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I don't drink alcohol, much. But he couple times I have had a drink, it goes to my head quicker. I have lost 100 lbs, so size makes a difference. But 1 drink, gives me a buzz. I had a Bud light on tap watching football yesterday, just one was all that I could drink. So, my answer is "yes" it affects you differently. I have been banded for 1 year. Karen(kll724)

You can still drink alcohol. I choose not to - too many calories. Most of the time I am too full. I have issues with beer due to the carbonation - makes me feel bloated and uncomfortable, I get the same feeling with sodas.

To the OP... for how many people are you shopping? We spend $900 a month on groceries, restaurants, alcohol and takeout ... for 2 adults and one very picky cat. And we eat very well. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

I hoping someone can help me out. I just got banded on May 18th and although i feel perfectly normal.. i drank way to much alcohol this past saturday. I know its ok to drink wine and non carbonated drinks. I was drinking vodka and pineapple juice. Besides the cal intake, which i can handle.. is my band already affected by it? Someone calm me down because i keep on thinking i did something bad to my band. Thanks!! Mio

thank u for ur kind words and support...the center i'm going to offers individual therapy and group therapy..the individual therapist will get to the root of the problem...the group therapy is where the actual eating dis-order will come in2 play...my therapist has also suggested i go to support groups for over-eaters and not just bulemics....some centers handle all eating dis-orders....this one is specifically designed for bulemics and aneroxics...it's an in-patient/out-patient center...i've asked my new therapist if there is anyone else in there with a lap band...and like i've mentioned b4...she said "its very common"...i still have a hard time admitting i have an eating dis-order...but i fight with food...i fight to eat...i fight...i fight...i feel guilty when i eat..some go to drugs and alcohol when they r stressed i go to laxatives and now i find myself vomitting when i am stressed...i'm getting a grip on the mental part...starting to feel like myself again...losing my image...i feel like i'm waking up from a bad dream...but the other part has a strong grip on my mind...i'm scared to death of food

Not really a big drinker so I don't worry about this too much. More or less curious. . . Alcohol and the band? Do they get along? Clearly not carbonation but at what point if any should alcohol be aloud? How much? What kind? It freaks me out to think about even tryin this for some reason?! Am I wrong? Thanks guys.

Program Coordinator/Senior Case Manager of a Foster Youth Program. I am also a Drug and Alcohol Counselor with a specialty in co-occuring Mental Health Disorders.

Hi everyone!!! Sorry I was MIA!! I had a crazy week and was actually out of town for a few days, faced a few challenges (alcohol, eating out, hotel, etc...) I have not been on the scale for a while but am feeling pretty good. I am happy I made some good choices about eating and when to stop eating. A pair of jeans I packed were actually falling down and loose, so that felt good. I am happier staying off the scale, so I'm going to try to keep doing that. Trying to get my water in and really listening to my body tell me when I'm hungry instead of going to eat for boredom, sadness, happiness, whateverness!!! I will weigh in on Monday and check in. So happy for you all and just that we're still here posting, checking in and feeling good. GO US! :cheer2:

Did you have a question? You can still get tons of carbs/sugar through plant based foods. Oreo cookies are vegan, for example, as is cane sugar, molasses, agave syrup, and processed grains (flour), all of which will raise your sugar levels, jack up your insulin, and turn all those calories into fat, Healthy whole food plant based (WFPB) eating utilizes legumes, nuts, seeds, WHOLE grains (not processed grains), a lot of veggies, and some fruit. Most MO people can lose a lot of weight with this, and I am finding that I am maintaining my under goal weight just fine. (Lunch today was soy yogurt with protein powder, slivered almonds, 6 different kinds of seeds, and some berries mixed in.) (Supper will be lentil soup, steamed butternut squash, and a "Budda" bowl of greens, shredded brussel sprouts/carrots/red cabbage, tomato, avocado, flax/hemp seed, chick peas, cooked whole grain - any combo of amaranth, teff, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, sorghum. Dressing is made from homemade cashew butter, nutritional yeast, and vinegar.) WFPB does NOT utilize sugar or variations thereof, extra salt, processed foods, processed oils, alcohol, artificial ingredients, or animal proteins. My personal take on it is this: I have lived in and observed developing countries that are mostly plant based. These people are healthy, strong, and do not have cardiac or obesity issues. They grow their own food, for the most part, yet will still eat animal protein on special occasions (weddings, holidays, specific celebrations) or when there is a lucky find, such as a nest of cassowary eggs. However, they do NOT eat animal protein 3 times a day, like most of the west does. I am not 100% PB at this point - more like 80%. I still eat some fish/poultry (home grown) maybe once a week. I think this is in keeping with the practice of many indigenous traditions, and allows me more flexibility with family gatherings. (I don't want to be that vegan who gets invited out to eat and then won't eat anything that is offered - that's a sure fire way to never get invited out again.) I still make my choices very healthy - never anything fried or breaded, and I avoid desserts with sugar or wheat. I hope that answered your possible question. Sorry if it was too long winded. There is a lot of good information about WFPB on the web.

Yeah it basically goes right through with mine I think! I haven't had any real bad food issues except when I was stupid enough to use suagr free syrup with sugar alcohols. I died. Lol. Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Yes I totally agree I will not eat sugar free or keto. I will eat healthy and Whole Foods. I will focus on portion size for the rest of my life. I don’t even do sugar free now. I just can’t handle the artificial sweeteners or the sugar alcohols. I would rather just not have it. If I want something sweet I will eat a piece of organic high quality dark chocolate. Keto is just not realistic for lifetime and I love that my surgeon also doesn’t push us to go keto. He just makes it simple and straight forward like dr v. He says eat healthy if not then gain ur weight again. It’s simple. We have the tool we can either use or abuse it. A lot of the diet plans and eating plans r made by the nutritionist. My surgeon told me he has a small day in it. But he is just too busy with surgery and after care that he can’t focus on it.

Good morning, I went to a support group last night and found that my surgeon does not require a pre op diet. As long as I keep my 15% off. I'm getting excited. Less then three weeks now. I got my letter from the hospital yesterday with all my dates and times listed. Last nights mtg was about what you wish you knew prior to surgery... Some points were... The pain in the left lower rib area is normal, feel free to call the Doctor anytime something concerns you,be prepared that you can not gulp water again,be prepared that your food choices will change post op due to taste buds, buy a bento box for going back to solid foods, So many more things to think about too. Oh and they said to get a buddy. Have someone that you can call and say ,,,help I want to eat..... As they talk you down! I am hoping for this group to help me! My protein shake I chose was "metRx" I got peanut butter flavor. It has 110 cal, 2 gm fat 1 sugar and 23 gmail of protein! I mix it in almond milk. Sadly, they said don't drink your calories..ie alcohol ..lol but in time you cam again!

Thanks. Just passed the 2 year mark myself, huge changes and still have very similar eating habits to 1 year post (4 oz of protein for a meal). Biggest challenge for me and the only way I've been able to gain wait is alcohol so have to be careful of that. No issues with overeating, if I even approach it I'm in great pain and it serves as a potent reminder so I'm very very careful still. Awesome to hear how well you're doing further out and hope I'm doing just as well. I'm still at goal, super active and loving being thin!

Well to all those who are saying how easy it is to so called "slide down the slippery slope" or hit "those rocks in the road" and us newbies who "have the tiger by the tail" and every other idiom out there all say that you obviously weren't mentally ready to engage in this new world of self awareness. Again...having surgery which ever method you decide to have..lap band, sleeve, or bypass... THIS IS NOT MAGIC SURGERY. It does not give you the permission to go out after words to the nearest buffet or fast food place or buy a family size bag of potato chips, and think OOHHH boy I had some magic surgery now I can eat anything I want (not to mention the unmentionable...exercise) . NO NO NO. So you need to decide am I going to be successful at this or not. If you are making excuses like "nobody is validating me any more" ... you're becoming healthier ..are you doing this for them or yourself? I'm going to try eating more sugar...why? I personally have type 2 diabetes and got so tired of taking large amounts of insulin everyday. I can't drink alcohol any more... boo hoo...maybe you have another issue to deal with?? What's an occasional splurge ? really? Cut out carbs all together.. again I made a decision to not eat carbs/ gluten anymore. There are so many subs to replace all the bread, rice, and pasta you crave. Try some. Any one of your Nuts out there will tell you if your putting more calories in your body than your burning your doing something wrong. SO NO SLIDDERS ! So if all you who have been out for 3 or 4 or 5 yrs plus have just forgotten why you had the surgery to begin with. Maybe you need a second so called "HONEYMOON" a few of you mention all the failures out there...what about all the successes !!! which I will be one of...It's not BULLSHIT... Obesity is manageable. Some of us need extra help such as the surgery of your choice...but healthy eating is a close second option. So make all the excuses you want. That's what they are EXCUSES. Nobody has a gun to your head saying eat that junk.. it was all your decision. So hate me all you want I will talk to you in 3 or 4 or 5 yrs from now and still be on my "HONEYMOON".

Ugh, so sorry. I have had small cheats here and there and been fine which i view as good and bad. . I don't want to push it eating a large amount of sweets for fear of getting ill. Have you tried alcohol? Not that I am encouraging that, just curious if you tolerated it since you didn't tolerate the sweets. I haven't and don't plan to anytime soon but someday would like to enjoy a half a glass of wine twice a year. Are you back to eating your normal meals post surgery?

No acne, but a pimple which is odd at my age (56) and then I broke out in a rash at my thyroid area, asked my nephrologist about it and he said it isn't my thyroid so now I have no idea WTH it is??? I have had my surgeon say and a surgeon I am following on Youtube, Dr. John Pilcher out of San Antonio, Tx, say repeatedly about how the bariatric surgery somehow resets your hormones so I'd say it is probably "normal" to have hormonal changes affecting your body like a teen in puberty. I normally have very clear skin and it is usually in great shape for my age but it has been very dry since surgery (but I had also discontinued my thyroid meds at the time of surgery and have since re-started) and I feel like I look like my skin has aged 5 years since! IF this doesn't improve and the red blotch doesn't go away by next week I'm going to see a regular md and then a dermatologist bc I hate the look of it. Another weird thing to consider: We are all probably eating more fats/meats than before surgery? Broths and cream soups can have high fat contents, eggs, cheeses, etc. especially if it wasn't your "usual" diet. I rarely ate eggs/breakfast foods but have been waking very hungry and it is one of the few soft foods so I've gone through nearly 3 dozen eggs these last 31 days! I don't think I've ever eaten so many eggs. Ditto with Chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. /for the pimple I just wiped it with alcohol, used my metal face pimple clearer thingy to scrape/pop it off and reapplied alcohol and it was dried up and gone the next morn. p

Coops,, have you considered a medical issue or medications? Why Aren't You Losing weight? By Carol Sorgen WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD You're following a weight-loss eating plan. You're exercising almost every day. You're proud of the new healthy habits you've learned. Yet week after week, the scale barely seems to budge. What gives? Chances are your food portion sizes have crept up (time to get out the scales and measuring cups again). Or your workouts may not be quite as intense as you think (start checking that heart rate). But if you know you've followed your reducing plan religiously, there's another possibility: A medical condition -- or medication -- may be to blame. "If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue." Medical Reasons for Weight Gain Several conditions can cause weight gain or hinder weight loss, says Rebecca Kurth, MD, director of PrimeCare at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. Among them, Kurth says, are: Chronic stress. When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce chemical substances -- like the hormone cortisol -- that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist. That's the type of weight gain that really increases your risk of serious health problems. (Extra weight around the hips and thighs poses fewer health risks.) Cushing's syndrome. This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen. Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn -- especially if you're not physically active. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease, the result of a hormonal imbalance, afflicts more than 5 million women in the US. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating. Syndrome X. Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don't work as well. Depression. Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress. Hormonal changes in women. Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones -- at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause. Two other considerations: people tend to gain weight with age for unknown reasons, and though it's not a medical condition, drinking alcohol in moderate to excessive amounts can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (including beer and wine) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, candy, and white flour. Besides adding calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can contribute to weight gain. A Prescription for Weight Gain? It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego. "It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight." This was from a quick search.

Seppi, I still have my *3* cups of morning coffee - daily. Im not giving up my coffee Some nights I have reflux, some I dont. For me - it depends on what i eat for supper (or very late in the evening). I avoid anything tomato based in the afternoon - and also alcohol. These 2 things cause me to have reflux - Along with other things, but these come to mind. Also, about the water... sometimes Ill drink a glass of milk at night and it HELPS - SOMETIMES! The thickness of the milk seems to wash any undigested food through.

I'm sorry about your ex, Dibaby44. But I have to reiterate that marijuana is not physically addictive. He may have used it like he was an addict, and perhaps been mentally addicted. But it is not physically addictive like cigarettes, alcohol, or illegal drugs like meth, cocaine, or the such. There has also never been a reported incident of an overdose related death from marijuana use. It may affect someone's life in a negative way, and it does affect short term memory while you are smoking, however, those are supposedly reversible affects from the studies I've read. Anything used in excess can be harmful to ones life and their loved ones... and that part stinks for everyone involved. I'm not trying to be a huge proponent of smoking marijuana, but I've done a lot of research on marijuana use, and I know a lot of facts about it. I hate that people believe it's some kind of dangerous horrible drug. Personally, I believe the use of marijuana is much better an alcohol or cigarettes... and nowadays, particularly for medicinal use, there are far better ways to get the benefits rather than smoking it too. Autistic children are reaping benefits from the marijuana oils ingested in cookies/breads/etc. Now should a bariatric patient smoke after surgery? I have no idea. I do know my doctor is very adamant that smoking cigarettes can affect your stomach after surgery, so perhaps using the oils would be a better choice? And for the record, I don't partake in marijuana use. Why? Because it's illegal in the state I live in.

Good Morning! Im in for the challenge!! Name, real or screen~Michelle Age~35 Weight on January 31st~198 Goal Weight for February 28th~188 Exercise Goal for February~To exercise atleast 4 times a week and stick with it!!! Dietary Goal for February~Less carbs Personal Goal for February~Less alcohol Date Banded~2.22.10 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 40lbs

Staples take 4-6 weeks to heal. Until then you should be on a restricted diet of puree foods. If you eat solid foods within this timeframe, you risk "pushing" a staple out of place, which will eventually cause leakage Also, no fruit or acid products, bc it deteriorate the stsples before it heals. Same with alcohol.

I was at GNC last night buying some Quest bars to try out and they have that special going buy 3 get 1 free. I'm not sure if that's all the time or not but it made it nice to buy 1-2 of every flavor I want to try. My NUT recommended them to me. When I was in the store, the (rather attractive) muscle-bound guy at the cash register tried to talk me out of them, saying they weren't a complete Protein, had sugar alcohol in them, blah, blah, blah and how I should try these other Protein shakes instead. He even used "air quotes" when he said my "nutritionist" shouldn't be advising patients to eat these and that I should see a new NUT. So funny... I'm trying to just get out of the store with my products. Wonder if they get better profit or commission on selling GNC Protein powder???

I am a 21 year old girl who had the surgery 10/22/14. It is the best decision. I have ever made in my life and I would never ever take it back. So far I am 130 pounds down and I feel amazing. Some things I wish I knew? Well, I knew what would happen physically, there would be pain, less eating, weight loss, loose skin. On my clear liquid diet I was very week I could barely make it up the stairs and I passed out from trying, so we started my full liquids a couple of days earlier. That was the only thing physically that I wasn't expecting g was how week I would be from the liquid diet. What I wasn't prepared for was the mental issues. I wear a size 16 now and when I look in the mirror I still feel like I wear a size 30. It breaks my heart. Your self esteem grows but not as fast as you lose the weight and I wasn't expecting to feel like this. It's hard to see yourself as beautiful. I also struggle with losing my food addiction. And not putting it toward something else like shopping, alcohol, sex. It's been so rough mentally. Just know when you lose the weight it is good to have a good support group and you won't yourself immediatly but you will with time

Hey GR8 what do you mean by no drinking ??? any fluids at all or do you me alcoholic beverages!!

I was 165, so up a tad but I think the dreaded "carb bloat" accounts for it! Groupie I am with you, I can eat a little of anything and be perfectly happy - I feel "normal" about/around food for the first time in my life! Loving, loving, loving my band :biggrin: BUT . . . still SO much head work to do! I had to deal with some super-intense emotions this week for the first time since being banded, and it was really hard because 1) I knew I could not "stuff" my feelings with food - it would all have come right back up thank you band!; and 2) I needed to avoid drowning my feelings with alcohol - the stats on bariatric surgery patients developing a replacement addiction with alcohol are staggering - like 35% - so I am hyper aware of that one (not that I don't drink, mind you; I only wish to avoid "needing" to drink). SO how do I deal with these feelings? I went for a run; I went to the gym and pumped iron; I went to church . . all of which helped, but the bottom line is that I can't avoid/stuff/medicate intense feelings anymore. I have to actually feel them, and they are uncomfortable . . . . it's hard, people! By far the hardest thing about this journey. Good luck to all in this new year!!