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I hate saying "studies have shown." If you google "bariatric surgery sexual abuse" or "bariatric surgery drug addiction" or "bariatric surgery alcohol adidiction" you'll get links to research study abstracts that go into detail the latest findings.

LOL. Believe it or not, that sounds like a normal psych eval. (Yes, I've had more than one). Many people who were addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, transfer their addiction to food. So when you take away the food, they go back to alcohol and drugs or shopping, sex, exercise, even eating disorders. It can get crazy. He was just trying to determine if that was a risk for you and something you need to watch out for. In addition, study after study has shown that a large percentage of WLS patients have been abused, especially sexually, men and women. They don't talk about it, they don't think about it, they eat. Again, you take away the food, you take away the coping mechanism. That's a problem. Studies have shown that people that have been sexually abused lose significantly less weight with WLS than people who haven't been abused. It shouldn't disqualify you but it's something he should point out to you so you can be aware of it and address it if you see it popping up in your life. If you're open, you're honest, and you're willing to address any issues that may pop up, you're going to be fine.

I love Moscato (you can get it without the fizzies too!) and muscadine wine that I can only find in Arkansas. My sister has a friend that brings us back a case at the time when we need it. I also have a little winery near my house where you can get red wines made with blueberries and pomegrantes. Those are pretty yummy as well and are semi great for you if you are looking at the antioxidant content of them. I haven't had any alcohol since surgery. I'm not a big drinker anyway but I was told that I needed to wait at least a year after surgery before alcohol. I'm trying to be a "good patient" and do what I'm told plus I don't want to do anything to throw off my weight loss so I think I'll be waiting a while. I would LOVE a good margarita too!

Chocolate martini - I will have maybe a couple a month. It's like a dessert with a kick. Like one of you said, I chose to have nothing alcoholic until I reached goal.

I would skip the alcohol. allons-y

I had my first glass of wine about 3 months post op and it was delicious Check with your surgeon first and also some people handle alcohol way different after surgery. So you may want to take a test run at home before the party just to make sure you are OK with it. You don't want to cause a scene at your MIL's 50th b-day party LOL

Hi - I'm new to this forum, but not to banding. I first got banded in 2007 at a weight of 210 lbs. I had a lot of issues, definitely not using the band properly. It ended with a slipped band in 2008, all the Fluid was taken out and 6 week rest period before being refilled. You would think I had learned something. I did, I learned how not to get stuck by eating slider foods, ice cream, Cookies anything sweet and sugary. From 2008 until 2012 I had kept 50 lbs off, but still eating crazy. I went back to doctor for a fill and got to the point of living on ice cream and Soup, thinking this was normal. Finally, I realized how Un-normal this was, I went back and got fluid taken out of my band. Let me tell you - no restriction - I felt like Denzel Washington in the movie Flight when he finds the key to the mini bar and stares at all the alcohol. I went on an eating frenzy eating every thing that I handing been able to 4 years. In March 2013, I went back to doctor and got adjusted,I know band is where it needs to be, I just need to get my head on straight. In the last 2 months I have done a lot of soul searching and realizing what I'm sure everyone else already knows - the band is a tool. I come to the website today for all the right reasons - support from others and for others. This is not an easy thing to do, if it was the industry wouldn't be full books and diet plans to follow. Without being to preachy - we have it all inside ourselves to do it - sometimes we just need someone to help us a little along the way. So good luck to me and everyone else along this journey and hope to talk to some of you soon.

Effing awesome nannie!! The analyst part of me (professional hazard, sorry) is fascinated though that, to Celebrate your success in abstaining from old behaviors, you indulged in 3 donuts. This is not a judgement of you by any means, I am fascinated because I would have done the SAME thing. Why is this ... if we look at it in terms like alcoholics, why would we celebrate our sobriety by having a drink? Yet, we do ... man this is one complex journey. We are the only group of addicts on the planet that are required to partake of our addiction in order to live! Booze or drugs are not necessary for survival but nutrition is, so this requires even more delicate navigation imo, than substance abuse. I have stayed low cal/low carb/ high exercise for 2 weeks now, first 5 days I lost 5 lbs, then went up 2 lbs and have stayed there. Any ideas what is going on? Trying to cut out the salt but man alive I'm craving it! Trying to drink more Water.

We slip and slide a little but like you all said, we get back up quicker than before. I didn't lose last week-then came home from 4 days in Las Vegas up 3.5lbs. I know some of it was lack of protein and water, plus my body wasn't used to drinking any alcohol or eating the "bad foods" that are very hard to avoid on vacation so it clung to every empty calorie. I also didn't track at all, but comparatively to what damage I did last year-I was very very well behaved in the food and drink department. I hit the water hard, watched/logged my food & protein and am down the gained weight plus another 1.3. Tomorrow is my almost 4 month appt. and although its been slow going, I feel so grateful to be here and look forward to more positive losing! After another 40 something lbs down and I'm getting the girls done and a tummy tuck!!!

I'm not sure if it does call ulcers. The reason we aren't allowed to have it is because it will hit our system really fast, and make us super drunk off of very little, and alcohol tends to be high in sugar and can cause dumping.

Does alcohol cause ulcers??

My surgeon told me six months as well. I didn't touch a drop until after that and even then it was a glass of wine before dinner. Still wound up with an ulcer at the anastomosis diagnosed at about a year post-op. The ulcer has since healed completely and I still like a glass of wine before dinner but it's a good idea to wait quite a while. Alcohol is a definite inflammatory and the last thing you want to mess around with while you're still in the healing process. When the time comes and if you're not overly sensitive to sugar, margaritas are a relatively low calorie drink - especially if you go easy on the triple sec.

I love this and wanted to share it with everyone.... A Mediterranean Diet Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life, says there are certain foods you can eat that will help alleviate stress. One of the easiest ways to reduce stress and be mentally and physically healthy is to follow a low-fat, Mediterranean diet, she says. Staples of the diet include: A lot of fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods Little red meat Fish several times a week Healthy fats such as olive oil Wine in moderation Low-fat dairy products, primarily yogurt and cheese Complex Carbohydrates When you start to feel low, depleted or stressed, Debbie says you shouldn't turn to a pint of ice cream. Instead, indulge in some complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, for an immediate boost. "The complex carbs really generate serotonin [a neurotransmitter that affects chemical balance] for women," Debbie says. Some of her top picks include: oatmeal Whole wheat toast Brown rice Brown Pasta Lean Protein Debbie says the order in which you eat your food affects your mood. To get the most stress relief, she says you should first have some complex carbohydrates, then, about 20 minutes later, have some lean protein. Healthy lean Proteins include: chicken Fish eggs Low-fat cheese Omega-3s Known anti-inflammatories, omega-3s also have a positive impact on brain health. Debbie suggests eating these sources of omega-3s several times a week: · Salmon · Halibut Mackerel Trout Flaxseed oil Walnuts Dark chocolate A favorite of many women, Debbie says a little dark chocolate is the perfect treat when you are feeling stressed. "It really makes you more alert and releases stress," Debbie says. Between managing your career, spending time with your family and taking care of yourself, getting through your day can be extremely stressful. Luckily, your diet can help you control that stress, Bob says. He talks with Dr. Rovenia Brock about how to reduce stress and anxiety by eating the right foods. "Dr. Ro" says it's important to eat foods that will calm our nerves amid the chaos of our most stressful days. "I think a lot of people become overwhelmed with the notion of what it is to live healthy, to get a healthier lifestyle—including the foods you put in your kitchen," she says. "But it doesn't have to be a science project." Stress-Reducing Foods: Foods rich in Vitamin B: These include clams, lentils, chickpeas and quinoa. Foods high in vitamin B have a calming effect on the body, helping to melt away feelings of stress and anxiety and enhance your mood. Papayas: Fruits and vegetables with orange and yellow pigments are generally going to contribute Vitamins A and C, as well as folate, which helps enhance the mood, Dr. Ro says. Red bell peppers: These contain vitamins A and C and folate, which help give you more energy and repair cell damage caused by stress. Basil and arugula: These stress-reducing herbs are a great source of folate and add great flavor to healthy dishes. Sunflower seeds: These contain vitamin E and folate to enhance your mood. Foods to Avoid: Caffeinated beverages: Caffeine can cause anxiety and raise stress hormone levels, Dr. Ro says. Trans fatty acids: Found in sweets like cakes, pies and Cookies, trans fats compromise the immune system, which causes more stress on the body and also increases your risk for heart disease. Sugar: Sugar causes spikes in blood sugar levels, which robs your adrenal glands of their ability to control stress hormones and protect the body against stress. Alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption adds more sugar to your diet and, again, is harmful to the adrenal glands, which protect you against stress. "You might want to put the cork back in the Burgundy [when you are under stress]," Dr. Ro says.

I've been in maintenance for a year. I love my treats and I do drink now. I can eat pretty much anything. I have to limit it to stay in my weight range. I cannot tolerate as much alcohol as I drank before. My limit is two drinks. And I drink 1-2 times per week. For example, this week I had a glass of wine on Saturday. I am going out today and will have two cocktails before dinner. For treats this week, I have had a 1/2 cup ice cream twice, a couple of mini candy bars, 1 T. Peanut Butter on a graham cracker, and a couple of blueberry muffins. Generally, I have one small treat a day. Lynda

I'm 5 months out and still do shakes. As for alcohol....most doctors say 6 months. Me personally, I've seen what it can do to a rny patient that wasn't carful and it scared me so I won't touch a drop. HW: 331 SW: 11/26/12 319lbs CW: 229 04/23/13 GW: 157

My surgeon told me that when you get to the point of getting 64 grams of protein a day from food then you don't have to do the shakes. The shakes are just a "helper" until you can eat regular food. The margarita question... hmmmm.... I had my first wine about 3 months out. Be careful because alcohol is empty calories and they can add up mighty quick. Also when you try your first drink make sure you are home, some people get drunk really quick some don't. I would also ask these two questions to your surgeon as well.

I do believe that sugar is toxic for us....Here is an article I thought you might like to read and give your opinion on..... Your Brain on Sugar It gives you a rush, messes with your mind, and always leaves you wanting more - and now researchers are calling for the government to regulate the sweet stuff like a drug. Is sugar worse for you than, say, cocaine? According to a 2012 article in the journal Nature, it's a toxic substance that should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol. Researchers point to studies that show that too much sugar (both in the form of natural sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) not only makes us fat, it also wreaks havoc on our liver, mucks up our metabolism, impairs brain function, and may leave us susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, even cancer. So far, no federal action has been taken (advocates blame industry lobbyists), and experts say simply raising awareness isn't enough, especially when 80 percent of our food choices contain sugar. "It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion," says coauthor Laura Schmidt, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Nevertheless, after the shock of hearing the news, many of us shrugged and turned back to our cupcakes. Yet, truth is, women in their 20s and 30s may already be feeling the effects of too much sugar without even realizing it. Here, the most common sugar-induced issues and how to beat them to prevent long-term damage—and feel your best right now. STRESS EATING For a pick-me-up, you may feel the urge to inhale a bag of M&M's or scarf down a box of Cookies. But the impulse goes deeper. To examine the hold sugar can have over us, substance-abuse researchers have performed brain scans on subjects eating something sweet. What they've seen resembles the mind of a drug addict: When tasting sugar, the brain lights up in the same regions as it would in an alcoholic with a bottle of gin. Dopamine—the so-called reward chemical—spikes and reinforces the desire to have more. (Sugar also fuels the calming hormone serotonin.) THE FIX In times of stress, dieters are more likely to binge, studies conclude. That said, a cookie once in a while (say, twice a week) is fine, but on most days go for oatmeal with brown sugar, suggests Jeffrey Fortuna, Ph.D., a health and behavior lecturer at California State University, Fullerton. The whole grains fill you up and the sweetness is just enough to release serotonin. INEXPLICABLE WEIGHT GAIN You stay away from burgers and drink diet soda. But sugar—both real and artificial—is the secret saboteur. When the pancreas senses sugar, the body releases insulin, which causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen for energy. Eat too much at once, though, and insulin levels spike, then drop. The aftermath? You feel tired, then crave more sustenance to perk up. Faux sugars don't help. "Artificial sweeteners travel to the part of the brain associated with desire but not to the part responsible for reward," says Dr. Gene-Jack Wang, a researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. Nor do they trigger the release of the satiety hormones that real sugar does, so you're more likely to consume more calories. THE FIX Feed sweet cravings with fruit (the Fiber will help keep insulin in check), and sub in sparkling Water for diet soda. If you must indulge, go for a small snack made with real sugar, and eat slowly. Add fruit or yogurt to feel fuller and prevent a crash. BRAIN FOG Blanking out in the middle of a meeting? Research out of the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that sugar forms free radicals in the brain's membrane and compromises nerve cells' ability to communicate. This could have repercussions in how well we remember instructions, process ideas, and handle our moods, says Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, Ph.D., author of the UCLA study. THE FIX Stay under the USDA limit of 10 teaspoons (40 grams) of added sugar a day. Read labels and available nutrition information at chains: A 16-ounce Starbucks vanilla latte and Einstein Bros. bagel will max out your day's allotment! A wiser choice: black coffee and plain yogurt with antioxidant-rich blueberries and walnuts, sweetened with honey. AGING SKIN Sugar causes premature aging, just as cigarettes and UV rays do. With young skin (generally under 35), when skin support structures collagen and elastin break down from sun or other free-radical exposure, cells repair themselves. But when sugar travels into the skin, its components cause nearby amino acids to form cross-links. These cross-links jam the repair mechanism and, over time, leave you with premature wrinkles. THE FIX Once cross-links form, they won't unhitch, so keep sugar intake to as close to zero as you can. "It's the enemy," says Dr. William Danby, a dermatologist with Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire. Avoid soda and processed pastries and trade sugar packets for cinnamon—it slows down cross-linking, as do cloves, oregano, ginger, and garlic. A SLUGGISH WORKOUT Muscles need sugar for fuel, so carbs (which break up into glucose, a type of sim-ple sugar) can kick-start your morning jog. But fruit or prepackaged Snacks touting "natural sweeteners" contain just fructose, which is metabolized in the liver, not the muscles. The result: bloat, or even the runs. THE FIX A glucose-packed snack with just 4 to 8 grams of fructose—it'll help increase glucose absorption, says Dr. Richard Johnson, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver. Try a sports drink like Gatorade or trail mix with dried fruit an hour before your workout.

My surgeon has NO requirements for a pre-op diet. None. All I have to do is not eat solids after midnight the night prior to the procedure. Don't beat yourself up, Kelly--after all, listening to the judging/angry/"you're-not-worthy" voices in our heads is WHY some of us are in the predicament we're in. I don't know about anyone else, but a lot of my eating is self-medication against negativity. Cheering myself up with yummy Snacks. Eating to avoid dealing with my emotions, then feeling rotten about what I ate, giving up on myself--since it MUST be all-or-nothing to succeed, right?--and starting the vicious cycle all over again. Eat poorly, hate what I did to my body by eating poorly, punish myself with a mental lecture about being worthless, do a 180 and say "SCREW THIS IMMA EAT WHAT I WANT", eat poorly again. Lather, rinse, repeat. (Of course, the whole process above doesn't WORK and it doesn't make logical sense to stay in that cycle, but that never stopped an alcoholic from looking for answers at the bottom of a bottle of whisky. I preferred to search my way to both ends of a brownie pan or a bag of peanut M&M's.) So, yeah. Don't add your voice or anyone else's to the negative chorus of "this will not work for you if you can't stick to liquids". Right now, it's optional. For a lot of obese people with food addictions, all the good intentions in the world just won't get the job done when it's optional. We make excuses, we sabotage ourselves, we make bad food choices. It's what we DO. It's why we're choosing to be sleeved--to take the choice out of our hands (and stomachs). You're gonna be okay. You CAN do this. Your sleeve is going to make it possible, and you're going to be a success. Hang tough, girlie.

Definitely talk to an addiction counselor. I delayed my surgery for 10 months because less than 2 weeks before first scheduling, I had people begging me not to go thru with it. A relative of a close family friend was in the hospital dying of liver failure because she had cross addicted to alcohol because she could no longer eat to deal with her problems. She died at 32 years old leaving 3 kids behind. Obesity is an addiction just as serious as any other. If you don't deal with the problems that caused you to gain weight, you can transfer it very easily. Please, please don't wait to get some professional help. We don't want you to die.

Hmmm ... are you a success or failure ... I can't speak for you, but I know I am neither ... I am human. An imperfect one, at that. I am an alcoholic who has found others who have found a solution to their issues with alcohol abuse. It is a 12 step program you may have heard of. If not, Google 12 step alcohol. There are many meetings in cities around the world every hour of the day. I found shame in admitting it at first, but after some time, similar to being sleeved, I have found that I can be of service to those in need, trying to reach out to others. I would love to discuss this further with you, if you are so inclined, but I cannot do this for you. No one here can tell you why you abuse alcohol just like no one here can tell you why you were obese. But I, and many others in your own city, can tell you what my issues were and how I found a solution which may work for you, if you are willing. You may or may not be an alcoholic. Only you get to decide. I've known more than one person who could suck down a bottle of vodka, but wasn't an alcoholic. But I do know, for myself, I stepped over the line when I lost my power of choice in the matter. Feel free to PM me, though, I think you may have already before ... right? The only shame is not doing anything about it.

I found this in an article called "8 Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight" on sparkpeople. I remembered this question and thought I'd post it here. #1 You're eating back all the calories you burn. When you work out, you're burning extra calories. That's why exercise is so important in the weight-loss equation. But a lot of people overestimate how much they burn—and even use the "I exercised today" excuse to later overeat, overdrink (think alcohol) or overindulge. How many times have you faced a food temptation and thought, "Well, I worked out today, so it's OK this time." Or even, "I'll have this now, but work out extra hard tomorrow to burn it off." If that sounds all-too-familiar, this is one major reason why you're not losing weight. For the exercise to help you lose, you can't re-eat all those extra calories you burned. And in most cases, we overestimate how many calories we actually burned and underestimate how many calories we're actually eating, which means using that 3-mile walk (240 calories burned) to justify that restaurant meal (1,000+ calories, anyone?) leaves you in a worse position than if you may realize: at a calorie surplus. The Takeaway: Exercise can help you lose when you're really using it to burn extra calories, not as a reason to eat more.

I too have almost the exact same pr-op weight amd no pre-op diet reccomended. Now, I stopped drinking alcohol several months ago and generally try to watch carb intake. I also gave up soda and caffeine in March and haven't missed it. I trust my surgeons advice. I am doing some pre op restriction in order to try to make his job easier but definitely not a pre op diet. I was scheduled for surgery initially in March and I cancelled the day before surgery. I had not purchased my protein, soups, vitamins, nothing. I wasn't ready mentally but I know that I am now. I've started trying to get used to the protein and started eating yogurt which will be a staple afterwards. I also bought my vitamins and some things I will need for the hospital. That all helped to make it more real for me. Counseling never hurt anybody. But, only you know yourself and only you can decide if you are ready. Everything else is just the opinion of people who have struggled with the same issues that you (and I ) have and have done no better with them (or they would not be on this forum in the first place). It sounds to me like you feel you are ready and are just having a hard time right now. Sounds to me like you also have the pre-surgery jitters that almost everyone gets. I know there is a balance that people are trying to strike between giving you some hard truth which is post- surgery we must follow the doc ordered diet or we can cause a leak or other serious problems! (I am not saying that everyone that gets a leak causes it) and trying to be supportive. Think about talking to the nurse or coordinator in your surgeons office - it will probably give you some peace of mind. You could even pose it as a hypothetical "say a person my size had great difficulty following the pre op diet and only followed it about 50-75% of the time. Does that make the surgery too risky? Should that person cancel?" I bet it would give you some peace of mind.

Comfort.. It's why I ate. Numbing myself with each bite, from what? Past trauma? Disappointment? Boredom? Life? The answer? All of the above. As you know a lot of us struggle with addictive personalities here. If you've been around here you've heard me talk about my problem with the pain meds at night, I started taking them in the evening ( the same time I did my best eating) long after I "needed" them.. I shocked myself because drugs or alcohol have never been a problem for me. It's like an addiction is waiting around every corner just waiting for me some days. I've been sick this last week and had bad allergies to top it off. I have always stayed away from Benadryl because I have a bad drugged type reaction and then it knocks me out. Well a few days ago I got so desperate I took one, worked awesome! I went back for more the next night. Last night I couldn't find them, my husband took them. He said I know you just want to knock yourself out.... Was he right? Maybe. We have additive personalities, and we are sneaky beings. So we are always looking for ways to fill that hole. My husband knew about the pain meds in the beginning because I told him. That's how he knew to take the Benadryl away and confront me on it. You need to do the same. Shine a light on the problem, talk to a close family member, friend, and counselor. And us of course, I talk about my daily struggles here, sometimes in real time as I am trying not to binge. It makes me sad that you can't come here as "you" because this does not take away from your successes and value here as a person, but I will respect your privacy.

please don't be embarrassed! first all please seek help before alcohol does your body permanent damage. second of all your post is very important to all the members here as a reminder to be diligent about cross addiction. i wish you well...please get help!

Brain chemistry. I read a study that indicated that our brains are quite crafty at getting us to ingest sufficient calories to avoid perceived starvation. You need to be very careful about withdrawal. If you are using that much alcohol every day, you will need doctor supervised detox. Cold turkey without medical attention can be deadly to a heavy drinker. My thoughts and prayers are with you.