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Not concerned about replacement addictions. I don't like alcohol, tastes like crap. I enjoy wine but won't try that until a year out maybe. I would love to get addicted to exercise again. I used to spend 2 and a half hours in the gym 5-6 days a week, cycle there and back. That's a fabulous addiction as it combated some mild situational depression and kept my energy high. I find the study interesting, it's the same for people who have food addictions. I would hear often of people in OA at the meetings I attended, say they were now abstinent of their food addiction, but now battling alcoholism. I always shake my head when people are defensive regarding food addiction in these forums, obviously many people are addicted to food or a kind of food, or element in food, such as carbs. Half the battle is recognizing it, owning it, and abstaining.

Boy, Heather! You have been through the grinder with your band. But my experiences in observing which wls surgery is the most effective don't match yours. Mine more closely match what all the medical research says. A group of us--about 40-50 wls patients--got together a couple of years ago. Someone asked, "Which ones had the DS?" I--inadvertantly, because I was still banded--said, "Just look around...it's the skinny bitches." And it was. I've been researching wls since about the time you were banded and I haven't met anyone--not one person--who had a DS and was unhappy with the way the surgery had performed. I *DID* encounter a person with a drug and alcohol problem who returned to drugs and alcohol and regained about 50 pounds, but even she didn't regain everything. OTOH, many of the banded people I know have had to have revisions and many are still MO, even after years of trying to make the band work for them. I really think that, especially for someone who has had all the problems you have had, your success is really outside the normal range of results. But bravo to you for achieving it! Sue

It's been two years now since my sleeve, and it's the best choice I ever made. My weight is stable +/-10 pounds or so, and it's relatively easy to take off weight that creeps up. I can eat pretty much all kinds of foods now. I still eat relatively small amounts, eat slowly and with small bites. I don't drink with my meals except a small sip now and then. I focus on low carb and high Protein meals. I eat plenty of fats. I still eat my protein first at every meal. I try to stay away from carbs, particularly refined carbs like breads, sugar, honey, rice, potatoes, corn, etc. I don't mean I never eat those things, but I try to limit it or I start to gain. How much can I eat? I can eat 5-6 ounces of meat and a 1/2 cup of vegetables at a meal. Sometimes I can eat more. I can eat a fair amount of salad, as lettuce doesn't seem to take up much room. I walk for exercise, take the stairs, and use a standing desk at work. This keeps my metabolism working better. I hate working out or gym classes. I still drink a lot of fluids and if I don't I get dehydrated very easily. I do drink alcohol, but I try to stay away from sugary cocktails with lots of fruit juice or sweet mixers. The first six months are the hardest. The next six months are difficult, but so much easier than the first. The second year things get much easier, but this is also a danger zone for a lot of people, I think. You must always be aware of what you eat. That said, it is easy to stay on track if you follow your rules: Eat your protein first Eat your vegetables second, and eat a good variety of them Enjoy fruit but limit it Avoid starches and sugars as much as possible (potatoes, rice, corn, bread, tortillas, Cereal, pasta) and save them for special occasions. pizza is my downfall. Keep up with your Water, Vitamins, and tests to insure you are not deficient When you want to drop some weight, do 3 days of Protein shakes. That will reset your sleeve. Then eat high protein/low carb until your excess is off. Once you are back at goal, slowly reintroduce foods back in and try to minimize those carbs to stay at goal. I'm happy to answer questions. Good luck to you all.

Some surgeons will state you should not drink any alcohol as it is empty calories. My surgeon states this but as I dont drink it never bothered me.

If you don't drink any for 3 months.......then it's true. It appears everything just sorta depends on your tolerance for it. Some can, some can't. Some docs allow it, some don't. With alcohol, I believe there is typically more concern about sliding into an alcohol addiction, as a substitute for food addictions.

I'm sure your doctor gave you the instructions. I don't know anyone's pre op diet that makes allowances for Alcohol. You may as well start taking this seriously NOW.

This may not qualify as natural, but buy a bunch of rubbing alcohol pads and sniff them when you feel nauseous. I was severely nauseous after surgery and those puppies helped. It doesn't last long, but it helps.

my personal feelings, its wasted cals and has no nutritional value what so ever. do i drink alcohol ... sure - maybe once every other month. but i notice i retain more Water and just feel crappy after.

I would say nay, but I also don't have a taste for alcohol, so it's really easy for me to say nay! I smoke, and I wasn't willing to give up smoking after surgery even though it's the healthy thing to do.

Biggest difference with what you are dealing with, as opposed to the drug addict, alcoholic, or someone who smokes, is We need food to survive. Its this - the need for something so basic as food...that simply drives me up the wall to. I find my thoughts continually thinking about my next meal...when am I going to eat, what am I going to eat and even something so stupid as asking myself if I am really hungry. Food completely controls my thoughts and often times actions. I have the same frustrations, as I bet nearly everyone on this site does. What makes me feel worse at times, is the mere fact that I have never truly had to worry about meals. I have never had to go without food...in fact, my family (being Italian) tends to cook as though we are expecting 100 plus people to randomly stop over. Growing up, all family gatherings, visits with neighbors involved food. In essence, everything you are feeling is Normal! You will make it, you will survive this journey. It may seem impossible, however, you have taken this situation and are being proactive with your health for not just you but for your family. Try to stay positive.....try to stay motivated....the best has yet to come!

OK... this was me 2 Fridays ago, and the Friday before that too... ( so 2 Fridays in a row!!!) Here's the email i sent to my doc: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Last week on Friday, I full on fainted.. I was dancing and felt really dizzy, so, i drank a couple of glasses of ice Water, and some cider, then the room started spinning and i sat down.. tried to stand up and the room spun more and my legs felt wobbly.. sat down again and woke up on the floor with people grabbing me... I blacked out completely because I don't remember anything.. Tonight... same thing.. not as severe.. no spinning just weak legs, then woozy and sat down.. put my head between my knees .. and bam.. woke up on the floor again.... Any idea about what is wrong with me?? Once is not really a big deal but 2 times in 8 days... I'm starting to worry a bit.... HELP!! fyi... good sodium intake and even made a point today to ask the bartender to add sugar to my cranberry/cider (non-alcoholic) cocktail...and drank lots of water... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, on both of those days, my hydration was great, but my calorie count was really low.... i would say that it is low blood-sugar... My doctor responded that it is not a big deal, and actually quite normal... 2 reasons... malnutrition and rapid weight loss.. My GP did a full blood scan and it was normal... he thought malnutrition too and recommended I eat a tiny bit of anything every 2 hours... Have done that for the last week and a half and feel so much better!!! In addition i would say it was also because i had been dancing a LOT, the club was bloody hot, and quite packed... Sound familiar?? So, my solution: stay hydrated... one drink maximum and keep some beef Jerky in my bag to snack on... it has REALLY helped... I went dancing the next day, did this, and i was fine... of course my friends are still kinda freaking out, so they make me take a break from dancing to eat.... if you are like me you don't want to eat past lunchtime on days you will go out, but that doesn't work cuz 12 hours without food, plus a LOT of freaking exercise dancing (1 hour at my weight burns 1000 calories)... equals the room spinning and passing out in front of my friends (and the very cute bartender who is never going to ask me out now that i have fainted in front of him TWICE... bloody hell!) What do you think???

I always viewed the diet recommended as a guideline. In general, the less carbs the better chances of long-term success. I DO find if I eat/drink carbs the hunger hits me more. I do find that getting my 100-130g Protein keeps me satiated. If I choose to have alcohol or higher carbs I am dealing with the smack in my head calling me to want to eat more. The best is to find YOUR carb limit YOU can live with. I knew going in that if I restricted everything this would fail for me. It is a rare day my net carbs go over 100. I wish you health and happiness and hope you find what works for you for life. This is not a quick fix but merely a tool, a very powerful tool, but still, just a tool to help.

I've lost a total of 96 pounds so far and well in the "normal" BMI range. I passed my surgeon's goal at 6 1/2 months. Passed my personal goal at 7 1/2 months. At 8 1/2 months I'm still losing at a rate of about 2 pounds/month. Like I said in a previous post, I chose to not track and measure my food. I simply eat balanced, healthy meals, focusing on Protein. I did limit, but not eliminate carbs. I've added fruit to my protein smoothies, and had occasional crackers, bread, dessert and alcohol since about 3 months out. As I got within 5 pounds of surgeon' goal, I added in even more fruit, whole grains and fats, and have continued to lose (20 pounds since upping my carbs and fat). I guess I'm officially in maintenance, but haven't really changed what I'm doing because I'm comfortable with what and how much I eat. But I totally agree with bearman99....you just need to find what works for you for the rest of your life. There are dozens of ways to make this work.....whether it's tracking and measuring or not, or going to the gym everyday or not. Postop life is all about choices, so you can choose whatever path works for you.

Are you allowed to have these after the lapband? ~Jodie

The surgeon's advice about alcohol after WLS -- yes or no, when to resume (if ever), how much is safe, which kinds of alcohol are fine and which are verboten -- vary considerably, depending on the surgeon advising.

@ I asked my surgeon this very question! I have almost tapered off drinking completely but I like to enjoy a drink now and again. I have a wedding 3 weeks pre-op, and it's open bar so I wanted to be sure ahead of time before I did anything I shouldn't! He told me that as long as I'm not doing it during my "pre-op" diet, and not doing it consistently, I should be fine. But he did say no alcohol what-so-ever during the 14 day pre-op diet. I know every surgeon is different, but that's the answer I got if it helps! Best of luck!

Before my first fill, and even now, I track my food on Livestrong.com's The Daily Plate function. I set a calorie goal to lose 2lbs a week, and I try hard to stick to it. I eat when I feel hungry, and stop when I'm full....definitely making smarter choices than pre-surgery. No soda, no fried foods, no alcohol...and try to walk as exercise every day. Just take care of yourself, listen to your body, and try to eat balanced, with all your Protein, sneak some veggies in, try to avoid the bad carbs, and all your Fluid.

Ok…. so they gave us six tips these people seem to have in common and I’m thinking most people won’t get past the first one. Just like knowing the sky is blue, this first tip will be just like being told it isn’t….but what if this nugget is really spot-on? Truth is it won’t apply to everyone but I’m going to attempt to explain why it might apply to way more than you think. Let’s get the next part over with (the posting of the list) so we can go ahead and get done with the screaming after reading the first rule. Rule No. 1. Don’t ever cheat. They never give themselves a break, not even on holidays or weekends. Rule No. 2. Eat breakfast. The National Weight Control Registry shows that’s one of the most common traits of those who succeed in keeping those pounds off once and for all. Rule No. 3. Get on a scale every day. Rule No. 4. Put in the equivalent of a four-mile walk seven days a week. Rule No. 5. Watch less than half as much TV as the overall population. Rule No. 6. Eat 50 to 300 calories less than most people. So rule 4,5, and 6 deal with the “stuff” we’ve heard forever….calories in/calories out. For years I never ate breakfast because every day for over three decades I woke up with the idea that I would go as long as possible without eating. Too bad no one was around to tell me in the 4th grade that I was destroying my metabolism. So check…Rule 2 is a given. Since finding out there are about approximately 2,000 steps in a mile, most days…Rule 4, check! Rule 5 done. Sometimes I watch TV while I’m walking so I’m not sure exactly how that fits in. Rule 3 is an absolute for me. “Hello scale” every morning…it just gives me feedback and it has no special monster powers. I’ll do a “part two” in order to cover this in another post because this one is for everyone still laying on the floor from a cold faint after reading Rule 1. My surgery was nearly 13 years ago and I’ve learned many, many things. Some beliefs that were absolutes changed and Rule 1 was one of them. I’ve told this before and I’m telling it again. Early on I would allow myself my one guilty pleasure ONLY IF I was able to get 5 pounds below goal. (It was a Quarter Pounder with cheese – insert my self induced shame). I was somehow able to stick to that but what I noticed was on the days I couldn’t have it, I wanted it! Eventually it became harder and nearly impossible to get 5 pounds below goal and after some period of time I also realized that I was beginning to forget how my “crack” meal tasted. Then I totally forgot and I didn’t even crave it anymore. Because I stopped eating it I had successfully rewired my brain to lose the cravings. I was also acutely aware the cravings would come right back if I ate another one…even one bite. Um….duh. That’s sort of like quitting cigarettes and having one just for fun after 3 years. I’ll say this again too. For me, the idea of taking a bite of something to get past the craving equates to giving an alcoholic a sip of beer to stop the craving. SOME of us can take these bites but so many cannot. If I had a quarter for every post-op that told me the M&M story, I could take a trip to Mexico. The M&M story you might ask? Maybe it’s because they are tiny…but the story always starts the same. “I was doing great for 2 years, 4 years, (sometimes even longer) and I ate one M&M. Really what could that hurt? Next it was two then three…then a small bag, a bigger bag.” Some call it testing the waters. They went such a long time without one single M&M and nobody died, they certainly didn’t miss out on anything of nutritional value and they were doing great until they decided they could try just one. In other words they never cheated during that time and most were at the weight they wanted to be or at least smaller than after they started the M&M’s. You CAN be abstinent from sugar and junk food and it is far easier if you have none instead of a little for those that struggle with not being able to stop. Again let me repeat….IF you can “eat just one”, go for it. I’m beyond thrilled for you!!! If you find you are not losing or you are in the process of regain, you could always try stopping any food you don’t wish to crave. Try it for a month but approach it one day at a time. When I’m somewhere and there’s a bowl of M&M’s, I look at it as if it’s a bowl of cyanide. Sugar put me in the prison of an obese body and at the end I would have rather died than spend another day at my heaviest weight. And really….if you were a drug addict would you allow yourself a cheat snort once a week? This is a great quote that applies. 100% is easy, 99% is a b***h. Not eating processed sugar and junk food 100% is so easy but 99% leaves a ton of wiggle room. It has became totally effortless for me to avoid these foods but please don’t misunderstand…..my journey is still something I work on every….single…day. If you still think this is utterly ridiculous, file it away for later. My favorite quote: There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance — that principle is contempt prior to investigation. It means don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. And just in case you might have missed this before… I’ll leave you with an oldie but goodie.. .

I just posted this in another thread but it mostly applies. PLAN. FOR. IT. Most of us are food addicts. We have no self control when it comes to food. We will under estimate what we ate and then be surprised when the weight gain happens. I strongly advocate keeping a food diary. It's not to obsess over calories and how low we can keep then and stay healthy. It's to keep ourselves accountable. I use myfitnesspal. I have it set to also include carbs, sodium, fat and sugar. There is a maximun level of carbs, fat and sugar that works for me, so I monitor that. I used to have a problem with my feet and legs swelling so I monitor my sodium levels. I fill out my diary in the morning and add or subtract in the evenings according to what I actually ate. They also have an app for on the go changes. I do not allow anything in my house that I cannot eat without bingeing. I don't care is it's Suzie's favorite thing. It's not allowed because I am an addict and have no self control. If you have family members who miss their favorite food, tell them to buy a single serving portion and eat it. Sabotaging foods are not allowed in the cabinets.If you were an alcoholic would they insist on keeping that 6 pack in the house? EXERCISE - I don't care if it's taking a 30 minute walk each day or Leslie walk away the pounds DVDs. Commit to something on a regular basis.

It sounds like she truly believed the surgery would "solve all her problems". The results of immaturity, abuse, trauma, addiction, and mental illness is not going be "solved" by anything let alone weight loss surgery. Without surgery she would have certainly continued to abuse food and still may have turned to alcohol, drugs, and sex anyway. Blaming the surgery for her issues doesn't sound very healthy to me. What would her life been like without it? You can't compare apples to oranges. If she was unwilling to seek counseling before bariatric surgery should she have been denied? I don't know. A lot of folks of all ages go into this process blindly. Some actually learn and grow through the process. Some do not. Some people have the capacity for personal growth. Some do not. If she was a poor candidate for WLS she still might have been able to learn from the experience. If she had been a great candidate for surgery, she still might have wound up where she is today. I just don't think there is necessarily cause and effect at work here. This is much more complex than she or the article seem to acknowledge. Yes, I think there needs to be many more mental health resources both pre- and post-op for anyone who is obese. There certainly are not enough affordable mental health resources in the US period.

I've never really been a huge drinker, and before surgery it was not uncommon for me to go many months without a drink. I had my surgery Nov., 2015 and am living an entirely different lifestyle in a new country where drinking alcohol is the one common denominator at every social event. Because I suffer from social anxiety, this appeals to me because it calms me down and makes me more outgoing and friendly. That is, if I wasn't drinking I would stay home. My question is how does this effect weight loss and maintaining weight?

Banded 9/4, first fill was on last Thursday, 4cc. I don't feel any different since the fill, but I always take small bites and eat slow:-) Went to a wedding last night, I was nervous about what they were going to serve to eat. I had chicken, green beans and mashed red skin potatoes! No problems with any of the food, thank goodness. I did have my first cocktails since being banded and I can drink just like I did pre-band:-) I only drink on occasion, had water with black cherry mio and whipped vodka, yummy! Low calorie, non carbonated:-) danced the night away (cardio) and had a blast! Now I know I can survive a get together just fine with my new band:-)

Someone who doesn't have alcohol in their drink.lol

I'm 13 months out and have never regretted it for a minute. I had a pain free recovery and although it took 3-4 months before I felt "normal", I was OK with that. After all, I was recovering from major surgery. Initially I had some lactose intolerance and plain Water and artificial sweeteners hurt my sleeve. But I figured out how to deal with it and after the 4 month mark, those issues disappeared. I found an answer to my constipation (insoluble fiber), I get in all my Protein and fluids, take 3 Vitamin supplements (multi, Vitamin D and B12) and get regular bloodwork to keep ahead of any deficiencies. Fortunately I have had no long term intolerance issues. I can eat anything, including all meats, veggies, fruit, sugar, carbs, and alcohol. I just can't overeat or drink anything carbonated. I don't have GERD but I do get a little gastritis if I eat too many sweets or alcohol, but I guess that's a good thing. And nothing a couple Rolaids or some Zantac can't fix. Seriously, the only difference between my pre and postop life is that I drink less alcohol, I eat less and I eat healthier. It's been very easy to get over the psychological barriers of my food addiction. Being thin and feeling great far outweighs the emotional bond I had with overeating and eating crap. I can eat anything ( in moderation), so there's nothing to miss. I am one of the many lucky ones, but there are a lot of people on here that have had serious complications. Despite their struggles, they continue to maintain a good attitude and don't regret their surgery. Everyone's journey is going to be different and only you can make this a good experience or a bad one.

My doc said alcohol is ok just beware of the liquid calories and stronger effects. As for carbonation, he said that since the sleeve is still relatively new, we don't know what the long term effects are. Maybe stretching, maybe something else, we just don't know.