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@@ankinray rules about wine etc. vary depending on your surgeon. My plan calls for no alcohol until you reach maintenance, and then to exercise caution due to 1) liquid calories; 2) high rate of transfer addictions with wls patients; and 3) rapid absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream for post wls patients, which can make it easy to over-drink very fast.

Haha! That is what I totally say about alcohol - too much sugar and calories and I am planning my end of summer vacation. Works like a charm. I like the soup ideas so long as they're not chock full of extras or creamy. I hear you on enjoying life! That's important to me! Great ideas everyone - thanks!

actually my friend told me the other night that my "steadfast support" of her in her journey has meant the world to her and she isn't sure she would have made it as far as she has without it. her last 2 attempts at wls were secret with no support and she feels like that is why she failed. substitute food with alcohol or drugs. would we all be singing the same song? why is it good to express concern, intervene and not enable when it's alcohol or drugs, but not food? one is surely as deadly as the other. maybe more. we know when an addict or alcoholic doesn't get outside help, they will eventually die. the same is true for morbid obesity. knowing this, i wonder why so many of us say we should never ever say anything to anyone about it, ever. is our resistance to outside concern/intervention about privacy? or a desire to continue in our addiction to food? do any of us, deep down, truly want to suffer alone anymore? unflinching self honestly is usually required for true recovery.

When I was early post op and went out with friends I ordered tomato soup. I could sip on it for a long time because "it's really hot ;)" As far as being with people that are drinking you can simply say you are watching calories and alcohol is full of calories. Or make your own virgin mixed drink and no one will know the difference. Glass of pineapple juice or cranberry juice diluted with water if you want to cut the calories. No need to be a hermit. I'm over a year out and my husband and kids are the only one that know about my surgery. My thought is that I want to enjoy life, not hide from it because I've had a personal surgery that I don't care to share with anyone.

Bufflehead-this is exactly what I'm wondering about. I'm pre-op. I don't drink alcohol "alot", but love champagne. I know carbonation is bad and understand why. What are the "rules" around wine etc. down the line post op? Thanks.

I'm only 3 weeks out and by no way can even play like I eat like a normal person. I've been coming up with all kinds of excuses, but it's hard. At a dinner the other night, I sat and drank Water and just tried to be active in the conversation. I'm in NYC, a brunch city, so it's becoming frequent. Do you just move things around? I seriously feel my restriction when it's anything but water (I'm allowed softs, but it's not enjoyable). I come up with good alcohol excuses, but I know people are wondering what's up with the food.

Yikes. I really feel like unless you are a doctor or somehow being asked, you should not insert yourself. We get excited about the weight loss and some of us have a need or desire to evangelize about it, but we have to get here on our own steam. I have two examples of help that worked with me. A friend approached me last year with a Nike Fuel band last year before I even considered surgery. She was changing to a Jawbone, and offered me the band, talking about how much fun and addictive it was to her to watch her steps every day. Then, I also have a friend who was sleeved in June of last year, who started talking to me about her plans in August of 2012 and suggested that I look into it too. I was even a little offended with her; surely I wasn't as bad off as she was, right? But I was, and she knew it. Amazing now that I sometimes thought my weight gain was invisible to others. These are two very close friends and the subject was approached very carefully. On one hand, people say rude stuff all the time to overweight and obese people; I'm sure each of us has a list in our heads of the things that have been said to us over the years. But unless you would be in the right position to stage an intervention for drugs or alcohol, another person's weight is not something I'd comment on.

I had a dream journey with the band, no surgery problems and my weight loss was text book. However, a year on and I don't know what to do. Except for breakfast which is. Usually porridge topped with yoghurt and seeds everything else I eat seems to come back. I would say not everything because I am only losing weight weight (and believe me I don't want to lose more) very slowly 5lbs since Christmas. I went back to the surgeon and he took 1cc out it made no difference. I am afraid to take out more because I don't want to put weight on either, and I am not even convinced that this is not my fault. I ask myself did I eat the wrong thing, did I eat too fast? Is it my fault? I can't even manage a starter at a restaurant and alcohol is completely out. Should I just try to live with this, I don't want to be fat again, I am so happy with my body lose skin and all.

Like you, I crave sweets. I could care less about soda pop, alcohol, fried foods etc. I only occasionlly have a few bites of fast food. But sweets ? Oh yeah, they've got my number, especially if its crunchy sweet. Anything chocolate/pb/nuts = kryptonite ! I find that if im full of healthy protein, I crave sweets way less. Right now im having Belvita Breakfast biscuts and a little turkey jerky, this is my usual breakfast, helps keep me from most sweets. Hope your 2 week liquid goes smoothly for you, you CAN and WILL succeed with your WLS ! Being banded was the BEST thing I did for myself, I just came back from a 2 mile run a few minutes ago . Two and a half years ago I could only walk the same course, now im ( sloooowly) running it ! How cool is that ? Good luck ! You got this !!!!

I suggest going to your local deli and try some new things...some of my favorites are BBQ ribs, roasted veggies, turkey curry salad, meatloaf, garlic sesame pork loin, seafood kabobs, crab salad and broccoli bacon salad. One small container will last me several meals. Visit areas of the grocery store you don't frequent and really look things over for new ideas. If you are miserable with no Pasta, bread, rice, etc. go ahead and eat some.....in moderation! No sense losing weight if you are miserable. Just try to make it as "high protein" as you can. There are some breads higher in Protein than others. Use a thin wrap or flat bread to make a sandwich. I eat chicken salad and tuna salad with Pita bite crackers. I pile on the salad and am stuffed after just 3 crackers.... a "full serving" is 7 crackers. If you make a pasta dish, add extra protein ( pasta salad with chicken, spaghetti heavy on the meat sauce, light on the pasta). Barilla has a "Plus" line of pastas that are higher in protein. Have Chinese food or curry with just a little rice. I've had sushi roll with rice and yum. Visit the recipe sub forum on here for some recipe ideas that might not be so blah. Google "the world according to eggface", too. She has some incredible recipes....cake, ice cream, donuts, smoothies, etc. I am not a fan of cooking myself, (thus the deli suggestion), but I even made my own protein pancakes using Red Mill pancake mix, unjury Protein powder, Garden of Life Raw Protein and an extra egg. They are better than any pancake I ever had preop with 8 G protein. Basically, if you REALLY want something, figure out how to make it work, or at least practice serious moderation. Hell, I've had ice cream, cake, cheesecake and alcohol when I wanted some and there's nothing high protein about any of those! Hmmmm, I wonder if I could make protein cheesecake?!?

I was a diet coke addict and couldn't imagine my life without them. I reduced the qty before my preop diet and that was rough. It was rough through the preop diet. The changes immediately after the surgery, though, are like hitting a wall. I think it must be like rehab for drug and alcohol addicts. Since my surgery, I haven't missed diet coke on bit. Five and a half months out, I'm thrilled with the changes to my body and health (normal blood pressure) but, honestly, I'm especially happy not obsessing over food and drink anymore.

Trying to wrap my mind around this. You eat 1100 calories of good food (not carby or starchy), exercise and still regain 50#? What kind of exercise plan do you have going? Is your sleep good? Do you drink lots of water and keep alcohol to a min? Is it true you are eating smaller meals over that 1100 calories or not? I did not get that out of the thread unless I overlooked it. Small to me means 200-300 calories at a time which means 4-5 oz protein and perhaps 1-2 oz of veggie. What are your overall macros? Something like 50/30/20 (protein, carb, fat) or 40/30/30 or something else? If you are doing these things then Yikes. That is a scary scenario. Have you considered increasing calories? 500 below your targeted tdee will mean weight loss, but 1000 (or more) below will mean "starvation mode" and metabolic issues long term. Most of the time metabolic issues can be fixed by making calculated changes to diet, exercise and lifestyle - without something like a revision. Hormones need to be brought back into balance for proper metabolic response. I do hope you can find resolution.

I drank diet soda and super sweet southern tea like an alcoholic drinks liquor. I had one or four with every meal. I felt like I couldn't function in the morning until I got that first sip of ice cold diet cherry coke! I felt like my food couldn't digest without it. I was really worried about it before my surgery. I'm 7 weeks post op and I only drink unsweet tea with splenda. I NEVER could do that before the surgery. I'm down 48 pounds and just returned to work this week and everyone is noticing! I've worked so hard at the gym and followed everything to a T. So the more I lose the less I miss! I don't miss overeating every meal until I threw up or felt my food sitting all the way up to my throat. I don't miss the GUILT that came with every binge meal. I don't miss dodging people that haven't seen me since I gained so much weight because I knew they were going to think, "Wow! She blew up!" I don't miss taking vacation days to get out of team builders at work when they were going to do yoga or zumba because I was too embarrassed to be that big and jiggling around in front of my coworkers. I could go on and on......

I think I dumped! I ate a protein bar that had sugar alcohol in it. I've had other things with a little sugar alcohol before and it makes me nauseous. And I've had this particular protein bar before, but today it took me over the edge. As soon as I ate it, I felt so sick (nauseous) and then I started to just feel icky. I had to put my head down on my desk at work a few times. After about an hour, I decided to go home early and boy am I glad I did. As soon as I started to get up and get ready to leave, I realized I was going to have a bad potty experience. Mad it home thankfully, and ran to the bathroom for an explosion! Sorry TMI. I feel fine now, but wow, that was crazy! So was that truly dumping? I think it was, but not having it happen before, I don't truly know!

The West has already seen scorching weather, with temperatures reaching the triple digits, and the rest of the country is sure to see some heat waves soon. In summer, dehydration can sneak up on you fast, leading to headaches, fatigue, and confusion. Dehydration can also stall weight loss because water helps reduce hunger. When you need to drink more water, your body can mistake thirst for hunger, causing you to eat more than you need. Basic Guidelines for Meeting Fluid Needs after Weight Loss Surgery On a normal day, you need at least 64 ounces, or 8 8-ounce cups, of fluid per day. When the weather is hot, dry, or windy, you need more. Meeting your requirements can be challenging after weight loss surgery because you should drink fluids between meals, not with them. You need to stop drinking fluids at least 30 minutes before a meal or snack, and you should not start drinking fluids again for another 30 minutes after you finish your food. This is a sample daily schedule that can allow you to get all of the fluid you need without interfering with your meal plan. 7:00 a.m. 1 cup decaffeinated coffee 8:00 a.m. breakfast 9:00 a.m. 12 ounces (1.5 cups) water 10:00 a.m. morning snack 11:00 a.m. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth Noon lunch 1:00 p.m. 1 cup flavored water 2:00 p.m. 1 cup water 3:00 p.m. afternoon snack 4:00 p.m. 12 ounces (1.5 cups) unsweetened, decaffeinated iced tea 5:00 p.m. dinner 7:00 p.m. 1 cup water If your meal plan includes only three meals a day and does not include snacks, getting your fluid needs is easier because you do not need to work in the extra snacks around your beverages. Do Not Drink Your Calories! You only get a certain limited number of calories per day if you want to lose weight. Your calories should come from nutritious foods, such as lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and a small amount of starches and unsaturated fats. These healthy foods can help reduce hunger as you lose weight. Choosing to get your calories from liquids instead is called “drinking your calories.” It is a problem because liquid calories are not very filling compared to solid foods, and you can easily take in more calories than you realize if you drink your calories. For the number of calories in a 20-ounce bottle of soda, you could have a 3-ounce portion of chicken breast, a half-cup of cooked pasta, and a half-cup of steamed vegetables. You should really only get substantial amounts of calories from liquids right after weight loss surgery, when you are on a liquid or pureed foods diet and cannot meet your nutrient requirements from foods. Otherwise, if you drink beverages with calories, you can gain weight or stop losing weight in a hurry. The following beverages have about 100 or more calories per 1-cup (8-ounce) serving). Milk Fruit juice Regular soft drinks and fruit drinks Energy drinks Sweetened iced tea Milk-based coffee beverages or coffee beverages with flavor syrups What About Milk and Juice? Milk and juice are both nutritious, but they do not belong in your regular weight loss surgery diet. Fortified milk provides 9 grams of protein per cup and is a great source of calcium and vitamin D, but it contains 90 calories per cup. Fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese are better choices for your protein and calcium because they are solid foods. Milk is only a good regular choice when you are recovering from surgery and are on your liquid or pureed foods diet. 100 percent fruit juice can be high in potassium and vitamin C, but it is protein-free and high in sugars. Because of its sugar content, juice can lead to dumping syndrome. Shortly after surgery, your surgeon may allow a half-cup of juice diluted with water, but when you get to the solid foods stage of your weight loss surgery diet, juice is not allowed. I Can’t Tolerate Water! One of the common side effects of weight loss surgery is that your tastes change. Unfortunately, sometimes that means that you no longer enjoy drinking water. If you are having trouble getting down your water, these suggestions may help. Drink ice water instead of cool water – this can really make a difference. Place a slice of lemon or lime on the rim of your water glass. Squeeze lemon or lime juice into your water and add a packet of calorie-free sweetener. Try a calorie-free, non-carbonated flavored water. Place some leaves of mint in boiling hot water and let them steep. Drink your mint tea hot or put it in the fridge so you can have refreshingly cold mint tea later. Keep trying. In all likelihood, you will eventually be able to tolerate water again. What about Coffee and Tea? Some coffee and tea beverages are clearly out of the question, unless you’re ready to spend 200 or more calories on a sweetened coffee drink or tea. The caffeine is also a problem for weight loss surgery patients, since it can irritate the stomach. Finally, too much coffee or tea can interfere with the absorption of certain key nutrients, such as iron. If you do drink coffee and tea, limit yourself to 2 cups of decaffeinated coffee or tea per day. Skip the Alcohol Alcoholic beverages can be some of your biggest saboteurs after weight loss surgery. It is not just that alcohol helps to dehydrate you. Alcoholic beverages can be frighteningly high in calories. For example, a 5-ounce glass of red wine has 127 calories, a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer has 145 calories, and a 1.5-ounce shot of rum has 96 calories, and a 3.3-ounce margarita has 153 calories. The damage goes beyond the calories in your drinks, though. Alcohol relaxes you. When you drink, you tend to lower your inhibitions. That means that you are less likely to measure your foods, stick to small portions, and pass up the high-calorie temptations. You're more likely to overeat, and regret your alcohol and food intake later. Have a great summer and stay hydrated, safe, and healthy!

Basic Guidelines for Meeting Fluid Needs after Weight Loss Surgery On a normal day, you need at least 64 ounces, or 8 8-ounce cups, of fluid per day. When the weather is hot, dry, or windy, you need more. Meeting your requirements can be challenging after weight loss surgery because you should drink fluids between meals, not with them. You need to stop drinking fluids at least 30 minutes before a meal or snack, and you should not start drinking fluids again for another 30 minutes after you finish your food. This is a sample daily schedule that can allow you to get all of the fluid you need without interfering with your meal plan. 7:00 a.m. 1 cup decaffeinated coffee 8:00 a.m. breakfast 9:00 a.m. 12 ounces (1.5 cups) water 10:00 a.m. morning snack 11:00 a.m. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth Noon lunch 1:00 p.m. 1 cup flavored water 2:00 p.m. 1 cup water 3:00 p.m. afternoon snack 4:00 p.m. 12 ounces (1.5 cups) unsweetened, decaffeinated iced tea 5:00 p.m. dinner 7:00 p.m. 1 cup water If your meal plan includes only three meals a day and does not include snacks, getting your fluid needs is easier because you do not need to work in the extra snacks around your beverages. Do Not Drink Your Calories! You only get a certain limited number of calories per day if you want to lose weight. Your calories should come from nutritious foods, such as lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and a small amount of starches and unsaturated fats. These healthy foods can help reduce hunger as you lose weight. Choosing to get your calories from liquids instead is called “drinking your calories.” It is a problem because liquid calories are not very filling compared to solid foods, and you can easily take in more calories than you realize if you drink your calories. For the number of calories in a 20-ounce bottle of soda, you could have a 3-ounce portion of chicken breast, a half-cup of cooked pasta, and a half-cup of steamed vegetables. You should really only get substantial amounts of calories from liquids right after weight loss surgery, when you are on a liquid or pureed foods diet and cannot meet your nutrient requirements from foods. Otherwise, if you drink beverages with calories, you can gain weight or stop losing weight in a hurry. The following beverages have about 100 or more calories per 1-cup (8-ounce) serving). Milk Fruit juice Regular soft drinks and fruit drinks Energy drinks Sweetened iced tea Milk-based coffee beverages or coffee beverages with flavor syrups What About Milk and Juice? Milk and juice are both nutritious, but they do not belong in your regular weight loss surgery diet. Fortified milk provides 9 grams of protein per cup and is a great source of calcium and vitamin D, but it contains 90 calories per cup. Fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese are better choices for your protein and calcium because they are solid foods. Milk is only a good regular choice when you are recovering from surgery and are on your liquid or pureed foods diet. 100 percent fruit juice can be high in potassium and vitamin C, but it is protein-free and high in sugars. Because of its sugar content, juice can lead to dumping syndrome. Shortly after surgery, your surgeon may allow a half-cup of juice diluted with water, but when you get to the solid foods stage of your weight loss surgery diet, juice is not allowed. I Can’t Tolerate Water! One of the common side effects of weight loss surgery is that your tastes change. Unfortunately, sometimes that means that you no longer enjoy drinking water. If you are having trouble getting down your water, these suggestions may help. Drink ice water instead of cool water – this can really make a difference. Place a slice of lemon or lime on the rim of your water glass. Squeeze lemon or lime juice into your water and add a packet of calorie-free sweetener. Try a calorie-free, non-carbonated flavored water. Place some leaves of mint in boiling hot water and let them steep. Drink your mint tea hot or put it in the fridge so you can have refreshingly cold mint tea later. Keep trying. In all likelihood, you will eventually be able to tolerate water again. What about Coffee and Tea? Some coffee and tea beverages are clearly out of the question, unless you’re ready to spend 200 or more calories on a sweetened coffee drink or tea. The caffeine is also a problem for weight loss surgery patients, since it can irritate the stomach. Finally, too much coffee or tea can interfere with the absorption of certain key nutrients, such as iron. If you do drink coffee and tea, limit yourself to 2 cups of decaffeinated coffee or tea per day. Skip the Alcohol Alcoholic beverages can be some of your biggest saboteurs after weight loss surgery. It is not just that alcohol helps to dehydrate you. Alcoholic beverages can be frighteningly high in calories. For example, a 5-ounce glass of red wine has 127 calories, a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer has 145 calories, and a 1.5-ounce shot of rum has 96 calories, and a 3.3-ounce margarita has 153 calories. The damage goes beyond the calories in your drinks, though. Alcohol relaxes you. When you drink, you tend to lower your inhibitions. That means that you are less likely to measure your foods, stick to small portions, and pass up the high-calorie temptations. You're more likely to overeat, and regret your alcohol and food intake later. Have a great summer and stay hydrated, safe, and healthy!

I admit that I miss champagne. I didn't drink it all that often, but it's a big part of family celebrations. I'm allowed to have an occasional glass, but when I tried a couple of sips over Christmas, it felt weird and just didn't taste like it used to, so I haven't tried it again. I may try it next month when I visit my parents and see if anything has changed. I also miss being able to sip a glass of wine with dinner -- again, I rarely did it, just when out at nice restaurants or visiting my parents (who are great cooks with an extensive wine cellar). I'm allowed to have wine on my program, just no drinking with meals. There was something lovely about a really good wine correctly paired with a delicious dinner. I'm not really that interested in wine on its own so I just don't drink it anymore. I realize these two "I miss" statements make me sound like someone with a drinking problem! The thing is, I am sure I averaged less than one alcoholic drink per month before my sleeve. I never bought alcohol on my own, just had it when I visited my parents a few times each year. But I guess I really do miss it for those few visits! That said, I would not trade my sleeve and my weight loss for all the champagne and great pinot noir in the world! It's a tiny little thing to give up to have a whole new life.

ok i hate to be the killjoy, but after i go through this surgery, there is NO WAY i am going back to what I was eating before surgery. Lets Face it, we the overweight or obese are just like junkies or alcoholics. Part of recovery is not going back to those things that got you there in the first place for a very very long time or even at all! From every thing i have read, you are supposed to eat Protein first, then veggies and fruits, then if there is room carbs. I get it that you will most likely have cravings but fight them! don't give in! If you are not going to do what you know you are supposed to do, why did you have the surgery in the 1st place? I am still a few weeks out and I have already started preparing myself for what is to come. Ive gotten rid of all the crap in my house, started drinking Protein shakes twice a day. I made this decision and became informed. And although I may miss some foods, I will not cave into them, not this time!!!

I'm from North Dakota, and the big event of the summer is WeFest, which is a 3 day country music festival. It is the second weekend in August. We camp there, drink alcohol and eat crappy foods basically. When I initially looked into the surgery in November of 2013, I thought for sure I'd have it done by this summer. Well, it's June and with all the unexpected requirements from my insurence, including months of meeting with a nutritionist, I have now only completed all the paperwork and had it sent in. My insurence also could take 4-6 weeks to approve (or deny) the surgery. That being said, it could be July before I actually have the surgery. Would it be risky to go to the music festival a month after surgery? Of course I would not drink alcohol and I would pack healthy options for myself. But I'm worried it will be a struggle with my recovering body and the 90-100 degree heat, plus remembering to get all my protein in and stay hydrated. Any opinions?!

I've pretty much maintained for the last 5-7 months at or around 8-10 lbs from goal, which I still have yet to reach. (I was once 2 lbs away). I travel a great deal for work, so eat out a lot and don't usually deny myself much. Overall I eat somewhat healthy for the most part, even when eating out, but bad habits can sneak back in. Where I still could not tolerate certain foods at 14 months, I can now eat anything and everything with no problem. I can also eat more than I could in the past. Though I will probably get fussed at, I do drink alcohol when I want (craft beer, wine, mixed drinks), snack, don't measure food, don't count calories, don't exclude any foods, skip Breakfast, occasionally drink a few sips with meals, don't always eat enough Protein, and I never exercise. With all of that said, I am still stabilized on average around 8 lbs from goal with indulgences. Last week I decided to regain some measure of control over my relationship with food and the bad habits that I have been allowing to become more and more a normal part of my eating habits. My first thought was a lot of fear. That I couldn't do it. That I would fail (again!). Those old fears from a lifetime don't just vanish. If I never reach "goal" I'll be ok. It isn't an end all and I don't know if I could realistically maintain it considering my lifestyle and choices. But I do want to address creeping gains. 3 lbs become 5 lbs become 6 lbs become 8 then 10. Changes I have made are focused on protein and Fiber, small portions of lean meat and good fats (chicken, eggs, olive oil), fresh vegetables (spinach, kale, cucumbers, celery), and some fresh fruit (frozen banana slices, frozen grapes, watermelon juice), and a few random carbs (Beans, Stacy's pita chips ....yeah, I know....). So mostly protein, fiber, a very small bit of good fat, and some carbs. I also allow myself a few teaspoons of ice cream at night. Maybe two. Ben and Jerry's. Outside of the Ben and Jerry's and pita chips, I'm averaging around 850 calories a day easily. Not saying this is good or bad or what anyone should do. I'm no nutritionist and have no medical expertise relating to proper maintenance nutrition. But I will say that it has been surprisingly easy, which would have been impossible pre-VSG. I attribute most of it to the reduction in ghrelin. The added fiber has brought on a lot of stinky gas and I'll take that any day. I am not going to eat like this every day. I plan on doing it for around 80% of the meals I eat during the month of June, with the other meals more relaxed in composition. In 3 days I've lost 1 lb, so far so good. Just a share for anyone interested.

Have a friend having surgery tomorrow. They had three alcoholic drinks yesterday. Will this cause any major complications

take a walk in the woods, go to a movie, work out together, go to a library or bookstore, visit a local museum or art gallery. google "date night ideas." i am really trying to get away from the food = socializing idea. for my birthday i invited my girls to a yoga class and then we all used the hot tub and sauna at the local JCC. then we had tea and coffee and hung out and talked. it was great and normally we all would have gone out for dinner, sat on our asses for 3 hours and eaten way to much food and consumed too much alcohol and spent far too much money.

In my experience, it is not so much of stopping the cravings, but rather how we react to them which I need to address. Life is going to continually challenge me, I cannot change that. But what can change is how I react. Identifying triggers is great, but identifying our behaviors and the motivation behind why I am putting something into my mouth has been the difference for me. You can do things to stay away from your triggers, but it doesn't prevent you from making poor decisions. Sure, maybe you don't eat, but what can happen is cross over addictions where now the reaction is abusing alcohol, prescription medication, gambling, shopping, sex ... You pick the vice. For me, these things are merely the way I sometimes poorly react to living life in life's terms.

sometimes the sudden weight jumps are from salt intake...I had one of those after memorial weekend because of eating a few salty items and drinking alcohol. it comes back off though... you and I are the same now...

Oh for sure, I need it....It has really been a struggle to not gain 5 lbs a week, a battle I'm losing ground on. I have to have 'something'. My fear is that the 'something that worked for me' was throwing up rather than restriction. I hope it was restriction and that it's an indicator that the sleeve and I will be a good match. OMG, soups and wine...YEP, before I got unfilled I was basically living off of mixed drinks and Soup because for whatever reason the alcohol would help the food stay down. I start my liquid diet June 16th....I am so afraid of failure....It's so much money that I've spent, I was self pay for lapband and now for this, all my savings.