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How did I let this happen again? I had lost nearly 60 pounds, and slowly but surely, the weight had reappeared. I say that as though it happened without my knowledge or consent. I guess it would be more appropriate to say I put the weight back on. I wear it around like a lead coat. It stifles me, it breaks me, it pains me. Yet, I have done this over and over and over for my whole life. All the fluffy girls reading this know exactly what I am talking about. As a collective, we have probably gained and lost the same 60 pounds a million times. I hate to think it is because I am lazy, or that it is because I have no will power. I know that’s what most people think when they look at me - that woman is a glutton. I suppose there is some truth to it. Although, if they knew how disheartening it is to reach a goal, only to have it taken away . . . wait, there I go again, acting like some invisible power caused this. I know I have to take responsibility. I did this to myself. It didn’t happen to me, I caused it. But could it be that I can’t help it? It may be my fault, but maybe I just need some help to be successful. I tried many different things to “help” but nothing worked in the end. Weight Watchers was great, and I certainly learned a great deal about what foods to eat, and what portion size I should be eating. I remember the first time I learned about the portion size for pasta and rice. I think I laughed out loud. I did lose weight, quickly at first, but I never could get past that 40 pound mark. I had such a long way to go, over 100 pounds, and stalling out at 40 pounds just threw me over the edge. And when I would cheat, I WOULD CHEAT. I think it is a great deal like being an alcoholic. If I had one drink, or in my case, bite, it was all over. Forget about moderation, or “Points” or whatever. Then getting back on the wagon was harder than ever. Again, I know, excuses, excuses. Nevertheless, that was my pattern. I even tried medication for a while. I went to my doctor and begged for help. I remember saying, “I think something must be wrong with me. Even when I am really good, for a really long time, I can’t seem to lose the weight I need to lose!” So she gave me Wellbutrin. It states clearly that it is a medication for depression that should not be taken by people with eating disorders. Well, at 300 pounds, isn’t it fair to say I had an eating disorder? 50 pounds later, gained, not lost, I decided to quit taking Wellburtin. It definitely took the edge off, and helped me realize that I probably have some anxiety issues to work on, but it certainly did not help me lose any weight. In fact, it just made me complacent. The end result, however, was that it did force me to recognize that I have an addiction to food. It forced me to recognize that there was not going to be an easy fix for me. That was a huge disappointment. So, this last bit of temporary weight loss came from a surprising turn of events. I was pregnant, and all of a sudden, food was not my first priority. Taking care of the little being inside me was the most important thing of all. Because I was so large, 355 to start the pregnancy, my doctor was very worried about gestational diabetes. I met with a dietician at the hospital, and I followed her directions to the letter. I cut back on carbs, no more orange juice, lots of fiber, plenty of protein. Well, compared to the fast food junk I had been living on up to that point, it was no surprise that I started to lose weight. All told, I gained 13 pounds through my pregnancy, but lost 35 immediately after my daughter was born. Then, the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life occurred. My dear little one came 6 weeks early and was critically ill. She had to stay in the NICU for nearly a month. For the very first time in my life, I did not turn to food for comfort. In fact, I could not stand the thought of eating a thing. Leaving the hospital without your baby is the most unnatural thing in the world. I felt like I was literally being torn apart. I remember, the night I was discharged from the hospital, my husband and I were walking across the parking lot, and I said, “I feel like I am forgetting something.” Then I broke down and bawled. I don’t think I quit crying for the rest of the evening. I had to pump every three hours because I was hoping to breast feed my baby. Since I wasn’t eating, there wasn’t any milk to pump. I didn’t figure this out for about three weeks, and was getting very discouraged. However, I did find it funny that every time I turned around, someone was trying to make me eat. It was the strangest thing! My father especially, who was such a champion for me during that time – driving me back and forth to the hospital – would always try to get me to eat. I just couldn’t do it. In the end I lost an additional 20 pounds, creating an ultimate weight loss of about 55 pounds at that point. Eventually, my beautiful baby did come home. She is the light of my life. Being her mother is what I have been waiting for. I know all mothers probably feel this way, but she is the most lovely creature I have ever seen. She spreads such joy everywhere we go! I feel so blessed to have a baby that can make even total strangers smile with glee. I continued to lose weight. Ava and I walked every day. All the climbing up and down the stairs with baskets of laundry didn’t hurt either. Breastfeeding did work out in the end, so I know that helped me shed a few pounds as well. All told, I lost over 60 pounds. Then, I had to go back to work. Summer was over, and I had to return to my job as a literacy specialist at an elementary school. I started eating again. It happened slowly, and I saw it happening, but I didn’t do anything about it. It was as though I could watch myself through someone else’s eyes, but I didn’t try to intervene. I just kept eating. WHY? I have thought about this a great deal, and I don’t have any good answers. Was I feeling guilty about taking my baby to daycare? Probably. Was I worn out and looking for comfort? Probably. Was I wishing for more consistent help from my husband? Probably. Are those good reasons to gain 60 pounds? Absolutely not. So here I am, obese again, trying to raise a well-adjusted girl in the United States. That is why I have made this decision. She is the reason I am going to be successful this time, even though I have been unsuccessful all the other times. I want to raise her, not watch her from the sidelines. I want to still be alive when she gets married and has beautiful babies of her own. I want to be able to chase her if she is getting into harms way. I will do this. So that brings us up to date. I have decided to have gastric banding, also known ad Lap-Band surgery. This simply has to work. I have to do the hard work to make it work. I am going to be successful at this! Several things happened to bring me to this decision. My good friend Heidi had gastric bypass surgery a little over a year ago. I mention this for several reasons. First of all, I love Heidi. I have always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, even when she was heavy. Second, Heidi has always reminded me of myself. We were both women of faith, school teachers, intelligent, opinionated and well-read. I hold her in the highest esteem and respect her immensely. When Heidi told me she was going to have gastric bypass surgery, I was so excited for her. She had followed a path similar to mine, struggled with her weight all her life, tried all the commercially available programs, all to no avail. I was a bit worried of course, especially because I had just heard about another person I knew that had died from complications from bypass surgery. I started thinking about the notion of never being able to eat gluttonous amounts of food again. I thought about not being able to drink a can of soda pop. I thought about eating only Dixie Cup sized potions. Yuck. That was not for me. Not only that, it scared me. (continued in part two)

Its hard to believe my banding is only one week away now. I've been working on this ALL YEAR, literally. I decided in early December last year that I was going to pursue getting WLS and after 6 months nutrition visits, two denials, two appeals, and finally one APPROVAL, I am scheduled for Lapband surgery in exactly one week, 12/17!!! Ever since my approval, I have been feeling more optimistic about my whole life and have been making healthy changes to my lifestyle. My surgeon does not require a pre-op diet, though, so I haven't really buckled down or made any real rules for myself. The only exception being that I cut out alcohol last week. I love my wine and gin and it just doesn't seem healthy to keep that up going straight into surgery. And, this week, I want to really buckle down and be as healthy as I can without actually restricting calories or being hungry. So, I've decided on a few rules for this week. Here goes... Diet: drink at least 8 big glasses of water per day cut out rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes (focus on protein and non-starchy vegies instead) replace b-fast w/a protein shake minimize sweets (eat yogurt or jello if I want a dessert) continue w/no alcohol Exercise: 45 minutes/day either walking outside or on the treadmill (normally I prefer to do Jazzercise, but I'm not supposed to for at least one month after surgery so I gotta get used to walking instead) Other: use my CPAP machine every night (I haven't been and my surgeon wants me to) practice using the spirometer gadget they gave us in pre-op class I think if I do all this I will be in good shape for sugery in a week. Wish me luck! :sneaky:

Its hard to believe my banding is only one week away now. I've been working on this ALL YEAR, literally. I decided in early December last year that I was going to pursue getting WLS and after 6 months nutrition visits, two denials, two appeals, and finally one APPROVAL, I am scheduled for Lapband surgery in exactly one week, 12/17!!! Ever since my approval, I have been feeling more optimistic about my whole life and have been making healthy changes to my lifestyle. My surgeon does not require a pre-op diet, though, so I haven't really buckled down or made any real rules for myself. The only exception being that I cut out alcohol last week. I love my wine and gin and it just doesn't seem healthy to keep that up going straight into surgery. And, this week, I want to really buckle down and be as healthy as I can without actually restricting calories or being hungry. So, I've decided on a few rules for this week. Here goes... Diet: drink at least 8 big glasses of water per day cut out rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes (focus on protein and non-starchy vegies instead) replace b-fast w/a protein shake minimize sweets (eat yogurt or jello if I want a dessert) continue w/no alcohol Exercise: 45 minutes/day either walking outside or on the treadmill (normally I prefer to do Jazzercise, but I'm not supposed to for at least one month after surgery so I gotta get used to walking instead) Other: use my CPAP machine every night (I haven't been and my surgeon wants me to) practice using the spirometer gadget they gave us in pre-op class I think if I do all this I will be in good shape for sugery in a week. Wish me luck! :tongue2:

Make sure you test your reaction at home.. I used to drink and could handle a lot of alcohol.. After bypass I tried wine, White Russians and vodka with crystal light.. It all went right to my head and made me feel awful. Some times I had no problem and could sip but other times I felt terrible.. I have decided to not drink since it was no longer enjoyable..

I'm ok with no alcohol, I'm on meds that can cause liver failure if you drink with them.. I've been on them since my mid 20s. I don't miss it at all anymore to be honest. (And I was one to only drink liquor-I craved it) We were told at our doctors office that there was an unusually high number of people who had WLS and because they didn't realize how it affected their blood alcohol level- they didn't "feel" buzzed, but they really were technically legally drunk, that there were a bunch with DWIs.. Then there's the whole trade off addiction. Sadly I have a friend who had gastric bypass and had a DWI & is an alcoholic-I'm not sure how bypass plays out vs. the sleeve though.. Another friend who has the sleeve claims she can drink tons & feels nothing-she will not drive though..

Ok so obviously if you drink it must be in moderation, and the tolerance for it goes way down after surgery. I also know about empty calories and that alcohol should be avoided if possible for this and many other health related reasons. I know all of this. My question is specifically, after lap-band surgery, are there any harms that come from drinking alcohol that you wouldn't have had before hand (besides lower tolerance)? Such as "LB does such and such and therefore the liver blah blah". Any good medical reasons are what I'm looking for. I don't plan to have any yet, I'm really just curious. TIA!!!

This was a great my story. I appreciate your outlook. For so many people to say that people have this surgery for vanity you really are a poster child for what this surgery is about. Its not about vanity. Sure part of it is, it would have to be, but the majority is about life. It sounds like you have had an issue with self esteeme, though i think you would be hard pressed to find any of us on this forum that didn't at one point or another. I, like you was not always 300+ lbs. I dont know what changed but it is interesting to think that everyone does comment on eatting when your big and want to lose weight. Its not funny and its not even appropriate so i appologize if i offend anyone but i dont walk around telling a COPD patient that they shouldnt have started smoking in the first place. Or tell someone with liver disease thats an alcoholic just stop drinking. There are medical conditions and psychological conditions associated with being overweight and instead of looking at it like that they just go, Hey, stop eatting. Makes me want to go Np buddy, hey stop breathing.....mean i know.. Back to your story though, its good to read peoples feelings. I know i'm a guy and i am supposed to keep the majority of this ooshy gooshy stuff bottled up but the bottom line is thats not who i am. I am still pre-op and i only hope that i can do as well as it sounds like you have done. This world would be a lot better place if more people would work on the "heart" rather than everything else. Thanks for sharing your story and i look forward to more of your posts. Have a great evening.

The effects of alcohol on weight loss? Negative. Alcohol has no nutritional benefit for weight loss. It is empty calories. Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Hi MsNeka, I'm just starting my process with banding but from all I've read on this site everyone is happy with it and lots have been banded for years so don't concentrate on the negative, I think we still have to use our heads when eating but we're not getting any better the way we are...RIGHT?...I know people that had the Gastric By-Pass that have gained their weight back but if you see what they eat you'd see why. A girl at work had hers By-Pass 2 years ago and she has put on some weight but she snacks on cheetos and junk, plus she drinks alcohol quite a bit too so there you go...we still have to be sensible when we eat and with the banding we won't be able to eat as much either...think of it that way...how many diets have you been on and when you went back to eating the "Old" way you gained it back? Every one...It's a life changing procedure...so don't concentrate on the negative think POSITIVE!!!...You can do this!!!

It's highly likely that you are feeling this way because of the caffeine. There's a reason why some doctors tell their patients to avoid caffeine after the surgery. You are feeling stronger effects of the coffee because your stomach is smaller. It's the same with alcohol. Those who drink after the surgery will most likely get drunk more quickly. For example, if it takes 8 shots to get you drunk before the surgery, then it may take only 1 or 2 shots to get you drunk post-op. Same goes for caffeine. I've been taking Adderall for years. Now that I've had my surgery, the Adderall makes me feel like I'm anxious and having a hard time breathing (but only sometimes). My sister has a strange reaction to coffee. Every time she drinks it, she feels paranoid and even questions peoples' intentions.

Alcohol pads did It for me

I agree with the alcohol. Just pour some into some gauze and let it soak for a few minutes. Comes right off.

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:.

My nut said you cannot drink again after the sleeve. She said we will not be able to tolerate even one beer without getting extremely drunk. Anyone post sleeve had anything to drink?

As some of you know I'm 47 and divorced, will soon be 2 years this month. Let me start how my weight gain all started for me, I wasn't an obese child nor a teen. I married my high school sweetheart in 1986 and boy did I think I knew the world, if I knew then what I know now, ha. He was shy and I was the outgoing one, he was super skinny and I was average. He ate and ate and ate and I thought I could eat along with him so my weight kept creeping up over the years of our marriage little by little. By 1990 I weighed 199, said to myself I'd never let myself weigh over 200, I ate crow alright. We were unable to have children so we occupied ourselves in the life of luxury of world travels and cars and later in life our dream home in '06. By that time he had a corporate job, I had not worked in years and we had our dream home with a pool. It was all I could do to keep house it was so huge but I loved it. Guess you could say starting in '06 I could see a change in him and I began to stress eat more. His job was very stressful, afterall he managed a factory, oh how proud of him I was but then the alcohol began and then my food addiction began. From 2006 until he left me Oct '09 I literally watched him become a full blown alcoholic and my eating had well, let's just say I gained about 25 lbs. He began staying out late till the wee hrs of the night/morning in bars, coming home drunk, it was horrible. Then on that fateful afternoon in Oct. '09 he came home and said he was leaving me, I was devastated to say the least. I had no idea he wasn't happy. Yes we had our ups/downs like anyone else but I guess he had gotten tired of looking at a fat wife, I had let myself go, certainly not the girl he married. I stayed in the marital home a few months until I couldn't care for the acreage and pool and he made me move out and he move back in. At this time he had asked for a divorce and I was at my all time low, a deep depression. I guess I have to admit I was on the verge of suicide but I'm deeply religious and knew better and had it not been for my faith in God and my mom and of course my Psychiatrist I never would have made it out of the dark hole. My mom stepped in and bought me a home close to her and I rented it from her. Guess she wanted to give me my independence for the first time in my life. By this time it was May of 2010, divorce proceedings were ongoing, I was living alone and eating and eating. BIG mistake. I had no accountability, I was sitting alone in a house with a dog and a tv and eating whenever and whatever I wanted. I literally was eating myself to death. I knew I didn't want to die an early age like my dad but yet I still kept eating. I had ballooned to 294, I was huge, could hardly walk, couldn't breathe. In early June '12 I moved in with my mom for financial reasons and she sold the house, talk about humbling, having to move back in with a parent at age 47. One afternoon I asked my mom to go with me to a seminar for lap band surgery, this was April 2012. What a revelation. Yes I had done my homework, I had actually gone to a seminar back in '08 but wasn't ready mentally then. This time I was ready. The next day I called my ins, they covered it, called the dr's office made an appt, got right in, from start to finish I was banded in like 4 weeks, his office pushed my ins approval thru really quick. Needless to say this saved my LIFE. Has it been a struggle, yes, I struggle each and every day with head hunger and sweets and sometimes give in, that is why my weight loss is slow but I'm proud of my 68 lbs in 1 year and will never look back. My eating habits have changed, for the better of course, I look at food differently, I taste it now instead of gobbling it down. Had it not been for all of you all on here answering my questions throughout this last year and Jean's book I don't think I could have survived my first year. Thanks to all of you out there you're the best! You guys are family!!! Looking forward to the next 12 months of a happier, healthier new me. Donna

Hello, I just got banded on the 14th and my doctors says not to drink alcohol and carbonated drinks for a month after surgery. I know plenty of people who consume them and had no problems. I hope this helped you!

there's a clip on youtube where a doctor tells a woman who has had the lapband put in and is getting a fill that she shouldn't have alcohol because once the alcohol breaks down in the body it turns to sugar. she also told her that she should wait until she is losing more consistantly to consider having a drink. here's the link. hope this helps!!! <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src=" " type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Erika S.

Fuze Slenderize has a Cran-Raspberry that tastes great with Vodka - it's low carb & low cal. I haven't had any alcohol yet since being banded but if I drink with friends at home- that will be my drink of choice.

I had my first drink at 6 months. Doctor and NUT recommended we wait 3 months and to ease into it. Alcohol may affect you differently as a post op. It might be a good idea to drink on occasion or in moderation if you are going to as calories add up fast. For me, 1-2 drinks a month, mainly as a social thing.

Depends, are you talking water or alcohol? Water, the next day after my first leak test. Alcohol, about 4 months out. Just a couple sips of wine, no beer cause of carbonation.

I was cleared to drink alcohol at 6wks.

I had my sleeve on September 14th and had my first drink about 4 weeks later. I also enjoy an occasional cocktail, and know all about the empty calories so I switched from my regular rum and coke to vodka and diet cranberry juice - which has become my new drink of choice. I still enjoy a cocktail or 2 about once every 10 days or so. My surgeon had told me that I had to be careful with alcohol because l would be feeling the effects sooner that I expected. I didn't experience that but think it was because I sipped the 2 drinks over a period of 3 hours. On the benefit side, the alcohol helped my bowels move as I am constantly constipated from all the Protein I am taking in.

So you weren't really that hungry after surgery? I know this is not that important but what about alcohol? Not that I am planning on getting drunk anytime soon (empty calories and carbs) but I do enjoy a glass of wine here and there and would like to do it again someday. Is there a restriction on coffee if you use artificial sweetners?