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Article in the huffpost today: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4043980 Here's Why Your Favorite Foods Are So Hard To Resist Renee JacquesThe Huffington PostOct 16, 2013 It's no secret: When you buy Doritos, you're going to finish the entire bag. There are countless reasons why people have so much trouble putting junky Snacks down. And many of them are by design: Companies spend billions on marketing their products and conducting scientific studies to figure out how to engineer their foods to keep you eating. Consider this: In a Connecticut College study released just yesterday, neuroscience students found that eating oreos activated more neurons in the pleasure centers of rats' brains than did consuming cocaine or morphine. And New York Times writer and author of Sugar, Fat, Salt, Michael Moss recently wrote about ten components added to Doritos that make them extremely tasty and difficult to resist. Unsurprisingly, salt and sugar were major ingredients. In fact, the salty additives in Doritos give them a "flavor burst." That "burst" dissolves in your saliva, sending signals to the pleasure centers of your brain, explained Moss. Do these foods sound "addicting" to you? Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, and author of many books on nutrition, says there should be a distinction between having a strong desire for food and being addicted to it. "I think of the word as meaning a physical dependence. We physically depend on food in general, but never on one food in particular," Nestle tells HuffPost. "Food companies create food products that people want to eat. Is wanting the same as addiction? I don’t think so but there’s evidence that foods trigger the same neurological pleasure centers as do addictive drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, but not nearly to the same extent." Read on to discover exactly how some of your favorite foods may be keeping you coming back for more. You love pastries because they're packed with carbs. Lots of starchy foods contain complex carbs that your body breaks down into simple sugars. A study conducted on mice in 2012 found that foods high in carbs, fats and sugar can actually change the brain. The researchers at the University of Montreal discovered that after being exposed to diets with high levels of fat and sugar, mice revealed withdrawal symptoms of depression and a greater sensitivity to stressful situations. They also had higher levels of the CREB molecule, which is known to play a role in dopamine production. Much of this is still emerging science, and it's impossible to say that eating lots of sugar will necessarily make anyone feel happier, but humans are naturally drawn to sugary high-carb foods. "We evolved to love the taste of sugars as an infant survival mechanism," says Nestle. "The brain needs sugar to function and carbohydrates are the most efficient source of it." You love Cheetos because they literally melt in your mouth. How fast can you eat a bag of Cheetos? Probably pretty quickly. That's because the manufacturers of the puffed corn product have mastered the art of "vanishing caloric density." The Cheeto is extremely light and fluffy, therefore making it easy to rapidly melt in your mouth. Moss discovered that this junk food ploy tricks your brain into thinking you're not eating as many calories, so "you just keep eating it forever." You love Fruit Loops, popsicles and gummy bears because they are bright and colorful. Now, of course, that's not the only reason why you love these tasty foods, but their vibrant coloring has been known to play a part. Food companies add color to their products to make them more appealing. Dr. Linda M. Katz, Chief Medical Officer for the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, reports that color additives are incorporated into foods to "enhance colors that occur naturally" and to "provide color to colorless and 'fun' foods" (like popsicles and soda). "That’s what food companies do to sell foods," says Nestle. "That’s their business. People don’t like eating grey foods." You love canned sauces because most contain excessive sugar. When we think of satisfying snack foods, tomato sauce isn't really on the list. But that doesn't mean it's free of the additives that make more typical junk foods more appealing. If you look at the ingredients list on a can of Prego tomato sauce, for example, the second ingredient after tomatoes is sugar, one of the three addictive components of fast food, according to Moss. The New York Times reports that just a half-cup of Prego traditional sauce has about two tablespoons of sugar. That's the same amount of sugar as in two large Oreos. Nestle says the added sugar in canned tomato sauces "makes them taste better and covers up the off metallic taste from the canning process." But before you head to the kitchen to make your own, note that sugar can be found in canned tomatoes -- a common ingredient in homemade sauce -- in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. If you're craving tomato sauce, you're better off avoiding any kind of tomato product that comes in a can. You love candy because your body has not adapted to its intense flavor. There are a bunch of reasons why you can't resist munching on your kid's Halloween candy loot, but you can blame part of it on evolution. In an article on Prevention.com, Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Michigan, explained that the human body has not yet evolved to handle the intense trio of sugar, fat and salt that comes in candy bars. Gearheardt wrote that before processed food was developed, sugar was "found in fruit and guarded by stinging bees; salt was a simple garnish; and fat was a nutrient that had to be hunted or foraged." The tastes taken together are still very new to the human body. You love fries and potato chips because they have the perfect mix of salt and fat. And they're fried. According to Michael Moss, the coating of fat and salt on potato chips and french fries is what makes them so irresistible. Moss writes in his New York Times piece, "The starch in the potato causes the same glucose spike as sugar, but is absorbed into the bloodstream much more quickly." That spike will drop very fast, causing you to reach for another fry or chip. You love soda, juices and sports drinks because they are sweet, sugar powerhouses. Kelly Brownell, director of Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, claims that sodas and sports drinks are the “single greatest source of added sugar in the American diet, and the research linking sugar-sweetened beverage intake with obesity and diabetes is stronger than for any other food or beverage category. The average American consumes 50 gallons of sugar-sweetened beverages per year." The Nutrition Source revealed in a guide titled "How Sweet Is It?" that cranberry juice cocktail, orange soda and cola all have much more than 12 grams of sugar in a 12 ounce serving, with some packing upwards of 40 grams of sugar, which is the same as about 10 teaspoons of sugar. That's a lot of sugar. As with many of the items above, high sugar content plays a key part in making popular foods and drinks so hard to put down. But why so much sugar? Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at University of California, San Francisco has a theory that he outlines in his viral YouTube lecture, Sugar: The Bitter Truth: So why do I call it the Coca-Cola conspiracy? Well, what’s in Coke? Caffeine, good, good. So what’s caffeine? It’s a mild stimulant, right? It’s also a diuretic. It makes you pee free Water. What else is in Coke? We’ll get to the sugar in a minute. What else? Salt, 55 milligrams of sodium per can, it’s like drinking a pizza. So what happens if you take on sodium and lose free water, you get? Thirstier, right. So why is there so much sugar in Coke? To hide the salt.

??? Caffeine has long been used as an appetite suppressant. In the glory days of ephedrine that taken with caffeine would kill an appetite for hour and hours. I'm sure for some it doesn't make a difference, or could have the opposite effect, but those folks are in the minority. To the original post you'll find lots of conflicting reasons/arguments about caffeine. Some docs worry about the coffee being too acidic, others say it leads to dehydration due to a diuretic, and some just think caffeine is the devil (as with alcohol and anything else that's fun...lol). There is justifiable concern that people turn to empty calorie drinks and will either slow down their weight loss or start gaining if it gets out of control. We all hear about the calorie nightmares of some Starbuck drinks. I drink coffee on a daily basis and I don't have any issues with it. I started with decaf after surgery because that was doc's orders, so I followed them. When I was cleared I started having regular coffee again but mixed with decaf. For me I had to slowly increase the caffeinated portion because it would hit me hard and give me the jitters. That's just me, though. Lot of people could drink coffee after surgery without any issues. Personally I don't care for some of these NUTS that say "never" again. I think it's unrealistic and gives people the wrong idea. As with anything in life moderation is key. I just don't like the idea of making a list of all these forbidden items that we're never ever allowed to have again. It's one thing to follow instructions immediately after surgery to make sure you heal properly, but for the long term they need to be more realistic.

Yeah, the RNY bypasses a few inches and the OAGB/MGB bypasses several feet. I don't know what's "full" about RNY that isn't "full" about OAGB/MGB but it surely isn't the bypass part. Maybe the "full" refers to the pouch that fills fast and gets ... full? Or the full absorption of carbs in the part of the intestine they somehow mangle to attach to that pouch that we're spared from? Or the full-on dumping? Or the full coffers of American surgeons who refuse to learn OAGB/MGB because RNY pays well? I don't know. All I know is a) do Optifast b) caffeine omg c) alcohol = pray to JeBuS and omg and areu4realomgomg d) Optifast e) Being fat definitely isn't a complex chronic condition, it's just about willpower. Or something. Anywho. ...

I am only 23, but ever since I was 17, I have struggled with obesity. Before I was rather thin and healthy, but due to some anti-depression meds, I started eating a lot and also drinking a lot. I used to navigate between 125kilograms and 95 kilograms, and sometimes I would gain 10kilos in only a month when I could not bare not eating or drinking. It was starting to screw with my personality and I was becoming more and more depressed, even nihilistic at times . Some sort of downroad spiral. So that's why I chose this surgery, it's radical, it puts you clear limits and rules, and unless you are crazy and/or are unable to feel pain, it's impossible to eat as much as you used to, and it completely changes the way you think about food, etc. I know it's not a "miraculous" surgery, and that I can screw it all if I am stupid enough to do so, but it's only thing I have found that has stopped my obsession about food and alcohol. Whenever I see how much I eat now, I just feel plain disgusted by my old habits, and I sure never want to be like that again.

ALCOHOL BEWARE INDEED? To have a few enjoyable alcoholic beverages [even daily] is not being addicted to anything. It is an acquired habit just like some have in overeating, smoking, sex? etc. & can be broken with will or just say NO POWER, if required. ALTHOUGH it has been correctly mentioned that alcohol is absorbed more quickly into a sleevers bloodstream, it HAS NOT been pointed out that whether one feels any intoxication or not they will be DUI DWI etc. after drinking much less alcohol than those not sleeved. In other words 2 drinks in an hour & you can easily get busted, become involved in an accident & lose your insurance coverage. Don't learn the hard way, BE VERY CAREFUL & understand this aspect well! As is often stated, we are all different: This is how I handle alcohol @ home or out visiting or dining.... Drink whatever, until time to eat, then stop. Eating slowly straight away, is no problem [volume/size up to about 1.5 to 2 cups]. Eating out, I will often only order a starter [if really small X 2] or Soup or Caesar salad After eating & about about 0.5 hour, I can then handle a small dessert or ice cream etc. More often than not, I don't drink anymore. Your satiation/fullness with food should be quite apparent. Get used to it, as that is when one should leave anything left on their plate! If there is more than needed or way too much, leave it...they will learn. As this satiated feeling diminishes [or when it wears off after about 1-1.5 hours] one could drink more should they wish. Friends don't keep pestering/cajoling me to either eat or drink more, as they did initially.

It's not ME I'm concerned about. I don't feel picked on. I've got a pretty good self image, and I'm kinda bomb proof about physical comments. Who doesn't want to be called "too small"? That's a novelty I sort of enjoy! No, what I'm getting at....is that I have a lot of fat friends and family. Love these folks. Everyone addresses weight issues when they're ready. Some people choose not to at all. I'm 100% ok with everyone's individual right to choose, and everyone's own process and time frame. I'm just trying to figure out how to finesse my news in a way that's gonna express that. I feel a little like that one person in a group of friends who likes to drink together a lot....who admits they're an alcoholic and seeks treatment. It makes people uncomfortable and sort of forces the issue. And while I realize it's not my problem, I'm trying to come up with a strategy to minimize discomfort.

I loved reading your story. Thanks for sharing it with us. Food is always gonna be a struggle, surgery just helps you get to your goal faster. Just like an alcoholic has to remain sober. Obesity is a disease. Please follow all of the guidelines that your surgeon gives you!!! I wish I would have never let sugar & alcohol back into my life. I am struggling so much right now. Best of luck to you.

This article didn't have Sleevers in mind but we can use some of the info here to get more Testosterone flowing through us. The third one surprised me and I was thinking that it was like a way of life for us. Well sort of.... 13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels By Ron Geraci, Men's Health, December 25, 2000 The normal level of testosterone in your bloodstream is between 350 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Like combable hair, those quantities silently start to wane around age 40. You lose about 1 percent a year -- a harmless decline in the short term, but a cause of obesity, brittle bones, muscle loss and impotence by the time you reach your 60s -- if you live that long. Testosterone levels in the low range (a blood serum score below 350 ng/dl) may increase your chances of dying of a heart attack. It's not just an old man's problem, either. Men in their 30s and 40s also fall prey to low testosterone counts. It's a disorder called hypogonadism, and it can be caused by an undescended ********, a testicular injury, a pituitary gland disorder or even prescription drugs. It usually goes undiagnosed until a man hits his doctor with a telltale complaint: "I can't get an erection." "If you have reduced levels of sexual desire, have your testosterone level checked immediately," says Dr. Allen Seftel, a urologist at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals of Cleveland. You can replenish your testosterone stores with injections, gels, pills or Patches, but these medical treatments are no panacea: Side effects include acne, high cholesterol, shrunken testicles and liver damage. Further, don't take supplements like DHEA or androstenedione to boost testosterone; they might increase your risks of prostate cancer and heart disease. "For men with borderline testosterone scores, I advise them to try to raise their levels through exercise and weight loss before going on testosterone therapy," says Dr. Goldberg. And it might pay to start young. "Since your testosterone declines at a steady rate, it's conceivable that raising your hormone levels naturally in your 20s and 30s could help you maintain higher levels later on," he says. Either way, the reward can be a stronger physique and better bedroom sessions than you'd otherwise deserve. Below are 13 tips designed to get your juice up -- safely. Get Rid of the Flopping Belly Or you'll grow a pair of fetching breasts to complement it. Carrying excess body fat elevates your estrogen levels, and that may cause your testosterone levels to sink, says Joseph Zmuda, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Louie Anderson is proof enough of this. Two or three extra pounds won't cause this hormonal shift; it really occurs once you're 30 percent over your ideal body weight. "Unfortunately, that's pretty common now," says Dr. Dobs. But Lose Only One Pound a Week When you want to trim down quickly, you probably starve yourself while exercising like a madman. One of the many reasons this stops working in your 30s, when your natural testosterone levels start dropping, is pretty simple: Cutting your calorie intake by more than 15 percent makes your brain think you're starving, so it shuts down testosterone production to wait out the famine. "There's no need to reproduce if you're starving," explains Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fla. Ironically, this dive in circulating testosterone stops you from burning body fat efficiently, so you're actually thwarting your hard efforts to melt that tire off your gut. Skip the Atkins Fad Research suggests that eating a high-Protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men. Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you're the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna. Have Morning Sex German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly -- and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It's a sure bet you'll burn a little fat, too. Stick With Tough Exercises To beef up your testosterone levels, the bulk of your workout should involve "compound" weight-lifting exercises that train several large muscle groups, and not just one or two smaller muscles. For example, studies have shown that doing squats, bench presses or back rows increases testosterone more than doing biceps curls or triceps pushdowns, even though the effort may seem the same. This is why doing squats could help you build bigger biceps. Make Nuts Your Midnight Snack Nuts are good for your nuts. Research has found that men who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat -- the kind found in peanuts -- had the highest testosterone levels. "It's not known why this occurs, but some scientists believe that monounsaturated fats have a direct effect on the testes," says Incledon. Nuts, olive oil, canola oil and Peanut Butter are good sources of monounsaturated fat. Squeeze Out Five Repetitions per Set Throwing around 5-pound dumbbells won't help you effect a rise in testosterone. Start off by using a heavy weight that you can lift only five times. That weight is about 85 percent of your one-repetition maximum. A Finnish study found that this workload produced the greatest boosts in testosterone. Do Three Sets of Each Weight-Lifting Movement Researchers at Penn State determined that this fosters greater increases in testosterone than just one or two sets. Rest a full minute between sets, so you can regain enough strength to continue lifting at least 70 percent of your one-rep maximum during the second and third sets. Rest Harder Than You Work Out If you overtrain -- meaning you don't allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions -- your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina. The symptoms of overtraining are hard to miss: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage, joining the Reform Party. To avoid overtraining, make sure you sleep a full eight hours at night, and never stress the same muscles with weight-lifting movements two days in a row. Drive Home Sober To maintain a healthy testosterone count -- and titanium erections -- cut yourself off after three drinks. "Binge drinking will kill your testosterone levels," warns Incledon. Alcohol affects the endocrine system, causing your testes to stop producing the male hormone. That's one reason drinking often causes you to go limp at the moment of truth. Have a Sandwich at 3 p.m. As any sensible woman knows, the way to put hair on a man's chest is to fill his stomach. Your body needs a ready supply of calories to make testosterone, so regularly skipping meals or going for long stretches without eating can cause your levels of the hormone to plummet. Then again, that's probably the warden's plan. Buy the Fried Tortilla chips If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor. Stop Surfing for Porn at 2 a.m. sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can screw up your circadian rhythm. That's why it's no wonder your testosterone levels are higher in the morning after a good night's sleep. So if your work or social schedule keeps you stooped in perpetual jet lag, don't be surprised if you stop craving sex. At least that'll make it easier to stay out of bed.

Wheetsin, what you are experiencing is very normal. My heart goes out to you. While my mom was pretty supportive, she mentions now that she always sees me barfing. That is not true. She also mentioned that when I drink alcohol it reacts differently now that I don't eat as much. My mom is obese too. Funny how she has been on Weight Watchers for like 3 years and is still down only 20 lbs or so. Hopefully you and your mom can have a sit down and talk all about how you feel. Good luck.

Queenmab - here is what I did in the last seven months. I did not do a lot of exercise the first six weeks. At six weeks, I started walking at work. (Huge building – large halls – organized walkers) and using my elliptical. At about 4-5 months, I started doing Zumba class once a week. I haven’t any exercise for the last 6 weeks because I have had a cast on my right foot and ankle. I just got out of it into an ankle stabilizer, so it’s back to walking and the elliptical – but no Zumba for a while. I will start physical therapy on my ankle in another two weeks and will find out when I can start back to Zumba. I am going to start working out with light weights and doing floor exercises (lunges, squats and ab exercises) and am looking to add a spinning class or two a week. From the standpoint of eating – I started out barely able to get 40 grams of Protein in a day. By about 3 weeks into sold foods, I was able to get my 60 grams of protein a day. (if I'm remembering right) I counted total calories, grams of protein, grams of carbs, grams of fat and ounces of fluids. I was tried to keep the carbs low – usually ranged from 30 – 60 grams per day – but wasn’t as adamant about the carbs as some on the forum. But my carbs primarily came from veggies, a few fruits, cottage cheese, yogurt, and the prepared Protein shakes. I do not eat white carbs – bread, Pasta, potatoes, crackers (except melba toast or flatbread) or cereals. I measured (still do!) my food – my food scale and measuring cup are my best friend. I kept my calories to around 500 from 6 weeks to about 5 months – then went to about 600. At 6 months I raised it again, and now eat between 600 and 800. I try to get between 60 – 80 grams of protein per day.. For Breakfast, I eat a protein smoothie made in my magic bullet, or drink a Protein shake. Once in a while to vary the monotony I will eat cottage cheese and fruit and may add a little extra protein into the mix. If I make a shake it is with nectar Protein powder – I like the fuzzy navel flavor – which I mix with part of a frozen bananna and frozen strawberries, or the chocolate flavor mixed with a low cal yogurt. For a snack – I might have 2 laughing cow wedges on melba toast, or a baby bell light cheese or an Activia light yogurt. For lunch – I make tuna salad out of the foil packages of tuna, mixed with 2 T of dill relish and 2 T of lite miracle whip. Or I have 3 ounces of chicken breast or 3 ounces of salmon (again from the foil pouch). I will usually eat a veggie at lunch – either cherry tomatoes, green Beans, sugar snap peas, carrots or cucumbers. For a snack – I will have one of the cheese Snacks from above, or another helping of veggies. Now that I’m eating 80 grams of protein, I might have 15 grams of protein from beef Jerky as a snack. For dinner – it’s usually 3 ounces of some kind of protein (the choices listed above) or beef or pork or grilled fish or grilled chicken. Sometimes I make an omelet with one egg, 2T of cheese, some sautéed mushrooms, and 1 ounce of protein. I have another serving of veggies with dinner – I love steam squashed or steamed asparagus or fresh sliced tomatoes. Sometimes for lunch or dinner, I go to a Chinese food restaurant or a Mexican food restaurant. If I eat Chinese food – it is chicken and veggies, beef and veggies, or shrimp and veggies. I get 2 to 3 meals from the meal. If I eat Mexican – it is chicken fajitas – no rice, no beans, no tortillas. Again – 2 to 3 meals from the meal. I also eat the fresh salsa like gazpacho – about ¼ - 1/3 cup. That restaurant also does steamed zucchini as a veggie – and I eat some of it. If I want a treat in the evening, I have a low cal sugar free pudding or a low cal fudgesicle. I don’t eat sugary or really fatty (fried) foods. I haven't eaten a real "sweet" since the surgery. I think my Calcium chews (like caramels) are a wonderful "treat" when I have them in the morning. I drink between 60 ounces and 100 ounces of Fluid per day. I don’t drink carbonated beverages or caffeinated beverages. I have sipped a little bit (2 mouthfuls) of alcohol 3 times during the seven months. It goes straight to my head. I don’t plan on having a real drink until I am at goal. M2G - Here is a picture of me at Christmas. I met with my doctor about January 10th, and started my pre surgery diet on February 9th. My surgery was on February 22nd. The second picture is of me on March 1st - while I was still home recuperating from the surgery.

I tend to agree with your last statement. It is much like an alcoholic being forced to take a look at their behavior/addiction when a drinking buddy takes the step to heal themselves. I think it is all in the delivery. My decision is not for everyone so if I suspected someone was going to react negatively, I didn't point out their flaws; instead I simply said, "your health may not be affected by the added weight but mine is suffering." And in the likely event they follow up with "why don't you do it on your own" you can reply that you have tried and been unsuccessful in the past (I'm assuming here). I would always point out my health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis, whatever it is) is only going to get worse. If you do nothing it won't get better. Again, I always make sure to direct everything toward myself and leave them out of it. After all, it is about you. Take care of you! Oh, and it is one of the reasons I limited who I told.

I've gone through three Band pregnancies (well, on my third). I've noticed that especially post-pregnancy, my Band can be very wacky! Even with no fill. Sort of like when I get my period. No doubt due to the weird hormones and such. So, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. As for the rules... Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew to mush! No drinking with meals or for one hour after. (I usually drank up until the meal came... but only Water.) No carbonated beverages. No alcohol. If you're breastfeeding, be sure to keep taking your prenatals. I ended seeing a bariatric nutritionist, and she had me on six small meals/day rather than three. It seemed to work better for me as far as weight loss went. Exercise. Every day. No excuses. Not a real rule...but for me... I was always extremely tight in the AM, so Breakfast was usually sugar-free Carnation Instant Breakfast w/ hot skim milk... or if I was feeling decadent, Godiva Hot chocolate w/ hot skim milk. Then around 10:30 or so, I'd have either cottage cheese and fruit or maybe a scrambled egg + 1/2 apple.

mine told me to wait a year before drinking any alcohol. But evidently surgeons must have different opinions on this...

Sugar alcohols have 7 calories per gram whereas fat has 9 so you do get a little less calories in the SF Russell Stovers. Mannitol and Sorbitol are the sweetners they use. They are laxatives! LOL.

Just sorta my story. Hope it is ok to post. I have battled weight my entire life. My sister was the skinny one, I was the "husky" one. Oh how I hated that word. Seriously, who calls a kid "husky" for crying out loud!? Is that supposed to make a kid feel better than calling them fat? I remember being little and my Aunt would joke around saying my sister was "the stick of butter" and I was the "tub of butter." Amazing how even adults can make kids feel bad about weight, huh? I never really remember being a happy kid. I hated going to school. My home life was not a great one. My parents divorced when I was about 3. My Mom had a lot of personal issues of her own that I don't think she really ever knew how to deal with. She moved us from place to place. She dated different guys. She depended on alcohol a lot. Let me get this out here from the start though. I LOVE my my with all my heart. She may not have always been the best Mom, but she is MY Mom. I love her. Having said that, my childhood sorta sucked. I know now that I suffered from depression, but there was no one there to notice or do anything about it. The one comfort I had was food. I turned to food when I was bored. I turned to food when I was sad. Let me tell you, I was bored and sad a lot. When you are a teenager and you have a weight problem, you also have self esteem issues. You do not like yourself. All you want is for someone else to like you. That is pretty damn hard when you don't like yourself. Sadly, when you do not like yourself, it then becomes easy for people to use you. You let it happen because, although it is negative attention you are getting, it is still attention. So at a young age I was doing things with boys that was not appropriate. Things that, if I could go back and stop myself from doing, I most definitely would. Crazy how something like weight can totally throw off how you view and feel about yourself, huh? I made it out of the teenage years and into young adulthood. I met my husband when I was 18. (Ok, still a kid really!) By the time I was 20, our daughter was born. Well, she was born on May 20th and I turned 21 on August 11th. He met me when I was overweight. He accepted me as the person I was....someone who was overweight. He saw me for and loved me for the person I was on the inside. I was so thankful for that. However, I still did not love myself. Over the years I still struggled with my weight. I also struggled with my depression. I actually did not get diagnosed and treated for depression until a few years into our marriage. There were ups and downs with that and the weight. In 2000, I lost 91 lbs while doing low carb. My husband and I were actually separated at the time. (We separated 3 times throughout the years. Don't worry, it has a happy ending since we are back together now and stronger than ever!) However, low carb was a temporary fix. I went through some hard times, the depression came back, and so did the weight....along with some extra. I then just gave up with the weight loss. I accepted the fact that I was destined to be fat forever. Fast forward to 2011. In August of 2011 I broke my ankle. Not a big deal, right? Yeah, it really wasn't. Well, not until a week later when I started to have some serious pain and the cast I had on got really tight. I went to the doctor and they decide it would be a good idea to just check and make sure I hadn't developed a blood clot. Turns out I hadn't developed one blood clot.....I had developed TWO, one of which had already moved up into my thigh. I was immediately rushed over to the hospital and admitted. I spent the next 10 days there as they tried to get the clots under control. It was at that point that I realized I seriously could have died from that. I could have died and never saw my daughter grow up and have a successful career and family. It was not directly because of my weight, but my weight was a factor. Once I got out of the hospital, I was on blood thinners for months, having to go to the doctor sometimes as often as every 3 days to have my blood drawn. Not fun, let me tell you. Fast forward to January of 2012. I will spare you the details, but I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Not really life or death, but again another health issue. However, the part about THIS surgery that really made me start to think about the lap band surgery was the cost. I have health insurance. I work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, so obviously that is the insurance I also have. Since I started working for them, I also got to know the criteria to be met for the lap band surgery. I mean, I had thought about it in the past, but never thought I could actually afford to do it. However, here I found myself in January having this emergency surgery. THIS surgery meant that I had met my out of pocket maximum of my insurance at the start of the year. For the rest of 2012, all of my medical bills were covered 100% by my insurance. That REALLY made me start to realize that lap band WAS possible for me. I mean, working for BCBS of IL, I knew that with my BMI and my health history, I more than qualified to meet the criteria. With my out of pocket max being met, it would be no cost to me. Why in the world NOT go for it?!?! So, one day in March I decided to go for a consult. I found info about a lap band surgeon in the area who was in my PPO network. I called and made the appointment. By May I had met with the surgeon, I had gone through the 3 hour psych evaluation/dietican evaluation, etc, and I had sent it for preapproval with BCBS. Within 3 days I had my approval back from the insurance company. This was REALLY going to happen. I still couldn't believe it. I then, however, had to wait until August for the actual surgery because I wanted to save up my paid time off at work. A week before surgery the doctor called and told me there was something "suspicious" with my EKG and they didn't know if I could have the surgery. I freaked out. Now, normal people would freak out over the abnormal EKG, right? Me? I freaked out over the idea of maybe not being able to get he surgery. Messed up, I know. So I ended up having to get an EEG done and was able to get it back and the results to the surgeon A DAY before surgery. Everything was fine and the surgery went on as planned. Surgery took place on August 7, 2012. On the day of surgery I weighed 304.5 lbs and wore a size 26 jeans. Today, December 22, 2012, I weigh 252.8 lbs and wear a size 18 jeans. I do not regret my decision for a moment. Six months ago, I am sure I would NEVER had told someone my weight or clothing size. Am I where I want to be right now? No, however, I am proud of how far I have come. I know the road ahead is not an easy one nor will it be a quick one. I WISH it was a quick one. My doctor scolds me all the time for being frustrated that I have not lost more. I am impatient. I admit it. I want this weight gone NOW. I know that is not going to happen, and I am slowly accepting that. I do know I am heading in the right direction though. I am heading in the HEALTHY direction. So yeah....that is me and my lap band journey.

Thank you guys for all your suggestions. I had the last of my pre-op retesting today and everything is fine. :banana I'm a go on Thursday barring anything else getting in the way. Ryan I had that sandpaper and alcohol thingy today! Ouch! Turned out okay though so I guess the irritation was worth it. Three more days and counting.

I wouldn't worry about your reply. You were completely honest. I was told the same thing that I am not to drink any carbonated beverages and yes they said you can still drink alcohol but it would just defeat the purpose of the lap band. The same with icecream for all us icecream lovers!!

I was told no caffeine or alcohol for the first 6 months. I live on herbal tea and Vitamin Water Zero, the squeezed flavor is amazing!

I have learned a lot from this thread. Like so many of you, I would go to happy hour before my surgery, have three or four drinks and call it a good night. Since my surgery I have tried some things on special occasions and most of them didn't really bother me unless it was carbonated which I knew not to do, but had a sip of beer anyway....yes I am brilliant like that - think I was the same kid that had to touch the hot burner because I couldn't take anyone's word that it would hurt me.... While nothing I have had particularly upset me, the the thing that seems to set best is red wine. I had a half a glass at Christmas with dinner and a half a glass when we celebrated my graduation; and a whole glass when I was out with the girls for bunco this week it didn't bother me at all. I had a glass of champagne at New Year's, but, I poured the glass around 11 and didn't drink it until 12 by that time most of the bubbles were gone and it was just sweet wine. My friend who had bypass surgery told me that she couldn't drink anything at all until she was about a year out after her surgery or she got sick and the slightest bit of alcohol made her drunk. So like so many others have said it all depends on the person.

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I'm going to share something here which up until now, I never would have shared with, or admitted to, anyone. My binges were always my deep dark secret, except, of course, for the evidence they left behind -- my big fat butt (and other body parts, ha!). And now that I've been banded, I'm even more ashamed to admit what I did lastnight. But I feel that I made a huge decision to change my life for the better, and coming out and talking about what I did is part of that change, being honest, admitting my transgressions, sharing, and hoping I learned something from it. It might be kinda long and I apologize for that, but I'm doing this mostly for me..... So anyway - my first fill is next week. I realize I might not feel any restriction after the first fill but then again, I might. I know someone who is enormously restricted after her first fill. I have very mild restriction from my empty band, but I only notice it if I really over-eat at a meal, and I've only done that a couple of times. By "over eating", I mean eating what used to be more or less a normal big meal for me. Except for those few meals, I've done VERY well since I began this whole process. I've lost 30 pounds since April 13th. Ten of that was on my own once I made up my mind I was ready for surgery, ten of it was on the pre-op diet and ten of it has been in the three weeks since I was banded. For the most part, I really haven't had any trouble sticking to healthy foods and small portions, although as the days pass since surgery, I am able to eat more and more, so pushing myself away from the table has been a little more challenging. Anyway.... after all these weeks and weeks of "being good", I started thinking about how I could have one last little mini-binge before getting my first fill (scheduled for Thursday). After all, I never got my "last supper" before surgery. Don't I "deserve" a Friday night mini-binge? Soooooo...... lastnight I made myself my favorite alcoholic beverage -- a White Russian. (and I do not make small drinks -- one home-made drink is probably the size of two in a bar). Then I made a second one. Then I started looking through the cabinets and refrigerator for what I could eat. Well, there wasn't much in the house that was binge-worthy because, after all, I've started this new life, right? I ended up having a couple of wheat crackers with a little bit of no-salt butter on them and little pieces of fat free cheese on them. Not too bad, right? Then I remembered I had bacon in the fridge. And low-fat Peanut Butter in the cabinet. And a loaf of low-carb bread I'd bought at the grocery store that day. I haven't had bread in a couple of months. Nor alcohol, for that matter. So, I microwaved some bacon and toasted that bread, and made myself a peanut butter and bacon sandwich. Yum!!! Curled up on the couch with my White Russian and my sandwich. Took a couple bites of the sandwich.... hmmmm, this doesn't really taste as good as I expected. And what's that.... I'm feeling full. Really full. (I think the milk in the White Russians contributed to the full feeling). WHAT AM I DOING??? What if I hurt my band? I can't do this. I can't. I got up and threw the sandwich away. I'd taken about 3 small bites of it. I loaded up the dishwasher and started it. I didn't want to wake up this morning and see the remnants of my little binge in the sink. Now, I'll tell you what. What I did lastnight never would have won the honor of being called a binge, pre-band. It would have been a snack.... just a warm up for the evening's binge to follow. But, it's the mindset that is at issue here. I still wanted that binge, and I gave it to myself, albeit a smaller one than I'm used to. And I guess on the positive side, I did recognize what I was doing, and I stopped in mid-bite. Hopefully, I learned something from it that will come to mind next time I get that urge. Because of course, I will get the urge. A habit and addiction I've given into for years, is not going to disappear by waving a magic wand, or a magic band. I guess this feels sort of like going to Confession. I need to share this so that it doesn't become something I'm hiding. I've hidden my eating problems for far too long. Oh and like a masochist I made myself get on the scale this morning. I knew I had to confront what my lttle binge had done. I was down half a pound. Maybe I escaped harm this time.... but these things can take a day or two to catch up with us we'll see what the scale says over the next couple of days. Thank you all for listening.... errr.... reading. I've been getting to know you all through your posts in the last few weeks and it's a wonderful place to come for support, questions, sharing, and.... confession!

Yes I did the wrong thing! Ate all the wrong stuff ! Drank alcohol! I am 1 year and 2 months out, reached my goal weight and then gained 20 pounds since March. I'm not feeling it and I know I did it. So what now? Don't want to hear about a pouch reset. Sent from my REVVLRY+ using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm in the "everything in moderation" camp. I avoid alcohol mostly but indulge on occasion. The biggest problem with alcohol, for me, is that it boosts my appetite while lessening the efficacy of my band and that's a bad combination. I always eat my Protein first and then eat bites of anything else on my plate if there's room. I refuse to follow a specific, rigid diet simply because attempting such always backfires for me and I end up binging on what I actually want instead. Of course, traditional binging now is a physical impossibility but during a particularly brutal bout of PMS I did manage to eat an entire sleeve of Oreo Cookies and a glass of milk for lunch. That's all I ate and it kept me full for several hours... Calorically it was in line with what I would've eaten anyway but it was nutritionally void of anything except sugar and fat. I am in no way recommending this, but hey, I have food issues and occasionally I slip. The great thing about the lap band is once the episode ends, I don't just say "screw it" and "go off my diet" because there is no "diet" to exit anymore.

I wasn't much of a drinker & suddenly I love it. I began drinking too much but not to the point of being or acting stupid. I stop my self cuz #1 wine is expensive and I don't want to become an alcoholic #2 I rather drink more cafe from Starbucks lmbo seriously I was over drinking but now I do it like weekends or skip a week or so but no more a daily glass or two of wine

My surgeon told me that when you get to the point of getting 64 grams of protein a day from food then you don't have to do the shakes. The shakes are just a "helper" until you can eat regular food. The margarita question... hmmmm.... I had my first wine about 3 months out. Be careful because alcohol is empty calories and they can add up mighty quick. Also when you try your first drink make sure you are home, some people get drunk really quick some don't. I would also ask these two questions to your surgeon as well.