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Mine is to lose 30 lbs and hit my goal this year. I also am going to slow down on alcohol.

You looked great!!!! That looks sooo fun! How did the alcohol do on your tummy???? I'm frightened of it, but I would love to have a drink again soon lol.

I'll be going on vacation with some old friends and it "coincidentally" is planned for when my doctor allows alcohol. So my question is, what should I drink that will be less likely to make me sick?! I WILL be having one drink or at least most of one. I've heard to stay away from margaritas/mixed drinks Bc of the sugar making people feel sick. I've heard wine gives heartburn. I've heard beer or any liquor mixed with soda just hurts. So what does that leave me to try?!

Yep. If I want to keep losing. Don't get me wrong. My eating got sloppy around the one year mark. I was eating greasy fried food and carbs and buckets of movie crapcorn. And drinking wine. And I started to gain again. So I got serious, cleaned up the food, planned and tracked my portions, dumped the alcohol and carbs, and lost what I gained and got back on track. With smaller portions, my band once again felt tighter. So now I have to chew well and eat small bites or I'll get stuck. But don't kid yourself. Eating around the band is very possible and the bigger your meals get the more used to it you get. The good news is that the reverse is also true. I am very grateful for my band and that I learned this lesson early without too much wasted time or without stretching out my insides and causing a slip. The better I adhere to the rules the easier it gets. The more exceptions I make, the harder it is to get back on track. Good luck! JustWatchMe

I'm 9 months postop and recently had 2 episodes of what I think may be gas pain ... the discomfort is in the suprapubic area and is absolutely f&@#% bananas. I was literally rolling on the floor. It went away after 30-40 min ... I even pooped and passed gas during the episode without relief of the cramping feeling. What did I eat? Both times I had drank a gose beer (fancy type of sour beer with low alcohol content) and eaten a KIND bar. I won't be consuming that combination again. Anyone else almost go to the ER with his maddening type of pain? It is so odd, because the pain is unlike anything prior to surgery -- given that things were moved around in there. Any body with a quick fix to share is appreciated.

Slider food are items that you can chew up easily, swallow, and slide past the band. Some examples are: Cookies Candy Chips Milk shakes Mocha's Alcohol Soda Ice cream

I haven't asked my Doc how long I could drink Alcohol. I just figured, it wouldn't do anything to help with weight loss, so i was content to just wait until i hit my goal. Coffee on the other hand.... For now i'm okay because of the B12, but I do miss the taste

alcohol has affected my weight loss, I'm definitely limiting myself to 1 day at week. after the surgery I was feeling depressed and found myself drinking 3 - 4 times per week, n 9 months Ive only lost 60lbs. which makes me sad to know, i let my emotions take over.

No splenda isn't made with those nasty alcohols. I really have to watch what is in some stuff -because the alcohols - especially sorbitol causes me such trouble. C.N.

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

Oh man do I know the woes of Splenda! I was so excited when it came out. Although the taste doesn't bother me, ANYTHING with the sugar alcohols in it make me so sick SO fast! I envy those of you who can tolerate it. I am an aspartame girl/addict really. I have also started putting Stevia in hot tea. I wish Iliked splenda people who cook and bake with it all rave. There are two chefs on the food channels who have gone lo carb and their recipes make me drool.

My name is Taylor, and I will be 21 in August. I've been employed as a 911 operator/dispatcher for almost 4 years. I made the decision to get the sleeve last winter, because I'm only four foot ten, and weighed 210 lbs. I had insulin resistance (a form of prediabetes), and I was starting to have knee problems. I had the surgery on March 7th, and the rough recovery was worth it. This has been the best choice I have ever made, and I will never regret it. My lifestyle and eating habits have changed so much. I make really healthy choices and I don't touch carbonation, which is a big deal because I had a big Dr. Pepper problem. I have been doing yoga off and on for a month, and once or twice a day in the past week. I also swim and do some quick exercises. I used to drink a lot of alcohol and eat taco bell every other day, but it's all changed. When I'm on a month of days, on my off days I rarely wake up after 9:30. Before, I rarely woke up before 1. I know this is a lot, but I'm excited to finally be able to discuss it with people who understand, so please excuse me. And just one last thing.. I'm the smallest ive been since before I was a teenager, and I'm almost at my fifty pound mark!

It's not worth it. I won't do the preachy thing as I am sure you heard it all before. But think about this major surgery as a beginning of healthier living. We were told that those who have WLS. often turn to alcohol (once permitted) b/c food was an addiction that the stomach does not allow. She did not say smoking b/c technically nobody should per their understanding, but I found it interesting that they've seen alcoholism with WLS and that addiction factor b/c you mentioned the need to smoke is similar to your old need to eat.

I'm so mad I could spit, and part of the problem is me! I filled the doctor's prescription for the blood thinner injections before my surgery. I was handed a brown paper bag. It felt like a box; I didn't even look at it. (I know, I know. This is where it's also my fault!) Got home from the hospital today, looked in the paper bag and all I saw was several individually packaged syringes inside a plastic baggie. That was bad enough. There was no alcohol swipes or anything to cleanse the injection site before giving the shot. WTF Do they expect me to just jab myself? So I phoned the pharmacy and was told, "Oh, we don't provide any of the wipes. We just offer the syringes." (In a tone of voice that distinctly sounded like "sucks to be you!".) Obviously, they won't take them back so I can fill the prescription elsewhere. Guess this is more of a rant than anything else. Did everyone else receive their syringes this way?

Do I have to stop drinking after the surgery.. I mean forever? I usually like to drink vodka and slimline tonic when I'm gigging, so I have a fair few of those once a week... I do enjoy the occasional drink. I assume that as tonic is carbonated, I will have to find a different mixer, maybe a juice, but I'm keen to know whether I have to give up alcohol altogether?. At gigs I have to admit I do get a little merry every now and then, would be a shame to give it up altogether so I just need to understand what having the sleeve means in terms of alcohol consumption post surgery? Thanks.

Hi, Can you consume alcoholic drinks after surgery? My Co workers wife had a VSG a years ago. She was told by her pcp that she couldn't drink anymore or it could be serious complications. Anyone told otherwise?

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 !!

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

Ladyglory, I know what you're talking about. I've done the same thing also with cigarettes, alcohol, drugs...and other things. Our bodies have changed but our minds need to re-program. You did good. I talk to my feet, "Get me the heck outa here!"

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.

The bad breath comes from your body being in ketosis. I've never had the "bad" breath, but I had a sweet taste in my mouth all the time back when I lost a bunch of weight real fast on MediFast. Besides adding in some carbs to your diet to bring you back out of ketosis, the best thing I know to do is drink more Water. Being dehydrated seems to make it worse. And use alcohol-free mouthwash/breath treatments for the same reason. As for your hair, I've had that happen as well, no matter how much Biotin I took. My doc told me it's your body's natural reaction to stress, in this case what it perceives to be starvation. Your hair will grow back, but it might some time. But just to be on the safe side, have your doc run some tests. As I found out a little too late, hypothyroidism can cause hair loss as well! Best wishes to you!!

@@Ssze1109 you must get 64 oz liquid in a day non alcoholic LOL not necessarily water most NUTS count Protein shake in your liquid daily amount warm, cool, room temperature are also good to try try crystal light it has some flavor, and might work for you good luck kathy

Hi Serenedeer I've been in recovery in AA for 5 year. Got the band not quiet 2 weeks ago myself. I'm worried about my ism's as well. What new and wonderful addictive and destructive behavour can I dream up to take the place of food... or even better.. will I dream up creative ways to beat and band and set myself up for failer. Oh yah,,the ism's are there. I went to an AA meeting tonight and although it was about alcohol, it applied to weight loss to me now. In an odd way, the band is my higher power right now. I have to accept it, use it as it should be used. I do have a real higher power but this twisted way of thinking kinda helped me make it work.

This is from LAP-BAND.com: The LAP-BAND® System creates a small stomach pouch that can hold about one-quarter cup (approx. 2 oz) of food. Eating more can stretch the stomach, canceling the effect of your procedure. Dietary Guidelines After LAP-BAND Surgery Portion size is a major factor in your success with the LAP-BAND System. However, the types of foods you eat can affect your weight loss as well. A healthy diet will have items from each of the following food groups. Quantities and suggested foods are listed in each group. Always talk to your doctor or dietician about your particular dietary needs. Good Choices Fruit and vegetables: 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetables daily Whole grains: 1 small portion of cornflakes for breakfast, or 1 to 2 slices of toasted whole wheat or rye bread each day. If you find you have trouble with bread blocking your stomach opening, substitute other whole grains such as refined, cooked or ready-to-eat Cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or grits. Protein: 2 to 4 oz of meat, fish or poultry, or one egg for additional Protein Remove all visible fat from the meat. Remove skin from poultry/fish. And cook with little/no fat — grill, steam, microwave, or boil. Dairy: 2 cups of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 1 oz low-fat cheese (max.) Since milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form, you might think they should be avoided. However, the Calcium and protein they have makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Fats: 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day (max) Low-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise (in moderation) Drinks: Unlimited zero- or low-calorie liquids per day, including: Non-carbonated beverages Tea or coffee (black) with low-calorie sweetener Clear soup and broths Water Not-so-good choices Proceed with caution: Some foods may cause problems as they may block or have difficulty passing your stomach opening. Introduce these types of foods to your diet slowly, one at a time, to see if they are tolerated. Remember: always be careful and chew these foods well before swallowing. Dry meat Peanut Butter Shrimp Untoasted or doughy bread Pasta or rice Fibrous vegetables (e.g., corn, celery and asparagus) Dried fruit Coconut Popcorn Citrus fruits Nuts Steer clear: Some foods contain too many calories and too little nutritional value to be of any use to you with the LAP-BAND System. Avoid foods high in sugar or fat, including: Syrups, jams, honey Candy, pies, cakes, biscuits chips, dips High-calorie soft drinks Some doctors suggest patients avoid carbonated drinks, as they may contribute to enlargement of the stomach pouch. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation (one glass of wine or less per day).

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.