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Thats a tough one. I guess talk yourself into the real reason your going. Not for the food but for the wedding itself. Im going to a surprise 30th tonight and cant (or shouldnt)drink but im going for the birthday girl not the alcohol you know? You'll be ok

Hi everyone:) this is my first thread, I've been reading some of these posts for the past two weeks and am excited to join this amazing support group! I am getting sleeved on the 30th of May and am going through a roller coaster of emotions. Surprisingly my biggest concern (besides the obvious concerns with surgery) is after the weight comes down, what's the likelihood of excess skin? Any recommendations for tightening it both pre/post op? I was an athlete my entire life and always in great shape until I quit all sports in college and gained 100 lbs (thank you dominos and alcohol! Lol). Anyway, any and all suggestions are welcome and I wish you all the best on your individual journeys.

Also, contact your surgeon to advise you if it's okay to have your PCP prescribe you something for flying anxiety. I would not suggest mixing it with alcohol tho...

My plain said I could drink 6 months out. I've heard some say 3 months or a year. Even not till they make goal weight. I say as with every thing after RNY... Proceeded with caution listen to your doc :-) educate yourself and be aware :-) I'm a year out and drink time to time and had my first drink about 7 months out. Try your first drink or a new drink in a safe place. Some people get absolutely sick from certain drinks cus of the sugars in them. I had one do it... Woke up from my sleep with upset tummy. It's a given we all have to be aware of cross addiction. It doesn't just happen alcohol... It could be drugs, sex, shopping... I've seen someone obsess and completely freak out over gaining .07 pounds o_O Good luck :-)

You have got a TON of great advice from everyone on here!!! One thing I can add is STOP STOP STOP watching cooking videos of foods you miss on YouTube!!!!!! That's pure torture!!!! That's like a recovering alcohol sitting at a bar watching everyone enjoying alcohol. It's torture and could lead to using bad judgment with food!

I am young as well. I started drinking again a week ago... 4 weeks out. Everyone said it would effect you differently but not for me. I can't seem to get anymore than a slight buzz. I can't drink fast enough to feel it. I'm fine with that though. I used to drink 7double whisky and cokes plus a few shots when I would go out... three times a week. So far, I have gone out twice and had just two single whisky sours. My doc recommends to never have alcohol because of cross addiction and empty calories, but I don't think it will be a problem for me.

Check and see if it has sugar alcohol in it. That can act like a laxative. Also some bars have too much fiber. I gave up trying yo find a bar and decided eatting food works much better for me.

Do you have an addictive personality? I noticed you asking about smoking earlier. I have an addictive personality. food, cigarettes, alcohol....whatever. But I'm trying to be healthy...and I just went 12 grand out of pocket to try to lose weight. And I've been quit on the smoking for over 2 years. So smokes and booze are not in my future (unless if it's just wine with a friend...and only occasionally. I'm not even planning that). And I'm not judging...I just didn't waste a bunch of money to be an addict to other things. I've seen too much cross addiction when researching this step in my life. You should ask your surgeon when they recommend drinking. Many say 6 months...some say a year. Then it's only supposed to be one drink at a time (I think). I didn't ask my surgeon about this, since I have no plans to do it. It's not recommended to drink a lot though....and alcoholism is a major problem with post GB patients.

You know, I haven't had a drop of alcohol since New Year's Eve (pre-surgery by 8 days then). I don't crave it, but man, the other day I wanted a beer so badly. Being under my goal now, I might start having small little dabbles into nursing a beer on a hot summer day. You've got me thinking of it now, that sounds like a great one to try. Thank you!

You can leave out the wine, but after cooking for 8 hours, the alcohol cooks off. Sent from my iPhone using VST

When did everyone start drinking? And when you did what was it. I've heard since you should stay away from the fizzy stuff drink wine or an idea I also heard was diet snapple mixed with vodka. I am just curious because I'm young and want to be doing what my other friends are out doing. Plus my 21st birthday is in September surgery: April 28th~~~current weight loss 20 pounds

Think of this as a lessons learned thing Sweetpea. Stay away from fast food joints. There is nothing healthy for you there. Would you go into a bar if you were an alcoholic? Food is our addiction and until you see some real results, it will be hard to walk away from yummy yummy bad food. Start to investigate yummy yummy good food. It's out there...just search for it. Look up websites, make better choices. Heck, I bet there's even a healthier version of a taco salad. You can eat refried bean and tomatoes and even a dash of sour cream. This way, you can eat a taco salad and not feel bad. Good luck....you can do this!

Today I am officially at the 5 month mark following my surgery. I've lost 65 lbs and I feel fantastic! I hit Onderland a week or so ago which was a huge goal. I am also into normal sized clothes and am delighted with the selection - actually a little overwhelmed to tell you the truth! I'm a much happier person too - which is a big part of why I did the surgery in the first place. In five months I've had very few problems. I've thrown up once after eating too quickly (learned my lesson and have never done it since). I've pretty much stuck to solid proteins although lately I am slipping a little and adding more carbs back in - but I get too full too fast from them. I do enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage - but need to be mindful of the calories and adjust my intake accordingly. I do not drink carbonated beverages at all. I still miss my diet cokes sometimes, but have replaced them with iced tea and that does the trick. I am noticing my hair getting thinner lately so I am refocusing on the vitamins which I have been bad about taking. I do think at this point I need to refocus and set some new goals. The weight isn't coming off as easily any more, and so it's time to up the effort. I've also noticed lately thinking about food more - which is something I never did in the early days. I seem to be hungrier - especially when driving home. I just noticed this trend so now I am filling up the water bottle before leaving work and using that to combat the feeling of hunger. I'm still sticking to three meals a day which is pretty easy. Goals: Exercise 3x week for 30 minutes - this is a challenge for me as I have significant difficulties with basic activity because of my MS - but I have to do this. Increase H2O consumption by half Journal ALL caloric intake Things I look forward to doing in the next 5 months: Never see the 200's again (sustain wt. loss) Go ziplining Lay out at the beach Wear a sleevless shirt lower my BMI below the "obese" range Get to the point where the weight I've lost is a higher number than the weight I have left to lose (be more than half-way to my goal) Ultimately I knew from the beginning that this journey was going to take a while. Sure - I had dreams about being one of those people who lose all the weight in 6-8 months, but I've also learned that I cannot allow myself to think that any pound lost (no matter how quickly or slowly) is anything but a success. When I hit the one year mark I hope to be very close to my goal - but if it takes longer then I will just keep on plugging along.

Sharpie, food, drugs, alcohol different tools, but the same addiction.

Don't be too hard on yourself! We are all addicts. Alcoholics/drug addicts don't have to consume their drug of choice to survive like we do. Drink lots and lots of fluids and maybe leave the house when the family eats.

I'm liking these ideas of baking extracts, but can I ask where these are being purchased? Around here, there is alcohol in true baking extracts. The knock off extracts have sugar.

I don't think it's just fat people who do this.. I am sure alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. have the same thoughts.. well I had one drink so I might as well get drunk,,, I think some of it is just human nature.. I used to weigh myself, if I had gained I would spend the day eating what I wanted cause I thought what the hell.. self punishment I guess.. now a days I weigh in the morning and I take it and go.. if I haven't lost oh well I will see if I need to change something like drinking more water or skipping a carb.. I have not gained anything since surgery so I am lucky.. I feel confident that this will work and I do not feel deprived...

I wasn't much of a drinker & suddenly I love it. I began drinking too much but not to the point of being or acting stupid. I stop my self cuz #1 wine is expensive and I don't want to become an alcoholic #2 I rather drink more cafe from Starbucks lmbo seriously I was over drinking but now I do it like weekends or skip a week or so but no more a daily glass or two of wine

I know....it will help me to prepare. I've already been preparing for nearly a year though. I've totally weaned myself off of any carbonated drinks, when I used to be addicted to diet cokes. I don't drink alcohol....except maybe once every six months or so. I don't really like the way it makes me feel. I only drink water now, but every now and then I'll have lemonade, and rarely, tea. I have found some protein drinks that I like, and I swap them for meals every now and then. The Premier Protein chocolate drinks are exceptionally good. I think my main problem right now is getting in any exercise. I had knee surgery in December, and my knees still bother me to the point where it is difficult to walk, much less walk any length of time. Swimming pools are not an option. I could join a local gym, but the motivation to go just isn't present. THAT is what I need to work on.

There are at least two ppl in my support group that admitted to Alcohol abuse post rny. It's very easy to trade one addictive behavior (over eating) for another (drinking, shopping, sex, gambling ect). If you see a trend I'd recommend counseling. I'm really not a fan of drinking so I don't think ill miss it.

I like all the bars mentioned though I try to keep sugar alcohols to a minimum. So far Quest bars are my favorite. I like the Banana Nut and Chocolate Chip. Just ordered a box of Berry, looking forward to trying them since I don't eat much in the way of fruit right now.

Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone. It's insane that our circumstances can be compared to an alcoholic or other addiction but it is so very true. Well, I made 2oz of egg salad with one large egg and low-fat mayo. I mashed the hell out of it with a fork then chew, chew, chew until it felt like applesauce and it went down ok. A lot of tummy noises (I'm so hoping that dies down a bit). I couldn't even finish it (left maybe a teaspoon). My body told me exactly when to stop. That has NEVER happened to me...or maybe I just never listened.

Maybe you feel a little bit like an alcoholic taking that first social drink? It's a bad move for an alcoholic, but unfortunately, we really *can't* avoid eating for the rest of our lives. You won't backslide if you just keep following your NUT's instructions. And at some point, staying on liquids only will be the WRONG thing to do because you'll be more hungry. You need to eat solids eventually. So follow the guidelines, eat slowly, try one new thing at a time to see how you handle it. It'll be ok!

LAP-BAND Surgery Pre-Op Diet About two weeks before your Lap-Band surgery, you will be expected to start making changes in your diet. Your surgeon will have you begin a special pre-op diet that is designed to get your body ready for surgery and make recovery easier. Although you may be tempted to splurge on all your favorite foods, this is not the time to let your health worsen. The purpose of a pre-surgery diet is to: Reduce body fat around the stomach and liver, as well as shrink the liver itself. If the liver is too large, the surgery may have to be postponed. Improve surgical outcomes and recovery. By reducing fatty triglycerides from around the liver and spleen, it can reduce potential surgical bleeding. Increase Protein intake, which will help preserve and protect muscle tissue. The pre-surgery diet will also prepare Lap-Band patients for the post-op diet and increase the rate of weight loss following surgery. Pre-Op Dietary Guidelines As a generality, most Lap-Band pre-op diet plans are high in protein while low in calories, fats, and carbohydrates. The average calorie allowance for the Lap-Band pre-op diet ranges from 800 to 1200 calories per day. Foods that will need to be decreased in your diet include high-sugar foods, high carbohydrate foods (including bread and pasta), fats (such as butter), fatty meats, fried foods, whole milk products, high-calories beverages (including regular soda and alcoholic beverages). Your diet will be limited, but foods that may be included are yogurt, fruit, Cereal, eggs, oatmeal for Breakfast and lean meat or fish with green vegetables for dinner. Your diet may also include protein supplements. As individualized pre-op diets will vary between surgeons and patients, it is important that you follow the specific recommendations of your doctor. Protein Supplements High levels of protein will help the body heal after surgery as well as protect muscles so that the body burns excess fat instead of muscle tissue when on a low fat diet. The typical pre-op diet will include 70 to 120 grams of protein each day. To ensure adequate protein intake, the Lap-Band diet will rely on protein supplementation. Protein powders, such as Myocel, are designed to lower the fat content of the liver, maximize recovery, and promote weight loss. Myocel can be mixed in with skim milk, Water, fruit juice, or fat-free yogurt. http://www.lapband.us/pre-surgery-diet.html

I have never drank carbonation, but I have had a glass of wine, 3 times since surgery. Made me tipsy quickly. But thats fine one glass takes about an hour to drink, and never have I drank it with food. Im 2.5 months out. And for those of you who are saying we shouldnt drink alcohol becuase of the empty calories, I know I know, but give me a break...I have 3 teenagers, and 1 of them is a GIRL teenager...LOL so only 3 glasses of wine in 2.5 months is pretty good.