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You shouldn't have to put off the surgery. At 10 weeks out most people are feeling pretty normal. You probably won't be able to try very much of the cuisine (or any of the alcohol) offered in the all inclusive package, but I'll bet you'll be having so much fun otherwise, you won't miss it.

Sugar free chocolate usually has sugar alcohol in it. Sugar alcohol gives me severe gas. I have to be very careful to see how many grams of it are in anything that is labeled sugar free.

The answer to the question would be true, maybe true, partially false or False. So a question would be, i have never had a problem with alcohol

Three hours does seem awfully long (mine was an hour and I thought that was long). Mostly, I think, they are looking to see that you don't have an eating disorder, that you have realistic expectations for the band, that you don't have severe mental illness (like delusional thinking or hallucinations), that you don't have a drug or alcohol addiction, that you are getting the band for the right reasons (for yourself). They want you to be successful. Probably with the three hours they will talk with you about "head hunger" and using food for things other than strictly nourishment; might also talk about what to expect after you lose your weight (during my psych evaluation the therapist talked about the high rate of divorce among wls patients). They also will probably talk to you about your weight loss/gain history. They are not going to be concerned that you take an anti-anxiety medication--especially if your anxiety is controlled (I have clinical depression, but it's controlled with my medications, and they didn't blink an eye about it). Don't worry. They won't think you're crazy. :tongue2:

I'd like to know about people's experience with alcohol post-op. How much do you drink? Last night while I was on a plane back home to LA I ordered a mix drink with my dinner, after 4 ounces I knew I'd reached my limit, I felt very sleepy lol.

The headache could also be from the change of diet. You’re going through a withdrawal from the foods your body used to crave or you regularly ate & your body had became used to. Could be from stopping sugar, carbs, alcohol or caffeine.

Nahhhh... Unless you are planning on drinking directly from the ocean, you should be fine. I was. Take your favorite insulated Water bottle, fill it with ice and the non alcoholic beverage of your choice and sip sip sip. If you must, set your timer to remind you to take a drink every five minutes. I actually think there is an app for that. For realz...

I was told I can't drink for the first 6 months is this true if so why? I'm thinking about thanks giving I usually have wine and was wondering if it would be ok. also can anyone tell me their experience with alcohol after being banded thank you in advance!

Seeing lots of these posts in the last year, I can almost bet you have let a few bad habits slip back into your lifestyle. (Not judging at all, just from what I've seen happen) You've stopped tracking and weighing You've stopped eating protien first You've either stopped or cut back on regular exercise You've let too many simple carbs back into your diet You're eating too many sweet treats You're drinking too many empty calories (ie Starbucks coffees, sodas, alcohol) You're not drinking 64 oz of Water Like I said, I haven't even hit maintenence yet, so I have no room to judge at all. But if you get back to basics and start getting back on board with the list above, I'll bet you can get to your goal by Christmas! Good Luck!

Lettuce compare bad dates ( NOT the fruit) Current mood:Sylvan Category: Blogging So, before I get started I have 2 important announcements: 1) - Our newest blog friend, Misbehaving ( I assume everybody has met MB and read his blogs? M, I'm talking to you.....don't be shy......he writes good stuff) pointed out that I've totally ignored my tradition of dedicating a blog to the newest kid on the block, so to speak. This blog is dedicated to you, MB (although the "honor" may be a little dubious). 2) - This blog has been blatantly inspired by MB's latest. Ciss kinda went into it in her comments, and I realized that the story has to be told. In all of its ugliness. To really understand how I got into this mess, everybody needs to understand 2 things about me ( side note- Is this "2 things" a recurring theme? I don't know, my friend.....I don't know): I have trouble telling people "no", and I'm waaaaay too nice. I understand your skepticism, but it's true. The "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere of Atlanta High School was so oppressive, that I had gained a reputation as a "really nice guy" (no better way to get laid in high school, right? yeah) by doing nothing more than NOT insulting people to their faces. Apparently I'd also, by my junior year, captured the attention of a senior lass (Her name is ****). Her father and my father were......not good friends, exactly, but......they knew each other really well. Throughout the year I had avoided going to ****'s Halloween party ( She told me "I'll be wearing a toga"), ****'s Thanksgiving party ( "We're gonna play seven minutes in Heaven"....I didn't know what that was, but I didn't like the sound of it), and ****'s Christmas & New Year's parties ( I knew all about the hazards of mistletoe and 12:00). Spring was rolling around fast, though, and so was prom season. At my house, hints were getting dropped that **** wanted to ask me to her prom. This was an actual conversation: Dad: "I saw Jerry ***** today." Me: "Really." Dad: "He said his daughter thinks you're a fine young man, and so does he" Me: "........." Dad: "He thought you might be a good date for her prom. She's cute." Me: "Dad, she's kinda ugly" Dad: "........." (sending out silent, powerful waves of disapproval) The very next day at school, **** cornered me and asked me to the prom. It was a little awkward, because we almost never spoke. I hemmed and hawed, but for every half-excuse I gave, she had a comeback (I cracked under pressure and couldn't think of a iron-clad excuse. Besides, I was trying to give her the opportunity to save some face, but she was having none of it). Finally, she administered the coup-de-grace: "I've already bought the tickets, and there's nobody else to go with...PLEASE?" Prom time. Everybody parked their cars at the high school and boarded a chartered bus to go to the big city of Texarkana. The whole ride down (about 45 mins) was incredibly awkward and silent. I didn't have any friends in the SR. class of 1987, and I didn't know squat about my date. Since it was a chartered bus, the chaperones were not exactly vigilant about screening for alcohol, and everybody was drinking like a fish (except.....somebody forgot to give me the memo. And I could have used a stiff drink). All throughout the night, I fought off a tipsy, dry-humping **** who was trying to kiss my neck. At one point, my date told me "You ought to take off your shirt and just wear your jacket and bowtie".....(WTF?!?). I declined. It was a looooooooong dance. The bus ride back was even worse. It was very dark, and the slobbery sounds of kissing seemed to be preternaturally amplified. I stared straight ahead, thinking how much of a good-night kiss I'd have to pony up to avoid being talked about. At this point, **** takes my arm, puts it around her shoulder, and for good measure, down the front of her dress. So now I've got a handful of boob (Another sidebar....as a commited boob man, that part wasn't so bad. It was just a little unexpected). It was time to man up and take one for the team, so I made out with her. Just for a little while. When the bus arrived back at the high school, **** and I went to my car (unluckily, like MB, it had bench seats. Because I'm a quick, quick learner, I planted my right hand firmly on the steering wheel). **** leaned over and breathlessly wispered "I don't have to be back anytime. My parents trust you....we can do anything you want.....". What I wanted to say was "Ok, then.....we're off to find some hot chicks". Instead, what came out of my mouth was "Er.....It's already a little past my curfew.....I have to go home". I thought that would get my point across. Wrong. **** was incredibly unfazed, saying "....Well, call me tomorrow and we can do something then". Wow.......I didn't call. Every so often for the rest of the year, My dad would ask if I'd seen **** around, or had heard from her. I would just look at him in stony silence. He got the message. Years later, Ciss and I saw **** at the local Super Wal-Mart ( the social nexus of Cass County) going grocery shopping. **** was loading her buggy up with frozen entreees. "Hmmmmm", said Ciss, "Dinner for one, ****?" It was the best and meanest line I had heard in a long time.

Friends (I’ll be there for you)....... Current mood:nostalgic Category: Blogging Halloween Weekend was a blast. Ciss and I got invited / crashed a great party (thanks, Lancey). It was mostly a costume party, and most guests dressed up to some extent (On a side note, I have to confess I LOVE dressing up on Halloween......and anybody else that can un-selfconciously wear a costume has earned a little of my respect). Lancey and Shelley's house is beautiful, the party was not a huge event, and nobody (that I could tell) over-indulged on alcohol. Imagine, then, my surprise when I asked where the bathroom was. "Oh, you don't wanna go in there", Aaron said. "Why not", I inquired. "Because somebody pee'd all over the floor. Really hosed the whole place down" "?!?" The "Mysterious Pisser" did such a thorough job of wetting the place down that somebody had to actually get A MOP and clean. It was reminiscent of a truck stop bathroom in hill country. I suspect whoever it was was doing his impression of "Man drinking from a water fountain", or "Lawn sprinkler". So far, the identity of the pisser remains shrouded in mystery. This anecdote reminded me of another little gem of a story.....one that has to be told. Jimmy S. was (technically still is) a guy 2 yrs older than me. We went to school together, and to the same church (his dad is the pastor), and although I knew who he was, we never really hung out in the same circles (in small town Atlanta, Texas, this means that we had different drinking buddies). Until B. developed a crush on Jimmy. See, whenever B came in to see Cissy, she was by default in our drinking group. And B wanted to meet Jimmy, so we usually had to tailor our plans in some incredibly complex Rube Goldberg-ian fashion just so B and Jimmy could cross paths (to which she would act all surprised and say "oh hey, what are YOU doing here"). Whatever. We all went along because we were tired of B's current boyfriend, a nancyboy supreme. The point is, we got to know Jimmy. And to know Jimmy is to like Jimmy. He was very easygoing, loved to drink beer, and had access to a skiboat!!! Jimmy eventually becomes a drinking buddy, even outlasting he and B's relationship. The introductory pisser story reminded me of something Jimmy once told me. It seems that he had some anxiety about urinating in somebody else's bathroom, due to the "splashing noise". If the room was unusually quiet, he would actually get on his knees and relieve himself, to try and cut down on the noise. Oddly enough, he had never shared this secret with B. Which kind of opens the floodgates for "Jimmy Stories". There is a city about an hour away that decorates the whole downtown area for Christmas with millions of Christmas lights. Jimmy once told Cissy's parents that they should go see the lights. "It's better if ya wait until dark, though", he advised them, dead serious. Once Jimmy told me that he and anoher friend were driving around on the backroads drinking beer when they came upon what they thought was a horrific wreck. Police sirens and wet, red meat on the road almost made him throw up......until his friend told him it was just an overturned watermelon truck. The piece de la resistance, however, is when Jimmy and I were working one summer for the Tx State Hwy Dept. We had to get serious physicals. The kind where ya have to "turn your head and cough", if you know what I mean. When Jimmy went in to do his physical, the Doctor told him to "Drop your pants to your knees", and turned around to scribble some notes on the chart. When the doc turned back around, Jimmy was on his knees, pants bunched around his ankles. "Son, what the hell are you doing down there?" the doc demanded. Jimmy answered "I thought you said 'Drop your pants and to your knees'......" Keep in mind that nobody would ever have known this story if he hadn't told it on himself. Dude had a sense of humor, that's for sure. Then there was the time that my ex-girlfriend gave him a handjob. Funny stuff, but that's a whole other blog. By and large, Jimmy is a great guy (even if he wasn't exactly the brightest back in the old days, he sure was a lot of fun). He's married now and has a family. I think he's doing pretty good, except for a freakish mild heart attack that he suffered a few years back. I hope he kicks ass. He was, and still is a very good friend, even if I haven't seen him in years, and I wish him happiness. He did have to put up with B for awhile, after all.....heehee.....

they wouldn't send me home with a precription for the dex, so I'm still in the "test" phase. I can only hope they got the numbers that I need. Yesterday I had another one of those frantic freaker/tweeker episodes. Heh, I'm sure I'd be arrested for being intoxicated in public! I ended up walking in a circle in my kitchen for over an hour... When my brain started to work again, I taught my spud boy how to make a drink for me. He's not wild about giving me booze, but alcohol and cortisol "eat" each other, so I can only hope that one or more stiff drinks will bring me out of it. I'm so tired of this. I went to bed lastnight at about 3 am, was wired until about 4:30, up again at 6am and then at 8 am again. I am pretty sure this UFC will be really high, but I don't "need" any more high UFCs.... And I'm rambling again.

I already found out about alcoholism first hand. I'd like to hear what people have to say for themselves. But had i not known, it would be helpful if someone spoke about it, thats not something any of the books have mentioned. Thats why i'm asking, if i don't know then i can't ask specifics.

Much of Carnie Wilson's weight re-gain after her bypass had to do with her being an alcoholic. She was drinking a bottle of wine a day. Some people have addictive personalities. It may be genetic. Her father has dealt with substance abuse problems and mental illness his whole life.

I'm with Foxbins on this one. And, just my personal experience, but foods with sugar alcohol gave and still to this very day gives me horrific gas. I never bothered with this net carb vs. good carb vs. bad carb. For me and me only as you'll get varied opinions on this topic, my body likes to burn those carbs, regardless of how much fiber I eat with them, over burning fat. So, a carb was a carb was a carb during my losing stage.

I stumbled on this support section on the forum last night and feel it was for a reason... I need some help . I am feeling like presently I am not only using food but alcohol as well to numb me and stuff everything down. I have had some complications and have been basically unrestricted and going crazy eating since May... I gained like 35 back now.... I also have been drinking as well all along and even when I was close to goal for the past four years... I am at a point emotionally where I realize I need professional help for my head and that I really need to sort out the baggage. It can't be pushed down anymore if I am using food and alcohol as my only source of comfort. Even when it was only a three ounce piece of salmon and pureed vegtables it was my source of focus and soothing always with an "expensive" glass of wine or more...Going "out" to a nice place was a n entire experience for me to make myself feel better... Is this so wrrong? I guess when you can'e control your eating and drinking it is... I am considering a 12 step...I have been to AA before a few years back but of course decided that I really did not have a problem ... I also had trouble finding a group I felt comfortable with. The person I asked to be my sponsor flaked out and I was scared off. I have been to Food Addicts for awhile. I have never tried OA . I just need some advice and connection with someone on here. I am banded ,,,soon to be re-banded and not your average case. I am feeling awful right now.

I discovered that I am intolerant of Xylitol, one of the "alcohol" types of artificial sweeteners. It causes gas, cramping, etc. I take some Gas-X when I inadvertently consume some and it takes care of the problem. It seems strange that you would be intolerant of all of those artificial sweeteners since many are not even chemically related. Does your surgeon require you to consult with a nutritionist as part of your pre-op plan? He/she would be the best person to help you with this issue. This should only be a problem for you during the liquid diet phases. Good luck........Dan

Hey! I haven't been banded yet. I can tell you that as hard as given up drinking may be for you its totally worth it when it comes to your health. Alcohol has a ton of empty calories the importnat thing is that if you do get the surgery you do it for you.

So Happy that my surgery is only 2-1/2 weeks away!!! I have been working on getting my house clean this week and today and man till today I didn't realize how much my weight holds me back. I did most of the cleaning this week and today I just swept the rug up in my hallway upstairs cause it's a low pile rug and I wanted to get all the fuzzy's up and my vacuum is a POS, so I did that and it's only about 15 feet long then swept it down the stairs which there is only 10 stairs with a little landing in the middle and I am sweating like no other and now I just want to take a shower cause I feel like crap? So I don't think I am getting much more done today. I can't believe just how far I let myself get, and how much it holds me back. I am lucky I have a wonderful boyfriend that will help me out with the house cleaning and keeping it up, and my kids well they will when they realize what I just went through after the surgery. They don't know yet, cause I don't want them telling their father or mostly their fathers girlfriend, she thinks I take drugs to loose weight, but i am the biggest anti drug person I know. I don't drink alcohol, and I definitely don't do drugs. So I have decided that I won't tell them till the day before. I just got my paperwork in from the doctor yesterday confirming my date and time for my appointments coming up and I am super excited for all this to begin. I have to go to the hospital where I am having the procedure done on the 4th at 9:30 and then to my doctors right after I am done there, then start my 2 week diet the 5th, and then on the 19th I need to be at the hospital at 6 am for a 9 am surgery. I am going to have to figure out what I will do with my kids that morning so that I can get them off to school, but I am sure my mom will help me out. So I am ready and nothing is stopping me now. I hope that everyone that has their surgeries coming up in march and in the future good luck!!! I know much this means to me, so I know how much this must mean to you too!!

LOL - yeah, I get it, thanks guys. The more I think about it, the more I see what a waste of calories any alcohol is... so, I'll happily wait till I reach goal, at least, maybe by my birthday at the end of July! Yay Crystal Light...!

Just to clarify, I was not implying that your surgeon is lying or that you shouldn't trust him. I believe this is going to fall under the same category of "per my surgeon" kind of like the soda post sleeve thing, or pre op/post op diet guidelines. Only 30% of RNY patients dump, so maybe we can hope that percentage will be considerably less with VSG. I agree with the motility/transit time. But, look at the consistency of the foods discussed here that caused those issues. At 5 months out, I could have 1 glass of wine, and I was pretty well toast. Now, give me about 4-5 heavy poured rum/cokes, and I might catch a buzz. I do not drink on a regular basis. I might have a glass of wine once a week. By glass, I mean 4oz of a nice Riesling. So, it's not like I've been knocking them back and have built my tolerance back up. It's just different now for me. Obviously, liquids (ice cream/alcohol) are going to hit our intestines faster, and that's where the absorption of glucose occurs. Since it's liquid sugar hitting our intestines, I'm sure some of our bodies are gonna be pissed off. Luckily, I haven't had those issues. So, for me, I can see how the liquid sugars could hit the intestines quicker and cause dumping symptoms because there is very little digestion of sugars by the stomach when they hit the pyloric valve. Plus, our sleeves are much smaller than that big ole stomach we had before surgery that allowed all that ice cream to sit in there for a bit before moving on as quickly. If we saw consistency of dumping with carbs (these stick around a little longer in our tummies), or other high glycemic index foods, I think it make more sense to me. Again, let me say that I'm not arguing, just giving my thoughts on the subject. Also, if we look at people that discuss the dumping symptoms or nausea, it's with liquid sugars, cake icing, ice cream causing these symptoms. Now, I'm all interested to find out if DS patients have this issue with dumping. I mean they have the sleeve, a little rerouting, and some switching going on. So, I'll talk to a few of the DS'ers that I know on OH, and find out. The little bit I do know about DS, they do not dump based on the same theory that the sleeve keeps the pyloric valve intact. Do you dump every time? Do you dump on carbs? Like pizza crust, potatoes, other carbs? I know we've talked about your issues with ice cream and some super sweet slider food stuff, but I don't remember if you get the same symptoms with carbs or maybe fruit? Does regular milk cause you issues as well?

No but I don't really eat off plan often. I'm almost 2 years out also. Honestly my digestive system and body function exactly the same, the only difference is my stomach is small. No changes to tastes, no food allergies, same alcohol tolerance, etc.

I hear you! I am 4 weeks post op now and I have 2 mantras: "I'M NEVER GOING BACK!" and "IT's JUST NOT WORTH IT!" (when tempted to taste or take a bit of something not allowed.) This is way too much work, money, and risk to throw it away. Use this pre-op time to really clean up your eating. After surgery, you want every bite to be as nutritionally dense as possible, and as healthy as possible. The "New you" deserves nothing less. Get rid of the artificial sweeteners, colors and flavorings. Get rid of the soda and caffeine. (Caffeine may come back later, but you may find you feel better and more stable without it and really not want it anymore. I LOVED coffee, but can't even stomach the thought of it now!) Absolutely get rid of the sugar! ALL sugar! Get rid of processed food. Cook it yourself. Get rid of simple carbs/starches. Minimize wheat or get rid of it altogether. Learn to enjoy other whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, millet, teff, amaranth. Learn to enjoy veggies - LOTS of veggies! They will be the life saver of you success. Of course, get rid of alcohol and tobacco. If you can start making these lifestyle changes NOW, you will have a much easier time after surgery. Recovery is hard enough without having to cold turkey off addictions like sugar and caffeine. Use this time to really EMBRACE the changes. Each change you make means you "WILL NEVER GO BACK!" As far as temptations go, yes they are there, but..... "IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT!" I had to fix a full Mexican meal for a family party, make muffins for work, and cake for a birthday party. I did take a couple of tiny tastes to check for seasoning, but then I spit them out. I remind myself that my time will come to have some of these things, but not right now. Each choice you make is a choice to "go back" or "never go back." Remember that a slip up one day is a mistake. A slip up 2 days in a row is called RELAPSE. Just get back on board immediately. I found that keeping my food journal is critical. I plan all my meals (as tiny as they are) the day before, so there is no guess work the next day. We got ourselves where we are by a lot of bad choices over a long time. (Even if we thought they were good choices at the time with the dieting, starvation, and other crazy stuff we did to wreck our metabolisms and disrupt the normal hormone pathways.) It will take a lot of GOOD choices to rewire our brains and reframe our thinking about food - what is wonderful (veggies) and what is poison (sweets and simple carbs.) We can do it! Let your OCD and rules work for you!!!!!

I've heard it's best to reintroduce alcohol at home as well because some of us will not react well with the new sleeve. I've heard it's common to get drunk off of just a few sips, or get flush and sweaty from the sugar alcohols. Sorry, can't speak from experience -- I don't care much for alcohol so not sure when, if ever, I'll try it again. But women in my support group talk about alcohol ALL THE TIME. Also, remember to count those (empty) calories! Red wine is the best, and measure. Most of us Americans "think" we know a glass of wine, but really the way we pour is more like 2-3 glasses (well over 8-10oz). But yes, please wait at least 6 weeks to 3 months!

Your experience may vary, but mine was I had a very rough time getting to the point of inebriation. Seems to zip right through my sleeve. I would suggest you wait until goal before you start and then proceed carefully. Don't drive the first time you try (better at home with friends). Some women seem to get snockered very quickly and that can be dangerous at a club. To help prevent "transference" addiction, look up The Sinclair Method. Dr. Sinclair discovered that the use of the drug Naltreone seems to block the endorphin rush you get when you drink. It is usually prescribed for people with opiate and alcohol addiction, but I don't know why it can be used as a prophylactic to prevent developing a physiological dependency. (see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2899995/) PS - Let me add LISTEN to your friends. If they suggest you have a problem...YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. They may be polite, but it takes a great deal for most people to bring up such a sensitive situation. Probably enough said there.