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So I was thinking the other night. I recently took a trip to visit some old college friends that I had not seen in about 12 years. I was very excited about this. One of them was a female friend, and yes we were only friends. I had the biggest crush on her in college which she knew about, but nothing ever came from it. Well the night we all went out alcohol start to take its toll and we start talking. She tells me she is sorry for not liking me the way I liked her. I told her that she had nothing to be sorry about. it happens. We are both married now and in great relationships so there is no reason to be sorry. She still continued to apologize. She thinks that i still like her. I told her of course I still liked her but just as a really good friend. This leads to her telling me I was too NICE, and that I KNOW WHERE NICE GUYS FINISH!!!!! Now under normal conditions I would just let that slide. The next day while I traveled home I started to think more about the conversation. I think I was just used a lot during college, even high school. THe reason I say this is I AM ALWAYS THE NICE GUY. I think deep down this is what lead to one of my reasons for having the surgery. I was sick of always being the FAT friend, NICE GUY, Ect........ Granted I am married to a wonderful woman now but those were many of the thoughts that went through and continue to go through my head. Deep down I want to show them all. THe friend I had in college is still a great friend and we have talked about that night and think everything is good now. I told her how it made me feel and she apologized for it. Just some stuff I needed to get off my chest.

To understand parts of my blog you should have a little background about me and the people in my life that you will see mentioned in my blog. About me... I'm 38, divorced and currently not in a real relationship. Relationships are a challenge for me, I just can't seem to figure them out. I am totally a people pleaser and give way to much of myself in relationships without expecting anything in return...You guessed it...the perfect setup to be used and taken for granted. Albeit by my own doing as I set the stage for such happenings. I'm working on fixing this character defect and trying to figure out a good balance which is why I am currently not in relationship..Another thing that makes relationships hard for me is the fact that I am very independent and self reliant and supported..I own my own house (my family and I physically built it ourselves) and make a decent living... I think that makes most men a little intimidated. PS to the guys out there who may read this...why wouldn't you want a woman who could take care of herself???....well enough on that subject. A little more about me...I have been trying to lose weight all of my life and I have made it a goal that if I was going to be fat at least I wasn't going to be weak so I have worked out a lot in the past yet, I am 100 pounds overweight. I'm a size 14-16 and wear and extra large shirt. I did this more for my health reasons than for looks...the looks thing that's icing on the cake...being able to get off my diabetes medicine and knowing I'm not damaging my body by not controlling the diabetes that's the important thing for me. Moving on... People in my life. Lets see. My mom, She's the reason I had the band put in. She's a walking medical book of her own. She has so many things wrong with her all because of being overweight and alcohol. She does not understand nutrition at all!!! She fell and broke her hip in July of 07 after my dad passed away in April from a broken hip, you can imagine how scared I was when I got that call. Three surgeries later she's finally able to walk and care for herself. My Sister Lisa, she and I were really close until she started working with me and couldn't separate work from home. Love my job but don't want to live it 24/7. She hates April because she blames her for taking me away from her. Totally not the case at all. My best friends April and Donna and Dalena. April, she's amazing. She has got to be one of the strongest people that I have ever met. She's under 30 and has lost two children. Serenity who was 20 days old and born with six major birth defects and Alex...My buddy...I miss him so much. Alex was four, he died September 10th, 2008 a day I will never forget because it was one of the hardest days of my life. To watch the life leave such an amazing little boy was heart wrenching. It makes me cry just to think about it. April has her days when it's really tough and the next six months I am sure are not going to be easy as we are coming up on the anniversary of his death and the Christmas holiday season. Most importantly I will be standing beside her and holding her close. Next is Donna. Donna she's complicated(She's my niece through marriage but also my best friend). She has the most amazing supportive attitude and helpful spirit. But, Donna like myself is morbidly obese. She's very frustrated about her weight and the fact that April and I are both losing weight and she feels lost. I try really hard to support her and have even set down and showed her the numbers of how many calories a day that she's putting in her body just by drinking soda(enough that by just stopping drinking soda would help her lose 12 pounds a month or at least not gain it). McDonalds or fast food of some type is a staple in her daily diet and it saddens me to watch her feeding that stuff to Payton my great niece who is 15 months old. I try to make suggestions such as order the apples instead of french fries. I think Donna wants to lose weight, but I don't think that she knows how to...Like so many of us. I see so many little changes that could make a big impact on her weight I just don't know how to approach the subject with her. I love her no matter how much she weighs or what she eats. I just feel a little guilty that I have this tool and I know that right now there is just no way that she could afford it with no insurance. Dalena...She's actually going to be moving in with me in a week. I'm a little nervous about that because she has a ten year old son and she doesn't drive. I live in the country and there is nothing within walking distance. I don't want to be a taxi service. We get along great I just worry that she will expect me to drive her around and that I will be the built in babysitter. Next the men in my life... Larry...I love him with all of my heart but know that he is a playa playa and totally the wrong man for me. I hired him two years ago. I could tell that he was into me because it was like he was making up reasons to come in just to "ask" me questions. I screwed up totally and fell into the game...I'm not a game player and had never been exposed to what would happen next. I dated Martin--Control freak--OTR truck driver...he broke up with me and I called my nephew who was working on the night crew to go and take all the pictures of Martin out of my office because I couldn't stand the thought of seeing them the next morning. Anyway...The next morning, Larry shows up in my office and makes the move...I ended up at his place that night and stupid me...yes, stupid stupid me slept with him!!!! DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB I would never do that again if I had it all to do over again. Anyway, this relationship without being in a relationship went on for a year and a half. I broke it off with him about two months ago because I knew that going into this lapband that I had to concentrate on me. T...Larry's best friend. He keeps asking me out, the only problems are one...He's Larry's best friend...Two He's Larry's best friend and Three he lives two hours away. Then there's Dave...He's awesome, we actually date, but he doesn't want a relationship either...GRRRRRR men they are so fickle. AM I JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO DATE? Lastly, Greg...HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT OH Did I mention he was HOT!!!!! He transferred in about four months ago. He and I just clicked, not sure why, normally I would probably never have talked to him because he is way HOT and I am Way bashful. I get the feeling that he likes me. The other night we were on the phone, I was booking a trip for him to Ireland. I asked him if he missed having me around this week and he said "No, because we're sleeping together...or at least that's the newest rumor" I laughed and said "Dang it! I missed it." We laughed ... Why is it that when I sit down with a guy at lunch the next thing I know it's going around that I'm sleeping with them?...not that I would mind at all with Greg but sheeeeshhhh come on people. The pets... Ruffaluf...Grey tiger stripped regal looking cat. He was born on my mom and dad's 47th wedding anniversary. Making him nine years old in September. Hotta hootta Houchy moooo...Other wise known as Hotta B or Obbitchywan...He's my baby. I had to bottle feed him because he was so little when we found him his eyes weren't even fully opened. He's been my baby ever since. Can you say SPOILED!!! He's a beautiful black tuxedo long haired cat that loves to snuggle in the morning. I love it when he pets my face to wake me up. Bear Bear...He's was an abused dog that Martin rescued that I got stuck with. He is a beautiful black lab. His name used to be Dr destructo but now he's starting to finally be a good dog except for when left outside alone he gets in the neighbors trash and drags it all over his yard...BAD BAD BAD DOG!!! That about wraps it up as to the important people in my life. Totally exciting huh????

I would think that people may begin to start going back to bad habits. Although candy, alcohol and other things like that don't take up a lot of space, they have a lot of calories in them. So instead of trying to eat like they did in the beginning...they have changed their habits.

So this guy I met on Bumble asked me to grab drinks next week (he said he was busy with work this week) and I said yes. Question is how do I go about this because i don't drink do to the surgery and just not really wanting to I didn't want to say "oh I don't drink, but..." Should I suggest a place or just go and not get an alcoholic drink? What have y'all done?

Alcohol for me after surgery will be a big no-no. It has too much sugar and that's my trigger so I won't even consider it. If you not a big drinker find something else to drink, Water with a twist of lemon would probably be the best option.

One drink can make you drunk, the alcohol goes straight into your blood stream. Be very careful if you do decide to have drink.

I'm trying to figure out where I come down on the "body positivity" movement and the "health at every size" philosophy in relation to WLS. It's caused me to really think deeply about this, and I thought I'd throw my thoughts out and see how others view it. For starters, I absolutely believe that people of all shapes and sizes deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. People should not be bullied for their shape or size. Physicians should not give different treatment plans for larger people than they do for thin people. The answer to strep throat is not "lose weight". I believe businesses should better accommodate people of all sizes with larger and more sturdy seating as well as better access for people who have mobility issues due to any cause. Airlines in particular. "Normal" people don't fit in those darned seats, for Pete's sake. I believe that people of all shapes and sizes should have access to good quality clothing at a reasonable price. I also believe the diet industry is bogus. The medical field should start telling the truth about the success rates both short term and long term of the "diet and exercise" prescriptions. If the success rates for diet and exercise were given for a drug, it would be banned by the FDA for sale. We need to learn a LOT more about what drives obesity and quit experimenting without full disclosure on people who are obese, especially children. We need to learn more about the damage done to our bodies by dieting, which is likely to be worse than if we just stayed heavy and never dieted. What we do know is that weight is a complex issue that individuals have very little control over. It needs to stop being viewed as a moral issue, with heavier people seen as moral failures. All of these things, I am in agreement with the HAES/body positivity movement. Then we get into the "health" discussion, and my stance starts diverging from theirs. HAES claims that there is no direct causation between body fat and ill health and that the path to better health should not involve any level of focus on weight. Well, not really. While there are some people who carry a lot of body fat and have no significant health concerns, there are also people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol and smoke daily who have no significant health concerns. No one would say that there is no causal relationship between alcohol and liver problems, or between cigarettes and lung issues just because not everyone who partakes is ill. The science is clear that excessive weight significantly increases the risk in a number of health areas. The body will compensate until it can't anymore, and then a cascade of health issues descends. I believe that to state otherwise is deceitful and damaging. And if your weight directly keeps you from being able to take care of yourself and move around, then there's no way you're "healthy", medically speaking. That is not to say that healthcare should be denied to larger people. We still treat lung cancer, even if the patient smoked for 40 years and "brought it on themselves". But we also encourage intervention for the addiction and prescribe cessation programs. We don't have a lot of good options to offer people who struggle with weight issues, and we need to be more up-front about how well they work, but we shouldn't quit trying. HAES/Body Positivity has and excellent observation about the health issues - it's no one's business. Unless I'm on your medical treatment team, it's not my business how much you weigh, and it's not my place to say you should lose weight. It's not my business what you do or don't eat. If I am on your treatment team, I should treat you with the utmost respect and not ignore symptoms and issues because you're larger. The whole argument about "my taxes pay for this treatment and y'all bring it on yourselves" is bogus. My taxes pay for sports injuries (caused by patient choice), car accidents (sometimes caused by patient choice), tobacco complications (caused by patient choice), and drug overdoses (caused by patient choice) and we don't see a large call for those people to go without treatment. Even if we were to start drawing lines, where exactly would they get drawn? HAES also pushes for healthy lifestyle choices, just without a focus on weight. I'm down with that. People of every size can take steps to improve their health: make healthier food choices, exercise, reduce stress, get regular medical care. Some of these will even have more impact than the actual weight loss. Many of these will result in weight loss. People should not be discouraged from doing these things until after they lose weight. I can even (medically) support an attitude of, "I'm going to work on these other things, and I don't care about the scale while I do." (And once again, if I'm not on your medical team, it's none of my business.) HAES has the right idea about much of this. And then I diverge again from HAES and the like when they say that being on Weight Watchers or having WLS or in any way deliberately focusing on modifying your size is AGAINST the body positivity movement. Everyone has different reasons for choosing these things, and not all of them have to do with hating your larger body. I loved myself at my highest weight and was generally okay with my body. I never looked in the mirror and hated myself. I have features I'm not crazy about, but it's at worst neutral, never a self-hatred. I didn't have VSG because I wanted to fit in a size 10 jean again (if I get there or even close it'll be a welcome side effect in my book). My decision was not swayed in the slightest by social pressures. I had VSG because I have physical health issues that are directly impacted by my weight and are reducing my mobility and taking my activity level down to practically nothing. I was lacking a quality of life and wanted to improve the things in my life that HAES talks about. Because of those health issues, I didn't feel like I had time to do it "the long way". I don't advocate WLS for everyone, and unless you ask me directly I'm not going to say whether or not I think it would be a good idea for you. But I'm not "body positive" because I "amputated a healthy organ" in order to change my size. Like so many things in our current society, the opposing sides would have you think that it's a binary situation - on or off, good or bad, this or that. I have never embraced a black and white binary way of thinking and am not about to start now. I want to support the HAES movement, but it seems like I'm not welcome and some of the concepts they propose as near-gospel I find to be scientifically questionable. Maybe I'm trying to justify my position against what I want to believe and it just doesn't fit, I don't know. What do you think?

As far as getting your fluids in if you are running around. Carry bottled Water, or whatever you are drinking. Just drink it as you are out. And if you have to mix your Protein drink (meaning you are using powder) then have it pre-measured in a snack size zip lock baggie and keep it in your purse. You can mix it up when needed. No biggie. While going out on the weekends . . . I am not sure what your doctors say but mine says DO NOT drink ANY alcohol on LRD. In the grand scheme of things it is a very short time, only a few weeks. You can still go out, just have a tonic, or selzer , plain water, or bring your own drink. Your life does not have to stop but things are going to have to change. And even after the pre-op and post-op diet things are going to have to change. That is why we are doing this. I suppose it comes down to how important is it to you?

They say its a possibility. And patients with addiction are at higher risk of relapse. I personally I have been abstinent for 3 yrs! Thank you Jesus but of course im still at risk.. after the surgery your body absorption reacts differently to substances.. (prescriptions,Alcohol etc )

What are the the side effects if I drink alcohol? Why was I told I can't drink alcohol, I know beer has too much gas but what about straight tequila or vodka???

Weight loss surgery is for life. The journey isn’t easy, but I believe that the best way to make it work is to take the best of both worlds. Recognize that we are bound to each other through our weight loss surgery, but don’t let that special tie isolate you from everyone who has not had weight loss surgery. Instead, recognizing the similarities in all of our lives can make our own challenges easier to overcome. These are some of the things we all share, weight loss surgery or not. For each, there are some unique aspects for bariatric patients, but also parallels with everyone else. We all have a daily struggle. If you’re overweight, there’s a good chance you’ve looked enviously at people who are at a “normal” weight. You see them walking down the street, maybe wearing a cute outfit that you can only dream of wearing, and wish you had it as easy as they did. You’re jealous because your own weight problem is visible to the world. But we all have our own struggles, and you don’t know what is going on in that person’s life. They may face abuse, struggle to pay the bills, suffer from a chronic disease, care for a sick child at home, or work at a job they hate. Just as you struggle every day to eat right and exercise, they may struggle every day to wake up and face their own challenges. Rather than envy them, think of other people as inspiration to get through your day. We are all in this together, doing the best we can with what we have. We all keep certain things from our bosses. Many bariatric patients are hesitant to tell our bosses about our surgery. We may fear judgment or retribution. We may just want to keep our personal lives private. It’s not always that easy to keep quiet about Weight Loss Surgery, since we need to eat differently and our appearances change as the weight comes off. There may even be times when we need to leave work because we feel sick or have doctor’s appointments. But guess what – nobody tells their boss everything about their personal lives. I am certain that all of your coworkers have their own secrets from your boss. Looking just at alcohol abuse, an estimated 15% of the workforce has come to work after drinking or with a hangover! Add to that secrets such as playing hooky to see a sports match, searching for a new job, or living out of a camper to save money, and you can bet that every employee has their own personal issues that they don’t want to publicize to the boss. We all want to be there for our families (or worry about our futures). One of the most compelling reasons to get weight loss surgery is to be there. We want to be alive and be healthy for as many years as possible to support our families and get to enjoy them. With obesity, the pressure to improve health is real and personal, since we may already have our own health problems or have seen family members struggle with or die from conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. But everyone worries about the future. They may worry about their job security, about having enough money for rent and to put the kids through college, and – yes, it’s true – about their health and weight. We’re all short on time. Weight loss surgery success is time-consuming, from meal planning and grocery shopping to food prep and measurement, not to mention working out. It takes some sacrifice to get in all those healthy behaviors, especially before they become habits. But everyone is short on time. We’re all busy with work, school, and family obligations. And that includes diet and exercise commitments, even for people who don’t look like they need to be careful. In fact, the people who are most dedicated to their health are the ones who are best at prioritizing their lives, and making the necessary sacrifices to clear the time to work out and eat right. We can all use a helping hand. Hopefully, this article has shown that we’re all in this together. We can all use a helping hand. Within the bariatric community, resources like BariatricPal can give us the chance to ask questions and give advice. Outside, try to remember that giving someone a smile or encouraging word can mean a lot, and possibly make someone’s day a lot easier.

I'm almost 18 months out and can eat pretty much anything I ate pre-op, just in smaller amounts. Some people, including the woman who writes the eggface blog, decide to give up a problematic food instead of trying to eat smaller amounts of it. Kind of like an alcoholic gives up drinking alcohol instead of trying to control something they know they can't control. That decision rests with each individual. I am grateful that I haven't ran across a food I felt the need to give up yet. I love my life on the goalies' bench! I do eat differently now. Here are a few examples: Night time salty snack: pretzels. I am pretty satisfied with a one-ounce portion. Popcorn: Try not to eat more than a couple of times per month. Hamburger: Generally, I make sliders at home. 4 oz. raw hamburger, formed into three small patties. I take two Kings Hawaiin Rolls and split them horizontally into third to make three buns. I use a little light mayo on the top bun. Chili Dogs: I like the Hebrew National Light Hot Dogs, 97% fat free beef chili,the light shredded cheddar cheese, some chopped onion, and don't eat much bun. Sometimes no bun. Sweets: I do indulge in sweets, but mostly try to stick to something light. I enjoy graham crackers with a little Peanut Butter or Quaker granola bars. The 90 calorie Fiber One brownies are good too. Sometimes i have soy milk heated with a splash of sugar free syrup. I also like the sugar free hot apple cider mix. Best wishes on your journey! Lynda

Some history: I am a 29-year-old American woman living in Denmark on a residency permit with my husband and his kids. We tried to get pregnant for a while, but after many failed attempts, we decided to bring our concerns to an OB/GYN. I was diagnosed with PCOS and was asked to lose quite a bit of weight before they would help via fertility treatments. It has been a struggle to get any assistance at all in regards to PCOS related symptoms because of my weight, never mind the fertility issues that come along with it. I decided to go for bariatric surgery, as recommended by my GP. Meetings held & requirements so far: A week prior to my meetings, I was required to get an EKG and blood test done. 12/09/2019 (141kg / 310lbs) - I had my first meeting with one of the doctors at the diabetes center. It was basically just the start of a medical journal. He got my starting weight, illnesses, medication, and allergies. I was told that I need to lose 8% of my current weight, which would put me at 129kg / 284lbs. He told me that it looked like I would be offered surgery since I met the requirements (a BMI over 35 with concurrent related diseases, which, for me, is PCOS, sleep apnea, and a history of hypertension), but I would find out on my next visit. The day before I left on vacation (12/17/2019), I weighed 136kg / 299lbs! While I had a great time visiting family, I ate way too much unhealthy food and shot back up to 142kg / 313lbs when I returned home (01/09/2020). Yikes! 😩 I managed to get the weight back off before my next visit though! 01/15/2020 (135kg /297lbs) - This was my second meeting, but this time it was with a senior doctor. He described the pros and cons of each option for surgery. Due to me having a history of occasional acid reflux and heartburn, he suggested that I go with the bypass surgery. However, he told me that I could choose for myself. I have decided to stick with what he recommended. By the end of the conversation, he offered me the surgery (as I figured at this point 😂) and set up an appointment for me to see a dietitian. He also said that my EKG and blood tests came back normal. Within two weeks of the previous meeting, I had to send in a stool sample. Upcoming meetings: 02/18/2020 - My first appointment with a dietitian. 03/06/2020 - Normally, I would be required to attend a patient seminar with other overweight people prior to surgery, but because I do not speak fluent Danish, I will have to participate in a 1-on-1 meeting with the details of how the operation takes place, how to prepare, and how to eat/live after the operation. This is a plus to me, as I am normally uncomfortable in large groups of people. As of today (01/26/2020), I weigh 133kg / 293lbs! With this current rate of weight loss, I imagine I will have met my goal weight for surgery by the time I have my first visit with the dietitian. This both delights and worries me, as I am not sure how they will take this information. I was told during the meeting with the senior doctor, that once I lost the weight, I would simply call up the clinic to tell them and I would get my surgery date some days later via email. However, the emails I received from the clinic prior to these meetings thus far have confused me, as they don't seem to suggest the same thing. Here's the list of requirements that I am still supposed to meet besides the upcoming appointments I have listed above: Lose at least 8%-12% of what I weighed the first time I visited the clinic and maintain that weight loss until the day of surgery. I need to have regular conversations (via meetings with a dietitian at the clinic or telephone) with approx. 4 week intervals to discuss: Agreements and goals for progress and weight loss Dietary changes Exercise Smoking and drinking alcohol Medical diseases Then, it says: after 3-6 months, I am to have a status interview and then a team of specialists will assess whether I can be offered an operation. 🤔 I guess what I am confused about is that I thought I was already offered the operation, but just needed to lose the required weight before I could get a date! Furthermore, if I lose the weight before my first meeting with the dietitian, would I really need to have so many more meetings after that? Eh, I guess I will make that phone call once I reach my goal weight to find out where I go from there. I am hoping it's as easy as the senior doctor said it would be during our meeting! Anyways, that's enough from me for now. I'm Steph! I recently joined the FB group and ended up finding my way onto the website. I look forward to writing with you all more in the future! Good luck, everyone! If anyone else has experienced a similar situation in the Scandinavian countries, I would love to hear what clarification you guys had gotten! And sorry if I sound totally spoiled -- I know the US insurance companies require a lot more in order to cover the operation! 🙈

Hi there, I'm starting the second week of my pre-op liquid diet so naturally I am thinking about what it will be like to go out to dinner once banded. Granted this is a fantasy for a couple of months down the line after I am healed up completely and understand how my band works, etc. Let's say I'm in the green zone. So, is this in any way what it's like to go out to a restaurant? We sit down, the waitress comes over and we order drinks. I am not eating and drinking together, nor am I having alcohol very often, so the drink is a big deal. Maybe it's a glass of wine or perhaps a cocktail. If it's a cocktail I don't chew on the lime or eat the slice of orange. I sip the drink and enjoy every moment of it because it's a big treat. My spouse orders an appetizer and I finish sipping my drink. I need to clock it so that at least twenty minutes have elapsed before I have anything to eat. I order something high in Protein and soft -- something that will absolutely positively not cause me to get stuck. Perhaps I have ordered an appetizer. If it is an entree I will likely need to divide it to take some home or pass it over to my husband or son who will gladly absorb the extra from my plate. When the food arrives, I take a good hard look at it to determine the best approach. I am only going to have 1/2 to 1 cup and I need to listen especially hard to my body so I don't overdo it. Plus I've had a drink so I need to be extra mindful. I have ordered something very high in protein but I love veggies, too. I may need to move things around on the little plate so I am able to go very slowly and be sure to put the fork down. Am I over-thinking this, LOL? I will still be able to eat out, I know, but I guess it's that week two pre-op and minor anxiety about upcoming surgery that is bringing up these little worries.....What's it like when you go out to dinner?

Reaching the 100 day mark later this week as well as 14 weeks/3 months post op. How do I feel? Amazing.....really more than amazing, what have I learned so far If you have seen my other posts every week is a different thing I am learning.... I know now that I can eat at restaurants, go on a cruise and lose 3 pounds, and so much more I have been very lucky... no complications, or discomforts since my Jan 20th surgery date. I have however stuck religiously to the food plan, have had NO alcohol at all either. Amazingly I have been eating well enough that supplement shakes have not been needed....my secret? cottage cheese! It is packed with so much Protein that (2) 1/2 cup servings of fat free cottage cheese will give you 30g of protein (well on your way to the 60-80 needed every day.) The three month checkup. I did really well! My bloodwork came back all in range including my Calcium, levels of D etc. Actually my B 12 was very high. I have been drinking enhanced H20 Vitamin waters (Adirondack) that have b-12 included in them and along with my supplement daily ....I can now skip the b-12 twice a week. total weight loss since surgery 52 lbs total weight loss since beginning the program 60 lbs Clothing before-> 40 waist XXL shirt now-> 36 waist L shirt. I have been eating just about anything I want. Staying away from fried foods, Pasta, and the like. Haven't had any foods disagree with me yet. just started an occasional 1/2 sandwich....with no problems. Learning that at restaurants... I have to immediately decide what I am eating on my plate and what is going home for later. It really helps keep my portion in focus. If not It can lead to picking at the food a little here and there until I might get sick. I also encourage others to try some of my food.... 100 days later and I feel 10 years younger!

I eat out all the time and order everything except fried foods. i will taste a fried item but not as my meal. I never order a drink but have one in the car for my ride home and it will be after 1/2 hour after eating. I order according to the type of restaurant. Where I live the Chinese restaurants have combos all day and I bring 1/2 home and order brown rice with it. ​Italian the other day I had a salad, 2 end pieces of bread (I don't have the doughy parts) with butter or oil, meatballs and pasta. I took home most of the whole wheat pasta. I order salmon a lot with veggies and bring home 1/2. For burgers, I may have 1 to bites of the bottom of the roll and eat about 4-5 oz. I have pizza, thin crust 2 slices or 1/2 of a bar pizza, which is big in my area. They are very small and thin crust. I never have alcohol. That was a no-no I was told but talk to your doctor. Up to him/her. One thing I can't chew anymore and being from NE, is lobster. I can eat shrimp, though. Also for red meat, filet is the most tender and the only one I can chew real well. Hope I helped you.

My surgeon knew that I like to have the occasional cocktail, she advised that after 6 weeks I could have a beverage and warned about Sleeved patients are likely to become alcoholics due to ease of getting drunk. She was cautious and informative. Its nice to know that I can have that drink and its not something I'm not allowed to have.

Sooooo many threads on this subject (just a few recent ones to get you started): http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/369537-beer http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/369245-alcohol http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/367526-alcohol-post-opits-possible-when-how-much http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/365478-alcohol

@@pixystix0116 - I can only share my experience, everyone is the same in that we are all VERY different. So with that said, let me tell you what I did to prep...I walked for at least an hour every day. I went to the gym 3x a week to lift. I was very faithful two weeks before surgery on the diet, got rid of alcohol, caffeine et. al. Surgery day came, because I was in as good shape as I could get. Surgery took less than 30 minutes. I was up and walking within minutes. The first day was rough only because of the dang IV and the drain plug. After both were removed I didn't need any pain killers. Would walk all the time. I had the surgery on a Tuesday. Flew home Friday morning (added an extra day, because I always plan for the worst case). But Saturday I went to an University of Oklahoma football game and my son's fraternity "Dad's Day" celebration. So pain on surgery day 1 - eh 5, after that 1-2. So much better than when my appendix burst. That took nearly six weeks to recover from.

I agree. I was focusing on studies, work, walking, & socializing better (like without food & alcohol). Height: 5'0" Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs. Surgery date: 2/13/17 Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs). Current weight: 160 lbs My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

I agree a lot with what @Creekimp13 says, but I also would say this: cut out the alcohol. Completely. It is empty calories AND it lowers your inhibitions so you are more likely to make poor food choices. I think you look AMAZE-BALLS! But, you want to keep looking amaze-balls and not get to where your weight keeps creeping up and you're back where you started. But maybe you shouldn't listen to me since I haven't even had surgery yet and I don't drink at all. I'm just speaking from watching the food choices I see my friends and family make when they are drinking vs when they are sober, plus a number of things I have read including nutrition textbooks.

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!!

Jersey, you gotta be up front with your friends! There is nothing wrong with your procedure and to know is to better understand! I had to tell my friend yesterday at a cook out, I'm not pouring you a alcoholic beverage and you should not ask me to do that knowing I can't drink! You know I would want one! She understood!

Yes, this is a drastic and permanent treatment. But for the first time ever, I don't feel like I'm on a "diet". That word brings up thoughts in me of what I can't have and honestly, I feel like I can have it all now, I just can't over eat any more. If I do there are consequences, (puking or dumping) and I'm not likely to repeat that behavior anytime soon which was my cycle before. When I fell off the wagon, I'd fall long and hard. I'll be 2 year out in October maintaining a 90ish pound loss for over a year, (longest ever). I exercise 5x per week first thing (stationary bike and some light strength training at home, not a gym rat by any means). I worry about regaining every day, but it doesn't control my life and neither does food anymore. If I gain a few pounds, I give up empty calories like treats and alcohol, eat a little smarter and bump up my exercise a bit till it comes off. I can MANAGE my weight now for the first time in my life. As far as a new metabolic setpoint, I kind of believe that, which is why I started exercising and building muscle and why I ate as many calories as my weight loss could bear, (about 1200 per day), because I wanted to land in a manageable place for long term maintenance. So far, so good. Good luck in your decision!

From what I remember, I arrived at the hospital, toting a small overnight bag and my CPAP machine. After signing in (I had pre-registered) I had about a 10-15 minute wait before they took me back. They weighed me, took me to a room where I changed into a hospital gown and they started an IV and asked questions and took vital signs. Then they let my husband come back to the room. After a short while the anesthesiologist came in to ask questions and started something in my line. I must have fallen asleep because I don't remember saying goodbye to my husband or being wheeled into the operating room. Next thing I know I was waking up in the recovery room with 2 or 3 nurses around telling me I was okay and giving me rubbing alcohol-soaked sheets for the nausea. I had nausea as soon as I woke up. After maybe 15 minutes or so they let my husband come back and one of the nurses showed me her before/after photos of her WLS. Then they wheeled me to my room, husband in tow. I was nauseas for the whole first day and half of the second day. Never had any pain.