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My immediate thought after reading that post was “just don’t drink so much that it makes you sick, then you won’t need to worry about throwing up.” But it has me wondering…is drinking a lot of alcohol like overeating? Is it a compulsive thing that you have to fight to control? Is telling someone not to drink as useless as telling a binge eater not to eat? I’m sure it’s obvious that I am not a drinker, but this is something I have wondered about. What is it about alcohol that makes people drink to excess, knowing that it will ultimately make them feel like hell? Is it a comfort thing? Does it just feel really good? Or is it that you really really like the taste and it’s a treat you allow yourself? I hope everyone doesn’t jump on me for this. I’m not trying to say that drinking is bad or wrong. It’s just something I’m totally unfamiliar with, so I’m curious...

Hi - I was disappointed that the video did not include anyone who had been overweight their entire life. I think that is the most common profile of obese adults. Everyone I currently know who is obese has been so since high school or before, I went on my first real diet at age 6. I am 56 and this week was the first time in my entire life that I did not shop in the plus size (or, as it was known 50 years ago for children, the "Chubette" department). And, at 207 lbs now, the only reason I am now a large in some things and not plus size is because Americans are so big that they've made the sizes larger! The video made me feel that I don't have a legitimate reason to be fat. I didn't have fertility treatments. I was never a professional athlete or military person who had to learn to eat for a new lifestyle. But I do know about nutrition, about exercise -- I am smarter than the average bear and it didn't do me any good! No one has worked harder or longer at weight loss than me -- except for the millions of other regular people who have also been fat all their life! Can I blame genetics? Sure, why not? But this video message said that you had to have a good reason to be fat and the implication is that only those people, those legitimate obese people deserved weight loss surgery. How about recognizing that life is different now for most Americans - there are less physical jobs, even school is more sedentary as less kids walk to school, flavor enhancers in our food has altered our tastes, etc, etc. I don't think we need to showcase only those weight loss surgery patients who are deemed presentable enough to be spokespeople for the cause. This attitude plays right into the crazy and punitive insurance policies around WLS. Denying so many people who need it, yet paying, without question for rehab for alcoholics or drug users. Or denying people if they go below a BMI of 40 while they are in the pre-op phase, or cancelling surgery if they gain a single pound! It's the same judgmental, condescending, belittling attitude that predominates society in general, and the medical profession in particular, around obesity. A colleague of mine at work had her VSG surgery scheduled earlier this week but it was cancelled because they found a cyst in her lungs. She has been complaining to doctors for ten years about pain in her chest - to the touch -- not just simply being out of breath. The only answer she got was "loose weight". Not a breathing test or even a simple X-ray - just a lecture. Now she is facing thoracic surgery and G-d knows what else! If doctors had treated her like a grownup instead of a non-complaint child, she would have had this taken care of years ago. it's the same attitude as this video -- some fat people are worthy and some are not. I am very happy that I had the surgery, but I am truly regretful that I didn't have it when I was much younger. I have suffered in my personal life and in my career and while I take responsibility for my decisions, I do not take responsibility for the cavalier and cruel attitude of the medical profession that for most of my life, did not give a damn. Regards, Ellen

I've heard that alcohol hits you harder after WLS. Last night I tried a shot glass full of red wine for the first time post surgery. I got really loopy quickly, but it also went away quickly. I've only consumed alcohol in a social setting, but I'm not sure it is worth it at this point. It never was a high priority for me anyway. Yes, you need to figure out what is causing your symptoms. Sounds like it might be getting worse.

wow that's great i don't even think mini bypass was an option for me . i initially wanted the sleeve , but my insurance only covered gastric bypass 100% was the mini out of pocket? sometimes i get depressed thinking mine can not be reversed, not that i want to reverse it, its a mind game i play with myself i guess. plus going through the surgery and diet and everything on top of trying to recover my natural testosterone is tough mentally i start thinking i cant eat, i cant drink alcohol, I have no sex drive , but I'm down 50 lbs looking good. its a crazy mind game, I'm mentally tough ill be fine.

My surgeon said don't drink w hile eating as this can wash food through the band too quick seems to make sense so why r people here drinking with meal ? Also alcohol makes me real hungry!!!

No desire for alcohol what so ever. No rant here, but I'm sure it was part of the constellation of compulsive consumption of all things caloric that lead to my morbid obesity.

OK...first, get back to your pre-op diet. We all mess up a little on the pre-op diet. It sucks, and it is hard, but get back on it. Next, I hope you realize you are not going to be living a non-alcoholic life, eating only warm cottage cheese after your surgery. Yes...it will be that way for about 6 weeks post-op (depending on the instructions from your surgeon). I am almost 5 months post-op, and I eat whatever I want, just in very small quantities. I'll be honest, there are foods that I cannot eat...most breads, pastas, rice, pancakes, biscuits and cakes. They just don't work for me. They get stuck in my band, and it hurts. Do I miss them? Yes. Do I miss the 40 pounds I lost since my surgery more? No. I'll take the weight loss over the bread, any day! If I want a glass of wine, or a margarita...no problem. I'll indulge every once in a while. It is all trial and error. There is nothing you will be told you cannot eat. You will try it, and see what works for you. I actually eat better now than before surgery, because I am not eating all that nonfat and lowfat crap. I eat very small portions of whatever I want. It is much healthier and more satisfying.

I think first offense a minimum year suspension of driver's license. And fines, and classes that give up your entire saturday...for months. I don't think jail time though for first offense. After that though lock them up if they continue that behavior. Most of the time they are young and stupid. That's not an excuse, but I think it's a cause. Get them off the road until they have grown up enough to handle the responsibility of driving. I had a friend when I was growing up that had some drinks and drove. He had a wreck and the passanger was killed. This is tragic for everyone involved. In prison, before his trial he hung himself. I couldn't imagine the pain he was in. He was young, never been in trouble, and made a stupid mistake, and someone died. Was he a bad person? Did he belong in prison. No. He had never had a dwi or anything like that before. He thought he was invincible and turned out he wasn't, and two mothers lost their sons. Where did he get the alcohol? Who served it? Who bought it? I think if you buy underage people liquor, especially if you let them drive afterwards then YOU should be CHARGED.

I think most addicts will trade one addiction for another. I have two (well three) examples. The first, a friend of mine moved to San Diego and got addicted to snorting Crystal Meth. When she came back to the east coast, she wasn't able to access it as easily as she did when she lived out west (it was so bad she was fedexing money to her dealer and of course no drugs would come back) so she started drinking a lot. It was so bad, her husband almost put her into rehab for alcoholism. Another friend of mine was addicted to cocaine, had to give it up because it was costing her her life and her family (her daughter was taken away from her by her ex-husband) she cleaned up her act and then got addicted to smoking angel dust, which she is still doing to this day. I think if someone has an innate addictive personality you do end up "switching" for me (the third example) the itch will always be there to eat crappy food, but I feel like my new addiction now is buying clothes. I'm an online shopping fool! It's such a great rush, but after you feel bad. The other day i went to Victoria's Secret was fitted for bras and bought about $500 worth, the minute I left the mall I thought to myself "wtf I'm just going to have to get new ones in six months!" but then the other side of me goes "hey it's $500 you can't take that money with you when you're dead"

@@jenn1 These are the nutrition facts from the site. If you subtract the Fiber and the sugar alcohol, it has 4 net carbs and 6 grams of Protein. I have it with http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/collections/brownies/products/blondie-brownie If you compare it to regular ice cream, well there is no comparison as far as carbs and sugars go. I had this off and on since 6 months and I still managed to lose like 100lbs pounds having a little once or twice a week. I haven't had any in a while, because it is freezing, but as long as ice cream isn't a trigger for someone I don't see an issue. Also how fresh the halo top is, seems to have an effect on the taste. Some cartons taste better than others, you want to buy it some place with a high churn rate. @@Kaylamh Whole Foods has it, all the other places that have it around here are local places that you wouldn't have.

This past week seems so focused on the $10million question.. do I need a fill?? I've posted the link to this list in other threads, but thought I'd just go ahead and put the whole thing here for those of us who need reminding. I hope that all of us who are questioning the need for more (or less) restriction will take a few minutes and go thru this list of questions, answering each honestly, and then make an educated decision rather than just walking in to the Dr.'s office and letting them decide for us based on only a tiny bit of the entire picture. Here ya go: Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe

Which is exactly the point. Healthy skepticism is not bad. But look at both sides of the picture. Do not automatically dismiss a study because of where some of the funds came from. Just keep an open mind. And science is generally not based on one study alone but the replication of research findings by other independent research groups. So the authors of the original article that I cited came to the following conclusions: However, the one thing that the authors cannot overcome is the fact that food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are notoriously unreliable. People regularly underreport how much alcohol they consume, for instance. I barely remember what I ate for lunch, and that was just a few hours ago. There's simply no good way to get around this shortcoming, though the fact that the authors detected something of a dose-response (i.e., the more artificial sweeteners a person consumed, the less likely he or she was to develop cancer) strengthens their case. Additionally, there is the nagging issue of confounding. People who drink artificially sweetened beverages may have other health habits that are responsible for lowering the recurrence of cancer. Perhaps people who drink more Diet Coke also eat more celery. The authors did their best to adjust for such confounding, but there's always the possibility that something goes undetected. Overall, I find the result interesting but unconvincing. If artificial sweeteners really do decrease the recurrence of cancer by more than 20%, then they should begin a clinical trial pronto. That is why I thought the authors of the article presented a well balanced article. And also their conclusion was to target more research to prove whether these findings were real or due to other confound issues.

I found you on the site and saw you were around my age, so I figured I would ask you some questions, if you don't mind answering them.lol..... I have been thinking about lapband since 2007, yet I still havent made any moves towards having it done. I was about 240lbs then,and 3 years later I am now 270 lbs. so, I need to do something asap....What's your advice for someone contemplating surgery ..... -pros and cons? -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? -how often do you exercise? -did you have anyd difficulties? -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? Any extra info you would like to offer would be great! THANKS!

Surgery is one week away, thank goodness, and hurricane Matthew is approaching on FL coast's. Not having to evacuate, but usually, drink during these type of events. No alcohol this time. Staying on track. Ready to get this done and move on. Did not have to worry about getting perishables because have Protein shakes for pre-op. Btw, does anybody else suffer with gi problems from the unjury shakes? I have never been lactose intolerant before, but do not really drink milk either before. Anyway thanks for letting me vent. Hoping me to get some rest before the storm lands. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had to do the injections I believe for 10 days after surgery. It really was not too bad. The needles are pretty small and you inject it into your "love handles". I got a instructional dvd and booklet with my shots as well as alcohol swabs and a sharps container for putting the used syringes in. You will do fine, it is worth it!!

I think I am a sugar addict. I read somewhere that addiction to sugar is very similar to alcoholism because alcohol has a high sugar content. I have no idea if that's true. I was successful for a long stretch of time in cutting sugar completely out of my diet, along with refined flour, white Pasta, etc. I can tell you for certain that my appetite normalized--in other words I was not nearly as hungry as usual. Yes, I lost weight, but eventually did the backslide into my old bad habits and regained it plus some. I reach for Cookies in times of anxiety and stress in exactly the same way an alcoholic reaches for a drink. I find that counseling has helped me to greatly reduce that reaction. Hope this helps... Carol

I struggled with alcoholism in my early twenties... I have a few minor in possessions, I have a DWI but should've had many more, I've done a lot of hurtful things mainly to myself all because of alcohol. I know for a fact that I never want to go back to that lifestyle so cross addiction to me is completely out of the picture. To me, getting alcohol out of my life was a big head game. And so is this. It's hard and it's going to be harder than I could imagine I'm sure. But just remember that you are doing this to better yourself. Don't take two steps back by starting to drink or get involved with any kind of drug. let's make our new addictions gym time and healthy foods

I appreciate ur great thoughts!! I dont drink now very rarely; jus worried that since i cant stuff my face that i may turn to alcohol or something else... I have abest friend who only had a tummy tuck and she is so scared to get fat again thaat she now is drinking vodka almost everyday . I tried talking to her but no avail..scared that will be me. I have two Very young children and dont want to become the thing i abhor so much...

Blondebomb, thank you for sharing your story. I can certainly appreciate all of your struggles. I am one of those people that considers more than just today. Part of it is my type A personality, and the other part is because I have a medically fragile child whose life is very unpredictable. So considering and planning for "what ifs" is second nature to me. It's taken a great deal of courage to even admit that I need help with my food addiction, and reading others' stories solidifies for me that getting therapy is more important than having surgery. I've read so many threads of people wishing they had prepared more mentally for this huge change versus focusing just on the sugery. After surgery, the only thing different is the size of your stomach. Every mental hang-up, angst, and ounce of depression is present and accounted for. I think once the excitement wears off and especially after stalls begin to happen, the potential to fall back into old habits is strong. Just because we physically can't eat pounds of food after surgery, doesn't mean that our minds got that message. Many people seem to get it and truly change their lives for the better, but I know myself. I know how bad my depression can get. I know that food fills a void like nothing else for me, and the last thing I want to do is trade a food addiction for some other problem, like alcoholism. There's a distinct reason why many people who have WLS end up tiny and healthy weight wise, but also quickly pick up another vice......issues that haven't been dealt with like you've done by seeking therapy, are thrust in our faces after surgery; I believe people's stories when they say how much harder it makes the recovery and adjustment process since food can't be used for comfort anymore. All that being said, I think the gastric sleeve is an exceptional tool that can cause permanent, positive changes. My opinion is just that it's not as important as mental health. We all became overweight by one simple reason. We have an unhealthy relationship with food, even if there are other factors present that makes weight loss more difficult. It is a fact that I readily admit and accept about myself, which is why I'm here seeking support from others. Best wishes to you. ????

You probably should have stuck with soft/liquids after being stuck on the shrimp, for a day. The alcohol might have dehydrated you too. I find after alcohol I am tighter and need to rehydrate slowly before I can eat. Just take it easy, you'll get back there.

Pearlygirl, I'm sorry about the issue with your brother. Can kind of relate with my dad. He was in put in prison over night at the age of 79 for drunk driving and this was not his first offense but they let him go. I think the laws in FL may be a bit easy when it comes to the elderly and drunk driving. They should have taken away his license. Finally my brother and I took away his car because the state wouldn't do anything. It's a nightmare when you have to deal with an alcoholic family member. Not only are they responsible but then you're responsible for them too! I know we can't compare apples and oranges, it's a nightmare losing a family member to a drunk driver or any other nonsensical reason. Anyway I appreciate your honesty, it's not an easy thing to discuss. brandyII

I've worked in drug and alcohol treatment for the past 30 years, currently running a long term residential program for men returning to the community from the county jail. What has been amazing to me since I had my sleeve done 1/22/18 are the similarities between my emotions and thinking and those that client have expressed they struggled with early in their recovery. Acceptance is a b***h, whether it's acceptance of my addiction, acceptance of a medical condition or acceptance that my days of eating a 16 oz steak are over. There is a very old reference in AA's Big Book that goes once a pickle, never a cucumber again. I have told this to clients for 20 years but it didn't settle in for personally until yesterday when I was feeling resentful after seeing a burger king ad and realizing that I could never sit and eat the hamburger. I got angry and resentful and even told myself that it was ok to have piece of ham because I deserved it. Yeah, that entitlement lasted about 1 minute which is how long it took for me to throw up from the cramps I was having. I'm working on embracing/accepting my "pickleness" today. What I has seen over the years is that acceptance brings serenity.

I have ulcerative colitis but have never had to have any surgery regarding it. Like you, I also have inflammation issues and bone spurs in my knees and heel. Similarly, I find the foods that are "good" for most people - fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, etc. give me real problems, whereas slider foods like bread, rice, pasta, fried chicken, chocolate, etc. have no problem going through my system. I always felt really frustrated that I have a disease that makes most sufferers thin, but that I am one of the outliers in being obese (although I did find an article somewhere that indicated about 30% of Crohn's/Colitis sufferers are obese). I'm on Pentasa which helps keeps things quiet and regular - but everytime I go on it I also gain weight as I can keep more of the food and nutrients "in" than without it. I'm of a similar weight to you, but since I'm shorter my BMI is 48. I'm having gastric sleeve surgery in Mexico in 5 weeks, I hope it will help with a lot of my issues. My gastroenterologist here in Japan seems to think it will help some of my symptoms, but he isn't an expert in bariatric surgery. However, the problem is my large intestine, not my stomach, so I think I'll be okay with (and research shows that WLS really helps UC sufferers - although it's more mixed with Crohn's sufferers). Sorry, I don't have any insights for you - as you probably know, people who suffer from Crohn's/UC can be affected by different foods (and stress and other factors). However, I've tried a few things in the past couple of years, and here's what I've discovered (for me anyway): -symptoms are usually worse when I'm having my period -alcohol often aggravates symptoms -although I eat a lot of protein (fish, chicken), too much beef can be problematic (I don't eat much pork other than bacon) -I tried going gluten-free for a while (with real food, not "gluten-free" products from stores) and my symptoms pretty much disappeared after one day. It was amazing. I kept going to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet waiting for something, anything to happen, and nothing did. So clearly I have some level of gluten intolerance that makes things worse. That only lasted a month though. -Any gassy vegetable is off-limits for me, which sucks, since in Japan almost all salads are made with cabbage, which makes it impossible for me to buy a salad anywhere. Broccoli, beans, cauliflower, eggs (sometimes), etc. plus other veggies like carrots, potatoes, daikon (a kind of radish), peas are all problems. Raw is definitely out, but I can handle most cooked veggies (other than the gassy ones). -I've also developed allergies to a lot of (raw) fruits and vegetables in the last 5 years. I don't know how connected that is, but my last gastroenterologist (who was fantastic - I miss him) was very much of the opinion that allergies are very common to sufferers of C/UC. -I love spicy food but it's just not worth it anymore.

This is my first time posting on here..I had my surgery on December 11th. I started my journey at 417 pounds. The surgery itself went very well. I spent the night in the hospital and went home the next day. I had minimal challenges after the surgery itself. I did the liquid diet for a week, then the blended food, etc. My only difficulty that I have is first thing in the morning I have a hard time drinking Water when I first wake up. Having a C-PAP machine I tend to be quite parched when I wake up. I was told that there is a build up of mucus and it's usually best to drink warm liquid first thing in the morning to break that up. I'm usually not a warm liquid drinker but it's helped. Since the surgery I've had 2 fills. The first fill was challenging in the first week but after that I was eating normally but my intake was a lot less. When I got my second fill last week I've noticed it to be more challenging to eat. I've had more foods getting stuck than in the past. I've learned that I have to make sure I really cut my food smaller. (especially steak) I've been able to tolerate a soda from time to time. I pour it in a cup and stir out the carbonation and I've had no issues with it. I know that I should avoid it not only because of the carbonation but for the sugar as well. Once in a while I've just gotta have one. I'm tolerating alcohol pretty well. I haven't had a beer yet but I've been doing mixed drinks and I haven't had any issues. I haven't really exercised that much other than walking further in the parking lot to the store because I intentionally park further away. So far since I've started I've lost 42 pounds!!! My pants are falling off my butt...shirts are getting big. I'm loving it!! I want to lose another 10-15 pounds before mid May so I can go to Six Flags and hopefully fit on a roller coaster again and ride with my kids!! My goal weight is 260 and I know I can get down to that.

I was so freaking out when I had my first fill done. I had read where some people felt nothing and others had tons of pain. Well this didn't do me any good as I have a HUGE fear of needles. Tell me I am getting a shot and I will start crying before the doctor is in the room to give me the shot. Yup total baby, but I have had some bad experiences with needles so I think I am justified. Anyway, I went in for my first fill and it was so NOT a big deal. The firstt hing I said when I walked into the room was can someone please hold my hand and of course they agreed. They had me lay down on the table and cleaned the site with an alcohol swab. Then they found the port site. One woman held my hand while the other proceeded to do the fill. She talked me through the hole thing. She told me when she was going to put the needle in and I hardly felt anything. A tiny little pinch. I didn't believe the needle was in. Then they had me drink something and then lay back down and she said she was going to pull the needle out. That was a weird sensation. I felt some pulling and a little pinch again. It was like my port was being tugged on but it didn't hurt at all. Then it was over and I was like wow that was so not a big deal!