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Wonderful! You recognize that your craving was just an emotional pacifier! That's good! Once we know *why* we eat, we can begin to create new, better, habits. Don't give in to that craving! All it does is load the bad (sugar) carbs back into your system...which will create more cravings for sugar. All I can do is tell you what I do and perhaps there's something here you can use or will give you ideas for other strategies... These emotional cravings for sweets are not just necessarily emotional. I know when my adrenalin gets going from stress, it affects my blood sugar levels...which in turn cause a *physical* craving for carbs due to excess insulin being kicked out. My doctor told me to eat Protein because it will help raise my blood sugar but slowly...unlike something sugary which will do the same thing but then drop you even farther right after. I usually eat 1-2 oz of cheese...and then just white knuckle it until my blood sugar levels stabilize. I usually feel much better within 15-20 minutes and am able to resist that craving. I'll drink decaf tea, coffee or chicken broth...or just warm Water. It's soothing in the belly. I talk myself down from that food precipice. I sit comfortably, close my eyes and then deliberately focus on relaxing every part of my body. Then I start talking to myself...perhaps just chanting a mantra such as "I am in control. For this moment I can do this. Food does not rule my life."...whatever works for you, but the focus being on deliberately taking control and choosing to not let emotions dictate my life. Like the alcoholic, I've learned to take it one moment at a time. All I need to do is get through this moment. You can do this Fran! .

The band stays in unless you have complications. One such complication is where the band moves from the position it was placed in and now is preventing you from swallowing food or liquids. Yes it stays in place once you hit your goal weight. Otherwise you would be able to eat larger meals and would regain all the weight you had lost. Alcohol is a hot topic on this site. Run a search. Most doctors say not to drink carbonated drinks as it can lead to stretching the pouch of stomach above the band. In general alcohol has lots of calories so drinking it will have negative affects on your weight loss efforts.

I have the hardest time making blog posts. So bear with me. I am undecided about having this surgery. On the one hand, this is a MAJOR surgery. It means cutting away a big part of one of my major organs and altering everything I do. Not only the way I eat and drink, but my activity level, my hobbies (as in getting new ones that aren't eating related), my lifestyle as a whole. On the other hand it means everything will be perfect, right. My dad will finally love me, I'll finally get that promotion I've been wanting... Ha. Kidding. I know those things won't happen just from losing weight. My dad will always be an asshole. I know I can look forward to more energy, more confidence, being able to do my job with less pain, no more size or weight restrictions on the things I want to do. Those things. Being able to fit on rides, for example; the potential for my back and feet not to hurt at work, to be able to play with my nephew who's on the way, or even play with my own kids if I ever have them; to be able to sit on the floor and not be in pain, then to be able to get up after without a surface to help me up and a bit of straining... I think that would be worth it. But the thought of major surgery is still effin (normally I would swear, but I don't know about that on here) scary. I know losing weight won't make my dad love me, my sister accept my lifestyle (she's religious, I'm not), get me the promotion I'm hoping for (hopefully I'll get it within the next few weeks anyway), magically make me better at my job so I can make the big bucks (gotta take classes and a different workplace for that). Even though I know weight loss won't cause these things to magically happen, I still hope from time to time. I do however, feel that losing weight will open opportunities that are either closed or that I think are closed to me. For example, becoming more confident will allow me to feel able to get another job. I know this process won't be easy. Drinking 64 oz (I'm good on 32) of water a day, only eating 2 oz of mostly protein per meal. Timing when I can drink, taking vitamins, all this stuff is not easy. Not being able to drink coke ever again. Or those frozen caramel coffee drinks from Panera that I love so much. (I hate Starbucks and am not a coffee drinker except for my bimonthly frozen caramels). Or Thai Iced Tea. OMG, if you haven't had one, they are amazing. Very high in caffeine though. You have been warned. So the real question is... Can I live without these things? Probably. I can live without the can's of Thai iced tea form the Asian market down the street. The best ones are made an hour away from me anyway at the best Thai place in the bay area; so lack of access helps. Coke? Well, I haven't had a more than a couple sips in at least a week if not longer. The entire month of August 2010 was soda free for me except for 3 Icees which my bf says count as sodas, but I say they don't. Sweet coffee drinks? Yes. I don't like coffee to begin with unless it's in sweet blended high calorie form. I do have a free frozen caramel at Panera from being a card member, so I'll have that, but I've been very good about not going crazy. Slurpees? My Slurpee and Icee consumption has gone down considerably. I don't get the Icees from the corner store anymore because they taste bad to me. Like they're made with tap water (I don't like our tap water), or like they don't clean the nozzles daily like they should. (BTW, this is why soda at some gas station marts doesn't taste good. They're supposed to clean the nozzles daily. BF worked at a gas station for a little while.) Sweet things? I am convinced that the occasional sweet thing won't hurt my weight loss. (I'm fat because I eat too much, not because I eat nothing but sweets. But they don't help things, obviously.) Sobe? Oh I love those. But I also don't have them very often. Maybe 3x a month. More if I'm on a kick, less if I'm not. Milk? I don't care what they say, I'm going to drink milk if I want to drink milk. I don't drink it every day. Soft serve? Most likely. There have been so many times I've wanted it lately but not gotten it and the cravings have been less and less and easier and easier to deal with. I don't want to never eat soft serve again in my life. I just want to get to the point where I can have a little bit, be satisfied, and move on with my life. I feel like I'm jabbering on and on. I have noticed that my tastes have changed a little. I can't finish a whole can of coke anymore. As I said, Icee's taste bad to me now, or at least the ones at the corner store do. The last slurpee I had was a little underwhelming. I haven't mentioned alcohol. I don't drink. My biggest fear right now, besides not wanting to die from surgery, is that I won't be able to eat anymore. What I mean, is really eat. Eat large portions of food. Eat whatever I want. Being satisfied that I've eaten too much, but it was so good. Isn't that the whole point of having surgery? To not be able to eat crap? YES. But this just seems scary to me. Like, oh no, what will I do now. And that's what I mean by needing to get new hobbies. Which brings me to exercise. You know, I actually used to like going to the gym. It's like, even though I know things, they don't compute in my brain now. Somewhere between beauty school, my first bf, and my current bf, I had lost like 50 to 70 pounds (IDK my highest weight back then, so this is my best guess based on what pant size I wore). I lost weight because of my DDR obsession, then I lost more weight from being dumped, then I met my current bf and put the weight back on and then some. And so did he. If you don't know what DDR is, you don't know what you're missing. Wait, you mean being good at DDR doesn't make you cool? Aw *frownie face*. DDR is Dance Dance Revolution. If you still don't know what it is, Google it. Being good at DDR is like this secret fantasy of mine. I feel like being good at DDR is so cool and make me cool. Not in real life, but I will be so cool in my own head. And that makes me happy. I used to be so much better at it than I am now. I could do a couple standard songs. I haven't played in a while, but the last time I did it was like, "I used to be able to do this." The first guy I ever dated introduced me to DDR. For about 2 years after that I became obsessed. There's this website that has DDR machine locations and I would go to places just to play. I think that's why I lost weight. I didn't think of it as exercise. After my first bf (different guy) dumped me I became very anxious. I had a hard time eating, but I still managed to eat crap. But I think even though I was eating badly, I was eating less? Maybe. I can't remember. Anyway, me and my mom started going to the gym regularly. We'd go at night when there was hardly anyone there. I got my routine down to doing 40 minutes or 400 calories burned (according to the display) on the elliptical, whichever came first, but it ended up being about the same. Then I would do weights. Usually arms more than legs. I was up to 50lbs on most of the arm machines. Now I can barely do 20. I want to get back to that. I got down to about 209/215. A size 20 is skinny for me. When bf and I got together I stopped going to the gym, started eating badly, and now 7 years later I'm up about 64lbs. I ended up being a bad influence on him as well b/c he had just lost weight on weight watchers and was drinking diet soda, and I thought diet soda was gross so he switched to regular and ate badly along with me. I want to get back into going to the gym again. But it's just so hard. Somebody call the wambulance! I know the more I go the better it will get and it will get easier as I lose weight, but right now that isn't connecting in my head. Like right now we're training for Bay to Breakers. We're behind on training due to the rain and general laziness. I walk very slow. I mean 30 minute mile slow. Right now I can't imagine walking faster. Of course this will change if/when the weight comes off, but right now it feels hopeless. It's hard for me to imagine myself smaller. In the past I didn't feel any different when I lost weight. I just felt like me. My clothes would just magically expand or shrink. So I'm having a hard time seeing myself loosing weight. I mean, so far I've lost about... 7 or 8 lbs, but my clothing doesn't fit any different yet, so it hasn't sunk in that this effort of eating better is working. A couple nights ago I made tacos (I'm not the cook, he is, and this is one of the few things I make). I fixed 2 for myself and a ramekin of re-fried beans with cheese. I could only eat one taco and half the beans. I did put some effort toward eating more beans and seriously considered trying to eat my other taco but I knew I couldn't. I literally could not have stuffed it down if I wanted to. And then something clicked. This is what you're supposed to do. You eat, you get full, you stop. Like some magical realization. Like, this is how it's going to be. This is how it works. Since then I've been making an honest effort to follow plan and write down what I eat. I have gone off plan a few times, and over eaten about 3 times, but I feel different about it now. I am having a problem though. When I follow plan I feel empty inside. Like I know I'm full but I still feel empty. I thought it was a physical emptiness, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was an emotional emptiness. And I've been having this weird pain in my chest/throat. I think it may be heartburn. It's like an uncomfortable feeling. Heartburn is the only way I can think to describe it. Oh, the water. So the plan I'm following calls for 64oz of water/fluid to be drunk per day. This includes crystal light, decaf teas, dunno if non fat milk counts (we drink whole in this house). 64 ounces is just too much for me. I'm good on 32 to maybe 50ish. 2 to 3 water bottles. When I try to drink all 64, and I'm rarely able to drink that much, I feel like I'm peeing all the time. And I'll wake up and have to pee anywhere from 2 to 5 times in the night. So for me personally, 64oz is too much. Plus my sister in law once told me that her doctor told her that she should not be drinking that much because some people don't need that much. I'm not saying that I know more than a doctor does, I'm saying I know certain aspects of my body better because it's me. Besides the fact that my job doesn't allow me to drink that much. I love what I do. I like where I do it, I have great coworkers, but it's becoming time to move on. As stated in my profile, I am a hair stylist. I have been at my current salon almost 6.5 years. I work in a select service salon. I know I am bordering on becoming stuck there. I want to move on and branch out to full service, or maybe even makeup and/or nails. I know I have more potential, I just haven't harnessed it yet. And part of that is I feel my weight is holding me back. I have 3 herniated disks in my back (not weight caused, but the weight isn't helping), so doing shampoos and bending isn't something I would be able to do on a regular basis. So I'm really hoping that I can lose the weight, gain confidence, and then move on. And in losing weight I hope to gain strength in my back and over all so I will be able to work. I actually found out about the surgery from a former coworker who got it done (she had r&y), lost weight, then moved on. I'd like to be able to do that as well. I'm almost 28. Ideally I want to be pregnant with our first child by 30. So I kinda feel like if I'm going to do this, I need to do it now and stop dragging my feet. I don't want to be fat and pregnant. I have this fear that if I were to get pregnant now (among a whole slew of other issues) that people wouldn't be able to tell and they'd just think I'm fat. Another fear is that what if I got pregnant and didn't know and couldn't tell b/c I'm fat and then suddenly had a baby. How embarrassing would that be. I'd just die. I know this probably isn't very realistic, but who ever said fears were rational? I have major daddy issues, which I may or may not get into in another entry. Basically he made my life a living hell growing up. Very emotionally abusive. Needless to say, I don't want to tell him if I get it done. Believe me, I want a relationship with him so badly, I really wish I had a dad, but he's an unmediated bipolar; it's not happening. It makes me so sad. And it makes me mad that I still love him even though I hate him so much. And it hurts so much knowing losing the weight won't make him love me. ;_; I don't feel comfortable telling my sister. She's the good one, the favorite. I love her dearly, but we just don't have an open relationship and I am very afraid of being judged. Plus given the comments she makes about fat people, being fat is probably the worst thing a person can be, to her. I wouldn't be comfortable with my grandma knowing. My dad has fed her lies about me, she's never approved of my weight, telling my parents to do something about it instead of being a grandma. And she doesn't approve of my living situation (unmarried & living together; I think if it bothers her that much she should pay for my wedding). As far as work and clients go, the girls at work would know, and clients don't need to know anything other than I'm following a meal plan, making lifestyle chances, exercising, ect. It's none of their business anyway. My bf supports me whatever I do. Whether I don't lose another pound or I get surgery and lose 100+. At first he was against it, but I think he knows what it means to me, so he's supportive. I told my mom. That was hard. But she was ok. I know she's not a fan of the idea, but she wouldn't give me a straight answer why. My sister in law doesn't want me to die. She's actually the only one who said that I'm fine the way I am. Idk if my brother knows. Idk if my nephew knows, or if he'd have much of an opinion since he's 16. My in-laws: mom is against it because she knows 2 people who had it done, one is gaining the weight back and the other almost died. She feels that I should stay the same or lose weight non surgically. Haven't gotten an opinion from dad yet. (Yes, I do call my bfs parents mom and dad, just not to their faces.) I have one aunt and uncle who I can see being supportive. My cousins I'm iffy about. One of my best friends hasn't said any opinion either way (so I think she'd be supportive either way, we've been friends for over 20 years), and my other best friend seems against it. I know I need therapy or something when it comes to food and all the feelings I have associated with it and my family, but I don't know where to get it. I can't afford a private therapist, and Kaiser sucks in that department. Ok. So now that you think I'm crazy.... On to what I'm sure you're probably more interested in: Highest weight: 281 Kaiser's starting weight for me: 278 Current weight (as of last weigh in): 273 Goal weight: 255 I'm 5'5.5", pear shaped, so if you saw a head shot, you'd probably think I'm much smaller than I am. Assuming I do get surgery, it will be at Kaiser Richmond. Right now I'm in the process of re-enrolling in the program. I should get a call from Robin in 7 to 10 days from Friday. Not sure if those are business days or not. From there I'll have to take a class or two. Past that I assume the process resumes as it was before with reaching goal, appointments, tests, and then surgery... to simplify it. Even if I don't get surgery, I feel that this group is the right place for me to be right now as far as my weight loss goes. Back in 2008 I got like 3lbs from goal then I gained all the weight I lost back plus 3lbs (I think I just wasn't ready). I stopped going, then I decided to go again after talking to a client who had it done. Now I'm down about 5lbs from my starting weight, and 8lbs from my highest (starting over) weight. I need to loose 18 more pounds. My personal goal is to loose 23 more. Once I meet that, I will begin saving for and planning a trip to Disneyland (that will be the weight I was the last time I went so I'll know for sure that I'll be able to fit on the rides). At first I wanted the LapBand. It still sounds like the best choice for me, but with all my concerns, ultimately, I feel that the sleeve is a better choice. In group (the support group at Kaiser Richmond) they said that if you set a goal for when you want to have surgery, it helps you get to goal and a lot of people who did this have had their surgery near the date they picked. I would prefer to have it done in the Spring, maybe Summer (with my luck it'd be a 100+ degree summer =/ ). Just not Winter. I know myself; I won't want to get up and walk if it's cold outside. So I think May through September would be good. I don't want to get it done right before the holidays because I just don't see it ending well. Either way, my first holidays post op should be with my in-laws. I think Valentines Day would be a really cool day to have it, but when I really think about it, it's still too cold then. I feel like May is too soon, as in I doubt I'll be at goal and have all the other things taken care of by then, plus Idk if I'll be mentally ready by then. But I don't want to wait till next Spring either. My current goal is to reach my goal weight by summer. So basically that means before September. My work doesn't want me to take December off, but I'm so tempted to... assuming that it worked out that way. This has been a slow process for me. As far as the meal plan goes, I started cutting back on soda, for example. Then I was loosely following the meal plan. And now I have about 1 meal a day that's plan, and the others are plan-ish, but not dead on. I have to work up to it. I can't just jump right in. And that's ok. Because I want to be sure. I want to be sure I can do this.

Best answer Living to Eat: Do You Have a Food Addiction? By Meghan Vivo Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night. Jane is a food addict. In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy Snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction. What Is Food Addiction? Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects. Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better. Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions. Addiction or Bad Habit? Unlike drug and alcohol addiction, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit? Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food. In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive. Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off. Are You a Food Addict? Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating. If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions: Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't? Do you think about food or your weight constantly? Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success? Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging? Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people? Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight? Do you eat large quantities of food at one time? Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long? Do you eat to escape from your feelings? Do you eat when you're not hungry? Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later? Do you eat in secret? Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake? Have you ever stolen other people's food? Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?" Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight? Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten? Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten? Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?" Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life. Treating Food Addiction Change is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time. Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like Pasta sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds. Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings. Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten. Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating Cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it. Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch. Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink Water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips. Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks. Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat. Other resources and articles:

My dear friend, don't fret . . . I had a really bad 6 months and because of that gained 21 lbs or so, very heartbreaking and very embarrassing to discuss, but in order to help a problem, one must admit to the problem. . . so i just pulled myself together last wednesday and said NO MORE!!!! I was given this thing to HELP me it's not going to do the losing for me. . . so i went back to basics, very high Protein and very low carbs . . . now Breakfast is usually 2 poached eggs; lunch is 2-4 oz of a meat (not processed) but rather tuna, hamburger meat, chicken, turkey (homemade not store bought) ; dinner is more meat and a piece of cheese . . . before bed is cheese ( a good hunk of it) . . . no snacking at all. . . if the head hunger strikes I found my self-soothing food is tea with creamer. . . that is where my carbs come from. . . since wednesday I've lost 5lbs . . . i will keep it up and don't give up. . . i do alot of self talk, if i'm feeling hungry, I ask myself "are you really hungry?" i stop and LISTEN to my tummy, most times it's a big no, then i'll have something to drink or have tea. . . I've stopped drinking alcohol as well as that was getting in the way and as we know alcohol has lots of calories. . . i'll always have issues that will try to sabatoge my work and i'll always have stress at my job, but it's how i handle the situation that will either make me or break me. . . i've come too far to regain my weight, and spent way too much money (I was self pay). . .I hope all goes well for you, make sure the doctor checks your Vitamin D levels, it's amazing how this vitamin affects weight. . . good luck and care about you!!

I drink when I get my cravings. However, I don't mean alcohol! I drink lots of diet Snapple teas, Crystal Light and other low calorie drinks. If that isn't working I'll have black decaf coffee or tea because sometimes I need the warmth to feel "full". If none of those work, then I have to leave and do something. I go window shopping, walk the dog, clean the house, do laundry--whatever will help me to get past the moment. If all else fails, I set aside 3 whatevers (usually cookies) and eat them slowly. The times that I haven't followed my own advice, it has let to a binge. I now recognize the warning signs and try to control the moment.

I have lost 61lbs since surgery Sept 28th,2010. I'm happy with that. What I'm not happy about is I have been 219 since Feb 19th. I went to very high Protein and very low carbs even good carbs(Beans ect) for a week and still nothing. I think to be honest the last 5 months have spoiled me. I have honestly lost 61lbs without trying to hard. I have also had a lot more happy hours in the month of Feb so I'm thinking alcohol might be contributing to my stall. I know I need to start an exercise program, I always have an excuse being a single mom commuting 60 miles one way to work at a job I am losing next month. I love reading these posts they are helping me to motivate mysefl, so thank you. Wish me luck!!

Well...when life throws you lemons...make a double shot absolut vodka lemonade out of it. Before I get ANY lectures about transfer addiction, I haven't had a single drop of alcohol in almost a year...but today put me over the edge. So I came home and told Lee that I was going to drink my supper tonight. He asked me how that was different from any other night thinking he was funny. I wasn't amused!!! Now I think it is kind of funny...though I think anything is funny right now. So I still haven't heard anything from insurance. I was really hoping some miracle would happen, but I just keep waiting. Well considering that it has taken me a while to type this I think I should probably go. I'll check in when I can feel my tongue! Karri

Thinoneday I found it....I hope you don't mind me posting it for Chilo1 From: THINONEDAY I can so relate to what your saying and it's not fun. . .unfortunately we are given this sleeve as a tool only, what we do with it is our decision. . . since last october i've fallen off the wagon pretty badly and gained quite a bit of weight (not tons but enough to shock me) and i had to think about what it was that i had been doing wrong. . . i found that i've come under A LOT of stress both at home and at work. . . so being a emotional eater, guess what????? I was eating all the time not realizing what I was doing. . . it didn't seem like much at those times, heck a small bag of pretzels here and small bag of licorice there. . . pork rinds EVERYDAY up to 2 bags of them, lots of alcohol, going out to eat more often. . . you get the picture. . . well i would weigh myself and couldn't understand why the heck was i not moving off the same weight i was on for the past few months so I stopped weighing myself as well. . .(oh and to mention I stopped exercising too) well then here at the end of february I got up onto the scale after not being weighed for a few weeks and oh my god I thought i was going to die, have a stroke, or both but I had gained soooooooooo much weight (25lbs, no the scale was not wrong). . . but how was that possible? Well it is and it will happen to all of us if we don't get a handle onto it. . . the sleeve is only a tool it's not a miracle thing that will make us loose weight we are the ones who have to work with it in order to loose the weight. . . well i got back to basics (and let me tell you it's extremely hard now) but since i have i've lost 4 lbs in 3 days, i will continue to eat Proteins first and ONLY 3 meals a day without Snacks like it was recommended by my nut back in the beginning. . . This is a big set back for me, I was soooooo close to my goal and now have to work 2x as hard to get there but i will get there. . . I didn't spend $15,000.00 of my hard earned money to regain my weight! So I hope that this story helps you out a bit, maybe scares you a bit, but it's true and very real. . I'm living through it now and was really embarrassed to talk about it, but the best therapy is to realize what is happening and get it out into the open . . . so here I am telling you to be really careful. . . don't sabatoge yourself. . it's a lot harder if you do. . . good luck to you and to EVERYONE here. . . .

It looks like the responses are from mostly newly banded or soon-to-be banded folks. Except for Elfiepoo - and Fran - way to go! Not that I discount anyone's opinion but I really wish I could hear from folks who have had it for more than a few years. If the definition of "successful" is to lose excess weight and keep it off for 3 years then I have been successful on my own. I lost 50+ lbs. and kept it off for 3+ years. I weighed between 135-142. Then I got pregnant, then I injured my back and the rollercoaster started again and I gained way more than I lost. I'm just scared to try again because then I might gain even more and I really can't stand the thought of being even fatter than I am now! I hear all of you and it makes sense that the band would help with stomach hunger and not head hunger. That's where the willpower comes in. OK. I get that now. So would this help me is what I have to figure out. When I'm hungry I go for the real foods like meat and vegetables and bread. I eat way too much regular food - I like the feeling of being stuffed. Then after the hunger is sated I start craving the sweets. No, not just sweets, CHOCOLATE! I can look at a piece of apple pie or a sugar cookie and it not do a thing for me, even when I'm hungry. I want real food when I'm hungry. When I'm craving I want chocolate. I can act like a normal person as far as turning down Cookies, candy etc. until the chocolate comes out. Then it's like showing an alcoholic a bottle of whiskey. So do you thing this would help me? I'm trying to be as objective as possible because I don't want to be disappointed by having unrealistic expectations. Thanks for all the info!

One area that I think many doctors don't do a good job of explaining is that there are two kinds of hunger. True physical hunger it's been 5 + hours since your last meal, you stomach is rumbling huger. The second kind is head hunger. It's been 3 hours since lunch, I'm bored, my boss is a pain in the $#%@%$, and I wish I was anywhere but here hunger. If you don't feel full, it has been a couple hours since lunch, you feel justified buying those Cookies from the vending machine. My doctor had 3 required group sessions with a pychologist where we dicussed physical/emotional/food triggers that led us to eat when we were'nt really hungry. Due to other health issues my journey from first consult to surgery was longer then most 7.5 months. My insurance did not have a required 6 months diet but I put those months to good use. I lost 50 pounds. I did a lot of work on my food choices. I also put those mindfull eating sessions to good use. I studied friends and family who are thin. How fast do they eat, what are their food choices, what are their exercise habits. There was medical journal article recently that showed in families where males are alcoholics the woman are more likely to be obese. I was like were they studying my family and did'nt tell me! My brother is a recovering alcoholic and I am a food addict, this is the pattern in on my maternal side. Willpower oh willpower! There are many people on this site who post that they get "restriction" (where they eat a bandster sized meal 1-1/2 cups of food, feel satiation/fullness, and can go 4-5 hours before they need to eat), after say 5CC's of fill. There are however several of us who don't feel full from smaller portions until 9+ CC's. Here's where the willpower comes in. You measure out your food; and when it's gone you are done eating. Stong likelihood you will not feel full. But you have to stop eating. That's where will power comes in. My doctor does'nt not want snacking between meals. So you've had a very small meal and it 4-5 hour before you can eat again. Enter "Bandster Hell". Here is also where frustration can set in. After months of preparing for surgery there is a huge let down where you are hungry after meals and you may not be losing weight very fast. I am pretty very conservative about my food choices, count calories, exercise an hour daily; and I am losing at average 1 lb per week. Perhaps now that I am at restriction I will lose at a quicker rate. The ever allusive full feeling. At 10.00 CCs after eating (again stopped when my measured food ran out) I felt a satiation, not full just not hungry. After about 5-10 minutes I would get a full sensation. I could go 3-3:30 hours before feeling hungry and would grit it out for 4 hours. Now at 10.6 ccs I do get a much stronger satiation closer to full feeling as I'm eating. My nurse said to eat until I feel like I can't eat another bite. I don't do that because I have never had vomiting or slim/Productive Burp and I don't care to. After eating I get a full feeling and don't feel hungry for 4-5 hours depending oh what I have eaten. Here's what I think the band does for me at this point. Head hunger. It's been 3 hours since lunch and I'm bored. I get food thoughts, I ask myself are you really hungry enough to eat? Really? Or are you bored? I consult my stomach (don't laugh) and it says' "No, not really hungry". This allows the logical side of my brain to will the battle. On diets preband I always eventually give up. While I do not make "treat" foods part of my normal diet; if I am at a party after I've eaten my Protein and some veggies I allow myself a small amount of diet unfriendly foods. Before banding it did'nt matter how much I had already eaten I always had room for as much high fat/calories food as I could my hands on. Now I don't feel hungry enough to keep eating serving after serving. I think it boils down to do you think you can stay on weight watchers for ever? If so do that. My problem is when I've gone on very strict diets (and 3 times in my life preband I lost over 100 pounds) eventually I just can't take it anymore. I start to let in high cal/fat foods and it snow balls and I don't eat them occationally or in small portions; I eat them all day everyday and in large portions. If you can't make food habits a life long commitment they eventually will stop and you will go back to unhealthy ones that will lead to weight gain.

You all are cracking me up...because I've 'been there done that' when I started low carbing. My husband wanted to stick me in a padded closet and throw away the key. I felt like a crack addict going through withdrawal...and that's when it hit me...I *was* going through withdrawal! I've done low carb on and off over the years but I always thought of it as a diet. This time, I'm treating carbs the way an alcoholic treats alcohol...and I've been much more successful because it's shaped *how* I think about them. They aren't just something I have to give up for a time...they're something I have to avoid completely. If you can go cold turkey and cut your carbs all at one time (and not kill everyone around you), then do it. If you don't cheat even a little bit, by the beginning of week two, you'll notice a lessening of the cravings and you'll start to feel better. By the end of week two, you should feel pretty good and energetic. If you cheat even once, you're starting the whole process over. If that's too much, then do it in stages. It's better to do it slowly and be successful, than never get through that induction period at all. Week one - cut the sugar. I also cut out the artificial sweetener because that sweet taste in my mouth makes me crave sweets/carbs. If you can get rid of it, do it...but if you can't, don't stress too much about it. Same with caffeine. If you can get rid of it, do it...but if you can't, I know many low carbers who won't give up their caffeinated coffee, tea or diet drinks. Caffeine tends to stimulate cravings so if you can cut back or eliminate, all the better. When I first started, I drank decaf tea and coffee and the Crystal Lite cherry pomegranate drinks. Now I only do the coffee, tea and water. Week two - cut out the wheat products. You can still have rice, potatoes and beans...but no wheat, not even 'whole grain'. By doing this, you'll automatically be bringing your carbs down. Week three - eliminate all carbs except those found in vegies. Again, your carbs will automatically reduce. Week four - drop your carbs to at least 60gm. After that you can lower them as much as you like, but 30-60gm is considered low carb. The only trick to doing low carb successfully is understanding that even *one* cheat will get those carbs into your system and start the cravings all over. Most likely due to the insulin response. The nice thing about dropping your carbs down to 30gm per day is that you can eat a higher fat diet (and fat is what quiets the hunger). A high carb, high fat diet leads to health problems. A low carb, high fat diet doesn't. I get lab work done every 6 months due to my diabetes and after 6 months of consistently eating a low carb (below 30gm per day) diet that is considered high fat (60-70% - 60-70gm on a 1000 calorie diet)...and my LDL/HDL is in normal range and I'm no longer taking insulin. Here's what I had to eat yesterday. This is a typical day for me now. If you want to know what I ate during my first week of total carb withdrawal...triple it. Seriously, I was eating like 2500 calories, 30gm carbs per day for the first week or so. So, yesterday's menu: B: 1 egg cooked in .2 oz butter and 2 slices bacon (.5 oz) L: Chef's salad with 1.5 cups romaine, chopped hard boiled egg, 1 oz diced chicken, .5 oz crumbled bacon and 2 Tbs of homemade full fat blue cheese dressing D: 3 oz pork chop fried in 1 Tbs olive oil, 1 cup asparagus with .5 oz lemon pepper herbed butter Snack: Sugar free jello with .5 oz whipped cream Most people thing "whoa...look at the fat in this diet". Yep...and that's what keeps me from getting hungry. About 3 weeks ago, when I realized I was most likely going to lose this band, I got very serious about my diet. No 'little' cheats here and there. I forced myself to eat only at meals (7 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.) and if hungry between, I drank lots of warm tea and chicken broth. Now I don't get hungry between meals. I attribute that to no blood sugar swings because no carbs to react to. After a year of losing 1 lb per week. I've lost 13 pounds in the last 3 weeks. I'd say the difference is consistency and lowering my carbs (mine are under 20gm these days). Hope this answers everyone's questions and I hope it didn't come off as preachy. We all need to find the WOE that works for us...and this works for me. .

I can so relate to what your saying and it's not fun. . .unfortunately we are given this sleeve as a tool only, what we do with it is our decision. . . since last october i've fallen off the wagon pretty badly and gained quite a bit of weight (not tons but enough to shock me) and i had to think about what it was that i had been doing wrong. . . i found that i've come under A LOT of stress both at home and at work. . . so being a emotional eater, guess what????? I was eating all the time not realizing what I was doing. . . it didn't seem like much at those times, heck a small bag of pretzels here and small bag of licorice there. . . pork rinds EVERYDAY up to 2 bags of them, lots of alcohol, going out to eat more often. . . you get the picture. . . well i would weigh myself and couldn't understand why the heck was i not moving off the same weight i was on for the past few months so I stopped weighing myself as well. . .(oh and to mention I stopped exercising too) well then here at the end of february I got up onto the scale after not being weighed for a few weeks and oh my god I thought i was going to die, have a stroke, or both but I had gained soooooooooo much weight (25lbs, no the scale was not wrong). . . but how was that possible? Well it is and it will happen to all of us if we don't get a handle onto it. . . the sleeve is only a tool it's not a miracle thing that will make us loose weight we are the ones who have to work with it in order to loose the weight. . . well i got back to basics (and let me tell you it's extremely hard now) but since i have i've lost 4 lbs in 3 days, i will continue to eat Proteins first and ONLY 3 meals a day without Snacks like it was recommended by my nut back in the beginning. . . This is a big set back for me, I was soooooo close to my goal and now have to work 2x as hard to get there but i will get there. . . I didn't spend $15,000.00 of my hard earned money to regain my weight! So I hope that this story helps you out a bit, maybe scares you a bit, but it's true and very real. . I'm living through it now and was really embarrassed to talk about it, but the best therapy is to realize what is happening and get it out into the open . . . so here I am telling you to be really careful. . . don't sabatoge yourself. . it's a lot harder if you do. . . good luck to you and to EVERYONE here. . . .

I think that people enjoy feeling superior; and fat is the last thing people can broadcast the superiority over. No one would say to a recovering alcoholic "I'm better than you because I don't drink." I am quite convinced that I was chosen for a lay off from my last perm job because I was fat. I've had several coworkers who told me the same thing after I expressed my thoughts to them. My boss however was an high functioning alcoholic; and bragged all the time about their blow out parties on the weekend. But she felt superior to me because my addiction was food and not booze.

So, I just had Lap Band surgery on February 21, I'm still on a full liquid diet that I've been doing a good job of following strictly. while I was still in the hospital, I had an and, um, shit my pants/hospital bed. I was on Clear Liquids and had actually just started taking anything other than ice chips by mouth that evening--it was my second of 2 nights in the hospital (I spent 2 nights in the hospital because my IV wasn't working the first day and I was behind on fluids). When I got home on day 3, I continued to have diahrrea for the next 12-24 hours, but since then i've been pretty much "regular" I started on a full liquid diet the day I got home from the hospital as my doctor had advised me. I have been strict about it with no real changes to what I'm consuming. This morning, I made a smoothie with Protein Powder, unsweetened soymilk, cocoa powder, about 1/4 of a banana, a tablespoon of Peanut Butter, and the last little bit of a low carb slim fast (like less than 1/4 cup's worth). I have made this exact same smoothie before, but never put the slim fast in before--I just put it in because I had a little leftover from Monday and didn't want it to go to waste. but so about an hour or so after I finished it (it probably took me like 45 minutes to finish it since it ended up being a little bigger than 1/2 cup), I once again shit my pants (for the first time since the hospital and it was the first time i had had diarrhea since that first day I was home from the hospital. So I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this--I don't normally have accidents like that when I didn't just have surgery, I'm 26 and in very good health--I'm not sure if this is just some kind of fluke, or if it's something I ate or did wrong. The night before I had Soup for dinner and mixed in a little bit of greek yogurt (for protien and also because I like it). The only other thing I can think of is that the slim fast has sugar alcohols in it, which maybe could have caused this. anyway, I will bring it up with my doctor if it happens again, but I'm just wondering if anyone has any feedback

Hey, Welcome!! Its a big decision to make isnt it? but it sounds like you have made the right one. for you and your family. I know because I had to make the decision aswell. I was sleeved last wedesday and although still gurgling a little I am feeling great. Ive lost nearly 12 pounds since my surgery and its still falling off everyday. I dont know how hard it must be to live with someone with a dependency like alcohol but If you ever need to chat, ive found here to be a good sounding board, especially on the topic of husbands!! Best of luck though. Holly from Oz

I'm SO GLAD I'm not the only one wanting some wine but I will wait....I'm only out 7 weeks and today I got this from my Prevention Mag email....Skip the second cocktail. When you have a drink, you burn less fat, and more slowly than usual, because the alcohol is used as fuel instead. Knocking back the equivalent of about two martinis can reduce your body's fat-burning ability by up to 73%. After I read this I thought CRAP, no wonder I gained so much weight before my surgery. LOL Just thought I would share!

hi! im amanda. i am 23, live in southern new jersey. i have a 2 year old son, and a fiance that is an alcoholic. ive been severely overweight most of my life, in 5th grade i was 160.. and by 9th grade i was 225. i jumped up and down a lot in highschool, but mostly stayed in the same weight range. after graduation, i gained a bunch of weight, and ended up about 270. went on a massive diet, and got back down to 215... then i got pregnant. at 9mos pregnant i weighed 232lbs... i currently weigh in at 290lbs. my all time high at this point....ive spent the last 2 years contemplating WLS. im not so much of a sweet eater, i just have an insatiable appetite. i was originally going to go with the lapband, but after a lot of research on there i was second guessing that decision, it seemed pretty unreliable with a lot of complications...i went to my first consult with dr wasser, and he suggested the sleeve. ive done my research, and ive officially decided on VSG, so now im working on the insurance requirements, im in the midst of my 3month diet, have a cardio appt monday, and then a pulmonary and psych eval later in march.. im hoping to have surgery in may or june :-D im super excited to be starting this journey, and being on the way to a healthier (and better looking ) me!!

I love to dine out with friends and enjoy a drink when out to dinner. What should I learn to do if I would like to enjoy myself with a drink? I know you should not eat and drink at the same time so what should I do when drinking alcohol not to feel the full effects so soon? Post surgery 6 weeks.

I too was a "gulper" (let's differentiate that from drinker so as to not confuse people with alcoholic consumption - another subject entirely). I would swig down anything and everything. Soda, water, Chrystal Light - whatever was put in front of me I would drink 2,3 or 4 or more glasses of. I hated going to a restaurant where they served drinks in "normal" size glasses as apposed ot the jumbo size that many use, I would for ever be trying to get the wait staff to bring me another or fill it up again. I was ALWAYS thirsty, I remember being thirsty as a kid too. I too was NOT diabetic although I was starting to show signs of insulin instability for the last few years. Since the operation I can drink very little, in fact I went to the ER yesterday with a kidney stone, largely a result of not drinking enough water to keep my kidneys flushed. I also suffered from hyperhidrosis - I sweated profusely and constantly and have since I was a skinny little kid. It got MUCH worse as I got older and fatter. I've noticed that this is not nearly as bad either, although the weather has been cool since the operation. I used to sweat so bad in bed that I would leave salt stains on my sheets and pillows and leave a funky smell in the bed. I get chilled very easily now and hardly ever turn a fan on - which was the first thing I'd do when I came into a room. I'm not sure what changed but this change is very welcome.

Oh yes baby! lol I think it was about 3 months out when I tried alcohol. I am a redneck from the midwest lol so I was raised on beer, however I would have to say it is probably the least tolerable after surgery - I think too much carbonation. But mixed drinks or other types of alcohol haven't given me any problems. I will say haha that I haven't been able to get drunk since surgery - I just can't drink enough at once for that to happen.

I'm a social drinker and I just wanted to know if you can still drink alcohol after having the surgery ......how do you have to wait .I hope I can still enjoy a couple of Apple martini from time to time .......

I think I look younger, but I have more wrinkles. I'm not sure, but you can see my pictures, and make the call if I look old. I'm 34, and the only time I have noticeable wrinkles is when I smile my crow's feet show, and the laugh lines around my mouth are more apparent. Personally, I'll take looking my age over looking like a can of Grand's biscuits popped at the seam. I will have face work done because I'm vain. I will have botox, and some sort of filler for my laugh lines, but I do not need it. I want it. Not for any other reason than I think I need it. Ask all of my friends, my husband, and they think I'm crazy because they all think I look 10 years younger. I get carded for cigarettes and alcohol. Most people think I'm my husband's age which is 6 years younger than I really am. I think it's how I view myself. The outside world seems to think I'm my age or a few years younger.

Thank you so much, I think I am getting there by realizing that I have to ditch the alcohol which leads to snacking. I also have to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week. Thank you for the support. I hate that this thread has slowed down so much because I really need the support. This has happened to me so many times since being banded the bottom line is we have to follow the rules as you know. Sometimes we self sabotage so I totally understand the I don't know why.

hahaha! your too cute! No i don't know what that drink is, but it sure does sound good! Keep us posted. . . I drink good ole rum and diet coke myself ever since i was 3 months out and i'm out 14 months now and love my alcoholic beverages!