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Ever hear of transfer addiction? Don't start drinking now just because you can't eat. I think a little alcohol here and there is fine, but it's strange that a non-drinker would suddenly start craving it, IMO. My psyche told me that I would "definitely" become an alcoholic, so I've been very stringent on how much and when I drink...and I never drank much pre-op either. Good luck!

Before my surgery I rarely drank more than a few sips of my husbands cold beer every blue moon. Starting last week I have been craving alcohol just out of the blue. Has any one else experienced this? Is it some kind of deficiency? I don't think alcohol has any nutritional value but I'm wanting it for some reason lol.

I had surgery on the 21st and was able to attend a class reunion on the 30th. I took bottled water with me...and wasn't ready to dance but I think that its because I was still getting used to being alcohol free. I was a party monster prior to surgery! Lol

I drink beer often. I have no problems with it but I count my calories. Having the surgery has not changed the way how fast alcohol affects me. I think it's different for everyone just make sure you account for your calories and take it slow when you have your first drink until you know how it will affect you. And also don't drink until you are fully healed (6-8 wks after surgery).

Being hungry isn't my problem either, truthfully there are very few times when I ever feel hungry. I just like food, and I like eating, I thought I was over food but I still need to work on that. Because my hair is falling at an alarming rate, and my hair is my one true vanity, nothing but Protein is passing through these lips. I love this sleeve, because it has stopped me from gaining weight during my weeks of madness, I have never been so happy about getting full so quickly. Thanks to the sleeve the damage to my weight loss was minimal. Now I just keep repeating to myself that food is not the boss of me. I remember telling my mom once that food is an addiction, and it is. In my opinion it is the hardest addiction, because you can't quit food. You can quit smoking, drugs, alcohol, but you can't quit food. But like you said, I am aware, and I know that with my faith and my will, I will succeed.

I was told no alcohol for at least three months. You are still healing from surgery; I'd pass on the wine.

I usually order what I would usually do but try to stay away from the carbs. I still drink alcohol, and when I'm out to dinner, I'll drink it up until the point where we're eating, then I'll stop. The other day we went out for Mexican, I had shrimp and crab enchiladas which sucked! Anyway, they were basically grilled shrimp and canned crab with some sauce on top of two cheese enchiladas. So I just had the seafood, left the enchiladas alone, had some grilled veggies and that was it. There was Beans and rice as well, but I gave that to the dbf. Today at lunch I ordered an arepa from the food cart outside of my office. An arepa is like a Mexican corn cake that they top with grilled veggies, meat (I chose shrimp) guac and pico de gallo. They serve it with a side of rice. All I ate was the arepa and that was it, threw the rice out. Once and a while I'll order just an appetizer, but a lot of them are either deep fried or dips which I kind of consider a "slider food" Hope I helped!

I have Connecticare and I wondered this too! My insurance lists the requirements are: Must meet all of the following: 1. The individual is age 18 or over. 2. The individual has a Body Mass Index of between 35 and 39.9 with one or more of the following life-threatening, obesity-related comorbidities: cardio-pulmonary problems (Obesity-related cardiomyopathy, Obstructive sleep Apnea (w/AHI >15), Pickwickian syndrome, Respiratory insufficiency, Hypoxia at rest ), Type II diabetes, CAD, Medically refractory hypertension. OR The member has a BMI of 40 or greater that has either persisted for at least 1 (one) year or is associated with one or more of the lifethreatening, obesity-related comorbidities listed above. 3. In the two years prior to the surgery, there must be documentation of participation in at least one physician-directed weight loss program for a minimum of six months. Such a program must consist of dietary therapy (utilizing a dietician/nutritionist), a low calorie diet, structured exercise program and behavioral modification. The documentation should contain the physician’s notes detailing the member’s progress through the course of the program. 4. There must be evidence of a psychiatric or psychological evaluation demonstrating no barriers to the understanding of, and compliance with, the surgical procedure and required postoperative medical and dietary care. Members with active alcoholism, drug abuse or an uncontrolled major psychiatric disorder are not medically appropriate for bariatric surgery. My Bmi is 37.9 and I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I am scheduled for an in-lab sleep study because I failed the at home test (apnea lInk), so I may have obstructive sleep apnea. As for the medically refractory hypertension, well, my bp is relatively controlled with my medication. My dr. doesn't think getting an approval will be an issue so it's also nice to hear that you were approved.

Cut the soda and alcohol for a week to eliminate that possibility. Smaller bites and lots and lots of chewing to avoid getting stuck. I'm on fill 5 and it's difficult to remember to slow down, take small bites and chew, chew, chew after years of scarfing down food. But when I follow the rules, I don't get stuck, don't burp(unless I eat too much) and don't throw up.

I was told no sodas because it can cause erosion of the band. I just had a fill yesterday, now I am at 6cc in a 10cc band. So far so good, but then again I am only aloud liquiquids, so it's kinda hard to tell if the fill is working yet I guess. But I would def, stop the sodas and I was told alcohol can irritate the band for some people to. I am a wine drinker myself, but haven't had the nerve yet to have a glass since my surgery. Good luck to ya.

Hello! If you band had slipped then more than likely you would be in some serious pain! I have had to play a lot with my fills (Take 1cc out, add 1cc etc.) as of lately and it's just something that comes with the band. In the morning, you should try drinking a warm/hot beverage like green tea. It helps to relax the smooth muscle (your esophagus) and open you up a bit. I usually have about 2 in the morning and I find that it helps me. As far as the alcohol and carbonated beverages go, I already have Acid Reflux problems and both aggravate it. My suggestion would be to cut down on both. If that doesn't help, you band may just be too tight and you might have to have 1cc or 1/2cc taken out to fix the problem... hope this helped!

I am 11 months out from surgery and the food that I eat feels like it is getting stuck. I have to burp a lot while I am eating and have to vomit at least once a day. In the morning when I wake up it is very hard to just drink water and my protein shake. I have a 14cc band and noticed these complications getting worse after I had a fill that brought me to about 7.5cc. I also have been drinking alcohol lately after not doing so for 8 months and I have also been drinking diet soda. Could my band have slipped or am I getting acid reflux because of the alcohol and carbonated beverages. Prior to getting my latest fill, I could eat anything and a lot of it and now I can't. I have lost a little over 100lbs. and I hope my band didn't slip.

Defining Myself after Weight Loss Surgery In order to define who you are after weight loss surgery, it’s important to answer a few questions. The most important question may be “Who do you want to be”? However, before you answer that question, let’s walk down the road of your past and define who you have been. You will discover qualities about yourself that you want to hold on to and develop as you move forward in life. You will also discover some things about yourself that it is time to permanently abandon. Life after bariatric surgery is most assuredly about redefining yourself. You have gone from seeing yourself, and being seen by others, as “the fat person” to being “that person who had bariatric surgery and has lost so much weight”. It’s easy to find yourself wondering who you are at this point, many pounds lighter than you were not so very long ago. You’re probably tired of all of the comments and questions related to how much weight you have lost and how you have done it. It’s time to start living the new life you have worked so hard for. However, you may be confused about who you are now that you have lost so much weight and the hype of the weight-loss process is over. You may find yourself staring into the mirror wondering, “WHO AM I”? Let’s find out, starting by identifying your “titles” or the “hats that you wear”. Imagine you have a wall in your house with a great big board affixed to it. On the board are a number of hooks. On each hook hangs a hat and under each hat is a small sign with a label, one for each of the roles you play. For example, you may have a multicolored, floppy hat to represent the many dimensions and of being a “mom”. There may be a fedora or a nursing cap or a chef hat with a label underneath that says “working professional”. Is there a whimsical hat with a sign that says “friend”? A hat to represent yourself as a daughter? a woman? a spouse or partner? a dancer? a pianist? a photographer? a volunteer? a mentor? a student? Make a list of your titles and alongside the list, state the benefits and drawbacks for you in each of these roles. Are there any roles that you want to eliminate? Are you at a place in your life where you no longer want to play some role on your list and that you can responsibly let go of? Maybe your parents forced you to play a musical instrument as a child and you continue to play in a community orchestra even though you don’t want to. Would now be a good time to say good-bye to being a “musician”? There are some roles you may have that you wish you didn’t, but you accept them because you are a responsible person. For example, you might wish you had a sun visor on the wall where your professional hat is because you want to be retired. However, you keep the hat of the working professional because you are a responsible person and have a family to feed. (Idea: Hang the visor underneath the professional hat as a reminder that the retirement hat is one you will be wearing one day!) Is there a role you would like to add to your life? Would you like to become a tap dancer and add a top hat to your wall? Are there some roles you love that you already have but would like to improve on? Would taking parenting class help you to be an improved version of “mother”? Now make a list of words that you use to describe yourself and that other people use to describe you. Make this list of words descriptive of your personality. For example, are you “bubbly”, “grumpy”, “responsible”, “gossipy”, “adventurous”, “whiney”, “moody”, “outgoing”, “a good listener”, “lazy”, “serious”, “silly”, “friendly”, “mean”, “motivated”, “introverted”, “lively”, etc.? Be sure to include the names you have been called related to your obesity, such as “fat”, “chunky”, and “husky”. Were you called “smart”, “stupid”, “idiot”, “baby doll”, “princess”, “daddy’s girl”, “spoiled”, or “alcoholic”? Next to each of these descriptive words, write down your feelings related to each of these labels. Which of these things do you want to continue to be? Which do hope to never hear again in reference to you? Okay. You’ve got a really great start toward answering the question, “Who Am I”? You have identified the roles you currently play in life. You have identified words and labels that describe you. You have chosen which ones you like for yourself and which ones you are ready to leave behind. To get rid of the ones you are ready to discard from your life, write the words or labels on separate pieces of paper. Next, light a fire in the fireplace or a large coffee can and drop each piece of paper into the fire, and say out loud, “I am no longer a ‘fatso’”. Then throw the word into the fire and refuse to ever refer to yourself as that again. Do this with each word and label you are getting rid of. The final steps to figuring out who you are at this time in your life are to verbalize and write down who you want to be! Simply state out loud and then write down, “I want to be and will be “a person who thinks positively about myself and others”. “I want to be and will be “a person who plans what I eat every day and sticks to my plan”. I want to be and will be “a person who exercises 60 minutes a day, five days a week”. I want to be and will be “a person who focuses on gratitude throughout the day”. That’s the easy part. The more difficult part is to determine specifically what you are going to DO in order to be each of the things in your list. For example, “I will be a person who thinks positively about myself and others by stopping all judgmental thoughts as soon as I am aware that I am having them and by immediately replacing all negative thoughts with positive ones”. “I will be a person who focuses on gratitude throughout the day by writing down one thing I am grateful for three times each day”. By specifically defining your goals and visualizing yourself doing them, you will do them and become the person you imagine yourself to be. Picture yourself eating healthy meals. See yourself walking the dogs. Imagine yourself giving genuine compliments to others. Picture yourself looking into the mirror and smiling kindly at yourself. Decide who you want to be by: identifying who you have been deciding what parts of your previous self you want to keep and what parts you want to discard determining specific things you want to do and specific ways you want to behave. Choose to become the person you were born to be before the “genuine you” got lost beneath unhealthy extra weight. “Who Am I”? Whoever you choose to be! Connie Stapleton, Ph.D. 4/12 WLS Magazine

Defining Myself after Weight Loss Surgery In order to define who you are after weight loss surgery, it’s important to answer a few questions. The most important question may be “Who do you want to be”? However, before you answer that question, let’s walk down the road of your past and define who you have been. You will discover qualities about yourself that you want to hold on to and develop as you move forward in life. You will also discover some things about yourself that it is time to permanently abandon. Life after bariatric surgery is most assuredly about redefining yourself. You have gone from seeing yourself, and being seen by others, as “the fat person” to being “that person who had bariatric surgery and has lost so much weight”. It’s easy to find yourself wondering who you are at this point, many pounds lighter than you were not so very long ago. You’re probably tired of all of the comments and questions related to how much weight you have lost and how you have done it. It’s time to start living the new life you have worked so hard for. However, you may be confused about who you are now that you have lost so much weight and the hype of the weight-loss process is over. You may find yourself staring into the mirror wondering, “WHO AM I”? Let’s find out, starting by identifying your “titles” or the “hats that you wear”. Imagine you have a wall in your house with a great big board affixed to it. On the board are a number of hooks. On each hook hangs a hat and under each hat is a small sign with a label, one for each of the roles you play. For example, you may have a multicolored, floppy hat to represent the many dimensions and of being a “mom”. There may be a fedora or a nursing cap or a chef hat with a label underneath that says “working professional”. Is there a whimsical hat with a sign that says “friend”? A hat to represent yourself as a daughter? a woman? a spouse or partner? a dancer? a pianist? a photographer? a volunteer? a mentor? a student? Make a list of your titles and alongside the list, state the benefits and drawbacks for you in each of these roles. Are there any roles that you want to eliminate? Are you at a place in your life where you no longer want to play some role on your list and that you can responsibly let go of? Maybe your parents forced you to play a musical instrument as a child and you continue to play in a community orchestra even though you don’t want to. Would now be a good time to say good-bye to being a “musician”? There are some roles you may have that you wish you didn’t, but you accept them because you are a responsible person. For example, you might wish you had a sun visor on the wall where your professional hat is because you want to be retired. However, you keep the hat of the working professional because you are a responsible person and have a family to feed. (Idea: Hang the visor underneath the professional hat as a reminder that the retirement hat is one you will be wearing one day!) Is there a role you would like to add to your life? Would you like to become a tap dancer and add a top hat to your wall? Are there some roles you love that you already have but would like to improve on? Would taking parenting class help you to be an improved version of “mother”? Now make a list of words that you use to describe yourself and that other people use to describe you. Make this list of words descriptive of your personality. For example, are you “bubbly”, “grumpy”, “responsible”, “gossipy”, “adventurous”, “whiney”, “moody”, “outgoing”, “a good listener”, “lazy”, “serious”, “silly”, “friendly”, “mean”, “motivated”, “introverted”, “lively”, etc.? Be sure to include the names you have been called related to your obesity, such as “fat”, “chunky”, and “husky”. Were you called “smart”, “stupid”, “idiot”, “baby doll”, “princess”, “daddy’s girl”, “spoiled”, or “alcoholic”? Next to each of these descriptive words, write down your feelings related to each of these labels. Which of these things do you want to continue to be? Which do hope to never hear again in reference to you? Okay. You’ve got a really great start toward answering the question, “Who Am I”? You have identified the roles you currently play in life. You have identified words and labels that describe you. You have chosen which ones you like for yourself and which ones you are ready to leave behind. To get rid of the ones you are ready to discard from your life, write the words or labels on separate pieces of paper. Next, light a fire in the fireplace or a large coffee can and drop each piece of paper into the fire, and say out loud, “I am no longer a ‘fatso’”. Then throw the word into the fire and refuse to ever refer to yourself as that again. Do this with each word and label you are getting rid of. The final steps to figuring out who you are at this time in your life are to verbalize and write down who you want to be! Simply state out loud and then write down, “I want to be and will be “a person who thinks positively about myself and others”. “I want to be and will be “a person who plans what I eat every day and sticks to my plan”. I want to be and will be “a person who exercises 60 minutes a day, five days a week”. I want to be and will be “a person who focuses on gratitude throughout the day”. That’s the easy part. The more difficult part is to determine specifically what you are going to DO in order to be each of the things in your list. For example, “I will be a person who thinks positively about myself and others by stopping all judgmental thoughts as soon as I am aware that I am having them and by immediately replacing all negative thoughts with positive ones”. “I will be a person who focuses on gratitude throughout the day by writing down one thing I am grateful for three times each day”. By specifically defining your goals and visualizing yourself doing them, you will do them and become the person you imagine yourself to be. Picture yourself eating healthy meals. See yourself walking the dogs. Imagine yourself giving genuine compliments to others. Picture yourself looking into the mirror and smiling kindly at yourself. Decide who you want to be by: identifying who you have been deciding what parts of your previous self you want to keep and what parts you want to discard determining specific things you want to do and specific ways you want to behave. Choose to become the person you were born to be before the “genuine you” got lost beneath unhealthy extra weight. “Who Am I”? Whoever you choose to be! Connie Stapleton, Ph.D. 4/12 WLS Magazine

There is a lot of sugar free candy that u can get from CVS or rite aid.most of it is really delicious but reduced calories because of the sugar substitute BUT you still have to have valance ciz over eating sugar substitutes (sugar alcohol aspartame) can give u the runs .Also ATkins have great sugar free treats that have protein

Okay my fellow pre and post Sleevers! I have a date. May 17, 2012 I get reborned into this world. Right now my head is spinning and unfortunately I have so much stress in my life right now I can't actually sit down and wrap my arms totally around what is about to happen. I do know that I have been pushing along. Getting my tests performed and visiting doctors. I had my transnasal endoscopy yesterday. Whew! I didn't have any anesthesia and it wasn't like anything I have ever experienced before in my life. The tube they inserted through my nose and down my throat was no fun. I'm trying to remove the memory from my mind. LOL I survived it so it's behind me now. I still need to get my antibiotic to take at least 10 days before the surgery becasue of bacteria in my stomach. It isn't covered by my insurace so the drug is $56.00 dollars. I can't get it until next week. (Sigh!) I want to start getting my supplies for the first couple of weeks but of course financially I can't do that yet. So it's like I'm happy and sad at the same time. *I keep praying and telling myself, "And This Too Shall Pass"! I don't have to do a Pre-Op diet so I guess I'm lucky. However I have been changing my habits to prepare for my journey. I have to do clear liquids the day before and then NPO after midnight. I did lose 5lbs. At my consultation I was 448.3. Yesterday I was 445.3. This is just from me changing how I eat and drink. I do not eat and drink at the same time. I chew my food until it is mush in my mouth I eat my protein first and then veggies I stop eating when I fill satisfied. (Not full just satisfied.) No grazing. Sip, Sip, Sip wait. I take little sips instead of big gulps. I'm trying hard not to use straws. I haven't had any alcoholic beverages. (I might this weekend.) I will keep you folks posted. Hugs

Nicole, we're all here for you. I had some issues for a few years with hubby/stepdaughter who came with lots of emotional baggage and me being the last person she wanted to see when she woke up in the morning. I ate and even started drinking to numb the pain.{where I put on all this weight baggage}.Finally after a few years and intervention, things are much better. Never thought I would come out alive and not become an alcoholic too as well as being a foodaholic.Didn't meant to share this here, but you're not alone when it comes to family dynamic. We all have it one time or another. Unfortunately, you have now. My favorite saying is, "it could always be worse", although there have been times when I looked up to the skies and whispered, "it could always be better, damn it". At least you have one less thing to be unhappy about, you are losing weight and feeling good about yourself. Hang in there and again, know we're all here for you. You're awesome!!!

You can do this!!! It's funny I told my family the same thing about having things in the house that I couldn't have and to think of me like an addict. I have teens so they can bring anything home...especially around easter. I finally broke down and said...look please don't put that stuff in front of me. I am just in the beginning stages. They thought I was joking but I told them that you wouldn't put a bunch of beer in the fridge and a keg stand in the kitchen for a recovering alcoholic...then please don't put my vices in the house right now. I think they saw the light and are more supportive in that area now. I think as you progress your body will get more and more used to the diet. What Protein shakes are you drinking. I kind of like the EAS shakes from Wal-Mart. They have 17G of protein and only 100 calories...they seemed to keep me full for a while....which helped.

First off, Celebrate your joys and stop focusing on the negative. Holy guacamole you lost 120 lbs. JEESHHHHHH that is awesome! But why the self destruction? I can relate.... I'm a child of an alcoholic ... but then again if I had had to live with my father.... All I can say is counseling counseling counseling.... WLS is a tool but some of us have an addictive personality that takes over and rears it's ugly head in so many other ways. That's a fear for me, that I will cross over into something else. Just remember to take everything as one day at a time. Tomorrow is never promised for any of us. But on a bright note, every day is a new day... and every day you have to meet that challenge and overcome it. So you didn't for a while. Let it go, the past is gone... now pls forgive yourself. Get that critic out of your head... the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself and get tough on the addiction and destruction that you are doing to yourself and your success. You need to KNOW that you are worthy of being successful. Get a good counselor and get on some good antidepressants and antianxiety pills (not benzodiazipines) if possible. Benzo's are addictive, so watch it (i.e. xanax, valium, etc.). I got my masters in social work with an emphasis in mental health and substance abuse, so that's how I know (no, I don't know drugs from my own experience). I've always been 'worried' that my addictive personality would take over in destructive ways. And I told ya, child of alcoholism, so yeah I tried 'curing' myself whenever I was too embarrassed to tell others of my issues. But know this, you have nothing to be embarrassed of. What life has brought to you, God has seen you through. Don't listen to the internal critic, wherever you learned that voice from, just stop that lil pain in the arse/voice in your head pls. Stop the thought in your head about I screwed up for x months. Instead, think of it as ... ok so I fell off but guess what? Today's the day that I'm back on and I'm gonna keep trucking and lose those pounds! But definitely get on good meds & get into constructive counseling... it DOES help. I am pulling for you... and praying for you as well. Sincerely, xoxo

I say dump the alcohol and food and go back to the Sex....It burns alot of calories and is an enjoyable gratifing exercise. Then go back to eating small portions and make sure you get your Protein first...then your fruits and veggies. But stay away from the booze as was said earlier straight sugar and that causes weight gain like non other. Make sure you get your liquids in and start making your yougurt smoothies again, the boyfriend will love them and they are good for you both! Good Luck in your continued weight loss, I know you can do it!

I am glad you are reaching out and I am glad you posted this. Please get the help you need to deal with the Alcohol issues. YOU CAN get back to the 180's. Start now, don't let anymore pounds creep back on. Good luck, and keep us posted.

Your boyfriend may be enabling you and he doesn't even know it! Be honest with him, and I'm sure he will do what he can to steer you away from destruction. Alcohol metabolizes as PURE SUGAR!! It will kill you in more ways than one. Dump it!!! No touchy! Oh please, oh please get this in control now! Do not waste your glorious weight loss! Check out some free counseling options that have been mentioned above. RUN, don't walk!! We're pulling for you!! You can do it sister!!!

Just so I'm hearing this right, you are replacing one addiction with another addiction. So now is the best time to get your S*** together and stop with these unproductive behaviors. I wish you could see a therapist for help, that is highly advised. You said your BF doesn't know you had the surgery? How could he not know. How did you explain the incision scars to him? This is a great time to sit down with him and tell him what's going on and ask for his help in getting back on track. Eat protein, protein, protein, no alcohol, no carbs, lean low fat foods with some veggies. You can do this1 Make healthy eating your new addiction and focus on small portion size. Please keep us informed.

MustangAli...I am pre-op so I cant speak to the challenge of "wasting your chance" but I can speak to the very thing you are speaking of when it comes to alcohol. My very good friends brother had his WLS and never picked up on good eating habits. After dropping more than half of his weight he was going days without protien and consuming lots of alcohol. One day he just wasnt feeling well and went to the hospital...just in time to FALL INTO a COMA. For 6 weeks his family held vigil by his side. He was killing himself by drinking and eating poorly and not getting his Protein in. He had sepsis (sp) and infections were running his body. His liver had suffered in 6 mths what a normal weight long term alcoholic's liver would look like. He is alive today...still with poor habits and looks like the walking dead. He has gone to rehab now and his protein levels are still off. It will be a long journey. He was killing himself being overweight and still continued to kill himself after the weightloss... You need to ask yourself some serious questions. Talk to your partner...get him on board with good eating habits and ask him to step in with your alcohol (maybe you dont want to tell him about the surgery fine...but tell him that you need to lose weight and need his support). ASK YOUR SISTER to HELP YOU...She obviously cares about you!! If you need a real shocker private message me and I will send you a photo of what he looked like in the coma with all the tubes etc so you can see what can happen to you if you dont make the decision to get yourself together. MAYBE JOIN A PHYSICAL SUPPORT GROUP...not just online.

Check with the universities in your area... the one near me offers free counseling with psych majors, as part of their educational requirement. You do need to beat the alcohol habit, and ensure that what you take into your body is worthy of feeding the goddess in your temple. You deserve to be treated well... especially by you!