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I finally felt "normal" at 4 months...that is I actually enjoyed eating again, all of my food intolerances had passed and eating and drinking wasn't such a chore. I had very severe restriction from then until about 8 months out when I could finally eat a little more. By 10 months my appetite significantly increased and I'm eating every 3 hours just to stave off that empty hollow feeling. At 14 months I can now eat about twice as much as I could at 6 months. I feel this is just normal loosening of my sleeve since I don't overeat, I've never vomited, and I've maybe done the "one bite too many" 5 or 6 times. And of course for me, head hunger is a constant battle, but I eat healthy and "on plan" 90% of the time (and chocolate, alcohol, and white carbs the other 10% ???? ). Fortunately I passed my goal weight back around 7-8 months and even with the changes in restriction and appetite, maintenance has been easy.

Liquid zzzzzquil also has alcohol in it, I would recommend just buying plain old Benadryl and taking 3 about an hour before you want to fall asleep. Much cheaper, nothing unnecessary (alcohol or sugar) and just as effective.

I got my new date for March 12th! I stocked up on broths, and decaf teas, and ice pops, and Protein powders/shakes. I got my night gowns, alcohol wipes, tums, gas strips and spanx for after surgery - my dr said it would help to keep everything together afterwards, as well as keep my pants from rubbing against the incisions. The only thing I'm trying to figure out is how I can prepare pureed meals for my soft foods stage and freeze them until the time comes. Anyone have any good recipes or suggestions?

I tried alcoholic apple cider a few months after surgery and was fine. Haven't touched alcohol since .

I personal didn't feel any drunker than I usually did with drinking alcohol but the hangover was 10x's worse!!! Be prepared!

For future reference I was wondering if I decide to go out and have a drink would a beer be better than a Margarita. Girls from work like to get together and I haven't told but two people there about surgery so I don't want them to get supicuous

My rules..... 60-80g Protein everyday (30-40 from protein shakes/bars) 64oz+ Water everyday Take my Vitamins everyday Eat healthy, well balanced meals including protein, veggies, fruit and complex carbs Don't ever overeat Chew chew chew No carbonation Get regular bloodwork done Weigh once/week "Rules" I either never adopted or bagged once I passed goal... I eat and drink at the same time I use straws I graze...especially on weekends I drink alcohol and eat sweets and white carbs (in moderation) Never implemented a formal exercise program....my regular life and job keeps me active. Never measured or tracked my food No nut visits No support group (except my friends/family and BP gang!)

I never ate off plan until I passed goal. I followed every instruction my doctor gave me. I have gotten 60g+ Protein and 64oz+ Water every day. (Except when I was so nauseous from a medication I was on for a C. diff infection that I couldn't even swallow my own spit...which of course led to dehydration and IV fluids at which point my doctor and I found an alternative solution to cure the infection. In other words, make sure you drink!). I take my Vitamins every day. I get my bloodwork done as recommended and adjust supplements accordingly. I am active everyday. I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have kept it off for 7 months. Sure, now I eat deserts and carbs and drink alcohol, but I'm in maintenance and I'm allowed anything and everything in moderation. Any weight gain I observe I immediately check by going back to strict protein and veggies. Dear God: Please make me as perfect as Kindle,

I'd love to hear how I screwed up. I never ate off plan until I passed goal. I followed every instruction my doctor gave me. I have gotten 60g+ Protein and 64oz+ Water every day. (Except when I was so nauseous from a medication I was on for a C. diff infection that I couldn't even swallow my own spit...which of course led to dehydration and IV fluids at which point my doctor and I found an alternative solution to cure the infection. In other words, make sure you drink!). I take my Vitamins every day. I get my bloodwork done as recommended and adjust supplements accordingly. I am active everyday. I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have kept it off for 7 months. Sure, now I eat deserts and carbs and drink alcohol, but I'm in maintenance and I'm allowed anything and everything in moderation. Any weight gain I observe I immediately check by going back to strict protein and veggies. Again, where is my non compliance? But if I was, then good for me for being so successful despite all my cheating! My point to the OP is that this is a lifetime commitment and she struggled with just 7 days. food addiction is serious business and everyone needs to get whatever help they can to overcome it. Like @@VSGAnn2014 said, not everyone is successful with this tool and not taking responsibility for your choices and trying to validate cheating makes for a slippery slope towards failure. I consider myself a rockstar of WLS, and I'm on here to pay it forward. I'm a big proponent of everyone making a plan that works for them. My way is not the only way, just one of the many ways that works. But not being able to say no to sweets is generally not one of the plans that works.

The Medi-Cal Provider Manual has this to say about gastric surgery: Approval of a Treatment Authorization Request (TAR) for is required and must include all of the following documentation: ◾The recipient has a BMI, the ratio of weight (in kilograms) to the square of height (in meters), of: ◾Greater than 40, or ◾Greater than 35 if substantial co-morbidity exists, such as life-threatening cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, or severe neurological or musculoskeletal problems likely to be alleviated by the surgery. ◾The recipient has failed to sustain weight loss on conservative regimens. Examples of appropriate documentation of failure of conservative regimens include but are not limited to: ◾Severe obesity has persisted for at least five years despite a structured physician-supervised weight-loss program with or without an exercise program for a minimum of six months. ◾Serial-charted documentation that a two-year managed weight-loss program including dietary control has been ineffective in achieving a medically significant weight loss. ◾The recipient has a clear and realistic understanding of available alternatives and how his or her life will be changed after surgery, including the possibility of morbidity and even mortality, and a credible commitment to make the life changes necessary to maintain the body size and health achieved. ◾The recipient has received a pre-operative medical consultation and is an acceptable surgical candidate. ◾The recipient has an absence of contraindications to the surgery, including a major life-threatening disease not susceptible to alleviation by the surgery, alcohol or substance abuse problem in the last six months, severe psychiatric impairment and a demonstrated lack of compliance and motivation. ◾The recipient has a treatment plan, which includes: Pre-and post-operative dietary evaluations and nutritional counseling, counseling regarding exercise, psychological issues, and the availability of supportive resources when needed ◾Authorization for bariatric surgery will only be approved for a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services certified Center of Excellence (as designated by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery or certified Level I Bariatric Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons).

food releases a feel good chemical that lights up the same pleasure center of the brain that drugs and alcohol and sex do. So it becomes a pattern of oh im hungry let me eat now there is a reward felt through feeling better. A lot of the time if not all a glass of Water will fill the stomach up and quench that hunger feeling. But isn't it the hunger feeling we felt even though we had a big meal and that because of hunger we ate way more than the body can process and as a result stored it as fat.

A helpful tip I learned in the hospital, the smell of rubbing alcohol helps nausea. Keep a bottle near where you are sitting and if a wave of nausea hits you just take a whiff. Odd but it truly helped me when the nausea meds didn't get rid of it. Also the pain meds can really cause nausea

I'm nearly 10 months out now. Lost 75 lb. I'm 5'6", starting weight 240, now 165 (which is goal according to my surgeon but I'd like to lose 10 more). I feel awesome, sleep better, take the stairs without thinking about it, have more energy, and get lots of attention from men (ok that's the downside, but have to admit it feels good!). My meals are protein-focused but i don't count grams anymore. I drink around 40 oz per day and no issues, take my Vitamins, my labs look great. No blood pressure medicine the last 6 months. I didn't advance my diet nearly as quickly as the previous poster, but tolerate everything well in general. Fried foods give me nausea so i avoid them (not good for me anyway so no big deal). I avoid bread, biscuits, Cereal, tortillas, etc (except the low-carb tortillas--I will have ONE and make a Taco or mini pizza out of it, and I'm full). I don't drink alcohol because my fiance is in alcohol recovery, but it has a ton of calories so it's best avoided anyway. As a snack i will eat a handful of nuts and a cheese stick or a Greek yogurt (which contains extra Protein compared to regular yogurt and i think it has a better texture). Sometimes i will have 8 or 10 Blue Diamond Nut Thins with a little cheese dip to squash that craving for something crunchy. I love to go to Red Lobster and order the snow crab. So yummy and my tummy tolerates it very very well. For exercise i walk about 12 miles/week or more. This is a new way of eating for me, and it's for life. It's working for me, I'm used to it now and i like it. I'm very happy. Only regret is i didn't do this 10 years ago. Don't be afraid. Realize this is the first step in a journey that will bring you joy, health, and a longer life!

I follow about 95%. So I think it's easier to say what I am not so good at. Eating slowly Not multitasking while eating I still have something sweet a couple of times a week. I am not really a chips or alcohol person. It's usually the cookie, or donut that get's me. Because of this I do workout 7 days a week. And I do extreme workouts like Insanity, P90x and spin except once a week I do yoga. My doctor/nutritionist has never said I had to track or weigh my food so I don't. I just always have Protein with my food and focus on that. I am also allowed coffee so I only have 1 cup a day. I put 115 as my goal weight but honestly I wore a pair of 0P jeans to work today and lot's of people commented that I didn't need to lose any more. I have an apt with my surgeon and nutritionist on the 24 so we'll see what they say. I am also interested to see my levels to make sure nothings out of whack. Great job everyone. None of us are perfectionist and this is a lifestyle change and not a diet so I feel pretty good about the changes I've made. And with that I will say I am having one slice of pizza for dinner tonight as we are having family over that has no idea I did WLS. TGIF- LA

I don't eat much bread, rice or Pasta, and I rarely drink alcohol. I still love the bread, rice, and pasta, but the alcohol doesn't appeal much. I drink plenty of coffee. It was a rule that I told them pre-op I was not planning to follow. I was cleared at 6 weeks to drink it. It interferes with Calcium absorption, but my calcium level borders high with no supplements, so I just try not go nuts with it. Honestly, I don't think pop or carbonation would really hurt the sleeve, but I still follow that rule just in case. I also don't think a straw would somehow stretch my stomach, but I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY love being thin, so I'm not taking chances with things that are not important to me

My rules are very similar to yours except I am also not allowed: Caffeinated beverages Alcohol Spicy foods Things I decided not to eat anymore: Potatoes Rice White flour Pasta A rule I added: Exercise daily

I don't need to get flamed. I know this is an issue and I hope to start an honest conversation with people who are struggling. I heard all the stories of bariatric patients and alcoholism. If I said I had a normal relationship with alcohol before surgery I would be lying. I want to lay this out; Alcohol is an easy alternative to food. I honestly thought that having surgery had "cured" me. I definitely drink less. Obviously, after surgery that means nothing. Food was comforting to me before bypass. It now makes me sick. Pretty much everytime I eat I feel sick. Alcohol on the other hand...

Great article! Thanks for sharing this. I use these "tools" of recovery for my eating addiction as well as my alcoholism, which I have maintained for 21 years now. (The sobriety, that is) For eating, it has been since July 2014 that I have been applying these sorts of principles to my everyday life. It really works for me!

This is a great post. Obesity is an incurable disease just like alcoholism, MS, and Lupus. However, isn't it wonderful that it can be treated! I think of myself as a "recovering obesiac." Not a medical term, I know! But it helps me keep things in perspective. It's easy to get discouraged. When I realize this is a disease process that I am fighting it helps me stay motivated.

I can relate to this. I knew when the surgery was coming I needed to quit drinking. I did self assessment and realized I had been drinking regularly for a long time. That meant there was the risk of sudden alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This article was helpful on tapering off without a problem: https://hamsnetwork.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/more-on-tapering-off-alcohol/ If you are going to drink, but still want to lose weight, you need to have a plan. I like this site, it is a middle ground between the AA model and "who cares." http://www.hamsnetwork.org/ a128blo drinking this much may mean you are like me and can't relax. That is an area you might want to explore. Figure that out and see where you are.

Thank you for telling us about your struggles. I am struggling with smoking, and I have probably made worse food choices since scheduling my surgery. I also watched my good friend finally lose the weight that he always hated, and seem so happy for many years. Then I watched him become an alcoholic. Then he died when he crashed his motorcycle in a one vehicle accident because he was so drunk. And it does not matter who you are or how much you think you are against these actions. We have badges. I never thought it would be one of us driving drunk. I am so grateful that nobody else was around him to get hurt or killed. I miss him so much still. I know it is wrong, but I just try to forget that he ever existed so his memory cannot hurt me.

A Post-Op & A Doc (Cari De La Cruz and Connie Stapleton, Ph.D.) have officially designated 2015 as the Year of Recovery. There are just six, basic ingredients, which, if added to your life, can help you reach and manage your goals to lose weight and keep it off. The good news is: 1) You already have everything you need to begin following the recipe. 2) It doesn’t involve shellfish, peanuts or milk, so you can’t possibly be allergic to it, 3) There is no baking, cooking, sautéing or mixing required, because the Recipe for Recovery doesn’t involve food, but does involve eating. We like to say that obesity is “all about the food, but it isn’t about the food” (which makes you wonder why we’re talking about a recipe and ingredients). Well, let’s start here: Do you eat when you’re upset, stressed or worried? What are you eating to avoid? Are you eating to avoid a person? a situation? a feeling? By following the Recipe for Recovery, you can learn to deal directly with any upset, stress or worry related to any “what” or “who” so you don’t need to turn to food for a short-term “high” or “fix.” Here’s another one: Do you eat when you’re bored? What do you need when you’re bored? Are you in need of a hobby? Companionship? What are you doing to find a healthy hobby or seek healthy companionship so you don’t automatically turn to food? These are some of the important questions you’ll begin to ask yourself as you learn follow the Recipe for Recovery. We know these are tough things to think about – especially when we’re busy plotting our next snack or obsessing about the box of donuts in the break room at work – fortunately, you don’t need to answer these questions BEFORE you can begin choosing to live in Recovery From Obesity. In other words, you don’t have to know what, where, or why in order to stop the destructive eating behaviors. Basically, food is often a SYMPTOM of a problem – not THE PROBLEM. For example, you might have a problem with interpersonal relationships or issues at work, or perhaps a battle within yourself – like an “emotional storm” -- where you say really mean, negative, unpleasant things TO yourself ABOUT yourself. Rather than addressing the problem, you turn to food, so food becomes the focus rather than the actual problem! Unfortunately, food is a temporary (very temporary) reprieve from unpleasant feelings, memories, or thoughts and though it provides a chemically induced euphoria…it’s short-lived. What is true for the alcoholic is also true for people who abuse themselves with food, which means the problem will still be there when the food is gone…. and then you have the hangover to deal with -- usually in the form of self-brutality by way of horrendously abusive self-talk. Yikes! We created the Recipe for Recovery from Obesity to help you learn to deal with the real issues (stress, worry, boredom, frustration, fear) in healthy ways (and to hopefully avoid the self-destructive eating and subsequent emotional hangovers). Here are the six ingredients that make up the Recipe for Recovery: 1. AWARENESS: Awareness is always the first step in change, which is why we refer to it as the essential ingredient to weight loss and weight-management. It’s pretty hard to change something you’re not aware of. You might know that you’re obese, but are you aware of how you are contributing to the problem? Maybe you’re stuck in your weight loss journey, or you’re regaining, or you never made it to your “goal” – you’re aware that there’s a problem – but you don’t know what to do next. Becoming AWARE of your issues is the place to start. 2. ACCEPTANCE: This is often an overlooked ingredient in weight loss/management. If you don’t accept that weight and the associated issues are ongoing problems in your life, then it’ll be pretty difficult to make the necessary changes to lose that weight and keep it off! The truth is, there are many things we need to accept in our journeys of weight loss/management that you may not have ever considered, such as the fact that you’ll have to eat right and exercise regularly, and will probably have to forego (or greatly limit) some of the foods you really love. The process of acceptance may include having some anger, fear and even mourning. Accept it – and get on with the process! 3. ATTITUDE: We call this the flavorful ingredient (and for some of us, this one is pretty spicy!) We all have different “tastes” when it comes to food… and life, which means that we don’t all like the same things or do the same things in exactly the same ways! Variety is the spice of life? Well, we think attitude is the FLAVOR of recovery! Focusing on attitude and having a positive one can make all the difference in your Recovery results! 4. COMMITMENT: You’ll use this staple ingredient at least once (and sometimes several times) each day in your Recovery journey, especially when you inevitably develop a case of the “I-don’t-wannas” – you know, those moments when you just “don’t wanna…” workout…log your food…manage your portions, pass on the cookies, etc. Adding a dash or a splash of commitment to your life helps you make the next wise choice. Every wise choice moves you toward your desired goals – a healthier self and a better quality of life. 5. ACCOUNTABILITY: Often quite underused, Accountability is an ingredient to help ensure the recipe is prepared as directed. We know it can be tempting to try to do things your own way, and we also know how that’s worked in the past! That’s where accountability really brings the Recipe for Recovery to life! Use accountability to do what you said you’d do when you began your weight loss journey. Whether you chose surgery, medically supervised weight loss, or another structured program, you agreed to do certain things, so this ingredient really matters. Hold yourself accountable for following through with doing the things you said you would do to get the weight off and keep the weight off. 6. EFFORT: The sixth (and key) ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery is Effort. Without ongoing, consistent, “use-it-whether-you-feel-like-it-or-not” – continual effort, the recipe will NOT turn out the way you want. Let us repeat: Your Recovery will NOT be successful if you do NOT use this key ingredient. When you put forth effort, you see results in the direction you are working toward. When you withhold efforts, you also see results – but not the ones you want! And, guess what? You can’t overuse this ingredient, so add it liberally and realize the fullness of a life in Recovery! It may sound like a lot of work, but if you want what you say you want (a healthy life in Recovery From Obesity) -- these ingredients really add up to a winning result!

We like to say that obesity is “all about the food, but it isn’t about the food” (which makes you wonder why we’re talking about a recipe and ingredients). Well, let’s start here: Do you eat when you’re upset, stressed or worried? What are you eating to avoid? Are you eating to avoid a person? a situation? a feeling? By following the Recipe for Recovery, you can learn to deal directly with any upset, stress or worry related to any “what” or “who” so you don’t need to turn to food for a short-term “high” or “fix.” Here’s another one: Do you eat when you’re bored? What do you need when you’re bored? Are you in need of a hobby? Companionship? What are you doing to find a healthy hobby or seek healthy companionship so you don’t automatically turn to food? These are some of the important questions you’ll begin to ask yourself as you learn follow the Recipe for Recovery. We know these are tough things to think about – especially when we’re busy plotting our next snack or obsessing about the box of donuts in the break room at work – fortunately, you don’t need to answer these questions BEFORE you can begin choosing to live in Recovery From Obesity. In other words, you don’t have to know what, where, or why in order to stop the destructive eating behaviors. Basically, food is often a SYMPTOM of a problem – not THE PROBLEM. For example, you might have a problem with interpersonal relationships or issues at work, or perhaps a battle within yourself – like an “emotional storm” -- where you say really mean, negative, unpleasant things TO yourself ABOUT yourself. Rather than addressing the problem, you turn to food, so food becomes the focus rather than the actual problem! Unfortunately, food is a temporary (very temporary) reprieve from unpleasant feelings, memories, or thoughts and though it provides a chemically induced euphoria…it’s short-lived. What is true for the alcoholic is also true for people who abuse themselves with food, which means the problem will still be there when the food is gone…. and then you have the hangover to deal with -- usually in the form of self-brutality by way of horrendously abusive self-talk. Yikes! We created the Recipe for Recovery from Obesity to help you learn to deal with the real issues (stress, worry, boredom, frustration, fear) in healthy ways (and to hopefully avoid the self-destructive eating and subsequent emotional hangovers). Here are the six ingredients that make up the Recipe for Recovery: 1. AWARENESS: Awareness is always the first step in change, which is why we refer to it as the essential ingredient to weight loss and weight-management. It’s pretty hard to change something you’re not aware of. You might know that you’re obese, but are you aware of how you are contributing to the problem? Maybe you’re stuck in your weight loss journey, or you’re regaining, or you never made it to your “goal” – you’re aware that there’s a problem – but you don’t know what to do next. Becoming AWARE of your issues is the place to start. 2. ACCEPTANCE: This is often an overlooked ingredient in weight loss/management. If you don’t accept that weight and the associated issues are ongoing problems in your life, then it’ll be pretty difficult to make the necessary changes to lose that weight and keep it off! The truth is, there are many things we need to accept in our journeys of weight loss/management that you may not have ever considered, such as the fact that you’ll have to eat right and exercise regularly, and will probably have to forego (or greatly limit) some of the foods you really love. The process of acceptance may include having some anger, fear and even mourning. Accept it – and get on with the process! 3. ATTITUDE: We call this the flavorful ingredient (and for some of us, this one is pretty spicy!) We all have different “tastes” when it comes to food… and life, which means that we don’t all like the same things or do the same things in exactly the same ways! Variety is the spice of life? Well, we think attitude is the FLAVOR of recovery! Focusing on attitude and having a positive one can make all the difference in your Recovery results! 4. COMMITMENT: You’ll use this staple ingredient at least once (and sometimes several times) each day in your Recovery journey, especially when you inevitably develop a case of the “I-don’t-wannas” – you know, those moments when you just “don’t wanna…” workout…log your food…manage your portions, pass on the cookies, etc. Adding a dash or a splash of commitment to your life helps you make the next wise choice. Every wise choice moves you toward your desired goals – a healthier self and a better quality of life. 5. ACCOUNTABILITY: Often quite underused, Accountability is an ingredient to help ensure the recipe is prepared as directed. We know it can be tempting to try to do things your own way, and we also know how that’s worked in the past! That’s where accountability really brings the Recipe for Recovery to life! Use accountability to do what you said you’d do when you began your weight loss journey. Whether you chose surgery, medically supervised weight loss, or another structured program, you agreed to do certain things, so this ingredient really matters. Hold yourself accountable for following through with doing the things you said you would do to get the weight off and keep the weight off. 6. EFFORT: The sixth (and key) ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery is Effort. Without ongoing, consistent, “use-it-whether-you-feel-like-it-or-not” – continual effort, the recipe will NOT turn out the way you want. Let us repeat: Your Recovery will NOT be successful if you do NOT use this key ingredient. When you put forth effort, you see results in the direction you are working toward. When you withhold efforts, you also see results – but not the ones you want! And, guess what? You can’t overuse this ingredient, so add it liberally and realize the fullness of a life in Recovery! It may sound like a lot of work, but if you want what you say you want (a healthy life in Recovery From Obesity) -- these ingredients really add up to a winning result!

I'm always curious to hear from those who had 80 or less pounds to lose. I was sleeved 5/5/14. Starting weight 206, now152. My weight loss has stalled and I lost ZeRo this past month. Is this normal? I know everyone is different but I feel like I need a point of reference. As for my diet I stay around 1000 cal/day, 50 protein and 45-65oz of water. Plus... Alcohol. I do consume it but I work out at least 3x/week. Thoughts? My one year is close and I really need to lose 30 more lbs to be at my goal

My surgeon says no alcoholic beverages for 1 year post op.