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I used to drink massive amounts of alcohol in college 30 yrs ago, so after my maturity hit I maybe had a beer or two every few weeks or wine with my dinner like maybe once every few months, if I went out with friends I nursed 1 mixed drink all night, so I am missing u occasional beer or wine, I'm just confused as to whether I can or can't have it, there are too many theories and not enough research to go either way, I don't drink anywhere near I used to in my youth, but I wanted to take my wife to a vineyard near where we live and enjoy some wine tasting and lunch, and on the 4th I was craving my favorite beer, the only constants I find in any information available had to do with the sugars, and alcohol absorption in the body, has anyone asked their DR. ????

My doctor advises his patients not to ever drink carbonated beverages again because they can stretch the pouch above the band (that includes beer). As for me, I am not much of a drinker to begin with, so not drinking wine or other alcohol is not a big deal to me. I would probably avoid alcohol anyway because it really doesn't fit in well with living a healthier lifestyle as a bandster--liquid empty calories are not really the way to go. You should check with your doctor and follow his/her instructions about carbonated beverages! Good luck!

I drink one of those nasty energy drinks periodically when I need to wake up more at work. I am not a soda lover, so it is a one time thing, and because they aren't the best tasting things in the world, I don't guzzle them. I drink wine or a cocktail when I go out...other than being empty calories there is no problem with it, except you DO have to watch your consumption because you are eating less, weigh less, etc., and the alcohol can hit you harder, faster.

For me, nothing happens. But I could count on one hand the number of carbonated drinks I'd drink in a year, I'm just not into them. When I go out I drink wine and when I've had enough wine, I drink water. Same at home, more water than wine though, lol, dont normally drink alcohol on a daily basis.

I had RNY and consistently go out with friends and enjoy food. My surgeon really discouraged alcohol, but I still have an occasional drink.

Alcohol.... Nope. Nada. Not a sip. Take your own food or eat before and say you're not hungry or your tummy is upset so you don't want to eat and be sick. That's as near to the truth as you can get. Enjoy

I quit Testosterone Replacement Therapy, after 2 years on it. I was not on steroids !!!! Its testosterone replacement therapy, it makes a man at 40 years old, feel great, high sex drive, etc.. It is not pills and 5 different steroids going to you stomach. Its one low dosage intermuscular injection per week. I do not drink alcohol, or smoke nicotine. I quit cold turkey, ["weaned off, TRT with very low dosage weekly shot"], 5 weeks before my successfully , gastric bypass surgery , I am still currently off TRT probably forever. I am 40 years old, ex powerlifter. I am currently 6'3" 299 lbs , i lost 48 lbs as of today in 3 weeks. I only choose gastric bypass surgery because my insurance covered it 100%, i knew it was not reversible, going in. I was told I could continue TRT for life 4 weeks after post op. but now I read No NSAIDS and no Steroids , and they are to opposite things ???? because they can? cause ulcers in the new smaller stomach, and around the staple line. That being, said I am prepared to quit TRT forever !!! But I don't understand why ? It makes no sense. I know for a fact my natural testosterone will come back in a few months, being off TRT, I am not worried about that. *****These are some things that I cant understand and it makes no sense to me , during 4 week post operation. ******* NSAIDS is an appreciation for "NONSTEROIDAL anti-inflammatory drugs" but then it says you CANNOT take Steroids' either ????? Can someone please explain to me how that makes sense ? One is NON STEROIDAL and one is STEROIDALl ?????? Now on to the Clomid brand name drug name is clomiphene , it can be taken by men or women, i have read many posts about women using Clomid post operation to get pregnant !!! there doctors said it was fine but , as I did further research Clomid is a NSAID !!!!????? how does that make sense ??? Clomid taken by men post cycle therapy off TRT will help a man boost testosterone 200% i have done it before in the past it works bringing back natural testosterone levels. The Clomid comes in crushable form pills and liquid too, obviously because , after gastric bypass surgery, your body does not absorb medication like it did before. This is a serious post for people who know what they are talking about please respond with personal stories or any knowledge or insight that you have would be appreciated thank you.

A nurse at my doctor's office says her husband is no longer addicted to alcohol. He's now addicted to AA meetings. A friend of mine divorced her huband because he opted to replace his drinking with hallelujah-religion. These guys are both just as obsessive and just as out of control--and obnoxious--with their replacement addiction as they were with the original one.

Hi all, Darcy I'm so ssorry to hear what going on with your FIL. I do agree with what Betty said though. If it's what he enjoys why not ;et him have it. I had a very very close frend who was really like a family member to me. I adopted him and we became very close he even lived with us at one point for a while when Floyd came to NJ and flooded him out. Anyway he was a major alcoholic and in the end his daughter and I brought him a bottle of vodka and we had a drink with him. It was very sad for all of us, but it was what he enjoyed and needed. FIL and MIL aren't to great. Things are still nuts around here. We are moving him out of the Columbia house on Saturday. I gave in to Garry and said what the heck I can only do so much. He gave into me and said ok hire a moving company. So at least we will be rid of Columbia in a few days. FIL has no appetite and slept ALL day yesterday. Today he was a bit better. The PT came to work with him and I tink that helped. MIL was ok she had lip stick on today. She looked good. She is walking more with the walker, but still cant do anything for herself. We brought Cindy her cocker to visit her today Cindy didn't seem to care about seeing her which was to bad. You guys know I LOVE animals, but I have got to tell you Cindy is the dumbest dog I have ever known I think she could win an award for being the dumbest dog on earth. She doesn't walk on a lease she does the breast stroke! I am not kidding! She is really something. OH I have no idea how he will be able t keep her. She is great company for him she sleeps on his lap but when she is awake..wew... I take FIL to urologist on Thursday. His PSA is 22. I am afraid of what is next with him.

I am a few days away from a month after my gastric bypass surgery , I have been doing everything my surgeon told me to do . I can't believe i lost 65 lbs in 27 days !!! I'm finally feeling happy , lighter, and healthier today. If you are not extremely strong, physically but mostly mentally . This journey is not for you. In my first month I overcame 2 major issues, on top of and including my surgery recovery. Alcohol free " reversing a large fatty liver" and testosterone infections free too I'm proud of myself . natural test levels are not back yet but feeling better everyday. my energy level is increasing everyday. i do 2, 20 minute walks per day. I really have no appetite, but i get my vitamins and protein shakes in everyday. and water . my next diet stage is real soft food again, but i hate the full feeling so i rather just drink fluids. thanks for all the advice on my previous posts i took them with a grain of salt. But everyone helped me find light at the end of the depression tunnel. I will not try anything without dr. approval. Anyone interested in healthy living and fatty liver issues, look up Dr. Berg on youtube and subscribe !!!! he's extremely helpful !!!

I found this information about erosion quite interesting, seems like ven the doctor's don't know Why. How does Stomach Erosion happen in LapBand Patients ]Intragastric band erosions have been reported at rates that vary from 3 to 10% depending on the operatory technique or surgeon´s experience, the device used and the patient’s eating behavior. There are several different and controversial theories for the cause of erosion:[/font] The LapBand around the stomach gradually erodes into the stomach wall over time, and goes into the gastric lumen, as we have seen with other intrabdominal devices. The stomach damage done during the LapBand procedure debilitates the layers of the stomach wall, resulting in erosion at a later time. The sutures were placed too deep and trespassed all the wall layers of the stomach, causing micro perforations that generate leaking, infection and later erosion. Events that happens inside the stomach, such as frequent vomiting, medications, ingestion of irritants as spicy or hot food, alcohol, etc. as well as a large adjustment to the band system, will produce an ulcer that penetrates toward the balloon of the band. [I believe the last theory is the most consistent and also the most frequently seen in the vast majority of patients with erosion. Other theories, such as a crease or a fold in the balloon, which may harm and erode the stomach lining, were not scientifically proven. We have seen erosion with all kinds ofLapBands and with all kinds of balloons and find no correlation with the fold theory. ]Once the erosion-ulcer is established it is not possible to cure the ulcer, not even by removing all the Fluid in the band. Therefore the need to remove the band itself becomes imperative. I recommend the band be removed AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,not because this is an emergency in any way, but because there is a risk of increasing the ulcer’s size. Removing the Lapband can help to decrease the risk of complications such as infection traveling along the hose to the port and to the skin, or stomach bleeding. How Can LapBand Erosion be Prevented? ]There are several ways to prevent erosion. The first way that I personally recommend is to avoid “large fills” to the LapBand, in order to prevent vomiting or gastric reflux. The second way that I recommend is to protect the stomach with anti-acids frequently, especially at bed time. The thirdrecommendation is to avoid alcohol, hot or spicy food, vinegar, soy sauce, and coffee. Talk with your Doctor about the medications you are actually taking and ask about exchanging the ones that can hurt your stomach for others with the same effect but less stomach irriation. ']http://arturorodrigu...ap-band-erosion

Here are me two cents... I have tried everything to lose wt and my family and friends have seen my modest successes and then dismal failures time and time again (wt loss, bigger wt gain...). Perhaps you fear the same thing that I do. Another failure that my loved ones get to witness. I think it is natural to not want to put this out there. It is not like there is much left to try after this step. WLS is it! That is the last rung on the latter. I feel like I cannot afford to fail this time. I cannot fail because the next step on the latter is off of the roof! I don't want to fall off but at the same time I am not confident enough in my ability to be successful even with this tool. I am hopeful but fearful. Scared but excited... I felt so conflicted about telling but I did tell. Thankfully I found myself surprisingly supported. I know I will need support and I know that I cannot do this by myself. Plus, As I have been reading all of these posts on "to tell or not to tell" I started thinking that the one way we can de-stigmatize WLS is to talk about it. I wonder if I would have done this earlier if I would have learned about it earlier. The more straight forward we are about wls the better people will understand it. And really, who are we fooling by not telling? It will come out as you start losing wt. Or, by witnessing the change in your eating habits. For a period of time an alcoholic can hide their disease but we literally carry our disease around with us all of the time. It is not like our loved ones didn't realize we needed to do something about our wt, right? My black outfits do not slim me down that much! I cannot answer your question, to tell or not to tell, but I believe as I go further down my own pre-op path that we can help others in our situation by sharing our stories. We can hopefully teach others that don't have wt issues that we are NOT lazy. It is not as easy as "just not eating crap all the time." We have a disease and we are doing all we know how to do to treat it. Sure, I could go it on my own again. Take off 20lbs and put on another 30lbs. As I get older I realize that I am wasting my life with this pattern. I have given the first 40 years of my life to this disease and I have failed treating it myself. I'm not giving it another 40 years. Best of luck as you find the path best for you! Dee

Okay, so the old feelings of guilt I used to have before surgery are overcoming me once again. Here's the background: had surgery on 1/23/12. I have been very good, all I eat is Protein, only 3 meals/day, and I measure everything. I have lost only 17 lbs and I'm finishing week 6 now. Have felt crappy the entire time---tired and dizzy, and having a hard time keeping down all the vitamens/meds.... get nausea frequently from almost anything (in the car, drinking Water too fast, vitamens...). Haven't been able to exercise yet. So yesterday I was standing for 30mins in a hot room at work and I got very dizzy and sweaty. my sugar was 60. I had to leave work. felt like crap, it was around 10am and I had had 4oz Protein shake at 7am. I got frustrated, I can't do my job and all this for only 17lbs off! Then the kicker, today I ate 5 little Cookies for lunch. 1st time I've had sugar since surgery. they all went down well, suprisingly given my nausea with everything protein. I feel so guilty, don't know why I did it, I'll probably realize why later today. But I feel like it's the beginning of falling into my bad habits, my old emotional overeating self.... it's scary to have a setback. I feel like an alcoholic who has been sober for 6 weeks and just binge drank. HELP from all my formerly fat (always fat at hear) friends!!!!!

The two main types of e-liquid are known as PG Propylene Glycol – used in food flavorings and also in fog machines at nightclubs to produce the smoke appearance and VG Vegetable Glycerin which is more syrupy and is derived from vegetables. Generally the PG has a better throat hit and flavor than VG while VG can produce a little more vapor. PG is the most common e-liquid on the market today. PG is the standard generic Fluid used in most mixes and is ~80% of a standard fluid mix . VG is sometimes used but not common. When some have an allergic reaction to PG (~3% of folks) VG is an option when buying fluid. In stock carto's however it isn't available in mass if at all (that I know of). VG is generally thinned down with a 5% alcohol base since it is thicker, but the advantage is it has an increased vapor over PG. It also is blamed for a softening of throat hit (as it's called dumb term, but..) and flavor. Because of that many don't like using VG, due to the softening , many mix match to get a balance and added vapor (say a 50/50% mix). VG is sweeter as well. VG is thinned with alcohol, but not in a large percentage (above). A 24 mix can be cut """but """ at the expense of flavor. So if you cut your 24mg in half with a 50% mix of (either)VG or PG, you of course get a 12mg but you also lose half the flavoring content. Best to buy a matching fluid in (say) 12mg and cut 50/50 , getting 18mg end product, with the same flavor. See the methodology ? Source: http://www.v2forum.com/discussion/869/pg-vs.-vg-and-other-questions-for-the-pros-/p1

I'm just ensuring I only eat at meal times and obviously very small amounts. Plenty of fluids In between and strictly no alcohol !! To be honest I'm never hungry and get full very quickly so my sleeve works very well for me Sent from my iPhone using VST

Hey folks I need advise please! They put me on the two week pre-op diet today and I'll post their guidelines below. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, can I get by with cheating just tmro if I stuck to just about meat and veggies? Will that impact me if I have Thanksgiving dinner? This is also odd, they told me I am to have NOTHING but what's on the list.. that includes meat and eggs... That's protein so I dont understand why I can't have that? Even if it's tuna or something. Can I get some advise please, I'm really frustrated. If need be I'll stay home and not go to Thanksgiving but I don't want to have to do that if I don't have to. Pre-op guidelines Diet guidelines: Low Calorie, 800 calories per day At least 60 grams of protein per day Protein meal replacement shakes Bariatric Advantage[emoji2400] Meal Replacement (available for purchase in office) Ensure Max Protein Shake Equate High Performance Protein Shake Equate Whey Protein Powder Fairlife Core Power or Nutrition Plan Protein Shakes GNC Total Lean Shake 25 Muscle Milk Pro Series Premier Protein Smoothie King Gladiator or Lean 1 Unjury Protein Powder What to include in your diet: Meal Replacements / Protein supplements: 3-5 meal replacement shakes per day Whey protein with at least 20 grams of protein per serving (soy or vegan options available if whey intolerant) Soups: Bouillon, broths, and low-fat cream soups Avoid soups containing noodles, rice, meat, and other food chunks Milk and Dairy: Skim or 1% milk, Almond, Soy, Lactaid, or Fairlife Light yogurt, Nonfat Greek yogurt No ice cream! J Other: Sugar free pudding, sugar free Jell-O, sugar free popsicles Vegetable juice Beverages: should be sugar free and calorie free Aim for at least 64 ounces of total fluids per day Water with Crystal Light, sugar free Kool-Aid, sugar free water flavorings Unsweet iced tea or coffee (decaffeinated preferred) No carbonated beverages, no alcohol, no fruit juices You may have 1-4 cups of non-starchy vegetables per day to satisfy hunger. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers (pickles are okay), green beans, lettuce, peppers, spinach, squash, tomatoes DO NOT EAT peas, corn, or potatoes (starchy vegetables) Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

You'll be fine. I cheated a bit on my pre-op. Plus, not all pre-ops are the same. There are lots of generic pre-ops, and those tuned to the patient. Mine was super generic, like, the nurse didn't even bother to check anything other than my BMI before prescribing me my pre-op diet. Just do your absolute best to stick to the diet and make sure those slip ups happen as little as possible. Avoid fats and alcohols and you should be doing just fine. Good Luck!

It was hard to stick to the plan, but I did it. 2 months out and I can basically eat anything with the exception of citrus fruit, dried fruit, caffeine, alcohol (@ 3 months) and steak, pork steaks, ham steaks, or liver (@ 6 months, but for the record...I will not be eating the liver). Not judging, but in my personal experience...I did everything that I was told to do, because each step was so fleeting in the grand scheme. If I can't do something hard for 1, 2, or 8 weeks, how am I going to survive the rest of my life? I was really fat for 23 years. It was really hard to live fat for that long...really easy to get that way, but HARD TO LIVE that life, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. If you want to live something different, you've got to do something different. End of story.

Be super careful with alcohol. With WLS drinking alcohol is like getting an alcohol IV. With almost instant effects. Also if you ever had any addiction issue with it. The rate of alcoholism is sky high with WLS patients. I would say stay away from the stuff forever. Sent from my SM-G935P using the BariatricPal App

The stigma has got to go. There are even whispers that Jennifer Hudson had WLS but Weight Watchers is paying her to be their spokesperson anyway. I don't know about that but you are so right on as usual CW my dear- it is really bizarre the way WLS is held, generally, to be a hush hush whisper down low thing to be hidden. I think celebrities are happier and more willing to say they are addicted to painkillers and alcohol! I actually am surprised about Camryn- I've always loved her and hate to think she would not be forthcoming. But the Hollywood fame factory is a powerful thing ... Meggie rushes off to google newly skinny celebrities.....

Surgeon said alcohol was OK 48 hours post-op? Seriously?!!!!! That's crazy to me.

Hi Keith. I appreciate all that you have to say. Believe it or not, the best thing that you had to say, that really re-opened my eyes, was the statement about how sumo wrestlers eat !! I laughed at first but realized that if I don't keep that in mind, there isn't any surgery in the world that will help me get and stay where I want to be health-wise. Also, I have to deal with this stress the same way an alcoholic would...day by day, or in my case minute by minute. I am just in a difficult situation now that is common to a lot of people. My parents health has deteriorated and I am the only family who lives in the area. Everyone expects me to do everything for my parents and it is driving me crazy. I have to do what is right for me but sometimes that hurts their feelings. Don't get me wrong. I am not some out of control person. I just gave in last night with that darned rice. It hurt my stomach so much that I got very scared. All is well now on that front today. I just hadn't ever experienced that sort of painful situation before. I like the feeling of good health and intend to keep pursuing it. Thanks again.

Of course carbohydrates aren't evil. They're one of the fundamental sources of energy available in food. We're just not equipped to withstand the rediculous amount that our culture (with no small help from industry lobbyists) believes we should injest. We're humans, not hummingbirds, and didn't develop eating sugar or cultivated foods: agriculture is only a couple thousand years old. The "gatherer" side of "hunter-gatherer" meant opportunistic berries and herbs, not corn and rice, and even hunter-gatherer was a later invention to replace nomadic scavenger. External carbohydrates are necessary? Even Karo syrup was lobbied as "healthy" for inclusion in every child's meal, and I'm sure some of you remember the Nutella-at-schools debacle of recent memory. Both are wonderfully dense sources of easy-to-metabolize carbohydrates. But perhaps that isn't what you had in mind. So while we're at it, let's distinguish between carbohydrates (the biochemical construct by which life on this planet stores energy, as well as the primary constituent of the cellulose that forms dietary Fiber, both of which are called out on the nutrition information label), and the food products in which we find them (vegetable matter, including among other things grains, starchy roots, and saps/juices), which happen to also contain other things which actually have some value (carrots and carotene, broccoli and broccolene.. err.. Vitamin C). Now most people don't understand Atkins or low-carb in general, which was developed for diabetics, and later refined for overweight patients. Such people often focus on the "zero carb == zero veggies" myth, never realizing that Atkins, and most other low carb diets, encourage (nigh require) a good sized salad each day, so long as non-fiber carbohydrate intake is generally only around 1/5 or less of the total calorie intake. The books are available for people to read, but people almost never bother, trusting instead in the rumor mill. I suggest borrowing copies of the various different diet manuals out there and reading them. I'm late for lunch and distracted, and I'm sure you'll thank me for deleting the brief chemistry lecture I'd started to type :smile2: But, if you understand (at least conceptually) the biochemistry involved, then it becomes fairly straightforward why many WLS patients are in fact told to switch to a low-carb lifestyles regardless of whether it's labelled "Atkins" or "South Beach" or "Zone" or "The Frobnoz Special" or simply "eat all your Protein first, then consider your vegetables" (and note the word "vegetables", not "carbs" was used): priorities. - We require sleep. 8-10 hours, no matter what your grandfather said about "four's plenty for me, so it's plenty for you". - We must consume a large quantity of Water *at minimum* to maintain healthy levels of hydration. This is the first thing, consumption-wise, that could kill us for any number of reasons. - That, in conjuction with the pouch-centric admonition against mixing food and water, limits how much time each day we can spend eating solid food. - We must get protein from food (at least, I know of no other available source). At least about 60-70g of it. We require this to maintain cellular structures among other things. - Pretty much everything else we can (as noted before) get from a non-food source if we have to. It is notable that many of us entered into this with at least some severe vitamin or mineral deficiency despite eating large quantities of varied, supposedly "healthy" foods. - Our ultimate priority: consume the existing fat on our bodies and, when done, don't store new fat. If you want the biochemistry involved, read the literature. It's fairly well documented by this point, and it is those metabolic pathways which low carb diets in particular to target. Now, if you want more "extreme" low-carb diets without the "Atkins" label, you can try variations of Paleo, where the qualification for vegetable matter is indeed what was available to our pre-agriculture era ancestors, that does get more exclusionary than most people have patience for. I have to admit, the food is quite good, if a bit repetitive compared to contemporary cuisine. But bison steak and roasted nuts is a good combination. Now, given that the band, and indeed all weight loss surgeries, give us a lot of seperate targets to meet: - water intake (required for life) - rate of solid food intake (mandated individually by the surgery itself) - protein intake (since this isn't easily supplemented) - nutritional profile (often made up by supplementation) - calorie reduction (otherwise what's the point) .. it seems foolish to pack in raw, non-fiber carbs, which is what starch is, when there are more nutrient- (and fiber-) rich food sources, often with fewer calories. You could do worse, of course -- adding sugar in its myriad forms when sugar supplies nothing but a chance for the body to use that source *immediately* (raising insulin levels sharply, eventually causing the storage of everything else from the food for a later use which never arrives). Don't get me wrong: I'm addicted to mashed potatoes, and have been known to put them on lefse. But I also have spent a couple years on various different types of diets, except for raw food and things in Oprah and the Star. I know how my body reacted, and I *know* my brain didn't need rice to run. It actually did run better after I cut most of that stuff out and stuck to meat and greens, and I didn't gain weight during that time, either. Now, I know that we would *love* to eat like a "normal person", but that presumes "normal people" eat properly. In the United States, "normal" is increasingly overweight. So, given the decades over which this has happenned (let's call it the past 4-5), and noting the rise in conjuction with the "OMG eat all rice no fat!" reaction that started in recent (and increasingly obese) history, and noting the variety of people who actually do respond well when they go contrary to what the anti-low-carb groups state, why again would I trust "normal people" and agriculturalists on this matter? They certainly didn't help me when I *was* at a healthy adult weight and, looking back, eating many fewer carbs, and probably as much protein and more fat and alcohol, than I was going into pre-op. [Note to self: Feline chemistry and human chemistry are at odds in a very particular and potentially fatal way with regard to weight loss. If a cat starts feeding off its fat stores at any significant pace, it will *cause* fatty liver disease. In a human, it would cure it. Don't let a cat get away with not eating for a couple days. There is cruel irony in having to force-feed a cat with more calories than I'm suppose to have to treat the same liver disease.]

I think most programs expect you to get to a point where you don't need the protein shakes. The pre-op diet is for a couple weeks at the most. I take b12 in a sublingual form, I think the shots would be if you get low. What were you told you can never have again? I have heard soda/carbonation and alcohol. I have seen lots of people on the boards who either incorporate these in to everyday life or special occasions.

You can get bitters or Campari from a liquor store. Bitters are a bright red liquid that lives up to its name, in sort of a good way. (This cure is not for anyone with alcohol problems.) Good luck and let us know what the doc says. PS: Try turning off the "caps lock" key.