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Hi Miami, These are all questions you can bring to your bariatric center/surgeon and they'd be able to help you with them. I haven't had the surgery but, I know a lot of the answers from my bariatric center already. Of course some of the questions are an individuals opinion too Is it 100% true your stomach becomes the size of 1 egg? Surgeon says about the size of one egg, holds 1 ounce. You need to eat 6 times a day?Based on Protein intake mainly. Although eating 6 small meals a day will keep your metabolism going. Do your stomach stay the size of 1 egg forever? Nope it won't if you eat too much at one sitting. You can stretch the pouch and therefore take in more food and actually gain weight after a while. That's why they stress eating slowly, stopping as soon as you feel you've had enough but, not FULL. Going beyond full and you face getting throwing it up and stretching it out. Are you able to eat a little normal after 6/12 months like 3 spoons rice with Beans or small chicken salad even if your eating 3 spoons of it? I'm told eating gets more "normal" at around 1-1.5 years meaning you can eat most foods with no trouble but, in smaller portions if you've followed the eating rules all along and haven't stretched your pouch. If you follow your diet according to your surgeon how much can you lose in 1 year all of it? Get to your goal weight. That is definitely an individual thing...everyone is different, everyone loses at a different pace and many factors can apply. You do lose the bulk of the weight the first year, each person has a different goal so can't really say we'd all hit it. How about sex does it get better? Well, another opinion but, I certainly would think feeling better in your own skin would make the whole experience better Do you think about surgery like why did I do this? Haven't had the surgery yet but, I did have the lapband and I thought that after surgery. Mainly after the first 3 days as the anesthisia (sp?) wore off. And of course on days where food just doesn't sit right but, in the end I always thought it was worth it. I'm sure I'll feel the same about the RNY. Does liquor bother your stomach? My bariatric center and the previous one always said to stay away from liquor. With RNY you diegest things different and the alcohol doesn't break down enough so you could get pretty sick and drunk from small amounts of alcohol. Story one person told us during an information session was she had RNY, she went partying with her friends and ended up losing 3 days of memory and her life. She passed out and didn't wake up for 3 days. Doesn't sound worth it to me. Do you feel moody & angry cooking for your family & not eating what others eat? Oh I think most would feel moody and angry sometimes but, it's up to you how to work through it. YOu may not be able to eat it but, for me cooking for my family is my love for my family. I can't eat it, but they shouldn't be punished because I can't. So yea...i may not be able to eat a lot of the things they do but, I sure in heck can join in on the family fun once I lose the weight and feel better about myself and can move more. That's worth not eating some of those meals to me. Any regrets? Can't answer this one yet...but, I don't forsee regrets. I had the lapband and loved it, I miss having that restriction that helped me feel in more control of my eating so I'm looking forward to the restriction. Would you do it again? Have to skip this one as I haven't had it yet. What's the hardest part after surgery & already heal normal life? Again, can only base on my lapband restriction experience but, the hardest parts were social outings that were based around food. I always brought something I knew I could eat and enjoy without guilt. Then I'd hold my Water and get away from the food table. After a while, family and friends just knew I wasn't going to eat more and wouldn't bug me. Hardest part is fending off the food pushers. How do your spouse see you? My spouse has been supportive and willing to help me anyway I need it. He's always encouraging even if I only lose half a pound or if I gained a pound. He knew with my lapband and I know he will when I have this done, just what to say to help me out. I"m lucky for sure. Are you sexier to spouse? Spouse often reminds me he loves me for who I am no matter what. So I know he'll think the same after and I sure hope he thinks I'm sexier as I start losing weight with this because he is the apple of my eye and I'd love for him to have a sexier woman in me hanging on his arm. Now your thinner you feel sexier having sex with light on? Hmmm another personal opinion question....I have a feeling I'll certainly enjoy our time together even more so once I'm thinner

This is the general guideline I was given by my NUT.</div> Phase I Clear Liquids (Weeks 1 and 2) Zero Carb Isopure Drink (Nature's Best) Per 1 bottle - Calories: 160kcal | Fat: 0.00g | Carbs: 0.00g | Protein: 40.00g Clear broth SF popsicles Water, decaf tea Phase II Full Liquids (Week 3 -- 500-600 calories) runny Protein Shakes Low-fat soups (strained / pureed) runny cream of wheat Non-fat milk Sugar free/fat free ice cream Phase III Puree (Week 4 and possibly 5 -- 600 - 700 calories) Baby food sugar free/fat free pudding pureed cooked meats with broth pureed cooked Beans low fat cottage cheese nonfat yogurt low fat mashed potatoes * pureed cooked veggies * unsweetened pureed fruit * * add Protein powder Phase IV Soft foods -- things that can be mashed with a fork (Week 5, possibly 6 -- (700-800 calories) scrambled eggs steamed or poached fish low fat cheese / string cheese skinless chopped or ground meat soft canned fruit well cooked veggies Phase V Regular Diet (Begin week 6, 7 or when ready -- 800-900 calories) 3 meals, 1-2 Snacks or 5 small meals the first few months each meal 4-6 oz (always start meal with eating protein) High Protein, Low Fat, Low Carb and avoiding simple carbs (concentrated sugar), alcohol Add one new food and record intolerance

Who am I to scold anyway. I drink alcohol and eat Taco Bell. course I'm below goal weight! Hang in there, stay strong, get to goal weight, and chocolate will perhaps be an occasional indulgence that you can handle. But now isn't the time!

I am 2 months post op. My nutritionist told me to stop weighing myself because I was going crazy and go by how my clothing feels. Now I'm pissed off because I think if I was weighing myself more frequently I would have seen how slowly I was losing and done something sooner. I exercise in the pool 1 hour a day 6 days a week. I am getting in my Protein and most of my Water every day. Only had a minor cheat with alcohol for the Boat Parade. I went to my primary doctor yesterday and even though I"m down 3 sizes in pants and 2 sizes in tops I have only lost 17 lbs post op. I'm happy with the smaller sizes and am telling myself to be happy but I have to admit I'm a little pissed off. I lost more weight before I did the surgery. I lost 25 lbs in 6 weeks pre op and only 17 in 8 weeks. I usually have 3 oz ricotta cheese with Protein powder mixed in for Breakfast, lunch is organic turkey breast with a little cheese to total 3-4 ounces together and dinner is usually a bean and meat chili with some protein powder mixed in. I'm thinking of doing Protein shakes for a couple of days to see if that gives me a boost. I am not having any form of sugar and the only carbs I had were a week ago when someone posted that they ate hash during their pureed stage. I didn't think about hash having potatoes until I ate a portion. I used that for 3 meals just to use it up but am not buying that anymore. Any suggestions? Thanks

30-40 pounds in one month is not exactly healthy. I suggest you push your surgery out one more month in order to give yourself time to learn to eat more correctly. Less of a shock to the system that way. 30-40 in TWO months is still tough, but much safer IMO. To get there, you MUST 1) make sure you get enough protein every day, every meal if possible, (it really helps with the hunger), 2) limit quantities at EVERY meal (you want to shrink your stomach some) and 3) REALLY cut back on the carbs, ESPECIALLY sweets and any beverages with sugar or alcohol. You CAN do it, but this whole process is as much a mental thing as physical. Good luck!

How far out from surgery are you? Right now it is nice, because I am not really tempted by much that I can't have. There have been a few times when I have had to ask my family to take their ______________ (chips, Cookies, ice cream) to the other room. Later on, when I have less restriction and struggle more with cravings I will have to make a decision, do I stick with my plan, allow occasional treats or gain the weight back. That is a way ahead of me. I hope it will be one of the first two! but if it is #2 that will mean I am at or very near goal weight. Look for what sort of healthy items you could choose when you are with them and they are having something you can't - suggest meeting places with options for everyone. Have something to drink that looks nice in your cup but doesn't have alcohol at this point.

Thank yall so much for the encouraging words! It makes me feel so much better about everything. Are yall able to drink carbonated drinks as well? What about alcohol? My doctor will not do a fill until 40-50 lbs are lost. I've lost a total of 20lbs already. Have yall tried bread or meat yet? I have no problem with chicken...

Whew! It was truly a whirlwind weekend. Since last Thursday morning, I've crammed in 4-1/2 rounds of golf, 2 parties, 1 dinner in the city and Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. From a normal guy's perspective I would say this would be in the running for the ultimate weekend competition if there was such a thing. From a fat ass dieter's eye view, this was a weekend full of challenges and temptations. The Devil and his sinister sidekick Al C. Hall were lurking around every corner waiting to pull my into a downward spiral. But this morning I find myself sober, satiated and reinvigorated. But it was no cake walk! The Good - My eating choices for this four day fun binge were spot on! I took my Muscle Milk Light to the club and drank it over ice for breakfast. Yep, I'm slowly drinking this fake chocolate milk while watching 50 other guys load up on pancakes, omelettes, a full assortment of breakfast meats, home fries, pastry and danish and all kinds of toasted breads. Challenge, yes. But I beat the odds despite the wafting smell of crisp bacon. The lunches were more of the same. A full spread of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, brats and sausages were laid out in several different places. And let's not forget the chips, cookies and other deserts. And there was a giant trailer with free draft beer. I was in fat ass paradise and couldn't enjoy the show. I sparingly ate a chicken breast, a cup full of chicken salad and some watermelon slices. During the golf, I ate a few melted protein bars to keep my stomach from growling. At the parties and dinner downtown, I slowly feasted on small bites of salmon and sashimi, a slice of turkey and a few small shrimp, while my fellow diners were scoffing down famous Chicago steaks perfectly pink on the inside and charred to perfection on the outside. The Bad - I was expecting a cordial reunion with my old friend Al C. Hall. (That's alcohol for you new readers.) It didn't take long for old Al to show up to the party. I decided it was time to have a nip during our first round of golf. Since I was determined to stay away from beer, I had to use a little ingenuity at the half way house. Of course, I would stay away from all juices, sugary drinks and carbonated beverages. But if I started drinking straight vodka at 2 in the afternoon, I was guaranteed to be blotto by the back nine. So I invented a new cocktail. Vodka and Vitamin Water Orange. BRILLIANT! Vodka over ice and add the VW as needed. This helped me nurse the one drink while others were having several more. I was imbibing with my buddies but not falling all the way off the wagon. I had a couple more at the opening dinner party but stopped early due to my ride home. All in all, a good plan for a bad vice . The Ugly - I can honestly report to you that I won the weekend food battle. I looked the Lucifer of Lard straight in the eye and he blinked first. However, his evil counter part, The Vetis of Vodka eventually got the best of me. It started with a four hour rain delay between matches on Friday and ended with tumble down a few steps while excitedly leaving the hockey game. Since I was being chauffeured to the game and back to house afterwards, I didn't pay any attention to to the number of Geese I downed. I ended up killing the whole flock. Saturday dinner consisted of a bread stick, cottage cheese and a few bites of under cooked salmon. But I washed it down with a couple of Gibsons with devilishly delicious cocktail onions. A couple more at the game with soda and I was as pickled as the onions. The final straw was my pal's idea to have one last double before the bar closed for the last period. That's probably the one that made me miss that last step and hit the floor. I had two goals for the weekend. One of which was not to fall completely off the wagon. You may disagree, but I feel I held it in check pretty good. My other goal was to weigh the same today as I did last Thursday morning. And I do. Victory is mine. So get your scorecards out and give this one to Johnny. I am now refocused on good eating and no drinking for a few more weeks. I have another holiday weekend and another golf tournament in the next month to deal with. That means more trouble from you know who. Could a surprise visit from Al C. Hall be far behind? If he does rear his ugly head, I hope there are no stairs around. I'm off to get my first fill today from Dr. X! Talk soon! jt Reprinted from my blog. Please become a follower! We would love to have you! TheDeconstructionofJohnny.blogspot.com

In va it is illegal to bring your own to mix with, a party is different tho. Also sure juices have some calories and natural sugar but you need SOME calories to survive...also juice is good for you. Alcohol all has alot of sugar in it but geez, i gave up food to have the band, i am not going to give up life. I dont think one party is going to make or break your band Sorry, i am not a calorie slave... if i did I would go crazy within a week.

I abstained from alcohol for a total of 9 months (my entire six month pre-op diet program and the first 3 months post-op). I had some drinks during a 3.5 week trip to SE Asia in late December (3 months post-op for me). I, of course, stayed away from anything with sugar. I mostly had a few whiskey and Water drinks and some red wine. On those days, I had mostly Protein shakes to minimize calories and carbs but to still meet my protein goals. It certainly isn't going to be a regular thing for me, but from time to time, it isn't going to hurt my progress. I lost 13 pounds on that trip, even with the drinks. (Just drinking Protein Shakes all day on days that I will have some alcohol sucks, but I definitely think that plays a role in making the whole thing work.) You'll get a lot of different replies to this question quite likely. Many people think you should abstain until maintenance. My advice is to talk to your medical team, get their advice, and make a well-informed decision. That's what I did. Good luck.

Chewing gum makes you produce more spit, which makes you swallow more, plus sugar free gums have manitol / sorbitol in it which is a sugar alcohol and that alone can cause alot of gas. I was wondering about chewing gum while banded.. guess I don't have to ask LOL. Nes, I'm glad you passed the gum, I can't imagine what that would have felt like if you didn't ICK !!!! Thanks for posting about your experience.

Thank you. You helped me feel encouraged. Right now in life I can say my number one reason to really want to lose weight at this time in my life is health. I could not say that a few years ago. So ok, I will start there. I just quit drinking alcohol a few days ago because my body can't do it anymore and I feel the best in a long time. Everyone tells me I look so refreshed. The calories i got from 1-2 bottles of wine a day was outrages. It's going to be a hard road because that was a routine i did after work. Working night shift has also taken a toll on my body. Beginning Sept i have switched to day shift although I will take a huge money cut.But my health is suffering with high blood pressure and sleep apnea. You are the first person to even discuss all this with. Thank you. I feel I just released a load. I need support so bad or I'm going to dye. Thank you

Thanks for the advice on the soda...I really don't do it that much. If I have 1 Diet Mtn Dew a week I'm lucky. I used to easily drink 4-5 cans a day before my banding. Now I mostly drink Crystal Lite or water. As far as the alcohol I'm a social drinker and that's far and few between. I'll usually drink Vodka Cranberry to avoid the carbonation. I used to drink whiskey and seven up but I don't want the carbonation...especially in public. Again I don't do it often. I really think I am going at a good pace and I'm sure once summer comes around I'll be more active outside and that will help even more.

It has been a long journey so far. My obesity started in the 6th grade. I was 5'8" tall and weighed nearly 200lbs. Through most of my teens I was highly active so I was able to control my weight through exercise. Soon after graduating High School, I got married and had my son. By the time I was 23 I was 225lbs and heading for divorce court. Although my divorce was a great weight loss tool. I lost 70lbs plus the additional 160lbs of dead beat husband. My weight fluctuated greatly in my 20's. In any given year I could be 135lbs (too thin) all the way up to 235lbs (obese). I was with a really great man for 7 years. We were going through a rough patch in our relationship and we separated. But we were trying to work things out. He even went so far as to go to counselling and even got his 30 day coin at AA (I have always been a non-drinker, he was an alcoholic). The day after he got his 30 day coin he committed suicide. I was devastated. That was 13 years ago. I have since gotten even heavier. Although I am now remarried to a wonderful, loving, supportive husband, I have really packed on the pounds in the last 7 years. My highest weight has been just shy of the 300# mark. I started looking into weight loss surgery last November. I broached the subject with my PCP in November during my yearly physical. She referred me to the Bariatric Team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. I went to the intro meeting in Dec. Then 1 PCP appointment to chart my diet and exercise every month. I have also attended the monthly Bariatric meetings. Plus a psych eval. Now I am getting down to the wire. In the past 10 days I have met with the nutritionist, the physicians Assistant, and the surgeon. I've also had an upper gi, and an abdominal ultrasound. Here comes the exciting part. They called me today with my surgery date! Woohooo, yippee, yahoo! August 26th at 7:30 am. I do have to do the 2 week stage 2 diet, which will start August 12th. But, I've got the can-do attitude. Bye-the-way...... I have been walking a minimum of 8000 steps a day, some days topping off at 12,000 to 14,000. I have already lost 23lbs since November I got rid of my size 24 jeans and most of my 3x shirts My huge size 10 granny panties are thrown out. Spanx are my new best friend I cleaned out my closets and realized I still have clothes ranging is sizes down to size 18. I now wear size 20 or 22 jeans My boobs haven't deflated yet, but the girth of my bras are getting too loose (thankfully the cups still run-nith over)

I'm glad you have realized that drinking was not helping you live a healthier life. This might sound kinda harsh, but I don't mean it that way. Everyone in life goes through stress and disappointments, at one point or another. We really have to decide on not using those times as excuses. We have to learn to deal with those times, not with food or alcohol, but figure another way. Anything, going for a walk, reading, taking a soak in the tub or a craft of some kind. Also staying with a support group will also help. I wish you all the best. You can do this!!!

I stopped for 5 weeks before surgery and 10 weeks after then went easy. I was down about about 55 when I started up again and continued to lose at the same rate until dropping a total of about 95 lbs. My advice would be: 1. Count the calories in the alcohol. Distilled alcohol like vodka is 64 calories/ounce. There are plenty of sugary drinks out there that are over 300 calories each. 2. Drink plenty of Water and take an extra antacid. 3. Plan EXACTLY what you'll eat when you drink and the day after and stick to it. My problem wasn't so much the calories in alcohol, but rather the bad food choices that followed. I'm not going to argue with those who preach abstinence, but I know that's not me. The world is full of skinny people who drink alcohol every day. Study what they do and eat and create your own strategy for weight maintenance. Log and weigh yourself ever day and if things get off track, correct!

Putting an alcohol prep pad on my nose helped me with nausea after surgery. If you don't have those, maybe put a little alcohol gel hand sanitizer on???

Hi Elise, You have asked some very good questions! I'll be honest, it will take time for you to figure this all out! I hope you get some good responses! As far as parties go, people don't really notice what you are eating. I actually find I enjoy my food more now. I'll just have a little taste of everything. The one on one restaurant thing can be a little tricky, but there is usually something on the menu I can have. If you are looking to eat "healthy" while out dining, which I know we all should, I look toward the Soups and anything crunchy. I have to admit the things I pick out usually are not healthy, but I don't go out to dinner very much. We are all different and toleratae foods differently. I find people are very understanding and have not had any issues. I do find my friends actually feed "bad" for me having to leave so much food. I often do not take a doggy bag, as the food is just NOT the same warmed over, but that is a personal thing. As far as alcohol, I have had the occasional drink, but not to excess. I will have an occasional glass of wine mixed with club soda, fruit juice, etc. I know this is shunned on, but a few times a year has not hurt me. Good luck! I cant' wait to see the responses to this great question!

Elise I am 26yrs old and prior to my surgery I would go out to clubs often, 2 of my friends are club promoters so I go with them to help them out and also being with them you meet alot of people so those are our possible new customers when we open new night clubs. These guys know I have had the procedure done and they are very supportive of my decision of my new life so now when I go out to the clubs I walk around meeting new possible customers yeah i'll have a drink in my hand.... but its a non-alcoholic but hey the other person doesn't know that i'll ask the bartender for Water over ice with a wedge of lime or orange or a cherry or pinneaple so it looks like th real deal. Now that I have lost 40plus pounds girls are more easily approachable and honestly I have gotten more customers/possible customers for my guys. Dating its gotten easier.. I have no idea why im still my self Going out to dinner... its easy depending on the restaurants but many restaurants will help you out with just small sides. Like last night I went to the movies and went to dennys after I had 1 scrambled egg with a small side of mashed potatoes with a side of salsa... Everything is possible you just need to use your imagination a little, that's what I do.

I was sleeved Monday, so today is day 3 healing. Trust me, the pain and nausea you go through, you will not even begin to kick around the idea of alcohol. I say take you pain meds and carry a champagne glass of water around. You'll be giddy from not feeling pain and can sip the water and no one will be the wiser

Do you think it will be possible to have a little alcohol over the holiday period. I have my op on the 19 Dec.

my surgeon said no coffee no alcohol after surgery !! that's it i had de-caffeinated 2 weeks post op it went well but tasted bad i started coffee again 2 months post op, since i just need it otherwise id sleep all day i think am fine ,, just have to drink more Water

I am 2 weeks out from surgery and am wondering when and if I can have a cup of coffee in the morning and perhaps an adult beverage? The nutrionist said you can't have an adult beverage for at least 18 months. Did anyone else hear this? I miss my coffee. Thanks!

JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE WINE OR LIQUOR AFTER SURGERY ? I'M ALMOST 2 WEEKS POST SURGERY AND MY BIRTHDAY IS NEXT MONTH ON THE 25TH SO WONDERING IF I SHOULD HAVE A GLASS OF WINE THEN. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME WITH THE FEEDBACK GUYS !! THANK YOU :-)

Also as I honestly think about it, before I got my NEW band placed last year, I was eating out at restaurants with my hubby, and not paying attention to types of food I was eating, I was 7 years out, living life. I had been eating LOTS of spicy food, salsa, etc, which caused gastritis, which CAN lead to ulcers, however, it did not get that bad, but when you have a lap band LONG TERM, you have to always be mindful of spicy food, too much alcohol, etc..... I think this contributed to inflaming a hernia which caused pain, and a revision surgery....so BE CAREFUL