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Thanks everyone for your posts...I never thought about the addiction aspect. Alcoholism runs in my family so you would think I would be more careful. This surgery has taught me a lot about myself and I'm still learning. I am going to be more careful and smart in my decisions about drinking - thanks again!

I was banded in late May and have recently reached the "green zone" meaning that I can eat but get full very quickly. I can eat and drink most anything except breads, dry meat, and rice. As far as alcohol goes, I onlt dirnk on occasion. I can drink one beer at a time but it takes a couple of hours and I recently had a shot of Bailey's and it was delicious. It has taken a while to get to this point but it has truly been worth it. Best of luck.

I am going with an alcohol withdrawl. I was craving alcohol but now I am not. Please dont drink because alcohol can ruin your body Sent from my octopus using BariatricPal mobile app

Good question, I know it's supposedly harder near goal. I am still at least 50lb from goal and I'm hitting a wall. It scares me, every day I wonder if 'this is it', kind of thing. I was losing well, then bam it stopped. I started going to the gym, making sure to drink at least 60oz of water a day, and making sure I stayed 1,200 calories or less (began tracking again to figure out if I was eating more than I thought). Despite that, I was still not moving. This weekend I was on vacation, ate bad, did not drink water like I normally do, had alcohol & desserts.. And I lost 1lb. I don't get it. Stupid bodies, right?

sorry I've been gone so long. I've been so down and out. I've not been losing weight, not been gaining either so i guess that is good. I haven't gotten a fill, I go on the 13th of May. I've been PBing quite a bit, I eat way to fast sometimes. I'm also turning to drinking my calories in the form of alcohol,which I know is really bad and I'm not liking myself for doing it. My eating habits are total CRAP. I can eat pretty much anything as long as I go slow and chew really good. I love snack foods and have been grazing on all of my sons lunch stuff, and all of the twins goldfish and little things like that. I guess, I just want to say it and be accountable for my actions so maybe I will stop being so bad. Hopefully, work will calm down a bit and I will be able to get here a bit more often. Patti

I've been thinking about you Patti. You and I were banded the same day! Trust me, I can relate to going thru a tough time with all of this...especially the liquid calories:cursing:!! Don't feel like you're alone. We've all had struggles since being banded. We haven't made the best food choices all the time, but please don't beat yourself up!! Come here for support!! I'm sure your next fill in a couple of weeks will help you! I just had my third and I'm finally feeling some restriction. They weren't kidding when they said sometimes it takes several fills to get to the "sweet spot". I was really discouraged for a couple of weeks, but seem to be doing better. Hang in there and know that you're not alone!! JUST KEEP SWIMMING (just not in alcohol..lol:biggrin:) -Amy

Love Stevia and think it's a Godsend! Thanks to the sugar industry monopoly we won't see any Stevia-sweetened colas any time soon but anyone can buy it for cooking and sweetening. Unlike any of the artificial sweeteners (which I now think are far more dangerous than processed sugar even though I like the taste of Nutrasweet) I would give Stevia to a child.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Here's the interesting part. I'm a classic sugar addict. The more I eat the more I want. (Sugar hits my brain the way alcohol hits an alcoholic’s brain.) One way I used to lose weight was to give up all sugar - processed and artificial. If I eat no sugar or sweeteners and am careful to balance fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) with protein, fiber or fat, I eat less, get hungry, get full. You know like a normal person. I'm on a four-week pre-diet to show my doctors that I can change my eating habits and I've done a really good job of getting rid of the real and fake sugars. But this time I am using Stevia in green tea, cereal, etc. And I still have normal eating patterns. I haven’t craved sugar whereas diet coke in the morning meant an ice cream binge at night.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This works for me and my body chemistry and I think there are dozens of reasons/addictions that cause people to gain weight. But if you are a huge sugar eater you might want to try Stevia as a substitution and see if it lowers the desire for other sweets. There is a lot of information online about Stevia as well as recipes, sugar substitution measurements and health pros. (Have yet to see a real con about Stevia.)<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I was introduced to Stevia by my healthiest friend – the aerobics instructor who munches veggies all day and lives healthy, not just talks it – and I am very glad I found it. It’s a little expensive at $10+ a bottle, but the bottle will last forever. I also recommend the packets which can be stored in a purse or wallet easily.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> 100% natural – no calories – no bad effects – no calories – ok for diabetics as there is no spike in blood sugar – no calories – ground plant root – no calories – no chemicals and did I mention it has no calories?:biggrin2: Love this stuff and strongly encourage all to try it. Trader Joe’s, Henry’s, Whole Foods, any health food shop all carry it so it is easy to find (and I suspect you will see it in the supermarkets soon as people discover this “miracle” herb.) There are different flavors - sometimes it tastes like licorice (yuck!) so I go for the labels that indicate no aftertaste and a lighter flavor. Let me know if you have any questions.:thumbup:

As others have said, these are all questions you should be bringing to your appointments. It might be helpful to keep a notebook with questions so you can jot them down as you think of them, and then bring them to your appointments. Don't feel like you need to know it ALL right now. This is a process and it takes time to get to a place where you are ready to commit. Do your research, find resources, as your questions. All totally normal. I would also STRONGLY suggest some counseling before you decide. It is absolutely imperative that you work through any trauma or baggage that might be contributing to unhealthy habits. Surgery is just a tool, it will only work as well as you are able to wield it. Making sure your mind is healthy is absolutely the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. That being said, I took a stab just to help give you some guideposts. 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? - This is program dependent. Some have a goal weight or BMI, others want you to loose xxx pounds before surgery. Ask your program. 2. What should my end weight goal be? - The expected weight loss with VSG and RNY is 60-80% of your excess weight. So, if you have 100lbs to lose to get to a healthy BMI, you can expect to lose 60-80 of those pounds. Some programs set a goal weight, others do not. Again, ask your program. 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. - Most programs do not say you can "never" have specific foods again. But there are a host of factors that determine what your long term eating habits will look like (what can you tolerate without feeling sick or having dumping, etc., are you hitting your water and protein goals, do you have any nutritional deficiencies, etc.). That being said, if you aren't ready to commit to long term changes, you may want to hold off. Sometime WLS requires we give up certain foods in order to be at our best.  4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. - Yes, side effects can occur. Surgical complications include internal bleeding, leaks at the "seams," anesthesia issues, all the normal stuff. Post-op complications can include GERD, hiatal hernias, malnutrition, and other things. Research the possible complications so you are well informed and ask your surgial center what their complication and surgical infection rates are. Overall bariatric surgery is very safe, but all surgical procedures carry risks. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? - See above, surgically very safe. All of this is available online, just do some scholarly Googling and, as always, as your program. 6. What if i start smoking again? - Just don't. It will kill you just as fast as obesity. Learn new coping mechanisms, go to therapy, pick up a hobby. From a surgical perspective, smoking greatly increases the risk of complications and can greatly increase recovery time. 7. What if i consume alcohol? - This is a combo of personal and program. Most programs have a strict prohibition for a period of time, others say try not to drink ever. In the end, its empty calories and you will get drunk MUCH faster than you did pre-op. Plan to abstain for a good long time. 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? - Talk to their pediatrician and get them into counseling. Do NOT rush into that. This is a major, life altering surgery and could be massively traumatizing for a child.

Brandy, I'm sure you've heard all of this before but... You need to break your addiction to sugar, just like an alcoholic you can not just have the occassional sweet, artifical or not. Being PCOS just makes it all the harder. You need to eat only lean Proteins, veggies and occasional fresh fruit. Nothing processed. Cut back on your dairy and drink plenty of Water. Don't eat low fat products they are full of sugar. It doesn't matter if there are only a few WW points in a sugar free fudgecicle, you don't want to eat it. It's a real change in life style, but believe me it's a much better life to live!!

Does the vicadon even help with sciatica pain? Nothing helped mine because I had an injury in that joint and the pain came from a spot with poor blood flow so pain pills didn't really help much. I would seriously consider alternative treatments. I think it's very admirable you can admit this. I want to give you a big warning. Post sleeve, your body will metabolize alcohol differently making it very easy to turn to problem drinking. It would be really great if you could find a therapist that understands WLS and addictions to help you ward off problems down the road. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

@@woo woo The key to remember is that everyone on this board is addicted to food. Just because everyone needs to eat to live doesn't mean that food addiction is any different from alcoholism or drug addictions. It's the same thing. Ultimately, it's her decision to make.

40 - I remember 40. Sigh. Enjoy it. The time just speeds by. I grew up in Vegas, graduated from Las Vegas High School and UNLV. I have very fond memories, but would never move back. It was smaller, simpler town in the 60s and 70s. It's too darn big and impersonal for me now. I remember getting shrimp cocktails on Fremont street at lunch in high school, listening to Sigfried and Roy's tigers roaring at night in the subdivision, delivering newspapers on the strip (my first job in Junior High), and riding our bikes from bar to bar on the strip looking for my neighbors yellow lab (Baron) who loved beer and swimming pools - in that order. One time, he got delivered to my neighbor's front yard in a cab, because he had imbibbed to many beers and passed out. He's the only alcoholic dog I've ever known.

I have to give myself Heparin shots for 15 days after my surgery too.. Yes they leave little red dots..it is for blood clotting.. and to prevent DVT. I was told to take some flesh around the belly button.. pop in the needle. and push quickly.. I was told not to rub it or mess around with it.. no need for alcohol etc.. just grab, stick and push!.. done!.. It has to be done at the same time every day..

No, sliming doesn't hurt. It's just the food that got stuck coming back up. The "slime" helps to bring it up. You can drink alcohol but it will inhibit your weight loss as alcohol carries a lot of calories with it. A glass of wine on occasion isn't terrible but you have to make the right choices regarding what and how much you drink if you want to see results from the band. Good luck.

Why do you think you've regained? Are you doing anything differently since July to contribute to the regain? Do you weigh, measure, track and plan your food? Do you exercise? Do you drink any caloric liquids especially alcohol? Give us a couple days examples of what you eat. Also fill out your profile form to tell us more about yourself. You can also add a ticker to your signature.

I am addicted to ice cream too. I lost 100 pounds initially... had some complications (gallbladder surgery, port leak, port replacement) and I let it all go to ****. I gained 50 back and have been hovering at the same weight now for a long time. Unlike you, I DID have an addiction to ice cream pre-band, but thought if that was the ONE thing I had to do myself, I could do it. Well... it is REALLY hard. I am back to eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's a night. Sometimes more. I easily eat 1000-1200 calories a day in ice cream. I just recommitted myself 2 days ago. I have been ice cream free for 2 days. Sounds silly... but seriously, that is huge for me!! I am relearning how to work with my band instead of around it. No more drinking when eating. No more slider foods. And no more ice cream!! For me, I have to completely ban ice cream from my life. When I lost the 100 pounds my first year... I was not eating ANY. I understand that skinny people eat ice cream, and chips, blah blah. Moderation blah blah. Well I am not, nor have I ever been a skinny person. I can't just have 1 scoop. I always want more. My brain never stops wanting more. I crave it. I obsess about it. The only way I could control it is to treat it like an alcoholic would alcohol. I cannot have any. Never. Not one scoop. Not one bite. Not one lick. Once I have it, it snowballs. I have been in pretty bad sugar withdrawals the last two days... but I am hanging in there. I did it before, I can do it again. Yesterday I was obsessing about a turtle sundae from Culvers. I wanted it. I was telling myself, just this one last time. Just once more. Start tomorrow. Well I have been telling myself that for over a year. And where has that gotten me? I went home and had a Protein shake instead. I was pissed. Unsatisfied. Angry. But after those initial feelings passed I was so proud of myself for hanging in there. Today was a little easier. Tomorrow will be a little easier. HANG IN THERE. You just have to keep reminding yourself of your goals. Why you had this surgery. Don't throw it all away for 10 minutes of pleasure. It is a wicked, awful, nasty cycle. You can do it. Drive a different route. Don't pass Sonic. Don't keep ice cream in your freezer. Treat it like an addict. You cannot have it. Period. Give it a shot. Best of luck to you. I am there with you. You are not alone.

I got banded in Sept 09 - have had one fill. have really felt no restriction but my provider quit and have been waiting for someone in area and have lost very slowly so just trying to be patient. I am now out of state and probably have been eating too much and have had some alcohol with dinners tho have tried not too. starting yesterday after eating it has felt like my food "went down the wrog pipe" have had some coughing but no vomiting. I have actually only vomited a few times all in one evening due to be drunk ( I know I know) this was about a month and half ago. I have a 'feeling' directly between my boobs maybe slightly higher, feels like when you have coughed really hard . I am able to eat and drink. has anyone experienced this I am out of town and my only option is ER untill April 9th don't feel like it is an emergency but worried it could be something serious I spoke with somone at the surgery and he said maybe taking it easy and eating soft or liquids. but that since I am able to eat it does not seem serious. It kind of feels like I am feeling restriction constantly but really not sure what restriction is suposed to feel like since before all this I felt like I could eat anything but of course I mostly stuck with reccomended diet. PLEASE HELP

I'm 2 wks postop (gastric bypass) and am wondering if the constant painful bloating and burping will ever end? It doesn't feel like the gas from the surgery- it seems to be inside my digestive tract. I'm careful to avoid all dairy products so it can't be lactose intolerance. And I'm careful to avoid Splenda and sugar alcohols. I haven't been able to tolerate Protein drinks so am just trying to eat high protein foods (about 2 tbsp split pea Soup & 1 egg a day) plus drinking lots of Water. I am up and down all day (due to contracting pneumonia, I don't have the energy yet to "exercise" per se). I'm eating gas-X strips like they were Christmas candy. But both seems to alleviate the gas!

If you are talking about social or business functions, try going back to the classics. Cosmopolitans, old fashions, sours, white/black russians etc... If you are talking about ending the day with a drink, can't help you. Most of the "convenient" drinks that come in cans, bottles, or mixers are just corn syrup and shitty quality alcohol one step from diluted isopropyl alcohol.

Keep in mind that she's at the age where you know nothing. TheWomanWithin, feel like reading a long personal story? I never did drugs/alcohol, but I too went through the stage where your daughter is. And I went through it H-A-R-D. And for a long time. I didn't ever use alcohol or other habit forming substances - but did everything else. I really resented my parents for a lot of different reasons, and did everything I could think of to make sure they got the message. I didn't see that that's what I was doing then, but I see it clearly now. My father and I hardly spoke, literally, between the ages of about 15 until I was about 18 or 19. We avoided each other because, with only a few exceptions, every time we spoke we'd end up fighting, which brought on more resentment, and only made things worse. This killed my mother who considered family one of the most important things, and her efforts to fix things only caused more problems. On top of what was happening in our immediate family, all the extended family felt is necessary to give their opinion to my parents, which only made things that much worse. They really disapproved with how my parents were raising me, constantly told my parents, "She's going to fail at life", criticized them for not making me have religion in my life (they're stout Catholics), criticized them for not giving me a curfew, criticized them for letting me hang out with "trouble makers"... but my parents remained steadfast in their belief that they had to let me be me, and although they had to stay involved, they also had to give me room to make mistakes, and learn... that I was smart, would only let it get so far, and in the end would end up a better person for all of my mistakes. They held onto this fundamental belief, even through 6 or 7 years of hell in our house. I might add that my aunts and uncles were very rigid with their children, borderline abusive, but at the same time uninterested and uninvolved. They ran tight households, but didn't know their kids. They weighed them down with rules, but never asked how their day was. One night I couldn't sleep, it was around 2am, so I came out to the living room to watch some TV. My dad was already there, he couldn't sleep either. We both sat there watching TV for about 2 hours and finally I looked over at him and asked, "Dad, why do you hate me so much? Why don't you want to talk to me? Have a failed that much at being a good daughter?" We stayed up all night talking. That night was one of only a tiny handful of times I've seen my father cry. That night literally changed everything, and from that moment forward we have been best friends. My parents know the details of my life, and I've come to depend on them for input on tough situations. They're my roots, and at the same time they're my wings. I think that's the key, and it's the approach I plan to use when I have children. Sorry for the long story, but I've been there. I didn't do the drugs, but I did other self-destructive things. I rebelled big time. I did dangerous things just because I knew it would piss my parents off if they ever found out. And I didn't care one bit. I was living so much in the "now" that I couldn't conceive of long-term consequences. All the while my parents were at their wit's end, but they did what came natural to them, and in the end it worked. Now my parents couldn't be prouder of me, and (much against my advice) they rub it in our family's face whenever they can, because my life & their childrens' lives are now total opposites -- my life is "together", and their's really aren't. Every time my parents think back to what everyone told them they were doing wrong, every time someone told them how they should be raising me "right"... every time they were told that they need to force a path on me rather than letting me find my own, they just want to throw everything I've accomplished into their faces. I'm over it, over all the disapproval they poured out behind my back, but when my parents see me, and they see how the others' children turns out still, to this day, gives my parents a great big swelling of prideful "SO THERE!" So believe in what you're doing as a parent. Do what you believe is best for your children. They probably won't see the good in it now, but someday they will. Once they grow up, mature, and start to see life for what it really is they will appreciate what you do for them more than they could ever let you know.

Oh my word amazing words!! And so true. I stopped telling people after some huge negativity!! I was weak.. Cheating.. all I need is willpower!! And a good gym! Ha if only my eating habits were that easily controlled!! I was looking into amphetamine based appetite suppressants (with the risk of all the major side effects) and I was like "Rachel what are you doing?!!"" I encountered one person yesterday ( I told my 3 closest friends here) I felt I had to as we eat out so much and knew they would be suspicious. 2 of my friends said how brave I was.. Very encouraging. The other one said not one single word & tried to change the subject!! I am still shocked & upset by this. We sleevers are brave and committed to giving up something we had a relationship with all our lives! We have made a decision to break an unhealthy habit which would eventually give us heart disease... Diabetes.. High blood pressure etc! How can this be the easy way out?!! It's not. I was also a daily consumer of alcohol (2 glasses every night!!) I am not missing this & I have never gone 4 weeks without! So I agree whole heartily that we are very very brave & it's not the cheats way out!!

Don't panic. The PCP sounds like he needs to do some continuing education on WLS. That study primarily focuses on people who had RNY, since the sleeve didn't become popular until later.Those of us who had RNY can be at higher risk for bone loss because we have had several feet of the top part of our digestive tract removed. That's the malabsorption thing people talk about. VSG folks are still essentially intact but with just a smaller stomach (one of the highlights of VSG). Of course, keep taking your Calcium unless instructed otherwise by your surgery center, but as long as there are not other non-WLS factors that could cause bone loss (ongoing untreated low Vitamin D, heavy smoking or alcohol use, etc), the chances are low. This is based on findings from several studies by the ASMBS (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) - the managing organization for everything WLS. See screenshots. No more risk than with a lab band, and those have NO digestive tract change/removed. Hope that helps! ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

My pre-op appointment was twelve days before surgery, but could have been later. I got generic instructions (stop taking NSAIDs three weeks before, go off caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, etc.) with the initial packet but then I got a call two days before surgery with specific instructions, and an even more specific call the night before telling me what time to show up and confirming everything was set.

@@kgagmg You have SO much going for you! You've made some incredible, life-changing decisions for the better over this past year, and the fact that you realize you might have an alcohol problem is a huge step in and of itself toward getting some resolution. The first thing I thought of when I read your post is I wondered if your surgeon could recommend a psychiatrist/psychologist for you. My surgeon's office does, and she specializes in patients with eating disorders- maybe finding an expert in the field could be worlds of help for you. I wish you the very best of luck!

This happens to me too, especially the chocolate based Quest flavors. I think I'm sensitive to the sugar alcohols or something. I can only eat half at a time and even then it's iffy. The mint Quest flavor was particularly bad and sent me running for the bathroom within 30 minutes. So, I finally learned my lesson and just gave up on the Protein bars. If I'm on the run I'll carry stuff like beef Jerky, nuts or pork rinds.