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I feel your pain. The agony of the unknown is horrible. Almost worse than the reality. I have been a big time Diet Coke junkie (and I mean junkie) for a long time maybe 20 years! Yikes that makes me so old. I loved it! Probably some what like an alcoholic. Well I drank it like normall right up unil 48 hours before surgery. I suffered for at least a week with horrible headaches ( I think it was caffeine) but I don't really know. Could have been stress, no nicotine too. I am pretty proud of myself. However I have had some pretty bad moments. Where I just want to eat, drink coke and smoke and I feel crazy. I feel as if I have taken it one day and some times one hour at a time. I feel as if I am living on air. And since I quit smoking and had surgery I have had this horrible cough. I don't know if it is chest cold or all the toxins from the nicotine coming out. Well any how I would wean my self off of the pepsi now and deal with the headaches now if you can. But I doubt I could have until they said you have surgery you can never have it agian. That is probably the only reason I gave it up. But I am feeling better about it all. So far I have stayed away from people eating, drinking coke or smoking. I don't think I am quite ready to deal with it in my face. I am in hiding. Good Luck!

6 per week is a drinking problem? My friend must be a full-blown alcoholic, cuz she can knock back 10 at a time!

I've had 3 or 4 ounces of wine once (maybe twice) per week for the last month. I have also had vodka (straight, no mixers), and found that it hits me really fast. As others have said, the calories can really mount up fast. When I do have alcohol I am sure to add those drink items into my daily food journal and still stay within my acceptable calorie range.

I do drink sometimes.. It is now wine instead of beer. Just remember that alcohol will effect you much faster now and the calories in your drinks can be massive. Oh don't try doing shots!!! Hard to make a big swallow and it comes right back up....lol

You probably should have stuck with soft/liquids after being stuck on the shrimp, for a day. The alcohol might have dehydrated you too. I find after alcohol I am tighter and need to rehydrate slowly before I can eat. Just take it easy, you'll get back there.

I have a lap band and a chocolate and sweets addiction. I have lost 6.5 stones since June 2007. However a lot of surgeons will not do the lapband on people with a sweet tooth because the band does not stop you eating rubbish, it justs stops you from eating a lot of rubbish. I decided that the best way for me was to cut out sweet things altogether and this is what I have done except for a couple of months whilst I was on holiday in Australia. I found it was not too bad because when you first have the band you you do not feel like eating much anyway so this is a good time to start not eating sweet things. It then gets easier to avoid them. I also cut out all alcohol because that is full of sugar as well. I do, however, eat fruit and I do not scrutinise everything to find out if it has some sugar in it. It does get easier the more you do it. That is my experience anyway. I do understand that everyone if different and they have to do what is best for them I think the lap band is the best thing I have ever done with regard to weight loss, I only wish I had done it a lot sooner. Good luck with your weight loss

Tomato Girl, There are several soy shakes that Shaklee offers. "cinch" is a componant of the inch loss program, it's soy ( or comes in whey ), and has Fiber and luciene in it. They also have two plain soy shakes in vanilla or chocolate. All Shaklee's Soy are non-gmo, rinsed with Water vs alcohol, keeping it's isoflavones in place. Finally there is a carb free Soy Mix - virtually tasteless and a great mixer in your healthy baking. I'd be happy to assist you with any other Shaklee questions you might have. Karen Hanrahan - Shaklee Independant Distributor www.bestwellnessconsultant.com

Over the weekend I drank way too heavily at a Mardi Gras party and the next day was very, very sick. I think I had some alcohol poisoning- it was that bad. Well the entire day I was in and out of the bathroom, trying to get sick, but it seemed like I could only **warning-gross** throw up what was in my pouch. I had eaten once and I knew that there was food in there and felt certain that I would throw it up, but it was like the food was stuck under my band. Well this went on all day... over and over. My question is this- I have lost a lot of restriction since the incident... could this be a possible slip? Please don't harp on me about the drinking. I know it was bad. I need opinions and advice on what to do now. Thank you so much in advance!

How long post op did you drink any alcohol? I know it's empty calories, I'm band to VSG. I know the rules. Just wondering how soon you had a half a glass of wine or something?

My immediate thought after reading that post was “just don’t drink so much that it makes you sick, then you won’t need to worry about throwing up.” But it has me wondering…is drinking a lot of alcohol like overeating? Is it a compulsive thing that you have to fight to control? Is telling someone not to drink as useless as telling a binge eater not to eat? I’m sure it’s obvious that I am not a drinker, but this is something I have wondered about. What is it about alcohol that makes people drink to excess, knowing that it will ultimately make them feel like hell? Is it a comfort thing? Does it just feel really good? Or is it that you really really like the taste and it’s a treat you allow yourself? I hope everyone doesn’t jump on me for this. I’m not trying to say that drinking is bad or wrong. It’s just something I’m totally unfamiliar with, so I’m curious...

Ok, so, I know that alcohol can irritate the stomach, and is full of calories, but that aside, I'm sure lots of people still drink with the band. Right? I'm not talking a glass of wine or 2 at dinner... but you know, going out to a party/pub/bar or wherever you do your recreational drinking, and actually getting drunk... purposely. If someone were to do this, to the point of feeling nauseous... is there anything that can be done? What about a bad hangover with the potential for puking? Probably just some Gravol, right? I'm not a huge drinker, and I actually haven't had a drink in months, but I know that it's gonna happen again (and I'm looking forward to it!), so I just want to be prepared so that if I drink too much, and start feeling sick, I know what kind of things might help. Thanks guys, Mandi

I think you will be the only one who can answer this question. I bet as you go through the classes/process it will become more clear to you what is best for your life. Like Coopersmama, there is no way I could have waited that long, once I decided on surgery, I wanted it like yesterday. As to being able to do all the physical activities (hiking, snorkeling, dancing, etc.), I had so much more energy at 5 months post-op than pre-surgery and would have enjoyed them more post-op. BUT that was just my experience. I'd suggest talking with your surgeon and/or nutritionist about the alcohol thing. I would think by that time you could have a couple/few drinks on your special day, but again you'd have to decide if that was enough. Good luck on your journey!

Lisa, Are you drinking like this before or after surgery? Not that one is less important than another, both are very serious. Have you discussed it openly with your PCP? Keep on the right path, no matter how painful. We don't need those types of addictions. And especially if WLS is something you want to improve your quality of life. Alcohol will end up destroying you. Don't allow it too. You are in my thoughts! Dawn

There are plenty of things you can eat while banded that will help you gain weight. You can wash all kinds of food down with Water or juice. Even easier is drinking the calories. I don't personally know anybody that is banded but I do know a few that had bypass. One of them is an alcoholic and after losing only about 50 pounds managed to pack that and more back on drinking beer. As for hurting when overeating; I'm not banded yet but I have eaten so much in one sitting that I was in pain for hours many times in the last 45 years. It never stopped me from doing it again and again.

As of yesterday, I have lost 100 pounds. YEA! (cue happy music to start playing loudly) Now, to lose the last 18 pounds. My target is to be done in January of 2012. I started my preop diet on February 9th of this year, and had surgery February 22nd with Dr. Nicholson in Dallas, TX. My surgery went extremely well. I had no complications and went home after one night in the hospital. My recovery went smoothly. I had no trouble drinking fluids or finding a Protein I could tolerate. Didn't have any vomiting once I got home. Didn't need much pain medicine at all - took a total of two or three pills after I left the hospital. Went back to work three weeks after surgery - I had to wait for my three weeks check-up before I could get my doctor's clearance. I have a two hour drive to the office, and the doctor was concerned about me being in a car for that long that soon. I had to stop and walk around for 5 minutes or so after an hour - to help prevent the possibility of clots. Working a twelve hour day (8 hours work, 4 hours driving) was too long at first, so I would stay in a hotel close to the office for three nights a week until I was ready for the 12 hour days. This journey so far has been a major learning experience for me. I am a very organized (obsessive?) person. I had everything mapped out for each day - what I would eat. I tracked calories, protein, carbs and ounces of Fluid. In all my dieting history I had never tracked the grams of protein or carbs in my food - so this was brand new. The other major learning experience was how to deal with life without my old "frenemy" FOOD as my coping mechanism. There are addicts in my family tree (alcohol, recreational pharmaceuticals) and that tendency is within me. Not for drugs or alcohol - why go there when there was food available? (Cocaine couldn't be any more satisfying than brownies.) So I am having to build an entire new relationship with food, and build totally different coping skills for all of the triggers that previously resulted in me choosing to use food inappropriately. I am pleased to report that this effort is going well. But it really is "one day at a time" as the AA folks say. I have to stay 100% conscious of what I am doing. On a lighter note - I have had a blast rediscovering smaller clothes. I am now in 12's and some 14's - and they are petites! Still sounds strange to even say that! I started out is 24 Womens and 3X's. I say "thank God for clothes" as it hides all the sagging wrinkled skin from the weight loss. I am also WAY HEALTHIER than I was. My PCP was talking to me prior to me starting the 6 month preop (which actually took a year for me - insurance issues) about WHEN I would have a heart attack, not IF. My father dropped dead of a massive heart attack when he was about the age I was when I started my preop diet. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea (I hated my CPAP machine and wouldn't use it). My joints ached all the time. Now, I am off all blood pressure meds, all cholesterol meds and I no longer have sleep apnea. My last labs looked good - except for borderline anemia (even with iron). That doesn't have anything to do with the sleeve, I have been that way most of my life. The only meds I take now are Vitamins and minerals, acid reducing meds, and hormones. Didn't mean to natter on for so long. Thank all of you on this site for being such a wonderful support for me. You guys are my "AA" - and, believe me, I come here every day to help me stay focused. If I can be of help to anyone here, feel free to PM me - I am happy to return to favor. I posted some before and recent pictures. The picture with the giant guitar is at the Hard Rock in Albuquerque. That was last Thursday - I was on vacation with my 86 year old energizer-bunny mother and my two sisters.

From my understanding of how the lap-band works is that it creates a pouch and food 'hangs out' awhile after you eat. Sounds like the positioning is ok. While the food is hanging out it sounds like your LES (lower esophageal sphincter) is relaxing and opening and that is causing reflux. The LES is suppose to stay closed unless you are laying down and then it automatically relaxes and opens up which is why you don't lay down or recline after eating. For people with GERD for whatever reason the LES muscle is weak and opens up when it's not suppose to causing food/acid to push back up the esophagus. Your GERD is most likely not caused by the band but aggrevated by it for sure. Maybe try a different medication? Also caffeine, nicotine, chocolate, spicy foods, alcohol makes it worse. I usually deal with the neck up but have a lot of clients who have GERD. Hope this helps!!

Are you kidding? They stressed that upfront...no alcohol. As a matter of fact, I was told to not drink coffee. I am having a coffee attack right now. I love tea but it just does not cut it when you love coffee. Please discuss this with your doctor. You would not want to destroy all of what you paid for in the lap band. lot of luck!

Most doctors say no beer. It has empty calories, has carbonation which stretches the pouch out and you can become intoxicted quicker. My nutritionist/surgeon also feels that drinking alcohol is also stressful on the liver when you are losing weight because it gives it a double whammy when having to burn calories but also work on filtering alcohol. They feel it puts the liver at a greater risk for becoming diseased. I've also seen people post who have drank beer post op and they say it causes an unbelievable bloating that is miserable.

There is a thread here from a week or two ago where someone posted a You Tube video of a doctor explaining WHY no carbonation and if you see that, you won't want to risk drinking a beer. She explained that the carbonation rises and goes back up into your new little stomach and makes it expand. That's not a very good medical explanation but you get the general idea. It sounded like it could permanently negate the whole affect of having a band. Wine and alcohol are fine in moderation, as long as you recognize that not only is it empty calories, but it generally will stall your weight loss.

I've been banded since Aug and started experimenting with alcohol about 2 months out. Being in grad school, it was nice to be able to go out with friends. A few things to keep in mind: 1) double check with your doctor if it's ok 2) you won't be able to have a lot 3) instead of getting big drinks, ask for shots (or shot versions of your drinks) that way you get the taste of it without the calories or immense amount of liquid. Good luck and have fun!

I just turned 21 6 months ago and I'm about 6 weeks post op. I was wondering if anyone had tried drinking so soon after surgery? I know your not supposed to drink at least 6 months after surgery, but it seems to be really hard because all of my friends want to go out! Now I'm not talking about anything crazy because I know how alcohol is like pure calories but I was thinking maybe half a glass of wine or something. What are your thoughts?

As a generality, the sleeve gastrectomy diet plans are high in protein while low in calories, fats and carbohydrates. • The average calorie allowance for the sleeve gastrectomy ranges from 800 to 1200 calories per day. Foods that will need to be decreased in your diet include high sugar foods, high carbohydrate foods (including bread and pasta), fats (such as butter), fatty meats, fried foods, whole milk products, ice cream, high calorie beverages (including regular soda and alcoholic beverages).

For all of us who wonder the following: How come I'm not losing How come I'm not losing fast enough How come I'm always hungry Do I need another fill Do I need an unfil Am I eating right I found this information at another site and it pretty much answers most of the questions I have seen at this forum that are either restriction or food related. I think some of us bandsters here could gain from reading this. Carol How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe

Shanna I am with you. I found that when I stayed strictly ON PLAN with NS it worked great. By the way, isn't the food delicious? I also realized if I faltered just ONCE I was lost. If you get an urge to just slip a little? Stop and think would an alcoholic be able to do that? Would a drug addict be able to slip just a little? Sometimes that keeps me from going over the deep end. Can't wait to get home and get back to basics. SIGH!! I am with you Shanna.

paul... i have heard that some cant handle beer but i can just fine! ive had no problems with it. also hard alcohol goes down great i just went to vegas a couple weeks ago and all i did was drink there and it was ok. the only thing i stopped taking was shots. because i dont have much food to soak up alcohol i drink a lot slower!