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Hi all, this is my 2nd time here. I had my sleeve i think in august 2014. I have put it all back on due to stress and my daughter developed an eating disorder. I had to eat what she was eating,so she would eat it. Not to mention the amount of alcohol it took to numb me from the pain, watching my daughter slowly disappear in front of me. I remember when i was on here last, seeing people put back on the weight they had lost. I wonder how the hell could that happen. Well i’m now one of those people. Started Weight Watchers, cheaper then going back to a dietitian. My husband is away for a few months so i’m Going to get myself into a routine before he gets back. Can’t wait to get back to a healthy weight.

Very sorry for your loss. I would take the advice of the others and seek some counseling/therapy. Be very careful not to start drinking alcohol especially at this stage.

Hi. My name is Laura. I had my surgery march 25. So far things are going well. I am feeling good with not much pain. So far including insurance mandated dieting I have lost 21 pounds. I have about 98 more to go. The worst thing is that I seem to be a little bit hungery all the time. I'm sure it didn't help that yesterday I was at a conference with lots of food but I was content with my shake for lunch. The waitress even offered to puree something for me. I have 2 small children 4 years and 18 months who I still have to prepare food for. My husband is very proud of my will power. He is a recovering alcoholic so He can relate to how Hard it can be. For me this lifestyle change is a step in the right direction for my whole family. I would never want my girls to be heavy and I can see my oldest adopting some of my old eating habits. I look forward to meeting people here and hope my experience remains posituve

Splenda is basically glucose with a bunch of alcohols binded to it so the enzymes that break down glucose don't recognize it, therefore it won't get digested.

Hi Magnolia, First, as far as staying logged on to the forum, that has something to do with whether your computer uses Cookies and what your security settings are. That's a technical thing I can't really help with, but suffice to say it's on your end. You are staying logged on DURING each session, right? This forum is organized by message "threads" within topic areas. If you want to see the just the recently active threads click on "New Posts" at the top of the home page when you arrive and after you log in. That will show you only those threads that have new posts since you were last here. The ones marked with black dots are the ones in which you have posted. Posting a reply can be done by clicking on any of the "reply" buttons, and of course we always try to stay on topic. Next, about your 1cc fill: Every doctor approaches fills differently. There is no "right" or "normal" amount of Fluid, and in any event the effect of a certain amount varies immensely from person to person. Ask your doctor what he expects the result of this fill to be--did he expect you to be substantially restricted right off the bat, or is he approaching good restriction slowly? Once you have the answer to that question, you can evaluate whether this fill was successful or not. a small turkey buger patty, tomatoe, smashed avocado, pickle and half an ear of corn with no problem Did you eat all this quickly at one sitting? It sounds like a perfectly fine meal and one that I might be able to eat, but only if the burger had no bun and it would take me a while in any event. My point is that's not a whole lot of food and I'm sure it's nowhere near what you would have eaten prebanding. There is another whole thread about alcohol. Is it OK to have a margarita? Well, sure, if you're willing to take in the empty calories and possibly compromise your sense of fullness. Many people report that even one drink is enough to get a buzz and also makes them eat more absentmindedly, which at best means more calories and at worst can mean pain. But it's up to you.

I've been banded just over 6 years. I still have the occasional drink(s) but I do prefer to eat my calories. I don't drink wine...and of course no carbonated beverage of any kind so no beer and diet pop to mix with liquor. I usually have Baileys and coffee or a Bloody Caesar. While I was losing my weight I didn't drink any alcohol...but that was by choice... again because I want to eat my extra calories. I really struck to my menu plan. Tom, Toronto Banded July 6 06 Wt. Loss; 156 lbs tomander@bell.net

Rubbing alcohol. Or my Dr said to let it wear off naturally if it was too close to the incisions.

I, too have not experienced dumping. I had had 1 alcoholic drink with tonic. I have had a few bites of coconut cream pie and 2 Oreos in 14 weeks. That alone is a miracle! I wanted it to make so sick and it didn't. After the 3rd bite of the pie, my stomach just made it clear it had had enough. I knew that going any further down that path would lead to nothing good. I think that is the surgery working, providing gentle reminder not to push it. I think that is worth the price I paid for surgery....

first, alcohol is a lot of empty calories. Second, they want to try to avoid transfer addiction. Unfortunately, developing alcoholism after WLS is supposedly not that rare. that said, most surgeons do allow occasional social drinking (like one drink!) after a certain amount of time. I had to wait a year. Now I probably have three glasses of wine a year - and it hits me FAST!

What does your surgeon/nut say about alcohol? That's who you should listen to.

Am 4 weeks can i have a drink??

I know, I know, but I was so thrilled to have something, anything that was real food I didn't dare question it. My instructions just said pickles so had every type imaginable, I did fine bread and butter made with splenda which turned out to be my favorite. I'm fairly sure the folks at Kroger thought I was pregnant with triplets by the vast amounts of pickles I was purchasing....I also decided that if I could have pickles why couldn't I have cucumbers....soooo...I stretched that a little. As far as the caffeine, I don't know, I haven't noticed anyone else on here saying anything about it. I have a very conservative doctor who also says no alcohol ever so I'm guessing he just looks at caffeine as not great for you therefore you should give it up. I've never been big on caffeine so that hasn't been an issue.... It is a diuretic so immediately post op when you're forcing the fluids to keep from getting dehydrated I can see why they'd want you to avoid it, after that I really have no explanation!:cursing:

I wish you the best of luck. However, I was able to lose weight with many different techniques, including the liquid diet method, but none allowed me to keep it off. Maybe that should be rephrased. I never kept the weight off by any diet method and the reason for that is a diet, by its connotative definition is a aberration of eating until we get to a goal, but then what? We go back to eating "NORMAL" (or normally for the English majors out there) and we gain the weight back. It is like trying to be a recovering alcoholic who after being in recovery for 2 years, says, "I will have a drink just once in a while". The Lap-Band is a tool not just to lose weight, but to keep it off. The "keep it off" part is the more important part and the harder part. Good luck, no matter what you decide.

I truly dislike the answer "talk to your team etc" like yes we know, but we are asking here for diff opinions and how other people react to having different experiences.....I was told never to have alcohol again....I actually drink causally like 3 times a year tops.....and while the first 6 months fine....when I want a cocktail I will have one.....

You can eventually drink but remember alcohol will have 4-5 times the potency it did before so you will get drunk very quickly if not careful. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I third it. It may be some time before you are allowed to eat some of those foods certainly while you are losing. The time while you are losing is a great opportunity to break old habits, cravings & food preferences & to find alternatives to your traditional food choices. Also many find their taste buds change too so don’t buy up big as you may find when you try them they taste disgusting. Carefully read nutrition panels not just for protein, carb, sugar content but also the specific ingredients. For example no sugar products usually mean no added sugar but rely on artificial sweeteners (some find they upset them after surgery especially the sugar alcohols) & fruit juices/purées which still feed your desire for sweet & you don’t know how much they use. Look to low processed foods & raw ingredients. Try to prep more food yourself so you have better control over the ingredients & how you cook it. Look for & try other foods you can snack on & not just a high processed ‘healthier’ version of a something you always ate like chips. Not saying don’t have them but be very conscious of portions & frequency. They can be useful to have on hand & if travelling. I always have baked fava beans or chick peas, hummus & rice crackers in my kitchen for when my young nieces & nephews or friends pop by. When losing I got in 50-60g protein every day without any protein enriched processed foods (except yoghurt) or protein supplements/shakes. I get in 60-70g now. In saying all that you will find your own way, what suits your body & it’s needs & your lifestyle.

My wife gets drunk super fast and can drink as much as her "friends " can pour down her throat . She's now an alcoholic because of the surgery and after losing 160 pounds she's starting to gain weight because of the drinking .

Good Luck, it sounds like you are on the right track and that track is called loving yourself. The better you treat your body, the more love and respect you have for it. You will be able to drink again after five weeks, but you will be suprised at what a light weight you will be, even though lap band does not change the absorption of alcohol. I found that because I eat such a small amount of food, that I get drunk very easily, so be careful and good luck. Lap band was by far the easiest surgery I have ever had (hx c-section and gall bladder removal). It is the best thing I have ever done, I have had 0 complications so far. I had a lower BMI going into surgery(34) so my weight loss has been very slow. I just started to feel my band working about 2 months ago after my 5th fill, so far I lost 25lbs before surgery and 25 after.

Try not to think of the things you're giving up as the price for being thin. More importantly (although as a fellow bandster I completely understand the desire to be thin part) you'll be more healthy. Congrats on quiting smoking! And as for the alcohol, give it till you heal, I'm still in the healing stage myself, but if you can tolerate it, why not have a cocktail or glass of wine once in a blue moon? However, I was presented the opportunity this past weekend and ya know, I really didn't want it, I'm losing now and I know that if I did have even a little liquor or wine, it's still a lot of empty calories. Again, try not to think about what you can no longer do, but think about what you will be able to do once you lose the weight! It's a great motivator, and also, maybe try reading the Beck Diet Solution. I read on one of the forums on here that it's a must read for helping get your mind in order to lose weight, and honestly, it is really great. It helps with the temptations and sabotaging thoughts. Even though you have a great support system, you've already found that right now they can't 100% support you. Even though they love you, and want to see you succeed, they don't fully understand the step you're taking. The actual surgery isn't bad, isn't a huge step, it's the fact that you are willing to change your entire lifestyle to be healthy and happy. They warn you that this can be an emotional rollercoaster as you lose the weight, so hang tight, immediately befor my surgery I was a basket case because I felt like no one understood and they weren't supporting me enough, but now I'm losing and feeling better and the little support that I get is working just fine. And remember, while you may feel completely alone, and you may feel like you are doing this all by yourself, you're not, there are thousands of people on this site that have gone through and are going through the exact same thing, I'm glad you joined. The site has helped me and I'm sure it'll help you.

I had another fill on Thursday and did liquids all day Thursday and most of Friday. Friday night I had a a half an avocado and broth based Soup with noodles (soft food) but I also had 2 glasses of wine (BAD I KNOW!!!) In the middle of sex I got super dizzy and had to stop. I couldn't really sit up properly or stand. My partner got me some Water, and then I had 2 crackers. I thought it was just the alcohol and lack of nutrients. I woke up this morning still dizzy, with a sort of vertigo. I had a Protein drink and a bowl of hearty soup for Breakfast and still feel off. I am okay sitting or standing still but when I move I just feel weird. Any ideas why? I have "eaten" now so it shouldn't be my blood sugar or anything... I had my BP checked on Thursday and it was fine. Please help!!

I think carbonation varies from person to person. For me, I feel no pain at all and I enjoy a nice cold beer fromt time to time :welldoneclap:. That being said, there are a lot of calories in alcohol so make sure you compensate for them in your calories for the day by cutting back or exercising more to keep from weight gain. I have lost over 70 lbs in the past 6 mos and have had alcohol in my life since the get go and do not plan on giving it up any time soon (I am only 25...) but it really is inidvidual. I have a friend that absolutely cannot stand carbonation, she says it causes intense pain. IMHO anything that causes pain you should avoid but for me there is none so I sip sip sip and i am fine. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/168/160 5'7''

Carbonation? Maybe. I have vodka and tonic with ice. Knocks the bubbles right out ... for me. I don't know what your doc recommends regarding alcohol. IMO there is nothing wrong with alcohol per se, but it does have a lot of calories. I've been drinking too much during BBQ's this summer and my weight loss stalled. So, just take care. Don't be me. :nervous

Hi Johnny, we're here to help. I was sleeved in Feb. 2018, then revised to RnY in Oct. 2018 due to reflux. I think it was worth it. 1. How long did you take off work? I'm told 2 weeks. I usually work from home at a computer. Was there much pain? I took 2 weeks to return to a desk job. Pretty much the same as the sleeve and similar pain level. 2. How long before you could work out again? I had other complications that skewed this one, so I won't comment. 3. Did you lose more weight than you wanted? No, I still had about 20# to goal and it took me 4-5 months to get there. 4. Did it resolve your acid reflux (if that was the reason)? Absolutely and immediately. 5. Were you able to enjoy good food at special meals (holidays, etc.) with RNY? I'm terrified of losing ability to have a nice meal with family. What does a normal meal capacity look like at a year out? I have less restriction with my RnY than I did with the sleeve. I am eating 1-2 cup meals now (10 months out). 6. Are bowel movements normal at some point? No problems, in general. 7. Could you drink alcohol again? I'm fine going months without but at some point would like to enjoy a glass of champagne again. I can't right now as carbonation is brutal. I enjoy the occasional 1-2 glasses of wine. I can't handle carbonation, though.

I had VSG on 11/30/2012 and have kept off about 110# in the 6.75 years since then. I am ~ 25# overweight but right about at my original goal. I'm 5'11" (male), 195#, 34" waist, very fit and active, etc. I was down to 175# when I ran marathons but have had a few hip issues that are now resolved and had a minor regain. I actually really like how I look / feel at this weight as I looked a lot older at the lower end. I'm pretty happy with my weight loss. But since about 2 weeks out I've had ridiculously bad GERD. I get an annual endoscopy (familial cancer syndrome) and ever since VSG, I have had erosions show up from the reflux. This last time it was diagnosed as Barrett's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancerous syndrome. I cannot control it fully with meds. I either take 5-6 PPI (200-240mg esomeprazole magnesium) or 6-8 extra strength Zantact (900-1200mg ranitidine). These are of course way above the recommended limits and in the case of the PPI there are long-term risks associated with it they don't want for me as I need good bone density for my hip implant. The bariatric surgeon (University of Wisconsin) has recommended for years that I convert to RNY and after the Barrett's Esophagus diagnosis, my PCP and the genetic cancer team both strongly recommended it as well. So I'm going to do it despite not really wanting to. I have been approved by my insurer and have an early November surgery date. I have several concerns, most notably that I don't really have more than 25# to lose or I drop to the < 18 BMI range and I don't want to be there. The surgeon says he will make a larger pouch and a smaller bypass portion but it's still there and I work out all the time so I already know I will lose more than I want in the beginning. I guess I have a bunch of questions. Feel free to answer any and all if you've had this type of revision: 1. How long did you take off work? I'm told 2 weeks. I usually work from home at a computer. Was there much pain? 2. How long before you could work out again? 3. Did you lose more weight than you wanted? 4. Did it resolve your acid reflux (if that was the reason)? 5. Were you able to enjoy good food at special meals (holidays, etc.) with RNY? I'm terrified of losing ability to have a nice meal with family. What does a normal meal capacity look like at a year out? 6. Are bowel movements normal at some point? 7. Could you drink alcohol again? I'm fine going months without but at some point would like to enjoy a glass of champagne again. I can't right now as carbonation is brutal. I'm just reluctant even though I know I have to do this. Any re-assurances would be helpful.

It is used for anxiety. Doctors often give it out the night before surgery to help a person calm their nerves and get some sleep. People that have anxiety attacks also use it most doctors just have you use it on an as needed basis. If you feel anxious or an panic attack coming on they say to chew it up (so it works faster) and then it will take the edge off. Xanax makes people a bit hazy but if you are truly in an anxious state you don't really feel that side effect. It is widely misused by teenagers who get ahold of it and they actually buy it off the streets because it gives them a bit of a high especially if they take more then a couple or add alcohol to the mix. Ativan is another one for anxiety it causes more of a drowsiness but less of the buzz then Xanax and therefore less addictive it seems to be prescribed more then xanax these days. ALL OF THAT IS MY OWN PERSONAL INFO::: I am not a doctor heheh