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Congrats on the good news. I like how non judgmental my surgeon is, too. She is the first medical professional who understands weight issues for some of us are genetic and psychological, not just a willpower thing. In her info session she compared obesity to alcoholism - some people had no problem controlling alcohol intake and others had a genetic predisposition for addiction, and that for obese folks the hunger factor is what sets them off in seemingly self destructive behavior. Problem is, it's still fashionable to call obese people lazy and publicly ridicule them. I understand that guilt feeling abs not waning to show your face. But also I sided where you might be without the band? 50 lbs heavier than your start weight??? You're doing a great job. 50 lbs is no small amount, I don't care how heavy you are! The docs are there to make sure you're at the magic fill. The support groups help you get out of your head. Make sure you are physically hanging out with banded people too!

Umm, sure it is. We have already proven to ourselves (and everybody else) that we dont have what it takes to stick to the diet & exercise thing on our own. Many of us have tried every other gimmick under the sun to lose weight, and failed. We are food addicts (most of us anyhow). If there were a surgery that could cure alcohol, drug, gambling, or porn addictions would there be any objections to using those surgeries? I think not. We have a weakness when it comes to food. Therefore we NEED help. We need this to be as "easy" as it can be. And let me tell you, after over 6 months with my sleeve, when your stomachs capacity is 6-8oz total, it's pretty damn easy to not eat a 16oz steak, or a whole pizza, or 4 slices of cheesecake. When someone makes the remark "that's the easy way" I have to agree. Last I checked we are always searching out easier ways of doing almost everything. Cars are so much easier than bicycles The Internet is easier than encyclopedias Tractors are easier than a horse & plow Debit cards are easier than writing checks or carrying cash Pre prepared foods are easier than scratch cooking Since when is making something easier a bad thing?

I am one of those low BMI people, 35, with my co-morbidity (hate that word) is sleep apnea, which has its own health risks in addition to obesity, and my waist measurement is 38", which also puts me at higher risk for many health conditions. I'm less than 5'2", and though I was under 200 pounds when I got surgery on Monday, I was recently very close to 200 lbs. Weight is irrelevant if you don't consider height as well. I have been obese for much of my adult life and I know that my health will greatly improve with this procedure. I have a feeling that as people with low BMIs have the surgery, and significant reduction in many health challenges, the insurance qualification may lower. In fact, it used to be 40 BMI, and is now 35 with a co-morbidity, which is why I and many of us have qualified for the surgery. Generally, I am actually an active person who ate well, but certainly too much. I don’t eat red meat, and haven’t for decades, I don’t drink alcohol, take drugs or smoke. I work at a standing desk with a treadmill that I walk on part of the time, and I ride a seven mile bike ride around three times a week. I drink only Water. I haven’t had sugar of any kind since April 5 of 2011 (no sugar, agave, maple syrup, honey or fake sugars). Over the years, I’ve done tons of diets, including two medically supervised fasts twenty years apart. The only time in my life where I was able to keep myself at a great BMI was when I was on Phen Fen for two years. The reason I was so successful is it was the only time in my life that I have ever FELT when I was full. The feeling of when I am full has evaded me except for this time period, and it has been the great challenge of my life. On Phen Fen, I felt full with much less food, and was able to stop without emotional eating for years. However, that medication was discontinued. Now, having done the sleeve, I don't feel hungry, and I do feel full. I realize this is less than a week out, and that I likely have 6-18 months to make these changes permanent, or I might as well have not done the surgery, but I'm feeling hopeful for the first time in my 49 years that I might be able to achieve and maintain an healthy weight. I hope we are careful not to judge each other, and to offer support. This is such a scary thing to do, but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do it, and for the support of this group.

I was a 31 BMI I also made my mind up and in the next week I was on a plane to Mexico and never looked back. I had no complications. I was out sightseeing and shopping 2 days later with no pain. I eat like a totally normal person now. The portions people are suppose to eat. I have only lost about 35-40 lbs since August but I also haven't worked out or changed my diet and i still drink alcohol. I just eat less. I plan to lose that extra 25 before summer and get on my exercise program after the new year. Good luck to you it's the best thing Ive ever spent my money on.

I believe diffrent types of feedback are necessary it allows the original poster to decide what they may or may not want to try to help themselves along their journey. Also must remember these are just our opinions and experiances and should always still check in with their doc before changing something dramatically since we are not doctors just people who have "been there" so to speak. The one thing I have noticed that is upsetting to me though is when someone posts something such as " help I messed up. I ate to many calories today or I splurged and ate ice cream and not my Protein or I had alcohol and way to much" instead of getting an its ok we've been there or you can bounce back! You have the ones who instantly start with why did you even get a band if you were going to stick to your old life and so on as If they have never once made a mistake with their band. Believe me I have made quite a few and I'm sure ill make many more along the way the band made my portion ability smaller it did not reset my brain or change my tastes buds so ofcourse I'm going to flub up now and again. I think thats where the original poster was going with it. That some people instantly lash out because they have been successful instead of trying to be supportive.

In general I don't think alcohol should be part of someone's post weight loss surgery lifestyle. Would you make a habit of eating a candy bar or nice cream sundae I doubt it. Some of the people who will tell you it's okay to drink alcohol will be the first to tell someone they shouldn't eat Greek yogurt with fruit in it because of the sugar. Personally I don't understand the logic in that. Before anyone says that red wine is good for you I don't think the sugar you get from the wine is really worth the health benefits that you're going to get.

If your dr said its ok to drink alcohol this early on... Then I would follow his advice. I am not the one to ask about bending the rules because I was super strict with myself so weight would come off sooner than later. 2 years out at goal and I still barely trust myself with a cheese stick or a boneless wing....lol. I didn't drink until I lost the first 100 lbs... And then it's rare but I will enjoy a non carbonated adult beverage every once in awhile... And this from someone who dines out a lot and entertains frequently. For me the calories just aren't worth it.

I'm 19 and am a nursing student. I am 3 days post-op and am doing great. I would highly recommend getting the surgery done but you have to be ready to make a huge commitment to changing your lifestyle. Most surgeon's recommend waiting until at least 6 months after surgery to start drinking and then you should be aware that you are drinking empty calories so until you get down to goal weight you should really take it easy. Alcohol also absorbs quicker so you will be a cheap date. I wouldn't expect to go to parties and be able to drink like you used to. I'm in a sorority at college so know the party scene well but my sisters and I know that when I get back it'll be different than we are used to. You just have to be SUPER careful. I'm so excited to be back at my goal weight and be healthy again that all of these changes are SO worth it Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Just sorta my story. Hope it is ok to post. I have battled weight my entire life. My sister was the skinny one, I was the "husky" one. Oh how I hated that word. Seriously, who calls a kid "husky" for crying out loud!? Is that supposed to make a kid feel better than calling them fat? I remember being little and my Aunt would joke around saying my sister was "the stick of butter" and I was the "tub of butter." Amazing how even adults can make kids feel bad about weight, huh? I never really remember being a happy kid. I hated going to school. My home life was not a great one. My parents divorced when I was about 3. My Mom had a lot of personal issues of her own that I don't think she really ever knew how to deal with. She moved us from place to place. She dated different guys. She depended on alcohol a lot. Let me get this out here from the start though. I LOVE my my with all my heart. She may not have always been the best Mom, but she is MY Mom. I love her. Having said that, my childhood sorta sucked. I know now that I suffered from depression, but there was no one there to notice or do anything about it. The one comfort I had was food. I turned to food when I was bored. I turned to food when I was sad. Let me tell you, I was bored and sad a lot. When you are a teenager and you have a weight problem, you also have self esteem issues. You do not like yourself. All you want is for someone else to like you. That is pretty damn hard when you don't like yourself. Sadly, when you do not like yourself, it then becomes easy for people to use you. You let it happen because, although it is negative attention you are getting, it is still attention. So at a young age I was doing things with boys that was not appropriate. Things that, if I could go back and stop myself from doing, I most definitely would. Crazy how something like weight can totally throw off how you view and feel about yourself, huh? I made it out of the teenage years and into young adulthood. I met my husband when I was 18. (Ok, still a kid really!) By the time I was 20, our daughter was born. Well, she was born on May 20th and I turned 21 on August 11th. He met me when I was overweight. He accepted me as the person I was....someone who was overweight. He saw me for and loved me for the person I was on the inside. I was so thankful for that. However, I still did not love myself. Over the years I still struggled with my weight. I also struggled with my depression. I actually did not get diagnosed and treated for depression until a few years into our marriage. There were ups and downs with that and the weight. In 2000, I lost 91 lbs while doing low carb. My husband and I were actually separated at the time. (We separated 3 times throughout the years. Don't worry, it has a happy ending since we are back together now and stronger than ever!) However, low carb was a temporary fix. I went through some hard times, the depression came back, and so did the weight....along with some extra. I then just gave up with the weight loss. I accepted the fact that I was destined to be fat forever. Fast forward to 2011. In August of 2011 I broke my ankle. Not a big deal, right? Yeah, it really wasn't. Well, not until a week later when I started to have some serious pain and the cast I had on got really tight. I went to the doctor and they decide it would be a good idea to just check and make sure I hadn't developed a blood clot. Turns out I hadn't developed one blood clot.....I had developed TWO, one of which had already moved up into my thigh. I was immediately rushed over to the hospital and admitted. I spent the next 10 days there as they tried to get the clots under control. It was at that point that I realized I seriously could have died from that. I could have died and never saw my daughter grow up and have a successful career and family. It was not directly because of my weight, but my weight was a factor. Once I got out of the hospital, I was on blood thinners for months, having to go to the doctor sometimes as often as every 3 days to have my blood drawn. Not fun, let me tell you. Fast forward to January of 2012. I will spare you the details, but I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Not really life or death, but again another health issue. However, the part about THIS surgery that really made me start to think about the lap band surgery was the cost. I have health insurance. I work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, so obviously that is the insurance I also have. Since I started working for them, I also got to know the criteria to be met for the lap band surgery. I mean, I had thought about it in the past, but never thought I could actually afford to do it. However, here I found myself in January having this emergency surgery. THIS surgery meant that I had met my out of pocket maximum of my insurance at the start of the year. For the rest of 2012, all of my medical bills were covered 100% by my insurance. That REALLY made me start to realize that lap band WAS possible for me. I mean, working for BCBS of IL, I knew that with my BMI and my health history, I more than qualified to meet the criteria. With my out of pocket max being met, it would be no cost to me. Why in the world NOT go for it?!?! So, one day in March I decided to go for a consult. I found info about a lap band surgeon in the area who was in my PPO network. I called and made the appointment. By May I had met with the surgeon, I had gone through the 3 hour psych evaluation/dietican evaluation, etc, and I had sent it for preapproval with BCBS. Within 3 days I had my approval back from the insurance company. This was REALLY going to happen. I still couldn't believe it. I then, however, had to wait until August for the actual surgery because I wanted to save up my paid time off at work. A week before surgery the doctor called and told me there was something "suspicious" with my EKG and they didn't know if I could have the surgery. I freaked out. Now, normal people would freak out over the abnormal EKG, right? Me? I freaked out over the idea of maybe not being able to get he surgery. Messed up, I know. So I ended up having to get an EEG done and was able to get it back and the results to the surgeon A DAY before surgery. Everything was fine and the surgery went on as planned. Surgery took place on August 7, 2012. On the day of surgery I weighed 304.5 lbs and wore a size 26 jeans. Today, December 22, 2012, I weigh 252.8 lbs and wear a size 18 jeans. I do not regret my decision for a moment. Six months ago, I am sure I would NEVER had told someone my weight or clothing size. Am I where I want to be right now? No, however, I am proud of how far I have come. I know the road ahead is not an easy one nor will it be a quick one. I WISH it was a quick one. My doctor scolds me all the time for being frustrated that I have not lost more. I am impatient. I admit it. I want this weight gone NOW. I know that is not going to happen, and I am slowly accepting that. I do know I am heading in the right direction though. I am heading in the HEALTHY direction. So yeah....that is me and my lap band journey.

I agree with all of you but one day I would like I be able to have one piece of pizza on rare occasions. :-). No I do not want to make a habit of it!!! I gave up bread/buns, pop, ice cream and alcohol for life. I cut a lot of carbs out years ago. However, I like the 300 calorie meal and 100 calorie snack rule. I just never ever want to be the eater I was before. I did this to help control my intake.

I messed up my post yesterday, today I'm officially 5 days post op. I'm down another 2 pounds. 253 from 271! I woke up feeling horrible though. I had a sour stomach. I quickly grabbed my pepcid and took it with a swig of water followed by an anti-nausea dissolveable. I then took my first real shower since Sunday night. WOOHOO! However, I felt so weak. My arm muscles started to burn when I was washing my hair. When I got out, it was nice putting on fresh comfy clothes. Being so tired and drained, I slept for another 5-6 hours and I still felt awful when I woke up around 7PM. My sleep is all reversed now. I sleep all day and stay up all night :[ I went for a walk this evening, but it was way too cold and I wasn't properly dressed. (Note to self: Don't walk around with leggings as pants in winter). I definitely hydrated more this evening, and I'm feeling much better. I started getting incision pains, but not the external kind, it's the internal kind. I'M SO PARANOID I'M PUSHING MY SLEEVE TOO HARD WITH ALL THIS PAIN FROM DRINKING. It's not bad pain when I'm drinking, it's only after when I realize I did it too fast. I'm not having an issue drinking and keeping things down at all. I just really don't want a leak or an abscess. I wish Tuesday would come (Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!) so I can start some protein shakes and drink some milk. Maybe I could even try some egg nog (non-alcoholic of course) and water it down with skim milk. I know I could use the fat and protein to help me with energy because right now I'm barely getting any. and still no protein after trying isopure clear drinks this week. I think maybe max a day I'm getting between 5-10grams. WHICH IS HORRIBLE! I'm going to Wal-mart tomorrow to get some vitamins, lactaid, sugar free syrups, powdered milk, and a temporary protein powder until my nectar chocolate truffle comes in the mail. I know by next Thursday, I'm going to be sick of protein shakes!

If you eat a balanced varied diet your shouldn't need to be cleaned out... Your body will do that one it's own and I bet if you asked....most bandsters living a good bandster life will tell you that part of their life has changed dramatically since being banded.... I am regular, more frequent, and have very normal looking movements because I am not eating fatty foods, drinking alcohol and have an overall balanced diet.

I went to my company x-mas party last night, and did not drink any alcohol while everyone else did. I found it very amusing to watch everyone else drink and make asses of themselve. Just have to find the humor in it all. LOL

I am approx. 7 months post-op and we will be going on vacation to an all-inclusive resort in mid-January for 2 weeks. There is a good chance I will have a couple of drinks while there, but probably only part of a drink at a time and not every day. I wasn't really a drinker before surgery (social drinking, maybe 1 time per month for 1-2 drinks). So not having alcohol since surgery hasn't been any sort of an issue for me. I have had 1 glass of champagne (last week) and part of a cooler a couple of months ago. That's it. I did find the effects to be much faster and more potent than before surgery. I didn't really like the feeling that much, which probably contributed to my not really trying it very often. I would not have had anything if I was not at least 5 months post-op. My surgeon did not advise when we could or could not start drinking again if we wanted to (ie. no 1 year rule), but there were alot of questions about alcohol consumption in my pre-op medical assessment papers. I think they find it a concern (and switching addictions from food to alcohol is a VERY real problem and must be closely monitored and avoided at all costs!). It's not a problem for me and I can do 1 drink socially if I choose and stop. My advice is to carefully assess your tolerance and pre-op drinking habits, take all of your physician's guidelines into account and then make a decision for your own circumstances. And be prepared to adjust your choice if the outcome is less than desireable!

I agree with the Brit, but I really think it's best to talk about it with your doctor first...which was your first impulse. My doctor is vehemently against ANY alcohol in the first year, but that's him. Maybe your doc will have a different opinion. At least if you discuss it, you will make an informed decision. The alcohol thread is just plain scary.

I don't think many people are going to get into this, just read the post 'alcohol' to see how touchy some people are about a little drink!! I can only tell you my personal experience and that is I have had alcohol since being sleeved and have had no problems whatsoever.

Ha Ha! Told Ya!! Just being honest and as I have never attempted to jump off a bridge I couldn't possibly comment. I would also like you to point out where I encouraged her to drink alcohol? The only advice I gave her was to ignore the Trolls and have a nice birthday!!

My NUT gave me the okay for alcohol in moderation for Christmas and New Years Eve. Honestly I've made the decision to avoid until the Super Bowl but it's nice to know that she's okay with it if it was something I wanted.

I'm just going to say normally I am a sarcastic b***h, but the other day I saw a stupid Hallmark commercial and cried. Like with actual liquid coming out of my eye. WTF. Hormones from my fat? Really ???? Ima go from being a fluffy mofo to a damn alcoholic if this continues.... Not really. Dont flip.

Honestly, this is the type of thing I don't like to see here. BUT - I get it, so you wont get any judgement from me but here is what I do have to say on the topic. Most surgeons would not touch you with a ten foot poll if they knew you were drinking alcohol at this stage, because you are setting yourself to have problems. That goes straight to your liver (which you should be reducing at this point) and ultimately if you do poorly, it reflects poorly on them. You should be following your rules ONE HUNDRED PERCENT for at least the first 18 months post op and in the months leading up to your surgery. If you cannot commit to that, I question your candidacy for something like this (from a healthcare standpoint) As a patient - I get it, but I don't really approve, not that it matters.

Is alcohol something you shouldnt really ever drink again after your surgery? I know you cant have it for A WHILE after, but Im talking like a year down the road

Both my dr and my NUT have advised that moderate alcohol is okay (it was a 1-2 month wait). My dr warned me that the alcohol will most likely hit quicker, which it does. The most I ever have is 2 drinks maybe twice a month. I find I get a buzz quick and it goes away quick. But my NUT is a nut in that she is always trying to up my carbs and I don't skimp on them as it is (or not as much as some people here). I choose to listen to my dr when they give me conflicting information.

Alot of our nutritional paperwork from the bariatric program does not condone the consumption of alchohol because YES, it can be harmful to the body in excess. With that said, in moderation, and after you have completely healed from WLS, a few glasses of wine (or a cocktail) is NOT going to KILL YOU. Here is how alchohol is digested: Here’s a road map to show you the route traveled by the alcohol in every drink you take. Flowing down the hatch from mouth to stomach: The unmetabolized alcohol flows through your stomach walls into your bloodstream and on to your small intestine. Stopping for a short visit at the energy factory: Most of the alcohol you drink is absorbed through the duodenum (small intestine). From there it flows through a large blood vessel into your liver. In the liver, an enzyme similar to gastric ADH metabolizes the alcohol, which is converted to energy by a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is also used to convert the glucose you get from other carbohydrates to energy; while NAD is being used for alcohol, glucose conversion grinds to a halt. The normal, healthy liver can process about 1/2 ounce of pure alcohol (that’s 6 to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce of spirits) in an hour. The rest flows on to your heart. Taking time out for air: Entering your heart, alcohol reduces the force with which your heart muscle contracts. You pump out slightly less blood, blood vessels all over your body relax, and your blood pressure goes down temporarily. The contractions soon return to normal, but the blood vessels may remain relaxed and your blood pressure lower for as long as half an hour. Meanwhile, alcohol flows in blood from your heart through your pulmonary vein to your lungs. Now you breathe out a tiny bit of alcohol every time you exhale, and your breath smells of liquor. Then the newly oxygenated, still alcohol-laden blood flows back through the pulmonary artery to your heart, and up and out through the aorta. Rising to the surface: In your blood, alcohol raises your level of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), although not necessarily the good ones that carry cholesterol out of your body. Alcohol also makes blood less likely to clot, temporarily reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Alcohol makes blood vessels expand, so more warm blood flows up from the center of your body to the surface of the skin. You feel warmer and, if your skin is fair, you may flush and turn pink. (Asians, who tend to make less alcohol dehydrogenase than do Caucasians, often experience a characteristic flushing when they drink even small amounts of alcohol.) At the same time, tiny amounts of alcohol ooze out through your pores, and your perspiration smells of alcohol. Encountering curves in the road: Alcohol is a sedative. When it reaches your brain, it slows the transmission of impulses between nerve cells that control your ability to think and move. That’s why your thinking may be fuzzy, your judgment impaired, your tongue twisted, your vision blurred, and your muscles rubbery. Alcohol reduces your brain’s production of antidiuretic hormones, which keep you from making too much urine. You may lose lots of liquid, Vitamins, and minerals. You also grow very thirsty, and your urine may smell faintly of alcohol. This cycle continues as long as you have alcohol circulating in your blood, or in other words, until your liver can manage to produce enough ADH to metabolize all the alcohol you’ve consumed. Most people need an hour to metabolize the amount of alcohol (1/2 ounce) in one drink. But some people have alcohol circulating in their blood for up to three

My surgeon told me at least 3 months for alcohol if I have to have a drink. Red Wine 4 oz portion. What did yours say? How are you doing btw?

Ok my girlfriends are having a get together this sat then il be 14 post is it to soon to have alcoholic drinks???? IM MY OWN MOTIVATION