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Don't touch the bread, or drink alcohol, or eat dessert. Swap out the starch for a second vegetable. Eat your Protein first, veggies second. You should run out of room part way through the veggies. Take the rest home for tomorrow's lunch. It really is that simple!

It seems like a short time, but it will go by faster than you think. I think you are spot on in preparing for your new like in these next 6 months. That is exactly what I did and am having nice success post-surgery. Here are some things to think about - this is according to my doctor and as you will read on this forum it seems every doctor is different. No soda for the rest of my life - so if you have a soda habit, try to kick it now No alcohol for 6 months after surgery. I stopped my weekend beers 4 months prior to surgery and I thought this would be the hardest - but I don't miss it (unless I'm at the ball park and then I'm missing a beer and a dog ) The hardest was to no drinking during meals - that was the biggie and even 6 weeks post-op it still can be a challenge. This isn't easy by any means and I have to say some of the emotional issues that need to get dealt with are much harder than figuring out what to eat. As my surgeon said AFTER surgery - "OK, the easy part is over--this is where the work starts." I wish you the best of luck - this was truly one of the best decisions I've made for myself - and remember this is for YOU. Keep the eye on that prize and you will be successful.

Just a question for the group. I had my surgery 1 year ago. I am down over 100 lbs. So I am not complaining in the slightest. I have experienced some slip ups in the last couple months or so and I am not losing like I was before (like not at all). I do however, still exercise (run 2 miles a day 4-5 days a week). Bread is creeping in, as is an occasional alcoholic beverage. Are y'all the same ? I am 20 lbs. from my goal weight and need to refocus my efforts !! Mike A/K/A - BigHarleyGuy1 (although not so big anymore)

sugar free hard candy is a saving grace. It makes you feel bad.. but they are low calorie .. They have sugar alcohol which burns off in your body. Had this same issue last month on Pre-op diet. -Debbi

Hmm interesting. I do know that there are gobs of fat around the liver in overweight people, and I can see how that could be hard to see and work around. If you google fatty liver(images) the liver is clearly larger and paler in color than healthy livers. There are several causes for fatty liver, but the appearance is basically the same for all. The fact that it's paler in color would go along with actual fat lipid deposits, but I have no clue what color the sugar stores would lend it... I'm on day four of my pre op diet and my instructions are to eat any Soup I want however much I want, yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, and sugar free drinks. I'm opting to do a very low carb diet because I was a heavy beer drinker utill 7 days ago. It just seems that I would consume too many carbs, sugar AND fat with the diet he recomended. I'm still going low fat, but I'm worring more about the carbs and I have been enjoying eggs:redface: I guess that's why I'm curious about what actually makes the liver smaller. If mine is inflamed due to alcohol as well as my bad diet, I should probably eat a lot less fat as well:frown:

In this case I'm glad they differ -- I hate milk!! But thank you for clarifying! Just FYI, once you're back on solid foods you should be able to enjoy wine again. I know a lot of doctors discourage alcohol consumption because it is empty calories and full of carbs, but I just count my wine in my allotment of calories and carbohydrates and have been successful with my weight loss.

She's like your drinking buddy. If you were both alcoholics, you would having to likely avoid her if you decided to stop drinking. Same thing here except it's food and not booze. You can try to reassure her that you want to remain her friend but you need her to be supportive. If she can't do that, you may have to let her go in order for you to move forward. Good luck...this part won't be easy.

The following is a direct quote from Dr.Weill. "I don' t believe that most diseases are related to toxic buildups in the liver or that cleansing the liver is a worthwhile health practice. Some health conditions may follow compromised liver function, but these are due to liver damage. Serious liver disease can result from alcoholism or infection with hepatitis viruses B and C. It can also be caused by an autoimmune disease or be the result of cancer. An important function of the liver is to deal with toxins that enter the body. If you are in good health and not overloading your systems with toxic substances (such as alcohol), the liver will cleanse itself very well" From what I have learned through relative courses over the past few years, the liver does not need anymore than healthy food and lots of Water. Try to refrain from fast food, preprepared-prepacked foods, artificial sweeteners, and high fatty foods. The liver has the uncanny ability to rebuild and repair itself so if you start treating it right through a healthy lifestyle then it will detox and cleanse itself. Carol

Tomorrow I begin my two week full liquid diet, not looking forward to it! My revisional RNY is scheduled for 8/20. My original was back in 2004 & I lost a total of 170lbs. Over the last two to three years I began gaining weight (53lbs). I decided to have a revision after an endoscopy showed my anastamosis was dialated. I also had a upper GI that showed my pouch was not stretched. However having the dialation causes food to empty my pouch quicker causing hunger after a short period of time. This is something that just happened through no fault of my own. However I did pick up the habit of smoking for the last eight years after never smoking before that! I have succesfully quit since 6/20 & hope to stay that way! I also started drinking alcohol twice a month, which I attribute this bad behavior to part of my weight gain. I would just like to tell newbies that although I will be doing this again I do not feel like a failure. I have been extremely happy and most importantly healthy over the past 8 years; I was to a point that if I did not have surgery I would not be around today. I had severe complications my first time around & still have decided to go through with this revision because RNY saved my life. I am not doing this again to be a size zero or to look a certain way. I just want to continue to enjoy the quality of life that this surgery afforded me. It has been one hell of a ride that I plan to continue to enjoy. My best advice is that carbs/ sweets are the devil and you should really limit these! Enjoy each day that this great procedure allows us to enjoy it is magical & magnificent!

I find the puree stage to be boring for me. I love my liquid (no alcohol or carbonated drinks). The food is not enjoyable. I prefer shakes and water. I try very hard to remember not to drink with my meals or after. I love my sugar free lime popsicles as we as other frozen sugar free. I feel kinda stuck on the food part. Is cheese ok?? Im a cheesehead-Wisc girl here. Im used to making sandwiches and now no more. I cant wait till I start using romaine lettuce in my diet. I now know what full feels like. Im good at stopping once Im full. I do soups quite a bit. Suggestions? Thanks, this board is very helpful and interesting. Im learning a lot from you guys!!

Yep sounds like dumping. Alit of people cant eat the sf jello due to the sugar alcohols in it

I am starting the Liquid diet on Monday 7/31. I have just turned 21, which means all of my friends are turning 21 too, and next Friday night 8/4 I got invited to go to a campout. Is it safe/ok for me to drink alcohol while on the liquid diet (2 weeks) pre-operation? My surgery date is on 8/14

I had my surgery 5 weeks ago this Tuesday. I am going to dinner for my birthday next weekend and want to have a margarita. How long did everyone wait until after their surgery before they drank any alcohol?? I will also email my surgeon Monday to ask him... but just wondering?? THANKS!!

Hi! I was instructed by my NUT that alcohol has to be away for atleast a year after surgery. They say it really can be a big issue for your sleeve and is empty calories. What about a virgin margarita?

Sounds just like me. I expell almost everything I eat...and sometimes even just fluids. I drink something...lean over the toilet and out it comes. I have very few things I know I can tolerate. I have the bad problem of being able to tolerate alcohol when nothing else works and have therefore found myself drinking too often. I look sick as hell...too skinny..hair falling out..SICK TO DEATH OF BEING SICK ALL THE TIME!!! I can soooo relate.

My doctor said no alcohol ever - he said with the sleeve sx, alcohol is very corrosive to the new surgical line and could lead to ulcers if not leaks.

Two years postop and sinking farther and farther into the darkness of depression, I finally sought the help of a therapist. A lot of shit happened in those two years and without food and alcohol to comfort me, I finally hit the wall. Everyone has given very good non-food suggestions on how to deal with stress. Find what works for you, but if you are find yourself struggling, don't hesitate to seek professional help. I know it literally saved my life. Good luck with everything.

Jackut. I don't do well with high protein either. I get bloated and gassey and so constipated I can't move. It's miserable. I recently got uncharacteristically tight after a long 4 day weekend away with girlfriends at a retreat. I ate very well, lots of veggies, etc. but wasn't drinking my water as I should. When I got home I PB'd 9 times in one week. Prior to that it was only twice in 10 months!!! I lost 4 pounds that week, but couldn't eat a thing. Three bites and I was in the bathroom. Dehydration hadn't occured to me. that was three weeks ago, and I'm still tight off and on, but I have to say, I have also been enjoying a glass of wine in the evening more often than usual, and I know alcohol can dehydrate you. I'm going to test this theory as well. Seems plausible to me. Let me know how you do with your experiment.

I get the whole dumping syndrome too. So I just don't have sugar at all. Or just a very low tiny amount. But I just get an upset stomach and sweats and stuff like that. I was sleeved 10/21/16. I hope this helps you somewhat. But don't just look for sugar. look for other sugar too. Sugar alcohols, sacrulose (spelling could be wrong), high fructose corn syrup, and so on Sent from my SM-G935P using the BariatricPal App

My boyfriend of 4 years is thin and athletic and has been all of his life. He was so supportive when I was trying to lose weight through diet and exercise last year, but I fell of the wagon and gained it all back. He is always trying to coax me into something active whether it is a walk or a bike ride, camping or canoeing, etc. At 315 pounds I feel like I'm disappointing him when I can't do these things. He never says that but I can't help but think it. I've finally decided that surgery is my last option. A coworker mentioned our insurance pays it. So, I've been researching for a couple of weeks. (Also tried to get surgery 12 years ago and my insurance at the time denied it.) But I was super worried that my althetic significant other would be disappointed in me and not be supportive. I finally brought it up last night. He was super supportive! He did mention that any surgery is risky, but he wants me to be happy and healthy. I told him I want nothing more than to go do these fun things with him and for them to actually be fun for me too! We talked about what that would mean about having food and alcohol in the house and he's willing to help as much as he can. I feel such a relief. It's going to be at least 6 months before surgery because I need to change to a lower deductible health insurance plan. But I'm starting the process now so I can hopefully get it done in January. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App

I found this about hitting Plateaus, thought there were some some good points/advice so I thought I would share. By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS When you're trying to lose weight, the question isn't whether or not you'll hit a plateau, it's when. Plateaus are like bad weather on a long hike: it's inevitable that you'll run into it, but knowing that in advance won't make it one bit less frustrating or annoying when it happens. Cheer up! Since plateaus are as common as rain, we have a pretty good idea what to do about them. At least one of the following techniques should help you break through a plateau and start losing again. 1. Be a Calorie Detective When clients tell me they've stopped losing weight, the first thing I ask is this: how many calories a day are you eating? Calories have a way of creeping up while we're not paying attention. Be brutally honest with yourself: food diary for a while is a great way to monitor this. And yes, sodas and alcoholic beverages count! A good calorie goal for dieters is your target weight times 10. 2. Change It Up When you're not making gains in an exercise program you change your routine. Same holds true with your eating plan. Low-carbers could go higher carb for a few days, high-carbers might switch to a plan like shake things up. 3. Try a Temporary Ban Food sensitivities can cause weight gain and bloat, and the frustrating thing is that most of us don't always know which foods are the culprits. So play the odds. Highest on the list of "usual suspects" are grains (wheat in particular), dairy and sugar. Temporarily ban all three and see what happens. 4. Take Your Workout Up a Notch Forget the "fat burning zone." High intensity intervals -- 30 to 60 seconds -- are the wave of the future. If you're accustomed to level three on your cardio machine, ramp it up to level 6 for a minute then slow down, catch your breath and repeat. Ever see a sprinter with love handles? Protein Studies show that higher protein diets make it easier to lose fat. Protein boosts the metabolism (in one study as much as 100 percent for 24 hours), and increases satiety, making it more likely that you won't overeat. A higher protein diet could be just what you need to break that plateau. 7. Try a Detox Unsupervised fasting is a really bad idea, but the idea of giving your system a rest makes sense. Try a "smart fast" of nothing but fruits and vegetables for a couple of days. The added Fiber is always helpful, and the massive amount of nutrients and phytochemicals is like "spring cleaning" for your sleep or medication. Take a look at what else is going on in your life that might need attention. Sometimes when you clean up the problems in one area of your life, problems in other areas just naturally take care of themselves.

I have only been banded since mid January and do enjoy a small glass of wine with meals a few times a week. My weight continues to drop and overall I'm eating much less then I normally would have back before the surgery. The alcohol also does not impact me, they are liquids and go right through. At the end of the day it's about what goes in and how much you burn. In addition it's about satiety, so if you're eating less and can go the 4 (recommended) hours and loosing the 1-2lbs a week - you're golden (in my opinion) Also to note I read a book my surgeon had given me based on the Dr who was instrumental in the band procedure; his studies actually show that patients who enjoyed a small amount of wine throughout the week with dinner had favourable results.

This was really difficult for me as well, especially since I ended up having a bad reaction to the tape... i literally just sat there and picked at it and used whatever I had around (lotion, conditioner, rubbing alcohol, etc) to try to get it off. I was really careful and only used tiny amounts since my skin was already so sensitive, but I had to get it off! Honestly in the end all I did was pick it off and then gently washed my skin after. I actually liked when the lint/etc stuck to it because it made it easier to see and to pull off. Good luck!

Same thing happened to me and it lasted for weeks... just wouldn't come off. I tried everything from alcohol pads to acetone (nail polish remover) to goo gone! In the end, the only way for me to get it off was to keep scrubbing it in the shower and as soon as I got out (and was still warm) tried rolling it into a clump and picking it off slowly. Good luck! I know it really sucks:(

Hello all.... THis is my first post but I have been lurking and reading for weeks. My insurance doesn't have any requirements for weight checks or weight loss....but my doctor requires 5%. I have been STRUGGLING for the past month and half losing and gaining the same 6 pounds. I have to lose about 10 lbs total now before Dec 13th....any advice. This is the last step for me to get a date and I am really starting to want to give up. I am following around a 1400 calorie plan most days and not drinking any alcohol and at least 100ounces of water a day, sometimes more. I have a lot of excess weight to lose, so it's not that I only have a few pounds to lose..... SHort of dropping my calories to around 800 a day (which I know works), I am not sure how else I will lose this weight in two week.