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I will not be having a food funeral either. Over the past year or so, I've been working hard to implement the changes I need to make in order to make this surgery a success. I quit indulging in marijuana, I have not had a drop of alcohol and for the past seven months, I have been adhering to a rigorous 1,800 calorie diet, as prescribed by the nutritionists. That's not to say I didn't go out to eat before I started my liquid diet. I went out with a couple of friends and we went to this restaurant in Denver called Sputnik. I had one of their smaller dishes, the Mac-n-Cheese without the green onions. The experience of shooting the breeze with my friends, though, is more important and I made sure to pace my meal to the end of the conversation.

See, I guess this is another pet peeve of mine. Every surgeon's program is different. There is no standard program. I agree that alcohol should be avoided because it is liquid calories. But I don't agree at all that it is a safety issue. That brings me to another pet peeve, scare mongering by surgeons and NUTS. No straws, because you'll swallow air? How do you even do that? And if you do get air in your stomach, you burp, bfd? Carbonation will stretch your sleeve. So these tiny little bubbles are powerful enough to stretch this incredibly tough organ that churns and breaks down all of our food. I'm not a Dr., but I have common sense, I just don't buy it.

Well tonight is my first party of the season and a little nervous about the whole drinking thing. But I will drink some tonight. Today I celebrate 8 weeks post op. Down 31 pounds today (all post op weight). My doctor said to wait about 8 weeks, well today is it :tt1: So my question is, does anyone have some low calorie beverage choices. I used to drink captain morgan spiced rum with diet coke...mmmmm. But obviously that is out . So what shall I do. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Happy holidays!

My Doctor told me no alcohol/beer till 9 months after :(

Sorry, I never saw this question... Beer is a typically a no no for a couple of reasons: First, the same general rules of soda apply here. No carbonated beverages. Second, beer is simply empty calories, has no nutritional value, and contains about 150 calories and 10g of carbs per 12oz bottle. Third, alcohol effects us differently post op and one beer could be enough to make you tipsy.

A sip or two isn't going to kill you, but it is empty calories. If you're going to drink alcohol, be aware of how much you're drinking and also how much it can slow down your weight loss. A simple drink like a gimlet can run as much as 200 calories; that's like 1/5th of what you're eating in a day. If you go for something sugary like a hurricaine it can be as much as 350-400. Pint of beer is around 200. Glass of wine is 100. As you can see, these could all totally kill your diet plan -- and, in addition, you're going to get very drunk very fast. After a certain point the alcohol isn't a "danger" to you, as in it's not going to cause problems specifically with your sleeve. It will just slow down your weight loss and might also have negative effects. Personally, I say drink responsibly. My NUT says "never drink again" but with a wink that says she knows that no one ever listens to that....

This has been a very interesting thread. I've enjoyed it. One thing I often want to say to people on here is put the darn scale away! I am two weeks out and started this journey October 4, 2012. Since 7/17/12, I am down 85 lbs and 52 of that since Oct. If I didn't lose another pound I would be happy. The surgery and recovery has been amazing for me. I can have hot and cold foods, I have been eating cottage cheese, tuna, and smoked salmon for he last 4 days. Not once have I vomited or had the runs. Here's where it gets interesting for me. There have been very few rules. I have no protein or carb requirements. No banned foods. These are what my dr/nut recommend. 2 week liq diet pre-op. if you need to eat anything consider tuna or eggs. High protein low cal foods. No alcohol for one year. No ice cream. Two week full diet post op. followed by puréed foods for two weeks and two weeks of soft foods. Eat your protein first. Have 1/4 protein and 1/4 fruit, veggies or carbs. No calorie counting.

The alcohol posts mess with me my program preach 1 year and that’s for safety

I have worked as a psychologist, providing psychological evaluations prior to bariatric weight loss surgery for the past eight years. For the most part, people need a power tool to help them lose and keep off the weight they have lost over and over again in their lives. The gastric sleeve, bypass, and now balloon are those tools. However, every once in a while, I will encounter someone who believes these procedures are the magic bullet. I can pick this up in five seconds when I learn that: this person has no exercise plan to maintain their weight loss a barrage of excuses as to why they can't exercise anymore zero insight into why they are overweight ("I don't know why I am overweight, I just eat steamed vegetables and grilled chicken mostly.") a lack of motivation or understanding for why they also have to engage in behavioral modification in addition to the surgery "Why would you reveal all of this?" you ask. Aren't I giving away the keys to the kingdom to anyone who reads this and wants to pass a psychological evaluation? Perhaps- but who are you really cheating if you don't go within and face the real demons that got you here in the first place? When I ask people about their eating styles, I tend to group them into four categories: 1) emotional eater- someone who uses food when they are bored, stressed, tired, lonely, sad, or even happy in addition to eating when they are hungry 2) skip and binger- someone who fails to think about food until it is too late, and when they are ravenous end up going for whatever is available which is usually some type of carb and calorie laden fast food 3) miscellaneous- someone who just recognizes that they eat too large of portion sizes and/or the wrong types of food 4) food addict- usually someone with a history of other addictions, trauma, and a significant amount of weight to lose. They usually have comorbid psychological diagnoses that have been unaddressed or ill-addressed. Out of the four categories, the 4th is the most troubling for a psychologist. This particular person is most correlated with the patient who fails to address their core issues, eats "around the sleeve," or bypass, experiences dumping syndrome, comes back a year later and asks for the bypass, or a different procedure. This is the person who, ironically, is usually the most resistant to my recommendation that they seek therapeutic support prior to the surgery. They want it done YESTERDAY. They want it NOW. It is this type of thinking that got them into trouble in the first place. The impulsivity and lack of emotional regulation. I've witnessed people fail to address their maladaptive eating patterns and never quite get to their goal weight. I had a male that would buy a bag of pepperonis at the grocery store and snack on them all day and couldn't understand why he wasn't losing weight. This daily "snack," which was a mental security blanket, served as a veritable IV drip of fat and calories throughout the day. I've had a woman who figured out how to ground up her favorite foods into a liquid form because she never quite let go of her attachment to "comfort foods." One of her most notable liquid concoctions consisted of chicken and Cheetos. I'll just leave that for you to chew...er swallow. They say with drug and alcohol recovery- you "slay the dragon," but with food addiction recovery, you have to take it for a walk three times a day. If you don't fundamentally shift your relationship with this dragon, you're going to get burnt when you are walking it. My number one tip for transforming your relationship with food is to start looking at eating the same way you do as brushing and flossing: You don't necessarily salivate at the idea of what type of toothpaste you will use, where you will do it, who you will do it with, right? You just do it twice a day because you don't want to lose your teeth and you want to maintain healthy gums. Food has to be thought of in the same way. You fuel up. You don't use food as a place to define your quality of life. You don't use food to celebrate. You don't use food to demarcate the end of a long day. You don't use food to help you feel less alone. You figure out healthier coping alternatives to meet these needs. Loneliness-call a friend for support Celebrate- get a massage Demarcate the end of a long day- start a tea ritual and use essential oils Another reason you must say goodbye to comfort food is that it triggers the pleasure center of the brain, which ignites our dopamine, which perpetuates the addiction. Many people think we are just telling them to get rid of the comfort food because of the carbs or calories, but there are unique and harmful chemical consequences to ingesting these types of food we know are bad for us. If you are ready to take a modern approach to weight loss and stop dieting for good- check out my wls/vsg psychological support course here for free.

Amen!! For three years I worked full-time and got my master's degree part time. I was promoted twice during that time and increased my salary by 30%. I've lived abroad before. I've never NOT had a job since I was 16, and even babysat before when I was 13-15. I am a very hard worker, but no one acknowledges that. I drop a few pounds and all of a sudden people are now proud of me? WHAT IS THAT? It's like people don't see what I've done with my life because I have fat on my body. They don't/can't see the work it took to get the degree or the dedication it took to get those promotions. They can, however, see your body shrinking. That's why the results of this particular addiction is impossible to hide. If an alcoholic is standing beside you, do you know they are an addict? Likely not unless they are truly at the end of their rope. Same for a drug addict. But a food addict...well, everyone knows of our struggles because it's out there for all to see. For me...I'm still a food addict but because I'm normal sized now, no one is aware. Still means I'm an addict though. Always will be too.

Anytime I find myself 'addicted' to anything, especially if it's hindering my weight loss, I cut it out completely. Just for a while. Go like at least a month without it, and then slowly work it back in a little if I feel like I want to have it. I've done this with ice cream, alcohol and candy. My fiance has this HUGE back of reese's peanut butter cups in the fridge, it's been there almost 2 weeks now, and I think I've had all of 5 of them.

Did u have pre op nutritionist classes? Each program has their own guidelines unfortunately. I start my 14 day preop diet on Monday. I will have 5 EAS myoplex lite protein shakes a day, one serving of veggies, one serving of fruit and one serving of starch a day plus all the clear liquids I want (ff broth, sf Popsicles, sf jello, decafe coffee/tea w/out milk, creamer, sweetener etc and no carbonated beverages or alcohol). I plan on taking my one serving of fruit a day and adding it to one of my shakes with ice and making a smoothie in the blender. As far as your post op eating, that is very specific to what your nutritionist outlined for u. I will have clears only on day one and then clears and protein shakes from day 2 through 7. Day 8 I advance to soft foods ie: sf pudding, sf applesauce. Hope this helps. Good Luck!!!!

Hey y'all! It's good to see how much progress everyone has made. I can't say that I've lost as much as some of y'all, but I didn't have as much to lose as some. My Type II diabetes has been in remission since two days after my surgery, and that was my whole motivation. I haven't been able to stop my high blood pressure meds, but the diabetes meds are a thing of the past. Cold. It was a cold winter. I'm hoping I'll find summer more tolerable, though. (And in my part of Oklahoma, it is most of the year!) I don't get hungry unless I go without eating for six hours or so...which I try not to do. I became sensitive to protein shakes, so now I use a flavorless protein powder in my coffee or food, as I would never get enough protein otherwise. I can't drink cold things very well, as they cause my stomach to spasm somewhat. I drink coffee now. I didn't before surgery. I've had dumping syndrome once. I have had an upset tummy on several occasions, mostly if I tried to drink something cold at a meal. Veggie and fruit skins are hard on me for some reason. No al dente veggies. Everything has to be cooked to death or I can't seem to chew them enough. I don't exercise any more than I did before...I walk with the dog a mile or two three or four times a week, but I'm naturally more active I think. I have more endurance--although the first two or three months left me really tired. I am down to a size 34 jean from a 42. This means I'll have to buy some new clothes, as I'm wearing my son's jeans now. In a medium to large T-shirt. In women's I'm at about a 14 as opposed to the 22 from a year ago. Lots of vitamins/minerals here. I can do some things I couldn't earlier, such as capsules, but not softgels. I bite the softgels and just tolerate the taste of fish oil and the like. As for medicines with alcohol content? Yeah. I'm a lightweight. Geritol makes me tipsy. And, while Nyquil doesn't have the alcohol, I'm much more sensitive to it than I once was. Two ounces of wine put me under the table. And that's it in a nutshell!

You probably have something in the materials given to you about this, but be aware that we're supposedly a lot more sensitive to alcohol--and for me, I was pretty sensitive to it before! And, of course, it's just empty calories than can blow your eating plan out of the water, so you don't want to drink much or often. All other considerations aside, pot is probably going to be easier on your system than alcohol.

Okay, this post is not to bash the newbies or newts (not a newbie/not a veteran), although I can see how it could look that way. My sense of humor is dry/sarcastic and it's hard to convey that in print. I thought I'd start compiling some of the most commonly asked questions I see posted on weekly basis, just to show that you are not alone with your thoughts and concerns. Will all my hair fall out after VSG? "Individuals don't begin to notice the increase in hair loss when showering or brushing the hair until about three months post-surgery. Although the resting hair is being pushed out of the scalp by new hair that is already growing, it can take anywhere from about six months to a year for the hair to return to its normal fullness. Individuals who have undergone gastric bypass or other operations of the digestive tract designed to reduce obesity are more prone to hair loss post-surgery. This is due to the reduced intake of food in the weeks and months immediately following these procedures. The body needs an adequate amount of proteins and vitamins to maintain hair production. Protein-enhanced shakes are often recommended for these patients as a substitute until solid food can be better tolerated. Hair loss related to surgery typically reverses itself without any medicinal intervention or the need for over-the-counter hair loss tonics or treatments. However, maintaining a diet rich in protein and iron is believed to help promote and speed up healthy hair growth. Suggested foods include salmon, beans, eggs, spinach, broccoli, nuts and whole-grain cereals. Avoid foods that can inhibit hair growth, such as those that contain high levels of caffeine and fat." Losing Hair After Surgery | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz2Maz1GjQH Can I take my leftover stomach home in a jar? Man, what kind of sickie... um I mean, that's a very astute question. I didn't ask my doctor about it, but from what I've read, it's considered medical waste and a biohazard in the U.S. So you can't have it as a trophy or to tan and make a beanie out of it. If you're having surgery out of the country, then they may let you take it home, just be careful going through customs. If they ask about it, just tell them you found proof that the Chupacabra exists in Mexico. Can't I do this with out the surgery? You know, eat the crazy small amounts and still lose weight? Why isn't that ok? You can eat the small meals to lose weight, and it is okay. I just couldn't live that lifestyle for very long. It was a non-stop battle to keep myself from eating more. How did you choose your doctor, how much did it cost, and how did you pay for it? I don't want to recommend my doctor, since I wasn't happy with the aftercare, but I paid about $5k between the doctor and hospital. I put it on a credit card and will have it paid off before the end of the year. I found my doctor by calling my insurance company and getting a list of approved WLS doctors. I did a Google search for each doctor and read the reviews before choosing my surgeon. Do you regret having WLS surgery? I do not regret it for a minute. Even with all the discomfort of the 1st 10 days, I am very happy with the result. Food is no longer the focus of my life and I love sitting at a buffet restaurant knowing that I will only eat about 1/4 plate of food. What do I need to pack for the hospital? Here is a long list of suggestions on things you might want to consider taking with you. http://www.verticals...surgery-thread/ How soon after surgery can I start drinking alcohol? I'm sure every doctor has their own recommendations, but my doctor said wait 6 months post-surgery before drinking alcohol again. I'm not a big drinker to begin with, so I didn't miss alcohol. But I did drink about 2 oz. of Tequila at month 6 or 7 and was buzzing immediately, more so than I would have been pre-surgery. So, if you're going to start drinking again, just be aware that it may take less alcohol to impair your system. :-)

Noooo! This is the General Forum There's just a lot of us women here. And I'm probably responding from a very female place. My apologies to you. I truly am not judging you. I really was curious to hear where you are in your head with processing this and what the picture of "life after WLS" looks like to you. "A pint and a steak" just sounds like a perfect guy meal. Which is why I said and meant what I said. The Guys' Forum seems much more relaxed and laid back about life after surgery--although it isn't very active right now, but there are some super guys there! I'm not much on "off limits" stuff, but some things will be off limits to me and some things will definitely be on a once-in-a-very-blue-moon rotation. I hope steak isn't on that list. Beer, wine and alcohol, and "bad" fats such as transfats will certainly top that list because of their effects on the post WLS livers. I wouldn't want to have a surgery that is supposed to help reduce my fatty liver, while then going and drinking and it makes me develop cirrhosis because of how hard this surgery/and quick weight loss is on the liver. Big irony, yes?

You can drink all that alcohol? I’m only 2.5 months out & only thing I will miss down the road is alcohol. My surgeon told me not to have for at least year & then minimal.

Yes absolutely! Even though today is technically still part of my "food up" weekend where I'm trying to eat more cals and macros, I'm back on the straight and narrow about eating meals or organized snacks and not nibbling, and I'm going to try to make all my choices healthy foods, just eat more calories (real dressing instead of my calorie free stuff + avocado, nuts, etc. ) And definitely no alcohol S-Thurs. It's working so far. Will be interesting to see if my weight holds through to tomorrow or goes up. Still waiting on the #2 trains to make it down the tracks so I predict a bounce up. hahaha And yeah, we all kinda pushed back and told RD that we are all straight shooters with each other and that we took what she was saying very seriously. And she told us that sure we could hold accountability, but we have to do it in a more gentle way. 😕 SMH. ROFL. I know I'm very black or white about some things and can be hard. So I will try to think of better ways to say things...

This is from my surgeons patient handbook LAP–BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System Diet Instructions AFTER Surgery • Stay away from carbonated or citrus drinks to decrease nausea – “sugared” drinks are OK for a source of carbohydrates at this time • No foods that are “doughy” or “sticky” - like soft white bread, coconut, chips, popcorn, or dried fruits - they could obstruct the band • Very fibrous foods such as broccoli, asparagus, celery, artichokes, pineapple, and rhubarb could also obstruct the band if not overcooked and cut into small pieces • food that is difficult to digest includes nuts, almonds, and peanuts • Caffeinated drinks are not usually an issue • Drink lots of Water (48 oz – 64 oz/day). Avoid gulping water, sip small amounts slowly and gradually through a straw. You may find that cold water tastes better than lukewarm • Do not drink while you eat or within an hour before and after eating • If overeating occurs during the immediate post-operative phase, vomiting is expected with an increase risk of having the stomach tissue slip up through the band. IMMEDIATE POST OP DIET: Ice chips, 30ml of water every 15 min or nothing by mouth. A barium swallow (Upper Gastrointestinal study) is scheduled the next morning after surgery. DAY ONE: Clear liquids only (liquids you could see through), broth, Jell-O, apple juice, tea or popsicles. There are also clear Protein drinks – Ultra Cal liquid (Mead Johnson), Isopur (GNC store – raspberry, punch, or orange, has O carbs and whey protein), and Enlive (Ross – 10g of protein per 8 oz). It is common to have post-op swelling around the Band as a result of surgery. Do not be alarmed if you are unable to tolerate or swallow liquids easily. You will be monitored for this in the hospital, then discharged. FIRST TWO WEEKS: Transition to liquid diet including skim milk and tomato juice (a good source of protein and can be tolerated by LAP-BAND patients, unlike Gastric Bypass patients). Continue with full liquids such as creamed Soups and yogurt including a “protein shake” (Ensure Light, Boost, Instant Carnation Breakfast) at least twice a day. See detailed dietary guidelines for Lap Band patients. TWO TO FOUR WEEKS: pureed or blended foods (for example, applesauce, yogurt, creamy soups, cooked cream of wheat, farina, cream of rice, pudding). Patients can puree the following foods with skim/soy milk or broth: • Vegetables • meats • Casseroles *Patients who eat solid food too soon run the risk of dislocating the band, thereby developing an enlarged upper gastric pouch. Transitional Period to Solid Food on or about the FIFTH WEEK: Regular diet until first scheduled assessment for adjustment (sixth week post-op). Continue “Sugar-free” products. Expect to eat ½ cup of food at a time or 1 ounce – 1 ½ ounce by the 5th week Beware: the majority of patients will find it difficult, if not impossible, to eat whole chunks of meat, although ground beef is generally tolerated if well chewed. Food must be chewed well. It is important to make good food choices. To avoid hairloss eat protein-rich foods first at every meal (3 meals a day). Alcohol has a lot of calories, and therefore should be avoided.

I do not know when you had WLS. I used to love an occasional beer but not any more. Wine is smooth and gives me heartburn. Margaritas made me gain weight. I want to drink but I am still trying to find that perfect alcohol. I do not know when you had WLS. I used to love an occasional beer but not any more. Wine is smooth and gives me heartburn. Margaritas made me gain weight. I want to drink but I am still trying to find that perfect alcohol. I do not know when you had WLS. I used to love an occasional beer but not any more. Wine is smooth and gives me heartburn. Margaritas made me gain weight. I want to drink but I am still trying to find that perfect alcohol.

What alcoholic beverage do you drink post-op? I LOVE beer but bc it's carbonated I can't have it. ???????? I don't want nor need negative or rude comments. I like to have social drinks from time to time. ESPECIALLY since it's Mardi Gras! ???????????? Thanks for you help!

My opinion is that mother is an idiot. She feels that all of the pre-testing is unnecessary, just put the band on her 12 year old daughter? IDIOT! She even said her daughter is a compulsive eater, yet she didn't want her to have a psyc evaluation because it was just more money to pay. WTF? It wouldn't surprise me if this young girl is unsuccessful with her band. I saw something the other day with people who had lost a lot of weight but didn't deal with the underlying emotional problems had turned to alcohol and/or drugs to replace the food addiction.

Autumn, I agree with you. I have lost weight in the past, however gained it back due to behavior and emotion. I think the Band is only a tool, that will hopefully provide me with the awareness to deal with the real issues. I know I have to change choices of food etc. However, for some even surgery can not change their ability to change, but we all know how hard this is. I am praying that the surgery provides me with the finality of the decision. It is like an alcoholic who loses their job, family, home, etc and still drinks. You wonder what their cut off point is, what has to happen. It is the same with eating. For some it is more difficult to fight the desease. I also think this doctor is capitalizing to make money on these woman! Sad, Janine

This forum has been really helpful to read about the success of others and also the challenges that are discussed. I started out at 335 lb and had weight loss surgery on July 2nd. I am in my second stall at 2 months ( 3 days now). My weight is currently at 255 lb and I know the stall will eventually end. 80 lb sown so far. Yay! However, I am looking for some advice for breaking this stall. First, I would like to give some background on eating, exercising and vitamins. I have been exercising daily either walking my dog for between 2 and 4 miles, sometimes with hills. I have done some hiking a few weeks ago, but it just about sent me into the ER because of dehydration and the hike was rated hard even for athletes. I felt like almost passing out at the end ( 8 miles round trip). Part of the trail is 2000 feet in 1.2 miles and was brutal stair climbing, literally. I used to be such an avid hiker previously when I was in better shape ( also hiked most of my younger years), before gaining quite a bit of weight ( 100 lb) after losing 100 lb 5 years earlier (atkins eating and lots of cardio). I gained mostly due to life and work stresses, but before that kept it off for 5 years. I gave up on dieting because of yo-yoing and the downward effect it was having on my ability to have a stable and happy life. That is why it has been such a good decision to have the sleeve surgery. It was a little difficult the 1st week post op, but then got better. Incisions still hurt a little on occasion, but manageable. Coming back to the stall, I am looking for advice of starting weight training program. I have never enjoyed weight lifting and have always preferred cardio like elliptical and treadmill. I have never been able to "get into" lifting or even basic training because i am not sure how to get started, even though i have a ton of books. Lol! My post op food intake has been fairly rigorous. I usually eat a matrix/soy shake for breakfast ( have been mixing in a low calorie veggie powder recently - a little weird but i got used to it after a few times), a greek yogurt for 9am snack, 3 oz chicken/ salmon for lunch, matrix/ water for 3 pm snack, some protein based dinner(3oz) and 3 oz matrix/water shake for 8 pm. I do not always have the 8 pm snack. I always get in the 80+ oz protein and usually have 100+ oz water/mio/crystal light a day. On weekends, i have been trying one or two meals at my favorite places to eat such as indian, red robin or olive garden. I mainly go to spend time with my family andy everyone is supportive and even help me find suitable choices. I am also very careful to eat 3-4 oz of something very high in protein. And yes, I really do like the matrix and nectar shakes, especially cookies and creme or oreo. I do not have and trouble with eating wrong foods, being over hungry, or drinking alcohol. I just do not have the urge nor want to sabotage the successes so far. Besides i think any high sugar or high fat would just make me sick and uncomfortable. I just want to keep eating simple as i have enough other things going on in life with family and work. I have not missed a day of taking vitamins. I take multi, calc chew, c, b50, b12, omega3, d and a few others. Taking all these vitamins is starting to feel like work, but i have always taken vitamins over the last 10 years so more of the same. Finally, i do journal every day with regards to weight, energy level, sleep hours, vitamins, prescriptions, food intake, liquid intake, exercise and general notes. It is helpful to have the notes and does put me in the right mindset for the day. My biggest concern is having a gall bladder issue as i read about it so often on the posts. No issue yet, but i do feel minor acute jabs from time to time under right rib. Again no issue yet but am concerned. Sorry this is so long winded, but i am looking for some long term advice to break stalls ( hopefully with regards to weightlifting) and get some comments on my approaches so far.

Same here with the alcohol. No difference post op. In fact I think I felt it more before surgery because I had room for a couple of cocktails but now I can't finish one.