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Hey Bob Congratulations on your decision to have surgery and good luck to you! As a long time consumer of restaurant fare I can tell you that it matters not what you look like. If you have a great product and treat your customers right, you'll be successful. I have never not visited a restaurant due to the weight of the manager or owner. The tough part is being around food all day. Having discipline will be key. I am in my 12th month from surgery. I eat out 2-3 times a week. I can always find food that is sleeve and diet friendly. If not, restaurants will always prepare food the way I want it. They have been very accommodating. Alcohol can also be tough, especially in social situations, It is all about choices. Owning a restaurant, you can prepare food the way you want it! I don't think that your profession matters to your success but I do think it will present challenges to you. I am a big proponent of personal choice. No one makes you choose the foods you eat. I did not make great choices with food, that is why I had surgery. Sometimes I think we do not place enough emphasis on the mental side of this equation. It is probably the most important. A year out, I still track everything I eat. I weigh and measure a lot of the time and I am careful around my food triggers. Try to find time to eat mindfully, get away from the hustle and bustle when it is time to eat and make good choices. You will do great!

I'm with Babbs. You don't seem like an alcoholic to me at all. You are a person who loves the taste of wine. I am a person who loves the taste of beer. I, too, had misgivings about giving up my tasty beer. So, I waited until after my Cancun vacation and had a goodbye beer celebration. Now, I'm on day three of my pre-op diet and I'm ok with not having a drop of beer for the next eight weeks. Afterwards, of course, will be only able to handle a little bit. But mostly I've made up my mind to give it up along with all of the other tastes (food) that I need to give up to lose weight and get healthy. All in all, my advice is to wait until you're ready to say goodbye to wine. If that means waiting until afterNew Year's Eve, then so be it. You do what is right for you. It's your choice.

Sorry if I wasn't clear... I'm not really worried that the customers will have a problem with it. I am worried about my sense of self-worth and my identity. I'm the "food guy," both personally and professionally. It's what I do for a living AND what I have done socially and as a hobby for about 30 years. I know that there are people out there who do things other than eat food, sell food, talk about food, and research food, but I'm not that person. My biggest fear is "losing myself." I know that this is addict talk. I've heard alcoholics and drug addicts wonder aloud what they would do with their time if they couldn't drink, but I know this is the right decision for my health. So has anyone had issues with identity struggles after surgery?

hello, im post op 6+ mos now and got to say this journey, if you havent started it has alot of emotional ups and downs BUT can say like many state......its worth it & the wait to see results, also we must remember that the results arent going to just appear, of course you will lose your water weight in the first few months but to continue your eating right, exercise & living a new life style will be some good and bad days ahead but please dont be discouraged or think you cant do it cause im here to say what many have said BUT i believe it and am living it so i know with confidence i could look you in the eye (or thru the computer hahaha) and say YOU CAN DO IT & YOU WILL DO IT.............IF YOU WANT TO, you have to want this it isnt a temporary fix or a fad its a lifestyle change that will affect many aspects in your life & hope you have done your homeowork and made the right decision for you. my whole intentions were to learn the system, how to eat, exercise & things i needed to do without having to do surgery so for a year or so i learned it did it and weight did come off about 90+ lbs. from myself working out eating right and calorie counting, which can be hard and tedius but very rewarding. i was the kind of person alot of us overweight people are, we have excuses to why we cant work out, eat right but the reality is thats all they are, EXCUSES, i , at the time, was going thru alot of emotional things in my life, my mom was dying from liver problems, she was in and out of the hospital while i lived 3 hrs away and would rush to see her or get a call she was bad and would drop all and leave to be with her, i was slowly becoming depressed and distant with my family (eating conforted me and always was my best friend, so i thought), work was slow cause of the economy so i feared id lose my job, my oldest was becoming a father and at 19 he followed my footsteps which i begged him not to his future was set but turned on a dime and he found a girlfriend fell in love and school and his future didnt mean much to him, as i said i was a mess, every day going into work stressing on is this my last day, finally i was at the point where i was waiting for that day to come and let a lil stress off my chest from work and just lay me off so i could look or go back to school. so i followed the diet, picked what exercise i liked (biking & swimming), changed my outlook on life and started to follow my modo which i created in a clothing co. i been trying to make possible for years, and simply whispered it to myself whenever i worked out or needed encouragement.....NME= No More Excuses.....Nike has a slogan they say JUST DO IT, and as a kid it fueled me to excell in football with that thought, just do it, i would work harder, want better performance so i just did it.....so thought why not follow my own words and not have any reason why i shouldnt do this for me and for my family. people who care always tell you and worry about your weight, dont take it to the heart they care is why they say somehting, so with all that i looked at myself in the mirror and spoke to ME and said NMEwear, No More Excuses .....but stick to this and follow this dont just let it be a passing fade like nike said just do it....so again i looked at myself long and hard, cried tears of years of looking at myself thinking wow i gained alota weight, i loved me and still do no matter how big i was i never let go of loving myself and actually carried my weight well but as i clmbed to 473 i feared being 500+ than feared death as my mother on her death bed cried and worried about me, i was always a 215-220 guy but life, stress & fast food crept my weight up and noone is to blame but me, not mcdonalds for there food thats so easily found on every corner, not stress of life, not anyone.....ME, i was to blame i let myself and chose to be who i was and looked how i did cause my choices. for that whole year i did what the docs asked of me, the end results were i was going to lose the weight for surgery, but as i said i was doing it to keep doing it and avoid surgery which i thought was the best for me, but after long talks with myself and weighing the situations and lifestyle i had lived for 20+ years i said to myself you need something that will not only help but be a good tool and let your old ways not have a chance to come back, i felt as if i had ate enough hamburgers, greasy foods, to last a lifetime so i thought exactly, leave that life like a butterfly does and start a new, like a new born.....clean slate & the choice i make this time id have to live with the rest of my life since i was pushing 40 i thought i lived 40 years of garbage eating, partying, unhealthy life so why not live a healthy longer life. before surgery i was told by my docs that i was a perfect canidate not cause being overweight but cause i was morbidly obese, had no health issues at all, & was determined to do this, so i learned there ways and followed them daily and as i said i lost the wieght than came to the choice of doign the surgery, mom passed away in 2011 august she didnt get to see her 70th bday and i was crushed and determined to not let myself follow her footsteps and most of all live for her and how she worried for me, few months later i was laid off, still in pre op mode i was than clinically depressed and actually feeling better i got laid off and didnt have to stress on work and decided to go back to school still scheduled to do my surgery in december, i went to see a pyschiatrist who helped me in one session, he too gave me advice to sit in a room alone and cry with pics or songs that reminded me of my mom and that i was too worried about others and not myself and my pain, so i did and it worked i finally felt some happiness although mom was gone i saw life as a new and took my dad on trips with my oldest brother and was fun....yes mom wasnt there but i had opened up a new chapter in my life and was ready for the surgery...now remember i lost almost 100lbs on my own so i was still hesitant on surgery and was fighing on my choice to go thru with it. so finally i came to the conclusion that i need this to help keep me motivated and most of all not be overwight anymore and be the tool i needed and lacked in life, its not what keeps me healthy i knew that but its something that will help me in my habits of food and exercise. so fast forward to op date, i still was battling the loss of mom and would have good and bad days although every doc visit i had id get positive feedback from docs and nurses which made me feel better, than going thru so many tests to make sure i was ready, pre op tests and sleep apnia stay, etc. so i was there, finally, the day was set and i was ready. my dad and aunts (moms twin) came up to be with me seeing my aunt ernie really helped me she looks like mom and seeing her made it feel as if mom was with me BUT i still needed moms blessing and her presence so i said a lil prayer as my nurse came and told me the doc was in a surgery still and had been now for 6 hrs. so my time was bumped, so as i sat there i started to speak to my mom in my head (not a weirdo) as i often do from time to time, as i did i begged her to please show me some kind of sign, nurse comes back says "2pm your scheduled, doc is resting now", so i took a deep breathe and said ok, ill be here. as we waited we spoke to one another of mom and funny enough my father thought i was there for a hernia i had but told him what i was doing than he got a worried face on but at the same time looked at me as if to say "i know mom would of been happy you chose to do it" my dad is old school and a good man, so his unspoken words always had inpact on me cause his words were even more well received and understood, his lesson of life always taught me i was one day going to be a man and have to be a man for myself and family. so time passed and being pre op you got cords coming out of everywhere so going to the bathroom wasnt easy but nature called and i told the nurse i gotta go, my dad helped me up, walked to the restroom with me as i opened the door i said to him "dad i asked mom to be here with me, im not nervous but i just want her to be around me, tell me when you feel her k haha" she was a twin and in the years we seen some strange things she could think and do, being a twin, she would predict events, feel pain, etc. so i step in look at the clock 1:15pm, 45 min to op, im not scared, not nervous just a feeling of someone is missing, mom, my brothers had called me wish me luck, friends texted, and my loved ones were with me. i sat down on the toilet and said once more "mom give me a sign please i just want you to know im changing me, im shedding this skin, im going to live, healty, not overweight anymore,i hope you hear me i love you".....i looked towards the door and felt a cold draft and thought mom just than i got up flushed the toilet and got up looked in the bowl and saw nothing but what appeared to be feces, very dark water with no odor though and i thought i went pee not #2 so i rushed outside told my dad and just as we walked back to me room nurses came, doctors walked together with puzzlement in there faces, signs were posted all over the hospital "dont use the wated fountains or restrooms" ???? what, so no calm cool joe, is confused, looking for answers....i asked whats going on, than my curtain ripped open and my nurse tells me "there was a problem with the plumbing it got backed up just in our building and we may have to reschedule" i was shocked at my first thoughts, i instantly thought "mom", what did you do.....than i thought its a sign, a sign i shouldnt do this and i felt a weird feeling inside so i was set on "if i dont go in by 2 im not going" telling my aunts and dad over and over again see it was mom she gave me the sign not to do it, i could do it alone i have and know what i need to do....so 145 rolls around,.....155, im sitting thinking no not today not next week, forget it....i was about to rip my cords of but felt a urge to go to the restroom and sit and think for a bit hopefully revist mom in there so i walk this time alone no need for help im in panic and thinking mode as i schlep over open the door i look up, 157, nope im done....im goin home so i ran all the things i needed to keep doing to maintain and lose weight and be healty had a speech all worked out in my head for my doc, "thanks for all the support but im not doing it blah blah blah".....so i do my thing once more this time i stood up and said to myself "ohhhh mom i love and miss you and thanks for the sign, im not going to do it they said 2 and its going to be 2 so i made up my mind but i will continue on my path and not let you down"......i open the door see my nurse walking toward me as i tried to say i wasnt going to do it she and my family look at me and say, "you ready, its time" i looked at her and said "lets do it" another sign i felt the presence of mom once more but calming this time and reassuring myself this is what i need to do and after i wake im going to have a new life a clean slate and live how i should have been....so i did it..............rolled out to the room as i lay i remember people all around me my family hugged and kissed me as i went thru the doors they couldnt go past, i was approachedby nurses who strapped me down like a crazed man, so i started to get a lil nervous cause now it was real and being i never had an operation or been put under i started to get anxious as i got strapped a very nice woman came and says how you feeling i said good she than poked me as i said what was that for she says oh you'll be fine in a bit hun we are about to start, i remember saying hey i feel.....and out......8 long hrs later i awake with thee worst pain in my arms ever, waking up like jesus on the cross i yelled in pain....it felt as if i got punched over and over in my arms....so as i lay alone in my room i looked up and felt that draft again and smiled.....i had some crazy dreams of mom and family but wont go into that, so i woke up feeling as if it was a dream but knew my life was and had changed....im in the hospital very shortly and my nurse kept saying i was the best patient and was up and walking faster than anyone, never complained, ate, drank what and when i was supposed to, all was well.....i get released and go home, at this time i was current unemplyed but got a job before surgery so was goign to rest til january 14th than i begin my new job with a great company. getting home and adjusting to sleeping, eating was hard at first its weird you dont feel hungry i mean im a big guy who ate not alot but ate all the time so not being hungry was strange n new, soups became a meal for me, water was my right hand man, i began walking cause i couldnt bike anymore til i got better, id walk around the house, outside, with my dad, lay and relax, but got bored...so i always had NMEwear in thoughts as years passed i did make a few shirts and sold them and had ideas to get into the sporting fields to hear my slogans being used "NMEwear NoMoreExcuses".....as i looked around i thought all we make are excuses daily, i cant exercise cause im tired, i worked all day, im lazy, what for im fat already, the kids dinner i dont have time......EXCUSES....thats all it was and is.....i started thinking i got to make time if i want time......so i did............i spent the next few weeks drawing thinking of ideas, i didnt and dont want to do this to become rich i just think i have a interesting and inspiring story that i did all alone and of course with help and encouragement from family but the thing was i could do it...i had to have NoMoreExcuses and do what i said not make another excuse......i thought of making mma clothing, boxing stuff and put my logo NME its cathy and could be seen on those items and cool...but than sat and thought they dont know me they dont understand why NME became such a huge part of me and my training and exercise.......NME became my drive.....my inner voice....."no more excuses joe, do it, keep peddaling, keep walking, keep swimming,...keep moving...." of course i kept eating as i shoudl but i had NME as my guide to always not have an excuse....i love to bike have several bikes from bmx to road bike, also swimming & just started to do weights and walking....my thing is i love the outdoors but was embarressed people seeing me would laugh at a fat guy walking or riding a bike....but that was an excuses, right? right, it was and YOU dont have any excuses anymore....who care who sees who care who points, when just once person says "good job, how you do that loose all that weight, you look good" that takes away 100 stares, 100 laughs of your being fat.....i know its hard believe me im not in this to be like tony roberts and sell you something to make money im telling you so you get off your a$$ and yes i may not know you but i care, i care cause i been there i care cause if your struggling id like to be of some inspiration to you in anyway to see i did it and so can you.....the surgery isnt for everyone only those who know its time....and need help to keep them straight, like a alcoholic needs AA .....now i have so much energy, i walk 3 times for 15 mins at work, ride 20+ miles a day, swim, walk, play with my son, do things i never did.....people approach me all the time and say "wow i didnt recognize you you look so good" thats not what i did it for i did it for me.......my health.....my family.....its a big change but you can do it and WE post oppers are here for you.....i never wanted to post my story and never thought i would open up to strangers but this is life and if you wanna live you got to make that change.....NoMoreExcuses....i plan on making shirts and selling them to people who want to live by these words and need encouragement....im working on them now and like i said not trying to get rich just inspire the uninspired into make the right choices and changes to make a better you.....i still struglle with food, everyone loves food, but now i think about what im eat, calories, sugards, how it will aeffect me long term, fatty foods, etc. i drink alot of water being i sit all day at work i get up and walk around.....im here if you need to talk or tell me your EXCUSES.....im not here to put you down cause i know put downs dont help and im not that kind of person....id just like to see more people healty and living longerenjoying there lives with there families....LIVING........NoMoreExcuses.............DO...........Joe if your interested in shirts, sweat pants or whatever your needs with NMEwear logos email me for pics i dont want to post or advertise one here just yet NMEwear@yahoo.com

If you are filled as much as you can, I have noticed that i I have a sweet craving I go for fruit as much as I hate fruit it does fill me up super fast and make me too full for sweets. That is the beauty of the LB it works if it is full enough and the foods I don't like do fill me up. It's almost like a diet pill to eat fiber foods. Have you checked to see if you might need a mini fill? Before the band when I started eating anything my insulin would spike (in my opinion) and it would be like an alcoholic with alcohol and I would get hungry and couldn't stop. This halloween was a horror ....I ate my daughters candy and couldn't stop like years before ...

Amen!! For three years I worked full-time and got my master's degree part time. I was promoted twice during that time and increased my salary by 30%. I've lived abroad before. I've never NOT had a job since I was 16, and even babysat before when I was 13-15. I am a very hard worker, but no one acknowledges that. I drop a few pounds and all of a sudden people are now proud of me? WHAT IS THAT? It's like people don't see what I've done with my life because I have fat on my body. They don't/can't see the work it took to get the degree or the dedication it took to get those promotions. They can, however, see your body shrinking. That's why the results of this particular addiction is impossible to hide. If an alcoholic is standing beside you, do you know they are an addict? Likely not unless they are truly at the end of their rope. Same for a drug addict. But a food addict...well, everyone knows of our struggles because it's out there for all to see. For me...I'm still a food addict but because I'm normal sized now, no one is aware. Still means I'm an addict though. Always will be too.

I’m right there with you. I’m also trying to get my eating back under control. I’m a single mom and have to work 60+ hours a week to make ends meet and also try to find time to spend with my daughter. Stress is why my eating fell off. It’s so hard to control. I’m trying my hardest to get back on track. Life just hits you hard sometimes and it sucks, but you can do it. I’m the same way with alcohol also, it’s a stress reliever. I think for a little bit I started giving up on myself. I was trying to keep everything and everybody else together I couldn’t keep myself together too.

Hi there, so happy for you. I am not on a diet and have just the one rule for myself: to eat when I'm hungry and not eat if I'm not hungry. The first is more difficult than the latter because I was such a restricter in my former life. All that head chatter. Like you, sometimes this puts me late in the day for nourishment and for me this can set up evening grazing (particularly because unlike you I have not given up alcohol, which I know slows my progress, sigh). Happy Onederland and size 14, yippee. Isn't it fun? Oh the clothes I was missing all those years!

There is a surgeon, Dr. Matthew Weiner, who has produced a very good series of videos on YouTube that provide a great deal of information about the surgery and weight loss. One of them discusses the changes that occur in our metabolic setpoint after weight loss surgery (can't remember exactly which one it was). If I remember correctly the videos all advertise his book "A Pound of Cure", but looking past that they are full of good information about the surgery, the body's reaction to it, and how to be successful with it. You can search YouTube for "Matthew Weiner" and go to his channel, where you will find all of the videos. In a nutshell, the sleeve resets our metabolic setpoint. Instead of your body striving constantly to retain fat, it now strives to lose fat to bring itself to it's new, more normal target. As long as we work with it by eating enough Protein, limiting carbs, sugar and alcohol, and provide some moderate exercise it works. This is why they say the sleeve is a tool... you need to make the behavioral changes to go along with it to allow your body to be successful. To understand why resetting the metabolic setpoint is important, look at the recent articles published about The Biggest Loser contestants. They all lost great amounts of weight through diet and exercise. Many of them have gained it back. Diet and exercise alone don't work long term because they don't change the metabolic setpoint. When your body loses weight it goes into survival response mode and does all it can to restore the lost weight. We must change the setpoint for long term weight loss success. Changing the setpoint is the equivalent of changing the thermostat in your house. This is the key metabolic benefit of VSG. Researchers believe your metabolic setpoint is controlled by the leptin-ghrelin-insulin balance in your system. VSG removes most of the stomach tissue that generates ghrelin (hunger hormone). This is why we aren't very hungry, except for head hunger, after surgery. Removing most of the ghrelin also affects the leptin (fat storage hormone) level, causing the body to want to reduce leptin levels and release fat. The change in both of these also impacts insulin levels, which reduces insulin resistance and in many cases immediately resolves type II diabetes. Endocrinologists don't know exactly why and how all of this works yet, but it does. In fact the ASMBS has reclassified the sleeve from a "restrictive" procedure to a "metabolic" procedure due to the impact it has on our metabolism. I believe those that have not been successful believed that the surgery was all they needed, and didn't change their lifestyle, food selection or habits. The sleeve should be a catalyst to change to a new, healthier behavior.

My guidance includes it as an option after the post-op diet is complete (so, theoretically it would be okay starting on week 5) However, it also states that it is likely to create a stall (I'm guessing more like a 1 or 2 day blip) in weight loss. I've never been a big drinker, so I've just decided not to have any until after I have reached my goal. I'm not worried about having alcohol after I'm healed, but risking some kind of minor stall on something I really don't care about is a no brainer for me. The other thing (you probably already know), alcohol is frequently reported to have a greater effect on people post weight loss surgery, so I would recommend caution and paying close attention to how it makes you feel.

The only person that I have told is my husband. My teenage son doesn't know, my daughter is away at uni and she doesn't know.I do have support as I go to a monthly support group meeting. Not having told my friends I tend to feel a bit weird when they carry on about my weight loss which they do! It's not so bad with casual friends - I have no problem telling them that I eat less, drink less alcohol, don't eat chocolate on a daily basis etc. It just feels wrong when I tell my close friends this - almost as though I'm lying which technically I'm not- it's just not the WHOLE truth. At this stage I wouldn't know how to fess up and tell them and in reality they don't need to know. My body,my health my business! But be prepared if you don't tell people to maybe have similar feelings. My mother and sister live overseas and I am going to visit them for 6 weeks over Christmas. I will decide when I am there if I should tell them or not.I will probably have to .

I drank about 3-4 months post op. BUT PLEASE, DRINK SLOWLY. and try low alcohol items first, like a glass of wine or a wine cooler or let a beer go flat. I learned the hard way, and when your body weight goes down plus with this surgery, you get drunk faster and it takes less to get you there. I find that liquids go right through me, so there's nothing to throw up when you get way too drunk. Just take it easy!

If I remember correctly, some of the Quest Bar flavors don't have sugar alcohols. The ones that do use erythritol.

I was also told that alcohol will have a total different effect on you after your surgery as well. It absorbs much quicker and you'll be drunk very quickly. Be safe! I'm only 6 days post surgery and on liquids for two weeks. Good luck with everything!!

I was sleeved on Aug 4th 2015. I've been losing my hair pretty regularly and noticeably for about a month now. I take biotin and use Bosley hair products. My diet is very varied.....I drink coffee and have alcohol fairly regularly. I drink a green smoothie with Unjury protein powder everyday and really just eat when I'm hungry. I'm down about 100lbs, roughly 65lbs since surgery.I had some very serious difficulties about 3 weeks after my surgery when I developed pancreatitis...worst 2 weeks of my life...hands down. But I made it through. In one way, I feel like I'm back to "normal living" for lack of a better word. I have my cravings....I'm a carb queen....but when I have those cravings, I'm able to have a couple bites and be satisfied. I don't overdo it and I eat very slowly...which helps. I'm starting my lifestyle classes this wednesday.....I'm guessing it'll be mostly about nutrition, but I'm not sure. I think I'm averaging about a 2-3lb a week weight loss. My only real exercise is walking at the moment.

@DisneyAddict - I quit smoking on 1/7 with Chantix and had surgery on 1/26. So stopped taking the Chantix on the day of surgery and never started it back. Now with all of the ways I'm feeling deprived currently - no nicotine, no alcohol, no food, etc I'm finding myself having really strong urges to start smoking again. I know I shouldn't for many obvious reasons, and really enjoy saving the money and not smelling like an ashtray. I wish I could truly enjoy going to the gym, but I just don't - at least not yet. I just need to find something enjoyable to do with myself. I feel like I go home and can't do anything except walk for a little bit and watch TV. It's a daily struggle with all of that.

Believe me when I say I appreciate all of your advice. If I didn't I would never post. I'm only 3 mos post op so of course there is a lot to learn. But please keep in mind that we all come here to vent. We all struggle from time to time. That is why I get offended when some say that this is the easy way out, because it is far from easy. Just like alcoholics still attend meetings to overcome their addiction, I come here for reassurance. I have no doubt in my mind that I can do this, hell, I believe we all can if we work hard enough for it. As I stated many times this is where I get all of my support from. The reason I'm saying this is to remind everyone here that we look for support not to be shamed or brow beaten. We all know the consequences of our actions, and posting here helps me cope. That is all!

I started following Whole30 in June and cannot believe the change in how much better I feel overall. Now I'm mostly Paleo. I eat meat, veggies, fruits and certain fats. I avoid alcohol, grains, dairy and legumes. The only sugar I eat is from those naturally occurring in food, mostly fruit. I will have a rare treat if the occasion warrants it though. For example, my cousin is getting married next month and I may have a bite of cake. Ok. Maybe a few bites. ????

I've been drinking wine and gin-tonics starting at 2 months post-op (yeah I'm a bad boy). Haven't had any issues at all, other than a lower alcohol tolerance

Honestly it takes a good amount of work to kick any addiction. Weather it's food, soda, alcohol, drugs, work or whatever. Of course most of us on here I believe are battling food and soda addictions. But for me I have beaten one addiction many years ago. I am a recovering drug addict. I was a heavy meth user and dealer years ago. Before the weight gain. For me I had to get myself into a intensive drug and alcohol treatment program and attended NA and AA meetings for a good solid 2 years. I have been clean for over 12 years now and will never trade my life now for what I was back then. So much like my drug addiction food is another addiction that has to be battled. I do that by gaining as much support from those around me and work to change my thinking. I have to think about why am I consuming this food. Do I really need this or is this something that I want? By the grace of God I am doing very well with the fight and will continue to push forward. Migraines can be treated with medicine by a physician. I know because I am a person who has gotten migraines since I was about 10 years old. I do still get them today but I also have medication to take when I feel one coming on and deal with it in that manner. As for soda that was a hard one to stop. But I did back in October. For me it first was a change from Pepsi to Sprite to Sprite Zero to no soda at all. This actually was over a period of about 5 years but I did it. I do not drink any carbonated beverages anymore and don't even crave them anymore either. It just takes telling yourself that you don't need it and being strong to change your ways. Best of luck!

"No, Sharon Tate nor Abigail Folger will come back to life if the killers are executed, but their families would not have to relive their murders every few years by having to go to the parole hearings tryin to keep them in prison." The families do not need to keep going back for parole hearings, they want to. Their need for vengeance is keeping them in Hell and ruining their lives, and is self destructive You may have noticed how the Amish welcomed the family of the killer of the 7 school children into their homes. They could have acted like most Americans and shunned them, but they forgave. Forgiveness is too often preached, but very seldom practiced. The families who dedicate their lives to parole hearings are killing themselves in a possibly subconscious attempt to join their deceased love ones. I watched a documentary once about a family in which a little girl watched a family friend kill her mother in their home. The other children and their father were not home. The man was sentenced to life in jail. The two other children and their father dedicated their lives to making sure the murderer would never be paroled, while the girl who was the witness moved away and flushed vengeance (and hate) from her mind. She is living a descent life. The father and her two sibling have all had bouts of alcohol and drug related problems including multiple failed marriages. Hatred truly harms the hater, while the hated is not effected.

Luckily I have no immediate family nearby except my sons - one who won't talk to me because I won't support his alcohol addiction and the other lives in Henderson and doesn't see any good reason to get a driver's license ... so I don't have to worry about snoopers. The reaction of your family is exactly the reason I didn't tell anyone I was doing this and since my return, the only thing I've told anyone is I had hiatal hernia repair surgery (which isn't a lie as Dr. A did find a sliding hiatal hernia and he repaired it) In hindsight, I now wish I had not told anyone ANYTHING however, hindsight is 20/20. I figure when I continue to lose weight there may be questions and the best I can come up with is that since I was on the liquid diet following the "repair" surgery, and my stomach had shrunk (not a lie :thumbup:) and I was finally losing weight, I decided to take this time to get on a healthy diet and exercise regime and lose as much weight as I can. In reality, it really is NO ONE's business but your's and your husband's. I think your family has been watching too many movies or something about Mexico ... print out things from this forum and let them read them ... surely they wouldn't believe that we are all "fake" and will start to see that you will be in the BEST HANDS and that you will come home afterwards. Hang in there and hang onto those "balls" -- family is family; however there is no reason you can't stand up for yourself all the time!

Hello my name is Kelli (Beach Lover) and I am a carbaholic! It is an addiction just like alcohol and we have to recognize it for what it is. I have learned this about myself and I know that I have to stay away from the darn things. Don't be surprised if you spend the next 24 hours cravings all kinds of stuff!! Ignore the cravings so it will back off. Few carbs only good ones! This is my biggest strategy for losing and maintaining once I get to that point. You did terrific for calling on help you knew you were weak so you took action! Good for you that is a victory in and of itself!! Be proud of that and hide the brownies!!

I recently posted the following comments on another thread and thought they were useful enough to live stand alone in a new thread: If it is helpful, my NUT at Swedish hospital in Seattle (yay Britney) recommended eating like the induction phase on Atkins for the pre op diet. I did not have any trouble with that as lots of practice there over the years. The Atkins Induction phase is essentially a very low carb diet, no breads, starches, caffeine, etc. You eat proteins as much as possible with some low glycemic vegetables. The surgeon stated that I had a super healthy and small liver because of doing this type of eating pre op. Most people will end up losing 10 lb. a week by eating low carb before surgery. For example, I switched my diet one month before surgery to be like Atkins induction phase and lost about 30 lbs dropping my weight to 335 lb., probably reducing complications that might have been present had I been 30 lb heavier and still eating junk. I felt it also gave me a good kick start on learning to eat better *before* post op physical and mental struggles. Really important!! Maybe this simple suggestion will help you or others who read this later. I also like the idea of drinking protein shakes before surgery. That will help you get used to the post op drinking of protein shakes. All we drink are protein shakes for up to 3 weeks post op (aka the liquid phase) so the more you prepare yourself for this, the better. However, I do have to warn you that your favorite protein shake flavor pre op may no longer be your favorite protein shake flavor post op. Our tastes often change when going over to the other side. For this reason, it is not a good idea to load up on tubs of protein powder pre op thinking you will be also drinking the same flavors post op. happened to me. MyBariatricPantry.com and other sites like this let you buy sample packets of protein shake flavors. Try some or all until you pick one or more that you do not mind drinking. Again, do this post op as your tastes may have changed after your stomach is removed. I happen to like Nectar sweets (several flavors) both pre op and post op, but did not like Nectar fruits post op where others really like Nectar fruit flavors post op. I used to be big on peach and banana flavors pre op, but hated them post op. Everyone will have different tastes. I still have 1-2 protein shakes daily. They are really helpful for when I need a low effort 1st meal and a recovery drink after working out. Still love to drink Nectar Cookies and Cream even today. I feel good that protein shakes are helping me get in an extra 40-50 grams of protein a day. I try and eat 150+ g of protein a day today. Water and milk will taste different post op, maybe even gross or cause GI issues. I could not drink milk again due to lactose intolerance issues until month 5 post op and plain water again until month 6 post op. You may find an alternative like light soy or almond milk will work just as well as nonfat/low fat milk post op; it will be smoother on your stomach and less trips to the bathroom. Everyone is different. As for water, I could taste all the minerals and it sat heavy in my stomach post op. I am still flavoring my water today at month 9 post op, but can drink bottled and tap water again without flavor if the need arises. Luckily, the need does not arise very often because I have water flavoring in my pocket most of the time. Try and drink as much water as possible to flush toxins from your system. As you are dropping weight, the stored toxins are released into your liver and it needs all the flushing it can get to keep up. I try and drink 100+ oz water a day today. An Atkins style diet without the higher fat foods actually works remarkably well post op to drop lbs month over month until you are able to add back in good carbs around month 5 or 6. For example, month 1 (45 lbs.), month 2 (45 lbs.), month 3 (15 lb), month 4 (15 lb), month 5 (15 lbs.) and month 6 ( 15 lbs). I am maintaining at around 180 lbs now for 2 months. This is only a suggested style of eating post op as it will not work for everyone nor will it be preferred by everyone. As an aside, I also added coffee back in at week 6 and alcohol at month 6. My remaining pre op vices, I suppose. Hey, I am a Seattleite and need my coffee! Today I have transitioned into a Paleo diet with supplementation (shakes and bars) to help optimize my running and cross fit activities. Up until month 5, my exercise was mostly walking / elliptical and I encourage everyone to really get good at walking before taking on additional exercise activities. Besides, your dog will love you for it! Hope this helps! Please add other tips that have worked for you so pre ops will have a smoother transition to post op with regards to eating and drinking.

I actually postponed my original date last October. But everything was booked and paid for. So me and hubby went and enjoyed ourselves. There was a lot of drinking involved. 😁 So if you are not a huge fan of alcohol, I say go for it!