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I think an addiction is an addiction no matter what it is, food, drugs, alcohol....... There comes a point of getting sick and tired and a willingness to change something... I am still on my journey but when I see people larger than myself I have compassion because I feel their pain.......

I waited about a year, until I got a good handle on my weight loss and new lifestyle, and got to know my band and how to "Listen" to it. Then once I understood and was comfortable with everything, I began to reintroduce many things, including alcohol.... I also drink beer. and other carbonated drinks...but i understand how to do it now. There were more important things to deal with than alcohol within the first year.

My surgeon Dr Needleman summed it up pretty well ! After your surgery you will become a "Cheap Drunk" , a medicine cup of alcohol will do you,in, so It's really not worth it to you!😷

My appetite is dimmed and I can make good choices -- and I had no restrictions after recovery, just to eat when I'm hungry (way less) and learn to pay attention to my band, I'm glad nothing is outlawed -- caffeine, alcohol, etc. I had years of outlawing all sorts of things to no avail. I am not on a diet. I have a band and make good choices.

Right after surgery, you have to follow a STRICT diet, from your surgeon. It's set up that way to insure proper healing of your band, also prepping you for how to eat in the future. You can't scarf food down anymore, can't chug down pop, alcohol, or even Water anymore. Everything is much slower. Lots of chewing, lots of smaller bites, lots of sips, and certainly no alcohol and sodas. The caffeine is a no-no for the first two weeks, according to my diet plan. The first 3 days were nothing but liquid, at 2-3 oz each meal, 6 meals a day, plus 24 oz of water. Days 4-6 were still 6 liquid meals, but every other one was a Protein drink, all still 2-3 oz each. Day 7-13 are what they call the blended stage. Portions upped to 3-4 oz, and now certain foods are added, such as yogurt, creamed Soups, cottage cheese, veggies, even chicken and turkey with brith added. Still drinking the Protein shakes, 3-4 oz in between each meal, still incorporating 24 oz of water. Mind you, this is how my des plan is, others may be different. So far, so good for me! (My diet plan goes up to 5 wks post-op. I can post more of it, if you'd like.) My husband was banded in 2010, and he still eats like crap, but his portions are very small. The band lets you know when enough is enough. I wish he would eat better. I'm hoping my better choices will rub off on him!!!

I was 11 days post-op when I had my first alcoholic beverage since surgery. It too was at a post-holiday party. I had a vodka-cranberry (hey-juice!). I had to watch everyone else digging in to NY Strip steaks while I sat & ate 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes....I decided I deserved to get SOME enjoyment out of the evening. I sipped it slow, 1 oz every 15 minutes just like I was supposed to have my beverages.. It tasted good & there were no problems. But, day 4 post-op, I don't think I would have tried it!

Thanks Mkrupa - Appreciate the post. I'm kinda where you are in terms of it not being part of post op. However - I honestly don't feel like it would hurt either my weight loss or my band - but that said - my body feels a little to fragile to have a glass of wine. Fluffy - Really?? Is that your idea of support? Ultimately I will incorporate wine into my weight loss and I expect my surgeon (as great as he is) to be supportive of that. My view is that if you build a sustainable happy place for yourself with food and the band (even some alcohol) that you will be more successful in the long run. I was half joking about having it now - but wasn't looking for a preacher....

I am so sorry that you've had so many problems. I agree with previous poster that you should see a therapist who handles eating disorders. My doctor required preop meetings with a therapist and I think it was soooo helpful to me. Half of the battle is knowing you see foods as fix for your emotional problems. My brother is a recovering alcoholic. When he gets stressed he wants to drink. I want to eat a browie. As to losing 10 pounds a month. Who came up with that? You or your doctor? Most doctors say 1-2 pounds a week which would be 4-8 pounds a month. I am a slow loser and can be at less than 1 pound a week. Being too tight can and will lead to band complications and it won't help you loose weight. You will rely on high calorie liquids to eat and those liquids won't make you feel full. Which causes you to eat more.

Like Sharpie says, it's about volume for me. I used to eat soooo much food and now I don't. There are times I wish I could just go to town but so far, I stop before I get uncomfortable and I am so grateful to be mobile and in small sizes and that helps to keep me focused. I think I'll have to look at this like an alcoholic....one day at a time.

Hi there, To be honest with you, sometimes you just have to find that motivation within yourself and then just push and push no matter what. I will never forget the day last December when I finally got on the scale and saw almost 400 pounds looking back up at me. I knew that my weight would be in that ballpark, but to see it was to make it real. I was miserable. I travel a lot for work, and I was starting to have trouble walking to make the connections in the Atlanta airport. Even going to the bathroom was starting to become a chore that it shouldn't have to be. And perhaps the biggest issue was that I was starting to avoid my friends because I was so embarrassed of the shape I had let myself get into. As of today, I have lost 95 pounds pre-op. My surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday, and I am going to use this sleeve as a tool to anchor the second half of my weight loss and help me to maintain a healthy weight afterward. But all of it is a daily struggle. I chose to stop eating carbs. I chose to cut out alcohol. I chose to get up and moving. I chose to only eat 1200 calories per day. I understand mobility issues, and, in terms of exercise, you can only do what you can do. But food wise, we always have control if we choose to own that. I am addicted to overeating and carbs. I know that, and I am going to have to live with it and control it for the rest of my life, or, sleeve or not, I'll end right back up at that December day weighing almost 400 pounds. That's my motivation. And, hard as it is some days, I will stick to my plan and I won't let food rule my life any more... All my best to you!

If you feel that you can't stop drinking, then you have an alcohol problem. I would recommend talking to a professional so that you can determine a good path forward. Best wishes!

Me either but I have read some things people have eaten or drank alcohol soon after and such ... I needed to know some people didn't gonthrough a major surgery like we did just do have the same behaviors ....Faith on people thank you [emoji16] progress starts in the mind

Hello Athena. What do you mean all of the things that come with the new you? With the exception of being mindful of what I eat now and no longer liking alcohol things are pretty much the same for me as they were before surgery. What obstacles are you having?

Devana -- I remember that episode. I also remember laughing at it. You just made me feel bad. I never even though about how the chubby boy must have felt. I just remember Cos hamming it up, and the boy laughing. he was the silent kid who used to run out of the house, right? heheheh I don't know if I've ever been weight discriminated against. I probably have, especially when it comes to personal preference (dates). I'm confident, outspoken, intelligent, successful, beautiful and have a great personality. I've never been denied a job or failed to get what I wanted (even men) because I'm fat. I was embarrassed getting on a ride at Six Flags, because they had to get 2 men to muscle the cage shut due to my big ass. I haven't been back. That is one of my goals for next summer - get on that ride and snap the latch without needing assistance from 2 brawny guys. But even then it was embarrassing, but not cripplingly so. I have always been outspoken, I have always been one to stand up for myself. I call people out on their bullshit. To the woman whose uncle said "Well she is." I would have said, "And you're an idiot" or something equally biting. (e.g., "And you're an alcoholic," "Your wife is a whore," "Suck my dick") I don't take it - maybe that makes me an angry fat woman, but I am quick to remind people that they are no better than anyone else. I don't internalize put downs, and I don't take them lying down either. I never understood why so many fat people are voiceless and feel worthless because of their size. Stop thinking that way! Speak up for yourselves. Don't accept that second-hand treatment. Fight back. We may be heavy, but we're just as good, just as smart, just as worthy, and have just as much right to be as anyone else. To believe otherwise is practicing weight discrimination on yourself.

I’ve never heard that drinking water at night causes reflux & I’ve had it for decades. Never advised that at any time either. We’re you told this by your doctor? I managed my reflux successfully by making dietary changes. Avoiding alcohol & carbonated drinks before going to bed I can understand but not water which actually supports digestion & flushing food & acids through your tummy. I wonder if drinking large amounts of water before bed so you’re bloated may not be the best but then most of us can’t do that anyway.

Hello fellow forummers!So here is some of my story........ I am one of 4 siblings.......whom are all 1/2 brothers and sisters, I might add. I'm not only the oldest but was forever the "Heavy" one in the family of beanstalks. My sister is 5'6" and has always been a svelte130 lbs. My mom is 5'8" and never saw above 130, even having 4 kids. My Stepdad is 6' and 175 lbs My two brothers are both well over 6' tall and about 180 lbs each. Me? Well, I'm 5'3" and struggled to stay at 130 through high school, with my parents always making nice little comments about anything I put in my mouth. My moms favorite thing to do was pinch my thigh and say, "You're gettin a little chunky these days!". My stepdad used to tell me that one day I'd grow into my arms.....(I have wide shoulders and I guess my arms stuck out a little from my body......he meant I would fill up that gap). All my life I have felt FAT and UGLY. All my life I have hated my body. All my life I have hated food. I even hated myself after my first child was born and I was back at 130 lbs. I still felt FAT. I see pictures of me THEN, and I'm like, OMG! I was a stick!!! Why did my parents always think I was so overweight??????? Well, after an unfortunate reaction to Norplant birth control in 1994......I began my journey as the true fat one in my family. I guess I finally lived up to my families expectations.....without even WANTING to! I gained 90 lbs in less than 3 months. So long post birth 130 lbs! Hello 208. Then, I got pregnant with my daughter........hello 298. 1995 - 208 lbs 1996 - 298 lbs. 1998 - 145 lbs (Advocare products) 2000 - 208 lbs 2001 - 150 lbs (Divorce diet...lol) 2003 - 185 lbs 2005 - 140 lbs (2 jobs, depression, 3 hrs of sleep, living on Peanut Butter, unhealthy) 2006 - 190 lbs 2007 - 140 lbs (moved, broke, stopped eating, unhealthy) 2008 - 180 lbs 2009 - 145 lbs (straight alcohol diet) lovely and extremely stupid. 2011 - 211 lbs So when I tell my mom about my surgery, she says, "You look fine and I'm sure you can lose it by yourself." OMG I wanted to stick a fork in my own eye!!!!!! Hello, Earth to Mom! I've 'done it by myself' SIX times! She didn't approve of my surgery and didn't speak to me for 3 weeks prior to my surgery, and that was just fine with me....I didn't need the stress. So now I have the sleeve. I'm down 25+ lbs in the weeks since surgery and my self confidence is already coming back! My husband loves my smile, the fact that I'm not hiding from him behind the covers, bathrobes and etc. has improved our sex life. I just can't say anything negative right now.......except I'm bored to death with liquids! LOL! So, here's to the gal who used to be "chunky"....... and here's to the WOMAN who will not be held back by weight issues ANY MORE!!!!!!! Cheers ya'll! and thanks for listening!!!!! Christal

When I got home from the hospital, and the pain was still a big part of my day, I looked at my situation and realized that my life needed to be different. I was initially embarrassed that I couldn't do it on my own and needed the surgery, and this embarrassment was motivation to not squander this opportunity to hit the "Reset Button" on my habits. I never have looked to be able to re-introduce bad foods, but instead I have looked for replacement foods, and activities. This is the new Football Sunday spread. Lol. Once I started losing the weight, I fell in love with the new "superpower" of a small stomach! I never wanted to have the craving monster come back in my life, so I have convinced myself that my addiction to crap needed to be treated as the disease it is. So I have sworn off of all trigger foods, and basically anything non-healthy. No breads, candy, Pasta, etc. I have never heard of an alcoholic program that has a goal of reintroducing social drinking.. lol. So why does our program have the final goal of being able to eat some of the foods that put us in trouble in the first place? Once you can find your "feel good" foods, things get much easier. For me it was home made Soups, yogurts, Fish, pickles, and almonds. Once you decide to eat to live and not live to eat, it just gets easier. One day at a time, the future is so bright! Surgery was Feb23rd this year... I was 381 and now 214 as of this morning. Down 167lbs Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am a recovering food addict. I lllloooovvvveee the taste of food. The band is not a cure all for this addiction. I have had to accept the fact that I have it and have applied some of the 12 steps of AA to help me with it. (My grandfather, who was like a father to me was an alcoholic so I was familiar with AA). I don't go to dinner with my fellow food adicts and I haven't been to my favorite soul food restaurant since I've been banded. Finally I don't have food in my house that tempts me. (People, Places and Things they call this) I have, had some of the foods I love sense I've been banded, but only while I'm out and in moderation. The band has really helped me with eating in moderation. There are times I have to force myself to eat so I get my calories in because I'm very rarely hungry. My nut says it's because I'm good about getting my Protein and Water in. That's been the key for me. If I do nothing else I make sure I have 40 - 60 g of protein (I love Isopure Zero Carb drinks - 40 oz of liquid Protein or 3 EAS Carb Control Shakes), 5 bottles of water before noon and 1200 calories per day. I can't guarantee these things will work for you, but they have for me. Take a look at the 12 steps for AA, NA or GA and see if you can convert them to help you and remember to follow the rules. Spending time concentrating on this and other healthy things like walking, etc. has meant I really have to make time to eat. Hope this helps and good luck.

well, I too am more of a lover than a fighter, especially when consuming alcohol. One night at a local watering hole, I was with several friends and we were all shooting pool. We were also ALL drinking... well as you can imagine a few men were watching this roudy bunch of women drinking. One man came up to me and challenged me to a game of pool. I asked him what I would get if I won. He said he wasn't sure. HE said he wanted to see my breasts if he won( HEY! who wouldn't want to see a nice pair of Natural DD's~~as they are such a rare occurance in nature--LOL LOL). I said ok "Tit for Tat" and pointed at his crotch..If I win I want to see TAT...both sets of friends with us started howling and roaring in laughter. I continued drinking through out the match and low and behold I actually Won. The guy became nervous and said that it was never a real bet. All our friends said he did infact bet. Well as not to crush the poor man's ego I challenged him yet again to of all things..an ARM WRESTLING match. As it turns out I am freakishly stong when intoxicated. Yes. I did win. So at the urging of all of our friends and by this time, my mother( how she got there I still don't know) the guy reluctantly went out back with me to show me the goods. To say the least I was not impressed. Let's just say that Alcohol is not kind to those who are not that well endowed in the first place. Flacid would have been an improvement for this fellow. I walked back in to a room of people eagerly awaiting my response. I said "Wow I finally got to see the male hummingbird's penis upclose." He was VERY angry and said he would show me again when he was sober so I could see the full extent of his man hood. I told him not to bother, that if I wanted to see another thumb I had two of my own. He got pissed and stormed out of the bar. He has never been back there. Not exactly the bar fight you were talking about , yet an interesting bar story none the less.

In defense of the alcohol suggestion, I believe a cocktail can relax the band in the evening before dinner. But, each to their own? It did help me!

TALK TO ME!!! I loved kombucha before surgery. I even made my own. I couldn’t drink alcohol because of migraines. So I finished each day with 1/2 - 1 bottle of kombucha and was so relaxed from it. But it has fizz and I was told not to ever for life drink anything bubbly again. So how do you manage to drink kombucha? I am scared to try but I really miss it.

There is no evidence that Kombucha is "healthy", but there is mounting evidence that it may be unhealthy. And the alcohol is no more naturally occurring than the alcohol in wine. Both occur because of fermentation through the introduction of bacteria to a sugar base/broth. I am not a wine drinker, so I can't recommend anything. But I do want to say good on you for waiting on drinking. Wish more people would be conservative in this regard.

There are many ways to answer that question. For one thing, to some people sugar really is an addiction in the exact same way drugs or alcohol is. I am one of those people. I couldnt go a day without sugar and pretty much after every meal I would crave sugar like crazy. I remember one terrible Christmas we made dozens of cookies and I ate those damn cookies like they were crack for the next 3 weeks. I just kept thinking "this has to stop". So at that point I was definitely not able to moderate it. Now, 9 months post surgery I have completely changed my life. I have changed my coping mechanisms, I havent had any deserts and I work out regularly. I am debating the idea of having tiny amounts of sweets. Have I changed enough? Have I come far enough to be able to moderate? I honestly dont know.

Hi all, I've had great success with my surgery... List 100 lbs in 10 months... But I've been drinking wine again and it scares me a bit. I'm wondering if I've changed my obsession with food to alcohol. I really never drank much, I always got horrible headaches. But I don't now. Anyone else having issues like this.

Honestly, this is the type of thing I don't like to see here. BUT - I get it, so you wont get any judgement from me but here is what I do have to say on the topic. Most surgeons would not touch you with a ten foot poll if they knew you were drinking alcohol at this stage, because you are setting yourself to have problems. That goes straight to your liver (which you should be reducing at this point) and ultimately if you do poorly, it reflects poorly on them. You should be following your rules ONE HUNDRED PERCENT for at least the first 18 months post op and in the months leading up to your surgery. If you cannot commit to that, I question your candidacy for something like this (from a healthcare standpoint) As a patient - I get it, but I don't really approve, not that it matters.