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Heard that we have a higher % to be alcoholics glad I quit drinking last year

I, too, am a wine drinker. I know it has slowed down my weight loss, but I'm still losing. I do count my wine on MyFitnessPal. I make sure I get all my protein in. I didn't have any wine for almost two months post surgery, but since then it has crept its way back into my diet. I have noticed that with greater restriction in my band, I do drink less than I did pre-surgery because there's just not enough food in my system to absorb the alcohol and I can't stand to feel "fuzzy headed". And lately there are some days I just don't have a taste for it at all.

EEsMom...glad you're going to talk to your nutritionist. I can't imagine you'll be the first patient that she/he has heard can't have sugar substitues. I"m sure they'll find something for you. Even if you have to make your own Protein shakes out of plain Protein powder. For me Sugar Alcohol sets me off and I haven't even had the surgery yet. Too much of that stuff...errr...is not a good thing for me. Good luck!

Peace queen, you have had a rough road and yet you are always supportive of others. Take a step forward and think about the Joy being with your family and friends during holidays and get togethers. They are fortunate you are here with them. Then drink a bottle or a beautiful glass full of Water, add your favorite crystal light. Talk and enjoy the company. When it is time for you to eat....then eat. Just maybe instead of a hamburger on a bun, eat 1/2 the burger without the bun (you know what I mean here). Do not feel like you are deprived, because you are not. Just watch the carbs and foods with high caloric value like alcohol, ice cream, sugars etc. If you are serving appetizers make things that work for your too...deli meat with cream cheese spread etc. Maybe take someone and go for a walk or add some extra exercise if you eat a little more than normal Find the positive, like you have shared with others. My best to you! Sent from my iPad using VST

Though not an alcoholic, wine is my downfall. I drink too much in the evenings... And then I get hungry. (Something about white wine, though dry, that sparks my sugar/hunger levels....) Then, because my inhibitions are lowered, I eat things I should not. I know banding is a tool that can help control appetite and aid weight loss..... How will I handle giving up the wine??

Though not an alcoholic, wine is my downfall. I drink too much in the evenings... And then I get hungry. (Something about white wine, though dry, that sparks my sugar/hunger levels....) Then, because my inhibitions are lowered, I eat things I should not. I know banding is a tool that can help control appetite and aid weight loss..... How will I handle giving up the wine??

I have been okay so far but was told no soda or alcohol-- you do know there is a high incidence of alcoholism amongst WLS patients right.. so avoid it if possible! AFTER 2 MONTHS I CAN FINALLY EAT SALAD!!YAY

No regrets at all, having this surgery was one of the best decisions I have ever made. You are not supposed to drink alcohol, I think that it is partially because of all the calories in most drinks. On a few occassions i have had a vodka with sugar free cranberry juice, but can't drink very much of it without getting tipsy.

Does anyone regret doing it? Can you drink alcohol? I'm two days away from making my appointment. Trying to get my mom to do this as well but she's afraid she will be miserable because she loves to eat.

How long did you wait after surgery to have a drink? What was it? Did you tolerate it ok?

My PA told me that if u was eating salad I could expect to eat 2 cups. This being because the lettuce and such chews to mush equaling about a cup of food. I have 7.25 cc in my band. It's comfortable for me. I was at 7.5cc and I was bringing everything back up. I really can eat most anything I want but stress' date=' anxiety, time of month, alcohol consumption and so on make my band so fickle! Good luck!

I found this on a lap band site in Longview, Tx. I found a lot of good information here about what to and not to eat during the different stages. Hope it helps. Week 1 Days 1-2: Clear Liquids, at least 32-64 ounces per day) sip…sip…sip Days 3-4: May add Protein drink Look for Protein drinks with 24-30 grams of protein Try different supplements prior to surgery to find what you like Mix only with skim milk or Water Goal is 60-80 grams/protein per day Liquid Protein supplement 3 times daily between meals and before bed Remember to go slowly (4 ounces = ½ cup) Take thirty minutes to drink 4 ounces When you feel full –STOP Begin liquid or chewable Vitamins and Calcium Vitamins need to be “complete,” can take any brand Calcium, try Viactiv chews (3 different flavors) Days 5-6 May add V-8 juice, then cream Soups and applesauce Day 7 May add low fat yogurt and low fat pudding Yogurt needs to be plain (no fruit or nuts added in) Week 2 Days 8-9 Start full liquid diet Add thinned out oatmeal, cream of wheat, baby foods NO grits, rice, Pasta or Peanut Butter Day 10 May add thinned out mashed potatoes, cottage cheese (low-fat) Days 11-12 Continue low fat and sugar free full liquid diet Continue protein supplements Can add bananas to Protein shake for volume and flavor Days 13-14 SLOWLY add soft boiled or scrambled eggs, baked potato and canned fruit (packed in water) Suggestions for Thin/Clear Liquid Diet Water –bottled or tap Apple juice, cranberry juice, grape juice –choose “lite” variety if possible NO orange or grapefruit juice, too much acid and sugar Gatorade, Propel or Fruit 2.0 Diet Snapple and other diet drinks (NO sodas or carbonation) Iced tea, no sugar added (may use NutraSweet, Splenda, Stevia, and Sweet & Low) Hot tea, no sugar added coffee, no creamer or whole milk, use skim milk or low fat milk Crystal light (avoid the orange and raspberry tea flavors, too acidic) Sugar free Jell-o, sugar free popsicles Broths, any variety Sugar free Kool-Aid Protein Drinks: Read the labels Protein greater than 15 grams per serving, ideal is 24-30 grams per serving Carbohydrates need to less than 10 grams per serving, ideal is less than 5 grams per serving Sugars less than 5 grams per serving Atkins Advantage shakes Carb Solutions Isopure/Zero Carb whey Protein Stacker Protein Drink LaBrada Pro-V Suggestions for Full Liquid Diet Thin liquids listed above Sugar free pudding V-8 juice, tomato juice Cream soups (need to be strained) Applesauce (no sugar added) Baby foods Cottage Cheese (low fat) NO Starbucks, smoothie King, Jamba Juice or other high calorie drinks NO low carb ice cream (no, you may not even THINK about it)! Week 3 –Soft Diet (the Mashies) Soft fruit (banana, melon, strawberries), watch out for fruit with skins (grapes, apples, plums) Well-cooked vegetables (mushy, not crisp) –may have broccoli crown and asparagus tips, not the stalks No celery or corn Small amounts ( ¼ - ½ cup) of rice, pasta (soft cooked and well chewed) Eggs, any style Toast –crackers, breadsticks, melba toast. No bread or tortillas Whole grain Cereal, with or without low fat milk Potatoes –mashed, baked, boiled Any Beans or lentils, low fat refried beans Protein Bars Atkins Advantage South Beach AdvantEdge Cliffhanger Protein: Moist skinless chicken, ham, turkey Fish or other seafood –baked or grilled (NO frying) Lean ground beef –make sure it is moist, no bun Canned tuna, chicken or turkey packed in water Low fat and low card lunchmeats (read the label!), NO hot dogs Eggs, low fat milk and low fat cheese Protein drinks/powder DO NOT EAT: Steak Pot roast Stews Your doctor will tell you when you can start these foods, usually about three months post op. Week 4 –Regular Diet Gradually add regular foods, add one food at a time and assess tolerance Eat three meals per day at set times Sit down to eat Eat slowly, fork down between bites Chew 25 times before swallowing Small portions (use a smaller plate) When you feel full –STOP NO grazing!! NO liquids with meals or for 1 hour afterwards Avoid cheap calories –ice cream, (yes, even low carb ice cream), Cookies, cakes, pies, chips, nuts, candies, chocolate, high calorie drinks (including alcohol and wine) No carbonated drinks No dried fruits or popcorn No greasy, fried fatty foods No high calorie gravies/sauces Use light tub margarine (Smart Balance, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) Light or fat free salad dressings No butter or sour cream Use olive oil or canola oil No fast food Once you are on a regular diet, decrease or stop mashed potatoes, rice and pastas Continue protein drinks (you may always need a supplement) Continue Vitamin and calcium supplements Fill up on protein and vegetables, not on carbohydrates, fats and sugars If hunger is a problem, you probably need more protein Begin exercising and continue to increase duration and frequency. LAP-BAND POST-OPERATIVE DIET INSTRUCTION Consumption Foods to Choose Weeks 1 and 2 Liquids only: Room temperature clear liquids until nausea resolves, then may have full liquids hot or cold. Slowly drink 4-6 ounces of fluids 6 times per day. Drink water between meals Skim/fat free milk Slim-fast Optima Broths Low fat strained cream soups 100% juice (limit to 4 ounces per day) Week 3 Consume puree texture foods: Limit to ½ cup at a time to prevent stretching pouch Consume meals at least 3 hours apart Consume water or no-calorie liquids (crystal light, tea, sugar free drinks) Wait one hour after “meal” to start fluids pureed or baby foods Soft scrambled eggs Sugar free-low fat pudding Fat free yogurt (no fruit or nuts) Hot cereals, thinned Applesauce Low fat cream soups Week 4 Consume soft foods: Limit to ½ cup at a time Consume meals at least 4 hours apart Consume water between meals, waiting until 1 hour after meals Scrambled egg Soft canned vegetables Soft canned fruits (packed in water) Tuna or chicken salad Week 5 Transition to solid foods: Slowly add 2 ounces of protein 3- 4 times per day Slowly add 1-2 ounces of vegetables 3-4 times per day Stop eating as soon as you feel full Chew all foods to applesauce consistency (about 25 times) Do not drink liquids with meals Solid foods as tolerated macaroni noodles Sliced lunch meats Raw fruits and vegetables as tolerated Avoid stringy, fibrous foods and non-tender cuts of meat Avoid white bread, popcorn, coconut

I believe lettuces are hard to digest. Salads are generally all raw veggies too. Maybe you are still on cooked veggies? I drink right before I eat but wait at least 30 minutes after. I find if I try to drink before then I get uncomfortably full. For alcohol, I waited the 6 months my program recommended and was cleared by my Dr. I felt more comfortable following the program. Maybe ask your doctor about a few ounces of wine? Lynda

My husband has been completely supportive, but he doesn't really understand how my world of eating has changed. I'm eating to live, not living to eat anymore. He sees that I don't eat the same stuff, but the other day asked me to grab the Oreo's from the cupboard while I was in the kitchen for him. My response was: you're putting temptation in my hands, so no, if you want them get them yourself. He instantly appologized, he didn't even think that it would be hard for me. I'm trying very hard to be strong - but really, putting them in my hands and NOT having one would be torture. Sometimes I just have to *kindly* point out that I'm really trying here, and ask him to just think a little more before he talks. I don't want him to feel like he has to eat in the other room, because I do really enjoy the few meals we get to spend together, but don't ask me to make you Pasta, scoop some ice cream, etc. It's like asking a recovering alcoholic to grab you a beer. He was very receptive. I suggest maybe just explaining that you're on a learning curve, your life has changed when it comes to food, and the temptation is strong to not eat according to plan when you see them chowing down pizza in front of you. At the same time, this was a choice you made and need to prepare yourself for a lifetime of tempting situations.

So the whole nothing to drink 15 minutes before a minute, nothing during the meal, and nothing 45 minutes after. Is that a lifelong rule? I mean, not even a sip???? I don't want to gulp, but a sip would be nice. When were you allowed to have alcohol? I'm not a big drinker, but I have a birthday coming up and would love to enjoy ONE drink with my friends, but I doubt I can. I am six weeks post op. Why can't I have salad? What does it do to the stomach that makes it temporarily off limits?

Agree with Lil Diva and thsnks fir 12 steps remimder. I used to go to OA. A few times I went to this one big AA meeting where a number of people had years and years of abstinence. There was a table loaded with sugary white flour snacks and the cigarette smoke was over whelming. The recovery from alcohol was powerful in that room but got the impression that some folks had substitute addictions. In fact some OA members with multiple addictions said it was hard to go to AA because there was always sugared food there. Btw, the best book I ever read on addiction is entitled Addiction and Grace by Gerald May. It is probably not currently in print but would be available used. Very compatible with 12 step philosophy.

I want to add to Lissa's advice. If you go in, and you wear the mask for a while without any pressure, you should then ask the techinician to 'ramp up' the pressure. This means that they will set the machine to slowly build the pressure to where it is not as noticeable of a change. A lot of the newer machines will do this automatically to help you fall asleep before the full pressure begins. You can also ask for a consult with the person who does mask fittings before your sleep study. Go in during the day and get fitted for a 2-3 masks that you find comfortable that would fit your life style. Bring the list of masks with you to your sleep study to reduce your stress. Patients tend to prefer a dental device, and studies show that CPAP/APAP machines are often more effective. ULTIMATELY, no appliance is going to work for you if you can't use it due to claustrophobia so be honest with what you feel you can handle. I work in pulmonary medicine and spend half my day with sleep patients. The biggest issue I see with CPAP therapy is patient compliance. I tell people to start off wearing their mask while they are awake watching television to try to ease the transition. I know it has to be hard to get used to wearing the mask. Personally, I brought one home to try for a week to understand how people feel. Some natural things you can do to reduce sleep apnea include losing weight, quit smoking, avoid caffeine and heavy meals a few hours prior to bed, avoid sedatives (alcohol & sleep aids)(because they relax your throat muscles during sleep), sleep on your side, keep a regular/routine sleep schedule, lift the head of your bed 6 inches, use nasal spray to keep your nasal passages open. You can also Google "throat exercises to reduce sleep apnea." Just to throw this out there - Sometimes sleep apnea is cause by another underlying condition. Also, there are surgeries which can help correct apnea.

This was a great my story. I appreciate your outlook. For so many people to say that people have this surgery for vanity you really are a poster child for what this surgery is about. Its not about vanity. Sure part of it is, it would have to be, but the majority is about life. It sounds like you have had an issue with self esteeme, though i think you would be hard pressed to find any of us on this forum that didn't at one point or another. I, like you was not always 300+ lbs. I dont know what changed but it is interesting to think that everyone does comment on eatting when your big and want to lose weight. Its not funny and its not even appropriate so i appologize if i offend anyone but i dont walk around telling a COPD patient that they shouldnt have started smoking in the first place. Or tell someone with liver disease thats an alcoholic just stop drinking. There are medical conditions and psychological conditions associated with being overweight and instead of looking at it like that they just go, Hey, stop eatting. Makes me want to go Np buddy, hey stop breathing.....mean i know.. Back to your story though, its good to read peoples feelings. I know i'm a guy and i am supposed to keep the majority of this ooshy gooshy stuff bottled up but the bottom line is thats not who i am. I am still pre-op and i only hope that i can do as well as it sounds like you have done. This world would be a lot better place if more people would work on the "heart" rather than everything else. Thanks for sharing your story and i look forward to more of your posts. Have a great evening.

I've tried plenty of alcohol, lol. It's no problem.

So basically I had some weird throat infection the entire pre-op diet week, which I only had to actually do for 1 week. So eating nothing but full liquids was fine because I didn't feel that great anyway and slept A LOT. The hardest day, believe it or not, was the clear liquid day the day before surgery. I did okay though once I got some SF jello. It's hard finding ones that are not a deep red. I did find some pink and orange ones, though! So I didn't actually feel too horribly nervous until that morning. I wasn't due until 12:30 and the hospital is about 45 minutes away. Around 10:30 AM on Wednesday (June 27) they called to ask if I wanted to come in early because they had a cancellation. I said sure but it will only be like maybe 15 minutes earlier because I live 45 minutes away. So we ended up leaving about 11:15 because I had to wait on my mom to shower. I had already done all that and my bag was packed so I was ready! We got to the hospital about 12:15 or something. We had a hard time finding where we were suppose to go but we got it. Yay! Luckily we had gotten a parking spot that was in the first row from the door so that was nice. I grabbed my bag and my turtle pillow pet and walked in, taking my piercings out and shaking all to hell trying not to fling the pieces around and get them in the baggy I brought for them. I got to the desk and they had me to go an admission desk to sign some papers and get my wrist band and some folder with stuff in it that I still haven't actually looked at. I don't know what is in it, lol. Just some papers. Anyway so they asked us to wait in the waiting room. We did not even get our butts in a chair and they had called me in, they told my mom to wait outside because they were just going to run some tests real quick that they routinely do. So they brought me in and it looked like the same pre-op area where I was with my sister at a different hospital for a pregnancy complication. Not to sound as morbid as it may but it was strangely comforting to feel like I was in a place I had seen before. I was given a cup and asked to use the bathroom and pee in the cup for a pregnancy test. They do this routinely I guess, it's mandatory. Boy was I ever exploding cuz I filled that whole entire freakin' cup! Sorry for TMI there lol. So I go back to my waiting area and asked where to put it and the nurse says to put it on a little table at the end of what was to be my bed that another nurse was writing in my chart at. So I set it there and said MERRY CHRISTMAS! And giggled nervously. She laughed at me, too. So then I was given my robe and socks and a bag to put my clothes in and told to change and they pulled the curtain. Oh man was I shaking so bad! I got it all there and put it on the chair next to the bed and sat down, she undid the curtain and I got situated on the bed and they put a warm blanket on me. Then they had a nurse come put an IV in me and it took her forever. I have tiny veins. They put a 20 in me and said it'll be good until I'm under and they'll switch it to a 18 or whatever. They drew 2 vials of blood and then whatever. Stuck some little sticker node things on me and asked me questions like who I am and what surgery I'm having. Then the anesthesiologist asked some questions too like if I have diabetes and etc I said not that I know of. It's true, I didnt know lol. They did get a CBC and whatever else with that blood they took and I never heard much back so I guess I'm ok. So then they hooked up an IV and then came the Versed. That's the happy medicine they gave me so I can relax. At some point during the questioning they got my mom for me and she was sitting with me. But once they put the IV in they made her hug me and go back to the waiting room. This was around 1:30 by this time. And then the praying hit as tears started rolling down my face when she left the room and I started praying, HARD!! But the Versed hit and I felt okay. They rolled me to the OR and I remember looking at all the gadgets in the room thinking Hey! This is just like on TV and in videos of sleeve related things I had seen before. That was comforting, too. But I was doped up on Versed so that's probably it, too. They aligned the operating bed up to my bed and locked them all in place, then had me help myself from the bed to the operating bed. I was not scared at this point but they were laying my arms out on the little arm tables and had an oxygen mask laying lightly on my face. I was okay with that! That were touching me a lot and it felt comforting. Then they said they would be making me sleepy and I was out. I remember when I first woke up they said I'm waking up and asked me how I feel. I said owww pain. It hurts. They said they are giving me pain medication RIGHT NOW. And it felt better right then. They had given me Dilaudid when I needed the rougher med but they used Toradol for inflammation and pain in the meantime and Fenergan for nausea or whatever it's called. They gave me something else right before surgery too for like acid or whatever but I forget what it was. So I was in and out a lot. Dilaudid pretty much makes me pass out. I had gotten a swab sometime in the later evening and I think a droplet had gone down my throat and I got nauseated and started dry heaving. This lasted only a brief period because the nurse took an alcohol prep pad and waved it in front of my nose telling me to breathe deep and I did. The aroma strangely made me calm down from heaving. I didn't have true on nausea at all. Just onset of heaving. I had another 2 or 3 bouts of that that night as they gave me Dilaudid but they started giving the Fenergan with it and I was fine after that. At home I dry heaved only 2 times from pain medication and that's been it. I stopped taking that nasty garbage. So at home I just staked out on the couch as best I could. Tried sipping my liquids and pacing the house or taking my dog on mini walks. It felt good to walk! I'm now 4 days out and I feel almost just fine except for 3 things. One I feel as if maybe I am getting a cold, I have that pre-cold groggy feeling. And the other 2 are pains. One is in my shoulder from gas pain, and the other is that odd diaphragm area spasming that is horrid but luckily only lasts a couple of seconds. I had trouble getting my liquids in but I'm doing okay. I feel okay and energetic during the day. I sip a little protein, a little soup, or vitamin water zero or sobe life water or just plain water. I got some pain cramping when I had colder liquids at first but it seems to do ok now. I also really like SF chocolate pudding. Im going to try a fudgsicle later tonight. As far as food goes. I get weird cravings for things. I know it's in my head and I have to control that. But sometimes I'm just confused at my body because my stomach grumbles all the time, but it gets really loud at random times and it doesn't hurt but it pangs like that familiar feeling pre-op when I would be so hungry that my stomach would growl and pang like that. So I'm not sure if I'm hungry or what. But it's really annoying and eating a little pudding or soup does alleviate it a little. Although the noises don't stop for long at all. I also wanted to add in here that I do get a bit grossed out by some foods now that I woulda just been like "ehh" about before and not really gotten that weird gag feeling when something smells or tastes gross. I can't even eat broth of any kind and some of these "cream of" soups do the same thing. I have no idea why! I do like those soups normally so not sure what the deal is now but I'm dealing with trying out other things. I realized I can get a soup that has things in it but blend and strain it afterwards and it does actually hold the tastes of everything that was in that soup. I had a tomato and rice by Campbell's and blended and strained it out and it tasted like it. I have a bacon and bean soup that's also 98% fat free that I found and i'll do the same thing with that. It sounds good, something different. I don't have to resort to only 1 kind of soup! Just strain strain strain! Another thing I did was today my parents had something for dinner in a skillet that had green beans, onions and chicken breast chunks. It had a lot of juice that tasted really delicious that I strained out and sipped on. It was really good! Other than that, I feel great. I feel super apprehensive about the type of sips I take and how much soup or pudding or whatever I should eat. I don't know what my limit is and I definitely don't want to PUSH it. I never truly feel hungry to begin with so I'm not sure when I'm FULL if that makes sense. I haven't felt much tightness yet from eating those things but I think I read a few places that people don't always feel that tightness too much until mushy phase. So I'm not too worried about it. I'm just worried about what will happen if I do push it on accident. The only other uncomfortable thing has been a couple bouts of hiccups. Those HURT! Oh my gosh do those hurt. The pain was horrid and I had a few moments in my head that I would probably not go through this again had I known how it would feel but it didn't last that long for me so I think that maybe I do not truly think that at all. If I use this tool wisely and utilize it well to lose weight like I need to then I will be fully satisfied. I just hope that I can stay on track. I know I will.

When can u have a alcoholic beverage?

I just had a checkup and I was worried that mine didn't look right, but the PA said the drain hole always looks the worst - that they are usually extra oozy (yuck!). She said to keep it uncovered and to dab it with rubbing alcohol after a shower to dry it up. Granted, mine is closed up. Well, mostly...

I feel the same way. . . I have struggled with my weight for the past 20 years and nothing worked. It is hard to make good choices every day. I know we are in "lap band he**" but my will power fads quickly. I have never had an alcohol or drug addict but I realize now how much I am / was addicted to FOOD. I am trying to figure out how to change all of these bad habits I have so this band and I can work on this together. Good post~

Not a good idea! Would anyone walk up to a person in a restaurant who was drinking alcohol and ask if they were an alcoholic or if they knew about cirrhosis? I doubt it. Have I seen people I thought could benefit from the band? Sure. But I would never in a million years tell a strainger they need weight loss surgery.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I promise I know they're empty calories and lead to eating junk food lol. I've drank alcohol before, I know the down falls, but a glass of wine every once in awhile is all I need I'll ask my dr at my appointment Tuesday! Thanks!