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Thanks Arabesque , surely it will be that and not problems from the non alcoholic fatty liver disease .x

I don't like the taste of alcohol, but I love me a good amaretto sour - Disaronno, of course. I PBed today. Happy anniversary to me. But when I weighed this morning I was down another 4 lbs which makes a year total of just under 130lbs. And I'd drink to that!

That is so important to hear. At another site where I post I was told that it is people like me who never served, who don't understand. I have posted this many times before, so you can look it up. When I was 19, in 1964, I was gung-ho military and tried to enlist in the US Air Force. I failed my physical because of injuries suffered while playing freshman football in college. The last step of the pre-induction physical was a 26 page questionnaire and the last question was "Are you the sole surviving son of a man killed in the service of the US Military". My father was a US Army Sargent killed in Berlin in WW11 on the day after I was born in 1945, so I answered “yes”. I was told that I failed the physical that day and about 3 weeks later a new draft classification card came in the mail with a classification of “4A”. I was ready to serve, though knowing what I know now, I am glad my knee kept me out of that war; Another war in which we dismissed the French. We laughed at the French for leaving Vietnam and we kept laughing at the French until 65,000 of our youth were dead, many times that many more maimed and many times that number who had miserable lives because of much higher rates of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, crime, spousal abuse and suicide than that of the people who did not serve in Vietnam. And for what? We lost. The dominoes never came down. We were fed a line of crap, just like in 2002 leading up to the 2003 Illogical Illegal Iraqi Invasion. When will we learn? Aren't you glad you asked? I contributed my father. Can you top that?

This past week seems so focused on the $10million question.. do I need a fill?? I've posted the link to this list in other threads, but thought I'd just go ahead and put the whole thing here for those of us who need reminding. I hope that all of us who are questioning the need for more (or less) restriction will take a few minutes and go thru this list of questions, answering each honestly, and then make an educated decision rather than just walking in to the Dr.'s office and letting them decide for us based on only a tiny bit of the entire picture. Here ya go: Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. 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. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe

I'm 26. I got banded in January and I don't regret it one bit, although I do get paranoid a lot that I'm not losing weight fast enough. It's definately something you should do if need be and I agree, 15 thousand is a lot but you can find places that do it a lot cheaper. Mexico, I believe, is half that. I'm lucky because my province pays for the surgery and all you have to fork over is the money for the band itself, but if you do have to pay yourself, check out mexico, or even if you go on websites, they have specials in certain places. When I lose weight, I'm going on the HUGEST shopping spree. I can't wait. I think that's what I'm most excited about. As for alcohol, breaking up with Beer is painful but think about what you're gaining. A new life, a new body, a new plateau of self-respect and you'll just generally feel better about yourself. Plus - hard alcohol is still there. It's a little more expensive but if you pre-buy it in a liquor store, you are saving a lot of money. I can't wait to see my end results. It's worth everything I've had to give up.

Shues - as far as alcohol goes, the only things I am not allowed are beer and champagne (the carbonation thing). I too am looking forward to a glass of wine! I was told to keep it in moderation though -- a basic weightloss thing -- alcohol calories add up too! Maria

I am still feeling ok. I have had some Soup today and a Protein shake. My mouth is REALLY DRY even though I keep sipping Water. I would recommend y'all get some mints or candies to suck on. My dr said gum is not so good the first few days as it can cause air/gas. On the ride home from the hospital I was feeling kind of nauesous (sp?). The hospital had given me some alcohol strips to smell which definitely helped. The dr had given me a prescription for some anti-nausea pills but I left them at home. I wish I had taken 1 with me to the hospital. I took 1 when I came home and haven't felt sick since. In the hospital I started doing the deep breathes to clear my lungs of the anthesia right away. I really think it helps because I didn't feel groggy in the afternoon. It's good to hear everyone is doing well so far. I will keep you posted...

I am in need of recommendations for proper sugar free popsicle brands. You know the ones without the sugar or sugar alcohols? I have a friend shopping for me and it's hard to find the "right" sugar free as directed by my surgeon and nutritionist. Sent from my SM-N910P using BariatricPal mobile app

I gave up craft beer. I tend to smoke when I drink and only like one ot two cigs. And when I'm drunk and in the right company I've smoked weed too. That being said, I'm looking for a different life. I want to do this surgery so I can be healthy, not be in PAIN, have energy, be athletic, feel good about myself, and look good for once in my life before I'm too old. All of the things (besides the flesh sacrifice of the stomach) the over indulgences of alcohol, laziness, food, drugs , ect... will ALWAYS BE THERE! They aren't going to stop making any of these things any time soon. There will ALWAYS be cheesecake and fried chicken and pop. Just because you don't or shouldn't indulge right now doesn't mean that you never will again. Do your body the favor and give it a chance to thrive and heal. It's a temple. I'm not judging because I've taken my temple to the hood and have had bums living in it too long lol! And it's easy for me to speak not because I'm still presleeve. I know that this os only a hell I can imagine and I haven't been through it yet so I hope I can have the strength in my conviction. Good luck and even though you can smoke and it hasn't hurt you yet, you know it hasn't helped. Later in life vices will be there waiting for us all. Just my 2

I want to say something. I'm not saying this because it was a diet either. So in my spiritual walk with God there are times when I fast. I fasted for a week. It was a fast that consisted of No food until after 4pm . No meats, No Sweets, No Soda, No Alcohol, No Fried Foods. Even though it was Not a diet I felt amazing. Yes I was hungry at times but then I sipped on Water. While doing this I was gaining strength to be able to do this liquid diet and let his life style change. Once the fast ended I wanted some grilled chicken and turkey burgers . Let me say this my stomach is extremely bloated. I feel like crap right now I was nauseous . It just doesn't feel right. I believe we all can do what we set our minds too. I know believe that I can do this. I probably will not have surgery until the end of Dec but I am going to cut out friend foods the way I use to eat them. And just do chicken and fish. I have a pack of country style ribs in the freezer I will cook and get rid of but after that I must change. I felt lighter and more energized with out eating all that junk everyday. Oh and I lost 12 pounds . Amazing. Glory to God. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm about 8 days from surgery and one approach I recommend as a DO: DO take small steps to changing your lifestyle weeks or months before surgery. I began my journey in Jan 2014 and every few weeks I changed something in my lifestyle to improve my health: Began walking Stopped drinking diet sodas Minimized eating carbs Changed from high fat to lower fat Proteins Quit smoking Began going to the gym Cut my net calories to 1700 per day Later cut my net calories to 1300 per day Stopped caffeine Quit alcohol I introduced these changes slowly over a 6 month period. It's important (and my bariatric psychologist agreed) to not attempt all these changes at once. It's too much change too fast. But introduce them slowly. I gave myself treats along the way. For example, I calculated how much I saved from quitting smoking and bought some home decor and other goodies. Now that I've started the pre-op shakes 'n liquids diet, it's not nearly as difficult as it would have been had I not made these changes. I'm not saying it's easy-peasy, but it's not the end of the world. I'm going into surgery almost 65 lbs lighter than when I started my journey in January and can't wait to be sleeved so I can lose another 75+.

Sean - I followed a nearly liquid diet with some limited cheating and dropped almost 15 #s in two weeks before my surgery. Heck, the day before the surgery I broke every rule and did a pizza buffet with a friend (but severely limited what I ate).. I was afraid that was going to cost me the surgery. It was hard but I cut out all the fun foods - soda, pizza, Panda Express, Pasta, Soups, BEER, alcohol, and marijuana... and even when I traveled, I would still go to Panda Express, but get teriyaki chicken with NO sauce with white rice and drink Water. My doctor had a *very* strict diet, as I guess they get a high failure rate of people who can't lose the weight. But a lot of water, fruits & veggies did the trick for me.

Yeah, I'm in several community groups and social clubs whose night/evening meetings are at hotels (as in bars) and bistros/cafes. People are going to wonder, indeed, when I don't order food or alcohol or soft-drinks in future.

It's different for the bypass people. When I first tried coke zero with whiskey it hit hard and fast. Luckily I tried it at home as advised, lol. I rarely drink alcohol, it was never my drug of choice, and that makes me extra sensitive on top. Interestingly enough I didn't notice a lot of change with weight. I used to get bombed on a relatively small amount of alcohol at my highest weight, too.

Depends. I can remember being advised not having alcoholic beverages for about 4 months or so and that we should try with caution because one can get drunk really quick. For me, it can hit like a hammer, depending on the beverage. However, this is only the "technical site of it" so to say. That one can have alcohol after some weeks or months doesn't mean that one should drink alcohol regularly (WLS or not).

Oh I just thought of a negative - I hate it when you get stuck while you're out, and find you need a toilet quick smart to PB, and your mouth is filling up with saliva like crazy, and you can't get there fast enough. It's happened to me twice - once I didn't quite make it to the toilet. Suffice to say - embarrasing! Another negative (or maybe it's a positive) - if I am getting 'full' my nose starts to drip. Anyone who's close to me sees me start to sniff and they all look at me like 'ok, stop eating NOW'. Oh and I can't get falling down drunk coz trust me, you don't want to get alcoholic poisoning with the band. Puking from the bottom of your tummy is NOT fun. It can lead to needing an emergency unfill. Again, not sure that's not really a positive though...

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 (

I eat breads sometimes........ pizza sometimes. I miss my diet Pepsi sometimes but I drank waaaaay to much of it before. I think I waited 2 months before drinking alcohol. Sometimes I do drink beer.

That was a crappy thing for him to say, but as I always say "men are VARMINTS'. lol! Sorry, all you great guys out there. lol! Just keep doing what you are doing. I have not had Lap Band, yet, but plan to in a few months if all goes well. HOWEVER, I have dealt with those kind of comments from my dad over the years. I lose weight all the time, just to gain most of it back so he feels he has to comment on it. It's very frustrating because unless someone has been in our shoes to know what it's like, they Just DO NOT know. I always feel like this is a type of addiction just like an alcoholic in an ABC store. That's the only way I can describe it best. That's why I don't do well at buffets, no matter how good my intentions are. Something in my brain just goes haywire with all of that good food around. Many blessings to you as you continue your journey. Don't allow his comment to bring you down.

I would say my negatives are hair loss, not realizing what rapid weight loss would do to my body (flabbiness), and upper left chest pain (this comes on when I eat too fast and it's very painful). Other inconveniences...having to buy new clothes which can be expensive, having to exercise...lol...drinking expensive protein shakes...and for some reason increased alcohol intake although I don't know why other than I'm happy with my weight loss, can't eat as much so I end up drinking more...idk...but I am very happy with my decision and wouldn't change it for the world!

The rules from my nutritionist are that any non carbonated, non caffeinated, non alcoholic and non caloric beverage counts toward your total. That basically leaves decaffeinated coffee and tea, herbal tea, Crystal Light (or equivalent), and Water.

For me, no IF nor did I eat very wisely yesterday. Oh well, I had a good few days proceeding it. Starting a week that is going to be all wineing and dining, including breakfast meetings. So no IF, more cals, non-ideal eating, and alcohol for this week ahead. We'll see what the scale has to say about it when I return

I'm going through a very unmotivated phase right now. I just want to eat food I want and not lean proteins and leafy greens. And I'm paying for it, ugh. I'm up over 4 lbs from my low I'm hoping some of that is from alcohol. I had quite a few beers the other night, that was followed by a late night fast food run. (I was with colleagues, not my idea, but I participated ). I don't know right now, I really don't feel like getting back on the chicken breast train. Doing at least moderate IF is usually pretty easy. I'm rarely hungry before noon. But the whole good choice thing, meh ... So I'm thinking of doing a little experiment. What if I eat what I want for the most part. But I have no alcohol, and make sure I get in my fluids. What will happen to my weight? My cals should still be well under 1000. I'd like to know where I can find that line between losing, maintaining and gaining. I'm not sure why I am suddenly so unmotivated. Is it just "diet" fatigue? Is it typical as people get near goal? Is it because of all the positive feedback I've gotten recently on how I look? Is it because my plastics I had wanted this fall is now postponed until who knows when because of my work schedule?

Hi girls~ A listener, not a talker....huh! Tell my DH! Love the shoes Haydee! Heather I would love to meet you too! Laura, I do the same with the mod stuff---and I rode the fence in this disaster. I refuse to say more! LOL As for the Moms and the kids---do either of your Moms read much? Maybe a couple of books on enabling, and the written word of someone else, reiterating what you have been saying....otherwise I have no idea. My parents finally did just like Terry with my brother. He got arrested for DWI, and in the holding cell, he had a seizure, well come to find out, he had been trying to quit drinking, and with his brain injury and the detoxing, he was having seizures. He was unconcious in his truck, not passed out from alcohol. But they made the choice NOT to remove him from the charges, and allowed the charge to be changed to DUI (driving under the influence as opposed to driving while intoxicated) which could cover driving while taking Tylenol even! It caused him to get a mandatory jail sentence of 28 days, and he could receive medical aid while detoxing. They knew he wanted to quit, but with the brain injury, it messes with his short term memory, and makes quitting harder than even normal. They thought with 28 days sobriety, maybe it would "take". It did, he has been sober for many years now. But it was hard, my parents both aged seriously, visiting their son in jail was not something they ever planned to do. But it was better than visiting him at the funeral home, or in prison from causing an accident that hurt someone else or killed him. Hard choices, but worth it. BTW Laura, I am sending you a PM with info on Gone4ever. She met up with you for the formula. She just got a cancer diagnosis, and is facing a really hard time. Another weekend of wood cutting coming up, then WE are done. Still have to haul for the in laws. NOT a happy subject with me. What's new??!!! DS had an accident today----he got ticketed, and he says it was not his fault, so guess he will fight it in court. Stressed us for awhile. Well I am off to bed. See you all soon.

Morning Girls. Heather, that is horrible. I was hoping that you were going to say that is was the pottasium and that you didn't need the surgery. I'm so sorry you had to go thru all of that and that you couldn't spend that time enjoying Ayla. I agree with Judy about you and Laura, so I'm not going to get pregnant either. With both Laura and Heather having problems, it makes me really want to protect my band even more. Terri, good luck on the -4 and I am keeping all of you in my prayers. Last night I went over to the neighbors to sit on the deck. she has one of those firepits. We ended up fixing S'mores. I ate one and a few marshmallows(burnt). We had a good time and guess what? I didn't have any alcohol. LOL. Everyone have a great day.