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To Photo nut, If it where just something we could do by making good, smart decisions, and or good judgement calls, none of us would need a lap-ban. Why do people keep eating till they are 550 lbs ???? Why do alcoholics drink till they die ??? Why do drug addicts use there drug till there is nothing left of body mind or spirit???? Why do people gamble themselves and there family into bankruptcy???? Because we are SICK !!! We are addicted to food or swallowing as much as the addicts are addicted to heroin, crack......... whatever. We will do it no matter what, like the addict spending there family food money on drugs. My sister who had a lap-ban installed last year went into a deep depression and finely into a nervous break down because she could not eat anymore. It was not the being fat, it was the act of eating & swollowing large amounts of food that she craved, the fat is a side effect of the pleasure we seek. The act of eating is how we cope with life and all it's ups and downs, it's how we deal with our joy's and our sorrow's. We devoeloped this habit by not dealing with our feelings and emosions and wanting to hide them, so we eat, and eat, and eat, till we feel better and fill that hole in our soul. I have been dealing with my 500 + lbs for years, and have lost over 1500 lbs in the last 20 years and have learned the hard way it's an inside job. As you said (Photo Nut) that the Ban is only a tool, and a way to help us not over eat. It's not the answer, we have to find some kind of help for the fact we are on a death mission, and don't feel we deserve to be happy. It's taken me a long time to get this far (I am 53 today) and I am not there yet. I still overeat (as much as the band will allow me to) and I need a fill and I balk at getting it, I have been 350 + lbs for 3 years now and am losing so slow it drives me crazy. I want to be normal so bad I can taste it, but...... do I go get a fill???? Noooooo, I wait, and wait because I still want to be able to eat a full meal at diner, and eat a full sandwich. I know I have a ways to go, but I am on the right track and I am not fooling myself that this is the magic cure. I'm an enlightened FAT person, and I know how I got here and what I use my eating for. I know some people have a gland problems, and that kind of stuff, but......... on the whole it's us compulsive overeaters that really fill up these threads. Thank you so much for this thread, I think it was great and I hope to hear more. Peace. Butch

Hi All: So here is is Labor Day and I really just want to have a nice cold beer! I am 1 month post op so obviously I have been avoiding all carbonation... I haven't even tried it to see how I feel. But I'm curious if anyone else has... I'm a beer drinker not much of a liquor girl... Lemonade Vodkas are good but just too sweet after awhile. What are your go too picnic drinks? PS: I'm a social drinker not an alcoholic just to make that clear...lol

Hi jabs i will be 3 years out on May 15th, my new birthday, wish it was 35 years. as of today I'm 97 lbs lighter. Never had any regrets, not an instant. Nothing I can't eat or drink, except for extremely sweets, i can only have one [/url]chocolate, not half a box. i was pre diabetic, needed a knee replacement but now no problems with my knee and i have a clean bill of health. My favorite thing is being able to cross my legs in addition to wearing flattering clothes. Be sure to get your Protein or you may risk anemia so I have a Protein Drink each day, i can only palate Premier Protein at 160 cal and 30 grams of protein. You can also eat greek yogurt at 12g and you will have a good head start. I don't worry about calories anymore. if i feel like eating anything i go for it but in very small quantities, kids meals are too much but the toys are cool. I give them to the food bank. I love Soups but still hates salads. by the way if you want to fell full for free, have a free meal by eating samples at costco I'm usually full before the lasts samples. Remember, liquids first but you will learn. Sometime my eyes are bigger than my stomach but my stomach always wins. I usually share with whoever i am eating with or order an appetizer which is always too much so i eat lots of leftover. If you like to drink alcohol, be careful you get drunk real fast on very little and sober up kind of fast. I no longer like wine just light beer but very occasionally now as i was developing a habit. I now have tea in the evening as i realized i was just thirsty, i don't like Water. My only comp;location is eosophagal cramps that resemble a heart attack its noes,let common, the first time it happened i was at a hotel and had to call the emergency. The EMT tested me gave may an EKG and my heart was fine, i took a couple of Tums and it went away. I was lucky to have a dr who recognized the condition right away soI now i take an omapremazole every day, i tried nexium but it doesn't work for me. Don't expect to look great naked, actually pretty creepy but i don't want plastic surgery at my age and except for my hubby, nobody else sees me that way. I have a wonderful husband who want to see me healthy and happy. i do look great in jeans. congratulation on your decision to live longer

Hi All, I am scheduled to have my operation in January and it has been a long journey! I have chosen to keep my surgery private from my family and "friends", with only my mum, aunt and best friend knowing. I feel my generation is really critical and judgemental, not to mention the way people change once you've changed for the better so, I feel this would certainly work best. I want advice on EVERYTHING! How have younger people coped post and pre-op? (Teens/Twenties - but we're all young so what the hell) Alcohol intake post-op? (We all deserve some fun!) Loose Skin (if you have or have not experienced any)? What you did to prevent this or what you recommend to avoid loose skin? How soon did you exercise? - I know it's recommended to do 30 mins. Walking post-op in the beginning, but how soon did you start resistance training? As I know this is best to stop excessive skin as well as Protein. What did you take to the hospital? I'm on the low cal pre-op diet for 2 weeks and start on the 30th - What did you do? Post-Op: what is recommended? food wise, mainly the first 2 weeks Please share your thoughts and experiences!

@@TiffanyLM I'm glad you posted started this thread - you've mentioned some of the things I'm nervous about. and @@kranky813, THANK YOU for sharing your '9 days of hell' because, as a newbie, I really do want to know what might happen and it is encouraging to know that bad times can be temporary. My (current) fears are: 1 - turning into a fussy food person. Right now, I can eat almost anything, and dislike very little. I don't want to become one of those people that are fussy about food and don't "like" anything. 2 - giving up alcohol. I don't drink all the time, but I do like to have cocktails with the girls, happy hour now and then, a bottle of wine with a fancy dinner. I don't want to give that up. I have no idea how WLS affects drinking alcohol. 3 - floppy skin. I'm older (56 this week) and don't think my skin has the same elasticity it used to have. I'm afraid of becoming an old chick with wrinkles and excess loose skin everywhere. 4 - being sick. I have a "rock gut" and almost never get ill. I don't want to sign up for daily vomiting, nausea, or sick tummy because something I ate didn't agree with me. Especially if it is meats or veggies or fruits that make me sick! I have a lot to learn still, but any advice or encouragement - especially if my fears are not valid! - is appreciated. Like @@TiffanyLM, I am a newbie and just getting started on the prep.

Hi everyone:) this is my first thread, I've been reading some of these posts for the past two weeks and am excited to join this amazing support group! I am getting sleeved on the 30th of May and am going through a roller coaster of emotions. Surprisingly my biggest concern (besides the obvious concerns with surgery) is after the weight comes down, what's the likelihood of excess skin? Any recommendations for tightening it both pre/post op? I was an athlete my entire life and always in great shape until I quit all sports in college and gained 100 lbs (thank you dominos and alcohol! Lol). Anyway, any and all suggestions are welcome and I wish you all the best on your individual journeys.

hey all, I'm 10 days out. On my 1week post op, my dr removed the steri strips from my incisions. Now, I have sticky gunk and what had stuck to it all over my belly in the outline of where the strips were. I tried alcohol on a swab and oil (very carefully as to not get too close to the actual wound) with no luck, any suggestions?

I have a friend who in a recovering alcoholic, when he hit rock bottom he spent 90 days in rehab. He came out and has never looked back. . . at alcohol. When he got out of rehab, he dived headfirst into exercise. He was not obese by my estimation, but he has lost a ton of weight, and gotten into what he admits is the best shape of his life. He runs marathons and competes in Iron man competitions. He admits that he had transfered his addiction for alcohol to exercise, but says in rehab they were told to expect this, and as long as the new addiction was not self-destructive, it was positive. He looks great and says at 40 he has never felt better. Jim

Those meds don't always work though! I get sick through them, so beware! Always tell you anesthesiologist before hand, Also, if you are feeling nauseous after have the nurses wave some alcohol under your nose and use some oxygen. That makes it go away too!

I just explained to my negitive comments that I was addicted to food like a alcoholic . I told them I wished I could do what they suggested. I tried to make them feel bad. I am having the last laugh and the satisfaction of being slim now. edie

WOW! @ beachgurl84 u sound so disgruntled. My statement was to answer is that why doctor says do not drink. Not to u specifically. And we ALL POST what we think, knowing that none of us are medical professionals. I don't THINK docs are telling their patients not to drink due to brain damage issues. Of course alcohol and sooo many other drugs can cause these and many more sever issues. Do I think that why ur doc says x amount of time and others doc say 6 months, some say 3, some say 6 weeks. No I don't THINK so... But common sense says we should ALL follow our own doc orders... no one else. Hope you have calmed down. This forum is to help and everyone provides their opinion. It is NOT to be hostile towards one another since we are all in this together. Good luck to you.

I have a lapband, but I understand your pain. I want to tell you, failing to lose has many causes--I know, I lived on less than 1000 calories a day for years and never lost an ounce. My lapband didn't help me lose much and my first doctor wouldn't give me a fill. So I found another who did. I am practically wheelchair bound (can only hobble around the house). So I started to lose--slowly. the big help was I didn't regain what I lost. One thing I've never heard a doctor explain to me is that excessive hunger can be giving you a message. So many diets I went on ended with me lying in bed, weak and starving within weeks. What I didn't realize was that my body was telling me those diets weren't nutritionally what I needed. I've tried low fat-high fiber, low calorie, vegetarian, all raw salads, lot's of nuts, praying the weight away, self-hypnosis, bodybuilding, lots of exercise...you get the idea. All of them failed because I wasn't listening to my body. When I got so hungry I would eat nails if there was ketchup to put on them, my body was telling me I was on the wrong diet. This isn't a normal,"Gee, that looks tasty." But was more like a weak pathetic cry from my bed that I was dying and had to eat. I kept experimenting and discovered a ketogenic diet helped, but I gained everything back quickly. As I worked with the keto diet, I learned I wasn't drinking enough water, and I wasn't sleeping enough. But the high protein with lots of greens was definitely a better choice than the others. Then I got the lapband, and the slow weight loss with no restriction was discouraging. But it was a tool. And once I got restriction, I used that tool. I mostly stayed on the ketogenic diet. Lots of protein was just a necessity for me. The fat I ate made the diet more enjoyable. The lapband made me eat small bites, or I spent days puking. If I got sick, I had to reduce what I ate because sickness caused my stomach to swell, and I puked. Over the last ten years I've lived on the ketogenic diet, except for two years when I lost control, (I gained 50 pounds and found I had cancer. I believe the sugar cravings after being in control so long were a result of the cancer.) Back in control, and the 50 pounds went away. I've managed to lose 160 pounds. Not a large amount, and I still have over 100 pounds to go. But I am happy not to be the woman I was. I don't know if the ketogenic diet will help you, but I'm sharing my experience to show you have to experiment to find the right diet. And you have to sleep enough to lose weight. So, get the junk out of your house--the chips, crackers, cake mixes, candy, soda, snack food, juices (fruit juice is just liquid sugar water with a few minerals, eat whole fruit instead), and the alcohol (You can go back to 1 drink a day after you've lost weight). And start the eating pattern you feel best on. Just practice eating a healthy diet for a bit. Don't eat much at a time and keep any easy to snack on food (like grapes or nuts) in the refrigerator. Then start working your tool. go longer between small meals, see what happens when you delete starches, or what foods change how you feel. I had to stop vegetarian because beans make me uncontrollably hungry(love those beans, yumm, yumm). Your body is unique, and just because you haven't found what works for you doesn't mean you're a failure. It just means you haven't found the balance of diet, sleep and exercise that works for you. The important thing is NEVER GIVE UP. After 10 years with the band, I'm revising to a sleeve this spring. I love my band, but there is evidence it doesn't do well after 10 years or so. I feel I will do even better on the sleeve.

I've lost around 70 lbs in 6 months, docs, fam and friends are happy. The most important thing is I'm not happy. I still feel fat, which I hate that word. I drink to be happy,calm, just me. I use to call myself an alcoholic, not drink like I use to. I feel sas and depressed like this surgery was and wasn't the best. I never knew I was "fat" I thought it would make me happy Happy nite

I don't remember the logic behind it. I just remember it was something about when your body is losing weight this rapidly the alcohol can cause neurological problems. Maybe that doesn't mean brain damage exactly but it's a heck of a lot easier to spell. I already gave up smoking to have my surgery, alcohol is a no brainer (lol) for me. It's just not worth it. I've heard a lot of people on this site talk about the alcohol setting them back on weight loss. To each his/her own i guess.

WOW I got a huge lecture from my doctor about the brain damage alcohol can cause while your body is in the intense weight loss mode. I was told at an absolute minimum 6 months after surgery but they'd prefer at least 8. Wonder if my doctor is being over protective or if the other doctors aren't aware of the possible risks.

I also plan on not drinking until I hit goal. I am concerned about how the alcohol will affect me so I plan for that first drink to be around my family!

Interesting, I was told 3 months for caffeine, 6 for alcohol. I for one will and can wait. I would not want to harm my sellf for anything on this planet. I have been obese for what feels like forever, 6 months alcohol free is nothing.

Rovobay I too enjoy a bourbon on occasion. You will hear differing comments about alcohol and weather you should or should not partake. It is a personal decision. I waited about 4 months to have a drink. I agree with the focus on weight loss and getting your head in a great place to do this, especially early in the process. But I happen to feel that an occasional drink ( one every couple weeks) is not going to mess me up. I can say that being at goal weight, 9 months post op.

I was recommended to wait until 6 months to drink alcohol so idk every surgeon is different but be cautious as alcohol causes ulcer in plp with a regular stomach let alone us with our tiny pouches

Hi all, In the past month I've fainted twice. Fainting is not new to me, used to faint due to dehydration Pre-op, so the first time I fainted (in Vegas, no alcohol) I thought it was due to dehydration so my NP ordered for me to get IV hydration. Today I fainted again (this time in a Verizon store), but didn't feel it coming like I usually do, and after fainting I've been more tired than normal and kind of nauseous. I called my surgeon's after hours number and my surgeon doesn't think it's hydration related because I'm further post-op than typical for dehydration to occur. He said just to rest, eat a snack, keep drinking water, and call the office tomorrow for an appointment and maybe some blood work. Has anyone else experienced something similar? If so what was determined as the cause? Thanks!

I had my surgery on dec 12 its my brother bday n i just turned 21 in oct n I really want to drink with him im also go to my first concert with him

Take it very easy on the food. . And take the alcohol totally in moderation. .. 6 week s is early. Try half a glass of wine or half a shot of spirit absolutely drowned in non fizzy mixer. As long as its not fizzy or acidic you should be able to enjoy :0)

That was my biggest fear as well before the surgery. I also researched in the forum and found some tips that really helped me after surgery. First, tell them before the surgery that you get very nauseous so that they give you some extra medication for that. I got an ear patch right before the surgery. Second, smell alcohol when you're starting to feel nauseous. I got a little nauseous when I got my first drink after the surgery, and I smelled some alcohol wipes and felt fine right away. You can ask the nurses for the alcohol wipes or take your own.

Jon, thanks for that post. That's exactly my problem - addiction, in many different forms. I've been to hundreds (literally) of Overeaters Anonymous meetings which used to be part of my regular life till I moved to Vegas. OA meetings in California are great places for support and help with food addictions. I was able to attend a different amazing meeting every night, but then I moved to Vegas. Vegas meetings are few and far between, and they never really got off the ground like in California; probably because Vegas has so many GA, AA, NA, CA, DA (Gamblers, Narcotics, Alcoholics, Cocaine, Debtors, etc.) So OA meetings are small and completely different here. In California, the meetings are actually focused on food addictions, but the meetings here are just sessions where people vent about their day without ever correlating the issues to food. It's a shame, I'd love a good OA meeting here. So thanks for making me NOT give up. I'm gonna keep on keeping on. Sue, you aren't the first person who I've heard about "oops, nicked ya." Not funny at all. One girl had her stomach accidentally cut during band surgery, then her surgeon fixed the cut and put the band OVER the cut! She ended up in really bad shape and had her band removed by a US surgeon. She even knew something went wrong in surgery, but the doc said everything went fine; the "oops nick" didn't even reflect in the Operating Report.

Hubby won a gift card for Longhorn Steakhouse so even though Sunday will be my last meal before my pre op diet, we decided to go out tonight. It was wonderful; rib eye with baked potato stuffed mushrooms and a ginger ale. Tomorrow will be my last margarita...haven’t had one in a few years (haven’t had any alcohol in over a year) but it sounds good lol. Hubby is happy because after surgery I will be a really cheap date...since a shot glass full of puréed veggies will fill me up [emoji23] Have a great day! Amanda [emoji16] HW 248 CW 241 Surgery Date: pending 11/21/2017. Goal weight 150’ish [emoji23]