Search the Community

Too funny! I had the same question! I was banded 2/28 and I asked my nutritionist that question and she said the main reason for no alcohol in the beginning is due to empty calories. Also when people drink they tend to snack. She said a glass of wine occasionally would not kill me but to watch drinking calories. Good thing for me is I only drink vodka an water with lime so it's only 64 calories per oz of vodka. I just wanted to make sure it was not physically harmful to have alcohol, and to answer that question....no! Bottoms up...carefully, lol!

I am not going to sugar coat this.. I am a sorry if you are offended by this comment.. First of all you need to stop going to these lounges.. i understand that you enjoy going out with your friends but you need to concentrate on becoming healthy. You got this surgery because you were overweight and this was the last decision on how to become health and a normal weight.. Your friends if they are your real friends they will understand whats going on. Alcohol isn't a very good thing to have that many times a week for anyone. excessive alcohol can cause damage. Watching you tube videos you will see that it can cause you to stop or delay weight loss.. You might want to consider going to a gym instead of going to the lounges.. I would think that once a week is okay but not three to four times a week. Another issues is carbonation isn't very good you are or can stretch your band because of that... which then leads to slip bands and complications.

First of all, congrats on your weight loss thus far! That is truly an accomplishment. I admire your willpower and self control you show in making those changes. You are right about one thing, alcohol and weight loss just don't go together and I see that more than ever now. Thank you for the inspiration

so, i started drinking again about 3 weeks after my surgery. wine is a good drink to start back with. it will help you to gauge how you do with it. some people get wasted really easy. i like to think that i dont but i do feel one glass of alcohol, where i barely felt it before. i am a margarita lover as well, so i will give you my homemade recipe. you might want to cut everything in half: 3 limes 2 shots or 1 large shot of tequila 1 shot or 1/2 large shot of triple sec it has WAY less calories than the mixes in bars and besides, it tastes WAY better!!

I'm not sure how alcohol affects healing, but I woulld leave it alone for now. You should stick to your post op diet. That time will pass very quickly and you will have plenty of time to drink wine in the later months. You also need to remember that alcohol has a lot of empty calories. I'm not saying to never drink again cuz lord knows I like to have some cocktails . Just be careful on how often and how much you drink. Drinking also makes me feel tight and swollen. Good Luck!!

How bad would you say drinking a few glasses of wine on your postop full liquid diet be? I had my surgery 3-31, I'm on full liquids and had a few glasses of shite zinn. It went down fine and I feel fine today, but will it affect how my stomach heals etc?

Here's what I wrote to Dr. Oz: I watched your show on the Lapband procedure. I am two years out, had my lapband in January, 2009. I lost 106 pounds (reach goal) in 11 months and have maintained that weight loss since December, 2009. I enjoyed the show until you had the food segment. It is a grossly incorrect representation of how lap band patients eat on a daily basis. First of all, we eat Protein -- at least 70 to 80 oz. per day. The rules of lapband (which you NEVER mentioned) are protein FIRST, drink 64 oz. of Water daily, exercise and no snacking!!! You even showed foods as "snacks" which is clearly breaking a lap band rule!! The lifestyle changes include all of the rules mentioned above plus limiting carbinated beverages, limiting carbs, and limiting alcohol intake as well as learning to eat slowly, small meals (we use small plates and bowls to help our minds adjust to new portion sizes) we exercise. That's how the tool works -- not the way it was represented on your show. I belong to Lap Band Talk -- there's a group of us who have been meeting on one thread for three years -- most of us are seasoned, are at goal and follow the rules and have for several years. There's also an expert on bariatric surgery by the name of Kaye Bailey who has a very helpful website -- google 5 day pouch test and you will find her site -- she's devoted her life the past few years to bariatric surgery patients and is a successful patient of bariatric surgery herself. Here's a sample of what I eat every day: Breakfast -- green yogurt with strawberries and blueberries lunch - 1 egg omelet with turkey sausage, onions and peppers and sometimes sliced green olives and a wedge of laughing cow cheese. dinner -baby spring greens with onions, tomatoes, another wedge of laughing cow cheese and 4 to 5 oz. of grilled chicken breast tossed with Kraft low fat sesame/ginger dressing. I work 8 to 5 but don't have a lunch hour until 1:00 p.m. so I usually have a snack of PB2 (powdered peanut butter) with some celery sticks mid morning. In the afternoon or evening I snack on sugar free popsicles and to cure any sweet tooth or hunger I make sugar free fat free pudding with a scoop of Protein powder added in. I make it with fat free milk and portion it out. I exercise every day -- 60 mins. of cardio and 3 times a week I do weight machines although I have to be careful because of neck and back problems. I've lost thousands of pounds in my life, but never learned how to eat until I had lap band surgery and found my on line support group at Lapband talk. Support group is necessary for accountability - those who belong to a support group and sign in every day and hold ourselves accountable are the ones who are succeeding. Feel free to check our group out -- www.lapbandtalk.com -- go to "mentors" forum and then find "I'm here to help" -- that is our group that's been together for years - we actually travel once or twice a year to get together personally - we've all become good friends and go through our journeys together - keeping each other motivated. That is what life with lap band is like - not how it was portrayed on your show. Any of us would be happy to discuss this further with you or any one from your staff. Feel free to contact me any time. We love you Dr. Oz, but you need to get this information correct - it's too important. Hope none of you minded that I invited him to snoop on our thread!

I will word it another way. If you drink to much Booze, and eat what ever you feel like. How can you expect GOOD RESULTS down the road. Especially from empty calories. You say your not a Alcoholic ! Can you put the bottle down, and leave it alone? Or if you were to start drinking, would you be like This Is Mine All Night Long ! As far as a Junk food Junkie... Well I am Banded too for almost 5 yrs.. Tell me again why your disappointed. I'm sure you can figure it out. Go spill all this to a Food Counselor, and let them tell you what you have going on. Maybe then you will believe someone. You said you wanted TOUGH LOVE ! Well there it is. Either Deal with it, or don't be to shocked when you find yourself in for a major let down. And the control is all up to you. Good Luck, Shirley.

My intent is not to offend, but I think you may find that, while technically not an alcoholic, you do have a drinking problem...and are on your way. Even you admit that you are not a 'light drinker'. For what it's worth, here's a standard test that asks 22 short questions to help you determine at what level you are. Just FYI. Now, that said, alcohol creates another problem (besides the incredibly high pointless calories) with many people and that is that it gives 'em the munchies. If not that night, then the next day. So now you get to white knuckle through the physical cravings. Another reason to give it up or at least make it a very infrequent occurrence...and, if you can't, that's a *big red flag*. For many of us, our relationship with food is the pivotal point which all other relationships revolve and, many times, in order to be successful at changing our relationship with the food...those other relationships have to change as well. It's a complete lifestyle change and it is *HARD*. I'd start with the 3-5 nights at the bars. Go ahead and go if that's what you enjoy...but pass on the alcohol and stick to carbonated Water or diet drinks. After all, it's not necessary to drink to have fun, yes? Then again, that's one of the reasons I gave up bar hopping when I was younger. I was never much of a drinker and found that drunks are never funny unless you're buzzed or drunk too. If you find it's no fun if you aren't drinking...find another way of entertaining yourself. Saves on the calories and any physical cravings the alcohol causes. Invite your friends to do other activities instead of going to the bars. Maybe take up a new interest together - Zumba, for example. Fun *and* exercise. Then pass up those fast food places! If you plan ahead and make sure you have some ready made foods that fit into whatever WOE you're following, then all you have to do is get home and dive into your own refrigerator. I always have cheese, cut up celery and hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator so that if I do find myself so hungry I know I'm not going to make it until dinner is ready, I have something there to nibble on to keep the food demons at bay. If you don't have a problem with carbs and can eat fruit, then carry around an apple or something similar so when you get those munchies on the way home, you can munch on your fruit instead of hitting that fast food place. My favorite phrase these days is 'living intentionally' so I avoid the pitfalls with preplanning rather than falling into an 'oops' moment of eating that is filled with regret and guilt. You can do this. You obviously want to or you would not have gotten banded. We're here for you. Now *you* be there for you. Edit: My apologies if this appears a bit rambling. It's 4:30 a.m. and I can't sleep but I'm also not fully awake. Insomnia...gotta love it.

Well, I believe you when you say you're not an alcoholic but sheesh, you drink an awful lot for a non acoholic, it definitely qualifies as binge drinking and not only will it sabotage your weight loss, it will definitely lead to later health problems, you're drinking WAY beyond the recommended intake for women. Its also easy to crave alcohol and cave in and have more than you should as well without having a "problem" with alcohol. But its a choice - keep up your lifestyle and probably forego real success or change your lifestyle. If you want to keep going ot, you have to decide not to drink if you cant decide to just have one - not drinking saves you a lot of calories and will probably cut down those post bar fast food detours as well, you lose all control when you've got a few drinks on board. That's the tough love part over with - I agree with you, its so awfully frustrating when you're trying to gain control when at every turn of your life there's another meal out, another drinks date, etc etc. I have weeks where I have that happen four or five times too, it drives me nuts, why does everything have to revolve around food? But the truth is, you cant always change it, nor may you want to if its the way you socialise and date, so the alternative is you have to learn to not view each occasion as an opportunity to go sick, but instead practice real restraint at each and every turn - drink club soda, eat only an appetiser, never ever ever order dessert, only drink white wine if you DO drink, and make damn sure you get plenty of exercise to balance it out. Nobody ever recommends skipping meals, but truth is, if we have a big lunch out, or we often catch up with my SIL and BIL with a cheese platter and a glass of wine on a Sunday afternoon - thenI dont eat dinner. The kids love being taken out for pancakes, and they are one of my fave treats too, so we time it as brunch and I dont eat at all again till dinner (even if I get hungry!), and we also often time that after a big walk up a mountain, known as the Thousand Steps, here in Melbourne, so a good bit of really hard exercise beforehand. I never ever miss my exercise, and on the days when I do have complete control, I really make them count so that I have a bit of a bank for those inevitable bad days. All that and I"m just working to MAINTAIN my weight. Being thin and healthy is a job, it never becomes efffortless, sad to say. You are always always working on it.

How interesting and true what you're all saying. The other thing I'd like to add that food is an addiction for most of us, but unlike other addictions (alcohol, drugs, gambling) we NEED to be in contact with our addiction in order to survive.So we can't give up completely on food, we have to live with it, prepare it, handle it, and try to avoid it at the same time! With alcohol, drugs you can stay away from it completely, and I'm not saying it's easy, but trust me to have the most difficult addiction to deal with

Hopefullyhappy, perhaps you can look up a local support group meeting for banded people in your area? I am recently banded and I will be attending my first meeting this month. I do agree with Honk that you should try to halt your drinking. Try drinking one, then sip on water. We are all in a new way of life and it may take time to change our previous lifestyle choices. I attend bootcamp for exercise, perhaps you can join a dance class? I know it is hard to keep a journal, perhaps you can write down your thoughts at the end of the night when you realized how much you were going out per week and over indulging in alcohol. That may help identify a pattern. I am finding I am getting better at organzing my house and watching less TV than before. I too struggle with watching choices but I remind myself that I can begin the day with a fresh new start. Don't beat yourself up, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and remember you are walking a new pathway and it isn't always mapped out for ourselves. Hang in there chickita! Best of luck to you! Dena.

I'm sorry but I have to say it. Your drinking is excessive. Not long ago there was a research study that showed in families where the males were alcohics; the females were statistically more likely to be obese. In my family there are a significant number of male alcoholics and most of the females are overweight. The compulsion to drink is closely related to the urge to eat when you are'nt hungry.

The thing ire ally miss is beer. Like someone said, part of the reason I was fat I try every once in a while but the pain is intense when restriction is good. I have the periodic ahoy, primarily sipping tequila with a drop of lime juice. And red wine But alcohol has empty calories so I actually drink very little now. Unsweetened iced tea is now my usual.

Congrats on losing 20 lbs. so far!!! So in order to break your bad habits you have to first recognize them and want to change, which you have! Change is tough and it doesn't happen overnight. When you go out can you limit yourself to the lower alcoholic drinks and switch between alcohol and Water? As for fast food you just have to say NO, or have a healthy choice on the menu, but when your drinking it's harder! Are you going to a gym or working out? I think when I work out I try harder to be better!!! You live in LA so there is a lot to do. Find other interest, take a photography class, or dance lessons. Start focusing on healthy choices!!! You can do this!!! Ask yourself what you do like to do, and ask your friends to join you! There is a lot to do other then the bar scene you just have to look!!! Good luck and we are all here for you!!! Joleen

So I was banded almost 2 months ago on 2/8/11. To date I have lost about 20 pounds since then. Most of you might think that's pretty good and so do I. The problem is I know I could have done MUCH better. Im disappointed in myself and my lack of commitment I'm feeling towards my new lifestyle. Im pretty much carrying on like I was before. I eat things I know I shouldn't FAR too often. I go out an average of 3-4 nights a week to a bar or lounge which equals ALCOHOL!!! Im not a light drinker either. Some people say the band has certain effects on their tolerance, but that is just not the case for me. Im talking an easy 5 or more drinks a night. NO I'm not an alcoholic and Im not turning to that rather than food. These are all things I did pre band and I am disgusted with myself when I think about it. Im 24, single in L.A. so I enjoy going out with friends, but I know I need to decide which is more important right now. Im still going to fast food restaurants, especially on the way home after the bar. Dating sucks too, because it usually involves going out to dinner or drinks at some point. I just don't know what is wrong with me. I guess this is the first step. I'm recognizing it and admitting to thousands of strangers; leaving myself vulnerable to harsh criticizing. I just need some support, as I have none really. I will work on myself starting this moment. Thanks for listening/reading.

I had to do it too and I'm a self pay. No insurance requirements here. The guy just wanted me to take this long long test about how I think about different things (a lot of questions about drugs and alcohol, violence, suicidal thoughts, body image thoughts, etc.) Then he asked me if I knew about some of the complications and risks and that it was just a tool like the other user said and that I still had to do all the work etc. etc. They just want to make sure you know exactly what you are getting into and that you're in the right frame of mind to handle such a life changing surgery. It's a big deal so make sure you're ready.

I don't think the problem is personal either. A few months ago (when I was really first thinking about doing WLS) i read the book "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler. He talks about how the predominance of processed food correlates strongly with obesity. And about how addictive the crap is! (more on that in a minute) Another good one is "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes (shorter take on his "Good Calories, Bad Calories"). I'm not sure I'd blame it all on HFCS, but processed food in general is largely the culprit. And the stupid part of it is that the cheap food is the food that is bad for you! Personally, I think this is part of my problem. Why spend $5 (or more!) on a healthy lunch when I can buy a 99-cent double cheeseburger? I haven't dieted anywhere near the amount you have, Crosswind, so I'm expecting the post-op (and heck, the pre-op diet too!) to be frustrating. But that leads me back to addiction: I definitely think that the processed junk works on our systems like drugs/alcohol, etc. I have a co-worker whose daughter is a recovering meth addict. She did a bunch of research on addictions and recovery when her daughter was going through the addiction and recover process and she mentioned to me that there is a 98% chance of relapse. Which struck me as remarkably similar to the 97% chance that I was given as the likelihood I'll regain my weight if I manage to lose it naturally (per my surgeon). So I think that our bodies and our brains get caught up in the fact that we need to nourish our bodies, but unless we stay 100% on a healthy, non-processed (and probably low-carb) diet plan, our addictions get triggered and we eat the crap food again. In larger and larger quantities, because that's what addicts do. If the crap food wasn't around, I don't think the addictions would be triggered, at least not nearly at the levels they are. Oh, my other theory is that we fat people are actually evolutionarily advanced. Think of how many famines humans have experienced throughout history. The skinny people never survived famines. Now me, I'm just about famine-proof!

I love this post. i must say i have never looked at the wls in some of the views you all have... Vicky glad it all worked out for you ! i was total opposite i told everyone so i would hold myself accountable.i knew i had to work it right so people wouldnt look at me as if I failed. but i think it is helping me with my wl... also do any of you have a DO NOT EAT LIST? i do and then i read on here what some people are eatting... caffeine,carbonation alcohol, coconut,steak,pasta,bread, take a multi vitamin everyday and calcium citrate totaling 1000-15000 mg everyday plus the 70 g of protein and 64 oz of water...... what is on your do not eat list? Amy

Hello Everyone Its been a long time. I got an email alert that there was some new post. Im in the same boat as some of the others. At this point I have gained back about 40 lbs of the 110 lost. Im happy that I havent gained it all back but still very ashamed of the weight I have gained. I cant believe that I was given such an amazing opportunity and now Im throwing it all away. I cant blame the band for any of the weight gain. My band does the job it is suppose to. The problem is with me. I eat and throw up on a constant basis or just eat stuff that I know I shouldnt, not to mention the alcohol consumption. I didnt know that after all of this time that our band could still slip Nimblebean Im sorry to hear this has happened to you and wish you the best of luck. Maybe we all can start supporting each other like we use to do in the good old days when we were just starting on this adventure and had the motivation and desire to make it work.

Thanks for the great advice. Tiff. I am going to set a menu, I think that will help somewhat. I am currently taking Nexium. I have been on it for years. He took me off it post-op, not sure why, but the reflux was still there, and I have been back on it for months now. I never really counted carbs and was losing before. But, maybe I need to watch them now! At least to get back on track. I checked the Protein Bars, they have 2g of sugar. But what is sugar alcohols? It does say it contains that. But, I am not buying anymore, because I think they only make me hungry. Thanks!!

My first thought is that it sounds like your just eating to eat. Nothing can help with that except discipline and determination. It's a mind twist, and I recommend having a menu set, and designated time to eat. Start tracking your food intake and stick with the plan. I know it's easier said than done, but if you want it bad enough, you'll make it happen. Protein bars are typically full of carbs and sugar alcohol which can cause more cravings for carby stuff. If you're hungry within 30-45 minutes of eating, are you still on a PPI? If not, acid overproduction could be the culprit. While acid overproduction is sometimes resolved by 6 months post-op, you might be one of us that need to be on a PPI. But, if it's head hunger, or just mindless eating, then you'll have to battle the mental aspect of eating. You've done amazingly well thus far, don't toss out the last 6 months now by being careless and going off plan. I live by the mantra of "just because I can, doesn't mean I should". I can eat every hour on the hour if I wanted to, but I make the conscious effort to eat scheduled meals, measured portions, and still eat protein first 85% of the time. I agree with the above poster regarding the 5 day pouch test. I know several people that have used it to get back on track. Or, you can back to strict low carb, high protein, and have some accountability on what's going in your mouth.

No offense taken by me, Edivel. I am curious, though, about why you object to a twelve step program for overeating but not for drug or alcohol use. If you're willing to share, I'd appreciate it. If not, just forget I asked.

OK, llrya I think I see where you're coming from. It's just that it sounded like you were saying that battling a food addiction was easy compared to a drug or alcohol addiction. I think that's a disservice to people in the battle. If I'm giving my all trying to do something and barely making it I don't need someone telling me that it should be "easy." I would rather people recognize the difficulty of my fight and provide support and encouragement. I apologize if I mistook your language. If I understand now I think you are saying that we should not have a defeatist attitude. Absolutely I agree. But I also don't want people telling me how easy it should be while I'm hanging on by my fingernails. I'm just not into the tough love approach.