FocusOnMeNow

I believe that I saw a VSG you tube video from a former Biggest Loser contestant who gained all the weight back and more, and so opted for the gastric sleeve instead. I cannot recall her name.

Actually if you search you tube for Biggest Loser gastric sleeve there are a number of former BL contestants who are now sleevers

Try some lemon juice in your water and take it from there. Also make sure you are getting enough vitamin C. You're craving could be caused by vitamin deficiency. You might also want to try "true lemon" in your water. You can get it on amazon. Unlike artificial crystal light it's real crystallized lemon with a touch of stevia for sweetness. Good luck!

Here’s why putting yourself first can make everyone else happier, and how you can put yourself first this holiday season.
The holidays are about being a good person, right? You’re supposed to be thankful for what you have. You’re supposed to give to others, and put others’ needs first.
I agree completely, but you can do more for others when you’re at your best. You’ll be at your best when you take care of yourself, so here are some ideas for keeping yourself in your best physical, mental, and emotional shape…so you have more to give others.
So here are some ways to put yourself first this holiday season. They’ll help you eat a little healthier, stay a little fitter, and be a little more in control than if you neglect your own needs. And they’ll help you be able to do more for others.


Eat Right
Can’t get away from this one, can you? You know when you eat well, you have more energy, feel more confident, and are happier. That’s a recipe for being able to do some quality gift shopping or even volunteer work.
You know what “eating right” means. Base your meals around lean protein like non-fat cottage cheese, tuna, beans, egg whites, or chicken breast, for example. Add a bunch of vegetables, and enjoy some fruit or healthy starches at most meals. Pretty simple, and so effective! Oh, and if you do indulge? Keep it to a small and delicious bite to savor.
Use the Trash Can, Don’t Be One
If you’ve ever eaten something just because it’s there, you’ve used your body as a trash can. That’s because you ate something you didn’t need instead of simply leaving it or throwing it out. This happens a lot around the holidays, when you might eat the leftovers or a plate of Christmas cookies because you feel guilty throwing them out.
Guess what. When you throw trash into your body instead of a can, you’re not helping starving children in Africa. If you really want to help them, why not make a donation? Donate, say, a penny for every calorie you dump, or a quarter for every cookie you toss. Now that’s how putting yourself first can help out others in need!
Exercise
When you exercise, you’re happier, more energetic, and more focused. Sound selfish? Not really. You can be more productive at work, better able to entertain your friends and family, and readier to whip up that next batch of cookies when your children have a last-minute request for a contribution to a classroom holiday party.
It can be tough to stick to your regular exercise schedule during the holidays. You can save time by getting your gear ready the night before and by planning your workout ahead of time so you make use of every moment.
Since it can be tempting to sleep in instead of a morning workout or just hang out at home in the evening, make use of other people to stay accountable. Make plans to meet an exercise buddy, or commit to group fitness classes. And, if you’re feeling too stressed or tired to do a hard workout, try going to the gym for some easy stretching. You’ll still get the mental benefits and stay in the healthy habit of being a gym rat.
De-Stress
Have you ever wanted to tell someone to just “chill!” because they’re making you nervous? Don’t be that person! Keep yourself cool and collected so everyone wants to be around you and not avoid you.
De-stress in whatever way works for you. You can go for a walk, get a massage or manicure, take a drive, or go shopping. It doesn’t matter…as long as you do it and it works. If it involves someone else, you’re doing double duty and helping someone else out as well!
Have Fun
Amidst all the hustle and bustle of taking care of yourself and others, don’t forget to have fun. Do whatever you want, whether it’s meeting a friend for (healthy) lunch, watching a full season of a TV show in a few days, or doing all the aisles at Walmart at 1:00 a.m. Whatever you’ve been dying to do all year, do it now. When you keep yourself happy, you’re better able to appreciate what other people need or want to be happy.
Forgive Yourself
Yes, things will go wrong. You’ll eat too much, or go a little overboard on the alcohol at a holiday party, or sleep in instead of working out. Or you’ll forget to pick up a gift for someone, or burn the cake you’re baking. It’s okay, and you’re best off if you can laugh it off and move on. Fret about it, and you’ll just be hurting other people who would rather see you happy than upset.
The holiday season is supposed to be about giving, but that can drain you if you don’t take care of yourself. Just like you do during the rest of your weight loss surgery journey, you need to put yourself first during the holidays. That lets you give your best to everyone else, too.

I had my surgery in August of last year and was 289 lbs then and not quite a year later am at 155 lbs.
I need to get more pictures!!

Vulnerability is courage. That's awesome!

Good article, highly reflective of one of the best TED talks ever: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame?language=en

Walking 30 minutes per day is very important in making the recovery process speed up. I had an exercise regiment 6 months pre-op that was focused on hill walking. After the operation I refused all pain medicines (because I didn't need any, I felt no pain.) I was up and walking almost immediately after surgery and by the time I left the hospital 2 days later I had walked 100 lapses. I walked every 2 hours when I was in the hospital. On the second night, the nurses came in and said, you were sleeping so sound that we decided to not wake you and skip the exercise. When I arrived home I continued the hill walking exercise routine for 6 months. I had a really really good recovery.

I appreciate the article and realize that changing behavior and consequences really is about making better choices that become habits. But the definition of an addiction is when something sincerely interferes with your life functioning and you want to stop but can't. That is how food can be with me. My knees hurt and I want to lose weight but hard to implement hours on the treadmill when one's mobility is so limited. I think and hope that the sleeve will give me a great tool, that will set me up for about 6 months of good habits and then after that it is up to me not to go down the slippery slope. And actually I had a dear friend who I found out had been an IV drug user for 30 years. They really wanted to quit and had wanted to for several years, but they didn't have the tools. I connected them with the tools and they quit. Not cold turkey mind you but they did it. My friend also quit smoking as well. I was so proud of my friend, but then realized that I needed to focus on me and my own recovery from my addiction.

Sara Kelly Keenan and others,
I am trying to come up with a "top ten" list of things to do when I am stressed and need "comfort" instead of eat. Any suggestions, in addition to exercise I mean?
Any suggestions would be most helpful. Especially any for stress at work and/or stress at work when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake, etc.
I am still pre-op but want to be successful in the long run.

Hi FocusOnMeNow,
One of the things i do in my practice is help people create and live a list like the one you refer to. What I've learned over time is that it is a very personal list and needs to be revisited over and over again. It also helps to break the list down into small, achievable tasks. Everyone finds comfort in different ways or combinations of ways and those ways change over time. The list can also broaden as you lose weight and work on fitness as well. For instance, my first list included walking my dogs 20 minutes per day up a 300 foot hill. That, over several years, morphed into a passion for hiking, then ultra-distance hiking, then mountain-climbing. I could not have known at 333 pounds what my list would become! My best advice to you is create a flexible list that you revisit often to add activities that provide comfort, but more importantly passion. When we live passionate, vision-filled lives things like the cake are less tempting because they don't advance us on our paths towards our vision of the future-life we desire.

Sara Kelly Keenan and others,
I am trying to come up with a "top ten" list of things to do when I am stressed and need "comfort" instead of eat. Any suggestions, in addition to exercise I mean?
Any suggestions would be most helpful. Especially any for stress at work and/or stress at work when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake, etc.
I am still pre-op but want to be successful in the long run.

Sara Kelly Keenan and others,
I am trying to come up with a "top ten" list of things to do when I am stressed and need "comfort" instead of eat. Any suggestions, in addition to exercise I mean?
Any suggestions would be most helpful. Especially any for stress at work and/or stress at work when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake, etc.
I am still pre-op but want to be successful in the long run.

Sara Kelly Keenan and others,
I am trying to come up with a "top ten" list of things to do when I am stressed and need "comfort" instead of eat. Any suggestions, in addition to exercise I mean?
Any suggestions would be most helpful. Especially any for stress at work and/or stress at work when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake, etc.
I am still pre-op but want to be successful in the long run.

Sara Kelly Keenan and others,
I am trying to come up with a "top ten" list of things to do when I am stressed and need "comfort" instead of eat. Any suggestions, in addition to exercise I mean?
Any suggestions would be most helpful. Especially any for stress at work and/or stress at work when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake, etc.
I am still pre-op but want to be successful in the long run.

Sara Kelly Keenan and others,
I am trying to come up with a "top ten" list of things to do when I am stressed and need "comfort" instead of eat. Any suggestions, in addition to exercise I mean?
Any suggestions would be most helpful. Especially any for stress at work and/or stress at work when someone brings in your favorite chocolate cake, etc.
I am still pre-op but want to be successful in the long run.

Making the decision to have weight loss surgery is a very big deal. It seems obvious to say that when someone agrees to weight-loss surgery they're desperate for help to change the way they're living, or not fully living their lives. Everyone goes into the procedure ready and willing to surgically alter their anatomy hoping for a better future.


So why is it that so many will fall short of losing the optimal amount of weight for their health and will actually regain within 3 years much if not all of the weight they lost? Some studies say 1/3 of patients will regain most of their weight post-surgery. I think the number is actually higher because many people who regain simply fall out of contact with their bariatric surgeon and support staff because they feel ashamed, so the statistics do not include these people. So, why do most people regain the weight? What can you do to help insure that you will be one of the successful long-term losers of your excess weight? By examining why people fail you can create a plan for how you will succeed.
The government agency, National Institutes for Health (NIH) defines weight-loss surgery as "merely a tool that helps people get a new start toward maintaining long-term good health. The surgery alone will not help someone lose weight and keep it off. Together with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet and daily exercise, surgery will help an individual lose weight and maintain the weight loss.” Please read that a few times. That is how important this quote is! The surgery alone will not help someone lose weight and keep it off.
We as weight-loss surgery patients have a history of seeking comfort, happiness and pleasure through food. We wouldn't be here if that weren't true. Me included. The process of surgically altering our anatomies does nothing to remove from us the tendency to seek comfort in familiar ways but assures there will be physical suffering if we do. Post-surgery we will still have the same brain that is used to comforting us with food, and we will still have the fingers and the arms that are used to lifting food to the same mouth to find comfort and pleasure. It is critically important that the WLS patient seek out new ways to soothe, comfort, and find pleasure in their world other than by eating.
ONE main reason patients regain their weight is they search for ways to get around the surgery, still thinking of food as primarily a source of pleasure, not a source of fuel that can be pleasurable. This is often done relying on liquid calories, which may pass more easily, like high calorie coffee or juice bar drinks or alcohol. This is also done post-operatively by trying to maintain the presence of “trigger foods” in their lives. “Trigger foods” are often foods from the patient's past that helped cause obesity, do not satisfy hunger but instead create a craving. Many are high-calorie and highly processed, not nutritious. Trigger foods can include chocolate, chips, crackers, bread, cookies, ice cream, pudding, lattes, frapuccinos and alcoholic beverages. Really, any food can be a “trigger food” if there is so much pleasure in the “mouth-feel” or taste that repeating the pleasurable experience takes on more importance than actually feeding hunger. Very successful patients cultivate a mostly trigger-free post- surgical life. Bariatric surgeons and the NIH know the most common reason for regain and the most common post- surgical complication is “noncompliance.” Non-compliance is a fancy word that means the patient is not eating and exercising the way he/she agreed to before surgery. These people “talk the talk.” The successful patient “walks the walk” after surgery and changes how they eat and move.
A SECOND reason people often regain beginning in the second or third year post-op is that the “honeymoon” is over. The “honeymoon” generally encompasses the first 12 to 18 months post- surgery. During this time many patients will say, "I could eat all the chocolate and ice cream I wanted and still lose weight. I didn't have to try and the weight just came off.” This is often true because the body has been through such a shock after surgery that it takes months for the body to reset itself and learn to function with its' new physiology. Patients who regain their weight often believe that this “honeymoon period” is the new way that it will always be and don't adopt healthy eating patterns. So when their “honeymoon period” ends as it will they believe that the surgery has somehow failed them. In reality they have failed their surgery! During the first 12-18 months post-op it is essential to develop healthy patterns around food and exercise. This is the time when it is actually easiest to do and to not do so wastes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to begin a great new life with positive momentum.
A THIRD reason many patients regain much of their lost weight is a lack of support. Humans are social animals and we desire and need the support of each other throughout our lives. For thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years people coming together as a family or a community over food has been a way we connect with each other. Post-surgery, when the patient isn't able to eat what others are eating or in the quantities others are eating, or others are eating their 'trigger foods”, life can feel very stressful and lonely. This can be compounded by being around unsupportive people or people who want to be supportive but don't know how. Patients fail by not surrounding themselves with supportive people in a safe environment where they also must be accountable for their actions and behavior with food and their bodies. It is key to have a community of professionals and non-professionals who understand the challenges and hardships faced by those carving a new life with a new anatomical structure. There are online and in-person support groups. Even patients who've gone abroad for weight loss surgery can often use the support services available with their local medical group's Bariatric department. Creating relationships that support and assist you in becoming a healthier person and that hold you accountable for making healthy choices are key.
These are my top three. What would you add to this list? What plan will you create to deal with the items you add to this list? Who will support you on this journey of your life.....for your life?

What an excellent comment!! I remember when a very intelligent bariatric surgeon told me that sugar was one of the most addictive substances in existence. I haven't had over 8 grams of processed sugar in anything since I had surgery. I think it's wonderful what you've done...you know it's all about progress, not perfection. I'm truly sorry you are having to fight Hashimoto's at the same time. I can't believe the progress you've made already!
We came from similar backgrounds. My brother was probably the worst drug addict I've ever known and it took me a long time to see that addiction is addiction. The hardest part for me is that many of the bariatric professionals don't believe in food addiction. I'm going to post another article about cross addiction. I'm very passionate about the psychological aspect of WLS. I totally agree with you that one size doesn't fit all but what I generally ask people to do is to give some things a try if what they are doing isn't working. Perhaps the most important one you mentioned is about replacing negative thought processes. I have also written at length about shame and how incredibly toxic it is. Just today one of my favorite speakers (Dr. Brene Brown) said this on Super Soul Sunday (Oprah channel).
"Shame is highly correlated with addiction, depression, eating disorders, violence, bullying, and aggression. Guilt is inversely correlated with those. People who can change their self-talk and believe it, have far better outcomes." She also continued to say "Everyone just wants to be seen and heard. They want to know if they matter and does what they say mean anything to you."
I fight stinkin' thinkin' on an hourly basis. That critical voice in my head screams at me all day and tells me I'm worthless. It has taken me a long time to understand that those voices don't necessarily tell the truth. I very much believe that we are what we believe so we've got to kick out the blame/shame/judgment/guilt and stop letting that stuff rent space in our heads.
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your comment. You sound like you've so got it going on and you are pre-op! I had no one to learn from 13 years ago so that's why I try to start conversations about the important things. Thank you Chrystine.
Hugs, Y

Yep...I wish that my surgery cured food addiction too but....I way rather work on it now than at my highest weight. There's an excellent comment that was made by another member. I'd encourage you to educate yourself as much as possible because you can retrain your brain in numerous ways to help you fight it effectively. I know I'll fight it forever but I get better at it the more I practice!

OMG..... I forgot all about how, in my twenties, I would buy my stockpile of junk food on Friday afternoons (including the big ole bucket of chicken) and not resurface to the world until Monday mornings.... I just broke down and had a good cry..... ...... ...... ......

Awareness of addiction is a huge step. Geneen Roth has written a number of books about addictive eating that I have found helpful. Mindfulness and DBT training can also be helpful in overcoming compulsive over-eating and replacing negative thought processes. Some people find 12 step programs helpful. For many, the answer really is eliminating the trigger foods such as white flour or sugar. It's important to realize though that an over-dependence on sugar substitute never quiets the longing and desire for sugar though.
I don't think there is any "one size fits all" answer. I know that I come from a family with compulsive and addictive behaviors. I have never picked up cigarettes, drugs or alcohol but have definitely relied on food. For the first 25+ years it wasn't much of an issue because I could eat what I wanted and stayed close to a healthy weight (maybe 10 lbs heavy). By the time I finally got a handle on my compulsive over-eating, between my Hashimoto's which is difficult to control even with Synthroid, my metabolic syndrome and the pain that makes working out difficult, I know WLS is the only way to help me attain a healthy weight. If I hadn't wrapped my head around the food issue though, having the surgery wouldn't really help in the long run. I had my first WLS appointment Jan 2 and have lost 15 lbs since then. Such a struggle since my metabolism is so messed up.
Do I still have an occasional candy bar and Coke pre-surgery? Yes. But I can't remember the last time I had a 16 oz bag of fun size Snickers bar and devoured them in an evening. If you are already post-op and still obsessing about food, please find a program, therapist, behavioral lifestyle class - something to help set you free.
Best wishes,
Chrystine

During the course of our lives, many of us will need some kind of GI (gastrointestinal) surgery—gallbladder or appendix removal, hernia repairs or more serious issues related to the colon. Special care should be heeded to patients who have previously undergone weight loss surgery due to anatomic changes as a result of the procedure.


It’s also important to note that bariatric surgeons specialize in performing most general and laparoscopic operations (unrelated to the weight loss surgery) in the torso region of the body.

I recently had a case where my bariatric patient had his gallbladder removed by a general surgeon who was not a bariatric surgeon. Why? He didn’t realize that I also perform gallbladder surgery at least 2-3 times per week. Unfortunately, this patient experienced post-op complications which I was able to address successfully.

This incident compelled me to ask other post-op patients what they would do if they needed an operation in the GI region.
“Really? I thought you only performed weight loss surgery,” many of my patients remarked. When one patient told me she would definitely ask me for a referral, I knew I needed to compose an article about this subject.

If you are facing an operation in the abdominal region, contact your metabolic and bariatric surgeon first, so long as you satisfied with their quality of care. They have been specially trained to successfully treat most medical issues safely and successfully. In addition, they are well versed in your new anatomy and how best to address the medical situation you are facing and oversee your post-op care.
Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net Staff Only Signs At Laboratory” by artur84

This is not about love of food. This is about an abnormal relationship with food. You are obviously not a food addict so it's understandable that you don't get it.
Oh...and about picking up cigarettes from the ground, ash trays, etc. I've done some pretty disgusting things in order to get in my food fix. I won't go into details but I've seen other posts from folks who are also ashamed of some of their behaviors regarding food and let me tell you friend, it's not pretty.

Actually if you search you tube for Biggest Loser gastric sleeve there are a number of former BL contestants who are now sleevers

I appreciate the article and realize that changing behavior and consequences really is about making better choices that become habits. But the definition of an addiction is when something sincerely interferes with your life functioning and you want to stop but can't. That is how food can be with me. My knees hurt and I want to lose weight but hard to implement hours on the treadmill when one's mobility is so limited. I think and hope that the sleeve will give me a great tool, that will set me up for about 6 months of good habits and then after that it is up to me not to go down the slippery slope. And actually I had a dear friend who I found out had been an IV drug user for 30 years. They really wanted to quit and had wanted to for several years, but they didn't have the tools. I connected them with the tools and they quit. Not cold turkey mind you but they did it. My friend also quit smoking as well. I was so proud of my friend, but then realized that I needed to focus on me and my own recovery from my addiction.