Cookeeeeez

Thanks you to every single one of you that responded. You all have relieved so many stressors....a priceless gift!! I appreciate you all taking the time to share with me and help. I don't know why, but I'm always surprised when people choose to do that for me.
As for the food addiction, it looks like counseling and determination will be the two secrets to my success. I can do it!!!

I was Sleeved on June 5th and so far i've lost 70lbs, so it's possible. It's hard, but it is possible. I'm proof of that. I am a big time food addict. Always have been, and just like any Alcoholic or Drug Addict, I always will be. It's a struggle daily to stay away from things I know I shouldn't be having. I would much rather be eating something way bad for me any chance I get.
I just keep reminding myself why I got sleeved. I think about how my life has been the last how many years, stashed away in the house hiding from the world, watching life go by. I refuse to live like that any longer. So when I get the desire for something bad to eat instead I opt for something healthy. My go to snack of late is baby carrots and celery sticks with hummus to dip them in. When I really want to feel like I'm cheating I'll have a sugar free popsicle or fudgesicle. That's not saying we can't still eat pretty much anything we want from time to time. I've spoiled myself and had stuff I know I probably shouldn't have had. I just had it in moderation, and on rare occasions.

Yes I was going to suggest a therapy pool, but just be careful there is a lot of exercise involved in getting in there and showering after etc, I know because I've had to take my mum there, carry her bag, support her while she showers, wait in line to pay etc...
She also has lupus which causes raynauds so she has trouble doing things with her hands such as weights or using her walker, so this also limits her exercise. But her weight does fluctuate significantly depending on diet, so I think you can get to a healthy comfortable weight without it, but obviously you would be happier (endorphines and all that) if you could find some daily activity that suits your fitness level happy travels

The idea that female orgasm causes miscarriage is fundamentally untrue and in scholarly sources such as bernds & barash 1979 is only mentioned very tenuosly in regard to other mammals spontaneous abortions. further more this pseudo-scientific concept has been ignorantly misrepresented by male chauvinists such as Todd Akin to suggest that when women are raped the orgasm they recieve from the rape causes them to "shut the whole thing down.”
This is of course incorrect as : "The national rape-related pregnancy rate is 5.0% per rape among victims of reproductive age (aged 12 to 45); among adult women an estimated 32,101 pregnancies result from rape each year" http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/8765248/
The female orgasm is still as much a mystery as the male nipple and unless you have been diagnosed with implantation trouble then feel free to enjoy your sexuality.
I use implanon contraceptive implant with my 7-year partner. It has the best contraceptive qualities, although the main reason for removal is troublesome bleeding. I haven personally experienced this...
*peace*

Hi blokes!
Sorry for the intrusion but I thought this might be the best place for this because it was written by a bloke
I adopted my beautiful dog Rosie from a lovely lady named Joanne and it turns out she is the sister in law of Mel Gibson- that is, she's married to Chris Gibson. Anyway she gave me a copy of his autobiography and I really enjoyed it its a simple easy read but is motivating and reminds me why I'm trying a new way of doing things.
Anyway he follows his own path, which I'm not necessarily into, but it may interest you or a loved one.
Anyway, it's called
Memoirs of a Fat Bastard
How I Lost My Gut and Gained a Life
By Chris Gibson
Available here: http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Memoirs-of-Fat-Bastard-Chris-Gibson/9781405039901
And a small excerpt:
Chris Gibson is one fat, drunk, angry bastard. He's tried every diet: Atkins, South Beach, Pritikin. Problem is, he still can't get his pants on in the morning. And he got none of the genes of his movie star brother Mel. In his early 40s with a job he hates and a lifestyle that is killing him, Chris is having more than a mid-life crisis. He's having a life-and-death crisis. Memoirs of a Fat Bastard is a bittersweet account of how a middle-aged man on the road to destruction turned his life and health around on his own terms. It's a telling and frequently hilarious story of the ways in which some men can lose their way, and the way back to finding meaning and happiness amid the competing pressures of being provider, family man, and all-round good Aussie bloke.
P.S. I didn't get a discount on Rosie in return for plugging the book I just like the book and the person who wrote it
Peace & Love

Nnonononono!!!! This is my own oersonal demon! Don't tell me they're ok!!! Im trying this everything in moderation thing but unless I'm on my deathbed I ain't goin anywhere near the deep-fried salted skin of a pig! Just no for me... No... Ok who am I kidding ~ hi I'm Beth & I'm a food junkie~ please don't trust me around salted meat products of any kind!!!

I think alot of us are in the states and don't regularly use grams. It would be difficult to talk in grams, just as ounces are a mystery to you. I find this online conversion tool EXTREMELY helpful http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_volume_cooking.htm

Fingers and toes crossed for you! Best wishes and sooooooo jealous! *peace*

I'd like to hear back from OP...
I hate feeling full! HATE it! Personally I think that your desire to feel full, rather than "not hungry" or disinterested in food may be a psychological issue... Do you? Have a big think about why you got surgery and butterthebean/other posters have provided some good advice about why physically you may not be full...
Oh and anyone care to talk in grams! Can't picture 4-8 oz

I find people are less interested in what I am eating anymore interested in what they are eating. Put food on your plate and move it around, you don't have to eat it! The world according to egg face has some great ideas for things to bring to social situations. Have a look there for ideas.

Hey Mike. As has been said, you will not feel the restriction's full effect until you start on full solid foods. Secondly, you don't want to feel full ever again. Eat till you're no longer hungry, not till you're full. If you do that you will be successful.

Hi,
So I'm a therapy expert, so to speak... So where to start! What I like in a psychologist is some good qualifications. They are not everything but I find I can respect the information coming from my psych more when I trust their expertise.
I usually like men more because I have a problem with female authority but at the moment my female psych can really relate to me and provide some insight that a male couldn't... That female bond feels really comforting
Definitely some understanding with nutrition! If they have worked with people with eating disorders then they never make those stupid mistakes that can jeopardise your weight loss journey.
Do they feel comfortable referring you to doctor or psychiatrist for drugs if they (and you, of course) really feel they may be a useful tool for you.
Do they feel comfortable with you discussing other treatments like natural therapies, hypnosis, acupuncture, reflexology, reiki etc never underestimate placebo effect, the loving conversations you can have with a holistic carer, and the scientifically proven effects of some of these therapies...
Are they close to you or far away: close can allow you to walk there feeling good and getting bonus exercise, time constraints etc. far away you can have some me time to think about your session while you travel...
Remember the first session will be going through history, taking some notes (oh it helps if they have a good memory!!!! You really feel like they have listened to you!) discussing how often you want to see them (I prefer once a week, same day same time so I have time to process what has been discussed and feel like its a nice regular time for me) and what you want to achieve out of your time with them.
I hope this helps, I've seen probably the best psychiatrist in Australia and he finally diagnosed me and gave me the best tools to work with mentally and my first ever side-effect-free antidepressant, but I moved away from Sydney (and him). He was very expensive but the price doesn't matter if it's for your health. I also had one psych who had to stop seeing me because "I was making her depressed"...
There will be good ones and not as good ones out there but I cannot recommend enough how helpful this process is in helping me with my eating disorder and other mental issues...
I hope your journey is pleasant and you make your dreams come true. Peace

Mine is just after final straw moment, not my heaviest but close to it I've lost 25 pounds since july- no sleeve just waiting for those "well if you can lose weight without it...." comments to start rolling in :/ congratulations Laura, so proud of you!

I heard pineapple is great for ketosis breath!

You must not have children. Life is full of opportunity for regrets. You do what you can to avoid them but only 20/20 hindsight leaves one without regrets. Regrets are the natural process of an intelligent person assessing the choices they have made in life and accepting the good decisions while acknowledging the bad.
Just my take on it.
So, glitter (love the name btw)
Was that my post that scared you? I was low bmi, "no possible issues" "easy peasey" supposed to be up playing tennis with the doc next week .
I won't type a diary because you can follow me in that other thread but I want to share my main regrets.
I am likely to live but there were moments that was in question. Anyone saying "no regrets" has not been lucid while hearing doctors discussing how to keep you alive. I've been there twice. Eclampsia with my son and this surgery. The difference between the two is that I "had" to give birth, I did not "have" to have this surgery. My biggest regret at this point is when I did this. My son is six and has a feeding disorder and a blood disorder (boy in the bubble light) I have no health issues due to weight so I could have waited a few years. I went ahead because since his birth my life has been in turmoil. I lost seven other babies, had to give up a very satisfying career to care for him and had to move to another state to ensure he could have a normal life (shorter cold and flu season). This means my husband is away more than home...that's been a hard adjustment for us all. But this year things seemed to have calmed down to a close attempt at sanity and I said "it's me time, I'm doing this". Given all the assurances that this was no big deal I felt very little worry going into the procedure. You know the ultimate result.
I posted my story because I hadn't seen one from a patient as healthy as me and I felt people need to be prepared for all scenarios. You need to really think....is this the time? I don't think I regret the surgery, I just wish I'd have waited until my son was your daughters age. He would still miss me but his more serious issues would be gone by then so it wouldn't be so hard for him. That's the biggest one. I hate being stuck up in room six and I desperately miss being a part of life, which I have always lived to the fullest no matter my weight.
Add those thoughts to your process Hun and just really think this through until you are ready! Don't do it before then. Your head needs to be fully in the game.

I feel you! I was also battling to decide for a while. Here is my experience and I hope it helps:
I am a little over 3 weeks post-op and I'm realizing that there is one thing people on this forum (with all due respect) won't admit. It's simple but many of us don't want to say that we have an excessive psychological connection with food, and that fixing that relationship may be much better that cutting 85% of our stomach out.
This surgery isn't as simple as everyone says here (when I was reading this forum pre-op) and there are many things that there isn't much information about here too (like the painful drainer and annoying pimples under your incisions, etc...) You follow people as they decide and then see them commenting, "Yay, I'm sleeved and I don't feel much pain" and you think, "Wow, that's encouraging!" But that's not to blame anyone here. We're all on pain medication after and some people have complications and some don't. I had surgery the same day as 3 other people and they were eating 3 bowls of broth, drinking 2 bottles of Water and having 2 popsicles the first day (some ordered even more stuff) and I was vomiting for 4 days, so you may be one of those who have no trouble -- I hope so!
I've had to take a hard look at my life after surgery (nothing like before surgery) and realize that I became overweight because of certain things that happened when I was 17 that isolated me and made me turn to food for comfort. I now also realize that if I can psychologically resolve those issues or understand them better, that doing so alone will empower me to rid myself of the self abuse I engage in using food. This surgery will help you eat better, true. I've lost 20 lbs in a month (counting my 2 week pre-op diet) and yes, I'm in a stall now and I messed up eating solids way too early... But one of my regrets, aside from a minor complication I had and I might have to live with heartburn and medication for it for the rest of my life, is that if I would have dealt with my psychological issues (the root of the problem) not only would I have probably lost the weight without WLS but getting to goal and staying there would have allowed me to gain much self respect (the opposite of what caused my problem) -- self abuse. I would have probably been in much better health (especially since, like me pre-op, you don't have any, thank God) and I probably wouldn't be living on supplements either.
I encourage you to think about the root of the problem. I've always been very strong mentally (accomplishing things people who are much older are nowhere near), so that makes me wish I would have used a mental approach to tackle my messed up relationship with food first vs. an evasive/permanent surgical approach. Maybe I would have reached a resolution mentally and wouldn't have needed to mutilate my digestive system to help myself.
I'm sorry if this sounds too depressing or discouraging but I am being brutally honest.

Honey, I had the same conversations with my dear friends. They love me as I am, I'm beautiful, something could happen....all of this was said with immense love and in the end after an hour long lecture on the beach over a bottle of champs, they agreed to set aside their fears and be there for me however I need them.
But you know what? I was wrong. All the impossible happened and I nearly died. They were right. Now this is when you know you have a true friend. They have taken my boy sailing, horseback riding, crabbing, etc. one is hosting a charity dinner for me because I will still be in bed sept 15. They're doing they can to help me.
They had to assimilate the process. It is extreme, they're right. Give her a little time. If she is a true friend her worry will turn back into support, but she is fair to worry.

Actually, I didn't read the study wrong.
Per the study: "a relative increase of more than 50 percent compared to pre-surgical rates." Ten percent is roughly 50 percent greater than 7 percent. Also, the study defines alcohol use disorder as alcoholism.
Yes, the study involved RNY and lap band participants. However, several factors tie it to sleeve patients. The study authors and other doctors suggested that the reasons WLS patients may turn to alcohol could be that they are tired of strict rules about what they eat and drink or that they may develop new social lives that include drinking after losing large amounts of weight. Another reason suggested is that extremely obese people lose some of their tolerance for alcohol consumption when they lose weight. Every one of these potential causes is the same for the sleeve as they are for RNY. Not one of the suggested reasons is related to the difference in surgical procedures for RNY vs. sleeve.
The important thing is that we all be aware of these results so that we have information to consider it we choose to.

You have misread the article. It does not say that people who have weight loss surgery are 50% more likely to be alcoholics than they were before surgery. It says that prior to surgery 7% of patients showed signs of alcohol use disorder and one year later there was no change in this number. However two years after surgery that number had increased to 10%.
The study was of mostly RNY and lap band patients. The sleeve isn't mentioned. Those with RNY metabolise alcohol differently than the sleeve.

Like this but no bangs?

I LUV thread hijackers! We should start a fast n furious section where a straight-man asks a question and we see how nuts we can go on it!!!
I actually think there was a great lot of adviCe in the humour: tasting tasty exterior of treats = great low-cal option + leftovers for unsuspecting others... I wonder if it would work with choc-coat peanuts as well as salted snacks!?

Oh I recently learned they put salt in soda... Not just for the taste but to make you drink more... Not only does the sugar raise blood glucose making you thirsty but now salt too!!!
Even on my worst days now I'll never drink soda, only drinks I've seen being made like frappes or smoothies- as long as i cant see any table salt going into my drink I know I'm way better off than before!!!

Have your 11y/o rotf laughing cause your underwear is now saggy & baggy.....you might a gastric sleeve patient.
Your hubby gets excited because every time you bend over, your boobs fall out of your bra that is now too big..you might be a gastric sleeve patient..
Are walking down the hall carrying laundry and your pants hit the floor because they are way too big, you might be a gastric sleeve patient.
Take a shower in the morning and look down and think there is a small mammal in there with you and then realize its just where your hair is falling out...you might be a gastric sleeve patient..
Please continue to add your own experiences!

Rice feels me up sooo much! I have had sushi twice now and each time I have only been able to eat 2 pieces over 20ish minutes. Last time I went it was with a fellow sleever. We must've looked ridiculous only eating 4 - 5 pieces of the two rolls we ordered! (She ate 3 but she is a year out)

I LUV thread hijackers! We should start a fast n furious section where a straight-man asks a question and we see how nuts we can go on it!!!
I actually think there was a great lot of adviCe in the humour: tasting tasty exterior of treats = great low-cal option + leftovers for unsuspecting others... I wonder if it would work with choc-coat peanuts as well as salted snacks!?