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Well my name is Jennifer I had my lap band put in on April 3, I started at 240-230 when I went to my first appointment. Because of my insurance it took me from October till April to finally get my surgery. Today I am five days post op and weigh 211 witch is awesome. But I actually started my journey about a year and a half ago after years of living with constant pain and fatigue I had acquired health coverage and was able to see a doctor. I was told that I had non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver or Fatty liver disease and they gave me at most ten years. I also had polycystic ovarian syndrome, high cholesterol, and problems with my knees. Knowing all this set me into a bit of a depression for a couple of months. I couldn't sleep but I could eat so one of those late nights of watching tv I saw a commercial for True Results and decided to make a appointment to see what it was all about. And now I am five days post op and on my way to being a healthier me.

The best thing I ever did preop was to give up the addictive substances. I knew I couldn't have them after surgery, and getting past the withdrawal and cravings beforehand made recovery much easier. So, I gave up caffeine, all alcohol, all sugar, all soda, all artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors. I hadn't eaten wheat (gluten) for years, so that was not an issue. By the time surgery came around, I felt clean and detoxed. I did not eat the jello or popsicles in the hospital. I brought my own broth, herbal tea, and protein drink. Turned out they did have some great tasting gluten free broth that was fine.

1. Do you FEEL the LAP-BAND® around your stomach? Does it feel tight or uncomfortable? - NO 2. I think giving up soda will be really hard. WHY must it be done? CARBONATION DOESN'T AGREE WITH THE BAND - IT MAKES YOU FEEL BLOATED - 3. What is the purpose of the liquid diet pre-surgery? And post? PRE-SHRINK YOUR LIVER - POST - HEALING 4. Did your insurance company cover the procedure? How long did the pre-auth take? Did you have to do psych evals, etc? YES 2 WEEKS AND YES 5. The port - does it physically bother you? Can you see it initially, after losing, etc? My husband is kinda freaked out about it.... PORT SITE HURT THE MOST RIGHT AFTER SURGERY - MINE STICKS OUT A LITTLE NO BIGGIE 6. Does getting a fill hurt? Or does it feel like getting a flu shot / giving blood? MY DOC NUMBS ME PRIOR TO FILL SO NO IT DOESN'T HURT 7. Do you have restrictions with taking pills? I.e. is Tylenol still effective, does it digest regularly, etc. - YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE LIQ TYLENOL - SMALL PILLS AREN'T A PROBLEM FOR ME - I CAN EVEN TAKE TYLENOL CAPLETS - IT DEPENDS ON YOUR RESTRICTION AND SIZE OF PILL 8. What about drinking alcohol? Is it OK occassionally? YES - I DRINK OCCASSIONALLY - BUT REMEMBER EMPTY CALORIES.. The Band is only a tool - you have to change your eating habits for life and add physical activity to your life. Good luck on your journey

1. Do you FEEL the LAP-BAND® around your stomach? Does it feel tight or uncomfortable? No 2. I think giving up soda will be really hard. WHY must it be done? You may be able to drink sode at some time in the future, BUT in the beginning especially, the carbonation can build up in your pouch and cause you some discomfort. 3. What is the purpose of the liquid diet pre-surgery? And post? Pre-op is to shrink your liver so that your surgeon has a little more room in which to maneuver. Almost all obese people have fatty deposits in their livers, some more than others... Your doctor's pre-op and post-op diet may very dramatically from other docs. Just follow his instructions! Post-op is to facilitate healing. 4. Did your insurance company cover the procedure? How long did the pre-auth take? Did you have to do psych evals, etc? No, my insurance did not cover the surgery. Your doctor can likely tell you the average approval time for your insurance company. As to requirements, you can can always call your insurance company to see what they require. Bear in mind that some requirements are not the insurance company but the doctor. 5. The port - does it physically bother you? Can you see it initially, after losing, etc? My husband is kinda freaked out about it.... It's about the size of a quarter and not very thick. I can feel mine if I press down firmly. 6. Does getting a fill hurt? Or does it feel like getting a flu shot / giving blood? Mine have never hurt at all. The first time, they gave me a numbing shot and then did the fill, the second time, I had them just do the fill. Either way you get one little pinch but no pain. 7. Do you have restrictions with taking pills? I.e. is Tylenol still effective, does it digest regularly, etc. I now have to take absolutely NO medications. I have taken some Tylenol a few times and had no problem swallowing them. The medications are dissolved the same way but in the pouch. I was told not to take ibuprofen ever because it can inflame the smaller environment of the pouch versus your whole stomach. 8. What about drinking alcohol? Is it OK occassionally?' The only restriction on alcohol is the calories. A shot of rum has about 60 calories. Mixers are, of course loaded. I drink rum with Diet Coke. It seems like the alcohol kills the carbonation really quickly. But just remember that post op you will be eating about 1,000-1,200 calories per day and just 2 shots is 10% of that amount so it's easy to add a lot of extra calories quickly. So don't make a daily habit out of it, LOL.

i dont know why i am responding, i just felt truely led to do so. You are not alone in your addiction. There is a small percentage of people with thyroid problems or a screwed up matabilism but most of the rest of us are just like you, addicts. I think that food is the worse and hardest of them all. If you truely seek out treatment with drugs and alcohol the best thing in the world to do is to go cold turkey, stay away from friends that do the drugs, stay out of bars etc. with food it is different. We have to eat to live. The problem is some of us lived to eat.n when i look at the big picture, i realize this is going to be a long daily battle. But I did it for me and my family. I love love love food but I love my family more. They are worth it. I am worth it. I am 14 days banded, early in the game for me too. You feel now like you may have made a horrible quick decision, before you make another one sit back enjoy the small things like your pants fitting just a little better, 9 pounds that is awesome, Give it some time, dont jump the gun. My good friend(when I was having a horrible day and was starving and feeling sorry for myself) said to me"Girl, nothing tastes as good as skinny will feel." God bless you and I hope you get this message. I will be thinking of you

Wow this makes me feel like an alcoholic! I have a couple drinks a day and feel great with it (usually whiskey but I'm not too picky). I can drink beer (especially lighter stuff like bud and PBR) but it takes me forever to suck down an IPA now, which is my favorite.

Thursday, June 11, 2009 Goodbye to food---at parties:crying: I have at least 5 parties to attend over the next 3 weekends and I'm going to have to attend them without having food as a crutch. I'm going to have to bring food and not eat it. I have to talk to people without relying on food to allay my social anxiety and fear of putting my foot in my mouth in one of my impulsive, ADHD moments. I won't be able to gorge myself on foods I would never have in my home or buy for myself. That's the thing about parties. I love to go to parties because of the food, and I hate to go to parties because of the food. At my church we're into celebrating everything, and everything involves food--delicious food and lots of it. At school people bring special treats for everything. At weekly faculty devotions, the leader is supposed to bring a treat. If my husband and I want to do something special, we go to a cheap restaurant in order to stay within our budget. Family get togethers are dominated by food. I really don't know how to talk to people without food smoothing the way. Alcohol has never appealed much to me--its always been food. The food is killing me. More insidiously than alcohol or nicotine, it is still killing me. But unlike alcohol and nicotin and other addictive substances, I need it to live. How can something that God created so good, become so evil for me? Imagine a world that sin had never entered. Where genetic alterations that make some people prone to addiction had never happened. Where celebration never turns into debauchery--of any kind, either by choice or by uncontrollable compulsions and cravings. That's what paradise would look like, and what it will look like when Christ comes again to establish his new heaven and new earth. Party!

Thank you. I remember someone telling me one time that food addiction was the hardest to break. You can live without tobacco, drugs, alcohol. You cannot live without food. I have been struggling with my pride and not being able to do this "on my own". Your post has clarified for me that I am an addict. I need help and the lapband will be a help. That's all. The rest is up to me but there should be no shame in seeking help, in whatever form that comes in. Thank you.

Sunday, July 19, 2009 Relatives--Help or Hindrance My husband threw out all his night-time treats. Just because he loves me. Pretty cool. I let him know I was struggling with the treats he kept in the house and frequently ate in the evenings while we watched TV and played on our computers. In fact, I was just thinking about the ice cream in the freezer and, oops!, remembered Ken threw it out. Thank God. Thank you, Ken. This disease is not fair to him. It's not fair that his choices impact me way beyond what they should. He can eat ice cream and then let it sit untouched for weeks. He had a taste for yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and decided to make them himself, ate a couple, and let the rest sit. For him, no big deal. For me, unbearable temptation. I know they're there. Knowing makes them pop into my mind over and over. I have to reject eating them over and over and over. Taking care of myself by being honest with my husband was important for me to do. It's part of working on being less people-pleasing when its to my detriment. It is entirely to his credit that he chose to get rid of the snacks and not to eat snacks at night in front of me. He wants to be with me. It was his main reason for giving up smoking when he married me. He couldn't smoke around me and he wanted to be with me. He'll probably still keep some treats hidden and eat them when I'm not around. That's fine. Out of sight, out of mind. If I don't know its there it won't be on my mind, either. Chances are Ken'll lose some weight, too, which wouldn't be a bad thing. Night-time has always been my most difficult time. Food has always helped me wind down. Some people drink alcohol. I eat food--it puts me into a kind of carbohydrate coma. Those carbs generally come with fat attached. Perfect recipe for slowly but surely putting on the weight. So many factors in eating disorders. It's such a complex disease. Relatives can help or they can hinder. Ideally, we shouldn't need the cooperation of our relatives. We're asking them to be codependent. But we also need to take care of ourselves. There are people who would deliberately sabotage those they profess to love. There are those relatives with the same addiction who have a vested interest in keeping you the same and not letting you change. There are those who don't know addiction at all and urge you to eat--they made it special just for you, it doesn't hurt to have a little once in a while, etc. There are also those who would never humble themselves and give up their right to eat what they want when they want it and might actually insist that buy those things yourself and keep them in the house for them. With these people you need to have heavy-duty boundaries and perhaps actually keep them at a safe distance or even totally out of your life. I'm blessed that my husband is supportive. I'm blessed that he reads my blog because he wants to know me better and understand what I'm going through. He's a little angry at having to change his lifestyle to accommodate my disease and he's entitled to be. But we talk about it. We're no longer ignoring the elephant (my eating disorder not me) in the room. I may get to the point where he can go back to eating snacks in front of me and keeping my favorites in the house, but not right now. Not with the reduced restriction I'm experiencing while waiting for my first fill. Once again, weight loss surgery is a tool, not a solution. If I don't take care of myself in my relationships, it won't be as helpful.

Well its fudge cake day today, so far I am surviving it, but there are only so many cups of coffee I can drink, especially since everyone else is saying "Well a little bit won't hurt". But everyone here know's just how much alittle bit can and will hurt:frown: The other thing is I normally go to the gym in the mornings and hadn't really noticed how I get into a routine and now that I am not there it is really bugging me. Took me longer to get ready today as well because I couldn't just chuck on the gym gear actually had to make a bit of an effort. Maybe I should take some of the cake to the gym and hang it in front of me like they do in the cartoons.:thumbup: I feel now after nine weeks I;m really beginning to get a grip on the food I can and can't eat and if in doubt vow to try it out in the privacy of my own home not in the middle of a packed out restuarant, as this can lead to a hasty exit to the ladies room.:eek: I'm wondering about alcohol these day's and do you end up drunk quicker? Because generally if I drink I eat lots and it's a good night out because it used to happen so rarely. But now because now there is no food too soak it up I think I will end up on my ear a lot quicker than ususal, so this is something I am going to have to watch out for . Cheers Chooky

When I mentioned what my nutritionist said, I did not mean to upset anyone. I, personally, found it interesting and helpful. Alcohol addiction is very strong in my family and though I have done well so far in life with not having any issues, I appreciated any possible red flag, just in case. IF, by any chance (or any %), my risk increases after this surgery I appreciated the information. And that was my only intent in posting, to be helpful. Thank-you to those who posted the links. I found them to be good reads. I am on here to give/receive support and I am truly sorry if I upset anyone. I had only the best of intentions.

Here's a question for some long time sleevers and people who've achieved their goal. How did you deal with refocusing the energy that you used to put into food and eating into something else ? I'm keenly aware that some surgical weight loss patients become addicted to other things, like alcohol or sex, once the compulsion to overeat has been taken away from them. I worry about transferring my food addiction into something else that's unproductive. I like to say that I'll put it into exercise or hiking or something good for me, but I'm dubious long-term. How did you readjust that energy into something else?

I had mine yesterday. I went in and talked with the Dr. first. He was very impressed with himself and his knowledge and spent 55 minutes out of an hour talking about how great he was. When I left, I was a little dissappointed because I felt I knew more about him than he did me. Then I had to sit in a room and answer questions about my personality as to if they were very true, somewhat true, mainly true, or false. The Dr. said It's not really a pass or fail thing as long as you are not addicted to drugs or alcohol or they see something outrageously odd in your personality profile.Hope that helps some.

After yesterday, I'm definetly adding Ice Cream to my 'I will never eat again' list..This is along with chocolate and alcohol - which I stopped drinking about two years ago (being a diabetic, it just wasn't worth the suffering for me). I know, also being a diabetic, chocolate shouldn't have been in my 'diet' anyway.. nor ice cream for that matter, but yesterday I gave in and after not being able to down the turkey, I wanted to feel part of the meal and went for the ice cream... this morning I realised my error.. its just way too much of a slide food - should come with DANGER on the side for us sleevers.. Has anyone else made any major life decisions this Easter?

I was told no alcohol for 6 months

Yes its real, and its not from starvation. I just make healthy food choices, follow the rules, and exercise every day or every other. I run constantly. No alcohol, nothing but water. My Dr. was floored by my success and has asked me to be in her advertisements for the band. In fact they are trying to set that up after I reach my goal. I feel great, have abs and my legs are ripped up, I am happy with my decision.

From what I understand, the problem is not just the alcohol, it's the carbonation too. It would probably not be as enjoyable as you might imagine. Get a tropical non-alcoholic fruity drink!

Monday, July 6, 2009 Eating Disorders Eating disorders. Did you know that compulsive overeating is considered part of the spectrum of eating disorders? You think of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa as eating disorders but compulsive overeating, sometimes followed by dieting, is part of the whole binge/purge syndrome. Did you know that the average girl now starts dieting at age 8? Did you know that those who very rigidly follow the healthiest diet they can find, eliminating all fat and chemicals and whatever else they are convinced is unhealthy end up with life-threatening symptoms from not getting enough nutrition? That this newly recognized disorder has been given its own name--Orthorexia? I've seen a lot of that in some of the OA meetings I've attended. Here is a website if you want more information: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ Here's part of their advice for preventing eating disorders: Listen to your body. Eat what you want, when you are truly hungry. Stop when you're full. And eat exactly what appeals to you. Do this instead of any diet, and you are unlikely to ever have a weight problem, let alone an eating disorder. Eat when you are truly hungry. Stop when you are full. I remember thinking I should be thinner as a teenager. It was easy to lose the weight. I was still able to eat a lot because I was very active. I still ate what I liked, which wasn't neccessarily good for me, I just ate less of it. I ate enough good stuff to still be very healthy. I got married at 19 and started gaining, but not much. Then I finished college while pregnant and each succeeding pregnancy brought bigger babies and more weight. Each time I dieted afterward. This was the start. And it just ballooned. Gain, lose, gain even more. Now my goal weight is a weight that I once thought was fat. How much of my eating disorder got started because of wanting to be pefect, physically? How much was genetic predisposition? How much was emotional issues related to living with undiagnosed, unrecognized ADHD? How much was co-dependancy issues from negating self and doing for everyone else? How much was a spiritual issue of not allowing myself to be fully loved by God? Don't know. Doesn't matter. I have an eating disorder. I am a compulsive over-eater. I am a food addict. I need to work on the physical side of the addiction hence the lap band surgery, following the food protocol and let's not forget to mention excercise. The psychological issues are things that I've been working on for a long time, learning to love myself the way I am including my ADHD for which I'd been shamed and shamed myself, and which always made me feel like a square peg in a round hole. And then there's my co-dependancy issues (think care-taking without taking care of self) which most Christian girls are well-trained in, and which having been married to an alcoholic were especially brought out in me. There are the social issues that impact body image--I held off on this surgery to make sure I wasn't doing it to look good (though there's nothing wrong with that), but because I genuinely craved better health. And there are the spiritual issues. I think contentment, mindfulness, gratitude, acceptance, and serenity are big spiritual issues. I have to learn to be content whether in want (need) or in plenty. No matter what the circumstance. And I can only be content in all circumstances through Christ who strengthens me. This blog is getting long. I'm not done exploring these topics, not by a long shot. But now I need to take care of myself and go to bed.

This past Monday I went in for my much anticipated visit with the doctor and nutrionist. It was my first time back in over a month and I was excited, curious and nervous all at the same time. I was excited because I knew this was another step closer to where I eventually want to be, curious about my test results and nervous about getting on the scale because I knew I had gained weight. Well, my appt definitely took me closer because by the time I left I had my psych appt scheduled (8/20), my appt following the sleep study moved up 2 weeks and in between appts to return to the doctor. More or less I have an appt every week between now and the end of Sept and if everything goes well, I may be looking at an Oct date. My test results came back well. I was told that my ultrasound and upper GI was normal and my blood tests were excellent. My blood clot scare last year had me wondering about how my tests would come out since this is always a worry for me now, but it gave me a chance to dicuss this further and I will see the doctor that will insert the filter to avoid clots prior to surgery on my next appt at the hospital. My fear about the weight gain rang true. I knew it from the way I was feeling. My back has been aching and I feel sluggish. My back aches at a 5 lb weight gain, so I knew I had at least gained that..but I was shocked to learn it was in fact 11 lbs. :wink: I was told it was probably fluid. Yeah..Grey Goose I explained. The numerous happy hours my co workers and I had attended since my last visit had caught up with me. The nutrionist and doctor both encouragingly told me not to worried since "thats what I am there for". I later had to laugh since it was the first time I wasn't scolded by a health care professional for gaining weight. The surgeon on the other hand, came to see me with a couple of students, wasnt as dismissive reminding me of the high calorie content of alcohol and how important calories will be when I get lap band since my body will not reject the sugar automatically like gastric. I knew he was right and could only sit there like a scolded kid nodding in agreement. I needed that kick in the ass. It brought the importance of this surgery and saving my life back to the forefront of my mind. I had lost focus having so much time in between appointments and simply slipped back into bad habits. I had to get back on the horse. As I explained to the nutrionist, I KNOW what to do, its DOING it. I am a professional dieter. I know it all..I have read it all. I am just a very unsuccessful dieter. She listened but I could see she wasnt buying it, she gave me my food journal for the week and told me to fax it on Friday. She told me her appt is last and usually a couple of weeks before my date to avoid wasting money if not approved. She said she had flexible hours so I said, cool lets meet for drinks. I quickly followed with..IM JOKING! and she actually laughed, then added, sure we will meet for breakfast and have carnation instant breakfast drinks! She was so quick I had to join her in laughing. :eek: She later repeated it to the surgeon who also got a laugh. Putting that imprint on her mind, also puts her in the forefront of mine. I know I have to make more of an effort to do the right thing because it is truly now or never.

Here are some articles that support why the NUT was trying to caution their WLS patient about the issue of addiction transference. http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120611/10250/gastric-bypass-addiction-transfer.htm http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/features/11622-weight-loss-surgery-and-the-new-addiction-part-1-of-2 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/54-feature/11725-weight-loss-surgery-and-the-new-addiction-part-2-of-2 http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/after-weight-loss-surgery-some-find-new-addictions-442508/ http://calorielab.com/news/2006/07/18/bariatric-surgery-trades-obesity-for-alcoholism/ Interesting that they are mention this. If we look harder we will see that. And I read "Bariatric Times" and this was covered there as well. I can't figure out how to link it because I subscribe to it as an app on my iPad.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 Dealing with Snack Foods Snack Foods. The perfect food for ADHD people. Grab and go. Don't have to cook, put together ingredients, shop for those ingredients, remember which ingredients to shop for. They're full of all the taste and flavor (mostly artificial) ADHD people crave. They provide the stimulation we seek when the TV shows don't cut it all by themselves (most don't). They also provide the majority of the salt, sugar, and fat that shoot up our blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Just thought of something slightly amusing--or maybe alarming. My name starts with ch and so do many of my favorite snacks: cheetos, chocolate, chips (taco, potato, pita). It is so much easier for me not to eat them now that they're not in my house and my husband's not eating them in front of me. He might have a secret stash hidden somewhere but I never see it and he never eats it in front of me. America's food industry, like the tobacco and alcohol industries, has a lot to answer for. All of them know they're dealing with addictive substances and do their best to make them even more addictive with chemically designed addictive additives in addition to those old standbyes--salt, carbs and fat. Oh, and let's not forget chocolate and caffeine being increased and put in all kinds of new products. Many are designed to appeal to children and teenagers. Did you know a lot of teenagers are now having lapbands? The obesity epidemic is out of control among our young people. I see the food parents put in their kids lunches or that kids pack for themselves. Some start hauling snacks out of their lunch bags and backpacks as soon as they arrive at school. Those with healthy snacks trade with those with all the unhealthy snacks. Schools are eliminating snacks from their cafeterias and vending machines, but the kids just carry them with them. I don't have an answer for this dilemma. I am nutritionally quite well-educated. Didn't stop me from eating snacks. The best advice I get on the topic is don't expose yourself to the snacks. Keep them out of the house. Ask people not to eat them in front of you. In situations where exposure is unavoidable, it might be better to eat just a little bit of those things that most appeal to you than to ruin your good time spending all your effort not eating those things. Fortunately, I've got the lapband to let me know when I've had enough. Especially if I start with higher protein items the band will help me limit the snacks. The key will be to get right back on the food protocol once the party's over. Right now, I don't have a lot of restriction and have slowed way down on weight loss. I have a family reunion this weekend. All my siblings and some nieces and nephews and their children (along with my own children and grandchildren) will be together. Food will be a big part of the reunion. So, for three days before the reunion I'm eating protein almost exclusively, a protein shake for breakfast, meat for lunch, and meat and a veggie for supper, with milk in my iced latte in-between meals. I noticed yesteday already that when I just eat meat without a lot of moistening agents, I can still feel some restriction in my band. I already lost 2 lbs. That puts me at 30 lbs total weight loss. When the weekend is over, I'll probably go back on high protein until I get my first fill on August 11. I'll probably be back on a liquid protein diet for a few days after that, so my stomach can heal. That should jumpstart the weight loss again. I hope the Dr. puts in enough fill to give me restriction. Otherwise I'll go back 2 or 3 weeks after to get another one. I have few clothes that fit me. I'm going through my closets trying to decide what's worth taking in, which of my "skinny" fat clothes fit me now, and what to give to Goodwill. I've started going to thrift stores, since I will not be at this weight for very long and don't want to spend money on clothes. I can't buy ahead because I don't know how fast the weight will come off. But these are good problems to have. I've dropped one cholesterol med and one blood pressure med. I'm seeing if I can do without my stomach med since I ran out of it and won't be seeing my regular doc for 2 more weeks. I get to see my relatives this weekend and I'm not going to worry about food! God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

It's sort of like I took the fabric and pattern instructions given to me, and then tailored them to fit myself. I have done things my own way, with success, but have followed the basic guidelines. The first couple of months out I was far more militant about adhering to the "rules" while I was healing. After that I would give myself more liberties, but within reason. I had alcohol for the first time four months post-op, at a Christmas event. It wasn't painful, but my tolerance was definitely much lower. I've only had a few sips of wine ever since. One of the reasons I avoid alcohol is because it's liquid calories that offer little in the form of nutrition. I also only have Coke, frappes, and other calorie-laden drinks on very rare occasion. It's easy to consume more than intended, and sabotage yourself.

Yes, you can have alcohol on occasion. I find it does interfere with weightloss though. I am so happy to have my band. I have tried and failed at losing weight more times then I can count. The band has made losing easier because I don't feel like I'm starving.

Im back in the damn hospital really hoped that this would happen. Woke up and had dark tarry stool. Right away I knew this wasnt right by anymeans. My regular doctor didn't think much so I went to my bariatric center and the admitted me to te hospital right away. Turns out I have a big ulcer which I can't figure out from what because I don't use alcohol or smoke or take medications. So now I'm back and dehydrated because my nurse unplugged my IV machine and never started me back up.. So I have had half a bag of fluid all day and alls she said was ops in sorry I just got busy! Now I'm dealing with all sorts of xrap and they took away most liquids for me! I can only have broth lame!!! Oh and they started me on an anxiety medication because all the blood work and needle poking they were doing to me made me feel like I was having a nervous break down and I couldn't stop crying!

Hey guys, Atkins is still giving away their Quick Start Kit, which includes 3 Atkins bars - completely free. I did an Unboxing and review video of the contents, it's posted below. The link to the Atkins free offer is below the video. http://goo.gl/1mAv8A - This is the link I promised to the sign up page for the free Atkins Quick Start Kit. There's no catch, they need your email and shipping address, they even pay shipping and handling. The kit included 3 different Atkins bars - one small, one medium, and full size meal replacement bar. All 3 were delicious, it was hard not to eat all three of them. Just a word of caution, the bars are sweetened with sugar alcohols, so those of you that can't tolerate sugar alcohols might not want to eat the bars. The kit also includes some literature: 2 coupons for $1 discounts on Atkins bars, snacks, and meals. An Atkins approved food booklet and the Atkins Quick Start guide that explains the Atkins diet and the phases. As well, there are links to the Atkins support community and where you can download the Atkins app. The Atkins app will help you: *search for nutritional info, *keep track of your carb intake, your weight and how close you are to reaching your goal, *provides a daily meal plan or help you design your own, *has a database of the foods considered acceptable for each phase, *and has a restaurant guide to help you make Atkins friendly food choices when dining out.