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It sounds like you are getting enough exercise. In my case I made one change prior to surgery that caused me to lose some weight. I knew that after surgery I had to give up carbonated beverages and caffeine. I had a 6 diet coke habit so I decided to go cold turkey. It was hard because after 50 years of drinking cokes I was addicted. I suffered severe headaches for a week by withdrawal syndrome from the lack of caffeine. But because of that one change I lost 20 pounds. I suspect that it has to do with the carbonation. I feel that the microscopic bubbles exploding in my stomach expanded my stomach microscopically which enlarged my stomach over time and caused me to gain weight. Stop the bubbles and some weight is shed. Now that I am 29 months post-op from RNY surgery, I might offer a couple other suggestions. When you eat, concentrate on eating Protein foods. Go easy on the carbs and almost complete restrict yourself from processed sugars. Use only artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda, and sugar alcohols), non-nutritive natural sweeteners (such as Stevia) and the sugars found in fruits and milk. To curb your hunger use fats.

And if the government, an entity that feels entitled to regulate every other aspect of life for its citizens, should not be responsible for its most defenseless members (children and elderly), then whose job is it? Let's punish that baby because its dad spends his money on expensive rims instead of providing health care for his child. That makes perfect sense. I was not advocating publicly funded health care for the general population - just for those who have no other source of health care. How does the state "educate people in making good choices" when there ARE no choices? In the example I gave Jodie, what choices did you have for that young woman? Borrow from her parents...beg for help from churches. Is that the best the state can come up with? If being poor is wrong, maybe everyone who doesn't pull his/her own weight financially should just be executed. I'm sorry, but I will never be able to harden my heart to those less fortunate. I was raised by a single mom who very rarely saw any support from my alcoholic father. Yes, my mother had lots of help from her family and I don't know what would have become of us if she hadn't. And she had a college education, but it was still tough. My mother made most of my clothes and took in ironing to pay for my dancing lessons. I guess if I were growing up today and got a free lunch at school, someone would say, "She doesn't need that free lunch; her mother can afford to send her to dance class." What arrogance! I don't really like entitlement programs either. I worked with those people every day for 15 years and I know that too much of it saps ambition. But for such basic human needs programs as WIC and free school lunches, I just think it's small and mean-spirited to begrudge those things. It's food, for heaven's sake. And if memory serves from my own days in public school, not very good food, at that.

I have done the alcohol thing but I do t think you guys understand how much there is lol. It’s gonna take days [emoji849] Thanks **I’m losing it**

One of my registration forms for the bariatric doctor says that recent alcohol use can disqualify you from getting the surgery. I drank heavily for several years and stopped about a month ago. I can't start drinking again and don't want to start again because of health concerns. Do you think this will disqualify me? I searched the forums and couldn't find any info about this, only about post-op drinking.

The 100 reasons was fantastic. What so many people don't realize when they have never been fat or yo yo dieting their whole life like us is that unlike alcoholism, you can quit drinking and live. Food is a necessity and we just have to learn to limit the amount, we cannot stay totally away from food and survive. This website is the greatest part of this journey for me. Thanks to everybody here.

I haven't - but I know it's fairly common. I was never a big drinker since alcoholism runs in my family (so I rarely drank), so I knew that particular transfer addiction wouldn't be a problem for me - but so far, nothing else has been. It's happened to others I know, though...

Hey, Steve. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery. I had mine four days ago. It isn't pretty, but you get through. I think you will be fine. I know what you mean and understand your health issues you have had to deal with lately. It sucks, but everyone tells me it makes us stronger. I suppose there is some truth in that. We all have some hope now in this surgery. You don't need to be spending your time negatively with this arguing that is going on here. You need to be positive right now. People are going to do what they want to do, whether we want the best outcome for them or not. The reason I gave the drug and alcohol analogy is because I have a young nephew who has screwed his life up so bad for the last few years no matter how much good and useful help he gets. He's going to do what he wants to do. I have accepted that. I would love for him to change his habits and turn things around, but I have done everything I can do and it just isn't up to me. A year ago, if he had told me to put down the doughnut and go get surgery, I would have told him to go screw himself. I think denying you have had surgery doesn't mean you are in denial, it means you have some reason that you don't want people to know the truth. Women's dynamics are difficult. Men just say stuff to each other and move on, but it isn't that way with women. (Ask your wife.) We have to protect ourselves. If protecting ourselves means that we are going to be successful with the sleeve and get the weight off, then that is the best outcome. Once you have had the surgery, you have to do whatever it takes to reach the best possible outcome. None of us can afford to let anyone get in the way of that. Good luck with your surgery and I wish you great results!

Thanks for your reply Susannah. I do suffer from depression which is closely linked to anxiety but I've been stabilised on medication for years and have it under control. I've only ever had one panic attack in my life and that was during an IT exam a few years ago when I was under a lot of pressure during my Master's degree. I don't drink coffee or alcohol so there isn't an obvious reason for why this should be happening.

@jbrooks_rn. It might have been me that said I had my family to dinner. I have had 3 parties since 12/26 which was the day I started my liquid diet. I looked at those events as if I had an alcohol addiction would I expect no one to drink and my answer was no. This was a decision that I made. I can't expect everyone to live by my guidelines right now. They are supportive in many other ways, they can't give up their life for me! Good luck with your journey and Happy New Year! When is your surgery date?

No but they usually do liver enzyme tests which would be out of wack if youre an alcoholic. I would be completely upfront about any issues with alcohol with my surgeon. If you have surgery (especially a bypass) and are frequently drinking alcohol you have pretty a high chance of ruining your life . Perforated mariginal ulcers are no joke and could result in a plethora of complications and future painful surgeries.

I do understand the frustration! I was banded on Aug 13th, and lost about 10 lbs post op on liquids and mushy foods. Between my 1st fill in Sept and my 3rd in January I gained and lost the same 5 pounds. I was hungry all the time, and breaking down and snacking at night. I told myself that since I "could" eat 3 pieces of pizza that my band wasn't working and I kind of gave up a little. I didn't really gain, but I certainly wasn't making losing progress. I knew as soon as I sipped Water after that last fill that it was different. I could FEEL the water sip slowly draining from my pouch. I hadn't felt that at all yet. Also in the past month my fiancee found out his cholesterol was insanely high... so high and off the charts they couldn't calculate it. He's spent the past 8 months thinking he's been supportive of my diet needs, when he hasn't been at all. There was still snack food and junk food in the house. He was still ordering pizza and chinese food and getting ice cream multiple times weekly. Although I wasn't eating as much as I had before I was absolutely having little bits of all of that. I would tell myself the band wouldn't let me eat more than I should... I was deceiving myself. I knew that none of it was OK to have so often. a piece of Pizza once a month.. OK. 2 or 3 pieces of pizza a couple times a week... NO. He's also a big night time eater, and as I struggle the most after 7pm it was killing me. I'd be tired and what little willpower I had through the day had been eaten away. He'd want me to make something at 9 or 10 pm.. basically a 2nd dinner. So I was constantly around food and preparing food and eating food. Now we're on a very strict diet and he's sticking to it. Bringing his cholesterol down is very important... his dad has had 2 heart attacks. As bad as this may sound, his bad cholesterol has been great for me! He isn't bringing junk food home. He isn't ordering out. He isn't eating all night. I am spending a lot of time in the kitchen preparing healthy meals, packing them for both of us for work, making sure we have healthy Snacks for the kids to eat too... no junk for the kiddoes either... high cholesterol runs in his family, not taking any chances with the girls. He's actually lost 10 pounds in the past couple of weeks and is very excited about it. I'm down almost 10 in that time too.... So... what I needed for success has been the band being at the right place, AND the home being in the right frame of mind. I need absolutely nothing in the house that I can or want to snack on. Even with restriction I'd eat a bowl of ice cream if it was in the house. Get the junk out of the house. If there are others in the home who really want it, have a chat. They can pig out all they want at school or work or out with friends, but the home is healthy food... and not a lot to snack on healthy or not. Even doing this for a month or two- to get into the swing of it- will help. I know that if I can stick strictly to a diet for a month it's so much easier to say no to the bad foods. I turned down pizza and wings last week at work! from the BEST pizza place in town. No birthday cake either. I know I'm not ready to even have those things in small doses... because I do think I understand now that food is an addiction for some people. I am one of them. I get a taste of chocolate and I'll do what it takes to get more. I would hide it so nobody else could have any. i would eat junk in secret so nobody would see me... if they didn't know it didn't count. Cereal is a HUGE problem for me. Thankfully our girls are strange and hate most cereals so we just don't need them in the house. It makes Breakfast on school days a pain, but it keeps me from ahving 2 bowls of cocoa puffs while watching Grey's Anatomy. I'm no expert on all of this, but I have lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the past 20 years... ever since I was a 150 lb 5th grader and went to Weight Watcher's camp. I know that food is an addiction. People without this problem can't understand it. Just like I can't understand an alcoholic's need to drink constantly... I don't really care for alcohol much anymore. One or two glasses of wine a month are fine for me. But I accept that some people can't say no to the drink. Can't say no to a bong or crack pipe. I can't say no to my problem foods when they're around. It's how I made it past 300 pounds. So. If you're feeling frustrated try ridding your home of everything you'd snack on or eat too much of. Others in the home may whine at first, but it actually will be better for them too in the long run! and it doesn't have to be forever... but ask them this. If your husband/wife had a heart attack and you HAD to follow a low sodium/low fat heart healthy diet... you'd do it, right? So why isn't it important enough to support you and your weight loss? The thing you underwent surgery for? I couldn't get him to understand this until he had to change his diet for his health, and he's since apologized for not being as supportive as he thought he was being. Having my band in a nice spot of restriction has helped. I can't eat very much at one time right now, but having no snacking options has been a Godsend.

So very true! I don't know why people are so worried when people are doing things to better their health! Even before WLS... I found things that "worked" better than others. For example, I struggled with major/severe exhaustion because of my then undiagnosed sleep apnea/ insomnia - so I was so tired I went to bed at 8 pm most nights (also was a very early riser). During that time, I found that I couldn't lose weight if I ate after 4 pm. OMG... the HORROR... I wasn't eating for the last 4 hours of my evening?!!! Yet several of my friends stayed up until 10/11 and didn't eat past 6/7pm. So, what is the difference?! I mean, I ate plenty throughout the day... just not at the END of the day. And drinking calories. If I had one bad nutrition habit, that was it. So I would do my best to avoid calorie filled drinks during any weight loss plan I had. And more importantly... I found I could NEVER lose weight and often gained if I drank any alcohol. Even just half a glass of wine. So I would go to a party and do my best not to drink alcohol. My friends were losing it because I didn't want to get drunk with them. They couldn't handle if I didn't drink anything or just had half a glass of wine. I actually had to ditch some friends that I used to love hanging out with because they couldn't handle that I wasn't willing to give in and drink with them every single time we got together. And exercise? Well... I hate most exercise lol. But I love my long walks. People think I am crazy because my go to walk is 6 miles and takes 1 hour and 45 minutes and they just don't get it. But I enjoy it. It is hardly a workout for me, but I feel great afterwards. But somehow it is wrong for me to take my long walks. People are crazy the way they react to others.

Totally do-able! Here are my tips. 1) Log every bite, with calories and protein. It is the only way you can look at trends and understand what your body is doing. 2) STICK WITH THE PROGRAM. Just do it. Don't cheat. It's not worth it. Just make up your mind to be determined in this and keep focused on the long term goal. 3) Exercise from the get-go. Get a step tracker and work toward 10,000 steps a day. I was doing this by the end of week one post op. Gradually add in other elements - stair climbing, light weights, leg exercises, stretching, swimming, biking, hiking, yoga, pilates, etc. It doesn't have to be at a gym. Set your exercise goals daily. There will be a LOT you cannot control after surgery - pain, nausea, food restriction, BUT you CAN control your exercise. I found this to be very empowering and helpful. Most research shows that people who stick with the food program AND exercise are the biggest losers who maintain the weight loss long term. You have to create a new lifestyle and it must include exercise. I am getting really toned now, with nice muscle definition in my arms and legs. This lean muscle burns more calories than fat, so it will be tremendously helpful in maintaining my goal weight. 4) Give up your addictions NOW - before surgery. recovery is hard enough without going through withdrawal as well. Sugar, simple carbs, alcohol, soda, caffeine. No matter what anyone says, flirting around with this stuff only undermines your longterm success. There is no reason to ever eat sugar again. It jacks your insulin up, which results in fat STORAGE, not fat burning, and creates cravings. Alcohol messes with your gut lining and can cause gastritis, ulcers, and erosion - even years after surgery. Besides, the empty calories are just not worth it. Without sugar and caffeine, my energy levels are higher than ever and constant throughout the day - no slumps. 5) Start focusing on unprocessed, whole foods. This is what you should be eating for life. If it comes in a box, don't eat it. Down the road when you can start adding carbs back in, make them whole cooked grains like quinoa, brown rice, teff, steel cut oats, amaranth, millet, sorghum, legumes like beans and lentils- not processed flours which absorb quickly and jack up insulin. Avoid wheat and corn as much as possible - they are the worst for raising insulin levels. Learn to love veggies when you can start having them. 6) Develop some mantras to get through tough situations. Mine are: "I AM NEVER GOING BACK!" "IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT!" (When tempted by some treat or bite.) "I CAN'T HAVE THAT NOW, BUT I WILL HAVE IT LATER." (Foods will come back, gradually - just not right away. You WILL have versions of your favorite foods again, but you have to be patient.) 7) Above all - you must look forward to a new life that you will LOVE. Look at all the challenges as just another chapter in this new adventure. Stay positive about the changes you are making. Don't look at this as deprivation, but rather as a whole new you that is going to emerge as a beautiful butterfly. It is going to be hard sometimes, no doubt. But just the fact that you are asking this question shows that you are serious about making the changes and wanting the very best outcome. It takes tremendous effort - it really does. "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch" here. WLS is only a tool - it will help get a lot of weight off, but YOU have to do the rest. Go into this with fixed determination and you will be fine.

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private. I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey. So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

Sherry, I love your description of your mom in her leathers! You know, forgive me if this is off base, but when you mentioned the alcoholism of your father, it made me wonder if perhaps that is in play with your sister? If so, then you must for your own sanity and serenity distance yourself from it...and you can tell your mom the bottom line, whether it is jealousy, greed, envy or whatever it was, without telling her the ugly names. I don't really know enough of the subject matter to know if any of my little advice is on target, but if it is, great. If it isn't, forget I mentioned it. I know there's a lot of stuff that just doesn't have to be repeated in order for your mom to get the idea of the problem. She probably has an idea already anyway. I'm going to bed already...just wanted to write back to you Sherry. Hugs, Cindy

a) 70 gm of protein is not horribly excessive but it's more than the daily recommendation, which is around 46 to 50 gms. The center I went to recommends NO SHAKES (once you get past the liquid/soft stage right after surgery and are eating normally, that is). Liquid calories, except for up to 16 oz of milk a day, are just out, period. My guess about the morning shake, and you can ask your doctor about this, is that many bandsters are super tight in the morning; too tight to eat solid food without getting stuck or horking. That varies from person to person though, so you'd want to eat solids if you are able. The protein + veggies recommendation sounds standard. It's your life though. You choose. I think the saying is, if you follow 80% of the guidelines, 80% of the time, you'll be successful. i.e. most people don't give up dessert forever, rather they choose to have a small amount once in awhile. Same with bread (which a lot of people get stuck on), or alcohol Best wishes on your sugery and new lifestyle!!

Well, yes, Atkins is very high fat, I'd be most alarmed to see anyone promoting that these days! Unless you base Atkins on the right fats - fish, olive oil etc, and not saturated animal fat. Its fantastic that its worked for you but the jury is still out on whether its safe. That's far from proven. The thing is, Atkins style diets didnt solve obesity in the 60's and 70's when they were all the rage and they're hardly likely to work any differently now. Nor did the high carb low fat way of eating all through the 80's and 90's solve anything - heart disease or obesity or any related diseases. Carbs doesnt mean highly processed white carbs, it means legumes, Beans, fruit, vegetables and wholegrains. Those are what I eat and what my diet is based on, for me, the Protein is a secondary consideration, not the primary, that's the only difference to what you're talking about. Its not that we eat an entirely different diet here, its just configured a bit differently. Its not generally believed that protein is the most important nutrient, its only ONE of the important nutrients. But we're not talking a diet of protein, veggies and fruit as compared to a diet of white bread, cake and soda. I think its important not to view this as a right or wrong thing though. They just dont really know! And till then, I think you have to stick with what you feel comfortable with, what you can live with and what works for YOUR body. All things in moderation is probably a pretty safe motto. No food is completely band. Red wine may be empty sugar and alcohol calories on the one hand yet it is known to be full of flavanoids and antioxidents and offer heart protective benefits. So is it evil or good? Wholegrains give you slow release energy, valuable Vitamins and minerals and are very good for your bowels. You can guarantee most bandsters dont get their 30g of fibre a day! So are they good or evil? We need protein for the building blocks of our bodies but too much will give you gout, kidney stones and at the expense of other foods problems like constipation. It also comes packed with saturated fat, and if you drink soy based Protein shakes, there are dangers in excess soy consumption too! So it would seem sensible not to eat any food to the expense of any others.

I am in MA. I am having mine done at Brigham and Womens. I have a two week pre-diet. Pre-Operative Diet The preoperative diet is required for all patients before weight loss surgery. This diet will help to make your liver smaller which makes it safer and easier for your surgeon to perform surgery. Start this diet 2 weeks before your surgery date. Every day during the pre-op diet, you will do these 2 things: Follow the instructions in each box. For boxes A, B, C, and D, choose 1 item to eat or drink during the day. For Box E, consume 1 meal. Drink at least 64 ounces of sugar-free beverages (water, Crystal Light, Fruit2O, etc.). With 1 item from each box, you will have 5 eating events per day. Box A Choose one protein shake: SlimFast Advanced Nutrition (RTD shake only, not powder) Pure Protein (35 gm can) Premier Protein Atkins EAS Advantedge Unjury (in water) Syntrax Nectar (in water) Syntrax Matrix (in water) Designer Whey (in water) Quest Protein (in water) + Box B Choose one protein shake: Syntrax Matrix (in milk*) Unjury (in milk*) Glucerna Hunger Smart Core Power Light EAS Myoplex Lite Boost Glucose Control Boost Calorie Smart Designer Whey (in milk*) Quest Protein (in milk*) + Box C Choose one snack: 1 cup non-starchy vegetables + 2 Tb salad dressing or guacamole ¼ cup unsalted nuts ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese, ricotta cheese 6 oz Plain Greek yogurt 2 eggs (any style) 2 oz turkey + 1 string cheese 1 protein shake from Box A + Box D Choose one snack: Nature Valley Protein Bar Pure Protein Bar (190-200 calories) Detour Whey Protein Bar (170 calories) Fiber One Protein Bar 1 serving fruit + 1 TBSP nut butter 1 protein shake from Box B + Box E Eat one meal: Meal should contain: 4 servings of protein 3 servings of non-starchy vegetables 2 servings of fat *Can choose skim (fat-free) or 1% milk, lactaid milk, or plain soy milk. Please choose only the items listed on this sheet. Bread, rice, pasta, starchy vegetables, and alcohol are not allowed on the pre-op diet. Important Notes: Use the Serving Size section starting on page 20 of the diet guidelines book to remind you which foods are in each food group (protein, non-starchy vegetables, and fat) for your 1 meal in Box E. Eating every 3-4 hours and drinking plenty of fluids in between can help to prevent hunger. You choose the order of your items. Sample Pre-Op Meal Plans Remember to drink at least 64 ounces of sugar-free fluids throughout the day. Example Day 1 Breakfast (Box C) 2 hardboiled eggs Snack (Box A) Pure Protein Shake (35 gm protein – can) Lunch (Box D) Nature Valley Protein Bar Snack (Box EAS Myoplex Lite Protein Shake Dinner (Box E) 4 ounces baked haddock, 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower), 2 Tb light margarine Example Day 2 Breakfast (Box A) Premier Protein Shake Lunch (Box E) 4 ounces grilled chicken, 3 cups salad (lettuce, tomato, onions, cucumber), 1 Tb + 1 tsp creamy salad dressing Snack (Box Core Power Light Protein Shake Dinner (Box D) Pure Protein bar Snack (Box C) ¾ cup low-fat Greek yogurt) Example Day 3 Breakfast (Box E) 1 ¼ cup egg beaters, 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables (peppers, onions, tomatoes), 1 Tb avocado, 1 Tb light margarine Snack (Box A) Syntrax Nectar Protein Powder with water Lunch (Box C 2 ounces turkey + 1 string cheese Dinner (Box D) 1 small apple + 1 Tb peanut butter Snack (Box Unjury Protein Powder with 8 ounces milk – frozen into ‘ice cream’ Example Day 4 Breakfast (Box A) EAS Advantedge Protein Shake Snack (Box C) Atkins Protein Shake Lunch (Box Boost Glucose Control Protein Shake Dinner (Box E) Chili: 4 ounces cooked ground turkey, 1 cup tomato sauce, ½ cup cooked onions & peppers, 1 Tb avocado, 1 Tb sour cream Snack (Box D) Syntrax Matrix Protein Powder with 8 ounces milk

I would have to disagree with you on the food addiction aspect. I think that while one cannot literally be addicted to food since it is necessary to live, I guess a better way of wording it is that people are emotionally addicted to eating bad foods. It's not an actual addiction like you would think of a drug addiction or alcohol, but it's that need to eat bad food and comfort oneself with those comfort foods. The medical dictionary's definition for addiction is "a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance." That pretty much sums up the eating habits of a lot of us here. It's an emotional connection and to me, that's the tricky part about this "addiction". You HAVE to eat food to live. If someone is addicted to heroine, they don't need it to live. They may get withdrawals when they stop taking it, but it's not a necessity of life. They can stop taking it forever and survive. Those of us who are addicted to food can't just stop eating food the rest of our lives. We have to still eat but we have to make better choices. It's like telling an alcoholic "Okay, so you can drink, you're just going to have to make better choices." Well that's really hard! I feel the same way about a food addiction. In a perfect world, we would be able to say "Okay, I have a problem here, I am just going to stop eating forever." But we can't. I think that's why the sleeve is such a perfect option. It helps us to make those better options and to really keep control of our portions. Going back to the alcoholics thing, it's like we have our AA Sponsor with us 24/7

I too, am hypothyroid and was not a huge eater. I would eat 1200 a day, walk a mile a day, not drink any alcohol and was only able to maintain being morbidly obese. If I went down to 500 calories a day, starving myself, I could lose weight. That is an unrealistic plan for anyone. My nickname was Olive Oyl as a little girl, so weight was never an issue until the last 10 years. This surgery has given me a chance to regain me. I am 9 days out, from surgery, and down 12.5 pounds. Does it work?? You betcha!!! Thyroid or not.

When I was a kid, my family used to have nicknames for us girls (me and my 2 sisters were the youngest of 5) needless to say that my 2 sisters had beautiful names like "princess" and "beautiful" and I was "big mouth" from the Smufs as he ate constantly! Truth is I look back on photos from that period and don't think I was any fatter than any of the rest od my family. My dad always called me names relating to being fat from as far back as I can remember. Now he wonders why I want nothing to do with him!!! He destroyed my self confidence and I would put on at least 5 pounds every time I saw him but comfort eating after his visits. Well he got what he deserved, he is a lonely old man whilst my mum found herself a toy boy. They have both stuck by me through this op! I had all the usual growing up into teenage years, I was the fat friend of all my skinny friends! The most recent one is actually quite amusing with hindsight. I was at my mum's for a bbq and all my sisters and brothers were in attendance with their family. I had quite a bit to drink by then. The guys decided to play boules and the girls all pulled up a plastic chair to sit and watch them play. This was only a couple of months before my op so I was letting go. There I was sat down with my bottle of brandy at my feet and my half filled glass on my extended laps. All of a sudden one foot of the chair started burying itself in the "not so soft" ground! All my family was in hysterics, I could not get up as I was holding my glass for dear life. It took both my 9 year old twin nephews to get me off the chair. Alas the brandy was lost but they were nice enough to recue the bottle for me! HAHA! It is funny talking about it now, weighing 30 kilos less, but at the time, even through the alcohol, I was embarassed. Being the first one to make the fat jokes and comments so that my friend would not get in first! That hurts even though I am the one to say it cause they all laugh! When my friends comment about a fat person in the pub or out then turn round to me and say "not yo though" as if that would make it better to know that they would say horrible things about fat people...just not to their face! Having a "friend" say to my husband that he must do something about me because I would be so beautiful if only I wasn't so fat! (mind you got my own back on that one! Got so fed up with the same person always saying this to my husband that one time, when I could see it happening, I walked up to her and told that I did not appreciate her making comments to my husband like this. Her husband got well peeved with her for saying that and disappeared off into the night! When he finally returned, she had gone out to cry to her sister and he was locked out in the cold and had to sleep in a chair all night! HE never spoke to her for 2 weeks!LOL, mean but funny!) Finally the worst thing for me is being the butt of jokes now for being fat when in my heart I see myself as "almost thin" as I have worked so hard. I know I need to lose loads more but frankly, you don't think you are that fat once you start losing...but people who don't know you do not know how much you have already lost. I keep wanting to carry my "fat" photos around with me and say "actually I am not that bad compared to that" to all strangers who look at me sideways! I love this thread. I never thought I would be able to speak freely about all those times that are so painful to remember but yet, are a part of who I am! Everyone on here were so brave I decided to be brave to show all the ones who have yet to read that they are not alone either. Good luck to you all for your banded future.

Well my week of doctors appointments is over I had a fill today. They put 5.8cc's back in. I hate being on liquids, but oh well :sad: Only tonight and tomorrow. I saw my OBGYN today as well. He is the one last year who told me I needed to do something and referred me to my surgeon. He was so proud of me. It's such a good feeling. Well I have the girl's coming over for Bunco tonight...alcohol is a liquid...right?!?! Haha! Don't think I should do too much drinking with out anything on my stomach Have a great evening and weekend everyone! Jennifer

T-minus 14 days and I'm starting to freak out a bit! I apologize in advance if this thread gets a bit graphic. I plan to regularly post post-op pics to show the good, the bad and the ugly! There aren't as many pre and post-op pictures of black people showing scarring, bruising, etc, so I hope others will find these useful. Pre-pics are a bit low res b/c they're from a webcam, but hopefully my surgeon will provide his copies afterwards. I finally worked up the courage to schedule a brachioplasty and mastopexy. It's been dreadfully hot and humid in the DC area this summer and I'm tired of being too self-conscious to even wear short sleeves, much less the sleeveless ensembles everyone else seems to be enjoying. I find babydoll cut shirts are particularly obnoxious! I'm 29, black, 5'7", 177lbs (as of this morning). Pre-Op Arm Pics: I'm totally flexing in this one! lol but it helps show where the dangling skin is. According to my surgeon, I still have enough breast tissue to be a large C or small D when he's finished. I really wanted implants, but I'll heed his advice to at least give them a chance. If I still want more volume and a better profile, I can always add them during my next surgery. I'll admit my boobs look great in a full coverage bra, but they have an amazing ability to escape their confines. Seriously, I'll bend over to put something into the oven, and by the time I stand up, half my boob has managed to ooze out of my bra! Awkward. Pre-op Boob Pics: Well...there it all is! Now I'm busy scrambling and over-preparing for surgery. To those brave souls who have gone before me, in you post-surgery recovery did you use: - Vitamedica Bromelain wth Quercetin Nutrients with Anti-Inflammatory Properties - VitaMedica Arnica Montana - Biotin I'm going to ask my surgical staff, but I've read plastic surgery forums that have recommended them. Also, I live alone, so I'm hiring a nurse to stay with me for 2 days and someone to walk and feed my dog for a week. Is there anything you wish you'd had on-hand for your recovery that you didn't? So far I've purchased: - 2 long icepacks with sleeves - bed/sleeping wedge - 2 strapless dresses - Protein drinks - bathing washcloth wipes - 2nd compression garment (surgery center provides first one) - getting my hair braided so I don't have to worry about that! Yes, I'm a bit of a psycho, OCD, over-preparer... Upon the advice of the pre-op nurse, I've started taking a Multivitamin and Vitamin c twice a day. I'm also going to stop drinking alcohol today (well...tomorrow. lol). Thanks for your help!

Hey Molly! I did have my psych appointment today. Really no big deal. I had to answer some questions on paper that were looking for eating disorders and drug or alcohol problems. Also a couple questions on mental health stuff and how you have felt in the past week/month. Easy peasy and she approved me with no further psych stuff.

Hi Shell, Im still here lol. Just been super busy. I can understand your guy's frustration with your eating routines as I feel it too. But I am way more undisciplined than both of you. My weight loss hasnt stalled its stopped at 31kgs. This is entirely my own fault and its due too two things. Back working night shift which results in me eating around the clock as I dont know what is breakfast lunch or dinner and an increase in alcohol consumption. I dont worry too much what I eat when I do as its not much but I think I have got into a habit of eating every couple of hours. I need to restrict myself to a few drinks once a week and as a means to get to sleep during the day 3-4 times a week. Some exercising would also be s good idea. You guys willbe pleased to know though thats its actually hard to put weight on, even when you are as undisciplined as I am. I might put one or two kgs on but it comes off again and hasnt continued to go up. But time I took this all a bit more seriously as I would like to lose another 20 odd kgs. So lets see what I can do. Sent from my SM-G900I using the BariatricPal App