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bigserv, I think you need to think long and hard about whether you want to have this surgery since you are having doubts. I knew I'd be giving up some things, like alcohol and sodas, but I'm gaining so much more: health, longer life (I hope) and the ability to move more freely than ever. I had serious health problems from my obesity and I see the surgery as a way to overcome those problems. Perhaps you need to do some more research. It IS possible that the sleeve isn't for you. It's a big decision and one that only you can make. I will be cheering you on no matter what decision you make. It's your life and your health, which means it's up to you. Good luck!

I think most programs expect you to get to a point where you don't need the protein shakes. The pre-op diet is for a couple weeks at the most. I take b12 in a sublingual form, I think the shots would be if you get low. What were you told you can never have again? I have heard soda/carbonation and alcohol. I have seen lots of people on the boards who either incorporate these in to everyday life or special occasions.

I waited about 6 weeks before I had caffeine and about 3 months before I had alcohol. I have found though that one drink at a bar (probably 2-3 shots worth of vodka) makes me feel good and 2 just makes me unwalkable drunk lol. So be careful!

I find when I drink alcohol the naughty me comes back! I want Amigos or Mc Donalds. So then I go get it & I can't even eat it!

10 days? That is pretty soon to be falling back to bad habits. It probably will not hurt you but remember alcohol is empty calories. The other thing to remember is you cannot drink it until after 30 minutes, so you probably will be drinking on an empty stomach, this will increase the effects of the alcohol. If you are going to drink you still need to treat it like anything else you put into you. It goes into you daily calorie count. Check the calories, you will probably say no to that margarita once you see how high it is. I do occasionally have a drink now but when I do it is bourbon on the rocks or strait up, no mixers for me. I love wine and beer but both are so high in calories that I usually stay away from them.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/118934-drinking-alcohol-after-being-banded/ Hope that Helps

I am 10 days post op today and I'm feeling much better. My shoulder and gas pains are lessening. I am going to my girls bunco party this Friday night which will be 15 days post op, and I know that all the girls will be drinking some sort of alcoholic beverage. Could I have some wine or a margarita to sip on or is it a bad decision so soon?

Replace the drinks with Water. Switch it up some like one drink of alcohol and then 2 waters. I live in Korea and people tend to go nuts here too a night out can be a finally roll outta the bar at 7 am ( they close when you leave). At first it was hard getting back into hanging with my crazy drinking friends, but after a while they got used to my drinking and I got used to switching it up some. If your friends are pushy with getting you to drink then start just leaving your glasses at the bar without finishing them. At dinner have some wine but don't finish it. Once they are drunk they probably won't notice the changes.

@winifred76- most definately I would be interested! This has been great for me reading how everyone has done. Reading about everyones post op diet makes me jealous to be able to have something new. I started my pre op on Labor Day. Only 4 days left. I have done a great job of sticking to it resulting in 14 lbs gone so far. But last night I will admit I had a moment of weakness. I had an extremely stressful day at work (pediatric donor) and it was a 20 hour day. At the end I was so hungry! I had already had my shakes and soup for the day. My work partner suggested we go to Old South Pancake House (Those from the Fort Worth area can vouch for the total YUMMINESS of this place). I thought about it and thought I could have some soup... Well I ended up eating some omelet and a few bites of pancakes... I felt awful afterwards. There is something to be said for picking food ahead of time and not looking at the menu when you get there! Suprisingly I was full after eating just a small bit. So this morning I am back to the diet. I am pretty sure my liver didnt puff up like a marshmellow from what I ate but regardless I still feel bad... Like an alcoholic sneaking a drink! Anyways- Sept 22 hurry up and get here!!

I was sleeved August 2nd...doing great! 45 pounds down so far, got the clearance to eat almost anything on Friday (nuts, alcohol, and carbonated beverages still no-no's). No nausea, no slimies, incisions all healed, no problems except an intense craving for diet coke that is only partly satiated by crystal light..sigh. I love that there is a forum for us August All Stars!!! I am going to have fun reading up on how everyone is doing!!! Glad to be here!!!! ~Jane

If you are not particularly a drinker or wine person, grape juice is supposed to provide the same health benefits, anti-oxidents, etc., as wine. Similar amounts (a 4-6oz glass) are fine for the same reason - limiting the excess sugars/calories while getting the proper amount of benefit and lessening the load on your liver during weight loss (some of us are on programs that avoid alcohol altogether during the weight loss period as our livers are already heavily taxed metabolizing the fat that we are losing - can you tell that my surgeon is also a liver specialist?) Addendum: any of the plant based foods with similar colors will have the same healful components - grapes, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.

I am sorry that you are so down on the band. The band has saved my life. Weight issues like we all have is just as bad as an alcoholic only worse because we can't say we will never eat again and be done with it, like an alcoholic can put down the drink and never touch it again. I would be on so many medications by this time without losing and keeping off the 90 pds I have lost. More than likely I would have followed in my mom's footsteps and even had a heart attack from the weight I had, but I am here in size 10 and I don't know how long this band will last, but it is giving me more years of a healthy life and if it does have to come out ( had it 3 yrs so far) I hope I have learned enough to keep some if not all the weight off at that point. What I am saying is that there is no quick fix for this weight problem. I think it is a life long struggle with all of us and I wish I could say that I am fixed forever, but that would not be not very smart thing for me to say. I don't know how long this will last but I am enjoying this and each and every day that I have being small and healthy. I hope someday that science comes up with a permanent fix for weight problems, but I do not see it happening, all the surgeries are temporary in one way or another. Make your decision that is comfortable for you and enjoy every day and every year of being thin that you can. I have talked to a lot of people with all of the different surgeries offered and they somehow have beat the odds of gaining it all back. Good luck and enjoy life and your decision.

I've had my band for 3 years and... - I've never been a Water chugger so I don't miss that. But I can get down enough water in a gulp. I definitely did not stay as tight as I was when I first got the band. - I drink during meals all of the time. I got tired of the tiny bites and chew, chew, chew plus it made me look and feel abnormal when eating with friends. I still eat much slower than anyone else and my portions are tiny compared to what everyone else gets down but i use water to avoid any socially embarrassing sliming episodes or even when I eat alone and want to eat something that I know will potentially get stuck. It doesn't affect my stomach's ability to signal a "full feeling" to my brain, probably because my stomach has shrunk so much getting used to the small portions. 3-4 oz of Protein and a few bites of a vegetable is usually plenty to get a "full" feeling. But that came with practice, I wouldn't recommend it to a newbie. - I can get down deli meat by drinking water, otherwise it's stuck city. Same with white meat chicken....I rarely eat it because, even with a lubricant, it gives me a stuck feeling. I can eat a lot of other Proteins though..although I wish I enjoyed more types of fish because a nice white flaky fish is the easiest to eat with getting the stuck feeling and without any lubricant. - I drink seltzer like it's going out of style. I couldn't deal with the no carbonation thing so I started drinking diet sodas about 6 months after my surgery. Now I've given up artificial sweeteners so diet soda is out but I LIVE on those Canada Dry flavored seltzers, I'll take Poland Spring sparkling water in a pinch. Sometimes it's exactly what I need to hit the spot. It's also an amazing way to deal with going to a bar and not drinking alcohol (which I limit because of sugar content). If carbonation affected my pouch size, it wasn't noticeable at all to me. Any time I've stalled on weight loss, it was because of eating the wrong foods, never because I could eat too much of the right things. Really looking foward to getting a Sodastream so that I can make my own flavored seltzers. I guess my point is not to worry too much about what others' experience has been...you'll have your own which may be totally different and you are more adaptable than you think. There are things I miss a LOT, eating without fear of getting stuck is one of them, but the weight loss became worth it for me. Hope you all get to that point as well!

My Doc's office is very conservative when it comes to pre-op preparations. I began the journey in February 2011 - did not have my consultation until September 2. Pre-op consisted of 6 weeks of informational seminars - Chest XRay - a MONSTROUS blood work up (I had hepititis at age 8 - the blood work they took then was NOTHING compared to the draw they took here!!) - Psych consult - letter from my personal physician - sleep study - EKG - Mammogram - Pap Smear - Colonoscopy - multiple visits with nutritionist and 6 MONTHS of negative testing for nicotine, alcohol and drugs. I was left with the impression that they were going to determine pre-surgery whether you had the stamina to actually stick with it and how determined you are go succeed in the process. When the consultation appointment arrived, though, then things have moved along quite quickly. Began 2-week mandatory liquid Protein diet on 9/6 and am scheduled for surgery on 9/20. Only FOUR days and my journey truly begins! Good luck with your surgery!!

I don't drink coffee,alcohol (yet) ... the only juice I've had lately is V8 splash ... could that be it??? I didn't even think about it ... I'm not going to drink another sip. I eat/drink babybel lite cheese, chicken, tilapia, chicken/turkey deli meat slices, costco chocolate Protein shakes & Water (with flavorings) .... that's it. :-( I stay hungry ... but now I don't know if I'm hungry or if its the acid. :-( Looking forward to relief!

That does suck - it seems like my worst acid issues were in the 2-4 month timeframe. Make sure you are eating only very small meals, maybe 5 to 6 times a day. Cut out anything that might upset your stomach - for example I literally can't eat bread without a bubbling cauldron happening after, so I don't eat it anymore. Cut back on coffee, alcohol, juice, anything acidic that may be making it worse. I hope you find some relief soon! BTW - omeprazole should be sufficient, but there are lots of different variations that could be more affective. I took Zegerid for a while and it helped and then switched back to the regular omeprazole. Good luck--

You'd have to look up the carb content but yes it will hinder your pre op diet- so will the vicodin. You are trying to shrink your liver before surgery to reduce risk of injury to it- and both alcohol and vicodin are not conducive to shrinking the liver by any means. You really would be endangering yourself to not go off both of those before surgery.

First of all, congratulations on getting the band. This is a life saving and changing part of your life. I too, would have turned into my mother with heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and everything else that my mom had later in life. I chose the band to get the weight off safely and slowly. I am almost 3 years out at goal and never had one single fill. I do have days I can eat chicken and then again can't eat chicken, depending on my band. It is very fickle, I never know for sure what I can eat and not eat. I do get stuck but it is my fault from eating too big of a piece or not chewing enough and eating too fast. I still occasionally go back to my old ways of eating like the house is on fire, but I keep it in mind, especially when I get stuck and it is a constant reminder to me. You will do fine, I lost 90 pds and am in size 10 from my size 22's, I am on NO medication and feel like a youngster again, I am 58 years old. Good luck and keep in mind that slow is better, it is going to take time to train yourself for eating properly. I still battle head hunger every now and then but I do believe this is a lot like alcoholism, it never goes away, it is always there and you need to keep it in check one day at a time. You have to eat every day and that is what makes it so hard. Have a wonderful day of your new life with the band.

So here's something that I wouldn't necessarily advise for others but it was what my surgeon advised for me after 11 days when I was so weak I couldn't hardly stand and they couldn't even get a blood pressure reading on me. He said "go home and eat ice cream". So I bought those little Haagan Das little cups and it took me 4 sittings to eat just one but after doing that Friday night, Saturday and Sunday I actually woke up on Monday morning feeling normal again. He told me that my body could not take the lack of carbs. Everyone is different. I suggest that we all listen to our surgeons and go by what they are telling us - they are trained to adjust when necessary and that is what he had to do for me. I would have never done that on my own and honestly was shocked when he suggested it but it was, as they say, "just what the doctor ordered". And this is a surgeon in SoCal that does thousands of these procedures and there is a waiting list to get in to him. Everyone's body is different and that is why we have medical professionals gudiing us through this process. We have people in our support group that can't stop losing weight and are eating donuts and drinking alcohol and then there are others like me who stick to a plan for the most part and end up and very long stalls. We are all different and our bodies react differently. But again, please defer to your surgeon for guidance on what my work for your particular biochemistry. Don' t take chances with a surgery like this one - leave it up to the experts. But trust me, we have ALL eaten something at least once that was probably not the smartest move and we paid the price :-(

Yesterday I had my required appointment with the Psychologist for my "evaluation". Now, I don't think I'm crazy, far from it but I have to admit I was nervous. You see all these scenes on TV or in the movies and people end up laying on the couch and crying so I really had NO idea what to expect. He went down a list of questions: Do you eat and then throw up - No Are you anorexic - No Are you an alcoholic - No Are your parents alcoholics - No Were you molested or abused as a child - No Have you ever experienced domestic violence in a relationship - No Do you bing eat - No ... and on and on ... After what seemed like an eternity of "no" answers he looks up at me and then back down at his paper and says, "well, you're kind of boring" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! If THIS is what boring is then I'll take it! One appt down, now I just need my 2 Dietician appts. Hopefully they won't think I'm boring ... or crazy!

Tiffykins has a good point by point response to this list. I would further break down the list to those issues that are VSG specific and those that are general to all WLS procedures, or rapid weight loss in general. The chronic GERD and possible twisting of the sleeved stomach are the only ones on the list that are really VSG specific. When you start looking at procedure-specific side effects, the sleeve starts to stand out from the others, and it's easy to see why it's gaining popularity. Issues that may be important to some is the general requirement by most WLS surgeons that patients stop smoking and drinking alcohol before surgery and for some variable period of time post-op, and that alcohol tolerance may be reduced long term. Another "issue", of sorts, to note is that all of the WLS procedures take some lifestyle changes and committment, which vary some by procedure, to be really effective long term - none of them are cures unto themselves.

Thank you everyone. I will eat 4 oz of chicken or steak, have not had bread since being banded in March. Never drink soda, never have pizza anymore. I still have chocolate but very little. I still drink alcohol but not often. I do cardio and weights and switch off on different days. I have salad and the occasional two or three french fries but that is all. I eat cheese. Except for cutting WAY back on carbs, I eat the same but less but no movement on the scale. I have noticed inches but the scale won't budge. I never seem to be thirsty so I am working on that. I eat a lot of eggs. Should I only have eggwhites maybe? How would I take Hoodia? Aren't they big pills? I am still crushing some or opening capsules since my doc said I may have to do that indefinitely. Can you crush or open hoodia? I have a ton of natural energy so I don't like taking things that may make me wired. If I have coffee, it is always decaf. I have never been able to drink any caffeine at all! What do you eat when you drive around all day from client to client (bookkeeper)? I don't want to rely on fast food. Not that there is much I can eat.

Hi all here is my 2 cents, i come from a background of drug addiction. I had 2 weeks of clear liquids followed by a week of full liquids and a week of pureed foods. I knew that the clear liquids was going to b hard but I saw it as what it is, detox. When you are detoxing cheating puts you back farther in the process. It relieves the cravings for the moment but just like the alcoholic who takes a drink it just put more of the stuff in your system you are trying to clear out. Let your body detox. You will find that sugar and starch has less of a hold on you and you start off with more weight loss. Full liquids and mushies showed me my triggers. Sweets, which I don't really like, trigger binges. I prefer pot roast to chocolate cake but I've never eaten a whole pot roast at one sitting while I have eaten a whole chocolate cake (not since being banded though). Strange how that works. The good thing is that if you go through it you get to the otherside and it gets better. The best part is that you don't get the DTs with food withdrawal. And part of going through it is that you learn how not to eat when you are bored or anxious or whatever.

From what I can see, you lost a heck of a lot of weight. Not that you should want to rub it in her face but dangit, you finally found what works for you and you are excited. Don't let her poo poo that in any way. Her issues with her own weight are separate and are her own. It is great she lost 50 of the 100 and she needs to see the glass is half empty and that is a good/great thing. She is halfway there! I'm sure it changes the dynamics of the relationship, but it sounds like you want to be happy and have worked hard for it. Being overweight is just awful,, and unfortunately it creates scenarios where many of our relationships are built around food. Just like an alcoholic likes to drink with drinkers. Smokers with smokers... She probably misses her old food buddy, but she needs to find her peace with your new gorgeousness!

I've made it through an entire weekend on liquid only! This is an accomplishment that I must celebrate, as it struck during a very busy time. Yesterday, being that it was the 10th anniversary of 9-11, I had been booked to sing at 3 different events throughout the day. The first one was not as hard because there was not a meal or food involved. But the second event was a Banquet WITH LUNCH!!! The biggest issue I had was that I didn't want to draw attention to what I was doing. Not only that, the meal was served FAMILY STYLE. So for those that might not know what that is, they put enough food on the table for everyone and then we have to pass the plates. So every item had to be passed in front of me, through me, and across me! I had to explain why I couldn't even eat green beans, which of course are healthy in most aspects! BUT....I planned ahead. I stopped and bought a can of chicken broth and brought it with me. Then, very quietly, I asked the server if she wouldn't mind warming it up, to which they were so accommodating to do and thankfully it was rather satisfying! The hardest part of the meal for me was when they served cake and ice cream. Homemade cake, with buttercream frosting! I LOVE that kind! But....I made it through. I didn't even have one bite! Then the last event was for an Honor Flight celebration and they had alcohol! My mom had a wine cooler and she knew I couldn't have one. I ended up leaving rather quickly after I sang the National Anthem and God Bless America. There were thousands of Harley riders there celebrating our great nation. The main event was the Grand Funk Band, so I stayed just long enough to mingle and then went home to relax. I am half way there, but I feel as though it is an eternity today for some reason? My surgery is Wednesday next week and Tuesday is an all-day fast/cleanse. But maybe at this half way mark is when it gets tough! I have learned some things though that I would like to share. I've learned to listen to my tummy. It growled today. That was in a way a good sign, because I knew it was time to get my broth for lunch. I've also been paying attention to the 'full' feeling in my tummy, which I have to admit I am not good at noticing. I know I will need to understand that for after surgery. Thank you for your comments on my last post, please keep sending them, it is encouraging to know that what I write or feel is seen by someone else. Hope your days are going well and you are pressing through whatever phase you are in! Let me know if anyone is out there who has surgery next week as well? It might be fun for us to keep each other up to date on our healing and growth! Weight: 206 (down 7 lbs!)