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There are many journeys that had us arrive at the pre-op weight that we were. For me, I was a stick in grade school, high school and college. I was soooo active, I remember eating a Big Mac and two hambeurgers (in one sitting) on a regular basis. Back then, I could not gain weight at all. However, as I am sure this resonates with some...I started slowing down, drinking alcohol...but in some respects I never changed my eating habits (well, except for loathing fast food). Pre-op, did I eat the wrong things?? I am sure I did, however, my biggest weakness was portion control. I was never a big sweets guy...only would partake on occasion. Now that I am sleeved, I am forced to change some of my habits. I was sleeved almost 6 weeks ago...and I can relate to what Laura-Ven stated, about mind set. I have evolved in just the past two weeks. It is commonly held, that it takes approx six weeks to make a habit change permanent. There are things that I have chosen not to re-introduce, as I see them as a threat to my overall goal...slider foods are one of them. Do I believe that everyone needs to follow that?? Absolutely not! I do believe that we should all become as knowlegable as we can, then try to objectively weigh the risks and choose what you want to do. Cindy, I am happy it is working for you! And I wish you success in the future, and I think everyone on this forum is or should be rooting for all to succeed!

Hey! Umm, honestly I eat whatever I want and I drink alcohol too. Which is bad I know but I really have no consequences, I'm still losing a pound a week and that's what I expected to lose being that I was a low bmi. People tell me I don't need to lose much more but I know I am cause I want to be smaller. Everyone notices that I've lost a good amount of weight and it's very rewarding. I always make sure I eat Protein first whether it be meat or cheese but I do eat chips and bad stuff I shouldn't. I think I became lactose intolerant because I tried to eat ice cream and I had bad pain and diarrhea. It was awful. But I probably don't get all my Water in either and that's the worst part. I need to improve on that a lot.

For me, I learned a lot of faulty beliefs about food as a child. My Dad, who had schizophrenia, was never very loving (actually extremely abusive) but on occasion, when he felt especially happy, he'd share his joy, and love with us buy buying junk food. I remember him carrying me on my shoulders at around 4 years old down to the corner store and bought me those little chocolates wrapped in foil in the shape if a football! That's a special memory for my because I've had very few experiences of feeling loved by him. (Food = love) I was the oldest of 9 children. I had a lot of responsibility and stress growing up seeing as my dad was unreliable mentally and our mom was a raging alcoholic with a mood and anxiety disorder. I felt very comforted with food. I liken it to a drug. I could eat so much pizza that it would get me high. I would feel relaxed and happy afterwards. (Food=escape) I was never called fat in kindergarten, but that changed in 1st grade. It was so humiliating. I was ostracized from my classmates and I hardly ever had friends through out school. Thats when I knew I was fat. My mom said I wasn't and that it was baby fat and I'd grow out of it. I didn't. I got bigger and bigger. I went through a little phase where I tried not eating. I wasn't very good at that. (Food=companion) So this little fat girl grew up to be a fat teen with very low self esteem. The first boyfriends I had at that time were real scumbags and of course that's all I thought I deserved, subconsciously anyways. They were into the drug scene and I made some pretty poor choices back then, experimented with drugs, sex, and alcohol. During this time I lost weight. I remember fitting into a size 16 and I felt like I was getting skinny. Food wasn't an issue for me at that time. Male attention was my drug of choice. It sure felt good to feel wanted and be given compliments and to have that void in me, that deep dark hole of just desiring to belong and feel significant temporarily filled by the strange men. By the grace if God, I was able to pull my self out of that. But at 15 and having had many many horrible experiences, I developed depression. And there was my good ol' frenemy FOOD. (Food=antidepressant) I got my first job at Taco Bell. I was 16. I ate whatever I wanted. I was up to 230lbs and 5'3". There were times I tried to diet and exercise, just never worked out. I met my husband there. He liked me because I was big. He was into that. I never felt pressured to lose weight and he treated me to anything I wanted. (Food= love) He didn't do it to hurt me, he saw feeding me as making me happy which it would do. For years though, I'd cry to him. "I'm so fat, my knees hurt, my back hurts, I can't climb stairs, I broke your moms chair, I hate my self, that's why I can't get pregnant, I'm too fat, I can't lose weight, I need help, promise to help me?, don't let me eat too much.... And on and on. He'd try. He would really try to help. The addiction was too powerful. I decided I need to do something about it. I started researching fertility treatments and they assured me if I were to lose weight I'd greatly increase my chance to get pregnant. I researched the lap band back then, before anyone really heard of the sleeve. I decided that that's what I wanted. I had to lose 30lbs to get the surgery and I put my butt to work! I wanted a baby! I was infertile for 5 years and once I lost those 30lbs I got pregnant. I was around 250-260lbs then. I said well to heck with getting the lap band now! At the end of my pregnancy with my son I was a whopping 310 lbs. (Food= I can eat more when I have an excuse...I'm feeding two!) Some of the weight came off and I was pregnant with my daughter at 276lbs. I was 300lbs at the end of that pregnancy. I was the fat mom. The lazy mom. I was the fat wife that just found out after (at that time) the whole 9 years I had been with my husband he had been cheating on me with another woman!!! I was not going to be fat anymore!!! I pursued wls and had my sleeve on 2/13/13. I am down 116lbs. Currently weighing in at 185lbs at 6 months post op. I have had the most bumping road I could have imagined for my self. I have had several breaking-up and getting-back-together episodes. I had an extremely slutty stage too where I was reverting back to what filled my void as a teen since food wasn't an option anymore. I cheated on my husband with random men. I was a mess. As for right now, I'm doing good. I'm happy with my husband and have not been promiscuous. Doing pretty good eating wise and working on becoming a better me. I'm learning to love myself in a way that heals my void so that I wont rely on an external substitute. I am learning to be really nice to me. Now if I can only quit smoking! Lol, but really I need to.

I also like the idea of feeling like I'm not on a "diet", and can occasionally eat comfort foods. I can have a few bites of potato salad or a hot dog, for example, things I would never have allowed myself when I was on a diet before. And I don't feel deprived, or fearful, knowing my sleeve will help keep me in check. But I also know I am an "addict" and one bite of sweets, crackers or chips, will make me want more and more. I have decided that for me, those things are like booze to an alcoholic. So I choose to never eat candy, cookies, cake, chips, pastries, etc. again. I don't trust myself. Everyone is different in how they handle foods, especially "trigger foods", and which ones they can control and which they can't. For me I'm happy with healthy foods most of the time, an occasional few bites of a higher calorie treat, and living without those things that used to make me binge. If you can lose weight with portion control, and are eating healthy most of the time, more power to you! Good luck.

I am only 2 weeks post but my doctor says no alcohol for at least a year.

So true, the funny thing is my surgeon doesn't say no alcohol, they say its not gonna hurt you any... just moderation. Get a shot and sip on it over a few hours and drink it with Water if you want. Do what makes you feel comfortable. I am not a big drinker. I gave up soda, do I miss it yeah.. if my dr says i can drink it again I don't know if I would. I do want to be able to go to a friends house and not have to bring my own food, I want to be normal and just eat a small portion. If that means I have to drink a Protein drink or 2 because I can't get it all in then I will. Guess I am different than a lot of people. Do I plan on eating better and healthier, of course. But my problem was portion control.. Now that I have my tool, I can control my portion control.

This is pretty much how I feel, I don't mind giving up soda or alcohol forever, but I'm not giving up my pizza!! I basically wanted to try to re-learn how to eat and not be a pig! Have 1 slice and be satisfied instead of thinking I need to eat a whole large by myself. If I want a few chips I'm going to eat them! I really just hope this is a lifestyle change in regards to making me realize that a small portion is just as good! Amanda

Jose Cuervo light margarita. Already has the alcohol in it. 4oz = 95 calories

Ok Im playing devil's advocate for a minute.. Yes, there are situations where a person may have a cane due to some medical ailment not related to weight, however, there are a fair share of those who have canes because of their weight too. It's impossible to discern between the two, and thus people are making rapid judgments because our brains are designed to do just that. So let's take that snapshot judgement and analyze it... why do we change our behavior when obesity vs disease (assuming you see it differently) is the culprit. Disease is easier to discuss. We have empathy for anyone who is 'inflicted' with a disease, disorder, condition outside their control and must live with the disability it renders. Thus we want to diminish their pain and inconvenience. But the key phrase, might be outside "their" control Now let's look at obesity. I would presume the majority of our society sees obesity as self driven, not as a disease. Thus the inconveniences that go with being overweight (joint issues, inability to fit in standard seats, lack of clothing options etc) seems avoidable. It's the same mentality with cancer. Horrible when it's breast cancer, not so horrible when a smoker gets lung cancer because they ignored the warnings. The result seemed predictable and thus is sympathy and pity warranted? Most would say no. I think people are naturally uncomfortable with the concept of self abuse. It's taboo and poorly discussed in our society. People don't know how to cope with family members who are drug users, alcoholics etc. Same goes for dealing with obese people if you've never had to deal with it. People become judgemental because they are ignorant, but also because of the emotions it arises in themselves. Examples include: disgust that someone would abuse themselves despite the apparent health issues, frustration that the person would rather live poorly than seek help, even anger when their disability becomes a burden onto others as well as themselves. The list goes on... SOME of the thinking is off base. Without full comprehension of what obesity is, that it is indeed a disease, and how difficult it can be to manage, people are not ready to offer their sympathy and concern. THey receive negative feedback in public by obese persons and that's hard to refute. Examples include overweight woman using handicap carts instead of walking, obese man eating a dinner for 5 while sitting in a wheelchair and has a nasal canula blowing oxygen, than there's the those who live out the lazy/dirty stereotypes who cant keep up with hygiene or sit in front of tvs all day instead of joining their families etc. This is a very hard thing to contend with when trying to educate the public that being obese warrants sympathy. People resent being enablers and sometimes their actions are a form of tough love to counteract the mentality that obesity should be supported. Personal example: I was a 250 lb nurse. I worked with another nurse who was closer to 400 lb. It was an absolute embarrassment and infuriating experience working with her. She elected to sit all day on a rolling chair. She would roll from one side of the room to the next, patient to patient. She would yell across the room and ask you to do her tasks since you were in the area (like if I was in the supply room, that was her cue to ask me to get her supplies) to avoid the extra steps (or leg sweeps in this case). I was embarrassed that patients/families would see this. Nursing should not be seen as limited or lazy. What happens in an emergency..imagine doing chest compressions sitting in a chair for instance. We carried a huge burden compensating for this nurse. And even though she didn't want to be discriminated against, she sure didn't mind inconveniencing the rest of us. Does this warrant help and sympathy? Not for me Even I struggle with not being judgemental and I use to be obese. Am I at fault? It's a visceral feeling to not be ok with someone else's choice to allow themselves to go that badly before getting help. It's the equivalent of self preservation. Because you react to it poorly it tells you its not accceptable for you and thus it discourages that behavior. Some of this is surmised at a very subconscious level. Some are just fortunate to not be inflicted with obesity and thus don't understand how some things can't be avoided, only managed. There lies the distinction. So without knowing people personally you will always be subject to making snapshot judgements. And yes, even the obese are judgemental! By no means am I trying to not be sympathetic to your specific experience/situation. I'm just trying to shine light on a very old argument.

My husband has gout issues. He is very sensitive to fish, lentils, alcohol, asparagus and brocolli. He try's to make sure that he gets 3L+ of water a day. He takes a medication called Colchicine. He takes 1 tablet a day when he is in remission and 3/day when he has a flare up.

I'm three months out and have tried both beer and wine. It didn't get me drunk at all, just very dehydrated. You will feel the alcohol flow but depending on your body's reaction, you will either get plastered or just dehydrated. Personally, at 4 weeks out, I would wait. At least, you have something to look forward to later on.

Just curious how many people have tried alcohol soon after their surgery? I am nearly 4 weeks post op and just curious if anyone has tried alcohol this soon out? I haven't and my surgeon didn't really say much about it they just said that only drink occasionally (socially) and don't let it become a habit? Would it be bad to try a drink so soon after surgery? (Like tequila on the rocks? Or whiskey on the rocks?) if I took it slow and only had one? I'm going to a bday party tonite and just want to have a drink?... Plz no judgments just curious if it's a bad idea or not? Thanks

I used rubbing alcohol as the strips lifted to remove the residue and stop the itching. Hope that helps.

You did better than I did. I'm 10 days POST-op (which isn't much different than pre-op diet). I decided I'm just not ready for outings like these where there is food and alcohol (and cigarettes). I know I will learn to handle these things, but right now I'm too new to this way of life. Good luck to you! The weekend will be over before you know it!!

TARPHR - I usually eat around 800 calories a day. I follow the rules and eat high protein (about 3 ounces at a time always measured!) avoiding sugar and carbs. I try do drink alcohol only once a week. Also, I track everything I eat on My Fitness Pal. I'm TinaATL on there and my diary is public if you want to exactly what type of foods I eat. I still have a piece of dark chocolate almost every day but it's just one 42 calorie Dove dark promise instead of a king size Snickers like in the "old days".

They are there to see if you have food addictions and if you do, to help you before and after you have surgery. When I had my eval, there were a lot of questions about depression, alcohol abuse, drug abuse (which all tend to be associated with addictive personality). I think if they find you have an addiction, they want to be able to help you not to fail if you have the surgery. And to make sure you are capable of making that type of decision. I have also heard from multiple people including one of the NPs at Buffalo General that after you have surgery if you have a food addiction, people tend to "shift" their addictions to something new, whether it be alcohol, drugs, etc. I agree though, it would be nice to have a psychologist that has some personal experience with the situation. I went to Colleen Edwards in Elma, Ny. I have a history of depression and drug abuse when I was younger, she recommended counseling, but she said that she recommends counseling to everyone. I don't know what kinds of insurance she takes, but I have united healthcare.

You are definitely not alone in this struggle. Last night I had a couple of drinks - used up that last chilled bottle of champagne (no more carbonation for me!). Oddly, the drinks weren't that good (I pretty much stopped drinking a month ago so this was a true last blast). I just wanted to have a "mimosa funeral" since Monday I'm starting my own version of a 2 week pre-op diet and alcohol can be a real no no after surgery. Hang in there!

Just got back today from our 9 night Caribbean Cruise... This has not been our first since I was banded, but our 3rd...and all I can say is each time, including this cruise, the band has performed magnificently...!! I do not count calories, nor do I measure portions...(have not for 2-1/2 years.....I do rely on the band, and being in the green zone to do that for me...and this vacation experience was no exception... I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, all the time letting the band dictate the parameters.... and it was physically impossible to overeat!!! Even when I tried! Every night in the dining room, I left 1/2 the food on my plate, simply could not go on because the band sets my portion sizes.... One night, I forced the issue and went for that 2nd lobster tail even though the band said No More!....that was the first time in 2 years I came very close to getting stuck big time...started to slime, and had to excuse myself to go to the men's room, and I guess the walk there worked things out and I recovered....lesson learned....always listen to the band!!!! Don't force the issue or else..... I was on vacation so I enjoyed myself (indulged) in my share of alcohol...a couple of Bloody Mary's a day, wine at dinner, and a few beers at the pool or when at the beach, (of course)... The band is the band, is the band...whether I'm at home. on a cruise, at a party, whatever...,it does not change.... I still cannot eat Breakfast, so after my morning workout I had my usual Protein shake, then joined my Wife in the buffet for breakfast where I had coffee and nibbled on a piece of toast.... There is, and always will be, certain foods I avoid no matter where I'm at...but I did snack here and there throughout the day...just not like the pig I used to be...plus I was never really hungry all day...just as it is where ever I am, 24/7.... Bottom line....I weighed myself today and I lost one pound...in other words, no difference given my normal fluctuations....... I do know my body very well now, and I can definitely tell I am loaded with toxins and other junk from all that rich food and drink, so tomorrow I am going on a few days of strict food intake and extra time in the sauna to sweat out all these impurities.....and plenty of water! I can only speak for myself, and not what other people experience...frankly what other people do and how they do it is none of my business...but without meaning to step on anyone's toes...I read posts everyday about people needing to "Getting back on track" NO OFFENSE, but coming up on 3 years I still do not understand what that means with WLS....( I have my theories).... I have done everything possible to get "Off Track" and can not...the band never changes!! (short of a medical condition, knock on wood).... I have been on many, many diets prior to WLS, and "Fell off the wagon" with all of them....so in that respect I can understand...but I find it very hard, if not impossible to beat the band, without major side effects that are not pleasant and one wants to avoid at all cost.... I was "Morbidly Obese" because I simply ate too much, and too often....the band took care of that...Simple as that! No secret formulas or hocus pocus ... Again, what other people do is none of my business...I can only share my experiences....and everyone can share theirs.... Having this Surgery has truly changed the way I eat, and my lifestyle overall!!!

Yes, we are allowed limited amounts of alcohol, and always have to remember that alcohol are empty calories which need to be included in your tracking. The other important information is that it usually takes less alcohol for you to feel the effects of it. My surgeon warned us about this effect, and stressed that he would not be writing any letters in defense of his patients who might get DUI charges. I waited the advised 1 year, well almost an entire year, before having a glass of wine. I could only drink half of the glass...

Everyone: I never drink alcohol, but I asked the question because I just wanted to know in case I'm ever in a situation where I am offered a cocktail. I just want to be prepared. Thanks a mil!

I drink. I never stopped drinking. I've drunk alcohol all my banded life. But I'm also aware that alcohol are empty calories and breaks my doctor's first rule of 'don't drink your calories' but as long as I either burn it off with exercise or realise it is going to make it harder to lose (or even gain if I drink enough) then I'm happy to own that decision.

My doctor has no problem with non-carbonated alcohol once in awhile (after healed from surgery) but says it shouldn't be a regular thing. I do have a drink once in awhile but I'm always careful to count the calories against my daily allowance when I do.

My surgeon said that its never good to have a lot of alcohol because of the empty calories but if u r at a party or get together and u want to have a cocktail or two, it's fine. No beer tho cuz of the carbonation.

Question: Can we have a cocktail?

As you can see you're going to get as many answers as there are surgeons advising patients. There is nothing you cannot eat for the long run. The advice about carbonation? Varies by surgeon. The advice about carbs, bread, etc.? Varies by surgeon. The only real solid rules you'll see? Alcohol should be avoided for at least six months. However, many drink before that and are fine. Foods that cause some people discomfort and that you might want to avoid? Spinach, or any greens, for at least a few months. eggs are iffy - some people do great, some people have problems. Beef is very hard for some people. It took me nearly a year to be able to eat more than a few bites. Some folks have trouble with chicken, too. Definitely popcorn, at least until you're well into the healed phase. The hulls are dangerous around the staple line and it takes longer for that to fully heal than you might realize. I couldn't eat lettuce, particularly iceberg, for more than a year without problems. Foods I still eat in very small portions, and only once in a while (I'm 3 years out): Flour tortillas (I avoid them altogether, they hurt me) Rice (one or two bites and I can be fine, or one or two bites and I'm in pain and I never know which it will be) Pasta (I might eat a bite here or there but it swells like rice) There is a line to walk. Moderation and being "normal", feeling like you can eat without depriving yourself, is important. But there are clearly foods that you should not be incorporating into your diet as a normal or regular habit until you're much closer to goal. Just because you find you can drink soda and eat popcorn (my particular set of trigger foods, and oh, does it slide) does not mean you should engage in that behavior regularly. That's the line - and losing weight is far easier than you realize. Walking that line for the rest of your life, eating so that you feel normal without going out of control? That's the hard part. So incorporate what you need to later on, but be cautious about forgetting what made you obese in the first place. ~Cheri