Search the Community

I would just add that at around 6-7 weeks pis top I had my first beer, wasn't a good move as I continued after that. The result being that the bubble expanded in my sleeve and stretched my sleeve, now I have surgery coming up on the 29th May for what is called an Omega loop bypass, which is a mini bypass including a resleeve, I would seriously urge anyone to stay away from alcohol, I learnt the hard way. As for smoking, we all know the down side, but remember it hits your lungs not your sleeve Was supposed to say post op not pls top lol

Here are me two cents... I have tried everything to lose wt and my family and friends have seen my modest successes and then dismal failures time and time again (wt loss, bigger wt gain...). Perhaps you fear the same thing that I do. Another failure that my loved ones get to witness. I think it is natural to not want to put this out there. It is not like there is much left to try after this step. WLS is it! That is the last rung on the latter. I feel like I cannot afford to fail this time. I cannot fail because the next step on the latter is off of the roof! I don't want to fall off but at the same time I am not confident enough in my ability to be successful even with this tool. I am hopeful but fearful. Scared but excited... I felt so conflicted about telling but I did tell. Thankfully I found myself surprisingly supported. I know I will need support and I know that I cannot do this by myself. Plus, As I have been reading all of these posts on "to tell or not to tell" I started thinking that the one way we can de-stigmatize WLS is to talk about it. I wonder if I would have done this earlier if I would have learned about it earlier. The more straight forward we are about wls the better people will understand it. And really, who are we fooling by not telling? It will come out as you start losing wt. Or, by witnessing the change in your eating habits. For a period of time an alcoholic can hide their disease but we literally carry our disease around with us all of the time. It is not like our loved ones didn't realize we needed to do something about our wt, right? My black outfits do not slim me down that much! I cannot answer your question, to tell or not to tell, but I believe as I go further down my own pre-op path that we can help others in our situation by sharing our stories. We can hopefully teach others that don't have wt issues that we are NOT lazy. It is not as easy as "just not eating crap all the time." We have a disease and we are doing all we know how to do to treat it. Sure, I could go it on my own again. Take off 20lbs and put on another 30lbs. As I get older I realize that I am wasting my life with this pattern. I have given the first 40 years of my life to this disease and I have failed treating it myself. I'm not giving it another 40 years. Best of luck as you find the path best for you! Dee

I had surgery starting weight 220lbs april 29th with a bmi of 32. I am 5'10 so I had to go to mexico to have it done. Dr. Ortiz with the OCC and had the best experience, I think they took better care of me after the surger staying in a surgery suite than surgeries I have had in the us where wham bam get out man. I did not tell anyone either. I have been in social situations and just told people i am on a diet that i am not straying from and it is protein shakes, since i am in the liquid phase and no alcohol and that is it. No one other than my parents and husband know and I have been to two dinner parties and a mothers day luncheon and not a problem if you just explain the diet thing and move on.

I think that they report everything that you all discussed in regards to lapband, committment, psych issues, alcohol, drugs, etc. I will not be able to get a copy of my report until monday to tell you more. He asked about my support system, meds taking, weight loss programs attempted before, do I know wht the lap band is and how I will be affected by it, stuff like tht. But I did do a questionairre of about 500-600 questions. My visit total time was 1 hr and 10-15 minutes of that I spent talking with the psychologist. My psychologist was linked to my physician so that made it easier for me, I did not have to find one on my own or take in papers. So, he automatically knows wht they request of him to do. As long as ur comitted, I think u will be fine, it was a breeze for me.Goodluck.

@@Dallas Powell I am glad to hear you went back and hopefully will make some progress. There are some things you can do and should do to help with your weight loss in the meantime. I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I am going to be straight with you. Obesity is a metabolic disease and as you know the surgery is only a tool to help you. Not eating all day completely screws with your metabolism. If I learned anything at all in the last year, you must, must, must eat 3 meals a day to keep your metabolism moving and balance your blood sugars. You also honestly have to change your thinking around "the diet". We don't diet at all, we actually learn to eat differently, healthy and it is for life. We cannot simply stop when we reach goal or the weight will simply pile back on. These steps are so important to getting past this disease and getting obesity into remission. The commitment is truly for life. There are basic rules that help each of us who have had bypass become successful, I am not sure if your doctor gave you these instructions but based on what you have said so far, I am guessing not. 1. Hitting your daily Protein goal is a must. 1 gram of protein for every inch you are tall 2. 48 to 64 ounces of sugar free liquids daily. This includes Water, Soups, etc. 3. No drinking 30 minutes before and after you eat 4. No alcohol for first year 5. No carbonated beverages 6. A food plan that is high in protein and focused on good carbs like fruits and vegetables. Stop eating processed foods, sweets, bread, Pasta, rice especially during the weight loss phase 7. Move your body as much as possible, every bit counts. 8. You must take your Vitamins. Usually Calcium citrate, Vitamin d, b12 and a daily multi vitamin. These are critical for bypass patients.

Check liver light! Now that was funny! Regarding the posts about the calories in alcohol - yes, those are liquid calories, but in my case, the danger of weight gain from drinking has been the overeating afterwards. All common sense would go out the window. Now, I don't (can't) do that, and I hope I never do! There was a time when I drank sweet frozen and mixed drinks and didn't pay attention to the calories. I was pretty big, larger than I was when I started this VSG process. Well, one day I actually read the label on the frozen mixers and I actually cried at how many calories I had been drinking in mixer alone! No wonder I was so big. I have never touched those mixers since then and have had maybe half a dozen margaritas in the last ten years. Now I only drink wine, or alcohol mixed with a no/low calorie mixer.

I used rubbing alcohol. It worked for me.

The entire process was relatively 20 1/2 weeks, but only 10 1/2 weeks from my first consultation: February 13- started required 3 month supervised weight loss program April 24-consultation May7- psych eval, met with Nutritionist, lab work, swallowing study May 22- finished month 3 of program and submitted all required documents to Surgeon's office *this was a Thursday and Monday was a Holiday May 27-insurance company requests something from Primary Care Physician stating I had not been treated for substance or alcohol abuse within the past year (one of the requirements) June 3-Doctor's office finally has letter prepared and I faxed it in June 4-Insurance Approval!! Today(June 10)- waiting for the hospital to contact me bc they have to confirm that you dont have an outstanding balance, and they require you to pay a deposit. I spoke with the Bariatric Coordinator at my surgeon's office, and as of today the next available date for surgery is July7(they only perform the procedures on Mondays and Tuesdays, and you have to have time to do the pre op diet.

I think the drinkers are worried and those that don't indulge very much think it's dumb to be concerned about alcohol with such a serious and extreme surgery. I think you should be concerned about everything and ask but alcohol concerns are just as dumb as I can't give up my straw comments.

I am so in the same boat as everybody else right now. I have my first pre-op appointment on Friday and my letter states that I need to start following a high Protein, low carb diet today (the letter came on Tues.) This includes meat, chicken, fish, cheese, and veggies only. NO FRIED FOODS, fruits, or starches (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, alcoholic beverages, etc.) Of course I had just ordered a pizza before I checked the mail since I'm in the middle of spring break. So I'm starting this evening or at least trying to. Boy, won't I be a fun teacher when school starts back on Monday! Audra

Thank you all for your kind replies. bigbellykellie, you are truly an inspiration - just knowing you've made it through to the other side gives me hope. To those posters who suggest I ditch him because he doesn't love me unconditionally, I can't help asking myself whether there really is such a thing as "unconditional" love when you're dealing with two adults. He likens it to being married to a heroin addict or an alcoholic. Should he put up with any behavior on my part that adversely affects the whole family just because we took vows? And to those posters who've suggested that maybe the relationship isn't based on such strong stuff to begin with if this is all it takes to knock it down, well that's definitely something to think about... Thanks again for your thoughts and please keep them coming!

I've had no problem with beer - I choose the light variety all the time though as it does really make a difference in calories consumed. when drinking from the bottle straight though you may find it a bit hard to swallow because of the carbonation. I found beer easier to drink from the glass. It's no fun when you take a nice swig and it all comes back up and maybe hits somebody in the face (unless it is someone who is giving you unwanted attention). That's been my experience with beer. Other alcohol, no problem. :Banane34:

PS: Also no need to get high and mighty with your response... alcohol is fattening, no matter what the calories!!

I did not realize you were going through that. My baby sister married my best friend at a young age and he progressed into horrible alcoholism, but I did not see him to know - and she held it in for almost 18 months. For an 18 year old kid it's a lifetime. Hang in there - and don't take any crap!

THANK YOU!!!! This is dead on and 100% true! It isnt about staples "magically melting away", its (quite literally) about organ donation! This topic seems to be commonly breezed over. Alcoholism is the most commonly traded addiction for bariatric patients. Instead of food... its alcohol. Your post bears repeating! 5' 5" HW: 259 CW: 235 GOAL: Healthy and hard 140-ish?

My dr says no carbonation or alcohol for 6 months, and then only in moderation, very very moderated.

Ok, I've had to do some journaling to stop and change perspective. Instead of focusing on what's ahead of me, to focus on what's happening today and what I've done this week. 1) Stopped drinking alcohol and I have only wanted to have a drink last night when **** hit the fan at home. 2) Stopped drinking soda and didn't miss it, crave it or anything. 3) Have gotten better about watiting at least 30 min between eating & drinking fluids 4) Consistenly getting about 68 oz of fluids each day 5) Reduced my caffiene intake (on 1/2 caff, not extra bold) coffee. I had caffeine withdrawal one day, and I've been fine since 6) Started exercising each day on my bike at home. 7) Started logging my food again and wearing my fitbit 8) Writing in my journal daily about EVERYTHING! That's a lot ot accomplish and I'm just gonna focus on this for today!

Food addiction often turns to a different addiction such as alcoholism.

I know 2 people that had WLS personally, well 3 I guess (old co-worker). Their failures taught me the things to avoid. Eating regular food early = feeding tube Not learning nutrition or how to eat healthy = regain Not cooking =Regain Viewing it as a diet = regain Not logging food = regain So there is a lot of learn from the failures of others. The only thing I see all the time on weightloss forums, is people aren't honest why they failed. They blame the surgery for not working, they blame their metabolism (which they never ever had tested). They never ever blame their actions or lack of action. They can never provide a detail of what they are eating. I also feel like this rash of people having surgery are going to skew the statistics, make WLS seem less effective and make it harder for other people to get surgery through insurance in the future. Anyway, I am still holding out hope that a lot of people are just trolls from the popularity of the app and not real WLS patients. Right on! This is why I personally have gotten invested in these particular posts. Because there are so many people that this surgery has saved/helped. It is so frustrating to me that people fight so hard to get this surgery and get denied and then others choose to squander their shot or more importantly put themselves in danger and then blame WLS. The idea that you would remove 85% of your stomach or reroute your insides only to do something that could prove to be dangerous to the success of this surgery. These are the people that actually put the success of WLS and the reputations of their surgeons at risk. They ruin it for others.....I had a friend who had an open RNY that was riddled with complications to the point she actually had to have it reversed. At the time, I had not idea of what was required so when hers failed and she became very very ill, it scared me and kept me from even considering this surgery for more than 17 years. Now that I know all the darn rules, I look back at what she did and I know exactly why her surgery failed. She honestly did it to herself. She was my roommate so I know what crap she put in her body immediately following bypass. I know she did not even drink a single Protein shake, nor did she take Vitamins. She drank alcohol within the first 2 weeks and pretty much ate what the rest of the family ate which was a high carb diet of macaroni and cheese, Pasta dishes, bread, etc. I watched her get sick every single time she ate. When she had her surgery reversed she was 5'3" and weighed 89lbs. I know this because I took care of her 5 children while she was in the hospital for over a month on a feeding tube. The surgery did not do this to her, she did it. Every bit of it. That kept me scared to death to even try. This of course was the extreme and I am also guessing they did not know as much about Bariatric surgery 20 years ago. But at the end of the day, it was what I saw and believed and was terrified and did nothing all that time. For me, being 310 lbs caused severe damage to my spine and joints that cannot be undone. This is why I am passionate about people who potentially cause damage to the success of the surgery or the reputations of the surgeons, doctors and nurses who perform it. Incidentally, my friend Peggy gained all of that weight back and then some following her reversal. Also, I am guessing this is exactly why there is such a long drawn out process to even be approved for this surgery. They want to make sure you are ready and willing to do what it is going to take to make it happen. Sorry for the length of this post, if it helps one person understand why I and many others are frustrated by the lack of accountability or worse yet, other people thinking it's no big deal "people make mistakes", then it's worth it because so many new folks on here are still learning.

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

A couple of nights ago I awoke at 2 am to go to the bathroom. On a whim, after I was done I stepped on the bathroom scale…to find that I have lost 100 lbs since the start of my pre-op diet; and 90 lbs since surgery on May 22, 2013. I had a hard time going back to sleep I was so excited! I want to lose (I think) about 39 to 44 more. I will be a healthy BMI for my height when I lose 20 more, so I will reevaluate then. I cannot describe the mindf*** having reached this goal is! I knew it would be though….I had faith I’d get here, and yet I am still shocked that I got here. I’ve worked hard, but because of so many failed attempts in my past, the fact that my hard work is actually paying off this time is mind blowing. I am thrilled beyond belief and am filled with wonderment! I need to post before and after pics maybe -- just to help me wrap my head around this. I can’t believe I’ve lost 100 lbs. I can’t believe I weighed 100 more lbs than I do now just 8 months ago. I still feel like me, so how can this be? I do feel SO much better. I feel totally different and very much the same – all at this same time! It is so bizarre. I feel so different in all good ways, and very much the same, also in all the good ways. All the clothes that were once too small for me are now too big. The size 12’s I got so that I could shrink into them, now all of a sudden are too big, and I think “How can this be? What is this strange phenomenon? “ LOL The holidays were an interesting learning experience for me. I got to “onederland” the morning of Thanksgiving, which was Nov 28. Between that day and Dec 30, a month later, I had lost only 4 lbs. Don’t get me wrong, I do see the value in losing 4 lbs, especially during the holidays, when in years past that was a major gain time. But it was a significant slow down from recent months. Over the holidays, I had alcohol, I had sweets, I had bread – no never in large quantities, but I loosened the reigns compared to how I have been eating. I also during this time did not always follow the “protein first “ rule, and I sometimes sipped a beverage with my food. I did all of this mindfully, fully aware of what I was doing, I went slow so as not to over do it, but I was definitely “celebrating” -- I was doing so to enjoy the family holiday meals and such. I knew the consequences would be slow weight loss and/or maintaining. But it was MY decision and I was in complete control. Ah, it was so liberating. I believe I have seen a glimpse of what maintenance might be like when I reach goal. I feel strong, ….and I feel taller I was doing some Pilates on the living room floor the other night and my husband came in. He admired me for a minute and then said “My wife has nice long legs” and I just giggled and said “They’re getting longer all the time!” Nowadays when I take the dog out for a hike, I sometimes jog for half of it. ME. I freekin jog. Unheard of! And really, aside from just being more active in general, I have not started any kind of hard-core grueling exercise routine. I don’t go to the gym, I don’t watch a clock that says I have done cardio for x minutes. I happily take my dog out & frolic a bit until my heart rate goes up, and sometimes, just because my body feels good and strong and happy, I do some Pilates-type moves on the living room floor. I suppose I may need to incorporate more formal or stringent exercise into my life as some kind of routine as I try to get closer to goal. It’s certainly not a BAD idea. But my point is, I haven’t had to break my neck to get to this point. I’ve just naturally started wanting to do more and more. And that, my friends, is what I believe is a true life style change. Hooray! So yes, I am happy. And yes, I have faith that I will achieve my goals. What do I look forward to most? Getting to goal and being there long enough that THAT is my reality, not a novelty. I want people to just know my at my healthy weight in my healthy life style, and not think of me as the girl who lost all that weight. I am so ready to have this be the rest of my life. Onward!

4 months before surgery I gave up the following: 1. Alcohol 2. Carbonated beverages 3. Sweets/desserts 4. Coffee (caf & decaf) and caffeinated drinks 5. Artificial sweeteners, which don't help you lose weight, just the opposite in fact I focused on high quality protein and vegetables. I did not have any "food funerals" as I've eaten lots of yummy things throughout my life so I haven't been deprived. And in the future I may be able to eat some of those things again in much smaller portion sizes, assuming they don't cause me to binge or get off track. I lost 30 lbs pre-op and 8 lbs since surgery on 4/10/17. I'm so happy I did this as it has curbed cravings and I had no withdrawal headaches after surgery. Good luck!

Just some stuff that has been tumbling around in my brain. I have ALWAYS considered myself fat. Never have I thought I was normal. All of my friends were normal, but not me. With 40 pounds lost, things are changing... Something is awakening inside me! I have always longed to be the flirty gal that all the guys want to talk to (even though I am VERY happily married) You know the girl, the one that walks past a table and all the heads turn. I want to be her! Well, Saturday night we went to a fish fry with some of our closest friends. I was the only girl there, like I usually am, but it was different this time. The guys were treating me like a girl, not like one of the guys! They are always nothing but nice to me, but it was like I was getting a lot more special attention. Only one of our friends knows that I had surgery and I haven't seen him since 1 month post op. He took me aside and said "WOW, you have really lost a lot of weight" I just wanted to cry! These guys that don't even know I am not one of the guys, noticing weight loss. I was blown away. Well his brother heard him say that and said, Yeah, you are looking really good. Mind you, the alcohol was flowing, and I was 3 sheets to the wind, but I was in Heaven. This time there was another guy there that knew my DH but I had never met him. Well, he was HOT. He is a guy that you never would think would lood twice at a big girl (that is my messed up way of thinking) Anyways... as the nite progressed, this big girl (very pretty) came out of the house and it was his wife!!! I just loved him even more for being such a hottie and loving one of us curvacious women. I know, a lot of rambling, but I am trying to find myself and get out of my shell when it comes to guys!!! I don't need to come all the way out since I am married, but you know, I want to be able to talk to them and to dance with them. How do you react to men thinking you are hot???? I have been getting noticed a lot more, and it scares me a little!!! Thanks for listening to my rambling.

oh honey, im so sorry you are having such a hard time. your story sounds like mine not too long ago. first, take a deep breath, and think to yourself: all things that are meant to be will find a way. now, when i emotionally ate, (i say ate because i cant eat near the volume of food i used to, but i still emotional eat) i would eat a large pizza from pizza hut in one night. then i would have the 2 liter pepsi i ordered with it (not diet mind you) and then usually i would have at least 1 or 2 candy bars before retiring to bed. emotional eating is an addiction, and just like ANY addiction, you cant just walk away from it, and again like any addiction, it gets worse when you are stressed, sad, mad, whatever. i couldnt do this alone. an eating addiction is a little more tricky than other addictions. i wont say harder because drug,alcohol, etc. are incredibly hard to beat as well. the difference is though is that an eating addiction is still IN YOUR FACE all the time. you cant just walk away from it. you HAVE to eat. it was my drug of choice as it is yours and pretty much everyone else on this site. know that there are others out there that are going through the same exact, IDENTICAL struggle you are going through, and if not now, they were at some point. i will be sending good wishes your way. keep us all posted on what progresses with your surgery!!!!!!!!!!

I've been told no: aspirin, popcorn, carbonated drinks, chewy granola or protien bars, or fatty meats like sausage or brisket and raw, hard vegetables like brocolli, cauliflower and carrots. I can have brocolli but it has to be cooked to very soft. At that consistancy, what's the point in eating it? All the Vitamins are gone... I eat it steamed anyway without problem.. yet... I haven't had a fill yet. I can have coffee or tea, but only two cups a day. I've been told to avoid white potatoes, white bread and white rice, but it's not forbidden. I can have alcohol, but only wine is totally acceptable in small quantities. Liquor is okay, but the mixers are a problem. Beer of course is a no no.... and I LOVE an ice cold beer... I'm 6 weeks out and had my first salad last night. I chewed like crazy and did fine, but lately EVERYTHING, no matter what it is makes my tummy hurt in the evenings about an hour after I eat.