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@"OKC Pirate" - yes, I also had to give up alcohol and coffee. No more (neverending) glass of wine after dinner! Diet Dr. Pepper was hard, too, but if I didn't eat Protein, the sweeteners in diet soda made my blood sugar bomb, so that's a concern I don't have now. I have no problem with the pre-surgery diet - I have 3 more weeks to go on it - as I rarely get hungry until I START to eat, so it's no big deal. My Nut keeps pushing exercise - and I'm the least athletically inclined creature in the universe! If the game involves a ball, I'll take it to the face; if it involves Water, I'll sink like a rock (I nearly drowned during a drownproofing class at the Y cuz I have heavy bones). I walk and coerce myself to get on the stair stepper, but it's truly a chore. Thank God for mp3 players!

I also have no desire to drink right now... but I think most people are asking questions because drinking alcohol is huge part of most people's social lives... and we shouldn't judge people for wanting to have a social life and manage drinking in a effective way (i.e. asking for advice)... I haven't seen any one running around saying "I want to get plastered and drink everyday!" So I don't find it that big of a deal. People are going to determine their own success. Personally I won't drink until I'm at least 6 months out, and that will probably be 1 drink for 21st birthday... And then I probably won't have another one for a while. And I surely hope people don't judge me for asking the question when I do...

I am only 8 weeks out from surgery BUT I am so sick and tired of seeing posts (I have stopped reading them) about "when can I have alcohol?". For me, this is the farthest thing from my mind. I have yet to hit my calorie goal of 700 and some days don't get all of my Protein and Water in. So it baffles me that people so early out are worried about the alcohol. I do realize that this is a public forum and everyone has their right to post whatever topic they choose. It certainly seems like there have been a ton of them this week. Now I will get over it.

Yes, this is a drastic and permanent treatment. But for the first time ever, I don't feel like I'm on a "diet". That word brings up thoughts in me of what I can't have and honestly, I feel like I can have it all now, I just can't over eat any more. If I do there are consequences, (puking or dumping) and I'm not likely to repeat that behavior anytime soon which was my cycle before. When I fell off the wagon, I'd fall long and hard. I'll be 2 year out in October maintaining a 90ish pound loss for over a year, (longest ever). I exercise 5x per week first thing (stationary bike and some light strength training at home, not a gym rat by any means). I worry about regaining every day, but it doesn't control my life and neither does food anymore. If I gain a few pounds, I give up empty calories like treats and alcohol, eat a little smarter and bump up my exercise a bit till it comes off. I can MANAGE my weight now for the first time in my life. As far as a new metabolic setpoint, I kind of believe that, which is why I started exercising and building muscle and why I ate as many calories as my weight loss could bear, (about 1200 per day), because I wanted to land in a manageable place for long term maintenance. So far, so good. Good luck in your decision!

The appeal for Atlanta to me is primarily because that is the heart of promotion opportunities within my part of my company. I also like the office there. Ever go somewhere and feel like "these are my people?" The women dress up, it is multicultural, the average age is a bit younger - just an energizing place to be. i like any workplace that when I show up to visit I get hugs and kisses - there just isn't enough of that in this world for my tastes! I don't feel that way in our Boston office and in fact refused to move there. I have been part of the Seattle office for over 20 years and am just tired of it and it also has very little executive presence since the big reorg of 08/09 so limited growth opportunities. I had fun seeing Dan play with Austin Jenke on Wednesday. Austin is a hometown hero who was on the voice. More importantly he works as a profiessional songwriter and now lives in Nashville. He has "made it" in the industry even if he isn't well known outside of his hometown. He has a great voice and the show was crazy well received. It was insane to me how many people knew Dan too and he just plays Seattle based gigs with Austin. (he mostly plays with a variety of bands not just Austin) My anxiety went sky high earlier this week over my waiting forever for the mammogram before I can actually see specialists over my breast problem. Sky high anxiety - it has been amping up for weeks but this week became something I couldnt manage on my own. I drank too much one night (you know wine instead of dinner) and luckily only had a silly conversation with Dan which he thought was hilarous but that bad judgement could have been much worse. I talked to my EX who still knows how to soothe me and who coached me to get some short term anxiety meds and get some sleep. I did that from my new doctor and last night I slept the first decent night in weeks - no alcohol - just was able to sleep. I woke up paniced, took 1/2 dose and slept. I feel better able to cope with work today and feel more like myself since I am neither exhausted nor wound up or some horrible combination of both which has been my life the last week or two. Thank God. Now if I can just keep from "cycling up" again until I get my diagnosis.

@@Luvnme4eva the social events are tough. I just had an out of town party. Did good with not hitting the buffet at the party and I'm fine with no alcohol. Dinner with a big group was another story. I ended up eating salad. :-(. Then ran on the treadmill at the hotel gym because I felt so bad about it. You can do it. Keep your protein drinks and water and those snacks allowed on your pre-op diet within reach during the reunion.

I am 40, and I was sleeved June 3, 2015. I'm only 5'3" and started out at 366 pounds. After a few stalls, today I reached 60 pounds off total. I feel so much better. My insomnia and migraines I have had most my life are gone. I wanted to be healthier for my kids and myself. I have found the strength to leave my cheating alcoholic husband, and I'm ready to live my next 40 years to the fullest!

The only thing my doctor said about alcohol was that I could not have any up to 6 months after surgery. After that, I can have it, but within limits. But that is just like food. If you are not ready, then don't do it. You should be 100%. You will be supported here no matter what you do. I do think 1 meal a day is not good. I use to do that & my Doctor told me how that isn't helping me 'cause my body is storing what I ate once a day b/c it wasn't getting what it needed other times. Just be careful.

You can totally drink beer again after the surgery. There is nothing that you actually cannot physically have after about the 2 month mark. They frown on caffeine, soda, and booze, purely because they don't want you drinking your calories. I drink diet Pepsi everyday and while I'm not a big alcohol drinker, I haven't had an issue the few times that I've had a beverage (or five).

I guess another way to answer your question would be to imagine the rest of your life as you are now. Would you/are you happy in your body; do you think you will live as long of a healthy life in your present state as opposed to having the intervention?.............if NO is your answer to either question, then perhaps you are making the right decision. There is only one way to see. Don't let your "food addict" get in your way. Worst thing you could do is not try. I think statistics prove, WLS is no miracle weight reducer. If you regret having the procedure done, there are plenty of ways to getting back to where you are now. 65% of WLS patients go back to who they were all the time - it is called sabotage. I believe you will be happy once you see the results. Try not to overthink it. I am sure we all at one point or another will regret having it done. Particularly in the beginning stages. Withdrawal from any substance/behavior is difficult....from coffee/soda/alcohol or cursing to hardcore drugs/promiscuity/gambling and Eating for pleasure. Good luck. I know it is hard. I too am struggling with the "what if's". The longer we have to wait, the more time we have to torture ourselves. Some days are better than others. Just take it one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time. Best wishes to you! I am desperately waiting for September 21st! My scheduled day.

I don't understand why you'd want to get this if it hasn't been around for a long time. The sleeve is very safe, without a lot of surgical connections/re-routing. I was sleeved on Sept. 26th. My diabetes was gone in 2 days! The other co-morbidities, sleep apnea & non-alcoholic fatty liver will go away in 3 - 4 months. At some point EVERY surgery wasn't around for a long time. Although you had the sleeve in comparison to RNY, the sleeve hasn't been around for a long time either. The decision is solely between an individual and their surgeon, so I wish everyone the best no matter which surgery they choose!

You look fantabulous. .. Im 1 year out and only lost 55 pounds. I went from a tight size 18/20 & wear size 6 jeans now that are a little to big, i even have a size 4 white denim skirt. My only problem is my tummy, i look about 5 months pregnant. I can exercise much due to 2 back surgeries. I can't eat much, but i have been vacationing & drink8ng like a fish daily. As of this week alcohol is out during the week. Im thinking about a tummy tuck. Keep up the great work.

To me anything over 1 maybe 2 g of sugar is considered high in sugar and I prefer completely sugar-free if possible. now in maintenance phase it might be acceptable to me. But I have had a lot of success so far and been able to keep my weight loss working with minimal stalls, ( yes everyone has to deal with them as we all know) Now while I truly believe in the natural sugars are much better than added sugars, avoiding sugars , even natural ones, is that much better and helps greatly to keep me on track. The Low glycemic effect is fine if you are a diabetic and you are avoiding spikes in blood sugars, but make no mistake, low glycemic index does not mean better for you, It simply means the sugars are more complex and require more time to be digested and absorbed into the blood. Think of them as time release sugars, so while they don't hit your bloodstream all at once like say straight glucose etc, they do last longer in your blood and give you a higher sugar/blood baseline. Here's the biggest hint, sugar in your bloodstream all acts in the same general way in the metabolization and utilization of sugars and fats etc. SO basically once your body pulls sugars or even sugar alcohols, into your bloodstream, the sugars all act in the exact same way. Low glycemic index is just a way of saying the sugar enters your bloodstream at a slower rate, but it still enters your bloodstream as all sugars do, and in the same way. I realize that many people cannot or will not choose to live with this low sugar low fat, low carb way that I do, and I respect that, as we say everyone's journey is their own, and that is as it must be. What helped change my mind on sugar is the fact that we have a hard time grasping how much sugar is a gram? Sure it is a number, but what does that number really mean? This next statement is what made me change the way I handle sugars. 4 grams of sugar is the same as 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. So I hold that image in my head when I look at sugars on a label. 8 grams of sugar in your yogurt, or any product, equals two whole teaspoonfuls of granulated sugar. And even if the glycemic index is lower, it still all goes to the same place, it just takes more time to get there. I am not trying to evangelize, or change anyone's mind, or make you feel bad or anything, I promise. But these are the reasons I do what I do, and eat how I eat. I hope that I have been able to explain this without coming off as a butthead or arrogant. I know my posts have a tendency to come out that way.

HUGE TRIUMPHANT update! Since giving up my 4000-5000 calorie per week red wine passion last week (yes, just last week!) I am down another 2 pounds bringing me to an all-time record low of 207 pounds. (Start weight: 259 pounds). A mere 5 days ago, I stopped my over-consumption (and consumption completely) cold. My 500-calorie per night wine-guzzling habit ended on July 17th. I have been alcohol free since then, and, consequently, I am down 6 pounds. This cannot be a coincidence, especially after the scale had not moved in weeks and weeks. I feel terrific. I am triumphant. I feel like I've won the lottery. To think - the ONE hundreds are just 8 little pounds away. I cannot believe how easy this 'sacrifice' has been, and how quickly I have seen results. Should have given up the grape months ago...!

congratulations on your weight loss, I get depressed too. But I know all this will be worth it... why do you think you get depressed Well because food is always there birthdays, holidays, etc... And now i wont be able to eat that much. I hope it gets natural so i can be more happy, but i now also now that food and a bad life style got my obese and with this tool i would be able to enjoy more things than just food. yeah I feel the same way sometimes that's why I'm having a hard time with the liquid diet because I just wanna chew things what do you think is different about teens having this kind of surgery i mean hoy is life going to be for us? well I mean everyone I know who is older and had this surgery have lived in their twenties and have a care free life. Ours will be a lot less care free social experiencenes will be different we can occasionally indulge but won't be able to pig out our potential night life will be affected as far as alcohol and because we are younger we hopefully will have more years to maintain this new healthy life because old habits die hard... what was your starting weight

I actually feel sorry for her, people are at a bad disposition when uneducated and just plain ignorant about others, this wasn't easy for me, just like a recovering alcoholic I had make admissions, and cried at times, I also had to be willing to become dedicated to a different way of life, and learn wrong from right as far as how and what to eat, it was very hard telling my wife NO! When she asked for something and I had to go to the gym, now she smiles and I know she is proud that my selfishness at certain times is a positive one, I lost a couple of close friends in recent years to health problems, and my entire birth family, so it was easy for me to turn away a couple friends who became very ugly and negative when I announced my decision, ultimately the negative comments and remarks should have no bearing on you since this a very personal journey, we are all here to support each other but it's your body, your pain, and your failures and achievements, keep your head up and be proud of the scars you now have, choose to be the better person and walk away each time, let others begin to see it for what it is, eventually she or he will repel others away with their negativity...........

So the new big boy on the market is the power crunch bar. all different flavors and pretty dang delicious. High Protein, 5 g of sugar ( not too bad) right? No Sugar Alcohols, great? Seems great right? Well after ingesting a piece of one at a friends house. I picked up a couple in my local Vitamin shoppe. I mean they looked good, But when i got them home, i gave them to my wife to give out at her place of work. Why? simple. My god they are loaded with FAT! and not even good fat but Saturated fat. Wow. what the heck? For example the chocolate mint has 13g of fat!!! a whopping 6 grams of saturated fat!! that is 30% of a normal person's daily recommended fat intake on a 2000 calorie diet. For a sleever that is like 29% too much. Then I realized its the old bait and switch. Lower the sugar and calories, increase the fat for taste. Just like Low fat usually means high sugar. Don't even get me started on the No sugar added, tagline that other products used.

I am 7 weeks out as well, and I have only lost 22lbs since my surgery. You are not losing slowly, that seems normal to me. If anything you might want to avoid just counting net carbs and try counting your total carb intake (including fiber), because there is research suggesting that certain Fiber and sugar alcohols affect glucose levels similar to other carbs. Honestly though you seem to be doing fine. Just think, would you have lost 25 lbs in 7 weeks before you had surgery? I know this is easier said than done because I am still very anxious about my weight loss and I want to do everything possible to ensure that I get to goal. Just make good choices and exercise. I exercise 5-6 days per week, never eat more than 700, and always eat less than 40 grams of carbs (total carbs!), and drink about 64-100oz of Water every day. I do all these things and I have only lost 22lbs since surgery. Unfortunately, part of this experience is learning to go with the flow, even when you think that flow is too slow!!!!!!

Imma say something blunt: If alcoholics can kick alcohol and diabetics can kick sugar, you can kick sugar, too. I don't know everything you'll need to do, but here are some obvious changes to make: * Don't buy it. * Don't let anyone else in your house buy it and bring it home where you could eat it. * Become more personally accountable and become more accountable to others, e.g., tell those you spend time with that you're not going to eat any more sugar. * Invite the support of those who love you (see above) and ask them to support your new sugar-free lifestyle. * If you really think you're an addict (you used that word, I think), then treat it like an addiction and get yourself into an addiction program, either out- or in-residence. * Stop regarding and using sugar like a treat. If you're an addict, it's dangerous to you. Treat it like poison. * Figure out what other activities or things you can use as rewards instead of sugar. * Don't hang out with people who eat a lot of sugar. * Identify all the hidden sugar in foods you are now eating that you think are sugar-free. I'll guarantee you there are some sugar-laden foods somewhere in your diet right now that you don't know about yet. * ... and other things. I know you know this, but the longer you go without eating any sugar, the less you will crave it. Good luck! I appreciate that you replied to my post and offered some tips. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but some of what you said reminds me of people who say no one really needs bariatric surgery. We just need to be more personally accountable and diet and exercise. Do you not see bariatric surgery as a tool for dealing with obesity and kicking the things that made people obese in the first place?

Imma say something blunt: If alcoholics can kick alcohol and diabetics can kick sugar, you can kick sugar, too. I don't know everything you'll need to do, but here are some obvious changes to make: * Don't buy it. * Don't let anyone else in your house buy it and bring it home where you could eat it. * Become more personally accountable and become more accountable to others, e.g., tell those you spend time with that you're not going to eat any more sugar. * Invite the support of those who love you (see above) and ask them to support your new sugar-free lifestyle. * If you really think you're an addict (you used that word, I think), then treat it like an addiction and get yourself into an addiction program, either out- or in-residence. * Stop regarding and using sugar like a treat. If you're an addict, it's dangerous to you. Treat it like poison. * Figure out what other activities or things you can use as rewards instead of sugar. * Don't hang out with people who eat a lot of sugar. * Identify all the hidden sugar in foods you are now eating that you think are sugar-free. I'll guarantee you there are some sugar-laden foods somewhere in your diet right now that you don't know about yet. * ... and other things. I know you know this, but the longer you go without eating any sugar, the less you will crave it. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing. I met a man who was quite large. He overheard me talking with a friend about my upcoming sleeve surgery. He said, very politely, he had the bypass done 5 years ago in Belgium because they have the lowest infection rates and MRSA, but besides that, he said he lost 100lbs, but regrets ever having it done. His comment was as he pointed to his stomach, they changed this and then as he pointed to his head, but they did not change this. It also scares me, and they say it's after 18 months to 2 years, that the appetite and overeating can come back. He said he is never hungry but cannot stop drinking sodas and snacking. I am having it done 8/3, an right now we just have to take it day by day, just like an alcoholic, I guess. I am not going to worry about what might be in 2 years, but it is good to keep it in mind. Lets all hope we do great and keep it off.

This is an interesting topoic, which points to a larger problem - we don't know who asked "can I cheat/eat something not on program" akin to one that I hear often with alcohol etc. I have seen videos of WLS failures who obviously went back to potato chips and high fat food. I think much of the touch love and goal shaming I see is a reminder to lurkers that "no you can't eat crap all the time." Yes we said "occasionally" but some of us think others are going to hear "it's OK, eat crap." I don't blame the people on these boards who offer cautionary advise, it is a important reminder. One that often can't be echoed enough. But for the most part I have found the people here to be very forthcoming about their struggles, their successes and very encouraging. We have a nice mix of caring nurturing types and tough love types. Between the two I think the message gets out to those who need to hear it. At least I hear it and appreciate it.

At 3 weeks I was on soft foods. I drank 1 Protein shake a day and the rest was Water. So I was getting in about 60 g of protein a day and maybe around 50 ounces of water at that point. Your Protein Shake is not as high as it could be to help you and it has sugar alcohols in it as well as sugar. Premier Protein has a ready to drink that has 30g of protein and that is half your day's goal. If you just can't drink those for whatever reason, then try some others. Isopure makes a ready to drink carb zero that has 40 g protein in it. It is a large bottle but you can sip on it throughout the day and add water to complete your ounces. In time you will be able to consume more and your protein won't come from shakes/drinks and more from food. Your tummy is still healing and swollen, hang in there!

I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the reasons why I gained weight over the years before my surgery. As time went on I became diabetic and that can lead to a whole slew of problems. Fortunately today there is a wide range of options that I can use to control my craving. I am 26 months post op from RNY surgery and I am stable weight-wise in a maintenance mode. I am at the bottom end of the scale. Sugar is a very complex issue, so let me describe the rules that I currently follow. My diabetes went into remission the day I left the hospital and has remains so over these past 26 months and I periodically check my blood sugar levels to validate the approach that I use. I strictly avoid processed sugar in its many forms. That includes most foods ending in (-ose). That includes sucrose (table sugar), fructose (honey), dextrose (glucose), corn syrup, corn solids, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice. I look at food labels on the products I buy. I first check the % sugar under the total carbs. If it lists more than 5 grams of sugar, then I look at the ingredients portion of the label. If one of these sugars is among the first 5 ingredients listed, I generally avoid the food. [The manufacturers are required to list the ingredients by the percentage within the product, so the first item listed is the highest percentage of the food in the product, and the second item listed is next in percentage. That is why I focus on the first five ingredients.] This approach is a holdover from the surgery. After my RNY surgery, the part of my stomach that processed sugars and fats was cut away. If I ate either sugar or fats in high levels, it would immediately cause a bad reaction by my body rejecting it. This is called dumping syndrome. After about the first year, my body evolved and my intestines now begin to perform the functions that my stomach once performed. Therefore, I can eat sugars and fats and absorb it. I use the following types of sugars: natural sugars (found in fruits and milk), artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda), very low calorie natural sweeteners (such as stevia, and sugar alcohols). These products offer me a wide range of options to control my sweet tooth. After my first year following surgery, my body can once again process fats and this in my opinion is the key. Fats have the ability to take away hunger and they in my opinion are the key in the maintenance stage. Generally, I will have a cup of coffee in the morning with a large scoop of whip cream. The whip cream is home made and contains no sugar. I use Splenda in its place. Throughout the day, eat a few Adkin's treats. These products are similar to candy bars but contain no processed sugar. They take away the craving because they contain fat and use sugar alcohol as a sweetener. I also consume natural sugars found in fruits in moderation and natural sugars found in milk. I consume whole milk and eat real butter. [This approach is not something you can do right after surgery, you need to wait until your intestines evolve.] As I say, I periodically validate my approach by monitoring my blood sugar levels. I have informed my nutritionist of my approach and they seem to be fully onboard. [sometimes between you and me I think they are a little bit in awe, because my weight levels are still falling 26 months after surgery.]

HI all. DAy 6 and felling almost human today. A little hard with a get together and I cant eat or drink alcohol. But I got through it and am happy. Energy returning finally only a short nap today. How is everyone else feeling?