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1. Depends on the type of work you do - I went back 10 days post-op with no problems, and my days consisted of a 3+ hour commute (total) and meetings, meetings meetings. Since you're a teacher, just know that two weeks out you'll still be exhausted easily...but keep up your Protein, liquid & Vitamins and you'll soon get back into the habit! (As a side note, I went back to teaching after 10 days of "recovery" after my LapBand surgery - piece of cake...I'm just not a teacher anymore!) 2. Losing happens in the kitchen - fitness happens in exercise. Get some kind of activity in and you'll be just fine! 3. I wouldn't have needed help - my surgery was relatively easy and my recovery was quick...only sleepiness and low energy were my enemies! You DO need someone to drive you home from the hospital, so make sure you have that! If you clean your house ahead of time and stock up on liquids, you'll be fine! My boyfriend lives with me and wanted to take care of me and, honestly, he was bummed I didn't "need" him more! I let him make me smoothies/protein shakes 4. Follow your doctor's rules and listen to your body - my rules were no carbonation until 30 days post-op and no alcohol until 6 months post-op. Even after those timelines, I'll go slow and see how my body reacts!

I'm about 6 1/2 months out. I have had alcohol once and I haven't had a single bowl of cereal since I was sleeved. Nobody can make you drink and eat that stuff except for you. The sleeve doesn't make you change your eating habits--you do that. Remember the part about not drinking when you eat? You can't eat cereal with milk--same thing. You're just diluting the cereal down, it's passing straight through and you get hungry quicker. I strongly suggest meeting with a dietician. Your physician should have provided you with a meal plan. I lost hair between 3 and months. You should be taking a multi-vitamin, vit D, Vit B12 and Calcium at the very least. You should be eating 60+ grams of Protein a day. Stop buying cereal. You will not be able to eat like you used to and keep the weight off. I'm down 77 lbs and I still cheat every now and then. I keep chocolate chips in the freezer so I get a crunchy/sweet snack sometimes. I eat pretzels ( I count out 10) when I want something salty. Stop buying cereal. If it's not there, you won't be able to eat it. Don't even go down the cereal aisle. And lay off the partying for awhile. There are plenty of things you can enjoy without alcohol. My diet plan is basically 3-4 oz of protein 3 times a day. I can have a low-carb veg if I'm still hungry AFTER eating the protein. I stay between 500-800 calories a day. Sometimes I still do a Protein shake at Breakfast. I eat around 20 grams of carbs a day. It's really a mindset, changing your attitude about food and developing self-control. You have to do the work--the sleeve only helps you with portion control. There are days I eat crap too. I think probably everyone does sometimes--protein can be boring. Save the crap for special occasions or just the occasional splurge.

OP- only YOU can decide if you have a problem with alcohol. The reason we are all picking up on that is because it is fairly common to see an alcohol problem emerge after WLS. It seems to me that alcohol is very important to you. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a problem with it. But consider also, if it is not a 'problem', then it shouldn't be a problem to give it a rest for a while. I must tell you that I, personally, am a recovering addict with over 3 years free of drugs or alcohol. When we are having trouble succeeding, we have to look at our self-destructive behaviors which may be contributing to our failures. I wish you much success and hope you can get some assistance to help you get on track.

Last night I drank a whole bunch for halloween, and during the past four days or so I have gone through like almost 4 boxes of Cereal, and not the good kind. I see people post on a support group Im in (not sure why Im in it..like...it does nothing for me but see people succeeding...yay them...) All this surgery did for me was make me drop like 60 pounds in the matter of 6 weeks or so, and made me not handle my alcohol at ALL. So I'm THAT guy when I go to college parties. And by THAT guy, I mean the guy who is the most drunk. I dont want to be the most drunk. I wonder if my stomach stretched all the way out? I never feel full anymore. My hair is falling out at an alarming rate, my shower/bathtub is a mess because I have like tens of dozens of hair strands just all around... yay life.

As part of my band journey, I decided it was time to tackle my Diet Coke addiction (again). I gave it up about 6 years ago, but here it is back again. We're talking a minimum of 5 cans a day, plus 3 - 6 glasses a day while eating out at lunch and/or dinner. It's a serious matter in my life. I actually believe the aspartame poisoning aspect is worse than the caffeine portion. I know this, but I still guzzle it. Why!?! Not looking forward to my 1 - 2 weeks of detox headaches and other symptoms. Has anyone else successfully tackled this evil? If so, any and all tips are appreciated! According to Merriam-Webster: ad·dic·tion noun \ə-ˈdik-shən, a-\ : a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble) : an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something Full Definition of ADDICTION 1 : the quality or state of being addicted <addiction to reading> 2 : compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

Great thread - I'm game. Well I've lost 11lbs in the 1st month I had my fill on nov 9th and since then I have completely lost my mind! Eating and drinking alcohol like a mad woman -it's like I'm trying to self destruct on purpose so this is it I'm back on track as of this moment. I have 3 more weeks left in my months so I will commit to: losing 7lbs exercising every other day - 60 mins each session 3 meals a day and no drinking with meals visit this forum daily to keep me focused! Thanks everyone on this forum - if it wasn't for you guys this would be so much harder. Good luck everyone!!

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:

Ok! I got a big thing of Margarita Mix, a big thing of Pina Colada mix (slurp), and a small thing of Zing Zang's bloody mary mix.. this is a semi-regional thing, if you like bloody marys, this is the best mix evah. Russ probably thinks I up and turned into an alcoholic.

I PB a couple times a week. If it's going to happen, it will happen in the first bite or two. Usually too big a bite or not chewing it enough. Also, in the morning I am tighter and also if I have been drinking the night before the next day is tight. I think drinking alcohol causes some swelling or tightness of the stoma. Then sometimes, I feel like I can eat anything no problem. When I PB, it's not too terribly bad. I start to burp and can feel the food stuck and not going down (it's quite uncomfortable). I go to the bathroom and basically spit up/throw up the obstruction. If I am having trouble bringing it up, I take a sip or two of water and that helps bring things up, since the water can't go down either, it's reaction is to come back up. The most important thing is if you feel the food stuck and your burping, get to a bathroom right away, especially if you're around people, you don't want it to happen in front of them. I have sometimes had to spit up in napkins if a bathroom isn't close at hand.

Actually, just last night i had a professor comment on one of the girls in my classes weight. She had taken him in a previous semester. She walked in late and the worst thing in the world happened, he said "Hello Ms. Ramos, glad to see your holidays went well, I see you drank a lot of alcohol and ate plenty of holiday food." OMG I could have died because I weigh a good 60 lbs more than she does, so I automatically began to think, "What is he gonna say about me?" I need this class, there is no dropping it. Also, my college doesnt have too many big girls, and if they do, they are just that, big girls, not obese or MO or anything. A little overweight or just plain overweight, mostly all under 200lbs. You dont see many that are obese or MO, I think I have seen like 3 or 4 MO, and a little more than that obese all year. ITS very discriminatory in my classes, the way you look. I am blond hair green eyed, "fat" girl. you know God wasted his time on my looks because he put me in a horrible body! Im not ugly by far, I know that, not to sound cocky, but I wanted you guys to know that I dont think that. Ive always been told how it was a waste for me to be so pretty and be so big. I sit in my classes, I am the ONLY blond! PERIOD! The only one out of 30-50 people, ONE BLOND. That is this semester, there were a few more last semester. I get it for that. However if I was Blonde and Thin, think of all the attention I would get in that field. No I dont have to be the center of attention, mainly because I dont know what that feels like, so I guess not. Im not loud and overbearing whatsoever, remember, they apparently dont hear me speaking. I was asked to leave conversation A, because it did not have anything to do with me, a friend of mine was trying to talk to a boy she liked and vise versa, I had no place in that conversation, it was definately a 2 person relationship. The other one I had no business in because it was the guy's best friend and my friend, and they were discussing something private between those two....it was none of my business whatsoever.....just felt weird, although i had no place in either conversation. I miss all the attention i got from going to the club....I dont go any more because of some drama, and school started back. Im probably going tomorro night tho. I love the way the gay guys compliment me and pay attention to me! Give me stuff and be so nice to me. The girls there dont even hit on me, they know I am straight, and they arent all judgemental on my weight NeWay. I feel comfortable there, hell i practically work there lol! I just want to find that one special guy that can soften my heart. Put up with my crazy antics. Listen to what I say. But put me in my place when I am wrong. A real man will stand up to me, but not be mean or rude, just stand up for themselves. I dunno??? I cant afford counseling by the way, my psychiatrist lives about 8-9 hours away and shes the only one I could ever trust with my head....Not to mention we cant afford it anymore anyways. Guys Im not depressed, i have a good time, i am happy with life, i just wish i was happier with life.....

I was really nervous telling my husband...he is on the other side of the planet right now...his ex wife had bypass years ago and she failed terribly and it enhanced her already changing personality (not in a good way) and she is now a bad alcoholic (she already had an unhealthy relationship with food and needed help prior to surgery and she replaced it with drinking) so needless to say he was not excited lol. When I told him it was dr’s recommendation and reminded him that I have medical issues that require drastic attention he was better. I made him admit (feelings not hurt at all bc it’s what I want as well), as he said he loves me the way I am (

Hi, @FifiLux! Thanks for sharing with us! I was going to say something about July 4th being an easy date to remember, but then I saw your location is Europe, so you don't have the Independence Day association we Americans do. 🙂 Kudos on taking the initiative to give up alcohol before surgery! I know that can be such a big change because it's not just to your diet but to how you spend your down time or hang out with friends. But you got this! You'll be thankful you made that change now when there are so many other changes to make after surgery. Knee surgery is a huge why to keep at the forefront on this journey. Losing weight can unlock so many other health improvements. I'm surprised you have no pre-op guidelines from your provider. As some others have mentioned here, a big reason for a liquid diet is to shrink your liver to make it easier for the surgeon to access your stomach. I just heard a story from one of the co-hosts of the Our Sleeved Life podcast who said her surgeon took her liver out temporarily and that caused her more pain during recovery than her friend whose surgeon worked around her liver. So you might want to ask your surgeon if s/he will take your liver out and if it's possible to prevent that

I am a food addict. My trigger is anything sugar or bread. I love most things carb related and will eat them even when I do not like the taste of them (because there is nothing else in the house to tame the craving at the time) Also some artificial sweeteners trigger me. I am slowly realizing that it is not just because I am hormonal that I react this way. For example, tonight we bought sweet rolls. I ate one. It didn't really trip my trigger. I wasn't hungry when I ate it, I just wanted sugar. An hour later, still not hungry I ate another and felt some acid reflux a bit from over eating, then about 20 mins later I picked up about 10 crackers and ate them trying to make the acid reflux go away when I was the one who caused it in the first place and I didn't even really "enjoy" any of that food and now I just had to take tums to help the extremely full indigestion I have going on. Before now I would not have picked up on this. It was my normal, as sad as it is. I will not eat anymore sweet rolls tonight BUT there is a good possibility that I may finish them tomorrow, even though I didn't really like them. At least now I am aware of what I done after the fact. Now I need to stop it before it happens. Sugar/carbs + mindless eating is one of the reasons I am morbidly obese. At times when I was thinner I had issues with how much alcohol I drank. I grew up in an alcoholic home. It was better to stuff our feelings with food than to be verbal and deal with the wrath of my dad on a non happy drunk day so I know there is an emotional connection as well.

Well your Dr. or nurse is a @#&$*? for sure. Here is my answer to your question I think. How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. That's it! However If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: You may need an eating adjustment Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber Are you avoiding all liquid caloriesSoup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram It's also a stomach irritant fruit juice is just sugar wAfter [*]Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? Are you avoiding soft foods You can't just eat what's easy cheese is glorified fat [*]Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of wAfter a day between meals [*]Are you eating too much junk chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. Stay out of fast food places [*]Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily [*]Do you always eat the protein first [*]Then the vegetables or fruits Five servings a day Potatoes are NOT a vegetable [*]Is your portion size appropriate? meat or fish - 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards Vegetables - 1/2 cup – the size of your fist Starch - If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much. Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta [*]You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar They teach you to like things too sweet There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don't [*]Avoid most diet foods Real food usually tastes better Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great. Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine You may need a behavior adjustment Are you eating only when you are hungry?If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of wAfter and wait. [*]Are you eating three meals a day? With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks [*]Are you sitting down to eat? [*]Are you eating consciously? No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions [*]Are you eating slowly? Put the fork down between bites Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying [*]Are you taking small bites? Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork [*]Are you chewing well? [*]Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? Practice wAfter loading between meals You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal [*]Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough Hard stop versus soft stop [*]Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. [*]Do not eat when you are not hungry You may need an activity adjustment Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week?Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? [*]Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators Walking on the escalators instead of riding Parking your car further away from the entrance Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through Getting off the bus one stop before your destination Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash Playing with your kids You may need an attitude adjustment Are you committed to your weight loss journey? Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising?Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days [*]Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? [*]Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? [*]Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? [*]Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? [*]Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? [*]Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? Obsessive – compulsive thoughts Perfectionism Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss [*]Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? [*]Have you learned how to take a compliment? [*]Are you giving up diet mentality? Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day Stop dieting Stop depriving yourself Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food You may need a band adjustment You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. You are having to struggle to lose You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. There are times when you can't get fluids down You are vomiting too much Mattintosh Long I know but maybe helpfull.

Booda, I'm glad you feel better. I have a fatty liver too. I was freaked out to think of fat infiltrating my organs -- yikes! I've read that alcoholic damage is the leading cause of liver failure, and fatty liver is the second. Not a thing to panic over, but not a thing to ignore, either.

The day after Halloween...and I feel like I have a hang over! It's very odd because I have not touched any candy, I did not drink any alcohol, but today I'm feeling like I was up all night drinking and partying. Today I did allow myself one almond cookie, this lovely lady in our education department brought in from the bakery on her lunch hour. (I know everyone wants to beat her over the head!) I have to tell you though I could only eat about 3/4 of it and the smell of the rest of them was actually making me feel sick. I had to move them all into the kitchen away from my desk. I'm the "festive" gal around these parts, so everyone brings things and brings them to me, because I am the self appointed party planner on top of my actual "work" title I'm glad to see people bond together though, so I'm happy to be the office cheer leader, it makes for a nice mix of people working together and getting so much more done then working against each other. There is a method to my madness but don't let them know. I can't wait to go home today and just get into my PJ's and crawl under my covers and turn on the idiot box as my Mother used to call it, and do NOTHING. I took a couple of Advil and might need a couple more to get rid of this brewing migraine...been drinking lots of water, and just trying not to get into full blown black out the world migraine. I love how the band really helps us to avoid these testing times like Halloween. I LOVE the spirit of the holiday, and this year I really have no desire for candy or cake and if I want to have something I can and do and it's very small just a taste and I'm satisfied. Maybe next year I'll have to have a real bitchin party so if I have to feel hung over it will be well worth it after a rocking party!!! At least my body could ache from dancing all night instead of just the miserable weather Hope you all had a good one...I'm off to PJ land and beddybye. Have an awesome weekend all!!!

Hi everybody. I was banded the 23rd. Today has been my hardest day. I have been craving sweets all day and it didn't help that there was a dessert auction at church today. My kids bought some cookies, the no-bake chocolate kind (yum), and I bought my husband a chocolate pecan pie. I have had a bite of both and am fighting not to have another bite. It is so hard because I have been so good but I feel like I could grab a spoon and make myself sick on the pie. Uugghh! I have not had any alcohol and am wanting to wait a little longer. I am 2 and 1/2 weeks post op and I can eat chicken, fish, protein shakes, yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies. Of course all of this has to be chewed to the consistancy of applesauce and I can only have 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day.I started my post op on Jan 9th and so far I have lost 26 lbs - 12 before surgery and 14 since. I get my first fill on the 15th. I hope it gets better for everybody who is struggling. My doctor has a support group once a week for all of his patients. Do you guys have that option. I have been 2x and have really enjoyed all the information that is shared. If you can I highly recommend it.

No words sting worse to the ear of an alcoholic than the words of a "sober, recovering" alcoholic. But, I do think most come here for "support" and are in varying stages of recovery. At least on the internet you can take what you want and leave the rest. Some people have super steely constitutions. Some are weak. We all have stuff to learn from one another. But I get your original post. It's the Facebook friend who ONLY posts her EVERY woe. How can someone be truly that miserable???? The ones who do that (from my experience) usually create their own misery. Still, I think leadership means you foster hope in others. There is some "owned" responsibility to help others. Even if they are mind-boggling ridunculous. I almost spit out my coffee laughing at the "not to Scottland" response! Lolololol

I admit it...smoking weed is my vice, but I lead a very active, productive life. I have an awesome job, and a very fullfilling life. My days are long & my life is fulfilling & the fact that I just happen to smoke every once in awhile does not hold me back from anything I want in this life! It's a mindset. I'd rather smoke weed than drink alcohol any day. I admit, I love it & the only reason it is illegal is because it's such a money maker for the government to keep it illegal. Just another way for them to hold us down. I'm scheduled to be banded August 29th & was worried about being tested for marajuana use beforehand, but from reading this post it looks like I don't need to quit!

I actually agree...I was a RX person...I liked the 'scripts. Mostly uppers though...before my band I battled addiction to Phentermine/Adipex (which is basically Meth in a pill). I had others that I liked too, but this was my fave EVER! I did pills for a long time (all through Jr. High and High School)...and I quit before I got the band...I have to admit the side effects SUCK! I STILL cant get as much done because the phentermine really messed up the chemicals in my brain to think that it needs that stimulation to work. Before I started taking them I could muster up enough energy to get stuff done and I slept normally....now 3 years sober from them, I STILL have to force myself to get anything productive done. I hate the feeling, and the only why to fix it, is to fight it...which you dont want to do because you just never have any energy that isnt generated by something else...i.e. your lazy all the time. The saddest part of all is the fact that I have NEVER taken a pill that wasnt prescribed to me, so all my addictions were to my own pills! What I dont understand is the companies that do a hair test for employment, I mean a female could have just been around pot at a party or something and inhaled some of the smoke and its in her hair until she gets that part cut off, which could take forever to grow! I mean she could have been around it a year or more ago and never been around it since, and still be refused employment....thats ridiculous! What should matter to employers (which I do understand WHY it matters) is if you have used it in the last 30 days or so, basically recently, and how much is in your system. I also think that there should be a quantity level just like with alcohol as to how much can be in your system before you are denied/terminated from employment. I used to be one of those people who HATED anything that had to do with pot, and couldnt stand it when I knew my friends were doing it....but I had a terrible misconception of what it did to people...I thought it was this terrible drug that made you do weird things and hurt people and stuff (like a hard drug)....but after going to a few parties and witnessing effects...I soon realized that these people didnt want to get off the couch, much less hurt someone or go psycho lol! Thats when I became tolerant of it, and I actually wouldnt mind it being legalized in some way...I mean Salvia is perfectly legal and is WAY more dangerous than weed.

I think it is time to admit that there are other additions going on in here right now, some are addicted to drugs, alcohol, food etc. but no one has mentioned the more dangerous addiction which is the addiction to chaos, the addiction to always cause a scene, complain, whine, talk louder and badder than the rest. Insult the rest of the world so ONE can feel better. Yes people this is an addiction as well, it is deep seeded and there is very little help except to recognize and walk away. Don't waste your breath, it does no good. There is no reasoning, just turn and walk away and the problem will disappear as if it never where here. After that....Toke on fellow smokers!!

I agree....that was a dumb post. In my opinion I would smoke mary J. before I would drink alcohol or eat crap after I get the band.

Little birdie toooooo funny!!!!!!!! We are all grown up we make choices and decisions about our lives every day. Working in the treatment field (drug, alcohol, mental health, gambling) I have seen many sad cases of abuse and dependance daily, yet I still drink on occasion. If it does not impact your life in negitive manner then to each his own. LOL

Well I don't know about you but alcohol was one of my all-time munchie-inducers. I don't drink at all anymore, but if I did I'd probably try to give it up post-banding for two reasons. First, of course it's just empty calories. Both the alcohol and the mixers are loaded with poison, things that do your body no good at all. Outside of really fine wine I can't see putting much of that stuff in me anymore. Just like I can't imagine smoking. (Of course, I'm still pickled from my college days--I drank enough for a lifetime.) Second, the loss of impulse control would do me in. Munching whatever is at hand was always a hallmark of a few drinks for me, and I know I'd be forgetful about chewing carefully. Maybe I was the wrong person to respond, and I really don't mean to sound preachy, but my recommendation is stick to wine and make it an infrequent indulgence.

I have not tried beer I heard that was a no no with the carbonation. I have tried wine (zinfadel) and did not have a problem. Also a "mudslide" well actually two of those lol. Didn't have a problem with wine. Did have extreme heartburn with the mudslide the next day. I think I had that before band though. It had been about 10 years since I had one last, so don't remember for sure. As long as you drink in moderation and don't substitute alcohol for meals?? but, I am not an expert. I would talk to a professional who won't tell you not to drink for morality reasons, but for medical reasons. There may be a study about it or something