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Yes, I'm sure alcohol will be my problem when I'm banded. And I've certainly been noticing lately that lots of things that shouldnt be on the menu are much easier to chew up and turn to mush than lots of way healthier foods. But surely its OK to plan a treat every now and then?. Even when you're losing weight, its what you do most of the time that counts. You're supposed to be developing new habits that last you the rest of your life, well normal people dont live on grilled chicken breasts and lettuce leaves forever! What's the worst that can happen, you lose a little less this week? I think one of the most important things is to learn to handle those foods and to fit them into a healthy diet.

I can tolerate foods very well. I haven't had pasta, but I've had a little rice and potatoes. I'm not really nauseous. I'm doing my fitness pal to make sure I'm getting my protein in. I average 800-1000 cals/day. I'm so scared to try sugar or fatty foods, I don't want to dump. I think everyone is different. I have a bypass friend who can tolerate sugar and one who cannot. It's easy stay on track now but I'll be sad if later on I don't get the dumping to keep me in line, it wasn't my fail safe but was a back up plan lol. I think I'm holding off on trying sugar and alcohol till I'm at goal. But I'm truly satisfied with my food right now.....

my nutritionist recommended no alcohol for a year (not going to happen) The reason she said this is that the 1st year you lose the most weight after sleeve. I don't plan on drinking much but will be going to Disney food and wine festival in October and I may have a sip or 2 of wine. Not much I want to lose this weight and keep it off. I reached my 1st 20 pound weight loss on thursday which was 2 weeks post op. Of course I lost 9 of those the week before surgery. But I am so excited Im going shopping today my scrub pants are tooooooooo big.

I would suggest most responders re-read what I wrote. My point was that if it was a likelihood that alcohol was likely to cause a leak our warnings would be more than suggestions from nutritionists to lay off alcohol for a month, or three months, or 60 days, or six months. I cannot help it that most responders want to push their own self reached beliefs or fears. And SMG, if you are relying on warnings on your hydrocodone as one of your warnings against alcohol post-bariatric surgery, you are proving my point. Now, as to whether I had a reputable surgeon, top rated hospital in the State of Georgia.

Glow... if i were in your shoes.... i would just tell him that i quit. How will he know the difference. Make your appt early in the morning. Spray your self down with perfume and rinse your mouth with mouth wash. I don't smoke, but everyone in the house that i grew up in did... so i'm use to being around it and it doesn't bother me. Althought quitting would be great, some people can't. Smoking is a personal choice and if you want to smoke..... then smoke. I still drink my Mt. Dew (i'm not giving it up) and alcohol when i want too. its my personal choice. Like i said before, my friend Paula smoked before and still does.... and she has been having her band for over three years.

you are worth the changes we need to do. we became obese because we never said stop to food, right? now you have a new challenge, you are worth it. take one step at a time, take a breath and see what happens. walking will help you get your mind off the weight gain, start now. keep in touch with the forum. we want to see you succeed, you can do it. drug addicts and alcoholics stop using, so can you. I have been drug and alcohol free for almost 29 yrs. if I had looked at stopping everything past one day or even one hour at a time in the beginning I would never have made it. the best thing I did was get and use support of a group. I trusted others who had gone through the same issues, it works. smoking is not good for you, it is a drug. take care of you, you are worthwhile!!!

Its pretty structured - memory/iq(ish) test, vocab test and a true/false(ish) test. then a discussion about your support system and alcohol use. Not much to prepare for.

@@LisaAdams50, Congrats on your surgery and success so far! You must be doing things right if you haven’t had any pain or nausea since surgery! If you choose to drink, just remember that it’s different than before surgery. You’re way more sensitive to alcohol. It will affect you faster and after drinking less than it did before. Also, remember that you’re on a “strict diet,” but that drinking alcohol lowers your inhibition…so it’s harder to say no to unhealthy foods. Do your best to plan ahead and stay aware of what you’re eating. Good luck, and enjoy the event.

Hi @MarceMonster. Here’s the formula I used to get to goal weight: • Start every morning with a Protein shake for Breakfast. • Eat 60–80 or more grams of protein daily. • Drink 64–120 ounces of fluids daily. (I drink tons of Crystal Light, or generic, sugar-free/decaf iced tea.) • Do not consume any starches or sugars. • Get all carbs from green veggies, legumes, and dairy products. • Do not consume empty liquid calories/sugar (fruit juices, ice cream, etc). • Try to avoid alcohol. It’s empty liquid calories that turn to sugar in your body and can lead to poor choices. • All Snacks must be protein-based (Jerky, nuts, cheese, Greek yogurt, deli meats, etc.). • Get some exercise 4-6 times a week. • Never leave the house without a plan for what you can eat and drink while you’re out. If necessary, bring food and drink with you. • Restaurant eating is not hard: 1) skip the bread; 2) order a meat (or legume/bean) dish; 3) replace the starch with a second vegetable; 4) skip the dessert. You’ll probably end up taking some of the meat and most of the veggies home for another meal. • Beef/turkey jerky is my secret weapon. It’s saved me more times than I can count, so I try to always have some in the car for emergencies. You can buy a bag of jerky almost anywhere. It’s kind of expensive and not great for sodium-restricted diets, but it’s also high protein, low fat, okay sugar, and a 3.5-ounce bag is a meal by itself! • If you fall off the horse, get back on immediately – at the next meal. Not tomorrow, and definitely not next Monday. That’s what got us here! • Go to Bariatric Support Group meetings in your area, if possible. • Participate actively in online forums like BariatricPal. • Read as much as you can about the process and the journey; and especially, read posts and articles from those who had their surgery a few years ago. Try to understand what lead to their successes and/or struggles. • Share your story and reach out to help others who are behind you in their journey. By helping them, you’ll help yourself as well. • Have a goal weight in mind and strive to get there. (I weigh myself every single day.) But also set lots of smaller goals. It’s fun and inspiring to achieve them. • Always be looking forward. Don’t look back over your shoulder waiting for the heavier person to drag you back. Let that person fade into history. • Believe that the slimmer person in the mirror is the real you. • A little vanity is okay. Enjoy how you look. Accept compliments graciously and don’t deflect them. Have fun trying on smaller-sized clothes that fit now. Compare before and after pictures. Take pride in your accomplishments! • Accept that this is a somewhat selfish process. That’s okay, too. You don’t have to apologize for it. And don’t let other people interfere with your progress. We have to make our weight loss program a priority in our lives. • But at the same time, recognize that your journey affects your friends and loved ones as well. Be sensitive to their reactions and their emotional needs, without allowing it to derail your program. • And finally, try to have fun losing the weight and getting healthy! Hold onto your determination! That's what'll keep you going during the difficult times and the stalls. Good luck!

Did a holiday night on the town with a couple of girlfriends. I outweigh em both by at least 30#, but I got so hammered on the same amount they drank. We were safe and nothing bad happened but I feel awful today. Our uber driver sent us a text saying what a fun night HE had-ha. Apparently I told him all the gritty details of the burlesque show we saw and other adventures which he found entertaining. For some reason I let some guy talk me into dancing at the last place of the night. I remember making him promise to not let me fall down...gross, don't know why anyone would want to dance with me in that state. My friends said I looked pretty good, but it was very odd that I was wearing my friend's winter scarf out there dancing with a big tall guy who had a pretty good hold on me. Sheesh. Tequila may make your clothes off, but apparently gin makes me put more on. Anyway, trust me when I tell you that the sleeve changes the way your body handles alcohol. I did eat some dinner, but not enough because the drinks hit me hard. I changed my clothes into jammies when we got back to my friends house, I guess we danced more in the living room and I seemed "ok" but I don't have recall of things that happened after we closed the last dancehall. Good thing I am a sweet and happy drunk because I clearly was not in control of myself. I have no idea how people do this regularly.

Marijuana isn't addictive IMHO. Never seen anyone go through detox on it. Same category as alcohol but even less danger. Nobody ever beat their family on pot. Never seen a bunch of stoners in a bar brawl. However even medically it's used to induce increased appetite. If i hadn't quit (other than the rare once every couple years) I would probably steer clear on that aspect. So forego that weekly joint, you heathen pothead lolol!

hi LiLee, hi Lilee, hi LiLee, hi Lo all dr.'s vary on alcohol - from 3 wks to a yr my NUT told me the following do not drink 1/2 hr before you eat do NOT DRINK at all ALL during meals do not drink for 30-45 minutes after meals do get 64 oz H20 a day these are the standard rules, hard to follow, but ..... did i answer your question, or did i do the standard and talk too much??lol kathy good luck to us all

I am also a fellow college student and enjoy drinking as well :thumbup: I've been banded since March 2009 (have lost 52 pounds woot woot!) And I have had noo trouble with alcohol. It might get you buzzed faster but that's about it. Beer is a bit harder to drink but honestly I haven't had much trouble with it either and I enjoy beer pong quite a bit. Probably the biggest draw back is the empty calories, but just excercise and watch what you eat and you will be fine. Also you can opt for low cal drinks like vodka, if you can't take it straight have it with a zero calorie rockstar, that way you won't feel as guilty I drink about every weekend and haven't really had problems, listen to your body, don't overdrink, and have fun! You will be losing weight make the best of it!

Well I have been banded for almost 3 months. My doctor told me that I could drink but no beer or carbonated beverages, which is like smirnoff, red bull with alcohol, etc. I have been to the bar once and I drank a Margarita and that was it and then I went to eat about a month ago and decided to try a Margarita. It went down ok and I didn't feel any different than normal. Me being a selfpay patient I am not willing to risk messing up my band or strectching my pouch so I refuse to drink carbonated beverages even though I would so love to have them. I think it is ok to drink but you have to be careful b/c of the calorie intake. I had my daughter 2 months before I turned 21 so I have not been much of a partier. I mean I go out 4 or 5 times a year to the bar but that is it. I just have other thinks in life that are more important to me than drinking & partying. There is nothing wrong with drinking though as long as you are careful about it. Good Luck to you!

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.

Oprah did a show years ago when gastric bypass was becoming popular. Many individuals failed to work the mental health part and transfered their food addiction to alcohol. It in no way says that it is definitive that WLS causes alcoholism.

Reminder that i am 3 + years out . . . . . B = 1 small bean and cheese taco L = 3/4 c dahl (split peas and curry) with 1 small flour roti (like tortilla) D = probably lean cusine Snacks = small apple, fruit roll up Will probably have a alcoholic drink after dinner as well.

Thank you! I'm one of those lucky people who had to do a six month supervised diet, lol. So far I've gained 5 pounds!!! So March 2nd is my final day... I have two appointments between now and then, the cardiologist and the shrink eval, and I have to have a drug and alcohol test! From what I hear my insurance is one of the few who requires that one. :thumbup:

I think it depends on the doctor? I was so nervous about mine because I was afraid of what he was going to ask and what not. It went by really easy, didn't even last 10 minutes. My surgeon recommended him because he promotes the lapband. He asked me how I felt when I went to a restaurant like if I felt insecure or what not. History and other things I've tried (weight watchers, atkins, etc). Family history of alcohol/drug abuse and if I use either. If I was ever sexually abused and stuff like that. If anything we talked about where I go to school and how the dorms and everything is more than anything else. He was a really nice and friendly guy who said that I'd make a great candidate for it.

Helen, I am so sorry to hear of your worries. I honestly think that if they could pin the causes on autism on maternal alcohol consumption they would have done it by now. The media love to blame Mums. I have a friend in a similar situation to you and she is convinced that the autism was caused by her husbands exposure to toxic substances in that war, either the vaccines or the depleted uranium. But mothers feel responsible for their childrens plights, it's part of the maternal love thing. Maybe yours has tipped over a boundary though and is now destructive. Have you ever had therapy or counselling? I have and it is very helpful. I had depression as a teen, and I think it saved my life, and then in my 40s because I had not coped with losing my mother to cancer in my early 30s and then having twins. This was a grief counseller and she was brilliant. The insight you get to your own behaviour is fascinating and they will give you coping strategies and thinking training to stop the self destruct. I think you are right to can the booze, it's not a very important part of life really, we just think it is because it becomes a habit. Like the smoking, to which I was also addicted and thought I could never enjoy life without. We should all become addicted to self improvement, think how perfect we could become

I'm really bad for getting anxious, so, I have no suggestions. I like the alcohol idea.

Be sure to add some Protein to that alcohol, you wanna be healthy . My favorite is a little ice, frozen strawberries, 1/2 a banana, couple of scoops of rice protein, (has a nutty taste), some low carb orange juice, a splash of Vodka, blend well, sip slowly to avoid brain freeze, sit back and relax.

Good to know. I'm (obviously) going to avoid beer for a long, long time, and probably all alcohol for a good six months or so, but it's nice to know that there will be SOME "adult recreational activities" available to me!

Helen, that's terrible. Hope you are feeling better. I find that I get absolutely slaughtered very fast but it doesn't last long. I have 'persevered' with alcohol and now can do what I want, but I restrict it to weekends and holidays. And I didn't touch it much at all when I was in the main losing phase. Now I am heading to maintenance I am being much laxer.

It still amazes me today the things that people feel we need to hear. I have been overweight pretty much my whole life. There was a time that I was a size 8, during my Metabolife period. My immediate family has always been big. My sister is skinny now though, she has eating issues… My uncle was the worst. Of course people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. He died when I was 7 or 8 of complications with his diabetes and alcohol, he was in bad condition. But anyways, he always had a fat joke to say when I was around. His sons were not skinny now mind you. In fact one had diabetes too. What gets me to this day is when I hear any form of this rhyme or song. It makes me cringe…Kelly Kelly Bo Belly, banana Fanna Fo Felly Fe, <st1:place><st1:City>Fi</st1:City>, <st1:State>Mo</st1:State></st1:place> Melly, Kelly. I am sure anyone with names that rhyme with Belly Full of Jelly, or any other weigh induces child’s rhyme can understand. There were two guys that I remember from middle school that really stick with me. One was a tall shinny guy names Cory. Cory loved his “fat jokes”, I am sure we all remember them: You are so fat that you use a VCR for a pager, You are so fat that when you are at the beach people yell beached whale or How do you have sex with a fat girl? …. I am not finishing that one. He was good too. He make everyone in class laugh at our comedy routine. Some days he got me to cry. Thanks to scheduling and being in a small town we had half of our classes together. We performed often….People love to laugh at the fat chick. The other person was Dean. Dean was the brother of a guy I was “seeing”. We were all hanging out talking trying to figure out what we wanted to do. It was prob about a group of about 8 kids. Dean was a mean spirited person to begin with. For no reason that I can think of this day, he walks over to me and announces for everyone to hear “If I was as fat as you I would just kill myself.” I was about 12 at the time. People don’t understand that most everything that they say to a person, stays with that person. Especially if it was a negative remark.