Pre-OpLoser619

I lived on the Amy's Organic bean soups....lentil, black bean (with cheese, my fave) and refried Beans (fat free of course) with cheese too...now I know most will tell you to use low fat cheese, but I dont like when people mess with my cheese (luv cheese) so full fat for me....

Today I went through clothes way in the back of my closet that I haven't been able to wear in a long time. I felt like I was shopping from my own home. It was great to put on old favorites and have them fit! I went to dinner with my husband and felt pretty for the first time in a long time. I'm not near to the weight I want to be, but for now I'm going to enjoy the little victories! It's amazing how two less pant sizes will do for your self esteem.

"HetKF" posted this a while back, and I found it tonight.... Some great info here.
Also:
Looking for resources on food addiction. books, there are so many, which ones stand out?
I know this sleeve will only be a tool.
Never want to gain this weight back!
OA and Celebrate Recovery... Know they have helped many ppl. Others?
Thx
Living to Eat: Do You Have a Food Addiction?
By Meghan Vivo
Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night.
Jane is a food addict.
In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy Snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction.
What Is Food Addiction?
Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects.
Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better.
Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions.
Unlike drug and alcohol addiction, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit?
Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food.
In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive.
Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off.
Are You a Food Addict?
Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating.
If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions:
[*]Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?[*]Do you think about food or your weight constantly?[*]Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success?[*]Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging?[*]Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?[*]Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?[*]Do you eat large quantities of food at one time?[*]Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long?[*]Do you eat to escape from your feelings?[*]Do you eat when you're not hungry?[*]Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later?[*]Do you eat in secret?[*]Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?[*]Have you ever stolen other people's food?[*]Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?"[*]Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?[*]Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten?[*]Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?[*]Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?"[*]Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life.
Treating Food Addiction
Change is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time.
Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like Pasta Sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn Syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds.
Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings.
Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten.
Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating Cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it.
Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch.
Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink Water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips.
Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks.
Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat.

Its my husbands first day home and 3rd day post op he is very happy to be home, but I have noticed its a little harder to keep him drinking fluids at home. I have enlisted the help of our kids, every time they walk by dad they ask him if he has drank something. It seems to be helping we went for a slow walk around our neighborhood park and he did great, the more he walks the easier it is to pass his gas, which means less belly pain. He is having sugar free Jello 2oz every 15 min and will have some pain yogurt later today. He is trying to sleep but in a house with 3 kids, its a little hard. Hopefully this means he will sleep through the night. good luck to all the post ops and the future ops, your future is in your hands

Surgery went well, I was out of it all day the first day but I've been getting better, went home yesterday and have been trying to take it easy. That's a little tough with my little ones. Tolerating Clear Liquids just fine, even tried a little Protein Shake which I held down just fine.
Hope everyone is doing well

Being short of breath
Sweating…all of the time
Constantly self-conscious
Worrying about eating in front of others
Being squished in an airplane, Angel Game, Concerts, etc.
Worrying about fitting in rides at Disneyland
Obsessing about food
Physical pain; arms, shoulders, back, knees, etc.
Going to the restroom more easily
Wearing flats or ugly shoes because high heels are exhausting
Missing out on life
Comparing myself to every other woman
Feeling lazy or tired all of the time
Not being able to keep up
Shopping at fat-kid stores
Not fitting into CLOTHES!
Hating my reflection in the mirror when I am naked, I literally cringe and look away
Jiggly arms
My legs rubbing together, holy rash
Tugging at my clothes to hide the bells rolls
Laying on the bed to button pants and then being in pain all day from sucking it in
Bathing suits!
People thinking “she has a great personality”….there’s more under there!
Faking happiness
Getting my hair as big as possible to off-set my double chins
Not ever being in “the mood”
Being the fat kid in the family
Dreading people’s reaction when they are next to me on a plane
Knocking over things because my ass has a mind of its own
Long showers and needing a nap after them
Sitting on my husband’s lap
Not afraid to squish my husband
Getting my back fat played like a wash board
Children asking if I can even be tickled through all of that fat
Looking at the “skinny’ clothes in my closet….loathe
Having to return an outfit because the person thought I was a much smaller size
Knowing that stepping on the scale means I’ll be eating a **** ton of ice cream and in a deep depression that night
Pretending I know about nutrition when my doctors lecture
Thinking if I just lost the weight, I’d be able to tackle the world
Society assuming I am a lazy pig
Not chasing my dreams of performing because the anxiety of being on display is crippling
Being too big to zipline in Maui
Being too big to horseback ride in Maui
Being too out of breath to hike down to the blow hole
Wearing tights and just dying to rip them off at the end of the day
Never wearing shorts
Wearing dresses to hide my figure
Online dating and picture a great picture of my face, getting to the date only panicked because I know they will be disappointed with the rest of me
Having to buy a circus tent to use as a bra
My husband saying I have sleep apnea
Being the one who would rather take the picture then be in the picture
Breaking a glass table from sitting on it
Not wrapping my arms around my husband
Being able to balance, I swear my stomach throws me off balance
Shopping in the maternity section when your coworkers pregnant sister has the same dress
My cankles!
Wide shoes
Anything stretchy
Someone asking where I got that cute shirt and lying because I don’t want to tell them a fat kid store
BBW- I HATE the acronym for “big beautiful woman!”
Never cutting my hair so it can hide my face and back fat
Being the big bride
Not crossing my legs…..because I can’t
Sitting and using my belly as a table
Doing everything I can to avoid bending over because let’s face it, it’s freakin’ hard to get back up
Feeling miserably ill after eating too much
Realizing I am more likely to miscarry when pregnant
PCOS
Wanting a baby so badly, but worried about the high risk pregnancy
Stretch marks
Feeling my stomach sitting on my lap when I sit down (my fanny pack)
Ditching my high school reunion because I didn’t want to be the girl who gained 100 lbs. in 10 years
My boobs crowding my throat
My wedding ring never coming off because it keeps getting tighter
Not being able to see my feet
Not being able to give myself a pedicure without sweating and being short of breath!

What about adding some Protein Powder to your oatmeal to bring that up and counteract the carbs... Just a thought.

Went to the Dr. today - I have lost 20 pounds so far and dropped my BMI 5%. He says I am doing fantastic, my incisions are completely healed and I have permission to submerge! Here I come Beach, pool and rivers...it's just not a summer in Texas without floating down the river a few times!!
My concerns were this:
1.) I haven't lost any weight at ALL in 4 days. He says to put away my scale, I say no way! He said hide it, I said I am sorry, but no!
2.) My heart felt like it was thudding out of my chest the other night - very strange. It was like every 4th or 5th beat, it would pound hard. It isn't doing it now, and no pain - he says sometimes your esophagus can spasm...but I said there was no pain...he said strange, let me know if it happens again. He also asked about my Fluid intake - I am good, and drink 24 oz of G2 gatorade to keep my electrolytes good.....so we shall see....
3.) My muscles are achy - like I worked out hard. Stiffer in the mornings, better as the day goes...but still sore. I have been BUSY - lots of running around, errands, kid stuff, but no "working out". He said very rarely, the anesthesia they use, particularly the stuff that paralyzes your muscles, takes a LONG time to get out of your system. This could explain why I pretty much had NO pain after surgery and could sleep in my bed as soon as I came home with no discomfort or pain meds....I pay for it now Anyway, he says it should subside.....
That was about it. Still no lifting - can go walking or do cardio. No tough meats or veggies until 6 weeks out - no problem, loving my fish!! I told him his shakes blow, and that I will be thrilled to never HAVE to drink a meal again! Of course - I do have some Muscle Milk in the fridge for when I HAVE to grab something on the way out the door. I am really trying to hit my 60-70g of Protein a day. I don't want to be a flabby bag of skin!!
My back bothers me - but when I asked about a chiropractor, he said NO! I didn't need to be twisted and contorted yet (I have never been to one). He said to treat myself to a massage - and that it would be better and cheaper! I will have to tell hubby this
ANyway - feeling great elsewise....no fatigue, in a good mood. Looking forward to more pounds dropping......
SHannon

I know that having the sleeve was supposed to cut down on the amount that you can eat but I never expected it to work this well.
Honestly I have had an eating disorder since I was about six years old. I used to sneak food at night and get rid of the trash outside so that my family would not see what I was eating. When I got work babysitting at age 12 all of my money would go to getting food.
Before my sleeve I could easily eat $20 worth of food from Taco Bell, and not feel full. Today I had 1 bean burrito and was stuffed!!!
It is an amazing feeling, one that I have not felt in a LONG time, due to years and years of binge eating.
I really hope that this lasts, but I have heard of people stretching out their sleeve and having to get it redone!
I am curious what other peoples diets were before and after the surgery, how much could you eat in one sitting before compared to what you can eat of the same food now?

Thanks for the advice... I've gone like a whole day without a cigarette and my eating habits are getting better ... Thanks for the advice!!

August 13th is my date at 730AM!!!!!
YAY! That was easier than I was anticipating!
Oh, and it's my birthday today and thats when I got the call!!! :D

Y'all Im so close now! Only 5 more days to go until Wednesday gets here!!! Got my time of 8:15 but they told me it could change :-/ hopefully it'll stay that so I can get it done early!
I'm leaving for Louisiana about 11am today! I need to go to sleep but I can't sleep idk im just so excites to be going with my bestie back to her house in Louisiana or what but I just can't sleep!
We're going to New Orleans On Sunday and stayin the night, excited to do that before surgery!
Anyway, wanted to check in since I haven't been on in.a few days!
I'll make sure I get on the day of surgery and after surgery to update!
Talk to you all soon! Oh and those of you going today, GOOD LUCK!
Johnathan

My husband is 1 day post op and I can tell you from the other side of the coin what he might be feeling.... At about 2 months pre op I started to feel a little neglected by my husband. And let me tell you, he is usually very attentive to me. I guess I started feeling jealous of the time and attention he started putting into preparing for the surgery. I supported him 100% and i am willing to help him all the way, but I did feel like something was already coming between us. one day I sat him down and talked to him about this, and he reassured me he is still interested in my life too. I quickly got over it and we were back to normal. I have been by his side from the beginning and will always support him, like I know he is for me

All in all, not doing to bad. Only real complaint is heartburn feelings and the pop rocks throat sensation. I hope it stops very soon! Procedure went well... Liver was nicely shrunk. I lost 25lbs preop, gained some back thanks to the IV bag. I'm not complaining at all, I expected it. Sore and can't sleep at all, I have maybe slept a total of two hours since surgery on Tuesday am. Hoping tonight breaks that cycle. I hope all my fellow July 17th'ers are doing well and saying prayer for the upcoming roster! I'll keep ya posted. If anyone has the heartburn magic antidote... Post away!

My surgery date was march 21st...75 pounds lost. I feel awesome! I <3 my sleeve!!!

Hooray my surgery was done 7/18/2012. I haven't been released to ho home yet suppose to have gone home today but Water from ice chips won't stay down..i guess homebound tomorrow. Goodnight!

Prayers going out and up for you and all the ones getting sleeved today!

I have to agree that sleep apnea is turning into a big industry. I had to have a study Pre-op. I knew I had apnea from another study 5 years before. I had it managed with a TAP3 dental appliance, and by sleeping on my side. The sleep study place could care less. They slapped a CPAP on me, sent me home with it and billed my insurance company. I had no intention of using it and they didn't care. The appliance I am using is FDA approved and proven effective in the treatment of some severe OSA, but they refused to do the study with it. It was obvious they make their money billing CPAPs to insurance companies.
I had another surgery 6 months ago that made a sleeve look like a walk in the park. The surgeon knew I had sleep apnea and no one worried about whether I had a CPAP.
I just had my sleeve Wednesday, and I was ultimately able to just use my dental appliance.

I feel like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka. I feel like I am blowing up.
As I was cooking my dinner tonight (broiled fish), I noticed a carton of fresh raspberries on the counter. Without thinking, I just began popping them in, one by one. They went down so well, I didn't even realize what I was doing. I honestly completely forgot that I had 85% of my stomach removed 6 weeks ago! I had about 8 one right after another, before I realized what was going on! I stopped, still feeling fine, and ate my fish because I needed my Protein and didn't think a dozen berries would make a difference. Um, WRONG. I got about halfway through my 2 oz piece of fish which I never have problems with, and it feels like there are 4 bricks sitting in my stomach, pressing on all of my organs. I havent been this uncomfortable since week 2 of surgery. It hurts to breathe right now.
This is just one of those little stories about how much things change after surgery. I used to be able to eat handfuls of berries before or after eating bowls of Pasta or multiple slices of pizza or other heavy things, and I wouldnt feel slightly full from all of that. Wow.

nice!! fellow adventure fan.. I can't wait to be on my way.. thank you

We should get a writing campaign to her talk show and explain the website more - and mention the couples we know, and some of our success stories like lilmissdiva - get a few of them on the show...
...hmmm, maybe even get enough promotion to get a few of our peeps who cant quite afford it or are getting the runaround from insurance sleeved...

So, this comedian (Lisa Lampanelli) had the sleeve done 10 weeks (52 pound loss thus far) ago & her husband had it done two weeks ago! Kudos to her for sharing!!! So excited!!!
Littlebits

I am a realist. I eat carbs mainly because I have to live with the sleeve not go on a year-long diet. If that seems high to u then cut it down a bit but don't start a way of eating that u can't maintain for a year, 3, 5, or 30. I eat how I plan on eating for the rest of my life... and yes that includes carbs in moderation.

I'm scheduled for the 18th as well. Anxiety is buiding. It's been a 1 1/2 year journey from intial info session to now. I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be, but that doesn't keep the anxiety in check. Thank God for xanax.

I am scheduled for tomorrow as well. I'm so happy to finally have the opportunity to transform my life. I wish you the best of luck!!!!
Cheers to a healthier, happier, sexier, chicer NEW US!!!
Good Luck~!