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Carole, can ask you a stupid question, what sugar alcohol and sugar grams? Do I count them both or just sugar grams? I've become obsessed with reading labels now. thx Donna

I don't drink often... (not since Japan) but Ty does. Last night we both got pretty drunk, and this morning I had proof of the night in the feeling of my body. IT HURT. But now I'm wonder how one drinks with Lap Band. I know that I can give up alcohol... I think, but I know Ty will have a harder time. We like to go out with our friends, but how does it work with the band? Just some thoughts that I'm having. I'm pretty tired today, after work a 10 hour shift of overtime, and now I am sitting on my couch watching Pride and Prejudice and getting ready for bed. We have an early morning, our company golf tournement, Ty is a very good golfer, I wish he would go golfing more often. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Any answers on the alcohol question would be awesome.

I just sat him down and told him I was ready to do this. Im not sure he believed me at first. Til I quit smoking for 6 months, and then no alcohol..but he was finally convinced I was going through with it when I gave up my caffienated coffee! I just told him, I have yo yo dieted all my life, down big lbs only to gain it all back..you know the routine. I said I have it in me to do it again, but I refuse to let myself gain it back and this is the tool I need to be succesful. Good luck

true - my doc said no alcohol for 6 or 8 weeks after surgery (i forget) and i complied. But after that... vodka and crystal light was the thing for me!

I was banded yesterday with Dr Elli. I got the stomach shot for the blood thinner and didn't even feel it. The iv went in easy, I had great nurses!!! I woke up felt sore and nauseous but they gave me medicine to fix both. I was up in a chair pretty fast and turn walking around. The ice packs really help my soreness!! So keep those around. I have 2 1/2 incisions. Last night when.I was home I had sips of water and broth and a popsicle. Today I've had water and might try broth later, just not hungry. My families have been helping with my dogs. I have had no shoulder pain from the gas and walking around seems to keep any gas to a minimum. Also the alcohol prep pads are AMAZING for nausea. Over all it just feels like I did 1000 crunches lol good luck everyone!!!

when calculating sugars do I count sugar grams and sugar alcohol grams too? thx, Donna

Susie, you will never to full on 1/4 of food!!! EVER. You need to get 3 oz of protein per meal. That alone is more than 1/4 cup. Grilled chicken and veggies is fine. Alcohol however is a no.

my doc says no alcohol for 2 months at least after surgery (ugh)....

I've only told about 6 people....trusted people. Sometimes I wish I hadn't even told them. When people ask if I joined WW....or how am I doing "it"....I just say that I've cut out anything white, no bread, sugar or alcohol.

Yes! I don't feel there's a problem with it if you're aware that they have "empty calories" and you plan for it. Also, I drink more water with alcohol as it can dehydrate you (and makes my band tighter too).

It says on the package 4g fiber, 2g sugar, and 8g sugar alcohol which doesn't count as a sugar. 14 total grams carbs. It is the sugar free, not fat-free I know the fat free has sugar. But I can see the home made with skim milk working better but the other I think will work when youre in a pinch for time, not to mention we were out of milk and I can't do protein mixed with water.

I didn't tell anyone I got the band. I didn't need any "expert" advice. Yesterday on the Today show they had a segment on a fellow named David Smith. He was on a program a few years ago. It was titled the "650 lb. Virgin." He lost all of his weight, had plastic surgery, and looked teriffic. Now he has gained 250 lbs. back. It was heartbreaking to watch him crying about his weight gain. All I could think of was, it was too bad he didn't have weight loss surgery to maintain his loss. Research has shown that the brain of an alcoholic, drug user and obese person are the same. They have fewer dopamine receptors(Nature Neuroscience 2005). The failure rate is 95%. Do the math and come to your own conclusion.

To be honest it has made my life EASIER than when I was overweight! I made sure all of my friends knew that I did have it done, so that way they would understand why I choose not to eat junk food. When we are out I try and make the healthiest choices of food. When we have family/friend parties I will have a margarita or even wine and it doesn't bother me. Again drinking alcohol is not frequent for me. I'm so lucky to have been able to have the surgery when I was 18. These are the years I want to be healthy and live my life. Simple things like shopping, or going to an amusement park, or even the movies seems so much easier because I can actually fit in the seats, and fit into clothes!

Cleo you asked about emotions after surgery....... I think the dr.'s make sure that you won't have other addictions. There are many articles about transfer addictions or crossover addictions. Gambling, sex, shopping, alcohol and even drugs, you name it. But for most overweight ppl, we've used food as a comfort, as a solace... it's maladaptive. I personally believe it's also as you've heard ppl say "alcoholism is a disease" - the only difference b/w us and them is that our 'drug of choice' is food. The maladaptive coping mechanisms we've used for years have to be changed. It took years to establish them, it's going to take time to address them. Further complicating matters is that immediately after surgery you have NO appetite. It slowly comes back, and some ppl have lost a lot of weight in a very short time period. Hormonally, your body hasn't figured out all of the weight it's lost. And you know how emotional women are specifically (ladies don't take my women's club card for saying it)... but imagine an overwhelming amount of estrogen flowing through your body AND now you no longer have the way that you coped. It is a hard time to go through. But I can say, been there, done that and this too shall pass. WLS of any kind is NOT a "magic wand." It's a lot of work after the sacrifice of putting your body through this ordeal, then it's work on your head and behaviors for life in order to be successful. In all honesty, the way you worded your questions Cleo, I'm wondering if you're researching a paper or an article....but good questions nonetheless. Success wished to you all!

Personal observation: I think that most people who are obese (that's all of us pre-op, btw) have used food to cover up some problem rather than deal with the problem. It's just like they tell drunks that the problems will still be there once the drunk gets sober. Our problems are still there whether we're fat or skinny. Some people think that getting thin(ner) will solve their issues, but it doesn't. It just makes it so that we have to deal with those issues without the crutch of food to self-medicate. That's why crossover addictions (to drugs and/or alcohol) are so common. IMO, one or two psyche visits probably aren't enough for most of us.

Hey there! So I am about 2 months and a half months out since I had surgery and have been doing REALLY great so far as in watching my calorie intake and exercising/getting in enough protein etc... I have lost almost 50 lbs HOWEVER I am struggling because it is summertime and that means concert and rooftop bar time!! I don't drink often, but I feel like the past few weeks at least one night a weekend I have been :/ I usually just drink sugar free kool aid mix with shots of vodka, but even then the vodka calories really add up!! Does anyone else drink occasionally? If so, what do you drink and how do you make up for it? I have had to basically like double my workout and decrease calories hardcore for at least 2 days after just to make up for one night of having a few drinks... GAH

I heard the alcohol pad trick works good luck

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

Since you'll have justed started eating a normal diet, my #1 advice is don't take chances. Don't order foods that you haven't yet eaten as a post-op. When in doubt, order Soup. If you'll be traveling by air, airline food is only an issue on long flights, on which you may be able to order a special diet meal (vegetarian, etc.). Bring non-perishable Snacks with you (Protein bars; granola bars; jerky; single-serving applesauce, fruit, or dry cereal; packets of protein powder). Most full-service restaurants serve things like oatmeal, yogurt, soup, smoothies, juice and milk, and hotel shops often have a refrigerated case stocked witgh juiced, iced tea, milk (ignore the soda), though their packaged snacks (chips, crackers, cookies) are best ignored. Restaurant eating tips: order an appetizer or a half-size entree; avoid buffets; order a child's meal (if there's a healthy-looking choice on the menu); order an extra vegetable instead of potatoes, rice, Pasta or other starch; order salad dressing, sauce, or condiments on the side so you can control the portion size; put a napkin or bread plate over your beverage glass so the server won't fill it; avoid alcohol; always locate the restroom before you start to eat, just in case you have to leave the table in a hurry. Who was it that asked if you have any special food needs? Is it someone you've met before, or are likely to meet in the future? Does this person reasonably have control over all the foods you'll be offered during the trip? Will you be seeing anyone you've previously met, or will it be strangers who know nothing about you? You don't owe anybody, stranger or not, any explanation about anything unrelated to the business at hand. In social situations, there are dozens of things you can talk about that have nothing to do with your eating. You can not tell anyone you'll be traveling with or visiting that you've had bariatric surgery and just wing it, or you can tell them you're recovering from (unspecified) surgery and give them some guidelines (see above). I have an acquaintance who told her coworkers she was recovering from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia (which was part of the truth), and another (whose coworkers were mostly men) who explained she'd had surgery for "female trouble" (almost guaranteed to turn them off). You could also say you're recovering from oral surgery. The problem with telling those little white lies is that there's always a chance you'll run into someone who also had that kind of surgery and would love to talk about it in detail. My own approach is to not explain anything and not do anything to call attention to the way I eat. If coworkers get nosy about it, I change the subject or give myself an exit line (like, "Oh, there's Bob. I've got to ask him something before I forget, so excuse me.")

What "clk" said!!!! 2,000 or 1800 is way too high for a sleever to loose. We who have yo-yoed or have become obese do not have the same calorie deficit formula. The sleeve cannot stretch all that much so you must be eating a lot of slider foods. It doesn't take much: a little Peanut Butter there, some mayo here, a few crackers there. I suggest using My Fitness Pal and documenting everything you put into your mouth. Eat dense, lean Protein first and then some good veggies if there is room. Cut the carbs way back. I don't eat over 40 grams a day. Go to The World According to Eggface for some great recipes. Substitute Greek yogurt for mayo and sour cream. You can add anything to flavor unflavored Greek yogurt (blue cheese, caramelized onions, spices, horseradish, a little avocado, SF Torani syrups, etc.) There are all kinds of tricks. Most important: Cut out the simple sugar. If you cannot limit yourself to tiny amounts of dark chocolate (and I mean tiny), do not touch it. If you cannot limit the crackers, get rid of them and substitute cucumber slices. We are like alcoholics in some ways and sometimes total abstinence is the only way to cope. You have the tool. All you need to do is pick it up and use it. I like the idea of going back to like you've just had surgery and doing the Protein shake thing. Again, go to Eggface. I learned how to make protein shake from her and they are so good that I actually look forward to them When I occasionally have one. You both do look pretty darn good! I see a thinner person in there too and there is no reason why you cannot reach your goal.

I agree it is a personal decision. A coworker had her surgery last August and just told everyone she was on a protein diet under her doctors care. There was a lot of rumors. When she found out I was going through the program she talked with me. She said she hadn't wanted to hear the negative comments and also what if it didn't work for her? Well it certainly did and she's now lost over 100#. She is a great source of information for me. She is now telling people that ask how she lost the weight. I am a very open person but I did only tell family and close friends I was in the program. My boss new and was very supportive. I work in the healthcare field so you'd think it would be more acceptable but I find the green eyed monster can rear its ugly head in some coworkers. I opted to let my office staff know when my surgery date was scheduled and was surprised how many people supported my decision and said if anyone deserved it I did as they had seen me struggle and they have seen me continue to exercise and eat healthy. Of course there was the green eyed monster staff member that was oh poor me I wish it was me ..don't get crazy about it blah blah blah. I told her she could have it done also buy no alcohol for awhile which shut her right up lol. I have decided that I am only going to welcome positive people into my circle and if they are negative about the surgery I am going to let them know I will not tolerate that and to please not discuss it with me. I was also surprised how many people asked for information and one person has already signed up for the program! The more the better !

I am here to tell you that it can be done. I started the process for the sleeve in October 2011. I quit smoking December 26th. (over 5 months now) stopped drinking any alcohol or caffienated drinks six weeks ago and I was finally sleeved on 5/29. I found quitnet.com to be a very helpful site on my quitting smoking journey. I have learned a lot about myself in the process. I am looking forward to the next year to see my transformation. You can do this! When I first quit smoking i was not happy about it. I thought I would just go right back to it once I had my sleeve done. Not anymore. I have ZERO desire to smoke now. I want to be healthy 100 percent. Good luck in your journey! Lori

I have ordered 3 sodas since being banded and with all 3 orders I have drank a total of about a 1/2 cup.I am a karaoke junkie and don't drink alcohol so if I go to a karaoke bar that does not have iced tea or lemonade I order a diet coke but usually just sip at it.I don't drink it otherwise but like I said in my previous post I try to keep drink sugar free drink packets.

Well this is my first blog on this site. I have this itch to write some thoughts out but I find my other online blogs pretty lonely. I have a livejournal that I frequent occasionally but it seems none of my friends on there are active anymore. And I have a tumblr but my friends that I've added don't add me back so I'm feeling a little lonely on the blog part. It's not so much that I want comments, I really appreciate them, but more than anything I just want to feel like at least I have the potential to reach somebody.. anybody. There is something that is very hard for me to deal with and I don't really know where I can talk about it with open arms. I just feel that if I put it out there that someone, somewhere is going to use it against me like what had happened on another website in the past (obesityhelp). I have a disorder called borderline personality disorder. Basically it is very hard to explain and pretty complex. BPD is not a chemically induced problem but rather learned behavior from a traumatic childhood of some sort. They say it is usually linked to familial problems but I had more problems from my school mates and people in the neighborhood constantly beating on me and making fun of me, that is what the doctors think was the trigger at least. I've ALWAYS been fat my whole life since I was like 8 but before that my sister was probably the culprit. There are things that I have only had a teeny tiny light shed on that she did to me but I do not even remember that specifically. I just remember the other parts. I have this in addition to OCD, so instead of having a life full of drug or sex addictions, I have addictions to other things that are repetitive in nature. I do a lot of video games because I take to them and I can get "lost" in them as I become addicted to them without much health risk. I get "addicted" to crafting things with my hands, like arts and crafts. I do a lot of jewelry crafting and other crafts that allow me to "obsess" over learning to make. I've sort of contorted that way as a means of managing my problem on my own with BPD and not being a statistic. Apparently BPD is curable and is usually cured as the person ages, but it doesn't always happen. I also have read that a lot of people with BPD never make it to older ages because they are prone to suicide before then. I feel I manage decent on my own but I am not perfect. I can keep myself from unhealthy habits such as drugs or alcohol or shopping, but I can't seem to control my thoughts. And I wonder how this will effect me in the long run of the WLS process. I don't think that it will be an issue with food because I have come to face that addiction and I don't get addicted to food like I do other things like my crafting. It's not the same. Food is a whole other subject for me. It's something that my family values a lot and Chef's run in my family down my fathers side. There is always gourmet food and lots of it around. Lots of fried foods and delicious elaborately cooked cunconctions that are just so delicious but not really healthy. I've never learned how to eat right or the right portions so basically trying to diet is so foreign to me. I don't understand how things go together with food (unfortunately that is never a craft I took to) although I can cook but I pretty much have to stick to a recipe because my brain just does not put things together with food very well. It's just hard for me. From the ages of 13 to around 19 I was what you may know as a cutter. I use to cut myself. I have not done it since around 18 but I say 19 because I had a little slip up that year. I have overcome that obstacle, as well. I had lots of therapy and psychological evaluations and drug trials but in the end it was something I quit doing on my own. But I will always utilize things I learned from my counselors. I had one counselor that had learned of my fascination with a book from school called Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes. We had learned as a school project how to make origami paper cranes and I took to making them very well that I got an award in class. That was in 5th grade. I had this counselor when I was about 15. So in the book when Sadako was in the hospital with leukemia, her friend had taught her the origami cranes to keep her occupied and they hung them from the ceiling until she passed. And I just loved that book, it reached out to me for some reason. So my counselor asked me to teach her how to make the cranes, and we would each make a crane of a different color paper and size each session we had. When I stopped seeing this counselor she flattened each crane and placed them in a box that we decorated together. I still have that box. I am by no means a hoarder, but I take to things that hold sentimental value. When my Mamaw passed away, my great aunt sent home her purse full of some personal belongings that were originally in that purse but some not. I asked my mom when she brought it home to me because I couldn't go to the funeral, what my sister had gotten. My mother told me nothing, she didn't have many personal belongings left because she went through a phase where she was giving away her belongings to people at church (she had dementia). I asked my mom, why did I get all of this then and nothing for her? She said, Thelma (my aunt) thought I ought to have it because she knew I take more value in things like that, the sentiment. It's so true that I do. Not everything do I keep but just little trinkets here or there from times in my life or people or memories of either. I don't know. Since I'm not going through with the WLS with insurance I am curious if they will still ask me for a psychological evaluation. Should I get one even if they don't because of this problem? Does anyone else have any sort of personality disorder or borderline? I'm so afraid of making a post in a forum because I don't want to be judged. I am not crazy nor incapable of doing things for myself. I am very smart and very much capable of working and things. I take no medications although I'm sure someone would try to put me on some but after having so many problems arise from medications I decided to self-help and I feel it has been good for me. I did in my teens along with cutting have issues with sex and drugs but I have overcome that on my own and I feel that I have a pretty good idea of how to keep myself from going to any bad place like that as I've not slipped up since those times. Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest. Having BPD really makes things a lot harder on the brain aspects of things. I can usually catch myself when I am thinking too irrationally and all but sometimes I do get confused about being in denial, too under exaggerated or if I am being too much. Is there anyone out there who understands this, at all, whatsoever? Am I alone? Reference link: http://www.mayoclini...isorder/DS00442