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Alcoholism is a serious problem for post WLS. It's a transfer addiction. Be very careful. It's not just about the calories, it's the damage you are doing to your liver. Most WLS patients already have extensive scar tissue from having a fatty liver pre surgery. It takes a long time for that to heal if ever.

You have to do more exercises that tone muscle so you burn fat. Cut out the sweets, chocolate and chips. Your exercise routine should be at least 45 min cardio and 30 min weight training. Hope this helps. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Also cut out the cake, pie and alcohol. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Glad to find this forum and really appreciate all your feedbacks and support! Last couple of days that I found this forum, kept me busy to read most of the topics and feedbacks and really boosted my energy. I am 41 and in my 18 months post op period and started my journey at 209 lb and lost 50lb and presently at 159lb! I dropped size from 1X to 10 and wearing medium size but still what I see in my body is lots of fat specially on my hips and legs! My nutritionist says I've done very good but I think I should lose another 20 lb as I am not satisfied at all with my body right now! She said in August that I've lost 75% of my excess fat which she thinks it would be the max for me as my weight losing got very slow or non at this point! Do any of you have any suggestions for me that how I could start to lose some more weight? I do exercise but not that much! 30 minutes 3-4 day per week! I use to walk for an hour a day but she told me try to work on your muscles! I feel that I dont drink as much as most of you say 64oz, at my best maybe i drink 24 oz per day! I am on Protein but still take some carbs, max a toast in a day or half a toast and half a cup of rice and some sweets, like dark almond chocolate pieces and dry fruits and dates, sometimes a small piece of cake or pie! No juice or carbonated drink for 18 months, i dont drink with my food and dont eat soups, no potatoes, no pastas, sometimes few chips to satisfy my crunching craves! Alcohol small glass once in awhile (in 2-3 months)! Any suggestions will be appreciated as I think I am in need! I am getting so obsessed with my weight now and is kind of depressing! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I expect people to support laws that benefit society. Where it's a matter of personal beliefs, with no compelling reason outside of that, then I expect people to be willing to live as they believe, and allow others to do the same. I expect people to look beyond themselves and realize that freedom may be hard to grant sometimes, but that we all have areas where we should be glad it's there. My in-laws don't believe in drinking alcohol. So, I don't order wine when I'm out with them, but I do drink a glass now and then otherwise. And I'm glad their belief is not law in this case. Which is why I am a Christian who doesn't agree gay marriage should be outlawed.

Hey, Marine--nice to hear from you, and happy one-year anniversary (more or less). My surgeon and nutritionist both said alcohol is fine one year out. However, it always going to be calculation as to whether it's worth the (empty) calories vs. the the benefit. Becoming a teetotaler isn't realistic for everyone, but drinking of course needs to be done in moderation. This will be a lifelong balancing act that does't end just because we are in the maintenance phase. I hope you are doing well!

we were told we could occasionally have alcohol a year after bypass. I do - but I probably have about three or four glasses of wine a year. I can feel it right away...

Hi ladies, I read several pages to try and catch up. Carole, your constant reflux concerns me, something is causing it and it is not good for you or your band. Many people who have Gastric Reflux (GERD) and an adjustable gastric band often will see a reduction in their reflux symptoms. In some people, however, they may begin to notice gastric reflux after their adjustable gastric band is placed. This could be a sign that it needs an adjustment, but if it's persistent, here are ten tips on how to deal with gastric reflux: Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime. Rinse your pouch with a glass of water an hour before bedtime. Avoid foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods; chocolate; caffeine; alcohol; some fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers; peppermint; or carbonated drinks. If you smoke, quit smoking. Reduce stress. It increases reflux symptoms. Exercise to promote digestion. Raise the head of your bed. Avoid aspirin, aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime. Tylenol is Okay. Take an antacid (Pepcid Complete, Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, etc.) before retiring, or see your healthcare provider about other over-the-counter heartburn medications. Mini, I think a mothers stress is never over, you are eating, Carole has reflux. I am having pains so bad some nights i almost can't stand it. I hope your daughter finds her inner strength and leaves her husband. Sadly all you can do is be there to pick up the pieces, listen and love her. Try to find a constructive outlet for your frustration. Remember eating and hurting you does not help her, I know how food comforts us, I have many days lately where junk goes down much easier than protein or healthy foods but I am trying not to go back down that road. Know we all love you and are here for you. Dee, it saddens me to read about your lab, I lost my baby several years ago. I held my Alex as he took his last breath, it hurt so bad but he was always there for me and i was determined to be there for him as he left this world. My fur Babies mean as much to me as my real children, they bring me such a sense of peace. Big hug to you my friend. Teri, Carole, Janet, Dawn and Cawanna, I am here and I am so sorry I have been absent. It has been a very hard couple of weeks. I do good most days but Mom is fighting me with ever fiber of her being. I hate to even write this but she has been so mean and said so many hurtful things over the past few weeks it has really taken it's tool on my emotions. Daily she tells me how horrible I am and how much she hates me, I know, I really do know that this is not my mother but it still hurts so much. Every time I know it is time for me to go over to her house, my stomach hurts so bad, it doubles me over in pain. I went back on my antacid medications and have tried to cut back on acid causing foods. I got on the scales tonight and oh wow, down two pounds, not sure how. I have been trying to focus on eating but some days are better than others. My daughter and grand children are here visiting and this helps some, but reality sets in and than there is Mom. I know this all will pass but I am finding it increasingly difficult to cope with my resentment and feelings Mom dredges up. She is manipulative and knows how to push my buttons. I think this is what I hate most because I know she has dementia but sometimes she is not confused and just down right damn mean and spiteful. I pray every night and hope God will hear my prayers and help me find some peace and make sense of all of this Chaos. Carole and Teri, I will be there on the 26th come hell or high water, I need to do something for myself and I am looking forward to this so much. thank you all for allowing me still to participate, I will get back to myself one day, I have faith and having you all as friends means a lot to me. Hugs all around!

I'm going to assume that since you chose to quote my post, that you're directing this at me. Helping someone justify potato chips at five weeks out, Swedish fish at five days out, alcohol at three days out, etc. is not **MY** idea of compassion or kindness. It doesn't help them and it especially doesn't help others reading, researching, absorbing. That's a pretty significant leap you've taken there and one that I am completely boggled by. So instead of anger and vitriol, the only other option is compassion that helps justify potato chips and swedish fish? That's ludicrous. It also helps no one out - ESPECIALLY new people navigating their way through their world just after a surgery, probably with a lot of negativity in their life already, to come to a place that's supposed to be supportive to find threads like these. And for the record, nowhere did I suggest that anyone should be coddled/applauded/passified in any way for dangerous or foolish behaviors. I merely suggested that anger and vitriol is not useful. Compassion, understanding, extending kindness IS. That can be done without enabling or coddling someone. Are we really suggesting that it's NOT possible? That's it's really that black and white? Compassion worked for the John F. Kennedy, Dalai Lama, Ghandi, Einstein, and a number of other amazing notable people in our history. None of whom coddled anyone, but all of whom saw the value in lifting their fellow man up instead of kicking them when they're down. Anyone can criticize, it's easy. I think Mother Theresa said it best: "I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness."

We're almost twins! I was 245 at surgery and am at 178 today. No exercise. I am discouraged and mad at myself for not taking full advantage of the honeymoon phase, which I fear is over. I've let some bad habits creep back in - sugar, alcohol, carbs. Still losing but only 1-2 lbs per month. I'm recommitting this week...getting rid of the bad stuff and trying to get to goal once and for all!Well, it looks like you and I are going to have to encourage each other!! Where do you live? I'm in Iowa Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

"A food addiction addict". Hahahaha. Redundant, much? That's like saying, "an alcoholism alcoholic". By the way, addicts aren't "pathetic". There are many, many studies that prove beyond reproach that addiction is a disease just like cancer or diabetes. People like yourself who insult addicts are the truly pathetic ones. Tell me something, genius. Where did you get your psychology degree? I assume you have one since you're playing armchair psychologist and pretending you're qualified to make these statements. As someone who does have bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology and will be finishing up my doctorate soon, I actually am qualified to diagnose and treat. I can see clearly that you're a rude, lonely, bitter, uneducated, uninformed, judgmental idiot who thinks they know it all, but actually knows nothing. I'm also guessing you're probably quite old, which likely contributed to your bitterness. Bummer. On June 12, 2017 I had my gallbladder removed, my lapband removed and revised to an RNY. HW: 402, SW 306, CW 257, GW 185

I have a 12 to 16 ounce cup of coffee every morning. My doc says it's alright. I was on decaf initially right after being banded as instructed, but now I drink a cup a day and I'm fine. Please, if I can't smoke, drink too much alcohol, have no soda, and eat I'd be one mean b*tch without my coffee LOL!!! That is what works for me, but I am not trying to speak for all the bandsters here :-) (Again, you see from the responses, it does vary from doctor to doctor--what does yours say about it?)

I find alcohol affects me more of less depending on what i eat during the day. I drink wine and hard liquors but all only in small amount. If I drink too fast I feel sick and not drunk and it is not a fun time. Usually 2 glasses of wine leave me as a write off. There are different drinks that sometimes I can and can not handle. Vodka I can't seem to manage but whiskey, gin and rum are ok. I rarely drink these those. Just remember to drink slowly because it takes a while for the drink to go through your band. The last thing you want to do is drink too much and then have to throw up and can't because of the band ( trust me NOT pleasant) I used to be able to out drink everyone now I won't even try and always stop after 2 drinks. If I eat too much during the day and then go drinking I don't get as drunk as fast. Remember to drink even more Water as it makes you more dehydrated. Now I drink my whiskey with water instead of coke and add some ice. It sounds gross but it isn't that bad.

Hey Michelle, That is so sweet to hear! The whole thing is amazing. I don't obsess over food like I used to... I am trying to do a weekly weigh in and last wednesday I was down 20lbs. People are starting to notice. The best is fitting into my smaller clothes. Last night was my first social since the band and other than the itchy stitches, all went well. I ate mostly fish...the hard part was the alcohol. My fave is a G&T! I did have a vodka infused jello shot! LOL! Yummy buy strong! I also did go for an amazing walk yesterday. Trying to get some excercise in. Will start with my trainer on April 1st. I think I need to do some more healing! Oh yeah, major crazziness...in Costco yesterday and my mouth felt dry and stupid me took a very small sip of my daughter's 7up! Wow, what a feeling. Won't ever do that again! Question: when we have surgery, is there any fill in the band?? You look amazing and I love reading your blog! Keep it up sunshine. A

It sounds like it is a really good idea for us to stop blocking ourselves from meeting friends and to put ourselves out there with a meetup or two. Thanks for the suggestion. Now I just need the courage to do it. I need a magic drink that would make make me an outgoing person in social situations. And I am not talking about alcohol.

I'm so so so glad you're comin Tracy, I was gonna cry a lil too if you weren't there :embaressed_smile: And, I'm not as much as a lush as I talk. Alcohol hurts me, so I only drink 'for real' once in a blue moon. I may sip on something, but odds are I won't be drunk

Yes, I tasted a couple of sips of a Michelada. BIG mistake. Not anxious to repeat alcohol any time soon--including my beloved wine. Honestly, I thought I'd miss it. But I do not. I'm much happier with tea. And plus, any time pre-surg that I had alcohol of any kind, I stalled for 4 days. I could count it on the calendar. And I'd usually go up a couple pounds about 2 days after drinking. It SUCKED!

Haydee no problem at all. Will book in the morning, and make it for the early flight. I promised Rick I would wait and talk to him about the flight part. We are having a disagreement about me driving to ABQ. The direct flight from ABQ to Houston is over $300.00 cheaper! So I drive! I can spend that 300 bones there!! At any rate, it will not change anything, if it comes down to it, I will fly from Farmington to ABQ and hop that flight. Nothing to stress over for anyone but him! Laura might remember the issues of night time driving on the reservations. They are not allowed to sell alcohol on the reservation, so they come into the towns and cities, and buy it and then proceed to drink it on the way home. How the different law entities handle the problem is vastly different as well---depending whether it is reservation police or not! Makes driving on Friday- Tuesday pretty dangerous out there some times----BUT this is an off weekend. Not a government check weekend, and it is late Monday night, most of them will be home and passed out! I will be careful, I will have a phone, and likely have my gun, and be good to go! Yep girls-----------a Violet packing heat!! Not in TX though---although I am licensed and could! But shhhhh it is a secret! None of the family knows I went through the classes! Snow has melted like crazy today once it quit snowing! It is slushy & nasty out there right now, but better than snow packed! Road opened up and my DD made it back to get Kinsey. Laura, so glad you decided to go with us--it will be so much fun! Wish some of our others were able....Denise (I understand), Suzanne---didn't you have previous plans??, Gina---now what was your reason Gina??? Ms. Jen???? Cindy???? Y'all are going to miss a good time!!! And yes the itenerary sounds awesome!! I am game for it! And I know it will be sad to say good-bye when the time comes, but it will be so nice to come back here, and be able to put faces to each of you----I have a family reunion this summer, and I am no where near as psyched for it!!! LOL TTYL~~ Kat

Wow, it has been great reading these post, now I don't feel alone. I have 2 for you: I have been going to the same ob-gyn for years. He has saw the scales go up and down like crazy. I asked him is there anything that would help me (meaning meds) He said" sure, duct tape. It really hurts when you rip it off" Hopefully, I will like my new Ob dr. 2nd jerk, getting a pedicure, same girl that has done them for years. Was talking about Lap band, this nasty man beside me says, "just stop eating" I shouldn't have been so rude, I just smiled and said, "just stop breathing" Of course then I explained that if I was an alcoholic I could never have it again or if I was a drug addict I could never have them again, however food is required to live. Then thanked him for putting his comment into our conversation. I'm from the south so I sure he didn't realize I was being sarcastic. Why do people think this is the lazy person's way? I am only 5 days post op and it has been very painful. I didn't come out of surgery skinny. Oh well, let's keep our head up and lose the weight with this valuable tool. Good luck everybody. We are all beautiful.

5'2", ♀️3 days shy of being 10m PO, maintaining 118.7 lbs (I missed my scale when on vacay, and i'm pleasantly surprised that it told me I am a mere 1lb more than I weighed when I left...considering the sheer volume of chocolate chip cookies and alcohol I consumed, this is a total win. Plus I haven't pooped since Friday, lol) Yesterday, Tuesday Aug 20th: This was a travel day so my food intake left much to be desired. Unexpected delays and ensuing hunger caused to me make food choices I would have balked at before. But I long ago gave myself permission to go off plan with no guilt during this trip so its all good (all measurements are estimates). Will return to anal MFP tracking-mode tomorrow ❤️ 7:30am: 1 Americano, 1/2 a mango, 1/3 of a 2-egg omelet with 1 tbsp each of bacon and cheese 12:00pm: about 5-10 salt and vinegar chips 3:00pm: 1/2 bag of almonds 5:00pm: 1/2 a turkey and bacon wrap with mayo + 2 oz cheese + 4 crackers 7:00pm: other 1/2 of turkey and bacon wrap from 5pm meal 11:00pm: 3 bites of the Kid's Hawaiian panzaratto + salad with pumpkin seeds + 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream + 1 strawberry pocky stick (think a really thin breadstick-like cracker dipped in strawberry flavoured chocolate) Totals: ?? cals, ?? Protein, ?? NET carbs, ?? fat Exercise: NONE. It was basically just sitting and walking in airports today.

Okay so since about month 2 PO, I’ve been doing TRE most days. I came across that method almost accidentally. My sleeve is so tight in the mornings that trying to get in a morning meal was hurting me and then I found myself intentionally putting off until later in the day that first meal at the same time I started reading about IF. Well, the whole concept of eating only when hungry instead of when you’re “supposed to” eat made sense to me so I did a mostly 16:8, or 14:10 (on hungry days). I mostly listened to my body. Now I’m 6.5 months PO and some bad habits were creeping in. I found myself using up valuable space with things like salad, parmesean crisps, pork rinds, pickles, kimchi, etc BEFORE I was eating protein. Oh yeah.... wine/alcohol was prominent in my diet for a 6 week stretch between mid-June through end of July. Lots of family events, 2 weddings, a vacay to NOLA and a girls night out. As a result, I only lost 12 pounds during almost 2 months so I decided I had to get very very serious starting July 23. Since then I’ve lost 13 pounds and I’ve kept on top of pre-planning and logging my food For me, the planning heavily involves when I eat as importantly as what I eat—hence the rotating IF schedules. I was doing really great until last Friday (my daughters white coat ceremony and emotions running all over the place due to some other family drama). Long story short, my daughter and one of her besties (a girl I hired as one of my techs a few years ago) wanted to go out to eat in celebration and I succumbed and took them out to our fave Mexican restaurant. I was actually pretty good— measured out 10 tortilla chips, 1 flour tortilla, and ate the insides only of one of my daughters chicken enchilada, and had a single skinny margarita, but it gave me a 1.6 pound bounce when I weighed 2 days later (lord only knows what it could’ve been the next day) Lol, previous Sheri would’ve rolled her eyes at someone who complained about gaining less than 2 pounds after eating out, but I was disappointed in myself and knew I had a decision to make. So.... we can’t forever avoid special occasions and the self-flagellation that follows , so I decided to get more aggressive with the IF for just a few days (or however long it took to rid me of the bounce) and it worked. Sunday I did 20:4, Monday I did 16:8, Tuesday I did 20:4, and by yesterday am I had gone from my Sunday am bounce weight of 172.4 down to 169.0. I’m now back on a “maintenance” TRE of 16:8 for the rest of the week and thankfully have no plans to eat out for at least a few more weeks.

I also have never heard anyone say their doc was ok with it, but maybe I will if I finish reading this thread? What I have heard tho from post ops is that even when they tried to drink it months-years out it hurt. You should be aware that I had a similar stance on caffeine, but I actually did follow my doctors advice and didn't even try it until the 9th week (he told me no caffeine for 8 weeks). What did I find? That my poor sleeve could barely tolerate it. I did about 1/2 cup of chai tea diluted with 1/2 cup of vanilla protein shake bc I could certainly not tolerate any coffee. I could not even tolerate a half and half coffee mixture for several more months. Moral of the story....99 times out of 100 your doctor is recommending something for a valid medical reason. Also you might find that you don't even want or need or even like the same things post-op as you did pre-op. An example is that I loved chocolate shakes and never wanted a different flavor pre-op, but when I went to have my first post-op protein shake I couldn't even phathom a chocolate one. I just craved plain vanilla. I'm 9 months out and still have a ton of chocolate protein shakes in both ready to drink and powdered form sitting around my house which I will probably never drink. I myself was an absolute Diet Coke fiend pre-op. I was willing to give up the food. I was willing to give up the alcohol. BUT when they told me I had to give up caffeine, I resisted A LOT. I thought it was silly and unreasonable but it wasn't. It was totally legit. Long story short...you need to realize that you are possibly addicted to soda which is why you don't want to give it up. You need to make a commitment to taking care of yourself and your new sleeve. You may find that once you wake up from surgery you have a LESS THAN ZERO desire for diet soda. More importantly please try to hold out for as many weeks as you can because all that carbonation could literally pop open your new tummy if you try it too soon post op. I did not mean for this to be a lecture. I just wanted to share my experience with you and ensure that you weigh the potential benefits (I personally don't see any) vs the potential risks in your own decision making process. Good luck!

Singing a religious song at a concert is not tantamount to establishing a religion. How do you not get that? Schools that ban all references to religious life are taking it to an absurd extreme, you'll get no argument from me on that. Then who decides? Who makes the decision if prayer can be in school or a religious song? This is where you get division. If it was good enough for our founding fathers children to be taught biblical morals and to pray to God in school, then it should be good enough for our children. Who ever decided to ban it anyway? If they didn't like it, they could tell their children not to say the prayers with the others, or they could home school or set up private schools that excluded God from them. This is where we, as a Christian Nation, went wrong. We allowed the minority who didn't believe in God to infiltrate the rest who did. And, in case you didn't know this, the words Under God are not part of the original pledge. In fact, when I was a kid, I was taught the "real" pledge that puts the emphasis on indivisible, the way it should be. I knew that 'Under God' was added at a later date. Indivisible just means undivided. We stand as a nation together, undivided. That has nothing to do with undivided in our religious beliefs. And so what if 'under God' was added later? It only confirms and endorces that even the government in 1954 under Eisenhower's presidency knew that God was the reason for this Nations greatness and power. He understood that it was only by God's grace that we were a blessed nation. Do you see when the tide in this country turned? It wasn't much longer after that time when prayer was removed from our schools. This is about the time of this countries moral decline and it's jump in everything of no virtue. (abortion rates, the gay movement, out of control crimes and prisons filling up to capacity, sky high divorce rates, people living together was acceptable, drugs in the 60's which brought drug addictions and alcohol abuse, murders on the rise, and I could go on) It's been downhill since then. When you choose to remove God from a Nation, you remove his blessings as well.

You can not have aspirin long term but once for a headache will not put a whole in your pouch. You just can not take it regularly I take furicet when I have a headache and I have taken Ibuprophen I just dont take it daily about once every other month. Caffeine is also only something you shouldnt have for three months post op. I drink coffee everyday for the last nine months and no problem. Drs tell you things to never do well you should never have the Heimlich Maneuver done on you after a banding but are you gonna die so you dont get your band knocked out of place NO. You can not take Drs so literally. Never is a long time and if I have a bad enough headache I am not spending a fortune in the ER for them to give me the same thing only in IV form. Everything in moderation. They tell you never to drink alcohol either. Yeah sure everyone listens to that one. They tell you dont smoke with the band, dont drink, come on common sense folks if you take aspirin or excedrin take it with food and not on an empty stomach just dont take it a gazillion times a day for the rest of your life.

I also would have been very nervous if i looked through people's food logs. I was never going to eat only protein 5x a day, i needed vegetarian options too and those by virtue are high carb/cal. I really only gave up the things my Team told me to: carbonation, alcohol (I don't drink anyway) excess sugar, then caffeine, bread pasta & rice (I dont care for pasta or rice so... NBD) for the first 6 months. And even then they gave me wiggle room for my Roman Holiday at 4 months post op. I was told sure eat pizza, but get protein too. So I ate pizza pasta & gelato nonstop for 2 weeks and pastries crossaints, fried chicken tenders and kebab for 10 more days in Paris (only the panna cotta bothered me- the fabled Parisian dumping incident). Lost weight. I made tons substitutions stateside for healthier versions of things and i will eat (or drink 😂) a salad in a min because i actually like them. But im satified that none of my choices make me anxious. I really really value that freedom. Maybe its because I've never dieted before or maybe its a personality flaw, but i find the idea of constantly dieting or diet mode after surgery not a good fit for me which is why my MPF page is super lonely these days.

I agree with all of this. I returned to diet soda for a few reasons. I like it. I like the fizz, I like the taste, it pleases me. Plain water hits my stomach hard post op, so my NP suggested Crystal Light, G2, etc. There goes the artificial sweeteners argument. My plan allowed decaf coffee after week one. There goes the acid argument. (That said, I cannot drink wine -- it kills me with heartburn.) My plan allowed regular coffee at week 6 as long as you drink a correlating number of Fluid ounces of something else. There goes the dehydration piece. Again! I am not encouraging anyone to go against doctor's orders. I am simply relaying MY experience with MY surgeon. My books at seminar said no soda, alcohol, smoking, carbonation, fried foods, Pasta, potatoes, chocolate, ice cream, rice, etc. ever again. My surgeon and NP then work with individual cases to adjust those directions according to the needs, success and new habits of the individual.