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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.

OMG...that's it you nailed it. This problem we all have it NEVER goes away. Its like being an alcoholic. You have to be diligent at all times. You have to be aware of your tendencies and be willing to always be "working on it". I am facing this...the UGLY truth...You have to keep changing every day...Its a choice to be healthy! or you choose by default to back slide to where you started. So good luck everyone and thank you for the inspiration and support to Keep on! sas

I have lost 53 pounds since surgery 9/24/14, 71 pounds since last March, and 94 pounds from my heaviest two years ago. I lose about 2 pounds a week now, my NUT (1/6/15) says I am ahead of where I should be, I thought I should have lost more! But slow and steady is how to go. Had a friend who was sleeved, lost her weight really quickly. At 40 she looks mid 50s. She looks like those pictures of what drugs and alcohol does to your looks! I really do need to drink more Water.

What a wonderful story about courage, strength and the ability to never give up. I love how honest you were about everything. I know that's hard. I've been there and never wanted to admit I drank too much alcohol or had a love hate relationship with food and my body! I'm 53 and after preparing for the last 7 months my surgery is on the 18th. I also have very painful osteoarthritis in my knees in which I can't even walk across the parking lot! We can do this just like so many other people have!! Good luck!

I've just finished the third week of my pre op classes. The thing that led me this is of course the obvious... I'm obese!!! But, the health and social issues that follow have finally made it too much to bear. I am a 60 year old grandparent who has never gotten on the floor to play with his grandchildren. I suffer from osteoarthritis in both knees which hinder my ability to walk across the room. I have diabetes, COPD, hypertension, high cholesterol, and I'm sick of being sick!!! I don't think I've had lifelong history of weight problems but I can remember being teased for being "fat" as a young child. This changed as I entered high school and started to played sports and then joined the Army. After the military I became an avid backpacker and got into rock climbing. During this time I keep my weight in check without problems. It should be noted that I did suffer from other self esteem problems... I was an addict and I think I used the alcohol and risky activities to mask my low self esteem. If I was great athlete I couldn't be a drunk? Or if I was a drunk... whatever was needed to cover up the real me and what I was feeling. After I got sober I got married for the first time and as things didn't go well I took to eating to cover up what I was feeling. After the end of this marriage I once again took to activity to hide out. I biked up to 200 miles a week, or would go days without eating. People gave me praise for losing weight but didn't know that I was going through my first major depression and couldn't eat or sleep. The bottom line is that I got down to a respectable weight again in a totally inappropriate way. Soon I got married again and things were good. I exercised at a healthy (non manic) way. Life was good and my wife soon gave birth to my first child. It was during this time that the exercise stopped and quit working to be the stay at home parent. Within the next few years I started to exhibit emotion problems and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. As the psychiatrists piled on the medications I became less active. I developed breathing problems and was placed on oxygen. Talk about a cluster ****, my body totally shut down. Over the next 15 years my health got totally out of control. During that time period I was hospitalized no less than 7 times for emotional and health reasons and no one was willing to identify my psych meds as a major health concern. Finally, 2 years ago I decided to go off of my meds after I start to develop some rather nasty neurological side effects from one of the psych meds. During the ensuing months I started to breath again and was no longer physically depressed. Luckily I now have a psychiatrist who sees that I had been over medicated all these years. Instead of being on a cocktail of meds that promote weight gain I am on only one. (Unfortunately this med promotes weight gain but it's the one that seems to work) It's been like waking up from a dream, there are literally years that I can't remember. My wife and family are happy that I am awake. So this brings me to the next chapter. What am I going to do to prolong the rest of my life. This surgery is the first step! With it I can be not only see what is going on around me but I can participate in it. And with the help of my higher power I hope that all will go right.

My surgeon says ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL for the first year and then only in small amounts after. I know when I drank alcohol before I was sleeved and "ate well" my weight wouldn't budge or it would increase. Alcohol really does a number on the body. I would recommend stopping alcohol altogether until you reach your goal. I love red wine, but I have no intention of having any until after I've hit my goal. I just don't want to fall into my old habits of just having one glass a night before bed. It stalled me preop and I have no doubt it would stall me now. Since surgery, I haven't even craved it. I guess we will see where I am in 6 months, but I personally am not opening that door! Good luck, I hope you can get yourself back on track. Just remember the sleeve is a tool, not a quick fix. We are all in the same boat. I wish you well.

I tried alcohol a couple times and it makes me feel terrible. It goes right to my head. Goes away and then I just feel yucky. I miss being able to drink. I've tried low sugar wine, vodka with crystal light and water, White Russians and vodka and low sugar cranberry juice.

8 months out. I like to order a drink when I go out, but I can only handle several sips. I wasn't a big drinker pre-surgery, but my alcohol tolerance has lessened post-surgery.

@@BLERDgirl what a blessing. I envy you. I think my age makes it a bit more difficult. Everyone around me in their twenties eat like a typical twenty something year old...food trucks, pizza, fried food, latenight whataburger, alcohol etc. Most of them do it without gaining any weight. Oh, how I hate that! I've had to distance myself from these people while I recover. I know this is what's best for me, but I'm human and I do feel like I'm missing out at times.

I've tried several different bars, including Atkins, but think of Protein bars as more of a treat than a meal or healthy source of protein. I'm dubious about the hidden carbs and sugar alcohols except in moderation. Of course, you should follow your surgeon's orders, but I'd opt for real protein sources and eat the bars in moderation. I also love making 'powder pudding' with Protein Powder, sugar free pudding, and greek yogurt. Pudding isn't the greatest food on earth, but it's a wonderful treat. I understand they can be frozen also, but it never lasts that long.

I'm not touching any alcohol for a few more months, but I figure once I finally do, Guinness (or any other stout) would probably be a good choice. It's not carbonated like most beers.

I have been listening to Dr. Duc Vuong's podcast about successful wls patients. He has one of the highest success rates with wls patients in the country. What he says about the one thing that a patient can do to insure success at weight loss and keeping the weight off is to let the overweight food addicted person you once were die. Just let her die. So tonight I lit the candles all over my house....I brought the last alcohol I will drink in a while. I toasted all the coping mechanisms that kept me safe from harm...the fat that kept me unattractive to the men who would abuse me.....the food that made me feel better on cold lonely nights. The thick layer of distance I put between me and the cruelty of the world. And I said goodbye. It is sad, it is hard, I'm not sure how I am going to cope without that protective false self to keep me safe. But she's dead and I am going to let her die. I hope you will all join me in saying "Thank you fat self for all the years of keeping me safe and invisible from the world. But now I'm old enough, strong enough and experienced enough to take care of myself without you." Ashes to ashes Dust to dust Goodbye.