Search the Community

Transfer addictions after bariatric surgery are really, really common. Alcoholism is rampant in my family---so I avoid alcohol for the most part. Basically, my approach is now that I have limited stomach real estate---and I just can't use it for things that don't benefit my body. While I can occasionally be convinced that the lycopene in a Blood Mary is beneficial, in general I'd rather eat my calories. We often turn to symptom substitution when one of our crutches is removed. It's so easy for me to see how alcohol or other substances could be substituted for food. I've chosen to substitute exercise. While I am mindful that this can become a form of bulimic behavior, I'm FAR too lazy for it to reach that sort of proportion, so I view it as a safe, healthy transference. Take good care of yourself--I think you're really smart to identify a problem early, so that you can address it. There's lots of help available. I bet your surgeon could refer you to an AA group well-populated by bariatric patients. It really is THAT big of an issue. Good luck and (((hugs)))

Well, I'm so glad its all over for you Slinky, Cher and all you other girlies and guys. Well done, you wont be sorry. I just wanted to mention, that the low fat diet is not so you'll lose weight, its to shrink your liver. If your liver is enlarged it would get in the way of putting the band in. Dont be scared cos I drink alcohol every night, a few at least and my liver was fine. Also dont worry about the length of the seat belts on the flights, as I said before they have to carry extensions for mothers with babies, who sit on their knees, I wouldnt have known this but my daughter was cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic and she told me loads of things that I wouldnt have known otherwise. My last fill didnt seem to be working that good, had only lost 2lbs in 2 weeks, but last weekend I was busy making the christening cake and food for my grandaughters christening, going to the hairdressers etc, plus we went to a wedding on the saturday night, that I didnt have time to eat and my nerves were shot too. Hoping that the cake was up to my daughter's expectations. I could hardly eat or drink over that weekend and I have lost a few pounds. I forgot that this is what happens if you dont eat, the band tightens itself. And there was me contemplating yet another fill, which now I dont have to do.

Hey Kcg, My fill went well, thanks for asking. Being on fluids for two days then mushies for another two is hell. LOL I was starving! Anyway, better days over the weekend and today. I hope this gives me restriction also! I am still feeling hungry after having a Breakfast and a morning snack and lunch is an hour away… we’ll see how this fill goes. I am not sure about where the band is placed. How would one know? An x-ray? When I went to my doctors for the fill, both the nurse and the doc said I was losing weight as I should for the amount of fills I have had (not many and not much). So hearing that gave me some relief. I did lose one more pound in 2 months. I look forward to seeing your intake. Mine is going to be quite different from the one I posted. Because like you said, I am going to cut off processed foods like you said and see how I do. I also found this great gelato for a snack that is only 30 calories, no fat, and 5 grams of sugar per 4 oz. serving. When I previously logged my intake I was within my calorie range (1200) or below. I did consider cutting back and have on the ice cream and such. What you said about sacrifices is so true… I need to do this NOW for myself, because it’ll pay off in the long run. I appreciate your post very much. Your post and my nurse and doc all have provided me support and motivation, so thank you! Oh and what I drink besides the AM coffee is water and crystal light all day long. Usually 6-8 oz. of crystal light and water (no sugar; no cal). I don’t drink any sugary or carbonated drinks. I also don’t drink alcohol all that much; very rare occasions. I have some “light juice” on occasion too. I don’t go to the gym because of the cost and it is not comfortable for me. Not really a motivator either. I know it is a motivator for some people... I walk, jog, kayak and also do aerobic exercises on the Wii Fit (which is super fun!) I definitely will redo it as a challenge. Absolutely. We all didn’t go through this for it to be a breeze, now did we? Nope! Thanks again for everything. Good luck to you also. Sounds like you are doing a superb job! :wub: All the best, Renee

Alcoholism is something that passes from Mother to Son. There are many cases of alcoholism on my maternal side. I have two sisters and one brother. Oldest sister normal weight not a drinker (though if stressed would eat chocolate for comfort), Brother recovering alcoholic no weight issues, Middle Sister fluxuating weight but never as over weight as me also uses food as a comfort and not really a drinker. Me I have been overweight my whole life I really don't drink (like maybe one a year). To me it sounds like you have transfered your comfort item from food to alcohol (though I am not an expert). I know my biggest food issue is carbs: potatoe chips, corn ships, things that go crunch, cake, brownies, cereals (Oh how I love cereals especially sugery children's cereal). I could eat a half a box of count chocula by the handful no milk required. I no longer buy these things. Period. If I am at a family get together and the menu includes oven roasted potatoes (greek style with garlic) then yes I can have them. Or if there are chips to go with sandwiches that's okay too. But I always make sure it's just a couple. I don't eat half a bag just a couple (I am preband). I think you need a plan which in my opinion means not having alcohol in your house. I would agree that perhaps you should speak with a professional who can help you make a game plan.

The first 36 hours after surgery, I couldn't take my pain medication. It burned like acid, going down. I finally made it out of sheer desperation, but what I found out is that a lot of liquid pain medications have an alcohol base, something about making it mix properly. That would definitely cause more pain on stomach surgery people, at least initially. If you're still on liquid pain medication (or on any liquid medication at all), you might talk to your doctor about a diabetic formulation, which I've always thought tastes absolutely foul (blech!), but might be easier on your stomach. I found that once I got the pain initially under control, that keeping it controlled (as well as controlling the nausea) got a lot easier. And I've found that omeprazole (generic for Prilosec) can help too. Immensely.

I have no idea where my previous post went (of about 1 hour ago???? so I cut and pasted from the other thread) CALORIES«CARBS«FAT«PROTEIN677«71«21«49 Food so far today.... Change of plans. I was all ready to go to the gym at 9:45, went to PICK up Michelle as it was my turn to drive. When I get there, she still has her pj`s on.... apparently she had called me yesterday and said that she wanted to go to her AA meeting Sunday morning instead.... but since I didnt get the message and showed up at her house she invited me to go to her AA meeting with her. I`ve been unable to find an OA meeting in my area so I figured..... One 12 step meeting is as good as another so I went. I am so happy that I did.... there are so many similarities in `>`Behaviours`> between Drug addicts, Food Addicts, Alcoholics.... I could see alot of my self in other people`s stories... it was way cool. Met some very nice people and I did not feel `strange`there amongst them at all... very welcomed in fact. So no exercise for me today! Monday morning is 30/30/30 class and we ARE going to that... apparently its 30 mins cycling, 30 minutes of STEP, then 30 minutes of Yoga... sounds good to me. Candice (aka Peaches9) __________________ CALORIESCARBSFATPROTEIN1,063«134«29«64

CALORIES«CARBS«FAT«PROTEIN677«71«21«49 Food so far today.... Change of plans. I was all ready to go to the gym at 9:45, went to PICK up Michelle as it was my turn to drive. When I get there, she still has her pj`s on.... apparently she had called me yesterday and said that she wanted to go to her AA meeting Sunday morning instead.... but since I didnt get the message and showed up at her house she invited me to go to her AA meeting with her. I`ve been unable to find an OA meeting in my area so I figured..... One 12 step meeting is as good as another so I went. I am so happy that I did.... there are so many similarities in `>`Behaviours`> between Drug addicts, Food Addicts, Alcoholics.... I could see alot of my self in other people`s stories... it was way cool. Met some very nice people and I did not feel `strange`there amongst them at all... very welcomed in fact. So no exercise for me today! Monday morning is 30/30/30 class and we ARE going to that... apparently its 30 mins cycling, 30 minutes of STEP, then 30 minutes of Yoga... sounds good to me. Candice (aka Peaches9)

I had an epiphany a few days ago...My typical Friday night consisted of the family & friends going to our local Tex Max place for dinner. I would gorge myself on chips & salsa and one of those HUGE margaritas while we looked at the menu. I would order a full dinner, finish it along with maybe a small margarita if I wasn't driving. I would leave feeling stuffed, not sleep well and wake up feeling bloated and gross the next day. This past Friday I had a cup of broth, stopped when I started to feel full. I went to bed at a decent hour, slept well and woke up and went for a walk. I am being honest with myself so I had to ask myself "OK, do you feel like you're missing out, how do you feel about this". I can honestly say that I still feel like I have made the right and best choice for myself. I am working on finding other things that make me happy that don't involve food or alcohol. "Been there, done that, doesn't work for me", is what I will keep telling myself when faced with challenges as they come.....which I know they will! I am still in the infant stage of this whole journey, so the words and actions are a lot easier to come up with. I will continue to pray to God for strength and love every single day!

You're doing great ! ! ! 1. When do you think I will be able to have sushi? I AM DYING HERE! HAHA - We already talked about this one LOL. See how your body tolerates it, go slow, and I hear the sashimi works great. The rice might be uncomfy just eat slow, and see how your body reacts. First signal of discomfort, stop. 2. They doctors told me to stop drinking 30 mins before my meals, not to drink during my meals, and to wait 30 mins after my meals before drinking. I have been doing this, but i find it annoying and hard to do at time. Is this something that I will always have to do? Or is it mostly in the first X amount of months that I have to do this? I have never had to stop drinking before my meals. With my band, I had to because liquid fills up your pouch, but we have stomachs so I was instructed to just not drink with my meals and to wait 30 minutes after my meal. 90% digestion occurs in the intestine. Drinking while eating will push the food through, and you may experience some hunger sooner if you flush the food through. I sip with a meal on occasion. I can fit more in. I still DO NOT experience hunger, but if I drink when I eat, I can fit more food in at this point. Early out, there really isn't room for liquids. It might be uncomfortable to drink. A couple of sips to wet my whistle after spicy/salty food never hurt. I took a big drink on accident once, and it hurt and caused some cramping. Lesson learned, sips are okay, big drinks not so much. 3. Will I ever be able to have Sprite or 7up ever in the future. I am not much of a soda drinker at all, and I realize it does stretch your sleeve. I'm talking a soda every once in a while. The only time I had soda was when I would go out to resturaunts or something. Lately I have been craving sprite (it's wierd), but do any of you down the road (6+ months post op) have soda at all? Also wondering for New Years about the soda thing cause I usually mix alcohol with soda, by then i will be almost 7 months post op. - I drink soda. I've drank soda on occasion since being at goal. They're empty calories, it hasn't caused my sleeve to stretch at all, and I enjoy a soda here and there. My surgeon doesn't believe it'll stretch the sleeve anymore than eating bread, Pasta and rice will stretch it. I can eat the same amount of food right now that I could at 7-8 months post-op. There hasn't been any change or negativity from me drinking soda. I'm not an advocate to go against doctor's orders so check with them. For my program, nothing is off limits for life. Moderation is the key. I drink rum/cokes regularly without issue. Well regularly, on the rare occasion that I go out drinking, that is my preference. I drink socially without any ill effects. My suggestion on drinking post sleeve is to drink at home first. It might hit you hard and fast the first time. At this stage for me, my alcohol tolerance is back to pre-op.

endorphins are the only things that have ever successfully controlled my anxiety. when i don't exercise, i'm just emotionally down enough to make life more difficult. but when i exercise, i get everything out of my mind and body, the catharsis is deep, and my brain chemistry is more balanced. i'm talking about daily exercise. my favorite exercise is hiking and walking. this sounds psycho -- and i'm not saying i'm NOT psycho -- but i power walk and hike with my bluetooth earpiece on and talk to myself. it looks and sounds like i'm on the phone, but really i'm just getting it all OUT. i have to work out all my stuff, and doing this gets my stuff worked out of me physically and mentally. this is when i'm in shape, mind you. i know the hardest part of this journey for me will be when i'm thin -- thinness is where the rubber hits the road for me. i have no armor, no excuses, i can't blame anybody else for any number of things, and life is vivid and REAL and mine to mess up. i have a fear of being thin. i know this now. so, this time i'm armed with a clear understanding of how i tick, and i know i have to treat my food and weight issues the same way an alcoholic treats their recovery. i know life isn't going to be ideal just because i'm thin again. life will be awesome, i'm ready for that, but it will still be challenging and i'll have to work through it. my plan is to be in individual and group therapy in perpetuity, and i've already lined up steady exercise activities to keep me balanced (i've already joined an ocean swimming group, stuff like that). i'm ready to LIVE. all a long-winded way of saying TRY EXERCISE once you're recovered enough and have lost enough weight to move around without feeling like you're going to die. the link between endorphins and serotonin levels is well documented. drugs don't always help, so endorphins can be your friends.

Last time I posted a lot of bad stuff was going on with me health wise..here is the link to my last post to catch you up with what i'm talking about. http://verticalsleevetalk.com/post-operation-vertical-sleeve-gastric-surgery-vsg-questions-answers/7593-help-has-happened-anyone.html Now the good news! This is day 4 of me really trying to get in Protein as well as Fluid since I have been feeling better. I have not thrown up during these 4 days. The only thing I do notice is first thing in the morning when I wake up I feel really sick. But once I drink/eat something, about 30 mins after I feel better. I've never had this before so I don't know if the sick feeling is my body telling me I need to eat or what. I have been doing really well with the eating protein part. I am now getting anywhere between 60-100g a day! I have 6-7 small high protein meals a day. I think my tummy is stretching a little bit (which the doctor said is good) because I can be comfortable after eating half of a turkey sandwich. For dinner I had a turkey burger patty and was able to finish all by two bites of it. But everything seems to be going well I am not dizzy/ light-headed like I was before and I am still loosing. My Questions: 1. When do you think I will be able to have sushi? I AM DYING HERE! HAHA 2. They doctors told me to stop drinking 30 mins before my meals, not to drink during my meals, and to wait 30 mins after my meals before drinking. I have been doing this, but i find it annoying and hard to do at time. Is this something that I will always have to do? Or is it mostly in the first X amount of months that I have to do this? 3. Will I ever be able to have Sprite or 7up ever in the future. I am not much of a soda drinker at all, and I realize it does stretch your sleeve. I'm talking a soda every once in a while. The only time I had soda was when I would go out to resturaunts or something. Lately I have been craving sprite (it's wierd), but do any of you down the road (6+ months post op) have soda at all? Also wondering for New Years about the soda thing cause I usually mix alcohol with soda, by then i will be almost 7 months post op. My surgery date was June 11th,2010, I am down 80 pounds. Thanks everyone

Hello everyone. I was banded on July 12th and am awaiting my first fill on Aug 12th. I am planning on going camping with some friends for the weekend and I am just wondering if it is okay to drink a little bit of alcohol this soon after surgery? I am not talking about massive quantities because being heavily intoxicated is not exactly my lifestyle. I am simply wondering if it is dangerous at all to my surgery if I do have a drink or two over the weekend. I do know that alcohol slows down weight loss, and once my band is filled I will become intoxicated MUCH faster than normal, but for those of you who did drink soon after surgery, was this a problem for you? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Hi everyone. I thought I would give an update on my progress .. my surgery was three months ago today. All I can say is that it was a complete life-changing experience. I am not someone who suffered any pain or acid reflex post-op and with what I have read here, I am a rarity to some degree. To me, my weight has literally fallen off so far (82 pounds today) and with that loss comes zero desire to eat any junk (sugar/carbs were my downfall) and eating healthy is so easy. I love it. I have lost 5 sizes and my wardrobe (which was very impressive at the start of this *lol*) has diminished to almost nothing. I was sure I would have gotten about 6 months out of it but come September, it's time for new clothes. I have my three-month post-surgical appt in a couple of weeks so I am excited about seeing the surgeon again. I am eating about 5-6 times a day and it's very small portions .. maximum about 2/3 cup at any time. My day typically looks like this: Fibre One Cereal with a few berries & milk Greek yogurt for a snack Soup, tuna salad, chicken or some other high Protein lunch Protein Drink More high protein and veggies for dinner High fibre snack in the evening That's it pretty much every day. I am not bored and I do mix it up once in awhile but food isn't my focus but rather a necessity. I take all of my Vitamins every day as well about 8 glasses of Water. It's a struggle some days because I may be tired or just simply not hungry but I focus on protein (60-70 grams), water and fibre. I calculate an approximate intake of about 800 calories, of average. Sometimes a bit more .. but never over 900 calories. I tend to gravitate towards Soups and 'easy' foods because as soon as protein hits my stomach, it's like a dam and I eat very little after that. I want to chew, you know? *lol* Physically, I can do quite a bit more yet I still struggle with tiredness. I have had no sugar or caffeine since March so maybe this it the 'true' me in terms of my energy level. I realize little food and rapid weight loss plays a big part but exercise remains a bit of a chore. I need to work at it more. I sleep more now than when I did as a teenager. I am looking to lose another 100 pounds however I am feeling pretty good even now. I told no one except family. Friends and co-workers are noticing now. I am not someone who really lacked confidence but talk about a boost! Since my surgery, I have had two very stressful events happen to me .. the end of a personal relationship and also the unexpected death of one of my siblings. Healing was a challenge at first but I learned that my emotions are front and centre when it comes to dealing with myself. I have read a lot about people's emotional eating and how they handle it post-op and for me, I didn't feel compelled to race to the kitchen. I cried and let it out. Talk to people .. it works. I have had very little hair loss ... a little .. but not much. I have a lot of hair to begin with so perhaps I had 'spare' to lose but so far, so good. I 'fit' differently into chairs, my car, my shoes .. there are differences all around me. It's been exciting to see and feel these changes and I know the best is yet to come. Socially, I have been out a few times as I am in the 'let's do lunch' environment and I am constantly amazed how much people eat vs. what I now eat. I can't imagine my life prior to surgery anymore .. my capacity to fill myself is so little. My desire is even less. I have had no alcohol to date and plan to stay away from it for at least 6 months. Again, no desire or pressure to even have it so it's not an issue for me. I am razzed a bit by dinner companions who wonder how I can 'get by' with just a bowl of soup but I find that soup is the easiest thing for me to order and consume without getting immediately stuffed by a chicken breast or salmon, etc. Anyway, that is my two cents. Thanks for reading and I wish continued success to the other sleevers :thumbup1:

I am certainly not recommending that any cocktails are lap band friendly:lol:but I recently posted about how I get through vacations successfully with my band and ENJOY myself so you may find a few hints at: Lap Band Success – How To Enjoy Vacation With Your Lap Band If you have not had any alcohol in a while I suggest you REALLY LIMIT yourself. One glass of wine took me for quite a ride after not having any for 9 months after I was banded. Getting your Master's is certainly something to Celebrate. Good luck!

Funny you post this. I went on antibiotics last Thursday and have gained 6 pounds! I was away over the weekend and did eat more/worse choices than usual, plus some alcohol. However, I was thinking this seemed a bit high for a 2 and 1/2 day trip. ( I wasn't chugging cases of beer LOL) I am now wondering if the Amoxicillian has something to do with it....

This is going to be a psychological question. I had my second fill on 7/16 and am up to 8 CC in a 14 CC band. The restriction is wonderful. For the first few days I was content on my old meal plan... just eating less of it. But now that I am eating even less I am making horrible choices. I ate some french fries, cookie, chinese take out, and TGI Friday's wings. Went out to the bar for the first time and had some bar food and alcohol. Since banding I have not touched any of these things. I ate significantly less that I used to, but it was still alot of calories, fat, and carbs in a very small package. 800 calories in those wings and fries when a same size healthy meal would have been around 400 calories. What tips do those of you in the green zone have to keep your smaller meals satisfying and nutritionally sound? I will not fall victim to slider foods. Too much success to have this happen. I stepped on the scale at was up 4 lbs in the past 2 weeks.

Renee hun, how did the fill go today? Paying for them is a drain, isn`t it? I`m a self-paid and pay £100 per fill. About $160ish? Hope this one gives you maximum restriction and takes you to your sweet spot. Even with 6cc in 10cc, you should not be getting as hungry as you do inbetween meals but each individual is unique. if you`re getting some restriction, that means that the band is well placed. Sometimes it gets placed too low which means that the top pouch becomes too large. Thanks for making a list of the intake. I will give you my take and hopefully others will chip in with their support as well. When you previously logged your intake did you check the calories being consumed and considered cutting down or what you could sacrifice for the time being? I feel that your daily intake is a lot and needs to be reviewed. You seem to be eating 6 times a day so you need to reduce the portions of the 3 main meals. My approach and bariatric team`s advice is that you try to eat 3 meals a day or 5-6 small ones. I know you mentioned that you are creature of habits and don`t want to deprive yourself but I think you need to make a change to your lifestyle and habit for the band to work. You need to make the tool work for you and the only way you`re going to do that is to make some sacrifices for now. I`m saying for now because it will get to a point that you will not even want to eat certain items. They simply will not appeal to you after you`ve made away with them for a while. Some habits could / should definitely be broken or do away with. Hun, try to cut off all processed foods, such as donut, ice cream, whipped cream and shop bought sauces from your diet or minimise the intake. Peanut butter can be a real killer so if you can`t do without it, buy the no added sugar bland and limit your intake to a spoon or two per go. I hardly go near that stuff because I can easily sit down and consume a 340 gram bottle in a go. Worse still, it is a sliding food. You have to also consider whether wheat-based products are trigger foods for you and minimise your intake. They are very addictive and don`t give you the necessary nutrients needed by your reduced pouch to function properly. Have you also considered upping your Protein and cutting down on carbohydrate? Personally, I see increase in my weight loss when I reduce my carbohydrate intake, especially the processed ones. Even wholemeal crackers soon add up. I guess in my simple and lay-person`s way, what I`m trying to say is that you need to make some sacrifices which will be rewarding in time. You did not mention what you drink, apart from the coffee. Are you drinking enough Water? Do you drink alcohol or carbonated sugary drinks? Sometimes people drink their calories without realising. Some drinks can contain as much as 500 calories, I`m told. So one needs to be careful with drinks. Keep to water whenever possible. You mentioned that you exercise in your previous post. Do you go to the gym or do you go for aerobics? Walking, running, swimming / aquafit, spinning, cross training, rowing etc are all quite effective in burning the calories and most of them cost nothing. For instance, I can walk and jog up to 10 miles a day in the fresh air. As well as burning the calories, it clears my mind as well. Oh Boy, I`m turning into my mum. I know you do so much of the above already or have done it before but will you consider re-doing it as a challenge? Renee, you will be fine. Just make some adjustment to your lifestyle. You`ve taken the biggest step of all by getting the tool, make it work for you. Please ignore anything that will not be beneficial to you and keep in touch. Thinking of you.

Hang on to it Tracy, I'll call you from the rally to discuss your options!!! Off to lunch...wish me luck. nice lady, but I don't handle alcoholics and their drama too well.....

I am the youngest of 4 girls with 10 years between me and the oldest. I grew up in a family full of abuse. Not the typical abuse one thinks of when an adult says I was abused as a child. My abuser was my older sister who is 6 years older than I. She began abusing me both verbally, mentally and physically when I was about 6 years old. This continued until after I was well into young adulthood. At the age of 23 my Knight in Shinning Armor (aka Hubby) showed up and rescued me. Also during my childhood, my family had problems managing finances. My parents were chronic chain smokers who would rather buy a pack of smokes than feed us. We went many a days on Bean Soup and white bread if we were lucky. I remember being told stealing was wrong, yet we "borrowed" veggies from the neighbor's garden. My abusive sister's favorite things to call me was "thunder theighs", "fat ass", "lard ass" and she always made it a point to make my life as miserable as possible. We lived in a 3 bedroom home. My crazy grandmother lived with us as well. She had a pretty bad Morphine addiction from the 1940-1950's and also had Dementia. I never had any place to go to to get away from the abuse so I dealt with it. Whenever we had food in the house I would eat. I found that eating made me feel content and nutured, something I feel I never got from my parents as they knew the abuse was accuring, it happened in front of them, yet they never did anything to stop it. I figured if they didn't stop it then it must be true afterall at that age you believe anything your parents tell you and the lack of action told me a lot. It made me feel worthless as a person and not worth the effort to make her stop. Dad passed away in 1996. That's when I took on the role of money maker. My mom was never good in times of crisis. We lost the home we lived in because we couldn't afford to pay the rent anymore. My sister married an abusive, child molesting alcoholic so she always made it a point to live nearby. Of course this gave her the chance to continue to take her frustrations out on me. At one point I worked 3 jobs and went to school full time. I guess it's kind of like survival mode when it was going on as you do what you must to make it. My mom is very much a push over and allowed people (my abusive sister included) to use our long distance and run up huge (2-3,000 phone bills!). At this point in my life, I maintained my weight around 220. and within a couple years I started gaining weight. When I left home to move in with my hubby I weighed approximately 280 pounds. Neither of my parents were overweight. My mom can eat a whole plate of brownies without gaining and ounce. She has a hard time staying at 110 because her weight is always dropping. My dad was in the Army for 32 years and never was over 150lbs and was 5'8". He had Colon Cancer when I was 4-5 years old and after all his colon surgeries he never got back over 100 pounds. Personally, I think everyone who is overweight has a reason. Mine I believe was hoarding food. Growing up I never knew when or what my next meal might be so I ate well when it was available and the habit began. I also developed the attitude that since my parents never made my sister stop verbally making fun of me that everything she had to say and the fat references HAD to be true!

This thread is entitled "how do I feel about "born agains". So, I feel compelled to give my testimony about how I became "born again." I was sitting in my living room, relaxing and smoking my cigarette. I put my 2 sons to bed for the night and thay were asleep. My husband was in the garage drinking his beer and 'tinkering' with his tools. I was all alone and pondering that there must be something more to this life than just this. I noticed an old bible that was given to me by our Priest as a wedding gift, sitting on my stereo across the room. I picked it up and sat back down. I wondered if there was something in there that I should know about. I had never bothered to look before, so I opened randomly to the New Testament book of John, Chapter 3. I began to read the story of a man named Nicodemus: John 3 Jesus Teaches Nicodemus 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.[a]" 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[e] 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[g] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."[h] After reading it, I Thought, "What BS! You can't be born twice." I didn't understand what that meant. (being "born again") I closed the book. Then I sat and wondered if God was real or not. I said my first prayer. I said, "God if you're real, then I need to know. I want to quit smoking, but it seems that I am not able to give up this habit as hard as I try to. If you are real, then take this strong desire from me. Then I will know that you are real." I put the bible away and went to bed. The next day, I awoke and never had another cigarette again. It was that easy. I began to have a strong desire to know what else was in the bible. I started at the beginning and read it all the way through in a matter of 3 months time. It was a long read, but I was determined. I read it with a strong belief that all that was said was true and came from my Creator. He began to work in my heart. I was now beginning to understand many mysteries of life. It was then that I understood that the church (Catholic) I was raised in, but not attending, was not one that I could ever go back to, for they taught me many falsehoods as a child. So, I asked some friends and family members about what they believed about God. I was surprised to learn that my sister-in-law and my sister both believed in God, and so did a good friend of mine. We gathered together once a week to read the bible and study it. Others joined over those 2 years of bible study. My mother-in-law joined, too. Then I decided to look for a local church that had a biblical foundation. A church that taught truth from the scriptures, and not lies. I fully understood what it meant to be "born again", now. For I was reborn. I was made new in Christ. My thoughts, my faith, my beliefs, my way of living. Everything had changed. My husband saw the change in me, too. It was for the better. He decided to attend the same church that I was going to, cause my 5 year old asked him to come with us. He asked Jesus to be his Savior during one of the services there and he, too became "born again." He was a new person as well. God took his desire for alcohol away from him. He hasn't drank since then. (26 years ago) Being "born again" is simply God touching your heart and changing you from the inside out into what He wants you to be. It's acknowledging that God is real and that he exists and becuase you have done that, he does a work within you to change you. Faith grows within you. He gives you wisdom and knowledge from his word and helps you to "see" things for what they really are. First you are born physically, through the womb, and then you can be born spiritually, through the work of the Holy Spirit. Just ask God for it. He will not disappoint you.

Not a dumb question but a cute one. All I can say is that you haven't been exposed to anyone really close to you that has a drug or alcohol problem if you don't know what the 12-step program. All I can say about that is lucky you. I am sure someone else with exposure to the program could explain a bit better than I. I had a couple of neighbors over the weekend that could have joined the program:lol:

Hi, I had my first post op drink last Friday (vodka mixed with pink lemonade crystal light!), I was 24 days post-op, it went down fine and I have had a frozen margarita since then. I think it just depends on how well you handle your alcohol and also yes it is empty calories so you have to be extra careful if you want to continue living healthy with a successful weight loss!

Congrats on your surgery!! I got banded on July 17. I am 10 days out.. I've been feeling great and not really in pain anymore. Last Friday my family went to a mexican restaurant.. omg so hard not to eat enchiladas. So I choose to just have a margarita instead. lol. I definitly got alot more tipsy than normal. But I think I was fine.. I mean it was a liquid and im nto really trying to worry about empty calories until I get filled. Good Luck to you! I think its your choice and you should listen to your doctor but like I said I don't think alcohol messes anything up. But DO NOT OVER DRINK and end up throwing up.. you could majorly mess up your band then. I think you should just have one or two glasses lol not four. But its your choice your body.. GOOD LUCK!! Hope I helped.

Janet, That was a wonderful response. I have not been banded yet (8/16) however, I feel like you. I have done every diet under the sun. I even sent a woman that was on Oprah a few years back that had lost weight $1,000.00 over the internet to help me lose weight. Yes, embarrassing but true. I did every and anything to lose weight and I had some success but could never keep it off for long because I didn't change my habits or thinking. I feel like you I am not going to risk my life having major surgery to lose weight and then 5 days out I'm having the same junk I'm used to having or going against my Dr's instructions. I feel that would be like a drug addict or alcoholic coming out of rehab sober and then falling back into the same bad habit that will eventually kill him. I don't mean any disrespect to Jessica. I know how she feels I have been there done that. I have the fear too that I will have the surgery and not lose weight ...just fall back into eating whatever not a binge or volume eater just eat whatever, whenever. Like you fish but not baked ...fried. I was having a drink every night there for a while. I realized that I have to change those habits starting now. So I cut out the drinking and I'm stopping eating earlier. I used to sit in bed and eat as late as 8,9pm. I hope I never forget the fact that I had surgery to lose weight and let that be a motivating factor to help me to do what I'm instructed to do and to do my best to conquer this horrible weight problem once and for all. Dee

LOL at the title and the blog. The first thing I thought of was drinking alcohol! The cheeseburger picture is priceless. I'm picturing a labor-like "breathe with the contractions". I'm sure it wasn't as funny going through it, but it sounds cute. I hate when I can smell something really really good. Like neighbors grilling......... Take care, and keep up the good work!!!