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Whew! It was truly a whirlwind weekend. Since last Thursday morning, I've crammed in 4-1/2 rounds of golf, 2 parties, 1 dinner in the city and Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. From a normal guy's perspective I would say this would be in the running for the ultimate weekend competition if there was such a thing. From a fat ass dieter's eye view, this was a weekend full of challenges and temptations. The Devil and his sinister sidekick Al C. Hall were lurking around every corner waiting to pull my into a downward spiral. But this morning I find myself sober, satiated and reinvigorated. But it was no cake walk! The Good - My eating choices for this four day fun binge were spot on! I took my Muscle Milk Light to the club and drank it over ice for breakfast. Yep, I'm slowly drinking this fake chocolate milk while watching 50 other guys load up on pancakes, omelettes, a full assortment of breakfast meats, home fries, pastry and danish and all kinds of toasted breads. Challenge, yes. But I beat the odds despite the wafting smell of crisp bacon. The lunches were more of the same. A full spread of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, brats and sausages were laid out in several different places. And let's not forget the chips, cookies and other deserts. And there was a giant trailer with free draft beer. I was in fat ass paradise and couldn't enjoy the show. I sparingly ate a chicken breast, a cup full of chicken salad and some watermelon slices. During the golf, I ate a few melted protein bars to keep my stomach from growling. At the parties and dinner downtown, I slowly feasted on small bites of salmon and sashimi, a slice of turkey and a few small shrimp, while my fellow diners were scoffing down famous Chicago steaks perfectly pink on the inside and charred to perfection on the outside. The Bad - I was expecting a cordial reunion with my old friend Al C. Hall. (That's alcohol for you new readers.) It didn't take long for old Al to show up to the party. I decided it was time to have a nip during our first round of golf. Since I was determined to stay away from beer, I had to use a little ingenuity at the half way house. Of course, I would stay away from all juices, sugary drinks and carbonated beverages. But if I started drinking straight vodka at 2 in the afternoon, I was guaranteed to be blotto by the back nine. So I invented a new cocktail. Vodka and Vitamin Water Orange. BRILLIANT! Vodka over ice and add the VW as needed. This helped me nurse the one drink while others were having several more. I was imbibing with my buddies but not falling all the way off the wagon. I had a couple more at the opening dinner party but stopped early due to my ride home. All in all, a good plan for a bad vice . The Ugly - I can honestly report to you that I won the weekend food battle. I looked the Lucifer of Lard straight in the eye and he blinked first. However, his evil counter part, The Vetis of Vodka eventually got the best of me. It started with a four hour rain delay between matches on Friday and ended with tumble down a few steps while excitedly leaving the hockey game. Since I was being chauffeured to the game and back to house afterwards, I didn't pay any attention to to the number of Geese I downed. I ended up killing the whole flock. Saturday dinner consisted of a bread stick, cottage cheese and a few bites of under cooked salmon. But I washed it down with a couple of Gibsons with devilishly delicious cocktail onions. A couple more at the game with soda and I was as pickled as the onions. The final straw was my pal's idea to have one last double before the bar closed for the last period. That's probably the one that made me miss that last step and hit the floor. I had two goals for the weekend. One of which was not to fall completely off the wagon. You may disagree, but I feel I held it in check pretty good. My other goal was to weigh the same today as I did last Thursday morning. And I do. Victory is mine. So get your scorecards out and give this one to Johnny. I am now refocused on good eating and no drinking for a few more weeks. I have another holiday weekend and another golf tournament in the next month to deal with. That means more trouble from you know who. Could a surprise visit from Al C. Hall be far behind? If he does rear his ugly head, I hope there are no stairs around. I'm off to get my first fill today from Dr. X! Talk soon! jt Reprinted from my blog. Please become a follower! We would love to have you! TheDeconstructionofJohnny.blogspot.com

Well this thread did not go the way I thought it would. I'm glad though. I do feel that this is part of what keeps me accountable. I don't think I'd be able to stand not knowing what's "going on under the hood." I also think its important for foodies (us) to weigh daily, even when we're at goal. Just like tracking, other people mIght maintain fine without it, but I don't think I can. Maybe daily weighing is to a foodie, as AA meetings is to an alcoholic.

I read a comment somewhere (not on this forum, but related to this issue about obesity being a disease) from a person who said that food cannot be an addiction because there is no chemical dependency like there is with drugs and/or alcohol. If that's true than what about the gambler? Gambling is an addiction but there's no chemical dependency. So...that theory goes belly up. Besides..when you hear about people who are addicted to booze and drugs talk about their addiction, it's very easy to substitute food for drugs/alcohol and have the feelings be the same. I have a good friend who is a recovering alcoholic and she explained to me that there's no way an alcoholic can walk away from a half finished drink. The alcoholic drinks to excess and cannot stop with one or two drinks. Is that not a familiar experience for us food addicts? Leave food over?? No way. Eat till you are sick....sure...been there, done that. It's all about excess...be it food, drugs, alcohol, gambling, whatever. For those who will never understand, we cannot pick and choose when it comes to addiction. Some can't be diseases and others be behaviors. For the addict, it's all the same regardless of the addiction.

It' will be close to a year in a few weeks. I've not had the weight loss results as most have reported here. I'm seeing >100 lbs being reported by a lot of my peers. I' not even close to 100 lbs, but on the healthcare front I've remained off my insulin, no longer sleep with my CPAP and have managed to stay relatively free of bing eating. I'm very disappointed in that I've not maintained an excercise regimen that would be considered a "Life Style Change." I did have some good starts and stops and right now I'm decidedly at STOP. I just don't have the motivation stay on an exercise regimen. I always end up hurting myself in some way, then that give me clearance to give up. In Oct 2012 I was in the hospital with stroke like symptoms, literally paralyzed on my left side. They r/o a stroke and after 2 days of tests, released me to neurologist for f/up care with dx of hemiplegic migraine. Code word for I don't know WTH is wrong, but she has had migraines in the past, so let's roll with it. I was on restrictions for about 2 month while they tried to figure out what's wrong. All my feeling returned before discharge, but I had total numbness in the last 3 fingers on my left hand. After testing for everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to pinched nerves in my arm and shoulder, the prize-winner neurologist came back with I can give you some cream that may work, I can send you to therapy with sometimes helps, or it may just fix itself on it's on........BUT I see you've not had a sleep study in a while and your plan will bay for it, so let me set you up for a new one. OK. Dr. Neuro's office begins calling me weekly to setup this darn sleep study....I finally told them to NEVER call me again. I still have trouble typeing and my left hand it still giving me problem. I'm hoping I'm not a stroke risk, but the PCP says get going with the excecise again. In February I start back walking. Doing good. Sporadic, but I'm getting it in at least 2-3 times a week. Weight going down, have to finally buy some new clothes because my black leggings are falling off an my colorful fat girl "pop of color" tops are looking like flour sacks on me 'cause they're too big. I have a chronic pain in my left foot and ask for an x-ray, my PCP says there's nothing remarkable but I may have small bone spurs that will just be a chronic issue for me. SUX. I start feeling a little soreness in my left leg, it evolves into a limp, but I'm thinking it's just me getting back on the track and I ben-gay it up and bear down. I'm down to 1-2 times a week, but I'm keeping it moving. Garage sale Saturday, I'm digging for treasures and a radiating pain hits my left leg. I can't walk. I yell. The ppl help me to my car and my mom starts freaking me out telling me it's probably a blood clot and I'm going to die if I don't get to an ER soon (She has a flare for the dramatic). I go to the ER and they r/o a blood clot, discharge to my PCP for follow-up the next day. PCP rotates my leg and refers me to an Ortho Surgeon the next day stating he thinks I'm going to need surgery. Now I"m on crutches. Ortho assesses and no surgery. Just 1 week of total bed rest. I have a grade 2 calf muscle strain! I'm off my feet for a week and come back, it's healing, but still not out of the weeds for abt 6 weeks so take it easy but do what you can.....To me that translates into DO NOTHING, and I've been faithful to that regimen for about 2 months now. WTH? Really Elle? You going to cop out like that? Why YES I AM. Disappointed in myself, but yes. I did that. Now I'm at the year mark and reflecting. I want to hit the century mark. I'm wanting a 1XX versus a 2XX at my weigh in. I hope to reach the 100s in about 6-8 months. Kick-off date is July 1,2013. Please pray for me that I can keep this new goal in sight. I do have concerns that I may have a hernia or something because I feel I am able to eat more than I should in one sitting. As long as I don't drink anything while eating I'm fine. I've drank alcohol sparingly w/o any trouble. I don't do well with chicken or ground beef. Bread and butter is my weakness, but I can only eat a little bit of it at a setting. I have been bad and do drink from straws on occasion. My new guilty pleasure is McCafe Hazlenut Lattes and Caramel Frappes. I also enjoy the egg white delight breakfast combo. I can eat the hashbrown and mcmuffin in one sitting (I just throw away one of egg mcmuffin slices). I can honestly say the term "use VSG as a tool" not a solution is a great message. You will not drop an insane amount of weight just from having this procedure. You have to work at it and change. My health is better and I will praise this procedure to the mountain tops, but you must be willing to put in the work to get the pounds off. My mother recently had the procedure and is doing well. She was not nearly as obese as me, so I'm excited to see if a little competiton will help boost me on the walking track. Her start weight is my current weight! So we're even in getting out of the gate. My mom had a lot more stuff broken in her health wise so I"m elated that she finally did the procedure. My marriage is struggling at the moment. Not heading for divorce or anything, just facing some challenges with a blended family. We're working through it, but I'm feeling my old urges and our lack of intimacy isn't helping things at all. I hate being mad all the time. Work is sucking as well. I don't know if I should move on or stay with them. My company has great benefits but I'm working 16-20 hour days and not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. It's shockingly overwhelming. Any way in closing. 1 year has been faced with several set-backs, but I'm optimistic that I can refocus and get back on track. Besides my husband and kids, the VSG decision remains one of the best decisions I've made in life. I think I bought myself more years on this earth by just choosing to not die of morbid obesity complications. This board has been most helpful in letting me know I'm not alone and others are in the struggle with me and offering support. Thank you all

Paris!!! I am soooo jealous!!! I will have to go back to Paris as soon as I reach goal! that would be a fabulous reward for my efforts!! Food is just our crutch of choice...it could have been something like alcohol or drugs or any of a number of other behaviors. This is something we will have to deal with always, but the lapband should really help. I wish you (and me--being banded tomorrow) success on our journey. Now, go drink some wine, eat some great bread and cheese, and enjoy Paris!!!

Thank you!!!! I ended up having vodka and diet 7up last night. Alcohol did hit me sooner then it used too but felt nice to relax. Not to be nasty but after I drank, I was able to get a lot of gas out. Did carbonation help? Back to being good today!!! Thanks everyonw

I have had pineapple vodka with a splash of cranberry juice. Yum! And I agree with whomever suggested a designated driver! Since alcohol hits us pretty quick, it's a good idea.

My surgeon says no alcohol for one year post surgery. I will follow his instructions.i also know that one of the major complication of this surgery is addiction. Many people who have this surgery are food addicts and when they don't have food anymore, they replace it with something else....like alcohol. Be smart, follow your doctors recommendations.

How weird we have a range of a few weeks to a few years?!?! That's not consistent lol ... I sure it's not great to become a full on alcoholic after surgery but a few drinks here and there should be ok .. It's prob a lot to do w empty calories too ?

My surgeon didn't seem to think alcohol was a big deal after about a month, but my NUT's paperwork said to wait at least a year or year 1/2! Ummm... I'm gonna shoot for the holiday season later this year and see what happens!

When I asked my doctor about alcohol, he said, "I'd wait 2 or 3 weeks". I am over 3 weeks out and haven't had any wine yet, but I hope to for 4th of July. While I am not a lush, the past few weeks sure have made me recognize how much eating and drinking plays a role in social events. Because I chose not to tell anybody about this surgery, I pretty much have isolated myself for the past couple of weeks. I can not wait to rejoin the world where I can sip on a glass of wine and dine with my friends again! (In moderation) Cheers!

Had my first glass of moscato at 5-6 weeks, took me forever to finish it felt pretty tipsy with one. I tried alcohol again for my birthday a month later I had 2 crown and orange juice and I think because I sipped on it so slow I didn't feel anything at all didn't get tipsy or anything. I am now 4 months out and once in a while I'll have a sip of my husband's margarita or beer I never get a drink of my own I can never finish it and I really only need a little to feel good..... lol

I'm alive!! So throughout the night I had about 8 shots of baileys & Midori (melon liquor) I was expecting to be way more effected then I was? I think it's a fairly soft alcohol ... So my cheap date idea didn't pan out hahaha .... I can't drink vodka & sprite (carbonation) I don't like beer & wine ... I'll see how I feel the next few days and try another kind of shot next time. You aren't supposed to drink because of stomach mucus still repairing itself (not sure what that does) ... So I'll just see how I feel the next few days before I venture out again - thanks for caring! x

My nutritionist pushed eating enough protein at EACH meal. Proteins first, good carbs (veggies, etc.) second. Avoid processed carbs like breads, white rice, alcohol. I try for at least 70 grams of protein a day, or more... and I try to keep the calories close to 1000. But, your doctor should be providing guidance for your dietary needs after being banded. Some of us have to take supplements for calcium and vitamins as well, per the doctor's directions. They should have given you some guidance on minimum fluid intake for the day--dehydration can be a problem for folks who have been banded.

yes they had me on heparin injections my right side looks like purple marble from the lovly bruises. In the hospital they gave me a shot to overcome my nausea but it was fast and as soon as they shoved alcohol prep near my nose it was ok. Yes it takes me all day but i can sip 65 ounces. do I have a sleeve?

I asked my surgeon this many times as I had pre-cancerous erosions in my esophagus from reflux prior to surgery. He told me that it was one of the rarest but most stubborn post-op complications. He said that some people still have significant acid production that can reflux up through the Y and cause an ulcer at the point of the anastamosis between the pouch and the small intestines. Risk factors that can increase this are alcohol, smoking, NSAIDS or eating inappropriate foods all of which I had none of. It seems as if it boiled down to bad luck for me. I am still pretty weak and seem to have a great deal of pain after eating but I am hoping for more strength each day. My physician told me that 90% of them disappear on their own and only about 10% need surgical intervention. I am praying that I am in the 90%. I will keep you all informed. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and prayers.

We all know the BMI chart is not very accurate as a measurement of good weight (or perhaps even good health) if you are built any different then " average"; that is, you do not have big bones and have a fairly average muscle composition. I may be completely wrong in the statement I just made, but it is something I have learned over the years. Before surgery, the BMI chart told me I was morbidly obese at 360. I did not like the term, but came to accept it and could see I was in middle of dark red section of BMI chart. Clearly, this was not something I was proud of and knew it was time to do a 180 reverse direction on both my physical and mental qualities that define my daily existence. Purge the bad and embrace the good as well as develop solid new habits for living a life of personal strength in all things. Fast forward to today and I am 1 year post opinion a couple weeks. My weight is within healthy BMI for my height of 5' 11 " and has been for 4 months now. The question, after this long introduction, is what should I target my final weight as? I am at 180 lb today (leaned out 10 lb in last 6 weeks with good fiitness and nutrition) and have a muscular athletic build. I have been working on transforming my body into an athletic physique for the last 4 months with Paleo fitness and diet, staying roughly around the same weight of 180 (average of course, I have gone up to 195 and dropped again to 180). The difference now when compared to the first time I was at 180 a few months ago is that I have solid muscle definition and a low fat percentage of 15%. My goal is to hit 10 % body fat, have a nice six pack and have he strength to compete in cross fit regionals and make a name for myself. Working at it every week with my PT ( so much improvement in last 2 months) and I hope to be able to compete next year. It is not a terrible amount of work to lose weight and keep / build lean muscle, about 20-30 min a day of Paleo type fitness and consistent Paleo neutrino with supplementation. Should I try and keep my weight around 180 lb or should I lean out more and let it drop or build up bigger muscles and let it climb more? I do not feel I need bigger muscle just for appearances. I probable want to trade 5 lb of fat for 5lb of lean muscle. Looking for a lot of different opinions and perspectives to help me move towards a well informed decision on this. One thing is for certain is I will keep up the Paleo fitness and nutrition as I have a good thing going there. Another certainty is I like the way I look and feel. I like feeling strong and at the same time flexible with good mobility. One change I might make is to cut alcohol completely ( drink now about 2 x a month) because the cost / benefit analysis is tipping the scale towards a cost rather then a benefit. Please weigh in (ha!) with all your opinions and thoughts to my questions. Thank you!!

I'm only a couple of weeks post-op, so I know I won't be drinking for awhile - but, I've read that many people warn against alcohol on here post-op. Apparently, the smaller stomach allows the alcohol to be processed much more quickly making you a "lightweight" - so go slow with whatever you choose! Pre-op, back in my wilder 20's, Diet Coke & rum was a fave of mine - Diet Coke mixes well with many different alcohols. Alcohol, by nature, is relatively packed with sugar. You'll be hard pressed to find one that's "good" for you. If you want some extra Vitamins, go with a screwdriver - Orange juice & Vodka. Pre-op for my LapBand removal, I was on a very strict low carb diet (no more than 50g/day). Prior to going to a St. Patrick's Day party at a bar with friends, I researched the carb counts of various beers - ultimately, I decided that even the low carb beers weren't worth my time. I think the lowest I found (that was carried at the bar) was somewhere around 17g carbs per bottle. Sorry, I'd rather expend my carbs on something I can EAT!

I'm still pre op but I'm turning 21 in August...not really a problem since my surgery will be the end of this year but I was wondering are there better types of alcohol? I'm not really a drinker or a party girl but I do plan on having a few drinks on the coast in a casino with my family..I'm talking about alcohol post op as well..(not really a fan of whine or tequila) but what are some good low cal but good tasting drinks that I can also drink post op and won't kill me lol.

If you are a coffee drinker, instant coffee mixes well with vanilla or Choc protein powders hot or cold! I was sleeved in winter and found unjury chicken soup flavored protein a nice change also unflavored protein mixes well into miso soup. Yeah some things just don't belong being sugar free, kinda like non-alcoholic beer I just can't wrap my mind around that !

No. I can't have it for one year. My doctor says there is a significant risk of liver failure if we drink alcohol in the first year following rny.

Thanks for sharing. I can only hope that I am able to post so clearing and despite your "bumps in the road" you are still positive. I am awaiting a date, in he mean time I am doing what NUT tells me to do, exercise started with PT and Psych has totally cleared me til post op. Next visit July 11th....Looking forward to learning more, from my "team" and each of you. Reading a lot too. Any recommendations will be great. Already De-caffeinaed, de-carbonated and de=alcoholed....Not missing any too/

Is anyone drinking alcohol??

Around Around 22-24 carbs... but 18 of them are Fiber.. typically only one or two sugar and 0-4 sugar alcohols. And you really don't believe in net carbs? I'm skeptical of subtracting sugar alcohols, but I definitely subtract fiber. I eat TONS of fiber which put my carbs up over 60 sometimes, but I stay in ketosis because most of the carbs are from fiber.. if I ate 60 carbs in a day from sugar it would definitely kick me out of ketosis so there's definitely a difference at least in my body.

I like that you started this post! I want to be real with this surgery. Not an alcoholic, but I still want to enjoy life occasionally. 'Cause, heck, otherwise, why live it? Thank you for the question!