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Alcohol does not bother me one way or the other, and my habits have not changed all that much....(I'm not a calorie counter) I do have to take my Bloody Mary's less spicy, as is the new habit now with all things because of reflux.... I also drink carbonated drinks now and then,,,and I will have a Beer, or 2, or 3, at times but NEVER within hours of eating any food.... My Dr. has a strict "No Carbonation Rule" also...then one day I told him I was going to a Yankee game and said "Don't drink too much beer!" and "Remember the warning signs when you do" That stopped me in my tracks, asked him to explain...he thought we already had "That talk"...so after some questions, etc, he gave me his permission...ONLY because I was banded for over 2 years, and ONLY because I was done with my weight loss and and understood many things I would not understand earlier on when I was still learning more important lessons on how to live successfully with the band........ So I DO NOT advocate drinking Carbonated drinks to anyone....I DO advocate you follow your Dr.'s treatment plan to t "T". Like my Mother used to say...just because one person jumps off the bridge does not make it right or wrong.....and no one here should ever do things because other people say they do...or worse yet, tell others it is OK or Not OK.... Got a BIG Christmas party tonight...dos not start till 8:30pm at a Swank Country Club.....and I don't eat after 7 as a general rule that works for me........I doubt I will be eating anything, soooo........

My surgeon does not have alcohol as a no-no but suggested hard liquor vs. wine due to the calories. I think transference can be a problem for some -- food addicts turning to alcohol instead as a tool for numbing. I am five weeks out and enjoyed wine at a party last weekend and will again tomorrow night. Each time I have what I consider a splash out my weight actually drops. And I agree about the cheap date -- we are definitely saving money. One little appetizer, please! I have noticed that at restaurants it's easier to order a water and just not drink it than to say nothing to drink. Waiters can't seem to process that.

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.

I lost weight really fast at first, I had a BMI of 35, but overall, although Im within my healthy weight range now, its taken me a good 18 months to lose 80lb. After the initial 9 weeks or so, in which I lost about 30lb (which is a lot when you're only 80lb overweight), my weight loss has been slowish compared to others. But then again, I havent had to lose 100lb before every few lb makes a difference iykwim. Like even when Iw as still 90kg, even 3kg made a visible difference on me, whereas you wouldnt even notice it on someone much bigger. So there's a trade off to the slower loss. I felt I was blessed becuase I was still light enough and fit enough to plunge straight into running after my surgery and was able to exercise intensely from quite early on. Also, I was banded right before Christmas 05, I had a champagne or two over the Christmas period. I'd avoid it for a week or two after surgery but after that, in moderation, alcohol is fine for a special occasion.

Hi there, I have been where you are....I am what I would like to call myself "a professional dieter". I have done it all....weight watchers, Jenny Craig, Southbeach, or whatever fad diet there was at the time. I went to extremes...starvation, purging, overexercising...you name it! The problem was that I ALWAYS came back to the food. It medicated me when I had any sort of emotion that I couldn't handle....stress, boredom, sadness, happiness, etc. The food was always there for me and comforted me. I was a closet eater too....drive through windows, eating in my car, etc. I hid wrappers so get rid of the "evidence", I ate off my kids plates, I (embarrassingly enough) ate out of the trash. I was and am powerless over food. I can't stop eating something that is not healthy for me if I start. In saying that, I became a member of Overeaters Anonymous in June 2009 because I was in a deep depression because my world revolved around my food, my weight, my dress size, etc. I was on TWO antidepressants which only helped marginally. Through the process of being OA, I have found peace and some semblance of control around my food. I am accepting now that I am a compulsive overeater. I am addicted to carbs (flour, sugar) just as an alcoholic is to liquor. I have found out WHY I overeat and how to manage it. OA has given me the coping skills to deal with those emotions that are unsettling and how to handle situations that come up without using my drug of choice. If any of this rings true for you, you may really like OA. There are meetings you can go to or even phone meetings so you don't have to travel anywhere, just sit in the comfort of your own home and just listen to what others' experiences are. I do not want you to think I am pushing this on you or anyone, it is just I have found so much peace over the last couple of years. I am off my antidepressants, I am calmer, I don't cry anymore......and I can see that I am meaningful and that life is worth living! Good luck. If I can help at all, let me know. Thanks, Katie

Generally most artificial sweeteners are O.K. unless you have an allergic reaction to them. So if you can tolerate sweet-n-low before surgery, you should be able to do so afterwards. Generally, I use Splenda and Stevia. I also use sugar alcohols, such as those found in Adkin's treats. But I am a 30 months post-op. I have diabetes type 2 that went into remission the day I left the hospital. And it has remained in remission the entire time. I periodically check my blood sugar levels to validate. This link may be of help. http://acsh.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sugar-Substitutes-and-Your-Health.pdf

Thanks for the support, ladies. It means a lot. Sometimes this food thing is a lonely place to be. I'm trying to be brutally honest with myself and my crazy, unhealthy behaviors. I'm ready to give up my excuses (alcoholic father, mother married 5 times, moving so much when young, blah, blah, blah) and take responsibility for my CHOICES. Food was always there for me; a constant in my crazy life and the way my grandmother (another constant) showed love. Eating something yummy (read: bad for me) made me feel good and being full (stuffed!) made me happy. I struggle every day, but I've been to enough AA crap to know that all you can do it take it one day at a time. And some days, I can only take it 15 minutes at a time! But I'M DOING IT!! I have to. I have three beautiful, young children and an amazing husband who NEED and love me!!

Alcohol has never played a big part in my life. Probably helped by the fact that I hate wine (don't stone me, please!) and that my driug of choice was food. So I haven't bothered to drink since being sleeved. However, with the festive season looming, it might be nice to have a non-fizzy go-to drink. I am slightly apprehensive about drinking anything (heard the horror stories of how quickly you can get wrecked) but what's your experience of introducing alcohol to your sleeve? And what's your favourite tipple now? Thanks...

You are definitely not alone in this struggle. Last night I had a couple of drinks - used up that last chilled bottle of champagne (no more carbonation for me!). Oddly, the drinks weren't that good (I pretty much stopped drinking a month ago so this was a true last blast). I just wanted to have a "mimosa funeral" since Monday I'm starting my own version of a 2 week pre-op diet and alcohol can be a real no no after surgery. Hang in there!

I eat Quest and power crunch bars several times a week and have since I was about six months out. It's worked well for me, it isn't a trigger or a slider (often I can only eat half even now at 2.5 years post op) and I don't obsess. Everyone is different and I have always had trouble fitting in all my Protein so I still have one supplement (shake or bar) almost daily. Whether you can count "net carbs" and subtract sugar alcohols and Fiber does depend on your plan/nutritionist/dietician/reason. I count net carbs because the others don't impact blood sugar causing the rise/fall/cravings cycle for me personally. That is what my dietician's plan counts as net carbs. I also have eaten fruit regularly in moderation since about a year out. I have learned how much I can have before it sets off the blood sugar rise/fall/cravings. With berries and watermelon it's a good amount. stone fruit a moderate amount, apples/oranges/bananas I have to be careful with.

Well, I survived the holidays. My surgery was November 6th, and as of today, I hit the 50 lb weight loss mark. Saturday was the hardest day so far with a big family gathering. I even had my first alcoholic drink since surgery. It must've been light on alcohol, because I was fine. How are y'all doing?

I did well because I can't really over eat without having extreme nausea. Eating for me now has no pleasure--it's only for nutrition. My only "cheat" I'd say was a few Hershey's kisses. No alcohol for me per my surgeon. He says none ever---but I know other patients of his who have tried it when they're about a year or more out. I don't think I'll chance it for now.

I have been working towards my lapband surgery for 2 years now. I was banded on Feb 8, 2008. My doctor is Dr. Timothy Eldridge. He is one really cool doctor! I am a research participant for Allergan and have received my first fill on 5 March 08 with 5cc. I am married with 2 grown children. I am now 51 years young. My decision to have the lapband was not just because of my obesity but because of my health going downhill faster than I could keep up with it. I have hypertension, high cholestrol, sleep apnea, what they call a metabolic syndrome (or the X syndrome), borderline diabetes and non-alcoholic sclerosis of the liver. My liver doctor said I was headed for the organ waiting list and my endocrinologist said with my X syndrome I might live another 10 years..so my decision was made. I consulted my family doctor, my digestive disease doctor, and my heart doctor. All were in agreement to help me obtain whatever I needed to get the lap band. My disgestive disease specialist said he would not help me if I wanted the gastric bypass since it was so invasive, whereas he lauded the lap band! I had no problems with my surgery and the only real shock for me was the incision for the port is a bit larger than I expected. All in all I came through and continue to have nothing but thanks for the people who have the intelligence to develop, create, and initiate this type of weight loss procedure. I am looking forward to the day when all my doctors can say I am doing great and I have my health back!:thumbdown:

Now I feel like we're having a useful discussion. WasABB's comments on alcoholism are somewhat on point also. The difference here from whatever I did before and any splurges that eventually took me off prior game plans is that there is a guaranteed end date to the vacation and a scheduled appointment for refill afterwards. That splurge mentality that has failed us before in trying prior diets is based upon the mental thought "I'm doing okay, I can have one day off, then get back on the horse." I chose lap-band because I know I have a problem with eating and that I do a terrible job of controlling myself. For this vacation, I am going in with the thought "I know I have a problem, I will do my best to utilize the skills I've learned to manage the vacation, but because those are ultimately not enough in the long term, I will be refilled after vacation." To me, this mindset and a specified end date is the biggest difference between pre-band diets/splurges and the circumstances of the vacation. Also, so we can avoid additional comments that I've already made up my mind, which is categorically not true, let me expand upon some earlier comments. Sometimes it is important just to have the conversation, but that conversation's utility is directly proportional to the strength of the rationale behind people's arguments. So please don't take my push back as denial, entrenched mindset, or anything else of that nature. I'm pushing back to further the conversation and probe the issues and/or because some of the comments raise genuine new questions about what I originally posted. I am quite conflicted about what to do and raise it now so that I can carefully think about this for 8.5 months rather than try to figure out what the hell I'm going to do 3 weeks before vacation.

Thanks Delarla, I appreciate you and everyone on this board and I am soooo glad I found it.... I am struggling with bad choices right now... Breakfast is a good example... I can usually only eat about 1/2 an egg , sometimes the whole one and a piece of bacon... Sunday.....I ate 2 eggs and 2 bacon strips and might have eaten more but got up... Then I went to town to do some stuff and at lunch I ate a pint of "real" ice cream.. then I came home and ate about 1/2 of a pork chop.... I didn't eat anymore till night time and I ate a huge bowl of homemade chicken and noodles. I weighed 213 this morning... My lowest weight is 204, which means I have gained 9 lbs... But I am having to do some stressful stuff right now so I am going to try to not be so hard on my diet. But I am going to start my old thinking again and stop the real ice cream, etc...(beer, and pina colada's I didn't mention) The other stuff shouldn't hurt me.. I have been drinking way to many pina colada's with alcohol and virgin ones too. they are Real high in calories... But darn I love them... They go down so well with a burning belly. My daughter had a wreck Friday you guys... She had a 2004 Mazda Tribute and an older Calillac hit her in the side. She was turning (her fault) going about 4 miles an hour and he was speeding and he hit her so hard it flipped her car into the air and it landed upside down. On the good side of this, the seat belt held her in tight and it has a roll bar, and it didn't hurt her much at all. Thank God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She had 8 stitches in her elbow and that is it. The reason I am even telling this, is because I get so wrapped up in this weight loss, lap band , stuff that it consumes my life literally. I get pissy if I gain, I worry if my belly burns, I over react lately to everything.I drive everyone around me crazy saying, "Do I look like I have gained, wonder why I haven't lost any, do you think I will lose anymore, etc........ God helped me put things back into perspective, and I realize that it wouldn't matter if I weigh 700 lbs (you know what I mean) as long as my family is ok, and etc. It brought me to my knees, I am humbled and appreciative of my wonderful life I have been blessed with. I won the life lottery...lol..... I am so lucky... I am sorry for getting so carried away about what I look like and how much I weigh. Don't get me wrong, I care about it, but I needed to calm down. I don't know. Maybe the new attention made me want to strive harder to lose more, and then I got impatient. Wanted to lose more and lose if faster.... Anyway, girls, (and guys) when you get to this point, be careful and don't run the people that love you away , don't get carried away... This is an important journey, but don't let it consume you.... Like I said, I am lucky.... I got brought back to earth....without damage..lol....too much anyway.. Terry Evans

Rubbing alcohol took it right off.

A few times a month I will have a glass of wine or part of a light beer. Alcohol hits me hard and therefore I don;t have much. With wine I can drink a glass over a period of time, beer I don;t even drink a full glass before I fill full.

I don't know if I mentioned before but I have put a lot of stock by the book "Potatoes, not Prozac" by Kathy De Maison - she talks about being MO and addicted to sugar - she originally found out while working with recovering alcoholics, if they stayed away from sugar they could keep up their resistance to alcohol much more efficiently. She then applied this thinking to herself, she was overweight, depressed, having a Jekyll/Hyde personality etc, and realised that she was sugar sensitive. When I read the book I was positive I was too sugar sensitive but did nothing for close to two years as I couldn't bear the thought of not having my sugar every day - when I was out at gatherings/parties/pubs people used to tease me about being tipsy/merry/slightly drunk and I wouldn't have had any alcohol at all - I definitely got a high from my sugar addiction - I was almost manic at times - I had a close friend at the time who is bi-polar, and he used to tell me my "symptoms" were almost exactly like his - swooping manic highs one minute, devastating depressed lows the next. When I was preparing for my surgery for banding, I decided to apply the principles of this book to my future W.O.E. (tm Donali!) and I cannot tell you enough about the difference it has made on my life - forget the weight loss, I feel so great, so in control - I can sleep, I don't feel depressed, I have more confidence, less mood swings etc - Food is definitely an addiction. It is never cured, just managed day by day. I strongly believe I will be managing this addiction forever, with the help of my band.

Hi Christel, would love to help you. If you are banded by Dr. McKeen his fills are $200 each. My insurance does not cover them. I have a 10cc band which holds 4.2ccs. I am at 3 ccs now and have hit my sweet spot. I can only consume about 1k calories a day, unless I drink alcohol. If you want to find out more you can always call Dr McKeen's office and meet with him individually. I did that and it really helped me. He is great. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Just wondering what the rules are on alcohol during my 2 week pre-op diet are. I am going to a cookout and didn't know if it was ok to have a "drink". Any feedback would be GREAT!!

This is what works for me and were all different so I'm by no means telling you to do this just sharing my journey. I really don't think i do anything special and there's some areas such as exercise that I still need to get into a better routine of but here is what a typical day looks like for me: 80 oz of fluid- Water, tea, crystal light 60-80g of Protein Approx. 1200 cal. per day Each meal consists of 3-4oz of lean protein, 1/2 c veggies, and 1 starch serving I ALWAYS eat my meals in the following order, protein first, then veggies, and lastly the starch (if I have room) I never drink anything while eating or for one hour after. NO CARBINATION NO ALCOHOL I NEVER DRINK MY CALORIES Below is where I may be different in some areas than others: Limitation of Carbs- Not Elimination but Limitation:-) I told myself when I had this surgery that bread was a no no (the doughy kind), so, the only bread I've had has been whole wheat toast for a sandwich. I've had Pasta twice and while I did fine with it, I chose not to eat it because it really didn't fill me up and I decided I would rather spend my calories on food that keeps me fuller longer with better nutrition (with less calories and all the other stuff). Same with rice. So basically I limit the type of carbs I allow in my diet. They either come from Veggies, or when I cook sometimes I will roll my chicken breast in bread crumbs or if I have a sweet tooth craving I buy the skinny cow chocolates or ice creams which of course are heavier on the carbs (15g or so), or I will have a 1/2 of a flour tortilla for a wrap or 2 corn taco shells, but typically I limit my actual Starch servings to once a day. I've also never been a real big fruit person, so I rarely eat it. My surgeon told me about the sugar and carbs found in fruit and while they encouraged eating them in moderation they did warn me not to overdue it so if I have a fruit with a meal or as a snack I will not have a starch etc. There are some things I knew I wanted to eliminate all together because there's no nutritional value and it's a trigger for me so I made a mental list of all of those foods and I'm not going to try it not because I think the band will have issues with it but that my head will have issues with it. For instance pizza, I haven't had a slice of pizza in over a year and I don't miss it a bit, If/when I do get an urge for it I know theres a healtier version; I have a recipie that uses cauliflouer crust when that urge arises I will op to make the healthier version. Don't get me wrong I don't deprive myself, I made this a lifestyle change so I made it to include the things I CAN AND CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT. Like if I want a cookie, once in a while I will eat a cookie, I just take it off of my calorie intake for the day, you just can't make this an every day occurance so if you know this food is a trigger for you to binge then learn to live without it or make a healthier version. If I want chips I get the individual bags of Special K Sour Cream and Onion. 1 package has 110 cal and I get by with just 1/2 now:-) so for 55 cal, 1 g sugar and 11 carbs I feel like I've had a cheat:-) There's a tradeoff for everything and for me it's all about balance. If I can find a healthy alternative for something I love and it's good then I'm all for it, if there's not then eat the real thing in moderation (as long as it's not harmful to your band), count it off your daily calories and move on:-) Some examples of food are: Breakfast Dannon light greek yogurt with 3tlb hy vee trail mix- 212 cal 16g protein 2 eggs with 1 piece of farmland low sodium bacon crumbled with some onions and mushrooms sprinkled with 2% shredded cheese and salsa. Approx 250 cal 16g protein. lunch 4oz deli turkey 100 cal 18g protein 2slices slim cut kraft cheese colby jack slices. 70 cal. 6 protein 1 tlb okios greek yogurt dip 13 cal, 1p 2 Romaine lettuce leafs 8 cal Total approx 226 cal 25 g p Detour low sugar protein caramel nut bar. 340 cal, 5 net carbs 2g sugar and 30 p (Only eat maybe once a week in a pinch) dinner Parmasean crusted tilapia (can send you recipie if interested) with green giant just for1 cauiflouer with cheese sauce. Approx 300 cal 35 p Smothered chicken with cheese oniins & mushrooms with salad with homeafe ranch dressing. Apprix 369 cal 30 p I have a couple of Snacks throyghout the day, some options: Okios yogurt dip with veggies or 1-2 oz of colby jack or pepperjack cheese with 5 townhouse reduced fat crakers 70 cal 180 cal - 280 cal 7- 14 g p ( if I eat this 2 oz I will do one if the lower cal snacks later) SF fudge ice cream bar 35 cal 60 cal sf pudding Skinny cow choc. 3pcs 130 cal Skinnk cow drumstick 160 cal I always make sure that I have quick and easy things laying in the fridge for those days when I don't feel like cooking or am in a hurry so for me that means deli turkey meat, and kraft sliced cheese (love the slim slices 35c each) so I weigh out the meat throw it in a baggie and eat it on the go. I love it;) As far as motivation goes these are the things thst keep me going: I have a strong faith in God, my family, I have a great support system, I love being able to do things I haven't done in years, LOVE walking into a store and seeing something i love and not worrying about if it comes in my size. Oh yeah and all those peple who thought i was crazy, doubted me or waited for me to fail, being able to prove them wrong:) Any time someone thinks I can't do something or discourages me you better watch out because I fight like hell to prove them wrong!!! So I guessI should thank them;) I hope this helps and if anyone has any recommendations please share I'm always open to better options. Thanks!

I second the food tracking. I've read that tracking your food is one of the best ways to stay on course because you can clearly see if you start getting off course. Although it sounds like you don't really have a course, which sucks. I am not a doctor or medical professional in any way, but I can tell you what my plan is and maybe you can adjust it to suit your needs. I'm 3 months post-op, have lost 62 pounds, and am eating between 800 and 1,000 calories a day. I aim for 80 to 100 grams of Protein and no more than 40 to 60 grams of carbs. I try to avoid sugar and simple carbs like white rice, white bread, potatoes, etc. I don't really track fat, but I do stick with low fat in things like cheese because the low fat seems to have more protein. I typically have a premier Protein shake for Breakfast around 7, a snack like a boiled egg or 1/2 cup of cottage cheese around 10, lunch like chicken salad or lunch meat and cheese around 1, a light greek yogurt around 4, dinner like baked fish and steamed veggies around 7, then a small snack before bed that I usually choose based on whether I need more calories or protein or what by that point in the day. I do not drink carbonated beverages or alcohol, and I try to avoid what I call empty eating, like sugar free pudding, which may not be bad for you but also don't really offer you anything. After meeting with a personal trainer to plan a workout routine, here's what I do. 3 to 4 days a week, I spend 30 minutes on the treadmill or bike and 30 minutes doing the gym's circuit training. Then 2 or 3 days a week, I do some relatively light weight training. I hope this helps. If you want, feel free to private message me and I'll do my best to give you whatever answers I may have.

I eat a Greek light yogurt about 9am around 11 eat 1oz of peanut butter at 1-2 eat a fiber one bar 5-6 eat dinner like baked chicken with steamed veggies 8-9 usually some sort of fruit like apple banana or natural pop corn. Honestly I drink 2 bottles of water if that a day with flavor packs.no alcohol or carbonated beverages at all once a month I may have a glass of unsweetened tea.

LOL........ but then people would worry that something is wrong with you getting a colonoscopy at such a young age. How about just saying you are trying to stay away from alcohol because it has too many calories and you are trying to take off some weight? or maybe, "I just don't feel like drinking today."

Well, thanks for the mention. For me, life is a wonderful journey. I had (have) so many obstacles keeping me from enjoying my life to its fullest. I have one go around on this experience we call life. I'm tired of not being a participant to its fullest. I'm happy to say the quest never ends, but at the same time, it does not monopolize my life, either. My usage of alcohol as medication robbed so much of my life, and I want it back. I'm happy to say, I am getting it back ... one day at a time.