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I can definitely tell I had surgery because I can't eat very much and for some reason really only feel hungry in the morning. Despite the fact I had the Loop DS and was told you don't get dumping syndrome they LIED because wheat makes me dump. I don't really get diarrhea unless I eat too much sugar alcohol (and get REALLY bad gas from it too so I avoid the sugar alcohol as much as I can) but my body DOES decide about 2-3 days a week to completely empty itself so you're in the bathroom for a WHILE (TMI, sorry). I'm a stomach and side sleeper and have no issues with sleeping like that nor does it hurt though I can definitely tell my intestines have been messed with when I have my bathroom trips, but outside of that l don't notice a difference. As to the bathroom thing... in the beginning food went right through me, but my system got used to it and now I usually only go #2 every other day or every 2 days, the problem with that is that my system decides 90% of the time that when I DO go I have to empty everything in me so you're are definitely in there for a while. And sometimes will have to go back for a return trip 1/2 an hour to an hour later. But the funny thing is my system is pretty much regular and this always happens around the same time of day. The surgery was one of the best things I ever did for myself and I'm glad I made the choice to have it done. Knowing what I know if I'd had to do it all over, I would.

There's a lot i stop doing like i quit drinking alcohol and pop i stop smoking but I just find it hard to stop over eating but i know its time to change my day is coming soon thanks for sharing . Sent from my LGMS330 using the BariatricPal App

An interesting summary of the 'state of research'. I normally post a link, but that does not work. So here is the full thread. Full disclosure, I drink coffee, and my program does NOT like that. I really DO follow my program in most things, but coffee is the ONLY drug I've got left... _____ Dear Ontherighttrack, You’ve asked a great question. What is the effect of caffeine on sleeve gastrectomy? To answer your question, I did a search of the medical literature on PubMed, the index for the National Medical Library. I couldn’t find any articles that address your question directly. Incidentally, there were no articles that addressed the effect of caffeine on gastric bypass either. Next I searched for both sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass and coffee. Again the medical library search engine did not return any articles. Thus, so far there have been no studies performed on sleeve gastrectomy patients or gastric bypass patients that would permit or discourage caffeine or coffee use. Most surgeons recommend that gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients avoid caffeine or coffee. These recommendations stem from research work that has been done on non-weight loss surgery patients. Before looking into this further let’s distinguish between caffeine and coffee. Caffeine is an alkaloid chemical that has stimulant effects on the central nervous system as well as other parts of the body. Caffeine is a moderate stimulant of gastric acid production. In some studies it has been shown to decrease lower esophageal sphincter pressure and thus potentially promote reflux. In other studies, the effect on sphincter pressure is not so clear. Coffee is brewed from the coffea plant. Coffee contains numerous biologically active chemicals including caffeine. The degree to which these compounds are present in a given cup of coffee depends on the specific species of coffee plant as well as the roasting and processing methods used to bring the coffee to market (see article by Van Deventer below). Even the type of filter used in a coffee maker will change the types of plant oils that remain in the brew. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD or GORD) is reflux of stomach juices into the esophagus. GERD can cause heartburn. There are several full medical articles attached at the bottom of this reply. Please download these for further information. Coffee/caffeine and gastric acid stimulation There is general agreement that caffeine and coffee are two factors that stimulate stomach acid production. According to Cohen and Booth (1975) “Decaffeinated coffee gave a maximal acid response of 16.5 per hour (mean)which was similar to that of regular coffee, 20.9 mEq per hour, both values being higher than that of caffeine, 8.4, on a cup-equivalent basis.” Thus there are chemicals in coffee aside from caffeine that have potent acid stimulatory effects. In this study, decaffeination did not reduce acid stimulation. Further information about decaffeinated coffee was put forth by Feldmen et. Al (1981): “At equal concentrations, decaffeinated coffee was a more potent stimulant of acid secretion and of gastrin [an acid stimulating gut hormone] release than peptone [a Protein meal acid stimulus]. The ingredient(s) of decaffeinated coffee that accounts for its high potency in stimulating acid secretion and gastrin release has not been identified.” Coffee, caffeine, and esophageal reflux There is considerable controversy in the medical literature as to the effects of coffee and caffeine on esophageal reflux. Here are the conclusions to three articles on the subject. The full article summaries are added below. Wendl (1994) writes, “Coffee, in contrast to tea, increases gastro-oesophageal reflux, an effect that is less pronounced after decaffeination. Caffeine does not seem to be responsible for gastro-oesophageal reflux which must be attributed to other components of coffee.” Boekema (1999) and associates came to an opposite conclusion: “Coffee has no important effect on gastro-oesophageal acid reflux in GORD [GERD] patients, and no effect at all in healthy subjects.” Zheng (2007) conludes, “In conclusion, this large monozygotic co-twin study provides evidence that BMI, tobacco smoking and physical activity at work facilitate the development of GER, while physical activity at leisure time appears to be a protective factor. The association between BMI and frequent GER symptoms among men may be attenuated by genetic factors. In addition, heavy coffee intake may be a protective factor of GER in men and lower education may be a potential risk factor in women.” CONCLUSIONS Caffeine, and more so, coffee and decaf coffee stimulate gastric acid production. Caffeine and coffee may promote gastroesophageal reflux. Caffeine and coffee are just two of many factors that promote gastric acid production and gastroesophageal reflux. Clinical Implications: For sleeve patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux, it is best to avoid caffeine and coffee. For sleeve patients who do not have reflux, I do not see any reason not to enjoy coffee or use caffeine products in moderation. For gastric bypass patients, most surgeons recommend against caffeine and coffee because the acid stimulation that occurs may contribute to the development of anastomotic ulcers. Since there are many other factors involved in the development of these ulcers (alcohol, cigarette smoking and nicotine, and NSAID drugs), it is impossible to know how important the role of coffee and caffeine is. Most surgeons are thus saying avoid coffee and be “better safe than sorry.” REFERENCES Good Water, sports drink, and sports drink with caffeine. drinks for gastric pH and reflux during the preexercise, the cycling, and the postexercise episode, respectively. Gastric emptying, orocecal transit time, and intestinal permeability showed no significant differences between the three trials. However, glucose absorption was significantly increased in the CES + caffeine trial compared with the CES trial (P = 0.017). No significant differences in gastroesophageal reflux, gastric pH, or gastrointestinal transit could be observed between the CES, the CES + caffeine, and the water trials. However, intestinal glucose uptake was increased in the CES + caffeine trial. ___________________________________________________________________ lunch, 1 h after dinner and after an overnight fast Reflux and oesophageal motility parameters were assessed for the first hour after each coffee or water intake. RESULTS: Coffee had no effect on postprandial acid reflux time or number of reflux episodes, either in GORD patients or in healthy subjects. Coffee increased the percentage acid reflux time only when ingested in the fasting period in the GORD patients (median 2.6, range 0-19.3 versus median 0, range 0-8.3; P = 0.028), but not in the healthy subjects. No effect of coffee on postprandial lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (LOSP), patterns of LOSP associated with reflux episodes or oesophageal contractions was found. CONCLUSION: Coffee has no important effect on gastro-oesophageal acid reflux in GORD patients, and no effect at all in healthy subjects. _______________________________________________________________________ beverages and of their major component, caffeine, have not been quantified. The aim of this study was to evaluate gastro-oesophageal reflux induced by coffee and tea before and after a decaffeination process, and to compare it with water and water-containing caffeine. METHODS: Three-hour ambulatory pH-metry was performed on 16 healthy volunteers, who received 300 ml of (i) regular coffee, decaffeinated coffee or tap water (n = 16), (ii) normal tea, decaffeinated tea, tap water, or coffee adapted to normal tea in caffeine concentration (n = 6), and (iii) caffeine-free and caffeine-containing water (n = 8) together with a standardized breakfast. RESULTS: Regular coffee induced a significant (P < 0.05) gastro-oesophageal reflux compared with tap water and normal tea, which were not different from each other. Decaffeination of coffee significantly (P < 0.05) diminished gastro-oesophageal reflux, whereas decaffeination of tea or addition of caffeine to water had no effect. Coffee adapted to normal tea in caffeine concentration significantly (P < 0.05) increased gastro-oesophageal reflux. CONCLUSIONS: Coffee, in contrast to tea, increases gastro-oesophageal reflux, an effect that is less pronounced after decaffeination. Caffeine does not seem to be responsible for gastro-oesophageal reflux which must be attributed to other components of coffee. Angeles, California. Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that differences in the processing of raw coffee Beans can account for some of the variability in gastric effects of coffee drinking. Coffees were selected to represent several ways that green coffee beans are treated, ie, processing variables. These included instant and ground coffee processing, decaffeination method (ethyl acetate or methylene chloride extraction), instant coffee processing temperature (112 degrees F or 300 degrees F), and steam treatment. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure, acid secretion, and blood gastrin was measured in eight human subjects after they consumed each of the different coffees. Consumption of coffee was followed by a sustained decrease in lower esophageal sphincter pressure (P less than 0.05) except for three of the four coffees treated with ethyl acetate regardless of whether or not they contained caffeine. Caffeinated ground coffee stimulated more acid secretion that did decaf ground coffees (P less than 0.05), but not more than a steam-treated caffeinated coffee. Instant coffees did not differ in acid-stimulating ability. Ground caffeinated coffee resulted in higher blood gastrin levels than other ground coffees (P less than 0.05). Freeze-dried instant coffee also tended toward higher gastrin stimulation. It is concluded that some of the observed variability in gastric response to coffee consumption can be traced to differences in how green coffee beans are processed. __________________________________________________________________________________ JAMA. 1981 Jul 17;246(3):248-50. Gastric acid and gastrin response to decaffeinated coffee and a peptone meal. Feldman EJ, Isenberg JI, Grossman MI. Abstract We compared five graded doses of decaffeinated coffee and a widely used protein test meal (Bacto-peptone) as stimulants of acid secretion (intragastric titration) and gastrin release (radioimmunoassay) in eight healthy men. In each subject, for both acid and gastrin, the sums of the responses to all five doses were greater to decaffeinated coffee than to peptone. The mean +/- SE peak acid output in millimoles per hour was 18.5 +/- 2.9 to decaffeinated coffee and 14.7 +/- 2.7 to peptone, representing 70% and 55%, respectively, of the peak acid output to pentagastrin. The mean +/- SEM peak increment over basal rate in serum gastrin in picograms per milliliter was 84.8 +/- 4.4 to decaffeinated coffee and 44.8 +/- 2.1 to peptone. At equal concentrations, decaffeinated coffee was a more potent stimulant of acid secretion and of gastrin release than peptone. The ingredient(s) of decaffeinated coffee that accounts for its high potency in stimulating acid secretion and gastrin release has not been identified. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Dis Esophagus. 2006;19(3):183-8. Effect of caffeine on lower esophageal sphincter pressure in Thai healthy volunteers. Lohsiriwat S, Puengna N, Leelakusolvong S. Source Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. sislr@mahidol.ac.th Abstract Caffeine affects many aspects of body function including the gastrointestinal system. A single-blinded experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of caffeine on lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and esophageal peristaltic contractions in healthy Thai adults. The volunteers were six men and six women aged 19-31 years. Subjects drank 100 mL of water. Five wet swallows were performed 30 min after the drink. The basal LES pressure was continuously measured using esophageal manometric technique. They then consumed another 100 mL of water containing caffeine at the dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight. The swallows and basal LES pressure monitoring were repeated. The results showed no change in basal LES pressure after a water drink while caffeine consumption significantly lowered the pressure at 10, 15, 20 and 25 min. The mean amplitude of contractions and peristaltic velocity were decreased at the distal esophagus at 3 and 8 cm above LES. The mean duration of contraction was decreased at the distal part but increased at the more proximal esophagus. The heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were increased significantly at 10-20 min after caffeine ingestion. This study indicated that caffeine 3.5 mg/kg affected esophageal function, resulting in a decrease in basal LES pressure and distal esophageal contraction, which is known to promote the reflux of gastric contents up into the esophagus. N Engl J Med. 1975 Oct 30;293(18):897-9. Gastric acid secretion and lower-esophageal-sphincter pressure in response to coffee and caffeine. Cohen S, Booth GH Jr. Abstract Caffeine stimulates gastric acid secretion and reduces the competence of the lower esophageal sphincter in man. These effects of caffeine have been used as evidence that regular coffee should not be used by patients with peptic-ulcer disease or gastroesophageal reflux. We compared the dose-response relations of caffeine, regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee for gastric acid secretion and sphincter pressure in normal subjects. Decaffeinated coffee gave a maximal acid response of 16.5 +/- 2.6 mEq per hour (mean +/- S.E.M.), which was similar to that of regular coffee, 20.9 +/- 3.6 mEq per hour, both values being higher than that of caffeine, 8.4 +/- 1.3, on a cup-equivalent basis. Sphincter pressure showed minimal changes in response to caffeine, but was significantly increased by both regular and decaffeinated coffee (P less than 0.05). These data suggest that clinical recommendations based upon the known gastrointestinal effects of caffeine may bear little relation to the actual observed actions of coffee or decaffeinated coffee.

I asked after a month after my surgery if I could drink because it was my 30th birthday, I couldn't make it through a milestone like that, that I couldn't drink... I am fine. My surgeon said, "your weight loss will slow down..." I have discovered that vodka and DIET OCEAN SPRAY CRAN-GRAPE OR CRAN-POMEGRANATE juice helps. My weight loss has not slowed, just happened. Y'all need to be informed!! Drink!!! It's awesome!! Just don't substitute your FOOD addiction for alcohol.... Alcohol can still be enjoyed, just don't over do it. Love all my VSG family!

Yeah and be careful what you post about alcohol on here lol you don't want hate mail like I Have received !!! Cheers to you

Coming from a LOOOOOOONNNGGGG line of alcoholics I have always chosen to stay away from alcohol because I've seen the negative effects it has on people, their health and their family. I always turned to food because that felt safer to me (and look where it got me!) so I will basically echo what everyone else says, not because I want to be a "downer", but because I feel like it should be said. Obviously you have an issue with knowing your "limit" or you never would've needed WLS to begin with and it is dangerous territory to substitute one addiction for another. That is why the amount of alcoholics among WLS is high-people with addictive personalities use one addiction to cope with the loss of another. It doesn't matter if you're escaping using Hostess or Bacardi-they both put you in a bad spot! You've already done so much damage to your body by overeating, you are finally blessed to have the surgery and basically be given a second chance at health and at a month out you feel good about filling your newly constructed stomach with alcohol like you got away with something?! You have an "I'll show them attitiude!" but haven't you already learned that it's YOUR body that suffers? I agree with what others are saying if it really is true that you couldn't make it through your 30th birthday without a drink there are bigger problems you should face. I'm all for drinking in moderation I just feel like those of us with food issues probably have a hard time with "moderation"!

ER nurse here. No judgment, but I will advise that you tell your surgeon about your use. The cocaine in particular can create some serious complications with surgery, and it will make it all the more important that a cardiologist do a full screening on you pre-op. And the cardiologist needs to know about your use as well. There will be medical people who will judge, I wish I could say that doesn't happen. But you VERY MUCH need to be with a medical team that you trust, and who have all the facts. You also need their input about how soon is safe for some of these things. The alcohol, especially since it has to be processed by the stomach. You wouldn't want to put something that stressful in your stomach too soon or you'd risk a lot of complications. As for the effects post-sleeve, I'm still in the decision stage, so I can't help with that info. The people I know with either sleeve or bypass report that alcohol affects them much more and faster than before surgery, but they haven't shared about other substances.

Seems people are all over the place on alcohol, some within two weeks and others waiting months. Does anyone actually know when it is safe to drink?

My surgeon says no beer ever again because of the foam. A lady in my support group tried a beer several months after surgery and regretted it, very painful. But many people here seem to be fine with it. I can't imagine drinking a beer or wine or any alcohol slowly. Yuck. You gotta need a buzz bad to enjoy warm booze. Gross. Sent from my Nexus 6P using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone hope you’re well, I’ve been on the pre-op diet for three weeks and I was very nervous because I had a scheduled trip to Las Vegas. Before the trip I had been meal prepping, measuring my food, weighing my food, etc. so naturally I was very nervous for what I was going to have to go through Las Vegas because all my friends were going and I knew I could not eat as I normally would or drink any alcohol whatsoever. It was very difficult because all the options are fast food and restaurants so I made sure to order the most protein dishes but I found myself eating more larger portions than I should have. I did a lot of walking and I took the stairs when possible. I was there for five whole days no desserts sticking with three meals a day and no snacking while watching all my other friends eat anything they wanted. I was so nervous to get up this morning and weighed myself since today is my first day home because I have my psychologist appointment on Monday. I wanted to show progress but I was so scared that this trip may have set me back. I am so excited to announce that I am actually down four more pounds while on my trip in Vegas putting my total weight loss in the past three weeks on pre op diet to 21 pounds. Thank you God!

I am 3 weeks post op and this weekend I did everything wrong. My husband and kids took me to a resort. I had half an alcoholic drink per day and I had some solids, tomatoes and a bite of lobster, but I chewed forever. I had no issues. I was expecting to get sick but I didn’t. I did this twice and now I am going back to my comfort zone. Only going to have one soup per day and my trusted protein shakes. I had lost 14 lbs but I will not weigh myself for a few days. I do not want to get depressed if I went up. I knew this would be a struggle. Gastric sleeve is only a tool to get you where you want to go. Real changes have to happen anf now I know how I gained the weight. 60lbs in 1 year. I am shocked it wasn’t more.

There was an interesting article in the New York Times about a young woman who had a Lap-Band weight loss surgery after years of suffering the emotional journey of an overweight kid. The story was very honest about what to expect with this type of surgery, and it also tracked the journey of the young woman. The story is of interest to many as more and more teens and adults are turning toward the option of weight loss surgery. The latest number of weight loss surgeries performed in the United States is 220,000 per year. That is a seven-fold increase over the past 10 years according to the New York Times article. Weight loss surgeries do save lives and also improve quality of lives for sure, but they aren’t for everyone. The surgeons do the surgery and are skilled at centers of excellence, but unless the patients come back, join support groups and stay in contact with dieticians, falling off track is way too easy and, unfortunately, many of them do, including the young woman in the NYT story. I run several food addiction groups in Houston, and was featured as the psychotherapist for TLC’s show “Big Medicine.” On the show, I worked closely with Drs. Robert and Garth Davis. We tried to give the viewer an honest look at what happened with the weight loss surgery and the journey after. My work now is primarily with revisions. Revisions are the surgery done when the first weight loss surgery failed. My office is full, as are my support groups. What happened to the patients that so eagerly came into our offices feeling empowered and ready to give up their morbid obesity forever? They are replaced with patients who hang their head feeling like they failed. Even though they feel defeated, the ones I see are the fortunate ones who were able to step out of their shame cycle, call their insurance company and ask for a second chance. They need a second chance because neither they nor we (the health team) had a full picture of what was underneath their weight. They couldn’t see it prior to surgery, and since they are their own historians telling us their story, we are blinded also. I believe in weight loss surgery, but I believe more in the knowledge we impart to the patient prior to and after the surgery. Performing an alteration, such as a weight loss surgery, is a huge decision, but in the case of a minor I think the whole bariatric medicine team must be on board. There has to be a built-in safety net to handle the transformation of the child as well as their family. Everyone who loves the patient must change when someone they love has weight loss surgery. The counselor, dietician, and surgeon must know all of the family members. We must know who is sabotaging and enabling that patient on an emotional level. Enablers are the people still giving the patient food as a source of love. Our bariatric treatment teams must also understand if simply making better food and lifestyle choices worked, it would have worked 20 diets ago. It did not. Obesity has an addictive component, and addictions are kept in place by denial. Most patients will tell you they are not addicted to food exactly the same as an alcoholic will tell you they aren’t addicted to alcohol. The question is: “Do you use food to comfort yourself?” If the patient says “YES,” then treat them for a food addiction. Do this because they are telling you they have a relationship with food that is emotionally based and most likely they are choosing food with high fat or high carbohydrates (not one of my patients has ever had an addiction/emotional relationship to steamed or raw vegetables). Whenever a patient feels like a failure after going through the process of weight loss surgery and everything it entails, it is heart wrenching not only to them, but to me and anyone working in this field. If insurance companies won’t cover patient care for years to come after the surgery, then we in the field are going to have to put these measures in place and make them affordable to the patients. We cannot tell a patient they need to continue in groups and follow-ups if they can no longer afford the cost. Whoever said, “Weight loss surgery is a quick fix” truly never had weight loss surgery or worked with my patients. There is nothing quick about it. Obesity is a disease and once you have it, losing the weight is the easy part, managing that loss is a life long journey.

The type of carb matters when looking at the label (fiber, added sugar, sugar alcohols, etc.) 5g was my teams rec to stay under for sugar alone

Others may feel self-conscious or unattractive because an extreme weight loss leaves them with skin folds or scars. They sometimes feel that surgery did them no good because their bodies still stand-out in public and in private as unusual. One client referred to it as the "Is That All There Is?" syndrome. She said she somehow believed that losing 150 pounds would leave her with a body that society would consider beautiful and what she got was abdominal flesh hanging over her thighs. I notice this is especially true when a person going into the surgical process is focused on getting thin or attractive rather than on getting healthy. There can also be problems in intimate relationships. One woman spoke of her husband's lack of interest in her sexually. In all other ways the relationship was healthy so they were able to talk about it. What she learned was that after the weight loss her husband felt unworthy of her because he was still overweight. He also lost his sexual confidence when his overweight wife, in his words, became "one of the girls in high school who wouldn't give me the time of day." Also, if a WLS patient has early-life traumas unaddressed or not completely addressed prior to surgery the loss of food as a way to placate stress and to reduce anxiety can be a new source of trauma. This leaves many facing a very difficult transition to a life not centered around food. All of these stressors and others are a breeding ground for cross-addictions. It is vital to consider before surgery and in the "thinning" months and years after surgery how you will deal with stress, sadness, fear, loneliness, anxiety, or whatever thoughts and feelings triggered emotional eating in the past. If there is no healthy outlet for these the body and mind will create whatever outlets they can, which most commonly include alcohol, drugs, sex or gambling. The problem of replacing food addiction with alcohol addiction is the one I have personal experience with and have seen the most in people I've encountered. In 2006, three years after LapBand surgery, I developed an addiction to alcohol. I had lost food as my companion, soother of stress, provider of sensual satisfaction and entertainment. I was not able to eat the comfort foods that placated my fears of life prior to WLS and I desperately craved an outlet for uncomfortable emotions and beliefs I took-on and began running from during my childhood in a violent home. So three years after WLS, and after loosing 110 pounds, my dinner every night became a 6-pack of Vodka coolers or more (Sour Apple or Grape) and ironically Healthy Choice low-fat ice cream. At my lowest I was 220 pounds and I felt very uncomfortable and vulnerable in a smaller body. I continued to wear large, baggy clothes because I was afraid to look feminine. Feminine to me then meant I was vulnerable and open to attack. This went on for a year, during which I regained all 110 pounds lost and felt like a failure. Worse, I felt like a public failure because everyone around me knew I'd had LapBand surgery. What I had to do was address the beliefs and fears I had about what it meant to be feminine. I had to come to terms with my past and embrace a future in which it is possible and within reach to be healthy, feminine and safe. To avoid cross-addictions, it is important that individuals considering surgery or those who have had surgery take this very personal, individual journey into the beliefs they hold onto from their pasts. These are the beliefs that caused them to turn to food in an unhealthy way for comfort. It is vitally important to plan what healthy outlets for emotional pain they can create. A therapist or Weight Loss Life Coach can help with this. Dealing with the thoughts and emotions that caused compulsive overeating in the past and forming healthy patterns for working with and releasing fear and anxiety in the future are essential to long-term weight loss and the avoidance of cross-addictions for WLS patients.

Go!! I wouldn't necessarily drink at that stage because it was empty calories but that's just me. Alcohol is a slider so just be careful.

Sliders are empty calories that you can comsume that can bypass your stomach without getting any nutritional value back. Ice cream, because it melts, alcohol, etc are some of these items.

@@charley27 There was a lot of stuff I thought I would never eat after surgery, but in reality my diet is pretty much the same. I would probably go for carby things. When I was eating on 4th of July before I started my pre-op I had sugar things, which was weird because I didn't even eat sugar at that point and hadn't in years. I had a funnel cake, a huge thing fo fries, a cheese steak and I think I got an alcoholic drink even though I didn't drink. So I took a few bites of funnel cake, didn't drink the liquor, ate 1/2 the fries, and made a decent dent in the cheese steak. I was really too hot to eat and I wasn't even mentally in a pig out space, even though I wanted to be. What is your favorite meal?

My nutritionist said no sugar alcohols at all but I think they tend to treat them all the same as maltitol that tends to be the worst when it comes to gastric distress. But xylitol and erythritol don’t cause gastric distress and I found neither did Allulose. The one thing about allulose is it’s derived from sugar. My nutritionist said stick to anything below 4 grams of sugar. Which I ate less sugar prior to surgery (low carb) I haven’t gotten up to eating protein bars again yet. I can’t say if the hero bars would cause dumping and every person is different in what causes dumping. I can only suggest to try a bite and see how your body reacts. For some people even if it’s a sugar alcohol their body sees it as sugar. I’m sorry if that’s not helpful.

When I was pre-op and subsequently during the rapid weight loss part of my journey, I found the support right here on the forum to be priceless. To this day I'm surprised at how much I have learned as the result of others sharing their experiences. What I did not realize in the beginning is how important the support from the forum would be long term. After you're back to a regular diet. After you've reached your goal weight. After you've accomplished what you set out to accomplish. My weight stabilized at 155 over a year ago. My weight this morning was 153.6. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that would not have been possible, or would have been much more challenging, without the ongoing motivation of the real life experiences I read almost every day on this forum. A constant reminder that future success, or failure, is always possible. Like alcoholism, obesity is never "cured". But we don't have to look any further than right here to know that it can be controlled. Alex, my sincere thanks for your insight and hard work in creating this amazing resource. And to every member on this forum, thank you for your unending support, advice, questions and sharing of your journeys so that we all can benefit. I'm lovin the new me every single day. And you all are a big part of that success. You guys are the best!

What's the hot topic for today? I've been thinking about "community." We all have our little groups (communities)...family, work, church, activities, our children's activities....maybe even people who have chosen the same surgery, like here at LBT! These communities give us connectedness to the outside; they provide a meaningful way for us to relate to each other. Sadly, not everyone feels that they belong to a community, so they make some up: gangs, drug and alcohol abusers, unhealthy relationships, etc. Ironically, these communities seek further isolation from society, so that the problem that led people to them is exacerbated further by their participation. Ask yourself if you know anyone who is part of a community that leads to further isolation....I know I have sought company by banding with others who have the same isolating problem I have had. Maybe you're doing the same thing? Take a close look at your communities. Make sure you are part of groups that are caring, positive and supportive of each other. If you are "stuck" in a group that is not like this, (family) do what you can to change your reactions to it. Notice I have not said that these communities have to think, talk, or believe exactly the same as each other...there must be room for respectful disagreement. Respectful. Disagreement. Those two words do not go together often today, do they? They should. So, let's start in our little communities...allow a disagreement of opinion. Seek to give help more than you ask to receive it. Instead of going within, reach out. Somewhere earlier I said I think I do better when I'm helping others...since this topic came to me today, I would imagine I've done enough introspection for now, and it's time to take the show on the road! I am grateful for my communities...my family, my work, my church, my friends, and LBT. I am grateful for my electric foot warmer...so cozy! I am grateful for the love and friendship I share with my husband. To be continued....

I think loosening it for an overseas trip, where care may not be available is a valid option, but not one you should be doing thinking that you can eat heaps on the trip and really enjoy yourself - that is the kind of dysfunctional thinking that made us fat in the first place. You can actually indulge in unusual or out of the ordinary foods on holidays without loosening your band, and you can enjoy it thoroughly. I think yo'[d find most doctors are willing to unfill for travel becuase it ensures band safety. To think you can unfill for one special occasion, that's not a very healthy way of thinking of life with the band. You need to be committed to a lifestyle change and that means your life no longer revolves around food - the whole point of a holiday or a wedding is not how much you can eat. And with a properly adjusted band, you can eat sensibly and enjoy special meals anyway- if you cant, you're too tight. When you get to goal, you can unfill. I never did, I stayed the same weight for years with the same fill, but recently, I had to be completely unfilled for cancer treatment. Amazingly it has not caused weight gain, over time on maintenance, you do learn to eat your caloric needs one way or another - and in hindsight, I was doing a fair bit of eating around my band - sweet treats, alcohol, Snacks, they made up the gap between the caloric values of the size meals I was able to eat and what my body needed, and they were the "extras' that I wasnt eating during the losing phase. When I was unfilled, i got straight onto tracking calories and have moved onto a three meals but bigger meals and healthier foods (all the fruit, vegies and salad I couldnt eat in real quantity while restricted) and I've actually lost about 20lb more (that I really didnt need to lose). I'm finding my balance over time, but am amazed that I need well over 2000 calories a day to maintain my 135lb - so my metabolism, given all the running and circuit training I do, is definitely not shot, its actually very healthy. But I exercised vigorously all the way through my loss and never dipped below 1500 calories, I think very low calorie diets are going to set you up for having quite a deal of trouble in the longer term maintaining your weight loss. Like the poster above me, I monitor my weight, and adjust if it goes up a little - had a big weekend away with a once in a lifetime gourmet dinner with wines matched to each course for our 20th anniversary. Ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in restaurants and cafes - yeah, got home with 3 extra pounds. So its back to 1400 calroies a day and right back on the exercise regime for the next week or so to shift it. If you remain aware, know what you're eating and are sensible, it is indeed possible to live unfilld once you've lost.

hEy guys thanks BUt I do feel like I am failing and messingup badly and don't know if I can do this. I almost wish I was living with someone going through the same thing for moral support. I can't satnd the smells inthe kitchen when they cook and I take off to the computer in the basement. The popcorn went down easy although I could only eat half the large bag I usually get and I ate two hamburger patties, the ones from presidents choice that you nuke and have cheese in them. They were interesting, it felt kinda stuck a little when I think the piece was too large but not painful, so I chewed it up. I hate this full Fluid thing and being hungry is awful I swear. I literally am thinking about food more than ever and craving everyting I can't have. I hate to sound weak but boy I guess this is IT for me as far as my weakness in this world and sometimes I feel it has me beat. I used to think alcoholics etc. man are they weak poeple , "just stop drinking" but that they realy don't wan to, but I know I am addicted to food, it seems to have run my life for so long ad look at the prices I / perhaps you have paid..with health, for me a job and relationships , being reclusive all because of food. I dunno, I am finding this really tough. I am eating yogurt again and going to try to get back onthe wagon...but boy I would love a night at the MANDARIN in Barrie! I read about people living in the same communtiy who get together and meet or go walking and I wishI was closer to some of you here. I mean YOU guys in the canadian group are my support system and I tried the other band the canadian one that sends threads all day, but I just don't feel the same connection there and so far I cannot relate to folks talking about plastic surgery etc... Yoda, Cloe, Argon, wheezy, jude et all, Ifeel weak to say this but I do need your support right now and I am sorry to be a oain but I am finding this really tough.

I am also a fellow college student and enjoy drinking as well :thumbup: I've been banded since March 2009 (have lost 52 pounds woot woot!) And I have had noo trouble with alcohol. It might get you buzzed faster but that's about it. Beer is a bit harder to drink but honestly I haven't had much trouble with it either and I enjoy beer pong quite a bit. Probably the biggest draw back is the empty calories, but just excercise and watch what you eat and you will be fine. Also you can opt for low cal drinks like vodka, if you can't take it straight have it with a zero calorie rockstar, that way you won't feel as guilty I drink about every weekend and haven't really had problems, listen to your body, don't overdrink, and have fun! You will be losing weight make the best of it!

Well I have been banded for almost 3 months. My doctor told me that I could drink but no beer or carbonated beverages, which is like smirnoff, red bull with alcohol, etc. I have been to the bar once and I drank a Margarita and that was it and then I went to eat about a month ago and decided to try a Margarita. It went down ok and I didn't feel any different than normal. Me being a selfpay patient I am not willing to risk messing up my band or strectching my pouch so I refuse to drink carbonated beverages even though I would so love to have them. I think it is ok to drink but you have to be careful b/c of the calorie intake. I had my daughter 2 months before I turned 21 so I have not been much of a partier. I mean I go out 4 or 5 times a year to the bar but that is it. I just have other thinks in life that are more important to me than drinking & partying. There is nothing wrong with drinking though as long as you are careful about it. Good Luck to you!

I got banded about 2 months ago and I just tried alcohol this past weekend. I asked my doctor if I could try beer and he said go for it so I did. I drank about 3 beers and a jager redbull and I was feeling pretty good. Before the surgery it would take about 6 beers before I would feel anything. I guess its good now that it's cheaper at the bar.