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"HetKF" posted this a while back, and I found it tonight.... Some great info here. Also: Looking for resources on food addiction. books, there are so many, which ones stand out? I know this sleeve will only be a tool. Never want to gain this weight back! OA and Celebrate Recovery... Know they have helped many ppl. Others? Thx Living to Eat: Do You Have a Food Addiction? By Meghan Vivo Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night. Jane is a food addict. In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy Snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction. What Is Food Addiction? Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects. Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better. Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions. Unlike drug and alcohol addiction, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit? Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food. In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive. Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off. Are You a Food Addict? Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating. If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions: [*]Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?[*]Do you think about food or your weight constantly?[*]Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success?[*]Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging?[*]Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?[*]Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?[*]Do you eat large quantities of food at one time?[*]Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long?[*]Do you eat to escape from your feelings?[*]Do you eat when you're not hungry?[*]Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later?[*]Do you eat in secret?[*]Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?[*]Have you ever stolen other people's food?[*]Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?"[*]Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?[*]Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten?[*]Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?[*]Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?"[*]Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life. Treating Food Addiction Change is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time. Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like Pasta sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds. Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings. Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten. Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating Cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it. Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch. Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink Water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips. Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks. Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat.

There will always be two answers to this question : 1. Don't drink, it's empty calories and can upset your gastro system; 2. Drinking is fine in moderation, just like everything else. Personally I drink a maybe 1 or 2 times a week. I have lost nearly 100 lbs and am close to goal weight, so you can drink and be successful. I didn't get the lapband so I could live, what I consider, to be a restrictive lifestyle for the rest of my life. I got it so I could live a healthy and fun lifestyle. I was upfront with my Dr that yes I plan on drinking in the future. You know what he said? He said in a month you can drink anything you want. You don't have to be perfect all the time. But do it safely by listening to your Dr. Also to address the whole "studies" issue. Yes there seem to be new studies coming out all the time about the benefits of alcohol. For example a new one came out finding a link between increase bone density and having 2 drinks daily.

There is a book called "When food is Love" by Geneen Roth that I read many years ago. I still reference it sometimes and it discusses using food as a crutch to make ourselves feel better. I literally ate my problems pre-op and I'm now having to deal with all those issues, both internal and external, on a realistic basis rather than eat food to cover them up. It's very similar to an alcoholic, but my drug was food. I see a therapist regularly and I talk to her about the crazy urges to eat junk food. I do well so long as I keep myself busy and keep the junk out of the house. My splurges are that I allow myself chocolate flavored Protein bars for breakfast and I do allow myself one single serving bag of cheetos a month. For me, it works because I know that I CAN have something that meets my craving, but I can't have a ton of it. The sleeve definitely helps with that!

Lean heavy on support systems, they are fantastic! Unfortunately for me it ment 3 weeks of not going out on weekends with my friends. Get me in a bar with whiskey and a bunch of chain smoking friends and it's game over! Lol. My doc said you need to shrink you liver prior to surgery. If its too large when they get in there they will stop and not complete the surgery. I have to take a nicotine test prior to going under. I stopped all fried foods, alcohol, and cigaretts.

Good for you. My date is exactly one month from day, 8/20. Yesterday was my last pre op appointment with the surgeon. Had a panic attack on the road and my husband had to talk me down. No pre op diet for me. Here's the instructions I got 1). Stop taking birth control pills 30 days before. Good thing I'm poet menapausal 2). No alcohol 2 weeks before. So I have 2 more weeks to get my happy on. JK 3). No aspirin or other painkillers 5 days before 4) stop blood thinners 5 days before. These last 2 do effect me. A 24 hour clear liquid diet. I'm scheduled first so he can getme back on my insulin pump ASAP Now I am oppressing about a bad blood work/EKG/chest X-ray result like another August sister just had. Getting those on 8/6.

Interesting question! I know I was/am addicted to both. It's a conscious effort to ask myself "am I physically hungry, or am I head hungry?" Head hungry is when you want to eat just for the sake of eating, not for hunger. As a food addict, I still struggle with this. Thankfully, the band definitely keeps the physical hunger at bay so at least I'm not battling that anymore along with it. The big portion thing is also so true! It's funny, even now over 6 months after being banded, I still have eyes much bigger than my stomach. At home when I can measure food it's not a problem, but when I eat out I habitually end up with more food than I could possibly eat. Like today, I went out to lunch with my kids, and I had a single crab cake for lunch. I decided I also wanted a salad so ordered that too. I had about 3 bites of the salad and wasted the rest. Ordering the salad was a dumb move on my part. I couldn't even finish the crab cake! The sad part is, before being banded, the crab cake would've been just an appetizer. I would've ate it all, the entire salad, a big entree, and maybe even dessert. Now, there is just now way I could possibly eat even a quarter of all that at one meal. Any kind of weight loss surgery patients have to be very aware of trading addictions. We are definitely more at risk for drug addiction and alcoholism so it's smart to be aware of.

It must be making you crazy to see all the different surgeons' instructions on this as well as a million other issues. I've read all the responses so far (I think) and don't recall seeing this tidbit which came to me from my original and current surgeons and was confirmed by the surgeon who vetted my book (Bandwagon): Alcohol is a gastric irritant, and it can cause inflammation and (eventually) ulcers. Just something to keep in mind. My personal comments on this heated issue are: 1. Alcohol is liquid calories with no nutritional benefit. Yes, some people believe that there are health benefits in drinking moderate amounts of red wine, but if you have to use the health excuse to justify something you're going to do anyway, well....OK, go ahead! 2. Alcohol loosens your inhibitions and makes eating something stupid (or drinking a second or third glass of wine) seem like a really good idea. Finally, thanks for starting such an entertaining thread. I haven't seen so many irritable, rude, defensive, ornery, inflammatory posts on a single thread here in quite some time. I know what my excuse is: it's 99 degrees outside at almost 7 pm. That's enough to make a saint cranky.

I could have written your post in the past. In fact I HAVE written something VERY similar. I just recommitted to my band a few months ago... and wow.. what a difference it is to work with the band when I am MENTALLY ready and on board. You have to be proactive in the choices you are making. Pasta and ice cream shouldn't be in your diet right now. Period. Down the line, when you are in maintenance... sure... add them in, but right now you need to focus on Protein and low sugar and carbs. Period. Small portions. Exercise. Water. Lots of water! YOU need to do these things. The band is there to help keep you satiated on smaller portions.... it isn't there to stop you from eating. I can always eat around the band. Trust me, I am an ice cream addict... and ice cream will ALWAYS go down. So I forbid it now. I treat it like an alcoholic treats alcohol. You say you can't eat protein. Then you are either too tight, not chewing well enough, or eating too fast. I too thought... I can't eat chicken, I can't eat beef, I can't get these healthy foods down. I was mad and angry, and blamed the band for my poor food choices. In reality... I WASN'T READY! Well guess what... I COULD eat those things... when I slowed waaaay down, kept my band at a looser restriction, and really focused on pre-measuring my portions and STOPPING when the food was done. Did I want to eat more? HECK ya! Do I stil? Heck ya! I ALWAYS want more food. That is why I am FAT. I have to trust that the head hunger will pass (it does) and that the small portions will keep my body satiated (they do). Start over. Go back to basics. you are still so fresh into this! The sleeve is another restrictive surgery. If you still make poor food choices, you will get poor results. I too thought of revising. Hell I scheduled a revision at one time!! But after a lot of soul searching I decided to give it one more HARD try. I have lost 32 pounds in the past few months. I FEEL great. I FEEL supper motivated. It has NOT been easy. This is NOT what I thought being banded would be like. I thought it would be easy. Effortless. Boy what a shock when it wasn't. YOU CAN DO THIS! Sit down and really think about what you have been doing so far. Are you following the rules? Are you measuring your portions? Are you chewing slowly? Are you not drinking with meals? Are you exercising? We are all here for you. For support. Hang in there!! If there is nothing medically wrong with your band... please... give it another shot. It can really be a great tool if used properly!!

Well ME personally I was banded 6/5 and last weekend I went out and got drunk. Am I going to turn in to an alcoholic to replace my food addiction? Hell no. Do I drink often? Nope. You are given directions/instructions and you choose whether or not to follow those. I chose not to for an evening. I'm 23 yrs old and to never drink again even sounds ludicrous. Would I have had a drink 2 weeks after surgery? Probably not. But to each their own.

I was told to wait 30 days before having alcohol. I have also heard that for some, surgery makes their tolerance go down but mine has stayed the same.

Alcohol is not reccomended at all for bariatric surgery patients. Do not drink beer. Beer has carbonation and will cause bloating and swelling. Alcohol in general increases gastric acid secretions and increases esophageal irriation. Number one you just had surgery, you are NOT healed. Think! Number 2 this provides empty calories and no nutitional value. I wouldn't trust any nutrionist that said beer was ok for lap band patients 2 weeks post op. I would refer you to your doctors post op instructions which clearly state what is allowed and not allowed in recovery period. This is a choice you made and you have to give up some things. This how life with the band is. I waited 6mos until I had a drink of wine but that is just me. Wait until your body is recovered and post op swelling is gone before you decide to do things like this , and also discuss these things with your doctor not the nutritionist. I wonder sometimes if people actually read pre op teaching and actually research things before they do them sometimes. Sorry to be blunt but seriously. This isn't a game it is your health and you don't want to take two steps back. I am not trying to be nasty but I have seen several posts of yours that lead me to believe you haven't quite understood the purpose of the diet progression and the learning process that comes with the band. Did your doctor not give you pre op teaching and do's and dont's post op? I wish you luck and hope for your success with the lapband.

I'm going to a celebration and would like to have a few sips. I know I will need to be careful as there will only be mushies in my system, but is this allowed?

Thanks so much for the kind words! I obviously can't speak for everyone but it seems to me that the bad and the ugly, along with the good, is how we learn. I think of myself as a "recovering" foodaholic. And just like a "recovering" alcoholic, I'll a l w a y s be a "recovering" foodaholic. Thanks to RNY, I fully expect to live a long life and that means I'll have to be cautious and aware of potential pitfalls - for a long time. Along those lines, I'd love to hear about what you have learned regarding the cause of the dilated anastamosis. How common is it? Does it often occur at a specific time range or period following RNY? Is it related to too much food? Or perhaps getting in the habit of not chewing well enough or taking bites that are too large? Anything you would care to share, post or PM, would be very much appreciated. Thanks again!!

Odiemom, so sorry to hear that you were having a hard time. I can sympathize I had a period of a few months where I couldn't tolerate protein shakes. Then when my gallbladder started I could not eat regular food and tried going back to them and I was fine. But when I try to eat no sugar added ice cream or carb smart with 30-60 minutes I get the diarrhea, I know it's dumping syndrome. Nutritionist told me its the sugar alcohol. Somedays I don't have a bowel movement other days I have diarrhea. I eat mostly regular food also, but I try to like you said nutritious food. I can't tolerate breads, pork or fatty types of meat. I can tell u things do get easier as time goes on. Just be patient, that's the key!

I am 3 months post op and for the past couple of weeks would have a glass of wine a few times. I did not notice that I was more or less buzzed than I would get before surgery. But that is me and my metabolizm... someone else could be totally different. You are only a week out and no way would I have alochol of any kind, you should talk to your doctor and also remember that alcohol is high in calories and no nuritional value what so ever.

My doctor has strict guidelines of no alcohol for eight months.

That is a big definite yes. I am typing this as a non sleever right now so forgive me. I have really been watching what I eat, when I eat, etc for a long time now and have been on a slow drop for a while. We started the Biggest Loser at work a couple weeks ago and I have dropped a good bit. As I weighed in yesterday morning, I realized that I have hit the weight that I stalled at 4 years ago. That was THE STALL OF ALL STALLS!!! I am not kidding at all. I had been watching everything I ate, I was jogging between 9-18 miles a week, no alcohol, NOTHING!!! I tried changing up my diet, my exercise, fluids, Protein up/down, carb cycling, detoxing, colon cleanse, fasting, increasing calories, you name it and I did it and I could not budge off of 315. I have been doing great the last couple weeks but after I saw 315 on the scale yesterday, I almost had a nervous breakdown! Not even kidding because I remember how that went last time. Now granted I am currently as low as I have been in 4 years, I am getting very nervous that it's gonna happen again! I know how you feel and wish you the best! I plan on keep on doing what I am doing and hopefully fight thru it. Thats all I think I can do..... Good luck.

I know 3 people who had revisions. I'm sure they were the cause of their pouch stretching but be honest it happens people quit smoking for years and start again. Quit using drugs and alcohol and relapse it can happen to the best of us. Rest assured there are ways to help if you do stretch your pouch. I don't look down on anyone there are people on this site who ha e had revisions and you could be hurting their feelings no one is perfect. Lucky my granny isn't on this forum shed cuss you out!

Did your Dr. give you any guidelines? Personally, I would definitely NOT be drinking any alcohol at this stage! Your innards have not finished healing yet at the very least, and at the most, you should be avoiding anything carbonated like beer. It can stretch the anastomosis (the new small hole where your food is passing from your pouch to your bypassed intestine). My surgery center (Mass General) says no carbonation PERMANENTLY after surgery (which can be hard sometimes). Also, be aware, once you have a bypass, you absorb alcohol much faster than other people. Not to scare you, but alcoholism is extremely common after a bypass. I would talk to your doc, and I can't imagine it being allowed for at least a few months.

I suppose you do what's comfortable for you. But, for me, I stay silent on it all together for a while. They don't know the "you" before...so you don't have to introduce them I avoid dates surrounding food and recommend coffee, a drink (where I may or may not drink alcohol). If they ask about food I say I had a big lunch, aren't hungry, etc. once you get farther out you can eat, but won't eat as much and can use the same excuses. Good luck!

As a recovering person, I rely on the science of addiction studies, which assures me that addiction is not evil or sin, it is a disease. Some of the behaviors that are symptomatic of my disease are serious and must be adddressed. Not through guilt and shame, but by the most effective recovery techniques, added to a basic spiritual factor that is also effective in breaking the bond substances and addictive behaviors have over me. Science also tells me that meditation, prayer, sharing, confession of behaviors, and journaling, as well as other spiritual activities, are part of successful recovery. Chapter Five of The Big Book of AA tells us: "Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like per­ fect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. "Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: -- That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. -- That probably no human power could have re­ lieved our alcoholism. -- That God could and would if He were sought. -- Being convinced, we were at Step Three, which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood Him. Just what do we mean by that, and just what do we do?" This is where action must be added to faith...The 12 Steps helps us begin the process....{:>} rd

It's amazing how this surgery has made drinking alcohol so much easier. . . you can get a buzz on 1 glass. . . i drank before surgery, but AFTER surgery I was really drinking. . . i was drinking 1 glass every other day. . . 1 glass consisted of 6 oz rum and 2 oz coke. . . 1 glass. . . my one glass was really 6 glasses. I'd go through a big bottle of rum a week. . . finally my husband brought it up to me that i was drinking A LOT. . . of course I got all sensative and stupid about it, but that made me realize that that is exactly what alcholics do. . . they deny it and rationalize everything. . . so I just stopped dead in my tracks. . . no i didn't get rid of all the alchol in the house, it stays there in the liquor cabinet because I have to be strong enough NOT to go and get any. . . so far so good and it's been 3 months + . . . I've not even had a craving. . . but be careful out there. . . this could be your worst nightmare come true. . . . good luck to all

I was told that I would for sure become an alcoholic after surgery during my pre-op psyche visit. Here I am at 10.5 months out and, while I do drink alcohol sometimes, I'm not an alcoholic. I am working very hard to transfer my addiction to exercise instead!

Alcohol use is exactly why Carnie Wilson re-gained her weight after her bypass. She was supposedly up to 10 mimosas a day! You've taken a brave step by admitting it on here. I know you don't want to waste all your pain and hard work. We are here for you whenever you feel the temptation!