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My surgeon said if I want to follow calories that my intake should be around 900 to 1200 calories a day. I average 1000 to 1100. Sometimes I have days when I eat 1600 or more. (Usually due to alcohol intake). I do not eat my exercise points back. I am losing pretty fast. 62 pounds since December. Not everyone wants to lose that fast or be as strict with what they eat. Fast is not necessarily better. With the amount of exercise I'm doing, sometimes I feel I may not be eating enough. Find what works for you.

Thank you all for your responses. PdxMan and LindafromFlorida you are right she is not done with me. She texted and called me all day. I ignored her. True to form she even asked me to try again and that was very painful for me. It was a difficult day. I did start the morning by clearing out my refrigerator of all leftovers and sweet drinks. I don't buy snack or junk food and keep it in my house so that part was easy. Fortunately for the first day in awhile I didn't feel like eating and I guess that is the emotional part. I had been on an emotional roller coaster and eating every feeling that I had: happiness, sadness, pain, you name it, I ate it. Fortunately I do have someone to talk to but I spent a lot of time focusing on her and I need to shift the focus back on me and what I need. I had my gastric sleeve on December 2, 2013 and lost a lot of weight because I was afraid to eat anything. I had a lot of problems with keeping food down, especially Protein so the food I was eating were those soft slider foods and by February 14, 2014 I went from 368 lbs to 281 lbs. I was tremendously excited and perhaps overly confident about my success. My surgeon was happy albeit concerned that I really wasn't eating and losing 8-10 lbs per week. We talked about developing an eating disorder because of my food aversion but I didn't care. I thought the sleeve had solved my problem - eating - and I would deal with the fallout later. So when I met my ex and began to eat small amounts of food, I was relieved not to be throwing up any more after about 2 weeks. I was on several nausea meds that made my throat dry and I couldn't seem to quench my thirst. That's when I started drinking sweet drinks like lemonade, it helped. No excuse. Eventually I could eat anything including small amounts of steak. Of course, I have to take Miralax everyday to digest what I eat so that is stupid but technically I could eat. Before I could barely eat chicken breast. We were going to different restaurants 3-4 times per week and each week the pounds started to slowly climb back on. I remember when I first tried alcohol, my stomach couldn't handle it. Then I tried again and it wasn't so bad. I have never been a drinker really 1-2 drinks socially maybe once or twice a month, but I was drinking a couple of times per week which also contributed to the weight. I stopped drinking two weeks ago on my birthday. Things were strained between me and my ex because I decided not to be around her at all when she was drinking and took all alcohol out of my house. I took some time reading other posts yesterday where people talked about the sleeve being a tool in the weight loss journey. I realize I need to find a happy medium with eating and develop a healthy relationship with food. I know I can't go back to not eating at all or eating everything there is so just figuring out where that place is will help. I will try listening to my body and trying to see when I am actually hungry or just filling a need. Also making sure I am not eating too much. I will go back to my small plates and see how that works.

Yes, congrats on recognizing this and starting to move on. Just know, while you may be done with her, she is not done with you. She will be calling, so remain strong. As far as getting back on track, I would suggest you ensure you have no crap in your kitchen. No alcohol, no sweets and no sweet drinks. Continue with this resolution to get back on track and dump them all. I remember I would tell myself, "Once this tub of ice cream is gone, I just won't buy another." No ... I just needed to dump the ice cream whether it was full or not. Stock your shelves with proper foods. meats, Jerky, yogurts ... you know the drill. At least for awhile, eat exclusively at home. Don't be tempted by fast food or restaurants. This is just to get yourself back on track and disassociate yourself with the poor habits you developed with this woman. Get back to the basics of eating Protein first, then veggies and/or starches. Don't drink right before, during or right after eating. Chew very well setting your utensil down in between bites. Evaluate how you feel after that bite and try to stop eating AS SOON as you BEGIN to feel restriction. There should be some time between the swallow and next bite. Try not to eat to the point of where you are stuffed. That is what we used to do. Bottom line is things only change when we make a change. If we go back to doing things the way we used to, then we will get the same results. Praying 2 + 2 won't equal 4 leads only to resentments.

I marked the date of my last post January 21, 2014 4:31 am "400 lbs of Pain." I posted a couple of follow-up responses after that and then it happened. By mid-February I dropped down to 281. I still remember seeing the scale and thinking 'Wow, I never thought I'd be under 300 lbs again.' Nearly 100 lbs lighter something happened to me...I met and began dating someone on January 24, 2014. Having lost weight and now receiving attention, I was way out of my comfort zone and I guess I just went for the first person who smiled at me. She wined and dined me for sure and I started eating, not large amounts but bad for me, off the diet food and alcohol which is a complete no-no. I started drinking sweet beverages. I had drank NOTHING but Water for months and here I was with sweets. I didn't stop with alcohol, I ate Desserts too. My food monster was back and the more time that passed the bigger that monster raged his head. The problem for me was and I say WAS because I ended the relationship last night, she IS an alcoholic and food addict. Deep down inside I knew it from the beginning but I think I was drawn to her addiction. She was normal sized and ate much much more food than I could and I loved watching her eat. She even ate the food I couldn't eat. My appetite grew bigger as time went on and I found myself getting hungry more often and requiring more food. The problem with being in a relationship with this particular alcoholic is she was increasingly verbally and emotionally abusive. For the past 5 weeks, she broke up with me every Saturday after getting drunk Friday night and then begged me to take her back the next day. Then she would take me out to eat. This weekend was no different, except I was different. Something, somewhere deep inside me had changed and I decided no more. She started her drunken rampage early and by nightfall I ended the relationship and stopped taking her calls. During the past 2 weeks I started throwing up again. I eat too much and it immediately comes back up. I am now 295 lbs and I need to get my eating under control and back on my diet immediately! The idea of being 300 lbs again scares the hell out of me. I don't know how to start over or what my diet was. All of this rich food I have been eating made me forget I even had surgery and am not supposed to eat like everyone else. I need to remember why I started all of this in the first place so I went back and read my post from January 21st. Food was just a chore then and I was losing weight really fast but then I was side tracked and lost my way. I am afraid I stretched my stomach to an extent. My next appointment is not until June. I don't know what to do. Has anyone stopped their diet and had to start again? For how long? Any help or suggestions anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated.

I don't miss soda. I don't miss bread (shocker). I do miss alcohol (surprisingly) - just having social drinks with friends. I was a Margarita, 7n7, Jack n Coke kind of girl. I was out with friends last night to see Wicked. First time "out" since surgery. Everyone was drinking. I ordered a glass of red wine (which tasted good) but only had half a glass. I really wanted more, just couldn't do it. I don't really miss sugar. I miss being able to eat something in addition to protein. I'm usually too full to eat the veggies. But not complaining about any of it! Down almost 50 and feel too good to focus on the "can'ts" (although sometimes they sneak up on you)!

Thanks to all who replied - update post vacation: Lost 3 pounds last week on the all-inclusive vacation! That is more than I usually lose per week at this stage. I ate what I wanted, but no rice, Pasta or fried foods - I did have a few bites of bread 2 or 3 times. I completely skipped all the free alcohol, but I had 1-2 bites of desert with dinner each day and my husband ate the rest. I took Protein powder packets with me and the staff was willing to blend them for me with a little juice or milk. I had them add a little fruit and ice. I also took some ready to drink chocolate shakes and kept them in the refrigerator in the room. I was also very careful to stay hydrated since it was about 85 degrees each day. I forgot to try Mio with crushed ice, which I was looking forward to. I took all my Vitamins and Calcium chews for the week in a zip lock bag in my checked luggage, but they disappeared. I forgot to take them the first day, and when I looked for the bag on the second day, it was gone. I can only assume that either someone working at the airport in Punta Cana or the maid took them, perhaps thinking they might be drugs? I hope going one week without them won't do me any lasting harm. One big change was the amount of exercise. My work is sedentary and it is a good day if my Fitbit records 3,500-4,000 steps. However, the resort we went to (Hard Rock hotel Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic) is so large that they run a golf cart shuttle to help you get around. I walked everywhere instead, so I was over 10,000 steps every day and went as high as 13,000! I have not exercised hardly at all since my surgery and now I see why others weight loss is much faster than mine. I know what I need to do...

HW 243 SW 228 12/3/13 CW 186 Total loss 57 pounds Lost 3 pounds last week even though I was on vacation at an all-inclusive resort! That is more than I usually lose per week at this stage. I ate what I wanted, but no rice, pasta or fried foods - I did have a tiny bit of bread 2 or 3 times. I completely skipped all the free alcohol, but I had 1-2 bites of desert with dinner. I took protein powder packets with me and the staff was willing to blend them for me with a little juice or milk. I had them add a little fruit and ice. I was also very careful to stay hydrated since it was about 85 degrees each day. One big change was the amount of exercise. My work is sedentary and it is a good day if my Fitbit records 3,500-4,000 steps. However, this resort is so large that they run a golf cart shuttle to help you get around. I walked everywhere instead, so I was over 10,000 steps every day and went as high as 13,000! I have not exercised hardly at all since my surgery and now I see why others weight loss is much faster than mine. I know what I need to do...

@@MichiganChic your a stunner! but I know where you are coming from. I have driven my husband and daughter to extremes because of the same question. They now don't answer. They just walk away...They are tired of it... The thing is we may quite possibly see ourselves as fat for the rest of our lives. My nut calls it a fat head...Our brains may never get to the point where we say..I made it..Why would we. food was and is an addiction that we have to be aware of the rest of our lives like alcoholism. We can't take it for granted that we have it whipped.. That said we don't want to go the other way and end up in treatment for Anorexia or Bulimia. My daughter works with a couple of patients that have had WLS and have gone the other way. They traded one addiction for another. Once we get to goal the point is to retrain ourselves to maintenance. The thrill of losing is over. It is so hard to handle the changes. And that is why we need to change the way we think... I am working on it..You need to work on it too!!!!!!

My daughter had a partner who ditched her the same week her cat of 14 years died. She was really down in the dumps until a friend suggested that she join up with the roller derby crowd. What a great way to get out agression and get exercise at the same time. Yeah, being abandonned hurts...badly....but at least there is a new way to keep her mind occupied and her feelings in check. If not now, this may have happened sooner or later. Whatever the dynamic of a partnership is, weight loss surgery changes relationships as well as bodies. This surgery still needs to be about you and improving your health. One thing that happens unexpectedly is that when we go through the physical changes, we find the "real" us that has been hiding behind years of fear, shame, and loss. I hope that you still will have at least one person (parent, sibling, friend) that can be your support through the medical process. Then you can hope that on the other side you will find a new life that enhances who you really are. Please do not give alcohol any power over your health and happiness. Here is a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Hopefully it will give you the courage you need to follow through with your surgery and begin your new life. "Whatever you can do, or dream you can.............BEGIN IT! For boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

Isnt it funny how insight can strike when you least expect it - I was cleaning the cat boxes and realizations, or words I guess started to flood. I wont go into gory detail - but I had a horrific childhood, filled with terrifying violence and sexual abuse from my alcoholic step-dad (he died from cirrhosis long ago.) I have done a lot of time on the couch, and on meds and am good. I usually keep it to myself, but it is also not a secret with those closest to me. I guess I feel like I am starting to wake up - 50 this year. Feels like I am just opening my eyes - I too must be getting into some of the serious stuff. This just poured out in the last 30 minutes - I apologize if this feels triggering to anyone. "Always living with a vague expectation that enlightenment and a healing of the old, old wounds would strike one day like a bolt of lightening - or maybe gently like awaking from some bad dream. The longer I am alive I am coming to understand that this probably isn't going to happen. That everyday we fight, some days we gain ground - some days we lose it - a little on some days, some days a lot. It is little victories over time - each adding up. All the years of therapy, self-help, support groups...its one moment at a time - over time. Years of hiding in pain, burying yourself under blankets, under hundreds of lbs of unburned calories, behind the walls and doors of your home - seeking solace in your surroundings- being made fun of for being different by the people you trust the most. again, and again, and again. Just be numb Just don't look maybe then it wont be true what is real and what happened will cease to be so Learning to not turn away - not to hide is hard work. Bravery is not for sissies. What is courage? Why so much fear of what happened lifetimes ago? What you put up with from others How poorly you treated yourself for so long. This is like learning to see to speak to walk to feel for the first time maybe. Is that old me true? Is that still me? What am I? Who am I? I looked at a snapshot of the August 2009 Goddard residency and I can finally see how malignant my despair and mistreatment of myself is - in my weight - the symptom that becomes the focus and the problem. A heavy horse collar of shame - its like being imprisoned in the stocks - immobile, every step pain, every glance from others cruel - like being flayed alive every moment of every day. Maybe if I am lucky this fire of shame will burn me right to ash. Deep, deep sadness and hopelessness Try so hard to change - and it never seems to stick - I cant win. I could never win. I am doing the same thing to myself now with my belief in my abilities as a teacher and an artist - hardly a day passes that I am not wracked with fear, doubt, and the battle against my own weaknesses. Here you are again, more exposed even now. No matter how hard you wish you had that magic lamp that would take away the anxiety, the panic, the terror you feel everyday at just breathing - there is no such thing. It is part of you it IS you Where is my strength? Do I even have any? The only respite will come from within yourself - for yourself. How the f**k do I fix the broken stuff I weep now at even being able to access these feelings. Fraught Frightening Breathe Dig the knives out of the back and stand up straight. Look it right in the f**king eye step forward step up Let go"

also, it seems like in my research the biggest risk of ulcers comes from post op patients who take aspirin products, ibuprofen, smoke, or drink a lot of alcohol... my surgeon said to always just use Tylenol and it wouldn't be a problem

Watch your "sugar free" drinks and foods including popsicles. They often have "sugar alcohol" which can act like a laxative.

Hi, M! Thank you for asking. I usually don't even open the e-mails from the WLS sites anymore, but for some reason I opened yours :-) I'm doing better. I'm finally gaining weight so now the fear of being "huge" again is scary. I still love food . Unfortunately, I've come to realize that one addiction leads to another. If you don't figure out why you over eat in the first place , have this surgery it's not uncommon that we substitute food for something else . My late brother in law , same surgery, Sam ages and had surgery one year after me found alcohol which damage his kidneys more and costs him his life. I turned to drugs. Thank goodness I got caught. I actually came out on my own. What a relief. It almost cost my marriage, my family, my kids . I've lost so many cars from wrecks. My husband left me. We are working on saving our marriage. So far it's going well, but it hasn't been long. But I'm determined and have a wonderful support system. My parents and older sister have been my ROCK. I WOULD NOT BE HERE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEM. I was at my breaking point but no one knew. Suicide was ALWAYS on the brain. Lost all self esteem , due to my on going dental issues. Missing most teeth when I use to beautiful teeth. I wouldn't look in the mirror even while putting on make up or brushing my teeth. Much less want to talk to ANYONE. Which led to wanting more drugs. Luckily, I have the MOST INCREDIBLE PARENTS. I'm over coming having all my rotten teeth pulled and dentures made THANKS all to my mom and dad. They are a HUGE BLESSING. I appreciate you asking . That was nice. Made me think maybe my story can help just one person and that I should keep up with this more. Especially since my REAL story doesn't end just at the take down surgery. There's more complications that go on that are hidden very well from some some. It's a very dark and lonely place. Again, thanks. Michelle *SORRY FOR POSTING THE SAME PICTURE OVER AND OVER, IT KEPT SAYING IT CRASHED SO I DIDN'T THINK IT DOWNLOADED!

Took a little vacation last week and first part of this week and was bad. Was out in nature camping and it ate camp food, hotdogs, Beans, cheeseburgers, ALCOHOL . Have not and will not get on the scale to see what injury/damage I've done. Had a wonderful time! I've got a fill scheduled for Monday so I'll find out. Last time at the Doc's I was 185. I hope I haven't gained too much but if I gained a pound or two I'll forgive myself and get back on track. I know that March was pretty much a wash with no weight loss and not sure why cuz I worked my butt off. Will post update Monday. Just wanted to say hi, I'm glad I'm back and need my pals here to help me get back on track.

I was at GNC last night buying some Quest bars to try out and they have that special going buy 3 get 1 free. I'm not sure if that's all the time or not but it made it nice to buy 1-2 of every flavor I want to try. My NUT recommended them to me. When I was in the store, the (rather attractive) muscle-bound guy at the cash register tried to talk me out of them, saying they weren't a complete Protein, had sugar alcohol in them, blah, blah, blah and how I should try these other Protein shakes instead. He even used "air quotes" when he said my "nutritionist" shouldn't be advising patients to eat these and that I should see a new NUT. So funny... I'm trying to just get out of the store with my products. Wonder if they get better profit or commission on selling GNC Protein powder???

About the carbs, I had to stay away from them as much as humanly possible. I, too, would have classified myself as a carboholic. I stay away from them just like a recovering alcoholic stays away from alcohol.

This is a copy and paste from the "Tell Us Your Story" forum Yesterday was my surgery. I had a check in time of 12:00 noon. I was very thirsty, as you can imagine! They brought my husband and I back and we worked on some paperwork and the final pre-op weigh in, I was down about 30 pounds since I started with this doctor last June. 13 pounds were from the pre-op diet alone. I also got a huge heparin shot in my leg to prevent clotting and an anti-nausea patch behind my ear. The hospital was running a bit late (they kept apologizing) but brought me to the OR at 1:45. I was having some anxiety laying on the table, but the put me under very quickly. Next thing I knew, I was awake and the nurses were asking how I was doing. I remember replying "Hot, thirsty, nauseous." I'm not sure how it all happened, but the next thing I knew, I was in the big hospital recliner with a bottle of Water to sip and a fan pointed right at me! I felt much better at that point. They wanted me to get up pretty soon after that. Walking was not at all a pain, but I was having trouble focusing my eyes. My DH was there too, and he sent out some texts to the family that I was all done. I passed out at that point. The rest of the evening kind of went on that way: sip, sip, sip, walk, doze off. I listened to music and podcasts to help keep my mind at ease. DH had to leave to help out with the kids at home. I had my surgery at a stand alone bariatric hospital, and there was only one other patient there overnight. My abdomen was a bit sore but not too painful. However, my right shoulder was. Luckily I had brought a heating pad that is helping A LOT. I asked for chicken broth, but before I could try it, I had a dry-heave thing. The nurses waved some alcohol wipes under my nose and that helped it to stop. I waited a bit longer till it had totally passed to try anything else. At abut 5 this morning, the nurses got me up and dressed. I did some more walking and sipping. I had to really play around with the sipping. Too little and I think I was swallowing too much air which was VERY uncomfortable in the esophagus area. To much and my tummy kind of spasmed. Around 7, I had to go back for the barium swallow/X-Ray which was AWFUL. Apparently, the liquid is having a hard time moving into my stomach (refluxing) and is kind of just sitting in my esophagus. She also saw a big air bubble sitting in the top of the stomach. That sort of explains why swallowing has been (and is still) very uncomfortable. Not painful, but really strange feeling. At that point, my husband returned and I got discharged to come home. I'm still having the weird feeling in my esophagus. My surgeon said the swelling there should go down in a day or so. But other than the general discomfort, nothing super acute has been bothering me. I think I might feel a smidge worse tomorrow. I've been drink water, Vitamin Water Zero (the lemonade is good and not too sweet, the mixed berry is good too) and some warm chicken broth. I am trying to take it all slowly. The weather is really sunny day, so I may even take a little walk outside! Please let me know if you have any questions about the surgery, my background or even the pre-op diet!

Yesterday was my surgery. I had a check in time of 12:00 noon. I was very thirsty, as you can imagine! They brought my husband and I back and we worked on some paperwork and the final pre-op weigh in, I was down about 30 pounds since I started with this doctor last June. 13 pounds were from the pre-op diet alone. I also got a huge heparin shot in my leg to prevent clotting and an anti-nausea patch behind my ear. The hospital was running a bit late (they kept apologizing) but brought me to the OR at 1:45. I was having some anxiety laying on the table, but the put me under very quickly. Next thing I knew, I was awake and the nurses were asking how I was doing. I remember replying "Hot, thirsty, nauseous." I'm not sure how it all happened, but the next thing I knew, I was in the big hospital recliner with a bottle of Water to sip and a fan pointed right at me! I felt much better at that point. They wanted me to get up pretty soon after that. Walking was not at all a pain, but I was having trouble focusing my eyes. My DH was there too, and he sent out some texts to the family that I was all done. I passed out at that point. The rest of the evening kind of went on that way: sip, sip, sip, walk, doze off. I listened to music and podcasts to help keep my mind at ease. DH had to leave to help out with the kids at home. I had my surgery at a stand alone bariatric hospital, and there was only one other patient there overnight. My abdomen was a bit sore but not too painful. However, my right shoulder was. Luckily I had brought a heating pad that is helping A LOT. I asked for chicken broth, but before I could try it, I had a dry-heave thing. The nurses waved some alcohol wipes under my nose and that helped it to stop. I waited a bit longer till it had totally passed to try anything else. At abut 5 this morning, the nurses got me up and dressed. I did some more walking and sipping. I had to really play around with the sipping. Too little and I think I was swallowing too much air which was VERY uncomfortable in the esophagus area. To much and my tummy kind of spasmed. Around 7, I had to go back for the barium swallow/X-Ray which was AWFUL. Apparently, the liquid is having a hard time moving into my stomach (refluxing) and is kind of just sitting in my esophagus. She also saw a big air bubble sitting in the top of the stomach. That sort of explains why swallowing has been (and is still) very uncomfortable. Not painful, but really strange feeling. At that point, my husband returned and I got discharged to come home. I'm still having the weird feeling in my esophagus. My surgeon said the swelling there should go down in a day or so. But other than the general discomfort, nothing super acute has been bothering me. I think I might feel a smidge worse tomorrow. I've been drink water, Vitamin Water Zero (the lemonade is good and not too sweet, the mixed berry is good too) and some warm chicken broth. I am trying to take it all slowly. The weather is really sunny day, so I may even take a little walk outside! Please let me know if you have any questions about the surgery, my background or even the pre-op diet!

Like my sister said once, we are all addicted to something, be it food, alcohol, nicotine, drugs, and so forth. I am from a family of many alcoholics, so I have seen what alcohol can do to lives, then drugs affected my family. I never drank until I was almost 50, and I can tell you it was a great mind numbing drug for me when I was dealing with my son's drug addiction problems, and then he died, and I still numbed my pain and sorrow. . When I went for the sleeve, I was not so sure I could quit my nightly 3-4 drinks, but I wanted this sleeve so bad that I did it. I do not know how I did it. I am just thankful that I did. I often felt I could never stop the nightly drinks, that I was an alcoholic too. You have said I have a problem, and I know from things I have heard that that is the first step. Please call a local AA, or find a meeting. I believe they appoint mentors to talk to you. Or talk to a therapist. Or talk to me, to us. God Bless you. We will listen and we will not judge you. Here's a big hug!

It is widely known here on the forums that I attend AA meetings. As SooCalChic suggested, going to a meeting or two is a good start. Talking to your Dr is another. If you would like to PM me, I can also offer some guidance in your local area. Cross-over addictions are very real. There was a reason why you abused food and where you used to turn to food, you are now turning to alcohol. Getting to the root will be the source of serenity for you. I know for myself, alcohol wasn't my problem, I was. How I dealt with my emotions and how I channeled my thinking just wasn't healthy. I got sober years prior to my surgery and have continued to work on myself. I am a never ending project!

i agree with all of the above...as for me, I have chosen NO ALCOHOL at all... wasn't much of a drinker beforehand, was usually the designated driver because of it ... I don't see any benefit in having "drinks", for me, it's wasted calories and carbs... but from what you have said, you need to seek some help before it gets out of control! Good luck to you!

Hi Jumpseat, Memory loss or "black outs" are a sign of a problem. Sometimes we trade addictions, food for alcohol or another substance, when our lives change so dramatically. Big congratulations on your huge weight loss. You're much more of a "light weight" when it comes to blood alcohol level than in the past. Speaking from experience I suggest you see your doctor or a therapist to evaluate where you are and maybe where you are headed. Best of luck

Hello everyone, I just wondered if anyone out there is having any trouble consuming wine? I don't drink hard alcohol and have a beer everyone once in a blue moon. I feel like I'm some type of an alcoholic when I drink wine. Who should I go see? I have sever memory loss and never have a hang over. I'm very scared and need to talk to someone. Any suggestions??? Thanks!!!! Yes Linda you are right I am very non specific. I had gastric sleeve surgery in January 2012. Let me state I was only a social drinker prior to surgery. I was told to wait till July 2012 at the earliest to consume any alcohol. Things were fine when first introducing a glass or two ....then €&€t hit the fan as of January 2013. I keep telling myself I'll just have 2 glasses, but then I get to feeling euphoric and then it goes downhill. I know I made a huge decision to loose weight ( down 93 pounds) and knew it would be a lifestyle change... However I never knew the chances of be abusing alcohol would be so great 2 years post surgery. I welcome all comments and suggestions! Thank you

At 67 I am no longer allowing myself to be kicked in the arse. I think I would have relished growing up a military brat rather than the timid child of an alcoholic who has found my way. But no matter what, I am kind, caring, and have compassion for everyone. I applaud you RJ. Keep up the good leadership and guidance here.

I was sleeved 3/25 and have had no complications. THANK GOODNESS!!! I'm walking 2 miles a day & am down 19.6 lbs I've been told that I will be a "light weight" now when it comes to any alcoholic beverages. However, when oh when can I have a glass of wine?!?!?!