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Thanks for the words of caution. I'm very sorry for the pain it's caused you but glad you're approaching your big change with appropriate care. My father was an alcoholic and he went the opposite route. When he sobered up, he replaced alcohol with food. He blew up quickly before he even realized the replacement that was going on. We definitely need to identify our own cumpulsive patterns. We are like this because we couldnt exert control over certain things. My doc recommends cutting out alcohol altogether and I'm leaning towards following his advice.

I do net my carbs. Not sure if it's the right thing to do? I assume so since sugar alcohols are not supposed to mess with blood sugar, which is key.

:rolleyes:Has anybody ever told you the worst kind of smoker is an "X" smoker? Not that I don't respect them for the intestinal fortitude required to set aside an addiction, but tune down the preaching for a sec and look at people as individuals!!! Here's my problem; my support group counselor, i.e. the gate to my surgeon is a recovering alcoholic. Which doesn't say anything about her character; she is a wonderful individual who truly cares about her clients. However, she looks at us through the same lens; we are all food addicts, and if we are insistent that we are not, then we are deluding ourselves and probably wouldn't benefit from this operation. Well, I won't get into how I am sure I am not a food addict; as any defense would simply appear to be a mealy-mouthed attempt to convince myself and so defeat my point, but she doesn't listen to any rational debate about it. She shuts down by sitting back, crossing her arms, placing a smug, "I know better than you about what makes you tic," smirk on her face and shakes her head in the negative while you ply your case. I find this a big negative to my working through my issues about the surgery in general and it is becoming an obstacle. I mean, I can play the game and totally agree with her to achieve my approval for surgery, but do I really have to admit to an addiction I don't have? How is that productive? Shouldn't a counselor have a more rounded approach to treating everyone as individuals? Even if 99.9999% of people you deal with on a daily basis are emotional eating, bottomless pits of self loathing and bargin basement self esteem who don't have the ability to push away from the table before their guts fairly burst without ever hearing their brains say STOP.....You still need to treat each and every one as a unique set of life experiences and circumstances, right? You would think so, but as a recovering addict herself, she knows all the arguments, she's used them on herself. She's heard every justification, every nugget of self delusion, she understands the psychology of total loss of control. What makes her good at her job also handicaps her. If you are here in this class than you are over weight; if you are over weight than you have no self control (where food is concerned); if you have no self control than you are an addict. This is a logical thought process. However, sometimes (and I am well aware of the microscopically small percentage of people we are talking about here) people end up needing surgical intervention for reasons other than a lack of self control. Health conditions that wreak havoc on metabolism, i.e. thyroid malfunction, auto immune disorders such as Lupus and chronic pain as in rheumatoid arthritis; work together to both hamper with calorie absorption and trap the body in a jail cell of stiffened, inflamed and painful joints. All this is most usually accompanied by severe depression which further zaps the ability to move about as one should. Given a period of 1-2 years spent living in this hell a person who is NOT addicted to food can gain a considerable amount of weight! So, I don't know. Does it really hurt me in any way to just go with the flow? I guess it just pisses me off that I have spent 42 years on this planet exhibiting total self control. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't experiment with recreational drug use; heck I don't even take all the pain meds prescribed for my conditions because I don't want to be a pill popping addict! So it ruffles my feathers that this women insists she knows that I am addicted to food! So you know one way I know I am NOT a food addict? Because when I get angry I don't down an entire bag of doritos with a big gulp from 7/11; no, I write a blog instead!:frown::ohmy:

:rolleyes:Has anybody ever told you the worst kind of smoker is an "X" smoker? Not that I don't respect them for the intestinal fortitude required to set aside an addiction, but tune down the preaching for a sec and look at people as individuals!!! Here's my problem; my support group counselor, i.e. the gate to my surgeon is a recovering alcoholic. Which doesn't say anything about her character; she is a wonderful individual who truly cares about her clients. However, she looks at us through the same lens; we are all food addicts, and if we are insistent that we are not, then we are deluding ourselves and probably wouldn't benefit from this operation. Well, I won't get into how I am sure I am not a food addict; as any defense would simply appear to be a mealy-mouthed attempt to convince myself and so defeat my point, but she doesn't listen to any rational debate about it. She shuts down by sitting back, crossing her arms, placing a smug, "I know better than you about what makes you tic," smirk on her face and shakes her head in the negative while you ply your case. I find this a big negative to my working through my issues about the surgery in general and it is becoming an obstacle. I mean, I can play the game and totally agree with her to achieve my approval for surgery, but do I really have to admit to an addiction I don't have? How is that productive? Shouldn't a counselor have a more rounded approach to treating everyone as individuals? Even if 99.9999% of people you deal with on a daily basis are emotional eating, bottomless pits of self loathing and bargin basement self esteem who don't have the ability to push away from the table before their guts fairly burst without ever hearing their brains say STOP.....You still need to treat each and every one as a unique set of life experiences and circumstances, right? You would think so, but as a recovering addict herself, she knows all the arguments, she's used them on herself. She's heard every justification, every nugget of self delusion, she understands the psychology of total loss of control. What makes her good at her job also handicaps her. If you are here in this class than you are over weight; if you are over weight than you have no self control (where food is concerned); if you have no self control than you are an addict. This is a logical thought process. However, sometimes (and I am well aware of the microscopically small percentage of people we are talking about here) people end up needing surgical intervention for reasons other than a lack of self control. Health conditions that wreak havoc on metabolism, i.e. thyroid malfunction, auto immune disorders such as Lupus and chronic pain as in rheumatoid arthritis; work together to both hamper with calorie absorption and trap the body in a jail cell of stiffened, inflamed and painful joints. All this is most usually accompanied by severe depression which further zaps the ability to move about as one should. Given a period of 1-2 years spent living in this hell a person who is NOT addicted to food can gain a considerable amount of weight! So, I don't know. Does it really hurt me in any way to just go with the flow? I guess it just pisses me off that I have spent 42 years on this planet exhibiting total self control. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't experiment with recreational drug use; heck I don't even take all the pain meds prescribed for my conditions because I don't want to be a pill popping addict! So it ruffles my feathers that this women insists she knows that I am addicted to food! So you know one way I know I am NOT a food addict? Because when I get angry I don't down an entire bag of doritos with a big gulp from 7/11; no, I write a blog instead!:lol:

My general rule of thumb these days is this: just because you can do something (according to your surgeon) doesn't mean you should. Though more often than not I think surgeons go way over the top alarmist about food, caffeine, alcohol, etc. For me, at one month post op I was not eating much carbs - only cooked veggies and some fruit. I am more than 2 months out now and I can tolerate protein-infused oatmeal okay but rice, Pasta and bread feel like bombs going off in my stomach. I avoid as much as possible.

For me it's not as much the cost as it is the inconvenience. I live 20 minutes from the closest store and order most of my goodies online. When my grown kids or grandkids come over and raid my stash I'm screwed until I either make a trip to the store or place an order! I feel horrible, but I have started hiding my food, inside canisters, under my bed, in the back of my closet. I feel like an alcoholic or a drug addict.

sniff alcohol wipes. i know, sounds weird. its an old mexican treatment. works pretty good. but yeah, call your doc. there's nothing over the counter you can get for nausea.

I try and stay away from splenda, Ive heard bad things about it. anything with sugar alcohols make my ass explode!!! cannot tolerate that stuff. I knoe fiber one bars don't have sugar alcohols in it, but it does have sugar. Im going to try experimenting with stevia, its a natural sweeter that is made from a plant. it has something like 10x's the sweetness as sugar. I bought it at Trader Joes. I like it because it is not a chemical, it is a plant. good luck, amy

I am planning on getting the Lap Band ((HOPEFULLY)) in December. I just found out that my insurance requires 6 months of physician monitored documentation of a weight loss plan before even considering to pay. UGH! :faint:Had I known that 6 months ago, I would be planning my surgery now or may have even had it. BUT....there may be a reason that the Lord has for me to wait...He always does. I'm very overweight for my height and the Gastric bypass is just not for me - it scares me to death but this is the perfect tool for me. I can't wait until I have my surgery - I have 6 months to prepare my body for my new lifestyle. I plan on starting ((SLOWLY)) to exercise and I've already started chewing ALOT more before swallowing so that I get used to it when I have the band in. I'm in Alabama and my surgeon is Dr. Schmidt. I have not even met with him yet - that's planned for July 11. :clap2: I hear that alot of post surgery patients have "mourning" periods and even turn to other addictions such as alcohol once they have the surgery - I'd love to hear from anyone that has advice for me. And where do I get one of those CUTE counters that keep up with your weight loss? Tickers??? I think .....

I went to Dr. Oh's seminar the other night - and I was not impressed. He spent the least amount of time discussing the lap band procedure. He spent more time discussing gastric bypass - which I am not interested in. Well, during the discussion he said lapbands are not good for "sweet eaters" because you can't have sugar, milk, or alcohol for the rest of your life. I asked him afterwards if that is true - because to me it doesn't seem like a way to live the rest of your life. He said this is a last resort - and no sugar because then you will have cravings for it. He also said his patients have fills every month for the first year. One question asked by someone at the seminar was regarding the amount of food eatten at each meal - the doctor responded 1-2 ounces! This just doesn't seem reasonable to me.... that's nothing. I am not sure this is the right decision for me... I was so nervous/excited about the seminar and then came home feeling this may not be the best option for me. Also, I posted the above under another thread and heard from someone on this site..the same thing about Dr. Oh. I didn't even mention his name in my post - she asked if I was from WA state...when I told her yes, she asked if it was Dr. Oh. She said Dr. Srikanth was better - but she cannot have hers done for about year either - per her insurance. I was going to look into Dr. Srikanth - but have not called yet.... I wonder what is unethical about him.... curious. Still not sure if this is what I need to do for me..but, I am checkin it out.

Sugar alcohol is what causes diarrhea in most people. I was told to limit the amount of the sugar alcohol because of that.

I've heard of people becoming alcoholics. But it makes sense that any kind of addiction could take the place of a food addiction. For me, I started spending money. Buying things on the internet and eagerly awaiting their arrival in the mail!! I agree with the comments about awareness being key. Also, not everyone's weight issue is an addiction issue. It sounds like your mom loves you and is concerned for you, which is a beauty of it's own. Since you are already taking action by asking about this particular possible problem on here, I think you will be fine ---- keep up your support system and be aware of anything "pulling" you if that occurs. And keep asking questions! ~hiddn

I had the same thing, and my doctor's office said to press on the area slightly to get the stitch to pop out as much as possible and to cut it off with sterilized scissors or nail clippers. They said to definitely not pull on it. I just cleaned a pair of nail clippers with alcohol and clipped the little piece sticking out carefully, without touching my skin. It eventually completely disappeared. It's very common and nothing to worry about.

Ur 5 days out of surgery and consuming alcohol mixed with fattening coffee mix?

My candy pushing co-workers are driving me crazy. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and have a hard time resisting sugar. Several of my co-workers feel that they have to have candy bowls on their desks with chocolate, peanut butter cups, snickers minis, basically my drug of choice. Any suggestions on keeping me away from the sugar. I have tried a variety of the sugar free candies and most are really good but I can only eat a piece or two as the sugar alcohols cause intestinal distress (understatement). Any thoughts/tips that have worked for any of you successful sugar avoiders? I am not a person who does well with "just one piece" or "only have a few". For me, one is too many and twenty is not enough. I truly appreciate any suggestions...thanks!

I had wine about 3 months post op and had no problems what so ever ! I did not get buzzed I had the glass of wine about a hour after I ate, I sipped it slowly and totally enjoyed it. I'm almost 8 months post op now and can drink socially like I did before surgery with no problems. I do not get buzzed faster or slower... the surgery has no effect on my alcohol consumption.

I don't do the cooking, we go to relatives ( all good cooks), so I just eat a little of whatevers there and have a little dessert and call it good. My Dr. Said to eat healthy 95 % of the time and not worry about it 5 % of the time. I have a daily battle with sweets, the sweets always win, but Im not interested in other unhealthy foods for the most part ( chips, alcohol, fast food, etc ) so I dont feel bad about the sweets. I think you have to choose your battles wisely, and leave room for a few treats too. Good luck ! Happy Thanksgiving !

I did know a RNY person that turned to alcohol instead of food and it ruined his life - he lost his job, ability to drive and other things. I still think many bariatric programs need to mandate therapy for 6 months prior ad 1 year after because so many people fail to find a coping mechanism to replace food and have a multitude of reasons behind the symptom of using food. There is of course a wide spectrum to disordered eating and many are unwilling to admit or tackle that - oh I just eat too much, etc.

Thank you all! I totally relate to you who are having the same thoughts I did...so much self doubt and fear for us all. For me it was so bad that I told no one I was doing this in case I failed (I have yet to tell anyone). My goal was modest compared to some, but overwhelming for me. I have thyroid disease and a non-existent metabolism. I lost about 10 lbs on my preop and a little over 60 since then. It sucked, let's be real, but I didn't bust my ass or watch the food intake and I even drank alcohol whenever I felt like it. Some may think it irresponsible of me to say these things, given how much we all have struggled and continue to struggle post op in many cases. But my intention is to encourage everyone. It will happen! It will.

Don't know if I would say that exactly, but I do prefer fitting in smaller and smaller clothes. Lol One concern I have about alcohol is my decision making when drinking. I have a very low tolerance to alcohol and have always been a cheap date. :-) I tend to eat when I drink and I'm afraid I would eat the too much or the wrong things and have to suffer the consequences (pain, nausea, vomiting). No thank you!

So my good friends wedding is tonight... I am now 18 days post op and I feel great. Food and liquid goes down easily with not much trouble at all. I was wondering if I should stay away from alcohol tonight... I'm not a drinker but I do have alcohol on special occasions like tonight. Should I sip some wine or completely stay away? Only one close friend knows about my surgery so I don't want all of my other friends to ask why I am not drinking. I know the alcohol hits faster after being sleeved and I know to be very careful with it... What does everyone think? I need some opinions.

My relationship with alcohol since surgery has not changed, although I am not a heavy drinker...just socially, parties, dinner, etc. With the band however, I have to be careful when drinking beer...don't over do it, and never with food in the stomach - pouch. I hear a lot of people talk about your tolerance changing...I have not experienced that at all. I wonder if the majority of people are experiencing this or like most things on this forum, just repeating what others have said. But bottom line, listen to your Dr.

I was cleared for alcohol after 6 weeks. I regularly drink now with no issues.

Hello all. I had the Realize Band put it on 6/13 and have now lost approximately 17 lbs. A friend of a friend, who had bariartric surgery turned me on to obesity.com and that's how I found this website. I am rapidly approaching 60 years of age and could not take the weight off myself. I have probably gained and lost the weight of two people before this surgery, and this will be my last. My doc is very nice, but there is not a lot of communication so I find corresponding with people and reading these topics very helpful. I do have some questions for all of you out there: 1) When can you begin a regular exercise program, like Curves (this worked for me before, so I want to try it again) 2) When can you start to introduce fresh fruit and leafy greens into the diet? I'm allowed to begin eating regular food again this week, but the diet plan excludes fresh fruit and leafy greens and I have no idea why. 3) Can you ever have wine or other alcoholic beverages? 4) Do all doctors prohibity the consumption of fluids for an hour before meals and an hour after meals? Why is this? Thanks for all your postings and keep your fingers crossed that I am able to make the long journey with all of you.

What alcohol are you able to drink k ? Also what would be the amount you have ? Frequency ? Sent from my SM-G930P using BariatricPal mobile app