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Good to hear Kelly! Youre always quite helpful. I was concerned the menthol or peppermint oil could be a tissue irritant (like alcohol) and therefore possibly not allowed.

I don't remember when exactly I had my first drink after surgery...probably my birthday, which would have been about four months after my surgery. I would suggest staying away from anything carbonated, and stick to something low-cal. I found the best sugar free margarita mix...I can make an entire pitcher for 300 calories-which is all just the calories of the alcohol!

I agree that it's no easy task, and coping skills are definitely learned behaviors. I was a self-medicator, and food was not my drug of choice. BUT, I can totally relate to the thought process of "do real people have true coping skills?" I thought it was impossible to find normalcy without drugs, sex, alcohol, partying, socializing etc etc. But, after I lost my weight, I really had to fight the urges of old habits creeping in. For me, I'm an obsessive, Type A personality. I mean seriously, my pantry is labeled and alphabetized with pretty little scrapbook cards, my closet is organized by sleeve length, size and type of clothing. There are other areas of my life that are total clusters and I keep them that way to feel "normal". Anyways, the one thing I did was really throw myself into research, feeding my body properly, and getting on the right path with my head and body. I knew that I had to change some behaviors with food like late night eating, and looking for that stuffed, Thanksgiving day full feeling. I had to occupy my mind with other things. I wrote a journal, not a blog online, a paper journal to express my feelings, and thoughts and mainly frustrations. It was venting of sorts, but it was just for me. I did become obsessed with the scale, I shopped until my little heart was content, I shopped so much that I hated trying on clothes, and even now, shopping for clothes has lost most of it's appeal because I got to a size 0 at the Gap, what else is there achieve??? Some find great comfort in support groups, and counseling sessions to where they can work out their issues with others in the same situation. Some throw themselves in exercising and working out, I wanted this to be me, I wanted to fall in love with working out, but alas, exercising is just like scrubbing toilets. For me, I had identify and really isolate those issues that caused me to turn to other venues to make me happy, or feel content and not stressed. I had to really find that other things in my life gave me joy. It's a tough road to travel, but it is possible. One of my most helpful outlets is volunteering. I became a stay at home mom/wife after my revision/complications/extensive recovery, and all of a sudden I was at home alone, bored, sad, and didn't have any friends. Seriously, no one local to hang out with, or even call a friend. I joined the base spouses' club, started bowling on a league, started volunteering on base, and with various organizations just a couple hours a week. I found great joy in giving to others, and finding a world existed outside of myself.

This article didn't have Sleevers in mind but we can use some of the info here to get more Testosterone flowing through us. The third one surprised me and I was thinking that it was like a way of life for us. Well sort of.... 13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels By Ron Geraci, Men's Health, December 25, 2000 The normal level of testosterone in your bloodstream is between 350 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Like combable hair, those quantities silently start to wane around age 40. You lose about 1 percent a year -- a harmless decline in the short term, but a cause of obesity, brittle bones, muscle loss and impotence by the time you reach your 60s -- if you live that long. Testosterone levels in the low range (a blood serum score below 350 ng/dl) may increase your chances of dying of a heart attack. It's not just an old man's problem, either. Men in their 30s and 40s also fall prey to low testosterone counts. It's a disorder called hypogonadism, and it can be caused by an undescended ********, a testicular injury, a pituitary gland disorder or even prescription drugs. It usually goes undiagnosed until a man hits his doctor with a telltale complaint: "I can't get an erection." "If you have reduced levels of sexual desire, have your testosterone level checked immediately," says Dr. Allen Seftel, a urologist at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals of Cleveland. You can replenish your testosterone stores with injections, gels, pills or Patches, but these medical treatments are no panacea: Side effects include acne, high cholesterol, shrunken testicles and liver damage. Further, don't take supplements like DHEA or androstenedione to boost testosterone; they might increase your risks of prostate cancer and heart disease. "For men with borderline testosterone scores, I advise them to try to raise their levels through exercise and weight loss before going on testosterone therapy," says Dr. Goldberg. And it might pay to start young. "Since your testosterone declines at a steady rate, it's conceivable that raising your hormone levels naturally in your 20s and 30s could help you maintain higher levels later on," he says. Either way, the reward can be a stronger physique and better bedroom sessions than you'd otherwise deserve. Below are 13 tips designed to get your juice up -- safely. Get Rid of the Flopping Belly Or you'll grow a pair of fetching breasts to complement it. Carrying excess body fat elevates your estrogen levels, and that may cause your testosterone levels to sink, says Joseph Zmuda, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Louie Anderson is proof enough of this. Two or three extra pounds won't cause this hormonal shift; it really occurs once you're 30 percent over your ideal body weight. "Unfortunately, that's pretty common now," says Dr. Dobs. But Lose Only One Pound a Week When you want to trim down quickly, you probably starve yourself while exercising like a madman. One of the many reasons this stops working in your 30s, when your natural testosterone levels start dropping, is pretty simple: Cutting your calorie intake by more than 15 percent makes your brain think you're starving, so it shuts down testosterone production to wait out the famine. "There's no need to reproduce if you're starving," explains Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fla. Ironically, this dive in circulating testosterone stops you from burning body fat efficiently, so you're actually thwarting your hard efforts to melt that tire off your gut. Skip the Atkins Fad Research suggests that eating a high-Protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men. Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you're the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna. Have Morning Sex German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly -- and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It's a sure bet you'll burn a little fat, too. Stick With Tough Exercises To beef up your testosterone levels, the bulk of your workout should involve "compound" weight-lifting exercises that train several large muscle groups, and not just one or two smaller muscles. For example, studies have shown that doing squats, bench presses or back rows increases testosterone more than doing biceps curls or triceps pushdowns, even though the effort may seem the same. This is why doing squats could help you build bigger biceps. Make Nuts Your Midnight Snack Nuts are good for your nuts. Research has found that men who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat -- the kind found in peanuts -- had the highest testosterone levels. "It's not known why this occurs, but some scientists believe that monounsaturated fats have a direct effect on the testes," says Incledon. Nuts, olive oil, canola oil and Peanut Butter are good sources of monounsaturated fat. Squeeze Out Five Repetitions per Set Throwing around 5-pound dumbbells won't help you effect a rise in testosterone. Start off by using a heavy weight that you can lift only five times. That weight is about 85 percent of your one-repetition maximum. A Finnish study found that this workload produced the greatest boosts in testosterone. Do Three Sets of Each Weight-Lifting Movement Researchers at Penn State determined that this fosters greater increases in testosterone than just one or two sets. Rest a full minute between sets, so you can regain enough strength to continue lifting at least 70 percent of your one-rep maximum during the second and third sets. Rest Harder Than You Work Out If you overtrain -- meaning you don't allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions -- your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina. The symptoms of overtraining are hard to miss: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage, joining the Reform Party. To avoid overtraining, make sure you sleep a full eight hours at night, and never stress the same muscles with weight-lifting movements two days in a row. Drive Home Sober To maintain a healthy testosterone count -- and titanium erections -- cut yourself off after three drinks. "Binge drinking will kill your testosterone levels," warns Incledon. Alcohol affects the endocrine system, causing your testes to stop producing the male hormone. That's one reason drinking often causes you to go limp at the moment of truth. Have a Sandwich at 3 p.m. As any sensible woman knows, the way to put hair on a man's chest is to fill his stomach. Your body needs a ready supply of calories to make testosterone, so regularly skipping meals or going for long stretches without eating can cause your levels of the hormone to plummet. Then again, that's probably the warden's plan. Buy the Fried Tortilla chips If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor. Stop Surfing for Porn at 2 a.m. sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can screw up your circadian rhythm. That's why it's no wonder your testosterone levels are higher in the morning after a good night's sleep. So if your work or social schedule keeps you stooped in perpetual jet lag, don't be surprised if you stop craving sex. At least that'll make it easier to stay out of bed.

the main reason they dont want you to drink is because 1. it takes less alcohol to get you intoxicated now, so it could be dangerous since you're drinking on an almost empty stomach. 2. there is a lot of calories and carbs in these drinks, so they will slow your weight loss down, and the drinks will be stored as belly fat since alcohol turns to sugar once processed through your system. On another note, I have had several glasses of wine, and no problems. My nutrionist told me to have a glass of water after each drink, she was furious though when i told her i drank the wine so soon. Oh well, what can you do...vacation peer pressure LOL. I would be nervous about beer, doesnt that have carbination in it? my friend made me a wine spritzer with seltzer, and i drank it thinking it was just some cheap ass wine, I started foaming at the mouth...literally, and had the worst knot in my chest.

Did you tell your doctor about your drinking prior to surgery? My doctor said no alcohol until 6 months, and then to use it sparringly. If you have an alcohol addiction, perhaps you should see a professional. The calories from the alcohol can definitely sabotage your weight loss efforts.

In general my doctor says no liquid calories and alcohol is nothing but liquid calories. Really no redeeming value other than the antioxidents.

I'm not a drinker so alcohol was not my problem. Post Op I did however have a Honey Nut Crunchy Peatnut butter problem. It was protein right? Anyway had to stop cold turkey.

I was banned on July 20th 2011. I have been in the same boat no weight loss I have been down the same 11 or 14 pounds since the first few weeks of surgery. I am on my third fill and starting to feel restriction. The best advice I can give is to start going to support group meetings. The band does not simply work on its own u have to work with it. Even if you don't have restriction you should try practicing putting the fork down when you feel satisfied. I know how difficult it is bc I am a true foodie. But if you want to see results you have to control it. I gave up Alcohol today I made a promise to stop drinking until New Years Eve..Pray 4 me this is going to be a huge challenge 4 me since I love wine.....But somethings gotta give and I want to be at my goal my next summer....

You should probably speak to your doctor or nutritionist, but I've had a beer with dinner. The only problem is that the alcohol seems to affect me a lot faster than before surgery. Allow for the faster buzz and you'll probably be OK, and make sure to have a sober driver.

TOTALLY! Not only about your stress eating but also with your child. Mine went AWOL from the marine corps and was missing for nearly 2 years (he was 22 then) . We rec'd no call from him in 2 years. . . the military kept calling us threatening that we were harboring a fugitive . . they were so stupid, finally i threatened back with lawyers as we didn't know where he was. They backed off. . . finally they caught up to him and he was arrested and spent 1 year in jail in Camp Pendelton CA. after that he paid restitution and was handed over to me. He rec'd a bad conduct discharge and i drove to CA to pick him up. For those 2 years I was a total emotional wreck. . . every time the phone rang I thought it was the Mp's or civilian police calling to let me know they found his body. . . it was horrible. After he came home, he lived with me for about 1 year and then disaapeared again in the night. I ballooned up to over 350lbs. . . another year or so passed and no calls, not from the police or him. . then we started to recieve orders for his arrest from the civilian police. . he was wanted for a variety of reasons, domestic violence, dwi, speeding, etc. . .he was in and out of jail. . . that was then. . . . Now I had the sleeve 2 years ago. . I've lost 150 lbs and am very proud of that. . . work is now my stress point and i noticed that when i was stressed out, like you, my stomach burns something horrible. . . i make very sure i keep really busy because i was depending on junk and alcohol a lot. . . lots of black licorice pieces and pretzels. . . i gained about 10 lbs. . . i had to stop so i did and lost that plus a couple more. . . i am a emotional eater and alcohol drinker. . . i had to stop both for a while. . . it was getting bad. . . So yes, i can totally relate with you and what you are going through. . . by the way, my son (is 30 now) has straighten out his life (for the past 1 1/2 years). he works, but has a record He has a nice wife and they are expecting their first kid. . . it is very very tough when your kid gets into trouble and has legal things against them. . . but know this. . .you have done your job, you have shown him the right way and guided him to know right from wrong. . . he needs to walk his path of life and stumble and fall, then get back up, shake it off, and continue. . . they all learn from their mistakes and hopefully this scared him enough so that he'll walk the straight and narrow now. . . good luck and know that you are not alone in this. . . alot of us have gone through problems and we are here to help you, even if it's just to listen and talk. . .

I was told I can't drink for the first 6 months is this true if so why? I'm thinking about thanks giving I usually have wine and was wondering if it would be ok. also can anyone tell me their experience with alcohol after being banded thank you in advance!

p.s watch out for alcohol later it really messes with calorific intake

The alcohol is always a big question and big issue. I am quite sure my alcohol consumption had something to do with my excessive weight. I am being sarcastic of course, but alcohol should always be accompanied by moderation, self-control, etc. My brother had a gastric bypass and his doctor gave him two stern warnings: 1) your body cannot process this stuff like it used to and 2) if you drink and drive with a bypass you will get a DUI. The physical difference between the band and bypass is obvious. For me, I need to be aware of my new diet (and changes) and change my definition of moderation. Personally, I like Bombay Sapphire martinis - dry with two queen olives. It has been two months and my wife and I will be going to Vegas on business the end of this month. I would love a martini, but if it is not on the diet or advisable then I will just wait. I like a good single malt scotch too (as well as a good Churchill). I like chicken fried steak to but that is over. I guess it is a matter of personal preference, ability and need. I have made the mental adjustment to booze early in the game because above all else - a good Delmonico needs an excellent cabernet. I just need to adjust the portion size accordingly.

I'm a low carber, and I never counted "net carbs". With net carbs, you subtract the fiber and apparently the sugar alcohol from foods to get "net carbs". I didn't have the time or energy to bother with net carbs. A carb is a carb to me. My body will burn those carbs over my fat stores, and protein bars with sugar alcohol give me horrendous gas. I'm talking peel the paint, eye-watering, gut busting, cramping gas so I avoid them even this far out.

Hugs! I hope you were able to enjoy them enough to relieve the stress of any associated guilt. You've lost 88 pounds, and a bit of chocolate and alcohol isn't going to put those 88 pounds back on. We'll worry if it becomes a habit. Sometimes life is hard and relief is necessary. How was the margarita? Any special kind? Easy buzz?

I think it is different for different people. If the group of people who you spend time with socially only socialize based on eating food to excess, you may want to change the people you socialize with. It would be like alcoholics who give up drinking or drug addicts who give up the drugs not socializing with their previous drinking / drugging buddies. Other than that - I don't think your best friend and sister should be concerned. Good Luck with the journey! I have never been happier.

I was told it has empty calories, no nutritional value and can be a gateway to other foods/bad habits. It just isn't worth drinking. Before surgery, I wasn't a big pop/soda drinker, but I would get a craving for Coke. It is the only thing I've ever truly craved. I know for me, it was one of the things that factored into my originally gaining weight. I had no idea how many calories were in it, and I was drinking it daily. That hasn't been true for me for many years. When I started on my weight loss journey, one of the first things I did was stop drinking pop. In reviewing my bad eating habits before surgery, I've found that I drank more pop when I was eating more on the run. It seems to be a gateway to bad habits for me. And I figure I can only have so many bad habits. I plan to resume drinking alcohol in the future, so I am willing to give up pop.

I will use this thread as a confessional. I do need to change my habits for a better me at goal. Being skinny was the secondary goal of VSG. Being healthy was a primary goal. The things I struggled with before VSG is the same thing I struggle with now. I have not posted about my 1 year anniversary back in mid September since I have not had my one year check up. Hoping to provide a full picture, not just before and after pictures. I know what report will say about my health. Here is my partial list of sins. I eat way too fast again. Figured out that if I shove in food fast, I can trick my full signal and get more food in. Friday evening I almost got sick...ARGH I often neglect to take my supplements’. Not enough protein - back on the carbs for the main staple of my diet Still not drinking enough water. Need to drag that cup around. Often mistake thirst for "hunger" and shove in food, usually junk food. I snack often and now since I have had the sleeve - sweets are my thing. Now I have dessert which I could pass on all the time before surgery. So, today I use my sleeve as a reason why I can eat this or that. I can eat junk most of the time and not gain the weight back since it is in limited amounts. In comparision to a drug addict or smoker whose goal is to get away from the addiction completely, I am not able to do this with food. I can not walk away from food forever. Can you imagine telling an alcoholic that you can only have three drinks a day to survive - so choose your drinks well? Or a drug addict that you can get hopped up upon occasion? I still plan my life around food, hoping I make healthy choices most of the time. While your advice would be welcomed, it is really not needed. I know what I need to do. What I need to find is the same resolve that I had to hit goal. My life cannot be spent taking advantage of this beautiful sleeve. Therefore my battle and demons remain before me and beside me. My battle is not with food, but with me. Thank you for allowing me to be honest with myself.

I am so glad to hear how well you're doing!!! I keep telling myself that once I can eat food, I won't be hungry so therefor I won't crave food! I have never been a big drinker (glass of wine with friends or a cocktail), so giving up alcohol is no sweat! I've also not been a big soda drinker. I have always been a Water or milk drinker. If I'm thinking of the same mini ravioli's.... Those things are tiny!!! You can only eat 3? -----------| <------ Aren't they only about that size each? That doesn't seem like enough to sustain the human body. I | | | | | | -------------- think I can eat more than that now! At one sitting I can eat about 3oz of soup. That's over about a 30 min time frame though!

I view this a bit more philosophically. I had the lapband so that I could get healthy, first, and lose weight, second. Both important. What I'm not willing to do is to let my band become a prison in the sense that it rigidly prevents me from indulging in what makes life a joy to live. I believe in "everything in moderation". Today, I follow a healthy diet, I go to the gym 4 times per week, and I greatly restrict the amount of alcohol I take in (carbonated or otherwise). That said, if I want a beer or 2 at a ball game, or a bite of dessert from time to time, I go for it. As long as it is the exception, and not the rule. I have always been known in my circle of friends as the guy who appreciates good beers. I like being that person, and I like the flavor of a well crafted beer. I'm not willing to let the band change that. For those people who think this will doom me to failure, I can only say that I am pleased with my current weight loss results. My health has never been better (sugar and blood pressure). All this, and I have managed to keep a small amount of beer in my diet. BTW, I asked my WLS doctor about the carbonation and his opinion was that carbonation would not stretch the stoma. He pointed to a lot of other foods that cause a lot of gas as a by-product that we are still allowed and encouraged to eat.

Have you ever really sat down and wondered how you got to this point in your life? You know how did you end up on a blog pouring our your inner most feelings to strangers. Well I know how I got here, how about YOU? I got here by lying to myself, telling myself that if no one saw me eat it, it did not count. I got here, by snacking on unhealthy foods, potato chips, candy bars, ice cream, soda, alcohol, bread, snack food, snack food, snack food. I got here by always making excuses as to why I ate something, why my diet failed. It was a dinner, a party at work, an outing with friends, I could cheat just once because, I COULD CONTROL THE BINGE! Well guess what I LIED, How about you? Have any of you ever lied to your self that you were in control? I did then and I do now and you know what I probably always will unless I learn to call myself on every morsal I put in my mouth that does not belong there. Have you ever wondered why the people who are successful are successful with lap band and weight loss surgery or diets? Why, because the follow the rules 99.9% of the time. I am not there yet, I still back slide, and I still beat myself up and promise I won't do it again. Why I am where I am today? I had to have surgery on my knee and this was just all the sympathy I needed for myself to start lying to myself. No I have not gained any weight but I have eaten things I know I cannot control. So I have spent countless hours trying to figure out how to make up for what I ate, so I'm hungry most evenings, not satisfied with my choices and feel like crap. Oh but it's OK. right, I had surgery, it is OK to allow myself a few days off for good behavior? WRONG, that is the thinking of an addict, an addict who has slipped and is lying to themselves again. Believe me I know what I eat, I log every morsal I place in my mouth, I am not eating enough protein, and I consistently eat too much fat. I have been trying to eat 40-30-30 and it ends up more like 40-20-40. (Carbs-Protein-Fat)So why am I bloging this today, because everyday I read about how one of us is doing good, one of us has back slide and one of us is searching for the right answer. We can not help each other or support one another if we do not hold ourselves and each other accountable. I need someone to call me on my bad behavior, I may not like it but, what good does it do me if I am allowed to continue back down a path of destruction. What good does it do any of us? We all made a decision or are making a decision to have surgery to help us control what we were not able to. So why sabotage our selves? Why go through all the physiological evaluations, jump through all the insurance hoops if we are going to continue to lie to our selves. I am nearing my one year anniversary this month, maybe that is what prompted this blog. I have lost 74 lbs and still have 34 lbs to go by the height and weight charts. I have been stalled for months; most days I eat right on target, I have restriction or "I am at my sweet spot" I have thought about a fill just so I eat less but know that is not the answer. So what is the answer? I guess that is a personal answer for all of us. To me the answer is learning to live a healthy life, make healthy decisions every waking minute of my day. To me it is hard wiring or rewiring my thinking so it becomes natural and not a daily chore. To me it is not allowing unhealthy foods into my shopping cart or on to my dinner table. I may not be able to control what my family eats but I can control what is brought into my house and I have a Rights. I have the right not to subject myself to unhealthy atmospheres, friends or family who do not support my choice to make a healthy life for myself. This may sound harsh but I have to be committed to this because every corner I turn there is someone or something there that if I allow it, it will help me to sabotage myself. So friends, take inventory of your life and YOUR cupboards because no one but US is going to help US make it. So my question when I started this rant,"Why do we sabotage ourselves?" So why do "YOU" sabotage yourself, do you know?

I drink coffee, diet coke and alcohol-all in moderation. I didn't drink much alcohol until I was close to goal. At this point though I'm trying to get Kcal in to maintain and quit losing! Nice problem right? I don't mind being this amazingly thin but almost nobody knows about my surgery and is sorta watching me and freaking out. Anyway, the only rule I followed was 60 grams of protein everyday. I didn't get all the water in, but tried. I didn't stop eating carbs, bubbly things or coffee. I drink when I eat and I eat carbs in moderation. However, I find I don't have much room for carbs when I'm pounding the protein down. The other thing I did was exercise. Anyway, in my brain those are the most important things. Its been 8 months and its still a honeymoon!

Hey! I just a lift and implants October 1st! First of all where is your incision? Did you go over the muscle or under? What kind of bra are you wearing post op? Have you heard of moob or morning boob? So for the first few weeks or a a month or so after surgery many people get something called a morning boob. It is often described as something similar to a guys wood. Your boobs are harder in the morning from being so still all night ( and your muscles). This will eventually go away but is a pain in the ass (err umm chest) at first. Massaging in the morning can help. I would love to sleep on my side ( I actually always wake up on my side whoops), but right now your implants are still adjusting to their pockets, so I wouldnt recommend sleeping on your side until your doctor ok's it or atleast 6 weeks (or when your allowed to wear a wire bra) My boobs are itchy because I had a bad reaction to the bandages, it actually left a bad rash so I cover them with gauze but no bandages. Anyways I use vasalin where the rash is and neosporn where the incision is every other day( all ok'ed by my doc). I clean the incision with alcohol every day after my shower ( which I wash the incision with dial soap). Once my incision has healed ( its about 50% healed I can already barely see the scar, btw I had an areola incision) I will just use a scar cream. I will look at the same tonight but I am not sure if it is a western brand or american. Your doctor could probablly recommend something. A lot of people like to use the silicone bandaid things as well for scars. If you havent already you should join justbreastimplants.com/forum. It is full of info for things like this!