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Is alcohol forbidden? Can I have a small glass of wine? I am 6 months out after having lap band sx.

I'm six weeks out and had a small glass of wine two different nights over Christmas. It did go to my head faster than usual, but of course I'm not eating as much to absorb the alcohol either. My doctor does NOT recommend beer or any carbonated drink, but is okay with occasional glass of wine. I did notice however, that I was slightly dehydrated the next day and had to bump up my water intake. I managed to lose 4 pounds this past week, so I guess the wine didn't mess up my overall calorie intake. But I'm NOT going to make a habit of it.

you should NOT get drunk really fast. This is the lap band not gastric bypass therefore, your body processes the alcohol in the same way as without the band. Bypass people get drunk fast because their intestines have been altered. I used to love my beer before surgery but havent touched it since I have been properly filled. Dont want the carbonation to stretch out the pouch. I havent bothered to try something new like wine.

I am 4 months out and have never felt deprived. Since I generally don't have a problem getting in my Protein I don't feel bad stealing a bite or two from my husband of things that I like but are not on the diet. I will have a 1/4 of a mozzarella stick, 1 french fry, 2 bites of ice cream, a Dorito or two. (not at the same time). My husband got me 4 chocolate covered strawberries for my birthday. I had 1 a day. I have had scalped pizza. This gives me a taste of things so I don't feel deprived but I don't have enough to derail my weight loss. The only thing I have missed a little bit has been alcohol. We went on vacation in mid-May and had a hot tub. I would have been nice to have a glass of wine. I was tempted to have half a glass for my birthday at the end of May. Per my surgeon I can't have alcohol until August 2nd. I can wait until then. I put the alcohol in the sorta miss it/head hunger category but not strong enough miss to to call it feeling deprived.

I would say, pick protein-forward meals and eat protein first when you are served. If you see protein-heavy snacks like jerky, cheese sticks, or yogurt, choose those. Other than that, relax, don't worry, and have a good time! 10 days of going slightly under your protein goals is not going to hurt you in the long run. Just don't go crazy with high carb foods, sweets, and alcohol.

I went to TJ and Sam's last week. At TJ's they had brownies with cherrys in it. I hate cherrys so that was easy to pass up. I will miss the wine samples but there is always mass for a touch of wine. At Sam's. I had the inside of a sushi sample. Then purchased some sushi. I take the inside out and put it in turkey slices and roll it up. They had meatball samples and I had 1/2 a meatball and no sauce. It is pretty easy to pass up a lot of things. I think about how long it takes on the elliptical to burn the calories off, so that makes passing things up easily. I live alone so there are no bad foods in my house, even the "cheat" type foods are clean. We are surrounded by temptation all the time, just watching TV for example. You have to find a tool that helps you cope. Like I said for me, I think about how long it takes me to burn that many calories. Trader Joe's has so many awesome healthy options though, you shouldn't feel a lot of temptation. When they get Cookies and other stuff (I think their cookies and baked goods suck), you can get the sugar free chocolate coated almonds. They have sugar alcohol, so should really limit how many you have or you are going to pay for it. I was eating them long before surgery, although I hadn't had any since surgery. The one thing I did with them, was as soon as I got home, I measured out the portions into snack baggies so I always had the right portion amount. Post-op, I would probably have 1/2 a portion or less. They have riced cauliflower frozen that you can use for making all kinds of low carb dishes. Almond meal, almond milk, cheap ghee. Good luck

For me, being stuck is the worst ! it feels like heartburn sorta , in the middle of your chest. nothing will make it go up or down until its ready to, so chew, chew , chew and chew some more, taking small bites. PB=Productive burping, its burping a bit to make some thing move that might just be a little stuck. TMI ALERT- stop reading if you get grossed out easily. last week i had mexican food, just a little of the inside of a quesadia, 3 chips chewed well, and 3 sips of a margarita ( forgot that i wsnt supposed to use a straw -ever !) well......... after 2 trips to the bathroom wherei pb'd up the dinner, i proceded to completely throw up and slime my whole dinner out. not pretty................ i had the leftovers the next day with no probs, so im guessing it was the alcohol in the margarita, or the straw. either way i dont want to do that again ! so be advised, watch what you eat and drink !

Ask your doctor because many won't allow any alcohol until a couple months have passed since surgery. Best wishes.

Quick question...when did you guys have your 1st alcolholic drink after getting the band? I am 20 days post op and down 25 lbs (including liquid diet) This week has been hectic and exciting, celebrated my 2 yr anniversary with my boyfriend and today is his birthday. Just wondering if having one glass of white wine will do any harm? Tganks for the input

Yesterday was my consult and things went great! I had, proactively, scheduled my PCP surgery clearance, baseline labs, X-ray, EKG, upper Gi, and support group meeting... All to be done before July 16! At the office visit I was scheduled for the Nutritionist and Psychologist. The psych appt isn't until August! No BUENO! Lol, I think I can handle waiting a month. The Dr. Wasn't as bad at this visit as I heard he can be. He was actually pretty nice... We'll see what he's like further down the road. Well today is my Bday and I still get to indulge in alcohol so I'm heading to Margaritaville! Just wanted to write my update before I start drunk-texting!

Mmm, I like that idea the best! There was recently a post by a forum leader on the Obesity Help exercise forum that said, "A study published in the journal of Obesity Sugery, looked at predictors of weight loss one year after Lap-Band and discovered that those who consumed moderate alcohol on a regular basis lost more weight than those who did not." I asked for clarification on what is considered "moderate", and was told a glass every day or every other day. Unfortunately, once the wine bottle is uncorked, I have a hard time keeping it to a moderate level of consumption! :cocktail: Tami

My psych Evaluation was AWFUL! He told me I am an alcoholic and I have to attend AA. To appease him, I have stopped drinking and have gone to 2 meetings, but now I am afraid he will say I am not a candidate. So scared.

Haven't had a diet Pepsi in 8 weeks tryed diet ginger ale flat it was nasty. And no alcohol. Surgery Anniversary 7/30/12

I feel pretty gross and bloated tonight. I've been really good on the pre-op diet and am not having alcohol/soda/caffeine anymore, but feel I might be gaining weight anyway. I don't know why. The appearance of new red stretch marks reaching up to my breasts has shown itself. I hope the lackluster results I am seeing now are for dietary habits a few months back because my body's recent response to better eating seems to be really discouraging. This is the exact thing that caused me to fall off diets again and again--hard effort with no or negative results. I just don't understand it.

Yup, that is pretty disgusting. Dirty old men and alcohol are a pretty grissly combonation.

Hi, My Doc has said I can have anything except bread, alcohol and fizzy drinks. I can't drink with a meal either. He dosen't want me to have a liquid diet as he says these tend to contain more calories. I am eating sensibly and chewing well, mainly soup, salads, fish and yogurts really.He says my stomach is not that different to before size wise though it is a bit swollen. i am only eating small portions as I don't want to have too big a shock when I have my fill!

I think it is hard for anyone to give an objective answer on this because most people haven't had both. Those who have will have been revising from another surgery so that will skew their opinion as well. Some things to consider. Sleeve Is a restrictive only procedure, apparently there is a quite high risk of reflux,it cannot be reversed but it is possible to revise to a DS bypass. Bypass Is restrictive and malabsorptive, risk of reflux seems to be very low, certain foods e.g alcohol and sugar may cause dumping. It can be reversed if necessary but this is complicated.

I have been an avid baker and cook my whole life. This morning I went through my kitchen a gathered all of my baking ingredients and sweets; tons of chocolate chips, sugars, lard, shortening, condensed milk, etc and put it all in a storage bin. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it so I put it out of sight in the basement. Just now, I threw it all out. It was liberating. I remember years ago I burned my ex's love letters that I had held on to for years, after that I was able to finally move on. It felt good getting rid of that food myself, like an alcoholic clearing out their liquor cabinet on the path to a new start.

I don't care if it IS the "easy way." As someone who also does the AA program due to a drinking problem, if there was an equivalent of VSG for alcoholism, I'd take that "easy way" in a matter of seconds, too. Probably even faster, because I would LOVE some kind of surgery or something that just magically made my alcohol cravings go away. The easier, the better. There are multiple solutions to obesity, and this is one of those solutions. The way I see it, if there's a different solution that's better for someone else, that's fine too. But this was the best solution for me. And I also wear glasses to drive and for distance viewing. I could also have surgery, or I could wear contacts, but the solution I went with was glasses. So I chose one of the medical solutions to help me see clearly, because I've found sight to be valuable.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukah to our Jewish friends! Season’s Greetings for those of you who are not celebrating a holiday now – it’s still a festive time when everyone can enjoy the uplifting spirit around town. As we near the end of a long season of tempting food, you may need a little help getting back on track or staying on track. Here are our offerings. Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery Hopefully this newsletter can help you keep your weight loss goals in mind and give you a little push to inch closer to hitting them. After reading the newsletter and spending some quality time with your loved ones, don’t forget to head on over to the BariatricPal Forums so you can share your tips and ideas with all of the BariatricPal members! Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge The weight loss surgery journey itself is a bumpy road, and recent weeks may have been even tougher as the holiday spirit has taken over. High-calorie, fatty, sugary foods have been everywhere, and gift shopping, family obligations, and holiday parties may have been eating into the time you might otherwise have spent exercising or planning healthy meals. So, what do you say to a challenge to lose weight this Christmas? The idea may sound crazy, but it is actually possible if you try hard. Here are our suggestions for a weight loss Christmas Day. Christmas dinner the WLS Way The totals for a full-blown Christmas dinner can be somewhere between staggering and horrifying. You yourself may have indulged in a few such dinners in the past. Between the ham or turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and Desserts, plus some alcohol and a bit of nibbling on appetizers and nuts, you can have 5,000 or more calories on this single day. Yuck – that’s 1.5 pounds of fat! Here is a more reasonable Christmas Day scenario to consider. Breakfast: Festive Protein pancakes with 1 cup sliced strawberries (150 calories) Meet ‘n’ Greet Appetizers 1 cup fresh cut vegetables with yogurt-based dip (100 calories) Red, white, and green Christmas skewers with cherries, peeled apples or pears, and green grapes. (100 calories) chocolate Coated Protein Puffs Soy Snacks (150 calories) Christmas Dinner 3 ounces of ham or skinless turkey or duck breast with mustard (150 calories) Green bean frittata – a high-protein, low-calorie substitute for green bean casserole (100 calories) Green salad with Light Dressing ½ cup pureed sweet potatoes sprinkled lightly with crushed pecans and sugar (or honey or low-calorie sugar substitute) (200 calories) 1 medium baked apple with cinnamon, served with light or sugar-free whipped topping (150 calories) Later Snacks Protein Cocoa or Mocha (100 calories) 1/2 ounce mixed nuts (100 calories) (Don’t forget to use coupon code BPNEWSLETTER10 for a 10% discount of your first order!) Savor Your Treat Don’t forget to leave room for a treat. That’s right, even WLS patients deserve a treat. Just make sure: It’s one that you really, really want. You can tolerate it (some treats are too sugary or fatty for your post-op digestive system, and even a small serving can make you feel sick). You take only a small amount and count the calories. In the sample Christmas Day menu shown above, there is room for another 200 to 400 calories from your treat while still staying under 1,500 to 1,800 for the day. Those calories can get you any two of the following: A half-cup of mashed potatoes with gravy. A half-cup of bread or rice-based stuffing. A 1-inch sliver of pecan, pumpkin, or another kind of pie. A small square of fudge. A small dinner roll with a pat of butter. A half-cup of eggnog. Get Moving, for So Many Reasons It’s a busy day, but surely you can find a few minutes to get in a short walk or workout. There are so many reasons to get moving in the morning or during the day. Burn calories and boost metabolism. Keep yourself motivated as you notice how good it feels to get moving rather than eat. Take time away from the food because when you are walking, you are not eating. Bond with your children, nieces, or nephews; with your out of town relatives; or with your significant other. Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! One bad day of eating does not make a habit, but a six-week period does. A skipped workout or two doesn’t get you out of shape, but a month of inactivity makes you sluggish. A single bad weigh-in is no cause for alarm, but a few weeks of climbing numbers is reason to take heed. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can put you in a weight loss slump. Over time, your can get weaker and those poor decisions can get easier. While a bite of a cookie might have made you feel guilty in early November, the whole cookie and a second one may be par for the course now. Snap out of it! It is time to get out your slump. If the thought of reversing all those bad habits at once is too much, take heart. You can put yourself on the right path with a single decision. One good decision can increase your confidence and lead to more good decisions. You could: Make your own 200-calorie Breakfast sandwich with Protein Pancakes, a fat-free slice of cheese, and egg whites instead of hitting the drive-through for a 500-calorie breakfast biscuit. Schedule a short walk with a neighbor – no backing out! Log your food for a day, no matter how bad you know the numbers will be. Step on the scale if you’ve been avoiding it. How will you break your slump? The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery As hard as the food and lifestyle around the holidays may be for you as a weight loss surgery patient, your family can make things even harder. You can prevent them from knocking you off your game by being prepared for what to expect and how to handle it. Problem: Pressure to Go Off Your Diet Saying no is just one of those things you have to learn how to do in life. Refusing your relatives’ offer of freshly baked Christmas bread or Christmas Cookies made “just for you” is difficult. They may feel that you are rejecting them. Practicing ahead of time can help. A simple, “No, thanks” can do wonders, and it leaves no room for argument. You could elaborate with variations such as “No, thanks, I’m not hungry,” “No, thanks, my doctor says I can’t eat that anymore,” or, “Not right now, thanks. It’s already great to get to see you!” Problem: Unwanted Comments on Your Weight or Weight Loss If you got your WLS in the past year, you may have dropped several pounds since relatives from out of town saw you. They may be overly reactive to your weight loss. Or, they could have the opposite reaction and say something discouraging about how they expected you to lose more weight by now. Whatever they say, do not let them throw you off your game. Problem: Lack of Acceptance of Your WLS They are not living your life, and they do not know exactly what you have gone through. A lack of understanding about what WLS is and how a WLS lives can inspire negative comments. You can choose to ignore them, or try to explain your WLS to them. You can also try to include them in your routine, such as inviting them on a walk or asking for their help in your kitchen while they’re in town. You can grow closer and develop a better understanding. Again, Happy Holidays! Enjoy this special time with family and friends, and make it a safe and healthy time for yourself and your loved ones. Thanks for spending some time with the newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you on the forums! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I was updating my blog tonight and went back to my pre-op journal to see how it relates to my experience and how I am doing. One of the best things in there was this Plan for Success that I wrote out. Here it is, verbatim, with my comments from today following each item. I thought it would be interesting for us all to share ideas on what things we can do to help ourselves to succeed! Add anything you want to this string! Plan for Success: In reading one of my "band" books tonight, I came across an article that said that having a game plan can really improve my chances for success. I've been thinking of a few things I can do, but hadn't really formalized a plan. So, here goes: THINGS I WILL DO TO HELP MYSELF SUCCEED: - Tell family and friends about the surgery so that I will have a support network (and won't feel weird when eating with them) - (DONE!) - Commit to staying exactly on my pre-op Clear liquids diet - (DONE!) - Commit to the post-op plan of 2 weeks full liquids, then 2 weeks of soft foods - (DONE!) - Think of ways to Celebrate my birthday with friends where eating won't be an issue (maybe a girl's day at Ohm?) - (DONE! Had a great time at Ohm Spa, by the way!) - Hire a personal trainer as of 11/08/08 (I didn't do this on schedule, but I did hire the trainer and recommitted to exercising in a serious way . . see bruise photo from previous post!) - Keep good, correct foods in the house. (DONE!) - Avoid alcohol to the extent possible. (I could be better about this to be perfectly honest. . is just such a big part of my social life that it's hard to really avoid, plus I love a nice glass of wine) - Commit to taking SMALL bites and chewing until food is dissolved (DONE! I'm not perfect, but I do a pretty good job at this) - Commit to small sips (Honestly, this hasn't been all that necessary) - Commit to avoiding calorie-filled beverages (DONE! Well, except for wine!) - Journal/blog regularly and chronicle your success -- AND admit it if you mess up (DONE! And is an on-going part of my plan!) - Look for NSVs if/when your weight plateaus (I'm doing this!) - Try out the support group at NYU (I haven't done this, but I feel like LBT and the people who I know through my blog do what I would have hoped a support group to do) - Be proactive about your care -- don't wait so long for a fill that you gain weight. (DONE!) - Measure yourself periodically and write down your measurements (DONE!) - Know that this is not going to be easy, but that this will be worth while. And, know that this WILL be easier than staying on a diet on your own for a whole year, then maintaining your weight long-term. (So true -- and I do fully know that.) - Try to notice NSVs (like less foot and back pain) as they occur (DONE!) - Make mini-goals for yourself, e.g. 10 lb goals, and feel free to reward yourself with facials, massages, nice mani/pedis, etc. (Oh believe me. . DONE!) - Go through your closet and "size" it so that you won't miss wearing cute things that you like on the way to goal (DONE!) - Don't read too much about negative/failure stories on the lap band chat rooms. (DONE! I do read some of those stories, but I don't get sucked in, which accomplishes my fundamental objective.) - When you start going to restaurants again, do trial runs with your friends who know about the surgery (plus, will be fun). (DONE!) - Don't get disproportionately upset if any of your good friends don't understand, say the wrong thing, etc. They love you, and no one is perfect. (Honestly, my friends have been pretty freaking amazing. I'm very lucky in that way.) - Focus on your other hobbies and interests (Get new letterpress projects, enjoy the Van Gogh course at MOMA) - (DONE! Unfortunately, the Van Gogh course was totally sold out, so I never did get to take it, but I've been spending more time on my hobbies, which is always very enjoyable). I hope that was helpful

I love me some wine and partake about every other weekend. I read an article today on WebMD that said alcohol calories are the worst calories for belly fat. It said that your liver is so busy trying to burn off the alcohol that it doesn't have time to use your fat stores. Uggh. Still, a girl's gotta have some fun every now and then. I did go out last weekend and imbibe just a little too much and found myself in a situation where I was worried I was going to throw up. For lapbanders it's a hige no-no. I'm going to be much more careful in the future. I did enjoy the laxative side effect the next day, though.

(CONTINUED...) 2008 I entered the local weight loss competition. I ordered Nutrisystem, worked out up to 2 hrs a day, and gave up soda and alcohol. After three months, I lost 50 lbs and won the competition. On top of winning tons of prizes, I lost 12 inches just around my waist! In 3 months, I went from a size 24 to 14/16. 250 to 200 lbs. Posters were made, the company sent out community flyers with photos of my before and after. And after all of this, after over 90 days of complete clean eating and exercise-mania.. I was STILL starving. Why was I STILL craving food? It wasn't like I didn't like to exercise. It also wasn't like I didn't like healthy food. I just wanted tons. I didn't just want one bowl of salad or veggies, I want three bowls. I was able to be thinner for about 2 months before everyone around me started noticing that I was getting fat again. Now, not only was I getting back to fat, EVERYONE in my community knew it. They had all seen the sucess flyer of thin me just recently. By the end of 2008, I was back to 250 lbs but in complete denial about it. Beginning of 2009 I gave up. I decided I was sick of it all and wasn't going to be miserable with food. By Spring I was 270 lbs. I had stopped working out completely because my knees and back hurt so bad. I looked at my daughter and thought I had to do something. I decided to go vegetarian because I had wanted to for a while and wasn't ever into meat anyway. I subscribed to eating clean. I told myself that despite always being hungry, I was only gonna eat healthy stuff. Mini diets followed since but I never really lost much this year because I didn't work out. My body is physically tapped by the end of the day just chasing after and taking care of my toddler. Last month I realized my neighbors (who all know each other) were talking about me- the hermit, who stays inside all day & night with her kid, eating. I weigh more than all of the men on the street now. My poor husband. I feel bad that I must embarass him. I went to my endocrinologist who told me the only long lasting weight loss solution was bariatric surgery. He thought I'd be a good candidate and that but for that- there's no way to "turn off" that hunger switch that always seems to be on in my head. An acquaintance also told me that she was getting Gastric Bypass. I realized I was jealous a bit. I wanted to change my life. I don't want to miss out on "life" and I don't want my daughter and husband to either. I went to a cardiologist and my digestive drs to see if I would even be a candidate and both agreed. It's time for an intervention. I'm borderline diabetes and my quality of life is definitely suffering. I called in mid September to two local drs to see about getting a consult and both require attending their seminars. This unfortunately caused me to have to wait three weeks for the next dates to come up. My insurance does not cover WLS so I will be a self pay. I had this convoluded idea (dream) that this would all happen super quick and I would be on my way to a new life. For the past three weeks all I can think about is getting surgery. I've researched, gotten mentally prepared, and studied aftercare information. Sites like this one has furthered my excitement and eagerness. I don't want to waste another day! So that is my story so far. I'm hoping I will be able to have surgery before the end of this year. The lap band seems to be the route for me as my drs have said GB is out of the question (due to my vitamin deficiencies already) and I plan to have at least one more child. I feel sort of bad like I bashed on my Mom on here. It's not that she's not fantastic and wasn't VERY involved in all of my activities.. she was at everything! It just seems like even today, all she wants to do is stay home and eat (which is consequently what I want to do too.) I notice even today how her awful eating habits have influenced me. It's NOT her fault but I see where I went wrong early. Had I had a different exposure to food early on it may have made a difference.. or perhaps not. Either way I wouldn't trade my life or my mother for anything! I just don't want my daughter to learn bad habits and behaviors like this from me. I want to change the pattern for our family and be a role model of healthy living. Thanks for reading all of this (or skimming ) I appreciate the support and advice here! everleigh Highest weight ever / Current / Goal 280 / 270 / 150 5'5 10/04/2009

Is anyone else just counting calories and protein like me? I get about 900 to 1000, exercise 4 days a week and still am slow losing. I don't eat junk food, or sweets but will have carbs occasionally but not a lot of them. I am wondering if your nutritionist have put you on some sort of restrictions? I have even had alcohol a few times, and actually have had losses those weeks. Go figure!

Eat slowly and chew thoroughly Food can pass through the new stoma only of it has been into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well. Stop eating as soon as you feel full Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to eat you meal. Try to recognize the feeling the fullness - then stop eating at once. Do not drink while you are eating This operation can work only if you eat solid food. If you drink at mealtimes, the food you have eaten becomes liquid and the effectiveness of the LAP-BAND System is greatly reduced. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible. Do not eat between meals After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. Patients with proper "fill" levels do not feel hungry in between meals. If you are, this may be a sign that your band is too loose and you should tell your clinician. Eat only good quality food With the LAP-BAND System in place, you should be able to able to eat only a small amount so the the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your small stomach pouch with junk food that lacks vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in protein and vitamins. Fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and cereals are good foods to choose. Foods high in fat and sugar are not. You may eat apples and oranges, but try to avoid orange juice and and apple juice. Ask your doctor or dietician before you take any vitamin supplements. Avoid fibrous food Food such as asparagus that contains many fibers can block the stoma. That's because you can't chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can't break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then you must be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces and them chew them thoroughly. Drink enough fluids during the day If you lose weight, your fat content will drop. This results in waste products. You will need to drink large amounts of liquid every day in order to urinate more and excrete these waste products from your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Drink only low-calorie liquids. Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet created by the band. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you otherwise follow your diet. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day This rule is just as important as the other nine rules. Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is very important to successful weight loss. Exercise can help improve your general health. Your size may make it hard for you to exercise as much as you should. But get started, even if it is a little at first. The more weight you lose, the easier it should get. Start with simple exercises such as walking and swimming. Gradually expand you program to include more vigorous forms of exercise such as cycling, jogging and aerobics. Increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator, etc. Remember you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you. Food Choices Use this section to help you plan what you eat. you may choose what you would like from each of these food groups on a daily basis: Fruits and vegetable 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetable daily Bread and Cereals 1 small portion of corn flakes for breakfast 1 to 2 slices of whole wheat or rye bread each day Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs 1 oz. to 2 oz. of meat, fish or poultry or one egg each day (remove all visible fat from the meat. remove the ski from poultry. Grilling, steaming, microwaving or boiling are best ways to prepare them with low fat). Dairy Products Milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form. In theory, then, they should be avoided. But these types of food have calcium. That makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Choose a maximum of 2 cups of skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt and 1 oz. of cheese a day. Fats Restrict the use of fat to 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day. You can have low-fat salad dressing and mayonnaise in moderation. Drink as many calorie-free liquids per day as you wish. Suitable drinks are: Tea or black coffee with low-calorie sweetener Water Non-carbonated beverages containing few or no calories Clear soup Note: Some doctors have reported that carbonated beverages may contribute to enlargement of the small pouch and should be avoided. Foods to Avoid Some foods have a concentrated supply of calories with little nutritional value and should be avoided as much as possible. They include: Sugar and foods containing large quantities of sugar, such as: High-calorie soft drinks Syrups Cakes Biscuits Sweets Jam Marmalade Honey High-fat foods including: Chocolate Pies Chips pastries Alcoholic drinks should also be consumed in moderation