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I remember feeling resentful at first, which I knew was crazy, and I tried to hide, lol. It's been getting better, as I learn different tactics to help myself cope. I met friends at a restaurant, and yes, while their food looked and smelled delicious, I managed by ordering a strawberry margarita (sans alcohol) and ate it with a spoon. I have had great luck with anything frozen. I buy TONS of popsicles! (lol) I even found some that taste like rootbeer and dr. pepper, so that when I'm feeling really pouty about all the restrictions, I can feel like I'm indulging. I think that's the thing, we are not a population (as surgery recipients) that like limiting ourselves, so it's super hard to wrap your head around. But we needed help making better decisions, and we want to feel (and look) better and this is what it took. It's hard, but worth it.

My program says a minimum of 6 months, but they prefer waiting a year for alcohol.

I do this a lot at home.....there is a pomegranite flavor that is really good mixed with vodka.... I'll just order a jack rocks when out.....takes me a while to finish it.... Like others said, you will find your tolerance for alcohol has likely changed. Test drive it at home, you don't want to be out and find out three drinks is one too many. I've cut my drinking in at least half since I was banded....just not worth the empty calories....AND I WANT TO GET TO GOAL!

Keep nibbling and feel sick/full. Not enjoying all the food. Need to go back to regular meals. Look forward to getting back to normal. Far too many calories consumed in alcohol this past few weeks. Ugh. Lactose intolerant and no breads for me anymore. But 57 lbs down!

I am a sugar addict but I am treating it like alcohol,addiction...just like an alcoholic cannot have just one beer, I cannot gave just one candy. So I go day by day. I am on day 41 now. Yes once or twice, I did give in and had a piece of candy bug the next day I started over and go day by day. That is the only way I am able to do this. To reconize that each day is z victory. I am also off of bread , pasta, wheat and rice. One day at a yime, one step at a time. My surgery is July. I Want the change...I want the freedom from sugar. It's a conscience choice, to tell myself not that I can't have it but that I don't want it. Sugar addiction is hard to break but it can be done...one day at a time. If alcoholic's can do it. I can do it!!

Average rate of loss is 10% of your total body weight at the six month mark. Most of you are on target. I have had moments of struggling too since being banded. It was in my case completely due to my own poor choices. Are you drinking alcohol? Tracking what you eat? Cutting out refined foods? Exercising? If you can't honestly answer the above questions as they ought to be answered, then you have some work to do still. There ARE, however, people for whom the band is not effective. Everyone who feels discouraged by lack of loss needs to be talking to their surgeon.

Hey Perthgirl, Joondalup is a good hospital been there a few times and close to home. Not sure on what we can and cant eat but no more drinking (alcohol) is scary haha

I have been overweight my entire life; except for for when I lost significant weight at 13, and over 100 pounds at 18, and 30. There was a British study done a while back that showed in families where the men are alcoholics the women are obese. That is certainly true in my family. I think it shows a propensity toward addictive behaviors. I had to attend mindfull eating sessions as part of my preop. These sessions were really helpful to me. I have to actively decide not to eat fatty/high calorie foods; probably like an addict has to actively decide not to have a smoke or a drink. This is why my diets never worked in the past because it is mentally exhausting to constantly be chosing only healty foods. With the band if I do make poor choices it helps me eat less of them.

Trish it doesn't look good to me either, but I think your doctor needs to know about it. Do you remember him using alcohol to clean the area b4 giving you the fill? When I had my fill a couple of weeks ago, I was at the hospital and I was impressed my doctor was running around the room looking for alcohol, (his assistant wasn't there), and made sure he swabbed the area before inserting the needles. We'll all be waiting for your reply tomorrow, actually, we'd like to know if it's any better today. Hugs!

You look FABULOUS!! Sweets were the main reason that got me overweight. So I hope I can avoid them the rest of my life. I sorta feel like an alcoholic when it comes to sugar. I seriously hope those cravings stay away from my door!

Imma say something blunt: If alcoholics can kick alcohol and diabetics can kick sugar, you can kick sugar, too. I don't know everything you'll need to do, but here are some obvious changes to make: * Don't buy it. * Don't let anyone else in your house buy it and bring it home where you could eat it. * Become more personally accountable and become more accountable to others, e.g., tell those you spend time with that you're not going to eat any more sugar. * Invite the support of those who love you (see above) and ask them to support your new sugar-free lifestyle. * If you really think you're an addict (you used that word, I think), then treat it like an addiction and get yourself into an addiction program, either out- or in-residence. * Stop regarding and using sugar like a treat. If you're an addict, it's dangerous to you. Treat it like poison. * Figure out what other activities or things you can use as rewards instead of sugar. * Don't hang out with people who eat a lot of sugar. * Identify all the hidden sugar in foods you are now eating that you think are sugar-free. I'll guarantee you there are some sugar-laden foods somewhere in your diet right now that you don't know about yet. * ... and other things. I know you know this, but the longer you go without eating any sugar, the less you will crave it. Good luck! I appreciate that you replied to my post and offered some tips. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but some of what you said reminds me of people who say no one really needs bariatric surgery. We just need to be more personally accountable and diet and exercise. Do you not see bariatric surgery as a tool for dealing with obesity and kicking the things that made people obese in the first place?

Lissa, Thank you for responding because there isn't very much info on the alcohol issue Snoozy

I've been on the boards since last December, and I've seen this discussed a few times. One of our most famous losers waited to drink till she was at goal. Some people drink fairly early out without issue. Some people report they get heartburn from alcohol. Some drink beer, some don't drink anything fizzy. I chose to follow my programs guidelines and not drink for the first six months, which just passed yesterday. I'm now cleared for 1-2 drinks per week, but I haven't had one yet. I plan to start with port because it's festive, lighter in alcohol content, and can be sipped really slowly. And it tastes great when the weather is cold. I'm planning on trying on a couple ounces at home to see how that goes. Many people report liquor hitting them like a freight train after surgery, at least the first few times they tried it, and I don't want any embarrassing public incidents. Cheers! Lynda

Hi Everyone! I'm at the very beginning of my journey, so please bear with me. I am 37, single, female, and I live in Doha, Qatar. Currently weigh 259 pounds. I have many reasons for wanting to have the surgery - mainly to improve my overall health, but a big reason for doing it is to improve my confidence. I've always been overweight and always been shy around strangers, but with the right people around me I was happy and outgoing and being overweight wasn't such a big deal. But - I had a major knock to my confidence about 18 months ago and since then things haven't been so good. I'm in a vicious cycle of desperately needing to meet new people, but being too embarassed about my size to have the confidence to join any new groups. So aswell as improving my physical health, which drastically needs an overhaul the psychological benefits will be equally, if not more important. I'm having my surgery done at the local hospital here in Qatar and I'd be really interested to hear from anyone else who's had their surgery done anywhere in the Middle East. So far, I've just had the initial consultation with the surgeon. The hospital adminstration and communication here is very bad, so even finding out how to get the appointment was a traumatic process! But - eventually I got to see a surgeon to discuss my options. The consultation was brief... I was weighed, told I was eligible for surgery, and given the option of Gastric Bypass or Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. He told me to go away and talk to people who've had the surgery.... unfortunately there are no support groups for VSG in Qatar, so if you don't mind, guys - will you be my support group? But finally - I'm on the waiting list! The waiting list is 6-8 months, which suits me just fine. Time to mentally and physically prepare. In preparation, I'm trying to exercise every day - my reward for exercising every day is to treat myself to a massage at the weekend. If I skip a day I'm not allowed that massage, so it's a good incentive! I'm cutting down on the carbs, cutting down on smoking with the aim of giving up completely before surgery, and I'm trying to cut out diet pepsi! I hardly drink alcohol so that's not an issue. Is there anything else I should be doing? Any tips would be gratefully received! Next week I'm seeing the anaesthetist for pre-op assessment, then later abdominal ultrasound and then endoscopy, which I'm not looking forward to at all! I'd love to hear from any of you and share experiences x

geminidrive-what did they say would happen if you had alcohol too soon?

I was sleeved on Oct 2, so I'm just over 3 weeks out now, almost 4. I have now been able to be on the puree stage for a week now, and able to move to the soft foods stage tomorrow. The good: Surgery went great, no complications. I've physically healed really well. Another good, I'm now almost down 40 lbs! (15 lbs of that was on the 2 week pre-op liquid diet, the rest is post op). I am starting to see a difference in the way my clothes fit, they're finally starting to get a little loose on me. The bad: I work hard at getting in my liquids everyday, but I still struggle with that. I do have a little more energy (which is good), but it's not as much as others seem to have experienced early on. I do know everyone is different though. The other "bad" part for me, I struggle with what to eat, I just want to be at the "normal" stage. I'm starting to notice the difference of the full feeling when I do eat, but I don't have the "not hungry" feeling like others talk about. In my mind, I'm still "normal" like I was pre-op, but I know that physically I am not. I struggle with having patience with myself on this journey and remembering this is only the very beginning. The ugly: I would say the emotional/mental side of this journey is ugly. I don't think I could've ever prepared myself for how I would feel post op. I struggle when the people around me can be "normal" and eat normal meals, etc. I would kill (not literally...lol) for some crunchy or soft shell tacos, or for a piece of pizza, or a burger. I know that eventually I should be able to have those things, it will just be smaller amounts. Last night we went out with some friends for dinner (first dinner our since surgery). Our friends all know about my surgery, and they picked a restaurant where I could at least have Soup. (I had french onion by the way, just ate the broth, and man was it good!). However, it was difficult sitting at the table, watching everyone being able to order a drink (alcohol), and eat appetizers like spinach dip and chips, and then having their meals of Pasta or burgers and even one really good looking salad. I know if I could've handled all that kind of stuff in a "normal" fashion before, I wouldn't have been in a position where I needed the surgery. I know this gets better (or so I'm told from those that are much further out then I am), and I will adjust and it takes time. But, that is my "ugly" frustrating part that I'm at right now. Just had to vent, thanks for "listening".

1) Regret - what if I regret my decision? Unless you are unlucky and have a complication, I seriously doubt it. I thought I would regret it and miss out on a wonderful life with food but, my life is so much richer, and I still love and enjoy food. 2) Age - is 54 too old to do this? 54 isn't old, you probably have another 20-30 years of life, don't want to spend it fat and uncomfortable in bad health. 3) Post-op diet - along with the pre-op 800 cal. a day diet (wow!), I'm worried about the weeks of liquid diet. I have to work, how will I do it if I'm starving? (my job can be intense and I have to be on the ball all the time). The diet is tough I won't even lie. Not sure about doing a physical job, it will be hard, but you can live off 800 calories for a little while it won't kill you. 4) I have chronic migraines and see a Neurologist. Will the weight loss alleviate/lessen migraines, or make them worse? Not sure, but low carbing is usually good for brain issues. I would see someone about getting botox injections for the migraines, research it. 5) Will I ever actually enjoy food again? Or be able to? We have a favourite restaurant - would hate if I can never again enjoy that sort of outing Yes. Maybe more than you do now. I still eat at my favorite places but I just order differently. I also find I can enjoy a lot of expensive and trendy resturants with small portions because they satisfy me in a way they didn't before. I can enjoy the flavors of food more, because my concern isn't on being full at the end just enjoying the food. 6) No caffeine, no alcohol! OMG - that's harsh! I love wine and would miss that. But think it's 6 months off of it? Caffeine. Due to migraines I'm not supposed to have it at all, but I now just have a tea in the morning so guess I could do that. I do love my tea and wine though :-) I drink coffee every day. I don't drink really but I didn't drink before surgery either. I can drink if I want to, I just don't want. I take a sip and I am not interested but there are plenty of people here that after hitting maintenance have a glass of wine with dinner each night. Most of the big changes are short term, 6 months until you heal. Then once you are healed and the bulk of your weight is off, you can play with what works with you.

Like others have said, it varies with the tightness of your band but I have found that social settings are not as hard as I had imagined they would be. The trickiest bits for me are: 1. Avoiding alcohol (or drinking at all) 2. Avoiding sodium Now the above two things are simply because I am trying to lose aggressively. Foodwise, before my last fill, I could eat almost any food in smaller quantities. The last fill has made that more difficult so fish, moist Proteins and Soups are the staple. Yesterday, I went to lunch with my wife and ordered the healthy chicken breast lunch (Grillsmith). It was a Chicken Breast, a scoop of potatoes and grilled asparagus. I ate half the chicken breast, two asparagus spear tips and half the scoop of potatoes. I took the other half of the chicken breast home and made chicken salad out of it for dinner. Did it feel weird? Yup. But it works and it can be worked through.

And no it is not necessary to unfill before a flight. If you are newly banded with little fill then the air in the band may expand. If you have fill the saline itself can't expand. My Dr also told me that if a problem occurs when you fly which it shouldn't then you will be fine once you touch the ground again. I had a marathon trip in Dec/Jan( 3 flights total 24 hours travelling each way) and there were no problems whatsoever. Staying hydrated is important and yes that means Water not alcohol.

I wouldn't do it just for a trip. But, if you think you are too tight in general, then that's different. With my last fill, I've gone back and forth between being too tight and too loose. I think I'm finally ready for another fill, though, cause I've been more hungry than not for the past couple weeks. For me, its taken awhile to get good restriction so I guess that's why its not tempting at all to unfill just for a trip or occasion. Its taken so long to get this band really working for me and I just don't want to give that up and have to start over just so I can eat more for a trip. And, I did actually get too tight during my trip to Vegas a couple weekends ago. I probably did it to myself due to dehydration (drinking more alcohol than normal which is a diuretic). I ended up hardly being able to eat during the trip, but it didn't really bother me much. When I am too tight, the good thing is that I'm also not hungry. So, it doesn't phase me if everyone around me is eating. I even went to the Paris Buffet w/all my friends and used my lapband card for the first time so they would only charge me the child's price. Trust me, nobody really even notices what YOU are eating when they are going back over and over and over for more heaping plates of food. LOL I should also add, for my Vegas trip, I brought a bunch of Protein shots w/me and was so thankful I had them. It made it so much easier to just be able to eat whatever sounded good or that I knew would go down easy and then supplement w/the protein shots between meals.

Hello Daybyday! What a wonderful name you chose! It's possible that you might need a fill. Go through this checklist and see what you think. I've seen several people post this information but I think it might be helpful to you. (Adjustment = fill) Adjustments<!--webbot bot="Navigation" i-checksum="27883" endspan --> <TT>How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body</TT> <TT>B. You may need a behavior adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry</TT> <TT>C. You may need an activity adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids</TT> <TT>D. You may need an attitude adjustment</TT> <TT>1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place?</TT> <TT>E. You may need a band adjustment</TT> <TT>1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set.</TT> <TT>F. You may need your band loosened</TT> <TT>1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention.</TT> <TT>(Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe</TT>

My doctor never put a time rule for when it was ok to drink alcohol again. I have found that I can't drink carbonated beverages, hard liquor makes me sick even just a little so wine is my alcohol of choice. However I must be careful with it because it does make me drunk fast even after one glass!

Well, I still have a couple weeks before I'm able to have any alcoholic beverages--but I'm already trying to give some thought to what my best drink options will be. I know, I'm going to do better with the lapband if I don't drink too much...and I don't plan to, but the reality is, I have a job that puts me in a lot of open bar situations. So I'd rather just have a game plan in place. So with that...what do you think my best options are. I've already thought about just mixing liquor (tequila, etc) with lime juice... or maybe mixing SF crystal light? Also i've heard bloody marys are probably a good option. Appreciate any suggestions, or what you've found to be low cal and tasty.

Hang in there! If you have problems w/ your blood sugar dropping too low, it can make you feel sick to your stomach. When I was waking up from my surgery, I was very nauseous. The nurse had me sip on some "strong" Hawaiian Punch and put an alcohol swab over the bridge of my nose. I know it sounds goofy, but the alcohol swab worked wonders! :confused:

I went back to Minnesota for two weeks over Christmas and New Years and did good eating healthy at most meals, but why are there so many snacks! I had way too much sweets, snack foods, and alcohol, I fell of the wagon hard. I am a strong willed person though and snapped right back into VSG mode as soon as I got home Tuesday afternoon. I will say that I still used portion control and kept semi track of calories in my head and I did lose 5 lbs since leaving 2 weeks ago. Now for the fun part! All my family and friends were blown away by my success and everyone was so proud of me! We went out dancing at some of the country bars and I brought my newly learned Texas two step skills and a lot of people wanted to dance with me. I never could get attention at bars before. My favorite part was when the band played Copper Head Road and 4 great looking girls started doing the line dance and while all the guys stood around watching them my new confidence had me right in between them rocking out (Thanks Texas for teaching me to dance lol) The point of my message... Were all human, we make mistakes. I have worked very hard to get where I am today and for two weeks I let lose again and embrace my new self. It proved to me that all the hard work I have done is paying off. We just need to be strong enough to know when enough is enough and get back on plan. I missed my goal of 100lbs by NYE because of the decisions I made, but the smile on my face and the happiness in my heart meant so much more than any number on a scale could ever mean! My NYE Picture!