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I agree with Cake girl. The first three days of the pre-op liquid diet will make you second guess your decision, but hang tight. It will get better. I too had awful headaches, even threw up on the night of day 3. After that though it got better. Its just like withdrawals from alcohol or drugs I suppose, But you will live through it, I promise. After day 3 it became much easier.

No, he said eat bananas paper work say don't eat fruit in syrup. He also said don't eat and drink at the same time but then tells me to eat Cereal. He also told me alcohol was fine in small amounts no time limits. I want to try it I just think I might dump.

Jackut. I don't do well with high protein either. I get bloated and gassey and so constipated I can't move. It's miserable. I recently got uncharacteristically tight after a long 4 day weekend away with girlfriends at a retreat. I ate very well, lots of veggies, etc. but wasn't drinking my water as I should. When I got home I PB'd 9 times in one week. Prior to that it was only twice in 10 months!!! I lost 4 pounds that week, but couldn't eat a thing. Three bites and I was in the bathroom. Dehydration hadn't occured to me. that was three weeks ago, and I'm still tight off and on, but I have to say, I have also been enjoying a glass of wine in the evening more often than usual, and I know alcohol can dehydrate you. I'm going to test this theory as well. Seems plausible to me. Let me know how you do with your experiment.

this time last year I was a mess, 196kgs and rising I had all the fatty food the big cake and all the alcohol i could fit in!!! Today,,,,I am on mushies Ill be having a low fat casserole, sipping my water and I think my kids are getting an ice cream cake, coz they are only 6 and 3 u cant have a birthday without a cake lol Funny thing is it doesnt bother me if i have it or not Next year will be amazing, people will be able to buy me nice clothes!!! I will want to go out somewhere, coz the chair wont break, coz the isle will all of a sudden be big enough for me, coz my seat belt will fit Today might be my birthday but i feel like today is a celebration of a new life. I am feeling reborn:biggrin:

Hmm interesting. I do know that there are gobs of fat around the liver in overweight people, and I can see how that could be hard to see and work around. If you google fatty liver(images) the liver is clearly larger and paler in color than healthy livers. There are several causes for fatty liver, but the appearance is basically the same for all. The fact that it's paler in color would go along with actual fat lipid deposits, but I have no clue what color the sugar stores would lend it... I'm on day four of my pre op diet and my instructions are to eat any Soup I want however much I want, yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, and sugar free drinks. I'm opting to do a very low carb diet because I was a heavy beer drinker utill 7 days ago. It just seems that I would consume too many carbs, sugar AND fat with the diet he recomended. I'm still going low fat, but I'm worring more about the carbs and I have been enjoying eggs:redface: I guess that's why I'm curious about what actually makes the liver smaller. If mine is inflamed due to alcohol as well as my bad diet, I should probably eat a lot less fat as well:frown:

Why even bother? The point of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver. Not meaning this in a rude way at all, but if you can't stick to a strict pre-op diet, how do you expect to stick to living with the rules of the lap-band for the rest of your life? The band does not do the work for you, you need to have willpower and do the work, especially in the first 5-6 months. The pre-op is NOT about calories. It is strictly to shrink your liver. Alcohol usually isn't associated with being good for your liver. You are giving yourself a gift by being banded and finally making this decision, don't screw it up by having a few drinks at a get together.

Alcohol is just like sugar as far as your liver is concerned. It is not allowed on the pre-op diet. You may not like this answer but it's the same one your nutritionist will give you.

Did anyone who had to do Optifast before their band have such severe issues with it as I am having? I feel like an alcoholic trying to stay off of liquor only my liquor is food. I am so frustrated and tempted to eat and I have to call people to help keep me occupied so that I do not eat. I have followed my doctors orders thus far with my 5 shakes a day and some sugar free jello but I am so frustrated and miserable. I need to do this and I don't want to cheat, heck I have even incorporated 30 minutes of walking during my lunch break at work, but I am seriously going nuts when I get home and ahve to make dinner for the kids. Hubby has been doing what he can to help but he works three nights a week this week and next and I HAVE to make dinner for the kids. I am just so frustrated and looking at the prize at the end is not even helping. I don't know if I can make it though 9 more days of this.

For me, this is how I understand why I turn to food... Some people are alcoholics, some are drug addicts. Some people are addicted to shopping and others have OCD. Everyone has something that they are in control of (or think they are in control of) and for me it's food. Food is my "medicine." It's not good medicine, but neither is heroine, OCD meds, alcohol, or $10000 credit card bills. It's not right, but it's done. Now, this is my rehab. I will struggle with this for the rest of my life. I have an addiction to food, and while I'm grieving over having to let it go, I have to constantly remind myself that I'm gaining something much more valuable. LIFE! --- a life for my future children, my husband, family, (hopefully) grandchildren, friends, etc. LOL --- that doesn't change that I have "last meal syndrome" and will probably have it 12 more times before my surgery! I don't know whether to laugh it off, cry, be disgusted, or just accept it. :blushing:

Unless you have fatty liver disease from diabetes or alcohol/drug use, your goal for surgery is not so much to "shrink" your liver but to melt the fat off of it. The first place any of us lose fat when we diet is from around the liver. Most any diet that restricts calories and fat will do. Salt may make you retain water weight but it does not generally cause us to build fat.

I'm going to do research--I have already before I found this site. However, if someone feel so inclined and has some answers, I would be grateful. 1. Has anyone used Med To Go for Mexico services? 2. How will smoking affect things presurgery, as well as post surgery? 3. I have had compulsive overeating issues years ago. I rarely fall prey to it these days, maybe twice in the same year. Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, how did it affect you? I plan to attend behavioral therapy for at least a year after the surgery. 4. Has anyone ever felt depressed about the fact that you can NEVER pig out again, like not even once. I know I should be happy about this, but maybe at Thanksgiving one year, I'll really miss that part of the tradition. Maybe at a really nice Breakfast buffet, I'll feel sad because I just can't eat anymore, but the omelette really looks good. 5. Does benefit come more from the type of food that one eats or the amount of food that one eats? In other words, if someone eats McDonald's exclusively every day of their life, and their normal diet consists of two Big Macs and a large fries, and for whatever reason in my little make believe example, they still ate every meal at McDonald's, but ate a half a cheeseburger and 10 french fries, would the surgery be effective? (And yes, I of course know that it would not have the same benefit as eating five green Beans and a small piece of baked pork.) 6. How does alcohol consumption change after someone is fully recovered? In other words, on a given day, can I get drunk? (I drink rarely, but enjoy getting completely hammered two or three times per year, given the right circumstances.) 7. I've heard that post surgery, many people actually lose some of the desire to eat badly. I'm wondering if this is true and if so, how prevalent. As you may pick up from my questions, I am going to (or at least I wonder) miss certain behaviors regarding food. They've been my go to choices. They've been my friends for 40 years. They've been my security blanket. More than anything else, my relationship with food and weight has negatively altered my life for decades now. Despite that, it's scary. . .real scary. My obsession with weight and food is constant. I'm sure some of you will "get" that. It seems to me that having to monitor intake could make it even more constant. I'm 48, 275, 5-10. Starting to have knee problems, higher blood pressure, borderline diabetes, bad back, etc, etc.

I am 10 days post op and still on a liquid diet. I guess everyones instructions are different. I was told no alcohol for 6 weeks.

Today I am officially at the 5 month mark following my surgery. I've lost 65 lbs and I feel fantastic! I hit Onderland a week or so ago which was a huge goal. I am also into normal sized clothes and am delighted with the selection - actually a little overwhelmed to tell you the truth! I'm a much happier person too - which is a big part of why I did the surgery in the first place. In five months I've had very few problems. I've thrown up once after eating too quickly (learned my lesson and have never done it since). I've pretty much stuck to solid proteins although lately I am slipping a little and adding more carbs back in - but I get too full too fast from them. I do enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage - but need to be mindful of the calories and adjust my intake accordingly. I do not drink carbonated beverages at all. I still miss my diet cokes sometimes, but have replaced them with iced tea and that does the trick. I am noticing my hair getting thinner lately so I am refocusing on the vitamins which I have been bad about taking. I do think at this point I need to refocus and set some new goals. The weight isn't coming off as easily any more, and so it's time to up the effort. I've also noticed lately thinking about food more - which is something I never did in the early days. I seem to be hungrier - especially when driving home. I just noticed this trend so now I am filling up the water bottle before leaving work and using that to combat the feeling of hunger. I'm still sticking to three meals a day which is pretty easy. Goals: Exercise 3x week for 30 minutes - this is a challenge for me as I have significant difficulties with basic activity because of my MS - but I have to do this. Increase H2O consumption by half Journal ALL caloric intake Things I look forward to doing in the next 5 months: Never see the 200's again (sustain wt. loss) Go ziplining Lay out at the beach Wear a sleevless shirt lower my BMI below the "obese" range Get to the point where the weight I've lost is a higher number than the weight I have left to lose (be more than half-way to my goal) Ultimately I knew from the beginning that this journey was going to take a while. Sure - I had dreams about being one of those people who lose all the weight in 6-8 months, but I've also learned that I cannot allow myself to think that any pound lost (no matter how quickly or slowly) is anything but a success. When I hit the one year mark I hope to be very close to my goal - but if it takes longer then I will just keep on plugging along.

Hello, I’m new here so I hope this post is ok. I am a 47 year old man in the UK who went from being a 10 stone fit guy in my 20s to being 23 stone now. Tried diet after diet and yo-yo’d so much I went dizzy! I am paying privately for a gastric sleeve in January 2022 and my partner seems to have more concern than me. I feel I have done plenty of research but the two questions my partner keeps asking are: 1) will you ever be able to have more than a couple of drinks of alcohol (wine) in future 2) will you ever be able to go for a nice meal again (not just diet food) we are a social couple and like to enjoy nights out but my biggest concern is I want to be healthy and look healthy so not drinking alcohol at all for a while and small meals isn’t a problem. We are both just wondering what happens say 12 months down the line could I potentially be able to eat a normal meal (normal portions not trailer loads like now) and perhaps enjoy a few drinks on a night out? Thank you all in advance.

I'll tell you my experience. I could not lose weight without regaining or giving up. I paid $10k out of pocket, but I think the surgery is worth eyery penny. I'm about 6 weeks out. I've been lucky and can tolerate just about anything (I have not eaten carbs, had soda or alcohol). I can barely eat 1/2 c at a sitting HOWEVER an hour after eating I could eat again if I chose. I look at my kid's plates and would love to have just a taste. I could probably drink milkshakes without a problem. All of this is to say that the surgery is just the first step and a tool- some days I fight mind hunger, craving etc all day long. THAT for me is the hard part. Only you know if you will be able to control those parts of this journey. I wish you only the best and please know that my 2 cents is worth exactly that, 2 cents.

Daniela, My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. My Dad died 18 yrs ago at a time in my life when we were really getting to know each other since he was an alcoholic. He stopped drinking and we were enjoying the time making up for what we missed. Then he left. The hurt was tremendous but after time I realized that the passing of our parents, no matter how hard it is, is the proper progression in life. I also learn quickly that he never really left because I didn't want him to. He's here every day and as long as I think of him every day he will show up. I'll never let him go. Hopefully you'll be able to do the same with your mom. Remember we are spiritual beings having a human experience. So the spirits in us still can communicate that never dies.

Exactly 6 weeks post-op I will get on a plane and fly back east to the wedding of two of my best friends. I have not seen this group since last Thanksgiving and I'm totally nervous about this trip. My weight loss isn't dramatic, but we are a party group and my non-partying ways will be noted. I admit to testing my limits with alcohol with this new stomach which I know is a no-no but I made sure to be super active for two days to combat the calories. I knew I would never go back to my partying ways and as 30 looms another year away I made my peace with that. But now... knowing what I'm heading back into.... I wonder how I pull this off. I am not telling anyone about my surgery. My body is my business and they love me regardless so I feel no need. I just worry about how to combine two lifestyles that do not go together at all. Oh and also about making a fool of myself if I have three glasses of wine. The best part is... I have another wedding to go to at the end of August and I get to do this all over again.

On thanksgiving I was 4 weeks out my doc said non carbonated alcohol was fine. Hard boiled eggs are also on my soft foods list. If you drink your protein shakes calories don't matter, you will lose fat and keep muscle. I get about 500-1000 calories a day, just depending on the day but 10 days out I barely ate anything.

If you lose the weight relatively quickly, this summer is very possible. The waiting is also dependent on if they hire a new psychologist soon or not. They have been shorthanded for a while so I would hope that they are getting close to finding someone new. Other kaisers were helping out by doing some of the psych evals for fremont but last I heard, they pulled back and said they couldn't help anymore. I didn't start losing weight until a week AFTER I met with my surgeon(I met him the day before Christmas eve so enjoyed my holidays before getting serious). I lost 40lbs in my first 7 weeks. Once 1/1/17 hit, I went straight down to 1200cals. I have not had a soda, carbonated beverage, caffine, alcohol, fast food etc since. I added in a lot of the staples that they say are helpful post surgery, Greek yogurt, string cheese, eggs, etc and made sure i got my protein in from a lot of different sources. You could probably cut carbs and lose quicker but I didn't. I went high protein, low carb. I tracked my protein intake but not my carb intake, just kinda avoided excess carbs. I still have a piece of toast every morning but I don't usually have a carb with dinner. 2 thing to remember. 1, the most important part pre op is to build the right habits. A lot of people who do extreme dieting to lose weight preop quickly, really struggle with post op. You are dropping to 1200 cals, you will lose weight quickly regardless if you cut out all the carbs or not. 2, you have to maintain and continue to lose weight throughout the whole process. Especially because they are backed up, you can't gain weight after you hit goal. If they don't see you under your goal weight and continuing your weight loss progress, they won't approve the surgery. So however you decide to lose weight, it has to be sustainable.

I would wait till you are back on solids, then it's fine I mean I can't imagine it would feel good if you aren't eating at all. But remember, alcohol has a ton of calories.. so try to limit it to special occasions.

So once again, I'm the odd ball out here. Losing weight did not change who I was on the inside. I had dysmorphia in the sense that I never thought I was fat. So when I lost 100 pounds my body finally matched what my head always believed. I had no problems adjusting to what I saw in the mirror. And to tell you the truth, from an emotional well being standpoint, I was a hell of a lot happier all those years being large, I just didn't know it. My real depression and unhappiness didn't happen until I realized that in order to remain thin I could not dull the pain of life with food and alcohol. I became miserable. Feeling emotions rather than feeding them sucks. I finally sought out a therapist who is helping me work towards some sense of happiness again. So when it comes to old pictures, once I overcome the shock of seeing how big I really was, they actually bring back memories of how freaking happy I was....fat, drunk and happy. These days I'm just thin, sober, angry, and sad.

Hello, friends! I made it to Onederland!!!! First time probably since I got married 14 years ago. It feels great to buy smaller clothes. Eating is going ok. I really need to get back to using my Baritastic app to track my food. Some days I feel like I'm eating too much, other days I forget to eat. Ugh! My hair is falling out like crazy. Wahhhhhh! I'm using Nioxin shampoo and taking 10K of biotin a day. Oh well, it will grow back. Went out for sushi with my husband last weekend, and asked for options without rice. There were two rolls on the menu without rice already! It was fabulous! Sometimes you think life is over because of all the foods you can't have, but times like this make me happy We were talking about life and social events revolving around food--and people noticing that you're not eating. So true. I said I feel like I get noticed more for not drinking alcohol. How about you guys? HW 295 SW 255 CW 198 GW 160

I have to confess I miss alcohol.

It is my belief that we are all wonderful magnificent bundles of energetic love. That is our true or authentic essence. We know this when we are born, but somewhere along the way we disconnect from our authentic self; and in the process we learn to speak the language of harsh self judgment and negativity. One of the ways to tell if you are “disconnected’ is that you approach the task of losing weight from a place grounded in hatred and contempt for your overweight body and perceived lack of willpower. Your self talk may sound something like this: “I hate my body, I can’t wait to lose weight, I can’t go to that party looking like this, I can’t believe I ate that, I am so mad at myself, I know better, I should do better”. If that sounds like you, and you would like to re-connect with your authentic self, I suggest that you take a different approach to losing weight. Honor the role that compulsive eating and excess weight have played in your life. Be kind and gentle with you. If what you want more than anything is to have a slender healthy body and you do something to sabotage that, that ‘s the time you need an emotional HUG, not a beating. Know this: whenever anyone is acting in a way does not honor their highest good they are disconnected from their truth. They are just trying to feel better. Overeating is often an attempt to self nurture. I suggest that you try releasing your excess weight and the behavior of compulsive eating from a place grounded in the energy of Self Love and Compassion, not self degradation and frustration. Many people describe food as their best friend; something they can count on that is unconditional and consistent. They use the behavior of compulsive eating to soothe a broken heart, calm an anxious mind, let go of a crazy day at the office, lift their spirits, reward themselves, or connect with family and friends. I’ve even had people tell me they don’t know if they’d be alive if they didn’t have food to turn to in particularly dark times for if they didn’t have food to numb their feelings they fear they would have turned to alcohol, drugs, or even suicide. Can you relate to any of these concepts? If so can you see that you were/are using food to try to feel better, not because you are a bad or weak person? In terms of excess weight, people have told me it made them feel grounded and strong. It was their identity. Others have said that it has protected them from the anxiety associated with dating and intimacy. I’ve had people tell me their weight gave them an excuse to not really “go for it” in their lives. If they didn’t get the job they wanted or didn’t have a date, they blamed it on their weight. Below is an excerpt from my e-workbook “Live Your Highest Good Make Peace With Your Body and Food” that may lead you to greater insights as to why you carry with you excess weight. So think about this: What role has your excess weight played in your life? If your weight could talk, what would it say? As you answer the following questions be aware of any significant or uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, impulses or sensations in your body. Notice if you are able to stay focused or if your attention wanders. 1.Close your eyes and picture the people who raised you standing in front of you. Imagine that you are at your heaviest weight. If your weight could talk, what would it say to them? 2.What would your heaviest weight say to your siblings or other relatives? 3.What would your heaviest weight say to any other significant people from your past? 4.What would your heaviest weight say to significant people in your life today (partner, spouse, coworkers, friends.). Take some time and really think about this. Your Healthy Weight Voice Now imagine yourself at your ideal healthy weight. And imagine those same people standing before you. How do you feel now being with them without your excess weight? Do you feel strong and empowered, or do you feel somewhat scared and vulnerable? What would your healthy weight voice say to: The people who raised you? Your siblings or other relatives? Other significant people from your past? Significant people in your life today? Reflection: What have you learned through this exercise about the role excess weight has played in your life? Who would you be without your weight? Try this exercise the next time you take a shower: As you wash each part of your body bless it and send it love. Speak to your body as if you were speaking to a child or friend whom you love unconditionally. Thank your body for being there for you. Remember that no matter how much you stuffed it, starved it, exercised it or not, it keeps getting up and showing up for you every day. Bless and love your head, your eyes, your ears, your nose, your mouth, your chin, your neck, your shoulders, your arms, and your hands. Bless and love your back, your chest, your abdomen, your hips, your genitals, your thighs, your calves, your ankles and your feet. If you have excess fat on your body love it and bless it. Thank it for having been there for you. Know that you created it to serve as a protective shield for you to keep you centered, grounded, and safe. Now visualize yourself standing before a gateway on a beautiful hill or on the crest of a wave. Your entire life lies behind you and below you. See that every experience of your past is tied to you by silver and golden threads. Pause and review these experiences... all the joys and all the sorrows... all the adventures it took to bring you to this point... remember all your struggles with your body and your weight. Observe it all, bless it all, thank it all...especially the struggles. Now untie the threads attaching you to the past, and with all the love you can muster, let your excess weight know that it is safe for it to go now. Tell it that you are releasing it with love and gratitude, and you are now ready to learn new ways to love and nurture yourself. Release it all and bless it all. In releasing your attachment to the past, you claim your power in the present. WOW!!! How did that feel???? Take time to write any reflections, thoughts or feelings that surfaced while doing the shower exercise. You may even want to write a love letter to your body!! Have a beautiful day! Live in Love, Louisa

You guys. Wow. Thank you for the responses. I mentioned earlier that we have other marriage problems... most of our marriage (since I was pregnant with #1 so 8 years at least) has been fighting about beer/drinking and also his weight gain/unhealthy life choices. I realized last year that he was early stage alcoholic, he uses it for coping with stress from a high power job. Didn’t know what being an alcoholic really meant until I educated myself and once I figured it out I was done (another story for another day). Once I realized this I was very clear, quit or we are getting divorced. Through a few ups and downs the last few months he’s admitted he has an alcohol addiction and had quit. But this has to also go hand and hand with the weight gain. The two have been so intertwined. I feel bad for him, I want to help him and I’ve told him for a long time that I want him to get healthy so he can be around for the kids and me. ugh this is so complicated. Sorry to spill here. My life is complicated. I go to therapy myself and we’ve gone together as well. So much therapy. I worry that if he decides on WLS it will only be to save our marriage and I don’t know if that’s a good enough reason to do it, I don’t want him unhappy with his decision and ending up making things worse. yes, I also think deep down he’s depressed and I pray he works through that with his therapist. so I guess I support him if he decides to look more into WLS. We have a consultation tomorrow so I guess I’ll learn more there.