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Oprah did a show on bypass and trading food for other addictions - gambling, sex, and alcohol. Now any of the 3 I could do. It just goes to show that all of this is a head game. If you are an emotional eater than that high has to be fed. I've heard of many drug addicts that turned to exercise to get high. I guess its the endorphines that are released during exercise. I buy in to all of this to an extent. It all comes down to we have to heal the total self, not just the food intake. I hate quoting Dr. Phil but you know "it's not what you are eating, but what's eating you". I like getting support from others who are where I am and understand. I also am going to explore finding us a nutrionist that maybe can come help us. I'm sure there would be a fee, but it would be worth it if we had a long term plan. Many doctors have relationships with nutrionists. We just have to find lapband knowledgeble ones that can relate to our unique food requirements. What did we decide on our meetings? Are we back to 1st and 3rd Monday at LaVilla?

Just had to share some great new foods that I have tried recently. You are probably aware of these if you ever read the thread "What Did You Eat Today?" But if not... PB2 - It's powdered peanuts that you can either reconstitute with a little Water into Peanut Butter spread, or you can add to a chocolate Protein shake to make the most delicious peanut butter cup shake ever!!! :thumbup: Best of all, for 2 Tblsp. it only has 53 cal., 1.8 g fat, 5.6 g. protein. And it blends right into your Protein Shake -- much better than regular peanut butter! Here's a link for the cheapest place I found it ($3.99/jar): Bell Plantation PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter DaVinci sugar free Flavored Syrups -- YUM. I bought three flavors: chocolate, English Toffee, and coconut. They're great in Protein shakes, coffee, milk, etc. The best thing is they don't have any sugar alcohol in them (which, if you don't know, causes a lot of intestinal distress *ahem*). These are 0-calorie, made with Splenda. Here's a link to the gazillion flavors: DaVinci Sugar Free Syrups If you have any food finds that you'd like to share, please do! I love trying new things. :sneaky:

tooo many carbs last night, but I think I did OK. We went to a cookout at our friends house last night and I ate a burger on a bun AND had about half a cup of pasta salad. I know this is not good on the induction part of the diet, but I didn't totally pig out AND we hung out until 1:00am and I didn't drink any alcohol, I didn't munch on chips or crackers or ANYTHING. I woke up this morning down .02 (okay its not A LOT but its not a gain!) and I thought for sure I would be out of ketosis and would have to work to get it back, but there is still a trace! This morning I went right back to having my protein drink instead of my usual "well I blew it last night...may as well have Lucky Charms (or something else bad) for breakfast" I am excited and I have lost just over 7 pounds in 6 days!!! I know the weightloss wont continue like this and most of it was probably water weight but who cares! I'm shrinking!!!:ohmy:

Holly, that was great information on sugar alcohols. After the great reviews I ran to Walmart (well, drove, LOL) and got some of the Caramel Nut Chews. OMG! Deee-ricious! Had one as my after dinner treat and this morning have gone from large ketosis to trace ketosis. From the calculation in that article they have 9.5 carbs! I had counted it as 2. I guess for me they will have to be a "once in a while" treat. I am still kind of bummed because I was under 30 carbs for the day. I was going to try some strawberries or blueberries this week to see what would happen to my ketosis. I'm a little gunshy now.:biggrin:

I had mine in May of 2023. I'm doing great , thanks for asking ! I've been eating low carb ,very small portions and except for a months long stall, everything is going a-ok I haven't had any carbonated drinks or alcohol so far, but I don't miss it. My stomach handles everything good with no problems. I'm down 2 sizes and couldn't be happier ! All my lab work have been perfect and I'm off 3 meds that I took for a long time. Diabetes is no longer in my future ! How have you been since your surgery ? You lost a ton !!!!!

Maybe check with your doctor as there may be some restrictions about when to start drinking alcohol. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Carbonated drinks like beer and soda are not recommended after being banded. And of course alcohol adds empty calories. Generally it's best to limit alcohol significantly during the weight loss phase and once you're at maintenance you might need to switch your drink of choice to wine or a hard liquor. Yeah, bummer! The left shoulder pain is because there is a nerve that runs from our belly to the shoulder and when the band gets tight we feel the tightness in our shoulder. I just got a fill and I have a twinge of pain in my shoulder as well. I know that's a signal that my band is working. This is a good time to learn to "read" these signals our bands are sending us. Unfortunately, I get a lot of gas from almost everything I eat since being banded. I am still trying to figure out how to treat it. Gas X hasn't helped much, I am trying Beano next.

Yes my hospital does drug and alcohol tests and takes careful inventory of all drugs in their supply. Weed is illegal for a reason. I just don't like my nurses disobeying the law. If they can't be trusted in the workplace, I would not trust them with my health.

As long as she's not high at work, I'm perfectly comfortable with it. She won't have a hang over like she would if she drank alcohol.

I am so sorry. But let me tell you. Surgery is a tool and you get out of it what you put into it. I am down 120lbs since March 22, 2018. Changed my eating habits, portion sizes, no alcohol and nothing fried. I walk a lot but not exercise in the gym but want to start that to tone up. Prove him wrong! Do it for you and no one else. Be the best you for you! Take care... let him see what he is missing out on

Greetings all, I have been off this board for some time now, but I have come back because I need support. I lost 110 lbs with the gastric sleeve surgery in March 2019 and was doing so great until the pandemic started last March. Before I was restricted to the home office I was doing so well, I was working out every day at the company gym during lunch and I was careful about what I ate. Since then, my workouts have all but ceased, I may squeeze in a cardio session about once a week now. My eating habits are still restricted by the sleeve, but I have been eating things that get through easily, many sweets, high fat and high salt foods have been making their way into my diet. That said, the biggest issue was alcohol abuse. I was getting buzzed nearly every night from August through the end of the year. While I was feeling good I would also lose inhibitions about not snacking as well. I forced myself off the vodka (which was easy to hide from the family) and I have been doing well in the last 3 weeks since quitting, but I've been replacing those lost good feelings with even more snacks. I feel like I'm losing control and it's only a matter of time until I undo all of my great work. I haven't weighed myself in months, but I estimate that I've gained back about 50% of what I lost, I will find out in a couple weeks at my Dr appt. I need to find a way to get this turned around because all my new skinny clothes don't fit anymore and I'm starting to wear my fat clothes again. It's bad...FML...

My Dr says NO alcohol again, ever?!? I wonder why??

Most stories from bypass patients that drink will be similar. After surgery the alcohol moves much more quickly (and pretty much all at once) into the small intestine. That's why it hits you harder and more quickly than it did before. It also moves out of the shortened intestine faster than it did before which is why you sober up more quickly. My surgeon said no alcohol for a year and I followed it to the letter and still wound up with an ulcer at the anastomosis. It healed fairly quickly but I'd be cautious about pushing the time line. I very much enjoy a glass of wine before dinner (pre-op and post-op) but you want to be sure that the surgery is completely healed before alcohol. Pre-op or post-op, alcohol is still an irritant.

Atkins bars are 220 calories and 10 gms fat. Also contains sugar alcohols which effect blood sugars.

I do a low-ish carb diet. I have meat and/or eggs and green vegetables at virtually every meal. I do moderate dairy: yogurt, whey protein powder, grass-fed butter, and occasionally small amounts of cheese. I eat fruit and nuts as snacks (in addition to jerky and more green veggies). Excluded: grains, starchy veggies, dairy milk, alcohol, beans and legumes, and sweets. I make rare exceptions on special occasions, but they really are rare. This particular plan works well for me because if I eat sweets or other carby foods my cravings go absolutely insane. This diet keeps them in check.

Surgeon said protein 1st, fruits and veggies 2nd, carbs last. Eat healthy 95 % of the time, but have a little bit of a treat too. So , daily I have a cookie or a bit of WW ice cream. 2-3 x a week I might have a piece of cheese, or a small glass of 2 % milk. I don't like alcohol, soda pop, fried food, or salty stuff. Sweets are my trigger food, so I try and keep them to a minimum. Works for me , and it something I can live with for the rest of my life !

I don't weigh anything or count calories. My portion size is about the same as the palm of my hand (or less if I feel satisfied quickly). I do keep a food diary, to make sure that I'm eating healthily and I probably eat 5 or 6 times a day. Last week, I went on holiday and had alcohol and one or two desserts, and I still managed to lose a pound (although I did quite a lot of swimming and walking). Maybe I'm just lucky in finding a way of eating that works for me. If weighing and counting calories works for you, then it's super that you've found the strategy to suit you! 🙂

5 months out you certainly can overindulge. The sugary cocktail mixes can be full of calories. Crystal Light mixes have flavors like peach, mojito, pineapple, mango, watermelon, and you can make your flavor of the day with little single packets, easy to carry. You can mix these also with Diet Sprite or 7Up if you want the dreaded fizz. They had nothing sugar free on Norweigian last year, like lemonade by the pool. Luckily I do like unsweetened tea at dinner, but water and Crystal Light worked great. if you decide to indulge in a nighttime drink, order a shot of light rum, take to your room and mix with the crystal light. . Or order light rum over ice, carry your Crystal Light, and add to the drink. Enjoy your cruise! Caution, alcohol can hit you like a ton of bricks, and wine is no longer an option for me.

No hangover, never... I have a drink about once a month now post 6 months, just as a way to socialize when eating out. Seriously, over in 10 minutes for me...now driving home, just kidding. Wife driving home. I am surprised at how quickly the alcohol metabolizes. I just know my run tomorrow is going to be a b***h with this alcohol . Maybe not? It was Pre sleeve. I always suffered day after drinking when trying to run.

Everyone is different post op. I followed my guidelines and didn't have alcohol till after 6 months. At goal, I enjoy a couple of drinks per week on average. Sometimes I have more, like while we were on vacation, and sometimes I have less. Even at 2.5 years post op, I no longer care for margaritas or drinks with a lot of mixer. I drink flavored Martinis, shots, liqueurs, wine, or port. I occasionally have a soda. Probably less than one per month. Lynda

Thank you all so much for the encouragement. What a wonderful way to think. "Eating to live" instead of living to eat! I also appreciate that you mentioned that the diets failed me as Everyone feels like failures when they do no succeed in loosing weight and therefore you eat because you feel like a failure...at least I do. I am tired of living like that. I wish this surgery was available to my father when he was alive. He struggled and went on every diet you can imagine and finally lost weight but died a few months later at age 65. In my family food was given as comfort. As something that made you feel better and made you happy. As a reward and etc. so instead of drugs or alcohol I choose what comforted me in times of sadness and despair. The refrigerator became my best friend. I have lived in Louisiana only two years and came here from California under difficult circumstances. Because of that and my weight I rarely go anywhere and I do not have any friends. My only support is my husband of 42 years. But now the tides are turning and I have new friends.....all of you...I am so thankful to you all.

Wow, I must have missed the mean posts you guys have been reading...either that or I didn't read that into it. I think there is a definately a problem with written words as you cannot hear the intent or see the person writing it --- so something that may be said with sincerity may not come off that way. I guess for me I figure if I put something out here for the world to read/respond to then I have to take what responses I get and ignore any that rub me wrong. Don't let a few bad experiences chase you off -- people are imperfect and you never know what was going on with that person that day....we all have bad days/weeks/months....and sometimes it takes our buffer off and we may say things and not realize how it comes across to others. Ya know? I know on days that I am feeling stressed and tired that things annoy me a lot more than they normally would....and it could be the case that I could say something that someone takes wrong. I would hope that nobody would intentionally go in and be mean....if so I think we need to vote them off the island! LOL Hang in there --- there are lotsa wonderful people on here and everyone has their own experiences and advice...those grey topics like alcohol or soda pop will always spark a debate, it seems, and it is one of those things that folks will tell you what they did/heard from their doc/ etc and then you make your own decision. I can't tell you have many times I have read the negative posts about how wrong it is to drink pop, yadda yadda, which irks me...but I don't care as they are not my doctor. *I* make my choices and my doctor said it was OK after you have healed....and I like the caffeine free diet pop....I figure one or two a day isn't going to kill me, regardless of what everyone else thinks! My advice is to stay here and focus on the positives ----- and cut folks some slack if they may say something you don't like....unless it is a regular thing where they are being rude all the time to folks and then we need to take action and report them. This is a place for us to find compassion and understanding from our peers, not knock them down! Good luck! Kim

I've lost 86lbs since December but I work really hard. I keep calories at about 600 daily (not hard with the band) and run 1-2 hours daily. I have found if I sit on my butt and not move, I don't gain but I don't lose either. I eat when I'm hungry, if that is at noon or midnight. I don't do hunger well. I power walk and run, just bought a Bowflex but haven't used it since I don't have the slightest idea what to do with it. I rarely drink alcohol because I don't want to run off the calories, and I rarely eat white carbs such as sugar.

5.14.06 Mothers Day Breakfast: coffee and creamer and a power bar Lunch: Brunch at Sister's Mojito Chinese chicken salad cheese pie fruit carmal popcorn with nuts cheesecake Comes to a whopping... TOTAL OF 1868 Total Fat: 92 grams 45% Total Carb: 181 grams 36% Protein: 68 grams 13% Alcohol: 15 grams 6% Tough day to admit (but I knew what I was doing!) and obviously wide open - I enjoyed myself and will begin again tomorrow...

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.]