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Got it! No alcohol for a while yet (which is really completely fine). And yes, I got very lucky with this lovely man Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The stomach/sleeve "stretching" is a myth. It just doesn't. The problem with carbonation is that is often very painful, esp. early on. If you search "alcohol" you will find a bunch of info on the subject in various forums on the site. It is a subject that is highly controversial and there is great division within the medical side, and the patient side. Some of it's personal preference presented as fact. But the empty calorie argument is a fact. And you did invest in your health. You have a six month or so honeymoon phase. This is the time when you are most likely to lose the most weight. You have a great second chance. Now this is my opinion: it's just too easy to lose this great opportunity if you drink before you hit your goal. Then proceed with caution. We are all adults, we can make our own decisions. I think if you poke around, you will find people who have no problems alcohol and others that do. (Just like non-WLS people). I'm a bit of evangelist for WLS, and I hope everyone who uses the tool, really grabs this opportunity for a very abundant healthy life.

I recently had seltzer and lime j uice in a bar since I gave up alcohol. I didn't think much of the carbonation issue but then I noticed the same shoulder pain I had post-op. I sure didn't expect that 2-1/2 years after banding. Thankfully it didn't last long. No more bubbles for me. JustWatchMe

I bought little 1oz and 2oz cups w lids to easily measure food. I made sf jello "shots" to be ready when I get home. Was odd making Jell-O shots without alcohol

Hi Breanna, I hope you won't mind me sharing some answers even though I'm much earlier in the process than you (pre-op research phase). 1. what is your biggest fear with the surgery and why? Besides surgical complications (i.e., stricture, adhesions, internal scarring, having to redo the surgery for some reason), my biggest fear is not correctly handling my vitamin/nutrient needs at any time post-surgery. I've watched YouTube videos of people many years out from surgery who either lapsed in taking their Vitamins and suffered ill effects or one who "overdosed" on B6 (found in Protein, B complex vitamins, energy drinks) and got sick as B6 is not a routine lab test even for bariatric patients. Of course I plan to be complicit with the Vitamin recommendations of my NUT, but in the past I've put my medical needs second or third to work and mental health issues, so I'm weighing the possibility of that happening again if I get WLS and thinking of how to make sure I prioritize my physical health. 2. Who has been your biggest supporter for your surgery so far? And how has that impacted your decision? My mom, whether she realizes it or not. She's not 100% in favor of the surgery, but she knows I'm an adult, has my best interests at heart, and listens to me. 3. What is your goal weight and why? I'll probably take my doctor's lead on this one, as a major motivating factor for my surgery is comorbidities. I think the remission of my sleep apnea will be the deciding factor. Honestly, I've never been in 100s as an adult (I'm 5'5") so I don't have a weight I'm able to envision. It'd be nice to be in straight sizes for clothes, but I make do at my current size and am sure I'd do fine as a 16, 14, or 12, as well. 4. What was the one thing that made you be for sure about the surgery? Being diagnosed/experiencing four to five major comorbidities (including diabetes type 2 and most recently sleep apnea) has made me realize I am scared to go on the way I am. I'm not 100% for sure on the WLS yet, but am seriously considering it. 5. What is one thing you are giving up that you will truly miss having? As I understand it, unless something causes severe dumping there's no need to avoid it totally (with the exception of carbonated beverages, alcohol, depending on your body). I guess the hardest thing will be cutting back on sedentary activities I enjoy (computer, reading) in order to move more. 6. If you have had the surgery or are getting ready for it... what is one piece of advice you have for those that are just starting their journey? Listen to a VARIETY of voices from people who have been there. YouTube is a great place to hear from others, both positive and negative. People here and on YouTube recommended The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery, 2nd Ed. by Cynthia Alexander which I'm halfway through and feel good about recommending to others, too. Hope this helps, Breanna. Best wishes as you continue to move forward.

"Trigger foods" indeed. There are certain foods that I'm just going to have to learn to abstain from. I am a food ADDICT. So I can't just have a taste of certain things any more than an alcoholic can just have one little drink. It's all or nothing with me. That is one thing I'm grateful for with the band, I can no longer have a huge binge. But boy, do I want one sometimes. They define addiction as something you continue to use even though you get negative results from it's use. That certainly applies to me and food. I have made a new rule for myself. No eating in front of the TV. That is just the worst. I totally zone out. If I stay at the table I'm mindful of what I eat. The TV really ties in with emotional eating for me. I have tried OA before but it didn't seem to stick. Maybe I'll give it a try now that I'm banded.

are 2 oatmeal Cookies 9 days prior to surgery going to cause your liver to be inflamed and hazardously large for surgery? It's quite unlikely. Without being a surgeon, that just stands to reason. As others have said, so long as you don't make "slip ups" a habit during these tough 14 days, you should be fine. I had a low BMI and my surgeon put me on only a week of pre-op surgery to shrink my liver. My habits were not great on my liver prior to surgery, I enjoyed alcohol frequently, not to mention some other things. My surgeon said my liver looked perfect during surgery (I asked! I figured it was large and blackened, LOL!) and it was nice and small and easily moved out of the way. Just keep on your diet, and remind yourself that you will never ever be this hungry again! This diet is to assure that you have the easiest, complication free surgery as you possibly can in regards to your liver allowing your surgeon to have full access to your stomach. It's good that you are concerned, and realize you messed up and asked. I am sure out of the many VSG patients out there, there are plenty of people who don't control their urges to cheat during this time and figure it's no big deal. Better to be safe than sorry, and better to have the easiest possible surgery you can.

For me the biggest positive isn't something that happened to me but rather me learning and understanding what it means for someone to struggle with an undesirable behavior and not succeed at changing it on their own. I have so much more compassion for alcoholics and drug addicts and what they face now than I ever did when I was thin. Not to mention obese people of course! Seriously, I'm ashamed at how judgmental I was.

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!

First off, Celebrate your joys and stop focusing on the negative. Holy guacamole you lost 120 lbs. JEESHHHHHH that is awesome! But why the self destruction? I can relate.... I'm a child of an alcoholic ... but then again if I had had to live with my father.... All I can say is counseling counseling counseling.... WLS is a tool but some of us have an addictive personality that takes over and rears it's ugly head in so many other ways. That's a fear for me, that I will cross over into something else. Just remember to take everything as one day at a time. Tomorrow is never promised for any of us. But on a bright note, every day is a new day... and every day you have to meet that challenge and overcome it. So you didn't for a while. Let it go, the past is gone... now pls forgive yourself. Get that critic out of your head... the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself and get tough on the addiction and destruction that you are doing to yourself and your success. You need to KNOW that you are worthy of being successful. Get a good counselor and get on some good antidepressants and antianxiety pills (not benzodiazipines) if possible. Benzo's are addictive, so watch it (i.e. xanax, valium, etc.). I got my masters in social work with an emphasis in mental health and substance abuse, so that's how I know (no, I don't know drugs from my own experience). I've always been 'worried' that my addictive personality would take over in destructive ways. And I told ya, child of alcoholism, so yeah I tried 'curing' myself whenever I was too embarrassed to tell others of my issues. But know this, you have nothing to be embarrassed of. What life has brought to you, God has seen you through. Don't listen to the internal critic, wherever you learned that voice from, just stop that lil pain in the arse/voice in your head pls. Stop the thought in your head about I screwed up for x months. Instead, think of it as ... ok so I fell off but guess what? Today's the day that I'm back on and I'm gonna keep trucking and lose those pounds! But definitely get on good meds & get into constructive counseling... it DOES help. I am pulling for you... and praying for you as well. Sincerely, xoxo

I believe it is all in the brain. I truly and finally felt what it was to be normal for the 3 months I was on Phen Fen, which of course was taken off the market. While on those drugs, I had no compulsions to eat, my body told me when I was hungry. I am in mourning that it proved harmful and was taken off the market. I have no compulsion to drink alcohol, I have no compulsion to gamble or take drugs. My compulsion is to eat. I pray one day the answer to obesity is solved. Certainly lifestyle has a huge part. We are some of the richest people in the world, with regards to food availability and 'soft' lifestyle. I am trying very hard to train my younger children to get lots of exercise and eat properly. So far, so good. I see one of my children with the same compulsion to eat sweets and carbs. So far she is thinish and she is kept busy. I pray, she didn't inherit my compulsions, my brain chemicals, whatever you want to call it or all the above. But I see the behaviours in one of my children and not in my other 2. Such a complex issue.

OH YES YOU WILL !!! Just wait! You'll be able to enjoy yourself just as normal, only in smaller amounts! I enjoy my alcohol, my pizza, spaghetti, etc. . only in small amounts. . but i sure do enjoy them!

The rationale for the 1 year (or longer) wait that some surgeons impose is to help preserve liver health - being obese (or worse), our livers are not in the best of shape to begin with (which is why some surgeons impose the pre-op diet, to help improve the liver condition since they are working in such close proximity to it when doing the sleeve) and then it gets seriously taxed in its role im metaboliziing all the fat that we are losing. With all that going on, it doesn't need any more stress from handling the alcohol. My doc's rule is no alcohol during the entire weight loss period (and reinforced in the psych eval as to whether one can give it up for 18 months, give or take - whatever it takes to get the weight off.) My surgeon also specialized in biliopancreatic transplants, so needless to say he's a bit anal about liver care. I also tend to listen to him on such things as he has a better perspective on the issue than most bariatric surgeons. Take it for what you will - we're all adults here.

I personally think 6 weeks is way to early to even be THINKING about alcohol..... JMO

Chocolate martini - I will have maybe a couple a month. It's like a dessert with a kick. Like one of you said, I chose to have nothing alcoholic until I reached goal.

Hi fellow Portlanders (and others in OR as well!); I've been away for a month due to a family emergency. I had scheduled with Dr. Ortiz in Mexico for May 7 but now r/s for June 5 so in 2 days I start my "pre-op" diet; I'm afraid I've been "loading up" on food for the past month, thinking I'll never eat like this again! Jeez, this food thing is so hard but I'm really looking forward to taking this step. I have been a bit more active on the lapbandforum.com as it relates to those going to Dr. Ortiz since it is his website but I want to stay in touch with you guys since we have a common bond with our locale and some of us going to see Dr. Fitzpatrick. I spoke on the phone with her and she was really nice and helpful. I liked her right away; she is actually a Naturopath which is great in my book anyway. One of the things I noticed is when I drifted away from "you guys in the support group", I went back to bad old habits so I feel this connection is super important to our health and success just like AA can be to the alcoholic. I proved it to myself for sure. So, stay tuned and let's keep in touch. thanks all, Sufina

hey Shaggs, restriction is better but I want more fill. I tested the alcohol vs restriction last night to see how we were placed and I am glad to inform you that having fills does not affect alcohol consumption at all!!! These experiments are ongoing and I will keep you informed on any further results. Ego-boost was at an all time high thanks to advances of a certain cute and BUFF!!!! 26 year old who was very persistent and yet ultimately disappointed. Bad for him, good for me. It's good to know that even though I ain't using it, I still got it!!! LOL.

There is absolutely nothing that I can never eat again. Grapes, citrus, pineapple, soda, sesame seeds, fibrous veggies, alcohol -- all things that were restricted for me for a time, but once I was fully healed, no issues whatsoever. The only thing I don't eat is any wheat products.. but that's due to an intolerance unrelated to the sleeve.

I don't have any banned foods. I chew gum -- there's no way swallowing this will harm you stomach. As a sleever, we still have our original pyloric valve. I could see if we had the gastric bypass since those folks have a man-made one. I go through probably a pack of gum a day - 18 pieces. It keeps me from mindless eating. It just loses its flavor so fast. sugar-free... bubblegum, chocolate mint, lemon square, orangesicle, sherbet, etc. I probably have about six different flavors stacked up at any given time. Soda? Yep, I have that sometimes too. Not every day as it just takes me too long to drink it. (Baby sips, not swigs like pre-surgery.) Alcohol? Meh, doesn't appeal to me. My 21 year old self would be appalled to hear my 44 year old self say this. LOL Of course back then, I wouldn't have dreamed that I'd go to bed at 9:30 pm either. Candy? Meh, doesn't hold much appeal. I don't keep chocolate at my desk. I do have a HUGE bowl of hard candies and Tootsie Pops up on a shelf in my cubicle. They don't call my name. Ice cream? Sometimes. Maybe less than once a week, but a small cone. At least the Dairy Queen is ice milk, not ice cream. Actually, a small cone is too much. I usually get it in a dish to avoid the cone. pizza? Once a week. 1/8 of a frozen pizza is less than 200 calories. Considering I used to be able to eat an ENTIRE frozen pizza, this is a good compromise. I am finally able to eat steak again, but it does have to be tender. Grapes and other fruit? Heck yeah. But after the Protein. (Except for tonight. I had some cold washed grapes on the counter that I was munching on before supper - way too filling.) I just wish vegetables didn't fill me up so fast!! I now have spinach and baby carrots in my morning Protein shake. I can't taste or see them.

I eat popcorn just not a lot! Think it differs from person to person. Sometimes I can eat things with sugar and sometimes I can't. Shrimp is hard for me. But just know your limits. And I've had alcohol and gum I'm grown haven't swallowed it lol coffee makes me sick as a dog! Sent from my iPhone using VST

Another good sugar substitute is Xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally occuring sweetener that is extracted from Birch Bark. It is a sugar alcohol, but does not have the side affects that most sugar alcohol has (cramping, diarrhea, gas, bloating). It is also known to kill bad bacteria on your teeth, and some dentists actually recommend toothpaste and mouthwash containing Xylitol. It has very little glycemic impact to your body. It can be expensive, and there aren't really any products on the market that use it exclusively, but if you want it to sweeten coffee or tea, or to bake with (it browns like sugar does, so is suitable for baking, Aspartame looses all of it's sweetnedd when heated, and sucralose has no bulking or browning capability... like sugar) it is a good choice. It is almost impossible to find in stores, but you can likely find it online. When baking a low-sugar treat, I use a combination of Xylitol, Splenda or Stevia (depending on the taste I am going for... stevia actually has a little of a licorice aftertaste). Just another alternative. I'm gone folks, leaving for vacation... see you all next week!:heh:

So, I got a text message from my DH last night (and that doesn't mean Dear anything!). Text message said, basically, "File our divorce papers now!" We've been separated since June. I came home from the hospital June 3 on 3 kinds of oxygen. He got ticked because I didn't know what was for dinner that night @@ and broke every dish in our house. I moved out a few days later. I've been doing everything I know how to a. get healthier mentally and physically and b. have even gone to marriage counseling with him, which was useless because he thinks everything is ALL my fault. He's an alcoholic, which he hid from me till after we got married. Now he's in full bloom again. I guess we just weren't meant to be. So, to keep this on topic, can I count this as losing 180 pounds of unnecessary crap in a hurry?

Lissa, I "liked" your post - you are very brave and I know going through this is very hurtful. My Sister married an alcoholic after dating two alcoholics. They werent back-toback-to back but I can tell you you are much better off filing for a divorce. Reoccurence in alcoholics is high, and the chances of an enabler changing the situation for an alcoholic is slim. I dated an alcoholic for awhile and we were very serious, until they wrapped their graduation present around an oak tree. It may sound horrible but what if they hadn't? I would have probably spent years and years putting up with an escalating situation that could already get bad at times. I would have never met my wonderful Spouse, left the town I really needed to get out of...you are out, and you see it for what it is. Be brave. Be prepared too. Do what you need to to be protected. Get your handgun license if you don't have it yet. Please don't take offense. I didn't say you needed to get a gun, i just said get the license. The license takes longer, and you don't want to be two or three months out from legally carrying one if you decide you need to. This step, from what I observed with people I knew, can be really hard. This is the physical and spiritual representation of your marriage, and you are going to have to separate all of this out. Be really careful, get a lawyer and email me if you ever need to talk.

Thank you for the verde chicken recipe. I made it last night and it was great! My wife wants me to make it again tonight. As far as alcohol goes I used to really enjoy bourbon. My taste for it is just now coming back. I do like a good tequila with fresh juice when I do drink. Fiddleman- you might want to try a jungle juice at Piccola's pizza in Snohomish. My wife ordered one and I had a drink of hers and then I had to order one for me. It was one of the best drinks I have had in a long time. It's made with all fresh squeezed juice with rum, vodka and tequila. Very good! Sent from my iPhone using VST

Oh Shaggs, don't feel guilty about 2 small glasses. I had 5 big glasses the other night (one of my best mates was leaving town) - I tell you what, its true what they say about the alcohol going straight to your head! I also had the worst hangover I have had in a loooong time. I'm not feeling guilty because before I would have downed a bottle of scotch in a session and god knows how much coke. But now when I socialise I am drinking low-alcohol white wine so I still feel social, but without all those empty calories before. And it hasn't hurt my weightloss, I lost 1.3kgs this week! One other thing I wanted to post here - I had the worst, most terrible shoulder tip pain for 2 weeks after the op. The only thing that would help would be panadiene forte but I wanted to get off pain killers after 2 weeks on them! I went to my local massage therapist and she did some bowen therapy on me. The pain was instantly gone and hasn't been back so if anyone is having trouble with shoulder pain, find your nearest bowen therapist! Bowen therapy also helps with detoxing the body, which is good during weight loss.