Search the Community

Today while I was at work I honestly had to say to myself I am so thankful for my health. When you work in a hospital you think you have seen everything and then there is always something worse. The pain that people suffer, the drug addiction, alcoholism, patients with HIV, miserable infections that antibiotics wont cure, people trying to kill themselves, and the list goes on, I just have to think these aches and pains I have from being on my feet for 12 hours is nothing compared to how these people suffer daily. All the people in ICU on vents being kept alive by a machine. Some of these things just are not right. When you see these things from a medical perspective it really is an eye opener. I never in my life have seen family's who are so selfish to keep someone alive and make them suffer because they don't want to let go. Then they stand outside of ICU and argue about what the patient wants, when in fact it's not at all what the patient wants but what they want. The patients that get me the most are the elderly with dementia whose bodies work so well but their minds don't. It must really be pure hell to have a healthy body but you can't remember who your family is or where you are. I don't take life or my health for granted because it can be gone in a minute. One of my coworkers today had to leave work because her cousin was shot dead in her car because someone tried to car jack the car and she wouldnt open the door. A life gone in less then the time it takes to send a text. Life is hard and people are even harder. I am thankful today and always for everything I have. I will take my bad hip any day then suffer like others do. Take time to be thankful for everything in your life.

You know what has happened to me... over time. I care less and less about my food addiction and more and more about the rest of my life. That doesn't happen overnight and I am FAR from perfect. I am a person who definately has "treats". I probably have one or two alcoholic drinks a week for example. I go out with friends and we sometimes like happy hours etc. I didn't do that during the loss phase, but now that i am in maintenance - it is something I really enjoy - it is a social event and in my world, "normal" behavior. I however KNOW that ice cream is a demon with a red dress on. That stuff is like poison to me... I eat it and can't seem to stop at a reasonable quantity... and then i feel physically sick. So, I don't want to tell people... go ahead and have that martini - because I don't know YOUR world and if you can control it appropriately. I do what works for me and one of the reasons I do 5:2 is so that during my non fast days I don't have to be quite so careful. I don't go crazy, but I feel normal ... and comfortable. I do really believe that people who want to get to goal should take seriously being pretty hard core in those early months... first year or so. My opinion... to each his own though.

What's so hard about this addiction is that we aren't physically able to abstain. Alcoholics can avoid bars/alcohol, drug addicts can completely avoid drugs, smokers can completely cut out cigarettes.. But food addicts can't cut out food unless we are tube fed the rest of our lives. We just have to realize WHAT the issue was before surgery, and try to resolve it. Perfect example is that while you (gamer girl) have a sugar addiction and must avoid all sweets, I've never had a sweet tooth and could take it or leave it. Me on the other had, am a carb addict. I love me some Pasta or bread or mashed potatoes. Plus, my portions were outrageous. As far as the portions go, I weigh my food so I could "empty my plate" without going over. I've slowly been learning that I don't have to empty my plate, and it's ok to leave food over. It comes from my mom and I being poor when I was little, and always being taught to eat everything on my plate. As far as the carbs go, I avoid them, just like you avoid sugar. They are a trigger, and once I have one, I want them all. I'm sorry for rambling! But I think a lot of people "enable" and act supportive is because the second someone uses "tough love", they are pounced on and called "heartless" or an "internet bully", so some refrain from being blunt all together.

I am 31 years old and have basically done whatever I wanted (within reason) whenever I wanted since mid-college. I'm self-employed in the financial industry so I have been able to take off on a vacation, golf, or whatever reasonably easy (since I didn't have to ask my employer first.) This do whatever, whenever is partly why I'm in the shape I'm in, I love to eat... and eat good. One of the things that I'm most worried about is the possibility that I won't be able to drink carbonated beverages such as beer or things that mix with alcohol after surgery. I'm not an alcoholic by any means, but, I have a lot of fun. And drinking on the golf course or during a cocktail hour in business settings has been a big part of my life over the past 10 years. Not to mention, most of my friends like to kick back and drink on the weekends. I'm confused because I have read many things that a lot of folks aren't able to handle alcohol or drink carbonated beverages at all... Yet, I have a good friend who had the surgery and in some ways, I wouldn't hardly notice a difference in his eating/drinking unless he had told me. He still drinks a few beers, drinks a ton of wine, and some mixes and seems to be fine. The main area I can see a difference is that he seems to get drunker quicker. What are your experiences? What is the norm? Is it just that this surgery affects everyone differently? I mean, I am obviously willing to give up some of this for my health for my family... But, I'm just trying to figure out what to expect. Any input is appreciated. Oh, and my surgery is scheduled for this coming Monday. Thanks.

SpecialK, I have the band and I am having it removed due to complications. I seen my dietician and asked her what the differece was with feeling full with the band and feeling full with the sleeve. She explained to me that once the hunger hormone (Ghrelin) is removed then I will feel less hungery all the time and I won't have those dramatic peaks of starvation. I will also not get that chest pain anymore. The sleeve has no device to make things get stuck to feel that pain. You will just feel "normal" with the sleeve since it operates like a regular stomach. The best thing I like is I won't be able to eat more and drink with my meals (you are NOT supposed to do this with the band anyway) bad me..., so with the sleeve if you try to eat too much or drink with it you will end up in pain and throwing up..I do not want that. There is no other part of your stomach to force food into with the sleeve like it is with the band. I do not drink with my meals anymore now, so that is a wonderful thing for me and it was hard for me to train myself to do. I don't even allow a drink on the table when I am eating. I make sure my hubby keeps his close to him and not near my side where I could just pick it up unconsciously and drink it. If you are having problems with head hunger...don't beat yourself up about it. You need to work hard with your counselor and try getting a book called "The Food & Feelings workbook" It is very good and I used it and am using it to help battle my addiction. Also joining groups for food addicts can be very helpful for some. The reason we are all obese or morbidly obese is because we didn't or couldn't control how much we ate. I have never seen a obese person eat 2-3 oz at each meal, exercise 4-5 days a week and say I don't know why I am not thin. If we could control how much we ate we wouldn't need surgery as a tool to help us out. Head hunger won't go away overnight and you will have to work on this addiction for life, as well as any alcoholic or drug addict works on their addiction and staying clean life long. You can still get surgery, but don't expect the surgical TOOL to work if you are not doing your part. I just feel you can keep working on this one day at a time, but you must be committed. That is also why they have surgical support groups. People don't cure their head hunger and get surgery, though that would always be best. But in reality, it isn't like that 95% of the time. We need a tool to help us along. You can make the band work for you if you want to. But it will mean working hard with getting counseling, exercise, going to support groups, and taking it one day at a time. If your band is causing you pain in your chest, first try and eat smaller bites and chew very well. If this doesn't work then maybe you need a slight unfill. Sometimes just .2 cc's is enough to help. Good luck with your weight loss journey whether you keep your band or get another surgery.

Hell No! I have zero cravings for any food, which has to do with 95% of hormone telling your brain to eat is removed with bottom of stomach, there is no dumping, pouch will not stretch, but your esophagus will lose the feeling for having food in it if you overeat. And if you overeat too much you will have to throw up. But you won't get the sitting on the toilet. Alcohol won't make you drunk on 1 drink, and absorption is so much better. No way, sleeve was only choice I would ever make

Well first if you were an alcoholic would he insists that you drink with him? Or would he tell you to take cocaine? No 1 knows what it's like to live in your body except for you. Can you compromise with some of your food choices. I've never eaten deer meat. Does it have to be fried? There are some foods that I don't eat everyday or even once a month. That doesn't mean that I don't eat those foods as a treat on a rare occasion.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink fatty livers so low-fat is very important. Clear soups are lower in fat than creamed soups. One gram of fat has 9 calories. One gram of protein or a carb has 4 calories. One gram of alcohol has 7 calories. Try entering your food into FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal or another site to help you keep track.

Nancy - Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition of the esophagus. It results from food and acid splashing into the esophagus. The esophagus is not made to have these things there and cells start to change. The pictures of his endoscopy would show a pink esophagus with large patches of red (Barrett's) and they would biopsy every year. They will tell you that only a small % of Barrett's turns into cancer. Doesn't matter if you're one of them. Because it's a death sentence. It is more common in men and more deadly for some reason. And more common in smokers and drinkers. My husband was neither. My husband died at 56, his dad died at 58 of cancer of the stomach/intestinal area (he was a heavy smoker) and his grandfather died in his 40's of some type of stomach problem (we don't know for sure if it was cancer - it was so long ago). So 3 generations of men died early of cancer - something not lost on my son. Both he and my daughter participated in a study at the Cleveland Clinic. They had to send blood and I gave permission for a sample of my husband's tumor to be sent to them. They were looking for genes for esophageal cancer. This is why I am so concerned about my reflux. I know it's nothing to mess around with. I got breast cancer 7 years ago. I have never been a smoker but blamed my weight gain as an adult for it. Yes, smoking and coffee are bad for reflux as well as chocolate, mint and alcohol. Hope your husband gets checked and good luck.

I date often and find myself in drinking situations alot. I can drink beer if I do it slow. I refuse to eliminate alcohol. I already gave up my beloved Diet Pepsi for this thing. Yeah, yeah, calories, carbonation, whatever. I drink about 2 beers a month and maybe 2 glasses of wine a month. Tried a sip of Diet Pepsi and didn't care for the taste anymore. Who would have thought? Down 40lbs since November. Size 10 jeans. (lots of stretch) Heartburn free! Christine

OH I know the feeling. I loved and love my cocktails. I havent drank any cocktails in a while but did have 2 glasses of wine last week and woo felt good. Im on occasion going to do what you are asking about. We need to make lifestyle changes and I dont see anything wrong on occasion. Dont over do it I cant bare the thought of throwing up from alcohol. July 4th is huge at my house and i was sweating it but Im going to have 2 drinks in the night and thats it. good luck

I always understood that you shouldn't put any ointments or creams on fresh incisions. Check with you doctor before using anything on them. You don't want to risk infection. I only used alcohol wipes to make sure they stayed dry and clean. I am 9 weeks post op and my incision are slightly pink, two of the smaller ones you can hardly see anymore.

I went to my regular dietician today because I am still waiting for my first appointment date. We talked a lot about what to do when hunger strikes and you know you shouldn't really be hungry.. She said I needed to have a "basket full" of things to sidetrack my thoughts. Things that make ME calm and happy, reading, walking, scrapbooking etc.. We also talked about the EGO part of the brain,, the voice in your head that makes you worry or overthink things, obsess about food and diet to a point where you just give in.. She said when you are in a relaxed mood, doing something calming that makes you happy that voice stays quiet and in the back of your mind. I have come to recognize that its anxiety and stress that makes me overeat. I clean when angry and shut down and sleep when depressed,, but when I am worried or anxious I head to the fridge. I have had a lot of stress in my life for the past 15 years with little to no refuge from it at all.. Yesterday I was worried about my husband driving in bad weather to take my daughter to Grandmas, and pick my son up and bring him home. Our vehicle started having issues and hubby made the mistake of telling me. I was worried all afternoon for the 4 hours he was gone.. I had just eaten a Lean Cuisine meal, and had a horrible time staying away from the fridge. Once they got home we had dinner and I inhaled my food and felt like total crap, and then had a bad case of reflux.. I don't want to keep going through that so I am getting my "basket" prepared and writing my alternatives down in a journal. She mentioned that a study done on gastric bypass patients showed a large percentage of people who were not counseled before surgery or who never dealt with their inner eating issues turned their need for food into a need for alcohol, drugs, sex and other addictions. That is a very scarey thought and I don't want it to happen to me! What is your new Focus??

Sorry for your struggle. Food is an addition to me too and I don't know how to get over it either. I told my husband (a drinker) I was like the kind of alcoholic who drinks the vanilla and the medicine just for the alcohol. He thought if he had food that I didn't like, that I wouldn't eat it. But I can't help myself.

Yep. Also the 8-10 month lull is a real thing. I've seen it in myself and in so many other sophomores! Bottom line, to lose? I need to be at 600-850cals per day, <25-30g net carbs, 60-75g protein, and healthy fats to fill up the remaining cals. It's about 30-45g fat per day. Absolutely no alcohol. Very little artificial sweeteners. And I do IF. LOL. It helped me get my last 20lbs off. I started IF in my 9th month. I can easily get my protein in from food and get 100+oz water/liquid daily.

PCOS doesn't slow down weight loss. And 39 pounds in 10 weeks it a lot! You weight goes up and down all the time. If you are following your prescribed food plan you are losing FAT no matter what the scale says. Maybe you can stop weighing yourself every day? Some weeks you might not lose any weight. That is NORMAL. I eat 25 grams of carbs, 90-110 grams of Protein, and as little sugar as possible (just what's in the 8oz of 1% milk I drink a few times a week). I add Fiber ( ground flax seeds) to my Protein shakes, you can also add Benifiber (it's clear and has no flavor) but drink the shake right away of it gets weird. I feel fuller for longer if I add some fiber to the shakes. I don't pay any attention to sodium, but I also don't eat packaged or canned food. Watch out for alcohol sugar (it's often in candy and protein bars) it will stall your weight loss no matter what the labels claim. In my opinion there is such a thing as too much zero calorie (100% chemical) sweeteners.Lots of studies fine that ithey increases hunger. I limit it to one or two packets a day. According to my PT I will get better results working out every second day. I alternate days walking (2miles) and toning/strength training . As for calories, what does your NUT/plan say? If you eat 90 grams of protein and 25grams of low calorie carbs you're eating about 600 calories a day. I eat about 800-900 because, strange as it seems, I wasn't losing much weight and was told by the NUT To increase my calories. Yes, it's normal to get a bit obsessed about your weight. I use a journal to keep track of everything I eat, how much Water I drink, my Vitamins, my blood sugars and exercise. How I explained it to a friend recently is that I have never spent so much time and effort on eating so little food. I want to add that I don't know how old you are, how much you weigh or how active you are. So...keep in mind that the things I do might not be the best for you. Please don't feel like people her are judgmental.

I have pondered this question from time to time also. I thought about the exact thing you did concerning building new habits. I wondered if I could ever not be dependent on the band if I did develop healthy habits and stuck to them for a few years. I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, I believe the answer is that I could not maintain a lower weight without the band. Without even having the band yet, I still believe that I will need to leave it in place because it is psychology and addiction that drives my bad choices. I often equate the band to that moment I spoke about in your thread the other day, pouring out all my alcohol, cleaning out the cabinets and not going to a bar if I were an alcoholic. I look at it like my only physical power/control mechanism to abstain from the extra food I do not need. If I were an alcoholic who had my addiction in remission for a few years, having the addictive personality that I do, I doubt I would suddenly stock the bar at home again just because I thought I had developed better habits. The temptation is too great. For the same reason I will not unfill or remove the band, as the temptation is too great and the risk to dangerous. Maybe this is not the case for everyone. I suppose it depends on what drives their unhealthy choices in the first place. For me, however, once banded, banded for life. Hope that makes sense.

Obesity is the last of the 'politically correct' prejudices. It's so true. The sad thing about having a food problem is that everyone can see your problem. Almost all other human 'problems' can be hidden from the general population, drug abuse, sex addicts, alcoholics, racists whatever...but obesity is obvious to others what your problem is and so everyone feels it is ok to comment on it or feel superior to those who struggle. Here's what I never understood...why are you superior if you are an alcoholic or a smoker or a drug abuser? No one ever has to smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs but we all HAVE to eat. Its easier to give up something completely than to 'limit' it. I have been obese all my adult life. It has held me back in soooo many ways. I hope losing this excess weight will help me to 'dare' to do some of those things I should have done a long time ago. Here's to new horizons!

Different doctors seem to have different opinions on what causes slippage and erosion. As someone who has a doc that never said anything about alcohol causing problems, I do have beer every now and then. Some days, I'm too tight and the bubbles are uncomfortable, other days it works okay. It does fill you up, because after a certain amount of time not eating much, your stomach does shrink back to normal size, so a beer is going to fill you up for a while. liquid calories, blah blah blah, I try and avoid drinking on a regular basis, and keep it for special occasions, but yeah, I still drink beer and other things.

my SO is completely supportive but virtually everyone I know views being overweight as being lazy which is quite often the case-oh sure people will say they have tried everything,diets,exercise blah blah blah but most times they have not-I can NOT honestly say I did all that I could-bottom line was I was a boredom eater and never exercised like I should-I did this as a miracle fix and Boy oh boy have I been surprised-I still have to do it all myself-pfft.Fact is is there are indeed overweight people who have done tons to manage their weight but most people who are overweight are that way due to their own inability to control their portions and dietary choices-period.So its only normal that few people will understand that this is an addiction for alot of us and like an alcoholic or drug addict its just not that easy to knock it off.With all this said I am glad that I got this done but truly wish I could have pulled it off by myself and wish you the best of luck.Its a hard road and even with the band dont count on any miracle cause it aint comin.Even knowing that I will indeed have issues if I eat bread I still do sometimes cause its soooooooooo hard to say no all times and for me I always hope that this will be the time it glides right thru(it never is)-much like any addict I cant help it but am getting better.

Helen, that's terrible. Hope you are feeling better. I find that I get absolutely slaughtered very fast but it doesn't last long. I have 'persevered' with alcohol and now can do what I want, but I restrict it to weekends and holidays. And I didn't touch it much at all when I was in the main losing phase. Now I am heading to maintenance I am being much laxer.

Good to know. I'm (obviously) going to avoid beer for a long, long time, and probably all alcohol for a good six months or so, but it's nice to know that there will be SOME "adult recreational activities" available to me!

Helen, I am so sorry to hear of your worries. I honestly think that if they could pin the causes on autism on maternal alcohol consumption they would have done it by now. The media love to blame Mums. I have a friend in a similar situation to you and she is convinced that the autism was caused by her husbands exposure to toxic substances in that war, either the vaccines or the depleted uranium. But mothers feel responsible for their childrens plights, it's part of the maternal love thing. Maybe yours has tipped over a boundary though and is now destructive. Have you ever had therapy or counselling? I have and it is very helpful. I had depression as a teen, and I think it saved my life, and then in my 40s because I had not coped with losing my mother to cancer in my early 30s and then having twins. This was a grief counseller and she was brilliant. The insight you get to your own behaviour is fascinating and they will give you coping strategies and thinking training to stop the self destruct. I think you are right to can the booze, it's not a very important part of life really, we just think it is because it becomes a habit. Like the smoking, to which I was also addicted and thought I could never enjoy life without. We should all become addicted to self improvement, think how perfect we could become

Our demons are no different than the crack addict or the alcoholic. How many alcoholics have quit for years only to fall off the wagon in one fleeting moment. I spend way too much time here, too. But without LBT I have no other avenue for expressing myself. It's so safe here, because I could talk (write) for hours if necessary, and it doesn't matter if anyone reads it or not. Just getting it all out takes it off my shoulders. I've had a heck of a time so far after losing two ports, so maybe I'd still be on my honeymoon if I had regular fills and constant restriction. For now I'm going to keep writing and posting till I figure out my next move. I shudder at the thought of yet another surgery, but I need a fill, which means I need a port. I like to ramble, blah blah blah yada yada yada! The whole "honeymoon phase" isn't something I came up with. My surgeon explained it to me and it clicked immediately. This isn't something specific to me, it's something most, if not all of us, will have to face eventually, so thank God for LBT. Peace n' love - it's bed time. Wink.

Just to keep it in perspective, alcohol dehydrates you. After drinking your body retains Water. There is no way you drank 17,500 calories to gain 5 pounds in one or two days. The change on the scale is very temporary as long as you eat on plan and drink your water.