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Just checking in with a little positivity. I have been extremely lucky so far and am down 105 lbs since January. My only struggle was until just recently getting enough water intake. Kept waking up at night or in the morning with dry mouth. I have been walking 2-3 miles a day 5-6 times per week and lifting a few weights. There have been a couple periods where I don't lose for a week and then it comes off quickly. My doctor said 2 lbs a week should be a goal on average. I am back to eating normal foods(no bread, no rice and only the occasional wrap for a subway sandwich. My diet consists mostly of oatmeal for breakfast, protein shake at lunch, then a normal meal for dinner(meat & veggies). Have zero regrets on having the surgery. I didn't have any health problems prior to, just wanted to lose the weight. I did notice my blood pressure went down 30%, almost too low now(:)). But that was mostly because of my lifetime of tobacco use that no longer happens. I just got back from vacation, doctor told me I could have a little alcohol, and I did. I didn't experience getting tipsy like a lot of people mentioned you would. I did notice that my weight stays the same every time I have a few drinks, so I am going to have to keep my cocktails to a minimum to hit my goal. Keep up your faith and discipline. The weight loss will happen.

I was sleeves on May 20th and I'm 25, you're not alone! ????I was sleeved in the 26th and I'm actually 21! The whole no-alcohol thing seems to be the hardest for me right now because all of my friends are having birthdays and the bar is where we all seem to hang out now!Awesome! I'm so glad to finally find some people on here around my age. Not that everyone here hasn't been super helpful, I just feel like it's such a different experience going through this when we're young. It's a fairly new procedure for weight - loss and we're going to be living with it for a long, long time! I agree the non-alcohol thing is difficult. I pretty much told my friends I'd be going into hibernation for a couple of months since most of our activities have revolved around alcohol. I'm going to make it work though and still find ways to go out and have fun until then. We should definitely all keep in touch since we were sleeved at the same time and will be going through all the stages together. I got sleeved on May 11th, I'm 26.

Over the 8 years I have met with weight loss surgery patients, the one concept I find myself going over and over is this idea of becoming full from within. The idea that if we don't fill ourselves up intrinsically- we will always need some thing to fill the void, whether it be food, gambling, sex, drugs, or alcohol. The problem is- we always end up on empty, psychologically. The next question often becomes, "ok so how do I fill myself up psychologically? I don't think I will ever be fulfilled because I have never been truly happy. I was not born a naturally happy person? I've spent most of my life feeling empty- how do I turn it all around now? I grew up with unhappy parents, how am I to unlearn all of that early programming?' "Wondering if you're happy is a great shortcut to being depressed." - Annette Bening, 20th Century Women I think, unfortunately happiness gets a bad rap. There is a wide misconception that for us to be fulfilled, or full from within- we need to be blissfully happy all the time, and that's just not the case. Not only is it untrue, but it is an unrealistic standard and one that sets people up for disappointment. Rather than always questioning how we SHOULD be feeling, we should just practice acceptance of whatever temporary state we happen to be in at the moment with non-judgement and non-attachment. Like busses, moods come around every five minutes. Even therapist's aren't immune to life's ups and downs. Believe it or not, as a psychologist who literally wrote a book on Happiness, I have to remind myself certain mantras that help me keep my own life in balance and my happiness and fulfillment sustained. I actually have a list on my phone that says "things to remember," and page through it daily, when I'm feeling off track. So if you're feeling off track yourself- first understand that you're human and give yourself a break + then thumb through my personal list of happiness tips, little pearls I've gained in my 37 years on this planet, and see if any of them might help to increase your happiness quotient today: 1) In silence, the heart begins to finish its unfinished business. I think I picked this up from a book I read about Sufism. In any case, I liked it and it stuck. Oftentimes, we think that we must actively and aggressively pray, yet Sufis believe that it is in the stillness that God comes to us. Whenever my life gets a bit too chaotic with all the "should-ing" all over myself- I remind myself that it is often when I take pause, let go, and let God- that what is truly important, rises to the surface and I begin to reclaim my life instead of it claiming me. 2) Do more want-to's vs. have-to's every day. Someone once told me that the "have-to's" will never be done. I repeat- they will never be done. So we might as well splice in some time for the things that we thought we were going to do once they were done. Take the scenic route to work, take a long walk and listen to that book on audible that you have been wanting to read for the last few months,go shopping with a friend, get a massage, take an extra long lunch and sit out in the sun, or just curl up with your loved one or pet. A wise man once said "time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time," and I couldn't agree more. 3) Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them. I remember when I was in grad school, thinking "if I can just finish school- then I'll be the relaxed, happy go lucky person I want to be," then it morphed into, "once I get licensed," then "once I get married," then "once I have kids..." You get the idea. It is not the situations or circumstances in our lives that determine if we are a happier person or not. It truly is the way in which we approach them as they come, that determines what type of person we are and how happy we will be. In the "car of life," that we all have to drive, will you wear stilettos or uggs? 4) Connection with others is key to fulfillment. I am an introvert by nature. I enjoy my downtime, and require coming back to my home base in silence, to relax and unwind. However, there is something inherent in our very nature about the need to feel connected to the world around us- introverts included. My best girlfriend from childhood came out for a week a while back, and so I was unable to get caught up in the hamster wheel of daily activity. I was forced to be fully present and engaged with her for four days in a row. As a result, I was actually more grounded, more at peace, less anxious, and more optimistic about the future. Whenever we notice our egoic drives propelling us towards isolation, judgement, rumination, or comparison- we should remind ourselves to get out and connect with our fellow man, and fakebook doesn't count. 5) Like attracts like. Happy attracts happy. When we find ourselves feeling left out, isolated, or out of touch with those around us- it is important to look at our recent focus. Are we always dwelling on the negative, gossiping about someone? You know the saying "what sally says about susie, says more about sally than susie." Although, many of us sub-consciously believe that if we can just "get it out" about whatever is chipping away at us- it will somehow allay our negative feelings- it really doesn't. In fact, research supports that when we ruminate on negative feelings, it actually increases our negative feelings. This doesn't mean we should all be superficial and "surface-y" towards everyone, but that we should work a bit harder to find the happy. 6) To receive abundantly, ironically we must give abundantly. It is engrained in our DNA to wake up each morning with a needs list: "when will I get that bonus?" "when will I hear back about that promotion," "when will she call me back?" Yet, spiritually I truly believe that when we make the shift from "what can I get," to "what can I give?" It is a complete gamechanger. It's almost as if the universe aligns with us and says "yep you finally figured it out." 7) Choose your thoughts like you choose your clothes. Our minds are quick and fast like ferraris. They are an intricate and complex machine designed for ultimate performance, but just like we must use the right fuel for a Ferrari, we must also carefully select and filter which thoughts we allow to permeate our consciousness. When you notice yourself feeling down, take a cognitive step back and look at what thoughts you were having. Most are unproductive. Choose to let them go. The same tool that created the problem (our mind) is not likely going to solve the problem. 8) Legitimately and truly don't care about what others think or do. I can honestly say that this is still a work in progress for me. I was born a people-pleaser, but as I get older, I realize the more I try to make others happier with me, the less happy I am with myself. 9) Go out into the world with your heart, not your brain. Yes, our brain is required for some part of our days. Otherwise, our bills wouldn't be paid, our tasks wouldn't get done, and our goals wouldn't be met. But, other than that- when we greet people, meet people, share with others, observe, smile, walk- it is quite a different experience to live in our heart space, in that emotional space that is more visceral than verbal. 10) Relish in the remarkable ride. I watched a movie a while back called "about time," and it was all about a man who had time travel figured out. He lived his day once all hurried and bothered about the little stressors of life, but then went back to live it again. He said he would just rest in the moment, relax, and relish in the remarkable ride that was his life. I love this. After all the late notices have come, all our debt has fallen or risen, our weight has gone up and down, our kids get a failing grade in school, our lover breaks our heart, our cars break down... it always ends the same: none of us get out alive. So why not just sit back and enjoy the ride?

Try this http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f22466/december-delights-2009-a-106299/index23.html#post1388171 or search December Delights 2009 On the drinking thing my lap-band book says that "alcohol has a high number of calories and breaks down Vitamins but an occasional glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage is not considered harmful to weight loss". I would think a beer would be like a coke with the carbonation and all but they do sell some low carb lite beer. Good going all!!

I asked about drinking, very important for me as I am going to go back to school in enology and viticulture (wine making and related areas). My doc said I should really try and go a full 3 months with none, and then I'll be able to drink again, but in great moderation. Not only because wine and alcohol are high in calories, but also because the portion of our stomach that was removed is responsible for producing the enzyme that breaks down alcohol. So instead, it will enter our blood stream at an increased strength. Add to that the fact that we will almost always be drinking on an empty stomach and we should be very cheap dates. By the way redsalamander, where are you from? I only ask because I pass by the great wolf lodge often as I travel from portland, where I live, up to Seattle, where my brother lives. So I assume you are a from the northwest.

You seem way to intelligent to believe this. There is no "dislike" button, or you might be seeing different results. In order to disagree with your points, one has to take the time to write a post and be willing to "publicly" disagree with you. Plenty of people here aren't willing to do that. They are too nice. I'm sure if you met up with a bunch of alcoholics carrying a bottle of whiskey you would be quite popular. That's what you have here...people who do not want to change their bad behavior one bit, they only want the sleeve to control their portions for them. But for people with food addictions and eating disorders, that approach absolutely will not work. They will find ways to eat around the sleeve.

I didn't drink until I was at least a year out after surgery. Then, around the holidays I started having cocktails on a regular basis (several times a week), and I really wish I hadn't done that; I know they contributed to some weight regain. Alcohol is totally empty calories and was the first thing to go when I got serious about losing the extra weight I've gained. If you MUST drink, wait until you're at or near goal, and make it a special occasion splurge, or you will risk weight re-gain.

MY FRIEND GOT SLEEVED AND ONE LIL MIX DRINK AND SHE WAS ON A GOOD ONE . BUT I WOULD WAIT A WHILE AFTER YOUR DONE RECOVERING .AND REM ITS EASY TO GET ALCOHOL POISON NOW SO DONT OVER DRINK

@butterthebean Believe it or not, I sooo agree with all you write.. I know I'm a newbie FOR SURE! I know it sounds down right righteous to some. It wasn't my intention nor point. My theme was to indeed KNOW yourself and we are all different.. And soo many posts like licking the cheese off the dorito or chewing and spitting.. That sort of thing (ALOT OF IT ON HERE) is what I am referring to! I know I may have issues. When I do, I'll scale back! You are also so right about the food addictions, etc. My psych visit caught all of that (and the recent comments about alcohol and cross addictions). I know for ME, I have no alcohol addiction. Others need to be honest.. Re food addictions, yep, I think all of us have them.. My point wasn't to cave into whims. Junk food indeed got me here.. Or bad choices... I am working on changing that and only time will honestly tell. I don't think I'm enabling anyone, because my point was have the ONE dorito! but, if yuo are the type who can't handle that (only you know that), then don't do it! It works for me.. Same for the 2 pretzels. Etc. So, yes, I do agree with your points and that's why I love this forum!

Here I am thinking that I need to get back to basics. We celebrated our Wedding Anniv. on Friday so I gave myself a pass for supper and we were at a comedy club so we ate fried food. I'm not mad at myself. Not the healthiest, but a special occassion. Yesterday my cousin got married and I ate cake and drank alcohol and after I was tipsy (okay...more than tipsy) I ate a sandwich. My first piece of bread in 6 months. :smile: Today I haven't done much better. Covered dish at church on the first Sunday of the month. Some things you can't control, but I haven't stressed about it. All of these things put together makes a bad several days. So back to basics. I've got to get these carbs out of my system to start the losing again.

Friday I went in for my one month follow-up with the surgeon following my sleeve gastrectomy on Dec 16th. I'm down 35 pounds, blood pressure is great. Scars are there, but hardly anything too speak of. Other than the (sometimes TERRIBLE) constipation that I have experienced intermittently, my recovery has been fantastic. I'm feeling great, and not being tempted by the food around me. I've been to a few group support meetings, but none of them really "fit" me. I need to find one in Los Angeles with similarly aged men. The groups I visited were primarily women much older than me, and while the vibe was all positive, I could tell that their needs as "recoverers" were different than mine. Doc says all systems are go for me, and today I'm going to go to the gym for the first time in almost 2 years. Treadmill and light weights are all I can handle right now, but hoping to accelerate what has already been RAPID loss. While eating has always been an issue for me, my biggest fear about my new regimen was quitting drinking. For almost 20 years I have been an every day drinker. Not always a ton, but always something. And while I miss the ritual of drinking nightly, I haven't had any physical withdrawals or cravings for alcohol since I stopped drinking during surgery prep. I'm certain that the weight loss so far has been greatly improved by losing all those empty, nightly calories. Please wish me continued good luck, as I will for you on your journey.

Thank you, Leatha. I do pray for your family, and all families who are given the situation of addiction to face. We have faced alcohol addiction in our family, and thank God that we have been sober almost 5 years now. I also have family members who continue to drink and abuse prescription medication, and, of course, family members who enable that abuse. Rest assured that prayers are continuous and fervent. Blessings to all, Cindy

I miss an ice cold beer (Corona) more than anything else. I have tried to drink it but it makes me feel full and bloated. If I want a drink, I have a shot of Malibu chilled. I can drink it straight and theres nothing mixed in so no extra calories on top of it. As far as alcohol having a greater effect....I believe its because our tummys arent full of food. You will always need less when you drink on an empty stomach. We get together with friends and family quite often and there always good food and drinks. I've given up most of the foods and my addiction to Diet Coke...can't take away my alcohol too! "CHEERS!"

We metabolize alcohol the same as we ever did. Unlike our bypass pals, who process it differently. If our tolerance is lower, it is from drinking less often and thus, feeling it more.

I have a friend that drinks a lot after surgery, I am 5 months post op and at my doctors that I can have some now but I'm afraid of it lol what if I become an alcoholic.

Okay, so I was babysitting for a neighbor of mine. She called to see how the kids were doing. They were sleeping but I asked her if she had anything for a stuffed up nose. I was thinking she might have some sort of decongestant but I didn't see any in the medicine cabinet. She told me next to her bed, on the night stand, there was a bottle of nose spray and I could use that. ( I washed the tip of the bottle with alcohol) Also on the night stand, was a tube of lube that said it was for anal sex. It got me wondering why women do this. I could see why a guy would want to do it. I would suppose it's tighter and feels good for him. But does it feel good for her? I can't see it feeling any different than being horribly constipated. I wish I had never seen that tube of lube!

I am awaiting revision from band to sleeve so I can’t speak to your sleeve issues but some things I learned from the band may help you. First, one thing the band folks say is “they banded your stomach, not your mouth”. So no matter what surgery you choose, unless they develop one that actually zips your lips closed when you try to eat something, all the work is going to have to come from your brain and your choices. The way the tool works is that you shouldn’t feel actual stomach-based “I’m hungry” feeling after eating if a small amount if food. But you will always be able to outeat your tool. The key is to eat your planned meal, then quit and go find something else to do. You don’t “eat until you feel like stopping” because if you’re eating for reasons other than hunger (like stress, emotional upset - all totally understandable, just behaviors we are trying to change) then you can always out eat the tool. FYI, while the other surgeries *may* prohibit you from eating the “bad” foods, as you’ve learned yourself, that isn’t always the case. I’ve read of people who would melt a quart of ice cream and drink it that had RNY or if they truly can’t eat, they trade food for alcohol, drugs, shopping, sex or another addiction. So treating the underlying problem is really the best thing you can do. If you find yourself with lots of appetite, you might be able to look to your food choices to help you. I wouldn’t have believed it had I not experienced it but the carbs, sugars and even sugar substitutes really do influence that “I’m eating and can’t stop” feeling. Last spring I tried a diet program from Dr David Ludwig called “Always Hungry”. It’s a modified slow carb program which has you eating mostly unprocessed foods, with the eliminated items being sugar, potatoes and your “whites” - rice, wheat etc. Yiu can eat whole grains in the 2nd phase as tolerated. The first 2 weeks is something of a detox from the bad carbs. There is a book by the same name that explains it all. Anyway, I was astonished at how well this worked for me. I used to take my coffee with A LOT of sugar and did so the majority of my life. Now I take it with a little splash of maple syrup (about a half tsp). Had you told me I could do that 3 years ago I’d have cried laughing. This is the nutrition plan I plan to follow once I’m all recovered from surgery. I’ve already learned that oatmeal ramps up my appetite so for me I just don’t eat it. I already kicked my sugar obsession and will probably end up making my own protein shakes after surgery because the premade ones are too sweet. I had a pretty expansive palette beforehand but now I enjoy foods like brown basmati rice and beans of all kinds. Snacks these days are hummus and cucumber instead of chips and I feel so much better. Whole fat milk and cheese cane back into my life and it’s so much more satisfying. My new love is quinoa and I’ve made it 4 different ways in 2 weeks. My whole family enjoys that. This has gotten quite long so I’ll shut up now :) but I hope you consider changing your thinking about your tool. Weigh out your meal, savor it then go find something else to do. Think about changing up your macros and eliminating those high GI foods that trigger the munchies. The number one rule of Always Hungry is “be kind to yourself”, try adopting that in the spirit in which it is made. Let go of what you did. You can’t change that. But every new bite you take is an opportunity to choose better for yourself. Good luck.

Ah, crackers! They're much more challenging for me than alcohol, sugar or chocolate combined. Most crackers are unnutritious, processed slider foods that do not promote either weight loss or weight maintenance and invite me to keep nibbling on them. However, once I'd lost my weight and wanted to add nutritious calories for maintenance I found a few nutritious crackers with more Protein and Fiber (fewer net carbs) than others, including: * Wasa crackers (although not all Wasa-branded crackers are nutritious -- read the labels!) * Doctor Kracker Three Seed Crackers -- my fave. One big cracker has 100 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber. I pair one of these crackers with 1 ounce of very sharp thinly sliced full-fat cheddar cheese and a little sugar-free Smuckers strawberry jam. I swear, it's better than cheesecake -- so satisfying and, best, I never want a second helping. Then there are those nasty crackers so popular because ... yeah, they're slider meth with little nutritional content: * Wheat Thins * Saltines * Club crackers And then there's the destructive chips / crisps transfer addiction! I can't even type those words without shuddering.

See when your doc clears you for alcohol; it's (like everything else, it seems!) different for all of us! Now that I'm a year out my doc gave me the go ahead for beer (my personal preference for general everyday drinking LOL) but I generally avoided it until he told me "ok now". I don't like wine, but I did have vodka and orange juice, and some cocoanut rum and crystal light lemonade (odd but strangely tasty)

One problem with doing coke is you don’t know what it’s cut with, and that could also make you sick. I’m not a prude or even anti-recreational drugs in particular, but with this surgery I think an occasional drink if you’re not an alcoholic or an occasional toke, if it’s legal where you live and doesn’t make you ravenous are pretty much the reasonably safe options. I now get drunk from one drink, so be very careful driving.

Coke is like this, you will feel fantastic for like an hour and then you have to do more, I was starting to use coke in addition to my drinking when I finally hit bottom and got sober. I am an alcoholic to the core, so I simply have to abstain from drinking. Having said that, I am an addict too and cannot use any form of drug or I will abuse it even something as simple as Benadryl. I will abuse anything that makes me feel good, hence my food addiction. I am a food addict and that is what led me to getting up to 440 pounds. Food was the only thing I had left to abuse. I was 9 years sober when I got sleeved and 3 months after getting sleeved I relapsed and almost died. Like literally almost died, my wife had to call 911 and I had to be taken to the ER. Why did this happen? I didn’t protect my sobriety and once I couldn’t abuse food anymore my alcoholism and drug addiction came back with a vengeance. I am sober today by the grace of God and very fortunate I did not die the night I relapsed.

as I have also questioned my decision, the best we can do is work the program. As I spent 6 years working in a drug and alcohol treatment center, treating eating disorders is like any other addiction. Day at a time, go to meetings, surround yourself with like minded people.

You may already know about the risks of replacement addictions, or even be fighting them yourself. The theory is that food is an addiction for pre-op bariatric surgery patients. Weight loss surgery helps you break your addiction to food, but it leaves a hole and puts you at risk for other addictions ranging from drugs and alcohol to exercise. Replacement addictions may be more common than you realized. This article describes research that found that 21% of gastric bypass patients in one study developed alcohol abuse problems over the next seven years. That is one out of every five gastric bypass patients! Being aware of the risk can help you avoid the pitfalls. You can also try to prevent negative addictions, such as drugs and alcohol, with positive ones. For example, you can fill the “food void” by taking up a new hobby such as gardening or art, or spend more time volunteering or exercising. Are you concerned about replacement addictions? If you are a post-op patient, have you developed any? Have you taken any steps to prevent them? If you are a pre-op patient, have you been warned about them? Are you planning any steps to prevent them?

Check liver light! Now that was funny! Regarding the posts about the calories in alcohol - yes, those are liquid calories, but in my case, the danger of weight gain from drinking has been the overeating afterwards. All common sense would go out the window. Now, I don't (can't) do that, and I hope I never do! There was a time when I drank sweet frozen and mixed drinks and didn't pay attention to the calories. I was pretty big, larger than I was when I started this VSG process. Well, one day I actually read the label on the frozen mixers and I actually cried at how many calories I had been drinking in mixer alone! No wonder I was so big. I have never touched those mixers since then and have had maybe half a dozen margaritas in the last ten years. Now I only drink wine, or alcohol mixed with a no/low calorie mixer.

@ - thanks for the post, very interesting read. @@MaryCatherine Umm, no. I wish it was, but it really isn't that simple. It is a good model. But the problem is people take it too literally. Hormones affect this, the food type affects and individual responses to different types of calories actually makes a difference. Most interesting article I've seen on this subject is here: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/10/cocktail-science-do-alcohol-calories-count-digesting-spirits.html To make matters more complicated, just try and figure out how many calories are in your home cooked dinner. We are just doing gross estimates. But all that said, it is not a bad indicator, just not perfect and I would caution about being too dogmatic. The reason I'm posting this is some people will say "I burned 3500 calories yesterday, but I didn't lose my pound." That's where this tool breaks down. You really have to log food/calories over a period of time. Your long term trend is what is most important. When you are honest with yourself, you will see when you started adding extra calories, and how that is affecting your weight...but that will only show up in the course of a month, not day by day. I hope I not discouraging people from keeping track of calories, carbs, fat and Protein. Just realize these are hardly perfect numbers. I am looking to stay around 1100 calories and 100g of protein (more on heavy workout days). This has kept my weight consistent for nearly 18 months. I am about ready to experiment with a 5/2 method of controlled fasting (very interesting idea brought up by @lipsticklady). All we can do is be very honest with ourselves with our tracking, and pay attention to the scale and if you are really serious with the calipers to see what your percentage of body fat is. All the scale and calorie charts really do is act as tools. Hmm, familiar theme, just as your sleeve is a tool, so are these.