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I spent some time last Halloween weekend with a friend of mine that absolutely loves Vodka. She made me a small drink that consisted of vodka and some kind of juice. I can tell you it hit me hard really, really fast...as in within about 5-10 minutes after drinking it. But I also came down from the buzz fairly quickly as well...maybe 30 minutes after the drink. I've always been a bit of a light weight though since I very rarely drink alcohol.

mine told me to wait a year before drinking any alcohol. But evidently surgeons must have different opinions on this...

oldmike, Good questions. It’s always good to ask about everything that’s worrying you before you go in for surgery! I’ve always loved a good barbecue, including the food and the occasion, although I’m not (and never was) as crazy about it as some people. With the band, I can have pretty much everything I want, but I make sure to keep it in moderation, especially if I drink a little because that makes me less able to monitor portions. As you know, the sleeve’s a different animal. It messes with your alcohol metabolism so your blood alcohol shoots up faster with less alcohol than it used to. The lap-band doesn’t affect absorption, so you haven’t yet experienced that change in absorption and increased sensitivity. You should still be able to have meat and fish and all the other likely things you’d barbecue, it’ll just take a while to get there since you’ll have to get through your liquid and pureed and semi-soft diets before you can have meat off the grill. That said, as some of the members have said, you’ll probably eventually be able to enjoy your meat and red wine again, just less of it. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

I guess I have carbonation too, but it is mostly in the form of soda Water... with a little lime and perhaps vodka to dilute the bubbles. oops, should I admit that? Actually, I am a social drinker, I have mentioned that before. Be really careful fellow sleevers as a "dab will do ya" when it comes to alcohol. I go to happy hour with my girlfriends a couple times a month and we all order the same drink (see above) in a very tall glass. All that was inspired by me trying to find the lowest carb/lowest calorie drink that you could still suck down and feel like you've drunk something! Actually, every once in awhile I have a diet root beer. When I was obese, I didn't drink root beer, but somehow now it is this over the top sweet delight that makes me feel like I have had something really really decadent. I dunno, I am far enough out from my original surgery that I think my tummy is my mature size. I don't worry too much about it - I just try to eat small. I do get hunger, but normal humans experience hunger. I feel like that is what I experience now compared to the overwhelming drive to eat - constant hunger I used to have. I can honestly say, the sleeve has for me lived up to all the hype.

While I happen to agree with the anti cheating sentiments most others expressed, I also think the OP does too. Or else why would she bring it up as a problem? The way I read this, she doesn't like how she behaved toward her husband - but that is ended/ending; she finds a new relationship and is repeating the pattern. Once again, the way it was written was not clear, but I think she was asking if others have found themselves behaving "badly" after losing alot of weight. I am a believer that obesity often shields us from very complex emotions. Not overeating, obesity itself. Example - It is well known that many obese women have a history of sexual abuse (not saying this applies to OP, just the topic itself) and the fatsuit protects from outsiders, as well as from our own internal shame/desire type motives. It is also well known that sexual abuse of children can create emotional and behavioral and even personality disorder issues later in life. When people lose alot of weight - hidden demons so to speak can emerge. If you thought you worked this stuff out as a youth, you might be surprised that underlying emotional issues rise out of the victory of the weight loss. I know someone who went from a seemingly normal work colleague, wife, mother etc to dying in her sleep, after having left her family, due to organ failure post gastric bypass/massive weight loss. She had become a very very serious alcoholic (and other very very high risk behavior, lost her job etc etc) and as a type 1 diabetic, her organs gave out faster than most. We can say what people "should and shouldn't do" but truth is they might be really struggling. Being bashed here just adds to the general feeling that the world is not a safe place for them. Personally, I think (going back to OP) it is way too soon for her to even know WHAT she seeks. Maybe a poly lifestyle is a good choice, but a person needs to be pretty internally stable, pretty self aware, pretty centered to take on alot of that kind of stuff - in my opinion. Goes back to what is it you really want and is the current behavior getting you there? I bet there are alot of people on this forum that could ask themselves that question - not necessarily about sexuality, but about how they are living their lives. I realize that not everyone who has WLS has so much buried deep and maybe don't relate that well to the huge emotional turmoil but doesn't mean it isn't real. For me, it was anxiety that came up - not when I experienced "eating less" but it showed up when I got to a normal size - who knew???. It has been quite a journey to come to grips with it and to understand that it has always been there. I think that facing those sorts of things help us prevent regain because I gotta tell you, sometimes the inner self asks the question "weren't you happier when you were comfortably numb????" well, no I wasn't, but it is a valid question. I should probably start a separate thread before I go to much deeper on this topic.

I've seen that alcohol now affects me more than it used to (I'm nearly 15 months post-op). Now when I drink in social settings I do drink much more slowly and, consequently, not as much as I used to. Also, drinking wine (with no food) does increase my stomach acidity.

Unfortunately alcohol does not affect me differently....I can still out drink a football team. I was actually looking forward to being a cheap date. The only change is that now I get gastritis and have to take an antacid if I drink too much and I don't really feel like the little buzz I get is worth all the calories so I might have a drink maybe once or twice/month. I was a "cocktail every day after work and drink all weekend" person prior to VSG.

So I just had one single 5% ABV hard cider that totally knocked me on my ass ????. I got sleeved 4 months ago and I keep forgetting how quickly a little bit of alcohol will affect me. Not to mention that, since I've dropped 50 pounds now, my tolerance is a lot lower. And the sleeve makes the alcohol get into my bloodstream so easily. It's nice to be a cheap date and avoid the extra calories I used to consume by drinking a lot, but it still surprises me sometimes. How does everyone else deal with drinking post-sleeve?

I wanted to add: Based on your mention of a family history of addiction. Have you ever considered exploring 12-step recovery? You might want to consider visiting some meetings of a recovery group like OA (for compulsive eaters), CODA (for Codependents), or Al-Anon (for families of alcoholics/substance abusers). A support group like one of these and/or a bariatric support group may help you to learn some new coping skills. This might be something to talk to your therapist about.

Hi there, I guess it's true that Time flies when you're having fun; I've been having a lot of that. Honestly, I cannot believe that two years ago today I was waking up from surgery and beginning a new chapter in my life. I had no idea then of the many ways my life would be reshaped aside from the shape of my body. I'm forever grateful the band was available to me as it has been the perfect choice for my situation. We are all different. I was 52 at the time and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I can barely tolerate going to the dentist. Getting a band was a big decision but I was fortunate somehow to just know that that's what I wanted to do. Thank goodnes there are so many different surgery choices available to us; we live in marvellous times. Two years ago I was 250+ and now I'm in the seventies. I'm a little tall and like my curves (oh my goodness, do I LOVE having a waist!) so I don't want to get too thin. But a word about collarbones: YIPPEE! And hips. Wrists. You know how it is -- I'm celebrating this new body every day. I was wearing size twenty pants and am now in tens. No more Plus Size anything. I would not have predicted that I have a thing for clothes, but oh yes, I sure do. It's so much fun to be able to just try something on without all of that angst. I have been an exerciser for many years (arthritis - have to move) but in the last two years I have ratcheted up to being more of an athlete. I feel ridiculous even typing that out as it's such a foreign concept. I used to work out for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week; well, it turns out I am some one who needs more like 75-90 minutes 5-6 times a week. There's the faking it until making it thing and that's what I did. I pretended that I liked it, that I was one of "those" people until I actually have become something resembling one of those lucky people who truly look forward to exercising. Like I said, resembling. I'm not quite there but I raise my hands up in that crossing the finish line pose and I go do what I need to do and I feel like a million bucks afterward. Food. I am happy to report that I still like food. I can taste almost anything and be quite satisfied. That is a miracle. I love to cook and one of my weird non-scale victories (NSVs) is being able to tie my apron double around my waist. I love that. All those years in all those kitchens with my big fat Winnie-the-Pooh belly in an ill-fitting apron or Chef's jacket. No more. Silly, but that just feels so good. I was very restrictive in my former life so I am careful to not be on a diet. I make good choices, which I can do because my appetite is dimmed and I know what good choices are. But I also let myself have a little bit of whatever I want, whether that's a square of chocolate or cheese (behold, the power of cheese). This is why I still have a little weight to lose but I'm okay with that. I do drink alcohol and we have a lot of dinner parties, go to restaurants, etc. Practically no one knows I am banded; I'm extremely private about that. What people do see, however, is how much I'm exercising and how good I feel. It was important for me to go a bit slowly because I wanted the weight loss to be incremental and I didn't want to have saggy skin. Well, that's about it. I am tremendously grateful to all of my Lapband Talk friends and now Bariatric Pal. You know who you are -- the encourageers. Virtual friends. This has been my first experience on a forum and it's been great. Best wishes to all of you wherever you are in the process. For new people, a few words: don't get too hung up on what kind of surgery you had; we have much more in common than not. Don't try to give or take advice from strangers on the internet. Have a good working relationship with your doctor and show up for all your appointments. Show up for yourself! I really had to put myself first to get the surgery and choose my own well-being over taking care of other people's needs first. I don't do that any more and, guess what, every one else benefits from that. Here's to our health!

Actually, there are also two other concerns re alcohol and WLS patients: 3. Rapid intoxication - due to the reduction (after WLS) of enzymes that metabolize alcohol Here's a short piece written for a lay audience on this topic: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/74384.php 4. Risk of transfer addiction (from food to alcohol) -- low odds (probably around 3-4% for those who don't already suffer from alcohol abuse or addiction issues), but a possibility nonetheless. The deal about transfer addictions is that when we are stopped from using Substance X that we've abused in the past to reduce our stress or anxiety we may transfer our addiction to Substance / Activity Y and/or Z. Doesn't mean that we will, but that we may.

I have some good news for you. After a month of blended food, a piece of baked fish will taste like a bone-in rib eye! I am 5 weeks out and just got okayed for some solid food. I bought a container of Lloyds pulled chicken BBQ and it tastes heavenly. I know it's nothing compared to the real thing, but it's still Great. I am also looking forward to some wine in the not too distant future. When I do, my plan is to eat before I drink and go slow with Water on the side. I think the key to wine (or any alcohol) is: 1. Pick your poison wisely. Red Wine is probably the best choice. I lost a lot of weight on Sugar Busters and red wine was the only permitted alcohol. 2. Count the calories in booze. An ounce of distilled alcohol is around 60 calories - the same as one of those Jello SF puddings. Find a very low cal mixer (or water) to mix with and then count your drinks and calories. 3. My #1 source of extra calories pre-opt was the food I would eat while drinking. I think I started drinking thinking I wouldn't eat so my brain was already compromised before I set foot in the kitchen. During my pre pre/opt diet I discovered Jolly Time 100 calorie pop corn. I plan to have that and a couple of other safe Snacks planned before I start imbibing. One last thing, there appears to be no consensus on when to start drinking. Talking to doctors, there seem to be two issue that we have to watch out for. From a medical perspective, it boils down to ulcer avoidance. Booze, coffee, tomatoes, citrus, all can overload your sleeves ability to resist ulcers. My plan is to avoid all of these when I do have some wine. The other is weight gain. But I think my plan (listed above) will help me avoid it. Good luck...

I'm 5 years in and it has done everything I expected, and then some.... Best decision I ever made....easiest thing I could ever do to loose ALL my excess weight and body fat.... Now living the new life I thought would never be possible.... I only say this, because after years on this forum it is obvious everyone is welcome to share their experiences, good and bad....and for every statement made, positive or negative, there is always someone with a different experience... The same goes with things such as caffeine, alcohol, # of fills, interpretation of the Green Zone...there is no wrong or right, there is no Black and white... When one person or persons say one thing and feel it is the absolute fact, there will be another one with a totally different experience. And readers, especially newbies, should not get caught up into that trap...just because someone on the internet says so... I read success stories, as well as failures all the time....and the underlying issues to both the reader will never know...one can only assume.

I just hit my one year anniversary and have been on maintenance for 8 months. I can eat anything and it doesn't bother my sleeve. I don't measure or track my food. Never have during this process. 5/6 small meals a day. While I was losing I ate very little carbs. I still follow the general rule of Protein first and then veg and carbs. Except when I have oatmeal but then I add some unflavored protein to it. When I snack it's usually Skinny Pop. When I go on vacation or have a fun weekend with treats I make sure I am back on track when I return. I stay within a 2 lb range. I also work out every day. I don't drink carbonated drinks or alcohol. coffee with a little creamer, Water, or Powerade zero are what I drink. I was just downgraded from my Gold Status at Starbucks to green because I rarely go anymore. Not a bad thing since it saves me money and calories. I will have some pumpkin pie filling on Thanksgiving. Best of luck- LA

I read your OP as being full of contradictory words and messages (see red font above). It reads like you don't know what you want or what you think is best for you. Only you can answer these questions for yourself. Whether you and I would behave the same (or differently) doesn't really matter. BTW, if alcohol or drugs are involved in your sexual encounters with new people, you are flirting with major health risks. I sincerely hope that's not the case. For all these reasons, I think you would benefit greatly from finding and working with a good therapist. I know it took courage for you to post this. I wish you the very best.

We always jump to addiction transference, and maybe it is - what the heck do I know? However, i have been in the dating pool and have had many conversations with men over email, coffee dates and a couple of guys became friends with. Heck, even found a couple of "relationship potentials" so I have heard alot of feedback about OTHER WOMEN in this process. I know that is weird, but guys can't seem to shut up about the topic. Anyhoo... turns out lots of people who are older/divorced very promisciously. It seems like the majority and I can assure you these are not people who had massive weight loss in their background. It was a shocker to me - one of the first men I went on a second date with revealed some issues he had related to having had something like 50-75 sex partners since becoming single. hello?? what? It put the fear in me and I learned that "protection" simply reduces risk and does not eliminate it. So, you get these well groomed, well educated, well spoken good jobs - don't seem like the type to be "high risk" but they are. I am unclear why having a drink with a sexual partner creates more risk because it is not like you can tell how many partners they have had by looking at them - beer googles or not. Having said all that, i do the OP needs to examine what she really wants from life, and how sexuality either supports it or not. (Franky, most of us need to do that about various aspects of our lives) i think cheating/lying is terrible and there are so many choices to have "sexual freedom" without cheating, that it is completely avoidable. I cannot guess when this behavior is an addiction or an addiction transference but i can tell you there are a heck of a lot of people who are way promiscious in their middle years. I am not making a moral judgement, rather a risk assessment. I chose to vaccinate myself against HPV, even though that is not approved for people my age. The one I am most scared of, and nobody even thinks is an STD is Hep C. Get that, and no drinking alcohol EVER and it can be a serious health problem if not fully managed - I don't want liver damage! Anyway, I have kind of gone off course here, just making the point that not everything is a replacement for food and alot of people seem to go a little crazy once they become single, or go through a separation or whatever. I will admit I was saved from this fate of "too many" partners largely for 2 reasons - #1 the scare story from the man I mention above put the fear of good looking/safe looking strangers in me; and #2 finding a long term lover who was monogamous with me even though we weren't in a real boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. That odd situation was actually incredibly helpful to me - he is older and actually gave me alot of good counsel about approaching things in life, built my self confidence and helped me see my value on alot of dimensions, and when i had a lot of inner turmoil, was a bit of a safe harbor. But of course, that fits my natural desire anyway - to have a single partner so wouldn't necessarily be a good thing for others. I came from a lifetime of just 2 committed, all consuming relationships (both decades long) so it was a learning process to be in a much less serious relationship and helped me grow internally too. All my irritation with dating has been trying to find that next serious relationship....and I am quite sure I have been looking in the wrong places but that is another topic entirely!

I read your OP as being full of contradictory words and messages (see red font above). It reads like you don't know what you want or what you think is best for you. Only you can answer these questions for yourself. Whether you and I would behave the same (or differently) doesn't really matter. BTW, if alcohol or drugs are involved in your sexual encounters with new people, you are flirting with major health risks. I sincerely hope that's not the case. For all these reasons, I think you would benefit greatly from finding and working with a good therapist. I know it took courage for you to post this. I wish you the very best.

I think it's a good idea, but I wouldn't call it FAQ's. The term has adopted a new meaning that doesn't suit what's being discussed in this thread. Essentially, the term FAQ now means questions that a vendor or supplier get asked frequently by their customers/users. Further, these tend to be questions with "black and white" answers. My suggestion for those who are tired of answering the same question would simply be to not answer it. I, for one, have zero interest in hearing what people think "right and wrong" is. Hopefully, we all have guidelines from our doctors that spell this out. I do think it makes interesting reading to find out that some doctors say things like alcohol is okay after 6 weeks, but no coffee for 6 months. I am very interested in hearing from real people, about real situations - both triumphs and failures. I probably wouldn't even read an FAQ section where veterans posted there own ideas on right and wrong.

Hey Dub Just curious...exactly when did you stop drinking diet soda? Was it months before surgery? Right before surgery? Did you gradually stop or stop cold turkey? I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this! Howdy. I began to scale back on things and it really made it easier for me. I had a back injury in early April. I was doped up with meds and realized this would be ongoing for a while....stopped all alcohol at this point. I sure didn't need pain meds mixed with alcohol and the problems that could come from there. The back surgeon was the one that recommend bariatric surgery (I'd already had a hyperbaric & wound center surgeon and a vein surgeon both recommend it a couple months prior while I was getting other stuff treated and corrected). The back pain shut me the hell down.....shutdown in a way I've never experienced and it scared the crap outa me. Rapid and sustained weight loss was my highest priority. By early June I was in a bariatric program and began losing weight. Exercise was out of the question and I was fighting to get mobility to make it back to my job after being absent for 6 weeks. Returned to work and struggled but kept after it. I realized that my current diet was vastly different that my post op diet and it was getting results....but was just different. I conferred with the NUT and the program's nurse & advocate. My initial approach was to go low-calorie. The advice I took from them was to continue with what was helping me lose weight, but to ensure I was getting Protein. They stressed that there was going to be some rapid weight loss upcoming and to maintain protein levels. I basically swapped over to more of an Atkins diet. The diet sodas were more of my own concern than their's. They said that as long as I realized I'd not be able to drink them post op......for several months.....then it wasn't a problem. I used to drink 4 20oz Diet Dews or Diet Cokes on a workday......by the time I was a month out from surgery I was down to 1-2 on a workday and none on my days off. I've had zero desire for them since the surgery on October 13. About 3 weeks prior to surgery I started having an occasional Diet Snapple Tea or Lipton Tea. There are numerous flavors in their diet line-ups and there is no carbonation to contend with. The best two things that I did when leading up to surgery was to eliminate alcohol and to begin losing weight. Today is the third week past surgery and I feel really good. I run out of energy fairly easily. I go in short bursts. I'm anticipating that improving after my next surgeon's appointment on the 4th week. He'll add some more fuel to my daily menu that should certainly help. The weight loss has been really steady and I can see a difference, but more importantly, I can FEEL a difference. I worried about a lot of my demons leading up to the surgery......but the two that mattered most were as I stated....dropping the alcohol and putting forth the effort to lose weight. I've got a secret weapon that I'm about to unleash on my weight loss that's going to pump me into overdrive.......I've yet to do much of any type of exercise throughout this entire process. Very minimal. I'm a dude who enjoys exercise, too. I've been very cautious with my healing back and taking things extremely cautious with the 9 wounds in my gut form the hernia repair & sleeve. The wounds are healing nicely and my back feels better. I'll be starting the gym tomorrow (treadmill). Things are about to really speed up on my weight loss. What I've done since June is basically been done while being sedentary. I'm stoked. Treadmill guy......elliptical guy.......and then by this Summer when the hernia has healed, I'll add in weight training. By next October....my one year mark post-op......the physical changes could be significant. The emotional changes have already been. HOPE is a powerful asset. Having days when my back is trusty......and getting past having to rely on hydrocodone and other pain meds........just Proteins, water, and my blood pressure meds only.........things are getting better. Life is good. Life..... while having visible abs at 47 will be gooder. I'm looking forward to the future in a way that I haven't in a long, long time.

From all I've read pop and alcohol stretch your pouch. Greatest cause of weight gain in some. Just a thought to keep! Be well!!

My esophagus is dilated do to the Lap band. When I went for the upper GI it looks almost double the size a normal esophagus should be. How long does it normally take to heal? Apparently the surgeon who will be removing my lap band is the best one at Kaiser. Regardless if he’s good, I thought he was an a*****e. I felt belittled by his answers and although I could go for a second opinion I know I’m going to need to get the lap band removed regardless. He said it’ll take a year for my esophagus to heal but I don’t know if that answer was exaggerated as I felt all his other answers were. For instance: When I asked about how much weight people normally gain after the lap band was removed, he said many people even lose weight because you can actually eat the right stuff and my hunger would stay the same. I asked how long would it take for me to heal after the surgery, he said because it’s a simple procedure many people go back to work the next day but it’s up to me. When he asked if I drink, I said yes on occasion he told me I needed to stop. I said I don’t drink everyday and proceeded to show me what alcoholism does to your liver. OK, SIR, I AM NOT AN ALCOHOLIC. He asked me when I wanted to get the lapband removed (although NEVER) and told him after the Holidays. He was upset at my response and said, "I had another patient asking if they can get it removed next week, but I said NO because I thought you were going to want to do it." Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh okkkkkkkkkkkkkk,,,,,,,, my appt. is Dec 2. The nurse is GREAT and I told her what happened and she told me she would talk to him. After they spoke, it almost seemed as if the story changed. She told me he would like to see me in 6 months after the procedure to know how I’m healing and I would be able to do the sleeve. I’m trying with all my heart just to stay positive. Again, with a dilated esophagus that almost seems double the size, does anyone know how long it takes to heal? Are there any remedies, Vitamins to speed up the dilation recovery process?? Thank you. <3

@@Dub Let us know how that hobby horse goes down! LOL! Your posts literally keep me in tears! Laughing of course. I am not a male nor am I a sleeve but thought I would add my two cents. I don't know if this is all bypass folks or just me. I love to cook and love to grill. My relationship with food has definately changed but mostly for the good. I have noticed that I don't tolerate smoke flavor much anymore. In fact it can actually make me sick pretty quickly. I think it could be an aversion but I definately know that it has happened post surgery. I figure like most things, this will resolve over time but for now bacon is about the only smoky flavor I can tolerate and I certainly cannot do double smoke. I am 13 months post op and have yet to try any alcohol. The most I have done is take a tiny sip of my sons bourbon. Then again, I did not drink frequently pre surgery, maybe once every 6 weeks or so.

My esophagus is dilated do to the Lap band. When I went for the upper GI it looks almost double the size a normal esophagus should be. How long does it normally take to heal? Apparently the surgeon who will be removing my lap band is the best one at Kaiser. Regardless if he’s good, I thought he was an asshole. I felt belittled by his answers and although I could go for a second opinion I know I’m going to need to get the lap band removed regardless. He said it’ll take a year for my esophagus to heal but I don’t know if that answer was exaggerated as I felt all his other answers were. For instance: When I asked about how much weight people normally gain after the lap band was removed, he said many people even lose weight because you can actually eat the right stuff and my hunger would stay the same. I asked how long would it take for me to heal after the surgery, he said because it’s a simple procedure many people go back to work the next day but it’s up to me. When he asked if I drink, I said yes on occasion he told me I needed to stop. I said I don’t drink everyday and proceeded to show me what alcoholism does to your liver. OK, SIR, I AM NOT AN ALCOHOLIC. He asked me when I wanted to get the lapband removed (although NEVER) and told him after the Holidays. He was upset at my response and said, "I had another patient asking if they can get it removed next week, but I said NO because I thought you were going to want to do it." Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh okkkkkkkkkkkkkk,,,,,,,, my appt. is Dec 2. The nurse is GREAT and I told her what happened and she told me she would talk to him. After they spoke, it almost seemed as if the story changed. She told me he would like to see me in 6 months after the procedure to know how I’m healing and I would be able to do the sleeve. I’m trying with all my heart just to stay positive. Again, with a dilated esophagus that almost seems double the size, does anyone know how long it takes to heal? Are there any remedies, Vitamins to speed up the dilation recovery process?? Thank you. <3

It seems like those of you who are saying you do fine are at least a year out (2014 surgery). I am three months out and I can't even imagine the thought of alcohol, so I'm not inclined to try. It could knock me out even at my highest weight and larger stomach. Given this thread, I am definitely waiting until the 1st anniversary (incidentally, the day after my birthday).

After several phases of postOp changes, many of my long term life favorites simply aren't that appealing. And such as Pasta, spaghetti, sauces, mashed potatoes, french fiies, etc, have beome a "1% of the time" food....might have them one meal a QUARTER rather than 1 meal a day. I eat smaller portions by choice. I've been to McD ONCE in the last 12 years! Consider it a mistake at that. Eat home made or take-with about 90% of the time rather than eat out. Never cared for syruppy gooey sauces of any kind, at least since circa 1988 when Dx'd as diabetic. Actually carry bottled Water in vehicle and find it very refreshing. My liquid intake is water, a couple black coffees in the AM, perhaps 6 oz skim milk (or none) daily, never diet/aspartame anything. Have abstrained from alcohol nearly 30 years without any dire effects. Do have various cheeses about now & then. Protein/grain bar now & then. Like the little tangerine Cuties, fresh greens, of course the garden & fresh berries, now in decline....but plenty in the freezer. Nearly any restaurant meal requires take-home box. I do favor a decent corned beef hash now & then.