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Lemme see...one month, I feel terrific. I feel bad for saying that for those still experiencing pain! Sorry and I hope it will get better for you. I'm struggling with my decision to get a fill in a couple of weeks. I have lost 23 pounds since banding so I feel that it a good amount for where I'm at and it appears that I am losing about 1-2 pounds per week. I'd like to lose quicker but I know that isn't in my best interest. I am thinking since I have the VG band, I will go ahead with the fill, tho. My Dr. started me out with 2cc's. Did anyone else start out with some saline in their band from the onset? I haven't got the exersize routine down yet. My car was in the shop and so I carpooled to work with my DH, during my normal workout time. But I'm going to get after it. I know it needs to be a part of my life and for the most part, I do enjoy it. I can hardly wait to be able to get outside and walk. I just got an XM Roady radio and I see they have a headset for them so you can walk and listen to tunes! I also have to say, that after the first of the year, I am off sugar, bread, sodas, alcohol and eating well, so I feel more energy and just basically feel good physically. I have not cheated once on my eating regime and only have some moderate hunger pains when I go a bit too long between meals. What a great month for me as far am mental, emotional and physical well-being. I'm excited about this process. All the best to the rest of you. Shawn

Yikes, anyways to OPs question, I’d recommend against it, if for no other reason than it has a reasonable chance of making you sick. No way to spend a fun event. If you do decide to do it, do a practice run at home first to make sure you know if it makes you sick, and if not how much you can drink now without taking an express train to embarrassingly drunk. 😅. Remember you won’t have food to “soak up” the drinks, and you just absorb alcohol different now. Also think about sugar content in drinks (more likely to make you sick at this stage) and carbonation. If you do decide to drink you might try a dry white wine, or a Bloody Mary, or something similar. Trying to think of low carbonation/lower sugar drinks. But yes, after a few months I’d say to your question on the regular gatherings there is no reason you wouldn’t be able to join in again. Again, I’d give it a few months, but if you want to start sooner that’s obviously up to you.

I am considering the band but have some reservations. I have a BMI of 34 with chronic knee pain due to arthritis ( I am only 36) Since I am about 8lbs away from a BMI of 35 I have to pay for the surgery out of pocket. The sleeve which I think I would prefer to get is out of reach because I dont weigh enough (never heard that before) Obviously you have to change you lifestyle to be successful but I am afraid it will change too much. I love to entertain and have people over for dinner. I enjoy wine of course some pepsi every once in awhile. The research I have found says you cant have alcohol or drink carbanated beverages, that you cant drink while eating. Am I going to miss that part of my life so much that I regret it? Will I be a completely different person at social events? I am not really sure what I am trying to say, I am just scared.

Every single doctor is different. My doctor said 6 weeks, my friend's doctor said 6 months, another doctor said a year, another said 3 months, another said 2 months. And, as every doctor is different, every patient is different, every patient's recovery is different. At 4.5 months post-op, I now have a glass of red wine about 4 nights a week. I had my first glass of wine at 6 weeks, and had one or two glasses a week for that next 6 weeks. At 6 weeks post-op, I'd had no recovery issues, had not gotten ill (or even nauseous) once, and my diet was completely advanced at that point. I include the calories from the wine in my daily food log and have had no ill effects from the alcohol. At 6 weeks, you may not be able tolerate alcohol. You may not be able to tolerate it at 6 months. There really is no right answer here; it all comes down to the individual.

I was dreaming about drinking last nigh...lol. I wonder what my doctors guidelines are for drinking, he seems to be pretty easy going. I mean, I was drinking coffee maybe 11 days out, eating a regular diet at 2.5 weeks out, keeping in mind that I was tolerating everything wonderfully (thank God). I wonder if I could even tolerate alcohol at this point, because when I ate a raw onion? It burned my tummy and I felt a little nausea.

The answer is both! First off, you don't count total carbs because the carbs that you eat in the form of fiber and sugar alcohols generally pass through undigested and don't contributed to weight gain or energy productiion. You have to deduct them from your total carb intake--so the focus is on net carbs. I am personally follow an ultra-low carb diet and try to keep my total carb intake under 30 net grams (usually under 20). I also count calories and track what I eat. I budget 1500 calories a day, with 45 percent come from protein, 45 percent from fat (healthy fats) andn 10% from carbs. It's working for me.

What exactly are sugar alcohols ?? And if they are in sugar free stuff is it really sugar free ??

well I found my MM.. it was at Mejiers.. a grocery store here.. It was 13.99 for the 1lb jug,.. I called GNC and my god.. i would need a loan to live on this.. on the internet it was not too bad..So I went for the milk choc... we will see how that goes..and I got the RTD for my Vegas trip.. I need to get some protein in that week besides alcohol..

I've had alcohol. I talked to my surgeon and he suggested rum and diet coke. I'm following a low-carb plan, so he recommended it over a glass of wine for me. I felt the effects of it quicker than before surgery. And I felt really dehydrated and crappy the day after. But I probably overdid it that night too.

Well I am finally starting to get back on the bandwagon here...my vacation really threw me. I guess alcohol, ice cream and potato chips really aren't my friends. Now I just need to get exercising again. I defintely have time this weekend so I've got to get my butt to the gym. Is this Sunday our first Easter challenge weigh in or was that last Sunday?

Man, I don't log on for 5 days and I have to catch up on 9 pages of posts!!! Yall type too much....j/k. Well I am glad to see that everyone is still kicking.....lol. I guess i need to say Happy Belated B-day Threebeauties, Welcome Angie, Jdru, cookie dough and alcohol doesn't' sound healthy, sounds good, but not healthy. Raynie, i too enjoy the candy bars...lol.. Okay so that about sums it up. I'm finally getting rid of this cold and cough so i have ran out of excuses on why i can't seem to get to the gym. I go back to the dr for another fill on Feb 8th... I have got to make some progress this week so i don't get lectured on not losing and not exercising. Anyway, talk to yall soon!!

I agree with much of what you've posted. I, however, was not disappointed by my band at first because my experience (the typical being hungry/feeling like I was dieting/feeling as though I didn't have a band) was something I had been well-prepared for. I expected it, and expected it to be time-limited. Obesity occurs for many different reasons, and food addiction is only one of them. I do come from a family of alcoholics and addicts, however. Those who have successfully achieved sobriety accept the prevalence of their drug(s) of choice in society, and accept personal responsibility for their sobriety. It is difficult---but they do it. I understand your stance about advertising, but the fact of the matter is that food addicts, like other addicts, must take responsibility for their choices. Cigarette advertising was banned because the risks of smoking became incontrovertible, and there are absolutely NO benefits. Food is required for life; banning its advertisement simply will not occur. Yes, obesity is an enormous public health issue. The key isn't removing food advertisements from television. The key is education---teaching children, from a very young age, how to properly nourish their bodies. Teaching them that advertising, in general, is not geared toward their best interests, but simply to sell things they don't need. Re-educating ourselves and taking back our power, in the form of personal responsibility, is crucial for those of us who've lost our way. For those of us who've already fallen prey to obesity, personal responsibility is key. Would I like to see HFCS removed from foods? Absolutely. Since that's not happening, I don't purchase foods that contain them. I don't purchase foods that contain transfats. I cook from scratch. When I eat out, I order very carefully. Personal choice and personal responsibility are priceless. Yes, food addiction is a problem for many. And commercials really do stimulate appetite---there are evil geniuses who know exactly what buttons to push. But they don't put the car keys into anyone's hand, or drive them through the drive-through. Food addiction differs in one very crucial way from other addictions: the physical component of the addiction is just completely different. The body does not require the crap in order to function, as occurs with alcoholism or drug addiction. A carton of yogurt is as apt to produce physical satisfaction as a Big Mac. So the responsibility lies with the individual to make the right choices. Regarding malnutrition related to the band, this too is largely a matter of personal choice and responsibility. A properly adjusted band permits adequate nutrition, if the person who is banded makes appropriate food choices and, as good measure, takes a Multivitamin. We don't experience the malabsorption characteristic of other surgeries---in the absence of band complication, we have the ability to make choices that properly nourish our bodies.

Hey everyone! Just checking in, I've been really busy with work and school, but it's all good! I haven't weighed myself, I'm going to wait until my 1st month post-op (2/26), but I have to go to Target today and buy a smaller bra. I'm keeping my old bra to remind myself I'll never be at that place again! Last night was the first time I had a sit-down dinner with my parents. My mom made a crabmeat and scallop casserole with ritz cracker topping and she had asparagus wrapped with phyllo dough for a side dish. So I took a SMALL scoop (less than 1/4 cup) of the casserole, threw out the ritz crackers and split the asparagus with my mom (I just ate the tops), and I did good! I was so nervous. My dad's friend of 40 years comes over every thursday and he was shocked that I was full from that little amount. I also had my first alcoholic beverage. A small glass of merlot before dinner and let me tell you, I was feeling it after one glass! I guess I'm going to be a cheap date from now on. The only bad thing that happened this week was that my PMS symptoms yesterday were SO bad! My ex-boyfriend called to see how I was doing (he found out I had "gallbladder" surgery through the grapevine), and I started crying and had to hang up on him. Then I cried watching a movie, then cried watching American Idol and Grey's Anatomy! I thought I was going to have to call a therapist today, I thought I was going through post-op depression, but no, it was PMS because Aunt Flo is in town! LOL. Oh yeah, and I have a line of pimples across my chin, does anyone know if your PMS symptoms get worse if you are losing weight because I get one pimple a month, not THREE! So, overall, this week has been great for me, I was so scared about eating in front of people, but I'm doing okay with that, so hopefully my next step is eating out with friends in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to weigh myself on the 26th to see how much more I lost (if any)! Talk to everyone soon and keep up the good work!!!!!

My doctor didn't forbid me from alcohol, but he did forbid me from anything carbonated, which he said can apply pressure onto my sleeve and cause stretching or even a tear. So no beer or sparkling wine or mixers like soda or tonic for me. I have had wine every now and then. I feel the effects much faster than I ever did before, but it still wears off at a normal pace. I don't think I'd ever want to drink if I had to drive later that day, but I can have a glass of wine here and there. The tricky part is just fitting in that kind of empty calories. It's hard enough to get protein in with burning 130 calories on something like wine.

I hardly ever post but this thread is my favorite. I started at 247 and hit onederland (and then some) earlier in December. I actually screamed and my husband came running. Oh the elation! I then proceeded to fall into the crazy of the holidays - didn’t track and pretty much grazed, drank alcohol and ate sweets. But that’s okay. I didn’t gain (okay the scale went up one pound) and jumped back into tracking the day after New Years. It felt good to eat and drink like crazy (like a normal person would during the holidays) and be able to just jump back into healthy eating and eat within control. That is what I love so much about my sleeve - I feel in control. And yes, I am a bit of a slow loser at 55 pounds lost but I just try to focus on what I can control - tracking, water, vitamins, etc. Sometimes it gets me down but then I remind myself I have NEVER lost 55 pounds in four months. Heck, I don’t think I have ever lost 55 pounds period. And yeah, no one has noticed (no one knows but my husband and sons) but oh well, I didn’t do it for them.

Its your choice. I found that once I told people they were more supportive then I thought. But some people will never be supportive. I personally could care less what people think about my decision because it has been the best for me. But Im very lucky that my family is not critical of my choice. The ones who have never had a weight problem are interested on how it works and are learning that I had a food addiction. Its easier to compare to an alcoholic since we have a few in the family. But so far almost 2 years later no one even says anything except now they ask if it interferes with my pregnancy.

Hi For me the final straw came last fall, I went away for a month long training course, and even though I did my best to watch what I ate and I found a gym and was able to go a few times, I ended up regaining every pound and more that I had worked the last 2-3 years to lose. Since my mid twenties(prior to that I was slim) I have struggled with my weight. I have tried Nutri-system, weight watchers, tai slim, I have had 2 different personal trainers and in the end I only succeeded in yo yo ing with my weight. Each time it gets harder. In addition over the years I have developed high cholesterol, asthma, clinical depression, and arthritis in my hips and knees. Am I alone? No, my dad and my brother and sister share the same story, except my brother has also added a heart attack at age 38 with 2 stent placements since, non alcoholic fatty liver disease and severe sleep apnea. We went on vacation with them this summer and I was amazed at how little he could do. And do you know what? BOTH of us have exactly the same amount of weight to lose to reach a normal BMI. I am starting menopause and I know when I am finished with that I will lose the protection for my heart that my premenopausal estrogen has given me. I want to live a longer and better quality life.

I'm terrified as well, I'm going to try and stay away from alcohol, I know if I have one or two - I'll lose control of my calorie in take. I usually love Christmas but I'm starting to feel anxious about it.

I'm dating someone right now who's good with sharing ... I never thought it would be such an important "pro". New check list: employed, 2 or less baby mamas, clean criminal background check, good sharer. I thought the same thing with the gain, I don't think travel edema, the trip wasn't too much different than what I do most weeks. Not salt, overall the food in was not overly salted, actually the opposite. But alcohol is very possible. I've had very little alcohol in the last 6 months, and certainly not alcohol everyday, and certainly not beer. It wasn't all true gain either, as you can see, I had a pretty steep drop in weight once I returned

Awfully quiet in here .... So, I'll start with the good news ... yesterday was a good IF day, ate within a 6 hr window and hit protein and supplements, but not fluids. I even went grocery shopping while fasting and stayed strong. (I rarely grocery shop anymore, either quick TJ's run, or have them delivered) So for the bad ... I'm just going to throw this weekend out the window. Met a friend for lunch, I had Fried Dumplings, Noodles w Black Bean Sauce (Jajangmyeon), Fried Shrimp w Chili Sauce & Cheese Corn (yeah, really called that). I'm currently making Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers for a Fight Night/Mexican Independence Day party tonight. There will be a taco guy there that makes authentic El Pastor, on the spit. There will be lots of alcohol, unsure if I will have any. And then tomorrow I have brunch plans, and am craving a Michelada. So basically, this weekend is f'd Oh, and I went grocery shopping, again (ran out of bacon for the poppers), and was not so strong. Combo of interesting items and cheap prices are my downfall, thanks Aldi!

This is odd isn`t it? He blames a parent. Imagine that?! Jack blames Ozzy's wild antics for turning him into a drug addict - Nov 17, 2005 Jack Osbourne has blamed his dad Ozzy's wild antics for turning him into a drug addict. The 19-year-old says as a child he thought his rock star dad was "cool" for partying and losing control with alcohol and drugs. But the newly svelte star admits after following in his father's footsteps his wild lifestyle became too much - and he came close to committing suicide. http://www.myvillage.com/pages/celebs-jack-osbourne.htm?domain=myvillage Another odd one. Gee who made her famous ? Kelly: fame sucks - Feb 05 Kelly Osbourne blames fame and fortune for her drug addiction. The youngest daughter of the Osbourne dynasty has taken the time out to have another little whinge about how awful her life is. Kelly says that the fame and money that came to her as a result of her life on a reality show and her record deal led her to become addicted to opiates. "Growing up in the public eye sucks." The star complained "it's bad enough having your family judge you, never mind the whole world. So I tried to escape. But I didn't like cocaine or speed so opiates became my drug of choice." http://www.myvillage.com/pages/celebs-kelly-osbourne.htm?domain=myvillage

Bandiva dont use peroxide on incisions... only alcohol!! I have a ton of piercings that that is RULE #1!! Peroxide bubbles the dirt but then when done bubbling gets back into the deep incision taking the dirt in with it... USE alcohol. It drys instantly and keeps the dirt OUT. :-) I dont want you to get an infection :-)

Karen, girl , don't be digging! That will, without a doubt, lead to a hernia. I had a large hernia repaired during my second banding. Don't lift anything over 10 lbs. for six weeks after surgery. Believe me, hernias are no fun. Even incisions can become herniated. It is so hard to do everything exactly like we're told, but I am proof that things can go wrong for whatever reason. If you lose the band, the weight is doubly hard to keep off. In 6 mo's between losing the band and rebanding I regained 33 lbs. Let's all keep on track. I'm really fighting the urge to eat chocolate ding-dong cake/rum cake/cheesecake...I am surrounded by sweets at my house. My mother-in-law and Mom wanted me to have Christmas treats for company. Tomorrow I am freezing slices for the future when my stomach is shrunk enough not to devour the whole bakery! LOL I feel like an alcoholic in a liquor store. I could o-d on sugar if it weren't for you all helping me to stay on track. We all have our good and bad days. Sweethot, I was open banded and I am still sore! I take liquid Loritab at least once a day, usually close to bedtime because that is when I feel zapped and sore the most. It will take time to recoup, but don't get discouraged. Rest as much as possible; this is a really stressful time of year, so let your body heal, take whatever you need to relieve the pain, and walk at least 30 minutes each day to build up stamina. Dianne

Terri and Haydee~ For the margies... Get Margie Mix (near the alcohol in the store) it is cheap too. I like regular, but some may like strawberry (too sweet for me)... CHEAP WHITE tequilla (never drink gold...it is only sugar, w/ more calories...and a bad hangover) Tons of ice and tons of limes! That is it!

I had a hungry hungry heffer day yesterday. Gosh I felt like a bottomless pit!! I do feel pretty successful in navigating it though. Here's how I triumphed. I'm writing this down so that I remember it. (I did have a "slight" altercation with pita chips leftover from my birthday--but the up side is I managed to limit them to 9=1serving and combined them with a complex meal rather than just shoving them down my piehole slathered in butter or cheese--something guaranteed to make me hurl in 30 minutes or less.) 1. Managed to do an 18 hour fast yesterday. 2. Made great food choice for lunch. 3. Made an almost great food choice for dinner rather than eating a chili cheese coney with fries at the ballpark like I was craving--and which would have made me hurl in 30 minutes or less. 4. Limited my allotted popcorn at the park from 4 cups for the game to about 2 to maybe 2 1/2 cups (I guestimated on the high side at 3 cups). 5. No alcohol despite wanting a beer or a glass of wine. 6. Exceeded my fluid goals for the day mostly from water, green tea, black decaff coffee. 7. Exceeded my walking for the day with 12000+ steps + did upper body free hand weights and actually jogged for 2, 1 minute intervals. 8. Did not stop for fast food nonsense or a drink after the game like I was craving. 9. Did not eat a heavy meal cooked at home late night like I was craving. 10. Appeased myself with 2oz of PP in decaff as a "dessert/sleep aide" even though it was 11pm--that's better than a low carb breakfast taco with bacon egg and cheese!! Totals for the Day: 865 cals; 63g protein; 46g fat; 60g carbs; 11g fiber; 49g net carbs; 14g sugars Despite doing all those things I did wake up to a 2.2lb up-tick on the scale this morning. I'm sure it was cuz I had 60g of total carbs and about 49g net carbs for the day. My pattern is that I go down, hit a new low, then bounce around above that number before again stepping down to a new low. So it's a jagged, spiky stairstep in a downward progression. So I won't sweat it. I also know I have bad lymphedema in my left arm as of last night, and that may account for both pounds. So I will chill out about the scale and just live another dream day today. I'm only gonna do a 12/12 today and actually enjoy a brunch (homemade). I'll keep carbs lo-low and really munch the protein and see if that gets my hunger back in submission! Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!!! Hugs all around!!