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November 25th is one year post opp for me and I wanted to share my observations for the year. Here you go.... Unwarranted Pre Opp Fears: I was super worried about complications and recovery and felt like I was seriously risking my life. In reality, surgery was a breeze. I had 2 or 3 uncomfortable days and then was quickly back on my feet. I dreaded pre and post opp diets. The pre-opp diet was harder for me, because I knew that my food days were coming to an end and I sort of had to mourn all the things I loved to eat. The post opp diet wasn't fun, but since I really couldn't eat anything (nor did I have any desire to), it wasn't all that difficult. Now that period is just sort of a distant memory. Standing out for eating like a mouse / not being able to dine socially -- I have a job that entails a lot of entertaining, business lunches and dinners and was really worried about this. In reality, it's been no big deal. After a while, I got used to ordering the right stuff and just picking away at my plate. When I'm done, I just put the silverware on the plate and the waiter whisks it away. This is actually what most people without eating issues do! It turns out the big eaters and the table are really focused on their plates and not yours. Every now and again, people will make a comment like "you barely ate" or "was the food not good", but they're very easy to dismiss away. Pleasant Surprises: I started the process at 255 (275 highest ever) and was hoping to get down to about 200. That goal seemed like a big stretch because the best I ever did on my own was 225 and that was by starving myself for months and working out like dog and I was only at that weight for about 5 minutes. About 9 months after surgery, I bottoming out at 175 and currently hover between 178 and 182. I didn't think my current weight was even possible, but it turns out I feel and look great at this weight. I wear a medium shirt and have a 33" waist, down from xxl and a 42" waist. This is just shocking to me. Everything is easier. sleeping, tying my shoes, clipping my toe nails, sitting in airplane seats, shopping for clothes, exercising, playing sports, etc. My joints feel better and my frequent head aches have gone away. I was pre diabetic, had high cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. All gone. Not having food monkey on my back. I still think a lot about what and how much I'm eating and have some bad habits (see below) but the monkey is gone! For as long as I could remember prior to surgery, I woke up every morning hoping that I wouldn't overeat that day and went to bed every night feeling guilty about all the eating. Food just doesn't occupy my mind like it used to. Annoyances: Every once it a while, it would be fun to man down a big meal. I recently went to an amazing new BBQ joint in town and it would have been a great time to wolf down a huge plate of smoked meats and sides and wash it down with a few beers. That's just not possible. I had a glass of wine before the food came and ate about 20% of the plate of food I ordered and was absolutely stuffed. It would be nice to eat and drink at the same time. Breakfast with coffee, lunch with Iced Tea, dinner with Wine -- I've been doing this for 40 years but again, that just doesn't work with VSG. Sometimes I eat and sip (small sips) but that's about it. I was prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) right after surgery to control heart burn. If I take it everyday, I have zero heart burn. If I stop taking it, I have a little (not horrible) heartburn. I was kind of hopping to not have to take a pill for ever, but I think that might be the case. Bad Habits / Struggles / Watch Areas: Slidder foods -- chips, ice cream, candy, etc. I can pretty much eat these foods in the same quantities as pre opp and will munch away if I'm not watching it. I've found that the best strategy is to eat the good stuff (proteins) first and then there's really no room for junk. Starting with the junk first is a bad idea. Alcohol -- I liked to drink pre opp and that hasn't gone away post opp. In fact, since food is much more effort, drinking sort of becomes easier. I now see why people caution about the dangers of substituting. Eating too quickly or too much. Food still tastes good and if I'm not concentrating, I can still eat too much and really regret it. This happens less and less now that I'm 12 months out, but it's still something I'm always watching for. In sum, VSG was the best decision I ever made. If I could go back in time, I would have done it 10 years sooner. Comments or personal messages / questions welcome.

I'm not sure if there is already a thread here for cancer survivors or people who currently have cancer, with the sleeve or pre-sleeve? Would love to know that I'm not alone! I am a bladder cancer survivor. I have my 2.5 year scans coming up next week, along with all my pre-testing for my sleeve surgery. I have my story all printed up already because it's a long one...but I wanted to see if others have gone through cancer here? I believe it puts things into a different perspective if you've come through cancer. I was diagnosed with bladder cancer when I was 42. We found out that I was pregnant, surprise! We had already lost two babies, our son Daniel in the second trimester and then an early loss. We are foster parents and had already had three failed adoptions as well. When we found out I was pregnant, they did an ultrasound. They could not see the baby, but did find numerous tumors in my bladder. There started a whirlwind of tests, day surgeries, chemo, and finally major 12 hour surgery in March 2011, to remove my bladder and rebuild a "fake" bladder inside of me. 2.5 years later, I'm recovering still, have a hernia the size of a basketball due to the surgery, and need to lose some weight before I can have my "big" hernia surgery to fix my hernia, and start living again. My story This is what we consider to be our "last chance" at having a child in our lives. I'm 45 now. I've lost three children and two years ago lost my bladder and uterus to cancer. We've fostered children for years and had four failed adoptions. Last chance adoption. If we can afford it. My life reads like a soap opera. When I was 11, my sisters and I were hit by a car while waiting for the school bus. My little sister Kathy didn't survive. I was raised by a wonderful Mom and an abusive alcoholic Father. And then I married an abusive, drug addicted husband. Stayed with him for 12 years until I had the strength to leave. In 2001, I met Mark, the most wonderful man ever. We married in 2003. In 2005, at the age of 37, Mark and I conceived our first child. In 2006, I gave birth to our son Daniel, too early for him to survive. Later that year, we lost our second child. Fast forward to 2010 (time spent between 2006 and 2010 resulted in our becoming foster parents and having three failed adoptions). At the age of 42, I found out I was pregnant. Went for an ultrasound, where they found numerous tumors in my bladder. I lost the baby and started chemotherapy in Dec 2010. In March 2011, I had my bladder surgically removed, along with my uterus....losing any chance of having our own baby. But, in the end, I was/am currently cancer-free. We named our third baby "Angel" for saving my life. We became licensed as foster parents again, and had a 15 month old baby girl placed with us. On March 1, 2013, after living with us for over a year, baby girl was taken and given to an Aunt in another state. Failed adoption number 4. Through all of this, my husband Mark has been the best friend, nurse, Father, husband, caretaker ever. He deserves to have a child. WE deserve to have a child. We've looked into adoption and have started the process, which could take years.

HI RoZiroZee, I too was a compulsive binger, in fact a proper food addict. Like an alcoholic hides drink, so i would hide food. Sometimes i would forget and come across some cake or other goodies in the most strange places! You have to work hard at getting your head straight or the band won't work. It is only an aid and you still have to follow a healthy eating plan. Fizzy soda, whether sugary, or sugarless, are a no-go, because they are dangerous for anyone with a band. I was 276lbs(english pounds) Last August 2nd and I'm now 174 lbs. Believe me, my eating was really out of control. I ate if I was miserable, through depression, if I was happy I ate, most of all i enjoyed planning binges. Now my biggest battle is trying not to pick at the food that I cook for the family. I cant eat it because I'm on a liquid only week since my 2nd fill. Good Luck, but don't forget, the hader you work at it, the luckier you will be! Anne

My weight came on after living in a household that watches tv every night- I don't have that in my life prior to the weight gain. I had a solid job before I started gaining- so stress and therefore stress eating and alcohol consumption have contributed. Additionally, I quit being as active after an injury resulting in knee reconstruction, which took 2 months before I could even walk unassisted. After that- I got serious & dedicated- recumbent bike, etc. Started planning our wedding, had a pulmonary embolism in June this year- and it all went to hell from there. Not proud of this story- but it's honest.

I still love my diet coke and my doctor knows I have some on occasion. He's fine with it as long as I don't overdo it - of all the vices one can have, he sees this as the least offensive (since I could be smoking or drinking alcohol instead).

The support group I went to a couple of times right after banding discussed this very topic. It seemed the substitute addicition of choice for this group was alcohol. I had no idea giving up overeating could lead to substitute addictions prior to people discussing it at the support group meeting. I think LBT must be my substitute addiction.

Oh I can help here!! The first restaurant that I went to was a mexican restaurant and the folks on here gave me some great ideas. Order off the a la carte menu. Usually mexican restaurants have these. I got one cheese enchilada and a side of refried Beans. Went down perfectly and was enough food. I also had a couple chips and salsa, but it wasn't as satisfying as it used to be. Given your history, I'd avoid the celebratory margarita. Alcohol and sugar...bad mix on the sleeve (at least for me.) If your stomach can tolerate meat yet, you could try a chicken enchilada. And you probably want to stay away from the fried stuff. Regarding other restaurants. I used to be embarressed about not eating, and I too have a hard time asking to order off the kids menu or a half portion (I even have a card from my surgeon to present to the waiter/ress that says I had weight loss surgery and would can't eat the normal portion, but I haven't had the guts to use it.) I typically order something lite, eat what I can, and then just ask for a container to go (even if you aren't going to eat it later. Saves having to answer questions.) The hardest places I find to eat at are the bars that my husband and I used to swing by on the way home for an easy dinner. They have NOTHING that I can eat yet nor am I going to drink....so we really have just cut those places out. I guess that's just one change that we have made. My husband has been really supportive and hasn't asked me to go to any restaurants where I can't get anything to eat. But if he really wanted to go there, I would and then just make the best out of it. I always keep a small, lunch size cooler bag with me too with sleeve friendly Snacks, so if I do know I'm going to be in that kind of situation, I can eat ahead of time and then just order a cup of Soup or something to be social. Sorry for the long post, but I've been trying to figure this one out too. I hope this helps.

I second what f14aman324 said...be careful if you do drink. I am not a drinker anyway but with dinner every now and then when we go out I will have a cocktail...talk about knock me on my $^(@#(@. Holy cow. Pre-band, I could drink several mixed drinks and be ok. I drank one...thats right one and was buzzing horribly. You forget that you don't eat as much and alcohol really does affect you differently, at least in my experience....talk about a cheap date! Hehehe

I'm now almost 4 months out from having a LapBand to VG conversion and I would like to summarize my experience. Positives 1. "Caught food", Sliming, etc is almost a non issue. I have had it happen ONCE off of overcooked eggs, and one other time off of chicken was not chewed up well enough, both times I tried to drink Water afterword. This is in contrast to the same issue that would happen several times per week, sometimes several times per day with the band. I can now eat chicken (even white meat!) , pork, beef, bread, raw vegetables, citrus, etc, (All of these would get caught with my band during proper restriction) without worying where the nearest bathroom is. I do stay away from overcooked eggs (mostly scrambled) though. 2. Back pain is completely gone! My surgeon concurs with my belief that either the port or band was setting off a few nerves which would cause referral pain to my back. 3. Very little hunger. What hunger does exist is taken care of nearly IMMEDIATELY after eating. 4. Alcohol makes me DRUNK very fast and with very little of it, but I hardly drink anyway. 5. NO food RESTRICTIONS (after a while). The first 10 weeks I had some pretty undesirable dumping effects from fats and sugars, even from basic Protein shakes. Most of these effects have disappeared. I still dump from very high sugar content foods (maybe more than 25grams of sugar), but this can vary. For instance, I have eaten a Drumstick brand sundae cone and haven't dumped, even though it contains quite a bit of sugar. I can also eat approximately 4 oreos without dumping, yet if I were to immediately "chase" it with liquid, thus "washing it through", I would most likely dump, at least if it were early in the day. For some reason, dumping is worse in the morning. Dumping seems to occur in about 10% of VG patients, and is assumed to go away. I suspect it will disappear completely within a year. On a related note, I get tired of many artificially processed type foods such as oreos, snack foods, etc. For some reason, my senses of taste have changed and have become extremely turned off by artificial flavorings. Many such products will make me queesy, but they will not make me dump. Also, if I eat and then "Wash through" the food, I am not hungry again like I was with the LapBand. As far as I can tell, it is next to impossible to "Wash through" any solid protein source or fruit/vegetable... I have yet to do it, the water simply goes through around the food. 6. I CAN BURP!!! No more "stuck air" that has to take the long way out. I have virtually no gas now, unless of course, I eat a gassy food like bell peppers. Negatives: 1. Acid reflux. I ABSOLUTELY MUST take a proton pump inhibitor daily, otherwise I will have moderate heartburn. This effect is supposed to fade over 6-12 months as the pouch stretches, but I have had little to no stretching as of yet, and am becoming annoyed with this side effect. 2. Initial dumping. As I stated earlier, this effect is mostly gone, but it can sneak up if I eat junky/processed/fast food. Or items with alot of sugar and then "chase them down" with water or such. Dumping seems to occur in about 10% of VG patients, and is assumed to go away. I suspect it will disappear completely within a year. 3. It can be difficult to drink fluids. One must CONSTANTLY remember to drink enough Fluid, BEFORE eating, otherwise you may subject yourself to dumping induced by washthrough, or worse, the water may come back up. 4. You may be fatigued for up to the first year after surgery, this comes from the severe caloric restriction and weight loss. My first 10 weeks were hellishly draining. I no longer have energy problems as long as I get my 150grams of whey protein per day and FORCE myself to eat enough each day. OVERALL I am totally satisfied. I am currently at 223, the slimmest I've ever been and am still losing weight. Mind you, the lowest weight I ever attained via LapBand was 238, and that was with a constant "I'm starving" sensation. That physical sensation is now gone. While it was VERY easy to "out eat" the band, it is fairly difficult to outeat my VG, sure it may be possible with carb laden foods that compress down to nothing when chewed, but overall, the physical desire eat, AKA hunger pangs, have simply been removed. Related to this last point, I should reiterate the fact that I must FORCE MYSELF to eat enough protein to keep up with my active lifestyle (surgeon is recommending 150g-250g per day total). When I say FORCE myself to eat, I don't really know how to explainit, other than the fact that once I consume a certain amount of calories, I no longer have the desire to eat. I could fill up my calories with relatively empty carbohydrates which will leave me tired the next day, or I can eat all of my protein first and then consume carbohydrates if I feel like it. In other words, I could physically eat more at the end of the day, but after a certain quantity of calories, I simply cannot mentally stomach another bite of food. For lack of a better explanantion, it's almost as if the "eat food" circuit in my brain shuts off at this point.

In defense of the alcohol suggestion, I believe a cocktail can relax the band in the evening before dinner. But, each to their own? It did help me!

I work in a brewery so my job is to drink (well not really Taste is a better discription). So yes you can drink with the band. The issue with drinking is moderation. Since it is a liquid calorie you don't feel full like you would if you were eating a solid protien. The liquid passes straight through to your lower stomach. Subsequently you can drink whatever you want. Albiet some folks have issues with carbonation. That being said - my dr said the target caloric intake for me should be 1200 calories or less a day. if you can have a beer or a glass of wine in that and hit all your protien requirements, no problem. For me it is next to impossible to hit under 1200 calories a day on my present restriction and not feel hungry. At about 1350 i am not feeling any hunger pains. Still a far cry from the 6000 i was used to eating. so after all that - moderation is the key - have one not 6 in a day and you will be fine. But always keep in the back of your mind that liquid calories (unless a low cal protien shake) are your enemy. (this also includes ice cream, shakes etc). i have included a link to a website with a ton of calories for beers. check it out. the brewery i work for produces 4 beer (3 of them contract brewed) but on average our amber is about 140 calories for a 12oz bottle. Beer Alcohol and Calories

My pre-op appointment was twelve days before surgery, but could have been later. I got generic instructions (stop taking NSAIDs three weeks before, go off caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, etc.) with the initial packet but then I got a call two days before surgery with specific instructions, and an even more specific call the night before telling me what time to show up and confirming everything was set.

I'm only 2 months out, but I have a few things to contribute that I feel are appropriate. I stressed a lot over which surgery to have. BMI 40 at the highest. I wanted something reversible. I was scared. My mother had early bypass in the 90's and she suffers terribly now from mal-absorption, cant swallow important meds, can't eat. I got lucky with a rep for a travel surgery company over the phone who spent time with me discussing sleeve. Thank goodness she was insistent. I'm having an experience that seems not typical, but I am believing one thing from research and limited experience. Gastric sleeve makes the most logical sense as a concept when you break it down. Individuals vary but logically . . . It does not actually change the flow of the human body, or digestive system, it just keeps the natural flow, but reduces the pouch of your stomach size. It does not leave foreign objects like the band, port, etc in the body. Scarring is minimal, invasion is lower, recovery is faster. For me the recovery has been so fast it's almost unbelievable. It simply restricts you from overeating and presents you with a nauseous reminder to STOP, or SLOW DOWN constantly. Recovery seems to be the fastest for a general observation, Side effects for me have been nearly non-existent. I had a home made seltzer yesterday as an experiment (I do NOT call that "soda") and surprise, I did not die, explode, tear out my staples. Like all things in life, be smart, listen to your body. Seltzer provides an oral stimulation I enjoy within reason, and a squirt of some taste also can happen. Vitamin effectiveness is too early to gauge at 8 weeks, but at least taking those larger pill presents no problem like the eternal suffering my mother's radical bypass endures for 25 years, causing non adherence to vitamins, which then causes more problems. My anecdotal research tells me men have a vastly different easier experience when compared to women overall. ANECDOTAL. I'm just 2 months out, and of course years of a journey lie ahead. Oh by the way, I'm also HIV positive, 35 years healthy, never needed meds until proactive treatments started recently, and even those I have no problems with post surgery. Negatives I'm becoming aware of . . . you can find unhealthy high calorie foods that can slow or stop weight loss and slip by the restriction process. My personal example is Low Sugar Fudgesicles. I'm craving chocolate, I did not used to. I used to binge eat popsicles in general, now regular popsicles taste weird, but the sugar free chocolate products like Peppermint Patties, dark chocolate, in general also help because they have a laxative effect. I ate too many "Outshine' fruit low sugar popsicles last night watching Netflix (with no chill unfortunately) - and I vomited in my sleep, which strikes me as a bit potentially dangerous. I hope the negative reinforcement works. Tastes seem to change a bit. Cravings change. Whiskey/Scotch/Vodka tastes gross now unless it's an expensive super high quality bourbon. That may seem minor to you, but taste and craving changes can seem bizarre. I can sense a long term danger that mentally, I will "figure out" how to outsmart the surgery when I'm stressed and resorting to old eating behaviors and patterns. Last week I went to support a friend who is a cabaret theater singer, and there was pressure to order food and drink to keep the prime seating location we were in. I felt guilty for the waiter with me milking an appetizer and one drink for an hour and I pushed it ordering more food, and more alcohol, ill advised. I gained 2 pounds just from that stupid exercise. Thankfully avoided vomiting, but perhaps that would have been better mentally. My weight loss was so slow at first I was genuinely scared then angry. Then I resumed cardio exercises and teaching Zumba, which is twice as much exercise as just taking Zumba. Then the weight started falling off. Muscle tone is weird. I need to lift weights as I did when very overweight. It feels different. Hope this contributes and helps.

When did you try alcohol & what is this better choice to drink?! I want to try one tonight!

I had my surgery on October 10th of this year and have struggled with exactly the same thing. I'm so glad you posted about this. I did not realize what a huge role food and alcohol played in my life until they were no longer an option for me. I'm only down a total of 26 pounds from my heaviest weight, and only 16 since surgery, and I'm having trouble remembering EVERY SINGLE NEW THING that must be incorporated into my life: all the vitamins, getting down 64 ounces of water every day, trying to exercise 5x a week, waiting 30 minutes between eating and drinking, counting and getting in 50-60 grams of protein every day but never having a serving size bigger than 1/3 of a cup, strictly limiting carbs... ALL of it! I get emotional so easily and my poor family, god love them, has no idea what I'm going through or how to help. I do appreciate their patience with me as I navigate this new lifestyle. I've started a food journal where I also log how I'm feeling that day, and put the bariatric support group dates on my calendar. Now if I can just add making myself stop mourning the death of my relationship with food and wine I'll be good to go! I do have a therapist I check in with every two weeks, and that is my saving grace right now. I'd recommend finding one who can give you the support you need and keep posting here. Thanks again for bringing up a tough subject. Take care.

Great guys room thread! Foodie here in the sense I can cook and spend an ungodly amount of cash on dining out in restaurants. Still do. There's amazing lower-fat options (needed for my surgery), and suddenly I'm pretty happy the veggie wave is rolling over us. For me, dining out isn't about how much food I can eat. It's the total experience of sharing a meal and a glass or two of wine with friends or family. And that hasn't changed one bit. I can drink less, but I make room for alcohol in my calorie count. It all works out.

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...!

The psychologist who did my pre-op evaluation very explicitly warned about this, and it was also in my pre-op information packet from the doctor. I think you mentioned the big ones: sex, alcohol, and gambling. Exercise would be the best of the options!! Good luck to you and keep safe!

Hey bigsexy, I'm a 23-year old version of you! 6'2", 324 lbs. (as of January, I am now 299) and I just got banded 8 days ago. I'm a college student so I am good at drinking heavy amounts of beer. I like to brag about my drinking contest wins at the local bar... and everytime the Budweiser rep comes in he says, "ARE YOU READY?!" Haha, but yeah... beer was HARD to give up, but I did it. I even did it with a lot of my friends not knowing I had the surgery. Partying was such a large pasttime of mine.. tues, wed, thurs, fri, and sat had awesome deals on alcohol. I guess it was a slap in the face when my Psychiatrist told me I have all the signs for 'potential' alcoholism, but I wouldn't be now considering my circumstances. But I dropped it a couple weeks before surgery for good and got the band. I too struggle with the idea of not eating large pizza's, especially after seeing commercials for those new Domino's pizzas. I crave it sooo much. Steak is one of my favorite foods as well! What I needed to understand before getting this surgery is that 1. I will still be able to eat my [previous] favorite foods if I must, and 2. it will be completely smaller portions. Have you ever gone to a buffet, ate so much, and felt sickly full because you ate too much? Well if you feel like that after a few bites of steak, won't you be satisfied? Will you eat more? Most likely not. I honestly look forward to eating all my foods again (I'm on the stupid post-op liquid diet), but with smaller portions. But you will go crazy before the band even thinking of this. Just realize you'll be full! -Jason

Big Baby, Congrats on your entry into ONEDERLAND...YEE HA! Now, I am sorry I didn't answer your prior post, I am not on as much as I want to be rigght now with teaching, going to school and also lots of stuff going on with my children and their school work! To answer you, I did not have any problem eating on the cruise. I ate too much though! I gained a couple of pounds and expected it. I just followed the rules, such as no drinking and trying to get protein in first, etc. But I did eat more than I had eaten in forever, and more often! I also want to know that the cruise fell in my PMS time, you know, the time where one could eat the paint off the walls! I was a hungry girl and in the correct place for it! Most nights I was unable to complete the entire meal, but as you know with cruises, you have at least 4 courses! I do not drink alcohol - so that wasnt an issure with me, however, the tea was not brewed, and being a southern girl...that wasnt the greatest! Drank lots of water and some of that icky tea...oh, and coffee in the mornings. Looks like I am going on another cruise in January - this one is 7 days. (I just came back from a 5 day) Baby, you will do great and have a blast, is this your first cruise?

I laughed almost as hard at the people who scolded you as I did at your phunny post. When I first started reading your post I almost couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't imagine how in the world you were able to eat enough pizza that there was none left for the kiddo. You're funny. Pizza is one thing that I've wondered about. I had surgery on the 28th of April so I'm a month out. I'm trying very hard to do all the right stuff. I want success so very much!! And so far, I'm doing fine. Losing little amounts every day. But I do worry that I'm going to eat too many calories so I write everything down all day long. I think that helps. I meet with the dietician in a couple of weeks. I'll probably ask her about pizza and alcohol. Not ready to party yet, but one day maybe..... Good luck with your new tummy Mr. Bigga and keep the funny stuff coming. We need to keep our sense of humor and stay happy on this journey!

What has helped me a little to transistion my mind is to and ease the grieving process, because yes, our obesity is just a symptom of something bigger. I made a list of what I could still do, and of things that I enjoyed doing (minus eating/outside of eating)....you're right about the clothes, I've been just going to higher ended GoodWill's, I wish we had a clothing exchange that we could contribute to as we slim down. Made a list of people I could count on, although just really two, that I could count on at any time of day or nite, that I could reach out to talk with, becuase you're right, food was our number 1 friend and I also did a lot of Happy Hours..... I'm a huge emotional eater and food alcoholic, I would eat until I was stuffed and sick just t o numb what I was feeling. I succomb honestly and willingly, so I made a list of people ( very small list lol) that I trusted would be there that I could pick up the phone and chat with to just listen to ME, to just give me a hug, hold my hand, etc. not necessarily give me advice, yet just to listen to me and I was honest with them about this process and why and how I got this obese. I also began a diary/blog. Not an online one, yet one where I would make it a point to get my fingers busy and write down what it was that I was feeling, how my day went, how my food intake is going, etc. Potential planning I would have to do for banquets and graduation parties, etc. I find if I keep my hands/fingers busy, my mind wont shift to food. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I enjoy drinking teas, so I invested in a Tea club, Teavana and they send out a different tea of the month, started doing special things for myself. Instead of reaching out to food, I'm going to start attending to myself for a little while, my five sense. Made myself a behavior calendar where I "awarded" myself a sticker for each day when I did a little bit of movement. For now, it's just a walk around the block. For every 10 stickers, I promised myself to do something special for myself, like a massage, manicure, movie, etc. I started to take care of me through other avenues than just turning to food. Started turning down Happy Hours. I can't be tempted with alcohol, not yet anyways, later yes, yet not now. I want to make my nutrient choices count, as what I choose to eat makes me feel better psychologically. Enrolled myself in Yoga. Ha ha, well it's a start to getting out and moving. Doesn't burn a lot of calories, yet it's going to help ME to teach ME how to relax. I also started to read books written by Geenen Roth, Women, Food, and God. It has NOthing really to do about God, or Religion, yet she speaks about overeating, or the aspects of emotional eating. She does a lot of conferences in California, and I would like to attend one day to hear her speak. It is a retraining process. And it's true, we are still the same person, just smaller yet it reminds me very clearly how cruel the real world can be. One of my best friends, ended up telling me, "I used to feel you were one of us (obese), now you are one of them (skinny people, I guess)." Yet I have to remember, that I'm doing this for my health, to keep up with my kids, that it is worth it in the end. Take care.

Yes. Your band is too tight! Dont try and wait it out...go to an emergency department niw and get the fill out for a week. Please don't try and "wait n see". Once water is coming up it means your band opening has become inflamed and the gap has closed. The risk of dehydration is very real and dangerous!! It only takes 3 days of severe dehydration to really cause damage to your organs! Dont blame the alchohol! I was banded for 7 years...alcohol was never the cause of a blockage. For me it was usually chicken...but once it was a grape skin...not chewed carefully enough. When the band was too tight practically anything could set me off on a terrible bout of vomitting, dehydration, pain, suffering.... It is not you...it is the device! I say WAS banded as i had to have the band removed. Like 80% of patients within 10 years. Many surgeons no longer work with the lgb. The risks are huge. Europe and Scandinavia (who invented the lagb) have all but banned the device. The surgery of choice now is sleeve or bypass. The story of ruptured esophagus, erosion by the band into the stomach wall, adhesions, scarring, Barretts esophagus. ....too many risks. Just get yourself to ED and get the Fluid out for at least a week. Sent from my GT-I9505 using the BariatricPal App

No worry there annie as I dont 'think' I drink too much on the alcohol compartment. My greatest vice is 'desertsssssss' Im already planning to aim for soup and the 'desert' table and not bother with main meal cos it would just block me up. But you are right, there's only so much we can eat these days, cos that is why we have the band put in in the first place to stop us overeating. Yet sometimes, I see food and I think oh.....if only I could eat as before again...... Stop it! I got to snap myself out of that self-pity feeling. Not long now to my Dom Rep trip, I'll let u all know how I fare. Gd news. Lose another 3pounds. Total lost - 24lbs now.

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