Hello everyone! I have been reading thru all the posts for the last week or so and am waiting for a seminar around my location (1 scheduled later this month). I have a few questions so am looking for any guidance anyone can give me.

The first couple of weeks you are on Clear liquids and then onto Soups and Protein shakes. Do you feel this helps you get the sugar out of your system so you don't feel addicted to it any longer?

For those that have lost the weight they needed to, how do you rate the difficulty in maintaining now?

I have lost it and gained it back so many times and was horrified once again at seeing myself in a dressing room mirror as my daughter was trying on clothes.

My husband is giving me that "here we go again" attitude and I just need to be sure. Does it help get rid of the sugar/carb cravings? How is it different from gastric (other than it doesn't re-route the stomach)? I am also having a hard time convincing him because my SIL had gastric a few years back adn lost about 130 lbs and has over the last year gained every ounce of it back.

I don't want to go thru such a drastic measure to find it difficult/impossible to maintain and end up like her by gaining it back.

Please help answer and calm any fears of failure.

Thanks,

Angie

I'll take a stab at some of these.

1. The first couple of weeks many surgeons put you on a liquid diet, then a mushie stage, then a soft food, then solids. I'm assuming you mean post-op. This is really to just allow the stomach to heal and to adjust properly to the band.

If you mean pre-op, then yes, doing a liquid diet pre-op does help to flush the sugars out of your body, but it is mainly used to shrink the liver. I don't believe it curbs the cravings, but once you haven't had certain foods for awhile, in my experience, I don't want them anymore, so I guess it sort of does.

2. I'm not maintaining yet so I can't say too much here.

3. Again, I don't think the cravings just go away. The band isn't some magical thing that re-wires your brain and makes you not think about junk food. It will help curb your appetite and you'll eat less but if you choose to eat the unhealthy foods, then that's all on you.

Per your SIL gaining her weight back, she didn't make the needed lifestyle change. WLS involves changing what you eat, how much of it, and the amount of exercise you do. You can eat around bypass and you can surely eat around the band. It's up to you to train yourself to know what food is proper to eat and what isn't. The band won't do that for you.

If you're ready to make that change and minimize the amount of sweets you eat, then being banded could be a great option for you.