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I got approval for the gym at 2 weeks with a weight limit of 10 pounds until 6 weeks. Check with your doctor though. I got approval for alcohol when I asked at my 8 week visit. I have had wine twice- definitely more sensitive to it. See how the sugar in juice makes you feel. I haven't had juice yet, but have eaten fruit- the plums taste so foo to me! No problems with them at all but so far I tolerate most things well. Check out the eggface recipes on Pinterest. She has one for ricotta bake that is really yummy. You can also just put gastric sleeve recipes on Pinterest and there are some great recipes/ Good luck!! Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 191 GW 135

Thanks. Just passed the 2 year mark myself, huge changes and still have very similar eating habits to 1 year post (4 oz of protein for a meal). Biggest challenge for me and the only way I've been able to gain wait is alcohol so have to be careful of that. No issues with overeating, if I even approach it I'm in great pain and it serves as a potent reminder so I'm very very careful still. Awesome to hear how well you're doing further out and hope I'm doing just as well. I'm still at goal, super active and loving being thin!

It all began when I graduated high school, moved out with my sweet heart and married him two years later. food became some sort of a comfort for me, through all my ups and downs. they say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, well try two years. It was hell most of the time. Food became the only thing that I felt I could turn to. When I cried, ice cream was my friend. When I was mad and felt like giving up with this whole weight loss thing Mcdonalds was my choice of meal. I thought about food all the time. I celebrated with it, and lived for it. It controlled me. I remember walking through the mall and passing that cinnabon place and every time it got me. I would indulge on the biggest cinnamon bun they had. I tried diet after diet, one being the cabbage Soup diet which resulted in bad breath and a hate for cabbage. I only lost a few pounds. then of course Atkins, oh my. GROSS. I couldnt stand the sight of an egg for weeks afterwards. and I gained. It was 5 years into our marriage and finally I was pregnant! we were so very excited! It was a bit of a rough pregnancy due to my weight but I made it through. although sadly we lost our little boy after 4 months..... downward I spiraled into a depression so deep I wanted to die. I hated everyone, blamed God, and diddnt care about myself. Two weeks after we buried our baby boy I felt a familiar sick feeling and realized I had missed a few periods. To my surprise I was pregnant. Something I wasnt ready for at all as I had my mind set on no kids. I hated not being able to turn to alcohol like i desired to. now here I was pregnant again and I was scared to death. I cried my way through it, worried constantly and half expected to plan another funeral. on novemver 16 2010 we welcomed our little girl into the world. she was perfect! she was healthy and happy and over the months i gradually let my guard down. maybe it was ok to be happy... now i had a sudden new lease on life. i got back on the weight loss wagon and went on a year long diet exercise program. I lost 10 pounds. yes 10 pounds. thats when i went to the doctor. he checked me out and of course all the tests came back normal. my old coworker told me about how she got gastric sleeve surgery so i asked my doctor about it and he sent in a referral to the bariatric clinic in red deer alberta. i was so excted at this chance at weight loss! however they called me a few months later and i actually wasnt big enough for it. my bmi was 37 and you need a min of 41. so i wasnt accepted. so crushed, i went on with my destructive ways of diet then sabotage. a year later and 20 more pounds gained. I got a call out of the blue from the clinic again saying they got another referral for me and this time they accepted me!!!!!!!! i was on cloud 9!!!!!! my life was going to change! i went through 10 months of pre op program and on november 30 2012 i got sleeved. it went fine, my recovery was rough but i made it. ive lost 35 pounds post op, 8 pant sizes, 2 shirt sizes, 3 dress sizes and ive discovered my long lost collarbone. lol. im happy as can be and i have no regrets. ive realized its not about a number on a scale but how i feel. if i can be a healthy size for me whatever that number is, thats good. i want to look good in a bikini, be able to play more with my daughter and feel more attractive to my husband. thats what matters. i know i will make mistakes and i know i can get back up. i know that i can do it and if i keep trying my best and focus i will get there. im on my way to achieving my dream of being skinny and nothing can stop me! ive overcome my emotional need for food and now i eat to live. food no longer means allot to me at all. im FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know so many of you will be able to relate, so please sing along if you know the words! It still amazes me how powerful things that happen in childhood can be. In my case as in so many others', there was no safety from fat criticism at home. In fact, my worst critic was there every night: my mother. My Dad came from a family of alcoholic men and settled in to be one himself. He was also fat, as was my older brother. My younger sisters took after my former-ballerina mother. Mom didn't criticize Dad's drinking in front of us, but his weight? Oh, yeah, that was fair game. Dad and my brother (affectionately known as Doc) and I were all geeky and book-oriented. Rather than running around the yard playing tag, I wanted to read books inside. My first gym teacher was apoplectic at my utter lack of love for sports and running. Mom didn't care so much about that - she still tells the story of how she utterly destroyed the teacher when the teacher called to complain that I didn't know how to skip - but she did care very much about my weight. I don't want to talk yet in-depth about what she said. The post would need a trigger warning if I did. We all know the words, anyway. Years later, I am so very unwilling to tell my family about what I'm doing. Every time I have taken initiative on a health decision, my family has found a way to credit someone else with telling me to do it. My brother-in-law got banded last October, and I know for sure that if I tell my family what I'm considering they'll have two reactions at once: Tell me I'm utterly insane for mutilating myself and also (in the same conversation) it's a good thing I'm FINALLY getting a brain, because W. looks so much better now and I should have done this years ago. I can't tell my sisters, because they'll run straight to Mom. I can't tell my brother, because he lives with Mom while he's looking for work. (These are the brothers and sisters who had an actual, sit-down-and-come-to-Jesus intervention with me when I said I was going to move to Minnesota. Good thing I don't drink or do drugs.) It hurts that I cannot rely on any support from my blood family. It hurts more than I can say. My friends and loves are totally behind me and supportive. Why can't my family be?

Beware of sugar free candies - they can be loaded with sugar alcohols that can wreak havoc with your system. If there is any ingredient with "itol" at the end (malitol, sorbitol, xylitol, etc) - look out - that's a sugar alcohol. For an amusing view of what problems sugar alcohols can cause, read this http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummy-Candy-Sugarless-5-Pound/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC

Would so many sips have affected you pre-op? The sleeve wouldn't necessarily cause alcohol to have a different than normal impact on you post-op as pre op. You still have a pyloric valve, which is the gatekeeper between your stomach and your (normal) intestines. Early post op since you aren't eating as much alcohol might have a slightly greater than normal impact, just as if you were drinking on a nearly empty stomach. The sleeve creates restriction on what you can eat. It really doesn't change digestion. Good luck, Tek

What are you doing in the gym for 2.5 hours? Maybe that's too long and it causes hunger or the feeling that you can eat those things? I gave up alcohol about a month before surgery. I had a protien shake for breakfast pre op (and now still post op). I would have a snack in the morning a few hours after breakfast and a snack in the afternoon a few hours after lunch. I also used, still do, My Fitness pal, that may stop you from eating poorly. Seeing the calories and fat in these things.

As much as I love vaping, and how much better I feel since the switch years ago... If one can just quit cold turkey and never go back, that is just awesome. The money spent is real too. Lol coffee, a caramel green apple vape and knitting gives me the "Je ne sais quoi" daily pleasure. Thank goodness I never cared for alcohol, it makes me nauseous. For that I'm thankful. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Thank you for not being offended. Honestly, we have to do what works for each of us individually, I just wouldn't want anyone to go back to anything when the nicotine withdrawal is already passed. Mental craving is a whole other story... Sort of like head hunger! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Except the SlimFast Carb Control/Low Carb Diet, which is quite a good supplement (other than the somewhat higher calories). It is available in Chocolate and Vanilla and is rich and creamy and very satisfying. It has much better protein than the SF Optima or the SF High Protein. Here's the info from SF Carb Control Creamy Chocolate: 1can (325 ml, almost 11oz) 190cals Total fat 9g (14%DV) Sat Fat 1.5g (8%DV) Trans Fat 0 Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Cholesterol 15mg (5%DV) Sodium 260mg (11%DV) Potassium 550mg (15%DV) Total Carb 6g (2%DV) Fiber 4g (16%DV) Sugars 1g Sugar Alcohol 0g Other Carbs 1g Protein 20g (40%DV)

I waited around 3months out for a glass of wine, and have just stuck to this alcohol. I have had three beers (in holidays in the Baltic Countries) and it took me ages to sip them down and didn't feel that great. I usually have one or two glasses of wine with friends during the weekend though.

Don't beat yourself up, choose to be strong. It is just your body trying to "recover" itself. It is sooo important to keep the weight off for that year after you level out until your body creates a new set point weight. (It's new normal) We have a Dr. that comes to our support group who has spent his life dealing with the medicine of obesity. He told us how they are now using functional MRI's to prove that certain foods, even just the smell, triggers the same neuro-pathways as heroin. They are just as addictive. Unfortunately, just like in drug addicts or alcoholics, even a taste of sugar or fat, even the smell of one of those old unfriendly foods, can make your body remember all those "good times" and trigger your food addiction. The best way to get off of it, is to go back on your week 1 post surgery diet. Protein and water only for 2 weeks. You will lower your blood sugar levels and detox your body. This will quash those cravings again. You did it once, you can do it again. Then Stay Away from the crap food. You worked too hard to go back there!! Good luck!

I agree with the above statements you do not owe anyone an explanation I think your overthinking this just be you, you do. It have to drink alcohol everytime you eat to have a good time, and just because you take your time eating just means your enjoying your food and making healthy and wise choices good luck.

Yes, moderate alcohol consumption, specifically no more than one or two a night, has been shown to be beneficial. However, if you're trying to reduce carbs prior to surgery, you might be well advised to restrict or just temporarily cease alcohol consumption, since those carbs definitely count. But afterwards, once you heal and are on full liquids, have a toast on me!

The program I started says no alcohol at all. Besides the calories, it can dehydrate you and people that have had Bariatric surgery are at a much greater risk for developing alcoholism, even if you never had issues prior to the surgery. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I've been drinking wine and gin-tonics starting at 2 months post-op (yeah I'm a bad boy). Haven't had any issues at all, other than a lower alcohol tolerance

This will not be popular but I would put the wine away. At only three weeks post op you are not able to eat enough to meet your nutritional needs. Alcohol has zero nutritional value whatsoever. I am eight months post op and eat between 800-900 calories a day. I cannot imagine 30 percent if my intake coming from alcohol. It isn’t all about calories, it is about what you feed your body too. Good luck on your journey!

I'm only 1-1/2 years out. I'm considered a success because I'm 80%+ of weight loss. I self sabotaged with alcohol and that has created a big stall though no weight gain. Why did I do Sleeve over other procedures? The Mayo Clinic was in year four of a five year follow study, and the results were nearly identical to the bi-pass with fewer complications. I also had a fear of dumping. Despite the stall, I could not be happier with the results, I climb mountains, run 5K's and have enjoyed the best sex of my life. I did recommit to breaking the stall, quit drinking and I joined the Memorial Day challenge. Let's see if I can get to goal by my 53rd birthday.

Lena-I've been looking at these two sites all morning and I'm thinking now that Fitday might work better for me anyway, so maybe it was one of those 'happy accidents' afterall (we'll call this a 'blondes have mor fun moment'). There don't seem to be nearly as many reports on MyFitnessPal (but I put in some questions on the message board). There isn't even a section for goal reports at all. I couldn't even find a way to show a graph of projected weight loss...and what fun is dieting if you can't keep looking at the goal. I love that graph on Fitday with actual weight loss and the goal line together on a graph...Fitday let me do this projected 2 years out. The thing that worried me about Fitday was there's no 'help' button and as a newbie you get stuck sometimes (like where the heck is SUGAR in the nutrients breakdown?...alcohol?). But now that I know SOMEONE on the site...hee hee Did you upgrade or are you on the free version? -BG

I had diabetes for around 10 years before RNY gastric bypass surgery and was on two types of prescription medicine to control it. But it was still out of control and my doctor recommended I transition to insulin shots. But I ignored his recommendation. Two days after surgery when I left the hospital I was off all my blood sugar medicine and I haven't taken any since. I periodically once per month check my blood sugar levels and they are fine. I am 4 years post-op. I do put a greater focus on reducing processed sugar (in all of its many forms) after surgery. I use natural no-calorie sweeteners such as stevia and synthetic sweeteners such as splenda and sugar alcohols instead. Some individuals do not experience this benefit. Some only see a reduction in the amount of meds they take. From what I can gather it depends on the depth of Type 2 diabetes (how long you have had the disease and whether you transitioned to insulin.) I do not believe this surgery affects those with Type 1 diabetes.

Thanks for reply.. I have 2 days of pre op to go. I’m doing the next 2 strictly shakes and water. ugh I’m so worried. I think I’ve done pretty well considering. I have had no sugar, bread pasta or rice- a few chips here and there.. majorly reduced my caffeine by 3/4, same with the alcohol and no cigarettes for 11 weeks now. I’m being hard on myself but yeh, I am worried about the possibility of a cancellation cos I have had a few blow outs of 300 cal or so over 1200 limit 😩

I'm 11 months out and I simply eat healthy, balanced meals.....Protein, veggies, fruit, fiber and grains. I do avoid white carbs like bread, pasta, rice, and alcohol, but have any and all of them on occasion...probably 3-4 times/month (a lot more when on vacation). I don't measure my portions or count calories, carbs or fat. I have a 30-40g protein smoothie everyday so I don't have to worry about hitting my protein goals and I keep a running tally in my head so I know I'm hitting my fluid requirements. Been maintaining 10-12 pounds under goal for over 3 months, so gotta say this is the easiest "diet" I've ever been on.

Lettuce compare bad dates ( NOT the fruit) Current mood:Sylvan Category: Blogging So, before I get started I have 2 important announcements: 1) - Our newest blog friend, Misbehaving ( I assume everybody has met MB and read his blogs? M, I'm talking to you.....don't be shy......he writes good stuff) pointed out that I've totally ignored my tradition of dedicating a blog to the newest kid on the block, so to speak. This blog is dedicated to you, MB (although the "honor" may be a little dubious). 2) - This blog has been blatantly inspired by MB's latest. Ciss kinda went into it in her comments, and I realized that the story has to be told. In all of its ugliness. To really understand how I got into this mess, everybody needs to understand 2 things about me ( side note- Is this "2 things" a recurring theme? I don't know, my friend.....I don't know): I have trouble telling people "no", and I'm waaaaay too nice. I understand your skepticism, but it's true. The "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere of Atlanta High School was so oppressive, that I had gained a reputation as a "really nice guy" (no better way to get laid in high school, right? yeah) by doing nothing more than NOT insulting people to their faces. Apparently I'd also, by my junior year, captured the attention of a senior lass (Her name is ****). Her father and my father were......not good friends, exactly, but......they knew each other really well. Throughout the year I had avoided going to ****'s Halloween party ( She told me "I'll be wearing a toga"), ****'s Thanksgiving party ( "We're gonna play seven minutes in Heaven"....I didn't know what that was, but I didn't like the sound of it), and ****'s Christmas & New Year's parties ( I knew all about the hazards of mistletoe and 12:00). Spring was rolling around fast, though, and so was prom season. At my house, hints were getting dropped that **** wanted to ask me to her prom. This was an actual conversation: Dad: "I saw Jerry ***** today." Me: "Really." Dad: "He said his daughter thinks you're a fine young man, and so does he" Me: "........." Dad: "He thought you might be a good date for her prom. She's cute." Me: "Dad, she's kinda ugly" Dad: "........." (sending out silent, powerful waves of disapproval) The very next day at school, **** cornered me and asked me to the prom. It was a little awkward, because we almost never spoke. I hemmed and hawed, but for every half-excuse I gave, she had a comeback (I cracked under pressure and couldn't think of a iron-clad excuse. Besides, I was trying to give her the opportunity to save some face, but she was having none of it). Finally, she administered the coup-de-grace: "I've already bought the tickets, and there's nobody else to go with...PLEASE?" Prom time. Everybody parked their cars at the high school and boarded a chartered bus to go to the big city of Texarkana. The whole ride down (about 45 mins) was incredibly awkward and silent. I didn't have any friends in the SR. class of 1987, and I didn't know squat about my date. Since it was a chartered bus, the chaperones were not exactly vigilant about screening for alcohol, and everybody was drinking like a fish (except.....somebody forgot to give me the memo. And I could have used a stiff drink). All throughout the night, I fought off a tipsy, dry-humping **** who was trying to kiss my neck. At one point, my date told me "You ought to take off your shirt and just wear your jacket and bowtie".....(WTF?!?). I declined. It was a looooooooong dance. The bus ride back was even worse. It was very dark, and the slobbery sounds of kissing seemed to be preternaturally amplified. I stared straight ahead, thinking how much of a good-night kiss I'd have to pony up to avoid being talked about. At this point, **** takes my arm, puts it around her shoulder, and for good measure, down the front of her dress. So now I've got a handful of boob (Another sidebar....as a commited boob man, that part wasn't so bad. It was just a little unexpected). It was time to man up and take one for the team, so I made out with her. Just for a little while. When the bus arrived back at the high school, **** and I went to my car (unluckily, like MB, it had bench seats. Because I'm a quick, quick learner, I planted my right hand firmly on the steering wheel). **** leaned over and breathlessly wispered "I don't have to be back anytime. My parents trust you....we can do anything you want.....". What I wanted to say was "Ok, then.....we're off to find some hot chicks". Instead, what came out of my mouth was "Er.....It's already a little past my curfew.....I have to go home". I thought that would get my point across. Wrong. **** was incredibly unfazed, saying "....Well, call me tomorrow and we can do something then". Wow.......I didn't call. Every so often for the rest of the year, My dad would ask if I'd seen **** around, or had heard from her. I would just look at him in stony silence. He got the message. Years later, Ciss and I saw **** at the local Super Wal-Mart ( the social nexus of Cass County) going grocery shopping. **** was loading her buggy up with frozen entreees. "Hmmmmm", said Ciss, "Dinner for one, ****?" It was the best and meanest line I had heard in a long time.

Congratulations on loosing 50 lbs!! It's disheartening I know to regain, but it does happen. You can start losing again if you work at it. You will get different responses to this.. but what I've been taught is that the band is supposed to DIM your hunger. Making it a little easier to control your impulses. It's always possible to eat more and to make poor choices, the band doesn't take over for you. I was told to eat 3 oz of Protein (I actually ate 4oz at the beginning of my journey because I was SMO ~ super morbidly obese ~ and have gone to 3oz as I lost) and 1/2 cup of low carb veggies. Try not to eat white carbs.. white potatoes, white rice, Pasta, bread, white flour products, corn...As these items TEND to be high glycemic and will make you hungry sooner. After eating your protein and produce.. move away from the table. If I am still hungry 20 minutes after I finish my meal, my nurses say I can have more veggies. I'm usually not physically hungry. Oh.. I can eat.. head hunger is almost never quiet.. but actual physical hunger is usually abated by the small meal. Yes, I see that you are saying that you have no control over what you put in your mouth. I know it is difficult, but you do have control. As someone said on another support list today.. food addiction is very difficult. With alcoholism or drug addiction, you can put the addiction in a cage and never let it out. With food addiction you have to let it out of the cage at least 3x a day. If you can't eat solid food comfortably, you may be too tight. When you are too tight it's so much easier to eat soft foods .. and those tend to be higher calorie. You need to be able to eat solid, but tender protein and vegetables. And a tiny tiny bit of whole grain. I have also had all my fills done by the nurses. I have seen my doctor in passing, but never had him do a fill or even an exam room visit with him. I'm perfectly fine with this. I think I might end up seeing him next week on my regular appt as he has started seeing patients on Wednesdays and that's the day of my appt. If you feel the nurses are competent regarding fills, and other follow-up, great. If you are unhappy, then you could ask to have an appt with one of the surgeons, or maybe even look for another bariatric practice. I'm not sure I buy the "no will-power" thing, but I will grant that maybe you really don't have any where food is concerned. Would you be willing to try to learn some techniques to develop some willpower? Look into behavior modification books. A very good one is "The Beck Diet Solution" by Judith Beck. It's not a diet per se, but a guide on how to deal with disordered eating and sabotaging thoughts and actions. Try putting yourself on a feeding schedule, if you know you're going to be able to eat again in a few hours, it might be a bit easier for you. For example: I have Breakfast at 7am. steel cut oatmeal with walnuts & apples & 1 turkey sausage patty or link. If I get hungry before lunch, I let myself have a high protein snack around 10am. Lunch is anywhere from Noon to 1pm depending on my schedule. smoked salmon/reduced fat cream cheese, veggies. PM snack is about 3 hours after lunch. today was a small apple and a cheese stick. Supper is usually about 6:30pm chicken breast & veggies. If I really want something ..and I haven't exceeded my calories, I will have 100 cal. snack (or less) before bed. I try to keep it to a cup of tea, but sometimes I'll have a bit of almonds. I also make myself drink 32 oz of Water between breakfast and lunch. Another 16 oz before supper and the last 16 oz after supper. This doesn't include any flavored drinks or tea I might have. I'm not perfect (fell off the wagon and ate a half box of saltines yesterday.. dang it), but every time I fall off, I get up and try again. You might also try keeping track of your food intake on a website such as The Daily Plate on LIVESTRONG.COM - Calorie Counter, Weight Loss, Food Calorie Counter, Nutrition Facts | LIVESTRONG.COM. I know other folks here really like fitday.com. The website All Things Food and Diet - FatSecret also has it's fans. Just chose one that works for you and use it. I think it's very helpful to record what I'm taking in. I can also make a printout when I go in for my appts and the nurse and I can discuss where I'm doing well and where I need to make changes. I know you said you exercise, but it might be that your body has become accustomed to what you are doing, you may need to do some extra or some intervals. Do you belong to a gym? If you do, see if they have any trainers who will work with you for a short period of time. I know I used to think that hiring a trainer was an indulgence.. and it is to a degree, but they can be very helpful. And not all of them are expensive. Does the bariatric group you're involved with have support groups? Do you attend? If they don't have any, may I suggest joining this one online? SmartBandsters : Smart_Bandsters health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SmartBandsters/ I hope I haven't come across harsh and unfeeling. That's not my intention at all. I'm impressed at how far you've come and am so glad you're reaching out for help.

Regarding exercise, it doesn't need to be a long, grueling workout. Just go for daily walks, and start small and gradually lengthen them. Regarding the alcohol, I'd suggest seeking out a support group or counselor.

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