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My doctor has recommended no straws due to gas from sucking n the straw. I use a Water bottle instead and it works great. In restaurants I never order anything to drink because of the 30 minutes before and after rule. I carry my water bottle everywhere I go including in my house so I have a constant reminder to drink my water. Alcohol is a no no for at least the first year and then with caution after that. Caffeinetted beverages actually dehydrates you. I was told I could have it if I wanted after month 3. I simply don't because it gives me migraines if I drink too much of it. I am a water girl all the way but honestly had been drinking only water for the last 3 years. Or milk.

CARTAGENA, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM AND KACEE I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. I TOO ENJOY ALCOHOL BUT DON,T DRINK EVERY DAY. NOR DO I DRINK SPIRITS I LIKE LAGER I HAVE GONE WITHOUT ALCOHOL FOR OVER A YEAR ON A PREVIOUS DIET AND WASN,T BOTHERED BUT I HAVE AN ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY AND WHEN I DO SOMETHING I DO IT ALL OR NOTHING. WHICH WAS GREAT WHEN I WAS SERIOUSLY DIETING BUT HELL WHEN I STOPPED...LOL I TOO WOULD LOVE TO GET A NICE BUZZ OFF JUST A COUPLE OF DRINKS HENCE KEEPING THE CALORIES LOW AND STILL FEELING NORMAL BUT THOUGH SOME PEOPLE SAY THIS IS TRUE WITH THE BAND MY PROBLEM IS I NEVER STOP AT A COUPLE OF DRINKS!!! I WOULD HOWERVER LISTEN TO KACEE IF I WERE YOU AS DRINKING SUCH HIGH PER CENT ALCOHOL AND SO MUCH IS GONNA CATCH UP WITH YOU I KNOW MY AUNT DIED AN ALCOHOLIC AND I WOULDN,T WISH IT ON ANYONE. SO I HOPE THAT MAYBE WE WILL GET A BUZZ OFF A SMALL AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL CO,S IT,S GOTTA BE BETTER ALL ROUND TO HAVE EVERYTHING IN MODERATION RIGHT? TAKE CARE:)

I have to admit, I am still not ok with going out to eat. First off, drink with a straw, a big nono and my body lets me know after awhile. Food choices usually are slim. Alcohol also if he has an occasional drink. None for 6 months. The food part isnt too bad for me. The big thing is not drinking anything for 30 min after. I think it is awesome you are supporting him. Maybe ask him? I cook for the other 4 in the house, (my cousin and her family) and afterwards come back over to my area (I have an efficiency apartment that is attached to their house) and make my dinner. It isnt always easy. You forget easily. Old habits die hard. Good luck to you both! SW 350 (11/15) BSW 260 (10/17/17) CW 207 (3/18/18) RGW 199 GW 175

Good morning! I had my surgery 2 weeks ago today on August 4th, and am officially down 26lbs! I also survived my first social setting...I went to a wedding yesterday and was able to resist BBQ, cake and alcohol all just by will power! I sipped a water and a few sips of lemonade and I was fine! I get to move on to full liquids today so I'm excited to try some food other than broths, protein shakes and clear liquids lol. How are all of you other August sleevers doing?!

Be careful of quantities, too. I was pissed after downing one McEwans the other night, which I drank very slowly by the way. I think the small quantities I've been eating might have made me more sensitive to the alcohol, I don't know. It was a good lesson for me. I would also take heed of what Carol said about judgement being affected. I would hate to be eating at the same time and not chew well enough and ruin my night through a big PB.

I think you may be off on what calories you will be maintaining once at desired weight, unless you are going to be VERY active. 3000 is quite a few calories, much more than necessary. That makes the 400 useless calories from alcohol a larger part of your daily intake. You are fortunate to be able to have this surgery in SA, because not too many dr's here would do it until you have a psych eval where the psychologist would have a field day figuring this out..

My step mother got drunk the end of May, she jumped out of her window. Her window was on the 30th floor of an apartment building. She did what she wanted to do. She enjoyed her alcohol and she went flying, flying like a butterfly out her window. She didn't care about anyone else but herself. Oh yes she enjoyed her alcohol and I know that she enjoyed her flight! She only cared about her alcohol not her daughter that she would leave devestated behind, or her friends and other family members. Just like you she did what she wanted to do and she enjoyed it. So go ahead and have the band and drink as much as you want. I've gotten drunk a few times in the past to years, and I've enjoyed it. I'm more sensitive now about alcolhol because I see how it hurts others so much. I am also more sensitive how weight effects others. So you need to make this desision for yourself. I am sure you are already affecting other peoples lives by your weight and your drinking. You are aviously going to do just what you want to do. Just like my step mother did what she wanted to do. The only thing that I can ask is that you think about how you are affecting other people who care about you. It does effect them even if you think it doesn't

L.A. You do need to get back on that antidepressant asap. Do you have a family Dr or someone you know well. See him/her and get a new prescription. I was a psychiatric nurse for many years and have seen the havoc depression can cause in people, relationships and families. If you need it, there is no reason you can't take it with the band. I bet 75% of overweight people are also depressed. Same with other addictions. People try to self medicate with food, alcohol, drugs etc. Please take care of yourself.

I know the cycle....drink, eat, drink, eat. That's one reason why I ballooned up. Been there, done that. Unfortunately I would venture to guess that you may cut back initially, but will probably ease back up to the current amounts before too long as your body adjusts and old habits set in. The band will not stop you from drinking or drinking heavily because being liquid, it's just gonna roll down your throat. By "pickling" I don't mean that you are soused 24/7. Your body has adjusted to the amounts you give it and compensated to some extent. However, your regular blood alcohol level when you think you are cold sober is probably borderline or more. After a period of chronic alcohol consumption your blood is going to maintain a permanently elevated level of alcohol all the time as long as you keep "feeding it". Just be aware that you are working with a lot LESS territory to inebriate after you lose weight (though I would also think you probably will not lose much weight based on habits). However, because you will be able to eat less, you probably are not going to be able to fend off the hangovers as effectively anymore.

Three hours does seem awfully long (mine was an hour and I thought that was long). Mostly, I think, they are looking to see that you don't have an eating disorder, that you have realistic expectations for the band, that you don't have severe mental illness (like delusional thinking or hallucinations), that you don't have a drug or alcohol addiction, that you are getting the band for the right reasons (for yourself). They want you to be successful. Probably with the three hours they will talk with you about "head hunger" and using food for things other than strictly nourishment; might also talk about what to expect after you lose your weight (during my psych evaluation the therapist talked about the high rate of divorce among wls patients). They also will probably talk to you about your weight loss/gain history. They are not going to be concerned that you take an anti-anxiety medication--especially if your anxiety is controlled (I have clinical depression, but it's controlled with my medications, and they didn't blink an eye about it). Don't worry. They won't think you're crazy. :tongue2:

You dont want to mess with the sleeve if you already have had reflux issues. I converted to bypass 2 1/2 months ago and although I wasnt very happy the first 6 weeks I have come around and its not so bad. I do dump on cereal or heavy carbs so I just dont eat that stuff especially in the mornings !!! I can drink alcohol and I dont dump on that. It really varies person to person. I know a woman who has never dumped with the bypass and she said she wish she did !! It is a good deterrent for sure.

Have to admit my first thought was lactose intolerance, which can occur after surgery but you said you’re dairy free. My second thought was artificial sweeteners - many, especially the sugar alcohol ones can cause gastric distress like you described. https://www.livestrong.com/article/510270-can-artificial-sweetners-upset-your-stomach/ But whatever the cause, I agree with the others, contact your surgeon as soon as you can.

Even caffeinated beverages count to your fluid intake. It's outdated thinking that caffeine dehydrates you more than the fluid hydrates you. They've done new research on this. So, if you drink coffee or tea, include this. The only drinks that would NOT count would be alcohol. Have you considered taking lactaid pills with your dairy? For some people that completely solves the problem (you have to take it each time you have dairy). Or drinking lactose free milk? It depends on the person, because some people have a slightly different lactose-related problem. One of my friends can eat dairy just fine as long as she has lactaid pills with it, or uses lactose-free milk, but my neighbor can't have dairy at all. I agree with adding beans if you can digest them, and foods like farro, quinoa, chia seeds, vegan protein powder (it doesn't have dairy - only if you decide to increase protein again), etc. There is also a snack I've found called Bada Bean (I don't think that's the exact name), which is toasted fava beans in different seasonings, and I think they're great. They are high in fiber and have some protein and fat. I agree with others who say to find a different nutritionist, but I would suggest finding one who specializes in bariatric needs. I'm so sorry you had this experience.

You may be one of the unlucky ones whose hunger doesn't go away with surgery. And I will say that your surgeon's idea that you must stay on 800 cal a day to lose weight flies in the face of scienc. Stand back, I'm going to use MATH! If you were maintaining your (heavy) weight by eating, say, 3500 calories a day, then that's your maintenance for that weight. So now, if you are eating 800 calories, you are in a deficit of 2700 calories a day, which means you'd lose three quarters of a pound per day on average. If you're eating 1200 calories, you're in a deficit of 2300 calories a day, which means you'd lose two thirds of a pound per day on average. Yes, different macros (protein, carbs, fat, alcohol) do work differently in your body, but ultimately your body is bound, like everyone's, to the calories in-calories out equation. I suspect what happened to you is twofold: 1. You're in a lengthy stall (search up "three-week stall", it happens to almost all of us, it's incredibly frustrating, it's not always at 3 weeks, and it can last a month for some people). It's because your body has depleted its glycogen and is probably somewhat dehydrated (it's hard to drink enough right after surgery), and your fluid balance is adjusting itself. 2. You're frustrated and not tracking what you eat. Unfortunately, this is something that has to be done. You can't fix your diet if you don't know what your diet is. And that means, at least for me, pre-prepping meals and weighing things out. I just pop a tray in the microwave a few times a day and have it all specced out. I use MyMacros+ for tracking. One of the big culprits is cooking oil/fat. How many people measure the oil they put in a pan to cook their, say, chicken breast? Nobody except bariatric patients—everyone else just sploops some oil in a pan until it looks right. I actually have a bar jigger on the counter so I can measure in 1/2 ounces and full ounces. Track your food. Literally track your food. If you find you're not losing weight on 800 cal a day, spend a week eating 1000 cal a day to see if it'll shock your system. I am at about 1400-1500 cal a day a little short of three months post-op, because I work physical work and am very active (gym, running, hiking, etc.) and need the calories to be able to function. But I still track each and every day. The surgery isn't bullshit. If it were possible to just severely restrict calories without it, nobody would get the surgery. But there are thousands of people here, myself included, who found success with the surgery that wouldn't have been possible without it.

OK... this was me 2 Fridays ago, and the Friday before that too... ( so 2 Fridays in a row!!!) Here's the email i sent to my doc: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Last week on Friday, I full on fainted.. I was dancing and felt really dizzy, so, i drank a couple of glasses of ice Water, and some cider, then the room started spinning and i sat down.. tried to stand up and the room spun more and my legs felt wobbly.. sat down again and woke up on the floor with people grabbing me... I blacked out completely because I don't remember anything.. Tonight... same thing.. not as severe.. no spinning just weak legs, then woozy and sat down.. put my head between my knees .. and bam.. woke up on the floor again.... Any idea about what is wrong with me?? Once is not really a big deal but 2 times in 8 days... I'm starting to worry a bit.... HELP!! fyi... good sodium intake and even made a point today to ask the bartender to add sugar to my cranberry/cider (non-alcoholic) cocktail...and drank lots of water... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, on both of those days, my hydration was great, but my calorie count was really low.... i would say that it is low blood-sugar... My doctor responded that it is not a big deal, and actually quite normal... 2 reasons... malnutrition and rapid weight loss.. My GP did a full blood scan and it was normal... he thought malnutrition too and recommended I eat a tiny bit of anything every 2 hours... Have done that for the last week and a half and feel so much better!!! In addition i would say it was also because i had been dancing a LOT, the club was bloody hot, and quite packed... Sound familiar?? So, my solution: stay hydrated... one drink maximum and keep some beef Jerky in my bag to snack on... it has REALLY helped... I went dancing the next day, did this, and i was fine... of course my friends are still kinda freaking out, so they make me take a break from dancing to eat.... if you are like me you don't want to eat past lunchtime on days you will go out, but that doesn't work cuz 12 hours without food, plus a LOT of freaking exercise dancing (1 hour at my weight burns 1000 calories)... equals the room spinning and passing out in front of my friends (and the very cute bartender who is never going to ask me out now that i have fainted in front of him TWICE... bloody hell!) What do you think???

Im a realist and don't belief in telling people alot of fluff so I will give it to you straight. 1) Scared about missing food - You are what you eat - period. I will not lie to you - The sleeve gives you the tool lose the weight - but its up to you to not eat crap and gain all the weight back. On ocassion I will eat things like pizza and other junk, but its only on occasion. Its a slippery slope though, especially with the carbs. If you eat crappy quality carbs you wake up the carb cravings and can get yourself in trouble. Do I miss junk food - not as much as I thought I would - and if I absolutely HAVE to have something I eat it - just not a whole box. 2) drinking beers - Im not a drinker but I can tell you this - Beer is carbs and makes you fat. You also will get drunk quicker with less beer. If getting plastered with your friends is a must for you I do not reccomend you endulge in that behavior too often. I know alot of bariatric patients who gain LOTS back due to alcohol. Its empty useless fat promoting calories. The sleeve will not stop you from drinking 8 beers - remember liquid slides right on through. 3) Can you lose the weight on your own - I'll say this much. The odds are against you. For me it was IMPOSSIBLE. I was a quantity eater and I like to be full. Now that I have a tiny stomach I can be full with so much less food and now that my hunger hormones are reduced I get much less hungry. But if I eat crappy carbs my hunger does return with a vengence so refined carbs are the enemy. Without the surgery I would still be an obese 377 pound 36 year old with who know what kind of health issues. 4) its irreversible - so what. Do you want your big bowling ball size stomach back that takes forever to get full and releases all kinds of hunger hormones. I don't miss mine. I still have a fully functioning stomach - just smaller. Your not getting a gastric bypass. Your body will work just the way it always has worked - just better. 5)Your going to die - I can say this - If you do nothing you will die. Also death from the sleeve is really really really low. Bariatric surgery has really come a long way and is very safe now. Worry about how unhealthy you will be without taking control of your obesity. That is the real fear. Your absolutely normal to be fearful of the unknown. I can tell you that I have zero regrets! I have had no complications and have never even thrown up once. I just had a tummy tuck and feel for the first time in my life - happy in my own body. No more looking in the mirror and wanting to PUKE. ALL my health issues went away - no more cpap - no more high blood pressure - etc etc. Its a miracle surgery. Good luck with your journey - Shayne

@@Karlnjax, I am so very sorry that your family is not supporting your decision to get healthy. It sounds like you are moving in the right direction regardless. I am not sure what their reasons are but many times it is simply fear generated by all the bad stories they have heard. Sometimes it can be jealousy if they themselves are overweight or obese. Usually it will work itself out over time. Let's hope they are just scared and that will pass as you get through your surgery. I do have only one family member, my sister n law who was obese as a child and teenager. She has used drugs and alcohol her whole life to lose weight and has developed anorexia and is scary thin. The drugs and alcohol have actually killed her pancreas and she has a lot of emotional problems. She has been in treatment so many times and still she is addicted to painkillers and booze. Anyway, she completely did not support my decision to have this surgery and now that I have lost 111lbs, her big thing is to pretend she is worried about how thin I am getting. To the point we have actually argued about it. I did not figure it out until this argument that she is actually worried that I might lose so much weight that in her head I would be thinner than her. Well that is not possible, she maybe weighs 95lbs soaking wet. It is all so crazy! Everyone else in my family and friends is very supportive and I am thankful for that but no one understands as much as my bariatric pal family. I leverage this group every chance I get and appreciate that I have this group to lean on! Don't let it get to you. You need to do what is right for you and your long term health. Please know that you have a whole team here that will support you!

You can make your own refreezable ice pack with a gallon freezer bag. Fill it with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of rubbing alcohol and then just put it in the freezer. Make two so you can always have one ready to go while you are using the other one.

Thanks Dee, for your response. i too gave up sugary stuff for lent even though I'm no longer a Catholic. Somehow the discipline of lent from youth is still with me; stuff I couldn't give up in January becomes easier to give up beginning Ash Wednesday. Lately I've been reducing the carbs too. This morning my weight was 120.8, Hurray! I can eat more than I used to be able to, so I think it's important for me to concentrate on Protein and vegetables and to limit carbs. I'm back eating artificial sweeteners and though I don't think they are actually healthy, they are far better than the alternative. Sugar is such a drug for me. The sugar alcohols have side effects which is a good thing for me. I cannot eat a 100gr bar of SF chocolate because of the stomach cramps it causes. This means that my portion sizes are reasonable and not gluttonous--in the end a very good thing indeed. I think the weight thing will always be a struggle for me, but at least I have a chance of winning this battle now instead of trying my hardest and losing miserably. I feel pretty good of my protein-first diet. My BF and housemate are both on no sugar diets so I don't have loads of temptattion. My boy still eats sugar with abandon, but I can dismiss that more easily. Sugar now seems like pixie sticks or cotton candy--stuff you eat in your youth but wouldn't really ingest during adulthood.

Ok, that was hilarious and completely believable. In my opinion, I would tell them so they're not shoving alcohol or junk food in your face. Let them razz you all they want, like a previous poster said, they'll be hating it when you're getting all the attention from the ladies. Good luck on your journey.

I loved the Thai flavors of Kettle & Fire, though they are costly. Not as costly as a dinner out though! LOL I also love the fuzzy navel version of Syntrax Nectars. You can get samples of them pretty easily. I like these more than pre-made waters because there are no sugar alcohols in them. MyProtein makes clear whey isolate powders in Mike and Ike flavors, I like the watermelon the best, the cherry was weird. I had to drink the Premier Protein ready made shakes for my pre-op diet according to my doctor so I tried all sorts of those, I like Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon Roll, Vanilla, and Cafe Latte the most. But they are not my favorite protein. My favorite one is R Kane Nutritionals Pro-Cal powders. They taste like melted milkshakes when you make them with milk. I have no clue what sorcery they used to manage that, but they do. BariatricPal also makes these little protein shots in fruit flavors that are sweet sour and pretty tasty when you need something fast. The tartness makes them easier for me to drink. I will caution one thing, don't buy a ton of things, get samples when you can. Because post surgery your tastes may change dramatically. Mine did, I can't taste sweet spices anymore and I can taste the whey in ANYTHING. I ordered a ton from Unjury and I can't stand any of it... I'm so annoyed. But my biggest issue is that whey sits heavy in my stomach and I couldn't get any protein drinks down for at least two weeks. I'm just starting to ease them back into rotation, but it is still hard to get a whole one down. So have a variety of samples for post op, but be careful what you buy full sized unless you have someone else that will consume what you don't.

@@brians34 I actually had already begun a supervised weight loss program before I went in for my consultation with the surgeon. As far as my failed attempts, I just wrote a letter discussing my weight struggles and all failed attempts of weight loss, including fad diets and professionally supervised diets. I then just had my doctors office give me a copy of my paperwork from each visit I had over the past 2 years (to show my weight). One thing that I did not do and it yelled my approval up several days, was get documentation from my primary doctor, saying that I had not been treated for alcohol or substance abuse in the last year. Except for that minor delay, BCBS Federal was very quick with my approval. The surgeons office sent my info over on Thursday May 22, and I had a response Tuesday May 27. The 26th was a holiday, so it only took 2 Business days. I didn't get to fax in the missing documents until June 3 bc my primary doctors office took forever to get it to me..but I was officially approved on June 4!!

@@brians34 I actually had already begun a supervised weight loss program before I went in for my consultation with the surgeon. As far as my failed attempts, I just wrote a letter discussing my weight struggles and all failed attempts of weight loss, including fad diets and professionally supervised diets. I then just had my doctors office give me a copy of my paperwork from each visit I had over the past 2 years (to show my weight). One thing that I did not do and it yelled my approval up several days, was get documentation from my primary doctor, saying that I had not been treated for alcohol or substance abuse in the last year. Except for that minor delay, BCBS Federal was very quick with my approval. The surgeons office sent my info over on Thursday May 22, and I had a response Tuesday May 27. The 26th was a holiday, so it only took 2 Business days. I didn't get to fax in the missing documents until June 3 bc my primary doctors office took forever to get it to me..but I was officially approved on June 4!! Thanks SweeTEA

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.

Yes, there is sugar in the milk that is in the mix, so it can't be classed as "sugar free" but if they don't add any additional sugar, then it is "no sugar added". The mainline instant breakfast does have sugar in there (second ingredient after nonfat milk and before maltodextrin) but the no sugar added version will have some other sweetener in there instead - sucralose, aspartame, sugar alcohols, etc. "No sugar added" is a newish label that is working its way into the nutrition label, and overall is a good thing, as it is the added sugar that is typically the biggest problem. A package of frozen strawberries can't be said to be sugar free, as the strawberries have sugar naturally occurring in them, but they can be "no sugar added" if all they are are strawberries that have been frozen. I have seen some studies that indicated that on the order of 70-80% of the packaged goods on the shelves have some form of added sugar in them, This is distinct from intrinsic sugar, or sugar that is naturally occurring in foods - milk, fruit, vegetables - almost anything grown in the ground - which is typically much less of a problem as it is usually bound into the fiber of the plant and more slowly absorbed than the added free sugar. Is the instant breakfast a recommended product for your program? Typically it is not as it is more of a "meal replacement" product that is moderate in protein as opposed to the protein shakes that are primarily protein, (20-30g protein per serving vs. about 5g for instant breakfast. Usually we are looking for high density protein early on as we can consume so little for a while. That said, I did (and do still) mix instant breakfast with protein powder as I was not having any big problem with protein intake, even early on, and chose to blend in the instant breakfast to give a better overall nutritional profile than just the protein powder alone. There is no right or wrong answer, but just a consideration, particularly if one is struggling to get in their requisite protein at the start. Good luck in your coming adventure!