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I, too, had ulcers and it didn't interfere with surgery. As a drug and alcohol counselor, I congratulate you on use being in the past. Good luck with surgery! Sent from my KFASWI using the BariatricPal App

Fort Smith....you sound exactly like me! I also have the same concerns with being banded (12/9) I also quit smoking a month ago and I have gained weight...which the dr office really frowns upon. But eventhough I have gained a few lbs, I know that I'm better off not smoking. Drinking is another concern for me as well. I'm a social drinker so hanging out with friends is going to really be hard without my two other friends (cigarettes and alcohol) My ultimate goal is to get healthier, be around for my kids and feel better about my self. So in the grand scheme of things, how important is a cigarette or a drink? Not very huh? Good luck to you and keep up posted on your progess!! We can do this!!

I haven't heard of that particular one, but I do know there are lots of "Protein breads" out there. But again, there's always way more carbs than protein in anything like that. It's the nature of the beast...baked goods, bread, Pasta and grains will ALWAYS be carb heavy, no matter what they do to try and sell it as a protein or low carb product. Believe me, I don't eat perfect 100% of the time, but I sure did for the first 4-5 months. Since then I have had ice cream, tiramisu, cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, blueberry muffins, alcohol, crackers, noodles, etc. But not until I was at (or darned close to) goal weight. I don't plan on dieting the rest of my life, so I'm OK with eating these things in moderation since I'm technically in the maintenance stage. But 90% of the time it's still protein first, then veggies, fruit and whole grains/fiber.

Well, here's my take... 1. At this point, if you can eat a whole yogurt, you are probably definitely full! I was on liquid only for two weeks after! A yogurt would have definitely filled me to the brim. 2. When you can eat more than you should and are still hungry before it's time for the next meal, you need a fill. 3. At this point, if you eat a solid you take the risk of moving your band. It is probably tacked in place but if you over fill your pouch or eat something solid, you could displace it and it wouldn't heal properly. Also, as you eat solids, your stomach will have to churn more to digest them and that could also cause problems. You have come to far...don't risk it! 3. Yes, you will likely be physically able to eat the things you love again in smaller portions. I was only banded in July, but I can already eat anything I want, really. (That is I haven't tried anything I can't eat if I chew well.) With that being said, only you know if you can mentally eat just a little. If you are a food addict, don't tempt yourself with something that would be like liquor to an alcoholic. Does that make sense? I LOVE pizza. Now I eat a piece (or two really small ones) of very thin crust if I must have pizza. Before, I could have and sometimes did eat the whole pizza. For me, this is the answer...what it's all about. I've lost weight plenty of times in the past by eliminating all "bad" foods. I can t-total it, but only for a while. Eventually, I would go back to eating whatever I wanted because I couldn't help myself. As a result I regained everything and more back. This time around, I am working for a lifestyle change. I will continue to eat anything I want, but in small portions. I can live that way forever, but I don't think I could realistically never eat pizza or chocolate again. Ya know?

Mostly what I eat is lean meats and fruits/veggies. That fills me up without needing to add in a lot of filler foods like bread, rice or potatoes. (and no, this is not even remotely low carb) Notice that "mostly". Because it's OK to have some of the other stuff; just watch the calorie & nutrient intake to make sure you're giving your body what it needs. It's OK to have a bite or two of dessert once in awhile, or an alcoholic drink... it's just a matter of planning to incorporate it and not making those sorts of things a big portion of your daily diet.

Know what you mean, about the bodies that is!:tongue2: I went off before to go on diet meds and I was the worse bitch in the world and could not for the life of me control it. Sounds like a pattern. I think I was on Zoloft at one time myself and then many others like Effexor. I watched my brother go off his meds for depression when a "Tom Cruise" type person told him he should and meditation would help. My brother called me crying for days and had such bad anxiety that he could not get off the floor! Thank God I've never been as bad as that but I've seen it and know. I've also passed it down to my daughter and it breaks my heart. My brother is six years older and it hit him in his early 20s, I found it so strange then. Then when I was about the same age it hit me and got worse as I got older and had kids. The bad thing was it hit my daughter at an even earlier age but I had the foresight to know what was going on, not perfect, but was aware and there's so much better treatment and awareness out there now. My dad unfortunately died an alcoholic and that's how he dealt with it by self medicating. I think his grandfather killed himself but I don't know all the details but it's a difficult thing but manageable today. The problem now is living with the side effects which can be real problems too. Also they're not always effective and you may have to change dosages or prescriptions. Thanks for sharing, brandyII.

There are two or three threads out there specifically titled "You can gain weight" so yes, it's entirely possible. As for the stomach stretching like that? NO WAY. But you don't need a stretchy stomach if you choose to eat high calorie foods that slide. It's easy to consume enough soda, alcohol, ice cream or even chips and Cookies to gain weight if you choose to do so. No, not immediately post op. But definitely in maintenance. The sleeve relies on restriction. If you eat around the restriction, it's as if you never had a surgery. That said, I think it takes effort. It means completely ignoring everything you know is right. It means indulging in self destructive behavior. It means that instead of eating a pizza in a sitting, eating a piece every single time you have room. And you'll know what you're doing. You won't be able to mindlessly eat an extra thousand calories at dinner because you won't have room. You'd have to choose to do it. It's a tired line but no less true for that: The sleeve is a tool. Just a tool. How you use it is entirely up to you. Overcoming bad habits and being honest with yourself about what/how you eat is critical for long term success. ~Cheri

Wow there are some real judgey people. Use your own common sense. A drink now and then is fine if you want. That your thinking about it being a red flag is proposterous if you are talking about 1 or 2 social drinks. They have some alcohol hang ups to say that. Good luck!!

i am 22 and i had that same question. my doctor told me that it shouldn't be a problem. he told me that i might get drunker faster and the carbonated drinks might make my feel nauseated. the only other problem i can think of is that alcohol has a LOT of empty callories. one night of drinking could potentially set me/you back quite a bit. but i have decided that if i do decide to go to the bar, i have to work out twice as much the next day.

Sure you can. The carbonated stuff is usually off limits for most of us but there are other choices out there. Be mindful of the calorie content of your choice, I go for Vodka and sugar free cranberry juice myself. Alcohol has no different effect on me because of the band either. Some say that they get drunk faster but I really don't see why that would be except that as we lose body mass, alcohol might affect us differently. I guess because with the band I can't drink as fast as I used to so maybe that balanced it out because I don't get drunk any faster.

I think that you should not drink at all. At 2 weeks out that your even thinking about it is a red flag in my opinion. I went through a 6 month support / educational class before my insurance would give me my surgery date and all I ever heard when we spoke about alcohol was "no". No more, none, never, full of empty calories and bypassed people have a very high chance of becoming alcoholics......just say no!

If you use search for "alcohol", you will see you are going to get a myriad of answers. Many programs ask that you wait 6 months to a year; however, there are many people that imbibe much earlier. As you make that decision, here are a few things to keep in mind: 1) Alcohol is pure liquid calories. You need to track it and only use non-calorie mixers if you are going to drink. 2) Please know that MANY people struggle with alcohol addiction after WLS. It is very common so be very very cautious. 3) Do not eat when you drink. Don't let your drinking lower your resolve to stay on a plan. 4) Remember you are in a honeymoon phase and need to do everything you can to take advantage of that time. Does alcohol really fit in to that? 5) Remember that alcohol may hit you faster and could potentially make you sick. If you are going to drink, I would suggest trying at home first so you know how it will affect you. Will having a drink this early out kill you - likely not. Just because you can, does it mean you should - likely not. You have to make the best decision for yourself knowing all the risk factors. Also, let me say this - I am 8 1/2 months post-op. I have had 1/2 of a glass of sangria and 1/2 of a bloody mary during this time (1 around 7 months post-op and 1 about 8 months post-op). I am headed out on vacation to an all inclusive resort where in the past, I have enjoyed a few adult beverages. I talked to my NUT this week and she said I should try to restrict my drinks to 1 per day. That is not likely to happen and I told her that. I will be cautious. I will track it. I will exercise in hopes to keep the calories from stacking up too much, but I am going to try to enjoy my vacation and stay on plan in all the ways I can - Protein, Vitamins, Fluid, exercise and most importantly for me, I have to make sure that when I return I do not use it as an excuse to return to my old lifestyle. We have been given a gift in the form of WLS and I want my life to be different here on out. If alcohol turns out to be a stumbling block for me personally, then it is something I will have to stay away from.

And if the government, an entity that feels entitled to regulate every other aspect of life for its citizens, should not be responsible for its most defenseless members (children and elderly), then whose job is it? Let's punish that baby because its dad spends his money on expensive rims instead of providing health care for his child. That makes perfect sense. I was not advocating publicly funded health care for the general population - just for those who have no other source of health care. How does the state "educate people in making good choices" when there ARE no choices? In the example I gave Jodie, what choices did you have for that young woman? Borrow from her parents...beg for help from churches. Is that the best the state can come up with? If being poor is wrong, maybe everyone who doesn't pull his/her own weight financially should just be executed. I'm sorry, but I will never be able to harden my heart to those less fortunate. I was raised by a single mom who very rarely saw any support from my alcoholic father. Yes, my mother had lots of help from her family and I don't know what would have become of us if she hadn't. And she had a college education, but it was still tough. My mother made most of my clothes and took in ironing to pay for my dancing lessons. I guess if I were growing up today and got a free lunch at school, someone would say, "She doesn't need that free lunch; her mother can afford to send her to dance class." What arrogance! I don't really like entitlement programs either. I worked with those people every day for 15 years and I know that too much of it saps ambition. But for such basic human needs programs as WIC and free school lunches, I just think it's small and mean-spirited to begrudge those things. It's food, for heaven's sake. And if memory serves from my own days in public school, not very good food, at that.

While I happen to agree with the anti cheating sentiments most others expressed, I also think the OP does too. Or else why would she bring it up as a problem? The way I read this, she doesn't like how she behaved toward her husband - but that is ended/ending; she finds a new relationship and is repeating the pattern. Once again, the way it was written was not clear, but I think she was asking if others have found themselves behaving "badly" after losing alot of weight. I am a believer that obesity often shields us from very complex emotions. Not overeating, obesity itself. Example - It is well known that many obese women have a history of sexual abuse (not saying this applies to OP, just the topic itself) and the fatsuit protects from outsiders, as well as from our own internal shame/desire type motives. It is also well known that sexual abuse of children can create emotional and behavioral and even personality disorder issues later in life. When people lose alot of weight - hidden demons so to speak can emerge. If you thought you worked this stuff out as a youth, you might be surprised that underlying emotional issues rise out of the victory of the weight loss. I know someone who went from a seemingly normal work colleague, wife, mother etc to dying in her sleep, after having left her family, due to organ failure post gastric bypass/massive weight loss. She had become a very very serious alcoholic (and other very very high risk behavior, lost her job etc etc) and as a type 1 diabetic, her organs gave out faster than most. We can say what people "should and shouldn't do" but truth is they might be really struggling. Being bashed here just adds to the general feeling that the world is not a safe place for them. Personally, I think (going back to OP) it is way too soon for her to even know WHAT she seeks. Maybe a poly lifestyle is a good choice, but a person needs to be pretty internally stable, pretty self aware, pretty centered to take on alot of that kind of stuff - in my opinion. Goes back to what is it you really want and is the current behavior getting you there? I bet there are alot of people on this forum that could ask themselves that question - not necessarily about sexuality, but about how they are living their lives. I realize that not everyone who has WLS has so much buried deep and maybe don't relate that well to the huge emotional turmoil but doesn't mean it isn't real. For me, it was anxiety that came up - not when I experienced "eating less" but it showed up when I got to a normal size - who knew???. It has been quite a journey to come to grips with it and to understand that it has always been there. I think that facing those sorts of things help us prevent regain because I gotta tell you, sometimes the inner self asks the question "weren't you happier when you were comfortably numb????" well, no I wasn't, but it is a valid question. I should probably start a separate thread before I go to much deeper on this topic.

To me, sugar is as addictive as alcohol and drugs. I can totally lay off sugar rather than tell myself I will only eat one or two mouthfuls. If I can't have three cupcakes, i don't want any. I feel so much better mentally since I am not eating them. I finally feel in control of myself. I truly understand how people feel in trying to kick the habit.

I have my best friends birthday -going out to the city 10 days before. And then my hubbys birthday the night before. All happening during my 2 week liquid diet. For me those are important events I'd normally have food be a must have or important part of the day. Since I know my priority is my health right now I'm taking precautions. I'm actually more nervous about the friends birthday outing since she doesn't know I'm having surgery. But I plan to bring a bottle with a premix Protein drink in my purse and sip on that and get a light soup and salad no dressing or extras and just slowly pick at that. I will avoid alcohol though since that's a big no no for my liver. God I hope my willpower is as brave as my words. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Atkins would be the last bar I'd want due to all the sugar alcohol. It screws my system up badly. Maybe you'll have better results. Quest Bars are hands down the best I've ever tried. Very high in Protein, low in sugar, high in Fiber and the flavor is killer. Most all of the Protein powder when mixed with ice Water seems to work out great for me. There is a wide, wide range of excellent low-carb protein powder available.

hi everyone, today is my 3 year bandiversary. i was thinking about 3 years ago and what my life was like. to begin i was scared stiff about the surgery itself. i wasnt afraid until i was sitting on the gurney waiting for the actual surgery. i almost stopped it....thank God i didnt. my fill is working. i've lost 9 of the lbs i gained. i'm not digging the up and down restriction but i am digging my clothes starting to fit better. i am working real hard to stay off sugar. last week i started eating a little again and guess what? i let the monster out and i couldnt get enough. luckily (you wont believe what i will say) i got a small stomach virus and couldnt eat anything. so i got off sugar (for the 1 zillionth time). i am going to my nephew's birthday tonight and i am praying all day not to eat any ice cream cake. i spoke with my therapist last week and he suggested to think through what happens when i start the sugar. (headaches, depression, cant get enough and ultimately weigh gain). i am in AA and that is a tool we use for alcohol so i am applying some of these tools to food. it is truly an addiction. jeni: so glad you are on track again. we all seem to be in similar places. a food journal really helps to see reality. i was shocked how much i was eating when i professed "i hardly ate anything" one day. happy bday and good luck on your goal for vacation. i like having a focus like your family vacation. it seems to motivate. demsvmejm: glad your band didnt slip and doctor helped to get everything sorted out. we are lucky to have these second chances and i do believe we are in the process of learning how to live. good luck and keep on keepin' on hi momlambert, carol, tammy, thickchick, whitepants have a super day and lets keep holding hands to help each other josie

I'm not sure there are any restrictions. May want to wait 4 weeks just to be on the safe side? Just remember that alcohol can cause some dehydration making your band feel tighter afterwards.

Check the ingredients on the shakes. If one of the ingredients is Sorbitol or one of the other sugar alcohols that could be your culprit. Sorbitol was originally developed to be used as a laxative when they discovered it was a great sweetener

I have a friend banded last april who keeps telling me that shes heard that caffine and alcohol lead to the erosion of the band. I have never heard the such. Has anyone else heard this? I have seen nothing like this in all the complication posts, or erosion topics Cristan Banded 7/04/2005-ORTIZ 335-275 and losing!

I haven't felt any restrictions. Occasionally when I do ab exercises I feel pain where the port is...my doctor told me to just cut back on how many I do but it's ok to continue exercising. I have no problems consuming and foods and now, alcohol goes straight to my head :-)

3.5 weeks post surgery. Went to our state fair tonight and was really sad that I couldn't eat any of the food I love having at fairs. I really wanted a corn dog, and cotton candy, and funnel cake, and alcohol, and, and, and.... We didn't stay long because I was sad plus I still haven't returned to full energy levels since the surgery. Just feeling down and wanted to share.

So I went camping this weekend with a huge group of friends. I had just a few worries about packing the right foods and being in a social situation for the whole weekend. It went ok though! I did have a few sugar free jello shots and 64 calorie beers thruout the weekend. As long as I don't make the alcohol intake a regular habit I think I will be ok! But come on, it's summer and I was among many great friends! I did notice that my energy level wasnt like it usually is and I attribute that to the carbs. For meals, I took along several pouches of tuna for lunches and had a hamburger patty each night from the grill. We had plenty of cut up fresh veggies and for breakfast, I brought boiled eggs. I didnt even feel left out about s'more time! I know that if I have something that is high in sugar, I will feel terrible afterwards, so it is easy to say no to those foods! I have learned to just plan ahead for situations like this and it goes fine. It is even true for my work week. If I make the effort to plan ahead things go so much smoother

#1. I agree, around 6 weeks. #2. Regarding the fruit. Fruit is high in carbs and most diet plans want you to keep your carb intake fairly low. Also, many fruits are very fibrous and can cause a blockage(stuck episode) and that's not something you want so early in your recovery. #3. Jean's right again. Worthless calories. I've allowed myself one beer or one glass of wine per week. Sometimes none and sometimes two. I've found I really don't miss alcohol as well as many other foods. #4. Most doctors and nutritionists do recommend no fluids up to 15 minutes before and 60 minutes after a meal. I have to say I don't follow this rule and I'll tell you why below. I drink right up to a meal. Sometimes, if I'm excessively tight, I need the liquid to help my meal pass through my stoma(not often). I will also drink right after a meal but only if I have satiated my appetite. But, you should follow your doctors advice. Now my caveat. As we all travel down our own paths with our bands, we all find ways to make it work(or not) with our bodies. In the beginning I followed the rules as closely as anyone. But as we became familiar with each other(me and my she-band) I've made some adjustments that work for my band and also aid my weight loss journey. Such as drinking during or after a meal. I found that sometimes I had to drink just so I could consume enough of my food to keep up my nutrition levels. I've never drank fluids just so I could eat more food. I'm the one in control over this element of my weight loss plan. You are not here yet. And it takes time to get to the green zone and understand how your body communicates with your band. For some, it's 3 months and others, years. So be patient and follow the rules till you have some experience under your belt. tmf