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Ice cream was pretty much the only sweets we ever had too. I came from a very dysfunctional place too. My father was an abusive alcoholic and my mother was a very sick co-dependant. We were very poor due to my father's escapades - drinking up the pay check/bailing out of jail. Not a pretty picture, I know. However, his favorite thing was ice cream after dinner in the evening. If we had anything more than ice cream as dessert, it was definitely a holiday or guests were around. So, that's the one habit that we all inherited. Ice cream in the evening. My brother still thinks he has to have half a gallon at a sitting. I'm much better, although it's been hard. It's okay with me if I just use a cup instead of a bowl or I often buy the pre-filled 4 oz cups. Now and then I find myself wanting more so I stop bringing it in the house. Then, if I absolutely feel I 'need' it, I will take myself in the car to find it. I have, however, learned that frozen yogurt is just as good and lower in fat and calories. All things in moderation. What a concept!

Hi Everyone, I'm so glad to have found this website. I have been thinking about and getting closer to making the decision for a while now. I am 58 yrs old, am a diabetic and have fibromyalgia. I have fought the weight battle all my life but age is making it much harder. Maybe some of you can help me with some questions or tell me where on the forum I can find the answers. My insurance will not cover anything to do with weight loss, though they would pay if I were a drug addict or alcoholic and needed help. So does anyone know of a good relatively low cost surgeon or clinic in the US to get this done: Has anyone been to Mexico or elsewhere and had it done? Good or bad experience and where? I am in VA but traveling to protect my life and health will be worth it. How do you feel about food after the surgery? I am wondering if cooking for family, at holidays etc will be a hateful chore when I can't eat much of anything. Does anyone know when the first bands were implanted and if over years any problems develop? I don't think we yet have grannies in nursing home with them, though maybe we do! I am looking forward to sharing and learning from you all, Mountaingal

Well, many people drink a few times a month. do you drink alot when you drink? That sort of drinking - alot at once, is considered to be a major health risk. Trust me when i say that alcohol is different post sleeve - you do not want to drink quantities as it will kick your butt. Maybe they see something that is concerning.

I drink around 4-5 times a week! I can't handle beer because of the fizziness of it. Kills my stomach. I love Jose Quevo and can't drink it anymore because it burns to bad! I usually drink some red wine or my favorite is a Cape Cod with Vodka/cranberry juice but have to be careful of the calories in alcohol. I never realized how much was in them until you really start looking at it!

Here's a link to a similar thread you may find helpful: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-soon-can-i-have-glass-wine-48986/ I was told to wait 4 weeks post surgery. Remember, alcohol may affect you differently.... you have less calories and food to absorb it than you may be used to, and you will likely weigh less. For my first glass of wine, I actually had 1/2 wine 1/2 Water and took baby sips and finished it in 40 minutes. A few days later, less water in the wine, and it only took me 20 minutes. After having wine a few more times after that, I realized I need to have some food with it -- so I have 15 little goldfish crackers about 15 min before I have the wine. If I don't have a little something in my stomach, I feel tipsy and kinda drunk pretty quick, even on a small amount of wine. I know this is against the bandster rules to eat with liquids, but it works for me only in alcohol scenarios. Once I am finished with the wine, I then wait 10 min until I start my dinner. If I want to resume drinking wine, I will wait a full 60 min after I complete my dinner. Bottom line: you need to ease into alcohol use to see how it will affect you, and you may want to start out doing it at home and not in a social setting.

Understanding smart food choices. Portion size is a major factor in your success with the LAP-BAND® System. However, the types of foods you eat can affect your weight loss as well. A healthy diet will have items from each of the following food groups. Quantities and suggested foods are listed in each group. Always talk to your doctor or dietician about your particular dietary needs. Good Choices Fruit and vegetables: 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetables daily Whole grains: 1 small portion of cornflakes for Breakfast, or 1 to 2 slices of toasted whole wheat or rye bread each day. If you find you have trouble with bread blocking your stomach opening, substitute other whole grains such as refined, cooked or ready-to-eat Cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or grits. Protein: 2 to 4 oz of meat, fish or poultry, or one egg for additional Protein Remove all visible fat from the meat. Remove skin from poultry/fish. And cook with little/no fat — grill, steam, microwave, or boil. Dairy: 2 cups of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 1 oz low-fat cheese (max.) Since milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form, you might think they should be avoided. However, the Calcium and protein they have makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Fats: 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day (max) Low-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise (in moderation) Drinks: Unlimited zero- or low-calorie liquids per day, including: Non-carbonated beverages Tea or coffee (black) with low-calorie sweetener Clear Soup and broths Water Not-so-good choices Proceed with caution: Some foods may cause problems as they may block or have difficulty passing your stomach opening. Introduce these types of foods to your diet slowly, one at a time, to see if they are tolerated. Remember: always be careful and chew these foods well before swallowing. Dry meat Peanut Butter Shrimp Untoasted or doughy bread Pasta or rice Fibrous vegetables (e.g., corn, celery and asparagus) Dried fruit Coconut Popcorn Citrus fruits Nuts Steer clear: Some foods contain too many calories and too little nutritional value to be of any use to you with the LAP-BAND® System. Avoid foods high in sugar or fat, including: Syrups, jams, honey Candy, pies, cakes, biscuits chips, dips High-calorie soft drinks Some doctors suggest patients avoid carbonated drinks, as they may contribute to enlargement of the stomach pouch. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation (one glass of wine or less per day).

Wherein "Phat," according to "trusty" Urban Dictionary, either means 1) cool and/or 2) hot and tempting. What part of your personality empowers you on your weight loss journey? If you'll excuse the outdated street lingo--tell me why you have a phat personality! Is it your unfailing sense of humor? Your enduring passion for keeping active through exercise or work? What about a wealth of compassion for others? This is a challenge to engender more positivity today; to do something productive with introspection. For me, I think it's pretty cool that I cunningly adapted to growing up with alcoholic parents. It's even more amazing that I was brave enough to haul my own butt to therapy when I was 19-21yrs old. Clearly, I have it in me to take care of myself, so today I remind myself to embrace this "phatness" and use it to take care of my body. Please feel free to shamelessly use or completely drop the word "phat."

Sleeved: October 17th 2017 I’ve heard gallbladder problems are common after gastric surgery and a lot of people get their gallbladder out when they get surgery. I’m in the hospital right now and I just found out I have gallstones! Then to further testing mild pancreatitis I’m assuming that was caused from the gallstones because I do not drink alcohol. I have never had problems pre or post op (until now) wondering if anyone else has had experience like this?

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.

I first met Western Bariatrics in Reno, NV in April 2012; Dr. Watson and his staff were fantastic! I havew been rollercoaster dieting for years, trying all sorts of things but needed to move forward. I wanted to make a decision lap band vs. bypass; I chose lap band. So all the prep, insurance approval, etc. finally came. In July, I started swimming laps for two months, then took lessons and learned the right way to swim laps to benefit your cardio and physical body! So, I wanted to start a habit before surgery. After I returned from vacation in mid August, I started my four week pre op. I quit drinking alcohol cold turkey, which was very difficult as I was a social drinker, but heavy at times. I also started protein drinks, mostly Muscle Milk Light, chicken broth, string cheese, hard boiled egg, pudding and jello for four weeks; With that and swimming, when I weighed in the day of surgery, I was 36 pounds down. Dr. Watson was very pleased! My surgery was September 12th and as I write this, I am on day 10 post op. I have lost an additional 6 pounds. I have stuck to the post op diet rigid. My follow up is in a week or two as I live 4.5 hours away from my doc. I will plan on getting a fill, looking forward to solid foods soon :-) SO that is my story. I want to get healthy, stay healthy and be happy. :-)

I think the article is garbage.the media today is not much more than a scandal sheet~sensationalism~bent on selling their station or paper.! Anyone researching the beriatric procedures is informed on the front end-that it is a tool and no miracle cure.if we do as instructed by our surgeons and support groups~i have faith that we will maintain the lifestyle and bodies we seek. I am 10 months out and cautious about portions...i will not ever "stuff"myself again.....so i do not fear stretching my stomach.i fear alcohol and chocolate candy and all the forbiddens. I want to be"normal"too bad!

--eat before you go --don't have even one glass of bubbles -- not necessary to celebrate, and the first glass is enough to lower your judgment and inhibitions about what else to drink or eat --practice what you will say to people who are pressing you to eat or drink so that you say it fluidly and without having to think about it beforehand. Examples: no thank you no thank you, I'm good, sorry, I can't drink, doctor's orders sorry, I'm driving tonight, no alcohol for me no thank you, I don't eat that* You might be surprised how much fun you can have at these celebrations with family and friends when you *aren't* obsessing about food or alcohol or sweets. It's very freeing, and it's great to have the focus be on the people around you rather than whatever you are shoveling in your mouth. I eat before social events, and tell myself that if I see plain meat or green veggies offered, I can eat that, but everything else is simply a non-starter for me. That makes it easier -- no worrying, no stress. I remind myself that I am not going to starve to death if I don't eat for a couple of hours. And I have a great time! *note -- I have found that food pushers respond much better to "I don't eat that" than to "I can't eat that" or "I shouldn't eat that." You say either of those last two things and people will start arguing with you. "Why can't you eat that? You can eat just a little bit." "Yes you should! Just take a little bit, it's the holidays." But when I've said "I don't eat that" or "I don't eat that way" or "I don't eat that way anymore" people take me seriously and stop trying to push food on me. Good luck!

Check with your doctor. Your stomach has been sutured thus has deep wounds. Alcohol can not only aggravate those wounds but it's also a blood thinner. Get your doctor's approval before drinking.

As our bands get tighter, carbonated drinks, such as Beer becomes a greater risk...so be careful of that as your band is prone to be irritated, swollen from surgery still....you have to learn to "Listen" to you band with all things consumed... Have you had the surgery yet???? Two months, let alone 2 weeks after surgery I was nervous about doing anything risky....it was only after being a veteran and knowing my band on speaking terms that I can do certain things.... Alcohol can really irritate the band in a big way, I have found from experience...causing reflux at times, a true sign of irritation...I tend not to drink anything too harsh, and rarely straight....But I am also at the point that with anything I swallow, I get a certain feedback from the band and I know immediately to slow it down, and/or put it down entirely...

Wow! Has it really been that long since I blogged, March 2013! Yes it has been a while. For those of you who do not know me, my name is "Love" and yes I still love my lap band 3 years post op. I am at goal weight and a normal BMI and have successfully maintained that weight for 1 year now. The questions i still get asked are: 1. How much is in you band? ( I have no idea, I have not had a fill since January 2012) 2. How much can you eat? I eat about a cup to a cup to a half of food, Most meals consist of protein and veggies. I am one of those low carb eaters by choice because i still have issues with carbs. One I love them, two they get stuck, and three I lost weight better by eating on the low side. 3. What can you eat? Anything, yes I can eat most foods. The issues for me are, if I chose to eat a slice of pizza it will fill me up much quicker and I will be hunger much sooner. I do eat pizza and small burgers or sandwiches occasionally but it has to be the perfect storm. My band has to be cooperative and I have to be relaxed and take my time. Not the type of foods I eat out in a restaurant. When I eat out I usually eat off the appetizer menu or share with my hubby or friends. I am a cheap date! 4. If you had to do it all over again would you do the surgery again? That would be a big YES, lap band has given me back control over my life and my health. It is true you are what you eat, I eat healthy now and I feel great. 5. Don't you think you are too thin? NO, I am a normal BMI. You are suppose to see my collar bone and I am suppose to be able to feel and see my hip bones. Geez world it is really healthy to be thin. 6. Do you drink protein shakes or eat protein bars? Yes, I still supplement with protein bars and shakes. I do not drink or eat them daily but I always keep a good supply of them around. It took me lots pf trial and error to find protein supplements I like and that taste has changed over the past 3 years. I found the most difficulty finding a protein shake I could stomach the smell and taste of. I personally hated and still do the premixed drinks, too sweet for my taste. I ordered off a bariatric web site in the early days and used a lot of unflavored protein powders. Today, I like Pure Protein, Frosty Chocolate and Vanilla. They are my base and I add flavorings, fruit, peanut butter and ice. I never use milk to mix with unless I am supplementing them as a meal and need the calories. How did I learn to like the powders, it was necessary, I needed to eat between 90-100 gms of protein a day when I was weight training and this was the only way I could get in the necessary protein to build muscle and loss weight. You see I had plateaued for a very long time and still had 30-40 lbs to lose to reach goal. If you eat too little you will not lose weight and your body will stop losing. 7. How long did it take you to lose your weight and how much did you lose? It took me 2 years to reach goal and I lost 132 lbs. I like many of you thought I would have my weight off in a year, boy was I shocked and disappointed when that did not happen. I stalled really bad and stayed the same weight for about 6-7 months right before my 1 year date. 8. Do you exercise? Yes, exercise is key to losing and maintaining weight. These days I am not as aggressive and obsessive as i was when trying to melt off that 132 lbs but I still exercise.You have to really work to find out how your body burns calories and how many you need to maintain. Figuring all this out took me months to figure out. I used a fit bit, my fitness pal and a trainer to help me learn to use my body as a fat burning machine. Fat and muscle weigh the same, a pound is a pound and a pound of muscle does not weigh more than a pound of fat. Use this as your vision, a pound of jello is your fat and a pound of chicken is your muscle. The mass of the jello is greater than the chicken but still weighs the same. That is why when you are exercising and toning you look smaller and the scales my stall. I know silly but so true. Also when you are exercising to build muscle and tone you need to be in your target heart rate to maximize your burn of calories. Losing weight is really a delicate balance of everything and is so much more than just cutting back the calories. 9. Since it took you 2 years to lose the weight why could you not lose it on your own? Well I guess the answer to that is yes, I could have lost the weight on my own without my band but I never, never could have maintained it for a year without my band. I view my band as my safety net, my inner voice, my conscious so to speak. It keeps me focused and honest with my self. I was a closet eater, if no one saw me eat it, it did not count. Sound familiar to anyone? 10. Do you have a lot of excess skin? No, I am fortunate and do not have a lot of excess skin. Do I have a nice tight, firm body. No, I have the body of a 58 year old women who lost 132 lbs and I am very happy with how I look in and out of my cloths. And believe me it has taken me a while to get comfortable with those words. Would I like to have some nips and tucks, yes it would be nice but my WLS does not recommend, At my last visit in June we discussed cosmetic surgery and he informed me that the benefits did not out way the risks for me. My surgery would be completely cosmetic, I have no skin break down or health issues from excess skin. So I am happy with me and my Victoria Secret Boobs! lol 11. Do you consider you are on a diet and do you get tired of watching what you eat? No, I have adopted a healthy life style. Have you ever noticed what skinny people eat, they do enjoy desserts and they do enjoy high calorie foods but they enjoy them in moderation. Moderation and balance is the key to maintaining your weight, learning that your body uses food for fuel and if your intake is lower than your needed use you will gain. So keep moving if you feel the urge to eat. 12; Do you drink while eating? Sometimes but only sips. Fluids fill me up and if I drink while eating I get stuck and PB or slime and neither is pleasant. I do not drink high carbonated beverages, I do have a soda stream and I do drink low carbonated beverages that I make using half a pump of gas I drink these only occasionally when I want to treat myself. 13. Do you drink alcoholic beverages? Yes I do drink Alcohol. I have had several bad experiences with alcohol during this journey and had to learn the hard way that alcohol and weight loss do not mix for me. I always loved martinis but have had to learn that one is not enough and two is too many. So I drink my wine and have an occasional martini on special occasions and savior the entire glass. Remember alcohol is empty calories and has absolutely no nutritious value at all and no a fruity drink is not a substitute for one of your fruits. I do not drink beer, I have tried and for me it is too fizzy and makes my stomach hurt and causes a lot of bloating. 14. Final question, what do you do if you get hungry between meals? Silly question, but here it is. I eat! I try hard not to eat in between meals and to not give into boredom eating or head hungry. I believe in planned snacks. Boredom eating is one of issues that we all have and feel and the sooner you learn to accept and deal with them the better off you will be. We all need to Analyze why we eat and when we eat. i eat when bored and like to snack late at night. So I plan snacks and makes sure they are low in calories or if high in calories they are packed with protein. I do not keep sugary treats around, I keep dark chocolate, protein bars, nuts, peanut butter and bananas, apples and pop corn for snacks. I have to seriously watch the nuts and popcorn and not have them to readily accessible. So this is my life on maintenance, is weight loss easy, NO! Is is worth the effort, YES! Do I love my Band, YES! Would I do it again, YES! Everyone's experience with lap band is different, there are basic rules yes but the key for me was finding out how lap band was going to help me. I honestly do not think about my band these days, it is part of me and how I eat. Small plates and small portions are just how I eat these days. Funny, most of my family now eats off a salad plate these days, I have quilted them into my feelings on why America is fat. Portions... Portion Control and learning to put the fork DOWN and give it 20 minutes before you go back for seconds. I wish all my lap band friends and family success and never compare yourself to others or allow others to make you feel bad about your journey. Me than: Me today:

Dr. Macik was my surgeon too! I go see him tomorrow for my two weeks post op. He's awesome! Pre-op is just low carb/high Protein diet and no alcohol. One thing I also like about Dr Macik that a lot of other surgeons don't do, is he have the nurses put a binder on you before you go home. It's really great for the stomach swelling and makes you feel better all around. I had surgery 7a.m. and was in the hospital two nights. Best wishes! VSG 6/17/2016

Good luck to you...all your fears are normal. I'm surprised he's offering you all the choices at the very end (I knew from the initial seminar). If you're worried about him messing up the port placement, just ask one of the nurses to mark the spot on you with a Sharpie "Port Here" (it's alcohol based, so it's sterile...and they mark people for different surgeries all the time). Or if you're crazy like me, you draw a 'porthole' on your tummy. If it helps, I did a lot of research and chose the LB (but I know you'll find people on both sides of this debate). One of the docs on here who has been in trials for the new Realize 'C' (which most docs don't have access to yet) says he prefers the LB to the old Realize...the new Realize 'C' makes them more equal, but I still would have picked the LB (and the LB site is in the process of being updated so it will eventually be more like the Realize support site). Stay overnight if you can...even though I didn't get much sleep, all my (minor) things happened the 2nd day and I would have had bigger problems at home (like when my blood sugar spiked...I'm not a diabetic so I would have had no way to deal with this). Try to get some sleep tonight, and good luck tomorrow! -BG

If we are here, on a journey to Weight Loss Surgery as a life line to normalcy, we ARE addicts and our choice of drug has become food. Therapy is definitely needed to address all of the underlying issues because we will either revert back to food or likely transfer to something else. I know many people who have had WLS, lost weight and who have gained weight back (myself included) because they didn't work out the inner issues. My brother-in-law lost over one hundred and forty pounds. He switched to alcohol his weight back (and more than what he lost). A coworker had the procedure and is now sexually promiscuous, plenty of people in my support groups have their struggles as well. Just be mindful and set yourself up to win - therapy doesn't hurt anyone. Best wishes

After a week of anxiety and wanting to eat everything I could find (good thing I didn't find anything!), I had my first fill yesterday. So excited to report that my total weight loss is 34 lbs - weight loss from date of operation 22 lbs! I am excited, but I have to make a confession. I haven't given up my wine or bloody mary's - even though I have been drinking SO much less, I haven't cut it completely out. My nurse didn't seem upset about it, but reminded me of the calories in alcohol and to add what I drink to my total calories for the day. I haven't seen anyone on this site ever talk about alcohol.... Well, here I am. I can do without the chocolate, anything sweet, but don't take my wine! LOL I have found a life-saver in food tracking and excercise tracking - MYFITNESSPAL.com There are even apps for every type of phone. I found it very enlightening (however, not surprising) that I was under-counting my calories, so when the tracker showed me the actual calories, carbs, protein and sodium, I made immediate adjustments. The best recommendation on protein shakes I have is make sure you have some everyday! Now that I can eat more, I have cut my protein shake serving down to 8 ounces - which is 23 g protein, 1 carb, no sugar and 95 calories! Doesn't get better than that! It is SMOOTHIE KING'S GLADIATOR chocolate protein powder. Mix it with water. I feel hopeful, excited, nervous and grateful for my new journey with my new best friend, her name is Lapsa. Take care all and I look foward to keeping up on the site - it is most encouraging and educational! Leslie

I agree with you but I have son who was away for a long time for a heroin addiction. Home now, he has started using alcohol and other drugs so isn't an addiction an addiction? Be well. Fran

Sounds like a lot of alcohol stops for someone just out of surgery. Hope you plan on being kind to your sleeve and sticking to water while the others are indulging in the drinking.

To be honest not much except walking and house work.. it seems like the surgery really completely changed my metabolism it's like I can't put on weight anymore... This morning I'm 169lbs and I've pretty much stabilised around 169-171bs for a few weeks now... I've experimented with a few treats like chocolate for Easter and a few alcoholic beverages as well and I still seem to be able to maintain my weight loss...

Well, I still have cravings. My stomach was operated on, not my brain. I agree with Cathy, the band is not meant to be a permanent punishment. Portion control is the key. If you enjoy spaghetti, you can continue to enjoy it, eaten slowly and in moderation. A small hamburger? If it is not a problem getting through your band, is something that you could have occasionally. However, if you are like an alcoholic with food, like "one is not enough" then probably staying away from the "one" is best. For me, I don't have a problem with eating one of my daughter's french fries and being satisfied.

I prefer Protein bars to help boost my protein intake but the sugar alcohols in them really mess my stomach up. Is there a brand without the sugar alcohols?

What do they use to sweeten them with since there are no sugar alcohols? I'm curious now and I think I'll try them out. Thanks!