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Nexium is a really good medication for acid reflux, but most insurances don't cover it. You can try getting Prilosec OTC, Aciphex, or Zantac. Acid reflux is really common. and if you cut out spicey foods, alcohol, chocolate it will minimize it! Good luck!

Hello i just have a question about drinking alcohol after surgery? I dont drink beer so carbonation is not the problem just wondering about mied drinks and wine coolers? How long should i wait? I was banded June 12th.

Thanks so much for answering my question about alcohol Lynda...gives me a lot more insight.

I get on the scale every day. Yes, i know i shouldn't but cant help it. I record weekly loss every Wednesday which is the day of the week i had surgery.... Last week and this week that just past, from wednesday to saturday i hadn't lost anything, then i went out on Saturday night, had a few sips of an alcoholic drink (maybe about 8 oz, spread out) and then on Sunday i was 2-3pounds lighter. This happened last weekend and this weekend, could it be coincidence? Both days i barely ate anything so cant point it on higher calories consumption. Not trying to advocate this and not making it a habit to drink alcohol, just wondering if anyone else has had similar expereince.

watch out with the drinking. Not only can you sabotage your weight loss, transfer addiction is REAL. Alcohol tastes way better to me now that it did before surgery - so I avoid it like the plague. The last thing I need is an alcohol problem...

Here's my story, I'm looking for some guidance on how you got back on track because I am feeling lost and hopeless. Wondering whether Lap Band is a total fail.... 10/08 - Banded by an out of state surgeon who is not retired (Dr. Kirshenbaum at Lap Band Rockies in Aurora, CO) 08-13 - Fills done by Dr. Ricciardi in Las Vegas, NV (doctor just went out of practice) Lost 110 lbs in first year at a rate of about 2 lbs a week - followed rules very easily initially but several life experiences got me back into drinking and ignoring band rules. 07/10 - Divorce - drinking started (weight 173) 01/11 - Miscrarriage at 4 months along - drinking escalated (weight 185) 03/11 - Job Loss - more drinking (weight 190) 6/11-7/13 - Horrible Stressful Job, height of drinking (weight at time of leaving job 205) - In the midst of this job I was overeating and throwing up a lot, had to be completely unfilled at one point because I feared it had slipped. Had to start taking antacids all the time because of endless burning. Eventually got filled back to 5 ccs in a 8cc band. 07/13 - Moved from NV to CA, excellent job, engaged now - trying to quit the drinking cycle and get back on band rules. 03/14 - Did an IVF cycle in March - gained from meds (weight 215) May 2014 Changes 1.) Seeing a trainer 2-3X week 2.) Recommitting myself daily but struggling with motivation 3.) More sitting at this job, less activity 4.) Trying to remember band rules but I'm having a hard time with following 5.) Daily struggle to not drink alcohol - I know this is my biggest issue How do I get back on track? Any suggestions welcome!!

Hey everyone! I cant believe a year has flown by so fast. I know when I was pre-op I used to seek out these threads to read other's experiences, so I wanted to share mine too. My start weight was 277 the day I scheduled the consult for bariatric surgery, and I was 255 the day of surgery. The first 3 months were a bit of a whirlwind. I dropped 20 pounds in the first month, and I thought it would stay that fast, boy was that some realistic thinking on my part. As real food was reintroduced during my second month I learned what the foamies were...oh my goodness, so not fun. I lost 10 pounds during month two and I remember feeling discouraged and having to reassess my motivation for this surgery. Having to remind myself that this was a change for the rest of my life and that it was okay if the weight didn't just fly off, because if I kept working with my body, then my body would have no choice but to become healthy. The next month I lost 9 pounds and learned that if I didn't chew my food really, really well, that it could get stuck and hurt like hell until it made me vomit. This was not a fun time, but alas I learned, and learned relatively;y quickly. Month 4 came and two things of note happened. I lost 5 pounds and felt confused and a little lost as to what was happening with my body. Also, my hair started falling out like there was no tomorrow! That became my new normal for awhile. 5 pounds a month, hair falling out. Somewhere around 8 months out my hair loss stabilized, but by then I had lost about 2/3rds of the volume I had. Biotin never helped, but I took it from the day I was cleared to begin vitamins post op. Around March I was 6 months post op and I had my first month with no loss, where I actually gained. I was aghast. I had this weird feeling like I wasn't going to get where I needed to be unless I started working harder. So that was the point where I finally changed. I started counting every macro, and working out 3 days a week in April. Initially walking and increasing in length/intensity. That was the beginning of my adventure into exercise. I currently run/walk in intervals a 5k a minimum of 4 times a week. I have never felt stronger or more alive. I was the girl who only ran when chased, I had no idea that underneath all that weight was a body that felt happy when it ran. A brain that felt at peace when it focused on my breathing. I'm still losing at the rate of 5 pounds a month, total weight loss since March of 2016 is 110 pounds. Biggest change has been my brain. I stopped worrying about the scale. It goes down because I'm living the way I am supposed to be. It doesn't have to be big numbers, because this is the way I live my life now. I don't know if that makes sense anywhere except inside my head, but I hope you get it. I only this week made it into the "overweight" bmi category and I have 27 more pounds to go before I am considered to be of a healthy weight. Loose skin? Yep! I'm not even mad about it. To be honest I didn't expect as much on my thighs and thought most of it would be around my midsection, but it's everywhere. I don't think it will ever bother me enough to have it removed, but only the future knows for sure. Dumping. Now to be fair I had my gallbladder removed a few years prior to gastric bypass surgery, so I already had issues with dumping. Bile buildup has a laxative effect on me. If I go more than 12 hours without eating, then just a sip of water can send me running to the bathroom. Fats don't typically bother me and I avoid sugar because I don't like the way it feels when my insulin spikes and then drops. It's scary and not fun. I get fuzzy and light headed, my stomach feels blah and my heart races. I'm human though and I challenge my biology on occasion. Ice cream doesn't love me anymore. It melts in my pouch and foams back up and just feels like it's sitting at the top of my esophagus and making me burp little foamy ice cream burps...I think the only reason I am okay with halo top is because the sugar alcohols scare me enough that I only ever eat a tiny bit because I don't want to live in my bathroom lol. Support systems! These are so important. My spouse is amazing. He's my biggest cheerleader and my companion in all things, including exercise! Make sure the people in your life only want what's best for you. Current diet is low carb (under 20 grams a day) moderate protein (60-80 grams) and moderate fat. This will likely be how I eat the rest of my life and I am okay with that. When I do consume more sugar, my brain starts to crave sweets and I feel like I have to fight with myself. For me personally it's not worth it anymore. That last sentence is a huge nsv for me. It's so weird and amazing/awesome to be nearing 40 and finally feeling like I'm not powerless to food anymore.

Dump the sugar and simple carb laden foods, no soda, alcohol, added sugar, etc and then add some exercise. Do all that first if you have not already done that. I made all those significant small changes first, then went harder. The week I attended the seminar I ditched the diet coke, done. Then let go of pasta, rice, any bread except rye and then only one piece toasted once a day, etc. These changes are pretty much permanent. To go hardcore to get to your most important goal - which is surgery scheduled - you may need to go lean protein and vegetables sooner - which is the lifestyle we all have after surgery anyway. You don't need the shake routine until your doc says do the shake routine, unless for you that seems easier. Me - I would rather have tuna or chicken than a shake. Good luck.

most doctors will say no to alcohol. I have to advise you to ask your doctor if you can have at least one drink for your 21st. I would recommend whatever drink you want but one that doesn't have carbonation. happy birthday to you.

Aaaah, I wish I knew the magic formula that works for some people! For me, I do actually have to limit my carbs. I can eat healthy carbs and not gain weight, but it brings my weight loss efforts to a screeching halt. Sadly. I figure if I have to give up most carbs for a year or two, so I can get to goal, it will be a worthy reason. I do eat some carbs though. I will portion out pretzels, or tortilla chips as part of my meal, but then that will be it for my carb of the day. Most of my carbs come from my veggies and my yogurt, etc. My surgeon is just BIG on NO shakes AFTER 6 WEEKS (post-op) and about 2 months ago I started having my one shake a day again. I start my day with a shake that is very low carb and nets me 30g Protein, so it is well worth it to me. I think they harp on the no-shakes thing because they do not fill you up and satisfy you (but I don't have hunger so it almost doesn't matter to me) but it helps push me on the protein for the day. I do not understand people who say they eat 3 meals a day...OMG, I can't do that and still reach my protein goals. I eat like 6 (small of course) meals a day!!! So for instance today, I have had: Premier Protein Shake 3oz of egg beaters with a tablespoon of cheese and a tbsp of bacon bits thrown in 2oz of ground beef, with 7 grams of tortilla chips and another tbsp of cheese melted on top (my own sort of taco if you will) and when I logged everything to check I'm already at 69g of protein and only 17g carbs. I will probably end up with over 100g of protein for the day because I will eat another snack around 3pm (sometimes a Protein Bar or apples and cheese or turkey and cheese, etc.) and then a dinner (probably chicken breast) and usually something like yogurt or ricotta cheese after dinner. So if you take away the shake and don't count that as a meal, by the end of the day I will have eaten 5 times today. Even though I don't have hunger, I find that eating every 2-3 hours keeps me humming along and helps me reach those protein goals. I also do about 72oz of Water daily, with the occassional extra water thrown in. 72 is my minimum, but some days I am able to get in more. I also have not had a single drink (alcoholic or carbonated) since being sleeved, I am planning on drinking again after I hit my one year mark but I wasn't a big drinker to begin with so it hasn't been hard for me. I hope this helps to answer your question...sort of rambling, sorry about that!

I went to New Orleans just a few months out of surgery. I lived on shrimp there! Acme Oyster House was a big favorite with the group I was with. I wasn't partaking in copious amounts of alcohol that trip so I tried to find other things to do. So I signed up for a haunted history tour. It was fun and incorporated my new active lifestyle into my love of history and ghosts!

Grace you do a great job on this board. There are just so many people here that just can't handle or accept what is the truth. Its hard to change ways that have become so ingrained that to them they see only see normal. Their view of "support" on this board and many others is some type of absolution. They want to be socially accepted for their failures without having to face the hard reality that they can't make the changes needed for success. From my time here, I've seen a lot of people that haven't reconciled their relationship with food and why they are the way they are. They come here and want easy-peasy, warm and fuzzy and if I screw up, well I'm still a great person. I think that you pulling back the covers and exposing this the way you do is what is needed on this board. This is serious stuff and you can't go through the process and not make significant lifestyle changes and expect to be successful. There seems to be a fair amount of mental preparation in this process that gets completely overlooked. I see that every day I visit here, with the questions about alcohol, eating a week after surgery and the general complaints about the pre-op diets ,people simply aren't ready or are unwilling to commit to the changes they need to be successful. Of course people will fail at this, mess up, eat what they shouldn't and so on, we all do, but coming here to gain absolution seems just asinine. Support comes in all sizes and forms. For those that get upset when they hear something that might be unpleasant, or isn't what they wanted to hear is equally foolish. I urge to you keep up the good work, you are doing a lot of good. I know that you might have to get the Kevlar socks out every now and again, but what you are doing is part of the whole process of support, the good the bad, the truth and the fluff. To the poster that wanted you go off can create your own rant group, well...If you do, I would be the first one to sign up. At least I can tell the difference from what is real and what isn't. Hang tough Grace!

I would ask your surgeon what his policy is because they all have their own programs. My surgeon said no alcohol for a year, which I stuck to.

I waited about one month and I have my weekend drinks. I used to be a beer drinker but I haven't had a beer or soda in 6 months. I do enjoy wine but I gave up wine and coffee for lent and now I only drink bloody mary's or vodka and cranberry. You just need to be careful because it doesn't take much to feel the effects of alcohol. I really diluted wine and filled up my glass with mostly water and ice. Thats helps because I am a fast drinker and it helps to dilute it. Good luck! Remember one day at a time and we all have slip ups but you just get revived and back on the routine the next day. I will never eat and drink the way that I used to so sometimes you need to rebel. We are all human!

Amazing! I was thinking this very thing the other day after eating a pitiful amount of food. I was full, of course, because I have a little tummy. Then the guilt set in like it always did when I had the same feeling with my big, stretchy belly. Somehow, a deeper level of consciousness came over me and I realized that the guilt was a ghost from the past. "I have eaten within guidelines", I told myself, "Wake up!" I have other ghosts from addictions past: drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, promiscuity, that come to haunt me from time to time either with guilt or invitations to return to prison. I realize and rejoice that I am not that man anymore. I turn on the lights, they vanish.

I've never tried this, but my daughter swears that sniffing Rubbing Alcohol will knock nausea completely out. Just a quick whiff during her 2nd delivery stopped her from vomiting. It's worth a try! Hope you feel better soon!!! Sent from my SM-G928T using the BariatricPal App

I wouldn't schedule the surgery until you have gone through some counseling over the alcohol issue.I think drinking after surgery is a very,very slippery slope. One issue is your body doesn't process alcohol in the same way and you get drunk much quicker. I can't say if you are an addict now or not but if you start to drink after surgery, there is a huge likelihood you will become an addict based on the information you have given. I even discussed this same issue with my therapist...trading one addition for another. i don't drink at all now so the way for me to avoid not becoming an alcohol is to never pick up the first drink. However, you drink now and it sounds as if you still intend on drinking at some point after surgery. Please get some counseling, discuss this with your surgeon... do SOMETHING to address this before surgery is scheduled. I wish you all the best!

Ok so it's been a while since I last blogged but a lot has been going on. I'm from Iceland. An island way up north. So I just came back from travelling to Spain, a Mediterranean country and let me tell you, things there are different from what I'm used to. I've been to Spain 3 times before and never thought that much about food. I just ate what ever and loved it. But having the lap band is more difficult. The town I was staying at didn't have that many restaurants but when I went to them, they carried BREAD BREAD BREAD. They loved serving bread or huge dishes! I love tabas mmmm but it's served on bread, thick slices of bread. I can only eat thin slices. So when out eating, I ended up eating fries, omelette and lasange. But only found one restaurant carrying lasagne. But I tried cooking at home as well, so I wouldn't starve and didn't really want omelette or fries for every meal. The temperature! Gosh it was HOT. That mean that my polar body was swollen ever day with extra fluid and that also meant that my stomach opening was a lot smaller. I had to make a lot of trips to the bathroom spit out food that got stuck in the opening. The Productive burping was terrible! No matter what I ate. My worst case was a tomato!! Hello!! A tomato, a very well chewed tomato! I just had terrible time with it. That's why I was afraid to eat what ever was on the menu. But fries, I know they are deep fried and not that healthy, but I could chew them into baby food! What does a hot woman need in a hot weather??? ice cream. mmmm love some good ice cream. And I had a lot of it. It was a guilty pleasure. But it was so good in the hot weather. Alcohol. I was very very careful with that. I wanted a cold beer very badly but I stuck to cocktails with no carbonated liquids in it and yes that was just fine. And never got drunk or tipsy or what ever. Did not want to add hangover and throwing up to the PB!! I even at once point thought that it would be best to finish the trip off by eating only chocolate and ice cream because that went down very well haha. Also the company I was with. They were so nice and understanding but I was giving myself hard time for making them wait for me while I ate really really really slowly. We could never eat anywhere in hurry, ever. I came with a solution though, I sometimes grabbed a banana because that's easy to eat on a go. Now at home, I'm still swollen from the travel but I couldn't wait stepping on the scale and no weight gain!! to my surprise! I'll see how it went after my body has adjusted after the travel. I have to tell you though that for the first time in my life, I had lots of left overs at the restaurants I ate at. I felt like apologizing for it to the waiters, for not finishing my food. I've always finished everything at a restaurant but I was very careful, even though the portions were big, that I would only eat until I was satisfied (not full) and I'm proud of that. Overall, I did enjoy my trip very much and Spain is a fantastic country. And I've always enjoyed the food there before the lap band. But this was a difficult trip food wise and not that healthy I'm glad it didn't set me back tough. I'm happy to be home and on Monday hopefully my body has recovered and that I will not have any extra fluid.

Well, it's the end of another year and to be honest, I still have to remind myself to write 2012 on my checks (when I actually have to use one). Therefore, writing 2013 is going to be a huge pain in the rear for me. Now, I am not one to make resolutions. To be honest, i don't think I've ever kept one I've made so I finally realized that there was no reason to make any. If someone wants to change, they will...it won't just magically happen becasue it's January 1st. Trust me, I wish that was a case. If it was, we wouldn't all be constantly working to get/remain healthy and thin. Also, there would be a lot of surgeons out there who wouldn't be as wealthy as they are right now...thanks to us. You are welcome surgeons...from all of us. Sorry, i digress. Now, I thought I wold take the time to look back on my year and share my wisdom with you all....or at least what I think is wisdom. It could be a big ole pile of steaming crap, but I'm going to share it anyway. Lucky for you all, if it is crap, you don't have to smell it since you're reading it. So, here is what I've learned...or at least began to learn in 2012. 1. It's true, you do feel much better when you stop smoking. But, it's also true that even after a year, there are times you still want one....even if it's only for a second or two 2. Weight loss surgery is NOT an easy fix. It's hard work and I battle every day with changing my negative food thoughts and behaviors. But, it does get easier. 3. Getting frustrated becasue you can't eat what others are having is normal. Crying and yelling at your husband for eating pizza in front of you is PMS. 4. Fiber is CRITICAL after WLS 5. Stalls are normal...even if they last for a while 6. Getting down for being in a stall is just as normal....but remember number 5! 7. My weight loss is not like anyone else's. There are people who have lost more or not as much in the same amount of time. 8. Going from a tight size 26-28 to a good fitting 16 feels better than any food can taste 9. Taste buds change....which can be good and bad. 10. Pulling out my clothes from the dryer and having to double check to make sure they are mine due to how small they look is the coolest thing about doing laundry 11. Sex is better....and it was really good before hand 12. Raging hormones can make you a b***h to live with so make sure you live with someone who truly loves you.....I'm lucky because I would have divorced me if I were my husband 13. Make up sex while having raging hormones is even better than better 14. My boobs hang low....(cue my "hang low song"....for all those who have read my prior blogs) 15. I miss my boobs...and my butt. 16. Surgery can give me my boobs back and I'll still be thin....sounds better than having perky, big boobs right now. 17. Onions don't sit well with me anymore 18. I fart....a lot since surgery. 19. I really hope that stops soon....but not as much as my husband does 20. I have a rabbit living in my colon....and we've learned to live together 21. Pain after surgery isn't as bad as I thought it would be...and they didn't give me the right meds to deal with the pain 22. Walking is the best thing to do to get gas out 23. I am not perfect and sometimes I eat things that I shouldn't...but I don't eat much 24. Alcohol has a WHOLE different affect on me now.....that can be good or bad...good for me, bad for hubby who doesn't like me tipsy. LOL and last but not least 25. Laughing through all the ups and downs is the only thing that can keep you sane So, with all these little tid bits learned, I plan to go into the new year with an open mind and a willingness to continue to make positive changes, the knowledge to know I'm not perfect, and strength to say no to the bad food (most of the time). I hope you all are able to do the same. Happy New Year everyone.....here's to a safe, happy, and healthy year ahead. Now for some funny stuff.....LOL Have to remember to eat so that I don't look like this in the New Year!!! Have to remember not to eat too much so this doesn't happen....again....LOL Most importantly, I have to remember to be happy with who I am...on the inside and out.

can you drink alcohol after the surgery

I have not heard that you "can never have alcohol again," but obviously alcohol is empty calories. I have been sleeved for 2 1/2 months and have not touched any alcohol. For some reason "for at least six months" rings a bell. Alcohol is going to impact your weight loss since it had been proven to slow down your metabolism. Also, having a 4 oz stomach, therefore distorting your food absorbtion, it is something you want to be very, very careful of. Prior to be sleeved, I liked "Diet coke and Jack" and beer. No more carbonated beverages so those two drinks are out but I too like wine and burbon with water. Curious what others know, think and/or have done.

I just turned 21 in February and was banded on January 10, 2011. I personally have not been able to drink beer -- it's too heavy and carbonated. I stick with either wine or vodka whenever I have an occasional drink. If you're just starting your weight loss journey I would be careful since there is a load of sugar in alcohol and mixed drinks. Your body is going through a lot of changes physiologically and you basically need to learn how to live life all over again. I wish you the best of luck !

You can totally drink beer again after the surgery. There is nothing that you actually cannot physically have after about the 2 month mark. They frown on caffeine, soda, and booze, purely because they don't want you drinking your calories. I drink diet Pepsi everyday and while I'm not a big alcohol drinker, I haven't had an issue the few times that I've had a beverage (or five).

Welcome Paige - congratulations on your surgery and your decision to take control of your life. I'm a firm believer that a lot of success stories are more about your overall outlook on life and your attitude. I am and always have been a very positive person and that's what I contribute my success to. Every morning when I look in the mirror I congratulate myself for doing the right thing yesterday, I tell myself it wasn't so awful and remind myself I can do it again today. Yesterday morning I had a little head conversation with myself, it was my sons high school graduation and I knew it was going to be an emotional day for me filled with family, friends, food and alcohol. The family and food wasn't the problem, it was going to be the last two items which were my go to things when my emotions were running high. I told myself that if I wanted to see him graduate college I needed to keep to the plan and not give in. I reminded myself that if the emotions got to me I needed to talk with family and friends instead of reaching for a chip, cocktail or sweet. I made sure that I had my water/crystal light cup in my hand at all times so I remembered to get my fluids in. And you know what? Because of all the activity and my "pre-game" talk with myself, I actually woke up today, stepped on the scale and discovered I LOST 2 lbs. So my talk this morning with myself was a big "congrats" and a pat on the back. I'm going to relax today, no exercise (except some yard work) and give myself a break as a reward for my success. If you keep your head straight you'll do fine. Keep busy, talk to your support group/friends/family if you need to and follow your plan you'll do great. Don't ever allow for exceptions because if you do it once, your brain will tell you it's okay to do it again. Before you know it you'll be doing so good you won't want to fail or mess up. Best wishes for a great success and if you need more advise, check in.

Oh another question, alcohol, is it completely off limits? I am not a heavy drinker but enjoy a glass of wine or a few beers on the weekend...