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I have wine on occasion with no problem. Not very often though, maybe twice a month? (except when I was on that cruise in Nov; we had wine every night with dinner! lol) With alcohol I try to watch for both calories and impaired judgement -- i.e. I've heard many people say that they end up eating more at dinner when they have alcohol before or with the meal. At support group someone mentioned that they enjoy a glass of wine before dinner when they eat out with friends because they are tight and it relaxes them enough that they don't have problems with anything getting stuck. I'm not tight enough to have had anything get stuck anyway, so I can't corroborate.

Does your filler do a barium swallow first? Use betadine, alcohol, or other agent to clean your skin.? Use fluoro to find the port? Use lidocaine to numb the skin. Use a three way stopcock on the needle to fine tune the fill? Use barium and fluoro to determine if the ideal amount of fill was performed? thanx jones

I thought I would share some of what I have experienced so far. I am going throught the initial paperwork and labs/sleep study. I hope to be banded by November. I told my sister (who has always been too skinny). She said I should just not stock my refrigerator. I have a hubby and three kids. She has none. She also said that I should do a 12 step program and maybe check into a treatment program. It worked for her drug and alcohol problem. Like I can stop eating completely. My sister-in-law (who is a retired nurse) freaked out. I kept having to reassure her that I am not having gastric bypass. She now hounds my husband just about every day trying to make him promise to stop me. Like he could. :guess My girls are excited. Thank God for little kids. They think I am lovely no matter what. They got really excited when I told them I would eventually be able to fit on roller coaster rides. My husband and my dad were great. They just wanted to know what it was and make sure it is safe. :biggrin1: I have about 17 coworkers that have had the RNY. They think I won't lose as much. But one of our coworkers died last month after being on a vent for 5 months after the RNY. I am the only one I know of here that is getting banded. They are supportive but almost as clueless how to respond as anyone else. :tired All I know is that I am so glad I found this site. When my doctor asked me what my support system was I included Lap Band Talk, my coworkers and my husband. The funny thing is I think this site is the most helpful to me. I told hubby to keep the compliments coming, and say yes when I hit him up for plastic surgery. What a guy- He said OK.:clap2:

Good to hear you're doing better Yoda. yeeouch on the 2 spots from the tape - not sure if those of you having problems have gotten the tape off. PLEASE ask your doctor about doing this first in case they have any rules against it. A tip I learned from 2 previous surgeries and tons of blood work is this: take a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol and go along the edges of your tape and gently dab over it, keep applying small amounts and it helps the sticky stuff come off.

It might not be the best blood work, but they might not cancel...just put you on a very strict diet and possible meds... I will keep my fingers crossed! NO sugar!!!! NO alcohol!, little fat! LOTS of purified water! Low fat lean protein and cleansing veggies.... Good luck!

No way on earth would I have had any liquor as soon post op as that would be for you. Not flaming, either; I like to drink. But you only got your band on 2/2...don't know where you'll be on your post op diet (for me, I'd have been in full liquids, or mushies, depending on day of diet). You had an artificial device placed around part of your stomach. Your liver (where alcohol is processed) was moved and jostled so that it could be placed. You need to give everything a chance to settle down, heal from any bruising, etc. To drink too soo would be really counterproductive. Many docs say 6 months (or never...) I didn't wait that long. I did, however, wait 3 months. You should call your surgeon to be sure (they are all different) but I think it would be smart to give it longer than 2-3 weeks.

I would say absolutely not. If you are SERIOUS about this whole process, you need to begin to make the right choices. For a LOT of people who are obese, much of the problem comes down to them having made BAD decisions.....eating the WRONG things at the WRONG time in the WRONG amount, for long periods of time. You need to begin making the RIGHT decisions. Alcohol is NEVER conducive to weight loss. And, even a small amount may impair your judgement further, causing you to drink more, and even eat some stuff you shouldn't. Start making GOOD decisions.

I have a slight itch around my port. rubbing a little bit of green alcohol helps.

My mother-in-law has a glass of wine every night. She'd probably have two except the one puts her to sleep. :blushing: Seriously, a couple glasses of wine at night does not an alcoholic make. I know many people who have a couple glasses of wine or beer *every* evening...and they are not alcoholics. I would caution you to be careful though if you feel you 'need' those drinks to relax because life is so stressful right now. Nobody starts drinking with the intention of being an alcoholic, but some wake up one morning and realize they have become one. Your husband was caught in the act (making faces) of doing something inappropriate and mean and is trying to make his actions less important by trying to turn the tables on you and your behavior. If it wasn't the alcohol, it would've been something else. I have to say I'm a bit dumbfounded at the idea of a grown man making faces like a child behind his spouse's back. Ok...my .02. If you can't afford a therapist, then a good old fashioned sit down is in order. Keep it calm. You might just put it out there and bluntly ask him if he's looking for a reason to end the marriage. He may not realize how close he's coming. In the end, you have to do what is good for you. .

It' will be close to a year in a few weeks. I've not had the weight loss results as most have reported here. I'm seeing >100 lbs being reported by a lot of my peers. I' not even close to 100 lbs, but on the healthcare front I've remained off my insulin, no longer sleep with my CPAP and have managed to stay relatively free of bing eating. I'm very disappointed in that I've not maintained an excercise regimen that would be considered a "Life Style Change." I did have some good starts and stops and right now I'm decidedly at STOP. I just don't have the motivation stay on an exercise regimen. I always end up hurting myself in some way, then that give me clearance to give up. In Oct 2012 I was in the hospital with stroke like symptoms, literally paralyzed on my left side. They r/o a stroke and after 2 days of tests, released me to neurologist for f/up care with dx of hemiplegic migraine. Code word for I don't know WTH is wrong, but she has had migraines in the past, so let's roll with it. I was on restrictions for about 2 month while they tried to figure out what's wrong. All my feeling returned before discharge, but I had total numbness in the last 3 fingers on my left hand. After testing for everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to pinched nerves in my arm and shoulder, the prize-winner neurologist came back with I can give you some cream that may work, I can send you to therapy with sometimes helps, or it may just fix itself on it's on........BUT I see you've not had a sleep study in a while and your plan will bay for it, so let me set you up for a new one. OK. Dr. Neuro's office begins calling me weekly to setup this darn sleep study....I finally told them to NEVER call me again. I still have trouble typeing and my left hand it still giving me problem. I'm hoping I'm not a stroke risk, but the PCP says get going with the excecise again. In February I start back walking. Doing good. Sporadic, but I'm getting it in at least 2-3 times a week. Weight going down, have to finally buy some new clothes because my black leggings are falling off an my colorful fat girl "pop of color" tops are looking like flour sacks on me 'cause they're too big. I have a chronic pain in my left foot and ask for an x-ray, my PCP says there's nothing remarkable but I may have small bone spurs that will just be a chronic issue for me. SUX. I start feeling a little soreness in my left leg, it evolves into a limp, but I'm thinking it's just me getting back on the track and I ben-gay it up and bear down. I'm down to 1-2 times a week, but I'm keeping it moving. Garage sale Saturday, I'm digging for treasures and a radiating pain hits my left leg. I can't walk. I yell. The ppl help me to my car and my mom starts freaking me out telling me it's probably a blood clot and I'm going to die if I don't get to an ER soon (She has a flare for the dramatic). I go to the ER and they r/o a blood clot, discharge to my PCP for follow-up the next day. PCP rotates my leg and refers me to an Ortho Surgeon the next day stating he thinks I'm going to need surgery. Now I"m on crutches. Ortho assesses and no surgery. Just 1 week of total bed rest. I have a grade 2 calf muscle strain! I'm off my feet for a week and come back, it's healing, but still not out of the weeds for abt 6 weeks so take it easy but do what you can.....To me that translates into DO NOTHING, and I've been faithful to that regimen for about 2 months now. WTH? Really Elle? You going to cop out like that? Why YES I AM. Disappointed in myself, but yes. I did that. Now I'm at the year mark and reflecting. I want to hit the century mark. I'm wanting a 1XX versus a 2XX at my weigh in. I hope to reach the 100s in about 6-8 months. Kick-off date is July 1,2013. Please pray for me that I can keep this new goal in sight. I do have concerns that I may have a hernia or something because I feel I am able to eat more than I should in one sitting. As long as I don't drink anything while eating I'm fine. I've drank alcohol sparingly w/o any trouble. I don't do well with chicken or ground beef. Bread and butter is my weakness, but I can only eat a little bit of it at a setting. I have been bad and do drink from straws on occasion. My new guilty pleasure is McCafe Hazlenut Lattes and Caramel Frappes. I also enjoy the egg white delight breakfast combo. I can eat the hashbrown and mcmuffin in one sitting (I just throw away one of egg mcmuffin slices). I can honestly say the term "use VSG as a tool" not a solution is a great message. You will not drop an insane amount of weight just from having this procedure. You have to work at it and change. My health is better and I will praise this procedure to the mountain tops, but you must be willing to put in the work to get the pounds off. My mother recently had the procedure and is doing well. She was not nearly as obese as me, so I'm excited to see if a little competiton will help boost me on the walking track. Her start weight is my current weight! So we're even in getting out of the gate. My mom had a lot more stuff broken in her health wise so I"m elated that she finally did the procedure. My marriage is struggling at the moment. Not heading for divorce or anything, just facing some challenges with a blended family. We're working through it, but I'm feeling my old urges and our lack of intimacy isn't helping things at all. I hate being mad all the time. Work is sucking as well. I don't know if I should move on or stay with them. My company has great benefits but I'm working 16-20 hour days and not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. It's shockingly overwhelming. Any way in closing. 1 year has been faced with several set-backs, but I'm optimistic that I can refocus and get back on track. Besides my husband and kids, the VSG decision remains one of the best decisions I've made in life. I think I bought myself more years on this earth by just choosing to not die of morbid obesity complications. This board has been most helpful in letting me know I'm not alone and others are in the struggle with me and offering support. Thank you all

Hi, Have fun sipping on a non-alcoholic approved beverage. So sorry your fill was delayed when you planned so well for it. Life happens. You'll get through this.

I had my first drink (diet coke and rum over ice) at 4.5 months out. I felt a little tipsier than I would have felt from one drink before, but I've never been a big drinker. Several weeks ago, I attended a bachelorette party where I drank 8 drinks over the course of about 7 hours, along with several glasses of water to combat the diuretic effects. I felt buzzed for a bit, then sobered up REALLY fast. I'm sure my liver hated me, but I had no adverse effects. No weight gain, no hangover and we had a blast. I did dance all night, so maybe that affected my alcohol absorption.

Ofcourse it is not going to help! It's like saying, "here child your black you need to bleach your skin to be pretty" or "hey there sinora being mexican is worse than being american, just hate yourself for having an accent" I find all of this untasteful and alarming. I have 2 daughter's and by god if they put those things on us like cattle, those label's i'm going to washington with my fat ass and telling mr. big man that if he could be an alcoholic and addicted to cocaine and be our leader then why cant someone whom has issues be themselves. hell we KNOW what we are. we are not stupid and it is not like we are not trying!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Hi Guys! How's everyone doing? I'm on day 9 post op and feeling great! My port site is still pretty sore though...is this normal? I'm curious to know how you guys are doing mentally. I saw a group of friends yesterday and they all commented on how happy and energetic I seemed. I didn't even realize that I was feeling pretty damn good! I get up early now, never tired and have loads of energy. I'm even thinking clearer. Do any of you notice a change like this? I'm sure it has alot to do with not having fast food or pizza in almost 2 weeks lol but I didn't think it would hit me this quickly. I'm likin this! Another question...with all this warm weather rolling in I could use a cocktail! I'm curious if any of you that have been banded already have had any alcohol yet. It seems a bit early. I am tempted to have a glass of wine but I think I should wait till I'm on solid foods. Any thoughts?

You are definitely not alone in this struggle. Last night I had a couple of drinks - used up that last chilled bottle of champagne (no more carbonation for me!). Oddly, the drinks weren't that good (I pretty much stopped drinking a month ago so this was a true last blast). I just wanted to have a "mimosa funeral" since Monday I'm starting my own version of a 2 week pre-op diet and alcohol can be a real no no after surgery. Hang in there!

"I feel skinnyyyyyy, oh so skinnyyyyy....." So this happened. I'm back to my lowest post op weight today. Yay. This is big. I've been bouncing into and out of Onederland for SIX months. A month and a half ago I made some big changes to my food and behaviors. It resulted in the loss of ten pounds I gained back from my low weight last year up to that point. So today I'm back down to 193, back on track, and feeling great. Less than fifty pounds to goal. I started thinking I'd make a list of what's going right. When I can't figure out why things are slowing down or going in reverse, I'll pull out this list and see what I'm doing or not doing. Here goes. Feel free to add your own tips to this thread. Tracking food in MyFitnessPal. Weighing daily. Going to OA and CODA meetings. Therapy every two weeks. Planning food the day before and committing it to my OA sponsor. Staying under 1200 calories a day. No fried food. No carby Thai noodles. No movie crapcorn. Two fruit or p rotein shake s nacks a day. Measuring out nuts instead of guessing the portion. No alcohol. Healthy, boring, simple foods like eggs and cheese and yogurt and meatballs. Way fewer processed foods. Bye bye bread. Just because I drop it in the salad bowl doesn't make it salad. Log it. (See nuts, measured, above.) Journaling. Listening to weight loss and addiction recovery podcasts. Obeying my band. It says "enough"? I stop. I have found that this same fill level that I have been at since August suddenly is just right. Before these changes, I was contemplating another fill because I was able to eat too much. But even then I would get stuck on certain foods if not chewed thoroughly. I wisely took my NP's advice and cleaned up the food and drink before getting a ninth fill. I don't need it now. I'm at the sweet spot, the green zone, the holy grail of band land. It took about four weeks for me to stop daydreaming about the perfect meal and missing my fried foods. Today I crave veggies and simple meals. It's a miracle. But I can't stress enough how important the "head and heart" work is. I am working very, very hard on the emotional and spiritual recovery from my food addiction. Like every day. No kidding. So anyway, just wanted to share this joyful stuff and ask others to pile on. What's going right for you?

Jelena, I'm in the SAME BOAT AS U with the alcohol, I wouldn't dare try to drink ANYTHING! It seems the things that I have tried that are NOT whew truly on my liquid schedule had kicked me in the buttocks sooo, I'll wait and boy when I get that 1st glass of wine, I will gladly dance and sing with it lol. I'm trying to get more ideas of what a chick can tolerate next stage of full liquids shoooted. December 20th sleever here. 20lbs down, still liquids, and soft mushy things now. Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

Alice, I am sorry to say this but your post reads kind of strangely. While I agree nutrition comes first, the occasional dessert or alcohol drink is not going to make ANYONE a failure. Working out a new lifestyle of balance is part of what the journey is all about. Mimi

never smoked, and gave up alcohol prior to surgery.

Addiction transfer is a very real risk and one that should be kept in mind. As an anecdote, my best friend is able to drink tequila like water with very little intoxication. It's kind of fascinating. Give her one shot of rum and she's nearly three sheets to the wind. Please do be careful, though. As @MsMocie said, bariatric programs almost universally say to limit alcohol consumption to 3-6 months post-op and likely for very good reasons, regardless of type of surgery.

This is kind of a long one so bear w/me... I went to my surgeon's lapband support group last night. I've been doing great lately w/my band, but I still try to make it to as many support meetings as I can. I figure its free therapy (led by one of the psychologists from my surgeon's office) and I do learn something new at every meeting (either from the psych or from one of the more experienced bandsters). We have a lot that go to the meeting that are at goal. OK, so earlier in the day I had an odd discussion w/my 4 yr old daughter. On the way to preschool, she told me in the car that she wished I never had surgery. Yes, I've told everyone about the surgery, even my 4 yr old daughter and 6 yr old son. They know it is to help mommy get healthy and they seemed happy w/that explanation before surgery. So, it totally throws me off that now my daughter is saying she wishes I didn't have surgery. :huh2: I told her I'm all healed now, feeling great, and that its really working so I'm happy I had surgery... and ask her why she wishes I didn't. And, she said its because I can't eat dessert anymore and she wants me to eat dessert w/them. I explained to her that I CAN eat dessert, but I'm just choosing not to because it is healthier for me to not eat it. But, for a 4 yr old, the idea of delayed gratification or doing something for one's health is just not a concept that can be easily understood. Long story short (woops, too late!), the advice I got from the psych is that he thinks I should eat a little dessert (not just for the kids, but for me too). He said that I'm slipping back into a 'diet mentality' of deprivation and extremes. Well, he didn't put it that bluntly, but I got the point. And, man, is he ever right on!!! :biggrin: I knew going into this that my biggest challenge would be embracing moderation and no longer living in the extremes. I just didn't realize that I had slipped back into an extreme. And, he also doesn't approve of my rule of no alcohol and exercise every day until I've lost my 10 pounds for the month. He considers that diet mentality as well and too strict. But, I have a feeling that the dietician and exercise physiologist would feel different about that! LOL :thumbup: Anyway, so I've decided I will eat a little bit of dessert when my family has dessert, but still not sure if I will give up my 10 pound per month goal. I figure I'll stick to it until this month's 10 pounds are gone and then see how I feel. I only have 6 pounds more to make my 10 pounds this month (my month goes 2/17-3/17) and I've been losing fast since I gave up the alcohol and started exercising every day. Ultimately, I have to do what works for me and even though he may be a great psych, it is still just advice and my choice what to do with it. But, definitely food for thought. :cool:

I went out last night with my girly-friends and had 3 glasses of wine, then we had dinner. I came home and ate TWO HUGE brownies. It's a sure thing: alcohol increases my sugar cravings and decreases my control. Period. Note to self: Do not drink alcohol!

Monster is checking in to report she is at 221 pounds so far (surgery was April 1, 2019), and I discovered today by going to the thrift store I can fit into size 12 Lululemon yoga pants. The black ones. You know the ones! They fit!!! Plus a gorgeous velvet dress I would have never gotten into two months ago, or even one: bought it today for $10 and........ IT. FITS. ~swoon~ A girl could get used to this 😄 Transparency: what I am able to eat now, one month into the pouch: Almonds and other roasted, salted nuts - the pouch loves them Brussels sprouts - boiled until soft, then salted and/or roasted - the pouch loves them Cooked beets - a little touchy but can handle them in moderation Those little protein packs that contain almonds, Colby Jack cubes and ham/turkey cubes at Ralphs - loves em Sardines - it likes them, can handle in moderation - very high protein though so I make sure to eat them Red Bull and I know I shouldn't - pouch likes it Red wine and I know I shouldn't - pouch OK with it but no buzz. Alcohol has no effect (disclaimer this is unusual, do not use alcohol unless your surgeon and nutritionist say you can). Very weird. Pouch treats it as Kool-Aid and I am unsure why. But I cannot overdrink. About an ounce is far as I can go before pouch fills and stops me. V-8 tomato/veggie drink: recommended. Almost nothing makes body and pouch both as happy. Cheese - pouch likes cheeses but finds cheddar a bit tough to digest, prefers Colby Jack etc What the pouch cannot stand: Prunes which is sad: they loosen me up and I like the taste. Pouch says firm no Eggs of any kind, again which is sad. I loved them Most meats, but I'm a former vegan, I can do without as long as I find sufficient replacement protein Most vegetables so far. This makes me ANGRY. Will continue to test, try, and gently adapt the pouch to em Things pouch looks sideeye at me if I even consider eating, so I have not and will not: Anything crunchy/salty with points and edges such as chips, pretzels and my beloved avocado Triscuits 😭 Milk of any kind Sweets, but then I hated those anyway, good riddance Eating more than about 400-450 calories per day. It's difficult. It is truly HARD. I have a big day of what I think is eating then measure everything, check the calories I had and find I just cannot reach 500 calories. Can't do it. This is a work in progress. Every day is an opportunity to trick the pouch into accepting a healthy food. It's very cunning. It knows what it wants (450 tops) and will manipulate to get it. Nobody warned me of this. Seems ideal doesn't it? Wait until you get here. The low calorie intake will worry you. Taking vitamins like crazy to help. Stuff I used to love but mysteriously do not crave now: Coca Cola/Pepsi and similar products, sugar free or not. For some reason the taste for this is just not there. Breads, chips, salty crunchies except nuts, or sweets. No desire whatsoever. Hamburger type meat, burgers, steaks, hot dogs, chili - no desire for em Sushi. This was my big one. My super crave. Now I drive right past a sushi joint and don't care. Scary But new yoga pants in skinny girl size FIT. Vintage 1950's cocktail dress at thrift store FITS. Everything fits. I'm over the moon. God bless this surgical procedure. Report out! EDITED TO ADD: And this is just 36 days after the surgery!!!!

Well, my "patient advocate" has received my 3 month Dr. supervised documentation, my lab-work showing I'm a non-smoker and not now nor have I ever been treated for drug or alcohol abuse. She says she will submit to my insurance in mid-May. I'm feeling pretty good about the choice to do this, but am apprehensive about the recovery period - I will have a limited amount of PTO and am worried I won't be able to heal enough to go back to work by the time I need to; I'm also worried I'll keep being a slug - right now, I come home and flop until time to go to bed. I should get on my treadmill, but after all day climbing stairs delivering groceries, doing home visits, etc, my knee hurts like hell and the last thing I wanna do is climb on the treadmill and aggravate it more. I am just really NOT a huge fan of exercise. I keep wondering if that will change with weight loss. I think I am more worried about failing after the surgery than I am about the surgery itself. Anyway - just checking in with everyone, I love seeing all the success and even reading about the difficulties and seeing them eventually be addressed and overcome. Keep doing what y'all do. You each are an inspiration to me.

Is that bad?? Not alcohol. just brothy soups and protein shakes. Am I going to bust a staple?