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Hi y'all.. .guess what??... I can log on here and finally post what I have been been reading from other for a year now..I HAVE A SURGERY DATE!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! March 17- St. Patrick's Day!!! I wish y'all could see the smile on my face as I am typing this- But, with that comes this great shadow of doom- the preop liver shrinking diet. I understand I need to drink liquids and eat one low fat meal a day such as grilled chicken and a salad. Will this work? I haven't been on the scales but I fear I've gained about 20 pounds over the last 9 months waiting to get my dr visits and preapproval done. Do you think I will be put on hold for the weight gain? And again, should I be able to do my liver anygood with a 2 week liquid diet? I feel like a fool.. help!:confused:

I agree with many of you here. I was a BIG beer drinker. I have not had one in 16 months now. I do miss it in the summer, and even dreamed about drinking it just two nights ago..... But I drink wine, martinis, vodka and cranberry, and I too like bloody marys. I was good about doing it ocasionally, but have been under tremendous stress at work (could lose my job the end of next month) and my adult sons are wearing me thin, so I've been drinking a glass of wine almost every day when I get home. My doctor is concerned with the increase and I guess I am too, but it really hasn't caused any weight gain. I'm to stressed to eat!!! So be careful. I know I'm going to have to put the breaks on sooner or later. I just need the relaxation at the moment.

Hi...I am having the Lap-Band surgery on March 27th at Magee. Dr. Carol McCloskey is the surgeon. On March 10th., I go to Magee for pre-op tests. I don't know what they will consist of since I had so many tests already. When I questioned the need for more testing, I was told that the tests can be no more than 30 days pre-op. In July of 08, I attended an informational meeting about bariatric surgery at Magee. On Aug. 4th was the Pre-Operative Lifestyle Classes first meeting. The fee was $395.00 which could be paid in three installments of $145.00 each------the last one at the end of the six month life style classes. Also, I was instructed to keep a food/activity log for one week prior to the initial class. A nutritionist ran the class which had about thirty people gathered in the waiting room area of Suite 5600. I noticed that most of the people interested in the surgery were accompanied by another person. I went alone. The Nutritionist passed out several informational booklets which were about nutrition, behavioral basics, lifestyle changes and physical activity. One has the choice of either attending monthly classes at Magee or going to one's Primary Care Physician monthly. I chose to go to my PCP. The monthly PCP visit consisted of me bringing in my food and activity logs for each month. My PCP is closer than Magee and the parking is free, plus there was not the hassle of the drive on the Parkway East. Also, Magee had a list of the dates for the monthly classes. I was unable to attend any of the meetings scheduled in Oct. Thus, I had to schedule with my PCP at my convienience. It is imperative to attend a meeting each and every month. It makes no difference if your PCP meeting is one month and the next time you could meet is the next month only two weeks after the previous meeting. This was important to me and something I did not understand at first. It happened that I did have to schedule an appt. for Jan. 21st and the next one for Feb. 2nd. I had little to add to the activity log due to the pain in my knees but I did attempt to take more steps each day. Of course, there was the dreaded weigh-in. My PCP filled out the required After Visit Summary and faxed it to Magee after each visit. My weight at Magee was 243. My first weigh-in with my PCP on Sept. 3rd was 237. My last weigh in with my PCP on Feb. 2,09 was 217. I had a twenty dollar co-pay at each PCP visit. I am in my 60's so I had a ton of tests.......EGK, stress test, echocardiogram, Chest x-ray, blood work, sleep study(which showed I have sleep apnea so I had to have a second study). I have a minor blood disorder so I was also required to see a hematolgist. He sent me for more tests. It was a lot of testing but I did it all in Feb., and got it done quickly. I see a therapist, so I only had to take in the form for him to fill out and fax to Magee. That was the easy part since he was the one who first suggested that I consider the Lap-Band surgery. Before I scheduled all my tests, I spent hours on the phone with my insurer making sure that all the tests and the doctors were covered by my insurance. At the first meeting with the surgeon, I got all the scripts for each test to be done. After the six month program ended with the appt. with the nutritionist, all my records were sent to the insurance company. About ten days later, I got a call from Magee that my insurer wanted my PCP to send in a two year record of my weights. Only a week later........Feb. 27th., I was called by Magee to tell me that my surgery was approved. I have a confession that after my last PCP visit, I did lose my focus and start to eat badly again. I went on a three week vacation and fell into the same bad habits of overeating. I knew that I was not going to get approved for the surgery if I had any weight gain during the six months. That fear keep my on the straight and narrow.....well, mostly. I also knew that if I really stuck to a 1500 calorie plan that I would lose too much and get denied. There is a fine line to be walked. I attended one Magee Bariatric support group meeting and the person running the meeting said that someone had just gotten rejected because she lost 50 pounds on her own. I gained 7 pounds. I feel badly, but if I did not have a history of losing and gaining, I would not be having the surgery in the first place. I know this is long, but I thought it just may answer some questions for one or two people. I have been in the health field for over 35 years, but I found this process to be a bit confusing and complicated at times. Wish me luck.......this is my last chance.

I am now at 24 weeks, half unfil and 7 kilos (not sure of pounds) weight gain. Can't wait to have bubby in my arms. found out I am having another boy

Well last night was the first night in two weeks I felt any restriction while eating dinner. Unfortunately today is my second fill. I hope this up and down nature of restriction is too much to deal with long term. I also think that a lot of my weight gain was from eating soup at the hotel restaurant last week. I think this because in the two days since I got back I dropped 3lbs? That has to be water weight, so I'm thinking the soup had a lot of MSG in it or something? I say all of this because it could be that the MSG also was making me retain water and making my restriction less? It could all be related? I am predicting a .5cc fill today? I know I am still not at as good of a point as I was a week after my surgery, so I know I'm really not to the sweet spot right now.

Well last night was the first night in two weeks I felt any restriction while eating dinner. Unfortunately today is my second fill. I hope this up and down nature of restriction is too much to deal with long term. I also think that a lot of my weight gain was from eating soup at the hotel restaurant last week. I think this because in the two days since I got back I dropped 3lbs? That has to be water weight, so I'm thinking the soup had a lot of MSG in it or something? I say all of this because it could be that the MSG also was making me retain water and making my restriction less? It could all be related? I am predicting a .5cc fill today? I know I am still not at as good of a point as I was a week after my surgery, so I know I'm really not to the sweet spot right now.

I have fibromyalgia and was almost bedridden until 2 years ago when I was diagnosed w/bipolar and put on lithium. This helped so much w/the depression and fatigue, I am able to be up, dressed, and out w/others 5 out of 7 days(most weeks). The pain is still there, but with most of depression lifted and fatigue at bay (lithium can cause heavy feeling, not tiredness), I am more optimistic about both diseases than ever. When 1st diagnosed w/fib, gp told me to increase salt intake as I woke up exhasted and had low bpressure. This was to no avail. Weight gain/loss hasnt affected pain much, maybe little worse. The cycle of stress, depression, fatigue, pain can be viscious. Antidepressants cause more depression and weight gain for me. Exercise DOES help immensely. It seems to have a negative effect on moods at times, drains my energy(sounds crazy!). Everyone with this terrible disease should never give up looking for correct med or med combo for improved quality of life! I was bedridden until my family stepped in and sought the help/treatment to function normally again. Help is out there. maddy

Wow I'm so torn, I'm so thrilled to finally be losing my weight that I can't stand the thought of gaining it back, but the idea of my pain being gone is a dream come true. Which is better, thin and in pain or fat without pain? I didn't realize weight gain was such a common side effect, but now that I've read this I'm wondering if my slow loss the last couple months is because of the Lyrica. Arg what to do!!!

It has been a complete miracle for me. I am taking 450 mgs each day. Each capsule has 150 mgs so I spread them out during the day. My only bad side effect has been the weight gain which lead me to this surgery. Before Lyrica, I spent a great deal of time laying in bed watching TV - I was in too much pain and too exhausted to do much of anything. I would say it cut 40 percent of the pain. I have been able to reduce my pain medicine and go on walks with my dog - sometimes two or three each day. Of course, I'm nowhere near being back to "normal" but I can function. I would love to be able to go back to work someday - that is my dream.

Well, I'm along for the ride on this one.. But if you want to down-size from the house and get hotels in Huntsville (although, Madison is better!!).. my parents have a BIG pool with 3x waterfalls and a slide.. AND a hot tub...and it's all on a lake (although you can't swim in this lake). If you want that as an option, it's there.. my parents don't mind me ever bringing people over. Ok here's pics from the shower.. And now I see where the 50lb weight gain is.. egads. Me & NaeNae-- she's the one who threw the party (and went ALL OUT). The flags behind us spell Carson in nautical flag alphabet. The cake Me & the cake.. boy I love cake. She told me to take it home, and I didn't.. I would have eaten the whole 1/2 that was left to myself. Me & my friends. Me & my granny...... She always says something that brings us to tears from laughter. Me & my cousin. She just found out she is pregnant last week (6 weeks along).. so she put a balloon under there. She really will look like that since she's a true skinny minny!! Openin presents.. Smellin POO.. (Russell's mom was).

I have had a similar problem with MID-back pain since November. (not lower). I was banded in May 08. I've had xrays, scans, etc. Went to the chiropractor and got the feel good treatments that helped for a few hours. It never occured to me that weight LOSS could cause the pain. It seemed to me that the weight gain would cause pain but I figured losing weight wouldnt! Little did I know. Finally got referred to a good Physical therapist. He asked me if I had recently lost a lot of weight. I told him I had lost about 70 lbs since last May. He said that makes sense then. He said when you are over weight your ligments, etc are stretched to accommodate the xtra heaviness. With a big weight loss those ligaments are now trying to deal with the "unstretching" and are confused so to speak. He gave me back exercises and rubber band exercises for strengthening and I can now feel a vast improvement. So, I guess what Im saying is, your body can respond in various ways with such a big weight loss. Check it out with your physician.

Hey Derbin247, I was banded on 2/24 and though I didn't experience weight gain, I was in miserable pain until yesterday when all seem to settle down. I still have some lingering after effects from surgery but I'm hoping these too will go away before my 1-week anniversary. Oh, and BTW, I had 2 c-sections and this was so much worse. I think because I was in the hospital for 4 full days for each of my children, the 2nd-day-in-the-worst rule played out differently with nursing care and my nurse-in-a-box (that self administering pain meds miracle machine). Anyway, onward and upward,er, I meant...downward. :party::hurray:

I am a 75 year old male that weighed 420 pounds when I first considered lapband surgery. My original consultation was to be in September 2008 but was interupted by a hospital stay and the consultation was postponed to December. While in the hospital, I was on a restrictive diet and lost weight. I decided to maintain a 12-1400 calorie diet upon release and have continued to lose weight. I know weigh 352 pounds. I am completing the pre operation tests and have an appointment with the surgeon the end on March and I assume a surgery date could be set at the time. I know the arguments that weight loss after dieting is usually followed by weight gain, but I feel very motivated by my results to date and am debating not going ahead with the surgery. To date, my diabetes, kidney and heart have all improved with the weight lost to date I am intersted in hearing from older memebers as how the judge the lapband proceedure and are there others who were able to reject the operation after positive diet results

I was banded on 2/26. Thank you to everyone for posting your experiences. The gas and burping, I was told, is a side effect from the surgery. I found a comfortable position to sleep in and have not been doing too bad. I eat sugar free popsicles, yogurt, pudding, and broth, plus decaf green tea, Water and decaf coffee. It feels like someone kicked me in the stomach. But I did get my period this morning, which sucks, but I will deal with it. I am, as I am sure you guys are, looking forward to getting back to normal. Melanie PS, weight gain is just the gas they put in you for the surgery...

That is a scarey thought Wendy. I guess we have to stay diligent in keeping an eye out on any weight gain. Even though I am not at goal, as soon as I see any weight gain I make sure I jump right back into doing more exercise... I think that is why I kept off the weight when my band wasn't working. I guess despite the band, we will be "dieting" for the rest of our lives.

Hi all, 1st angelia, when did u get banded? can i assume 2/13/09 is your date?:smile:...lol. I was banded on 2/4/09 and just started eating food. :thumbup:i was to start on mushies on 2/25/09 but now since i can tolerate regular food that is what i have been eating. i could use a fill too, but my dr. wanted me to stay on liquids for 6 weeks to maximize my weight loss,:w00t:but i couldnt take it i was just too hungry :cursing:and my nutrionist stated i could eat soft foods. i initally lost 15 pounds :thumbup:but since i can eat reglar food i have gained back one pound :w00t:and i am thoughrouly disgusted.:wink: not sure when my dr will give me a fill, :blushing:but i dont see him again until 3/12/09. i feel great.:tt2: i have no soreness around the port which is just above my belly button, and my surgeon did a great job and i have 2 small scars from the surgery one just below my breaST BONE AND ONE INSIDE MY BELLY BUTTON THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE, IT LOOKS LIKE I NEVER HAD SURGERY.:thumbup: I AM GOING TO STILL FOLLOW JENNY CRaig until i get my fills, so i can minimize any weight gain if any at all and watch what it is that i am eating. i really fell good with the 15 pound weight loss. i am going to attend the lap band conference here in queens ny in hopes to learn new things and meet new people. i am coping...but i am hungry...lol.

Since often our bodies synthesize D from sunshine, living here in sunny south texas I think it's pretty uncommon. You do know that with insufficient D you also run the risk of Calcium problems because your body needs D to process calcium.... That being said, I think both weight loss and weight gain are complex issues with many many facets. Many things can cause rapid gain or slow loss; it isn't just "calories in vs energy used" like they used to think. Whether D was slowing your loss or not, it's good it's been found and you're "fixing" the problem. I take a supplement with TONS of D in it but even at that, without adequate sunshine the body can't process it properly...so it's good to be aware.

Hi everyone! Just wishing everyone continuous success!!! As of this moment I will no longer continue to try and lose weight, since I am pregnant. I am not overweight, yeiii!! Im pretty happy, I will continue to exercise and eat healthy for my baby's health and of course for mine. Not really scared of gaining weight durigng the pregnancy but the doctor told me, I will probably have no problem keeping the weight gain at 15 pounds! So far I am still losing, I increased my calories and now I only focus on the treadmill for a brief one hour walk. Good luck!!!! FYI: My weight loss slowed down A LOT, but of course I did l ose about 80 plus pounds three months after surgery, so I was not dissapointed at all. In fact, with my height 200 pounds looks pretty damn good. I never wanted to be a skinny minnie!

No, consuming sugar and drinking through a straw cannot cause erosion. A total loss of restriction and a weight gain are cause for concern. I thought this forum made you giggle and you wouldn't return?? I must have misunderstood.

I am 25 years old, 5ft 4inches, just under 16 stone. I do have alot of stretch marks on my tummy and my thighs are fairly large although not stretch marked to the extent of my tummy (the marks on my thighs are left over from growth spurts as a teen and not as result of weight gain). I am currently a UK 18/20 (US 14/16 i think) I and want to be no less than a UK 10 (US 6). I like curves and I don't want to be stick thin. I would possible even be happy with myself at a size 12. Anyways I am going to be going to the gym at uni and might do a couple of classes like boxercise and pilates. When I have dropped a couple of dress sizesI will probs also start swimming. Anyways what do you think? Will it be a big problem for me? and does it tighten up with exercise? Thanks Anna xxx

Hello, Feb 23 bandsters..I'd love to compare notes with everyone..How much pain are you having, what stage of the diet are you on now, have you lost weight post op? I still have a mod. amt of pain at the puncture sites and shoulder, I'm on full liquids but I've not been able to get the daily required amt. of fluids in, and to my shock, my 24 hr stay in hospital resulted in 6 lbs weight gain....Luckily I have NO appetite and have to force every oz of fluids down. Hope to hear from ya'll soon............

I originally posted this on the message boards and I thought I could reuse for my first blog: Hello everyone, So this is my first post here and here is my story… I am 29 years and I will hit the dreaded 30 next month. Not that I think 30 is old, I just can't believe that I am gonna be thirty and after all these years I have not be able to successfully manage my weight. Right now my scale is tipping at about 250. I haven't always been this fat. I would say that back in my high school days I was a little chubby. The last lowest weight I can last remember was 165 lbs in 2001. So I have gained 85 lbs in 8 years…wow. I have been happily married to my high school sweet heart for 6 years now and he is absolutely wonderful to me. He loves me as I am, no matter what. We have a awesome 18 month old son, who is the center of our universe. I was diagnosed with a under active thyroid (hypothyroid) when I was 16 years old. Both my mother and grandmother were also hypothyroid and overweight as well, so my all of issues are definitely built into my genetic make up. But I will admit that I have contributed to my 85lb weight gain by eating improperly and being lazy. We moved away from our family and friends right after we got married, so I have spent the last six years some what isolated from our loved ones. We happily spend every weekend lazy, in love and alone on our sofa. Fortunately my husband has been blessed with a amazing metabolism, and he is the same 160 lbs that he weighed on the day we got married. Now I will admit that I do have a food problem. But I am not a emotional eater. I actually lose my appetite when I am really upset. I am a 'bored' and 'lonely' eater. I snack when my husband isn't around. And I have no shame when it comes to making poor food choices…buffalo chicken, cheese burger, fries, pizza, chinese food…none of them any good. I have tried to lose weight in the past but always became easily discouraged and distracted when I didn't see any immediate results. I have always simply blamed my failed thyroid for holding me back. Although I know that is not 100% true. My life style certainly contributes. I saw a new endocrinologist a few years back and asked him if he had any insight on how I can approach weight loss while living with hypothyroidism. I mean, obviously he has seen plenty of patients with my condition…he must know someone who has had success. I just wanted him to share their secret with me. Should I give weight watchers another try…should I try jenny craig…should I see a nutritionist…can he give me a magic pill?!?!?! And then he gave me the old diet and exercise talk…as if I was stupid and never heard of it before. Ugh, whatever…thanks for nothing! I then decided to start seeing a new endocrinologist just because his office was closer to work and it was convenient. I asked him if he knew what the secret to weight loss was. Now before I tell you what he told me, I want to paint this visual for you. My endo is a 5 ft tall chinese man. He is straight from china and I really have to focus when he talks so I can understand his words clearly through his accent. He speaks very abrubtly and to the point. So when I told him that I don't believe I eat a lot but I just wanted know what he thinks I need to do, he told me…"it doesn't matter what you eat, just eat half! If the only thing you eat all day is a peanut, then only eat HALF a peanut the next day!" What?!?! As if that was even possible. I felt defeated again. But he actually seemed to take more interest in the health of my thyroid. He gave attention to a 2 cm nodule that my last endo identified and did nothing with. My new endo conducted ultra sounds and a biopsy. The biopsy results revealed that my nodule is non-cancerous but it was also not begin. My nodule cells are just irregular. They could remain irregular for the rest of my life or there is also the potential that they can become cancer at some point. Thyroid cancer is very, very slow growing. Regardless of what they are or would be, the option of having surgery to remove that part of my thyroid was completely in my hands. I could chose to monitor to the grow or I could choose to cut it out. So this is the part of my story that brings me here today...the whole idea of any type of surgery scares me. I don't want to be put to sleep and I know it is vain but don't want the scar on my neck. But I know that I want to live the rest of my life free and clear of the potential of cancer. My thyroid is sick to begin with and hasn't been working probably since I was 16 years old. I already take 224 mcg of synthetic thyroid replacement medication. I came to the conclusion that my thyroid is useless and they may as well remove the whole thing. My total thyroidectomy is scheduled for Feb 3rd. So I have been thinking about my endo's "half a peanut" theory and began to seriously consider lap band surgery. My mom has gastric bypass surgery a few years back and it has given her a new life. She has no regrets other than not doing it sooner. I want to live the next 30 years of my life differently from the way that I currently do. I want to run and play with my son. I want to look good standing next to my hubby. This posting is long enough, I am sure I don't need tell you guys everything that I want because I am sure they are same things that you want from life. So spoke to my husband, my mom and friend and I think I feel good about pursuing this. I am going to attend a Introductory Bariatric Meeting on 2/13. I know that this isn't the going to be the final resolution I was searching for. It is not a magic pill. But I believe that it a tool that will put me in the rigth direction. Thanks for your time!

I originally posted this on the message boards and I thought I could reuse for my first blog: Hello everyone, So this is my first post here and here is my story… I am 29 years and I will hit the dreaded 30 next month. Not that I think 30 is old, I just can't believe that I am gonna be thirty and after all these years I have not be able to successfully manage my weight. Right now my scale is tipping at about 250. I haven't always been this fat. I would say that back in my high school days I was a little chubby. The last lowest weight I can last remember was 165 lbs in 2001. So I have gained 85 lbs in 8 years…wow. I have been happily married to my high school sweet heart for 6 years now and he is absolutely wonderful to me. He loves me as I am, no matter what. We have a awesome 18 month old son, who is the center of our universe. I was diagnosed with a under active thyroid (hypothyroid) when I was 16 years old. Both my mother and grandmother were also hypothyroid and overweight as well, so my all of issues are definitely built into my genetic make up. But I will admit that I have contributed to my 85lb weight gain by eating improperly and being lazy. We moved away from our family and friends right after we got married, so I have spent the last six years some what isolated from our loved ones. We happily spend every weekend lazy, in love and alone on our sofa. Fortunately my husband has been blessed with a amazing metabolism, and he is the same 160 lbs that he weighed on the day we got married. Now I will admit that I do have a food problem. But I am not a emotional eater. I actually lose my appetite when I am really upset. I am a 'bored' and 'lonely' eater. I snack when my husband isn't around. And I have no shame when it comes to making poor food choices…buffalo chicken, cheese burger, fries, pizza, chinese food…none of them any good. I have tried to lose weight in the past but always became easily discouraged and distracted when I didn't see any immediate results. I have always simply blamed my failed thyroid for holding me back. Although I know that is not 100% true. My life style certainly contributes. I saw a new endocrinologist a few years back and asked him if he had any insight on how I can approach weight loss while living with hypothyroidism. I mean, obviously he has seen plenty of patients with my condition…he must know someone who has had success. I just wanted him to share their secret with me. Should I give weight watchers another try…should I try jenny craig…should I see a nutritionist…can he give me a magic pill?!?!?! And then he gave me the old diet and exercise talk…as if I was stupid and never heard of it before. Ugh, whatever…thanks for nothing! I then decided to start seeing a new endocrinologist just because his office was closer to work and it was convenient. I asked him if he knew what the secret to weight loss was. Now before I tell you what he told me, I want to paint this visual for you. My endo is a 5 ft tall chinese man. He is straight from china and I really have to focus when he talks so I can understand his words clearly through his accent. He speaks very abrubtly and to the point. So when I told him that I don't believe I eat a lot but I just wanted know what he thinks I need to do, he told me…"it doesn't matter what you eat, just eat half! If the only thing you eat all day is a peanut, then only eat HALF a peanut the next day!" What?!?! As if that was even possible. I felt defeated again. But he actually seemed to take more interest in the health of my thyroid. He gave attention to a 2 cm nodule that my last endo identified and did nothing with. My new endo conducted ultra sounds and a biopsy. The biopsy results revealed that my nodule is non-cancerous but it was also not begin. My nodule cells are just irregular. They could remain irregular for the rest of my life or there is also the potential that they can become cancer at some point. Thyroid cancer is very, very slow growing. Regardless of what they are or would be, the option of having surgery to remove that part of my thyroid was completely in my hands. I could chose to monitor to the grow or I could choose to cut it out. So this is the part of my story that brings me here today...the whole idea of any type of surgery scares me. I don't want to be put to sleep and I know it is vain but don't want the scar on my neck. But I know that I want to live the rest of my life free and clear of the potential of cancer. My thyroid is sick to begin with and hasn't been working probably since I was 16 years old. I already take 224 mcg of synthetic thyroid replacement medication. I came to the conclusion that my thyroid is useless and they may as well remove the whole thing. My total thyroidectomy is scheduled for Feb 3rd. So I have been thinking about my endo's "half a peanut" theory and began to seriously consider lap band surgery. My mom has gastric bypass surgery a few years back and it has given her a new life. She has no regrets other than not doing it sooner. I want to live the next 30 years of my life differently from the way that I currently do. I want to run and play with my son. I want to look good standing next to my hubby. This posting is long enough, I am sure I don't need tell you guys everything that I want because I am sure they are same things that you want from life. So spoke to my husband, my mom and friend and I think I feel good about pursuing this. I am going to attend a Introductory Bariatric Meeting on 2/13. I know that this isn't the going to be the final resolution I was searching for. It is not a magic pill. But I believe that it a tool that will put me in the rigth direction. Thanks for your time!

Hi there I can't advise whether you would get NHS funding as I know every area have their budgets. Please go and see you GP who would be the best person to speak to in the first instance. As Jacks says - keep on doing your research, most things are covered on these forums and they are really helpful. Please don't think that the band will change your life and transform your world - you are the only person that can do that, with or without the band. Any weight loss I am sure will boost your confidence, but from your post it does seem that you have other hurdles to get over too. If you made one positive step to do one activity away/out of your home, that could possibly make you feel better. I am in no way patronising you as I don't know what it is like in your shoes. But due to weight gain, I have become less active, a couch-potato and the only trips out I enjoy lately is to somewhere to eat! I wish you well and hope you will be a bit more positive about life soon. Best of luck with your research, you at least have made a positive step by posting on the forum here.

One last comment. I think that using 0 calorie beverages as a substitute for Water is workable to an extent but should be done in moderation. However, I have read quite a few articles regarding consumption of a high level of artificial sweeteners having a negative effect on health. Some people get headaches and start to feel achy or lethargic. If you are drinking a lot of 0 calorie "sweetened" beverages during the day but have not been feeling 100%, you might want to switch to primarily water for a couple of days to see if it helps. There have also been articles stating that artificial sweeteners are sometimes linked with weight gains in that it causes the body to crave more sugar. Anecdotally, most people I know that are significantly overweight are also diet pop-aholics (and that included me before banding and the pop restriction). I have actually started drinking things like mint tea completely unsweetened with a spot of creamer. It is hot, tasty, 0 calorie and there are no chemicals involved.