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As a nurse, I work with jerk doctors every day. Unfortunately some of the biggest jerks are the best docs and some of the really nice ones, I wouldn't let them touch me with a ten foot pole. It sounds to me like you're doing a great job working your band and losing weight. DEFINITELY treat yourself along the way. I did, and I've almost made goal in one year. I had the occasional treat, drank alcohol, even sipped on 3 or 4 sodas along the way. You'll be fine. If he's a good doc, let it go. If it continues, then I may look for another.

Good morning, BP Campers. Thought I'd stop in for a a quick visit and update. I started my preop diet 3 years ago today. I always consider this my anniversary, rather than the surgery date. Here's a recap of my journey so far..... Year 1 - the year of losing all of my excess weight (100 pounds), dozens of NSVs, and a new wardrobe. By far, the most exciting year. Even the month of liquids, 6 weeks of diarrhea and 2 insanely painful gallbladder attacks couldn't put a dent in my enthusiasm. It was all so new and fun and easy. Life was great and I was invincible! Year 2 - the year of finding out life still sucks no matter what size you are, losing my best friend to suicide, sinking into a deep hole of depression and finding that I could no longer rely on my old friends.....food, alcohol and cigarettes. Just struggling to get through each day with really no desire to. Two more gallbladder attacks which I finally put an end to with a long overdue cholecystectomy. Despite a complete breakdown of my emotional stability, I was surprisingly able to maintain my weight loss from the 1st year. I held onto the fact that what I put in my mouth was one of the few things I could control at that point. Year 3 - the year of emotional healing (well, at least a start in that direction) with a grief therapist, testosterone replacement and an antidepressant. Finally able to crawl out the darkness into a somewhat bearable existence. My latest breakthrough is I actually said yes when asked out on a date about a month ago. Considering my introvert personality and swearing off relationships almost 20 years ago, this is an extraordinary step for me. We've been out 1/2 dozen times and I'm actually enjoying it. Who knows what Year 4 will bring. But I've definitely come to realize as time goes on, everything has become less and less about surgery and weightloss and more and more about life. I maintain my weight the same way I lost it....80+ grams of Protein, 100+ ounces of Water, low carb, balanced diet including veggies, fruit and whole grains. I pretty much eat whatever I want but I make smart choices when it comes to quantities. No tracking, no measuring, just mindful eating. I am diligent about keeping any regains in check. I've got too much invested, both financially and emotionally to let a 1-2 pound regain turn into 10-20 pounds. I have labs done annually and follow a Vitamin regimen based on the results. I don't have an exercise routine, just a very busy, active life. Bottom line is a successful WLS result is not rocket science. Whatever you had to do to lose weight is pretty much what you need to do forever. If you can't control sliders and trigger foods, they WILL lead to regain. If you don't make the psychological adjustments and permanently change your habits and behaviors, you WILL regain. It's totally up to you whether or not your surgery becomes just another failed diet. Don't be afraid to seek professional help with the mental side of it. I finally did...thank goodness. Good luck to the newbies. Congrats to the veterans.

@TheRealMeIsHere! Congrats on your weight loss of 115 lbs. Great accomplishment. Your eating plan, whatever works for you, is what counts. I am a "recovering" morbidly obese person. Analogy - "recovering" alcoholic. good luck to the alcoholic for not having that first drink. hope/wishes to all of us for not eating that WHOLE pie, cake, bag of chips etc.☺️ kathy

Divorce is a very prevalent issue in the WLS community. I would suggest that your hubby join the +1 Crew on Facebook. It's a group that is exclusively for the spouses of WLS patients. It's a great forum where they can not only learn how to support you, but also get support for themselves because let's face it, there are going to be some rough time. Here's the link for the +1 crew https://www.facebook.com/groups/561857660576992/ If he's not really into Facebook, see if he would be willing to follow Vlogs. MoreofWIll is the spouse (and member of the +1 crew) of LessofSara, a well known VSG vlogger. Here is a link to his channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/moreofwill?feature=watch It sounds like you have a very strong marriage. Make sure you tell your husband what you need to be successful. An alcoholic can never have another drink again and be fine, but as food addicts, we don't have the option to abstain from food 100%. Even after your surgery, you'll experience head hunger and the cravings will come back in time, so put the kibosh on going out to eat where you would be tempted to consume large, unhealthy, portions now. Of course, I'm single, so pick and choose the parts of this advise that you like and forget the rest!

Hey Billy. I was banded a little over a year ago, and I had the same concerns - Agh!! No beer!! No problems drinking anything - except somethings like dry white wine can make me feel a little acidic in my throat. Beer is sweet, you might have to drink at tiny bit slower (and definitely don't attempt it for the first month while you're healing!) the only problem I have found with beer and alcohol - is that it has really slowed my weightloss down. Doesn't mean that it's still not happening but I do like to get on the booze on the weekends, and if I compare to the rest of my bunny bandsters who were banded april 09 like I was, they are all quite a bit thinner than I am now, in saying that, I've lived my life and had fun and still lost weight. I cannot believe how happy I am that I made this choice, I love my life now, and I still have a BMI of 37 - but its coming off bit by bit each week and I feel like there is hope again for me :thumbup: Good luck - you won't know yourself a year from now! Enjoy the new life !!

Hello! And Amen. That's exactly my point! If you want to sabotage yourself...fine! But don't come on a "support" forum telling others what they can get away with bc you decided to do what you wanted. After all we are all food addicts of some sorts and this is a disease. Most of the battle is mental. I equate this to a drug/alcohol addiction support group. If one of the substance abuse patients said openly in a group I used and I'm fine so you should too they would be kicked straight out! So cheating stages or instructions shouldn't be encouraged here either. And that doesn't make me holier than thou. That makes me self aware of my challenges and addiction. It means I'm committed to my recovery and lifelong battle with this horrible disease.

No beer. Beer is carbonated just as is soda . Regular consumption of beer (or soda) could stretch out your pouch. As for mixed drinks and wine, they are fine in moderation but you have to remember that alcohol is empty calories -- no nutrition -- so regular consumption of alcohol could undermine your weight loss.

I was banded on 11/11/08 and have not drank any alcohol. I will have a glass of something to toast the New Year in! As far as what to expect when you wake up. The recovery nurse will ask if you are in pain and will give you pain meds if you are uncomfortable. They will ask you how you are doing and monitor your vital signs. Eventually, you will be sent to your room if you are staying over night. If staying over night, you can expect to start walking within a couple of hours. You will also have a barium swallow test to make sure you can take fluids in without any issues. If you are not spending the night, then you can expect to start walking, having your barium test, get dressed, and go home. Your doctor should have told you what to expect, if not call them and find out.

Just curious why you cant drink de-caf coffee? My surgeon said no caffine/no alcohol for 6 months. So far I have been good!

Sugar alcohol is the devil.....and the number one reason in America for mid-day underwear changes.

My banding date is 5/5/08 also. I did my pre-op admission meeting with the hospital staff yesterday and they said no hair products, no leave-in conditioner, gel, no deodorant, no nothing on my body. The reason they said was that the petroleum and alcohol in a lot of those products were "spark" hazards. Not sure exactly what could "spark", but I guess since it's laproscopic, the electronics in the equipment that they use could be it. Sort of like smoking a cigarette while you're pumping gas...

Getting banded is one of the best decisions I've ever made. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I have not given up alcohol, though I don't ever have martinis anymore because my tolerance is so much lower at this weight that one would do me in for the night! Don't forget to take your measurements and before photos asap. You will want them later, I promise you! Yes -- this does become second nature. And, you can have a life, enjoy good food and wine with the band. In fact, I enjoy food more now because I don't have guilt feelings associated with it and have to feel bad about myself if I eat something that is high in calories. Check out my blog if you have a minute. It will give you a good idea of what it's like being banded, and I have some links in there to other bandster blogs that I really like. I hope that helps! :thumbup: Catherine

You need to find a way to get unfilled. For one, you're begging for a slip with it being too tight for months. The fact you're using alcohol as a way to eat is downright dangerous. It's not horribly uncommon for people to have transfer addiction, or essentially trade addictions, after bariatric surgery. By drinking as a way to eat you're putting yourself at high risk for alcoholism. More than just your band is at risk, your overall health is at great risk. Find a way to get an unfill before you do serious damage. Best wishes.

Try doing a search for alcohol and then get ready to read all sorts of views. I waited until third month.

You need to get an unfill. Alcohol is definitely not smart. Call and talk to your doctors office about payment plan if you must, but get it fixed! Transfer addictions are real!

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

We are all of us fat, super fat I might add. How did we get here? Because we became powerless over food and our addiction to it. I will say I followed my doctors orders. But I am not surprised when I see someone come here looking for an "enabler". As an alcoholic will look for another drink or a drug addict will look for another fix even if it can mean the chance of death. A food addict will look for a way to get a meal. Some do better than others. But I know all of us go into it wanting to do better. I will not judge I will listen, understand and try to guide. If the person truly does not want what I have to offer, then at least I tried. I will then move on to the next person that does. I know it can get frustrating, there are times when I just want to tell someone "ok you know best, go ahead and eat that pizza at one week out" But really I have my own recovery to deal with and I can't help save someone who's not ready to save themselves.

I had my surgery four weeks ago to and probably could eat the same way that i did before, but I choose not to. I paid cash outta pocket for my band so maybe that is more a motivator, but this is a last ditch effort. I couldn't do with conventional diets and I couldn't keep it off with fad diets so this was it. Just because an alcoholic can still drink doesn't mean that they should. The fact that you are willing to risk damage to yourself after the surgery should open your eyes to the fact that you have an addiction to food. Are you seeing a therapist?

Is Splenda made with sugar alcohols? I did not think it was.

Well, you are not supposed to drink alcohol for at least two years. My suggestion is to give up the smokes and give up the drinking as well since alcohol has empty calories and can bring up your weight very fast not to mention alcohol will not make you feel very well when you drink it. Be sure to read all the literature BEFORE your surgery.

Normally, I'm not into artificial sweetners, but I spotted this new product at the store today that is called: Eat Well, Be Well, sugar-free, no sugar alcohols, diabetic friendly chocolate bar. So I bought it thinking it will probably be like eating cardboard, but it's good! It's definitely a dark chocolate taste and I like it. Just thought I would share for any trying to curb that sweet tooth. Kelli

Well today's weight is...335.4 I'm up by 1.4 pounds. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm weighing in daily to see the which foods affect me differently, and to keep myself honest. Again, I ate white flour products in the form of macaroni and cheese that I made from scratch. I need to avoid those because they make me feel heavy and I have low energy. I would have to equate it to when an alcoholic falls off the wagon. The next they feel like total shit - well that's where I'm at. I feel sort of sluggish, so I threw all the leftovers away. By the way, I'm back on the wagon so to speak. Until tomorrow...I'll be feeling good

Well today's weight is...335.4 I'm up by 1.4 pounds. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm weighing in daily to see the which foods affect me differently, and to keep myself honest. Again, I ate white flour products in the form of macaroni and cheese that I made from scratch. I need to avoid those because they make me feel heavy and I have low energy. I would have to equate it to when an alcoholic falls off the wagon. The next they feel like total shit - well that's where I'm at. I feel sort of sluggish, so I threw all the leftovers away. By the way, I'm back on the wagon so to speak. Until tomorrow...I'll be feeling good

I would keep carbs to under 10% of total calories, and the way that is done is by aiming for nearly entirely protein, and just accepting the little bits of carbs that slip in (you probably need them anyway just to keep your brain running). Nobody completely avoids carbs even if they think they are. Alcohol is a similar bad idea, and for the same reason...your body can burn that first for quick energy and thus hold onto more stored fat. Have you been cleared for exercise yet? If so, by all means go for it! It felt really great to be able to get back on the trails again.

Well done you for telling it straight. Find group support for your alcohol problem and maybe a nutritionist could help you get back on track with your eating program. Best Wishes