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I started my wls journey in June. Completed everything the end of August. Then the wait began. I did awesome in Sept----quit alcohol, started eating only 1 meal a day, had a positive attitude---lost 15 lbs and felt like I could conquer the world with my new vsg sleeve. My stupid insurance didn't approve me till Oct 23---yesterday. Well, being the flawed human I am, I lost it the end of Sept with all the stress of waiting and started back to my old bad habits---eating everything and anything, drinking alcohol, etc. Now I'm up 12 of those 15 lbs lost, so embarrassed of my self and the wls place gave me a choice of surgery dates. I was hoping for a few weeks to get mentally/physically prepared. Not going to happen. They have a date of Nov 6 available with the pre-op appt on Nov 1. That's next week. If I don't take it, (I booked it but am sorry I did), I will have to wait till the beginning of Dec. I feel like it would be better for me mentally to wait the extra month---my dh thinks I'm just making excuses and thinks I should go ahead with it. I really could use your input and throughs. Am I just making excuses, putting it off and being afraid??? I would value your opinion and thoughts a lot.

I'm a newbie, and my surgeon also recommends obstaining from alcohol for a year, mostly due to carb. intake=cravings and slows weight loss. (Same for complex carbs. like pasta, crackers Nut. said from MY HISTORY with weight gain and loss-carbs create overwhelming cravings for more. Although a lot of the stomach that produces the harmone is removed, the rest of the stomach could still, for SOME PEOPLE, create carb. cravings!) once I'm down in the 100's again, I may revisit this recommendation. (I could do a few sips if a good, ice cold vodka, if I HAD to-lol!)

thank you all so very much for your kind words and words of encouragement. To Lozjacko, yes in some way maybe he did do me a favor in leaving me with him being an alcoholic. I had gotten to the point of not handling it very well emotionally. The late nights of his drinking, not knowing whether he would come home at all or whether he had had an accident and was dead, the worrying so yes, it is a relief. The hardest part for me, well, we were high school sweethearts and I still love that person, but he isn't that person any longer, he's changed. If only I could go back about 8 yrs...I came across my video camera today that had a video of Christmas '08, our last Christmas together, happier times, we were laughing, extended family was in it, it was a good trip down memory lane but sad. I pray every night that he seek help in the Lord and come to his senses that he realizes he needs help with his drinking. Such a waste. He's college educated, had a very important corporate job that he lost, its just sad. Now is the time for me. Me to get healthy and instead of getting my big girl panties on as they say, I'm gona get my skinny girl panties on someday...ha Here's to ya'll.

The doctor i go to states 6 months from being banded with both alcohol and carbination. But every dr. Is different

Good! I'd be interested to hear whats going on with bob. My sister had bypass yrs ago when they ripped you from stem to stern. She lost about as much as you, but the last couple yrs she's put a lot back on. She has a head problem, switch food for alcohol. She wants LBS, but my Dr won't do it. Not b/c its not safe, but b/c of head issues. Good luck!

I officially start pre-op diet on 10/30 but I decided to start tomorrow and get off this last meal roller coaster. Then I started thinking... Halloween no candy, No alcohol. Dinner with friends - nope, Moms 70th birthday party, holiday parties - will still be on puréed foods... Just trying to think ahead and plan for challenges. I keep telling myself it is a new way of living and the liquid diet is temporary. I'm hoping that by my Vegas trip in mid-January it will all be worth it when I fit comfortably in the airline seat!

Does anyone have a glass of wine or a drink on a daily basis?

I was told by my Dietitian that while losing weight rapidly your liver is working harder. So when you drink during rapid weight loss you are giving you liver something else to process so it isn't ideal. Which is the primary reason they say no alcohol for a full year, since that is when you are losing the most rapidly. Just a helpful tip to think about.

I took them in hospital and then quit after a discussion with the doc. I didn't like the heprin/coumadin risks, but for some its vital so do what your doc says, but feel free to question. It shouldn't be routine..it should be patient based. That said, I gave myself those types of shots (hormones and meds) for three years while trying to have or carry a successful pregnancy. A great deal of your problem (and any normal human) is that it's counterintuitive to stick a needle in your body...so you have to get over the mental game. I myself had to do it alone, no one could talk to me, look at me, bother me, etc. Total silence. Like a tummy poking ninja stealth.... A tip to avoid pain and bruising (which should not happen with each shot). The best thing to do is to ice the area by holding an ice cube on your shot location for a min or two, then quickly wipe with the alcohol swab and inject quickly into the location. (Have your shot all ready to go, alcohol pads open and on top of their container). Additionally if you pinch about an inch worth of skin and fat up and then do the icing and injection, pinching firmly but not hard, you will find it goes easier. If you find the ice a pain, just do the pinch. By the time you are done with the shots you will be an expert. The ice helps with the med stinging and can reduce bruising if you are hitting a blood vessel (there is nothing dangerous to hit in the fat so don't let that freak you out). You can also bruise by going in too slow. See....I got nothing out of the baby attempts, but it did make me an expert on gut shots so there's a silver lining out there right? heh heh

That can be tricky cause often you need to eat a lil something before indulging which we often can't because we get full as someone else said first time I drank wine went straight to the tummy and it burned a little. I felt little sick. Seems like I got tipsy quick just after one glass. I would drink really slow and perhaps eat a very very small meal first. Alcohol can be difficult for that reason cause most people have to et first and we can't eat much once we get restriction. I would play it by ear

Check with your doctor, of course. What I can tell you is I drink wine every night, i log it in myfitnesspal so the calories are counted. Alcohol does relax the band and makes you hungry, hence the reason some docs say no alcohol (my opinion). My doctor did not have any restrictions regarding it. Honestly I think I had a glass of wine the day after surgery and no I'm not an alcoholic. Anyway, that's my experience with it.

There's nothing in my instruction binder on alcohol. I waited about 3 mths before I had wine tho - and that first glass made me tipsy! Now I drink about 3-4 glasses a week and I'm fine. I drink a beer occasionally too - I know I'm not sposed to have carbnonation, but I do anyway! Marci

Has anyone been told how long to wait before consuming an alcoholic beverage.'low cal' of course! Wanted to celebrate my sisters new job!

I am now on the countdown- 7 weeks until surgery. I am so anxious and just want to start getting everything prepared and ready. What are some things I should be getting ready now? I have been asking the coordinator (whom I think is great) if I can get a pre and post op diet information and she keeps putting me off saying she will get it to me later. Should I be worried about this? I have a low BMI so I think I only have to pre-op diet for 3 days, but I am cutting out all alcohol, sweets and grains starting Nov. 1 (Surgery date Dec. 17 with Dr. Ponce De Leon). I cannot lose more than 6 pounds or I will be below my BMI for the surgery. Any help would be great. I think I would just feel more at ease if I could start planning now.

I've used body wraps for years. I just get a few a few times a year (they're expensive) but, I DO believe they help with the shape of my body. For example, before the first few wraps I got (that particular year, I got a package of 5), I did not have an hourglass shape to my body. After the wraps I had a more defined hourglass shape. At that time, I did at least 3 a month a part. If you continue to eat well, not overeat. Avoid alcohol.... drink water, I believe the shape or the "tightness" does stay. I just had one a couple of weeks ago. I look forward to having more in the next few months.

you are too funny! Thanks. Yes, it will be funny to bump into him in about a year from now when I'm down 100 lbs and show him!!! Do I miss him, yes, but I miss being having that "person" in the house. I must add that I watched him become an alcoholic the last 4 yrs of our marriage and he is still to this day. 2 yrs ago he got a DUI and just this past Feb got arrested for public intoxication, so he has gone downhill. Lost a corporate job over his drinking. With that being said, I'm glad its over from that aspect. He was never abusive, just was out drinking every night and it led to an affair which devastated me. I didn't have the surgery to get skinny and show him by no means, I was tired of feeling sick and tired all of the time and knew something had to change or I was going to die! I watched my dad die of heart disease from early obesity, his latter yrs he had lost his weight on his own but I didn't have the will power. I treat this Lap Band as a tool to help me. And your 3 yr old, wow, I doubt very seriously if I could haul her around, lol. Heck a sack of potatoes is hard enough, ha ha ha.

I'm an equal opportunity alcohol consumer..I plan on switching to wine or liquors, in moderation, of course!

Nurse put ice cold wash clothes on forehead & neck and had me sniff alcohol. That kept me from vomiting.

Like MM said all liquids count except alcohol & possibly caffienated drinks

geminidrive-what did they say would happen if you had alcohol too soon?

My surgeon's instructions were 6 months after the surgery for caffeine and alcohol intake. I also had to sign a disclosure advising of the negative effects of alcohol and consequences after vertical sleeve surgery. As much as I love a good cocktail, I'll wait. Not interesting in doing anything that could cause me harm.

My surgeon's instructions were 6 months after the surgery for caffeine and alcohol intake. I also had to sign a disclosure advising of the negative effects of alcohol and consequences after vertical sleeve surgery. As much as I love a good cocktail, I'll wait. Not interesting in doing anything that could cause me harm.

I was told 1 year .. no alcohol... I hope it isn't so!

You can deduct medical expenses, but only if they meet the IRS guidelines and exceed a certain percentage of your income: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc502.html: Topic 502 - Medical and Dental Expenses If, for a taxable year, you itemize your deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A, you may be able to deduct expenses you paid that year for medical and dental care for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. You may deduct only the amount by which your total medical care expenses for the year exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. For years beginning after December 31, 2012, you may deduct only the amount by which your total medical expenses exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income. You figure the amount you are allowed to deduct on Form 1040, Schedule A. IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, contains additional information on medical expenses including who will qualify as your dependent for purposes of the deduction and how you figure and report the deduction on your return. Medical care expenses include payments for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or payments for treatments affecting any structure or function of the body. Medical care expenses include the insurance premiums you paid for policies that cover medical care or for a qualified long-term care insurance policy covering qualified long-term care services. If you are an employee, medical expenses do not include that portion of your premiums paid by your employer under its sponsored group accident or health policy or qualified long-term care insurance policy. Further, medical expenses do not include the premiums that you paid under your employer-sponsored policy under a premium conversion policy; for example, a federal employee, participating in the premium conversion program of the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program, may not include the premiums paid for the policy as a medical expense. If you are self-employed and have a net profit for the year, you may be able to deduct (as an adjustment to income) the premiums you paid on a health insurance policy covering medical care including a qualified long-term care insurance policy covering medical care including a qualified long-term care insurance policy for yourself and your spouse and dependents. You cannot take this deduction for any month in which you were eligible to participate in any subsidized health plan maintained by your employer, your former employer, your spouse's employer, or your former spouse's employer. If you do not claim 100% of you self-employed health insurance deduction, you can include the remaining premiums with your other medical expenses as an itemized deduction on Form 1040, Schedule A. You may not deduct insurance premiums paid by an employer-sponsored health insurance plan (cafeteria plan) unless the premiums are included in Box 1 of your Form W-2. Deductible medical expenses may include but are not limited to: Payments of fees to doctors, dentists, surgeons, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and nontraditional medical practitioners Payments for in-patient hospital care or nursing home services, including the cost of meals and lodging charged by the hospital or nursing home Payments for acupuncture treatments or inpatient treatment at a center for alcohol or drug addiction, for participation in a smoking-cessation program and for drugs to alleviate nicotine withdrawal that require a prescription Payments to participate in a weight-loss program for a specific disease or diseases, including obesity, diagnosed by a physician but not ordinarily, payments for diet food items or the payment of health club dues Payments for insulin and payments for drugs that require a prescription Payments for admission and transportation to a medical conference relating to a chronic disease that you, your spouse, or your dependents have (if the costs are primarily for and essential to medical care necessitated medical care). However, you may not deduct the costs for meals and lodging while attending the medical conference Payments for false teeth, reading or prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs, and for guide dogs for the blind or deaf Payments for transportation primarily for and essential to medical care that qualify as medical expenses, such as, payments of the actual fare for a taxi, bus, train, or ambulance or for medical transportation by personal car, the amount of your actual out-of-pocket expenses such as for gas and oil, or the amount of the standard mileage rate for medical expenses, plus the cost of tolls and parking fees You may not deduct funeral or burial expenses, over-the-counter medicines, toothpaste, toiletries, cosmetics, a trip or program for the general improvement of your health, or most cosmetic surgery. You may not deduct amounts paid for nicotine gum and nicotine Patches, which do not require a prescription You can only include the medical expenses you paid during the year. Your total deductible medical expenses for the year must be reduced by any reimbursement of deductible medical expenses. It makes no difference if you receive the reimbursement or if it is paid directly to the doctor, hospital, or other medical provider. See Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, for additional information. IRS Publications may be downloaded from the IRS.gov website, www.irs.gov, or ordered by calling 800–829–3676.

Kaiser Fremont recommendations were 3 months for caffeine and 6 months for alcohol (following a good report at the 3 and 6 month check up). I followed their guidelines because my motto is better safe than sorry. I could not drink acidic drinks at first, but now at more than 18 months out, I drink whatever I please and it doesn't bother me. I started with port wine, regular wines and liqueurs, such as Kahlua. Lynda