Search the Community

Had he not dream!! Watch TV drama she always spend too much money, so every time when going to the cinema to take sufficient tissue and popcorn to see if the comedy when she regardless of the surrounding the audience laugh, until around all the audience vote surprised eyes when she will be embarrassed over put into his arms nicker to see if sad mirror, she will sob sob sh cry tears.Also a popcorn side asked him as if one eternal question: do you like the movie he did IHe always smiled and help her clean cry like a little cat face, gently pinch her nose: will, certainly will!She likes him, fragrant flowers, she had many male flowers.She likes to eat popcorn, he bought her the popcorn machine, he said he would give them between operating like popcorn that she will never leave.Too much care that she ignores his presence, she always felt is no movie it with vigour and vitality.She lightly tell him goodbye, he stayed: for, why.. For no other reason, I did not you, in my world you as if does not exist!His sad past, a step by step disappears in her eyes.She suddenly had a little bit of love, but more when the light burden unloaded.. thereafter time, will never do for her popcorn, never would she kind of male flowers. She tried her best to seek his own, but each time ended in failure.She has some friends of drama and tears will always say she was stupid.She was foolish to ask her friends why not do for her popcornFriends of the answer almost is consistent if like to buy on the lineShe was disappointed not to le.She has Nike Lunar Eclipse been in dreams often smell blue pure taste of popcorn.But when he carefully capture the time seemed out of sight.He's in my life thereShe often asked myself.Frustrated and did not change her for the movie, but with the growth of age but let her not to film in the festival and sigh.Perhaps, just because there is no will to her carefully polished.Once she got drunk alone to go to the cinema to watch movie "Titanic" when she saw in front of her a little girl is sob sob Boo's crying, next to the child with a paper towel carefully look in her eyes, as long as there is a drop of tears, that child will be the fastest speed carefully wipe.Such a familiar scene a knife from her chamber.Hurt, hurt not just.She was embarrassed fled home, carry off all that one has to find out his number, over and over again to make, but not voice seemed to tell her that he had never in her life had existed in every play, a distressed on the increase, the alcohol she slowly fell asleep and lying on the floor was a tragedy.The audience had left empty cinema just leave her alone sad tears, a handkerchief to pass in front of her, she was raised, is he!!He squatted down and carefully wipe her tears, she again silly ask him that as the eternal question: do you like the movie he did IHe gently pinched her nose is laughing to say: will, will she threw herself into his arms and cried.. Kenneth bell awakened her, it was just a dream!She is a weak crouched on the floor crying.She finally understand: only the imprint is engraved on my heart. It hurt, only know that he really had!Had he Pink memories (a) The 1 season of silence, I have reduced to forgive is reduced to idle.In the body through breathing evenly so strong, so easily forgive I thought, whether from your body flows into my body and everything related to pulse.More black I gently close your eyes and listen to the man he was drinking with lonely evening to drink the falling from the sky spread in my heart I thought again, whether can the Xi moved to my solutionPerhaps, Xi is beautiful but so is more beautiful than the night, 2 again and again from your body I extremely lonely escape.Make a pitiful plea foundation out of balance, began to wobble and maintained a permanent magnetMemory is long.As years deserted me loose pieces held it in his hand injury realized: being the dark refused my liquid filtering and cleaning a gorgeous and tactful person if the falling tears with a radian and play I will be mad with the whole winter but I can accompany the tear light hibernation3 tears, walking in the death edge I have not see warm and cold. But I'm still overlook, burning and water is still in the rise and fall of be confound at hope again.I ran up drifting exudes a true light submerged miss in the distant bright gloss I finally understand: it is also the last from the side brush past, I kiss the Dai mei.My brother , relationresultOccasionally seen in another text woman brother ,extremely wrote about the heart ,then ,is reproduced to space .When it comes to big brother ,the first think of my cousin cousin ,think ,the song silly song was back in the ear .My cousin is two years older than me, grandma in the light and heavy female mind, one can imagine ,my position is very humble .I don dispute often envy at her cousin ,giving food .The suffering of the year ,we all rely on sweet potato ,corn flour ,cousin hands are always white wheat flour steamed bread .My eyes can be captured ,stomach also followed ,but my BA is stubborn ,again how to drop will not dull grandma ,but will not speak to curry favor with her home .At this time, cousin is pulling my hand swiftly to run ,run to me the eye .I watched him nor willing to eat, to know how the matter .Grandma is how clever, she even this idea also can Before we went to the door ,grandma would stand on feet insults chasing .I fear turned purple eggplant ,therefore ,trying desperately to pull a cousin clothes ,or hide in him, lest her crutches on back .My cousin is a laugh .He is certainly not laugh at me ,laugh grandmother urgent corrupt manner .I also think Nike Lunar Eclipse grandma age ,as a spectacle ,but did not dare to laugh in a flagrant way ,more afraid to contradict her sentence .If you make her unhappy ,she will find close ones, giving orders to ignore me .How will listen to her cousin Grandma angry just angry ,he should give me much ,nothing less .I was in his eldest child ,eat the fat ,live happily .Grandma not only Oh Shh Oh Shh ,at me a fresh eyes .Cousin of the proud ,he took advantage of this to her cabinet progress .For a while ,he took out a silver lock hanging on my neck ,and then took out a wooden comb ,in my hair comb two .Grandpa come in and see cousin care me ,a kind smile .Cousin saw Grandpa ,still persist in one .Grandpa doesn care ,just say this is when the elder brother like .Go to the school every morning ,Grandpa open asked cousin ,me If you hear a grandma ,would nature of grandpa is really officious !My notebook ,pencil ,eraser ,these small fragmented if lost ,he crouched in the corner and cousin .Grandma down my cry ,don cry for ,then let me cry a murky sky over a dark earth .Old man coming, ask me to cry I speak ,his grandma for cousin that he gave me .She found her little object repository ,first ask Grandpa ,come back in time with prolyl take cousin said he to me, how to punish ,all from Grandma .Grandma cousin ,all disappear .I like that with their cousin .As long as the grandma cousin spare stuff ,there is my job .Especially have the Spring Festival firecrackers ,fireworks ,I see can not move .Grandma is not I knock ,she says that only bow .Cousin took grandma is not in ,pulling my grandpa knock .At that time ,very naive ,I even innocently said ,will give him knock .He was shaking that peers can not have this number .I ask why He said knock aspects are respect ,come in and say ,but also cheap .Cannot but not to move ,can not have .I said my grandma than respect respect him ,let me give him knock a !He said that in order to Pakistan and belly ,not to knock ,that represents the left to do the dignity and the bottom line .In my heart ,my cousin is rebellious .He who also barge ,who also do not fear ,because I have a disaster when grandma ,provoking a kiss between the wars, cousin stood up and argued against .If he is her heart ,I am afraid that I have long been a pinching mud .Even our teacher summed up, only his boldness and courage are plastic ,not to mention his be clever and sensible .His study of top-notch villagers as everyone knows ,failing ,one will see, encounter a problem ,a point is ,everyone says that my aunt and father of genetics .Add ,I twelve willing to follow him around .For me the trouble ,he doesn ,phase ,when the bully, or be grandma up ,he is even more determined to protect my determination .I thought ,he will always be on my, I regard him as my fate .Childhood in this ignorance ignorant gone .The summer vacation that June, dark ,he took me to catch cicada shell .When my hands touch the tree insects ,as well as walking at the foot of the frog ,snake is a kind of animal ,will greatly small :oh !My brother ,where are you He quickly opened the flashlight ,light finally stabbed my eyes ,and all around the corner .Brother ,I walk behind you ,never beat !I have been used to hold his coat-tails .Where is the light ,where is the brother .He is responsible for my safety have bad habits .Tomorrow will not come, I am afraid !I timidly .Rest assured ,with brother give you courage .He extinguished the light ,to find a way .But ,did not forget to hold my hand .My heart ,immediately into a warm .His forte is climbing the tree ,you see, autumn in September, if the red persimmon ,walnut green ,like a monkey ,neat and quick climb to the .I do not Mens Nike Free 4.0 V2 give him ,covered with gray strips of bamboo ,is squatting picking him .He was full of sweat ,but could not wipe .Brother ,enough Airless garden ,oppressed I almost suffocated, I will beat a retreat .Come back is not easy, playing more enough for you to eat half a month .He is agile, quickly seize the branches ,and down to the East ,and down to the west ,now I can remember him upside down in the tree ,twisted smile towards me .Filled with Yao ,Ling He never be bored with sth. to eat ,throwing ,asked a low inventory fruitful harvest me .Enough !Full !I can the kind of sweet heart .When we hand sickle ,carrying cages ,gaily return fully loaded ,Xi West Ramp, the curl of smoke is slowly rising .Fourteen five years of age ,it is the mood for love, but we have dropped out of home farm .Awfuller is ,apart ,he lived in the village in the west ,I and the house next to ,but from his very far from the east .Fortunately ,every time he goes to dryland ,goes through my door .I mostly mowing ,trailing father spread fertilizer .While farming burdens in he .Uncle become as emaciated as a fowl ,usually will only follow along with Grandpa ,in the work is full of big single-handedly .Grandma is watching the brother succession ,to bring all of it .I don feel sorry for yourself, but for cousin anxious .The teachers have come to the house and big talk ,said cousin is a rare good prospects, have not studied would imply that the progenitor of the a man of tremendous promise be destroyed on one day .Villagers also regret ,and the elder brother does not have a complaint .He ran into my pocket when downhill ,actually took the red jujube .He is smiling to me to hurry to try ,I watched him full of dust ,looking at his hand foam ,watching his skin is too dry and dark ,what thoughts swallow He sensed my melancholy, to pay no heed to say ,okay ,exercise will be a real crops .I have taken the first step to get married .Grandpa and Grandma could not see her in the hall .The marriage ,brother asked to deliver a message ,say you want me to go with him to the rape flower .My arms go and cry beloved, as he came to the persimmon garden ,jujube forest ,walk straight ,golden sparkling rape blocking the way .He pulled me down in my grandpa and grandma huge tears roll down .That was the first time I saw my cousin Chu crying ,and crying very sad .I also infected cry sound .Throughout the afternoon, he was crying about .I pulled him up ,he refused to .When the curtain is covered ,he struggled to recover emotionally ,but with the cuff with my cheeks of tears .Life has forced me to spell ,but his heart still misses his silly .He does not use any colorful language ,he only silence to launch bicycle ,pointing to the village of slope ,with eyes indicate deliver me :that my destiny .In second years ,he has a son, his burden and increase of one .In fifth years ,he built housing ,housing debt pressure him breathless .In eighth years ,his body appeared on ,and made a series of three operation .In tenth years ,his foot is lame .In twelfth years ,he has no thought ,soul will numb .The film gave me hope and dream ,and records the happy house and garden ,my lingering thoughts .Empty courtyard ,currently only noisy sparrows ,wild goose .Harvest season ,he and shadow never show .His laughter ,and his sharp ,vibrant powerful yingzi ,perhaps only in my memory deep searching .However ,no matter how tired more busy ,regardless of the storm, he gave me a journey .Every time I see him ,he will carry off all that one has ,give me food .If there is nothing else ,he gave me his crops in the field .His absence did not let me down ,husband didn my heart ,and my dear brother ,you let me into the abyss of misery .You took my heart led to her in time .I was so scared ,I dare not to break your heart ,not waving off the offer .I am afraid you the mountain fell down ,my students really hopeless despair .So powerful ,you sent me ,that you are alive .Brother ,want to hold your hand ,let you give me the inexhaustible power .After father died ,you are my journey was specified .Your arms are always small ,practical and safe ,but I don think you care about small .I love you more than love myself ,I love all your affection than .Now, I know her heart .Brother ,promise me ,let the children give us a picture !By the way tell Grandpa and grandma ,you not only is the pillar of the family ,and my god .Brother ,no matter you will become what are small ,does not change the heart ;no matter how much shabbier ,you are careful in the high Marshal good brother .

Im also a recovering alcoholic and I have talked to my doc, my sponser and we are all coming up with a plan to prevent a relapse because of course i went from alcohol to food and do not want to go back. Its going to be one day at a time, but if we keep working the program we should be fine

Congrats on 2 years sober!! I am certainly no expert, but most people seem to find relief, at least to an extent, for their constant hunger. I was a food addict and I think the very long (8weeks) of not having any food that wasn't liquid or pureed has helped me break the head hunger. It is very common that people will transfer their food addiction, though. Similarly the way that you shifted from alcohol to food. You may want to prepare in advance with a support group - like this one!! And meeting group or therapist to support you through this. My sister went through wls and became addicting to shopping - a very expensive habit!! She has joined a support group and is back on track. Some transfer their addiction to exercise - as long as you don't become obsessive/compulsive with it, that could be a good transfer!! Welcome and best of luck!!

Hello, Im new to this site and new to sleeving. I'm considering having VSG surgery and have a consult with MD this week. I am also a recovering alcoholic and I attend AA meetings regularly for 2 years (almost 2 years sober). I've recognized for a long time that I use food to "medicate" much like I did when drinking, so my question relates to not be able to use food to medicate after the surgery. While it's become easy for me not to take a drink a day at a time, I will still have to eat after the surgery. Are there others out there who are struggling with other addictions besides food (I dont mean to presume all here are addicts), and how have you been able to cope? Thanks! Maxxer

Ok, let's talk poop. And let's not be shy. Please do explain the "yellow" color. And if it varies, include all variations you've noticed. Are you on any medications? Yellow diarrhea that just sort of comes out of nowhere is most often from an infection, but not always. And fever, lethargy, etc? (an answer of "no" doesn't necessarily mean anything). A lack of bile can also cause yellow diarrhea/poop. Do you have your gallbladder? (The gallbladder is just a "storage pump" - bile irregularities are generally more centric to the liver where the bile is produced). Generically, make sure you're getting hydration primarily from something with electrolytes such as Gatorade. Until you're doing better you might also want to avoid fatty foods, anything spicy, or with lots of caffeine, alcohol, etc. <- common sense, I know, but still good to keep in mind.

DesertRat, some interesting ideas, but I have a simpler theory. When I had the band they made me do a liquid diet 30 days post op. That is the time when I lost that initial 30 pounds. That isn't so terribly different then the first 30 days post sleeve. I do think that over time, support and guidance got better, but I really didn't understand how to eat with the band. My surgery was done when I lived overseas and was performed in Germany. Good surgeon, lousy followup. I was told, small portions, but never specifics. i was told no sweets or alcohol, but not told what to eat. I was told to not snack, but was never advised to eat the small 5-6 meals a day so I was really hungry a lot of the time which made it much harder to control my eating at meal time. Honestly, 1/4, 1/2 cup of food is pretty small and that is why I now eat with miniature plate, bowl and use appetizer eating utinsils. I really didn't understand how small was small enough when I was banded. I could have done better with my initial losses with the band had I been better educated on how to really work it, I still don't think it would have made a lot of difference in the overall outcome though, once that reflux hit it was a nightmare. I am not sure about the whole hunger hormone thing. From what I understand, there are multiple hormones at work in the hunger response so I am curious to see how the science/research develops on that front. Like, over the long run, is the hunger reduced that much or is it just satisfied faster with a smaller stomach? What I can say is that my hunger and cravings are nearly completely under control. I know that may change with time, and I do sometimes crave or desire to eat things that are unplanned, but the sleeve gives me the help I need to manage it in a reasonable way. What I do know is that my whole (remaining) stomach is "satisfied" now after eating a small meal and stays satisfied until it is time to eat again. It is just a whole different situation compared to feeling pain/discomfort "stuck feeling" without ever feeling any satiation which was my experience with the band. With the sleeve, I have only overdone it a very small number of times - generally speaking I am able to stop eating well before max capacity because I am not hungry. So, here is my theory about success rates with revision patients. I am basing this on the bariatric doc (not surgeon) who cares for 4 revision patients + me. Basically, the 3 have been wildly successful and the 4th has never lost much even with the sleeve. Her feeling is that the person who didn't lose with the sleeve is one of the people that just can't get over the idea of food (as comfort, as pleasure as central to her life story) and so eats small amounts all day long. Bandsters are notorious for learning how to "eat around" the restriction and I am guessing that SOME apply those same techniques to the sleeve and therefore don't lose as well. It can happen, it is possible to "fail" with ANY weight loss surgery. I just believe your odds are much better with the sleeve (and DS and RNY) over the band. I feel truly grateful and blessed to have found this help that I needed. I meet with a NUT monthly. She told me that my progress is right in line with/or better then a typical sleeve patient - revision or no. I spend a lot of time visualizing my long term success because I know that the real battle for me is the long haul. I have lost 85# before (my total loss as of this morning!!!) but it is the keeping losing and keeping it off that eluded me in the past. I am giving away too big clothes as soon as I "grow" out of them. I am closing the door on letting myself get so big again and am determined to make it stick. My knees thank me and frankly the stakes are higher now. Yesterday, I met with a friend for a horseback ride. I haven't seen her since last summer and she did about a triple take. She knew I had the surgery and lost weight, but 85# makes a big difference!

Rimonabant hcl is fda approved. Not on the doctors lists so theres no kick backs for him to push but if you ask for it it is available. My wife quit smoking in a week because it made her. Heres the true background information: Rimonabant also known as SR141716, is an anorectic drug primarily used for comprehensive anti-obesity treatment. It is an inverse agonist for the CB1 cannabinoid receptor.[1] The primary method of action is through reduced caloric intake, due to the anti-hunger effects of rimonabant. An inverse agonist refers to a chemical that binds to a receptor and, when compared to a known agonist for that receptor, shows approximately the same affinity and exhibits roughly inverse effects of one or more primary effects of the agonist.[2] One of the primary effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists is an increase in appetite; rimonabant reduces appetite, demonstrating an inverse effect. Some effects of rimonabant are admittedly under-studied or not well known or explorer; for example, rimonabant-dosed mice reduced voluntary wheel-running behavior when compared to a control group.[4] Rimonabant does have other uses besides weight loss; though the mechanism is not well understood it has been demonstrated to increase probability of quitting smokers by 50%: From the preliminary trial reports available, rimonabant 20 mg may increase the odds of quitting approximately 1(1/2)-fold. Adverse events include nausea and upper respiratory tract infections; the risk of serious adverse events is reported to be low. However, there is current concern (August 2007) over rates of depression and suicidal thoughts in people taking rimonabant for weight control. The evidence for rimonabant in maintaining abstinence is inconclusive. Rimonabant 20 mg may moderate weight gain in the long term.[5] Researchers hypothesized, in keeping with the inverse-agonist nature of rimonabant, that (because cannabinoids nearly univerally impair memory), rimonabant may improve memory; this is borne out thus far in rat studies: The positive influence of rimonabant on performance indicated that the action of endocannabinoids was to reduce SmR code strength, resulting in trials that were at risk for errors if the delay exceeded 10 s. Thus endocannabinoids, like exogenously administered cannabinoids, reduced hippocampal encoding necessary to perform long-delay trials. The findings therefore indicate a direct relationship between the actions of endocannabinoids on hippocampal processes and the ability to encode information into short-term memory.[6] Researchers speculate that due to the pervasive role of the endocannabinoid system in the reward (and therefore addiction-perpetuating) system, rimonabant might be successfully used to treat other addictions besides nicotine.[7] Rimonabant has been demonstrated to successfully block the psychological effects of cannabis use without interfering with the physiological effects.[8] Respective excerpts follow: Recent studies have shown that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the common neurobiological mechanism underlying drug addiction. This system participates in the primary rewarding effects of cannabinoids, nicotine, alcohol and opioids, through the release of endocannabinoids in the ventral tegmental area. Endocannabinoids are also involved in the motivation to seek drugs by a dopamine-independent mechanism, demonstrated for psychostimulants and opioids. The endocannabinoid system also participates in the common mechanisms underlying relapse to drug-seeking behaviour by mediating the motivational effects of drug-related environmental stimuli and drug re-exposure. In agreement, clinical trials have suggested that the CB(1) cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant can cause smoking cessation. Thus, CB(1) cannabinoid antagonists could represent a new generation of compounds to treat drug addiction.[7] Single oral doses of SR141716 produced a significant dose-dependent blockade of marijuana-induced subjective intoxication and tachycardia. The 90-mg dose produced 38% to 43% reductions in visual analog scale ratings of "How high do you feel now?" "How stoned on marijuana are you now?" and "How strong is the drug effect you feel now?" and produced a 59% reduction in heart rate. SR141716 alone produced no significant physiological or psychological effects and did not affect peak THC plasma concentration or the area under the time x concentration curve. SR141716 was well tolerated by all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: SR141716 blocked acute psychological and physiological effects of smoked marijuana without altering THC pharmacokinetics. These findings confirm, for the first time in humans, the central role of CB1 receptors in mediating the effects of marijuana.[8] Citations: [1]Fong TM, Heymsfield SB (September 2009).Cannabinoid-1 receptor inverse agonists: current understanding of mechanism of action and unanswered questions. Int J Obes (Lond) 33 (9): 947–55. [2]Kenakin T (2004). Principles: receptor theory in pharmacology. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 25 (4): 186–92. [3]Suicide risk fears over diet pill. BBC News. 15 June 2007. (URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6755665.stm). [4] Keeney BK, Raichlen DA, Meek TH, Wijeratne RS, Middleton KM, Gerdeman GL, Garland T, Jr. Differential response to a selective cannabinoid receptor antagonist (SR141716: rimonabant) in female mice from lines selectively bred for high voluntary wheel-running behavior. Behavioural Pharmacology 19: 812–820. 2008. [5] Cahill K, Ussher M. Cannabinoid type 1 receptor antagonists (rimonabant) for smoking cessation. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (On[line) (4): CD005353. 2007. [6]Deadwyler SA, Goonawardena AV, Hampson RE. Short-term memory is modulated by the spontaneous release of endocannabinoids: evidence from hippocampal population codes. Behavioural pharmacology 18 (5-6): 571–80. 2007. [7]Maldonado R, Valverde O, Berrendero F. Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in drug addiction. Trends Neurosci. 29 (4): 225–32. 2006. [8]Huestis MA, Gorelick DA, Heishman SJ, et al. Blockade of effects of smoked marijuana by the CB1-selective cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 58 (4): 322–8. 2001.

My surgeon also said by two months your stomach is completely healed. He said things like drinking by straws can't really hurt you but can cause gas. I drink from a straw all the time because its easier for me to take in smaller amounts. Even things like alcohol my doc said they are empty calories and in excess can do damage but a glass of wine isn't going to kill you.

Take it easy on yourself and don't drive when you drink more than one glass of wine. Banding doesn't affect the absorption of alcohol, as it does with DS and RNY, so you should be ok if you were ok pre-op drinking wine. Alcohol actually lowers blood glucose levels so you might feel more "tipsy" due to hypoglycemia after drinking. The only risk of drinking is that some people find they drink more post-op, since there are foods that bandsters cannot tolerate and it is sort of a "fill the void" guilty pleasure. Enjoy your glass of wine occasionally without guilt. If you have any questions it is a good thing to check in with your nutritionist to get questions answered. Good luck to you! MsM

Sojourner...you say "we were all told by our surgeons..." That irked me. How do you know what my surgeon told me or msDuran's told her? To the OP...1 glass is not the end of the world...next time for each 1 glass of wine, have 2 glasses of Water. Don't think to drive because you don't know how it might affect you differently. As for the calories...alcohol converts straight to sugar in your blood stream so use in limited quantities. Forgive yourself and be kind to yourself...there's enough people in this world just waiting to take you down that you don't need to help them with it

I definitely heard about the papaya enzyme, and heard that it worked, miracles for mostly everyone who needed to get unstuck. I have had good sucess with really hot beverages (to open the band), pineapple juice (sipping slowly), and if things get really bad (as they once did with a piece of roast beef) I took a gulp of a "granita" which is a blended ice drink (like a smoothie or pina colada, but not with alcohol). I was hoping it would have the opposite effect of the hot beverage, and it made me throw up everything in my stomache within about 15 seconds (along with sharp pains). I dont know if I recommend this though, because I am sure that it could do something bad to the band placement because of the wretching that I was doing. But the food came up pretty quickly, and I was stuck for about 7 hours.

If "it never happens", then why the guilt feelings? I agree that you should not "beat yourself up" about having wine, but if you are banded you should be compliant with your surgeon's instructions unless you are willing to manage the possible negative consequences for non-compliance. We were told that post surgery, your tolerance for all forms of alcohol changes dramatically, and that one drink can put your blood alcohol levels above the legal limits. My doctor warned us that he will not intervene in any DUI cases where the patient had a drink, drove impaired, and then was arrested.

Shoudn't be any issue, you didn't mention how far along you are but anything after a few weeks should be OK. Just be careful of the calories as wine and other alcohol is pretty high in cals. About a year ago I started drinking 3 oz of red wine each night before sleep. It helps me to sleep and it supposidly has healh benefits for cancer prevention and cholesterol reduction. Something besides general diet is working in that respect as my last months check revealed my cholesterol was 133, pretty rediculously low! I didn't realize how much I HATE the taste of alcohol though, it really turns me off, so no danger of over induging here!

I feel that way, too....I never really got so big that I was noticeably handicapped, but I certainly lead a different lifestyle now. My sleeve resulted in many more changes than simply reducing my portion sizes. I work out way more - even though I was an exerciser pre-sleeve! - I'm more active on a day-to-day basis, and date ideas such as playing badminton or renting bikes together sound way more fun now than they did 2 years ago, I'm a lot more health-conscious, so it feels more organic for me to date someone who won't be pushing me to drink alcohol or split desserts with him at every meal.....one of the reasons I dumped my ex was because he just spent all his time off lying on the couch with his comic books and complaining about how bored he was, yet never offering any ideas for what to do together and refusing all of my suggestions. All he wanted to do was just lie around and eat crap. I used to be like that, too, but happily, I've left that in the past.

Well, now that Im 2 months post op I guess its good to revisit this thread .... What's working for me is journaling ... I use my fitness pal ... if i don't journal then my calories will get away from me. I try to stay under 1200 calories a day ... sometimes less. Its very hard as I only have 4.25 cc in an 11cc band. I exercise a lot more than I ever did before. I try to walk/jog a few miles a week. I also know that I need to stay away from alochol, even if its only 2 small drinks. Alcohol slows my weight loss and even makes me gain weight. I also don't count my grams of Protein a day. If i have too much protein, I gain or stall. Lastly, Im reading a book called "The Beck Diet" ... its helping work on my addiction to food and overeating. Its like $10 on Amazon.

Good luck to you, I am glad you didn't give up. Weight loss is hard, I put it right up there with other addictive problems like alcohol and drugs. Unless you have lived it no one can identify with what we feel and all the trials and tribulations we go through on our journey to try and be healthy. I wish you success and keep us updated on your success. Do not get discourage, seeking help is half the battle and we want to succeed.

In the end, it's about two things... (1) your own head, and (2) the arrangement you make with those around you. Regarding #1 -- You can "flip the switch" in your own head to turn off all the food noise around you. You just have to find the switch!! Many of us have no problems with people eating around us, because we were very focused on what we were doing and why. I'm not saying you SHOULD be in that place, I'm just saying that if you can find a way to get to that place, the journey will be a little easier... Easier said than done I know!! Regarding #2 -- You and your husband need to talk about what support you need. And he has to agree to it. If you ask him not to eat in front of you and he agrees, and then does it anyway, he's a big old jerk and you have a right to be angry. But if he's not signing up for that, then you guys have to negotiate for what he will agree to do... In my house, I don't care what my husband eats in front of me. However, I've asked that we remove the alcohol from the house. I love to drink. And before surgery, we used to have a drink or two every night before bed... I don't want to give up drinking entirely, and I really don't think I can be trusted to only drink "sometimes" or "in moderation" if he's going to drink every night in front of me at home. So I've decided to try drinking only when I'm out, in a social situation... Is that totally fair to him? Not if he is resentful or angry about it... But sure, it's totally fair if he's happy to support me and agrees to do it. As it turns out we had a big fight one night because (during pre-op phase) he snuck booze into his juice and I caught him. I flipped out (more that he was sneaking it) and basically told him that I refused to be his mother, and that if he's so dead set on drinking regardless of the impact on me, he should just pull all the alcohol back in the house and act like an adult and make the decision that he didn't want to support me... I'm a big girl, I can deal with being told no, but don't pretend to be supportive and then make me the bad guy when I find out that he's lying about it... Grrr... Anyway. Point being that I understand what you're going through, but it is YOUR journey... Your family will hopefully help, but it's not actually their journey...

That's actually a 2-part question. There are foods that you shouldn't eat, because they're not healthy, contain empty calories, don't meet your nutritional goals, and/or don't provide satiety. Then there are foods that you may not be able to eat at various points (like bread, fibrous veggies, dry cooked meats, apple skins, etc.) because it's so hard to chew them enough to get them past the band. Carbonated beverages should be avoided because the carbonation supposedly can dilate the stomach (same goes for straws) and because the carbonation can be extremely uncomfortable for a bandster. Alcohol is empty calories that loosen your inhibitions, so that eating potato chips or Cookies or whatever seems like a great idea. Alcohol and caffeine can be gastric irritants. food tolerance is very individual and it changes often. Surgeons' and dietitians' nutritional instructions vary widely, and so do bandsters' willingness and/or ability to follow those instructions. None of us are perfect. So it's hard to come up with a single plan for "how to do it the right way". The best approach is to follow your surgeon's and dietitian's instructions. If they don't give you instructions, ask for them. If you don't understand their instructions, ask for clarification.

What has helped me a little to transistion my mind is to and ease the grieving process, because yes, our obesity is just a symptom of something bigger. I made a list of what I could still do, and of things that I enjoyed doing (minus eating/outside of eating)....you're right about the clothes, I've been just going to higher ended GoodWill's, I wish we had a clothing exchange that we could contribute to as we slim down. Made a list of people I could count on, although just really two, that I could count on at any time of day or nite, that I could reach out to talk with, becuase you're right, food was our number 1 friend and I also did a lot of Happy Hours..... I'm a huge emotional eater and food alcoholic, I would eat until I was stuffed and sick just t o numb what I was feeling. I succomb honestly and willingly, so I made a list of people ( very small list lol) that I trusted would be there that I could pick up the phone and chat with to just listen to ME, to just give me a hug, hold my hand, etc. not necessarily give me advice, yet just to listen to me and I was honest with them about this process and why and how I got this obese. I also began a diary/blog. Not an online one, yet one where I would make it a point to get my fingers busy and write down what it was that I was feeling, how my day went, how my food intake is going, etc. Potential planning I would have to do for banquets and graduation parties, etc. I find if I keep my hands/fingers busy, my mind wont shift to food. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I enjoy drinking teas, so I invested in a Tea club, Teavana and they send out a different tea of the month, started doing special things for myself. Instead of reaching out to food, I'm going to start attending to myself for a little while, my five sense. Made myself a behavior calendar where I "awarded" myself a sticker for each day when I did a little bit of movement. For now, it's just a walk around the block. For every 10 stickers, I promised myself to do something special for myself, like a massage, manicure, movie, etc. I started to take care of me through other avenues than just turning to food. Started turning down Happy Hours. I can't be tempted with alcohol, not yet anyways, later yes, yet not now. I want to make my nutrient choices count, as what I choose to eat makes me feel better psychologically. Enrolled myself in Yoga. Ha ha, well it's a start to getting out and moving. Doesn't burn a lot of calories, yet it's going to help ME to teach ME how to relax. I also started to read books written by Geenen Roth, Women, Food, and God. It has NOthing really to do about God, or Religion, yet she speaks about overeating, or the aspects of emotional eating. She does a lot of conferences in California, and I would like to attend one day to hear her speak. It is a retraining process. And it's true, we are still the same person, just smaller yet it reminds me very clearly how cruel the real world can be. One of my best friends, ended up telling me, "I used to feel you were one of us (obese), now you are one of them (skinny people, I guess)." Yet I have to remember, that I'm doing this for my health, to keep up with my kids, that it is worth it in the end. Take care.

My family, co workers and facebookers know. Everyone on my Facebook is MY family (no in laws) and a few closer friends. I have also told a few strangers in conversation (hence I accidentally met someone on this site inadvertently! Lol). However, I have ZERO intentions of telling ANY of my in laws. They don't care about me to begin with...cause I'm not their religion, I don't drink alcohol with them, I don't smoke, I don't party, cause I'm a BBW...so many reasons. I have only had 1 coworker say negative things...that it's not gonna work...she knows ppl that didn't change their habits, etc...she's the b!£€* of the office anyway, so...that's my story. I have 3 more months to wait.

Well, you've had a little band vacation, and now it's time to get back to work! First of all, consider getting another fill. If you don't know how many cc's you had before the unfill, ask your surgeon or the person who does the fills. Then ask for a fill that's not quite as much as that. For example, if you had 8 cc's and they took out 1 cc, ask for a fill of .5 cc (that's just an example - there's no magic fill amount that will get you going again). Then, pick one thing to change about your behavior. If you've been drinking alcohol, that would be a good place to stop since alcohol is empty calories and loosens your inhibitions so that a bag of chips or Cookies looks like a dandy idea. When you've got that behavior under control, pick another one, like exercise. It might help if you found yourself a "jalkwing" buddy who'll expect you to show up to walk/run at a given time, and keep you company while you do it. Then pick another behavior, like eating sugary stuff. Go through your kitchen, pantry, fridge, freezer, car, desk, locker, or wherever else that stuff might be stashed. Throw out opened packages and donate the unopened ones to a food bank or neighbor or friend. You can do it!

So, I am one of those people with back problems. Long story short, I've been going to the Dr. for the past 6-8 months and receiving spinal steriod injections as treatment. I have also been taking hydrocodone for the past 6 months or so as pain management. Sometimes 1 a day, sometimes 2-3 depending on pain, sometimes none. I've read a couple war stories about how VSG will be hard on my liver and I'm now worried that the surgery + drug combo may give me trouble. I'm having surgery in Mexico on May 31st and I made sure to list the hydros as part of my current medications. Doctor didn't seem to be too worried. Anyone have any thoughts on this? As a side note: I'm a weekend drinker. Rarely hard alcohol, usually just beer....

Well I don't know the scientific standings on the soda thing. All I know is that at 6months out I started drinking them slowly to the point I would have at least 2 a day. Well at my one yr check up, I had gained weight and I noticed that I could eat alot more than normal. That is when my Surgeon told me it was the soda and that it was stretching my sleeve/pouch. He said it was a bigger no no than alcohol. all I can say is I will never touch another soda again. Whether it's true or not I will not do it.

Yes. You need to replace your bad habit with a good habit. Many WL patients become alcoholics, drug addicts. You have to find something you love to do. I took the first four weeks after surgery to get a grasp on my addiction. Figured out my triggers and conquered my food demon. Good luck on doing the same! It's a hard road.

Junior Guru, I am so sorry for your troubles but it sounds like a mirror image to mine. Do not wait an longer to get the reflux under control, it can be very dangerous if left untreated over time and can lead to erosion and cancer as well as erode the enamel from your teeth. My reflux got so bad that I couldn't even bend over without throwing up acid, and even Water irritated it. I went and had 1cc removed and although most of my reflux symptoms have reduced it is still there. Everybody is different, so what is tight for someone at 3cc's can be totally different for someone else. I still have to take reflux medication, but I found a doctor who is also suggesting black licorice. No, not the jelly bean kind, but get some chewable black licorice root pills, they taste pretty good if you like licorice and it is an herbal remedy for reflux and it seems to help. I chew 1 before each meal and 1 before bedtime. I also stay away from the worst offenders, alcohol, chocolate and caffeine (I know, just kill me now). I also HIGHLY recommend getting your next fill/unfill with fluoroscope, it is an eye opener and you can see EXACTLY what is happening in there. I sometimes have a feeling of regret with the surgery, but I was insulin dependent, with horrific cholesterol levels, sleep apnea, etc. and all of that is resolved. S I try to keep that in mind. The doctor I recently went to admitted that Bariatric Doctors on the whole are doing a disservice to the overweight population at had. They are selling a "golden ring" that does not exist. Expectations for extreme weight loss with just the "tool" of LapBand does not exist. I thought I was being reasonable wanting to get down to 150lbs. at 5'5". But apparently wanting to go from 230 to 150 was unrealistic at best. I am at 176 now and my new doctor, said if wanted to lose any more, to get off my ass and run. There is no golden ring or easy way out that I was sold back in 2009. Oh, well, off to run...lol The best of luck to you, and I hope you get to feeling better soon!!