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A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.

Yay! I got my first fill this morning! I'm so happy, it's ridiculous. Even if I don't reach restriction from this fill, at least I now know that this journey has really started and is really progressing, and as long as I do the work, I can expect to get results. I can't even describe how that feels. It's euphoric! Even though my surgeon had indicated I would likely have a fill at this appointment (4 weeks post-op), I still had paranoia that it might not happen. I'm just that kind of girl--a worrywort! Well, when the nurse escorted me into the exam room, I saw all the accoutrements of a fill already laid out for the doctor, and that soooo made me happy. Never have the sight of needle, syringe, and alcohol swabs given me such a thrill! When the surgeon came in, he asked me if I was on soft solids yet (which I am) and if I wanted my first fill. I don't think he even got to finish the question before I was shouting my "YES!" It turns out that my surgeon does his fills by feel--no barium swallows or flouroscopy. He had me lay back on the exam table and lift my head in a mini-crunch while he located the port. Then came the needle. Now, I'm on the fence about needles; they don't totally freak me out, but I don't love them, either, so it was a little odd for me when, after the initial stick, he spent maybe 15 seconds wigglnig the thing around to get it in precisely the right spot. I can't say it was totally comfortable, but I can't say it was painful, either. It was just a weird sensation. Once the needle was in place, he started the injection, backed it up to be sure it was correctly entering the system, then completed the fill. The whole appointment was like 5 minutes (with another 40 minutes spent completing my form, waiting, weighing in, and getting my vitals checked). After the fill, he gave me a small cup of water to drink and said I could come in after 3 weeks if I felt I needed more restriction. The fill itself consisted of 3.0 cc of fluid. That made me quite happy, since I dreaded getting only 1 cc at a time. The surgeon claims that most patients feel restriction between 3 cc and 8 cc. Right now, I'm not entirey certain what I feel, since I've been instructed to have my first post-fill meal as liquid, then progress slowly back through the stages until I'm on solid foods. The water at the dr's office went down with no issues, so I felt a little worry that I might not have any restriction at all. When I got home, I had a protein drink for lunch, and it took me 45 minutes to drink the 8 oz. I didn't have any trouble with it at all, but I thought I could feel it going down in a way I hadn't before. Whether that's restriction or just swelling, I guess we'll see, but I'm feeling fairly optimistic. And full off just liquid, which is nice. Hopefully that will continue. Anyway, that's my first fill experience. I'm crossing my fingers that the band kicks in and starts holding up its part of this bargain, since I only lost 3.4 lbs since my last dr's visit.

During the WLS Seminar, the surgeon mentioned that the dietician is going to tell us all that we must not drink coffee. Forget the Starbucks, no more Dutch Brothers, skip the home brew. This, my friends, was devistating news to me. See, I don't drink alcohol. I've never smoked and never even thought of touching drugs. But coffee...oooh coffee. I drink it all day long. I would rarely buy the good coffees (Starbucks, Dutch Bros) but I would drink a pot of coffee a day. When asked the reasoning behind that idea, the surgeon said the focus needs to be on giving your body only what it needs. "Okay", I thought, "I totally get it, I can do this!". Saturday was my grande finale. That night, I ran the coffee pot parts through the dishwasher and put it all away. Sunday I tried a cup of black tea, then some diet green tea with ginsing later in the day. No caffiene headache, and I felt pretty good. Monday was pretty successful too. Yesterday though...yesterday was a doozie. I REALLY wanted a venti white chocolate mocha frappuccino from Starbucks. As in, it was all I could think about all day. I had a headache, I was tired, and seriously doubting my decision to go 'cold turkey' on this whole caffiene-free thing. A coworker suggested grabbing a Pepsi, but again, my focus is on transitioning to what my body needs not what my head wants. So I resisted. Has anyone else had to give up anything (besides the yummy food!) to get in the right mindset for surgery.....or do you think it's better to "live it up" while you can pre-op since you'll essentially never have some things again (if you stick to the plan)?

I was just thinking about this. I am celebrating a birthday and super bowl this weekend. No alcohol and no pigging out. I am getting through it by going to one of my safe resturants for my Birthday and cooking a healthy meal for tonight. For a cake I got the smallest carvel cake for my family to split.

mine told me to wait a year before drinking any alcohol. But evidently surgeons must have different opinions on this...

You've got some hoops to jump through, but don't be nervous. I'm a little less than a month past surgery and I already wish I'd done this 10-15 years ago. You'll need to figure out what your insurance requires in order to cover your surgery. This could be a period of supervised diet, it could be a requirement to lose a certain number of pounds or a percentage of your excess weight, or it could be as easy as just a few consultations and clearances. They usually want to make sure you'll be able to stick to the strict way of eating in the post-op phase. Then the hardest part is the pre-op diet. Most surgeons require some amount of liquid diet before the surgery in order to perform the surgery more safely. Some of us call it the "liver shrinking" diet. It's best if you step down over a few weeks. Replace one meal a day with a protein shake (use this time to audition shakes, though your tastes might change post-op so don't go crazy buying stuff). Then the next week replace two meals a day. Then the week or two that you have to do all liquid, go all in on liquid. Get off alcohol, caffeine and sugar as soon as you can—like now. Just accept you're going to have headaches and plan for them. You won't be able to have these things post-op, at least not immediately (and depending on what surgery you have, sugar may be off-limits period) Have an economy size box of Gas-X (chewable simethicone) for the few days after surgery, because you will want to burp out all the surgical air they inflate you with to be able to operate. Don't overpack for the hospital. You'll be exhausted. But do bring an extra long charging cable for your phone/tablet. Measure yourself—neck, upper arms, bust, gut, waist, hips, thighs, calves—and do it once a week for the first little while after surgery. I hit a stall about three weeks out (this is extremely common) and for the better part of a week I didn't lose any weight. But I lost a surprising amount of circumference, and that made me feel better. You've got this!

Coffee and alcohol , well duh on those 2 but my other without fail, coconut oil. I usually can tell if it is in something even if it's not prominently labeled. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

yeah...that rule itself has been broken many times when Lisa and some friends decided to run around the board calling her an alcoholic and drug abuser. that is rather harsh...an one of the reasons she has tried so hard to respond to every threat that came at her on the board. an not just in seperate threads...but threas where she was posting and minding her own business. Its hard having a stalker.

I never realized before surgery how much of my social life revolves around food. All my thin friends always want to go to restaurants, and I used to think it was just me. People also are surprisingly pushy about getting me to drink alcohol, like I'm some sort of weirdo if I don't get a drink. They're always asking when I can eat or drink things. "Let me know when you can ______!" I also had no idea that after surgery you can't take ibuprofen (used to eat it like candy), that I would have to separate eating and drinking liquids, and that soup is a bad idea. The pre-op class was really surprising for me. The salad thing also surprised me but I can eat a little salad with my other food just fine, and straws and diet soda don't really cause me any issues. I'm fortunate that I haven't found anything I can't eat yet. I ate popcorn at the movies this weekend (got a kids' pack) and diet soda and was perfectly fine.

Yes, you can "eat yourself out of your sleeve" Your stomach is still the same as before, they just made it smaller and if you over eat it will stretch just like it did before you were sleeved. You will continue to have a feeling of fullness but as your eat more that feeling takes longer to achieve. So if right now you can eat a half cup of food at a sitting , in 6 months you may be able to eat a whole cup of food before you have that feeling. Now if you are following your food plan of calories, carbs etc you will be ok but if you think a bit of pizza and a bite of cake will not harm you, you are wrong. You may not gain any weight but what you have done is tell your brain, "It's ok " . The next time you will eat the whole piece and pretty soon you will be adding a beer, eating the pasta etc. At that point you will stretch your stomach and be eating over the calories and carbs and start gaining. You may not feel hungry but you will have "head hunger" and that can be worse I think. Just follow your plan don't stray . We are like alcoholics who are on the wagon , one drink can put them back on the path of over drinking . Food effects us the same way, we can flip back to our old way of thinking and cheating. This is why so many of us gain weight after a few years.

This is where I think I disagree, not about the idea of eating too much and stretching your sleeve (which is certainly plausible), but about the idea that certain food types and what you eat will cause you to gain your weight back. I for some people who have food issues and are food addicts, food's that trigger unhealthy reactions is something I think you're being specific about. But not everybody who has weight problems are those type of people. I think your example of pizza, beer and pasta is not at all accurate. So yes, I think you can overeat and eat yourself out of your sleeve, but no... I disagree that the types of food is a gating factor to falling off course. Overweight people have many different reasons they are overweight. It's not a black and weight absolute for all VSG people that all patients have food issues that are analogous to an "alcoholic" -- that's just overly simplifying the issues. It's also painting a broad brush towards people who have a genetic disposition of being overweight or people who don't have a relationship with food that can cause them to overeat. It's just not that simple. I think it's always about calories in and calories out. If you eat pizza or drink a beer, and you continue to do that, of course you're going to gain weight and go back to being heavy or fail at the outcome. You can't do that every day of your life and all the time -- but that ALSO goes for people who don't have a VSG. It's just common sense. You have to balance your intake based on your diet and the calories you consume and understand those calories have an impact on your weight -- every day.. The worst thing a person can do decide that they are overweight SOLELY because of the types of food they eat. People fail on diets because they make their lives a compromise and stop eating the things they like in favor of things that they don't like -- "denial diets" don't work because they don't change eating habits. Changing habits and changing your attitude about portions will help you maintain or allow you to lose weight. If you figure out that you can have things you like but in moderation and within the size of the portions that limit them to being acceptable, you'll be fine. The reality is, for the most part, 400 calories of pizza is no different than the 400 calories of soup or salad, but the thing you have to understand is that one piece of pizza at 400 calories is not going to be as healthy for you and needs to be treated as such. You need to change your habits around food so that maybe having half of piece and some salad to make up that 400 calories is the better option. And if you want the wine or beer, that's fine, but maybe you need to consider that the only drink you have during the course of the week and you might need to hit the gym or get more active to offset some empty calories that you've allows yourself to have. You can just consume calories over and increase those daily calories and expect to lose weight -- you'll gain weight and the problem with things like pizza is that for 400 calories you get maybe ONE slice, if you can even eat that much (after having VSG), you're not going to be satisfied and it's not as good for you. Blaming the types of food you eat for gaining back weight is not the way to go. Counting calories and getting protein and respecting your body (and your mind) to tell you when you've eaten enough is the right way to go. For people with VSG, learning what a PROPER portion size is for whatever you're eating is the key. People that push their sleeve and eat until their overly full will continue to be challenged. My strategy has been to always put protein first, and eat until I feel that my stomach is telling me I'm done. After a while, I know that about 8-10 ounces of food total is going to be enough -- if that's a life measurement that I can live with for the rest of my life, even if that feeling goes away, I'm 100% fine with that. I know that in the past I could probably have eaten three times that amount and that's why I gained weight, I know now where my limits are and how to maintain them moving forward even long after the "tools" of a VSG are no longer able to help.

5'5". i typically do not count calories. i am not sure about that. i need to start and keep a better track of that. i just read the labels of the things i am eating/drinking typically. i am seeing anywhere from 45 to 160 calories, in things like low carb tortillas, deli meat, cheese, protein shakes. i do drink alcohol, but only vodka and only with water. i have also cut back on that to see if that was causing the gain. did not notice much of a difference.

I am 29, I had by-pass about a year ago and have since gotten married, and started college again. I also have two daughters, 6 and 8, and work a full time job as a nurse's assistant. Since the holidays my alcohol consumption has increased dramatically and I am worried that I am becoming an alcoholic. I do not want to fail at this weight loss and I have too much going for me to ruin it with an alcohol addiction. Please I need some reassurance and encouragement to get through this difficult time. Thanks!

Hi Mandi Jo, To be honest, since it seems you have been following you pre-op diet well, it would probably be fine for you to have a couple drinks just for this one night...not to the point of being drunk, of course, but just to take the edge off. I don't want to be a bad influence or anything, but the again, my surgeon didn't press the alcohol issue very much. Regardless, you should do what you think is best for you. I wouldn't stress abt the party much tho, b/c you are abt to have a life-changing experience, so be excited!!

You can do this. You cut out tobacco and alcohol. After plenty of years. If you can do that you can do this. You just have to do it now and not look back. Don't procrastinate. Do it now. Good luck.

I just get very congested very quickly and past two drinks my throat starts to constrict. I'd likely die of suffocation before I got drunk. Although I did experience a hangover once not from too much alcohol, but stupidly mixing wine and scotch in a short period of time. I'll never understand how anyone who goes through that even once ever drinks to excess again.

I'm so glad this thread was made. My family and I are huge backpackers and hikers/mountain biking folks. On a weekend we usually ride 25-30 miles of singletrack trails, and take frequent biking/camping trips. We're planning a 3 day hiking trip in September when its not 1000 degrees in Texas. We did the same trip last year in July, hot as hell and wasn't as fun because of the heat. In May we're celebrating our 4 year anniversary and my wife has planned a camping trip for the two of us. No hike in, but a primitive site with plenty of hiking opportunities throughout the area for day hikes. When I was carb cycling in the past to get ready for meets, I loved the carb conscious Supreme Protein bars. 30g protein per bar, 6g NET carbs, and 4g sugar. the do have sugar alcohols so depending on how your body handles them, be forewarned. They never knocked me out of keto in the past, and never gave me the runs unless I ate 4 of them. Like Fiddleman said, Water water water, moreso than ever before. We bought a filtration system so we can collect water from any source. They really do work nicely unless the water is just way too muddy, you'd need a good filter then. It makes it a little more challenging with water sources in places, but I think it's more rugged living off the land. We take camping pans with us, cook up eggs and sausage/bacon by campfire when we go on 2-3 day hikes, no carbs, good source of protein to get the day started. Also carry cheese and pepperoni with me, love it. Also, electrolyte water like Vitamin water, Gatorade G2, or just electrolyte tabs to put in to your water. You can find a lot of low carb electrolyte supplements on runners websites since they're huge on that stuff. As for the when, my doc told me 6 weeks at first, then released me at 4.5 weeks. But after he saw a video of a few trails we maintain and ride frequently, he told me no crazy off road biking until 6 weeks just to be safe.

I had gastric bypass September 12, 2011...I have done great with it...I'm down 100 pounds! My doctor said no alcohol for the first year, but now that it is summer, I really want a glass of wine. Anyone out there have any suggestions? Did you really wait a year??? Thanks

I just read in one of my books that one drink can be the equivalent of 5!! Start with a teeny tiny bit!! I think the reason they say a year is because alcohol has lots of calories and no nutrients so it can thwart your weight loss efforts. So I think I little would be fine...just be careful!! Cheers!!

I have done the atkins diet. I have done the fasting programs. Warrior program. Went 25 hours without food & then eat one time & fast again. So I have some understanding of low carbs or no carbs. I used the keto strips to see if I got into the fat burning process. So I did different programs. Ultimately, I didnt get a consistent weight loss from these programs. Maybe 18 lbs then couldnt sustain the weight loss and or lose any more. I noticed that while on a low carb program or no carb that I kept a dry mouth. Also with the dry mouth was the bad breath because of the dry mouth. It was unpleasant. So, I started to chew gum more change mouthwash to non alcohol. It helped somewhat but more or so to cover up the dry mouth & bad breath. Basically, I found out that dry mouth and bad breath may be what some may deal with when carbs are low. So with the pre & post op program this may become an issue for some. I heard that we cant chew gum. I think that's what I read. I will confirm with the nutritionist. If so, I got to find a replacement because I know this will be a problem for me. Maybe sugarfree mints? IDK. Still wont be the same like chewing in gum. I wonder is this just for 6 months post surgery not to chew gum ? Got to ask my doctor to make sure. If someone knows Im sure I will read it. But will ultimately confirm yes or no when I see my doctor this week. Anyone dealing with dry mouth and or bad breath while on pre or post op program.

Welcome. I am new too. I haven't set my surgery date yet but will have the sleeve with Dr Aceves. I am happy for you that your wait is less than a week away! I totally relate to being overweight and obese forever - started for me at age 5 or 6 and then obese since high school --for past ten years or so I have been around 300lbs on a short 5'3" body. I think that food addiction is harder than nicotene or alcohol because we can't just quit eating food altogether. Please post about your surgery experience and about whether you get any vacationing in at the same time.:tongue_smilie:

I have tried NOW brand Better Stevia. It is a liquid form and I have not had any experience with it being bitter. Swerve is an Erythritol sweetener, which is a type of sugar alcohol, but it is not suppose to give the tummy troubles and I have read good things about it. And just an FYI, even with the sleeve you can dump. It is not common, but it can happen.

Hello ~ This is my first posting but I've been reading all of your wonderful posts for a few weeks now. Just a little background about me...I've been heavy my whole life. A few years ago I got myself in the low 200's and to my that was thin! Unfortunately, I've let myself seriously go and I'm up to 350. Last year, I went to my PCP and told him that I wanted the RNY. He was supportive and gave me the referral. Well, I ended up chickening out and tried one last ditch effort with WW. I ended up losing about 40 pounds but successfully put back every pound and then some. I gave up on WLS surgery and dieting all together. A few months back I discovered the VSG and thought to myself that it is definitely a surgery that I be comfortable with and worth exploring. This past week, I got the courage to see my PCP and asked for another referral to a surgeon who does the VSG. Well, my PCP did not tip toe around my feelings. He definitely voiced his disappointment about me not having WLS. He said that he can't help me if I don't take his advice and is STRONGLY encouraging me to have the surgery. Which he is probably right. He gave me the referral and said that he would take care of the necessary paperwork. I definitely got the tough love treatment. I trying to find the right time to tell my family that this is all happening. By the way, I'm single and 30 years old. I know they will be totally supportive but I feel bad for them to see their daughter have to go through this. I've let myself go so bad that my only saving grace is surgery. Ok, the concerns..... 1) Lactose Intolerance, does this happen to everyone? If it should happen, does it go away or am I stuck with it? 2) The hair loss ?...I'm expecting it to happen but my hair is the only thing I get compliments on. Will it grow back? Will it be like it used to be? 3) Bowel issues...as a child I had lots of bowel issues and I can still remember the horrible experiences. Will constipation always be a problem after VSG? 4) Alcohol...I do enjoy a drink now and then. Will I be able to enjoy a glass of wine or a vodka drink? I would not attempt this until way further out. Thank you all so much for letting me get this off my chest. You are all a great comfort and full of advice and knowledge. I look forward to getting to know you. Thanks for your insights. :thumbup1:

Hmm, my case was quite different. I attended my orientation on August 10, first meeting with surgeon, psych, and NUT on September 2, got approved for surgery on October 1, surgery on October 6 - entire process under 2 months. I live in California in the winter and Boston in the summer. My flight to California was booked for 11/7, so 10/6 was pretty much my go/no-go date. There were multiple reasons why I was able to pull this off: 1. I have a very good Anthem CA policy (PPO) that was grandfathered from Obamacare. Before the ass-clown destroyed the US Healthcare system, I was paying $450/mo with an $6,000 deductible. Now I pay $1300/mo with an $8,000 deductible, but they approved my surgery in 5 days without question. 2. I went to Newton Wellesley and handpicked Dr. Partridge - the head of surgery. I told her that I had to be in California for Thanksgiving in the first meeting and she said she'd do what she could to make it happen if I did everything they told me to do. I did. 3. I'm in my 60's and I've been dieting for almost 50 years. I always kept weight and diet records. I attended the first meeting with a 2 page write-up of my diet/weight history along with a 2008 diagnosis from my PCP of obesity. 4. I think I impressed the psychologist with my conviction and my logical case for why I wanted a VSG. By the time I met with the surgeon, she said "everyone on my team is very impressed with you". 5. Given my relatively low BMI (38), I ate like a pig the day of my orientation and then convinced one of the assistants do an official weigh-in after the August 10 orientation. I came in at 281 (BMI 40.2). This cleared me through insurance for comorbitities. 6. Before my first meeting, I met with my PCP (mid August) and got a strong letter of recommendation. 7. From the day after the orientation on, I dieted like crazy. I was down to 266 by 9/2 and 256 by my final session before approval, and 251 on the day of surgery. I think the fact that I lost 30 lbs in less than 2 months helped my surgical team do a very minimally invasive operation. I went to every support meeting I could and actively participated - further impressing the staff. 8. I continued being a model patient for 7 weeks after surgery. Eating exactly what they told me to eat and walking/riding my bike at least and hour/day. By Thanksgiving I was down 65 lbs and resumed a new normal but healthy lifestyle. Today I weigh 204 - down 77 pounds and 14 pounds from my goal - 5 months after my orientation and 4 months after my first meeting. I'm eating what I want, drinking alcohol in moderation, enjoying a social life, and still losing 2-3 lbs a week. The first 3 1/2 months was hell - a self imposed "biggest loser" contest (no social life, alcohol, coffee, or soda), but now I'm thoroughly delighted with the results. You can do this if you totally focus on the endgame!

I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I am almost 5 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague.