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I am not yet sleeved but have been trying to work through some eating and self-destructive issues I have had for many years prior to the surgery so that I keep these behaviors from sabotaging my weight loss. I am not saying that it won't creep in at times just as you experienced. The truth is many of us got fat due to other factors and may have used food to self-medicate that pain. You take food away and there the pain still is and it is absolutely normal to try and find some way to self-medicate to ease that pain again through whatever means, shopping, gambling, drinking or drugs. We aren't used to dealing with the pain and feelings and not having something to insulate us from that means we have to feel it, experience the pain and try and work through where it is coming from to heal that part of ourselves. I am specifically worried about how my marriage will weather through this. My husband is also overweight and tends to use alcohol as a crutch. When we don't have eating out or grabbing a beer or two together in common I am not sure what we will do. I talked to him about this last weekend and he is saying all the right supportive things but I am still concerned it may open up underlying issues that will have to be addressed. I am hoping I find stress relief through exercise. I have never been a consistent exerciser but expecting a life filled with self-confidence issues, abusive relationships and passive/aggressive behavior to magically be all better because I am thin is not realistic. YearningToBeThin, I hope you seek out someone to talk to that can help you put things in perspective. You are not alone. So many people struggle but keep it in. We just wear our struggles on the outside.;o)

I've always been conceided even when I was fat so I didn't think it was "that bad" but now I can truly see the difference and it disgusts me. I also get disgusted at the amount of food and type of food that people eat. I promised that although I was going to have this surgery, I would remain a fat girl inside for ever but I honestly get grossed out by the amounts of food that certain people eat. I feel like a hypocrite but can't help my feelings ... does anyone feel this way too? OMG YOU SOUND LIKE ME!!! I'm getting my sleeve next week, and I tell people now that I'm just your average VAIN FAT GIRL! My best friend ( who weighs 135 pounds) is constantly getting onto me because of my comments towards "women of size" who just don't seem to have MIRRORS IN THEIR HOMES! I'm really not trying to be a snotty B***H, I just think that if you are going to cram all that food into your body, at least cover it up. I cover everything! And Probably will for a very long time, EVEN after I loose all this weight! You look AWESOME, and yes, you should probably limit the alcohol use a bit, but you have still done a great job and have a lot to celebrate!!!

How about vodka and cranberry? White wine? I don't think alcohol is conducive to weight loss but this sounds like a special occasion so in moderation should be just fine. Have a great time!

The main advice I would give is the 1st time you have alcohol after surgery, go easy and do it at home with people you trust. It hits everyone differently but for many a little goes a very long way following surgery.

My husband and I collect good wines and truly savor and enjoy them. My surgeon said no alcohol for three to six months. So I figure I will be able to enjoy our wine again around Christmas, which I am looking forward to. It WILL slow weight loss down and for some people (like me) pretty significantly. It is temporary, so I can do it. But I miss it and will look forward to that first glass. But I am not going to drink it daily anymore, even when I go back to having it in December.

I drink wine several times a week. Usually a glass or at most 2 (5 oz servings). My weight loss isn't super fast, but I am losing while still indulging in one of my guilty pleasures. I have read on here that others were told they aren't EVER supposed to drink alcohol again after surgery...sorry but that doesn't fly with me. Moderation is key...and I only drink when I've met my daily protein and fluid requirements. I find it takes much less for me to be satisfied...I used to drink a whole bottle of wine. If my weight loss stops, well then it's time to give it up

Doctors seem to vary on strictness. Mine allows alcohol and caffeine after one year. I LOVE bubbles in drinks. I will miss that the most of anything. My Doc did warn me that some people can never have carbonated drinks again because it causes pain and others find it is no problem. But it is best to follow your Doc's advice... well at least for a year.. LOL Khy

Surgery set for next Monday, July 11th. So today was my Pre-op and Nut class. After surgery diet: Stage 1 Day 1-21 Full liquid including Protein supplements (only liquids that go easily through a strainer) No Jello. Fruit juices, protein supplements, cream Soups (thinned), broth, Skim or 1% milk, sugar free drink mixes, Water, SF popsicles, and decaf tea/coffee. Stage 2 Day 22-42 Soft solid foods Stage 3 After day 43 Regular bariatric diet ********************************** Try to consume: 60 oz of liquid per day 60 gms of Protein per day Protein supplements: per 8 oz, 200 or less calories, at least 15 gms of protein (whey, egg, casein or soy based) and less than 5 grams of sugar. The paperworks says to AVOID alcohol, caffeine and carbonation. The nut says to NEVER have them for the rest of your life. The room of people started to freak out. NEVER, ever again???? It was almost comical. Her reasoning is that it can cause ulcers. ****************************** Vitamins and Minerals NO GUMMIES. What? No gummies. I went out and bought my adult gummie vitamins this past weekend. Now I can't have them. The thought of chewing up a chalky Vitamin just makes me gag. But I guess no choice now. Anyone have one they love? LOL Take 2 Multivitamin per day Take 1500-2000 mg pre day of Calcium. Chewable calcium citrate plus Vitamin D and magnesium. You are only suppose to take 500 mg at a time. So take it throughout the day. Vitamin B12: 1000 mcg sublingual once per week. All the above vitamins are to be taken FOREVER! I guess that is when it hit me...Forever? Really? Not sure what I was thinking, but this statement made it REAL for me. Part of my stomach is removed and now I have to take this stuff forever to be healthy. Also Decaf FOREVER!! That was kinda hard to hear for me. I can do without the soda's, but if I wanted some good coffee, it has to be decaf PRE-OP class was interesting too. Like most have said, No nail polish, toes or fingers. Lots of good info on what to expect at the facility I'll be at. We also got a tour of the hospital. Oh and no straws....forever. LOL I'm still very excited about my surgery. A little more scared and nervous than before. I guess this just all made it more real for me. I'm also interested if others surgeons or nuts gave you similar info on the above or not. I know alot of docs are different. And I know the info they gave us today was to help us work the sleeve to the best we can to not only lose the weight but to keep off the weight.

Fills and stomachs can be tricky. When I was rebanded I got 4cc in the band surgery surgery. About a month later I went for a fill and then another fill in September. Things were fine until Halloween, I apparently did something ( lets assume alcohol) and I was over filled. It was terrible in November and I went to see my doctor who took out 1cc ( he wanted a complete unfil but I refused). That wasn't good enough so I had to get another unfill of 1cc a few weeks alter. After a few weeks that STILL wasn't good enough so I went for ANOTHER unfill of 1cc. By then I was at about 3.5cc which was lower then what I got during surgery. Finally my stomach swelling went down and I got back up to 7cc months later ( June). Maybe your stomach is just swollen so you might need a larger unfill to let your stomach settle and then go back to getting fills once things are better. I am overfilled again ( should have not gotten a fill to begin with) but it is nothing like last time I can live with this fill if I wana live off of liquids ( which I dont) so I will probably get a whole cc taken out ( the fill was only .3cc) just to see if that work. Then in a few weeks I'll prob need another fill when my stomach settles. it's a pain but thisis the life of the banded

That's so freakin scary and I'm glad you're ok now! I agree with the possible dehydration but also electrolytes. Alcohol messes with those as well. Add heat and sweating and it's a recipe for disaster. I seriously hope you go to the doctor and let them do some testing. Don't take a chance with this, it's to scary! xoxo's, Renee`

Next weekend I have an annual girls weekend at the lake. Yes, this includes alcoholic beverages. Maybe a few. Before surgery the only thing I drank was beer. Has anyone had beer post surgery? I'm afraid of the carbonation. Any other beverage options? I'm not a wine drinker.

So I know it's been a while since I've written but I've had a lot of changes take place at work. I'm actually in between jobs again but it's for the better so that's a good thing. I started this journey at 240 and this morning was down to 179. That's 61 lbs. The weight has slowed down drastically in the past 2 months. I have to confess that I have been behaving with food intake but not alcohol intake. I decided to quit drinking this week and will live up to that promise until October 1st which is my cousin's wedding. I'm hoping that I see my weight loss pick back up due to this. I also started going to a personal trainer 3 weeks ago and he's kicking my butt. I go 2x a week and try to do cardio or at least walk around my neighborhood the other 3 days of the week. I can definitely see the muscle definition in some parts such as my shoulders, upper back and thighs. Unfortunately, my stomach, boobs and batwings are being a little stubborn but hey I plan to keep trying until next year and if it does not work, there's always surgery. I tell everyone that this is the best decision I've ever made. I look at pictures now and see how disgusting I look. I've always been conceided even when I was fat so I didn't think it was "that bad" but now I can truly see the difference and it disgusts me. I also get disgusted at the amount of food and type of food that people eat. I promised that although I was going to have this surgery, I would remain a fat girl inside for ever but I honestly get grossed out by the amounts of food that certain people eat. I feel like a hypocrite but can't help my feelings ... does anyone feel this way too? The best part is that the caliber of men that approach me has definitely improved. I still haven't found the one, but I'm glad that the prospects are looking better. I'm hoping Mr. Right is just around the corner. If anyone has any questions for me or wants to b***h at me because of my alcohol use, please feel free to contact me. xoxo, Silvia

I think a food addiction (like mine) is comparable to an alcohol addiction. I am only speaking for myself here not others. A friend of mine who is a recovering alcoholic told me one time that she abused the privilege of drinking alcohol so she lost that privilege if she wanted to survive. I think of it the same way with food. Because I abused the privilege of eating anything I wanted by overindulging, I lost the privilege of eating all the "good stuff". If I want to survive to see my grandchildren I HAVE to give up some of the "good stuff". It's a choice. I would rather give up some of the "good stuff" than give up a foot or leg due to complications of diabetes. It's a hard choice but I choose to live a healthy life and give up the "good stuff". I still on occasion have a bite of the good stuff but only a bite and as a treat. You have a choice too. I am sure you are aware of all the complications of diabetes. If you continue on this path insulin is in your future. But again, it is your choice. I hope I didn't ramble but my point is changing your eating habits and lifestyle is very hard and very complicated. Good luck not matter which road you choose.

Hi Barb! Actually I JUST got an email back from my doctors office today. I'm taking Nexium a.m. and p.m. and then Zantac150 in the afternoon. For breakthrough heartburn I'm taking Gaviscon. Avoid tomato based dishes, fruits and juices, any form of chocolate, alcohol and anything carbonating. Also, if you smoke, quit. I'll be starting my Zantac tomorrow. Hope this helps both of us! Renee`

ME TOO! I had mine Jan. 21st. I'm at a stall the past month. I'm going back to shakes and gonna not induldge in alcohol =) I feel your pain!

I'm with Foxbins on this one. And, just my personal experience, but foods with sugar alcohol gave and still to this very day gives me horrific gas. I never bothered with this net carb vs. good carb vs. bad carb. For me and me only as you'll get varied opinions on this topic, my body likes to burn those carbs, regardless of how much fiber I eat with them, over burning fat. So, a carb was a carb was a carb during my losing stage.

I am counting all the carbs. I think it was the Atkins Diet that let you subtract fiber and sugar alcohol to come up with net carbs. Personally, I think nutrition science is quite fuzzy and so I am sticking to a more strict interpretation of "carb."

I was at a seminar awhile ago and there was a speaker who was talking about how to figure how many actual carbs are in a food Item. Lets say the calorie count was 160 calories, and 10 grams of Fiber, and 10 grams of sugar alcohols , and had 24 carbs. Does that mean you can subtract the 10 grams fiber and 10 grams of sugar alcohols = 4 grams of actual carbs for that item?? Cuz she gave me the impression you could subtract fiber grams and sugar alcohols and whats left was the actual carbs that the item contains. Does anyone know the formula for figuring the actual carb count of food items. If so I would appreciate a reply. I would like to have a snack inbetween the small meals that I eat now after the sleeve, like a Protein bar of some sort but the carb count is what scares me away from buying them. Thanks in all for your help on this support site. I really get alot of usefull information from all the helpful people.

Thanks for all the info. The 2 day break really helped and my period has stopped. I took the shots yesterday and today and had no problems. I think my hormones were raging last week and I was just freaking out over all of this. Letting the alcohol dry does help with the stinging and if I do the shot quick, the only pain I get is a little stinging for a short time after I do the shot.

Tomorrow will be 12 weeks into my banded life and I still don't have a single regret to report! I've never been more sure of my decision, and it's been many years since I've felt healthier and better about who I am! I just spent 11 days on the best beach vacation ever! A girl's trip to Gulf Shores, AL was just what the proverbial doctor ordered, and I'm home tanned, relaxed, and more than a few inches smaller than I was when I left!! How's THAT for vacation? Perfect if you ask me. I lost a whopping total of one pound while I was gone haha! But towards the middle of last week I noticed that my bathing suit (which I spent a lot of time in) was fitting very strangely. It felt too big in the stomach for starters, but then I noticed that the bra cups in it were all deformed looking. I realized that the girls had shrunk! YEEE HAW!! There's hope on the horizon my friends! I admit I was a little concerned about vacation eating, especially since I didn't get a fill before I left, but I had decided that I wasn't going to stress about it. I ate very well.. I ate normal sized portions, and had no problems with wanting to snack between meals. I drank at least one frozen alcoholic concoction every single day while I was on that beach.. along with lots of water and lemonade. I felt a little restriction at times which was comforting, and let me know my band was doing its job, and had a couple of "stuck" episodes that were mild, and lasted only a few minutes. I ate LOTS of steamed shrimp! Mmmmm! I miss that yummy steamed shrimp.. the kind you can get on the Nebraska prairie just doesn't compare. One highlight of my trip that I must share ~~ I PARASAILED!! Oh yeah! I stepped right outside of my comfort zone and flew high above the Gulf of Mexico! I absolutely loved it and will do it again if I ever get the chance. I felt like super woman when I was done, and I kind of still do! I was without a scale for the entire vacation, and that freaked me out a little.. I figured that I'd have gained a pound or two by the time I got home, even though it was pretty obvious that I'd left a few inches down in Alabama somewhere! I was pretty happy when I stepped on that scale yesterday and realized that there was no gain, and I could still be friends with both the scale and the mirror! I'm happy to be home.. and while I didn't use a gym even once while I was gone, I did have the sand to walk in so I got a little added exercise I guess! It's back to the gym for me this week! I'm also looking forward to adding a daily fruit smoothie to my diet! Hey~ it's my healthy version of a daily frozen concoction that will remind me of the beach as I delve back into reality! Thanks Aunt Jan for introducing me to the wonderful smoothie! My other butt is getting closer.. I can feel it! I hope you all have had a safe and happy Independence Day if you're in the USA~ and mostly, that you spent it with the people you love! That's all for this week ~ thanks for stopping by! Follow me @ http://www.myotherbutt.blogspot.com

ROFLMAO! hahahahahahhaa! You're such a nut! and don't think it escaped me that you're also wanting someone to ply her with alcohol for you as well. I hope that's a chocolate martini! ohman...I giggle-snorted just as I was taking a sip of Gatorade. If I have red boogies later I'm calling your wife and telling her the dr said NONE for you this week! LOL Renee`

My Dr. had a set of questions he asked in order to access the need for the shots. Each answer was assigned a numeric value, and the results were tallied and my "score" determined whether I had to take the shots and for how long. The only question that garnered me a score was regarding varicose veins = 1 week of shots post op/post hospital shots....2 more days and it will be over I guess I have a different take on this: I NEVER would have believed I could administer a shot to myself. EVER.....so imagine how proud I am of myself regarding this whole situation- I had the strength and determination to pursue this surgery, I didn't chicken out at the 1st obstacle; I endured drinking stuff I never would have dreamed of before (liquid meds/drinks have always been an issue for me) AND I GAVE MYSELF SHOTS!!! I am so freaking proud that I am conquering silly fears and issues and taking CONTROL OF MY HEALTH!!! I feel sooooooo good too! seriously....I am giddy with anticipation. of losing, of new adventures, renewed confidence....the future looks bright! besides...the needle doesn't even hurt, I'm injecting into a (large) layer of fat. if you let the alcohol dry it doesn't even sting. the fear was all in my head, and head problems have gotten me into this weight situation.....lol. i am bruising a bit at the injection sites, but so what? I bruise every time they take blood from me......there are no bikinis in my near future so who's gonna notice?

All the best for your surgery, hope to see you back soon on the forum. I am due for surgery on 15 July but till now my doc has not advised any diet control, may be because in general he knows I do not smoke, drink alcohol and am purely vegetarian.

I was banded almost 2 years ago and I've lost a total of 80lbs SO FAR. That also included a 5-month period with zero restriction (I gained 20lbs back), followed by another surgery to correct the leaky tubing that caused the zero restriction. There have been times where I've been stressed, I would eat crap, and not lose anything. Or very little. It really wasn't until April of this year that I kind of said, "What the hell?" to myself and started really losing the weight a little faster. Prior to that, I had lost 50lbs (also taking into effect the 20lbs I gained, which means I had really lost 70lbs), So since April I've lost 30lbs. What works for me? Calorie counting. I eat 1,200 calories a day and I'd say most of what I eat is healthy. About 3 weeks ago I cut out chocolate/desserts/sweets and alcohol. Not to say I'll never eat/drink those things again, but I'm trying to do it as little as possible. I have a Protein shake for breakfast every morning, then a snack, then lunch, then a snack, then dinner. Snacks being carrots, nuts, etc.... I have to say that I find it to be incredibly easy for me at this point. It wasn't easy when I first got the band. I still wanted to eat bad foods and I still felt hungry. But right now, I am so completely focused on eating well. And while I have no temptations at home (I only have healthy foods in the house), the job where I spend 9 hours a day (5 days a week) is awful! There is a "candy drawer" 2 feet from my desk with bags and bags of candy. People will bring in donuts, pies, cakes, brownies, etc.... And I haven't touched them! I never thought I could get to a point where it became easy for me to resist food. It takes a while, but I think you eventually get to a point where you can separate food from being an emotional crutch. Or at least I did. When you can't binge or eat your feelings away, knowing it is painful to get stuck, you learn to stop doing that. I love food, I always will, but it doesn't control me anymore. My life doesn't revolve around it. I like to eat, but I don't think about food all day. I've been feeling awesome. I can see and feel the differences in my body, at last. When you're heavy, even when losing a lot of weight, you still don't really notice it that much. You may buy smaller sizes, but you still feel fat. I've been wearing the clothes that I wore 30lbs ago, which were already loose at the time. Last weekend I bought some more form-fitting tops. I'd say at least 30 people have commented or freaked out about how different I look and how thinner I am. Even my own family hadn't really seen me in form fitting clothes for a while. That's a great feeling. I still feel like I'm fat, though. I know I still have more to lose. I'm now "overweight" instead of "obese" (that occurred about 8lbs ago). People tell me that I look smaller than I actually am. Someone today asked what size I wore. I said I'm currently in a size 15 jeans (juniors), but I do actually fit into a size 13 (which is a size 12 in ladies). She said I look smaller than that. I mean, wow! I'm 28. I haven't been a size 13 since I was.... 17?

I start the day with my favorite Protein Bar and then after a while get interested in lunch, which, if it's got carbs in it will also have protein. Like if I want a handful of crackers, its crackers and cottage cheese or mozzarella. If I order Pasta at a restaurant I get something with chicken and make sure I eat the chicken and not around it. There's only enough room left after that for a bite or two of the carb and that's enough to satisfy. i buy sweets sometimes and eat them, but I'm getting less and less interested. They look good at the store but for some reason they just lose their appeal going down. I bought a red velvet cupcake today and cut myself a quarter of it. Boring. When I was on vacation I bought black licorice and ate on it for a couple days and threw out the rest. Just lost interest. Lowcarb is awesome and it really is the fastest way to lose weight. it's also really good for blood sugar disorders, fatty liver, and now they say even cancer. I was a hardcore lowcarber for years but my personal opinion now is that it can have a backlash later on. This is my personal experience and I would never argue with another person's medical protocol, especially not after major surgery. However, there are some disadvantages to being lowcarb *forever*. One is, when you stop eating that way, you get rebound hyperinsulinemia, which means you can gain weight back from eating a higher carb diet if it just breathes on you. This is not just the rush of a fast glycogen fill: bodybuilders for example are constantly shrinking and expanding due to carb overloads when they're out of training: I call this the puff and stuff effect. Also, carbohydrate ( healthy carbohydrate including fruits and vegetables) has other benefits besides having antioxidants. In moderation they regulate mood and anxiety, promote sleep, increase serotonin and regulate brain function. Some people say they love lowcarb and they would never go back but there are a certain number of us ex-speedracers who found that after a couple years with carbs pushed down under 40 we were nervous wrecks. The answer to that was supplements and drugs, valium, alcohol..etc. Anything but eat a potato. So...now to me eating clean is eating everything in moderation. Fruit. Watermelon. White wine. Cheese and crackers. Drunken Thai noodles. Crockpot chili. Whatever. My stomach is tiny too, and I *have* to stop when I'm full. I was a serious yo yo dieter before, really my whole life, and healing my metabolism from that means eating everything, but eating less of it, over time. I tried the other way -- down to nine hundred, 20 carbs with "cheat days" that turned into "cheat years" and all of that. All I got for my trouble was more eating disorder. As far as the "honeymoon effect"...well -- it lasts two years. That's plenty of time. I would rather figure out how to eat everything than walk around terrified of English muffins. Not that I even really like those anymore. But that's my deal Meggie. I'm reading people here who have their flux capacitors set to six hundred and that's that, and they're doing great on their journeys too. My point was that we don't have stomachs anymore, and undereating to basal metabolism is enough. Starvation isn't necessary, and neither is staring down the scale. The time is going to pass and we're all going to get there.