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Same here. I don't weigh everyday, but I do bounce up and down within the same 5 pounds from week to week. As for the holidays, I was a little above my bounce range after a week of mom's good home cooking, deserts, alcohol and sweets galore. As soon as I got home I detoxed all the sugar out of my system and went back to protein/veggie basics. Took about 2-3 weeks to get back to the bottom of my bounce range. But fluctuation is pretty normal for me. Last week I was actually below my normal range and yesterday I was at the top end. Just go back to basics for a bit, throw in a little extra activity, and you'll get back on track.

When I saw that you'd just posted, I was so excited. He's back!! I came to this place after you were long gone, but through random clicks on miscellaneous blogs, had come across one of yours. It touched me so much, that I then went back and read each and every one of them, amazed at your prowess with words, amazed at how I could relate to so much of your emotion. You have a succinct way of exposing your underbelly in such a shoot-from-the-hip manner. Then as I got to the end of your posts, and you said you had nothing else to say and was leaving, I felt saddened -- because you, like no other, get to the absolute heart of things for us all. I was hoping as I began reading your latest post that it would be filled with the halleluiah's and whoops and whistles from your most recent victory over the hunger demons -- but, of course, that wasn't what I found. Once again, I found a straightforward heartfelt post that we can all relate to in one way or another. I can very much relate to your relationship with alcohol. It's all so familiar to me - "Am I an alcoholic, am I not -- maybe I can just drink more like a lady if I try harder, maybe if I just switch to beer and lay off the hard stuff." All of that internal dialogue I was intimately familiar with for about 25 years. Five and a half years ago, I realized that the label didn't matter, it all boiled down to one thing: alcohol was prohibiting me from being the person I wanted to be -- somebody that I could be proud of -- and I quit. Yep, have not had a drink since. I was sick of it all, and finally found some internal source of power that told me to stop all the messing around and get to the task at hand -- changing my life and stop all the crap feelings telling me I had no choice in the matter. I found an online sponsor to help me with some of the AA stuff, and got on with discovering who I was without alcohol. I can tell you that it is all TOTALLY relevant and runs concurrently with our food issues. I know that many of us will spend our lifetime digging down there to find out the root of it all. The whole point of it is -- when you decide, really decide, that you want to make a change in your life, whether it be alcohol, overeating or other poor life choices -- you most certainly have the fortitude to do it. Just take the steps to make these changes, and they will happen. What I've discovered for myself is that life goes by so quickly. As friends and family members die, this realization is solidified for me. And I, for one, have decided that I'm not going to let another day, month, year, DECADE go by being somebody I don't want to be and feeling like I'm the victim. A very wise man (okay, my oldest brother) once told me years ago, "You're in a deep hole, waiting for somebody to throw you a rope, and you can't even see that there's a ladder right there next to you." May you find your ladder. And please keep posting -- you add such texture to this site. Cindy

Wow, I seems that ur going through a whole lot of different issues and drinking is ur escape , ur not alone lots of people are also go through the same thing they just don’t have enough courage to say it or write it out loud just as u have ! My husband is also shy and he drinks because he also feels he helps to loosen him up, however I try to tell him that I enjoy that person that he is and that he must learn to feel confident in his own skin and who he is without anything altering his personality, I would say the same for you!!! You need to get to know u and who u r without food or alcohol and learn to embrace that!! I am sure Ur a great person also surround Ur self with positive people and positive things!!!! Take care and I hope these words help!!! awill

alcohol works well too

Agreed. This is a huge decision. The sleeve is irreversible. You want to go in with your eyes wide open. The psych needs to make sure you know and understand what you are getting yourself into. Real world example - I knew someone who failed the psych years ago. What did he do? He went to south America where the requirements were easier. About a year after the surgery he started sabotaging his progress by grazing with carbs and alcohol. Gained the weight back. It is tough if psych says no but I think it is important. I am on my pre op diet and already I am noticing how I have previously used food to comfort me during stressful times. Just had my pre op visit and it was a little stressful so after the visit the first thing I thought about is how normally I would just go to the hospital cafe for a snack and a coffee to deal with it. Of course I can't now. Amazing how the mind works. We need to deal with our minds or this won't work. May not be what the op wants to hear but I mean no offense, just my .02

Hi folks Found this site whilst browsing lap band procedures out of desperation. I'm Kim, 46, live in Southampton, and I've never had a weight problem until I had a number of gynae related problems then a partial hysterectomy in 2007 then the rest out in 2011. Been on HRT since then and by weight has balloned. I am only 5 feet 1 so every stone makes me look like a hippo. Seeing photographs of me recently has made be so depressed, no matter how little I eat nothing seems to make a difference. I have been on a low calorie liquid diet for a few weeks now and haven't lost a pound; I feel something is quite wrong with my metabolism but my GP says just eat less and move move more. The moving thing would be easy except I have a disability, chronic asthma and cannot walk very far without excrutiating pain in my feet. I suffer from calcified tendons which can happen at any time, at the moment I have calcific achilles tendons and can barely walk more than 5 paces without having to stop and also have calcific tendonitis in my shoulders which prevent me from swimming. A few years ago I could swim 100 lenghts of my local pool in 90 mins, today I would be lucky to manage one :-( I know that loosing weight would help my physical conditions and improve my general wellbeing but as I can't exercise I am on a road to nowhere. It seems a gastric band is my only hope to restrict my food intake to a bare minimum. What upsets me is that I am not a massive eater anyway, never eat bread, don't like sweets, rarely eat chocolate, and have cut my alcohol intake to a few social glasses of wine at the weekends. I don't know what has made me put on so much weight but it seems that nothing I do works to resolve the weight problems. I am going to look into going to Belgium for the surgery, there seems to be a lot of people that have chose this option. Can anyone point me in the right direction here ? I know there are many posts on this and the particular surgeon but to save me hours wading through them is there a quick bullet point list on how to contact said Surgeon, make the arrangements, what to expect etc ? Thanks for letting me having a rant....feel a bit better now :-) Have a great weekend K x

I've been banded since Aug and started experimenting with alcohol about 2 months out. Being in grad school, it was nice to be able to go out with friends. A few things to keep in mind: 1) double check with your doctor if it's ok 2) you won't be able to have a lot 3) instead of getting big drinks, ask for shots (or shot versions of your drinks) that way you get the taste of it without the calories or immense amount of liquid. Good luck and have fun!

Maura I was sleeved 8-14 and my doctors aid no alcohol or carbonation for 6 months. My bday was 9-14 and I went to the bar and had unsweetened ice tea. I completely get wanting to celebrate but making the decision to have surgery means life style changes. Fight your temptations.

Going to trial and making him lie on the stand or fess up is going to be about all that might make DH's charges lessen I would imagine. HIS actions do not make YOU a hypocrite unless you go around saying your DH never does this or that. Those are his actions! I would say go to an Al-Anon meeting, you will find many others who feel just like you. Loving the person, and loving their actions when alcohol is involved are 2 separate issues, and they will give you guidance in ways not to enable him to have the "why you mad at me?" attitude. It will also send a message to your DH-----his alcohol consumption and lying are serious problems, ones you are not taking responsibility for. I know it takes a lot of energy to be mad. But hang on to that mad, do not let DH convince you to just get over it. You deserve to be treated better---YOU were not out partying with friends while your family was at home....he was. Kat

Wow, Richard that is great!!! I had my band placed 7/22/08, in Mobile,Al. I have lost 24lbs so far. My Dr. did not require a pre-op diet. I know what you mean about alcohol, I try to take the calories into account for the day. I only drink wine, mostly Chardanay, or White Zin. Would love a beer but rather scared to try it. Keep up the great work!! Debe

So Im in week 8 and down sixty pounds.. the last 3 or for pounds have been a bear to take off...my body seems content at this weight (278lbs). I have to fight everyday to maintain at least... Over the labor day weekend i had 2 count them 2 mojitos...and gained 4 lbs in a day, you have got to be kidding me...well anyway that was sunday and today i have taking 3 lbs back off.. i must tell you they are not kidding about the alcohol...it is not worth it..just say no:cool: Of course it was water weight so i expect it to be gone today and that would put me at 61lbs down. and my allergies have kicked in..wow im really wining today huh..well i need to restart i think i will do liquids only again next week lets see what that does...maybe i can drop another 10lbs in sept and get to 268... thats sixty eight to goal.

Unfortunately most Stevia based shakes/powders also contain a sugar alcohol to help balance the taste (plain Stevia can have quite a strong aftertaste) . So make sure you check the full ingredients list of any Stevia sweetened one.

Arabian I don't think I'm wrong, I think Splenda is sucralose, and gasp, that's a sugar alcohol, look for Stevia instead. I believe Svelte is soy-based and stevia, the bad news. is it doesn't contain 30 grams protein but less. What can I say? 👈😝👉 Life just isn't perfect!

I just turned 21 6 months ago and I'm about 6 weeks post op. I was wondering if anyone had tried drinking so soon after surgery? I know your not supposed to drink at least 6 months after surgery, but it seems to be really hard because all of my friends want to go out! Now I'm not talking about anything crazy because I know how alcohol is like pure calories but I was thinking maybe half a glass of wine or something. What are your thoughts?

VERY very interesting -- after taking some addiction courses years ago in college they have come a long way into understanding that 'alcoholism' is a disease -- and obviously it affects the body in many ways -- so it will be really enlightening if you can make a connection between alcoholism tendency in your family and what you are going through - keep us posted as you continue to unravel all of this -- thanks for sharing!

Just to mention this since I don't see it above, pay attention the sugar alcohols in whatever shakes you buy. Too much of those have a laxative effect. Ask me how I know...

Hey Kat, I didn't have any burning, but I have been having to give my DH some blood thinning injections,and if I swab him, and don't wait for the alcohol to dry, it burns like crazy. Now I didn't realize that was why, until another LBT-er was asking about blood thinning injections, and another told her to let it dry or it would burn...I tried it with DH that night--she was right!! It didn't burn when I let the alcohol dry. Maybe that's what happen. We are told clear liquid the remainder of the fill day, full liquids the next day, then mushies, then back to regualr diet. If you have another fill in a month, you will only be eating 1/2 the time....poor you! But I bet you knock our socks off with weight lost! Good Luck...keep us posted. BTW is it still painful at all? Good Luck Heather! Kat

Be careful when you first start to drink again, my Doc said no alcohol for the first month...by then I had been on liquids and mushes for a month, one glass of wine and I was giggling and talking TOO loud!

can you still drink alcohol ?

Hi Blond Chick! Welcome!! You don't say how long ago you had surgery. I think sit-ups and weightlifting are the sorts of things you can do at whatever level you're comfortable, but probably not for several weeks after surgery (at least for the sit-ups). You want to give your body plenty of time to heal completely before putting any stress on the muscles. 8 weeks? And my doctor didn't say anything at all about alcohol in general. More than a little probably isn't the best idea, though, because even besides the empty calories it can lead to eating more than you might otherwise want. Which, with the band, can lead to major ouchies. :sick

So- food for a good addict or overwater is similar to alcohol for an alcoholic. It’s a coping mechanism and helps to mask feelings and prevents us from honing our emotional tools to deal with stress and anxiety. When the food is taken away and it’s more difficult to be abused or just isn’t being abused feelings are much more noticeable, stronger, overwhelming and harder to deal with because we’ve been eating them away for so long. I agree with the other recommendation to speak with your doctor; my surgeon has an in house psychologist that is there for emotional help throughout the process. I think this would be helpful for you. Good luck.

Eat slowly and chew thoroughly Food can pass through the new stoma only of it has been into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well. Stop eating as soon as you feel full Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to eat you meal. Try to recognize the feeling the fullness - then stop eating at once. Do not drink while you are eating This operation can work only if you eat solid food. If you drink at mealtimes, the food you have eaten becomes liquid and the effectiveness of the LAP-BAND System is greatly reduced. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible. Do not eat between meals After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. Patients with proper "fill" levels do not feel hungry in between meals. If you are, this may be a sign that your band is too loose and you should tell your clinician. Eat only good quality food With the LAP-BAND System in place, you should be able to able to eat only a small amount so the the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your small stomach pouch with junk food that lacks vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in protein and vitamins. Fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and cereals are good foods to choose. Foods high in fat and sugar are not. You may eat apples and oranges, but try to avoid orange juice and and apple juice. Ask your doctor or dietician before you take any vitamin supplements. Avoid fibrous food Food such as asparagus that contains many fibers can block the stoma. That's because you can't chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can't break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then you must be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces and them chew them thoroughly. Drink enough fluids during the day If you lose weight, your fat content will drop. This results in waste products. You will need to drink large amounts of liquid every day in order to urinate more and excrete these waste products from your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Drink only low-calorie liquids. Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet created by the band. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you otherwise follow your diet. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day This rule is just as important as the other nine rules. Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is very important to successful weight loss. Exercise can help improve your general health. Your size may make it hard for you to exercise as much as you should. But get started, even if it is a little at first. The more weight you lose, the easier it should get. Start with simple exercises such as walking and swimming. Gradually expand you program to include more vigorous forms of exercise such as cycling, jogging and aerobics. Increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator, etc. Remember you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you. Food Choices Use this section to help you plan what you eat. you may choose what you would like from each of these food groups on a daily basis: Fruits and vegetable 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetable daily Bread and Cereals 1 small portion of corn flakes for breakfast 1 to 2 slices of whole wheat or rye bread each day Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs 1 oz. to 2 oz. of meat, fish or poultry or one egg each day (remove all visible fat from the meat. remove the ski from poultry. Grilling, steaming, microwaving or boiling are best ways to prepare them with low fat). Dairy Products Milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form. In theory, then, they should be avoided. But these types of food have calcium. That makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Choose a maximum of 2 cups of skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt and 1 oz. of cheese a day. Fats Restrict the use of fat to 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day. You can have low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise in moderation. Drink as many calorie-free liquids per day as you wish. Suitable drinks are: Tea or black coffee with low-calorie sweetener Water Non-carbonated beverages containing few or no calories Clear soup Note: Some doctors have reported that carbonated beverages may contribute to enlargement of the small pouch and should be avoided. Foods to Avoid Some foods have a concentrated supply of calories with little nutritional value and should be avoided as much as possible. They include: Sugar and foods containing large quantities of sugar, such as: High-calorie soft drinks Syrups Cakes Biscuits Sweets Jam Marmalade Honey High-fat foods including: Chocolate Pies Chips pastries Alcoholic drinks should also be consumed in moderation

thanks my biggest success from the surgery was that it CURED my GERD as a side effect. For the first time in 30 years, I do not have GERD E.V.E.R. (It helps too that I am not eating things like marinara sauce). So guess what......? I can drink ORANGE JUICE - however, due to the sugar and my <still> fear of GERD, I only drink 50/50 and I replcae 1/4 of bottle with water - so it really is watered down. But I never thought I would be able to drink OJ ever again. I dont drink soda AT ALL or alcohol, so 98% of my fluid is water. Thanks for the response & kind words!

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

It's difficult enough to cut back on a regular daily basis. I found that the closer to my surgery date the more I wanted to eat clean...wanted to shrink my liver. I won't miss alcohol and I think I can manage life with a bite of a cupcake instead of 1/2 a cake, but my weakness is cookies! So we shall see.... As for the drinking, so far I don't pour a glass of anything until I drop my plate in the sink. To date I've slipped up two times in 5 days. Straws are harder to give up, but I'm trying