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Alcohol sugars are very very bad for me. Send my bloodsugar plummeting. Good luck finding those bars and let us know.

My doctor recommends a really low-carb bar from a company called Quest (you can find them by googling "quest bar"). They're DELICIOUS and they do free samples so you can try them before buying. Yummy and great nutrition. 20g Protein, 4g carbs, no sugar alcohols (which upset my tummy). Worth a shot.

I was banded in late May and have recently reached the "green zone" meaning that I can eat but get full very quickly. I can eat and drink most anything except breads, dry meat, and rice. As far as alcohol goes, I onlt dirnk on occasion. I can drink one beer at a time but it takes a couple of hours and I recently had a shot of Bailey's and it was delicious. It has taken a while to get to this point but it has truly been worth it. Best of luck.

Hi all having band fitted 25th oct very nervous, although I have always struggled with my weight I have been able to lose it aswell over the last 8 yrs its been very difficult due to medical problems oesto-arthritis in my spine hips hands and feet just wanted to know some information, how does it effect your lifestyle in the sense of what you eat & drink also alcohol. All info is much appriciated x

I use Ragu Original with Mushrooms and just add my own fresh spices along with orange, yellow and red bell peppers. It only has 11 carbs per 1/2 cup serving, but a quick google search for low carb spaghetti sauce shows Hunts No Sugar Added Italian Style Sauce has even fewer carbs per 1/2 c serving. Hunt's No Added Sugar Italian Style Sauce Serving Size 1/2 cup Calories 35 Total Fat 0g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 610mg Total Carbohydrates 6g Dietary Fiber 2g Sugar 3g Sugar Alcohol 0g Protein 1g Ingredients: tomato puree (water, tomato paste), Water less than 2% of: salt, soybean oil, dehydrated onions, carrot fiber, spices, citric acid, xanthan gum, sucralose, acesulfame, potassium, natural flavor

Hi Everyone I'm starting a new thread so we UK sleevers can share our progress. For me, it will be 3 months since my surgery next week. I weighed myself this morning, and worked out that I've now lost 5 stone 2.8lbs! The difference it has made to my life has been incredible. I was in a size 30, I'm now in a size 24/26. I seem to be losing about a stone a month now. My hair isn't falling out at all at the moment but I am quite careful about taking in Protein. I had my first piece of chocolate the other day and it was nice, but I don't feel like I need to eat lots of it anymore. I get compliments left, right and centre about how much I'm changing and my friends tell me how nice I look. Something that didn't happen much before! Things are pretty good so far. I don't regret having the surgery. I've only been sick a couple of times and that was from gulping Water. I even had my first alcoholic drink the other night. Granted, I sipped it slowly, but it was nice to be out and about being 'normal'. I'd love to hear your stories about how you are doing, so please do share them. All the best Bella

Food was never my issue just the lack of activity due to my knee. So not all of us are here because of food. I do put my hand up to liking chocolate and a good glass of red wine! I was never the 3am fridge grazer the NHS Consultant labelled me as as I am so busy and used to be fast asleep. One of my clients actually said to me that she didn't think I ate enough (she's a nutritonist). When I tried a high Protein diet with low carbs I lost quite a lot of weight (3 stone) but then gradually after the knee op just couldn't maintain the loss or add to it. Since the band I have cut out alcohol, foods such as Pasta, bread, chocolate, bananas, steak, rice krispies. I only seem to have Soup, chicken, lots of vegetables, brown rice, weetabix, porridge, pureed fruits (baby range), stews, chilli, I had chicken fajitas minus the wraps the other evening. Again I have noticed that when I manage to eat a proper meal (very small portion) I lose slightly more in the week. Our bodies need good, quality, highly nutritious fuel in order to function.

Thank you so much for answeing, Eurika C! You are right, that decision is difficult. Hearing from other, who have had the surgery - og could give some kind of input. I have trying to read a lot in here, and will probably read all, every thread, before I dicide. "1. I am a person who likes to eat large amounts. I think the restriction will be the most important tool for me. " I hope it is ok for me to ask you these. Large amounts of intake is no longer possible, so it will give you some kind of resticted intake. Do you think, that your urge to eat is so strong, that over time, you could stretching the stomach? And you could digest larger amount over time? What I am thinking about is, that no matter how strong ones feeling of succes is. It is difficult to know, if the old habits will get control over one again. I personally think, that I will do all there is to do, to keep a healthy lifestyle. I have been looking into and working with all the emotions eating is giving me. Mayby the ghrelin reduction will handle some of the appetite "2. I am concerned about the malabsorption of the RNY. I have a brother in law who has done very well so far on the RNY, but I am still concerned. It is important to me to eat as close to a varied normal diet as possible once I have healed and reach maintenance levels." That is also how I feel. What will happen in 20 years from now. It seems logical, that the long time Vitamin and mineral difficiency must be less with a sleeve operation. That is pointing me in the sleeve direction :-) "As for the sweets issue, people can sabotage their surgery by eating high calorie slider foods." Excactly - and how much is too much? I would do anything, but I also more and more see this urge to art like an addiction. Like alcoholism. I know, I need to take care of it every day I have read that 2/3 of the people who have batriatic procedure is have some kind binge eating disorder. " Is this something you are willing to take ownership of and combat? " Yes - ownership is a good word. I need to struggle with after an operation - but I hope the struggle with get just a little easier in some ways. "The sleeve is a tool, and you have to work the tool by following the post surgery guidelines." Yes, and that tool could be so helpful - mayby I am to optimistic, but I see it as I am half way there with this helpertool of mine. THANK YOU AGAIN!

I have had the sleeve back in December 2008 & have lost 80lbs so far I didn't have any complications after the surgery may I add that the only reason I haven't lost all the weight is because the sleeve has a small tricky side..It is the best decision I've made in my life! Thus far I had the surgery when I was 21..I'm 22 now..a November baby....okay well first off it's a life changing thing...& unlike most people my insurance did not cover it...so my mother paid the $20,000+ straight out of her own pocket- no payment plan- no credit card... So that i could have the surgery very thankful since my health was going in a direction in which I was told by the time I was 30yrs old... My health wouldn't be too great, so what I wanted to speak on was the sleeve.. Alcohol consumption for me if I get enough in my system I'll say 1or 2 drinks... "smaller stomach makes you come into a state I don't care to be in alot faster "drunk" so me me it tricks my stomach / my senses and I am able to eat more then I normal eat,.. ALL the bad foods chips, cookies candy, the SOFTER foods I can consumer alot more of that if I dont eat my 2-3 small meals a day..meat MUST be chewed well...I seem to do better with chicken then steak.. Remember reduced stomach means reduced acid in the stomach which helps break the food down..a small steak is fine... & I mean Small!..so now that I'm back on track with the weight loss I have no regrets about the surgery, I have 3 spots on my stomach were they cut me.."microscopic" so no major Horrific scaring...heals with time & proper care+ a scar cream... if you allow it to be like I did which caused my small set back..in me only losing 80lbs is snacks, junk food the Softer the food(mush mush) the more your stomach can hold but don't let bread fool you that's one soft food I avoid with a meal because it swells up and makes you full before you even get your dinner "well with me it does" anyways I believe you get the idea....acid reflux> I take my nexium once a day...skinny people have acid reflux so if the surgery doesn't totally eliminate it..then it will reduce it alot.. I've noticed foods with too much of a kick don't sit well in the stomach.. Gives me a burning feeling sometimes it just depends.. Other then that...I love love love the sleeve, it is a life long change.. Ask yourself this if people are going to lose the weight and then remove the band...and HOPE to remain thinner, why get the band At all especially if they say food can slip through,get stuck& you never really feel full? what kind of mess is that! I thought that was the point to make you eat LESS& BE FULL(really) and all by consuming smaller portions...with the sleeve there isn't any trickery when it comes to the full feeling "except maybe when consuming alcohol like I said earlier" otherwise when YOU feel full, you are full(.)And the backlash for trying to push through that full feeling is you have to throw up plan and simple if you have tried for years to lose weight like I did.. Go with something that will help you benefit you, and actually give you good results.. Instead of being pumped or undone, or redone again.. For those that might not know They sleeve was/ is used on patients that were over 350+ lbs I believe ..& was the first step in prepping patients to get the gastric bypass by allowing them to lose weight( 380+ weight is too high a risk when doing such a major surgery like the gastric bypass) .. But turns out the sleeve made a lot of those patients lose a good amount of weight... Thus the sleeve became one more option in weight loss surgery.....

Hi Knaroz. Good points and all true. More reasons to stay away or at least be very careful with alcohol consumption. Maxi

Very true Maxi, and if you are currently loosing weight it can stall weight loss as the simple sugars in alcohol actually will burn before body fat so it is a catch 22. Also watch you intake because of 2 reasons: A) You have less food in your stomach to help slow the alcohol's absorption and You are at a lower weight which causes the alcohol's effect to be increased.

Hi DylanThomas99. Not to be a party poop but remember that alcohol is really empty calories. Be VERY careful with how much and how often you drink alcohol. I would just have one drink that you drink very slowly on special occasions. Maxi

Gas advice? Feel free to fart frequently. Move around a lot to break it up. Hot bath can get you farting. Some people swear by gas-x. Others by papaya. Walk around and do something noisy so people don't know you're farting. I like to sharpen pencils. LOL. For me, avoid sourkraut. Avoid chocolates with the sugar alcohols instead of the sugar. Also, some SF high protein granola bars or protein bars have chicory root or its active ingredient, inulin in them. As Jim Carrey would say, "Do not go in there."

I see a counsler and I attend OA(overeaters anonymous) a free program similar to AA(alcoholics anonymous) it just talks about our obsessions with food and everyone there is trying to figure out how to have a healthy relationship with food. It has helped alot!!! The counsler helps but it costs money. So whatever your budget you can get the help we need to fix our "heads"...... good luck....:smile:

Obesity is a very complicated condition and is recognized by many in the medical field as a disease. An alcoholic who has been sober for 20 years is still considered an alcoholic. An obese person who has issues with food can still have those after weight loss. This article (from webmd) speaks about how hunger hormones can sabotage our dieting. And hunger is not all head hunger. While that many exist, I believe doctors use that term too often to blame the patient when the band isn't working as it should (despite following all the rules) Some Dieters Are Set Up to Regain Weight And I know many thin adults who eat all they want, don't exercise, and by their own admission have inherited thin genes and are lucky. So, not all thin people are these healthy eaters/exercisers.

Apples, my niece is having a stint put in tomorrow. She will have her stone crushed when they can get her scheduled. That machine must really be booked. I think she said may be two weeks before she can get it busted up Synd.....I wasn't into having a dog until the kids were gone. My pup is like my kid except he loves me unconditionally. He loves walking with me in the morning. That is really why I got a dog......so I would get out and exercise. Joyce.......thanks for the props. I haven't been too good since Vegas. I act like I am on a food vacation. It is weird. Maybe it is because I am not going to weight management on Wednesdays. I am working on it. Lori, it was not easy baking. I am really glad it is over. It is like being a alcoholic and a bartender at the same time. Enjoy your nuggets. You know while you were gone I bought nuggets and they had sand or dirt in them. My teeth still feel gritty. YUCK! I won't be eating nuggets from McD's for quite awhile. Are you going to the McDonald's across from Waikiki? We stayed at the Hilton a couple of blocks from there. I wish I could fly to Hawaii at least every six months. Enjoy!! LauraK, I would eventually like to take yoga. You should have seen Janet and Joyce doing their yoga moves. They are quite limber. Okay peeps.......going to my mother's tomorrow. My DH bought her a new cell phone with voice recognition and larger numbers because of her low vision. I am taking DD with me because she will have to be my techie and program the phone. I know I could do it, but why?.....I have all these people that can do it so much faster.

While I agree that it is ultimately the alcoholic's responsibility to remain sober, it's helpful when you have a supportive spouse. It seems unrealistic, if not cruel, to expect an addict to stay strong early on in their sobriety when their spouse is routinely pouring a scotch night cap. I don't believe it's unreasonable to expect some support from those who live in the same house as you, especially in the early stages of this wl journey when we are still trying to break old habits and create new healthier ones. ETA; Thankfully we live in a rural area where there aren't any kids trick or treating. I love candy corn and I'm just glad I don't have to test my resolve this early on. =)

Yes. I would. The recovering alcoholic's sobriety is his/her own responsibility.

You felt restriction after your first fill??? CONGRATULATIONS! I don't think I felt any restriction at all until maybe my 4th or 5th fill. You will be on your way to the sweet spot in no time! But seriously, if you compare yourself to others it is a slippery slope to self-sabotage. Learn everything you can about how this tool works. I have read here that people have been told that having the lapband was "taking the easy way out". Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes work, and your success depends on how much work (i.e., exercise, healthy eating, etc.) you put in. Some of us have physical issues that slow our progress, some have emotional issues (i.e., emotional eating, compulsive eating, sugar addiction, etc.), bottom line is you have to keep working at it. Don't give up. Your doctor has an eating plan for you, figure out how to make it work in your favor. (Unless you are like me - my doc would give me a fill and say "tomorrow eat solid foods, no alcohol, no dessert". LOL Funny, but true.) Take your time, learn what works for you and do it! The band takes time and effort. You can succeed. This forum has a lot of support, take what you can use and leave the rest behind. Oh, one more thing, when I kept gaining and losing the same three pounds ... I STOPPED WEIGHING ALTOGETHER. Now I only weigh at the doc office. I let my clothes do the talking. And, believe or not, they are talking prettly loudly lately. YAY! Don't let things psyche you out. Keep a positive outlook and surround yourself with supportive people. You can do this! All the best to you on your journey. ~Fran

There are actually many drinks out there that leave out the carbonation. I usually go drinks like a White Russian or shots of liquid Marijuana. You could also have a margarita, martini, wine, screwdriver, Cranberry Vodka, Royal F***, Pina Colada, Bloody Mary, Black Russian, Godiva chocolate liqueur + cream Shots, etc... You could always just drink the liquor straight. My favorite is Captain Morgan's Tattoo Rum... It's yummy. The only problems I have with alcohol is that my tolerance for it has decreased. I usually can handle only one drink compared to the 5+ I could handle pre-op. Just try to keep the drinking to a minimal because it will prevent or greatly decrease weight loss. (Believe me...I tested this theory out)

can anybody tell me if they have any problems with alcohol after being banded,and what is the best to drink after op as most alcoholic drinks are fizzy.

Would you say cut some slack to a person who brought in alcohol when there was a recovering alcoholic in the house?? I'm not saying they can't eat it, there's plenty of places other than the house they can have it.... just don't bring it home.

Did you know you can get flesh eating bacteria from getting a pedicure, and possibly die from that? Doesn't seem to stop women from getting pedicures. Any kind of surgery is a risk, I was scared and got cold feet at times as well, but I told myself if it is meant to be it will be, and I had faith in my higher power, who happens to be God, but for whatever is your higher power, have faith. I know someone who has lapband. She and her husband had WLS together. He had bypass and she had banding. She was jealous as the weight just fell off of him, and she had to work at it. She told me a year ago that she would never recommend anyone get the band as all she can do is drink her calories and now she is an alcoholic. After doing my research I realized the band didn't fail her, she failed the band because she expected the weight to come off without effort. That is not the approach I wanted to take with my health.

Cheri......thanks for sharing your life with us. You are such a bubbly person. I just loved watching you dance. Apples....I hear ya on trying to make things normal. Living with an alcoholic made things predictably chaotic. I promised myself that my kids would have a sense of normalcy, but I didn't know what normal was other than" Leave it to Beaver". You know that wasn't real, but that is what I thought was real. Oh well, all in all, my kids turned out pretty good......except for inheriting my bad eating habits. Janet.......Whoa Hass! Don't get on my A$$ today. I didn't eat right today or exercise. Tomorrow......then you can stay on me. Water aerobics in the morning. I am sitting my GS too. We should find out tomorrow if he placed in the baking. Laura.....glad you got to hear from DH. I bet he is having a wonderful time. Post a pic if you can. Melissa......you are a beautiful woman. Take it from us old farts......we all wish we had lap band ten years earlier. You have an awesome opportunity to turn it all around before you are forty.......baby steps......one day at a time!!!

I told my parents, brother, a few relatives, and maybe 3 co-workers. People are so negative when it comes to weight loss surgery. They either comment on the complications, people re-gaining weight, or ask why don't I just try to diet and exercise. Most of these people have never had weight problems. People are more sympathetic to alcoholics, smokers, and drug abusers, all of which have some underlying psychologic issue.