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Special K I thought by now our craving for sweets would finally go away. I Know how alcoholics feel. If its not in the house I'm fine, and I can even go to the grocery store and not buy the junk, but if I go to a picnic where its avaliable I lose all self control. I think I actually eat more sweets at social events than I did before banding. I am to the place where I have asked my friends to stop me from going crazy. It's common for me to be up 2-3 pounds after a social event. I leave feeling like a failure and I'm so mad at myself. Any advice?

I eat Atkins (but I don't eat the ones that have any sugar alcohol) and another one I like a lot are Oh Yeah, but I have to order those online. I bought some at GNC but we don't have a GNC here in hicksville where I live.

Congrats on your weight loss btw.. I don't know you or your hubby... but from what i read. it seems you have had a realization that your not happy. I have been in a similiar situation. I was with my boyfriend for 8 yrs. (since i was 14) I literally woke up one day and said. this is the day. i slowly broke it off with him. he was a very sensitive man.. so it was hard for me being that i am a very compassionate person. I even had the same feelings of maybe he would meet someone.. or tell me he was gay .. anything!! I didn't hate him for anything.. i just realized I live once.. and other than wanting something more.. i felt like i was leading him on. I had to make the decision for the both of us because if i left it to him, we would be together still.. i went through months of sadness because i had a hard time dealing with the fact i hurt someone.. but... it was the best decision i made. i gave him sooooooo long to get over our breakup. i remained friends.. i talked to him when he had a bad day.. i helped him with relationship advise. NOTHING worked. I moved on. he became an alcoholic. and you know what.. i really don't care anymore. it's been 6 yrs since the breakup and i haven't talked to him in maybe 3 / 4 yrs or so. i am happily married with my soul mate.. and we have a beautiful daughter.. I can't advise you do anything but follow your heart. stay strong, think it over twice, and if you really feel you need to move on.. go for it! best of luck.. i'm sure you will make the best decision..

Good Monday morning! Rainy and wet here today but we are supposed to have cooler temps soon so that's a big plus! I got my new car and I finally got to drive it this morning. It's awesome! New Orleans was so much fun! Have any of ya'll been? Lots of history and beautiful architecture. The food is AMAZING. We ate at so many wonderful places. Lots of the restaurants there are hundreds of years old and we were able to experience such rich culture. Walking through the cobblestone streets was so idylic. And there are so many horse drawn carriages around and so you hear the clopping of the horses feet on the cobblestones and you can feel what it must have felt like long ago. I always imagined that New Orleands was just alcohol and debauchery but we were able to see the other side of it and we are definetly going back. I'll post pics on Facebook as soon as I can. Judy - OMG, poor Bob! I'm glad it's getting better though but that sounds like a big gash... Michelle - sooo jelous of your disney trip. When ya'll go do ya'll do the same rides or do ya'll always manage to find new stuff to do? Pammy - yay on the excersise. I go back tonight after being "OFF" for 6 days! It's gonna kick my ass. I'm not looking forward to it. But i've indulged way too much these past few days and so I know I need it... Jane - Doesn't it feel so good once you've gotten started on something that you've been putting off for a loooonnngg time. Me and you are very much alike... To make the cell read what you put in there you need to right click on the cell and then click on the FORMAT CELL option. Then click on TEXT. That means that whatever you put in that cell it will take as is with no corrections... Hope that helps! Kat - have a good day at work. Is that lady still making things difficult for you? Can ya'll believe it's already the end of September? Where did September go? Seriously, I missed it. Time is FLYING. I need to get my butt in gear and start looking for invites and start looking for a dress for me. I fear it's going to be a daunting task....

Hi, My name is Julie and I'm an alcoholic in recovery. I was banded 3 years ago June. When I got sober in January I had some fill taken out. I have gained 30 lbs. The folks I have talked to in AA say that is quite common as we intake more sugar. I was sober 4 months and in May relapsed. It's been a struggle and I keep going in and out of the rooms of AA hoping to finally get it. Can you please share your story of recovery with me. I know cross-addiction is very common and when we don't have food to comfort us we can sometimes go into other areas of addiction. I don't want those people to answer me like "get a f* clue don't drink". I live in a world that is filled with both joy and isolation at the same time. AA friends always welcome me back no matter what. I would love to hear more from you...God Bless.

Here’s something my dietician provided me for the pre-op diet, the basic and alternative if you can’t do all liquid. The Diet: 1. Drink at least 64 ounces of fluids per day (all must be sugar-free, calorie free, and non-carbonated) 2. One multi-Vitamin with essential minerals per day. 3. Consume 1000 - 1200 mg of Calcium per day 4. No Alcoholic beverages 5. Drink 4 - 6 no sugar added Meal Replacement shakes each day (recommends Adkins Advantage even though it has 1 gram of sugar. They taste great and have 15 grams of Protein and 24 essential nutrients plus calcium and no trans fats) Sample Day: Breakfast: 1 shake Lunch: 1 Shake 4pm: 1 Shake (optional) Dinner: 1 Shake Bedtime: 1 Shake (optional) What if you break the liquid fast or just cannot follow a liquid diet for 2 weeks? Plan B - A shake and food meal plan that will keep the fat extremely low. The goal is still to lose as much weight as possible before surgery. The Meal Plan: 2-4 8-11 ounce high Protein Shakes a day 1 meal a day, composed of 3 oz seafood, turkey or chicken (no skin) Or 1 cup Non-fat/low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese And Non-starchy vegetables - up to one cup No corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes or baked Beans Fresh Fruit - 1 piece (1 cup) per day Olive oil - 1 tablespoon a day, no salad dressing, no mayonnaise Eat only 1 meal a day. Limited to 20 minutes per meal. Sample Day 1: Breakfast: 1 Shake Lunch: 1 Shake Dinner: Stir-fry 3 oz chicken ? cup broccoli ? cup mushrooms 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash 10-minute Mesquite Marinade 1 tbsp Olive oil Snack: 1 Shake Sample Day 2: Breakfast: 1 cup 2% Cottage Cheese 1 cup fresh peaches 1 cup Lettuce Lunch: 1 Shake Dinner: 1 Shake Snack: 1 Shake Sample Day 3: Breakfast: 1 Shake Lunch: 3 oz shrimp Lettuce 1 cup zucchini 1 tbsp Olive Oil Salsa 1 Pear Dinner: 1 Shake Snack: 1 Shake Hope this gives you some alternatives. Hugs, JoAnne

Alcohol is dicey (unless you mean Isopropyl?) may just make 'em party all night.

Propofol is kinda frowned upon now - and too short acting to do you any good - I guess you'll have to use good old alcohol (make some delicious 'ritas!

The only problem I find now is people tell me not to get too small. How much more weight are you going to lose? you don't need to lose more... You don't need to get sickly looking... etc. My answer to that is... all you have known me as is BIG... you didn't ever know me "thin".... I worked where I am for 12 years, and have been heavy the whole time... but worse the past 5 years! I am still considered 'obese'- My goal is 160lbs- to be "normal" I also decided to tell everyone because I didn't want "rumors" to fly- that I might be sick etc. losing weight that fast. I just faced my demons- admitted I had a problem with food and drastic times called for drastic measures. Just like an alcoholic- I have a food problem, and needed to face it head on. I do hate having to admit how bad I let myself go- but I have support there too... people are reasureing me that I did what I had to do to get back some control in my life. Not to look back at the past-but to the future of being healthy and at least I did SOMETHINg- It's just hard to face....That I could let myself get that bad........ It is strange how my body has changed thru all this... I am 211 lbs now.... and can fit a size 14 pants! What will I be in at 160? It baffles me. It baffles me that people say I look good- I am still obese-not overweight-OBESE. You hear the words "skinny"-"sexy" etc... I KNOW they aren't talking about ME! Lots of demons I still have to face......

food was my way to make me feel better when I felt bad, it was readily available, it was pleasureable, distracting, and socially acceptable. You can do it at your desk, in your car, at church, anywhere..and they throw it in your face at every chance they can, billboards, TV, magazines...did we have much of a fighting chance?? I have to find a replacement for that "temporary high" Listening to a really good mix while sweating it out on the treadmill, that releases some of those "endorphins" which I like to call dolphins. Sex would work, but too many diseases out there, so yeah, better stock up on batteries..haha. I think I could easily transfer it to some good drugs, but I don't have Rush Limbaugh's connections..hahah...alcohol just makes me wanna eat more..never really like to drink that much. Smoking? I quit years ago and that would interfer with my *dolphins* when exercizing. Shopping? I am not there yet, still too big to really enjoy it and get a *rush*. But, for me, I difinately need to find another *feel* good drug to replace food. So far, exercising is the only replacement I have found. I wish drugs were legal..hehe.

Steph, I can relate to your situation is so many ways. I was always the bad guy and my (always out doing something else) DH was the good guy. DS #2 had "issues" several years ago and it all came down to my bad parenting--emotional abuse he claimed. He was very good (yeah, he's a psychologist now) and managed to convince his younger sister that mom's rules were overly restrictive and she had good reasons to be uncommunicative and lie. Oh, yes, thoes sweet little babies. . . And DH? He had nothing to say. Just shrugged his shoulders. So yeah, compared to him, I guess I would appear aggressive. I'm still angry about all of that. Hang in there, Steph. I'm on your side. Thankfully, I do have two other kids whos psyches I didn't dammage so much, and I have good relationships with them today. Wow, this site is therapeutic. Speaking of therapy. . . I have a friend who is working on obtaining national certification as a Reflexologist. She gave me a treatment yesterday and it was wonderful! I felt so relaxed afterwards and I slept great last night--there's gotta be something to it. I get to have two more treatments--both on Fridays after work. If I feel as good next time, I might be hooked. Once she gets certified, she's going to teach it, so I might learn how to do it. If that happens, I'll give you guys treatments next time we get together. OK--guess it's time to get going. Like I said, I'm going to work today. Andy (DS#1--Cora's daddy) is comming with me and we're going to work on some computer issues--it's great having my own personal tech support! Then I'm going to bring him home and go over to help Jen. I dont know if working in a bakery is such a good idea--kinda like an alcoholic bartender. This could turn out very badly.

Why WLS? You actually answered your own question when you said "all of my efforts to lose significant weight have either failed or yo-yo'ed". The band is a tool to help you avoid that outcome. I've read about the restrictions after lap band, and some of them are simply the restrictions that any diet should have: avoid sweets, avoid white, bready foods, chew slowly, stop when you're full, control portion size, exercise lots, and so on. Additionally, there are some WLS-specific restrictions: NO (?) carbonated beverages (there goes my love of Diet Coke), NO alcohol (I'm not a lush, but I love a summer beer or vodka cocktail), NO (?) caffeine (so I can't even have coffee?), plus a lot of scary things about how for instance taking a whole pill can lead to chain vomiting. A lot of docs actually allow carbonated beverages after a period of time with the band. But each doc is different. But soda is bad for you, period, so if you do without it for a period of time, you may not feel compelled to drink it again. I was NEVER told that I could not have alcohol or caffeine. I drink (damn, I'm a PARROT HEAD! Do you think I'd go to a Jimmy Buffett concert and party in the parking lot without a good rum drink?????) and I have caffeine (I love a big steamy mug of hot tea in the morning). I have 5.8ccs in a 10cc band and I can take two Tylenol at once with no problems. All those other meds I was taking for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are all things of the past -- which is why I did this in the first place. I have NEVER vomited, post-banding. I've PB'd but it was my fault for eating too fast every single time. Second question, what are the real limitations? I have read so much, conflicting stuff. I know you can't shouldn't eat, for instance, Snickers' bars (and why would I want to sabotage myself that way), but what about coffee? Carbonated beverages? Alcohol? Do I have to give up all of life's little pleasurable vices for this goal? See my comments above. Getting a band is NOT going to prison. You are still able and supposed to enjoy life. The only beer I really like, I can't buy in the States (Belikin, which is brewed in Belize) so no beer is not a question I've ever really had to address except when I was in Belize just over a month after surgery. Yeah, I had one but I had to drink it slowly. I've eaten birthday, a few M&Ms, I don't like coffee but I LOVE hot tea and I drink it. I don't miss Diet Coke. I stopped cold turkey and never looked back -- except that I mix it with rum, which pretty much takes the fizz right out of it. But, I reiterate, it is ALL THINGS IN MODERATION. If you pig out on anything, your band will stop you from going too far. If nothing else, no more food can get into the pouch and you will feel very uncomfortably stuffed and will have to stop. Believe me, you only have to experience that too-full feeling once and you'll remember you want to avoid it. It's like you ate 3 plates of food at Thanksgiving dinner and one of every dessert. Ugghhhhh. I've read a lot about things getting "stuck" in the stomach pouch if you eat to fast, or if you swallow a large pill, or something. What does this mean? Vomiting? Discomfort? A stomach pump? Along with being obese (BMI of 41) and having sleep apnea (a comorbidity; if insurance companies weren't so difficult, I'd be a shoo-in for the surgery), I'm a hypochondriac. What are the real RISKS post lap-band, versus just discomforts. Discomforts I can live with (assuming, of course, the benefit is worth it -- see my first question). Stuck is exactly that...it sits in one place and you wish it would move. Occasionally, you will cough the stuck bite back up (productive burp or "PB") and when that happens, if's actually a relief. But it IS NOT VOMITING. It is regurgitation of that stuck bite or two. Vomiting is when your stomach muscles force all the contents of your stomach back out. Two very different things. Lose the weight and all your aches and pains will disappear and you won't want to be a hypchondriac any more...you'll be too busy enjoying life. The risks are somewhat minimal. Slippage can occur, though not often, and many, many docs actually stitch the band into place to prevent that (mine did). If your band gets too much fill, you can develop a night cough and acid reflux, all of which is easily remedied by you admitting you have the problem and getting a slight unfill of even as little as .2 cc. I remember some posts from a man who turned out to be allergic to one of the components of his band and had to have hit removed. That was one person. Risks of anesthesia and surgery itself are separate things and your docs should advise you of those risks, but they are pretty small percentage risks. Finally, some health-related stuff. I know most/all here aren't doctors, but I have a fatty liver (diagnosed w/ultrasound) and quite possibly a duodenal (not gastric, that's important) ulcer. Am I disqualified from the surgery on medical grounds? Fatty liver ... the pre-op diet is designed to reduce your fatty liver. Stick to the pre-op diet and you'll be fine. A duodenal ulcer needs to be treated but shouldn't keep you from surgery unless it's not responsive to treatment. I will say unequivocally that getting the band has not compromised my quality of life in any way or amount. On the contrary, it has improved my life immeasurably. I think most people here would agree with me. Go to a seminar and ask the presenters your questions, too. (Many seminars have a patient or two there you can talk to as well. i've done this for my surgeon.)

Hi, first of all, thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this post. I have many, many questions. First of all is the biggest one. Why WLS? I have been obese almost my entire life. There was one time period when I was not obese; I was a young man working at a very physically strenuous job (unloading semi trailers for UPS). Now, I'm a middle-aged man working at a desk job (computer programmer), and all of my efforts to lose significant weight have either failed or yo-yo'ed (which I'm sure everyone here is familiar with). I've read about the restrictions after lap band, and some of them are simply the restrictions that any diet should have: avoid sweets, avoid white, bready foods, chew slowly, stop when you're full, control portion size, exercise lots, and so on. Additionally, there are some WLS-specific restrictions: NO (?) carbonated beverages (there goes my love of Diet Coke), NO alcohol (I'm not a lush, but I love a summer beer or vodka cocktail), NO (?) caffeine (so I can't even have coffee?), plus a lot of scary things about how for instance taking a whole pill can lead to chain vomiting. So what it seems like to me is that WLS requires the same degree of willpower -- which I've failed to demonstrate -- that a successful diet requires. Which begs the question; if I'm going to have to do all the "work" of a diet anyway, and stick with it if I want to see progress, why not skip the surgery and just do the diet? Either I'll succeed or fail (with or without WLS), but if I don't get the surgery, at least I don't risk surgical complications, and can drink a beer, and am (probably) tens of thousands of dollars better off. Second question, what are the real limitations? I have read so much, conflicting stuff. I know you can't shouldn't eat, for instance, Snickers' bars (and why would I want to sabotage myself that way), but what about coffee? Carbonated beverages? Alcohol? Do I have to give up all of life's little pleasurable vices for this goal? Also, I've read a lot about things getting "stuck" in the stomach pouch if you eat to fast, or if you swallow a large pill, or something. What does this mean? Vomiting? Discomfort? A stomach pump? Along with being obese (BMI of 41) and having sleep apnea (a comorbidity; if insurance companies weren't so difficult, I'd be a shoo-in for the surgery), I'm a hypochondriac. What are the real RISKS post lap-band, versus just discomforts. Discomforts I can live with (assuming, of course, the benefit is worth it -- see my first question). Finally, some health-related stuff. I know most/all here aren't doctors, but I have a fatty liver (diagnosed w/ultrasound) and quite possibly a duodenal (not gastric, that's important) ulcer. Am I disqualified from the surgery on medical grounds? Again, sorry for the book-length post, but I have a lot of questions and am still very unsure about whether the surgery is really a good choice (remember, I'm only 39, given my family's long life-span, this is something I'll need to live with for another 40 years or more), whether I -- weak-willed as I am -- can live with the limitations, what the risks are, and so forth. I'd love to hear advice, answers, and opinions on the subject. My girlfriend is also contemplating lap-banding (although she's much more enthused about it than I am) and I'm trying to find the right balance between skepticism towards any "magic wand" weight loss cure, and real optimism at the possibility of, for the first time in my life (barring the six months I worked for UPS) really being closer to my ideal weight. Thanks in advance for any information or answers!

Yes, my PCP and insurance company. Their policy is that unless you have co-morbidities, a lower BMI of 39 (mine) didn't qualify me. That is ridiculous. The 1# cause of death in America is heart disease, directly caused by obesity. So, really obesity is the leading cause of death in America. Just because I haven't had a heart attack or stroke yet, doesn't mean morbid obesity isn't going to kill me. That is why I had to be a self-pay. Dr. C will do the surgery w/o comorbidities, if you are at least 70 lbs overweight. Oh, and guess what? My surgeon's post-op report revealed that I have a fatty liver, that can cause serious problems, and even progress to non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, if weight is not lost. And, I had a large sliding hiatal hernia that went undiagnosed until my VG. My father died due to kidney failure caused by diabetes. He wasn't supermorbidly obese, just obese, and wasn't dx w/diabetes until after his triple bypass, at age 50. They ended up paying for 2 coronary artery bypass surgeries and a kidney transplant, but WLS? Out of the question. I knew if I didn't do this, I would have ended up just like my dad. I have that abdominal fat, which is the worst, and strongly indicates insulin resistance, which is a step away from diabetes. Diets rarely work, so this was close to my only hope to get my health back. I will be 52 in a couple weeks. I wish I would have done this sooner.

Hi Courtney, nice to meet you. I am 38 and have been heavy my entire life but after my son when I was 34, I gained 75lbs from stress and life. So in a nut shell here is what I learned over the past 2 + years 1. The band is a tool and you have to work with it not against it. 2. There is a reason I was overweight, why is that? and why was I using food as a drug? 3. What do I do when life's stress hits me hard? 4. Alcohol is definately very bad for weight loss! 5. If the band is too tight, the only food that seems to do into me is bad fried food, wings, chicken tenders, onion chips, and nacho's from the pub, even in small quanity, are not foods that will help you lose weight. 6. Exercise is important 7. Water is important So saying what I've learned in the last 3 months with my reality check on why I'm not loosing... 1. I am working with my band, taking very tiny bites and taking 20 minutes to eat. 2. I don't eat when I'm stressed but what I do eat is horribly bad so my body does not work properly, you can't eat 1000 calories all at one meal! 3. When I was dealing with stuff before I would crawl into bed, now when I get stressed I put my sneakers on and walk, and think, and walk some more. 4. I still drink... but once a week and I don't drink anything that will make me want to eat, no high carb drinks and nothing with heavy high cal juice. I mix with Crystal light. 5. Band adjustment and it is working, back to very small amounts of food and focusing on Protein. 6 & 7. I now have the time so I am exercising excessively and I make sure to drink a ton of water. So I know this is long, sorry, it is what I have personally learned, but most of all - I learned there are reasons for my choices and what I have been working very hard on is getting the answers and choosing to make the right choices and not the ones that would make me happy... and trust me, not everything I have had to change has been easy or easy choices, but they are the right ones... and my life is changed for good! I wish you the best of luck and it is so nice to have you here. Ask away!!!!

Hi, everyone! I have been low-carbing it since I was banded on May 7, 2009. Years ago I tried Atkins and South Beach, with very limited success, but this time I took my own approach. I don't count how many carbs I take in, but I do limit them considerably! After two consultations with my surgeon and a few sessions with a therapist, I realized that I was *truly* addicted to sugar, just like an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. During the time between my first consultation and my surgery, I made the very difficult decision to completely give up sugar and all white carbs (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes). It's been going good so far, and the longer I go without those items, the easier it is. I guess you would say my diet is closer to South Beach. My foods include: unjury Protein shakes in the morning (when my band is usually tight); fat-free Greek yogurt (really high in protein); lentil Soup or black bean soup with low-fat cheese melted in; refried Beans topped with low-fat cheese, fat-free salsa, low-fat sour cream (eat with whole wheat baked pita chips or just with a spoon!); hummus & tahini with fresh veggies and sometimes a few All Bran Multigrain crackers or pita chips; low-carb "sandwich": any deli meat, cheese, condiments, etc., between two slices of low-fat swiss cheese (the swiss allows you to hold it without getting your hands wet or sticky :thumbup:); Breakstone's 2% high-fiber cottage cheese mixed with 1 small container of pre-made sugar-free Jell-o (don't knock it till you try it -- got the idea from someone else on this board! :thumbup:); scrambled eggs with cheese; and if I'm out at a fast food restaurant, I choose a salad with grilled chicken on top, or I get a cheeseburger with all the toppings, take off the buns, use a fork and knife, and cut it all up into "cheeseburger salad." :thumbup: I have a question for you all: Has anyone found a good whole wheat/whole grain low-carb bread? :mad2: I was shocked to see to sugar content in most whole wheat breads! TIA! PS - A big hello to Minxz and LindaD, my fellow Mayo Banditos! :thumbup:

Yes. From what I've read on here they don't "fail" so much as are required to do some sessions with therapist before they are cleared. The band isn't for everyone; I've also read on here of people who get it and then freak out and want it removed immediately. (which isn't the only reason the band isn't right for someone, just an example) I guess some therapy sessions would be better than flipping out about the band post op, or turning to something like alcohol, shopping, sex, gambling to replace the food.

How well does everyone post op do with the drinking of alcohol? I know you can't drink it all the time because it inhibits weight loss but is once in a while okay? How does everyone feel when they do drink? Does it burn?

You know what? At some point some people choose to put the cigarette in their mouth. Some people choose to open the cap and drink. Some people choose to open the fridge and eat that whatever even though they're not hungry. So fine, ban tobacco. What do you get but a whole crime industry revolving around the acquisition and sale of it. What's next: banning alcohol, perhaps overeating?? All these things cause massive health issues. I'm concerned about the person who loses their health insurance when they lose their job, then can't get re-insured due to a pre-existing health condition. Plain wrong.

Hey SoCal, you are so right about family being supportive, they can make or break you. It's kinda like an alcoholic recovering in family of drunks. LapSF believes that their pts will not succeed without the family cooperating and keeping the junk out of the house. I live alone, and it has helped a lot, when I spend the weekend with family, if they are cooking and eating high carb foods, like spaghetti, mac & cheese, choc chip Cookies, it is so much harder to comply with the program. You have to put your foot down! But, the good news is that the first two weeks on liquids are easy. It is nothing like before. This time you have no appetite and you stomach is swollen from the surgery, so you just have to sip, sip, sip, to get in your fluids and Protein. The first day home, I was super-sensitive to artificial sweetners and thought I would fail, because I couldn't literally "stomach" my Protein shakes. The nurse told me to drink milk, so that is what I did until day 3. Then miracles of miracles, on day 3, I could drink my protein shakes, and by week 3 was on mushies, and by week 6 eating reg foods. I have had no complications, except constipation, diarrhea, which is normal in the beginning for a lot of us. But do not under any circumstances consume anything but liquids for 2 weeks, or whatever your surgeon recommends. There have been pts that have eaten one bite of broccoli during phase one and ended up in the hospital for over a month after the did that. Don't mess around. My only problem is learning to eat slowly. You must take 30 min to consume your meals. If you don't, it hurts real bad and you could hurt yourself. If you don't have time for a 30 min meal, drink a Protein shake. Anway, that is all for now.

I had the lap band placed on June 8 2009, it was out August 30,2009. I was totally miserable and was having esphogheal spasms. I lost 30 pounds of the needed 70, I am working out, and acting as if I still have the band ie;no soda, no alcohol,little if any bread, eat first drink after,proteins first and I have lost 6 additional pounds. lap bands are not a universal cure for all...

As I tell my Nephew, we all have an addiction. One way or another. What sets us apart is how we handle that addiction. Having drug addiction or alcohol addiction is that, you can actually walk away from that stuff. We on the other hand have to learn how to live with food. To not let it take over our lives. It ain't easy.

Hi tin I am feeling exactly the same roll on Tuesday. Holiday was great but too much calorie intake due to alcohol. Im feeling really hungry and i am also relying on willpower . I have been eating mostly protiens since I came home from hols but havent weighed myself yet do it tomorrow. Jx

Before my sleeve I had the lap Band and I turned into an alcoholic. Then I got sober and turned back to food and gained a ton of weight, now im sleeved and ready to conquer my food addiction. I know several people who replaced food with alcohol.

I tried everything in the Syntrax nectar sample pack from Syntrax. The only sample I liked as Capuccino. The rest were either grossly too sweet :tongue_smilie: or tasted like cheap drink syrup without the alcohol. :crying: I heard Fuzzy Navel was good so I bought some of that. Its their best flavor. I do like the Health Wise Lemonade and Health Wise pineapple Orange.