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Thanks for the advice! I can def ask the nut... if its a no no then I can go with cottage cheese as a more palatable Protein drink base. The sugar alcohols are not absorbed in the stomach; they are absorbed in the small intestine which makes them safe for diabetics. For a protein shake I mix 3 tablespoons of either yogurt or cottage cheese; ice; scoop of protein (20g); frozen fruit For this question I was thinking of replacing the reg nonfat unflavored yogurt and ice with frozen yogurt since it isn't as bitter and has a creamier texture. Without the protein I agree that there isn't a good enough nutrient and protein content to eat by itself.

§ Start getting in better shape. I walked, lifted, and did as much as I could 5 times a week getting ready for surgery. § Started practicing eating slower for lunch. § Watched many videos, talked to people who had been through it. § Oh, but best work was preparing for the mental changes with my therapist and worked through this book: http://www.amazon.co...=bariatric book § I drank a great deal of alcohol so I weaned myself off and slowly cut the caffeine. § Followed the pre-op diet to the letter § Shopped two weeks before surgery for the foods I would need for the first two weeks. § Revised my will and power of attorney just in case something went wrong § Tried pureed meal ideas and Protein drinks before surgery so I had some meal plans. Things I took that I liked: Laptop, earbuds, slip on shoes, pants with elastic, iPod with audio books, shorts. Oh, gas-x dissolving strips - take those. Wish I had brought my favorite Isopure drinks, but found a GNC near the hospital. Keep the bag light.

Yes my wine consumption led to me eating after dinner as well, and those calories ADD UP big-time! Since stopping drinking wine (the only type of alcohol I consumed on a regular basis) I've noticed no desire or temptation to snack in the evenings. ADDED BONUS: I've also lost an annoying and persistent eye twitch that started back in October 2014. 9 months its been driving me crazy. One week after stopping wine? GONE. Coincidence? I do't think so!

At 3 weeks I was on soft foods. I drank 1 Protein shake a day and the rest was Water. So I was getting in about 60 g of protein a day and maybe around 50 ounces of water at that point. Your Protein Shake is not as high as it could be to help you and it has sugar alcohols in it as well as sugar. Premier Protein has a ready to drink that has 30g of protein and that is half your day's goal. If you just can't drink those for whatever reason, then try some others. Isopure makes a ready to drink carb zero that has 40 g protein in it. It is a large bottle but you can sip on it throughout the day and add water to complete your ounces. In time you will be able to consume more and your protein won't come from shakes/drinks and more from food. Your tummy is still healing and swollen, hang in there!

hi everyone, today is my 3 year bandiversary. i was thinking about 3 years ago and what my life was like. to begin i was scared stiff about the surgery itself. i wasnt afraid until i was sitting on the gurney waiting for the actual surgery. i almost stopped it....thank God i didnt. my fill is working. i've lost 9 of the lbs i gained. i'm not digging the up and down restriction but i am digging my clothes starting to fit better. i am working real hard to stay off sugar. last week i started eating a little again and guess what? i let the monster out and i couldnt get enough. luckily (you wont believe what i will say) i got a small stomach virus and couldnt eat anything. so i got off sugar (for the 1 zillionth time). i am going to my nephew's birthday tonight and i am praying all day not to eat any ice cream cake. i spoke with my therapist last week and he suggested to think through what happens when i start the sugar. (headaches, depression, cant get enough and ultimately weigh gain). i am in AA and that is a tool we use for alcohol so i am applying some of these tools to food. it is truly an addiction. jeni: so glad you are on track again. we all seem to be in similar places. a food journal really helps to see reality. i was shocked how much i was eating when i professed "i hardly ate anything" one day. happy bday and good luck on your goal for vacation. i like having a focus like your family vacation. it seems to motivate. demsvmejm: glad your band didnt slip and doctor helped to get everything sorted out. we are lucky to have these second chances and i do believe we are in the process of learning how to live. good luck and keep on keepin' on hi momlambert, carol, tammy, thickchick, whitepants have a super day and lets keep holding hands to help each other josie

Yes, yes, YES. It is a daily battle. I am a year out and I still struggle with this. food is an addiction unlike any other - unlike drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, you cannot separate yourself from food - you HAVE to have it to live. So we start the cycle. I think a LITTLE guilt is healthy - to an extent. But riddling yourself with guilt is not productive. For example, I am currently munching on White Castle sliders. I have eaten 1 1/2 and I am feeling insanely guilty telling myself I should have stopped at one. The guilt is not going to change the fact that I ate that other 1/2. It might stop me next time, if I listen and learn from it. But it doesn't change what has already been. A little fear is also healthy - I should be more afraid of what I eat than I actually am! It keeps you accountable and from eating what you shouldn't and eating too much of it.

As an alcoholic friend of mine says, "that's why there is more than one brand of beer in the world!" I am relating my experience in criticizing a nutritionist who could suggest everything in moderation to a compulsive eater. Hey, if the advice to eat everything in moderation works for you, that's great. I've been trying that for 40 years, and haven't been able to master it yet. While my sleeve restricts the amount I can eat, I am starting to see how people eat around their sleeves. And this is just too important to me to screw it up. For me here is an example: I recently added sugar-free chocolate Fiber bars to my daily Snacks to try to up my fiber intake. And I am suddenly finding that I am craving things like ice cream. So, is the sugar-free chocolate a trigger for me? Too soon to tell, but I may have to give these up lest I go off the deep end and wallow in slider foods.

Yeppers, I actually 2 of them through the course of the night. I danced, jammed out, enjoyed the entire night. Alcohol doesn't really hit me hard anymore. If I just kind of nurse the drinks, I end up feeling just a little buzzed. Those pitchers were not full to the top, they were half full, and had a lot of ice. It literally took me 7 hours to drink 2 of them. I rarely get drunk off a few drinks. Plus, I ate before I left, and once I was there, I had some Snacks in my pockets LOL. I always carry some sort of snack with me, it helps keep things on an even kilter, and keeps my energy up. Carolyn - you should be so proud of yourself. . . I think you look fabulous ! ! !

I agree with the AA plan. I think you need to address your issues with alcohol before you even think about weight loss surgery. The first year after surgery is enough of an emotional roller coaster on its own without trying to stay substance abuse issues.

So the new big boy on the market is the power crunch bar. all different flavors and pretty dang delicious. High Protein, 5 g of sugar ( not too bad) right? No Sugar Alcohols, great? Seems great right? Well after ingesting a piece of one at a friends house. I picked up a couple in my local Vitamin shoppe. I mean they looked good, But when i got them home, i gave them to my wife to give out at her place of work. Why? simple. My god they are loaded with FAT! and not even good fat but Saturated fat. Wow. what the heck? For example the chocolate mint has 13g of fat!!! a whopping 6 grams of saturated fat!! that is 30% of a normal person's daily recommended fat intake on a 2000 calorie diet. For a sleever that is like 29% too much. Then I realized its the old bait and switch. Lower the sugar and calories, increase the fat for taste. Just like Low fat usually means high sugar. Don't even get me started on the No sugar added, tagline that other products used.

Discussed ad nauseam: https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=alcohol&sortby=relevancy&search_in=titles You'll find both sides of the argument explored and talked about in agonizing detail and breathtaking recklessness.

Also, don't forget that alcohol is predominately sugar in the way it is metabolized.

Check the ingredients on the shakes. If one of the ingredients is Sorbitol or one of the other sugar alcohols that could be your culprit. Sorbitol was originally developed to be used as a laxative when they discovered it was a great sweetener

Were you given a post op eating plan from your surgeon or nutritionist? Everyone's plan varies a little bit, but I would say NO to alcohol that soon after surgery. Your stomach is brand new and healing. I can't imagine any doctor being ok with you drinking that soon post op.

Is anyone drinking alcohol??

I don't drink often but when I do I just drink hard liquor on the rocks or with water. I have never been a beer or wine drinker really. I will have a few sips of wine with a meal if it compliments the meal. My alcohol tolerance is exactly the same. Insanely high. I couldn't get drunk if I tried.

I agree with you. That's my experience. I got to a point that alcohol wasn't affecting me. That was dangerous. I'm still learning to deal with that. Alcoholism among weight-loss patients is a very real danger. Good luck!

Thank you, everyone who responded to my post. You cannot begin to understand how much better it made me feel just to know that I am not the only one out there, that there are so many of us fighting the same demons and all of us finding our own means to defeat them at last. After I posted this, I took a break to truly look at my life as a whole and see what my addictions are and how they have affected my life and I agree that I cannot and will not make excuses for the actual acts as they are merely a means to act out much deeper feelings that are inside of me. And hearing about these other addictions showed me that alcohol and food aren't the only ones...let's just say that I spend at least half my day on ebay and other online sites shopping just to be shopping. I am actively looking for another surgeon to go to and get another fill and start over with my commitment to lose the weight that I want to. I also admitted to my problem to a friend over the weekend, the first face to face admission and she has promised to go with me to AA as my support until I feel more comfortable going at it alone. Thank you again, everyone who responded so kindly to my post.:nervous

A recent article in People magazine (with the American Idol kids on the front) gave me the courage to write this thread as I realized that maybe I am not the only person out there going through this. Although the article mainly discusses patients who had the gastric bypass surgery, I think that there may be alot of lap banders who may be dealing with the same issues as well and if you are, please let me, us, know how you feel and are dealing with it. The issue being replacing your food addiction with another and the consequences thereof. My addiction has become alcohol. I have always been a drinker. I enjoy going out with friends for a night to drink cosmos and/or margaritas and go dancing. I also enjoy wine in the evening to mellow out after a long day at work. But in the last 9 months to a year, it has become an everyday thing. It is my way of dealing with the stress in my life with work, marriage, motherhood and everything else that was previous dealt with going through the drive thru and inhaling 3 combo meals and a couple of large diet cokes followed by a box of twinkies. I was a binge eater who had battled bulimia since the age of 15. Now I have become a binge drinker and I am suffering becuase of it. Not only with my health but have managed to gain back 30 pounds in the last 9 months as I drink a bottle of wine everynight before bed. This has led me to retreat from my friends, my family and even this board for embarassment of being a failure at this which of course only feeds into my emotional addiction. I never thought the lapband was going to be a magic pill to deal with the issued that I have in my life but I was looking forward to the loss of weight helping me to feel stronger and healthier to find a way to take my problems head on and for a while it did. But as the problems have become more serious (my husband and I have seperated, my entire family lives across the country and there has been 3 deaths in my family in the last 6 months among other things), I have found that I am sinking and drinking was my outlet as food no longer could be. I was happy with the weight I was at (as seen in my pic) and was looking forward to losing just al ittle more before having plastic surgery to get rid of extra skin and reduce the boobs. My surgeon was never a support in that his idea of working with the band was to go to mcdonalds, order a big mac and eat a couple of bites with fries. He was all about the numbers rather than supporting his patients learn a new lifestyle. Even when I hit the 100# lost mark, he would tell me that I was still eating too much, the wrong things (like a salad for god's sake) and that he wanted me to attain a certain goal by a certain time and did not approve of my desire to get the plastic surgery before I met HIS goal and thought that I was a quitter if I did so. Needless to say, I have not returned to him since my last fill in August. I know that I need to find another surgeon who can perform the fills for me to help me get myself back on track but I just haven't had the energy to research and find one. So this is my story. I'm not asking for sympathy. I just wanted to know if there were any others that found themselves transferring their addiction to food to another addiction as I have and how they are dealing with it.

I hate protein shakes too. And, I hated milk pre-banding. Now I love it, and I'm not alone!! Get the IDS New Whey Protein test tube bullet things. 42g of protein in 3oz, shoot 1/2 at a time (like you would alcohol) and chase with water or whatever drink you like.

the article specifically talks about how it is not just changing of addictions (although my therapist has mentioned this to me before as a word of caution towards my drinking and other "addictive" habits). It says that it is due to alcohol processing in bypass patients that isn't the same in lapbanders since we still have our whole stomach. however as banders, our decreased food intake does allow alcohol to be more potent in the blood stream and thus have more effects on us than pre-surgery. i would suggest trying medatation when you feel like drinking alone. i know it sounds corny but sometimes you just need to have some reflecitve time to clear your head instead of using alcohol to do it. there are lots of guided tapes and i bet you could find something on youtube to help you medatate. i usually meditate about exercise. i know it is dumb but actually it has been said it helps you release endorphins. maybe those endorphins will be the "bump" you need to get past the alcohol craving. even if you can just stop yourself from drinking a couple times a week you are on a better track. i have lots of trouble with using alcohol and food as a crutch. if you find something else that works please share!!

"I worked with my medical team. I eat a high protein diet. I cut out pasta, bread, sugar, alcohol and most other carbs pretty much permanently. I exercise at least an hour a day." All of that is true. By the time I get to what I cut out, most people start running because the thought of cutting out all those carbs gives them the shakes. If they ask more pointed questions, I respond with a question - "did you get laid last night?" When they looked shocked, I tell them that I view my medical issues as privately as they view their sex life. And then I change the subject. It usually ends questions.

Ok guys - I went to GNC and got the Isopure. It comes in the hugest containers - it is so funny - one of my friends came over and said "Wow you sure have huge jugs!" I laughed so hard my port hurt! Anyway, I have made up a pitcher of Protein shake with SF/FF frozen yogurt, a couple of tbls. of reduced fat Peanut Butter, skim milk, and the chocolate Isopure powder. I am drinking 2 cups a day - which gives me 50 g of protein and I feel much better. I think that was definetely the problem. I talked to my dietician this morning and she still feels 30 g of protein a day is enough but I do not agree. Also - thanks for the heads up about the eggs - I will hold off. Now that I am feeling better I don't feel like I HAVE to have one. However yesterday I did go to a restaurant and I ordered some soup and some baked fish and I had about 5 tiny bites of the fish and it was fine. I think it was because I was also having the soup - which I'm sure helped wash it down. I know that is against the principle of drinking while eating with the band, but I had to try it. I guess when we start real eating we shouldn't have anything liquid like soup with our meal? That would defeat the purpose right? Anyway - tomorrow I go to my first support group meeting and I am looking forward to it. Oh and also I have Bunko tomorrrow night (which is usually a lot of fattening food and lots of alcohol). I am really woried about it so pray for me. Only one of my Bunco girls knows about the surgery so I am going to try to just be laying low. I will say I already ate dinner or something and I guess bring a Protein Shake with me. Any suggestions? Anyway - just wanted to thank everyone for the support and I will keep you all posted. I love your suggestions and I am about to hit the 2 week mark and transfer over to mushies so any advice is appreciated.

My goal this week is to not drink any alcohol until a family party on Sunday and to lose 2 lbs.

I was told my doc does a 90% sleeve which freaked me out at first! All I can tell you is that 2 years later, (heck, even 6 months later), I feel perfectly "normal". I can eat what I like in small quantities including pizza, Pasta, meats, rice, bread and alcohol, but I try and stick to higher Protein lower carb choices. They are the "prescription" and I feel less bloaty and have better energy when I follow it. Do I regain? Yep. But I weigh at least once per week, (not every day) and the difference is that now, I can recover from a five pound gain within a week or 2 simply by focusing back on the basics and giving up some of the less healthy choices. In short, I'm winning the maintenance battle now where I never could before. Life as a "normal" sized, health woman is AMAZING! Miss that 90%? Not. One. Bit!