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Ok, to give it to you straight, if you're snorting the coke and smoking the pot, it's your lungs and your circulatory system being impacted, not your stomach or your digestive system. The alcohol is the only one you have to worry about strictly as a result of the surgery. In terms of cardiac issues from the coke, that is a different kind of problem. Smoking pot is pretty much not going to hurt you, but skip the special brownies for awhile just to be on the safe side. Obviously avoid booze until your stomach is healed and after that understand your stomach is smaller and many of us have a reduced tolerance. Now, as a disclaimer, drugs and booze are bad for you. Also, while I generally say "ask your doctor" definitely do not do that until after you've had surgery or he might be ethically obligated to turn you down for the procedure. After you've had surgery, you're pretty much clear to ask him whatever you want because HIPAA keeps your records confidential and honestly, I would strongly encourage running it by him at a point when you can no longer be rejected for the procedure. Also, obviously lie about that part during your psych consult. Also, you don't find medical studies based on coke, pot, and other illegal substance abuse after WLS because no IRB is ever going to approve a study with human subjects that watches what happens when you give them illegal drugs after they've had major surgery. It would be a gross violation of pretty much every aspect of medical and research ethics. It's less because there is a huge issue with it and more because it's not something that can be legally or ethically researched.

I just had my surgery on 7/25. My brother is getting married in Colorado (in the mountains about 5 hours away from Denver and civilization) on 8/10. I'm supposed to fly up there on the 8th and I've got this horrible internal battle going on over whether or not I should go. My whole family says it's ok if I don't feel up to it, but I'd feel guilty and sad if I didn't go. At the same time, I'm still dealing with pain in my incisions, some pretty foul smelling gas, and I'm an emotional wreck. I don't want to get up there and ruin everything because I can't hardly do anything for myself and I get very irritable very easily. Just the thought of traveling and airports stresses me out right now, which sucks because I usually love flying and traveling. Not to mention the struggles of still being on a liquid/puréed diet at a wedding. No dinner, no cake, no alcohol. Sounds pretty miserable. I'm just so torn. It feels like a bad idea to go, like everything added together equals disaster. But, it is my brother's wedding. I don't want to miss it. I've made it to all my other brothers' weddings (five weddings total, including this brother's first wedding and my baby bro's who had it in Hawaii) and I would just feel sooo guilty if I didn't make it. Anybody have any advice? Sorry about the rambling of this post, it kinda reflects my brain right now.

I think I have had fat malabsorption since surgery, but my vitamin levels have been good. I do not have any problems taking my vitamins except that sometimes I forget to take them. I try to eat an extremely healthy Whole Foods Plant Based diet to get all the phytonutrients and natural vitamins I can. I chew everything really well, especially anything raw. So every calorie is very nutritionally dense - not calories that are empty ones from simple carbs or processed products. This may well be why my vitamin levels are good. I have to admit I feel there are changes mechanically, but I can't really describe the feeling. Somehow, even though I have lots of energy and am healthy, I feel a bit more frail somehow. A little more vulnerable. Maybe that's because my bones are visible and I am not encased in an insulative, padded layer of fat. I feel that my pouch is more delicate than my old stomach and still vulnerable to ulcers. I am very careful to avoid all alcohol and soda, but I do have some decaf coffee occasionally. Its hard to describe, but I do not have a body that is simply thin - it is different and not completely intact like it used to be. That's not bad - just different. And I do not regret the surgery one bit. I knew it would be a complete life makeover, but didn't realize the total depth of that makeover until afterward.

Just an update for whoever wants to know. I had the surgery on March 28th and I went to a festival this past weekend. I ended up doing Molly and was 100% fine i just stayed hydrated. It honestly felt the same as it did pre-surgery. I also drank a lot (6-8 drinks) non carbonated Smirnoff filled with sugar (unfortunately) and was fine as well. The only thing was it hit me faster, and less alcohol got me drunk (also could of been because I did not eat). I also tried wine and was fine with that. A sip of beer did not sit well bc of the carbonation. I also ended up smoking about 2 packs of cigarettes in 2 days ( i was a smoker pre-op). But overall, I did not get sick, I did not throw up, I am back to normal, although it took my body a day to recover (which would of been the same pre -op). Everyone's body is different so please don't think you will have the same results. Just wanted to share my experience. The only bad thing was that I didn't really eat for two days trying to counteract the calories from the alcohol, and it messed up my weight loss progress and set me back about a week - because in addition I didn't make it to the gym. My ending point is, I had tons of fun, and I do not regret anything but for me, I will def stay away from that stuff again for awhile to continue on my weight loss journey!

I’m basically at my goal weight. 1. I haven’t been under 200lbs since 1993. 2. Food cravings and mood swings the first 60 days are miserable! 3. The pain the first 30 days was morphine in pill form hydromorphine. I lived on it. 4. Drink something before 30 mins after eating a year later and I still get massive pain cramps. 5. Most of my sugar cravings have disappeared. 6. I dreamt about food for 6 months. Lol. 7. I used to have friends who would go to dinner with me and have 4 drinks before my 30 minutes are up. I’m not friends with them anymore. My biggest complaint is why can’t people enjoy one alcoholic drink over 25 minutes while I’m waiting to have my first drink? Jesus, you’d think I’m asking Moses to part the Red Sea? Everyone slugs like 4 drinks down and by the time I hit my first drink they are ready to leave. It’s frustrating as hell. Everyone is like that. Bottom line, I love my new body. The fact I barely eat anything and that I sleep so much better now. My quality of life. Is. Awesome. The social drinking is the only thing different. I went vegas in February and had a blast! My wife didn’t drink at meals but waited until afterwards at clubs and we both drank great.

Yes, at 4 months out, I was still super restricted. The adding bread, potatoes, other mushy foods to my meat really changed well after a year post-op. A lot of it was "how" I ate the food on my plate. I would only eat the meat first, add nothing to it. Once I got into maintenance, and eating more varied diet, I started eating differently. A bite of meat, a bite of veggies, a bite of meat, a bite of potatoes. Those mushy foods helped the food go through faster, and didn't take up space. I didn't touch bread for months, and for the first year, it was really difficult for me to eat breads. Now, they're a bit of a slider food. I still feel restriction with breads, but I can eat it without discomfort at this point. Just like, if I decide to drink wine before a meal, I can eat more. Sometimes, I'll have coffee or a hot tea (like at the Japanese restaurant we frequent) before my meal, I can fit a few more bites in. The alcohol and warm liquids all relax my stomach. Another reason why alcohol is so discouraged early out. Snacking and drinking go hand in hand especially in social settings. We drink, we snack, we drink some more, we snack some more etc etc. That's what led to my gain over the holidays last year.

i'm october 13th. SUPER EXCITED. can't wait. somehow i managed not to have to go thru a pre op diet. but i am not drinking any alcohol or taking anything that affects my liver (motrin or anything like that) just in case and trying to low carb as well. all my doctor said was don't gain any weight but no preop diet.

I just celebrated one month since banding (Oct. 7). I am down 30-35 pounds depending on the day. I have found that since I am back on solid food though, the weight loss has stopped. I guess I need to increase activity now. Everything is healing fine. I am able to wear things in my closet that I haven't looked at in over 3 years. It's a great feeling. I haven't really purchased any new clothes yet, but my husband has surprised me with a few things here and there. The big thing for me is not to stress and to find more time for activity. I fell prey to a small handfull of cheese its yesterday. I should have gone for a walk or had a glass of water instead. I am proud that I refused the alcoholic beverages at a birthday party on Saturday, though I did have the cupcake...It was the first real sugar I've had since before the surgery. It was nice to have, but I can see where it was only that good because I don't eat those things much anymore. I think it is time for my first fill. I can eat almost like before surgery, but I don't. I am scheduled for 2 days before Turkey Day.

Hi, I need advice. I was banded 18 months ago and everything was terrific. Went a little to restricted too fast after 6 months and had a slight defill (back to 1cc in a 10cc band) Everything returned to normal. No pain, 'normal' hunger signals. Great. About 8 weeks ago I went for slight refill (.5cc increase). A week after gorged myself on sweets and alcohol (emotional eater). Severe wind and pain just below chestbone for 3 days - was told to drink peppermint tea and put on antibiotics. Pain went away after 24hrs. Began to get scared mentally. Last two weeks have been aware of mild indigestion at night and a lot of burping. Getting really scared. Although probably minor in the grand scheme of things, this is not something I want to deal with. My consultant said that band removal was not possible. Clearly this is nonsense. I'm aware that I'm probably over-reacting but what's the dangers of having the band removed? My band is stiched in place - is this going to be a problem? Basically I'm terrified and feel in a catch-22: don't want the band in because of all the negatives but taking the band out seems really dangerous too. Any help much appreciated.

I know everyone seems to have a different pre-op diet. I have 2 weeks of liquids with 1 sm protein rich meal per day. Does anyone know what effects alcohol will have during the pre-op diet? Not a big deal, just trying to gather information so that I understand the whole shrinking of liver thing.

It sounds like she swapped food for alcohol. WLS should have no negative impact on your liver. Sad.

They highly caution people against alcohol after WLS for this very reason. Because of a tiny stomach, we are now hyper sensitive to alcohol. Clearly we also have issues with addiction, hence the need for WLS in the first place. She most likely traded one addiction for the other. This is part of the reason that they make you do all the psych tests/interview prior and ask you about alcohol use prior to surgery. Very sad story.

I'm meeting up with some of my girlfriends that I haven't seen since college tomorrow. I had surgery on Jan 24th. Can I have a drink?

How to Lose 22lbs or 10kgs in 28 Days Without Starving or Training Like an Olympic Athlete!' By Stephen Smith BSc If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort! I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle. Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results. Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night. Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary. When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple! Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc. Use ‘thermogenics'. There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy. Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program. Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night. Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval. Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise. As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal. Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel. If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal. Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week. Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following. The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently. If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine! Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights. Have 5-6 small meals a day. One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight. Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals! By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied. Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day. • Plan and prepare your meals the night before • Use meal replacements (protein shakes or bars) • Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume Ensure each meal contains protein. Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue. Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'. If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates. Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat). So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ] Do not have a Treat Day. Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days! By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well. I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results! * Before using any nutritional supplement, speak with your health care professional.

“Pouch Reset” is a fad diet that was created for marketing purposes to get people to buy a center’s bariatric products. You’re better off just focusing on dense protein first and non-starchy vegetables. Try doing just that, so no liquid calories, sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol or processed food and see what kind of results you get. You may feel poorly for 1-3 days as you detox off of junk but then you should start to feel better.

Congratulations on overcoming your Diet Coke obstacle. I started tapering off of them July 5. Now, I will only have one when we are out of the house or I am traveling for work. I know I will have to give it up completely after the surgery, but in all likelihood, that will just have to happen then and I will have to deal with it. I can give up alcohol; I can give up carbs; I can even give up cable, but giving up Diet Coke is the hardest challenge of all!

Im going through the same exact thing I have gain 47 pld since March of this year dont no how to get back on track I feel like a complete failure I lost my job in February and havent been the same every since my son got diagnosed with seizure scared the hell out of me im a emotional eater and just want to get back on track what can I do please help me you guys im so ready to turn this thing back around. I HAVE gerd and a alcohol problems.???????????? sorry for ya lost.

You can do that....or you can probably find a few support groups in your area. A lot of the surgeons have organized their own support groups that meet regularly. The thing is, with a support group you are going to find that you are not alone with your questions....MANY lapbanders are emotional eaters and going through the same thing. Like Alcoholics Anonymous, sometimes it is just what you need to be with people who are walking or have walked in your shoes.

Definitely ask Dr. Fielding. He's my surgeon as well and I know that he's actually a proponent of alcohol (not sure when we get to start though). When is your post op appointment? I had my post-op a week after surgery and was able to move onto mushies two days early, but only because they said I could after seeing me. I know it's hard to get down the Protein shakes especially when you're not hungry. I used a spoon and it helped to get them down easier. My surgery was on 8/7 and I felt horrible until Thursday. Today I feel GREAT! It will get better! Good luck!! Jen

I'm cruising in a month. Here is a thread I posted - some excellent responses on it. I do plan to drink alcohol, maybe one a day. I do expect to eat off plan, but I'll stick with Protein first so that it will fill me up and limit the sliders and sweets. I'm going to try and avoid grazing. I will do shipboard exercise classes and hit the gym, walk the ship (and ashore) and get in my normal 10,000 steps a day. It's OK if I don't lose, I don't expect to. But, I don't want to gain, either. Have fun, everyone!

Here's the link to the article below. Just curious what you guys think. I think that there are lots of reasons why someone would want to harm themselves and there isn't specific data as to why...just that there's a possible correlation. My take on this is that food and overeating for many of us is a symptom. It's our drug of choice rather than alcohol or heroin. But just like someone in treatment goes through psychological help, so should some folks who have food issues as well. Obviously not everyone...but enough of us. I was banded in January of 2013 and a year and 100 lbs. later, found myself so very unhappy that I went into therapy. Now, I had other issues, but it started with the weight and still involves how my weight is and will always be, a huge part of my life. I feel like I have to be vigilant like anyone else dealing with an addiction. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Obesity/54035

Trying to wrap my mind around this. You eat 1100 calories of good food (not carby or starchy), exercise and still regain 50#? What kind of exercise plan do you have going? Is your sleep good? Do you drink lots of water and keep alcohol to a min? Is it true you are eating smaller meals over that 1100 calories or not? I did not get that out of the thread unless I overlooked it. Small to me means 200-300 calories at a time which means 4-5 oz protein and perhaps 1-2 oz of veggie. What are your overall macros? Something like 50/30/20 (protein, carb, fat) or 40/30/30 or something else? If you are doing these things then Yikes. That is a scary scenario. Have you considered increasing calories? 500 below your targeted tdee will mean weight loss, but 1000 (or more) below will mean "starvation mode" and metabolic issues long term. Most of the time metabolic issues can be fixed by making calculated changes to diet, exercise and lifestyle - without something like a revision. Hormones need to be brought back into balance for proper metabolic response. I do hope you can find resolution.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukah to our Jewish friends! Season’s Greetings for those of you who are not celebrating a holiday now – it’s still a festive time when everyone can enjoy the uplifting spirit around town. As we near the end of a long season of tempting food, you may need a little help getting back on track or staying on track. Here are our offerings. Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery Hopefully this newsletter can help you keep your weight loss goals in mind and give you a little push to inch closer to hitting them. After reading the newsletter and spending some quality time with your loved ones, don’t forget to head on over to the BariatricPal Forums so you can share your tips and ideas with all of the BariatricPal members! Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge The weight loss surgery journey itself is a bumpy road, and recent weeks may have been even tougher as the holiday spirit has taken over. High-calorie, fatty, sugary foods have been everywhere, and gift shopping, family obligations, and holiday parties may have been eating into the time you might otherwise have spent exercising or planning healthy meals. So, what do you say to a challenge to lose weight this Christmas? The idea may sound crazy, but it is actually possible if you try hard. Here are our suggestions for a weight loss Christmas Day. Christmas dinner the WLS Way The totals for a full-blown Christmas dinner can be somewhere between staggering and horrifying. You yourself may have indulged in a few such dinners in the past. Between the ham or turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and Desserts, plus some alcohol and a bit of nibbling on appetizers and nuts, you can have 5,000 or more calories on this single day. Yuck – that’s 1.5 pounds of fat! Here is a more reasonable Christmas Day scenario to consider. Breakfast: Festive Protein pancakes with 1 cup sliced strawberries (150 calories) Meet ‘n’ Greet Appetizers 1 cup fresh cut vegetables with yogurt-based dip (100 calories) Red, white, and green Christmas skewers with cherries, peeled apples or pears, and green grapes. (100 calories) chocolate Coated Protein Puffs Soy Snacks (150 calories) Christmas Dinner 3 ounces of ham or skinless turkey or duck breast with mustard (150 calories) Green bean frittata – a high-protein, low-calorie substitute for green bean casserole (100 calories) Green salad with Light Dressing ½ cup pureed sweet potatoes sprinkled lightly with crushed pecans and sugar (or honey or low-calorie sugar substitute) (200 calories) 1 medium baked apple with cinnamon, served with light or sugar-free whipped topping (150 calories) Later Snacks Protein Cocoa or Mocha (100 calories) 1/2 ounce mixed nuts (100 calories) (Don’t forget to use coupon code BPNEWSLETTER10 for a 10% discount of your first order!) Savor Your Treat Don’t forget to leave room for a treat. That’s right, even WLS patients deserve a treat. Just make sure: It’s one that you really, really want. You can tolerate it (some treats are too sugary or fatty for your post-op digestive system, and even a small serving can make you feel sick). You take only a small amount and count the calories. In the sample Christmas Day menu shown above, there is room for another 200 to 400 calories from your treat while still staying under 1,500 to 1,800 for the day. Those calories can get you any two of the following: A half-cup of mashed potatoes with gravy. A half-cup of bread or rice-based stuffing. A 1-inch sliver of pecan, pumpkin, or another kind of pie. A small square of fudge. A small dinner roll with a pat of butter. A half-cup of eggnog. Get Moving, for So Many Reasons It’s a busy day, but surely you can find a few minutes to get in a short walk or workout. There are so many reasons to get moving in the morning or during the day. Burn calories and boost metabolism. Keep yourself motivated as you notice how good it feels to get moving rather than eat. Take time away from the food because when you are walking, you are not eating. Bond with your children, nieces, or nephews; with your out of town relatives; or with your significant other. Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! One bad day of eating does not make a habit, but a six-week period does. A skipped workout or two doesn’t get you out of shape, but a month of inactivity makes you sluggish. A single bad weigh-in is no cause for alarm, but a few weeks of climbing numbers is reason to take heed. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can put you in a weight loss slump. Over time, your can get weaker and those poor decisions can get easier. While a bite of a cookie might have made you feel guilty in early November, the whole cookie and a second one may be par for the course now. Snap out of it! It is time to get out your slump. If the thought of reversing all those bad habits at once is too much, take heart. You can put yourself on the right path with a single decision. One good decision can increase your confidence and lead to more good decisions. You could: Make your own 200-calorie Breakfast sandwich with Protein Pancakes, a fat-free slice of cheese, and egg whites instead of hitting the drive-through for a 500-calorie breakfast biscuit. Schedule a short walk with a neighbor – no backing out! Log your food for a day, no matter how bad you know the numbers will be. Step on the scale if you’ve been avoiding it. How will you break your slump? The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery As hard as the food and lifestyle around the holidays may be for you as a weight loss surgery patient, your family can make things even harder. You can prevent them from knocking you off your game by being prepared for what to expect and how to handle it. Problem: Pressure to Go Off Your Diet Saying no is just one of those things you have to learn how to do in life. Refusing your relatives’ offer of freshly baked Christmas bread or Christmas Cookies made “just for you” is difficult. They may feel that you are rejecting them. Practicing ahead of time can help. A simple, “No, thanks” can do wonders, and it leaves no room for argument. You could elaborate with variations such as “No, thanks, I’m not hungry,” “No, thanks, my doctor says I can’t eat that anymore,” or, “Not right now, thanks. It’s already great to get to see you!” Problem: Unwanted Comments on Your Weight or Weight Loss If you got your WLS in the past year, you may have dropped several pounds since relatives from out of town saw you. They may be overly reactive to your weight loss. Or, they could have the opposite reaction and say something discouraging about how they expected you to lose more weight by now. Whatever they say, do not let them throw you off your game. Problem: Lack of Acceptance of Your WLS They are not living your life, and they do not know exactly what you have gone through. A lack of understanding about what WLS is and how a WLS lives can inspire negative comments. You can choose to ignore them, or try to explain your WLS to them. You can also try to include them in your routine, such as inviting them on a walk or asking for their help in your kitchen while they’re in town. You can grow closer and develop a better understanding. Again, Happy Holidays! Enjoy this special time with family and friends, and make it a safe and healthy time for yourself and your loved ones. Thanks for spending some time with the newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you on the forums! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I got so tight when I went to Vegas that I could barely eat. But, I figured it was because I wasn't drinking as much water as normal and I was drinking alcohol. So, I was probably a bit dehydrated and I know that makes my band tighter.

I am having my surgery on Tuesday and had/have a lot of the same concerns but from reading posts on here and talking to my NUT I think we will be able to have a normal life after awhile. We will just have smaller portions and need to limit our alcohol a bit more but I don't think that we can never have a drink again. Mine NUT said a drink or two down the road will be okay just not carbonated. That is a biggy for me because i love beer! But I will love being thin and healthy more!