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Possibly. I'm not trying to start a shitstorm here (so apologies in advance to any religious people), but the counselor I saw is Mormon, and they inherently disapprove of alcohol and caffeine anyway. In addition to this, one of his relatives had the surgery and gained all of the weight back because she kept eating crap. So I don't know if any of this played a role in his negative review. I'm a disabled veteran, and he also mentioned in the psych report that I had a rating for major depressive disorder, and I kind of don't like that being out there that way. Not that it's anything to be ashamed of, exactly, but it is my personal business and really doesn't keep me from being productive and living life (I still go to work and work hard, and I still have a 3.8 GPA at college). The irony here is that my massive weight is a large part of my self esteem issues and contributes to any unhappiness I have in a major way, so denying me the surgery wouldn't be doing my health any favors.

I'm so happy to have my lap band! I have lost a total of 87 pounds so far! I want to lose 43 more to get to my goal of 165. But, really, even if I never lost another pound, it was worth it. I feel great. I think that my large weight loss is not the usual for most people and if you have lost less, don't compare yourself. Everyone has to use their band their own way. I have been very lucky and have had a lot of things in my favor that have helped me along the way. When I first knew I was going to get a lap band, I did not intend to be as focused on weight loss as I ended up being. I had decided I was going to stop eating fast food junk, I would watch my portions, and make better choices. I was surprised when my husband decided he would do my pre-op diet along with me to show support (he was very overweight also). That changed everything. Health, food, eating, and exercising became a daily conversation in our home. We completely revamped how we eat and how we see food. He joined us up to a gym and he started going every day. I work three days a week as a nurse, and I started going to the gym the other four days. I had no excuse not to go. We don't have children and I definitely could make the time. It was hard at first. The gym we were going to was kinda snooty and I felt very self concious. I started out just walking on the treadmill and did that for a long time. Eventually I started jogging just a little. It was hard to even run for one minute without feeling like I was going to die. I had to fight the negative feelings of being the fattest person at the gym. And I was. No exaggeration. Eventually, I tried the elliptical and I discovered I love it! Over the last five months, I have been able to work myself up to one hour on the elliptical. I do crunches and upper body on the weight machines too. It was a mental battle to get over my insecurity. But, I did. And so will you if you keep at it. I do use My Fitness Pal to log my calories. I follow the high Protein, low carb diet my surgeon wants me to do, but I also still believe that calories in/calories out is important. I love My Fitness Pal. It keeps me accountable and I am honest about every bite I put in my mouth. I allow friends to see my food log and it's hard sometimes to admit that I eat Chinese food once or twice a week and it's probably not that good for me. But I balance it out with very good, healthy days. I started out eating about 900 to 1000 calories a day. Now I probably eat about 1000- 1200 calories due to the amount of exercise I do. The summer is hard as there are a lot of social activites that involve alcohol and not so great foods. I still enjoy myself. I have my wine and I eat within reason on those days. If anyone want to be my friend on My Fitness Pal, my user id is lleepers (that's 2 lower case L's). I have had one fill in my band. Every time I go back to the surgeon, he's happy and does not think I need a fill. I'm Okay with that. Maybe in the future I will need more restriction. I'm a realist and I know that life changes. I like being able to tolerate most foods. I still stay away from bread for the most part and Pasta. I eat rice every now and then. My band is a fickle b**tch. Some days I can shovel whatever I want down my piehole as fast as I want and other days I take two bites without chewing well, and it's a 10-15 minute stuck episode for me. I've only BP'd three times. Every time, it was my fault. I know the signs and ignore them and then I'm miserable. So, just because I can eat fast or as much as I want, doesn't mean I do. I have tried really hard to recognize satiety. I don't follow eating any certain amount, I just make sure what I put in front of me is healthy and low calorie. And I don't always have to finish my meal. I would like soon, to stop counting calories. I think I have a good idea now of what is healthy and what foods are high in calories. That is how I view maintenance. I should be able to eat within reason, keep up my exercise, and stay close to my goal weight. My hubby has lost 80 pounds. Together we have lost a whole person! Like I said, I've have very fortunate circumstances that have allowed me to be so successful. I work three days a week, have a supportive hubby, no children (no tempting Snacks in the house). Also, my job as a nurse plays a big part. I work in a Cardiac Cath Lab and see everyday the effects of extra weight on people. I have a strong history of heart disease in my family and I'm relatively certain I was heading toward a heart attack. The reason I mention my fortune is, I know that others are not so lucky. People have harder jobs and schedules, making it hard to go to the gym, or be able to make dinner that satifies everyone in the house. I feel for you. So don't be hard on yourself if you're a slow loser. This is about the long run. It's about becoming a healthier person. If you have to go back to get 12 fills to get to green zone, then so be it. Just make sure you do it. Just make sure that at every opportunity, you're making good choices. I love this forum. I have gained great knowledge from others on here. It really helped when first starting out. It is one of my forms of support, even if I'm just lurking and not commenting. I encourage everyone to find support wherever you can.

Two ways to go about this - rubbing alcohol or baby oil. Rubbing alcohol dries the adhesive up and oil reacts with it to cause it to come off as well. Get yourself some cotton balls and have at it. Both methods have their pros and cons. Oil is messy and stains. Rubbing alcohol dries you out but doesn't stain.

I was told to go on a fruit and veggie diet for 2 weeks which I did, plus the following. Thank God it worked and my pain is gone. Good luck! I was sleeved November 18, 2013 and the gout attack hit me December 30 like a freight train. Back and forth, both big toe joints. Went to the ER at New Years, called my surgeon's office (was told the Indomethacin will EAT your sleeve, but gout was not their problem or specialty). Raw cherries and juice did not help. My primary doctor put me on Indomethacin and Colcrys anyway which scared me to death. Then I was given Allpurinol, 100 mg. then 300 mg. when that did not help. Through it all I suffered. In March I was out of town and ended up in the hospital after vomiting 8 hours from the meds Indomethacin and Colcrys. I was so dehydrated I was admitted 24 hours. Horrible. There is HOPE. I found a compound pharmacist who put me on a regimen the past 40 days and I am finally pain free for 38 days following this regimen of herbal items purchases from his pharmacy (or online at vitacost, or healthfood store):Solaray Triple Strength Tart Cherry capsules (2 in the am, 2 in the pm); Curamin capsules (1 am, 1 pm)(for pain); Omega 3 fish oil, 1000 mg (2 capsules, 3 times a day) (inflammation fighter); Celery Seed capsules 505 mg capsules (1 capsule 4 times a day); Tumeric spice (sprinkle on food, salads, etc. - he said use this like pepper/salt); Celery - eat as much fresh celery as possible a day. Put in ice Water in fridge for freshness; Eat fruits and veggies for 2 weeks during a flare up. I am a BELIEVER. I used a cane to get to the compound pharmacist after I picked up a 2nd round of steroids (which I did not use). I left the next day for a road trip from Florida to Kansas, and in less than 2 days I was completely pain free and still am today, June 18. I went back to the pharmacist when I returned, and he told me I could cut down the dosage of the supplements. I cut the dose in half now but I will not stop them as I never want to experience gout again.<br /><br />I will never take Indomethacin or Colcrys again. I don't drink alcohol, I never ate the foods they say cause gout. It has to be the protein/weight loss that caused it.All these supplements are herbal. Best Wishes. I feel your pain. Linda

I have a friend who is an alcoholic. She described her addiction by saying that the idea of not drinking as much as possible was never an option. One drink just made no sense to her. Well, if you substitute food for a drink, you have the same addiction. I know that I never looked at a bowl of Pasta and thought, 'oh I'll eat a little...no need to eat it all.' So when someone says to you, just walk away from the table, it's like telling an alcoholic to just have one drink and walk away. They can't do it and neither can we. The difference is that a drinker can stop drinking. We can't stop eating. There is no addiction like food addiction...and I include drug addiction as well. As horrific as it is, you can stop taking drugs...you can't stop eating. I just wish the world understood this and stopped with the fat hating. I'm not that far out where I've forgotten what it was to be the biggest person in the room. It's not pleasant and I have great sympathy for those battling this addiction.

I'm still pre-op, I had my endoscopy last month, it was fast quick and I was as absolutely fine that same day. I was diagnosed with duodenitis, inflammation of the beginning of my small intestines. They put me on prescription Prilosec now for at least 3 months after surgery- no alcohol, no tabacco, no NSAIDS, no caffeine. My biggest prob is no coffee and no Advil. I've had a hard month since. U ladies will do great!! Stay positive!!

I was sleeved November 18, 2013 and the gout attack hit me December 30 like a freight train. Back and forth, both big toe joints. Went to the ER at New Years, called my surgeon's office (was told the Indomethacin will EAT your sleeve, but gout was not their problem or specialty). Raw cherries and juice did not help. My primary doctor put me on Indomethacin and Colcrys anyway which scared me to death. Then I was given Allpurinol, 100 mg. then 300 mg. when that did not help. Through it all I suffered. In March I was out of town and ended up in the hospital after vomiting 8 hours from the meds Indomethacin and Colcrys. I was so dehydrated I was admitted 24 hours. Horrible. There is HOPE. I found a compound pharmacist who put me on a regimen the past 40 days and I am finally pain free for 38 days following this regimen of herbal items purchases from his pharmacy (or online at Vitacost, or healthfood store):<br />Solaray Triple Strength Tart Cherry capsules (2 in the am, 2 in the pm)<br />Curamin capsules (1 am, 1 pm)(for pain)<br />Omega 3 fish oil, 1000 mg (2 capsules, 3 times a day) (inflammation fighter)<br />Celery Seed capsules 505 mg capsules (1 capsule 4 times a day)<br />Tumeric spice (sprinkle on food, salads, etc. - he said use this like pepper/salt)<br />Celery - eat as much fresh celery as possible a day. Put in ice water in fridge for freshness.<br />Eat fruits and veggies for 2 weeks during a flare up.<br /><br />I am a BELIEVER. I used a cane to get to the compound pharmacist after I picked up a 2nd round of steroids (which I did not use). I left the next day for a road trip from Florida to Kansas, and in less than 2 days I was completely pain free and still am today, June 18. I went back to the pharmacist when I returned, and he told me I could cut down the dosage of the supplements. I cut the dose in half now but I will not stop them as I never want to experience gout again.<br /><br />I will never take Indomethacin or Colcrys again. I don't drink alcohol, I never ate the foods they say cause gout. It has to be the protein/weight loss that caused it.<br /><br />All these supplements are herbal. Best Wishes. I feel your pain. Linda<br />

Week four and I can't believe how quick it came. I don't weigh myself more than once a week and not when I have a doc's appointment, which I do this week. So, we'll see how that is, but I think things are moving along as expected. I can't eat much besides cheese and turkey deli meat with no discomfort. Other things lead to awkward feelings in the stomach esophagus region. I get my walks in everyday to every other day. With the recent heat, it tends to be a nightly event or super early in the morning. Socially, I'm struggling. Everything involves alcohol and food...I usually just sip Water but that is getting old! I'm looking forward to eating regular foods (small portions of course) b/c I've started to avoid events and that's not my personality!

It's funny, but I thought I would miss so much more than I actually do. I don't really miss sweets at all. I kind of miss salty, greasy tortilla chips, though. I love Mexican food, but at least I can make healthy versions of most of my favorite Mexican dishes. I really miss coffee and wine. I have a big wine refrigerator full of good wine. Heaven knows if I'll ever be able to drink it. I'm only 3 months out, so I don't plan to even attempt alcohol for several more months!

Thanks for all the great tips, my post op appt is tomorrow so I will definitely ask about the remover:-D, but if I can't stand it I will try the oil or alcohol tonight!

I look at it this way. Alcohol consumption slows the production of an enzime your body produces that is required to turn fat into carbos. This effect last for 3 days even after just one drink. This means you slow your weight loss down by 43 percent if you only drink one night a week. I enjoy drinking as much as anyone, but weight loss is more important to me. In my case, I have given up alcohol until I hit the maintanece phase. At that point I might phase it in, but not before.

My experience is similar. My surgeon recommended waiting 6-8 weeks post-op. I had my first drink at about 2 months. Don't like fizzy drinks (beer, soda) or sweet mixers. I usually sip a long island tea or sometimes I will ask for Water and a shot of liquor and add a packet of crystal light. While alcohol affected me a little more post op, it wasn't as much as I expected. And it was probably more because I had abstained for a while. You do need to be careful of the transfer addiction. I have an addictive personality and alcoholism runs in my family so that is always in the back of my mind. You also have to be careful because too much can be hard on our stomachs and there is the risk of ulcers.

I used rubbing alcohol for mine as well. Nail polish remover works as well, but tends to smell worse.

Rubbing alcohol works really well to get that crap off! Drench a paper towel and then rub over areas. It will either rub off or loosen the spots enough to pick off easily. Have fun!

I think I was about 10 weeks out before I had alcohol, it burned so I stopped. It was white wine. I am not a big drinker to begin with, only occasional like maybe every 4 to 6 weeks. The no mixer thing is hard. Just this past weekend I tried Jim Beam Honey infused (I usually drink Crown) and it was so smooth, no mixer required whatsoever! This coming from someone who can't get tequila past her nose and has never had a straight shot of anything before I had surgery. I say this because alcohol is not a big draw for me, I can take it or leave it. Keep in mind the potential for cross addiction. I just don't think I'm alcoholic material.

I'm 6 months post opp and enjoy alcohol a couple times a week (down from a couple drinks a night pre-opp). I waited about two months post opp to give it a try. I've keep it to wine and the occasional martini, beer or anything fizzy doesn't seem appealing. No physical complications whatsoever and alcohol basically effects me the same as preopp. Two big points of caution, (1) there are many people that trade one addiction for another post surgery so beware of that phenomena, and (2) as others will undoubtedly tell you, alcohol basically falls into the useless calorie bucket same (or worse) than a coke or glass of grape juice.

Alcohol is not suggested because of the empty carbs and (in some cases) carbonation. That being said, I know some folks have had them...usually one is all they can tolerate... I was not a drinker before, so I am the designated driver now, and I'm fine with that. I'm sure others will have more info for you.

I had my surgery June 10th so drinking is not on my mind yet. However in the future I would still like to be able to enjoys a cocktail here or there when out with the wife and friends. For those that have continued drinking post op a few questions. 1. How long did you wait. 2. How did it go. 3. Any complications Thx

My surgeon was pretty alcohol lenient as well. I had one sip of champagne at a wedding 6 weeks after surgery. I was feeling it. Last Memorial Day- my BFF and I stopped and had a drink. I do mean ONE (for me). I was in no shape to drive at all and she had two drinks and she was not either. We called our husbands to come get us

Relax--it gets so much better. I'm now 70yrs old and I had the sleeve done about 12 months ago in Brisbane. I was just over 110kg (not seriously obese) but very unhappy with myself. I had reached 115kg in 2008 and had a lap banding done around 2010 and lost 20kg BUT slowly put back 20kgs and felt bad always that I had to run off every so often to vomit after a meal and that I always felt bloated. I has the band removed, waited 3 months and then had the sleeve. I am now around 83kgs, sometimes up to 85kgs, but never beyond. I am fitter than I have ever been, going to the gym 6/7 days per week and happier than I have been in many a year. The sleeve is serious!! You will NOT put the weight back on BUT you will gave to alter your lifestyle significantly. You can NEVER again eat a big meal!! So what? Just tell your friends that you had a hiatus hernia repair and that the repair is very tight, so tight in fact that you can eat only 6 small meals per day. They will accept that and not enquire further. You will learn to drink first (sure, alcohol if you want) but you will have problems drinking after you eat. You will have initial difficulties getting sufficient drinks into yourself but just stay calm. It will take about 12 months before you can drink (say) 100mls in one gulp. Everything from now on will be in small increments BUT the feed back from friends when you are down around 82kgs instead of around 112kgs will put a permanent smile on your face. I am now a gym "junkie" and have had to spend several thousand dollars having my clothes taken in or buying new suits, etc---it is a very happy problem to have. Keep going-- the end result is worth all the effort. I am a Doctor myself, in fact a Specialist Surgeon, and I can say that the sleeve has transformed (given back actually) my life. To know that I will NEVER be fat again is worth every penny spent and every little inconvenient regurgitation---oh yes, you will still have the occasional spew when no one is watching. Name withheld.

Sunday morning I woke up got aout of bed and noticed one of my feet was a bit puffy at the ball. Figured it was because I wore tennis shoes the day before. Through out the day my foot started hurting more and more. By the late afternoon I was in terrible pain. Monday morning I woke up and the pain was very intense. On a scale of 1 to 10 it was at a 9. I have a high tolerance for pain compared to most. Ended up calling in sick to work because I neede crutches to get around and went to the doc. Turned out I have gout which I have never had before. The cure for gout is heavy duty anti inflamitories which I was told I could never have again after having my sleeve. Turns out that is not true, but you want to limit it as much as possible. There are many possible reason for the gout. 1) high protien diet, 2) rapid weight loss, 3) alcohol ( which I have given up). Has anyone else experience gout after surgery? If so, what coarse of action did you take. Did you try reducing your protien intake? I find it hard to beleive its a protien issue. Sure, we are on a high Protein diet, but in my case even with protein being the goal I am still eating much less protein than before surgery. I have to conclude that the main cause is rapid weight loss. What are your thoughts? I hope this does not come and go once I get to maintanance. It fricking hurts a lot.

When I finally made the decision to make the big leap on this journey, I knew my choices had ramifications that rippled like Water from pebbles tossed into a pond, reaching far into every aspect of my life from my relationship with food, to my relationship with people, with society, with vocational pursuits, with finances, and everything few and far between. Personal Reinvention requires not a full, working understanding of such things before engaging the processes, but it does require a willingness to both trust the process and a determination to never look back. Having had to come up with the cash to engage this process, I had a tangible connection to the power and flow of the process river. We feel its current from economic to physical and socio-psychological flows, to the flocculation of fears and happiness/ excitement that flake off like dust from the trail; neither fully embraced due to the shifting road ahead as the surgery date nears, yet all felt like the current of a strong river capable of carrying me down to new lands. I'll have time to dial in my emotions downstream, but for now I just let them come up, become acknowledged, and then release them. As I sop up as much information as I can from books and blogs, I see a wide range of stories that are for the most part positive, but I do see a disheartening amount of stories from individuals who are making things a lot tougher on themselves in the long run by allowing social pressure to dictate how they both walk, and embrace, this new flow. A few days ago, the day before my Endoscopy, I spoke to my doctor (who will be performing my sleeve in just a few weeks) about my frustrations and fears. I mentioned how interesting it was to me that so many who undergo WLS are willing to keep the doors creaked open to old doorways, when they should rightfully be welded shut. My doctor told me of a study regarding WLS patients who “plateau” or even gain significant weight over the years. The one common denominator? They were willing to have one or more of those things we are instructed not to. “I only have one beer, on occasion”. “I only have a diet pop once in a while”. “I only have a cupcake on a birthday”. This was the single most common denominator in 100% of the cases in the study. Are these things evil and a hard core “no no”? It depends on who you ask. Just like there are physicians who smoke cigarettes, it doesn’t mean that if the rare medical professional says you can have booze on occasion, that is ok or healthy to do so. I am sure there are a few who do get away with it, much like how George Burns lived longer than most with smoking as a part of his life/persona. Then again, he WAS God We are making a major modification here with WLS. The physical modifications are only a small part of it. The rest are psychological/ behavioral. Cutting meat from our bodies are only part of it, and only a tool that can be as successful as the one using it. The tool is in your hands. Why not find a way to perfect its use via a path of Mastery? I ask myself that question with every post of “when can I drink alcohol again?” We need to decide (or RE-decide) if we are writing a new chapter in our lives, or write a whole new book. Pick up your proverbial pens, and write the book of your lifetime, one that will be read and quoted in your golden years. Will that tell the tale of a success, or a failure? Will the protagonist be seen as someone who cut corners or kept doors creaked open so that they could feel the familiar companionship of their past failures? Or will it be a story of someone who has truly ascended into a new, re-branded, reinvented being?

Consider the conversations on this board alone... How many are willing to allow even small amounts of alcohol or other seemingly harmless behaviors back into their lives after such a life transformational event. The highest rates of recidivism includes individuals who admit to soda pop intake. Those willing to write a new book, rather than just a new chapter, are the ones who will succeed. There are of course numerous nuances and factors

I think it depends on whether you're getting the results you want. I've been eating 1000-1200 calories per day and exercising 500-600 calories 5 days per week since around month 3 or 4. My weight loss has been slow and steady pretty much the entire time. I eat what I like, including small treats and occasionally, alcohol. I'm 5 pounds from goal and loving my new lifestyle. At the rate I'm going, I expect I'll go below my pre-defined goal of 145, maybe as low as 135, (an even 100 pounds loss) but I doubt seriously that I'll settle there. If I do, I do, but I feel\look fine now and I'll feel fine at 145 in 5 pounds. Wherever I "land" I'll set a 5 pound range on either side of it and focus on maintaining that range. I feel like I've set myself up for a maintenance calorie goal of 1250-1300 which seems like a lot to me right now, but I'm sure I'll find a way to adjust. :-)

I'm 8 months post-op and 85 pounds down... I have lost... an Olsen Twin. 1) when you eat and get full, is it the same feelling as today, just without the big food quantities? Or is it a different feeling? It's different. I feel fullness less in my stomach and more in my chest\throat now. 2) are you handicapped for life? Like the need to avoid certain foods and certain drinks. Since about month 4, I've been able to eat whatever I like in small quantities. Rice was the last hold out, but I can do that now too as long as I take it slow. I drink alcohol on occasion, (even a beer sometimes!) but not nearly like used to. I do not drink even diet soda. Just a choice. I don't really want it anymore and the carbonation is supposed to be bad for my sleeve. 3) can u ever drink a whole cup of Water, or will you need to sip slowly for life (sounds lile a torture). I can't gulp, but I can drink normal mouthfuls of water. Took a few months to get there, but feels perfectly normal now. 4) just tell me about ur day to day life. I dont know if u had the same feeling, but I sometimes think to myself that I might be crazy to be cutting an organ that functions 100% right. I'm up at 4:30 am and on the exercise bike for an hour every work day. I burn 500-600 calories per the heart rate monitor. I look forward to it now as I get to feed my NetFlix addiction for an hour a day, I've developed a good habit and it allows me to eat pretty much what I like in small quantities and still lose weight. I take a handful of Vitamins and I have 1 egg with a slice of cheese for breakfast. I Am. Full. I have a scoop of Protein powder in my coffee, (bonus 20g). I work. Have a handful of almonds about 9am. Some of them have thick dark chocolate! High protein lunch followed by a high protein dinner, (typically 3 oz of some kind of meat each meal) and I've hit my 80g of protein for the day and stayed under 1000 calories. If I want an afternoon snack or something I have it. If I'm busy, probably won't bother. Afternoons\evenings\weekends are motorcycle riding, dating, yard work, dog walking, festivals, movies, TV, shopping for smaller clothes. I wear a 4 or a 6 now after having been an 18. I finish the day with another Multivitamin and 1 Omeprazole, (stomach acid reducer) the only prescription I take after giving up 3 BP meds, cholesterol meds, several asthma meds, etc. Life. Is. GOOD!