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I am proud of the fact that I have quit alcohol for the time being in preparation of surgery. I think that most of my weight is from those bourbon drinks! Eventually I would like to have a drink or 2 in the future. Glad to know that I can if I really want too.

Not following the eating and behavioral WLS instructions re what and how WLS patients should eat post-op obviously hasn't stopped some people from losing all their excess weight and maintaining that weight loss -- as evidenced by some posts above. But it seems clear that those "independent" folks have indeed reduced considerably the amount of food and the calories they ate pre-op. But this "independent" approach to navigating WLS is disastrous for others -- particularly those who have diagnosable eating disorders, who can't stop drinking significant amounts of "liquid calories" (think sweet tea, sugar sodas, high-calorie coffee drinks, sugary alcoholic drinks, beer, etc.), who snack continuously ("graze") on "slider foods" (those foods that have lots of carbs, are heavily processed and have little Fiber in them, and that move rapidly through the stomach into the intestines -- leaving the stomach empty and wanting more). I don't think it's a question of proving one's "worthiness" for surgery. I think if you have eating disorders and/or horrific eating habits pre-op that you know you're still going to be challenged by post-op you really will have to build some very different new habits and tools. One of those additional tools IMHO is the support and guidance of a therapist who knows what bariatric patients are struggling with and can support the changes you're trying to make in your lifestyle. None of us is guaranteed an excellent result post-op. But we can increase the odds of our success if we know our own personal challenges and try to reduce the risk of failure by pushing all the success levers we possibly can.

@@devillynn - seek out professional help like everyone has already said and post here when you need to "talk". The lost of a child isn't something any parent wants to deal with its just wrong on so many levels but unfortunately it happens. the know that the people responsible are out on bail makes it worse. Focus on you and your grand daughter. I lost my dad at 7. I didn't understand why he wasn't there. My parents were both alcoholics and would fight and separate and then get back together, then do it all over again. I thought he just left... (((((((BIG HUG))))))) jane

When I started my journey, I researched hospitals first. Newton Wellesley is the top wls hospital in New England and top 5 in the country, so I started there. At the orientation, they made a point to say that they no longer do lap bands for two reasons; they provide no metabolic help, and so many are being revised to sleeves. Not saying this is true, but considering the source, I'd give it some consideration. For me personally, I looked at all the options and selected the sleeve for the simple reason that it was simple and eventually, you completely heal and are left with a normal body and a "skinny girl" stomach. It is the one option that gives the least trouble with food textures, ibuprofen, and alcohol. Also, my life style doesn't lend itself to frequent doctors visits for adjustment. That said, I am impressed by the success stories I read on this forum from banders. I think it's safe to say any of the wls options will be better than just trying to lose weight on your own!

K so not to sound like I'm feigning for it but I know eventually we are allowed to partake in alcohol agian but when. Of corse I have no desire for it now but post op down the line when? Does anyone know?

Anyone drank post surgery? What did you drink? I'm 10 weeks post op and have been following all the rules to a T but my best friend turns 30 next month and she wants to do it up big....going out that night and I know drinking is going yo be involved. So I was thinking....I cant drink beer because if the carbonation and I cant drink the yummy "umbrella drinks" due to all the sugar....don't tell me my only option is straight liquor!!!

You were lucky that you were able to vomit. I drank too much a couple of months after being banded. Woke up in the middle of the night and tried to make myself vomit as usually that would help to make me feel better quicker. Needless to say i couldn't. It was the most horrible feeling. The positive part of that is I now try extra hard not to imbibe too much alcohol as I know how awful I will end up feeling. Hopefully your band is OK> I would baby it for a few days to give it a break and hopefully let it settle.

I think you should stick with the band..yes..the band requires tweaking. I have had my band for 14 years now..we love and hate each other..all the time..I lost 130lbs..stayed stable for years but when I decided 2 years ago "hmm..maybe I should just have a routine check since it has not had any followup for years..it has spiraled a bit..turns out my very last fill years before had been too tight and I learned to compensate by packing my esophagus..stretched it..complete unfill..50lbs quickly packed on me in a few months time...thousands of dollars in new wardrobes later.. I learned my lesson of going to local surgeons for follow up fills and they did me in. I should kept going back to Dr Kuri for follow ups. Doing fills under flouro instead of blind fills that started the spiral. I started getting refills..the last one 3 months ago from a local surgeon infected my port..I just went back to Mexico to have my port removed for now as my body heals from the infection. I have no band erosion thankfully..all goes well I will have port put back in. For now I am filled to where I have restriction but not back where I was too tight. Dr Kuri topped me off before he removed the port. Now...here is my take on the unfill/refill cycle. This is my own opinion based on having this band this long and my recent unfill and refill history. I think this band puts our bodies in an abnormal state of starvation mode. When we first get the band and start getting fills and that hunger gets satiated and you get used to only being able to eat a meal the size of a tennis ball..your body adjusts to this abnormal state. Once the band did its job of helping you get the weight off by basically a self imposed starvation diet..the band now needs to do the job of KEEPING IT OFF. Again..still in the state of abnormal starvation mode..my body is used to the limited calories in per meal..I can handle less calories because my hunger signals were less intensified..I could go all day without feeling hungry! Okay..so now..you take that abnormal state of being..for me it was almost 12 years..and then you unfill the band..wham..you just changed my abnormal state of being my body was used to for 12 years. The volume went back up on my hunger signals. I could get in more calories in each sitting. My body rebelled and I quickly gained 40+ lbsin 3 months. I STARVED myself..I was watching every calorie in and would still gain back 5 lbs overnight. It was brutal. My local surgeon's dietician swore that I must have started gorging on all the things I couldnt for years..eat a pizza..bread...etc..I actually craved salads because those have always been hard to eat for years..they didn't understand it was no longer a simple equation of calories in/calories out. That's for normal humans who were not put into an artificial state of being with a band. On what I was eating and GAINING..a mere mortal would have been dropping 2+ lbs per week. Thankfully I did watch my calorie intake closely and perhaps more of the 130lbs I had lost would have come back on. THANKFULLY only 50..uggh..hate to say that..but 50 is better than 130 back on. So now...I have to try and get my body back to this abnormal state of being with refills. I am also asking my body to get off the 50lbs I quickly gained after unfilled..at the same place I was when I was maintaining my weight for years. Won't be as easy the 2nd time around for sure. I will most likely have to really DIET to get off this last 40lbs and THEN my band will be back to doing what is doing now..maintaining me. While I was maintaining, I always stayed within a 5lb range up or down. I knew when it went up, I was having more liquid calories..more alcohol..more chocolate milk..not necesarily Meal Replacements but extra calories. When I laid off the extra liquid calories..my body adjusted back down a few lbs. This is not normal for unbanded humans who lose weight and then slowly eventually gain it back without a ton of diligence to keep it off. The diet cycle. The band helps stop this diet cycle of lose-gain-lose-gain. I don;t think any doctors can really truly understand what happens physically to your body when banded..being it is an adjustable surgery..we change mechanisms in our bodies and messing with the delicate balance changes how the band works for us.. This is my amateur opinion backed by no scientific research..just my gut and my personal experience. I will work hard if I have to to get this last 40lbs off and I am back to maintaining where I was happily maintaining for years and I can get rid of all these size 12-14-16 clothes and pull out my 6-8-10's again!! The band was totally worth it..130lbs off..gone for 12+ years?? yes!!! Just know you will have quirks along the way!! Rather deal with quirks than the burden of 130lbs!!

Enlighten me @@Loristi Sounds like you are pre-op??? saying on the board - "one thing we have in common is that we're all different" docs and NUTS have different rules about things some of "them" say no coffee - "never, ever" others say after a certain time period you can have alittle coffee some say no alcohol for 6 months others say............. wait 6 months, 6 weeks, 6 days, 6 minutes etc - .. soda - some/many say NO, NO, NO others say ................. no straws, others say its ok sex - some might say wait til you feel ok, then take it slowly, easy for awhile (no crazy acrobats!) other docs might say NO NO NO to sex forever!!!! gotcha!!!! so..........the answer to your question (oh no, what was your question again LOL) alcohol - soda - never say never!!!! unless doc says so i drink coffee,no alcohol, straws or soda/carbonation for this grammy listen to your NUT and surgeon ALWAYS like they were amongst the highest power!!! good luck with surgery kathy

My surgeon said to wait one year for all of those things. I have no urges for anything carbonated since surgery. In fact the thought of carbonated beverages is a real turn off. I dont think that anything is off the table for ever. They do prefer you not use alcohol or sodas due to empty calories and the damages they can do to your stomach.

Hi T_Hay81 I had the surgery 9 weeks ago and I'm doing great now ! I already lost 30 kilos and still going ! It's a bit hard in the beginning but by time you will get used to it . The most important stay away from sugar and alcohol and I'm sure you will be doing great Sent from my SM-G935F using the BariatricPal App

I also do not drink alcohol (I can't stand the taste), but I would be very careful with it from what I've seen on here and on other groups for several reasons: you can get drunk very quickly, especially at first. Alcohol gets absorbed very quickly and your blood alcohol can quickly go over the limit for driving and then for being just drunk to the point where you can't really function. And as you said, you're taking in empty calories and setting yourself up for eating other junky food. Plus there's a risk for cross-addiction. Some people become addicted to alcohol the way they had issues with food before surgery. It's not super common, but it definitely happens. That's not to say you should never drink, but maybe keep it to one small serve occasionally. I personally have told everyone in my life about my surgery. I just can't lie easily and if people see me losing weight, I knew I'd never be able to lie or even omit the surgery part. Plus, I was so excited to finally be doing it. I was not embarrassed. I felt like I was finally taking control of my life. The reaction I got was extremely positive except for one person I barely knew (I posted on Facebook). She has a whole "fat positive" view of life and has also had some sort of weight loss procedure that did not go well. I can't say whether you should or should not have the surgery, but I think maybe you should discuss with a bariatric trained therapist to talk about your concerns. Good luck in your decision!

I drink white wine but definitely be careful of how much and how fast you drink. When I had my first drink of alcohol 6 months after surgery I had a 1/4 glass of wine and was pretty tipsy.

When I do have an alcoholic beverage or two these days (which for me didn't start until 3 months post-op after a 9 month hiatus from drinking at all), I go with red wine or whiskey and water. I would always just go with the red wine, but it has some carbs, so I have to watch the amounts there. The issue for me is that in order to have the alcohol, I have to cut out food on those days. I use chicken and protein shakes to meet my protein goals, but I have to save calories for the booze. As fun as it is, I'd rather eat than have the drinks. That's why we only go out every once in a while...

Been a while since I visited here...have my reasons, mainly I find it tiresome after a while, mainly dealing with the self proclaimed experts.... However.... Thought I would give a report, especially for the newbies. I go to the gym 5 days a week at 5:30 in the morning. I run for 30 minutes (3 miles), do 45 minutes of weights, then finish the workout with 20-30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. It took me one year to reach my goal, total weight loss of 90 lbs. That was 7 months ago, and I am still loosing although very slowly now. Your body will stop loosing when it feels it is ready to. I do not count calories, measure or weigh portions. I eat when I am hungry, which is not often. I do not deny myself the little pleasures in life like desserts, ice cream, alcohol, including beer, etc, etc. I do get my daily requirements of protein, water, vitamins, amino acids, anti oxidants, etc, etc, with little or no problem every day. There are days when I just don't feel like eating at all, so i don't force it. I am not a believer in the "Starvation Mode" I have/had enough fat and glycogen stored away to use as energy, and that is what I did. All this from a man who is 60 years old, have had one heart attack that I know of, had cardiac surgery due to coronary artery disease, had diabetes that is now completely gone, had loss of circulation in lower limbs with loss of sensation (feeling) which is now a thing of the past, cholesterol, triglycerides, everything is now well within normal range. Had my stress test a few weeks back and the cardiologist could not believe he was looking at the same person. My blood work (lab results) are straight down the middle normal in every category. The band controls my eating and hunger entirely. It is NOT a tool, something that I can control. It is something that is there, constant, doing what it was designed to do. People are afraid to go to picnics, parties, etc for fear of what I'm not sure. I cannot overeat no matter how hard I try. Does not matter what food you put in front of me, the band will allow just so much then that's it. I went on a cruise a few weeks ago and I did everything I can to eat/enjoy as much as I can...Impossible! I lost weight! I do not get stuck, slimed, etc anymore. It has been a long time since that has happened. There was a phase, when transitioning into the "Green Zone" that I got stuck sometimes 2-3 times a day. But once I learned my lessons, learned how to eat like a "Skinny" person, I broke through to the other side and life has been normal ever since. The "New Normal" as my surgeon calls it. My only advice to newbies is to work the band for all it's worth. Don't settle for second best, something just to get by. Demand everything you have always expected. I make no excuses for my success and my new life...why should I care what others think? It's me they're going to put in the ground someday...then where will the critics be....I have achieved everything I ever hoped and dreamed this surgery can do for me. I was once a fat person, so i know what denial and excuses are all about.... So you may see why I don't visit here all that much any more....

The band is only a tool. It's still up to you to use it right. Remember the basics. Hi Protein, eat slowly... stop eating when full... and then don't go back. Don't drink while eating. Keep the fried food down. Not only are they high calories, but they can slip through the band easier, allowing you to eat more. No sodas. Ice Cream is a no-no... The band might like it, but the calories don't. Same with alcohol... Drinking won't hurt the band, but it's high calorie. Like I said... Go back to the basics,and hang in there.

Month 7 and I seem to be stuck at 164-165. It's been about 4 weeks now. I also seem to be eating more than I could before month 6. I also seem to be drinking more alcohol. Yeah. I know what I'm doing wrong. It's not so much a matter of being stuck as it a matter of I haven't followed the plan for a month. Time to get it back together. I have 25 pounds to reach my goal and I really want it badly.

Thursday, the 22nd we are leaving on our 9 night southern Caribbean cruise...I am looking forward to all the delicious food choices, restaurants, and not to forget all the alcohol I'll probably be consuming laying in the bright sun on those white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise Water.... But first, starting today, I'll go 3 days of liquids and mushie type foods, all sliders, to ensure my band is in tip-top shape... We cruise often, and a year ago I decided to put my band to the test, eat what and when I wanted, and let the band do what it normally does everyday for me at home...it performed perfectly..as a matter of fact I lost a pound or two...although I'm sure my cholesterol was probably high... I also bring Protein shots with me which I take every morning before my 5:30am workouts, along with my Vitamins and other supplements...and I cannot eat Breakfast no matter what so I still make my own shakes....just like I do everyday at home! But I'm ready! Been waiting for this and it's almost here!!! 3 more days!

No change for me. In the last week, I've lost my good restriction (but that's okay because I'm getting another fill - my 5th - next Friday). I also couldn't exercise for 4 days because I hurt my foot and I also over-indulged with food and alcohol on the weekend past (it was the long Australia Day weekend). A combination of these saw me gain weight in the early part of the week, but with exercise again, I've lost almost all of it (bar a half lb or so) I definitely believe now that my weight loss so far can be attributed to a combination of exercise and good restriction, and the loss of one or more of those aspects seems to be detrimental to me. Gilta, it's frustrating I know when the scales are standing still. I hope you get some movement soon (and get in to see your MD earlier than April!)

I applaud that you are asking questions in advance to get more information. Like most Drs. lists, mine says "Make smart choices". My Dr's list also says avoid soda, beer and other alcoholic beverages along with gum and straws. In discussion, he really wants patients to avoid carbonation. Good thing for me, I enjoy a good whiskey ????. At 5 weeks out, I have no desire for carbonation or alcohol, and trust me, I to had that heavy addiction to Diet Mountain Dew all day long and more than an occasional beer in the evenings. I always had a tin of gum in my purse and variety in my desk drawer at work. Those are gone now replaced by breath strips, spray and tictacs. I will have to judge in the future how to live my life in moderation, which I've proven in the past is quite difficult for me. I started on this path with my new teeny tiny tummy with the goal to be above average with my weight loss and retention of that loss for the long-term. If that means no more beer or Mountain Dew for me? Well then so be it. I choose to do without and excel in my goals.

I'm about 4 months out. I still drink carbonation every once in a while. Usually it's in the form of a sip or two of my fiancé's drink. Drinking too much of it leads to pain in my shoulder. Alcohol - usually have a glass at night. It's empty wasted calories so that has slowed my progress down but it's enjoyable experience and doesn't make me feel like I'm on a restricted diet. I hardly drink beer now. Between the higher calorie content and the carbonation it's just not worth it for me.

I agree with the above...all of them LOL I haven't touched carbonated beverages since my surgery, I don't miss them at all, and I was a 2 liter (minimum) a day Diet Coke drinker...when I gave it up for my liquid diet, I never looked back, and I don't regret giving it up...don't miss it at all. I really thought that would be a hard habit to break... At the Success Habits workshop that we had to attend prior to surgery, Nisa put a balloon over the top of a bottle of coke, and it filled with gas, without any help...she said she left it on her desk one time to see how long it would stay filled...she said it stayed for 3 days before she dumped it...3 days of AIR in your tummy!!! NO THANKS. Decaf iced tea for me, or Torani syrups added ... As for alcoholic beverages, was never a big drinker, so I don't miss that AT ALL...empty calories and carbs.... but as stated, I will never say never...who knows what tomorrow may bring... you just have to live in the moment!

pretty much my NUT and surgeon say no carbonated beverages-I gave them up 4 months before surgery because I loved my diet dr pepper. I drink with a straw-I have some mild facial paralysis from a prior brain surgery and it keeps me from dribbling liquid out of that side of my mouth. I drank coffee my first week but stopped, not because of the coffee but because the milk and 1/2 and 1/2 made me nauseated-now I drink a cup or two a day...everything in moderation for me except carbonation...and alcohol-just don't want to go there yet

Alcohol . I get confused cause my dr said 2 months but most threads on here say three months and wondering if anyone did sooner. I'm not to fussed about not drinking

So I’m back after all my tales of woe today I have to bring my kids to a Halloween party. Interestingly I have ZERO interest in candy or any other treats so yay for that! I know alcohol is discouraged post op is it because people have a higher likelihood of becoming alcoholics? Would one glass of wine be disastrous? I don’t drink often but the stress of everything is making a glass of wine very appealing...