~

It's nice that your doctor is amenable to wine! A lot of the info I've read has said no alcohol for a full year after the procedure, but if your doctor is okay with it, I'm glad for you!

I agree! I am scheduled for June 15 and it amazes me the stupid stuff some people do and then blame it on the procedure. Someone was eating bacon days post-op and some were smoking and drinking alcohol. If you aren't willing to give those up then reconsider the surgery.

I was allowed alcohol at 3 months post-op, but advised to never drink carbonated beverages. That being said, I have had beer a couple of times and I know that there are several people on these forums who drink soda daily. You have to make some choices for yourself. Personally, carbonation scares me and I worry about how gassy and uncomfortable I might be if I tried to drink much of it. But you have to assess the potential risks verses rewards for yourself. Advise from your NUT and surgeon should be fully considered and understood, but ultimately, you are the one who has to live your life.

At a starting weight of 216lb your weight loss is going to be lower and slower than someone whose starting weight was much higher. What is your height? Are you exercising? What exercise are you doing? How many calories are you consuming a day now? How much protein do you eat daily? Carbs? Do you drink alcohol? Do you do a lot of incidental activity? Getting plenty of fluids? All this (and others) factor into your weight loss patterns, we are all different and lose weight differently. If you are able answer these though, I am sure you will get some very helpful suggestions regarding weight loss. Has your dietician or surgeon made any suggestions for you?

I am having lap band surgery on Feb. 11, 2010. I have a get together this weekend, it is around three weeks from surgery, would it be okay, if I had some beers and or wine. I wanted to know how long does the doctor usually say you must stop alcohol before surgery.

I'd honestly ask to go to an endocrinologist or diabetologist at this point since you have such special circumstances with the surgery. Also, keep in mind that sometimes T1 can masquerade as T2. In reality it's really a special subset of T1-adult onset. Has to do with phenotypes I believe. So I would ask if there is any way they could make certain it's T2 and not another variation of it. I've had 2 friends who they found out were actually late onset T1s and not the T2s the docs had initially thought. How much sugar in the protein bar? How many sugar alcohols. There is some proof that many diabetics do not do well with SAs. That they metabolize >50% of the carbs in them as sugar. So you may be sabotaging your bgs with the Special K chips and also the bars/shakes? I know Mr. F. has a terrible spike with Atkins protein bars and doesn't tolerate protein drinks either. I know that's just anecdotal but just wanted to throw that out to you. If it were me, I'd also look up the book Normal Blood Sugars by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, MD. He's a remarkable dude that pioneered the use of the home glucometer and eating to your meter. His A1c is lower than mine. He's over 70 and has zero diabetic neuropathy. He is a T1 and only take 5 units of slow acting insulin a day if I remember correctly. He's a diabetologist.

@@Cervidae I got a dog. It has helped me so much with my stress and isolation from living and working alone. The dog is the best comfort available. I realize everyone can't afford or wants to take care of a dog. I comfort myself right now by shopping. It isn't always about purchasing items, it is more about trying on clothes, seeing what I can wear and also seeing myself in a different environment. Even though there are mirrors and full length mirrors all over my house, I find that I can see my changes better outside the house and trying on entirely new clothes. That helps me stick to plan and also validates my struggles with head hunger. Doing your nails, deep conditioning your hair. Okay on to food. Comforting myself with food, is something I worked through before surgery, before I even considered surgery. I gave up sugar, I gave up alcohol. I learned to work through my problems and I always removed a lot of stress from my life. Now to be real, I Keto. That is more comforting than most diets. Fats satisfy a lot of needs. Low carb and low fat is just fail to me, and it doesn't seem to satisfy anything. So I have healthy fats, very few carbs and meet my Protein goals. That is satisfying and comforting to me every day. My food is high quality and delicious. I had filet mignon for almost a week straight, at 4 oz at a time, it is affordable yet still decadent.Totally on plan, totally delicious. I am savory kind of person. I would rather have fried chicken or fried fish than chocolate or any kind of sweet. That being said, it is kind of easier to get "treat" like foods that are sweets since most people are sugar fiends. I think that if sweets are your trigger then you should be really careful. I can eat these items and not care about them. They are mainly convenience more than comfort. Protein Brownies. Looking they are protein brownies and they taste like protein brownies, but they do taste good. They also aren't cheap, so you might not want one every day. Found on instagram, a real life saver, added bonus, they are moderately filling. http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/ Protein Peanut Butter The chocolate is delicious. https://wildfriendsfoods.com/protein_plus/ Quest Bars Low carb cheesecake (just google a recipe. I get these at Trader Joes for $1.99 or 2.99 a bar, I forget the price. cheaper than Lily's I have one square at a time as a snack http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Lite-Chocolate-Cacao-3-Ounce/dp/B0049UDYHI These from trader joe's, fi you are going to buy them, weigh/measure out all the servings and put them in individual baggies as soon as you get it home. Only take one serving at a time. The calories are high per serving for those of us on 1000 calories or so a day so plan accordingly. I stopped buying them because they aren't worth the calories to me, but they aren't a terrible option. http://i.imgur.com/jWCaYT1.jpg Again I am going to state I can eat this things because sweets are not a trigger for me. If they are for you, don't do it. Food though is fuel, not a comfort device. We all need to work past seeing food as a comfort. It doesn't even work post surgery at least for me. Being full is super uncomfortable, it isn't soothing, it doesn't make me numb or sleepy, just miserable. Cooking a complicated keto or paleo recipe is soothing to me. It takes me out of my own thoughts and I have to focus on what I am doing. I find that relaxing. Recipe sites.. http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/ http://www.ruled.me/ http://cavemanketo.com/ https://ketodietapp.com/Blog I am not familiar with what RNY people can eat so if all of these are things you can't tolerate. I'm sorry.

I am one of those that does keep trigger foods in my home, but I have a husband and 2 kids that are 6 and 8. I've had so many people tell me to make my kids eat what I eat and my husband. I'm sorry, this is my weight loss journey, not theirs. I'm a recovering addict/alcoholic, it's the same as going into someone's home and telling them they can't have alcohol. My husband doesn't drink but if he did, doesn't mean I have to because it's in my house. I don't avoid grocery stores or convenient stores because they sell alcohol and high calorie foods. I just don't get those thigns for myself. When I'm eating things that aren't healthy for me, my kids don't even like that anyway. My hubby supports me, but he also doesn't get it when I'm angry because I want that bowl of ice cream he is eating. It's not because it's in my house, it's because I'm mad at myself for getting myself in a position where food ruled me.

I am 11 days post op and I had bruising as well it’s all gone now. About the red around the injection, I did a lot of fertility treatments and one thing I learn is let the alcohol completely dry. Do not rub with the cotton that has the alcohol. Hope that helps!

Thanks Lizzie. I think we have a lot of the same issues around junk food. I have to stay away completely - kind of like alcohol and an alcoholic. The band doesn't control me at all with junk food either. But the best thing I love about the band is when I fall off the wagon I never gain back 20 pounds which is what would have happened pre-band. Now I might gain back two which is absolutely manageable. That's what happened these past two weeks - I ate absolutely horrible and I was cringing when I hit the scale and I only gained 2.5. I couldn't believe it. Now I have to find the strength to stop eating the junk again. How do you do it? Tomorrow I'm stopping cold turkey and going from there.

Thank you, everyone, for telling your stories and sharing tips! It is very reassuring. Keep 'em coming! I don't have a surgery date yet (probably late June). I have a BMI of 32.8. I'm most concerned about: -micronutrient deficiency. The longer-term sleeve studies show this is very, very common. Any of you long-termers who can report that your regular Multivitamins are enough to keep your blood levels normal? -being too fatigued and fuzzy-brained to work for weeks after the surgery. I don't need to account for vacation days at my job, and I can work from home if necessary, but I've got a huge project in August that will need focused thinking and writing for most of June and July. More than a week off work will compromise that. So I'd love to hear from folks who were back to a desk job and reasonably efficient, a week after surgery! (Or if not, please tell it too me straight - how long did it take for your brain to return?) -surviving the pre- and post-op liquid diet phases. I like Fiber and crunch! But I suppose one can endure anything for just a few weeks. I'm pretty active (cardio daily) and eat nutritiously (although way too much) with lots of Protein. I don't smoke, drink (alcohol, coffee, soda). So the maintenance phase doesn't seem too difficult (knock wood) - just much smaller portions, starting with protein, and much more chewing! I hope that having a lower (although still obese) BMI and being fit now, will help me bounce back to regular activity (and brain) after surgery.

I don't weigh anything or count calories. My portion size is about the same as the palm of my hand (or less if I feel satisfied quickly). I do keep a food diary, to make sure that I'm eating healthily and I probably eat 5 or 6 times a day. Last week, I went on holiday and had alcohol and one or two desserts, and I still managed to lose a pound (although I did quite a lot of swimming and walking). Maybe I'm just lucky in finding a way of eating that works for me. If weighing and counting calories works for you, then it's super that you've found the strategy to suit you! 🙂

When you go, absolutely try to get the best bargain you can for goods while in port. These people EXPECT you to, so absolutely do it! One of our tour guides told us once to find out how much they want for an item, and offer HALF of that, and go from there. Different cruise lines handle tipping differently, go to your cruise line's website and read up on what they recommend doing. I do agree, though, tip your room steward on the first day, and you'll feel like absolute royalty the rest of the cruise! (not that you wouldn't otherwise, but it does make a difference) Oh, while you're in port, it's customary to tip anyone who does anything for you. Take plenty of singles with you, many times they won't offer change. This is a lesson learned the hard way by lots of people. If your cruise isn't all-inclusive, you'll need to be aware that your soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are not included in the price of your cruise, in most cases. Your meals will be included, regardless. You'll sign for any beverages as you cruise with a "sail and sign" card (or equivalent) and pay your bill at the end of the cruise. You can pay however you'd like to for that. Take Bonine or Dramamine Non-Drowsy with you just in case. You don't want to be surprised by a bout of motion sickness. Bonine comes in chewable raspberry, which I think is preferable to Dramamine, and it's also non-drowsy. I'm a Referral Travel Agent, if you haven't guessed that, and if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to try to answer them for you! Above all, though HAVE A GREAT TIME!

Still no intelligent conversation? Any one of you losers has the balls to challenge me to some reality? Put your money where you bong is and brings some facts to the table, if you dare. Go drag through the garbage and find the threads that cause people to attack and defend. I dare you. What, no takers? I wish I could have as much fun as you folks that keep using the same material from last week as your soul source of entertainment. That’s simple country folk for ya! Newsflash from the big city, your moronic emotions and alcoholic ramblings have been beaten to the ground; the teenage skater boys in my neighborhood have more clever comebacks. Don't any of you have a Myspace account you can borrow some fresh material from? Or perhaps Heathergurl and Susan can show you how they retread old threads that I invented! That could be fun! Still harping about multiple accounts? Dare I start my list of innocent members with multiple accounts so you can all remain in denial and continue to attack personalities instead of evidence? Does anyone know you can change your name any time you want? Does anyone realize we were given the option of selecting just one of many names? Ignorance must be bliss because you're all so happy in here. Ding dong. At least you’re all happy fools, I’ll give you that. And Vick, my deepest apologies for offending you in a Rant and Rave thread.

No one was at the restaurant is holding a gun to your head to make you eat. I find it humerous that people are suing McD's for making them fat. They chose to go in there, eat that food, and in great volumes I might add. McDs provides a service. Bars provide a service. Bars don't cause alcoholics. They might make it easier for people with obsessions to get a "fix", but they are not the cause. There are healthy choices out there. I hardly ever stop at a fast food restaurant. I really don't think of it. We eat out a couple times a week, but tend to go to restaurants. They are just as costly as visiting a fast food restaurant, but at a restaurant I can make better choices. Sometimes I think people think it is easier to stop at a fast food joint than to cook something or search for something better for them. Its all about choices.

No regrets. You should know that MOST of us can eat any type of food once we are a few months out. Some people imagine the sleeve will stop them from eating "bad" or unhealthy foods and for most of us we must choose to avoid those foods, the sleeve doesn't decide it for us. I do think it is normal to "miss" overeating/over indulging and the truth is you will find long term success (ie maintenance) once you have kind of mentally moved on from that desire. I do not mean to say any of us are perfect, but it is a pretty fundamental shift in priorities. Example, I used to have a daily ice cream habit. At some point, I had to ask myself how important that pleasure is vs the misery of obesity. I don't need alot of calories to maintain, so even years down the road i have to be quite mindful and regain if I start letting little things become habits. On the topic of cocktails - it is my opinion that you should generally avoid alcohol during the weight loss phase. I say it for a couple of reasons - but mostly because it is just plain emtpy calories and a lot of carbs. I also found it burned my tummy first time i had wine was about 3-4 months post op at a celebration party. Many of us have excess acid/tender tummies for the first few months and alcohol does NOT improve that situation. In maintenance, I do have alcohol but it is one of the items that can lead to regain. It is pretty easy to drink a few extra hundred calories here and there ... and it doesn't take much for the scale to start moving up. So, I think you will find over the long haul that having a cocktail occasionally is no problem - but you might want to avoid it until you are well established as a WLS veteran so to speak and then monitor how it works for you in maintenance. Good luck!

well never mind all that - I just googled them, and they don't contain sugar alcohols. Not sure what it was you were reacting to...

Chantal, you have all our sympathy and support. You have gotten some great advice and everyone's stories are so moving. You're in a very difficult situation indeed, but as others have said there is NOTHING to be gained if your children are the only reason you are sticking this out. I'm a product of a divorce and I can tell you my life IMPROVED immeasurably once my dad moved out. Neither parent was at all abusive or anything, but the tension between them was so thick that when they finally did the deed my only response was "what took you so long?" I was 8 years old. It didn't fix all our family problems, but it fixed THE BIG ONE and let those of us who weren't addicted to alcohol (i.e., everyone except my mother) move on and heal. My father found new love and became a healthier, happier person which made me happier too. If simply being in the same room causes tension between the parents, no one in the family can ever be comfortable. And don't kid yourself, children know this. What can you give them as part of this couple that you can't give them alone? Pain? Tension? Grief? Worry? These are not things you want them to have, right? And being a single mom is hard, absolutely. But you know it can be done. Your friends and family will flock around you and surprise you with talk of how glad they are that you have freed yourself from this ugly situation. And you will be yourself surprised at how wonderful it is to not worry all the time about what the next fight will be about, and how to keep your husband from dropping some really important family ball. Hell, you already run everything yourself, so you'd just have fewer people to take care of if he were gone! And a lot less laundry, I'll bet. An added bonus would be that if you left him you'd also be leaving his mother. My story isn't as dramatic as some others, and my first marriage was blessedly short. But the man I married sounds a lot like your husband. He never got violent with me but I could see it was coming someday. Once he threw a fistful of hamburger meat in my direction (don't ask me why, I have no recollection), and it hit the wall near me with really shocking force! I knew he had missed intentionally but I was amazed at how hard he had thrown it. That was the first time I realized I might be in danger someday. We never talked and for the last 8 months of our marriage I hardly saw him at all. I kept thinking that this would pass, that in 10 years we'd laugh about the hard times, but after a while it dawned on me that he was doing it on purpose. As a Catholic he'd never suggest divorce, but being married to me didn't mean he actually had to SPEAK to me, right? I finally walked out, convinced I'd be single forever. Six months later Mr. Right walked into my life and I've never looked back. Of course, I didn't have children then so it was an easier decision to make with fewer logistical problems, but when it needs to be done there is always a way. My thoughts are with you, Chantal, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.

1. What is your name? Kelly 2. What color shirt are you wearing? Peach 3. What are you listening to right now? Amazing Silence!!! 4. What was the last thing you ate? Mashed potatoes & corn 5. Do you wish on stars? No 6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Purple 7. How is the weather right now? Sunny & cool 8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Mom 9. Favorite Sport? Basketball 10. Favorite drink? Non-alcohol Pina Colada 11. hair color? Dark Brown 12. Eye color? Blue 13. Siblings?1 brother & 1 sister 14. Favorite month? September 15. Favorite food? I like it all - LOL 16. What was the last movie you saw? Stargate 17. Favorite day of the year! 4th of July 18. What do you do to vent anger? Call my mom 19. What was your favorite toy as a child? Books 20. Summer or winter? Summer 21. Hugs or Kisses? Both! I'm a lover! 22. Favorite ice cream flavor? Blue Moon 23. Restaurants or home cooking? Home Cooking 24. Will everyone care enough to respond? Sure 25. When was the last time you cried? Last night 26. What is under your bed? Dust bunnies & probably a toy or 2 of Dylan's 27. How long have you been a member of Lapband Talk? Just over a year 28. What did you do last night? Went to the ER 29. What are you afraid of? I don't "fear" anything but God, but I respect anything that can bite or kill me. 30. Favorite car? I like the new Hummers - If I ever run into money, I WILL have one!!! 31. Favorite flower? Roses 32. How many keys on your ring? 3 33. How long have you been at your current job? Proud SAHM since I was 5 months pregnant. 34. Favorite day of the week? Saturday or Sunday because we're usually with family 35. What did you do on your birthday? Mom had a surprise 30th b-day party for me 36. How many states have you lived in? 2 37.How many cities/towns have you lived in? 2 38. What is your favorite form of exercise? Aerboics at home 39.Your favorite store for bargains? Dollar Store or occassionally Walmart has some good deals too 40. Wasn't this fun? Sure

Not sure what kind of preparation and evaluation you received before surgery but I would strongly recommend finding someone with experience in eating disorders that you are comfortable with to talk to. Many people use food (as well as drugs/alcohol) to treat depression and childhood trauma is a big causative factor especially in someone your age. It is entirely possible to stretch the sleeve out so you can eat what and how much you want to. I know people who have done this. However, it is vitally important that you follow your doctor's recommendations until you are fully healed to avoid life threatening complications. I am hoping that by then you will be feeling more accepting of the limitations. And this whole concept of "cheat days" only cheats yourself. There is a reasonable portion of anything that you can enjoy eventually. You ARE losing weight naturally, the sleeve is just a tool to help you. Please be gentle with yourself and take it one day at a time. Hugs!!

Sounds good, when I saw the title "Jello Shots" I was thinking alcohol!! LOL but yours sound so much better and healthier!!

I'm thinking that there are some people that just have addictive personalities -- my ex-husband was one of them. He smoked and stopped, then took up cross-stitching (excessively, 6-7 hours a day while working full-time), then soduko, then crosswords, then planning flower gardens (not gardening, planning them). It seemed like he couldn't stand life without one all-consuming hobby or thing to do. I'm sure it's the same with alcohol... even after you beat the demons of food or alcohol, you might replace it with some other thing. I'm glad you're in therapy -- that should help figure out your compulsions. I have heard people say to focus on exercise and get "addicted" to that, but that can even be a problem if it gets excessive. I hope you find help that works for you and I hope you find lots of support here on the boards.

So do they test you for alcohol? Or just nicotine Sent from my N9560 using BariatricPal mobile app

Rocky80, you should stop drinking alcohol for at least 2 weeks before surgery. Leading up to surgery day you need to be shrinking your liver, alcohol doesn't help with that.