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I could echo most of what everyone else is saying; I'm now 5 days post-op banding and because I've been surrounded by the mental attitude of staying on the liquid diet thru this period, I made some good soups and have juices, liquid supplements etc, food begins to fade just the tiniest bit. Not something you'd think would happen to someone who did all the typical "last supper" days. Shit, 2 days before surgery, I'd gotten rid of all my junk food, but like a maniac, scrounged thru the kitchen, found a box of brown suger, boiled it into taffy and ate the whole pan of it in one sitting. Did I feel bad? duh...Yes, us food addicts have it bad; it is not an easy thing to come to grips with, but acknowledging it, like an alcoholic does is a good place to start. Stay in touch with the support group, read up on compulsive overeating and if need be, find a good eating disorder therapist to work with. I'm reading something my therapist recommended called, "Eating under the light of the moon". It's very gentle and reassuring. Keep the faith! You've been led this far so I think the band is a great tool that will help us. warmly, sufina:cursing:

I do not kow as I am not there yet, BUT they want your liver to be soft and pliable to move it out of the way, you must stop all alcohol as it produces the liver to become stiff,, this is a major life change, be weeks before you can drink again.

ive read where sometimes the band can loosen somewhat later in the day. Also, having a hot drink before hand, or having some alcohol helps to ease it as well.

I had my sleeve 3/8/17. Surgery went great, struggled a little with gas pain and nausea/vomiting. No pain medication worked for me (morphine or dilaudid!) and the nausea medication didn't help either. One of the things the nurse told me the surgeon told her was to sniff alcohol pads......IDK if that really worked but I had to handle the situation internally. I was discharged the next day at my request and continued my healing at home. As of this morning, I am down 9 pounds from 3/8/17. I am on day 2 of full liquids. Struggling to get all my Water and Protein in. At this point I am going by how my body feels....If I feel thirsty, I sip and if I don't, I don't. I never feel hungry so I drink broth at certain time intervals and usually just sip on sugar free crystal light, eat sugar free popsicles, drink water and eat sugar free Jello in between. Pain is at minimum, only the incisions hurt (or mainly that abdominal wall hurts when I move), but gas has subsided and I had my first bowel movement in maybe 5 days today, which made me feel even better. So everything is grand right? I never understood how much of a mental test this is. I am not physically hungry but mentally i want to eat the Snacks and foods I ate before surgery. Its like I CRAVE the physical part of chewing and crunching more than anything. To aid, I've been crunching on pickles and then spitting them out as I KNOW I cannot eat anything right now....I DON'T want to screw anything up!! Pre-op I was diabetic. My A1C was as high as 11.6. A year ago, my blood sugars were out of control, I was on a couple medications for my glucose as well as a pill for blood pressure and cholesterol. I always told myself that I was going to lose weight but after trying for so long and failing, I gave accepted the fact that I was probably always going to be big. I would go to doctors appointments after doctors appointments making excuses as to why I hadn't lost as much as I should have. Eventually I found the surgeon who I wanted to do my sleeve. He asked if I had ever tried diet pills and I told him no because NONE of my doctors felt comfortable prescribing them (d/t cardiac side effects). Anyway, I eventually started phentermine and slowly making dietary changes (low carb, low sugar, cutting out soda).....and the weight slowly came off. Pre-op I managed to lose 50 pounds and only had to do 3 days liquid diet pre-op (not even 3 days) since I lost a good amount beforehand..... so this 2 weeks liquid diet is killing me. All I want to do is EAT...even though I am NOT hungry! Its so mentally hard. I remind myself of the reasons why I did this and how it is not a permanent thing having to do liquids but I just find myself counting down to the pureed stage just to at least be able to eat some of the things I like..... I've read on various Facebook posts where people did not follow the surgeons directions and started eating sooner, but I am terrified to even try it...

I too am obese with no co-morbidities YET. Well hopefully their won't be any because on on my way to a healthier thinner me. I know can understand where you are all coming from, I used to eat very healthily, or so I thought, now I realise just how MUCH i was eating! Obesity and healthy don't go together, because being obese we are at much higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes etc etc. But being skinny isn't synonymous of being healthy. A lot of skinny people can be alcoholics, drug addicts, so that's not healthy either! But I do agree w Emily Grace, we need to be honest with ourselves to be able to address our problems but as mommyoftwo says, obesity is a complicated and multifaceted disease, cause it is one, and it's not as simple as 1+1=2, that's why obesity is such a big problem! Good luck to all of you in your journey!

Getting healthy and losing weight after WLS is a long-term game that requires patience. If you aren't able to commit to eating nutritious foods in the right amounts your body needs to heal from surgery, to lose weight, and to become healthier (because hardly any of us were in very good shape to begin with), you're probably not going to like the overall results you get. And you're not going to feel fantastic just a few weeks post-op. It takes a while to recover from surgery. You will recover and regain your energy by eating healthy food that nourishes your body. IMHO, taking diet pills to lose weight and "get your energy back" after WLS is sort of like using methamphetamine to recover from the blues of going through alcohol withdrawal. Yeah, it'll pep you up but it won't heal you at all. I realize that analogy may not be perfect, so feel free to improve upon it.

Odiemom, so sorry to hear that you were having a hard time. I can sympathize I had a period of a few months where I couldn't tolerate protein shakes. Then when my gallbladder started I could not eat regular food and tried going back to them and I was fine. But when I try to eat no sugar added ice cream or carb smart with 30-60 minutes I get the diarrhea, I know it's dumping syndrome. Nutritionist told me its the sugar alcohol. Somedays I don't have a bowel movement other days I have diarrhea. I eat mostly regular food also, but I try to like you said nutritious food. I can't tolerate breads, pork or fatty types of meat. I can tell u things do get easier as time goes on. Just be patient, that's the key!

I stick to high Protein for the most part: eggs, tuna, salmon, Greek yogurt, and some veggies. On a not so good say I might add some rice or Pasta. I also have a drink from time to time. How bad do u think that affects weight loss? Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App I'd say that the "drink from time to time" is as wide ranging in impact to your weight loss as rice and pasta. Rice and pasta have zero value to you now and will certainly keep you from achieving ketosis (if that's a state you hope to get in). drinks, on the other hand, may not keep you out of ketosis for long. Depends on the type of liquor and the macro content of the mixer. I've got out for an evening and had vodka or tequila with a low calorie mixer in a 2-4 drinks......and used ketone strips the very next morning and found that I was still in ketosis and chugging along. You have to find what works for you and you have to establish priorities. For me.....my overall priority is to lose the weight that has been a burden to me. I am doing this to be healthy and enjoy my life. I can go out and have fun without losing sight of those priorities. I've learned that if I have the skinny margaritas or vodka and diet mixer.....then that is done in absence of any type of eating. Since the alcohol is empty calories....then I have to ensure I've chosen carefully earlier in the day and met my protein goals and also made some room in my calorie budget by burning some off in the gym. No longer do I go out....pound down beer and then order something horrible to eat later. My actions have to align with my priorities and have some fun times within reason. You have to find what works for you and figure out what you value. For me....it's to let pasta and rice go. I haven't missed them at all. I found spaghetti squash makes a great substitute.

Now here's a scary news item... News Candy-Flavored Meth Posted by DAN SAVAGE on March 27 at 9:24 AM Ripping a page from the tobacco and alcohol industries’ playbooks, the folks that bring you crystal meth have started offering candy-flavored meth—and Washington state is apparently one of the test markets. From USA Today: Reports of candy-flavored methamphetamine are emerging around the nation, stirring concern among police and abuse prevention experts that drug dealers are marketing the drug to younger people. The flavored crystals are available in California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri and Minnesota, according to intelligence gathered by Drug Enforcement Administration agents from informants, users, local police and drug counselors, DEA spokesman Steve Robertson says. Meth now comes in strawberry, chocolate, and cola flavors—in addition to blue meth, or “Smurf dope,” that one meth maker had selling in Missouri.

The upper portion of the post mentions both tobacco and alcohol industries as well as test markets-that is where I got it from. Sorry if I misunderstood your original post.

That's a gray area had you not had surgery, right now or especially while still starting healing you need to stay well hydrated. for your stomach to mend best. Basically it comes down to that the cafeine makes you urinate. It's over rated to say it's a cause of dehydration when you read about it, they say it takes more than 4 cups a day or at least 6 -8 cups to be problimatic in causing dehydration, yet also when you consume a cup you let out many times more fluids than just that cup of coffee from it's cafeine content. Drink allot and you'll pee out quarts. When I was post surgery in hospital, I was roomed with a man who had a by pass years before and needed a hernia operation, he plainly said that once he started drinking coffee it did in fact cause him enough dehydration and it's discomfort to quit altogether after trying that. A small portion may not hurt, but the coffee has enough cafeine and is a diaretic and causes your body water flood out each cup and tea about 20% cafeine of coffee. If you do get dehydration problems some worst things you could do is drink coffee or alcohol because it will become worse.

I'm Dec. 19. I can sleep on my right side but not the left side where the port is. I still think my tummy is slightly bloated. No more pain though. It was hard not to eat/drink alcohol at a New Year's Eve party last night. But I survived. Surgery day I was 171. The pounds were coming off so fast and now for a few days the scale hasn't moved. I like it better when it was falling off:) I'd love to hear how the earlier December people are doing.

At 5 months out, I can eat most things (except what's on my forbidden list - alcohol, gassy liquids) but choose not to eat certain things such as rice, bread etc. I still find that if I forget to really chew food fully, it can be uncomfortable but that's my fault, not the food's. For me, it's not so much about what I eat, it's about how I eat and mindful eating certainly helps avoid discomfort.

That is right but compared to other addictions, gambling is not always destructible and if you learn how to play the game you like, create a strategy and become the best player at a particular gambling game, this can be a life-saving experience where you do the thing you like and earn money at the same time, which is perfect life I guess. I think that is real, look at the poker players, they are ridiculously rich. Sometimes I play slot demo 99 as well and I win quite often. However, you can not win anything but cirrhosis if you are an alcoholic.

Not sure of the calorie content but I usually go for gin and tonic or just a dirty martini. Not a lot of mixer in either and you can sip on them for a while to make them last. I know for me, post banded, there isn't as much to soak up the alcohol so you become a bit more of a lightweight than in the past.

Sleeved: October 17th 2017 I’ve heard gallbladder problems are common after gastric surgery and a lot of people get their gallbladder out when they get surgery. I’m in the hospital right now and I just found out I have gallstones! Then to further testing mild pancreatitis I’m assuming that was caused from the gallstones because I do not drink alcohol. I have never had problems pre or post op (until now) wondering if anyone else has had experience like this?

@frust8big love from me. So much of your story is familiar. My mum is anorexic - by my teens and weighing a very normal 130lbs at 5foot7, she was telling me, her friends, my friends, everyone what a humongous blimp I was, I had legs like wharf poles, was shaped like a container crane. I still hear it in my head when I am big (she is sort of paid back, though. Cos she is still like it, I only visit her when I am below 190lbs - so very short stints over the years! Her loss.) But thank my lucky stars the man I married turned out to be one of the most decent men on the planet. Our marriage was short (6 months!) but we still love each other deeply 30 years later. We have both married lovely women who are our solid rocks - but from the age of 30 he has been a steady encourager, he pushed me to go to Uni, reassured me I WAS bright enough to get a psychology PhD, pushed me to aim for good jobs and now I am a CEO with 1000 staff. And now, he is unfailingly supportive in this journey too, (as is my wife, by the way - she is normal size but has lost 10lbs with my low carb cooking!). So he helped me move in myself - from a home life of mental illness, abuse, alcoholism - to learning to accept myself, know my good and bad bits, change the bits I wanted. I read your post - and will now email my (ex)hubby - to thank him again. Because of him the band surgery in my 40s, this RNY in my 50s. If it wasn’t for him, @frust8, I am not sure I would have EVER got my **** together like you. You are a bloody miracle. Thank you so so much for opening up.

I've never been a gum chewer, but I do eat sugar free breath mints occasionally. If you have dry mouth, try the ones with xylitol in them if you can find some. It's a sugar alcohol so it may give you G/I issues, but it doesn't for everyone (luckily, it's never bothered me). Xylitol supposedly stimulates saliva production, which can help with the dry mouth. There are also sprays, mouthwashes, and lozenges for dry mouth. Any pharmacy or places like Walmart or Target should have some...

Hi there I'm a nurse and iodine is a toughy. Use rubbing alcohol for an initial scrub but than soap/water will do the rest. Mind you, iodine stains readily and is hard to remove. It will be absorbed and will diminish with time, but it does take time. Unfortunate that the med team didn't wipe the initial gunk off post surgery for you. Large iodine doses screws with the thyroid so it's common practice for nurses to take as much off as possible.

G'day Rightsize:) Welcome to the Forum There's not a lot of activity on this Aussie roll call thread, however there are many threads for you on this forum site. A few are from Melbourne Australia and made there own Melbourne chat thread. So I look forward to and welcome some chat and activity in here at "aussie roll call" Now to answer your question about Alcohol, I guess I'm a casual social drinker and get drunk probably 3 times a year hahaa. So alcohol does not play a big part in my life. Since my surgery of course it has remained the same to pretty non existent. Like a few have mentioned alcohol is empty calories, so I guess you will weigh up your choices at the time. I'm working really hard to stay low calorie and low fat as possible. I can't afford the luxury of alcohol calories lol. I can't see how if your careful a few drinks will do much harm. Amourette: Welcome to the Forum Feel free to drop in and share your journey anytime. I'm still in early days of my banding. I struggled for the first 2 weeks. I seemed to bounce out from that struggle for the past 3 weeks and been on cloud nine (heaven) However I had an extremely emotional day today and wanted to fall back into "Bad" habbit eating. I was looking for food for my comfort. It shattered me becuase I thought I had passed through that stage. I guess it's always around to remind and taunt me. CHEERS to all Happy, Healthy Eating

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!

It's amazing to me the lengths people will go to to sabotage themselves after surgery. I normally just shake my head and continue on. We have to want to make these changes for ourselves, we know when we do wrong. Me personally, I don't want to know if I'll dump if I take a bite of chocolate. 1) I never want to throw up or dump 2) I don't want to eat something bad and NOT get sick, then I'll know I can eat that item. Nope, I'll just convince myself I'll get seriously ill and it's not worth it. I'm surprised on my birthday how much I enjoyed watching everyone else enjoy the cupcakes I brought for treats, and was never tempted to even have a taste. Sugar, Pasta, covering everything in cheese, alcohol.... my health is worth SO much more than the taste of any of those things. Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App

Wow! I'm impressed Josephine. Your success is inspiring. I'm a food addict. I'm addicted to lots of things. I've learned to live with my addictions and my new credo is "moderation". If I must have ice cream or pizza or chocolate or whatever.........I have it, but I have very specific limits that I hold myself to. I only allow myself 1 or 2 mini or snack size chocolates and I dish out enough of the other risky items to satisfy, but not enough to fill.......so I don't go overboard. I box the rest up and put it away or give it away. It's by doing this that I NEVER feel deprived and my own eating disorder is under control. "One day at a time" is the way we all must deal with any addiction whether it is food, alcohol, drugs or an activity/obsession. Good luck to all of my fellow addicts!

QUESTIONS: 1. How long did you go before having your first drink? - I am only 3 weeks out - plan to wait 6 months so I can avoid those carbs during this maximum weight loss time. 2. Have you had any MEDICAL complications with your surgery that were attributed to drinking alcohol? no 3. Have you gained back significant weight from drinking alcohol? no - abstaining for now. 4. Have you developed an alcohol addiction post VSG after having been able to control your drinking before? I have asked hubby to watch me for this issue, as I know he will give me good feedback. I was an occasional drinker, wine and whiskey are my favs. and I collect wines from the Old Mission Peninsula. I sure hope I tolerate it well once I am back on the sauce. I typically had 3 glasses a month, so not every weekend, more than once a month.

I waited about 10 weeks and only could manage about 1/2 glass which made my sleeve unhappy (not quite nauseous but similar). Of course I got no buzz. My doc said to have NO alcohol for one year, and I am going to TRY to pretty much stick to it. Again I will likely have my requisite half glass with Turkey. I would really stay away from beer bc I would not want the carbonation to stretch my sleeve. I used to drink about two drinks per evening on weekdays and much more on weekends.