Search the Community

@@SD123 My initial BMI was 32.3 last year. Surgeon was happy to operate on me to prevent future complications. I had a massive, rapid weight gain between 2014-2016. So, I would have been operated on last July 2015, but the team's endocrinologist diagnosed me with Thyroid disease. It took 9 months for my thyroid to stabilise, and in that time i piled on another 29Ibs, making it a total of 90Ibs weight gain, and BMI of 37.1 My pre-op weight was 222Ibs. I am now 5 months post op and lost close to 60Ibs, and still losing. My excess weight put me in a pre-diabetic stage, and I had beginnings of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol levels were very high, and emotionally I felt completely beaten down. If I did not have this surgery, my weight would have doubled, and more. Even though I was only obese for 2 years, it played havoc with my body and emotions. Now, I am feeling so much better! And yes, had a few people tell me that they wished they did WLS surgery when they were at my BMI level, and not waited when their BMI got much higher. Good luck to you, and no-one has a right to tell you what to do or not to do. Any negativity is only someone else's opinion. It has nothing to do with you!

This is from earlier on in this thread. I occasionally post things that I find. Here goes: ‘How to Lose 22lbs or 10kgs in 28 Days Without Starving or Training Like an Olympic Athlete!' By Stephen Smith BSc If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort! I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, Water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle. Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess Fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results. Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night. Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary. When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple! Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc. Use ‘thermogenics'. There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy. Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program. Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night. Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval. Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise. As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal. Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel. If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal. Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week. Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following. The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently. If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine! Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights. Have 5-6 small meals a day. One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight. Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals! By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied. Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day. • Plan and prepare your meals the night before • Use Meal Replacements (protein shakes or bars) • Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume Ensure each meal contains Protein. Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue. Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'. If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates. Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, Pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat). So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ] Do not have a Treat Day. Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days! By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well. I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results!

You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: You may need an eating adjustment<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body You may need a behavior adjustment<o:p></o:p>1. Are you eating only when you are hungry?<o:p></o:p> a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment<o:p></o:p> 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment<o:p></o:p> 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment<o:p></o:p> 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened<o:p></o:p> 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place>Oranges</st1:place></st1:City>, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe <o:p> </o:p>

Hello Everyone, wow I have a lot to catch up on.. I had to go back and start reading from the 19th.. JDI- I still run 3.1 miles 2x's a week with my running group or in my neighborhood and occasional add in a short run (about 1.5 to 2 miles) too. But Next time I register and pay for an official timed race I just hope to be at my goal of running the entire course. It's just a personal goal that's all always challenging myself. Rkimom - I know I'm late but glad you've joined the group, I've read your posts and since I've been back to taking my vitamins on a regular basis..I am terrible with that but getting much better. LadyB - I worry about erosion and slippage every time I get a stomach ache, I noticed over the holidays I did great with food but did bad with the wine & mix drinks on Tues, Wed & T-Giving and noticed by Friday I felt like my band was having spasms I got really scared, so I stopped the alcohol and no more spasms, then tried a mix drink on Monday (as a test) and boom, spasm feeling again. I guess me and alcohol no longer get along! well thank goodness I'm not a heavy drinker lol so this should be an easy issue to fix. I see everyone survived Thanksgiving..that's wonderful. I had 1 plate of food, 1 small dessert and I was done with dinner for the day (no seconds) I shared cooking with my mom and my daughter cooked the desserts so that helped with the pre-meal eating. I cooked the vegetables and "light" sweet potato casserole, that helped too. I forgot to post my Monday morning weight still 192. All the running doesn't seem to help however I'm maintaing just perfectly lol, guess I need to switch it up a bit either run more and/or add in some strength training or something. To reach the yearly goal I set by 1/17/13 I'm suppose to be at 175. hmmm, may not quite make it, right now I'm about 17lbs off, but I feel great so I'm ok with it (but I'm still going to try to get as close as possible )

@smokey2112 get use to not having as much alcohol as before! I'm kind of scared of everything right now...talk about everything in moderation, geesh, what do I do now??? Glad I'm banded after the superbowl..lol...

No don't have to use a specific type/brand really...just a lowcarb one.. but they didn't say that you could use a whey protein powder though...they just named the ready to drink ones.. they named the EAS, ATKINS, Slim-Fast, and maybe Isopure or something maybe.. I can't remember.. I'll prolly just get the other ones from amazon...those expired ones kinda scare me! OMG I had that 3 hour class today..the last half hour was exercising.. I'm exhausted.. unfortunately I haven't exercised in like 3 years.. but it felt good! I definitely had more energy the rest of the day. Otay.. does anyone know.. this liquid 2 week diet thing.. am I supposed to not have alcohol for these whole 2 weeks.. I know I should prolly just ask the nurse but does anyone know??

I am 11 months out from surgery and the food that I eat feels like it is getting stuck. I have to burp a lot while I am eating and have to vomit at least once a day. In the morning when I wake up it is very hard to just drink water and my protein shake. I have a 14cc band and noticed these complications getting worse after I had a fill that brought me to about 7.5cc. I also have been drinking alcohol lately after not doing so for 8 months and I have also been drinking diet soda. Could my band have slipped or am I getting acid reflux because of the alcohol and carbonated beverages. Prior to getting my latest fill, I could eat anything and a lot of it and now I can't. I have lost a little over 100lbs. and I hope my band didn't slip.

Hi everyone, been super-busy like everyone else, but checking in. Still holding at 172 which I guess is OK. Have a doc appt in a couple weeks. Nicole, hope you are feeling great again... Pneumonia is serious stuff. I like your idea of New Year's liquids. I've done that a couple days this week myself to make up for the horrid aftermath of the office Christmas party. I did so many things wrong that day. First off I was tired and decided to have a caffeinated peppermint mocha on my way there. It did pep me up since I haven't had caffeine in a year! Then I ate spicy food and drank margaritas. I was in a world of hurt the next day with my stomach. I will not be drinking alcohol for New Year's, thank you, it is not worth it! So onward and downward, wishing all of you a very joyous and prosperous New Year! Bandiversaries are coming up!

Easy there trigger. That's a lot of absolutes and assumptions out there, and although caution is always advised, testing with any new thing to consume is always good. "Sabotage your entire surgery?" Where the hell do you get your information? I notice you didn't say HOW it was supposed to accomplish this ""SABOTAGE!"". Don't fear-monger. You also make an assumption about calories. True for some choices, but not all. I drink a bourbon on the rocks (top shelf Knob Creek) maybe twice a week since week 7. Do your research on bourbon, scotch, and tequila. (I'm not going there for a long while) I started with ONE TINY SIP. waited a full hour for my staples to magically and hysterically melt, violent vomiting, a new addiction to alcohol, and a trip to the ER. None of that happened. Not even nausea. Nicely the bourbon lasts longer. Strangely, my favorite brand Dewars has completely changed taste in my mouth, and I have to go way high quality for a smooth taste experience. Avoid absolutes that come from YOUR medical, NUT, and doctor choices.

What does your doctor say? Me personally, I enjoy a drink occasionally, but I do make sure I get what nutrition I need first, and only have a drink if I have the calories available. My question to you is how often would you be having a couple glasses of wine? For most, a couple of glasses of wine occasionally is probably okay once maintenance is reached (depending on how many oz/ml), for others its may be a slippery slope, and a couple of glasses of wine occasionally becomes a couple everyday which result in lack of nutriton as some calories are spent on wine instead of food. Remember for a long period of time we are eating much lower calories than is the norm, doesn't do our bodies any good to spend them on alcohol if we aren't getting enough nutrition. By the way no need to insult anyone responding by calling them 'Karen' (even if you disagree with or dislike what they have to say), that's uncalled for here...

Exactly what I was told. Although we both have Australian doctors, so they might have the same training background... My surgery centre really stressed that they need us to be on the pre-op diet for the last 2 weeks pre-op. They say it will be the last diet we will ever be on! YAY! Our pre-op diet is based on medical Meal Replacement products. It has choc or vanilla shakes, chicken Soup, choc mousse, choc bars and choc berry bars. Some variety in the textures, but it all tastes pretty much the same weirdness. To that we can add 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables (NO carrot, potatoes, peas (other than snow peas), Beans (other than mung beans), carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato etc), 1 piece of fruit per day (limited selection, eg. apple, pear, orange, strawberries, pineapple), diet jelly, diet soda, herbal tea, and some basic herbs and condiments. Absolutely no alcohol or caffeine is allowed. I'm basically having one of the shakes for breakfast; a salad and a bar for lunch; fruit for afternoon tea; stir-fry, grilled or soup veggies for dinner; a bar or dessert and diet jelly for supper. Plenty of herbal tea and Water in-between, and just the odd diet soda if I feel like one. So far the pre-op diet's generally not that bad. I'm on day 5 of the diet today - a bit hungry today, as I had my "special lunch" :hungry: with the girls yesterday, and I guess I'm getting over that. Day 3 was also hard, I got really grumpy and cold.:confused: I thought it was because of the heavy gardening work that I was doing, but TOM arrived yesterday, so it was probably that making me grumpy (usually that would have been fixed with chocolate! LOL!). Thank goodness it came now and not when it was due (on surgery day).:clap2: Different surgeons have different methods of working, or have different view of the relevant research and literature. I think that my surgery centre is very conservative in terms of pre and post op diet requriements, but less conservative in other ways. As long as the outcomes and recovery are good, that's all that should matter. Good luck to all as we count down the last few days until 1 October! Let the banding begin!:clap2: :clap2:

Suggest you clean your wounds gently with sterile Water / alcohol wipe or similar, and replace the bandages with steristrips (3M make them, ask your pharmacist) for a week or so. Put the steristrips on so that they run perpendicular to the wounds. They will provide some support to help hold the newly knitting wounds together, yet still keep the wound clean and allow it to breathe and dry out. If your wounds are infected (inflamed, oozing, etc), or you are at all worried about them, go and see your local doctor.

@@Amelie2016 nope I do not, at least not on purpose. I don't drink more than a couple of glasses of wine during the year, but that's because I'm not a fan of alcohol, not because I'm trying to avoid reflux. I also don't eat a lot of citrus fruits because of the carbs. Chocolate and other candies are out. So to some extent my diet is naturally controlled against reflux. On the other hand . . . Garlic, onions, peppers, extremely hot sauces and spicy foods, tomatoes, nuts, cheese, avocados and peppermint are all regular parts of my diet. And let's talk about coffee. I drink black coffee the way a lot of post-op people drink water. My body seems to love it. My doc says the most important thing in preventing reflux is to not eat too much. That's very important post-sleeve anyway -- you need to stop seeking the "full" sensation in your stomach and eat just enough to be satisfied, not like your stomach is "full." Good luck!

Everyone is different but I find myself doing more physical things outdoors that I have not been able to do in years. I have become a gym rat to try and get into the best shape of my life. I am trying to get away from a lot of the things that contributed to me becoming obese in the first place such as sitting in the house watching TV or at the computer all day. I am trying to spend much more time doing anything that is physical that my weight prevented me from doing before. Now that I have all of this new found energy, it is a blast to work in the yard, the garage and any other projects I can come up with. Now as far as an addiction, I would have to say shopping. I love bargin shopping and now that I wear a size large instead of a 4x, it opens up a whole new world to me. I hated shopping before so this is kind of a surprise that I enjoy this so much. I was not there and do not know the context of what was said about replacing the eating addiction with another addiction but I will tell you this, there are many healthy addictions you can have, they do not all have to be bad. I am a little obsessed with being healthy now, I figure if I went through WLS, I got a second lease on life. I eat healthy now and do not drink alcohol or put anything in my body that does not have nutritional value. I will be the first to admit that I am a little overboard on this but I feel so much better and there is absolutely no way I ever will slip back to my old bad habits.

My name is Irene and I'm a 57 year old divorced woman who lives with her mother. My younger brother lived with her and he died about 3 years ago and wanted me to live with her since my 3 daughters were now married and on their own. It's been tough. In 2009 when he was diagnosed with cancer in March, within 6 months I gained 30 lbs. I gain weight very quickly!! I went up to 291 lbs. I'm 5'2" - you can imagine!! End of Sept 2009 I joined FA - a 12 step program and lost 145 lbs relatively quickly and kept it off. However, things fell apart for me when my brother died in Aug 2011, my daughter had gotten married in May 2011, the oldest daughter was going to marry at the end of the year and my youngest baby was moving into her dad's house with her boyfriend (they married in 2013 at Disney World!). I had the Empty Nest Syndrome really bad!! At the first wedding May 2011, I was a size 6 and at the last wedding, Feb 2013, a size 22. I feel ashamed. I feel like a failure. I've thought of WLS for years and was concerned about altering myself with bypass surgery. I hadn't heard many positive things about the lap band. Recently I heard about the sleeve and that sounds like a good fit for me. My youngest had the surgery done in May 2014 and has been very successful with it. My oldest will have it done in Nov 2014. My middle daughter is obese; so is my mother, my sister and both brothers. My father was an alcoholic (I learned that alcoholic fathers tend to have obese daughters...). I have Kaiser insurance. I love the 6 month wait because I feel I need time to prove to myself that I can commit. I want to gradually accept the changes. In the past (I've been dieting on and off since I was 17 yrs old), I would have paid out of pocket to have it next month (or sooner); now I know that's addictive behavior for me. I want this experience to be different. I want this to be the final diet. My middle and youngest daughters, their husbands and I joined the YMCA at end of Jan 2014 and I've gone to exercise at least 4 times a week to mostly 5 - 6 days a week. I don't see it as a chore or something I have to do. I see it as movement and "recess" - I look forward to going. I love doing it with my daughters because we enjoy each other's company. When I have a tough day at work, I just picture myself in the pool. We do deep Water treading. I'm not a swimmer. I get quite a workout doing that, the elliptical and I was doing belly dancing once a week but my weight really prevented me from enjoying it. I look forward to getting the weight off and joining the girls! I also tried yoga and was not quite limber enough. Still, I want to try again as soon as possible. I babysit my great-nephew (my dead brother's grandchild) every Sat since he was 4 months old (he's 17 months old now) and chase him all day - no TV on my watch! I laugh all day with him, hardly have time to eat and enjoy life when I'm with him. I get quite a workout playing - the best way to do it, in my book!! So I began my journey in Aug 2014 by attending meetings. I've met with the Nutritionist. I already have sleep Apnea and have the machine to bring with me to surgery. I am having trouble with the diet I'm supposed to be on right now; I feel resentment about following a diet!!! I feel like I'd better hurry up and have a "last meal" - of whatever junk I want to get in. I hope this is temporary because I'm supposed to be losing weight... I also fear that I "can't" do it. I want to be motivated, I want to just DO IT - and then I fall apart. I'm going to work closer with the Nutritionist and see how they can help me. I know this is a long entry, but if you have read this far, do you have any suggestions? I do hope I can get on track - this forum has been inspirational for me so far!

Well, here goes nothing... My name is Jim. I am from central California and have three absolutely beautiful daughters from two different marriages. They are smart too, which leads me to wonder where the heck they got their brains, because their moms and I definitely got the short end on that deal. lol I was born with severely deformed feet and legs. Spent my entire childhood in casts and braces. Surgeries were the norm to get me to where I could walk (almost) normally. I was also incredibly skinny and had a voracious appetite. The standing joke was that I stored all the food I ate within my casts. Because we were also quite poor and depended on assistance, my parents insisted that I clean my plate with each meal and nothing was allowed to be wasted. Pasta was plentiful because it was so cheap. As I got older, my appetite never let up, but I still did not gain weight. I was active and my body seemed to eat those extra calories with ease. Then, I hit 21. For whatever reason, the weight poured on. I went from 140 pounds to 175 in a few months. Then to 200. I felt like I was on a runaway freight train. I noticed with the increased weight, my feet and legs began to hurt more. My activity levels started to decrease because of the pain. Then, with the failure of my first marriage and the trauma of the disgusting divorce process, depression set in. I isolated myself and began to eat to take the pain away. Before I knew it, I was 250 pounds and my feet and legs were worse than ever. Over the years, I managed to diet, but fell into the 96 percentile and always gained the weight, plus extra, back. A few years ago, I suffered a work related injury to my left foot. I was told that, because of the deformities and the surgeries, that my work injury would never heal. Essentially, I re-sprain my foot every morning when I get out of bed. Although minor, it is painful ... daily. I also learned that I had limited mobility in my ankle and that the metatarsals were trying to pick up for the slack that my ankle was leaving. In short, I was told that I need to find a different career or I would not make it to retirement. The only solution for my problem will be to fuse all of the joints. In April, I went in to see my doctor and weighed in at 299 pounds. I am 5' 11", so I know that for many this is not as significant, but my BMI was 42. With a historical trend of increasing weight, HPB, sleep apnea, and severe joint pain, he recommended I look into the Kaiser bariatric program. This is where my journey begins .... June 29: Attended first orientation class in Stockton (299.0 lbs) July 03: Had a huge mental set back when I took my daughters to a theme park and was called out of line to see if I fit in the "test" chair. July 07: Attended official orientation at Bariatric Center in South Sacramento (298.8 lbs) July 10: Officially gave up carbonated drinks, alcohol, and caffeine. Started using post-op food plan religiously. July 21: First visit with Dr. Yenemula. Was informed I had already made goal weight (283.1 lbs) July 24: Attended nutrition class and that evening attended support group meeting (282.4 lbs) Aug. 07: Stopped by for official weigh in (270.2 lb) Aug. 16: I have my psych visit I have been very limiting on who I have included in my journey. My mom, significant other (SO), and kids know. I have also told my boss (a close friend), so he is aware of the time I may need coming up. Everyone has been extremely supportive, except that my SO is insistent that I do not get the surgery. She has never had weight issues and is a gym rat (talk about oil and water). She believes that all I need to do is continue with this diet that, as of now, has been extremely successful. The problem is, she has not been with me to see 20 years of struggling. The emotional and physical pains associated with losing, then gaining back more. She has not seen me getting dinner for the family on the way home and ordering an extra meal, just so I can hurry up and eat it before I get home for dinner. And, after wolfing that meal down, feeling the extreme shame in doing so. For me, this is a much-needed physical tool that will assist me in maintaining what I am doing right now. With this surgery, I will be lighter and able to return to exercising the way I used to. I see the possibility of retiring on my own terms…not a doctor’s. I am so sorry for this lengthy intro. Just started typing and it flowed. If there is anyone in my neck of the woods that is willing to chat (Stockton, Sacramento), I would love to learn more about your journey and maybe mutual support. While I value the support groups and do intend on going, I am not as comfortable in that group type environment. If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading.

Hey all the December sleevers. I wanted to share a diet I am starting today! I have 20 pounds to go and am only losing 1 pound a week on 1000 calories and 5 days of exercise for 1 hour at the gym. So to speed things along I have decided to do the Mayo clinic diet. It says you will lose 20 in 2 weeks. how convenient thats how much I have left to lose If anyone would like to join me or try this diet I have included the menue and rules. I think my body has become used to what I have been doing so im gonna try this for the next 2 weeks and hope to God that these last 20 pounds fall off Mayo clinic diet Diet for 2 weeks only Abstain from anything not included in the diet and be sure to eat what is assigned rather than do without. NO EATING BETWEEN MEALS!!! Breakfast is the same everyday 1 or 2 eggs,grapefruit or a cup of grapefruit juice + coffee/tea no sugar or cream. Monday lunch: 2 eggs, grapefruit/juice Dinner:2 eggs ,grapefruit/juice,combination salad,1 piece dry toast,coffee black Tuesday lunch:2 eggs , tomatoes, coffee dinner:steak,tomatoes,cucumber,lettuce,olives,coffee Wednesday lunch:2 eggs , spinach,coffee dinner:2 lamb chops,celery,cucumber,tomatoes,tea Thursday lunch:2 eggs,spinach,coffee dinner:2 eggs, cottage cheese, 1 toast, cabbage Friday lunch:2 eggs , spinach, coffee dinner: fish, combination salad,dry toast, grapefruit/juice Saturday lunch:fruit salad(put in any fruit you want) eat as much as you can dinner: plenty of steak,celery , cucumber,tomatoes , coffee Sunday lunch:chicken,tomatoes,carrots,cabbage,grapefruit/juice, coffee dinner:Cold chicken, tomatoes, grapefruit/juice Warning: do not stay on this diet for more than two weeks Weight loss should be about 20 pounds in 2 weeks, basis of diet is chemical and maintains normal energy while reducing weight. quantities are only important were indicated. whiskey may be taken on days when meat is eaten, otherwise NO Alcohol So, I got this diet from my sister. today's day one. if anyone wants to give it a go and test it out let me know how you do . My weight today is 170 I'll check back and let you all know how I did have a nice day

my mother had a gastric bypass. She never drank more than a beer in one sitting. In the past year since she lost the weight she has gone to rehab for alcoholism 4 times. She definitely swapped. I also heard someone talking about becoming sexually addicted and cheating on their spouse but i tried to tune it out because it was so offensive.

Well I've paid for flights, deposit and insurance and have to do a 2 week low fat diet with no alcohol ready for operation on 8th April, my only worry is that my passport won't be here in time. Its kinda cool though as I can't worry bout op as more worried bout passport.

I'm still here (guess I need to get a life). I've stabilized and been in the same 5 pound bounce range for 8 months. What I found was I have to nip any weight gain in the very beginning, because I know if I start creeping up my moral will deflate and I'll say f...k it, I might as well just eat anything. For example, if I get even 1 pound above my bounce range, I immediately go back to basics of Protein and veggies until I'm back to the bottom of the range. I usually only weigh 1-2 times a month, but if I notice I'm up I'll monitor a little closer till I'm back down. I pigged out over Christmas and it took 2 weeks to get back down. There are plenty of weekends that I may indulge on crap but then I'm right back on plan on Monday. I don't count calories or carbs or anything, but I know what's going in my mouth. I can actually feel the difference in my cravings by going cold turkey on carbs at those times. The best thing is to not buy the stuff you shouldn't eat in the first place. It's easier to resist once in the store than it is to resist 20 times/day once it's in the house. Unfortunately I'm facing my first real test right now. My best friend killed himself on Sunday. My method of coping in the past has been food and alcohol. I gained almost 50 pounds after my brother died and I can feel myself going to that "dark place" again. My PCP brought me some anti anxiety meds as soon as he heard the news. I finally took some last night instead of reaching for the bottle of whiskey, which for me is no small victory. And have you ever noticed people never bring food containing protein after a death. It's all about baked goods and Pasta salads. Hang in there, try and find the motivation you had in the beginning. Look at old photos. Compare your new clothes to old ones, if you kept any. You've come this far, so you do have it in you to succeed.

@troyg I think it’s up to the advice of your surgeon because many are different. But from what I have read on these forums and others, and knowing people who have been sleeved, it is possible. Some people start sooner than owners, some people wait a long time, some never do. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that alcohol can lead to unneeded calories and also making poor decisions when you are under the influence - like eating foods that are bad for you. But it seems like plenty of people still do it. I was initially turned off of the sleeve because they said no bubbly drinks at all again ever, and I love an occasional glass of bubbly. But the more I learned, the more I realized how there were so many greater benefits, and the reality is that if I really want one glass at brunch or at a wedding, I can. It’s not like it’s out forever. It’s just rethinking why we make the choices we do!

I also cheated during my pre-op diet, and had to comes to grips with my food addiction. It's like alcoholism... Every day will be a challenge, but I always tell myself "hi, my name is Kevin and I am a food addict". It reminds me that this isn't easy and choices need to be made. I am now 13 weeks post-op and I have lost 75 lbs!! Making a choice to eat healthy is much easier now, but still must make a decision to eat Protein and fruits and vegetables rather than Cookies and chips and ice cream. You can do it!!

My psych also specializes in children and adolescents but I've been with him over 8 years now and I wouldn't want to change. At this point we're just in medication management. He asks me how I'm feeling and about my family situation (he also saw my ex-husband while we were married and he talks with me about my 20 yo son's drug and alcohol abuse). He accepts my insurance so that's not a factor for me. I only see him every 3 months to make sure the meds are still working. It's "medication maintenance". Maybe you could ask your doctor if he could write you 90 day scripts and just see you every three months. That will help with the costs and from what I hear from friends who see psychs for med maintenance it's normal practice. It's what my insurance will cover as well. Let him know it's what you'd like and see how he responds. Then you can make a decision to stay there or move on. Good luck!

Thank you so much kindle!! And I'm an so sorry for your loss, my deepest sympathies! ! I nvr realized that i used food as a coping device. ..but my oldest daughter has put me threw the ringer, she left home, heard she's on drugs, living with a porn girl and shine guys, v quit her job and moved out of state, and besides giving up on life, i guess im using the feel good foods to comfort myself with and it's just more stress. YOU are correct in saying not to buy the stuff in the first place, i just got back from Walmart and got some Protein shakes, like i said, I'm still having issues with the surgery so I'm bummed about that too. Geez life huh! !?? Anyways, thank you for taking this time to address me and im proud of you for not succumbing to alcohol and extra foods! !! You hang in there and my prayers go out to you and your friends family, God Bless you all in this time of need. And i agree with the food thing during a death, but again, i think it comes down to comfort foods and as we know, they do make us think that things are better than what they are, altho delicious, we have to recognize (ME), that it's just that, a thought! Again tyvm:)) keep up the good work, you've helped me greatly.

After a friend of mine guessed what I did based on what hospital I was in, said to me "I hope you had the therapy that told you that your gonna become a sex addict and alcoholic now". Where do ppl come up with this stuff. The next week he asked me if I was tired of throwing up yet. I proudly told him I haven't thrown up at all.