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Hello all, So I have heard a lot of conflicting things about alcohol after surgery. I am almost two years out now and doing great, but I've alwasy had the lingering question about drinking... I am not a drinker at all. I never drink in my day to day live. I am on vacation right now though in europe and am supposed to go to Brussels in a few days. Naturally I want to try the beer there (I have never had beer) BUT it's carbonated so is it a no no? I used to drink soda all the time and was told after surgery we cant deal with the bubbles so I gave it up and haven't touched it since. Please let me know if I should just stay away or if it would be ok... Random, but what drinks are good in general? that you can handle after surgery? It might be kindof hard to order specialized drinks here....ideas? Thanks.

Yes, me too, I was scrubbing the steri strips glue gunk with alcohol and not having much luck getting it off --- I was even tempted to get my all time favorite product out "Goo Gone" and use it but I didn't want to put chemicals near my incision...just kidding I know not to do this really. I'll be heading to CVS tomorrow for liquid bandage. Thanks.

Bible believing Christians believe that abortion and same sex marriage do harm the fabric of our society because we view them as immoral. And certainly abortion does harm the unborn child. And yes the Old Testament does talk about owning slaves, but the understanding of a slave biblically is somewhat different that our understanding. Back in those times a person became a slave for a specific period of time to work off a debt, after which there were free to leave or remain as they chose. With the coming of the New Covenant, it was understood that all are equal in Messiah and there is not longer bond or free. There are some who feel that homosexuality is genetic and other very reputable doctors who dispute that, nevertheless, homosexuals have a choice weather or not to practice homosexuality. I am a recovered alcoholic and have not touched alcohol in over 25 years. It is now understood that alcoholism has a very strong genetic factor, and yet I still have the choice weather to consume alcohol or not. The sin is in the practice of homosexuality regardless of the cause. You say the no one is born with a desire to mate with a dog or have multiple wives. They are perversions as is homosexuality. I believe that the 10 Commandments which are only part of the 213 commandments of the Mosaic Law, were far more that to maintain "social order"! They were a model of what it would take to live a perfect sin-free life, which no one was ever able to do, except Jesus the Messiah. It's purpose was to point out the futility of trying to become sinless by our own works, and to point the way to the atoneing death of the Messiah in our place, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Well, I have experience with both alcohol and grass. I drink daily and smoke daily, I have been banded for 3 years, I am at my goal weight for the most part. My band is filled and eating is slow, I actually should have some taken out so that I can eat more whole foods and stop eating so much processed junk food. Anyhow, drinking is something that I have no problem with, I am able to drink one after another all day, beer, mixed drinks, whatever. Now I do have to remind myself to eat because I often skip Breakfast and sometimes have a drink before eating anything for the day but I still drink about half my calories ~1600-2200+ a day in alcohol. (Probably not recommended for everyone.) Be careful of too much carbonation in the first months especially while you are healing and still careful after that too prevent stretching of the band. TIP: I sometimes open a beer and leave in the refrigerator for a couple hours before I drink it to knock some of the carbonation down. As far as reefer goes, it actually helps my belly settle after a large meal, or while eating sometimes I get a little backed up. A toke off the pipe VERY MUCH helps with instant digestion, especially if you cough a little. Hope that helps, peace brother.

@bacon thank you for the thoughtful responses. Being scared of going back is real. Trying to decide whether or not to have the band removed would scare the stew out of me. Like you, I need the tool. Have you consulted with a new bariatric doc? Sounds like you're back to basics...watching what you eat and how you eat, plenty of fluids, and exercise. That's super!! Are you still on the road? @2babutterfly I am so thankful to hear from you and so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I have had surgery with my band. I did not have to have any fluid out, but stayed on liquids for a few days after surgery until I felt like my guts had settled back down. Anesthesia and pain meds mess with my stomach feeling yucky, so I let that pass before I threw food into the mix. I really didn't have any issues. Go with your gut (ha ha, literally) and do what's right for you. I will keep you in my prayers, both for calm during the storm and for healing. After a few months of total binge, I came clean and got back to basics. I put it all out there - to myself, to God, and to my husband. It wasn't a nice process, but I had to admit and say out loud that I am a binge eater. Eating, for me, has to be a lot like alcohol to the alcoholic. I have opened it up to my dietician coach as well. (I think I shared this with you guys a while back.) With the support of my husband and coach, we continue to focus on one positive healthy choice I make each day, take one day at a time as far as eating, and do what I can to stay motivated and busy. I've increased our coaching calls to monthly rather than every six weeks and the frequency is helping. I am proposing kayaking, walking, and hiking with friends and family rather than sitting at a local restaurant or coffee shop. I've recently joined a weight loss challenge and stand to win $1000 if I have the highest percentage of weight loss. So far, I'm hanging in the top 10 out of 45 women. Even if I don't win the pot, I figure it is good motivation to keep me on track for the 20 weeks. We are only a month in and I'm down 10, so I am feeling successful. The biggest step I'm taking is finding a new lap band doc. The current one offers no support group, no weigh-ins, and has done nothing to promote weight loss. I think it's especially true for me since he didn't place my band. As a result, I have found a bariatric center about 30 minutes from me and have begun the process of establishing as a patient. I will attend my first support group meeting next week and am really looking forward to interacting with other banders. Since moving to Tennessee three years ago, I've felt so alone in this band journey and hope that's soon coming to an end. So, there you go....that's where I am. Sorry for the length of my post, guess I needed to put it all out there. You guys are the only ones that truly get it. I'm so thankful to hear from each of you.

Ok So i'm almost 8 day's into liquid diet Pre-Op. I actually made it through the weekend yay! Caffeine withdrawel headache has subsided compeltely but sunday i had a total meltdown and had a cup of caffeine FREE coffee with fat free skim and a splenda.. so if that is cheating then i'm sorry but it was heaven and really helped me throughout the day . I've not had any food thats not on the list of liquids and i don't plan to, but my weekend needed that ! I have givin up smoking from 2 packs a day to zip 0, alcohol, and food and caffeine. I think i'm doing great! woot woot.. surgery next monday 9/20/10

Hi all, Not sure if anyone remembers me, I haven't posted anything here in forever. I'm getting ready to re-commit myself and finish this thing for once and for all. I lost weight steadily for about the first year, then maintained a loss of 65-70 lbs until back in the spring when I stupidly decided to have a little Fluid taken out of my band. It was a mistake, and I've been in free fall mode ever since then. Since April, I'm back up about 15-20 lbs. I've gone up in pants size and I am completely disgusted with myself. I have a fill scheduled for tomorrow morning, so I'm treating tomorrow as the point of no return. Getting some good restriction back will make things easier, but I have also got to learn to put the wine glass down. I really enjoy a glass of wine (sometimes two) at night after I get my kids in bed. It helps me wind down and shake the day off. But, I know from past experience that I don't lose whatsoever if I am drinking anything alcoholic. So, I'm just going cold turkey. Which is fine, I have done it before. I'm just going to miss it! Also, I have been battling hip bursitis since July so that hampers my exercise plans. I want so badly to get back on the treadmill (I completed Couch to 5K last year!), but it only exacerbates the problem. I have had two rounds of oral prednisolone, the second stronger and longer than the first, in an effort to avoid getting the dreaded steroid injection in my hip. I am terrified of it, but I think in the end I know it's what I'm going to have to do. Anyone with any experience having this injection? It's the greater trochanteric bursa, and I'd probably be much easier to just go and have it done if I hadn't read so much about the injection technique...the needle is advanced until it hits the hip bone, and then it's withdrawn a few mms and the injection is given. Something about knowing the needle is going to actually touch my bone just freaks me out. It's funny, I used to be a veterinary technician (before I had kids and quit working to stay home with them), and I assisted in surgeries all the time. Even lots of orthopedic cases, with bones and pins and drills, all that. Didn't bother me! But this? I'm scared to death! Okay, I'm rambling. I'll stop. It's good to see a lot of the same names here as three years ago. I'm going to try to show up here more often, maybe I can get motivated and hopefully help someone else get motivated too, after I get my own ball rolling again.

Wow. All I hear is excuse after excuse from you. There have been so many really greasy suggestions for you and you shoot down every single one of them. Going to a support group meeting designed for bariatric patients is not putting a label on anyone. It is what it is. Believe it or not, most of us do have a disease if we've gotten to the point of needing bariatric surgery. It's called loving food too much. It's called co-dependency. It's called having a problem with food. Besides being "normal" is highly overrated. I, personally, don't want to date anyone "normal". For me, "normal" is boring and dull. If you don't want to take the advice of anyone, why bother asking for advice? Like someone else said, if you don't want to change your way of thinking about things, then you're not going to get very far. I'd be happy to date another bariatric patient. I know they want to better themselves and actually like themselves enough to help themselves. You may not like the label, but for whatever the reason, you ARE a bariatric patient and whatever problem you had with food to get to this point IS a disease, just like alcoholism. Deal with that fact first. Then try finding someone to be with. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

Your dinner sounds so delicious! Isn't it great to love food and really get to taste it and appreciate it and not overdo it? It;s such a different relationship to it than before! I have thought about how many times I would have binged or drank too much wine because I was upset about something but its great not to be able to and then it makes you realize that you food and alcohol never helped with the problems anyway. But it took this surgery to find that out I'm glad your big butt was sticking out in the garden and you just didnt care! Because all kinds of things are opening up for us and we are becoming more free! I can walk without terrible pain so now I feel able to go places instead of stay home and cry all the time. /GO GIRL YOU GO GIRL YOU GO SLEEVE QUEEN OF 04/24!!

I guess I think of the surgery as a huge change in my life. Something that I'm sharing with family and close friends. I can't imagine not telling someone that I'm dating. When to tell them, I'm not really sure. I do wonder though if the guys she was dating were really shallow and were worried that she was going to gain weight or if it would just be too much baggage to deal with? There's a whole game show called baggage about the junk we we carry from our past. We've all got it, when you bring it up is always a huge question. When do you tell them that you have a mental illness? When do you tell them that you've got an alcoholic mother? When do you tell them that you've been divorced or have children? I think it's really all a matter of your own preferences. Tell your friend to keep trying. A respectful and worthy man who will appreciate her is out there!

Happy Monday, getting in the holiday spirit (no alcohol, snacking or cookies this year!) Tomorrow is 4 weeks from my ESG procedure, I lost 4 pounds this week for a total of 20 pounds since ESG!! Great questions and answers by hope4momof4 and melesg here are my answers as well: Typical daily food intake, since week 3 averaging ±1000 calories and ±100 g protein: Breakfast 0600 - Premier Protein Shake, 160 cals, 30 g protein, multivitamin and calcium supplement Mid morning 0900-1000 - Danon Non fat Light n fit Greek Yogurt Cherry, 80 cals, 12 g protein Lunch 1200 - Either Premier Protein Shake or 4 oz protein chicken or salmon (baked) 250 cals, 25 g protein Mid afternoon 1500 - Premier Protein Shake Dinner 1900 - Either 4 oz chicken or salmon (baked) or Danon Non fat Light n fit Greek Yogurt Cherry, (if protein at lunch) Drinking >1,5 liters of water each day as well, between meals, no coffee/caffeine/alcohol 1) No hunger pains or feelings, no evening urges to graze that I used to have every day. 2) I didn't follow the puree stage myself as digestion has been very stable, solid foods haven't been a problem. I have stayed away from leafy items and whole fruits/veg. I'm staying with the protein shakes a bit longer to keep ramping down my weight. Started walking and feeling stronger this week, taking the ramp up easy, will introduce weight lifting this week as I hope to go skiing over the holiday period. 3) I'm right around 1000 calories, still a bit extreme and not long term, I have lost 20 of my ±90 pound targeted loss and want to continue this pace for another month or so. When I get below 275 (13 more pounds) I will start to transition to a more long term diet. More than 20 years since I was below 275. 4) No cravings, the head hunger thing is real for me. I don't desire sweets or salty munchies (honestly thought I would never utter these words!). My portion size is <1/5 of what I was previously eating at meal time and that's before not taking seconds. 5) Emotional eater - yes to all the above. If you would have asked me before the procedure I would have denied it and said it was based on my need to get calories due to being "a large body" with any number of related excuses, I'm big boned, I weighed this much when I was in my teens, etc. It just isn't the case. I really believe there is a positive effect from the reduction in stomach size and satiety (feeling of being full) and hormone reduction that is driving this. Hope4momof4, don't be stressed, I would not have predicted any of 4) of 5) before I had my procedure. In fact I gained about 10 pounds in less than a month from the time of my consult to completing the blood work and dietician visit. I thought about changing my eating and lifestyle before the procedure but never could have understood beforehand how much my willpower is stronger now after the ESG. Keep going, stay strong, there's lots of hope coming your way!!

Trigger Warning: ..............................Yes. My dad is a food pusher. We have a very strained relationship now but growing up he would make 3 different dinners at once and have me eat a bit of all of it and then call me fat and bully me. He use to buy packs and packs of ramen noodles and hide them in my things like my desk/book bag/purse as I started becoming overweight as a child. I still can't eat ramen to this day because it brings me back to those moments. Hed tell me how ugly and fat I was but then push huge amounts of food on me. He's from a country where food is unstable and grew up incredibly poor so when he came to the US and saw how abundant food was he constantly buys food and cooks. He's a big reason why I had a bad relationship to food for so long/why im still working through it and why I still have self esteem issues. He's thin and in shape but has a serious problem with alcohol. I didn't tell him about my surgery because a) he wouldn't understand given a language barrier and he's treated me horribly over the years because I'm fat and the last thing I want is to hear those words but about my surgery. He's picked up on the fact that I had a weight loss procedure done. He tries to mend our relationship but still offers food because he doesn't know how else to show love. He offers me healthy stuff now but I simply just decline because I'm not ready to explain anything to him or become closer. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey guys, This may be a tough subject, but if it can't be discussed on an anonymous forum where we regularly discuss our bowel movements and farts, were else can it be discussed? I've kind of hinted at this in a couple of my previous posts, but four weeks ago, my issues with alcohol had gotten to the point that I finally had no choice but to start attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, as well as various addiction treatment options provided through my health plan. For background on what I'm talking about, see: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/popular-weight-loss-surgery-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-linked-to-alcohol-problems/ According to some studies, the odds of a post-bariatric patient having alcohol struggles goes up 28%. Wow. I've done a couple of searches on this board for alcoholism, and come up with basically zilch. Given the increased odds, how can that be? I can't possibly be the only one on here who can directly correlate my increased drinking to the date of my surgery. I bring this up, mostly because it's what I'm living right now, and I have a lot of information to share and well as unanswered questions. NOTE: I'm 13 days sober since making a few key changes in my vitamin intake, which has me very excited. Would love to start a discussion and share with anyone out there who is struggling. PM is fine as well. -ds

Well, now that most of us have been filled, or will be soon, now the question will lurk as to whether we need to have another adjustment! I had found this post long ago and posted it to my journal. Now that we can finally GET to our journals, I grabbed it and will post here. Looks like some good guidelines---- HowtoTellWhenYouArePerfectlyAdjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider

Ok ladies. .... So ... I just spent the am in the bathroom. I have not had fibersure in 3 days, it was not working, but.... here is a question... does anyone know if crystal light has sugar alcohol? The only thing I have done different 2 times, the 1st being when i started fibersure, and the 2nd being yesterday afternoon because I ust got more was drinking tons of crystal light rasp green tea to go packs. And when I say tons, I am talking about 80oz a day. I couldn't even eat more than a few bites of my eggs this am because i felt like i was going to die, and had a green tea on my way out this am. I know... TMI.... but I don't understand why i'm not working right! off to lie in the sun, mower is dead as a doornail!

Hi For me the final straw came last fall, I went away for a month long training course, and even though I did my best to watch what I ate and I found a gym and was able to go a few times, I ended up regaining every pound and more that I had worked the last 2-3 years to lose. Since my mid twenties(prior to that I was slim) I have struggled with my weight. I have tried Nutri-system, weight watchers, tai slim, I have had 2 different personal trainers and in the end I only succeeded in yo yo ing with my weight. Each time it gets harder. In addition over the years I have developed high cholesterol, asthma, clinical depression, and arthritis in my hips and knees. Am I alone? No, my dad and my brother and sister share the same story, except my brother has also added a heart attack at age 38 with 2 stent placements since, non alcoholic fatty liver disease and severe sleep apnea. We went on vacation with them this summer and I was amazed at how little he could do. And do you know what? BOTH of us have exactly the same amount of weight to lose to reach a normal BMI. I am starting menopause and I know when I am finished with that I will lose the protection for my heart that my premenopausal estrogen has given me. I want to live a longer and better quality life.

Hey!! I never saw this post back in December!? I'm so happy for you that you're doing well!!! But be careful with that drinking girl! :-) You don't want to drink your calories, especially alcohol since it's chocked full of sugar. I find myself wishing I still got "sick" easily, LOL!! Although, I just ate half of a cookie from Panera and I'm totally nauseous, so I'll take that--now I'll be turned off from eating those Cookies, at least for a while! :-) I had a breast lift 4 weeks ago and am VERY happy!! Congrats on your surgeries too!! I didn't have implants done (much to my fiancé's dismay, LOL) so I'm actually a little smaller than I was before. I'm a 34, large C, small D right not. I used to be a 42DDD!! I wouldn't "mind" a tummy tuck someday, but I'm not set on it. Only one person sees my belly besides me, and he's totally ok with it. He was ok with my boobs too, but wow--I didn't realize how much the way they were affecting my self-esteem/ confidence. I'm not fully healed yet, so I'm anxious to really see the final result. I've creeped up a bit more since the last time I posted. I'm at about 155-157 now. But honestly, if I could tone some areas up, I'd be pretty happy. I'd still love to lost about 6-8 pounds before my wedding (May 20th) but I can't exercise, other than walking (and it's too cold out for me now!) for another month I think.... I've really been watching my food choices and being really careful, since I can't exercise right now. But I can really tell my hips/stomach/thigh area is getting "loose" :-( Dang it! My blood work all came back normal. My B12 was just a tad low, but she said I'm absorbing it, so that was good. I wasn't taking any B12, so I take 1, every other day now. Be careful with your iron levels!! If you're too low for too long, it can do permanent damage!! :-( My typical food daily is: Breakfast, wheat toast with Peanut Butter, or 2 eggs with cheese/ veggies. Lunch: Either a sandwich on whole grain with turkey, cheese, veggies...or a salad with turkey & ham, or grilled chicken and tons of veggies. Dinner: Some kind of meat, veggie and small amount of carb(Potato, rice, etc.) Snacks are typically string cheese, hard boiled egg, pop corn, dried fruit/ nuts, yogurt, fruit, raw veggies....those are my go to's. :-) Not to say I don't have an occasional glass of wine, a few cookies here and there....I can handle about 4 pieces of candy (like starbursts) then I'm sick, LOL. Absolutely no ice cream. I get VERY sick, quickly. NOT WORTH IT! :-) I have developed being hypoglycemic. Ended up in the ER twice before we figured out what it was. I just really need to make sure I eat enough, often enough and don't get low on my Water. I'm so sorry you and your hubby are not doing so well. :-( That makes me so sad. Would he/you be open to counseling? I am so thankful for the man I'm marrying!! He is my rock, for sure. I'm in nursing school and he has pretty much taken on all my "duties" at home, LOL. He "makes" me go sit down and study while he makes dinner, does laundry, etc. Plus, we work together, so while I'm at school, he does my stuff at work too. He's truly a gem. And I wish everyone was as blessed as I am. ♥ On that note---I'd better get off my behind and do something!!

HERE I AM!!! Sorry, girlz....I was out running errands all day...and then it took 20 minutes to catch up on posts!! Nobody got much work done today, did they? Ok...you've heard it before and I'll tell you again...the fill was such a non-event!! It's no big deal at all. I walked in and filled out some more forms ( of course!) and they weighed me (202.4) asked if I was exercising (YES!) having any trouble at all, took my BP, etc. Then showed me into the procedure room and had me lay on the table. My port is right under my sternum, at the top of my big ol' fat belly and you can feel it right under the skin. I didn't even have to get undressed or anything. She swabbed it quickly with some alcohol and said "This is going to feel like a big shot"....which it did!! Not like a flu shot, but a BIG shot. And she used quite a bit of pressure, too....so it was different that way as well. But that was the extent of the pain. Only lasted 3-4 seconds. The fill itself was imperceptible in any way. She stuck a bandaid on my tummy and asked me to move over to the fluroscope. I drank 1 oz of barium mixture (which tasted minty) and was able to watch it go down on the screen. That was cool. Then they gave me a bottle of water and asked that I sit and drink half before I leave. Which I did, and didn't have any issues whatsoever. I sat and talked to one of the assistants about what to eat, not eat, how to exercise, etc. They injected 1.5cc and I can have another fill as early as 3 weeks if I feel that I need it. After I left there I was starving!!! (I'm only allowed soft foods for 2 days then I can move to solids! YEA!!!) I stopped and had a personal-size spinach quiche (but no crust) and a 1/2 cup of tomato basil soup. Ate slowly and everything went down fine. That was at 11:30a....it's now 8 hours later and I've yet to eat anything else! Ok....any questions?? It's good to feel restriction again. Hope it lasts a while.

Morning everyone Terry - you are cracking me up, but I hear you. I have friends shorter than I am who weigh the same as me but wear the same size. That I don't get either. I have 6 inches on some of myfriends, I am now in a Large top and 16-18 bottom. I hope to change that to a 16 easy soon. But I guess going to the gym every day should help Judy, you just look amazing I am off for coffee with my friend, that is the one thing i was suppose to give up that I just couldn't. No alcohol, no bread, even no sugar added icecream... but coffee......... no way. I do use skim milk in cold coffee and have fat free creamer stuff in hot coffee. so i guess that is a big difference from my old ways.

Morning violets! We were at the cook out last night till about midnight.. woosh. My bedtime is 10pm! Everyone was getting drunk, I actually had to go in search for non-alcoholic drinks. I was the only one sober, and took heat for it.. but I am extremely anti-drinkin' & drivin' unlike the rest of the group. I still woke up feeling hung over, how weird is that?! We woke up an hour late for work and my eyes are swollen and I'm just in a foggy haze. Today I go to the dentist at 2pm, then going home to shower and pack and then we head out of town for my surgery. I'm trying not to be nervous, I shouldn't have a lot of pains or problems when I wake up, since they're not stitching something to my stomach. Right? They said they'll give me an Rx for pain meds when I leave, but I wish I had it ahead of time so on our drive back home tomorrow I could take them. At bowling last night I bowled a 203! Woohoo. We also play a quarters game (not drinkin' game!) it's a way to gamble while we bowl.. I won 4 dollars! It's not a lot, but it makes me proud to win heh. Working on my morning coffee & bottle of water. I have to fast at midnight tonight.. like that's a problem, I don't eat around then anyway.. I'll be ASLEEP! The pre-op is at 6am tomorrow. I'll make sure to post before I leave

WARNING: This post contains discussion of binge-inducing foods... read at your own risk: I just discovered a previously unrealized source of food cravings -- COUPONS! There I am, innocently sitting at the kitchen table, sipping my water and clipping coupons for today's foray to the grocery store, when lo and behold I turn the page and what JUMPS up and catches me totally unawares but a (sorry girls for what I'm about to type!) BEN & JERRY'S ad for a new flavor of ice cream -- CINNAMON BUN! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Cinnamon buns are my kryptonite! I absolutely have no power to avoid them. And now some evil genius has put them into ice cream???????? Well, I turned the page as quickly as I could, but the image has been burned into my brain! And from that point on, all I noticed in the coupon books was how luscious and tasty and inviting all the food is in there! I honestly had NEVER noticed that before!!! YIKES and OH MY! Seriously, I never noticed all that. Wow. We really are bombarded at every turn. No wonder Americans are so fat! It's like telling people not to smoke but dangling cigarrettes in their faces 24/7, or alcoholics not to drink... on tv, radio, print, magazines... it's cruel & unusual punishment! And the weekends are ALWAYS my hardest days to be "good" on any food regimen... and today & tomorrow will be no exception... I think it's because the routine of the work week is gone and things are so free-form and more casual and we're out and about, so we tend to eat out whenver the mood strikes us v. at regular intervals (which helps me a lot during the week). For instance, we're about to leave for the city park where my ds's jazz band is playing at a children's festival, and then after that I drop off dd @ the stable, then grocery shopping, THEN home... so we'll leave @ 10:45am and return ??.. probably around 3 or so??... so I'm trying to think what I can pack w/me to have to eat so I'm not starving and cheating by the time I get home... phew... it's hard! Can you gals/guys relate??? Ok, got that vent out of my system. Thanks for listening, everyone! Have a GOOD DAY!

You guys, I went into a COMA Yesterday. I don't know what happened. Normally, I'm such a light sleeper, the clock ticking can wake me up. I work days, fiance works nights... I got off work early to pick my mom's dog up from the vet and drop it off, and I had plans to go to her house with my granny to watch movies (my granny's partner of 30 years died last weekend and she's having a rough time, so we're trying to keep her busy). I was exhausted some reason. Decided I would nap on my couch until my mom called, so I had the phone and my cell phone RIGHT BY MY HEAD. 30 minutes later, mom calls and said we cancelled, granny had been doing gardening and was tired. So.. I go back to sleep, phones still by my head. We had tornados yesterday.. I remember waking up once, when fiance got home and kissed my forehead.. then I woke up again I don't know when and I was in bed, and tv was on weather, and I saw red and heard the sirens.. and I kept squinting, didn't have my glasses. So I was going "Where could my glasses be... how did I get to bed..I should get up and check the weather.." and then I passed out again. Woke up at 9am (alarm wasn't set!!) and glasses were on my face??? It was SO bizarre, I can only think this is due to the diet I'm on.. I've never done this before.. was like I was on a handful of sleeping pills and alcohol. This morning my cell phone had 20 missed calls from my mom, and I still felt very drowsy. I talk to her this morning and she is furious. She said she was so worried about me, we had tornado warnings and I wasn't answering my phone.. if I was awake I would have probably gone to her house. Told her I don't know what happened and I had the phones by my head, and she still was mad lol. She said she called my fiance at work and he was non-chalant and said I was probably asleep. Hopefully this doesn't happen again... On another note, so we have to be completely nekki? Eek... I have nipple piercings I have been wondering about. I figured I should take them out before I go to have the banding done.. I didn't mention them to the doctor, but I've had doctors ask me to take them out for x-rays before, so figured during surgery they would probably rather I didn't have them? Anyone know? I've had them for years so they shouldn't grow back in just a day or two, but who knows..I'd definitely rather keep them in.

2 more days until my surgery. Up until this very moment I thought I was prepared but now I'm not so sure. Feeling anxious. Had my pre op appt. on friday. I've lost a total of 47.5 lbs prior to my surgery (I started the pre op diet on January 1st so that my new eating habits would be just that...A habit). Haven't eaten any sugar, bad carbs, fast food, caffeine or alcohol since then. My doc said no liquid diet is necessary and the nurse asked me if I'd talk at one of their seminars. They were both shocked (and happy) with the amount of pre op weight I've lost. I guess I just feel kind of alone in this...I've worn this body Armore for so long, not sure what to expect when it's gone. Tell me my concerns are normal? I'm really freaking out right now...

Bellabloom, It sounds like a struggle for you. The others have had some great points and ideas. Focusing on some calorie-dense foods might help. What about nuts? cheese? Going back to the Protein shakes, as you may have used in the first stages post-op, could also help. Can you blend in, say, avocado and/or Peanut Butter to shakes to increase the calories? Could you cook foods with sneaky fats, like baking your protein with olive oil, or tossing Pasta with olive oil? Finding some slider foods seems like a great idea! Wheat Thins or other crackers, Cereal, macaroni and cheese (make it whole grain and real cheese, if you’re worried about junk food), or whatever may work for you. I understand you don’t want to eat junk food, but if you’ve honestly tried every healthy food on the planet and you can’t get enough calories, junk food may be your best (and only) bet to make up the calories you need to stop losing weight. Maybe in a while, you’ll be able to eat more “healthy” foods and reduce the calories from “unhealthy” foods I agree with some of the other members who suggest simply making it a priority – the same way after surgery when it’s really, really tough to get down those Protein Shakes to make 65 grams a day, and to get down that Water to make 64 ounces a day. Maybe eating will feel like a full-time job, but maybe it needs to be if the alternative is getting thinner than you want to be. Experimenting until you find your own “slider” foods seems like a possibly great idea! If you’re really and truly at a point where you cannot eat enough to subsist, that’s a serious problem! I hope you can find a nutritionist who addresses your particular problems and doesn’t just label you before listening to your story. @@jenn1, I don’t have a ton of personal experience with eating disorders of the non-overeating type, but I know it’s definitely a big deal in our WLS community! There’s a nice article here from the Obesity Action Coalition discussing obesity, eating disorders (binge eating disorder or BED, anorexia, and bulimia), and cross addictions. I’ve also heard them referred to as replacement addictions: after WLS, the addiction to food can be “replaced” by an addiction to something else. The article makes a very interesting point that after WLS, the person may not realize they are developing a replacement addiction. They think they can handle the alcohol, or whatever it is they are turning to, and don’t realize when they get to a point that’s dangerous. Anyway, it is definitely very common to have eating disorders (especially if you’ve struggled in the past) or other cross addictions post-op. Thanks for that info, @@jenn1. @@bellabloom, I would say to be super honest with yourself – can you physically eat more and do you want to? – and if the answer is that you’re in physical pain and you cannot get enough nutrients, then you need serious medical help. You’ve posted about this for several weeks (if not longer), and that’s way too long to live with bad pain. You have worked so hard to get to where you are now, and you’re worth a trip to the doctor.

Mel3620, You should be proud its a tough thing that you did. As a good friend of mine pointed out on the subject of addictions, and i paraphrase " you DON'T need Alcohol, tabacco,or illegal drugs to sustain your body, but food is the toughest addiction to break since you MUST eat" Im proud of your victory since i LOVE pizza but alas it is something i can no longer have. its one of my trigger foods. i would rather fit into the next size down the have a slice. Thanks gor the post...YOUR A SUPERSTAR!!! have a great weekend RJ