PeachyDexter

One step at a time. I've had my band removed as it had eroded, piled on loads of weight and am due the sleeve on April 11 th.
Have a thorough chat with your surgeon and anaesthetist prior to surgery and try not to worry.........easier said than done, I know.
You are four operations up on the newbies and know what the positives are, think of those instead of the negatives....and treat this op as the first day of the rest of your life.
Good luck x

One step at a time. I've had my band removed as it had eroded, piled on loads of weight and am due the sleeve on April 11 th.
Have a thorough chat with your surgeon and anaesthetist prior to surgery and try not to worry.........easier said than done, I know.
You are four operations up on the newbies and know what the positives are, think of those instead of the negatives....and treat this op as the first day of the rest of your life.
Good luck x

I am so with you on this and worrying about my head hunger. I had the band for 10 years and it was a huge success but only because I had it tight.
It eroded and was removed in January and I have piled the weight on with NO control. My head is a shed.

I am so with you on this and worrying about my head hunger. I had the band for 10 years and it was a huge success but only because I had it tight.
It eroded and was removed in January and I have piled the weight on with NO control. My head is a shed.

Hi, I know exactly where you are coming from........ Band 10 yrs ago, got down to 8st 13 lb, band eroded July 2013. Had it removed Jan 14 and piled the weight back on....... Now 16 stone.
I look at it this way, find a good surgeon, listen to the positive success stories on here......there are some amazing people out there who have been through so much and are nearly at the end of their journey. Try not to think of the what ifs, you just put yourself through mental torture. Research, make friends from the forum and face it head on. Deal with the reality and not the maybe's.
I hope this helps and huge goos luck.
Debbie x

Hi Willow, I've been following your journey. How are you feeling?
I hope you have turned a corner today and have less pain to contend with. One day at a time.
Peachy x

Band2sleever thanks for the advice. I am 99% sure I am going to have a sleeve. I've done lots of research on the amount of food that you can eat and feel much happier that I will not go overboard on the bingeing.
Having had a band I found that food very quickly stopped being an issue because I couldn't eat loads. Some days I actually forgot to eat until tea time. May be not ideal but this wasn't everyday.
To be back to not thinking about what I can eat next following a large meal will be fabulous.
I wish you lots of luck and will enjoy hearing about your journey.
X

Hi Guys,
Peach flavoured low cal iced tea. It's not fabulous but it will add a little variety. Make sure it's chilled because slightly warm is gross.
A friend of mine mentioned green tea...... It is foul and I'd rather lick my windows on a rainy day !!
She also mentioned fruity teas. They smell delicious but tastes like perfumed washing up Water...yuk. Warm Water with barely a hint of fruit, not pleasant. I'd rather suck a fresh orange!!
Keep me informed I case you find an amazing alternative, I'm still trying.
Take care
Peachy

Green eyed girl, Hi......
The herbalife shakes are fab. You can add so many different fruits to the high Protein mixture to change the taste. I've started having one for Breakfast and am due to start my pre op diet on 20 th April. They are so tasty and don't feel like they are a diet aid.
Just google herbalife and you will find your local agent to order from.
Hope your ok x

You Choose: How Easy Do You Want Losing Weight to Be?

Weight loss surgery is a substantial step in the battle to control your weight. It is proof of your long-term commitment to eating better and becoming healthier. Research clearly shows that weight loss surgery can be far more effective for significant long-term weight loss than diet and exercise, so why don’t all weight loss surgery patients achieve their goal weights after weight loss surgery? Why do some people find the journey easier than others, even though both sets of individuals are motivated to follow the weight loss surgery diet?


The big losers do not necessarily have more willpower or desire. The important difference between the big losers and the re-gainers may be how easy they find the journey to be. Surprisingly, you can control a large part of how easy or hard it is to lose weight. The weight loss journey is not just about changing your digestive system through surgery. It is also about changing your entire lifestyle to facilitate weight loss.

Weight Loss Surgery is a Weight Loss Tool, Not a Cure

Weight loss surgery is a tool. It can make you less hungry by reducing the size of your stomach by inserting a band around your stomach (Lap-band), removing the majority of your stomach pouch (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) or folding or stapling away the majority of your stomach pouch (gastric bypass, duodenal switch, and sleeve plication). The vertical sleeve gastrectomy reduces hunger by reducing the amount of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, that your stomach produces. The gastric bypass and duodenal switch reduce nutrient absorption.

All of these surgeries can help you eat less and lose weight, but none of these surgeries are fail-proof. You can “cheat” by eating high-calorie foods, drinking high-calorie beverages, drinking beverages while you eat solid foods, and eating without measuring your portions. Successful weight loss requires good choices on your part, and making good choices is easier if you focus on your entire lifestyle, not just the part of your digestive system that was changed with surgery.

The Influence of Your Surroundings on Your Weight

Think about this scenario. You leave home without Breakfast and order a muffin and ice coffee at the drive-through on your way to work. You grab a doughnut at your morning meeting, and go out for lunch with your friends. You order the lunch special with a salad, breadstick, fettuccine alfredo and cheesecake. You nibble on some chocolates from your secretary’s desk as you make your way to the vending machine for a soda in the afternoon. You pick up a pizza on your way home because you know that there is nothing else for dinner.< /span>

Now compare it to this second scenario. You wake up early to meet your friend for a walk before you get home for a breakfast of scrambled egg whites and spinach. You drive to work and have yogurt and some fruit at your morning meeting. Lunch with your coworkers consists of a green salad with canned tuna, and you have a hard-boiled egg for your afternoon snack. You are able to get dinner on the table quickly when you get home because you only need to defrost the meals that you prepared earlier in the week.

Which scenario do you think you can help you lose weight? The second one, of course. So why not make it a reality?

Do Your Surroundings Encourage Weight Loss or Weight Gain?

You have battled your weight for years, if not for your entire life before weight loss surgery. In all likelihood, your environment was set up for you to eat. Take a good, hard look at your environment. Is it more like the first scenario or the second one described above? You have the ability to make it more like the second one. Notice the following items from the two scenarios.
Exercise was automatic in the second one because you planned to meet a friend – so you couldn’t back out.
Preparing your dinners ahead of time meant that you could eat quickly without going to a fast food restaurant.
Packing your own Snacks meant that you did not have to eat a doughnut in your morning meeting or chocolates in the afternoon.

Make the “Right” Choice Automatic

The fewer tough choices you have, the less likely you are to make poor decisions. Set up your environment so that the healthier actions are easier.

To make healthy eating easier:
Prepare plenty of meals ahead of time so that you always have a ready-to-eat, healthy option to prevent you from opting for take-out.
Throw away the take-out menus that you used to store in the kitchen. The extra time it takes you to look up the phone numbers and menus online may be enough to let you come to your sense and realize that you don’t want fast food.
Keep your kitchen stocked with all kinds of healthy foods, so that no matter your craving, you have a healthy answer.
Do not keep unhealthy foods at home. If they are not there, you cannot eat them.
Make sure that the healthy option is the default option. For example, measure your cheese and cut and wash fruits and vegetables ahead of time so that it is easier to snack on them than on Cookies.< /span>

Also consider these ideas:
Meet your friends for walks or shopping trips instead of for meals at restaurants.
Park your car a few blocks away from work so that you have no choice but to walk those few blocks again at the end of the day as you leave work.
Do not drive past drive-thrus if they are too tempting. Also, do not keep money in the car, and consider removing your car’s cup holders so that eating in the car is no longer an option.

All weight loss surgery patients have their own struggles. Far from being wimpy, removing these obstacles rather than fighting them is the best way to overcome them. The weight loss journey path will always have speed bumps and potholes, but it will be a lot smoother if you set up your lifestyle to promote better choices all day.

Slim fast shakes have 15 g of Protein, I have just ordered herbalife Protein Shakes and will let you know if they are disgusting or halfway decent to drink lol.

Green eyed girl, thank god it's not just me. I keep changing my mind, to bypass then back to sleeve. I don't remember being this neurotic 10 years ago when I decided to have the band.
Lots of luck for the 14 th, if you need a chat then please keep in touch. I know exactly why you are more concerned with the sleeve not being restrictive enough, I too have no concerns with complications, been there done that but the nonsence going round in my head is destructive and I just need to be getting on with it.
X

I could not do a trial run.... well, actually I thought about it, but could only do it for a little less than a day. That said, when it came time to do the pre-op diet, I didn't have any problems sticking to it, since I had a definite deadline, and pretty severe consequences if I didn't stick to it.
I had a couple of food funerals just before I got started...lol.
I am now 12 days post-op, and am pretty tired of the full liquid diet I'm on. Even though my stomach is much smaller and holds only a few ounces, my head tells me I want/deserve what I ate before. I don't get hungry though, so it is pretty easy to ignore that head hunger, once I drink my fill.

I was a carb monster, I would of rather of sat with a bowl full of Pasta or rice or a sandwhich than eat anything else. The pre op diet cured the worse of that in me thankfully, I knew I had to stick to it and cut down the amount I ate and had no one to blame but myself if I didn't.
I had my operation on monday, today was the first time I smelled food and actually thought ok I could eat that and it was my husband eating toast, which obviously I was never going to even attempt to eat but did have me thinking wow I really really want bread. Its not going to cure you of wanting carbs but it will help you change the way you think about foods.

Good luck all you March Sleevers, mine is booked for April 11th. The questions are constantly going round in my head which usually end up with, is the restriction going to be enough? I'm so scared I'm going to over eat as I have such a bad relationship with sugary foods and always have had. Does anyone else think similar thoughts? X

According to the "chart" I have 136 pounds to go. So he said realistically that's a the difference between the BP and Sleeve would be 10-15 pounds. I don't remember what it feels like to be 160 or 175. It's been over 25 years.
I've been sitting at this computer for hours on end. I've got myself so worked up I can't sleep. I'm starting to think my fear issues with regard to dumping is the fact that I'm a food addict and I have so much self doubt which is a bad combination. My "fat" brain says there is no way you can live without at least a bite of cheesecake now and then, or butter on something. So is my desire to have the sleeve really my mind figure out a way to cheat?
I am also a little worried about something my mother said in an email recently: "A doc I worked with had done the psychological for a friend who then never took the Vitamins and she has a permanent dementia from not doing that. I have jokingly said that if I am in the nursing home everyone has to make sure I am given my Vitamins and supplements." The Vitamin thing scars me. I now my mom manages it well now, 8 years post-op.

When I was doing my research to make my own decision, I had searched "dumping syndrome" on YouTube. Dumping syndrome is a side effect of gastric bypass surgery and can be triggered by eating foods that are too greasy or too high in sugar.. Lap band patients and sleeve patients do not dump. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, and dizziness.
If a WLS who has the sleeve eats a piece of cheesecake, chances are they are going to enjoy the dessert and without realizing it they are positively reinforcing that bad behavior so old eating habits come back and the weight is regained. If a bypass patient eats a piece of cheese cake, they will more then likely feel like they are having a heart attack 30mins later. Would you ever want to touch another piece of cheesecake again after something like that? It's important to note that not every bypass patient experiences dumping syndrome. One of the vloggers in the video that I was watching said that she felt sorry for the people who didn't dump. I didn't get it then, but I do now. I PRAY that I am someone who will dump because I need that extra tool to keep me on the right track
Lastly, sleeve patients on average loose 40-50% of their excess body weight within one year of their surgery date. Bypass patients loose an average of 70-80% of their excess weight within the first year of surgery. Only you will know which surgery is right for you. I suggest watching A LOT of YouTube videos to hear stories from both sleeve and bypass patients to help you with your decision.
Best Wishes!

Hi CBF
I work for myself, but tell everyone, including my customers, that I am having a hernia repair. Also the surgeon has sent me to a dietician to get as healthy as possible for the operation.
I am not ashamed, but there are so many opinionated people out there, that judge and tell you how to run your life. And dare I say it, but some people on here too. I cannot keep up with constantly defending myself so, for my piece of mind, that is what I say. My choice, my life, my future. Everyone to their own, and we should support that.
As for work, you'll work out what's best. And you are so right, you must put yourself first, when have we ever done that before?
Good luck

I'm due surgery hopefully the start of March, will get the date confirmed at my next appointment.
I'm feeling pretty ambivalent at the moment and keep wondering if its the right thing to do. I know that really I've tried everything and failed and see this as my last chance if you know what I mean?

My date is March 24. So excited! Trying to get as prepared as I can, doing lots of reading, etc.

First let me say....oh thank god! I'm not the only one. I had the band placed in 2006 and was loving it....until 2 years ago. Now band has to come out and I was just approved for a VSG. I'm so flippin nervous, but not because of the surgery itself - but because of failing....Again. Knowing what it's like to have been heavy all my life to being -I never thought I'd be this skinny- skinny to heavy again (which I swore I'd never do). I'm truly terrified.
Thank you for posting this and being honest. I breathed I sigh of relief.
You go girl! You got this!

Thanks! I'm mostly just looking for a drastic kick in the arse to get me some momentum. I am committed to the lifestyle changes but you all know what it's like when things move so slowly. With the awesome tool and my mindset (and an awesome gym and trainer) I feel like I am geared up for this in a way that means it isn't a question of if I will lose weight but HOW fast it will fall off.
Positive thinking!
My ex was really negative about WLS so I put off the sleeve even though the surgeon who removed my band said I may want to consider it. Got rid of the ex and am now making life choices for me.
I want to succeed at this so badly. Thanks for all your support!

I had pretty much the exact thing you're asking about! Lol I was banded in '03 and lost 100lbs. I was within 20lbs of goal. Weight was creeping back on and we discovered a slip in '05. I had to have my band removed at that time because of erosions. I was actually rebanded a year later after gaining back all the 100 I had lost, plus another 20!! With the second band, I was like most revisions, where I just never had much success. I lost 60, gained 20. Lost 40, gained 30. I went on like that for 7 years before finally getting a revision to sleeve in May this year. I've been really successful, and as of today, I've lost 100lbs and am just 20 from goal again!!
And if I can do it, anyone can! I work hard, but weight loss has always been a struggle for me. Feel free to inbox me if you have more questions, since I think I'm kinda the exact situation you were looking for! Lol

Yes. I lost weight with the band a few times, but as my profile "my story" shows the band is a dangerous medical joke and shoud be ..Banned!
I was 104 with band. Within a year of being unbanded I gain 86 lbs.
I'm sleeved and healthier than I've ever been. Close to a safe goal and my only regret is getting the band and not the sleeve 10 years ago.
I AM. VERY. HAPPY.

Yes, I too worried how I will feel about not having my sweets, but honestly, I have no desire for them anymore..If I do for some reason, say stress or something, I will eat fruit or something instead to cure me...I promise you it won't be as bad as you are imagining it will be.