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For me it comes down to portion size, awareness of calorie & nutrient content, & a balanced diet. I guess it depends upon what you consider a variety of foods. I eat a variety of plant & animal proteins (more animal I admit), vegetables, fruit, a small amount of whole or multi grains. No breads, no pastas, or rice or alternatives. Avoid sugar, artificial sweeteners or sugar additives as much as I can (can be challenging cause it’s everywhere & yes I had cake & dessert over Christmas). No carbonated drinks (except for tonic/soda/sparkling water which I let flatten & drink slowly). I drink a glass of alcohol once a month or two. I don’t take any supplements. Since my surgery almost 2 years ago, I’ve had takeaway three times - braised chicken & vegetables twice & steamed gyoza once (ate the filling only). Do I miss it? Nope. I never was a big fast food eater so no loss there either. I cook most of my own food because I can control the ingredients & how it’s cooked & prepared. My decision came down to two things: what I used to do which contributed to my history of gaining weight & the things I realised I just didn’t need. Does it restrict my lifestyle? Nope. I go out to restaurants & socialise with friends & family without a problem. I freeze meals so if I need a quick convenient meal I just defrost something from my freezer. (God bless my microwave.) Honestly my inability to eat spicy food is my greatest problem - it seems they put chilli in every darn thing these days. But this is what’s working for me. You have to work out what works for you. If that means you can have some dessert or takeaway or become vegan or whatever it’s all good. If your diet becomes so restrictive it compromises your enjoyment of your life (i.e. being happy & healthy), you’ll likely fail. Good luck on your journey. Sorry for the long post🙂.

YES....they attacked me! Believe it! I only weigh in when I go to my doctor, which is ever 2-4 weeks. I have only been banded a little over a month, so I am still trying to guage how this will work for me and the amount that I can expect to lose. I went in for my first fill and my total loss since banding was ONLY 10 lbs! I knew what was to blame.....it wasn't my effort....my eating.....my band....it was a margarita and a mojito. I decided to go out to dinner the night before my appointment to celebrate with a friend. I am not a bi drinker, but I will have drinks on occasion and this time, I wasn't thinking very clearly. I know that alcohol makes me retain water like CRAZY! BAD IDEA....really bad idea. According to my Endocrinologist, I had lost 20 lbs since January. According to my at home scale, I had lost 25 lbs from my heaviest, so to see a 10 lb loss was deflating to my ego. Any other time, I would have been beside myself to lose 10 lbs in 4 weeks, but I just expected more. WHY IS THAT STUPID NUMBER SO IMPORTANT TO US? My clothes fit better. Everyone I know says I look like I have lost weight, but it's the scale's opinion I trust....WHY? I have another fill on 4/18/2010.....we'll see what happen then. No more margaritas or mojitos....for a really long time! MORAL OF THE STORY.........Don't drink and weigh-in.

Ok, so I will just type in my blog instead of munching. I wish I would have never found that easy peanut butter cookie recipe. Ugh, I mean really...my favorite cookie in the whole world and I can literally have a hot batch made, with prep time to consumption only kill about 20 minutes and that includes clean up! lol Last night dh really did not help matters. I kind of half heartedly laughed to myself....he asked what and I told him that my inner fat girl had something to say and was thinking evil thoughts.....long story short, we had a batch whipped up in no time! :cursing: I like the little saying "I have a thin person inside me screaming to get out. But, I can normally shut her up with chocolate cake." So, can you tell yet that I am really fighting off the munchies? I mean EVERY night at this time I have a hard time. Thank God for sunflower seeds. I am glad I found out how many calories are in wine. Now there is no fear of becoming an alcoholic.:tt1: The good news is I have lost 2 of the 7 pounds I gained during the evacuation. WOOT:w00t:! I wish weight came off as fast as it comes on. Pretty bad when you hope for a small stomach virus or something to get the weight loss kick started. Oh well, I will just keep on doing what I am doing. I know HOW for goodness sake! Done it before, now I will do it again. :frown:

I just read that over-exercising and weighing oneself frequently are common "transferred addictions." One of OPRAH's gastric surgery guests last week had become an alcoholic. The REALIZE band program includes online support to help with diet, exercise, goal-setting, AND emotions. Speaking of OPRAH, yesterday's was "Does this CLUTTER make my butt look FAT?" Great show!

That’s good advice. I had my sleeve on 11/11 and experienced very little pain at the five incisions for the scopes and I also had a hiatal hernia repaired. The worst part for me was gas on the left side for the first 48 hrs. It eventually subsided after I started passing gas and going to the bathroom. The other incision points only ache mildly at this point, but overall it’s WAY Less than what I expected going into this. Best advice is stick with the liquids slowly throughout the day, avoid anything with sugar or even sugar alcohols, try to walk at least once or twice daily and above all, pat yourself on the back for having the strength and courage to get the sleeve done! You’ll do great.

My surgeon was adamant to not take Flinstones or children’s vitamins post-WLS. He recommends Centrum or One A Day vitamins or their generics (e.g. Kirkland brand vitamins at Costco). I take One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage vitamins (2x per day) because they don’t contain iron, which I take at another time. Note: You don’t have to be over 50 or a woman to take them. Heme iron absorbs better and doesn’t cause GI issues like ferrous sulfate. I take Proferrin ES, which I buy online. Most chewable vitamins contain sugar alcohols, which I can’t take post-GB because they cause nausea & vomiting. YMMV You do not have to take chewable vitamins after bariatric surgery. Make sure you get complete lab work at least once a year to see if you need to take more or less of any vitamins or minerals as every BODY has unique requirements. And if you have vitamin deficiencies BEFORE surgery you should correct them as quickly as possible and discuss them with your surgeon and PCP.

Which would you liken your situation to: A former alcoholic that starts dating a heavy drinker or the former casual drinker that then starts dating a heavy drinker? Both used to drink but only one at a level so toxic it took a complete lifestyle overhaul to stop. Here's the thing; I think although I would love to say no, don't judge a book by its cover; I have to be honest...food for me became an addiction. It was my go-to. Now having been sleeved, I could not risk picking my addiction back up for anyone not already committed/in a relationship with me. Sure you know the grips of that addiciton and don't want to judge others...but you cannot put your own health and safety at risk. For me, having the sleeve makes the situation more akin to the former alcoholic than the former casual drinker. Changing yourself sometimes requires being around those like yourself. No, you don't ditch those who've been in the throws with you, but you also don't go looking for the next getway drug either. To me, if I were to be dating (as a post-op), someone not into their health would be my gateway drug back to overeating. It's a lot easier to pull someone down than lift them up. Only you know if he would be pulling you back down?

what does your program say about alcohol.

See I am not afraid to die. I am afraid to fail. I am afraid to be stuck in this world with no one to help me feel safe enough to break down and cry. Since I was young, I have always had to be the strong one. My sister is 3 1/2 years younger than me and my dad's alcoholism was full blown in my younger years; too far back for my sister to remember. We used to wake up to our parents screaming and yelling at each other. I would have to comfort her and stay strong for her and I did that by pretending everything was ok. I eventually got to the point where I was always pretending everything was ok. My mom was always the one who could make me break down, and cry but she used to treat me like her best friend. I mean I recall her asking me what I thought about her and my dad getting a divorce. So, she is mentally too unstable to be my rock. I love my mom and she has always tried to be there for me but she has WAY too many unresolved issues to be what I need. A lot of my self hate comes from her. She also hates herself and has never dealt with it. My mom has openly admitted to me that she had remorse toward me because I was over weight. Don't get me wrong, my mother is a great mother, but i don't think she was all she could be for us because of her own pain. I just want to be a little girl and have someone hold me while I cry. I want to be taken care of because I feel like I've taken care of myself since I can remember but I am afraid no one can do that for me. :/

If you eat a balanced varied diet your shouldn't need to be cleaned out... Your body will do that one it's own and I bet if you asked....most bandsters living a good bandster life will tell you that part of their life has changed dramatically since being banded.... I am regular, more frequent, and have very normal looking movements because I am not eating fatty foods, drinking alcohol and have an overall balanced diet.

I heard the alcohol pad trick works good luck

I have been so good by not drinking alcohol, carbonated beverages and caffiene. I feel like deserve 1 cocktail but I needed reassurance LOL thank you ❤️

I try and eat about 1200 calories a day on cross fit day and 900 a day on running day. For example, I ate 7 x: 1. Protein shake with chia seeds (100 cal), 2 energy squares (120 cal). 2. 3 oz Protein (120 cal) 3. 3 oz protein, 2 oz veggie (150) 4. 2 energy squares (120 cal) 5. 1 AMRAP bar (300 cal) 6. 5 oz protein, 2 oz veggie (200) 7. 10 oz protein shake (100) Total: 1210 I have gone the last 2 months with my weight staying pretty constant @ 190 since adding daily creatine and 10 lb of lean muscle after reaching gol in February 2013. As for stalls, one day up 2 lb, another day down 2 lb. However, yesterday was a big drop of 5 lb overnight after my weight went up 5 lb from a Cinco de Mayo drink session (2 margaritas) and 2 glasses of a full Chardonnay the day before that. I ran long on may 5th and for an hour on may 6th. Women have to deal with TOM, but men have to deal with Water retention due also. as for alcohol, i am going to cut down the intake because it does mess with your weight and water retention. It also does not help when needing to run or do a WOD. Now it is about 2x a month except for the last weekend. I drink about 1.5 gallon a day. However, I want to cut down my water drinking after dinner so I am not up 3-4 x a night in the bathroom.the chia seeds help tremendously with retaining water in the GI tract for when it is needed during working out. The Aztecs really knew what they were doing when eating a handful chia seeds before running 100 miles in the Andes.just remember to drink enough of water before and father to support the internal water retention of his sees. I always drink at least 40 oz first thing in the morning an hour before the seeds and then drink water all day long.

I feel like the longer I have my band the less I understand it... A little background info: Banded 2/6/13 with a 14cc band Surgery = 4cc 5/14/13 = 0.5cc 5/23/13 = 3cc 7/10/13 = 0.8cc Before my last fill I was experience some tightness in the mornings. Since it is almost like I don't have a band at all. I have only experienced one "stuck" episode and this was sometime between my 3cc fill and my last fill. I have never been one to throw up and I can only remember doing it twice. Once from nerves and the other alcohol. Which makes me wonder...is this why I am not experiencing more stuck episodes. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to have stuck episodes, but I also feel that I am overeating and eating to fast. I don't eat as fast or as much as I used to, but I know its more than a cup per serving. My concern is not so much weight loss related as it is damaging my band or stretching my esophagus. For those of you who are in the green zone...Does it take your hunger away or just your desire to eat? I only ask because I don't really want to eat most of the time, but my body is telling me I need to. Since surgery I get extremely sharp pains in my left shoulder if I let myself get to hungry. It also seems like my hunger comes on all of a sudden. One min I feel stuffed and the next I could chew my arm off... So this leads me to wonder if I should get a fill or not. I assume the tighter I get the more likely I will be to damage my band from over eating. However, will being closer to the green zone assist me with not overeating?!? I know the band will not physically keep me from over eating, but assist with the desire to over eat. Does that make scene? Ugh... If you can understand my ramblings and feedback would be greatly appreciated. *Sigh*

Thanks so much for this, TMF -- I'm going to hunt down the other seven and watch those as well. Nice to be up on everything that's out there research-wise. KBell, I just had my post-up follow-up meeting with the nutritionist and I asked her the very thing you have inquired about above. I was originally given the 30 minutes before and after rule -- it's in all my hand-outs and was emphasized by the surgeon. Today I asked about alcohol and going out -- saying that I assumed I would finish a glass of wine and let the other person have their appetizer then make sure thirty minutes had elapsed, etc., etc. She said not to worry about it, that it's the no liquids 30 minutes after that matters. Now this Austrailian doctor -- a leading LB surgeon -- is dispelling that science entirely. I guess it's up to me to figure out what works for my body. Moderation is definitely the goal. And I'm looking forward to my first Margarita one of these days, that's for sure! Best wishes to you.....

transfer addiction.....we have addictive personalities.....some transfer to shopping,sex,alcohol....even exercise....it's to know this we can all aware

So I had my one month follow-up appointment yesterday and assumed I was moving from pureed foods to soft foods for two weeks until my 6-week appointment. But my surgeon shocked me by saying I'm okay to move onto solid foods. He made a few disclaimers, such as trying new things when I'm comfortable and avoiding fibrous vegetables like celery right now. So I basically ended up in Stop & Shop with my sister last night looking around like a person who had never been in a grocery store before because I had so many options now. I felt totally unprepared because I was expecting soft foods first! I only bought cucumbers (to eat with hummus) and crystal light. I ate some chicken last night, non-pureed, and it went down fine. So I don't think he's wrong that I'm ready for solids, but I'm still really nervous! I also asked my surgeon about my calorie intake and I told him I was getting 400-600 a day but the last few days it was more like 700 because I was hitting my Protein goal. He told me I needed to be around 1000-1200 which shocked me too, because I've read about people on here who are maintaining on that... And finally, I told him how I wasn't getting nearly 64 ounces of Water, and he told me not to worry about it and to keep separating liquids and solids and just drink when I'm thirsty. I'm also allowed to drink alcohol (in moderation, of course) at this point. I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? Would this worry someone? My aftercare there has been great and my surgeon and NUT are both amazing at being available to answer questions at any time, but I totally thought my surgeon was tough and fairly strict, but he doesn't seem to be...

My doc told me that I would have to be careful with drinking alcohol because I would get drunk much faster now due to the VSG but that was it.

@@curlysue86 Which surgery did you have? 7 days out seems awfully fast to try solid foods. I had bypass and my doc had me on Clear liquids for a whole week, the full liquids for a whole week, then pureed for 2 weeks which I did not do well with. Finally at week 4 I was allowed soft foods, Proteins that were very moist, veggies that were overcooked. Even getting used to that at 4 weeks was slow going. Just wondering if your surgical team gave you direction on what to eat, how much and for what period of time. I have found that every physician is different but at the end of the day most of us figure it out. I was given a huge binder with every food stage. What foods I could and could not eat. You name it was in there. Then again, my Bariatric center of excellence made me sign a contract too that ensured I would follow the rules and also that I would not drink alcohol for a year. They were very throrough and it worked for me.

If it were me, I'd not want to risk it. The point if the pre-op is to shrink the liver, like a previous poster said. Alcohol goes through the liver. It also lowers inhibitions and might make you more tempted to eat that evening and really blow the pre-op diet. Some surgeons don't require a pre-op diet, but yours does. Mine did, too. Mine also said if he got inside and my liver was not in shape for the surgery, he'd either have to do it open (huge incision and recovery) or would close me up and no band that day. That's my opinion, take it for what it's worth and have a Happy Birthday.

Defining Myself after Weight Loss Surgery In order to define who you are after weight loss surgery, it’s important to answer a few questions. The most important question may be “Who do you want to be”? However, before you answer that question, let’s walk down the road of your past and define who you have been. You will discover qualities about yourself that you want to hold on to and develop as you move forward in life. You will also discover some things about yourself that it is time to permanently abandon. Life after bariatric surgery is most assuredly about redefining yourself. You have gone from seeing yourself, and being seen by others, as “the fat person” to being “that person who had bariatric surgery and has lost so much weight”. It’s easy to find yourself wondering who you are at this point, many pounds lighter than you were not so very long ago. You’re probably tired of all of the comments and questions related to how much weight you have lost and how you have done it. It’s time to start living the new life you have worked so hard for. However, you may be confused about who you are now that you have lost so much weight and the hype of the weight-loss process is over. You may find yourself staring into the mirror wondering, “WHO AM I”? Let’s find out, starting by identifying your “titles” or the “hats that you wear”. Imagine you have a wall in your house with a great big board affixed to it. On the board are a number of hooks. On each hook hangs a hat and under each hat is a small sign with a label, one for each of the roles you play. For example, you may have a multicolored, floppy hat to represent the many dimensions and of being a “mom”. There may be a fedora or a nursing cap or a chef hat with a label underneath that says “working professional”. Is there a whimsical hat with a sign that says “friend”? A hat to represent yourself as a daughter? a woman? a spouse or partner? a dancer? a pianist? a photographer? a volunteer? a mentor? a student? Make a list of your titles and alongside the list, state the benefits and drawbacks for you in each of these roles. Are there any roles that you want to eliminate? Are you at a place in your life where you no longer want to play some role on your list and that you can responsibly let go of? Maybe your parents forced you to play a musical instrument as a child and you continue to play in a community orchestra even though you don’t want to. Would now be a good time to say good-bye to being a “musician”? There are some roles you may have that you wish you didn’t, but you accept them because you are a responsible person. For example, you might wish you had a sun visor on the wall where your professional hat is because you want to be retired. However, you keep the hat of the working professional because you are a responsible person and have a family to feed. (Idea: Hang the visor underneath the professional hat as a reminder that the retirement hat is one you will be wearing one day!) Is there a role you would like to add to your life? Would you like to become a tap dancer and add a top hat to your wall? Are there some roles you love that you already have but would like to improve on? Would taking parenting class help you to be an improved version of “mother”? Now make a list of words that you use to describe yourself and that other people use to describe you. Make this list of words descriptive of your personality. For example, are you “bubbly”, “grumpy”, “responsible”, “gossipy”, “adventurous”, “whiney”, “moody”, “outgoing”, “a good listener”, “lazy”, “serious”, “silly”, “friendly”, “mean”, “motivated”, “introverted”, “lively”, etc.? Be sure to include the names you have been called related to your obesity, such as “fat”, “chunky”, and “husky”. Were you called “smart”, “stupid”, “idiot”, “baby doll”, “princess”, “daddy’s girl”, “spoiled”, or “alcoholic”? Next to each of these descriptive words, write down your feelings related to each of these labels. Which of these things do you want to continue to be? Which do hope to never hear again in reference to you? Okay. You’ve got a really great start toward answering the question, “Who Am I”? You have identified the roles you currently play in life. You have identified words and labels that describe you. You have chosen which ones you like for yourself and which ones you are ready to leave behind. To get rid of the ones you are ready to discard from your life, write the words or labels on separate pieces of paper. Next, light a fire in the fireplace or a large coffee can and drop each piece of paper into the fire, and say out loud, “I am no longer a ‘fatso’”. Then throw the word into the fire and refuse to ever refer to yourself as that again. Do this with each word and label you are getting rid of. The final steps to figuring out who you are at this time in your life are to verbalize and write down who you want to be! Simply state out loud and then write down, “I want to be and will be “a person who thinks positively about myself and others”. “I want to be and will be “a person who plans what I eat every day and sticks to my plan”. I want to be and will be “a person who exercises 60 minutes a day, five days a week”. I want to be and will be “a person who focuses on gratitude throughout the day”. That’s the easy part. The more difficult part is to determine specifically what you are going to DO in order to be each of the things in your list. For example, “I will be a person who thinks positively about myself and others by stopping all judgmental thoughts as soon as I am aware that I am having them and by immediately replacing all negative thoughts with positive ones”. “I will be a person who focuses on gratitude throughout the day by writing down one thing I am grateful for three times each day”. By specifically defining your goals and visualizing yourself doing them, you will do them and become the person you imagine yourself to be. Picture yourself eating healthy meals. See yourself walking the dogs. Imagine yourself giving genuine compliments to others. Picture yourself looking into the mirror and smiling kindly at yourself. Decide who you want to be by: identifying who you have been deciding what parts of your previous self you want to keep and what parts you want to discard determining specific things you want to do and specific ways you want to behave. Choose to become the person you were born to be before the “genuine you” got lost beneath unhealthy extra weight. “Who Am I”? Whoever you choose to be! Connie Stapleton, Ph.D. 4/12 WLS Magazine

Most likely it is the meds that was put in your body during surgery...drink lots of water take your vitamin and change your shampoo and conditioner... Go to a walk in salon and ask for three shampoos and conditioners that will stop/strengthen the hair then do process of illumination... Price, size, smell, top 5 ingredient.(no alcohol)

I've heard that booze will knock you flat after the sleeve. I had little to no tolerance BEFORE surgery, so now I'm paranoid about trying any alcohol at all. My MIL gave me a teaspoon of Everclear with herbs in it when I felt like I was coming down with a cold and a teaspoon full made me feel like I was going to pass out. I think I'll just stay away from cocktails indefinitely. Besides, my fiance can't drink so I know he feels better when I'm sipping on Water with him.

Sorry to butt into the Men's Room, but you might find the carbonation in soda water just as bad as the beer, so bourbon & soda might not be such a great option. I drink scotch & water, which goes down very well and is probably one of the lowest calorie options in the alcoholic range. If you use lots of ice and are very generous with the water, it's not too heavy for daytime . I'm pretty sure you'd get away with that as a "man's" choice :frown:.

@@Amanda Nicole Hosaflook I hear it gets better by six months post op...... Focus on your weight loss.... the bad habits were what got us to this point in the first place...... you can still go out with friends but you just have to eat less and eat things that your are able to. Not sure how old you are but since I'm 60...I am not interested in going out for drinks anymore.... and even if i did I could drink something else besides alcohol...... I've actually done this before my sleeve..... I order non alcoholic drinks..... I can have fun, laugh and have a great time without alcohol..... Good friends and good company is all i need. I'm hoping that I'd even have more fun if I went out because I'd have a nicer body and could finally look good when i dress up and go out..... that in itself would make me happier than any alcohol could ever make me feel....... just my opinion..... it'll get better.....