Search the Community

I really thought I'd be doing this alone. I'm not one to prattle on about my problems and my thoughts. I give everything in my life adequate though, and I make decisions accordingly. I decided a month ago to have the banding surgery. My surgery date is ... well, in 2.5 hours. I've lost 20lbs pre-op (down from 356 to 336) in 3 weeks. I know I can do this. I'm certain of it. So why am I not sleeping? Why have I had nightmare after nightmare with the central theme of reluctantly having to kill the one thing I love the most (translation- FOOD!). I gave this a lot of thought, really. I considered a cost/benefit analysis and came up with this answer. But... last minute, I'm terrified. (Dr appt implied the following) Pasta is a bad idea... for the rest of my life?? White bread, big fluffy biscuts, and garlic toast are gone forever? Seriously, wheat pasta??? So much for Olive Garden... I know these are guidelines, and maitenance is different that losing, so I'll be able to re-introduce my lover (carbs) when I'm at my goal weight... but even then, only in small doses. And I've been heavy my whole life. I don't even know what I'd look like without excess baggage! I don't know what I'll do. I know I won't change how I dress - you can take the fat out of the girl but you can't take the girl out of the fat (frame of mind). I just don't know who I'd be if I'm not the fat girl at every event. It's scary. There's the whole "oh, just be yourself" school of thought; but I've been the fat girl. That's been my role. I've worked very hard at pretending it doesn't bother me, at telling people I'd be happy at any size as long as I'm healthy. I lie more to myself than others... so who? Who am I supposed to be? I have to take my pre-op shower and get on my 'loose fitting clothes' (that statement on my instruction sheet alone makes me wonder if this place 'gets' fat people... what do I wear that tight, besides my bras?) for surgery. Hopefully I'll be out by this afternoon and ready to post again, but I know it could be days. I tend to be a big baby when it comes to pain. I certainly don't feel like everyone else. I refused banding for so long. On my father's side of the family (the side I grew up a part of), something like this is considered giving up and letting your weakness win. Of course, these are the same people who believe alcoholism is a choice, not a disease. I got through surgery fine. I had a huge hiatal hernia that had to be repaired, and the band went in with 4cc of fluid. I have bruises and slices and PAIN. I knew there would be pain, but... seriously? The pain from the cuts aren't too bad, but the air they push into you in order to see better may kill me. I'm told it should be gone by tomorrow or the next day. *Post - Op* I haven't had time to fully process the fact that this is done. I went into this quickly, as I said before, and so to be at the finish/starting line is a little intimidating. My doctor told me today that if I lost 22lbs in 3 weeks of pre-op dieting, my weight loss over the next 6 months is going to be dramatic. I hope so... I just promise my husband(who works in Afghanistan) a long hike when he comes home on break in March! I'm about to head to bed... but I know ppl who think this is easy are NUTS. I've had nightmares for weeks... food is my ally... but I have to give it up. And not just a little... but some thing forever--like soda. I'm hoping for 4 days--or 1. Ugh. This pain is absolutely the worst. Worst than gallstones passing. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! *Posted on forum yesterday*

I am with Cheri, I have depression and have also been in AA for years. I would think most of us used food for comfort like an alcoholic uses alcohol. Now without the food, you may find yourself without the thing you turned to for years. I know that was part of my problem, when I got sober I started using food..then when I was banded I had to deal with other core issues & face why I over-indulge in everything. It might be time to talk with someone or see a doctor. I know I could not pull myself out of depression, I needed help. You are not alone. Patty

The bad breath is indeed from the body's switch from an ATP-based metabolism to a ketone-based metabolism. It sucks in the short term but it is a good thing! This means your pre-op diet is being followed properly and that your body is being starved of carbs and is consuming the energy stored up in your liver and shrinking it. Often you can also smell the difference when you pee as it will be darker and will have a funky smell. Drink lots of Water and have mints & gum handy to help tackle the bad breath. In the first couple of days of ketosis you will probably have to pee like the dickens because it takes a huge amount of water to store ketones in the body and when you burn the ketones, you ditch the water. This is also why you tend not to lose weight right after surgery: you're switching back to an ATP-based diet and gaining water weight as you store energy again. So many people get really excited that they're losing huge amounts of weight before the surgery but you have to realise that it's not all fat you're losing so much as water and emergency energy reserves. Don't get discouraged immediately after the surgery when your weight doesn't continue to drop like a rock because you're not gaining back fat, just water and emergency reserves again. Modern man didn't evolve hand in hand with drive-through windows... we need those emergency reserves just in case we have to go out and hunt something to survive (such as an antelope or the perfect pair of shoes). This assumes you are not diabetic. Ketosis in a diabetic is not so much a good thing as insulin is an important factor in processing ketones. Diabetics need to be under very close medical supervision if they are going to send themselves into ketosis because it can result in some serious medical problems such as the kidneys shutting down. A lot of people who are diabetics and don't know it report having problems with bad breath and the truth is they are sliding into ketosis and can't read the signs. Apparent drunkeness without actually having consumed any alcohol is also a sign of ketosis in a diabetic person and that person needs to be fed. This concludes your public service announcement on ketosis.

So I'm on vacation with the family. Overall I've been doing really good, still aiming for for Protein first, and with all the walking I'm getting well over 10k steps a day. The problem? Drinking!! (not alcohol..) So every meal we eat out, but of course I can't drink at the meal. I do ask for Water to go where I can, but it's also 100+ degrees here daily, so I drink it fairly fast before it gets warm. (I was dumb and left my hyroflask home, never again!) So I'm well below what I need in water, and buying a bottle each time is too costly $3 for 16oz adds up fast! Never mind my hubby is always walking 10 steps ahead of me and never hears me when I say I need to stop to get a drink. And not having a drink available has me way off for Vitamin consumption this week. I really tried to cope on my own, it's not his fault I can't drink when they do at meals and this was my choice to do surgery, but I so wish he'd be a slight bit more conscious of how it's different for me. I tried talking to him, and of course he was like how is this his fault. Bring hot and thirsty doesn't make for level headed discussions. So a valuable lesson learned for me this trip, eating wasn't nearly the issue I thought it would be... Drinking is!! I will forever bring my hydroflask and some crystal light packets to make sure I have some portable hydration options.

But if I want to have a night of drinking what can I drink that isnt carbonated besides wine and hard liquors mixed with juice? At the store I wanted a bottle of margatitas but got scared its carbonated.

Agree with Lil Diva and thsnks fir 12 steps remimder. I used to go to OA. A few times I went to this one big AA meeting where a number of people had years and years of abstinence. There was a table loaded with sugary white flour snacks and the cigarette smoke was over whelming. The recovery from alcohol was powerful in that room but got the impression that some folks had substitute addictions. In fact some OA members with multiple addictions said it was hard to go to AA because there was always sugared food there. Btw, the best book I ever read on addiction is entitled Addiction and Grace by Gerald May. It is probably not currently in print but would be available used. Very compatible with 12 step philosophy.

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.

Had my first RNY in 2004. Went from 275 to 169 in 2008. Had some major life issues going on and developed an addiction to alcohol. Weighing 277 and clean, I had a revised RNY and multiple hernia repair on 12/4/13. Hoping for a better future, but fully aware that I have to make it so.

Special medical conditions aside, you do NOT learn anything new by weighing daily except the false indicators coming from Water gain/losses. Never forget, that in the short run, the scale lies. On the long run, it tells the truth, but think if it more as an indicator, not an exact measure of your progress. Let me give a specific example. If you go out drinking alcohol and consume many extra empty calories you might very well show a loss the following morning as alcohol TENDS to dehydrate you. So, I think we can all agree that partying on the town everynight is counterproductive to your weight loss (not to mention general health and welfare!) and yet it might look like "you got away with it". I also think it is not mentally healthy to obsess on the numbers. In my work we talk alot about leading, versus lagging indicators. A leading indicator of success is how you are managing your food, activity and healhty lifestyle (example, hitting Protein and hydration targets). Pretty good evidence that if you do those things, even if you never step on a scale, you will get slimmer, healthier and lose weight. Lagging indicator is what the scale says. For whatever its worth - yes I care about the scale, but don't let it make you crazy.

@@gina171 I am more skeptical without more information. And people can go to therapy to work through a life event, not because they have some major issue. Going to therapy because you are grieving is not the same this as going to therapy for a behavioral issue. Recently someone posted that the hospital they selected required everyone going through bariatric surgery to undergo alcohol counseling even if they had a alcohol issue just because of the religious beliefs of the hospital. That isn't a good reason to end up in therapy. Especially when therapy costs money and more importantly time. OP, didn't state why the doctor suggested she go to weekly therapy. Some programs require everyone to do something when it really just generates income for them. Medicine in America is still a for profit business.

First, here's my idea of how stress has affected you thus far in regards to your health. PLEASE forgive me if I'm being preachy. When we're under a lot of stress the body naturally goes into Fight or Flight mode. While this would work well if you were being chased by godzilla, stress causes numerous physiological responses. For the most part these are good but if you're under continuous stress the body isn't able to function as well over time. In the fight or flight response, the adrenal glands enlarge and spit out large amounts of adrenal cortical hormones. Cortisol, the name of the hormone, has been scientifically proven to cause weight gain because the body thinks that you're in a stressful situation and you may not get food for a while. So it holds onto every last calorie. Just a side note, when cortisol is released the body stops all healing processes and redirects energy to the vital organs. If you are healing from an injury or SURGERY, you need to be low stress to get better. Overtime, chronically elevated cortisol levels lead to abdominal fat, suppressed immunal function and even chronic fatigue syndrome. sleep plays a major role in stress reduction and weight loss. Grehlin a hormone in your stomach can cause you to feel VERY hungry and sleep deprivation raises levels of grehlin and cortisol. Both are released under stress and fatigue which probably significantly contributed to your weight gain thus far. However, I would think (I'm not a doctor yet, just studying medicine.... My mom's a nutritionist/dietician so I grew up with this stuff!) that with the band it will be easier to control your hunger but you might still have head hunger. For that, I would suggest seeing a therapist and getting some extra help for your mom. Also, if your stress continues to be a problem or you have trouble with being hungry after fills, there are all sorts of herbal remedies for helping with adrenal function. Ask your pcp for more information about what would be best for you. Hope this helps. Best of luck. With love, Sheila P.S. I know it's really tough... my grandparents are VERY resistent to change and caring for my grandfather's cancer and my grandmother's diabetes and alcoholism can be VERY stressful and tiring.

A big reason they preach against drinking alcohol is because a fair amount of people end up becoming alcoholics after surgery. Essentially replacing food with a different addiction. I have some serious mourning for my craft beers despite not being a big drinker. There's a craft beer fest tomorrow that I won't be able to go to for the first time in years. It's sad, but I'll eventually get back to it. Unfortunately I've never been a wine guy! lol

Not sure I would drink alcohol at this point but I'm sure your Doctor would be the best person to ask. I know at 3 weeks out I probably couldn't have drank if I wanted to. I might have opted for a fruit juice or Water with lemon .

I have moved from wine to beer and mixed drinks because wine hurts so much. UGH, @@monyLiza , I feel you. I only have 1 or 2 before I am done. I'm usually at home, so no fun stories, but alcohol does hit me hard. Glad you are safe, glad you had fun! No guilt should be had, but you now know what makes you uncomfortable so go forward with that. Personally I think your experiences were fun -- certainly nothing to fret about. I'm a ho like that.

I definitely reduced my alcohol intake during weight loss phase (maybe 5 or so the entire time, and not even full servings).

i did not do any "sugar free" stuff. i dont even do stevia. i did do a Protein shake with sugar alcohols in it. i used coconut sugar post op. its a low glycemic sugar. i dont eat jello, or SF pudding or popsicles or "lite" yogurt. i did do grass fed Gelatin, eddies fruit pops (the ones with 60 calories.. not splenda), cottage cheese and vanilla or plain greek yogurt. i have juiced cucumbers (and other veggies), made lots of bone broth and drank plain coconut Water. i made popsicles with coconut water and yogurt too! i have lost 80 pounds post op and so feel like i must be doing something right! my nut agreed she doesnt do artificial sweeteners and so encouraged me to find low sugar whole foods to eat post op.

Umm, if you really want to be really scientific about this, you are really in murky territory. All we have are educated guesses. For instance alcohol. There is a set calorie amount based on how much energy it produces when ignited. Now how much of this enters your system? That's a guess. It gets even stranger when you consider the VS changes absorption rates. So you are really looking at potential calories. That said, after tracking a couple of years I am fairly confident that the "relative" accuracy of the protein/calorie counts on myfitnesstracker. You are not going to be 100% confident, but you will be close enough for your use. BTW, fascinating article: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/10/cocktail-science-do-alcohol-calories-count-digesting-spirits.html

keep away from anything carbonated. you don't want to all of the sudden without warning spit up. my doctor didn't want me to drink alcohol at all but did at 6 mos. allow me to have my Christmas drink of bailey's . I suggest asking your doctor all doctor's are different. and sipping on a white wine may not be off their list.

Wow!! Thank you all for taking time out to leave words of encouragement and tips! All of the advice is truly appreciated! Now, here's a little about my surgery and where I am today. I was extremely nervous Thursday morning, but as soon as the anesthesiologist came in and reassured me that I wouldn't be comatose post surgery, I was fine. They rolled me into the OR, but the only thing I can truly remember is holding a mask over my face and inhaling DEEPLY(thinking, "I don't wanna wake up in the middle of it"). The next thing I remember is waking up in my room(I cannot recall anything from recovery other than being slightly nauseated and having to sniff an alcohol prep pad). Upon waking up, all I wanted to do was walk and do things for myself. I began walking hourly and trying to do as much as possible to prevent so much stiffness.The nurses and even my doctors were impressed with my willingness to get up and move without instruction - I do attest that to reading a lot of forum comments about those who had walked right away and those who didn't. I'm telling ya, this is an amazing place for information! I tried getting my doctor to let me go home that evening, but he wanted to keep me over night just to make sure there was no leakage or other complications. I was released the next morning and am feeling pretty good. Now, aside from some slight discomfort at the suture sites, the only thing that has bothered me is what I believe to be gas or indigestion. I feel like its an air bubble in the middle of my chest that will take my breath away. Has anyone else felt this? Again, thank you all!!!! Btw, I lost 10lbs on my 2 wk pre-op diet and have lost 10lbs since Thurs!

You know, when I lost that 71 lbs. on Weight Watchers, I thought, "That's it! I'm no longer a fat girl. I'll never, EVER go back...yeah, right. However, I truly do belive that you can find something "good" in every situation, and even though it took me a while, I did find something good about gaining that weight back. The first good thing was that I learned to NEVER say never. For a food addict, the moment you think you're "fixed" or that you can handle it, is the moment that addiction will kick your ass and show you who's boss. It is so similar to being an alcoholic. If you heard an alcoholic say, "I got this. I can drink just every once in a while and I'm good," you'd think that person was crazy...well, food addicts are the same way. We can't handle it. We're addicts and we will always be addicts. It's a serious addiction and can be deadly. So, with that realization comes the beautiful truth of knowing that even though I will never say I'll never be fat again I can say that it's highly unlikely. You see, I know what to look out for, now. I know that it's bullshit for me to think I can eat birthday cake on my birthday, or to think I can eat a bite of chocolote, and since I know this, I don't even try it because that one bite could be the beginning of the end. Another good think from gaining all that weight back was that I'm more empathetic and understanding. I also am VERY grateful I'm so blessed to be right where I am. I never thought I'd be given a second chance. You remind me so much of me. Best of luck to you. I KNOW you'll achieve your goal.

Rub, rub, rub with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or cosmetic pad.

I am 13 weeks post surgery, and this past weekend I had my first taste of alcohol since October. It made me feel very flushed and sick to my stomach. Was never a vodka and cranberry gal but it did taste really good! I will admit I miss drinking with friends but personally for me I am making the choice not to drink for a while.

My dr also recommends 1 cup of food three times daily once I get to solids. No carbonated beverages at all. I can have caffeine and alcohol 3 months post-op.

I used to drink before socially, I'm not worried about alcoholism, but that's a pretty interesting study. Transfer addictions are a very REAL problem with post bariatric surgery patients! I work in psychiatry. I hope to have exercise be my T.A.

Pre op I used to like to drink once in a whole mainly when I went out. I'm 7 weeks out and have not had a drink I was told at 6 weeks I could have red wine. I still have not had any I'm waiting for a weekend that I'm at home with no plans I'm scared to how it's going to effect me. I'm not worried about alcoholism because I don't/never had alcohol every day or had a eating disorder. I must say I miss my wine and vodka specially after a stressful day at work a nice glass of wine would be great.