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mmmmm that sounds good Suzie, might think about that tomorrow! Well, maybe the next day, we do black eyed peas tomorrow. Normally my DH's family does the German traditions of pork and sour kraut, but he is gone, and I am not doing all that for myself!!! About 40 years ago (seriously!) my Dad began having 2 parties a year, as a special Thank you to his employees. He had a big BBQ during the summer, and then he had a big posole dinner on NYE. It has always been an open house type of thing, come and eat, then they were good to go to their individual parties. He told ALL of them as they each left, if they needed a ride, to call, do not drive drunk! LOL In the beginning, he offered alcoholic drinks as well as non. Then after my brother got hurt, and developed alcohol problems, he quit, and it has been non alcoholic ever since. I personally quit drinking at them when I was 24. Rick and I had been at a little pub, had too much to drink, and went next door to this game parlour place, and had our caricatures drawn---I have them framed! LOL Anyway, we picked up another 6 pack, and headed over here. We were not trashed, but buzzed. I was not so far gone as to normally embarrass myself or my family. I was however tipsy enough to walk in the front door and promptly trip-----over our preacher! LOL I swear it is true!!! Our caricatures went flying! I quit drinking anything at the parties after that! Most years, I go out and spend the evening with family and friends. Even tho Dad retired many years ago, lots of his old friends from work, and church, and lodge friends, as well as friends of my brothers and mine, all show up. It is not unusual to have a crowd of 80-85 come and go through the night. This year will be S L O W. The roads are icy---and it is cold! Mom and Dad's friends are their age, and many don't drive much at night, and especially not in this weather. So he will have posole left over this year, which will make Rick happy since he is missing it! Long story---but that is what I am doing tonight. Kinsey's school is closed today with the snow, so she is with me. I wanted to take her to the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, but her Mom wants to go too. I ask her to go see Avatar with me this weekend, but she doesn't care to see it, so I may go alone. And I will not ask her to go anywhere with me again for a long while----maybe she was busy at work, but she was snotty. Mom didn't like it. Hurt my feelings to be honest.....like pulling her teeth to spend time with me or what??? Well, I need to go shovel--------------the fun never ends! I need to borrow Suzies snow blower!!! Wanna bring it over and try it on my yard??

Hey y'all! Rick is not going to TX until after Christmas, looks like he will be gone right after, and miss New Years. Which is not a huge deal to us---------I will fix him all his favorites, which is what we do for NY anyway when he gets back. He has an employee who wants to go now, does not want to miss a NYE party. So he is going to go now and let his wife get everything ready for Christmas by herself----Rick thinks the guy is ok, I think he is an alcoholic married to someone who deserves him, they are very dysfuntional. Now all that said, it would not surprise me for things to change at the last minute, but I am not worried about it. We went this weekend and pretty much finished up the shopping except for an electric skillet I want to get for his Mom at Target, and they are out of stock, so going to watch for it, or check on line---then we are done---so whenever he goes I will handle it. The guy keeps telling Rick he needs the $$$ for Christmas. Rick has told him, it WILL be great money but it won't come in on the paycheck until AFTER Christmas, the way time goes in.....so... we'll see! Snowed about 5 inches, and has stopped for the most part now, it is spitting slowly, but nothing to stack up. I took my Mom to look at sofas. She got rid of hers.....just got rid of her furniture! Now is wanting to just walk in and buy some, and most places have to order it, so she may be without furniture for 3 weeks! LOL leave it to my Mom! She did find a really nice leather set in the Oak Super Store place, so Dad is going to go look and see if he likes it -- and it is in stock, so maybe she will be ok! Met Rick for lunch, ate a piece of fish----fried, but fish!!! And nothing else. I smell my chile and my beans cooking, and they smell wonderful!! While we were in the mall we were coming out of Sears, and ran into an old neighbor. He and his former wife and 2 boys my kids age lived next door for years. Nicest guy--got great kids. Had a wild one for a wife! She is nice, but she is wild---she is teeny tiny, and thinks she is 7 foot tall in invincible! She has attitude to spare! They divorced not long after moving from here----she was messing around with one of their horse trainers. The son that is Manda's age told her about it. Anyway--we stopped and talked and caught up on the kids. He told me I looked "incredible". He said the younger son --the one Abbeys age had told him I lost a bunch of weight---but he was just shocked you could tell. Which was flattering, but yet embarrassing, to know he was thinking how fat I was.....hard to explain----I know he was being complimentary, but it is a fine line! I let it go, and took the compliment!!! LOL I have a nice fire going, dinner done.....think it is time to go change into some hang around the house comfy jammie pants!!!

Hey Homies. LOL. I slept in this morning but I was up late last night. At the Teen class last night at church we gave each of the kids 3 cards and had them write on it things that they had been dealt. Mine was that I grew up with an alcoholic family, not just my immediate family but Aunts, Uncles and cousins. My second one was in my senior year that my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and was sent 1,300 miles away for 6 months. I had to become a mom to my younger sister, go to school, work a pt job and take care of the house. My other cards were of a happier nature. That I met and married my best friend and we have celebrated almost 27 years together. That I was told I had problems with my kidneys and the first words out of my sisters mouths was them fighting over who was going to donate a kidney to me. That's a good one because it shows how much I am loved. The other 2 adults in the class did the same thing. So we gave the kids about 10 minutes to fill out there cards. OMG. I really mean that. OMG. We were stunned at some of the stuff that they wrote. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run around the room and hug all of them. I couldn't believe how honest they were being. So we let them if they decided too to talk about what they wrote. One boy said he was going to talk about his cards because he wanted everyone else to know that it was ok to open up about it. And open up they did. I sat there with my hand over my mouth and the other one over my heart. It was truly moving to hear the 14-16 year old kids talk about what they deal with on a daily basis. I spent a few minutes talking to them afterwards and it was so touching to see how they all responded. Not sure I can take another night like that. I hope next week we do something a little lighter. Sorry if I brought you down with that. It was just that I wanted you to know what some special kids we have in this world and how lucky we all to have them. Now, as for my day. I'm off to go get my older sis and take her grocery shopping. I'll come back here and do some housework and than I have to work later today. I go next monday to give blood for my Doc appointment on Wednesday. That's when I see my Kidney Doc. So starting today I'm pushing the water. Need to keep those kidneys flushed and functioning right. I hope Kat is having a great time and a very "Happy Anniversary" to her and Rick. Everyone have a great day and I'll check in after I get back.

Kat, I just read your last post. I really hope it won't dampen your spirits too much, because you're going to see the boys. As for Rick's niece, I'm with you. She won't ever get her act together if they try to bail her out. Alcoholics and drug addicts are cunning, and they'll continue down the path of destruction until they decide they've had enough. It just causes more heartache for their loved ones. My father was an alcoholic, as are a couple of my sisters, and one of them was doing drugs for awhile. I don't know if she still is, I haven't spoken to her, but that's a story for another time. I'll send positive thoughts that you're able to enjoy your trip in spite of everything.

I have the sugar free chocolate syrup, have to check on the peppermint one...OMG, I just read the back of the peppermint extract, to see about calories, and it says it's 91% alcohol..Good thing I only used 1 tsp.

Kudos that people that can truly look at it at as fuel and be okay with it. Like you said in the real world not a lot of us can do that. I can do it while I'm at work. I can eat chicken salad for morning and lunch and not get tired of it. I'm looking at it as fuel at that point. That goes right out the window the second I get home, though. We are wired differently. My wife could be a casual smoker and only have one a day, then go 2 days without one, then have 3-4 if we were out, then none the next day and be fine with that. Me on the other hand....nope. I loved smoking (when I did years ago) and there wasn't much control. There was absolutely no way in hell I could do what she did. That goes for a lot of things in life. I can drink a beer every week or once every two months if I wanted. For somebody that has trouble with alcohol they couldn't do what I do. Yet I can but couldn't do that with smoking. Somebody may go to a casino twice a year for fun. Other's know if they went just once their gambling addiction would come roaring back. Food can have the same power/hold on us as any other addiction. For anyone that scoffs at others for not simply being able to "turn it off" then you don't get what addiction is all about. I do believe that we can all overcome our own addictions but it's easier said than done for many of us.

I'm going to be banded on June 5. I don't drink alcohol but am a diet soda junkie, which I know I have to give up for the band to work. I've stocked up on juices and other things to take the place of my diet drinks. You have to totally commit yourself to the fact there are some things you have to do in moderation if at all. I have heard an occasional drink won't hurt (not sure on that) and that I can have a flat soda pop if I choose but that sounds horrible. It's a very personal decision to get the band and it takes lots of work to get to the stage that you know it is what you want. You found us, so apparently you are quite interested. Where did you plan on being banded. In the US there are some tests required which vary state by state such as sleep studies for sleep apnea; a psych test to be sure you are ready; sometimes an upper GI. By the time you are through hassling with insurance (or perhaps you are self-pay or going to Mexico) you will be ready for your surgery. I've been preparing for the better part of a year now. Emotionally, I am more than ready. Physically I know I have to have this done in order to enjoy life to the fullest. I have aches in my feet and knees and am hoping that taking the weight off will help. I wish you the best of luck and welcome to LBT. It is a great source of support and strength and some very good friendships.

Hi Erynn, welcome to LBT!! 1: NOT THAT I 'M A BIG LUSH OR ANY THING BUT I'M ONLY 23 AND I DO LIKE TO GO OUT EVERY NOW AND THEN (MEANING EVERY WEEKEND OR SO ) BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN DRINK AND HOW IT EFFECTS YOUR STOMACH. Drinking is "allowed" post-banding, but anyone who is serious about weight loss will realize that alcohol is the worst kind of empty calories. Another downside is that it can relax inhibitions, making it too easy to eat too much, too fast, or not carefully, with negative consequences that night or the next day. (Or so I'm told, not being a drinker myself.) But there's no physiological reason to avoid alcohol after banding. 2: IS THE SCARING FROM THE SURGERY VERY VISIBLE???? NO! Of course, everyone heals differently, but most of the incisions from laparoscopic surgery are more like punctures than regular incisions. I have three of these that I can hardly find now, and one slightly larger scar that is also virtually invisible. 3: HOW DO YOU EMOTIONALLY PREPARE YOUR SELF FOR SURGERY AND FACING THE FACT THAT YOU CANT JUST EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT ANYMORE???? Well, this varies for everyone. For ME, it was a matter of being completely, totally ready to get healthier. There was nothing more important in my life than my children, and I was literally unable to be an effective or competent parent to them. So that was my "bottom" and once I hit it, food was easy to give up. I was emotionally ready the moment I heard about the band.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Kat - on your 30 year old "kid" - next year - just ask her what she is bringing - pointedly. She will get the message. It's past time for her to step up.... :] Oh - and we don't cater too much to picky eaters at my house. If you don't like it - don't eat it. Amazingly enough - folks always seem to find something they can tolerate. :] Oh - and the poundage in the signature is the "Official" weight as of my last doctor's visit. I will change that when I go to see him again next month. Jules - glad to hear I am not the only one who doesn't know about Chess Pie. Hope you are having a great day! Mandy - non-alcoholic wine is about the same thing as decaffinated coffee. I guess they can suck the alcohol out of anything.... I will have to try the pork thing. We are big into pork at my house. Chrispy - Calzones? I want some! What a great non-traditional feast food. Do you put meat in them? Do tell. It's all about food porn today, anyway, isn't it? I mean Geez. We have already read about Caremel Pecan pie... how much more hungry can I get? :] Eileenie - cute card! Have fun cooking. Just in case I somehow don't get back here before Friday - HUGE hugs and much love to all of you - I will be thinking of you as I take my two bites of stuffing every 15 minutes. Hugs & Love Irene

Kat, you are a phenominal grandmother. Lindzie (and the rest) is lucky to have you! That is such a thoughtful gift. I bet it gives her an interest in art that she will carry all her life, along with that precious and cherished memory Bluehill noted. That's so cool. And Bluehill, you're so right -- the correct emotion is envy, not jealousy. There's no resentment in the April bandsters' successes. I want all the success in the world for all of us. With the band, I know we'll get it too, no matter the order. I was at a work function tonight -- it was a Texas Hold'em contest between a bunch of lawyers. I've got to tell you, it was a whole different world from other functions I've been to -- even at just 30 or so lbs heavier than I am now. First, remember I'm a 34 year old single woman. Then think about the fact that my profession (particularly my sub-field) is 95% men. Throw in beer (for the men -- I had to hit the treadmill later so no alcohol for me) and poker and somehow all my jokes were funny! There were only about 4 women there out of 40. I was up $3500 (fake) dollars and was one of about 12 left in the game (i.e. who still had chips left) when I announced I had to go to the gym, handed my chips to the cute guy to my left, winked at him and walked out. It was a blast! Usually work functions are such a drag, but they're getting better.... And, I did go to the gym to make it exactly 40 minutes on the treadmill before they kicked me out (closing time at 10 pm)! Hey Kat, maybe I'm the one who dropped a dumbell on my head -- winning at poker and leaving a group of cute boys to go to the gym?? Nite,

So question...My 26th birthday is tomorrow and I am 2 days away from being one month post op. I am also going on a cruise for me and my husbands birthdays together and I was wondering if I could drink (alcohol) in any sort of form at all?? Or is this out? Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Blimey! This has been an interesting read on this lovely Sunday morning, and just because Dub mentioned something on another post. It got my curiosity (OK, big standard nosey) antenna twitching! Thought that I'd add my two pennyworth for what it's worth. I'm Jinty, and I'm an alcoholic. There, I've said it. I've been sober for 12 years with, for the first six years the help of AA meetings and other recovering alcoholics. I received a lot of tough love, common sense advice and several kicks up the arse to get me on the sobriety track. I DIDN'T get mollycoddled, fuzzy love and cuddles or any other pussyfooting nonsense. That is why I am sober today. There were plenty of perfectly nice drunks who went to meetings but who expected their sobriety to come from someone else. Those people usually went back out, back on the piss and a few of them are now dead. They often thought that the old timers with long term sobriety were too tough. They would form their little groups and have their pity parties, commiserate and then pick up a drink. I saw it happen time and time again. I stuck with the winners. Those who had been around for a few years. I stayed well away from newbies who thought that they knew it all because again, many of them fell off the wagon (and back into the gutter) because of their arrogance. I have a great life because of my sobriety and it's getting even better now that I have taken drastic action to deal with my food addiction in the form of a VSG. To ensure that I keep going in the right direction, I am sticking with all you wonderful, bullying, foul mouthed, tyrannical, well informed, humorous bastards who post on this forum. You've served me well thus far and quite frankly, if it ain't broken then I ain't going to fiddle fixing it.

I am scheduled for the VSG procedure on October 12th. So far I have stopped drinking carbonated drinks and alcohol. I also make sure to eat my protein first and making a lot of protein based meals. I try to walk 30 minutes daily and cut back on sweets.

I had my RNY Gastric bypass on January 7th of this year and it felt I had finally found the solution I was always searching for. I began preparing to have the surgery the September prior and it felt like every moment that went by I was just waiting for the day to start my life over; like I was only half present during holidays, dates, or work and half counting down the hours. I got down to about 100 lbs this past June, just in time for my birthday; but, ill admit I hadn't been consistently playing by the rules, I started smoking again, drinking alcohol, picking at foods when I'm cooking, not taking vitamins, not exercising and loading up on the carbs. My weight loss had stopped and it seemed like I had lost all motivation to get it up and running again. It wasn't until last Monday that I was re awoken. A week ago I watched my boyfriend have the same surgery, with the same surgeon and later recover in the same room. I remembered how hard starting out was for me and I knew that I needed to be strong for both of us. I feel alive again, and I won't dare lose focus again. I bought new vitamins that I have been taking vigilantly, drinking my water and making better food choices. I'm still working on the exercise but ill get there. I'm grateful I got the opportunity to change my life and I'm even more grateful that I get to experience this journey with the person I care for most.

I also think it's mainly because of the mental impact of drinking. After few glasses, you could lose the knowing of limits, so. Besides, it depends on the alcohol you want to consume. In cases of dry red wine - it's totally fine to drink 1-2 glasses. But beer, sweet cocktails, or even strong alcohol are prohibited not only after a bypass but for a healthy person too. Believe me, you don't want to know what alcohol addiction is or other kinds of it. All of the Scottish Inpatient Treatment Services know me personally (at least they did). I haven't been drinking any type of alcohol for 2 years now.

I know I said my next article was going to be on causes of obesity, but I got carried away tonight doing some investigating about the professional medical guidelines for alcohol use after weight loss surgery. In summary, the gist of the recommendations are: “Patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be screened and educated regarding alcohol intake both before and after surgery… patients should be made aware that alcohol use disorders (AUD) can occur in the long term after bariatric surgery.” (From: http://asmbs.org/resources/alcohol-use-before-and-after-bariatric-surgery.) Bariatric Realities – Medical Professionals’ Guidelines about Alcohol Use & WLS I know I said my next article was going to be on causes of obesity, but I got carried away tonight doing some investigating about the professional medical guidelines for alcohol use after weight loss surgery. In summary, the gist of the recommendations are: “Patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be screened and educated regarding alcohol intake both before and after surgery… patients should be made aware that alcohol use disorders (AUD) can occur in the long term after bariatric surgery.” (From: http://asmbs.org/resources/alcohol-use-before-and-after-bariatric-surgery.) Well, now. Those are some non-specific medical recommendations by medical professionals who are the predominant leaders and caregivers of the surgical weight loss population. Education and awareness. Hey – I am all about education and awareness. Great things, education and awareness. And yet, I’m gonna say that as a recommendation, that is a very “PC” non-recommendation recommendation, when one considers that we are talking about 1) ALCOHOL and 2) WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY patients. Consider these educational nuggets and facts I found that WLS patients really ought to be aware of: Psychologist Stanton Peele, writes, “readers now know that scientifically, it's not alcohol that causes people to live longer, but it is simply being with others and that they are less socially isolated when they drink that prolongs their lives. After all, alcohol is a toxin.” (italics and bold added) (From https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/addiction-in-society/201011/science-is-what-society-says-it-is-alcohols-poison. My comments: Yes – alcohol is a toxin, and that means POISON. Those of us in the medical field really ought to know that people are not supposed to ingest poison. But the recommendations do not say, “Do NOT ingest the toxin, alcohol.” No, no, no… they say be educated and aware. Dr. Charles S. Lieber, M.D., M.A.C.P., in a publication for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, writes, ““A complex interplay exists between a person’s alcohol consumption and nutritional status,” and … alcohol and its metabolism prevent the body from properly absorbing, digesting, and using essential nutrients” (italics added.) Dr. Lieber does indeed, educate us about the nutritional value of alcohol: “Alcohol would not fall under the category of an essential nutrient because not having it in your diet does not lead to any sort of deficiency. Alcoholic beverages primarily consist of water, pure alcohol (chemically known as ethanol), and variable amounts of sugars (i.e., carbohydrates); their content of other nutrients (e.g., proteins, vitamins, or minerals) is usually negligible. Because they provide almost no nutrients, alcoholic beverages are considered ‘empty calories.’ Therefore, any calories provided by alcoholic beverages are derived from the carbohydrates and alcohol they contain.” (italics added) My comments: People who have weight loss surgery (other than the band) experience absorption issues to one degree or another. Nutritional deficiency is one of the concerns the medical professionals monitor in the months and years following WLS. We stress to patients the importance of taking vitamin supplements for the rest of their lives to help ensure proper nutritional balance. And yet, rather than saying, “Alcohol use is unwise after WLS,” or “Don’t drink alcohol after WLS,” the governing body of health professionals for bariatric surgery recommends being “educated” and “aware.” Is that happening? Are the physicians and surgeons and nutritionists and mental health professionals educating patients and making patients aware that ALCOHOL IS A TOXIN THAT CAN INTERFERE WITH VITAMIN ABSORPTION – and it should not be consumed after weight loss surgery? I can’t answer that, although I know we do this at the programs I work with. If it’s not happening, why not? Having a background in direct sales, which, ironically, was incredible education for my later career as a psychologist, I was taught to “anticipate the objections.” Many health care professionals may be pooh-pooh’ing the vitamin deficiency issue associated with alcohol, stating it’s only those who drink heavily who are at risk for this type of vitamin deficiency. That information, to the best of my knowledge, is relevant for persons who have not had weight loss surgery. What’s more, we don’t know the extent to which people are drinking many years after WLS. Most of the research, as noted in the ASMBS Guidelines/Statements entitled ASMBS position statement on alcohol use before and after bariatric surgery, states, “The existing studies do not present a uniform picture regarding the overall prevalence of lifetime or current alcohol use disorders (AUD) in patients seeking bariatric surgery. The vast majority of the existing literature is retrospective, with small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and low response rates. There are also varying definitions of alcohol disorders (“high-risk” versus “misuse” versus “abuse/dependence”) in the bariatric surgery literature.” In other words, this research does provide some information, but remember, we don’t really know that much because there isn’t enough research on enough people over a long enough period of time. We don’t then, know the actual affect that alcohol use has on vitamin absorption for WLS patients. We DO know that vitamin deficiency is a concern, so WHY aren’t we telling people not to drink? Not only is alcohol a toxin for our bodies, “Alcohol is actually classified as a drug and is a known depressant. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)” (italics and underling added). http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/article.htm My comments: I am literally chuckling now at the absurdity of this situation. The situation being the medical professionals, all having a code of ethics that reflects the “do no harm” sentiment, ignoring potential harm for their patients. Please note that we would all consider alcohol as being “empty calories” and having sugar/carbohydrates and certainly no protein. PLEASE let it be the case that the mental health practitioners around the world who deal with surgical weight loss patients are telling them, “Don’t eat empty calories. Eat a lot of protein. Limit the simple carbs and sugar. And refrain from consuming your calories from liquids. NO STARBUCKS. BUT, HEY - GO AHEAD AND DRINK THOSE SUGAR/CARB LADEN, EMPTY, NUTRITION-ROBBING TOXIC CALORIES IN ALCOHOL, THAT ARE, BY THE WAY, THE MOST WIDELY ABUSED DRUG IN THE WORLD.” Honestly, that sentence should be the entire article. But WAIT! There’s MORE! I really love this last tidbit I’ll share with you. It’s so much nicer for me when I can find it online so it’s not that mean, alcohol-hating Dr. Stapleton being the one to blame! “The truth is that no one needs alcohol to live, so regardless of what you've heard or want to believe, alcohol is not essential in our diets. Did you know that a glass of wine can have the same calories as four cookies? How about a pint of lager – surprised to hear it’s often the caloric equivalent of a slice of pizza? You do not need to be an alcoholic for alcohol to interfere with your health and life.” https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/appearance/calories-in-alcohol Do you hear this, people in the medical profession? Are you giving the OK for your patients to eat four cookies “now and then,” or “in moderation,” or “not for the first six months, or year after surgery?” Do you realize that you may be DOING HARM by giving your patients “permission” to drink alcohol? “But our job is not to be the watchdog or decision-maker for people.” Another potential objection to my dismay about the recommendations being for “education” and “awareness,” rather than a direct, “SAY NO TO ALCOHOL” stance. I agree that no one can make the decisions about what people can or cannot do, or what they will or will not do. People in the medical field do tell people things like, “Don’t get that wet or you could get an infection,” “Keep the splint on for the next six weeks if you want to heal properly.” There ARE dos and don’ts that are educational and increase awareness. What’s the real issue that medical professionals don’t take a hard stance on alcohol after WLS? I don’t know. I do know that I did my dissertation on medical doctor’s attitudes toward addiction. Turns out it is much like that of their attitudes toward obesity: many don’t know that much about it, very many do not feel comfortable working with it, and most don’t care about/understand it. To top it all off, HERE’s the real kicker… Not only do the medical AND some of the WLS organizations not tell people, “Don’t drink alcohol,” THEY PROVIDE ALCOHOL AT THEIR EVENTS! I can’t say any more. Connie Stapleton, PhD connie@conniestapletonphd.com Facebook: Connie Stapleton Twitter: @cstapletonphd LinkedIn: Connie Stapleton, Ph.D.

So you're anti-alcohol of any kinds for WLS patients and think all WLS patients should be or become tee-totalers ... right? Do you feel the same way about alcohol for patients a year out (and in maintenance) as during the weight-losing phases? Do you also recommend no-Cookies for WLS patients? Ever? Even in maintenance? What about cake? Barbeque (and all the sugar in those BBQ sauces)? Chili? Breads? If not all breads, which kinds / brands? What about coffee? Tea? Marijuana? What about sweet potatoes? White potatoes? Fruits -- with or without sugar?

Day 3 here. Definitely not getting enough protein. Only bought vanilla premiere protein and can barely get it down because of the aftertaste. I ordered protein powder online Thursday and because of the holiday, will not receive it until Mon/Tues. I'm waiting on my husband to get home so I can do some liquid food shopping. Took another test, negative and have cramps so that is the last I will be writing about that. Went out last night and brought my crystal light with me. Did not miss the alcohol; but had major food cravings. There were snacks all over the place. My toddler has been having tantrums all weekend. He's non verbal with limited vocabulary so that's how he shows me he's upset. Despite that I've been trying to give him as many hugs as I can besause I will not be able to hold him for a few weeks. Ive been having creamed soup for 1 meal each day and its the only thing that holds me if only for a couple of hours but I feel like I'm cheating, each can has 9g of carbs plus the 1% milk I use. So I'm looking for alternatives. Oh and I have had no BM in 2 days. But, I'm down to 281 Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm not a drinker but normally I'll have a glass of wine or martini on my birthday or special occasions (so about 8 glass of alcoholic beverages for the year). My surgery date is April 19 & I celebrate my 30th bday in June. Also my brother getting married in Jamaica (island) in August & I'll be attending. Read a diary entry online that after bariatric surgery no alcohol for one year. It's Saturday so my nutritionist is not in office. Is it true? Did your surgeon or nutritionist said that no alcohol for one year? Thanks Sent from my SM-G925T using BariatricPal mobile app

@@VSGAnn2014 Thank you for your response! I'm not a nutritionist, or a physician, but I'll answer each of your questions from my perspective and having worked in a bariatric center for the last 12 years. But please consult your physician and nutritionist. So you're anti-alcohol of any kinds for WLS patients and think all WLS patients should be or become tee-totalers ... right? Personally, I am against alcohol for all WLS patients for the reasons mentioned in the article, including: alcohol is a toxin, it is empty calories, it is empty liquid calories, and there are potential nutritional absorption issues that could be made worse by drinking alcohol. Do you feel the same way about alcohol for patients a year out (and in maintenance) as during the weight-losing phases? Yes, for the same reasons as stated above. Do you also recommend no-Cookies for WLS patients? Ever? Even in maintenance? Recommend? Yes, I would recommend no cookies, although I wouldn't expect in reality that a person may never have a cookie again. Four cookies at a time? I would never recommend that. Unlike alcohol, however, a cookie is not a toxin that interferes with absorption of essential nutrients. What about cake? Recommend? Yes, I would recommend no cake, although I wouldn't expect in reality that a person may never have cake again. Unlike alcohol, however, cake is not a toxin that interferes with absorption of essential nutrients. Barbeque (and all the sugar in those BBQ sauces)? Chili? There are no toxins that interfere with absorption of essential nutrients in these foods. There are carbs in all foods other than lean meat, so people will eat some carbs. I do not recommend going carb-free. Breads? If not all breads, which kinds / brands? There are no toxins that interfere with absorption of essential nutrients in these foods. There are carbs in all foods other than lean meat, so people will eat some carbs. I do not recommend going carb-free. Always the healthier the better. What about coffee? Tea? Marijuana? I would ask your doctor and nutritionist about coffee and tea. I believe there are other reasons they suggest to limit these. Marijuana? No, I would not ever RECOMMEND that someone use marijuana (unless POSSIBLY in the case of medical illness). What about sweet potatoes? White potatoes? There are no toxins that interfere with absorption of essential nutrients in these foods. There are carbs in all foods other than lean meat, so people will eat some carbs. I do not recommend going carb-free. Fruits -- with or without sugar? There are no toxins that interfere with absorption of essential nutrients in these foods. There are carbs in all foods other than lean meat, so people will eat some carbs. I do not recommend going carb-free. So - those are my thoughts. Again - please consult your physician and nutritionist as those are not my areas of expertise. Be well!

My doctor told me 90 days... And I think even after that you have to be careful because absorption is different, so basically you become a cheap drunk Not to mention you don't want to transfer 'food' addictions to 'alcohol' addiction... I'm going to visit my dad in June, and he always has the nicest bottles of red wine with dinner... I will definitely smell them, but no drinking for me

I'm glad everyone has been respectful too. Be careful with the claims in the popular press on health benefits of wine. It's actually much more complicated than "the flavonoids protects you from cancer." Here is an interesting presentation summarizing some of the major studies: http://kisefront02.ki.se/sites/default/files/alcohol_women.pdf The health benefit might be from one glass for women...but that ends with more than one. There is a very slight increase in morbidity as you drink more. But so little that British health officials said to effect "nothing alarming, just warn people to be careful." The most interesting question some researchers are asking is "wine drinkers seem to be more social, and having friends seems to be more important than the wine itself." Wine has been a medicine for 5000 years. Paul in the bible told his protege Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach. But I'm under no illusion that having a glass is going to make me healthier. Hanging around with friends and enjoying laughter might be great medicine, but that is not my motivation ...my motivation is I really enjoy it. Enjoy life, but don't fool yourself over this, I can look at my own family and see the dangers of abuse of alcohol and drugs, but I also enjoy the relaxing properties of drinking. Just be a responsible adult and keep your eyes and mind open.

Look, food can't replace real freinds and lovers, you just want it that much and that's an addiction. Just like an alcoholic or drug user the addiction drives you and controls you and all you know is you need it. Fear of failing or succeeding? Probably more likely afraid to take the first step on the journey you know you need to make, and that you can't come back once you make that decision. I had a lot of the same fears, but now I'm about 5 months out and I couldn't be happier. Now I control my relationship with food and not the other way around. I still enjoy many of the foods I love, but I can't abuse them, my sleeve won't let me. I'm still in the early part of my journey, what I didn't realize until I got here, is that the path behind me is darker than the path ahead. Good Luck to you.

The body does not require carbohydrates to live properly. The body does require Protein and fat. That said, if you do not have any diabetes or pre-diabetes carbs are not as critical to restrict. Atkins bars are tricky. They contain sugar alcohols and according to Atkins diet planning do not count towards carb count.....neither does the Fiber. I find sugar alcohols do count towards my carb count as well as provide side effects that cause me uncontrolled diarrhea. If your NUT is one you trust....trust. If not, find another that is less Atkins in his/her approach. I did spend quite some time eating red meat only and lived just fine on ZERO carbs for over a year. it is really what you can modify in your diet and live with LONG-TERM. Otherwise it is nothing but a quick fix that will not be followed and weight regain will occur. I know all about this.

Hey Everyone!!! I'm 22-almost 23- and a sorta- single bandster.... meaning for the first time in 5 years, I'm having date #2 with a super awesome guy tomorrow night. I'm what you call a serial first-dater, and never quite make it to date #2, so this is a BIG deal to me! The first date was a group date with him and his friends, and I admit- I met him on Craigslist ( I got tired of being single in MD, so I posted an add with LOTS of pics and he responded!), but everything has been great. He's smart- (Has a BS in Political Science) and cute (in a scruffy, needs help kinda way)... so we'll see... I go to college in NYC so coming home in the summers is hard to meet people. I've never really had problems with self-confidence- just my self-worth... and trust me- its TWO COMPLETELY different things. I'm so girly- I can't leave the house without my hair and makeup done, and I always have my lip gloss on hand. I know how to work a room, and how to make new friends... my problem is that I have always surrounded myself with gay guy friends and never socialized straight guys.. I'm just now learning how to live life around straight guys and I'm having some sort of success! Its hard though- I am so scared to let myself fall for someone when 1. I am more unsure about my body at a size 14 than I was at a size 24 and 2. I know I am leaving town in a month for school again... so its hard. wouldn't it be weird to finally be one of those people we were so jealous of-- holding hands in a mall or something and being all couple-y and such? I would love to feel comfortable doing that- without alcohol, and without thinking I'm not good enough. Ahh well, I'll let you know how date #2 goes... but for now, I'm still single!