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Be aware with alcohol after surgery it will hit you like a ton of bricks! I'm talking one drink and you will feel it take it slow. it burns off really fast but it hits fast also.

Not all of us had the same "rules" anyway. If I ate like your friend I would weigh 300 again. If I eat anything even approaching a "normal" diet I gain pounds. It is just how it is, I need to be a small eater of dense Protein and veggies FOREVER. I do have "treats" like alcohol sometimes but not a daily thing. My daily habits generally follow the "sleever" rules.

I still somewhat follow the rules as well. I exercise some, I don't eat heavy carbs often, junk food is a no no, and I've always drank alcohol since 5-8 weeks out so I still drink. I'm maintaining just fine, but I would never test the waters and push the envelope with a whole milkshake and bread and burgers. I'm not that daring.

Thanks Dub! You gave me a giggle this morning. I waited until the kids were sleeping and talked to him about it. I told him right now I'm like a crack head trying to kick it, and he filled the house with crack. He feels like scum for it now, and sadly he kinda should. It's like he's drinking a huge beer in front of an alcoholic when he cooks and eats what he does. I know it's going to always be around, food in huge quantities is kinda like the American way. I'm hoping it will be a little easier when I'm A off the liquid diet and B sleeved. My surgery is on Tuesday. Feb 2nd his nookie days are numbered! Ha ha ha ha

I'm curious to know if veterans still follow the "rules". Like a certain amount of Protein per day, no soda, no alcohol, no rice/pasta or heavy carbs in general, etc.... ? I spent last weekend with a cousin who had the surgery a year ago. I was shocked when I saw him eat a burger and had a sprite, later on, he had a rich haggendaz milkshake, then at dinner, a cheese and bacon sandwich with the thickest bread there was in the house, and he ate it all. He does exercise. But it seem to be the only rule he still follows. I couldn't believe everything he ate. So how about everyone else? Veterans? What's life like now?

I never went strictly by the rules and did fine. I exercise pretty consistently. I eat 1800-2000 calories a day. I try to hit 100 carbs every day but that merely by eyeballing as I don't track my food anymore. I am 145 pounds, size. 4.. 5'7.5". I have stayed within. 3 pounds of 145 for months. I drink alcohol & have sweets though when I sense I'm overdoing it I scale back. I drink over a gallon of water every day

Actually the only way to stop an addiction is to quit it and never touch it again. I was a true addict too. I drank about 6 cans a day and quitting seriously sucked. Just like a drug addict or alcoholic can't have their addiction in moderation and remain in control of it, neither can we.

I really like the MIO idea... Can't stand Vodka but bet it would work with Bacardi. There is a liquor store around the corner and I'm hoping I can find "skinny girl" (as seen on TV lol)... I've heard they are low in sugar. Anyone ever tried them? I never realized alcoholic beverages don't have to have calorie, sugar, ect listed.

Can you go online and look at the nutritional stats for the drinks etc? I don't drink at all and honestly all that I have heard and the dangers of drinking with RNY if i did I would stay away from it as far as I could. You might want to research the dangers of drinking alcohol and death and serious issue for rny patients. Liver damage issues and death being serious consequences. (my friend's aunt died from liver damage due to drinking after rny and it was just wine a few times a week, not sure how much that is but does not seem like she was a drunk) On line they talk about how doctors just seem to ignore it and do not educate their patients, so if we are trying to be healthy we should at least research and educate ourselves if our doctors are not going to do it. Maybe someone has some solid info (betting DLCoggins does) to share? I just thought we should be aware and make educated decisions about our bodies and health. I would post the info I found I just don't have the info with me where I am currently.

Thankfully help in knowing those calorie counts is coming! Yay! Overview of FDA Labeling Requirements for Restaurants, Similar Retail food Establishments and Vending Machines Menu Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance Vending Machines Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance Menu Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance In a nutshell Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home. Making calorie information available on chain restaurant menus will help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families. As required by statute, FDA’s final rule for nutrition labeling in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments will provide consumers with clear and consistent nutrition information in a direct and accessible manner for the foods they eat and buy for their families. Posting calories on menus and menu boards and providing other nutrient information in writing in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments will fill a critical information gap and help consumers make informed and healthful dietary choices. Covered establishments will list calorie information for standard menu items on menus and menu boards and a succinct statement about suggested daily caloric intake. Other nutrient information—total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, Fiber, sugars, and protein—will have to be made available in writing on request. In addition, covered establishments will also be required to post a statement on menus and menu boards about the availability of such additional written nutrition information. To be covered, an establishment must be a restaurant or similar retail food establishment, as defined in the final rule. In addition, such establishment must: (1) be part of a chain of 20 or more locations, (2) doing business under the same name, (3) offering for sale substantially the same menu items. Examples of restaurant-type foods that are covered when sold by a facility that is part of a chain with 20 or more locations include: Meals from sit-down restaurants Foods purchased at drive-through windows Take-out food, such as pizza Foods, such as made-to-order sandwiches, ordered from a menu or menu board at a grocery store or delicatessen Foods you serve yourself from a salad or hot food bar Muffins at a bakery or coffee shop Popcorn purchased at a movie theater or amusement park A scoop of ice cream, milk shake or sundae from an ice cream store Hot dogs or frozen drinks prepared on site in a convenience or warehouse store Certain alcoholic beverages Foods not covered include: Certain foods purchased in grocery stores or other similar retail food establishments that are typically intended for more than one person to eat and require additional preparation before consuming, such as pounds of deli meats, cheeses, or large-size deli salads.Effective date: Based on comments, the FDA has extended the effective date from six months to one year after the date of publication of the final rule. On July 10, 2015, FDA published a final rule to extend the compliance date to December 1, 2016. View a statement on Menu Labeling Compliance. back to top Vending Machines Labeling Requirements At-A-Glance In a nutshell Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home. The FDA’s final rule for vending machine calorie labeling, coupled with the requirements for menu labeling, aim to provide consumers with clear and consistent nutrition information in a direct and accessible manner for the foods they eat and buy for their families. Even though some foods sold from vending machines already bear calorie information, this labeling is not always visible before purchase. Calorie labeling of foods sold in vending machines will help make calorie information available to consumers in a direct, accessible, and consistent manner to enable them to make informed and healthful dietary choices. The FDA is allowing two years from the date of publication of the vending machine labeling final rule for covered vending machine operators to comply with the requirements. FDA received approximately 250 comments on the vending machine labeling proposed rule issued on April 6, 2011. FDA reviewed and considered each comment carefully before issuing the final rule. What’s required? Disclosing calorie information of foods sold in vending machines operated by a person owning or operating 20 or more machines, subject to certain exceptions. Calorie information may be placed on a sign (e.g., small placard, sticker, poster) near the article of food or selection button. Electronic or digital displays may also be used. Posting of calorie information for foods sold from bulk vending machines (e.g., gumball machines, mixed nut machines). Disclosing contact information of covered operators on the machines or otherwise with the required calorie declarations to enable FDA to contact operators for enforcement purposes.

Overeaters Anonymous lessons to remember on this journey: (Mostly from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous) "It works if you work it!" "Half measures availed us nothing." "Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfection. We are not saints. We claim progress rather than perfection." 'The Promises' If we are painstaking about this phase of our developmet, we will be amazed before we are halfway through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole atttude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that [our higher power] is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

I'm on the "Liver Shrinking Diet" and am 8 lbs down in 10 days so if you're on something similar, then yeah that sounds about right. A lot of patients lose a good chunk of weight pre-op. My diet is 3 meals with Protein (any amount) and up to 2 cups of veggies (non starch) only. I am to avoid fruit ( ), dairy, nuts/nut milks, grains, starches, sugars, carbonated drinks, coffee, black or green tea, and alcohol. I'm supplementing my diet with Isopure Protein Drinks. No snacking, 64 oz Water minimum a day. It's hard because I work in an office setting and there are always donuts and bagels around but I am determined to do what I'm supposed to do to get to the next step. If my liver is still too large at my next appt I'll have to keep up this diet until it's small enough. I don't want to do anything that will delay me getting my surgery scheduled.

I am 6 months post op and had my first drink 3 months post-op. Yes, it does hit you faster, but it certainly wears off faster too. I can have two vodka drinks and feel pretty tipsy, but one hour later I am stone cold sober. My surgeon said the biggest concern with alcohol is the empty calories and transfer addiction. I am pretty much a weekend drinker and I haven't had to change my lifestyle much, I just had to give it up for a while. I do stay away from beer though because of the carbonation, and obviously sugary drinks are too high calorie.

I have a Vegas trip 6 weeks after my surgery I'm wondering if I can have a drink. Obviously not carbonated but an alcoholic one.

I'm 6 months and only went into maintenance a month a go. As long as I'm under goal, I do a combination of "yellow days" and "green days". On a yellow day, I eat what I ate when I first got cleared for solid foods - about 1200 calories/day. On green days, I "pretty much eat anything" and have some sugar free alcohol (vodka, whiskey, red wine). Still, thanks to my sleeve, I doubt it's more than 2,000 calories. So far so good. In the event I go more than a pound or two over my goal weight, I'll go back on "red days" and log everything and target 1,000 calories. So far, so good...

Hi Momma Barb -- I don't know about surgeons in Ohio, but I can tell you what it's like having the sleeve. I weighed 303 lbs. when I got the sleeve almost 8 weeks ago. I have been obese most of my adult life -- I had gotten to a point where I was accepting the fact that I would be morbidly obese all of my life -- and that pushed me to the point that I considered weight loss surgery. I can tell you right now, I have very little hunger. I occasionally get hungry when I haven't eaten for hours, but even then I don't have an overwhelming urge to eat. It's like that part of my brain was switched off somehow -- and I love it!! Now, I was never a big alcohol drinker to begin with (chocoholic is my problem) -- but I do know that he won't be able to drink for quite a while and then after that, when/if he does drink, it will affect him much faster than it used to. Frankly, if I'm not missing chocolate, he might not miss his beer! Many people do the sleeve on an outpatient basis - many people have very little to no pain following the surgery. I was not one of them, but then again I am 46 years old and I think that contributed to it. I can tell you this -- and I think it's true pretty universally for most sleeve patients -- I have NEVER regretted getting the sleeve -- I truly believe it is saving my life, making my family's lives that much better, making me a happier, more healthy person. I hope I have answered most of your questions - others will probably want to chime in as well -- I think it's wonderful that you are being so supportive of your son -- a lot of people on this board do not get their parents' support and it really hurts them. Take care!

So here I am. I have decided to take a step towards the final frontier of my personal happiness. My health. I have been through a hell of a ride on my journey to today. I have struggled through a dysfunctional marriage to an abusive alcoholic, stood witness to the attack on New York City first hand, narrowly escaped death from sepsis blood poisoning, fought a ten year fertility battle, and buried a friend/lover taken far too young from brain cancer. Life as a human being is hard enough, no wonder I was unable to keep my weight under control – there was too much else to focus on. Today, I am the proud mother of a beautiful two year old boy, I am fulfilled in my 10+ year career with a fantastic company who value my efforts, I own my own home, have a functional car, and am in a relationship with a man whom I have known almost all my life in some capacity… its new… its fresh, but its good. He is kind, and patient and wonderful with my son. The song Good Mother by Jan Arden goes through my head on a daily basis these days – if you don’t know it, check it out on YouTube. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to truly believe that I am finally happy and at peace. There is only one concern left… and that is my weight and my health. I have tried over the years to lose weight and on a couple of occasions have been somewhat successful, most notably loosing 70ish lbs in 2001 on the Dr. Bernstein Diet. But, being predisposed to easily gain, it keeps coming back. Last year I topped my scales (having left my husband 3x in the same year my child was born) at 296! I knew I had to do something and quick. I started an exercise regiment and eating well, and managed to lose 26 lbs in about 4 months. 270 felt pretty good and I started to gain back some confidence in myself and hope for my future. Then suddenly, my guy (who was not my guy at the time) broke up with his girlfriend and landed on my couch!! We were not an item but decided to try and live as roommates until he either found something more permanent or the arrangement was too awkward. Riiiiiiiight. That clearly didn’t and wasn’t going to work. He came with a WHOLE lot of baggage and there were some serious growing pains – the to point where I threw him out of my house in January. That’s what we needed I guess to determine that our friendship (and the stuff that blossomed along with it) was in fact a love neither of us were looking for. But, all that confusion and activity made me put my weight loss on the back burner, yet again. So here I go again, at the start of this year, new diet, new exercise regiment –this is going to be it! I rejoined Weight Watchers (probably for the 18-20th time) and bought myself a treadmill. Starting the year off at 278 I went gang busters being perfectly well behaved with my eating and working out on my treadmill approx 5 times a week at 40 minutes a pop. I was on the move again and dropped to 265. Then suddenly I started suffering from sciatica. So, thinking that the exercise would sort it out, I pushed harder – increasing my efforts to every day and included some workouts on my vibration platform. By the end of February I could no longer sleep or stand for long periods of time without pain. Turns out I have something called Piriformis Syndrome. Apparently what is happening is a muscle that attaches somewhere in my butt and hip is clenching up when I exercise and pinching my sciatic nerve. Are you KIDDING ME? So through acupuncture, deep massage therapy and chiropractic, they are still trying to make the muscle ease up… and I have not been able to work out. I continued my diet plan for a while but then threw my hands in the air out of frustration and so here I am - and back up to 277.8. So much effort to lose it, so easily regained. What I do I know is that I have the will and determination to make this work… all I need is the rewarding results for my efforts. One thing that my fella said to me shortly after we started to cohabitate was, "I dont understand with all that you do, and how you eat, how you weight more than 98 pounds!" That sort of outside review is the justification I needed! :wub: This is a big step... and a bit scary... but I am worth this effort, and there is simply put, nothing I wouldn't do for my boy. He deserves a healthy mommy who will be with him a long long time. Let’s do this thing. May 10, 2013. Dr. Rodrigues at Star Medica in Juarez. I’m ready.

I smoked pre-op, and have for a solid 15 years. I've also quit 3 times since surgery, and I've gone back to it. For me, it's all mental. I've been pretty open about my past use of alcohol and illegal substances to self-medicate. My family is a big booze fest, and it's in my genes for an addictive personality. I didn't eat compulsively, or really even emotionally, but I was a volume eater. Every time I quit, I want to eat even though I am not hungry. I went on Wellbutrin for a few months to help with the withdraws from nicotine, and it did help, unfortunately I do not suffer from depression or any other anxiety or behavioral issue and when I took Wellbutrin it made me manic, and it was very unhealthy for myself and my family. I also lost my appetite on Wellbutrin and slipped down to 118lbs for a couple of weeks. I was absolutely miserable on Wellbutrin (Zyban) which is prescribed and used a smoking cessation drug. Chantix is out due to my reaction to Wellbutrin. I do smoke a lot less than what I did pre-op. But, I do still smoke. I hate the withdraws, I hate being that out of control, and I absolutely hate being a slave to nicotine. BUT, I know that right now I am not ready to quit. I will quit when I get pregnant. There is a small part of me that wants to quit, but there's a bigger part of me that thinks this is all I do, this is my vice, this my weakness. I've tried everything except hypnosis, and that's because the area we live in is nothing but a bunch of scam artist hypnotist, or I'd be doing hypnotic therapy to quit smoking. I can't do the patch because that makes me worse, and I feel horrible when I use them. No offense taken. I'm not advocating smoking for anyone, but I also know that I'm only human. I like smoking, it's my destressor, it's the one thing I do now that I guess you could say that is my guilty pleasure. I don't eat a bunch of candy or junk food. I only drink socially, and I obviously have not nor will I ever go back to using illegal substances.

I have the most amazing friend. She was so excited and open and told everyone about her decision to get her sleeve. It was because of her courage and strength that I have decided to embark on my own journey. I will be meeting with the surgeon in a few weeks and I am so excited, ready to embark on the road to a healthier me. I even found out my insurance does cover it!!! That said the one thing that I have struggled with is deciding if I was going to tell everyone or not. My husband is very supportive and so is my awesome friend, but after a lot of thought I have decided I am not telling anyone, with the exception of some friends and anyone I meet or know that is struggling with obesity themselves. My MIL is a nurse and she will not be supportive and I know she will say I need to do it on my own as she did 30 years ago. When I mentioned my friend having surgery all she said was "well...you have to be careful so many of them become alcoholics, or shopping addicts, I see them all the time at work" . Mind you I wasn't saying I was thinking about it or anything. She also talks about everything and everyone, not in a harmful way at all, she is not mean spirited, but is always talking about various peoples health and medical issues ect. After discussing this with my husband I have decided to not tell my in laws or anyone in his family. This is a very personal choice and I feel I want to keep it private. I wish I too could scream it from the mountain tops like my friend, but I fear that any form of negativity will keep me from being successful. Am I a coward??? :confused5:

Yes Most surgeons don't allow alcohol for at least a year. A few will say six month. None would permit it so soon as two weeks. Your stomach won't even be healed inside yet.

I am so glad to hear how well you're doing!!! I keep telling myself that once I can eat food, I won't be hungry so therefor I won't crave food! I have never been a big drinker (glass of wine with friends or a cocktail), so giving up alcohol is no sweat! I've also not been a big soda drinker. I have always been a Water or milk drinker. If I'm thinking of the same mini ravioli's.... Those things are tiny!!! You can only eat 3? -----------| <------ Aren't they only about that size each? That doesn't seem like enough to sustain the human body. I | | | | | | -------------- think I can eat more than that now! At one sitting I can eat about 3oz of soup. That's over about a 30 min time frame though!

Hi elsid congratulation on loosing 36 pounds. Taking the first step to get with us guys is a great way to get back on track. We have the same problem as you. We are all compulsive overeaters I am for sure. We all chose the band to help us on the road to good health but it is only a tool it wont do it for us. To become sober an Alcoholic must stop drinking. A compulsive overeater is no different only food is the booze. We can’t stop eating so what can we do? For me I chose to not eat between meals that would be like an Alcoholic taking a drink this would be my first suggestion. Second exercise must become the most important activity of your day put off what you must but walk at least 30 minutes per day seven days a week Get a logbook and start recording daily I do. Log how much liquid, drink 48 to 64 oz per day. Record your Protein input. Eat 60 to 70 grams of protein per day no more. Drink protein drinks if needed to get to this number. I do record my calories but not required I eat 400 to 600 per day. Yes I do get hungry the Band fills have not caught up with that yet but they will. But then we chose weight lose surgery. So get over it use willpower 6 months to a year is a very small price to pay for our good health. I use low sodium v8 juice and protein drinks between meals to help with the hungers. Good luck

Some are food addicts. And just like alcoholics don't have the self control you have. I wish I had your self control. Some addicts need forgiveness and to know that people care and will try to help keep them focused. Some did not receive a very good support system or information system with their surgeon's office and staff... I am one of them. I knew the process but they did not give a whole lot of information post-op. I believe I got a sheet of paper on eating after surgery. I had a lot of questions that they seemed too busy to answer and I had already had the surgery. I researched the Lapband for quite a while prior but nothing helps you more then someone who has experienced it. Questions, answers, and support is what a forum is all about. That is the whole reason I joined this sight was for additional information my surgeon did not provide. If everyone new exactly what to do, what every strange feeling was, there would be no threads at all. Anyway... all is well, just skip over the threads that make you frustrated and others will answer and help. It's all good!

I'm also an ICU nurse, and I agree with PCindy. Plus, the 'resp depression' usually is the patient breathing too slowly or not deeply enough, not WANTING to breathe and not being able to. Its exactly like someone who drinks a massive amount of alcohol and then passes out on the couch. The reason its given over two mins is so that it dosent irritate your vein and burn like crazy. I cant believe that doctor didnt just admit what they did instead of leading you to believe that you have some sort of problem with the drug. very scary:(

well never mind all that - I just googled them, and they don't contain sugar alcohols. Not sure what it was you were reacting to...