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I can drink any alcohol but the sugary mixers make me feel like crap. Beer doesn't hurt like everyone scared me into thinking would happen. I don't have it often and sip it slow and only have one. I found out the hard way that my alcohol tolerance is way low. Just take it slow and you'll find out what works for YOU.

I started seeing a therapist because I too am a binge eater, food is my best friend - or was! Now my band is! Lol I was worried that I'd literally eat right through my band or change my food addiction to another addiction. I know two people who got gastric by pass only to then become alcoholics! They have both started gaining weight into their second and third years post op. My therapist asks hard questions like, why aren't u worthy? And points out ways in which my binge eating is a testimony to how I feel I am not worthy of happiness. I'm only 5 days post op but have lost 15 lbs in 17 days due to the liquid diet I'm prescribed. I never thought I could do this for 14 days much less 17!!! I want real food, but really feel like I can eat without binging now. I am worthy and this tool (aka my best friend) is a reminder. Get a good therapist! GOOD LUCK TO U, U CAN DO THIS! Food is not making u feel good and its time to realize u were not born hungry! U were born beautiful and healthy!!! Throw out those old ways of thinking!

I had to do the 6 month doctor supervised weight loss also for my insurance. I too was put on a 1500 calorie diet. I would try and do it and give up after a couple of days. I was losing 1-2 pounds a month until I quit smoking after 22 years of being a smoker and gained 10 pounds. I lost some of that but overall I didn't lose any weight. However, I was able to start walking and exercising which is something I hadn't been able to do before because I would get so out of breathe. My insurance recently approved my surgery though!! (Aug 9th Yay!!) I've increased my walking to 5-6 days a week and knowing my pre-op diet is two weeks away I'm starting to really limit my calories. I wouldn't stress about the 1500 calorie diet. We wouldn't be wanting the lap-band if we could do it on our own!! I would take small steps and focus on other behaviors also. For me that was quitting smoking, start exercising, increase water intake, cut back on caffiene and limit alcohol. Good luck!! These 4-5 months will go by before you know it!

Wondering.......are there still banded folks who drink alcohol?? I'm not interested in drinking. But not even a casual glass of wine in the years? Doesn't bother me really. Worth the sacrifice. :biggrin:

Hi fancy pants I have just sprayed my I pad with coffee laughing at your post . I think a few of us ladies can identify with you there, you are a good sport for writing that post! I'm on holiday with my best friend who has known me over 30 years. She remarked last night that I am still as daft as ever I was I just don't need to drink alcohol or eat so much to be amusing! The thing that gets her is that I want to walk more or get up early to run. She has always been slim so she can't really understand how I feel now after my weight loss surgery but she is happy for me. All the best from me in sunny Cyprus

14 days post-op I was eating green chili and drinking alcohol. I couldn't even imagine throwing up though, that must have hurt like hell. Just stick to what your doctor and body are telling you.

The men aren't actually reading this, so for you ladies...As I’ve told you, I have the option of selecting either band type and I also have the option of selecting my port site. I told you about my surgeon’s consult in Jan. where, after doing my research, I told my doc that I’ve selected the LB and then we discussed my port site. I’ll remind you I selected a left of center, between my belly button line and my ribs…no third boob for this gal…3 boobs worked for Picasso, but not me…with my C-cup boobs, it would be the only one left at goal weight. So on our way home from the consult I announced to DH that I intended to mark my port site on my tummy before surgery…he just chuckled…he’s used to ‘my kind of crazy’ (But now I have those papers from the Psych saying I’m not! So there!). My doc doesn’t get many requests for a different port site but it’s important to me (bad left side so I sleep on my right, and I’m right handed) and his default is the right side, so I don’t want him to forget (I have enough trouble with sleep). I’ve been thinking on and off about my tummy artwork (that’s what we artists do) and how I could make it funny without insulting my doc that he’d forget (he DID tell me to remind him). I was reading some blogs lately that got me thinking; Banded Ben’s surgery date and trying to come up with a joke on the operating table so he could escape…too late, he was out. So, I was thinking maybe I could write a joke, or a funny poem on my belly to point out my port placement…welcome to ‘my kind of crazy’…yes, this is what goes on in my head. Wendytip’s post yesterday about people’s incision photos on LBT (I agree, eeewww), got me commenting about making different ‘connect the dot’ pictures with my incisions and washable markers and posting them here (NOT). But maybe I can do a dot picture for my port site? So, why am I making this confession and sharing this now? I had second thoughts…what if the Sharpie isn’t sterile, or it messes them up and they refuse to do surgery because I wrote on myself? I’m not crazy enough yet to call my surgeon and ask. Today “The Doctors” was on as I was doing the laundry…the plastic surgeon on the panel was talking about how a Sharpie is his best friend for surgery! Hey yea, we’ve all seen those Dr. 90210 shows where they’re marking all over the woman’s bodies with a Sharpie. I’d forgotten about that! So I ran to the TV to listen. The question was about whether a Sharpie is sterile or not...WOW…my very question! Apparently Sharpie’s have a lot of alcohol in them, and even if they weren’t sterile the Betadine they smear all over you sterilizes everything. OK, I’m going for it! Now I’ve got artwork to plan! My practical jokes always backfire on me, so I hardly ever attempt them…they’ll either think I’m nuts or laugh…we’ll see what happens…if I wake up with a third boob, it backfired.

I won't comment on your particular therapist -- don't know at all what she knows or doesn't know about WLS. But be warned that WLS doesn't fix binge-eating. That may seem counterintuitive -- after all, the sleeve is a much smaller stomach, so how could anyone binge eat post-op? Trust me, you could. Yes, you'll probably lose a significant amount of weight post-op. But as your stomach heals and the early, temporary strong restriction eases and a year or longer out when you can eat more than a cup of food at a meal, you will find just how many calories you can put away. Post-op, you can always graze (nibble on throughout the day) "slider foods" (highly processed foods with little nutrition in them that don't require much stomach digestion (ice cream, sweets, chips, crackers, dips, etc.). Those foods and high-calorie drinks -- like sodas, sweet tea, high-cal coffee drinks, sugary alcoholic drinks -- will pack the pounds back on. There's an old saying around here -- they operate on your stomach, not your brain. Yes, you could have the surgery. But keep your therapist (or find a new one) and work on your brain, too.

I was 389 pounds with a BMI of 61.8 at my highest weight (my height is actually smack dab between 5'6 and 5'7, but they don't give you that option on this site... and I don't do the metrics system) and wore a 34-36 top and 30-32 bottoms. I was 32 years old when I had my surgery 8 months ago. I had a surgery called Loop Duodenal Switch which is generally only for those who are super morbidly obese (BMI of 50+). I was 321 pounds with a BMI of 51 on the day of my surgery and weighed in last week at 222 so in the 8 months since my surgery I've lost 99 pounds. For the first two or three weeks it was hard for me to sit down and once I was down it was hard to get up because of the pain in the stitch where they took out the majority of my stomach. I had to sleep on the couch for the first two weeks because it was too much to get into my bed. I had issues getting fluid down for about three months, but eventually was able to get the amount I'm supposed to. I honestly didn't have an appetite at all for the first four or five months, but eventually my appetite did kick back in. And while I don't actually have to count my calories with my particular surgery I do sometimes out of curiosity and I usually get around 800 calories a day. My carb intake is usually around 60 or so a day. The pros (according to my surgeon) is a higher average percentage of weight loss. Considering I have hypothyroidism and can't do any exercise that requires me on my feet right now due to a heath issue I really need to rely on that average percentage rate. Cons are having to take more vitamins and consume more protein then the other surgeries. There's also a higher risk for malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies with my surgery (I have a vitamin A deficiency right now). Another con is that after my surgery I vomited blood for two days which I was told was 'normal' but they didn't warn me about it at all beforehand. I have a sensitivity to sugar alcohol and it upsets my stomach. I get dumping syndrome when I eat wheat so avoid it like the plague (except when I ate something that was made in a facility that processes wheat and I didn't realize it and I made myself sick last week). If I ignore my stomach when I get hungry I get unbearably nauseous. As for the amount you can eat... my surgery involves a sleeved stomach so I can tell you that you really don't eat much. I can usually get in about 3/4 of a cup now (about 6 oz, essentially a greek yogurt cup. I'm full after I eat one so that's about my limit). It's funny though because I used to be one of those people who would PILE food on their plate and still come back for seconds. Now my portions are tiny and if a family member asks me to make them a plate I get complaints that I give them too little lol.

7 months and then only had half a glass of wine. Nothing since. Please be careful. You don't need the calories, you will likely get drunk faster, could cause dumping syndrome and know that there is a startling statistic of how many people become alcoholics after WLS. Some drs ask that you wait at least an entire year.

No news is good news. I guess. I did not call the financial guy, was waiting for him to call me. I will call him by 9:30 am tomorrow though. I am wondering about alcohol with the VSG- so far I have not read anything that talks about whether it is a good idea or not. I kind of like to have one drink a couple of times a week- but it isnt anything I HAVE to have. I am needing to buy some new clothes since I have not bought that much in the past three years since my lap band. I kept thinking one day I would wake up and start losing. So many people told me that was exactly how it would be. I even tried my best to jump start it- cardio, eating few carbs, not weighing, weighing, focusing on other things, and alas- nothing. So, I am still thinking not to buy clothes, as my life should change drastically psychologicallly and physically, if I can put the money together. Again.

Oh my, I've been drinking soda for years. Well, at least since I got banded in 2010. I like a diet 7-up with gin. Or whipped vodka with diet root beer. Only when I have alcohol. I do stir it around and get a lot of the carbonation out. I haven't had any issues. What would I look for? I do have a lot of reflux. But, I have that regardless of whether I've had any soda.

Over what period did you gain the 15 ish lbs.? Are you tracking your food and drinking your water? Are you following your doctor's plan? 15 is significant enough that I would stop drinking again. Not so much for the empty calories in alcohol, but the mixers and accidental snacking that can go with it. Can you call your dietician?

Congrats, you must be so excited. I was wondering did your surgeon tell you how long before surgery you should not drink alcohol. Some people say 2 weeks, others say 4 weeks, 8 weeks, etc...

Two or so days after surgery I was on the treadmill. 0.1 miles the first day, 0.2 the second, 0.3 the third. I just kept adding more. After 7-10 days I started ab work, again very slowly. I still exercise & was on the treadmill this morning. I'm a U.S. Army veteran & being able to move again is one of the best parts of this for me. The weight loss slowed down, stopped, & reversed direction the more alcohol I drank. Proud to say I haven't had any alcohol in more than 10 weeks. I definitely have acid reflux. There are lots of acidic foods I enjoy. Champagne, beer, & even fizzy water like La Croix "repeat" on me. Being a stomach sleeper doesn't help. I'm passively considering a revision, not actively. I reserve the right to change that answer though!

I am the youngest of 4 girls with 10 years between me and the oldest. I grew up in a family full of abuse. Not the typical abuse one thinks of when an adult says I was abused as a child. My abuser was my older sister who is 6 years older than I. She began abusing me both verbally, mentally and physically when I was about 6 years old. This continued until after I was well into young adulthood. At the age of 23 my Knight in Shinning Armor (aka Hubby) showed up and rescued me. Also during my childhood, my family had problems managing finances. My parents were chronic chain smokers who would rather buy a pack of smokes than feed us. We went many a days on Bean Soup and white bread if we were lucky. I remember being told stealing was wrong, yet we "borrowed" veggies from the neighbor's garden. My abusive sister's favorite things to call me was "thunder theighs", "fat ass", "lard ass" and she always made it a point to make my life as miserable as possible. We lived in a 3 bedroom home. My crazy grandmother lived with us as well. She had a pretty bad Morphine addiction from the 1940-1950's and also had Dementia. I never had any place to go to to get away from the abuse so I dealt with it. Whenever we had food in the house I would eat. I found that eating made me feel content and nutured, something I feel I never got from my parents as they knew the abuse was accuring, it happened in front of them, yet they never did anything to stop it. I figured if they didn't stop it then it must be true afterall at that age you believe anything your parents tell you and the lack of action told me a lot. It made me feel worthless as a person and not worth the effort to make her stop. Dad passed away in 1996. That's when I took on the role of money maker. My mom was never good in times of crisis. We lost the home we lived in because we couldn't afford to pay the rent anymore. My sister married an abusive, child molesting alcoholic so she always made it a point to live nearby. Of course this gave her the chance to continue to take her frustrations out on me. At one point I worked 3 jobs and went to school full time. I guess it's kind of like survival mode when it was going on as you do what you must to make it. My mom is very much a push over and allowed people (my abusive sister included) to use our long distance and run up huge (2-3,000 phone bills!). At this point in my life, I maintained my weight around 220. and within a couple years I started gaining weight. When I left home to move in with my hubby I weighed approximately 280 pounds. Neither of my parents were overweight. My mom can eat a whole plate of brownies without gaining and ounce. She has a hard time staying at 110 because her weight is always dropping. My dad was in the Army for 32 years and never was over 150lbs and was 5'8". He had Colon Cancer when I was 4-5 years old and after all his colon surgeries he never got back over 100 pounds. Personally, I think everyone who is overweight has a reason. Mine I believe was hoarding food. Growing up I never knew when or what my next meal might be so I ate well when it was available and the habit began. I also developed the attitude that since my parents never made my sister stop verbally making fun of me that everything she had to say and the fat references HAD to be true!

[3/28/10] Sometimes I wonder what miscellaneous people see when they look at me. Are they disgusted by my appearence as much as I am lately? Like, admittedly, when I see someone fat (my size on upwards of 4 or 500lbs): I wonder if there sturggles w/food have been like mine, I wonder how they feel about themselves, and wonder if they are as uncomfortable as I have been (physically, in terms of knee/hip/foot pain, exhaustion, etc) But most of all, I wonder if they have ever reached the end of their rope w/their weight/health or if they are content with being that way. I ask, b/c I know that some folks enjoy being overweight (ie: the lady recenty who aiming at trying to be 1200 lbs or something so assinine) I’m not judging. And this is not intended to sound/read as such – I’m just curious about peoples lives…and if, like me, they too are just as fed up with being (so) fat & out of shape…but don’t know what to do about it. I know people probably look at me on the Metro when I’m about to take a seat next to them thinking “noooooooo, I don’t want that fat broad squeezing me into the seat!!”. I’m very aware of peoples reactions…and it hurts. I just wonder if it affects anyone like it has affected me. And further – at what point do you decide to do something about your health. Being fat I could care lass about. IF I could be fat (morbidly obese is a less pretty term for the truth) AND healthy at this size…ok. But I think it’s physically impossible to be over a certain weight and not have any health issues (present & future) associated with it. Some folks are just riding down the river called denial. I know for me I wasn’t particularly in denial – its just that everything I tried never lasted long term, and I grew sick of feeling like crap about myself – especially over the past year. I don’t want to become one of those folks that acts (seems to act) like I’m so much more enlightened because I’ve decided to do something about my health – because that’s ALL this is about for me. But I wonder if people really know where they stand in terms of mortality. I’ll put it this way – there is NO food good enough, no alcoholic beverage tasty enough…for me to remain in my current state. I need help trying to shave some years off the death sentance I’ve given myself over the past 2 decades, and pray that the Insurance “Mayor” makes the Lapband surgery an easy pardon. I’m at my wits end. Add to it married life, motherhood, 9-5 job, jewelry biz…I’m damn near ready to throw myself (and a few other select ppl) off the Woodrow Wilson bridge. But its only a matter of time. Change come soon – I bring it!

I went under surgery with a BMI of 34.4 (or 34.7, it depends n the doctor, whatever). I have diabetes 1 and that was my biggest concern, I was afraid that eating so much and getting day by day more insulin resistant I would just have seriously bad consequences pretty soon. I am 30 y.o. So I really don't think I you're crazy, there must be a reason if one day you decided it was the right thing to do. Go back to that day. You do want to kill your diabetes (type 2, I guess?) and high cholesterol, right? Right now, just over 2 weeks after op, I am not using my insulin pump and I am only getting one shot of insulin in the evening. It's amazing. I do plan to go back to my pump one day, when I start to eat more. It's a relief. My blood sugar level is always great. I feel so good. I have to reach my ideal weight - 128/127 lbs - for health reasons (the less fat you have on your body, the less insulin resistant you are) and I could never ever do it without the sleeve. It has already helped me so much! Seeing that my bmi wasn't that high the surgeon told me I didn't have to follow any diet before the surgery. I stopped eating at 7 pm and drinking at midnight the night before surgery. I had surgery at 9 the next morning. I had a great last Greek lunch wth just one glass of wine the day before (they did tell me not to drink a lot of alcohol for the day)! Now this is MY personal experience, I hope it can help you somehow...

yeah, I'd say No to the beer due to the carbonation. I think the general consensus I've seen is this - Enjoy a glass of wine now and then once your surgeon has cleared you, remember that you are drinking some calories that aren't optimal but at the same times we all need to live and enjoy our lives. If having just one glass every week or two is what you are looking for, I think thats what a lot of people do. I have seem some trying to shame posters for even thinking or asking about alcohol but ignore them. Listen to your doctor and do what is right for you!

If you search alcohol, you will find many threads and posts with many varied opinions and experience. For me, my surgeon cleared me for alcohol at six weeks. I have had wine but drink it much slower. Don't notice that it impacts me any differently. Beer is carbonated so your doctor can guide you about that.

Well, I'm with you. He should NOT eat that stuff in front of you, it's just down right disrepsectful. It's like an alcoholic trying not to drink and a freaking bar! He should eat those things away from you, not in your face. I mean being strong is on things, and I commend you for that, but dayum, he should do better, and think of YOU, and what your going through. I've been through the same thing, and it's not fun. I don't like it at all! But your success IS up to you! Don't let him drag you down, or keep you for doing what you need to do for yourself. some me don't want change, and they will do what ever they have to, to stop it. Don't let that happen! Take control of YOU!

Thanks for sharing! We are human, just keep it in perspective. We will all have some days like that, and probably won't know why. Just like an alcoholic or drug addict, we will ALWAYS be addicts. I am realizing it more and more. This surgery is a great tool -- but we still make the choices on what to put in. You should be proud of how far you've come!!

Same thing happened to me . I was on the ground at the grocery store and ambulance took me to the ER had all the tests done came back DEHYDARTION,you need 64 oz of water a day ,I got a 20 oz bottle and drink 3 a daay. It gets boring so mix it up crystal light, powerade, what ever keeps you going. Alcohol dehydrates your body so limit that. Good luck hope it nothing serious

Well I have to admit that I have not always followed my preop diet to perfection. Through Kaiser they want you eating a certain way and well I would on a few occasions have a cheat day or rather a cheat meal. Just this past Friday, 9 days before my surgery, I drank two margaritas and had a veggie burrito. I felt really guilty about the alcohol. I guess it was sort of my last meal. I just now worry that my liver is going to be all gigiantic and slippery during surgery. I think that I am just getting really nervous about the surgery in general. I will be sticking to low carbs and high protein until my surgery which will mean that I will be doing that consistently for 8 days. I have lost a little over 30 pounds during this preop period. I just hope that I will be okay and that my liver will not cause any difficulties during surgery. I can't stop thinking about this surgery. It is so crazy that I am doing this to myself. I know that it is just nerves and that almost everyone goes through these feelings before surgery. I just wish that I wasn't so freaked out. I am sure that I will have a mini panic attack when I get into the operating room. Then being in the hospital overnight by myself. I guess I just need to stop thinking about these things and try to think about 2 months from now when I have lost weight and can eat and drink easier and not be in any pain. During my preop class last week the case manager gave us relaxations CDs...maybe I need to go and listen to it!

I grew up in Dayton and attended Chamindade-Julienne. Although I didn't know Father Chuck personally, I did know of him. This is truly sad. What makes this even sadder is the report put out by WHIOTV.com (the local Dayton station). Here's the link: http://www.whiotv.com/newsarchive/10212161/detail.html. This is like adding salt to the wound whether it's true or not. OSP: Priest Intoxicated When He Crashed POSTED: 2:50 pm EST November 1, 2006 UPDATED: 9:06 am EST November 2, 2006 HAMILTON, Ohio -- The Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to investigate a fatal accident that claimed the life of a local priest. The accident happened around 3 a.m. Tuesday on northbound Interstate 75 near Route 129 in Butler County. Troopers said the investigation has revealed that the Rev. Charles Mentrup, 47, of Middletown, was intoxicated and had a blood-alcohol level that was three times Ohio’s legal driving limit. Investigators said the Butler County Coroner’s Office found a tax receipt from the Argosy Casino among Mentrup’s personal items. The tax receipt was stamped at 1:47 a.m. Oct. 31. Troopers said Mentrup lost control of his vehicle, slid off the right side of the road, struck an embankment, overturned and then was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said Mentrup was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Mentrup was pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Franklin; however, he has several ties to the Miami Valley, including Alter High School. "Father Chuck," as he was known, came to Alter High School in 1988 as a teacher. He then became athletic director until 1993. Mentrup was also the associate pastor of Incarnation Church in Centerville, but most recently, he was pastor of St. Mary’s in Franklin. May he rest in peace and may those hurting over this terrible lose, find peace in their heart that they will one day see him again. God Bless.