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Pretty good! Sleeved May 11, lost 91 pounds. 1 pound away from the goal I set 150lbs), but I've reset goal weight for 140 lbs. did good on Thanksgiving- had a little bit of everything except the alcohol!

1. don't eat out of a bag/box, etc... 2. Do not buy anything you will binge on. This is where you have to get creative. Change how you approach eating. There are some things I can buy, and portion out into ziplock snack packs. I will then just grab my snack and be fine. There are others things like nuts, that as long as I have them, I will eat them. Because of this no matter how much they are on sale, I never buy anything more than a single serving snack pack of nuts. I simply cannot afford to have large quantities in the house. I have the tummy seemingly made of steel. I get full, but nothing upsets my belly. I have to use other skills and techniques. Food logging is a BIG help for me. I plan as much as possible, even special treats like wine/alcohol, a dessert if it's a special event.

@@wannaBthinsoon Thanks for the information. You are right that grazing will probably be the biggest challenge I have, along with staying motivated enough to get in good exercise. I need to get back to see Tim as I'm overdue for my two month follow up. Can you tell me at what stage you were when you did the 5-day reset? I've been in what is basically a stall for a couple of weeks. I was traveling for a 10 day period which sort of got me a little off track with too many business meals plus some alcohol, and since then (I've been back over a week) I've only dropped a couple pounds. I'll talk to Tim or Laura about it but am wondering if a reset would help me get back on track for weight loss.

Getting healthy and losing weight after WLS is a long-term game that requires patience. If you aren't able to commit to eating nutritious foods in the right amounts your body needs to heal from surgery, to lose weight, and to become healthier (because hardly any of us were in very good shape to begin with), you're probably not going to like the overall results you get. And you're not going to feel fantastic just a few weeks post-op. It takes a while to recover from surgery. You will recover and regain your energy by eating healthy food that nourishes your body. IMHO, taking diet pills to lose weight and "get your energy back" after WLS is sort of like using methamphetamine to recover from the blues of going through alcohol withdrawal. Yeah, it'll pep you up but it won't heal you at all. I realize that analogy may not be perfect, so feel free to improve upon it.

I was warned against putting anything other than warm Water on the incisions until they scabbed. Alcohol, peroxide and neosporin can actually retard healing. Once they scabbed I use scarfade gel because I tend to keloid. My scars were raised and red. The scarfade gel flattened them. After that I used bio oil because I had a free sample,but mostly I use virgin cold pressed coconut oil. Except for the large incision the rest are barely noticeable. I first used scarfade gel after I had facial shingles. It worked miracles. I had shingles in 2010. The dermatologist recommended this. I went from this to this I have a barely discernible scar on my nose. I swear by scarfade gel.

I waited about 10 weeks and only could manage about 1/2 glass which made my sleeve unhappy (not quite nauseous but similar). Of course I got no buzz. My doc said to have NO alcohol for one year, and I am going to TRY to pretty much stick to it. Again I will likely have my requisite half glass with Turkey. I would really stay away from beer bc I would not want the carbonation to stretch my sleeve. I used to drink about two drinks per evening on weekdays and much more on weekends.

You won't know till you try. I drink vodka cocktails and rum cocktails, but whiskey is my drink of choice. Alcohol does not affect me any different than before surgery....I can still outdrink a football team. But I rarely drink anymore because all those calories are just not worth the teeny buzz I get. So many people talk about how alcohol affects them so strong postop and I was really looking forward to being a lightweight. Bummer for me. I would, however, recommend testing the waters in the safety of your own home. If your sleeve does reject the alcohol or you do get sloppy drunk, you may not want to be in a public venue when it happens!

Hi Chanti, you make a very good point. It is about 5 months after surgery for me and I started to smoke occasionally last month. I also agree on your mention of WLS and the ongoing changes and stressors. Your life definitely changes, your image, personality, moods, and social life. Some stages are harder than others, so it can be quite a challenge. There are so many factors that can trigger cross addiction in people and folks should be very careful on the use of marijuana and alcohol. Thanks for sharing.

I will never smoke again! It taste like an ashtray that was nicely disguised once the drink took control of my senses. Note to self...you can NOT handle alcohol anymore! Ridiculous! Dang it!!! It was the ONE time I got to leave without the kids for a day!!! I wanted to celebrate!!

Hello all! I've been gone for a minute but I'm back with a whole heap of "issues" for someone to fix. First, the most aggravating and STUPIDEST thing I've done lately...my husbands decided he was going to start dipping again but "just for a little while" he didn't actually come out and tell me I found a can of dip in his man purse (cooler). The next day he brought me home a pack of cigarettes. I can only assume this is a lets be stupid/bad together since I quit smoking over a year ago. I wasn't going to smoke them and then mistake number two happened, I had a mixed alcoholic beverage. Now, before anyone freaks just remember Elode is human! Mixed beverage along with lack of good judgment making skills = smoking cigarettes. Ok, so that's that. The pack is gone after two days and I haven't had any and refuse to go down that horrible path again so I'm not buying any and threatened physical harm to him if he brings any in this house. I've noticed that all day today I have been snacking, constantly! I believe it's from lack of having cigarettes so I'm pissed about that! On to the next issues. I have spacers in my teeth..FINALLY!!! I have a very narrow upper palate that I've been wanting fixed since I was young. We have started the long process of fixing the teeth for a "beautiful smile". Next week we are putting in a palate expander followed by braces. I'm so excited but my orthodontists is recommending that I have SARPE surgery (surgically assisted rapid palate expansion) since I'm an adult my upper palatal bones have fused so it would be faster and "easier" to have surgery AND maybe have my lower jaw moved back. I won't know until January so I'm pre-worrying as usually. I will have to have my mouth wired shut for up to 6 weeks. Blessing for my husband not so much for me. I'm worried about being on liquids for that long and looking sickly. Now I don't know if I should stop actively trying to lose weight or take my chances? Well there you go! One weeks worth of drama!!

If you skip and and develop and blood clot it could travel and that's BAD! To your brain and cause a stroke, to your lungs etc..... And if you develop and clot you will be hospitalized and then at home you will be giving yourself the injections for months until it resolves. Sorry for the alarmist stuff but it's the nurse in me! Want to make injections easier? When you prep your skin pinch the skin and then with the alcohol pad RUB HARD! Circular motion for a minute or two...it not only cleanses the skin well but it will act as a topical numbing and then stick fast and push plunger down fast....that's the best way I have found to give things like Lovenox. My patients always say they never feel it when I do it that way. Good luck but please please inject it!

Checking in on this Monday.....decided to do a juice fast and liver cleanse for a few days to clear out congestion and joint pain as well as general band care, a break from caffeine & alcohol, return to better habits, etc. The periodic fasting works well for me and usually gives me a new number on the scale that I can dance around with for a while. I think I have about fifteen pounds to lose, though I won't be sure until I get closer. Really working on toning these days. Got an inversion table (free!) and am doing crunches to tighten up my belly, which is still a little flubby. Missing the big walks and coming up with strategies for the winter. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We are seeing our elders then sneaking off to the city for a couple of nights. Looking forward to the getaway.

I also haven't tried to talk anyone into having surgery. However, I have one friend that is scheduled in February and has scheduled her surgery since I had mine. Of course she was leaning toward it anyway so she would have eventually done it on her own. I have another friend that is happy for my progress but would never have the procedure done. I think it's a personal choice. If someone is inspired by my success that's great but if asked if they should have it done, I always tell them it is there choice and that they have to be prepared to sacrifice a lot. It needs to be a serious commitment. I tell them they must be prepared to give up smoking, alcohol, cokes, and cheesecake for at least a year and possibly for a lifetime.

It's all about moderations. I had surgery on 11/7 three years ago & my doctor advised I could have a half of glass of wine by New Years Eve. She just told me not to drive & watch my surroundings since I was a "light weight." I took just 2 sips to bring in the new year & toast for my husband's birthday. I tolerated it pretty well with it being only almost 2 months after surgery. Now 3 yrs post op & I can tolerate one or 2 glasses of wine. Depending on how slow I drink it or my stress level. Often times, just one glass gets me a little tipsy & that will be my limit. & I'm ok with that. I've just been afraid to try beer because of the bubbly & yeast content. I heard it could be painful for some folks. I just didn't want to take a chance. I do miss having a cold one, but I've chosen to stay away from it. I have a close associate that has had WLS that replaced her food addiction with alcohol. And is having a difficult time coping. So you just have to be careful. Good luck.

In addition to the issues of basic healing time, the prospect of transfer addiction, and "cheap drunk" tolerance changes the other biggie that tickles some docs more than others is liver health - as WLS patients, our livers usually aren't in the best of shape due to our obesity (hence the number of surgeons who put their patients through those "liver shrinking" pre-op diets,) and the extra load that the liver takes in metabolizing that fat that we are burning off doesn't leave it much margin for handling the added load of metabolizing the alcohol, which after all, is a liver toxin (that's not a moral judgement, it's just biology - there are plenty of things that we consume in small quantities that are toxic in larger amounts,) My doc is a bit more anal about this than most as he also does liver transplants in his spare time and doesn't want to see his bariatric patients coming back on his transplant table. His rule (which we sign up to when signing up with him) is no alky while in the weight loss phase; after that, moderation is fine once the liver has regained the ability to do its' job (though in his view, ideally never...) Those are the issues, we are all adults, take if for what you will.

My surgeon told me that it was allowed but to make sure to consume with moderation because it is empty calories and can affect overall weight loss. Alcohol is absorbed in the intestines, so after gastric sleeve surgery the alcohol also reaches your bloodstream faster. I've consumed some alcohol on occasion and learned that I can drink a light beer or two, but I have to pour it into a glass and let the carbonation fully exit. Pouring fast for a large, foaming head helps that happen. I can also tolerate uncarbonated mixed drinks like a vodka with cranberry juice without any issues. So far I've stayed away from anything carbonated other than the beer. Three things to note: 1) there is still carbonation in the beer which can slow consumpiton and possibly make for some uncomfortability; 2) the alcohol does affect me sooner - the feeling I used to get after 4 or 5 drinks pre-surgery now hits me after 1 or 2; and 3) I've found if I have more than one occasional alcoholic drink it does slow down my weight loss, as it is extra calories and since they are liquid they don't limit my hunger or solid food intake. To me it is basically a moderation thing - if you can have an occasional alcoholic drink or two worked into your nutrition plan and still maintain the weight loss targets you seek then you should be fine. If you have challenges moderating alcohol intake then it is probably best to stay away from it entirely.

Okay...so a lot of people have posted questions on here about the psych evaluation. I don't expect this to necessarily help anyone but I wanted to share my experience. It is somewhat different that any other post I have read. First of all I struggled with the decision to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist. I know a psychologist on a professional level so I knew I would feel comfortable with him. I also knew if I went to him I would have to complete testing whereas if I went to see a psychiatrist, it would only be an interview. In the end it was money that made the decision for me. I only had a copay with the psychiatrist whereas I would have to pay for the testing and interview with a psychologist, which was considerably more than my copay. How did I find the psychiatrist? An acquaintance had the surgery and said she could only find one who would do the evaluation. I would have to drive 90 min one way. Fine. I asked about her experience with the evaluation and the first thing she said was "I felt like she was trying to talk me out of it." The acquaintance was 5'5 inches, 300 lbs and had no co-morbid conditions. So, I was curious to see if I felt like she had tried to "talk me out of it." I am 150 lbs overweight. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and a long history of high cholesterol and triglycerides (although I do not currently have this problem). The psychiatrist asked questions I expected to be asked: current medical conditions, medications, family history, occupation, marital status, past and current mental health issues, past trauma, past relationships and how long they were, etc. She asked me what procedure I was having (sleeve). She did not ask me anything at all about my weight history, if I had a support system or if there were any stressors in my life. So at the end of the interview this is what she had to say: 1. You need to know there is currently NOT a cure for obesity. If there were, everyone would be having the surgery. You should also know the statistics say there is a high rate people who regain their weight back. My response to her was i felt like without the surgery I had a 0% chance of losing this weight and keeping it off. With the surgery, at least I will have a chance! I added I think the benefits will outweigh the risks. 2. There is a phenomenon known as addiction transfer and you are at a very high risk for this. I immediately stopped her and told her I was aware of this concerned about this as well and talked to my therapist about it. With regard to the transfer of food to alcohol addiction, I don't drink at all now. So, in order for me to avoid this, I should not ever drink. Of course, at this point she had to tell me about her "friend" who never drank before surgery who ended up being an alcoholic. I'm not quite sure why she said I was at a "high risk" for this because the only addiction I've ever had is food. However, my father and sister both died from drug addiction so I am statistically more likely to have addiction problems. I understand this may occur so I will be more cognizant of it. 3. You need to be aware this is a "dangerous and risky procedure." Well so is life saving brain and heart surgery! She said this on two different occasions. First, she told me about another "friend" who had a leak at the staple line. Then, the kicker of it all is this psychiatrist was morbidly obese herself! Not just obese, morbidly obese. Round as she was tall. So then she says to me I would have the surgery myself if it wasn't so "dangerous and risky." So..did I feel like she was trying to talk me out of it? Hell yes! I find it ironic that a person who I know understands the struggles of being obese would have this perspective on WLS. Her responses were the kind of feedback you get from a normal, lay person. Another oddity...she also out of the blue said "you look good." What does that mean? My hair and clothes were clean or I didn't act like was experiencing psychosis? I didn't ask. She did clear me for surgery so I guess that is the most important thing but that experience left me scratching my head......

Mark, I agree. Quest bars are excellent tasting. The Fiber amount in them are substantial. I find them to be an excellent addition to the menu. I have one every two or three days when something sweet just seems good. The extra fiber is certainly welcome with a low carb diet, for sure. I look at the labels of the various flavors and select ones with less sugar alcohol. I understand there is now a pumpkin flavored version, too. Cool stuff. I was in Academy Sports today with my son and we found them for sale in there over by the weight lifting gear. Super cool. I seem to go to Academy on a weekly basis anyway....now I'll grab them as I do. They had over a dozen varieties.

How soon after surgery did you start drinking wine? I miss my occasional glass but I'm fearful of the effects. I had my first glass of wine about 5.5 months post-op. And thereafter I started drinking wine pretty regularly -- maybe 4-5 nights a week, but only 4 ounces. I'm on maintenance now and drink a glass of wine (4-6 ounces) OR one shot of single malt scotch (not both!) about 5 nights a week. I drink it extremely slowly and truly savor it. I'm truly a social drinker -- don't binge drink in any way. And then sometimes I just get bored with it or out of the habit and don't drink for a month or two. But I will definitely say that wine / alcohol affects me a little more than it did pre-op. Everything they say about alcohol's effects on WLS patients seems to be true for me.

So I want to share my whole story as well as post my progress here. I guess after having issues with my weight for so long it's time to be honest as to why and how I get here. JUST A KID ages 10-16 I have always been a bigger person as a child by the time I was in 5th grade I already weighed 100 pounds, I know this because at a party with friends one of my friends said I had a Dream we all went out to party, and Shanqiua u we're skinny in my dream, that hurt. I become queen of disappearing to advoid ppl picking on me. It didn't always work I still got called fat, the ugly sister and if you were small you would be pretty. I learned to live in a made up world to not deal with reality. I would read a lot and made myself a character in my book. This lasted till 14 when I had my first kiss, that lead to first sexual experience than a baby. So adding to my issues I made myself a teen mom. It was very depressing. I balloon to 280@16 and stay this for a long time. I was in a bad space in my life. Teen Years age16-21 With a baby I still managed to excel in school graduating with honors and divorcing my parents so I could be my own legal guardian. I learned early on that what I did with my life was my choice, and I felt I could not control my weight so I control my life by ensuring I wasn't another teen mom who did nothing with her life. Went to school, college for BA , Grad school for MSW. But I was making bad men and food choices and I think the men choices I made was to please them because I believed no one would want me. THE HEALTH ISSUES age 19-25 I was a dibetic and didn't know it. I was 19 when I lost a ton of weight I went from 280 to 200 in three months, I was thristy all the time pee smelled like fruit and I was lossing my vision. I thought I was lossing weight because I had changed eating habits and started working out, this help but it wasn't the only reason I was lossing. I was so happy about the Weight lost that I didn't bother to go to a doctor till I could not feel my leg... This scared me went in and sugars we're 400. I was put on insulin, which cause the new found weight lost to stop, so I stop taking the insulin dumb yes. I did this back and forward with the medication for a long time till my doctor told me I did not care about my life, I did care but was so scared of going back to 280. I change eating habits for good and started working out which allowed me to stay between 200-210 MEDICATION age 25-26 I started my medication the insulin and did not get back to 280 but was hovering BTW 220 for a while. I was in a very toxic relationship and more drama than ever food and alcohol become my safe haven. After a DV situation with my now ex husband I decided to take my life back and I joined weight watchers, and the gym, my doctor put me on a diet pill as we'll . It worked wonders getting my weight to 185 lowest I have ever been since 16, with this new found confidence life was good but I started not taking the meds again plus the pill was giving me racing heart, depressing thoughts all the side effects. Stop the pill gained all the weight back and than some getting to 215. NEW START age 27-28 At this point I had two kids hated where I lived and was feeling like **** about my life, I took the 3k I saved packed my car and moved from MI to TX with my kids. Found a new doctor got back on my meds and hit the gym and boxing. Because of the yoyo diet, refusing to get on the diet pill again I was not lossing weight like before . My doctor talked to me about the wls and I was not on board i was 5'1 215 and was thinking im not that big, but reality was I was that big and knew I had to do something especially to get my sugars under control..i talk to my therpist about it and she was supportive. We went over the pros and cons as well as how relationships would be if I did go through with this. (We had been working through my relationships with ppl due to poor relationships with family, friends and men back home). After the talk and research I went in for a seminar. SEMINAR age 28 Went on 8/25/2015 Started process the following week. I did not like the first surgeron I went to and switch on 10/1/2015. Here is how the progress went: 10/7 Appointment met with surgeon, Nut(psy evaluation done that day), dietien. Was given requirements from doctor which was: Don't gain weight 216 Keep sugars below 150 10/12 Went to get blood work done Xrays done My insurance required six month diet, but I already met the requirements for this from past diets (the pill and weight watchers) 11/7 submited to insurance 11/8 approved 11/18- pre opt appointment (weight 213) 11/23 surgery date @10am

Most people also subtract sugar alcohols and that's a bit more questionable. Quest bars do have sugar alcohols and the net carbs they advertise subtracts those.

@@LadyK44 what a JERK. Think he says the same thing to alcoholics with the DTs? Or smokers with oxygen tanks?

1. How long did you go before having your first drink? 4 months 2. Have you had any MEDICAL complications with your surgery that were attributed to drinking alcohol? No....but if I drink too much or several days in a row I get a bit of heartburn/gastritis. Same thing happens with coffee. 3. Have you gained back significant weight from drinking alcohol? No 4. Have you developed an alcohol addiction post VSG after having been able to control your drinking before? No. In fact I control my drinking MUCH better than before surgery. I WAS an alcoholic...drank every single day and got plastered every weekend. Now I might have a drink 2-3 times/month.

Darn hit enter too soon and cannot edit on mobile. I was also going to add that for myself personally I am trying to hold off on drinking as long as possible. Right now at 4 weeks post op I am still dealing with head hunger and feeling like I still want to emotional eat. I am an ex smoker and now working on becomming an ex food addict. I do not want to fill the voids with alcohol, so for myself, I am choosing to hold off on alcohol until I can get my mental game to a much better place.

My surgeon has the same advice. I was was an avid wine/beer drinker pre- surgery (especially around the holidays). I am only 4 weks out, so no alcohol yet, but man do I look forward to a glass of wine someday lol I have family members with a sleeve and RNY and they both drink post-op. Aside from not drinking as much to getting drunk much faster they have had no other "complications"