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Well, you've had a little band vacation, and now it's time to get back to work! First of all, consider getting another fill. If you don't know how many cc's you had before the unfill, ask your surgeon or the person who does the fills. Then ask for a fill that's not quite as much as that. For example, if you had 8 cc's and they took out 1 cc, ask for a fill of .5 cc (that's just an example - there's no magic fill amount that will get you going again). Then, pick one thing to change about your behavior. If you've been drinking alcohol, that would be a good place to stop since alcohol is empty calories and loosens your inhibitions so that a bag of chips or Cookies looks like a dandy idea. When you've got that behavior under control, pick another one, like exercise. It might help if you found yourself a "jalkwing" buddy who'll expect you to show up to walk/run at a given time, and keep you company while you do it. Then pick another behavior, like eating sugary stuff. Go through your kitchen, pantry, fridge, freezer, car, desk, locker, or wherever else that stuff might be stashed. Throw out opened packages and donate the unopened ones to a food bank or neighbor or friend. You can do it!

Lettuce compare bad dates ( NOT the fruit) Current mood:Sylvan Category: Blogging So, before I get started I have 2 important announcements: 1) - Our newest blog friend, Misbehaving ( I assume everybody has met MB and read his blogs? M, I'm talking to you.....don't be shy......he writes good stuff) pointed out that I've totally ignored my tradition of dedicating a blog to the newest kid on the block, so to speak. This blog is dedicated to you, MB (although the "honor" may be a little dubious). 2) - This blog has been blatantly inspired by MB's latest. Ciss kinda went into it in her comments, and I realized that the story has to be told. In all of its ugliness. To really understand how I got into this mess, everybody needs to understand 2 things about me ( side note- Is this "2 things" a recurring theme? I don't know, my friend.....I don't know): I have trouble telling people "no", and I'm waaaaay too nice. I understand your skepticism, but it's true. The "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere of Atlanta High School was so oppressive, that I had gained a reputation as a "really nice guy" (no better way to get laid in high school, right? yeah) by doing nothing more than NOT insulting people to their faces. Apparently I'd also, by my junior year, captured the attention of a senior lass (Her name is ****). Her father and my father were......not good friends, exactly, but......they knew each other really well. Throughout the year I had avoided going to ****'s Halloween party ( She told me "I'll be wearing a toga"), ****'s Thanksgiving party ( "We're gonna play seven minutes in Heaven"....I didn't know what that was, but I didn't like the sound of it), and ****'s Christmas & New Year's parties ( I knew all about the hazards of mistletoe and 12:00). Spring was rolling around fast, though, and so was prom season. At my house, hints were getting dropped that **** wanted to ask me to her prom. This was an actual conversation: Dad: "I saw Jerry ***** today." Me: "Really." Dad: "He said his daughter thinks you're a fine young man, and so does he" Me: "........." Dad: "He thought you might be a good date for her prom. She's cute." Me: "Dad, she's kinda ugly" Dad: "........." (sending out silent, powerful waves of disapproval) The very next day at school, **** cornered me and asked me to the prom. It was a little awkward, because we almost never spoke. I hemmed and hawed, but for every half-excuse I gave, she had a comeback (I cracked under pressure and couldn't think of a iron-clad excuse. Besides, I was trying to give her the opportunity to save some face, but she was having none of it). Finally, she administered the coup-de-grace: "I've already bought the tickets, and there's nobody else to go with...PLEASE?" Prom time. Everybody parked their cars at the high school and boarded a chartered bus to go to the big city of Texarkana. The whole ride down (about 45 mins) was incredibly awkward and silent. I didn't have any friends in the SR. class of 1987, and I didn't know squat about my date. Since it was a chartered bus, the chaperones were not exactly vigilant about screening for alcohol, and everybody was drinking like a fish (except.....somebody forgot to give me the memo. And I could have used a stiff drink). All throughout the night, I fought off a tipsy, dry-humping **** who was trying to kiss my neck. At one point, my date told me "You ought to take off your shirt and just wear your jacket and bowtie".....(WTF?!?). I declined. It was a looooooooong dance. The bus ride back was even worse. It was very dark, and the slobbery sounds of kissing seemed to be preternaturally amplified. I stared straight ahead, thinking how much of a good-night kiss I'd have to pony up to avoid being talked about. At this point, **** takes my arm, puts it around her shoulder, and for good measure, down the front of her dress. So now I've got a handful of boob (Another sidebar....as a commited boob man, that part wasn't so bad. It was just a little unexpected). It was time to man up and take one for the team, so I made out with her. Just for a little while. When the bus arrived back at the high school, **** and I went to my car (unluckily, like MB, it had bench seats. Because I'm a quick, quick learner, I planted my right hand firmly on the steering wheel). **** leaned over and breathlessly wispered "I don't have to be back anytime. My parents trust you....we can do anything you want.....". What I wanted to say was "Ok, then.....we're off to find some hot chicks". Instead, what came out of my mouth was "Er.....It's already a little past my curfew.....I have to go home". I thought that would get my point across. Wrong. **** was incredibly unfazed, saying "....Well, call me tomorrow and we can do something then". Wow.......I didn't call. Every so often for the rest of the year, My dad would ask if I'd seen **** around, or had heard from her. I would just look at him in stony silence. He got the message. Years later, Ciss and I saw **** at the local Super Wal-Mart ( the social nexus of Cass County) going grocery shopping. **** was loading her buggy up with frozen entreees. "Hmmmmm", said Ciss, "Dinner for one, ****?" It was the best and meanest line I had heard in a long time.

I think it's just the way the alcohol is in Mexico. I went to a diff. surgeon, but I went to the store the day after surgery to buy alcohol to take the stickiness off my body from the betadine. YUCK. It smelled so sour.

Warning - reports of meth in 7up at resorts in Mexico - specifically Mexicali. Also bad alcohol as well. Just a precaution if any patients have family members traveling with them to take caution. This is not a hoax, report was on Drudge Report.

The first few weeks drinking any liquid has to be slow and careful, you are healing and this takes time. I am nearly 3 months out and can take pretty good sized gulps now. Prior to surgery, I really worried about how in the heck will I eat without drinking liquids? - but it was mostly all in my head, it's not that big of a deal, and I drink up to 15 minutes before eating solid food. The first few weeks before solids don't worry about that rule of waiting - you will need every ounce of liquids you can get down. I had one sip of champagne on NYE and it was fine. I also had half a glass of wine a week ago and it was also fine. I am however not much of a drinker anyway, and it isn't a lifestyle to aspire to when getting healthy is your goal. YOU have to decide what is most important to your well being - food and alcohol or the chance to have a healthy body that will support you for years to come. We all have the fear of the unknown, don't let that keep you from making important decisions.

Some of the worse ulcers ever were at the anastomosis of a gastric bypass patient who started drinking a little wine again - 14 year post op!!!! Many others, as well. Those surgical tissues remain fragile forever, I'm thinking. Alcohol is a terrible irritant to tissue of any kind, but for surgical areas, even worse. Everyone makes their own decisions and takes their own risks, but for me, alcohol is on the "never again" list.

My surgeon had me lose weight before he would book the surgery. He also said he may have me do a liquid diet and he'd let me know at my pre-op appointment. Since I lost above and beyond what he wanted, he did not make me do the liquid diet. He just cautioned me that if I gained the surgery could be cancelled. The way I lost pre-surgery was to start eating mostly the way I would after - protein first, then veggies. No sweets or alcohol. It was 5 months from first appointment to surgery (I was "at" goal weight at 3 months and just had to get on the schedule and keep the weigth off).

I know this sounds crazy but u start to feel sick sniff an alcohol pad... It's crazy but it works

I remind people that it's an addiction just like alcohol or nicotine or anything like that! A lot of people seem to forget this! You seem to be doing a great job on keeping yourself on track! I have no doubts you will be fine!!!

This is mostly out of curiosity. But i know you're much more likely to get drunk quicker with alcohol after bariatric surgery but what about vomiting from alcohol? Do you puke your brains out like a person normally would from excess alcohol consumption? Or does that not happen since you're consuming a much smaller quantity of alcohol. Like I have no idea if you could end up puking excessively from 6 oz of alcohol even with impaired digestion

I love the Atkins bars but they make me super gassy. It's probably the sugar alcohol that's upsetting your stomach.

No alcohol and no more diet colas. Cleaning up the act to make the best of this surgery. It works!

What has your doctor recommended? If your bone loss & calcium absorption level is poor they should have you on appropriate meds, etc. to help you better manage it. A friend was put a high calcium diet (including more dairy, oily fish, tinned fish with soft bones -salmon, mackerel, beans, etc.) to support hers. She walks a fine line though as she also has a heart condition & too much calcium cause heart issues. How are your vitamin D levels? Your body needs D to help absorb calcium. Not sure if you drink alcohol but it impedes the body’s ability to absorb calcium & vitamin D. I was prescribed Creons (pancreatic enzymes) to help with my protein malabsorption issues. I believe they can help many malabsorption issues. Worth asking your doctor.

To find out how to compare products to better understand added sugars, click on Natural vs. Added Sugars. Use the chart on the second page as a guide to compare products.The chart compares applesauce and Greek style yogurt. You will see the products with only naturally occurring sugars, products with added sugars and “light” versions of the product. You will also see that the product with the most amount of sugar has the most calories.The front part of the food label usually doesn’t have any clues that the product can have a lot of added sugars. You must be a detective and investigate the Nutrition Facts Label and the ingredients list. Start your sugar hunt by using foods and beverages in your pantry or fridge to discover where added sugars are lurking in your food choices. Like any hunting expedition, it will take some time and practice to find the healthiest products to use on your journey towards health. Sugar Comparison Chart We are born with a preference for sweet tastes. However, sugar carries calories without any fiber, vitamins or minerals. Sugar is basically empty calories. For bariatric patients, too much sugar can lead to dumping. Natural Sugars vs Added Sugars Naturally occurring sugars are in fruits (fructose) and milk and dairy (lactose). The current Nutrition Facts label doesn’t tell us the difference. A teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar. If you drink a 12 oz. can of regular pop or 12 ounces regular fruit juice, that means you’ve consumed 40 grams of sugar. This translates to 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’s almost 1/4 cup of sugar! Other names for sugar When you read the ingredient list, look for words like syrup (corn, high fructose, maple, pancake, maltose), corn syrup solids, agave, molasses, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, invert sugar, cane juice, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, nectar (peach, apricot, pear), powdered or confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, maple sugar, date sugar, malted barley, honey and anything ending in “–ose” (maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose). These are all types of sugar. When you see these words in the ingredient list, look for foods that have sugar listed after the 3rd or 4th ingredient. When you see several sugar ingredients, look at the total amount sugar. Decide if it’s worth it to eat that food. Sugar alcohols These have less impact on your blood sugars. They are more slowly digested than sugar. Sugar alcohols have anywhere from 2 to 4 calories per gram. If your weight loss stalls, check to see if your “sugar free” foods have high amounts of sugar alcohols. You may be getting more calories than you think. Caution…eating too many sugar alcohols can laxative effect! Alternative Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners include Splenda (sucralose), Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin), NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet One (acesulfame potassium) and Neotame. Stevia is extracted from the stevia plant and is considered a natural sweetener. Monkfruit is extracted from the monkfruit and is considered a natural sweetener. Natural vs. Added Sugars: Comparison Chart How do I find the amount of added sugars in a food? One way to find out what the added sugars are is to compare similar products. Comparisons of applesauce and Greek yogurt are detailed below. The order of appearance is the unsweetened, sweetened and light or low sugar version. Use this chart to compare other products you might choose. Remember that natural sugars are in milk/dairy and fruit. Is all that sugar worth it?

Okay I am a fat person. I like to eat. I have been overeating for most of my life, If I was not overeating I was probably on a diet. I have been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle for a time but I have always returned to my bad habits. I am wondering if i will be miserable without the option of eating unless I can find something that can replace whatever I am getting from the food. After this proceedure I will not be able to eat. I have heard stories about people who have WLS and become alcoholics or drug addicts. I was curious about what some of you who are post-op have done to replace the food?

alcohol was never mentioned to me and i've drink about the same amount as before - about once a fortnight. I find any carbonated drinks uncomfortable so i drink wine, or wait for it to go a bit flat.

I got sleeved on Jan 31 and I've been adjusting well actually too well, it's kind of scary. Anyway I was quite the social drinker before i got sleeved, heck my dad work at Anheuser -Busch. I tell people that I was weaned on beer. lol. . I think beer is the one thing that I'm going to miss. With that said, I'm not going to attempt to drink alcohol for at least 3 to 4 months. I just know, I need to focus on getting food under control before alcohol can come back into my life. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I just banded a week ago. I had gastric bypass 14 yrs ago but drank some of it back on. Surgery is a tool. Helps with the capacity, not the compulsion. Now I have to stay away from alcohol and it's hard. Good luck. Guess if my self- esteem was better I would feel better. Still am a smart ass fat chick at heart. Kiss of death for relationships . :-(

I hate to even mention this but it did cross my mind... For all the reasons others are stating, plus the fact you aren't even of drinking age yet. I'm not saying to go out and be an alcoholic but enjoy your twenties. Let yourself be your own restrictions and not a life changing surgery. Best of luck! Sent from my LGMP450 using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't know what that was but maybe after practically zero carbs since surgery maybe it was the fat person carb equivalent of a drinker having alcohol after having been clean for awhile - it really hit my system. It was regular PB so maybe it was a combo of pure protein, intense carb, and sugar. Whatever it was, it was wierd.

Ppl treat alcoholics and drug users better than the obese. We all have the same triggers we just use different mediums to get our own utopia. I have grown a very thick skin and an excellent use of sarcasm. So bring on the nay-sayers, I will be a triple threat when I'm thin. Smart, beautiful and thin.

I am wondering about alcohol after surgery too... I enjoy having an occasional drink! Love to have a glass of wine every now and then. Has anyone tried wine?

4 months out tried my first wine. It hurt. 5 months tried a Bloody Mary. Hurt even worse than the wine. 7 months out had vodka cocktails and bloody Mary's with no problem. I've had occasional drinks ever since ranging from wine, vodka, rum, bourbon, rumchata, baily's, peppermint schnapps, egg nog, and twisted teas. My favorite drink is Apple Crown on ice. No problems with any of them after that 7 month mark. I cannot, however drink anything carbonated. Alcohol does not affect me any differently than preop (bummer!) I can pretty much outdrink a football team. But due to the calories I choose to only have 2-3 drinks/month.

I dont have problems with dairy products, just ready made protien shakes with milk products in them (especially adkins advantage ). I use skim milk in my powder shakes and food with no problems. But before surgery I had issues with milk and ice cream (especially sugar free ice cream containing sugar alcohol). Weird....

I’m in month 3/6 of my pre-op and have cut out all alcohol for the foreseeable future. Will there be a point when I may be able to enjoy a cocktail again post-op? Not a party guy, but I kinda miss a good gin and juice.