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Hi I was sleeved on 9-26-12 all was fine until about 10 days post op.. Suffered from dehydration... While in hospital was told I have gastritis and gerd... Anyone had any complications? How do you deal with so much acid? Janie (sent from my iPhone using VST)

Has anyone out there suffered complications after their sleeve. I developed really sharp pains in my left flank 6 weeks after surgery and tests discovered I had a collection of fluid between my pancreas and stomach. They still don't know if it was a leak or a bleed. but inserted a drain which was removed 3 weeks later. Am terrified now as docs said there's a chance it could re-accumulate. Ha anyone out there been through anything similar?

As you know with any WLS, being able to support your body, and the developing baby is essential with a nutrient dense, balanced diet. Since you BMI is lower, you don't have to go super low calorie/low carb to lose your excess weight. BUT, there is no way I would have been able to consume enough calories that early out without having to rely on Meal Replacement drinks. My capacity was super limited the first 6 months post-VSG, and by limited means no more than 2-4oz of food per meal. If the food was extremely mushy/liquidy consistency (like chili, or yogurt I could get in about 6oz). I still have to stretch my meals further out, and eat some sliders with my Protein to ensure I eat enough per meal. I maxed out at about 3oz of dense protein, and relied on a lot of mushy food just to hit protein goals early out. The caloric recommendation for me currently in pregnancy is 1700-1800 calories a day. At 22 months, I don't have any issues getting in those calories, but I do have to drink 100% juice to get in extra fluids/calories and some good ole beta carotene. The baby will take from your body what it needs to thrive and grow. Our body is what suffer through pregnancy, along with vitamin/nutrient deficiencies that can affect the developing fetus. Don't blame yourself for the band complications. My band only lasted 8 months, and I worked the hell out of the band. I did have major complications during my revision (including a leak) because of the damage the band had done to my stomach. But, I survived, and here I am 22 months out and 10.5 weeks pregnant. Just make sure you go to an experienced revision surgeon, be diligent with your intake, and Vitamins. I was released at 8 months post-VSG to TTC for several reasons. I was below goal, my labs had been stellar, and my husband's deployment ops tempo is high, and we were fearing a deployment. It took over 12 months to get pregnant with charting, temping, ovulation monitor etc etc. It was an emotionally, mental, and physically draining process that took a heavy toll on me. Now in pregnancy, I'm dealing with fear of regain, body shape changes, and just the normal "pregnancy stuff". No amount of people telling me "oh it's just baby weight" "oh it's for the baby" "oh, you'll lose the weight" will take away the mind games that are going on right now. After going from a size 22/24W to a size 2, I don't care what anyone says, not being able to fit into my jeans that I've comfortably worn for a year, and watch my body changing dramatically through the pregnancy is very difficult mentally. I thought I was prepared for it, and I am overjoyed to be pregnant. I have zero regrets, and I do know that being pregnant is a fabulous, joyous occasion, but I refuse to deny the way I feel right now. Maybe it'll change in the near future. I'm embracing the changes, staying focused on my health, and making sure I am providing the very best little environment for the baby. I just thought I would share my thoughts, and experience thus far. Best wishes with your consult, and future revision. Getting rid of the band was the best thing I ever did for myself, and my future health.

Red flag? not at all. LIMARP where I'm going--in 2012 had a 0% major complication rate due to the very strict pre and post of guides. Am I paying a lot more then most? Yes I am, but I want the best good luck and like Amanda said research, research research!!

Had my pre-op Dr visit & blood work on Fri. for surgery on Jan 14th. Feel better about decision after talking to Dr Chae. Because it has to be open incision (could take 2-3 hours because they may have a lot of adhesions to deal with) and I'll be in hospital for 5-8 days. That was kind of a shock! Guess my biggest concerns are post-op complications. My nutritionist says not to do "The last meal of my life" thing but I'm kind of doing that. Going to try and be better on diet & exercise this last week. Wish me luck.

So i guess we are the Smashing Pumpkins! I like that as do many of you! SO....Welcome Smashing pumpkins! We are a group that is determined to smash the pumpkins that we hold in ourselves in all shapes and sizes. We will become the oriental pumpkins soon enough!!! I can't wait to have mine done! I am reading a lot of things on here that are making me second guess...such as a flipping of ports or other complications. Are they really that common?

Hi!! I’m 29 and I’ve been dealing with my weight for the past 2-3 years (depression included). My BMI is 29.9 and my weight is 181 pounds, but my normal weight all my life had been 125 pounds. I’ve tried SO hard to get back in shape and it has not been posible. It really sucks for me to look in the mirror and see such a different person (it doesn’t help that people with unsolicited opinions tell me that me knees hurt because I’m fat, or the neighbor asking me “have you always been this big? or my mom “you don’t Try hard enough””....Anyways. My weight got to affect my mental health in the past year and I’m tired of hiding at home, crying, hating the mirror, hating the closet and the breakdowns in the morning because nothing fits, not seeing my family, friends and nobody in general. My husband suffers from seeing me suffer. He doesn’t even care if I lose weight or not. He only wants me to be happy again and smile like I used to when we met. This is so hard for me and can’t even begin to describe it. It’s been a never ending battle and I want to live again. Anyways (sorry for the long story, I think it’s the first time I write down how I feel about this), After long investigation I decided the gastric sleeve was the solution for me (the doctor is great and has performed 8.000 of these surgeries) and the surgery is goi to be on February 24th. but I am extremely scared of the surgery and scared of any type of complication during or after the surgery. I know the risks are less than 1% but I still panic thinking about it and everyday I wonder if I should cancel the surgery or go ahead. Also I’m scared the surgery won’t work because of my “low” BMI. I want to lose 55 pounds so I can reach my final goal of 125 pounds, but I’ve heard that people with higher BMIs lose a lot more. Haven’t really found or heard much testimonials of people with low BMI and their weight loss journey. If anybody went through this or can help me in some way it’s very much appreciated. thanks!!!

This is very strange for me because I've been cruising along with my lap-band for 2 years now with zero complications. Now, all of a sudden, in the past 4 weeks or so, I've developed weird, nauseated like symptoms. I actually thought I might be pregnant, because it feels like morning sickness ... sporadic waves of nausea throughout the day. It doesn't matter if I eat or don't eat. And, no, I'm not pregnant. I've looked at the symptoms for band slippage and they don't seem to be me: I don't have reflux OR vomiting. Just weird waves of nausea. My weight loss has slowed ... but a lot of that is me ... I haven't been exercsing as much as I used to and I don't have very much left to lose. I actually felt mauseated like this before I had my band, but after I had my gall bladder removed. But, I hadn't felt like this in years. I'm bummed. I want to feel better. :smile2: Thoughts?

I never thought I would find that question so offensive. I am guilty of asking such a question when I was younger to my own Sister. I do believe people have no malicious intent when they ask such a question but yet it can come off so offensive. My Wife and I have tried for three years to get pregnant with no luck. We both went through extensive testing and seen numerous specialists. It was determined I was the problem. I was not producing viable sperm. I under went Surgery last February to determine if I had a blockage and to see if they could extract viable samples to be used in conjunction with IVF. They got a little and we had it frozen until such a time we could move forward with the IVF. We were warned by both my Doctor and My Wife's that we should be prepared for back up options such as a donor as they had little to work with. My wife and I decided donor was not something we wanted. If we could not have them biologically then maybe we would consider possible adoption down the road. My surgery was in February of 2012 and the IVF cycle was in May. Even though we were told the odds were not favorable but yet possible we had very high hopes and less than 24 hours later after the IVF cycle our world came crashing to a halt as we were notified it didn't work. We both cried for two days and I personally took it harder than I expected I ever would. I guess part of it is because even though I did nothing wrong I felt like I failed us both. Now 8 months later we talk about it less but the memories are fresh. I still blame myself and haven't really moved on. This past weekend we were visiting my Wife's cousin who has 16 month old twins who we simply adore and love to spend time with. My Wife posted the below picture on facebook which lead to a lot of "When are you going to have babies of your own?" Naturally, it is our own fault for posting the picture but I cannot help but be annoyed. One of the people who asked is an Aunt who does not have kids herself due to medical complications. One would think she would've been more tactful. Next time you consider asking someone when they are going to have kids take a moment to consider that there maybe more to the story and that it could be a sensitive subject!! I guess this is my payback for asking my Sister and Brother in law many years ago. I am however a proud Uncle of a 22 and 15 year old!

Also, I am very recently an ex-smoker of 20 yrs (two weeks), which I understand can create MAJOR complications with the GBP surgery. I think that was one of our reasons for leaning toward the vsg.

So I have had my band in since 2011, about 6 years. Nothing is wrong with it, I had an upper GI and all was fine. I have gained all but about 20 lbs of the weight back, and I never lost as much as I wanted to from the beginning. My doctor won't give me a fill as food gets stuck all the time and he says my band is at the correct restriction. He wants to do a revision to a sleeve, but I am worried about the long term complications of having over half of my stomach cut out. I haven't heard of anyone with the sleeve for 20-30-40 years or even longer. I am 37 so I would have to live with this for a long time. I made the wrong decision before and I don't want to make it again and end up on the operating table again in 5 years. Anyone out there who has had the sleeve for a long time, or anyone who had a band to sleeve revision longer than just a few months ago?

Well I looked him up on Healthgrades. It shows his education, experience, and awards and recognitions, papers he has written. And on my first appointment I asked about his statistics. How many he surgeries has he done, how often are there complications from his surgeries, etc. I hope this answer is helpful. I also found some podcasts that he had been on and listened to him talk (to other medical professionals) about his work, and that was also very telling for me about his competency. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I knew I had gallstones over a year ago, after a bad attack. My doc wouldn't do both at the same time. Their RNY success and lack of complications hinges on spending as little time as possible under anethesia - they said complications rise dramatically combining procedures and being under longer. My RNY was six months ago, my gallbladder comes out in two weeks. At least my deductible is already paid. And surgery should be easier because I weigh SO MUCH less now! :-)

tl;dr: Is it crazy for me to go into my self-pay vsg without supplemental insurance? Several months ago I found out that my insurance doesn't cover WLS period, no matter how necessary it is. No problem, I decided to self pay, saved my money, etc etc. One of the costs the doctor's office listed was supplemental insurance to cover any complications. I went to my pre-op on Thursday and found out the office does not have a supplemental insurance agreement. I'm pretty shocked. As of yesterday they still don't have one. My surgery is at 9:45 am on Monday. When I talked to the surgical coordinator on the phone, she said that they had stopped requiring supplemental insurance for self pay patients because (1) it was so expensive and (2) they never had to use it. I really don't want to postpone the surgery--I'm mentally and emotionally prepared, been on this liquid diet for 2 weeks and really don't want to do that for any longer than necessary, and I've rearranged schedules (both of myself and others) to accommodate this surgery. But is it foolish to go into surgery without supplemental insurance? What did you other self-payers do? If this info helps at all, I'm 29 years old, 41 bmi, slightly high blood pressure and cholesterol, but generally "healthy" (besides the weight of course, haha). I've been under anesthesia before and never had a negative experience.

Well, this is my first blog post. I have been visiting this site for the past 2 months studying and researching the Lapband procedure. I am a Christian who knows the healing power of God. I went through a divorce 7 years ago after a 10 year marriage. The main reason for the divorce was my husband's infidelity. However, through the recovery process, I accepted my part in the whole thing. This was mainly co-dependency and putting my husband before my relationship with God. Through Celebrate Recovery, my church and family I have recovered from my divorce by giving God control of my life. I was able to forgive everyone who hurt me, and I have remarried to a wonderful godly man. We adopted our daughter after her family fell apart. She is about to turn 14. However, the one area that I have not been successful giving to God is my issues with food. I have been overweight all of my life. I started dieting in high school and lost a significant amount of weight with diet pills. I was still bigger than my friends, but I would love to be that size today. My weight fluctuated within about 50 pounds until my marriage got really bad. At that time, I see now, that food became my friend. I was lonely and often uncomfortable in my own home. Food became my escape. Now I am about 100 pounds overweight. I am 39, and my health is beginning to suffer because of the excess weight. My Mom has type 2 diabetes and multiple other problems and complications mainly caused from an unhealthy lifestyle. Right now my only problems are PCOS, infertility, and painful knees and feet. I have to make changes now to avoid my Mom's fate. About 3 years ago, I began praying about having lapband surgery. I was in a different place in my life wanting different things. At that time I was desperate, but not really ready to make the necessary lifestyle changes to be successful. I didn't know this at the time, but God did. He did answer my prayer then - with a "No." I then signed up for Weight Watchers again. I was determined to do it. I spent 2 years on the program and only lost about 18 pounds. At least I did not gain over that time. During that time, I did learn that my relationship with food was a problem. I would stick to the plan for a period of time. Then I would have a bad day, special occasion, etc. and lose control. On those days, I never really got full. I undid all the good I did in a few weeks in one day. I prayed for help and started each day fresh, vowing to do better. When I did have these weak moments, I usually didn't realize it in time to ask God for help. I had usually done the damage before I realized it. In October, I attended my 20 year class reunion. I found out that one of my good friends from hgih school had lapband surgery. This really got me to thinking about it, but I still wasn't sure it was right for me. In February, I began praying for God to show me if I should have this surgery. There was a seminar on my anniversary at the end of the month, and I planned to attend unless I felt God telling me "no" again, which I fully expected. Surprisingly, it seems like God has opened up doors since then. I went to the seminar at the end of February and had my first consultation with the surgeon that day. I began the process of seeing my primary care physician, nutritionist, psychologist, etc. All of the paperwork was submitted to the insurance company on April 21. I have talked to the insurance company who said that I have met all the requirements and my letter was in the mail. I hope that means that they will be paying for the surgery. I think I will be responsible for about $1,300, but I have saved that much in preparation for the surgery. I have an appointment with my surgeon on Monday to hopefully to set my date. My big concern now is will I be able to make the necessary diet and exercise changes permanently. I hope that the band will be my backup system. By that I mean, when I get into the situations I described above where I tend to overeat, that the band will be my constant reminder. I have been trying to prepare myself emotionally to let go of food as my friend and escape. I am trying to learn to bring my emotional issues to God (and maybe I can vent them here also) so that I won't need food to comfort me. I so want food to be only nutrition to me. I understand that (at least for me) I have to completely change the way I think about food. I hope the band is the tool that I need to make that change. However, there is also a fear inside of me that says, "I haven't been able to make changes before, can I really do it now?" I guess that is enough about me for now, but I will be back. I have never been one to keep a journal for very long, but I feel like I need to log this journey to be successful. I think it will help hold me accountable.

Surgery went smoothly. No complications. I have a little pain, nothing too bad. Nausea was my biggest worry since I am allergic to Zofran. I have walked twice, peed twice and generally just hung out. Tolerating ice chips today.

I have had my mind made up for months, on which surgery I want to have. But last week I met with the surgeon, and he suggested the sleeve. Ultimately it is my decision. He just said the sleeve is just as effective as the bypass, but without all the complications. I just want to have the surgery that will be the best tool, long term. I am 25 years old, and I don't ever want to be at this weight again. Height of 5'2 Weight 312 BMI 54-55 Please offer any advice you have! Surgery date is scheduled for February 25th! Thanks!

Looking forward to what you find out. I know more people are going that route. I'm interested in seeing loss-rate and complication ratios when compared to the Sleeve and RYN. I have a lot of people asking me about my weight loss and surgery - it would be nice to tell them of other options that they can investigate. Best of luck!

I had tummy tuck 7 years ago it is a painful recovery... But completely worth it! I had no complication and I now show my tummy like a teenager and I love it!!!! I had Lapband years ago and loved it until December 2014 I started with reflux and I will be converting to sleeve may 5th I'm scared of going to surgery again but for me it has all been worth it!

@@CowgirlJane "I think what I am starting to wonder, as time goes on, if I really want a deep relationship for the next phase of life. Like- is it really worth it. And....I don't have a harem dammit. (I don't really want a harem*, all too complicated for me, but I couldn't let that remark pass)" Can't speak for everyone, but I do not want to live celibate and lonely... women have a much greater social network of support that guys just don't have. Yes dating has been work, but looking at it now, it was also been an opportunity for growth, healing and clarity. For instance I didn't have mental health on my list of things I thought was important until I found a very nice person who I discovered had some very latent mental health issues that needed to be dealt with so we discussed, mutually saw the need that we needed to stop seeing each other. But it was all for good in the long road. And despite all the ups and downs, it was fun, because I chose to make it so. Even the crap is funny now. *No woman does, that's why only guys have them. Think about who has the power at bar on Saturday night and you realize why.

I had surgery September 26, 2012 and have lost 75 lbs so far. I had no problems but I know it is possible to have complications. I had a little bit of breathing problems right out of surgery but only until the anesthesia wore off. They kept telling me to breath and the machine went off and eventually they gave me oxygen. It probably wasn't long that they waited, it's hard to judge time when you're under anesthesia. After that it was smooth sailing.

I think that's how we all feel when we have no other option, but now I can say, it was the best decision I ever made, I used Dr. Jesus Lopez with bariatricpal and I cant's say nothing bad about them, he is a very knowledgeable doctor, he has all his credential, I had a Skype consultation with him prior to my surgery, I also had an internist going over my medical history, a nutritionist calling me to explain everything that was going to happen to me, what I was going to eat, my pre op diet, she asked what kind of food I was use to eat, so she gave me great Ideas and recipes for my post op, Dr. Lopez answered every question I had, I still have follow up with my nutritionist, my results are just great, had no complications, I hardly had pain, they keep your two days at the hospital for the leak test and two additional nights at their recovery house, they won't let you go if they don't see you ready for your trip back home, they took really good care of me, I had my guy Johnny taking us to eat, walk, and one thing TIJUANA IT'S NOT DANGEROUS AT ALL, their recovery house is in a really nice area, you have a supermarket pretty close, Johnny came along with us everywhere with my brother and I, we had to pay our trips on taxi, our food, of course, but anything else, was included... I had the best experience, I swear, you should give the a try... you won't regret it, actually, they work with other 2 great surgeon, I was between Lopez and Altamirano, but since I contacted Lopez first and he was really nice, I chose him, but the other guys it's also very good, I've read reviews about them.. and I only hear good things... do your homework and listen to your guts, choose whoever makes you feel comfortable, you must trust your doctor.

I spent about 3 days immersed in reading info online, emailing coordinators and clinics for info, and reading about experiences on this website. At first, I was sure I was going to do the lapband, primarily because it was reversible. I think that would have been a huge mistake based on what I have read about complications and revisions. I happened to meet a gal thru work who had surgery in Mexico a year ago so was able to talk to her face to face. As you research, you will find that many clinics have several coordinators working for them. Think of it as a salesperson representing the service. As I found out while in Mexico for surgery, these coordinators are not all equal and I was very fortunate to have hired a good one. I don't think I am allowed to post her info but can send you a personal message. She is usually present for her clients' surgery and recovery. Others are not. I am usually very frugal but I told myself this wasn't the time to pick the cheapest option out there. I based my decision on the coordinator who communicated with me the quickest with the least amount of pressure. I also based my choice on airfare. It seemed a couple of clinics were receiving equally positive reviews and were similiarly priced, so I calculated airfare in as well. For me it was less expensive to fly to San Diego and go to Tijuana, and I have been to Tijuana so was familiar with the area. I was also able to book a Southwest flight which is a huge advantage. They are one of the few airlines who allow you to change or cancel your flights without penalty. The unused funds are available for another flight within one year or you can rebook immediately at the going rate but without a penalty. My concern was if I wanted or needed to extend my return flight home. I did change my flight, but flew home earlier in the day! I was very happy with my surgery experience in Tijuana and would go back for other procedures if necessary or elective.

We have developed abnormal relationships with food. We eat to cope. We eat when we're bored, happy, sad. Food can be a lover, a friend. The biggest problem with this is that food works really well and really quickly in these situations and we gain weight. If we only ate when we were truly hungry we'd all be thin. We also train ourselves like dogs to be hungry all the time. This is not true hunger. This is phantom hunger. If we eat in the mini-van, in front of the computer or in our chair in front of the TV, what this does is that every time we are in the mini-van, in front of the computer or in our chair in front of the TV, we are HUNGRY. This is not true hunger. This is phantom hunger and we've gotten really good at it. A major help is to only eat at the table so that it is the only thing associated with food. If you go up to a dog and say, "wanna treat?" they will go absolutely bizerk because they associate this with food coming in. There are many terms for phantom hunger - emotional eating, mindless eating, non-hunger eating, etc. This is the hardest thing to solve. The keys are to recognize our triggers and to identify sources of deep-seated psychological pain and address them so the phantom hunger will go away. The best book I've seen on this is called "Shrink Yourself" by Dr. Gould. True hunger is a physiological NEED for food. It is patient. Any food will do. There is no associated guilt or shame. Phantom hunger is a DESIRE for food. It is impatient. There is a specific craving. ("If I don't get chocolate right now I will harm somebody" etc.) It is a reaction to a stimulus. It is associated with guilt or shame. The easy test to see if you suffer from phantom hunger is if you can't stop yourself. Phantom hunger is the most complicated aspect of weight gain and therefore the hardest part of successful weight loss. It comes from many different things in each one of us. We all have this. Skinny people have phantom hunger but they control it. A great example in Dr. Gould's book is an overweight woman whose life's dream was to get paid to sing. Unfortunately, in high school, a boyfriend made fun of her singing and this hurt her deeply emotionally. Every time this psychological pain came up, she ate. She struggled to lose weight. When Dr. Gould identified this and encouraged her to sing again, she finally agreed to sing at a friend's wedding and she received many positive accolades after. This led to a job as a music teacher in an elementary school - she was getting paid to sing. Guess what? She lost weight successfully. She solved the source of deep psychological pain and therefore eliminated the source of phantom hunger. Another example is women who were sexually abused as children. Food treats the pain and obesity is an outer protection against abuse. This is very difficult to deal with alone and typically requires the help of a professional to bring this to the surface, deal with it and treat the source of psychological pain and phantom hunger. You see similar situations in unhappy marriages and basically any source of real stress. The secret in all these things is to deal with the source of pain and also find non-food ways to cope with them. All this is easy to say. This is the most difficult aspect of weight loss. Finding a psychology professional that deals specifically with weight loss can be helpful to tipping the scale in your favor. An interesting test in Dr. Gould's book is to ask yourself who you are jealous of and why. He sees many patients who can't pinpoint their source of psychological pain so he asks them who they are jealous of. This is how he identified the source of pain in his singing patient when she told him she was jealous of a friend who was paid to sing. This is a tiny amount of information on a very complex topic. You can do the nutrition and fitness stuff perfectly and still not lose weight if there are issues in the brain stuff category. Ask yourself if you suffer from phantom hunger and if you have difficulty stopping yourself. Consider working with an expert or reading Dr. Gould's book. Positive self-talk is another important topic in this discipline and I go into detail on this and more on YouTube. Search Watkins Weight Loss Class. I hope this is helpful. Weight loss surgery makes all this stuff much easier but it is still important to be smart in the disciplines of Nutrition, Fitness and Brain Stuff. I wish you all the greatest success in your weight loss journey. Remember the importance of buying yourself a really nice present when you reach your goal. Brad Watkins MD

Can you feel the device once it's in? NO NOT AT ALL Any complications at all? NONE Ladies: Can you take birth control afterwards? YES I DO Sex: When can you start up again, and is it safe...? MY DOCTOR SAID WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT BUT NOT IN THE HOSPITAL!!! Did you experience a lot of vomiting? JUST ONCE WHEN I GOT A PIECE OF pizza STUCK Will you ever be able to eat food? YES YOU JUST HAVE TO EAT SMALL BITES AND CHEW AND CHEW AND CHEW Right after surgery, what did they give you for nourishment? I WAS ON LIQUIDS FOR 48 HOURS AND THEN 4 WEEKS OF MUSHIES, BUT EVERY DOCTOR IS DIFFERENT How much weight did you lose within the first month? I know it's slow and healthy weight loss, but do you feel like it goes quickly? I LOST ABOUT 9 LBS RIGHT AFTER SURGERY THEN 2 LBS A WEEK SO FAR Any change in emotions? THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS I JUST HAD SOME MINOR PAIN THAT THE MEDS HELPED WITH. I WALKED EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR ABOUT 20 - 30 MINUTES FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS SO I DID NOT HAVE GAS PROBLEMS A LIKE SOME PEOPLE DO. I WOULD WAKE UP AND THINK I MUST HAVE DREAMED THAT I HAD THE SURGERY AND HAD TO LOOK AT MY SCARS TO BE SURE. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE DONE FOR MYSELF. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOME EMOTIONAL THINGS IF YOU USE FOOD FOR COMFORT LIKE I DID. BUT IT IS WORTH GIVING UP ANY BITE FOOD FOR THE RESULTS YOU GET IN RETURN. Good luck to you! Hope you make the right choice for you.