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I love the Atkins bars but the sugar alcohols will give you the runs if your not careful. I have to modify my tummy routine when I eat them

I had my surgery 5 months ago And I haven't drank a month before it and my friends are going out tonight .... Am going too but I want to drink ... 3 glasses maybe of vodka and cranberry juice its my low carb day and I am afraid of gaining weight as I had a High carb day yesterday! i will be drinking today! Will i gain weight ? will it effect my weight loss! thanks

Sugar is on of the most toxic chemical we can put in our body. I am a sugar addict and struggle with this all the time. I do have to read all labels for 5 different types of sugar. I even avoid food products with sugar alcohol in there. If I do eat something sweet, I crave more of it.....it's really dangerous for me. I find that if I stick to things like organic meats, spaghetti sauces that are organic no sugar listed I am ok. I realize that I can only eat organically grown foods that are not processed due to needing the nutrition value from that food. This is a choice that I have to make and I do fail at times and have to recoop my focus and start over........

I have some questions relating to alcohol AND cigarettes. I don't want to sound alcoholic, but one of my ways of releasing stress is a night out drinking chatting with friends. I don't drink beer, but I drink coolers, cocktails or shooters. Coolers like Bicardi pineapple... Can I have like 3 coolers in one night once a month or something? :smile2: I am an occasional smoker, smoke once/twice a day, or none a day. When I drink alcohol I tend to smoke more, but I'm going to limit my drinking and going out after being banded, so I'll only drink about once a month (if that's allowed). Do i have to quit smoking? Is 3 coolers one night "allowed"? Did anyone go through the same thing? :frown: I'm having consultation with my surgeon May 1st this friday :biggrin: If things go well, I'll be on Meditrim and get ready to get banded within the next 2, 3 weeks.

So what about us heavy drinkers. I don't want to sound like an alcoholic but I do some serious partying on occasion. Obviously carbonation is a problem but is there anything else about alcohol that causes issues? Basically I want to know if I will have a problem getting buzzed up at parties.

Okay, So Ive been approved with Kaiser. I have been to all their meetings, psych drs, I have an appointment with the Surgeon next week to get my pre-op goal weight (which I should be close, since Ive lost 20lbs so far on my own)....What Im wondering is how strict, or intrusive is Kaiser before and after surgery. They tell me that they test for nicotine, alcohol and caffine....they ACTUALLY drug test? I have a pre-op diet (very VERY strict) which Im not really following. I excersise six days a week, which is why the weight is coming off. Im trying to do the things they say are important, like chewing my food thouroughly, eating slower, making better choices (for the most part), not snacking...etc... but there are some "rules" that Kaiser has, that Ive never heard anywhere else. I heard from someone that Kaiser has a basic plan that works for lap band and Gastic bypass, and thats why it has to be so restictive. They tell me I can never have a glass (or 1/2 glass) of wine...ever again. They tell me that I can never eat Cereal, bread, Pasta, or Peanut Butter...EVER AGAIN. Im 25 years old, and yes, I want/need/long to lose weight, but at what price? Im slowly realizing that I need to find a balance between Kaiser's obvious restictive plan, and what will work for me, for the rest of my life. Anyone with Kaiser who has an experience (positive or negative)? They seem to be so hard nosed about the whole process, its very cold and indifferent so far. I am going to the Kaiser Richmond facility...anyone have experience there? How many of you can eat peanut butter (in small quantities)? It might sound weird and petty, but I LOVE peanut butter. I dont have to eat it by the spoonfull or anything, but the thought of a world without it, is not a world I want to live in... Before someone jumps me for "not being ready for the surgery", I make no claims to being ready for this surgery, Im weighing my pros and cons on a daily basis...Im extremely conflicted regarding this...and any insight is always appreciated.. A

I think I was pretty much exactly where you are at 3 months post op! My team went one step further and didn't give me ANY goals at all. Just food consistency phases. I learned how to eat and what to eat mainly by reading this forum. I think I still had to push myself to reach 800 calories a day - I remember at that stage often having to take a few spoons of nut butter or some cheese at bedtime just to hit the 800 some nights but I never wanted to eat any less than that. I was drinking alcohol at weekends by then too so my intake was well over 1000 on two days a week - that was by choice though. It may have slowed my weight loss a little but luckily it didn't stop me reaching goal. I mainly walked, but I walked *very* fast and did (still do) it several days a week. I have never adjusted my intake to make allowances for that - never felt the need. I was very conscious of squeezing every pound of loss that I could over the 'honeymoon period' when I wasn't hungry - with my own personal concession being a couple of glasses of wine on Fri and Sat night. Over the months my calories have kind of drifted upwards really - never planned. I can just eat a bit more before I get full, and I get properly hungry now which forces me to eat again at the most 3 hours later - at 3 months out I was pretty much eating by the clock to get 100 or so calories in every 2-3 hours. You had your surgery almost exactly a year after me and you started 4lbs heavier. I've just looked at my diary and this time last year I was...218lb exactly, same as you today. What are the chances? You are doing brilliantly. 😍

Your question is a little confusing. Have you had the surgery yet? If so, folllow Normas answer. She is right, no one will notice. Just take the soft foods offered, and drink Water. no alcohol. OR get a juice drink~ 50/50 water and cranberry juice carry that around with you it looks like a drink. I put mine in a wine glass. no one knows or cares. No soda! Find out where the bathroom is right away, so if you do eat too fast, and there is a problem, well, you can make you exit less obtrusive. Remember~~SIP!!! Now, if you have not been sleeved and are asking about the pre op diet, HELL YES we all cheated. No saints in this club. Ya just do the best you can. And, when you are sleeved you get to do so much better! So, go to the party! Have fun, do not tell anyone what you are doing. It is personal and should not be brought up in a party setting. Memorize a couple of jokes before you go. Talk about cooking, sports, books, chairity's, trips planned. That kind of stuff. Enjoy your life! Do not put off one moment for "later" do it all now.

What are you drinking? I recommend you cut out all carbonated beverages, especially soda, no fruit juices, limited coffee (unless black), and no alcohol. I would also stop the cuties or any other fruit. Eat protein first then non-starchy veggies, and plenty of water.

I'm very sorry you're struggling. food addiction is very real- and very hard to overcome. Unlike a drug addict or an alcoholic that can leave their object of addiction behind, a food addict has to face their addiction many times a day just to live. If I were in your shoes (and I have been, btw) I would really strongly advise seeking help. Maybe a local support group, a counselor, or even a 12 step group. Someone who can help you overcome this addiction and help you get back on track to health. You can do this, you just may need a little help to get there. Best wishes.

Empty calories, and high in calories. I do have a non carbonated alcoholic drink every so often, maybe once a month, but I did not have one until I reached goal, I reached goal in six months and had a mixed drink at about fourteen months out. I hope this helps. My doctor said a year, some say six months. I'd err on the side of caution, but I'd also follow YOUR doctor's plan.

CNN REPORTS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PROOF THAT Gastric Bypass Lowers Risk of Death TIME MAGAZINE AUGUST 22, 2007 By Sora Song Whether one regards bariatric surgery — last-resort weight-loss operations such as gastric bypass and stomach stapling — as an essential treatment for obesity or as a failure of the fat person's will, the fact is, it works. Studies have shown that after surgery, patients often lose 50% or more of their excess weight — and keep it off — and symptoms of obesity-related conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea are improved or eliminated altogether. Now, two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) show another long-term benefit: a lower risk of death. The larger of the two studies — the largest of its kind — led by researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine, looked specifically at gastric bypass surgery, also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, which accounts for 80% of all bariatric surgeries in the U.S. The operation involves creating a small walnut-size pouch at the top of the stomach, which is then stapled off and connected to the small intestine lower down than usual; the result is that patients can eat only an ounce of food at a time, and the food bypasses most of the stomach and the top part of the intestine, limiting the number of calories the body absorbs. In the Utah study, researchers compiled data on 15,850 severely obese people, half of whom had undergone gastric bypass surgery between 1984 and 2002, and half who were from the general population and had had no surgical intervention for obesity. Overall, researchers found, the surgery patients were 40% less likely to die from any cause during a mean 7 years of follow-up, compared with the obese controls. What's more, the mortality rate attributable to obesity-related disease was 52% lower on the whole in the surgery group: after gastric bypass, patients were 92% less likely to die from diabetes, 59% less likely to die from coronary artery disease, and 60% less likely to be killed by cancer. Results like these have got some doctors intrigued enough to start thinking about bariatric surgery as a treatment for conditions other than obesity —especially diabetes. A growing body of research suggests that the surgery may reverse the disease, a potential solution that could help some 20 million American diabetics. Though the current NEJM study did not specifically study the impact of bariatric surgery on diabetes, it did reveal a 92% reduced risk of death from the disease in surgery patients —findings that support what has been emerging in other experiments. "In more than 80% of patients who are severely obese and have diabetes and then have gastric bypass surgery, the diabetes is cured," says Ted Adams, professor of cardiovascular genetics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and lead author of the new study. "The interesting thing is that the resolution of diabetes happens within a few weeks following surgery, long before patients have lost their weight." Like some other researchers in the field, Adams believes that the surgery triggers other biological mechanisms, separate from weight loss — perhaps an interruption of a crucial biochemical pathway or a change in the release of certain hormones in the stomach or small intestine — that may have powerful effects on diabetes. "The gastric-bypass patient is really providing a source of intriguing research related to all kinds of disease treatment as well as weight gain and weight loss," says Adams. The second study, led by researchers at Gothenburg University in Sweden, involved 4,047 obese volunteers, 2,010 who underwent some form of bariatric surgery and 2,037 who received conventional obesity treatment, including lifestyle intervention, behavior modification or no treatment at all. Ten years after surgery, researchers report, the bariatric surgery patients had lost more weight and had a 24% lower risk of death than the comparison group. Though the overall number of subjects in this study is much smaller than the first, the results confirm general benefits of bariatric surgery, and gastric bypass in particular: after 10 years, bypass patients had maintained a 25% weight loss, compared to a 16% loss in patients who had stomach stapling, and 14% in those who underwent a banding procedure. In both studies, surgery patients had an overall lowered risk of death, but an interesting finding in the Utah study shows that these patients were 58% more likely to die from other causes, such as suicide and accidents. The authors speculate that as people lose weight and become more active, they also become more prone to accidents, which may up their risk of death. Surgery patients may also have pre-existing psychological problems — a history of abuse, perhaps — that can't be resolved by losing weight. "There have been some studies reporting that following bariatric surgery, some individuals may be more prone to chemical dependency, such as increased alcohol use," says Adams. "There's some speculation that certain addictive behaviors that are in place before the surgery — with food, for example — are transferred to alcohol or another addictive behavior." "Hopefully this research will stimulate additional evaluation of what the optimal approach is for evaluating candidates for this surgery," says Adams. "I think we should never lose track of the importance of individual evaluation of benefits and risks." Last year, an estimated 177,600 patients underwent bariatric surgery, a figure that's likely to grow as Americans get fatter and fatter. Though modern surgery techniques have become more sophisticated, less invasive and safer than in the past, the bariatric procedure still carries all the risks of any other operation. Patients have a .5% to 1% chance of death. The risk of gallstones goes up. Sometimes a second surgery is necessary. And all patients must be careful to make up for Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The surgery isn't for everyone; current guidelines recommend it as a last resort, only for the morbidly obese who have a BMI of 40 and higher, or for the obese with a BMI of 35 and higher plus a serious weight-related illness like diabetes or hypertension. This should help. Gary Viscio Viscio Law and The Obesity Law Center - Welcome

I was able to.get mine off with rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball. I just had to rub really hard. Good luck.

I drink beer and really any alcohol. Yes" you get buzzed very fast-be careful. I hate drinking a lot now because I have had a few black out moments-and made a huge ass out of myself. I had to learn what is my new amount that I can drink and be ok. I drank 6 beers the other night. I only drink on a Friday or Saturday. I hooe that im not stretching my sleeve out but beer was all that was avail at the time.

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!

You know how when you are on a diet and you begin to crave foods you haven't eaten in years....How do you combat those thoughts and feelings? I'm looking into this and thought I was ready until I started reading more. I've heard some people go to alcohol as their comfort instead of food?:thumbup:

What you're experiencing is very normal. Including the ***-sitting husband! LOL Your body has gone through a traumatic experience and needs time to heal. It is definitely hard to eat enough right now. You're probably on a liquid-only diet right now, so just try to have whatever you can. Broths, SF Jell-O, and Water. Sip your water whenever possible. sleep if your body tells you it needs sleep. Now is the time to rest and recuperate. Tell your husband to get you something if you need him to. But don't forget that you need to walk, so sometimes getting yourself something is good (as long as it doesn't mean lifting or doing anything you're not supposed to do). Walking will help with the tummy sounds, etc., too. When your dr says you can have Protein, add some high protein/low-or-no sugar shakes - maybe start off with some that are already made since they should be very smooth. If necessary, water them down (or add skim milk). It will take time to work up to the amounts you are "supposed" to have. Just remember, as you progress, to do it slowly and don't add anything that doesn't assist your being healthy (NO candies even when/if the dr says you can have them in moderation, and don't drink alcohol except once in a blue moon and very little of it). Take it from someone who regained 76 lbs and has been struggling to get down below the almost 50 lbs she finally lost!!! (As for the alcohol, that's because even many drs don't know the latest research on WLS and drinking. It turns out that RNYers get high quickly, may feel like it went through us quickly, but the effects and blood alcohol levels stay longer - plus we tend to become addicted to it very easily. Don't risk cross addiction.) End of "lecture." LOL Good luck! ♥

I know this is a big no-no, and I'm not a big drinker anyway, but why is alcohol so bad post-op? Is it because it takes up room in the pouch where the good stuff with Vitamins and nutrients should go? Is it because the pouch is sensitive to alcohol and the healing process is impeded? Is it because the sugar content will more than likely cause dumping? Maybe it's all of these things, I just wanted some feedback so we could help each other make educated choices instead of just following the rest of the herd. Or even worse drink alcohol without knowing what can happen! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was having this same problem and spoke with the NP yesterday. She said to take Prilosec each day for 7-10 days, to have full liquids for a couple days and to limit spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol for a week. The Prilosec has made a HUGE difference. I haven't had any heartburn since I started taking it a couple days ago. She said the stomach lining in the pouch can become irritated and these changes can help it settle down. Good luck! Joan

Hi Heather, Being banded does not mean you can never drink again. Yesterday I had three glasses of champagne at an Easter function. But you WILL have to learn how your body reacts to alcohol, which may be different than you were used to. Even if you haven't lost significant weight yet, drinking can affect you a lot faster just because you're taking in way fewer calories. So take it very slowly. And, of course, keep in mind that alcohol is just empty calories that pile up very quickly, so drinking at all is pretty counterproductive to weight loss.

Just remember that eventually you probably will be *able* to eat anything. However, that will be months and months and months down the road -- after your new sleeve has fully healed. But even after your sleeve has healed, it probably doesn't mean you *should* eat anything. Which foods you can and should eat regularly depends on whether those foods nourish your body and on whether your body's and your mental responses to certain foods are healthy and don't lead to over-eating those foods. Some foods will wind up being "trigger foods" for you, and you will have to avoid or greatly minimize your use of those foods. For example, some people have problems with certain "slider foods" or alcohol or high-calorie coffee drinks long-term. Many people have problems with carbonated beverages long-term. Many people have real problems with sugary foods and other slider foods and fast foods and fried foods long-term. Again, they have to avoid or minimize those foods. If you have any kind of eating disorders or what some refer to as "food addictions," weight loss surgery will NOT *fix* those issues. If you have those challenges, you should address and resolve those issues in therapy. Some people also find twelve-step and other kinds of recovery programs helpful. Some may need to enter residential treatment programs to address severe problems. Bottom line: "Can eat" doesn't always mean "should eat."

I can only imagine. I've been doing my low carb for two weeks. My surgery isn't for another 41 days but my doctor doesn't require any type of liquid diet, before or after. But from what I read, it's still hard to go through once we're sleeved. We only need a few bites to nourish our bodies, but five times that to nourish our souls. I guess that's why it's called soul food . Time to find something else that doesn't revolve around food, becoming a raging alcoholic, or turning to street drugs to fill that void .

Sorry, it posted too soon! Lol. I ment to say I am lactose intolerant as well and I use almond milk add an alternative. It has tons of calcium. Start by replacing one or two meals with a protein shake. Get rid of the carbonated beverages and alcohol. That would be a great start! I am Nov 13 surgery so I'm right there with you. Sent from my SM-G935P using BariatricPal mobile app

i have struggled so much this year!! we lost my father in law in february to alzheimers. i had my band surgery in may. then in july i lost my only sister. we were twins. she was a recovering alcoholic and was bipolar. it's been very very difficult for me. ok it's been diffcult for everyone who lives in this house. the kiddos weren't dealing well with anything at all so i have them both going to therapy. my youngest has adhd and they wouldn't give him meds without him seeing a physcartic and she suggested he go for therapy. my oldest is angry at everything. my hubby also goes to therapy due to the fact he has anger probs and it's hard for him to cope with it somedays. i suspect his has ptsd and we found out this past week he also has mild sleep apnea. i am seriously dreading the holidays this yr. i was happy we made it through thanksgiving lol. now gearing up for christmas. it's just not in me. i thought decorating would help and i went overboard on lights and garland in this house. we could land a 747 in here lol. but it is very pretty!!! i put on my happy face and smile and it does help- to a point. i figured there are less fortunate people in this would then me and i should just pick myself up and move on. i have my health, my family and i am still alive and breathing. so instead of looking at all the negative in my life i am trying to look at the positive things.Worry is like a rocking chair--it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere." same this for negativity and feeling blue. sure in the world doesn't get you anywhere...

I had my RNY surgery on April 8th and just took a road trip to Florida this past weekend. I packed a small cooler with Premier Protein shakes, water and cheese sticks. I also brought bananas. We only stopped once to go to the restroom. My boyfriend even just ate cheese sticks and bananas with me. I would have my few bites and he would have a whole and then finish mine! It worked well! Also I went to FL for a wedding. My surgeon said it was ok to have small amounts of alcohol to celebrate the toasts etc. Everyone around me drank. I had small sips of drinks but really I had no desire to drink much. Because I can get such small amounts of liquid in I was more thirsty for water in the Florida heat than anything else. Have a great trip and try not to think too much about it.