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How long did you wait until you tried any type of alcohol? I love a glass of wine or mixed drink every so often. I know it will be absorbed more quickly and I will have to watch for that.

So yesterday was all about spoonfuls for me. I wanted stuffing....I wanted sweet potato, I wanted the greenbean casserole, I wanted gravy. I took my roughly 3 oz. turkey with a spoonful of gravy, and took a spoonful of everything else. Was it more than I usually eat? Yes. Did I stuff myself like the turkey? No. I made several conscious decisions during the meal. I had alcohol...more than usual but I wanted it. Won't repeat that tonight so it was simply a one off. Had dessert and not of the 100 calorie or sugar-free type. Again...a one off. Didn't even bother to get on the scale this morning. If I gained a bit, so what? Back to eating as usual today. Did not go nuts yesterday...all is well. Hoping this is my new normal for the rest of my life.

Im in! Exercise everyday someway! WAlk at least 1 mile 4 times a week try for 7. OK now I have a funny story to tell you guys. As a lot of you know I was on a cruse last week. It was a 10 day cruse. We avoided Wilma by hours. Anyway for the most part I was pretty good. I had shake in the AM some type of chicken or fish for lunch drank Water like crazy, everyone else was drinking alcohol, so I added lime to my water. But then at dinner time.....they came around with these wonderful little (really they were little) rolls. In the begining of the cruse I had 1 then half way through I went to 2. Then I'd have some Soup maybe 5-6 TBLS then some type of proitien chicken or fish and then a few bites of desert. I have not been on the scale yet, I go see the doctor tomorrow so hopefully I didn't gain. Well the last night of the cruse I went outside to try to see if I could use my cell phone. The wind was so strong I had to hold onto the railing..MY UNDERPANTS FELL OFF! thats right right off! Thank God I had pants on or I realy would have been in trouble! I was laughing so hard and trying to hold myself up, that I couldn't pull them up. This man saw me laughing by my self so hard that he started laughing..I went into our gang just about dying with laughter and told them...We desided to put on the comment card that the food was so bad my underpants fell off due to weight loss! Well I'm hoping I did lose some! I measured my self the day before sugery which was 9/25 and I measured yesterday 10/25 I have lost 15 1/2 inches in a month.

Jack-silly who said anything about there having to be alcohol?? Guitarman- I say you throw the party!!! LOL Besides aren't there supposed to be two men for every one woman in Texas? Count me in. I am sure you & your wife know so hot singles who are nice.

In my group we often talk about how our addictions can move on to alcohol or drugs for many people. It's not uncommon and I'm so proud of you for fighting and winning that battle! WOW!! You are so strong.

What a powerful story! Thank you so much for sharing. I've just begun my journey -- at 55. My mom died at age 56 of alcoholism and I made up my mind I didn't want to die at age 56 of my own addiction. It sounds like you have worked very hard, and you have found peace -- and health. I'm so happy for you. Thanks again for sharing.

This is the general guideline I was given by my NUT.</div> Phase I Clear Liquids (Weeks 1 and 2) Zero Carb Isopure Drink (Nature's Best) Per 1 bottle - Calories: 160kcal | Fat: 0.00g | Carbs: 0.00g | Protein: 40.00g Clear broth SF popsicles Water, decaf tea Phase II Full Liquids (Week 3 -- 500-600 calories) runny Protein Shakes Low-fat soups (strained / pureed) runny cream of wheat Non-fat milk Sugar free/fat free ice cream Phase III Puree (Week 4 and possibly 5 -- 600 - 700 calories) Baby food sugar free/fat free pudding pureed cooked meats with broth pureed cooked Beans low fat cottage cheese nonfat yogurt low fat mashed potatoes * pureed cooked veggies * unsweetened pureed fruit * * add Protein powder Phase IV Soft foods -- things that can be mashed with a fork (Week 5, possibly 6 -- (700-800 calories) scrambled eggs steamed or poached fish low fat cheese / string cheese skinless chopped or ground meat soft canned fruit well cooked veggies Phase V Regular Diet (Begin week 6, 7 or when ready -- 800-900 calories) 3 meals, 1-2 Snacks or 5 small meals the first few months each meal 4-6 oz (always start meal with eating protein) High Protein, Low Fat, Low Carb and avoiding simple carbs (concentrated sugar), alcohol Add one new food and record intolerance

Bandster hell?? I must say--I could qualify for that after my second fill. I was shocked over my inability to eat chicken. I chopped it-cut it into small pieces and more. It wouldn't stay down. If I had to count my times of using the bathroom--throwing up--I would be up near 25 times... But these days--after my second fill on June 13th--I've only thrown up a few times. Most was chicken on the same day. So now that is not a part of my meal process. I am strictly fish, shrimp, I have tastes soft pork too. I don't weight myself every morning or every week. But with a 33 pound weight loss in 12 weeks--I am sitting on the 2.75 average a week. Can I complain--no way. I know there will be weeks that I may not make that average--but If i can average at least 2.5 each week for the next 27 weeks--I could be another 67 to 68 pounds lighter. I hope I can maintain this. I am no longer in hell--I enjoy eating less and lighter. Makes feel so much better--so much motivated too...Every blue moon--I may have a cooler--but no hard alcohol for me. I drank a glass of Brandy for my "50" Birthday last week. It made me sleepy is all. I said..that was a good sleeping drink...

I'm almost 2 months post op and have already had one fill. I can tell you from experience that you can't gulp anything, Water included; but you can get it down in 1/2 cup increments fairly close together. The alcohol deal, sure the docs say no because of calories, but once you are done healing, it's like any other food choice.. it's a choice. I have had wine since surgery and just sipped on a glass for the evening... Your bar tab will be a lot cheaper! :smile2: One of the blogs I follow on here of a fellow bandster in NYC drinks wine and goes to supper clubs, the whole nine and she has lost tons of weight and looks amazing so it is absolutly do-able! Best wishes! Heather

I drink when I get my cravings. However, I don't mean alcohol! I drink lots of diet Snapple teas, Crystal Light and other low calorie drinks. If that isn't working I'll have black decaf coffee or tea because sometimes I need the warmth to feel "full". If none of those work, then I have to leave and do something. I go window shopping, walk the dog, clean the house, do laundry--whatever will help me to get past the moment. If all else fails, I set aside 3 whatevers (usually cookies) and eat them slowly. The times that I haven't followed my own advice, it has let to a binge. I now recognize the warning signs and try to control the moment.

1. We love you. 2. We are not going to beat you up. I hope we each realize that "there but for the grace of God go I" OK, I (intellectually) knew that the Sleeve was not magical. But emotionally I just wanted the sleeve to work automatically. Maybe it would be a switch that would turn off my hunger. Maybe the operation would automatically make be want only the 'nutritious' food and change my taste buds so that I'd hate "slider" foods. Maybe the sleeve would end my work and life stress. Maybe the sleeve would vacuum the carpets... (um, sorry) Nope. For me it is a tool and nothing magical at all. I CAN eat around the sleeve. I can eat a lot more than I thought I could and I also have a stomach of steel. Aside from one episode of nausea and vomiting, I have had NO problems. I think I could eat a box of carpet tacks. I have had good loss. I am coming up to 7 months out and am down 100# from my heaviest weight and 45# down from surgery. I have been in a frustrating stall for over a month, sigh, but I press on... But I have a fat brain (named, as many folks here know, "Skippy"). Skippy wants me to eat. ALL the time. I can only deal with Skippy by having a daily eating plan. I know what I will eat and when I will eat and that's it. I just never change from the plan -- not because it's fun or because I don't WANT to -- but because Skippy is freaking insane and is FULL of wonderful snack ideas... Also, from reading here and other research, I have come to believe that I am a Carb Addict. Period. One day I had a bananna... and was STARVING the rest of the day. One day I had a small (tiny) rice pudding cup... and was starving for the rest of the day. This made no sense. BUT I have found that IF I can stay on a very strict low carb eating plan (NO sugars and NO starches and NO processed carbs) for 3 or 4 very difficult days it does get easier. And after about a week, I really don't mind the temptations of TV, work parties, and home; and I no longer have terrible and painful cravings. 3 or 4 TOUGH days to pay for a much easier time later, with Skippy being quiet in the background rather than continuously whispering in my ear. PS, I have given up longing to be normal... I never was and I refuse to "long" to be fat any more. I struggle every day with eating slowly, I drink coffe, my NUT is not happy, but it's the only drug I've got left. PS, I drink it black -- took a month to transition to black coffee but I did, I drink no soda, diet or otherwise, no beer, nothing bubbly I do not smoke (thank God) I limit my alcohol to special occasions, I get my Water in I get my Protein in I write everything down I take the Vitamins required PS, we love you, and this book helped me: http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259

Here's my newsflash. Think about what kind of a drinker you are. In a most small groups, or at home, I have absolutely no trouble with "one and done" or even none. (I work in nonprofits, so I think we "socially" drink more than most professions. One of my board members just shot me a note about our meeting tonight telling me that he will remember a corkscrew this time. Yup.) However, if I get in the right kind of party situation..walking around, chatting, catching up, no repercussions from being unprofessional or people watching to see what I'm doing? I have discovered that I forget myself. So this may totally not apply to you but I would highly recommend that you give your individual habits and tendencies some thought before you imbibe, especially in public. For me, just knowing how the alcohol would affect me didn't prepare me for being on good behavior. I'd been doing so well that I relaxed way too much. This is the other side of whether you're ready. I was not, completely.

I was told that I definitely WOULD become an alcoholic. So far, I'm not. I see a therapist for my food issues as well. It's amazing how much of our lives and our minds are tied up in food. I'm working really hard to become addicted to exercise. I think that would be my best bet!

[3/28/10] Sometimes I wonder what miscellaneous people see when they look at me. Are they disgusted by my appearence as much as I am lately? Like, admittedly, when I see someone fat (my size on upwards of 4 or 500lbs): I wonder if there sturggles w/food have been like mine, I wonder how they feel about themselves, and wonder if they are as uncomfortable as I have been (physically, in terms of knee/hip/foot pain, exhaustion, etc) But most of all, I wonder if they have ever reached the end of their rope w/their weight/health or if they are content with being that way. I ask, b/c I know that some folks enjoy being overweight (ie: the lady recenty who aiming at trying to be 1200 lbs or something so assinine) I’m not judging. And this is not intended to sound/read as such – I’m just curious about peoples lives…and if, like me, they too are just as fed up with being (so) fat & out of shape…but don’t know what to do about it. I know people probably look at me on the Metro when I’m about to take a seat next to them thinking “noooooooo, I don’t want that fat broad squeezing me into the seat!!”. I’m very aware of peoples reactions…and it hurts. I just wonder if it affects anyone like it has affected me. And further – at what point do you decide to do something about your health. Being fat I could care lass about. IF I could be fat (morbidly obese is a less pretty term for the truth) AND healthy at this size…ok. But I think it’s physically impossible to be over a certain weight and not have any health issues (present & future) associated with it. Some folks are just riding down the river called denial. I know for me I wasn’t particularly in denial – its just that everything I tried never lasted long term, and I grew sick of feeling like crap about myself – especially over the past year. I don’t want to become one of those folks that acts (seems to act) like I’m so much more enlightened because I’ve decided to do something about my health – because that’s ALL this is about for me. But I wonder if people really know where they stand in terms of mortality. I’ll put it this way – there is NO food good enough, no alcoholic beverage tasty enough…for me to remain in my current state. I need help trying to shave some years off the death sentance I’ve given myself over the past 2 decades, and pray that the Insurance “Mayor” makes the Lapband surgery an easy pardon. I’m at my wits end. Add to it married life, motherhood, 9-5 job, jewelry biz…I’m damn near ready to throw myself (and a few other select ppl) off the Woodrow Wilson bridge. But its only a matter of time. Change come soon – I bring it!

I am not an alcoholic. I never had a drug or alcohol problem. But I've had plenty of other dangerous addictions and I also happen to work next door to a building where AA meetings are held. It's always easy to spot the newbies. They are the ones with their heads held down in shame refusing to make eye contact with anyone. The vets, if you will, some of who go several time a week, some that I've talked to for over 20 years, go in with their heads held high like they just can't wait to get the show on. I think it's interesting so I watch. I see this 3 times a day 4 days a week. Mostly the same people with new ones thrown in here and there. As an outsider I can tell you the only thing that goes through my mind each and every time I see a meeting about to start is, good for them. Because I know how hard it is to actively seek help and actually benefit from it. Get help. People really do care and it really does make a difference. No body will judge you. They will hold your hand and walk you through it. I've seen it and I commend it. I have nothing but respect for the addicts that go to these meetings. I think they must be the bravest people on earth.

In re reading the following posts I think I need to add to my earlier post. If addiction, to food, alcohol, drugs or whatever was an issue prior to being sleeved then this would certainly increase likelihood of cross addiction. My post was very much written from the perspective of a non addict and it was remiss of me not to make that clear.

Me too. I actually never received (or thought I needed) therapy for my food/alcohol addictions. Successfully lost all my excess weight and was maintaining easily. I was a strong, confident, invincible woman! Then I lost my best friend to suicide. By refusing to drown my emotions with calories like I'd always done before, I sunk into a very deep depression because I never learned an alternative coping mechanism. I was actually FEELING my emotions for the first time and it sucked. So I started seeing a grief counselor. Like you, turns out its helping in all aspects of my life and wished I'd done it long ago. Maybe that would have helped me from getting so damn fat in the first place.

yes she was........ but..... Addiction transfer, or cross addiction, after bariatric surgery occurs when individuals trade compulsive eating for other compulsive behaviors. There is also strong evidence of a biological reason for cross addiction. Studies show various forms of transfer addiction in up to 30 percent of patients who have had bariatric surgery. For these patients, food is no longer being a source of comfort, distraction, reward or escape. Other behaviors or substances now substitute for eating, and can become problematic. “Process addictions,” such as gambling, shopping and sex addiction can occur, as well as addictions to alcohol and other drug abuse. In some cases, after a period of initial remission, food addiction can reoccur. I drink, but it's never to an excess and i rarely ever have anything with bubbles in it.

During weight loss phase, I had the occasional glass of red wine or gin (or vodka) & soda water with lots of lime. AFTER weight loss phase, I do drink more, but generally stick to dry red wine or gin/vodka/tequila (less carbs in these). I stay away from sugary mixers, and sugary liqueurs (with the exception of Kahlua...an IMPORTANT ingredient in espresso martinis, lol) It's also worth noting that post-wls it doesn't take a lot for me to feel the effects of alcohol. One and I'm done. Though I do also sober up very quickly now...

Personally I have found that there are two groups of people here. Not saying one is right or better, I've just noticed two trains of thought. The first is people who are desirous to mold their life around their sleeve. The others are desirious to mold the sleeve around their life. The problem is that some from each group think that their position is the only "right" one. I craved "fast food" when I was first able to have real food. I headed for In-n-Out and got a Protein burger (a burger without a bun). I had that and some fries. It was good. But it hasn't appealed to me since. pizza on the other hand... I have about once a week. I also go out for mexican about once a week-I don't do the chips and slasa anymore. Nor do I eat the tortillas. There is no where that says we can't have fast food during the losing part of our program. I think with thoughtful choices or small portions almost nothing should be "forbidden" I have seen others post about how they chose this tool so that they would not have to be on a "diet" the rest of their lives. I have seen people who post that they still drink soda or alcohol. If that is how they choose to work their program than that is their choice. I opersonally choose to have a dessert almost everynight. A piece of chocolate, a scoop of ice cream whatever. I try to keep it around 100 calories. I figure that that means I will lost about 1 pound less each month. I can live with that. I figure I will be eating this way the rest of my life, so for me I chose to work my sleeve around my life. that being said-I have also decided that my purpose is not just to lose weight but to get healthier-So in addition to eating less, I am working on incorporating "clean" foods into my life. So that will seriously limit my fast foods in the future. But considereing pre-op I ate out about twice a day, I think my twice a week now is a big change already. So Rico-you have to decide about fast food-and if you choose wisely you don't HAVE to wait until you reach goal.

Products that are sugar free using many forms of artificial sweeteners and also products using natural no calorie sweeteners such as stevia should be fine and should not cause dumping syndrome. I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague. The sugars I avoid are sucrose (table sugar), fructose (honey), dextrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), cane juice, evaporated cane juice, agave, molasses, corn sweeteners, brown sugar, barley malt, beet sugar, and pure maple sugar.

You mean 14 of your friends died in one summer? I don't even have 14 friends, so I can't imagine losing even one of them. You probably did deal with it internally by eating for comfort. I spent my teens self-medicating. Back then, I thought I was just partying, but I was diagnosed with severe Anxiety Disorder in my 20s. That's when my doctors told me that all my drinking was self-medicating in social atmospheres because I had social phobia. I must have really wanted to change, because at 41, I'm all about socializing! I've hardly drank in the past decade until my port went south. Now I have to wonder if my old days are creeping back up on me, because suddenly I find myself thinking about cocktails every weekend. It's weird. Giving up the food makes me crave alcohol, I guess. I've never, ever had to fight the urge to drink booze. This is a brand new craving. Odd.

When I had my psych eval the doc told me something I still think about that makes sense........ He said...the human being doesn't like to sit around in discomfort so they turn to binging on food, nail biting, cigarette smoking,drugs, alcohol, etc...... However if we didn't do those particular things the same will result....we won't die or get sick......we will just be uncomfortable........and sometimes life or the things that happen in life are uncomfortable......for me that's a new feeling. You said you have anxiety....I do too....instead of doing something self destructive why don'y you try something constructive...just once and see how you feel. Go for a long walk, play a game, talk to a neighbor. For me the best thing is to know that your anxiety is trying to take control ---embrace it, let it ride, let it take its course, and it will be over....in the meantime....try something constructive that way when it's over your not feeling depressed because of your guilt over doing something destructive when you were anxious. Then let the positive feelings lead into more positive feelings, rather than the negative.

Soak it with a warm washcloth for 10 to 15 minutes then rub, rub, rub! Actually it will eventually come off on its on if you can tolerate it until then. I am a nurse and there is a product we use at the hospital to dissolve the sticky when we remove the tape so that it doesn't hurt so much-I work on pediatrics! You might call the hospital or your pharmacy and see if they can get you some of those little wipes. They are the size of alcohol pads.

Wow, I sure minded being the fat girl! Especially when it came to seats in the planes or not being able to ride horses. . . yup i sure did mind. . . have you thought about speaking to a councelor about your self esteem issues? I'm glad to see your health issues are clearing up. . . i'm 2 years out and can only eat 1/2 potatoe, and 1 ounce piece of brisket at dinner. . i never go to eat at buffets anymore because that is a waste of money for me since i eat much more normal now. i still go out to eat at restaurants, but always take back home. Those meals will usually last me 2 days or so. . . i still eat junk food, only in smaller amounts. . .i still drink alcohol only 1 glass verus 3-4 . Our grocery bill is basically non existent and that is good for me!!! it does get better, only now i eat like a lady and not like something else . . good luck