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You would think that I'd feel better after this long rant... But I am still very angry. I find it unbelievable that treatment for the co-morbidities that are often caused by MO is provided without question: c-pap machines for sleep apnea, diabetes medication, cholesterol treatment, hyper-tension, infertility, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, gastro-esophageal reflux, urinary stress incontinence, lower extremity venous stasis disease, cardiovascular disease.... A doctor would NEVER withhold treatment for any of these things until a person lost a certain amount of weight - and yet, the underlying CAUSE for them all is often MO! My Mom is not MO - she's maybe 40-50 pounds overweight. Her doc told her he wasn't going to lose any sleep over her health as long as she was fat. I still have no way to process that statement without being angry at the end of it. My thin PCP offered to send me to nutrition classes when I asked him about banding. He's slender - I asked him if he counted calories, or exercised regularly. He said no. I asked him if he thought he COULD count calories, go hungry, and exercise regularly. He was honest, and said no. None of this rant is meant as an excuse to not try and live as healthy a lifestyle as possible, or to escape responsibility for the choices I make. I have a disease, and it is up to me to take care of myself the very best way that I can, to seek the treatment that I need, and to never give up. I don't expect it to be easy, or fun, or fair. But I do expect that people recognize that it ISN'T easy, fun, or fair - and that the challenges I face with the disease of MO cannot be compared to the challenges that 'normal' people face with food. Just as I cannot expect it to be easy for an alcoholic to NOT drink, just because I have no interest in alcohol. It's EASY for me to not drink - it simply doesn't interest me. It's NOT easy for an alcoholic to not drink. If a person has no interest in food, or very little appetite, it is easy for them to not overeat. Anyone with a non-food addiction who has kicked their "habit" will tell you that quitting is 100 times easier than moderating. And we can't "quit" food. People do learn to moderate... about 5% of them. I keep struggling to be in that 5%.

a lot of people (myself included!) have big problems with sugar-free foods because the sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners are actually toxic. Hope you feel better soon!

I still have my vodka and juice, I have just substituted the sugarery juices with Crystal Light. This way my calories are limited to the alcohol only. I also have not noticed it affecting me anymore than wtihout the band.

Hey everyone. I have a quick question that I have not been able to get a clear yes or no from anyone... I know that drinking alcohol is waasted calories and wasted room once banded, but I was just wondering if I will ever be able to go out and a drink with my friends ever again? I am very serious about this procedure so please don't think that I am not. I just am curious if I will be able to have a drink at my wedding one day you know? Cassie :confused2::cool2::smile2::w00t:

In my support group last week alcoholism was brought up; evidently a lot of successful bandsters become heavy drinkers. This has to do with addicitive behaviors. That surprised me but it makes sense.

I have drank several time. lol I try to stick to drinking clear liqour like Diabetics. I am from San Diego, lol where they know how to party. I usually get some kind of fruit juice and make one drink. That usually lasts me the whole night and keeps me on a nice straight buzz. I would not try to chance it with beer though. NO SHOTS either. Oh my gosh no shots. I took one once and when i burped some alcohol came back up with it and I was throwing up so bad. Everyone else is right, it hits you harder and much faster. Good luck

I was told I could have it "flat" if I wanted to, but there is really not much fun or joy in that (to me anyway!) So I quit cold turkey last Sept. and haven't touched the stuff since. For me it wasn't hard to do so I guess I wasn't a die hard addict to diet soda, I was a once a day type of diet soda drinker. Speaking of drinking, I also haven't touched alcohol since being sleeved and I have found that wasn't hard to do either. I guess it just depends on what works for you within your surgeon's guidelines. Good luck!

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY THAT HAVE A BIG BACK YARD FOR THE RECEPTION!! THAT WOULD BE SAVING SOME MONEY. WHEN I WSA MARRIED TO MY EX AND WE HAD NO MONEY WE DID EVERYTHING OURSELVES. FAMILY MEMBERS LET US USE THIER ROASTERS. WE BOUGHT A HAM AND DID THAT. 15 BUCS FOR A WHOLE HAM. I MADE RIGATONI IN A ROASTER. 15 BUCS FOR THAT. I DID A ROASTER OF GREEN BEANS 10 BUCS I SPENT ON THAT. I MADE A BIG PICKLE TRAY 15 FOR THAT. I BOUGHT A MEAT AND CHEESE TRAY FOR THAT. 20 BUCS. i MADE MY OWN ROLLS THEY FREEZE WELL. I MADE MY OWN COOKIES THEY FREEZE WELL. JUST TAKE THE NUMBER OF RSVP AND CACULATE HOW MUCH YOULL NEED. I MADE PUNCH TO DRINK WITH THE 7 UP HAWAIIN PUNCH AND VANILLA ICE CREAM. I HAD COFFEE. I HAD SOME CHEESE BALLS I MADE 2 . AND THE WEDDING CAKE AND ALCOHOL WAS MY MOST EXPENSIVE THING. I SPENT ON MY RECEPTION WAS 1000 DOLLARS TOTAL CAUSE THIERS THE FAVORS WHICH I MADE MY OWN AND I MADE MY OWN WEDDING GLASSES. OH AND I HAD CRAYON FAVORS SO THE THE LITTLE KIDS COULD COLOR ON THE PAPER ON THE TABLES. KEEPS THEM BUSY. AND WITH WEDDING DRESS AND TUX RENTALS I SPENT A TOTAL OF 2000 FOR EVERYTHING.

I agree with everyone about the potluck dinner, not a good idea. If you want to save money on your reception costs, consider having an "appetizers only" reception. You can serve a mix of hot and cold appetizers. Be careful how many you choose, too many appetizers can get expensive. Also make sure it is clear on the invitation the type of reception you are having. You don´t want your guest expecting a full meal. Here are a few ideas: Finger sandwiches Brides cake and Grooms cake chicken salad in small pastry cups Meatballs cheese balls with crackers Mini petit fours Mini quiche bites Wedding Cookies Fruit and Vegetable trays Cheese straws Strawberries dipped in chocolate pin wheels chocolate fondue with fruit or cheese fondue with bread or veggies sausage-cheese balls oriental chicken wings The possibilities are endless. Since you are on a budget, I would stay away from alcoholic beverages. You could serve wedding punch or different kinds of tea. I went to a wedding once where they served raspberry tea and it was really good.

That's a GREAT question, May! How do social outings affect me? I've got to say, I find it really challenging, especially because I'm in marketing so my job involves taking people out to lunch all the time. Yikes! I've had numerous embarressing situations where I've been talking to clients over a nice lunch and have to interrupt them to run to the bathroom to barf. Oy! For me, the biggest thing I have to watch is my alcohol consumption. It's very easy to continue to socialize and feel a part of the party by participating in alcohol, especially when you can't participate in sharing an order of chicken wings or nachos. So it's easy (for me) to turn to alcohol to kind of fuel that "I want to fit in with the group" need. If that sounds like you, then my advise is: (1) Sip your alcohol slowly; (2) drink Water in between your alcohol to slow you down; (3) choose lower-calorie beverages, such as choose vodka ("clear" alcohol") & juice over Baileys/Kaluha ("dark" alcohols). But in general, when it comes to socializing with the gastric band, some ideas are: * Socialize in non-eating situations, if possible. Go for a walk, a bike ride, canoeing, horseback riding, etc. You can get exercise, enjoy your social gathering, and not feel the pressure with food. To effectively do this, *YOU* should make the recommendation for the gathering first, rather than rely on other people to choose your activity. * Talk a lot. When you're talking, you're not eating. * Invite people over to your house. That way you control the food being served, you keep costs low (eating out to dinner is expensive!) and you can keep busy playing hostess, which means you're not spending so much time eating. * Choose restaurants with good Soup. Soup is my best friend! * Share dishes with your close friends/boyfriend/husband. That way you don't waste * Check out any local tapas bars. Small portion sizes! * Don't forget to chug a large glass of water before you eat. This will help slow you down, make you feel full, and prevent you from overindulging. * There can be a distinct juxtaposition as to when your body says you are done eating versus when your brain thinks you are done eating. When you body is done, immediately throw your (paper) napkin on your plate, turn your fork & knife over, push your plate physically away from you. This will help you brain understand that meal time is OVER. * When you're socializing with people that don't know that you've had weight loss surgery, prevent an embarressing situation by announcing before your meal that you may have to get up from the table. I might say, "Just so you know, I kind of have a medical issue where food gets stuck in my throat. So if I have to excuse myself from the table, please don't think I'm being rude!" It honestly does help make those abrupt departures a little less quirky. I hope a few of those tips help! Feel free to share your own tips, too!!

I gravitate to sweet for a different reason. Some time ago my taste buds stopped working properly. I couldn’t taste anything anymore mainly if it were strong sweet, salty, creamy or by texture. Sometimes it is worse than others. I tend to use sweet but without sugar. I use stevia in my tea or coffee. I buy skinny girl flavor syrup usually from either Burlington, Tuesday morning, tMarshall’s or home goods or tjmaxx they have them cheapest. be careful with sugar alcohols especially maltitol, that’s dangerous for dumping. but there’s plenty of healthier sweet options like protein bars, protein cookies, smart cakes, smart muffins, mug cakes, etc. BariatricPal store has quite a selection. Also Netrition.com. i haven’t had it in a while but if you crave bread great low carb bread company makes good bread, bagels, thin pizza crust, and other things even pasta. It’s a balance of fiber and protein. I try not to tempt myself with too much sweet and im not a snacker. So the sweet has to be protein for a meal. Of course that’s just me. I keep it little to no sugar, avoid sugar alcohols unless it’s a little bit of Erythritol. And stick to low carb and make sure it has protein. Fiber helps. if you like chocolate I found an interesting protein bar that’s called Built Bar, it comes in a bunch of flavors, 110 calories, 15 grams protein and low sugar. I bought a sampler box with a $10 coupon from their Facebook page. I tried mint brownie and it’s a bit like a dark chocolate peppermint patty. Not sure if it still works but the $10 off code is FIRSTBUILTBAR There’s even healthier gummy candies (smart sweets) that are sweetened with stevia and have lots of fiber. I think there are protein gummies too. halo top is one lower sugar, low calorie ice cream option.

A big reason they preach against drinking alcohol is because a fair amount of people end up becoming alcoholics after surgery. Essentially replacing food with a different addiction. I have some serious mourning for my craft beers despite not being a big drinker. There's a craft beer fest tomorrow that I won't be able to go to for the first time in years. It's sad, but I'll eventually get back to it. Unfortunately I've never been a wine guy! lol

All I can suggest is to stay hydrated and keep using body oil, etc.also, put your body oil on over damp skin. One tip I learned from one of my doctors is to make sure your lotions and moisturizers do not come in a pump bottle. Apparently, the additives (alcohol?) they use to make lotion pumpable is in itself drying.

Ok by no means do I know all of this I can only told you what I have read and what I have learned. First of all, whether you use him as a doctor or not Dr Ortiz has a lap band surgery book that is great to read... check it out it's on Amazon.com. Anyways... 1. insurance... don't know cause mine won't cover. 2. People always treat people different when they change. I think you wil lfind ALOT of positive but be prepared for some people not accepting the new you. Jealousy is out there and unfortunately alot of negativity too. But this has to be about you and not others. I worry more about how my weight affects my kids rather than my brother or friends. (Although making my ex a lil jealous will be nice) 3. Alcohol... from what I read it does differ person to person. Beer is usually a no no cause of the carbonation and the high calories. Many bottled drinks now have carbonation so be careful. Erosion would suck. The other big issue with alcohol is the calories.. empty calories that slide right through. I heard a glass of wine is ok, or even on the rocks. No rum and cokes or mixed carbonation drinks. Personally I will want to celebreate with a glass of bubbly but that will be at goal and hopefully I can handle a lil carbonation then. Drinking too much is just not a great idea when investing so much into the new you... 4. skin... again differs from person to person.. .but one of the reasons i prefer LB over GB is the slower rate of weight loss allows your body to adjust better and less of a chance in needing plastic surgery. It also depends on how much you loose and how you feel about whats left. I am getting a breast aug cause they are big, and after breastfeeding they SAG big time. I am getting them reduced and lifted. They are my best bodily feature and when I loose weight I want them tip top shape. Kinda nervous about Tummy tuck, but a friend just had one (no WLS) and she recovered well.. and looks great. So hmmm maybe, but BA first. Ok hopw this helps, and remember I am not banded yet, just reading everything I can about it so answering what I know. Good luck... keep reading and ASK all you think of.

Oh yeah Smokin!! HAHAHA Sometimes though, not such a great thing...work xmas party tonight consisted of many people plied with alcohol and feeling free to say how great I looked, which was cool, it is nice to be complimented....and then I get one guy come up and say before even saying hello, so are you married yet?? In front of 5 other people, and I am totally not interested in him and WTF!!!??? I turned tail and got out of there quick smart! Then laughed about it all the way home!! :wink2:

It is mainly the wasted calories that makes alcohol a discouraged beverage. But, everything in moderation. I was released for alcohol consumption 3.5 months post-op with a warning to avoid red wines. I waited until after I was at goal to drink wine. I had one glass stretched out over an hour. It hit me hard, and fast then I sobered up fast. Now, my tolerance is back to what it was pre-op. I drink very, very socially, and tie one on monthly. I don't ever see a weight gain, nor do I get hangovers, but I am also in maintenance. A lot of sleeve patients choose to partake in alcohol before reaching goal report stalling, or it slowing down their loss. If you figure it into your caloric intake, then just following it up with tons of clear fluids.

How long until you can consume alcohol? sleeved November 8th. 27yrs. HW 273 SW 233 CW 215. YOUTUBE. SC. MFP. IG @macon_me

My surgery is scheduled for June 26th 2013 at 10:15am. I have contemplated lap band for over 2 years and just within the past year decided to do it. Sometimes I still think to myself "do I really need this? am I being crazy? I'm not THAT fat", but then I look in the mirror, look at the numbers on the scale or see someone in public looking at me funny and I realize that I am THAT fat and I need help. I had my first appointment with the surgeon on April 18th, 2013. Since then I have been eating like my life depends on it! Trying to get in everything I won't be eating after surgery. I know, I know, I'll be able to eat all the same things, just smaller portions (eventually), but I'm a food addict. Like an alcoholic can't have just one drink, I can't have just one bite. So for the last 2 months I've been eating like a glutton. I'm happy to say though, that over the last week I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be able to eat certain foods anymore. I've stopped the binge eating and am getting excited for my surgery. I've cut back my calories, started changing my eating habits by taking in more protein and not drinking when eating. I said goodbye to binge eating, my social and emotional crutch, the most damaging relationship I've ever been in, and we broke up. Like many break ups I know it will be hard, and there will be slip ups, but I'm ready to start a new life with a new love, me.

I was told I could reintroduce alcohol in moderation after I had reached my weight loss goal and maintained for a few months.

I can tolerate any artificial sweetener, but some people have trouble with some of them. Sugar alcohols (those whose names end in "-itol", like xylitol) are especially known for giving some people problems.

I wouldn't. You'll be able to have alcohol after the surgery 4-6 weeks out. I'm scheduled for the 26th also. The day before surgery it's one Protein shake in the AM, the a bottle of magnesium citrate and clear fluids for the rest of the day. After midnight, nothing at all to drink or eat, not even Water. So I'll be preparing my stuff this weekend for Monday. I think that maybe one glass of wine would be ok, but I wouldn't be slammin' em back or anything. Why risk it? Alcohol dehydrates you anyway, and that would be rough going into surgery, IVbag or not. When Twooley said you need to call your Dr. With questions like that, he was right. He answered your question with a great answer. You got nasty when no one answered you, at first, and then when he told you who you really need to consult, you got nasty with him. He gave the right answer, a caring answer, but its not what you wanted to hear. This is a question for your Doctor, not us. Opinions don't matter in this situation. If you had a hunch that your Dr. Would say 'no' and then decided to ask us if you could have a 'get out of jail free' card to go drinking, you're making a mistake. Just my opinion.

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.

I had settled on the Pure Protein bars as the best compromise that I had found at 20g protein for 200ish calories, and then I tried the Quest bars. I am now struggling to use up the Pure Protein bars that I still have around. The fiber in the Quest bars is sure a help for many of us who have had problems getting enough in, and most of them have no or minimal sugar alcohols which don't sit well with many people. My wife had settled on the Atkins bars as her favorite meal replacement and has been converted to Quest as well. They are certainly worth getting their sample box and explore their flavors. Even their unusual flavors like lemon cream pie and cinnimon roll have a quite plausible resemblence to their stated target without any of the odd flavors that are common to protein bars.

Yep check with your team & watch the sugar alcohol sweeteners. Also you may find things become so super sweet & you can’t eat them when your taste buds temporarily change. I loved that phase as I never went back to sweet foods or drinks & broke my desire for it - I loved a sweet treat after dinner & on weekends. I keep my sugar intake low (less than 10g a day) and avoid artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives wherever possible. They only feed your craving for sweet & research is showing that artificial sweeteners actually lead to weight gain, mess up your immune system & cause inflammation so I choose to avoid them. Now if I want something sweet I have some fruit.

Am only 13 days post op and have no plans to drink alcohol in the near future but I am curious about how long one should wait before having a glass of wine? I have an event in April and at that time I will be 6 weeks post op. I am going to be asked to have a drink and I really don't want to let on that anything is different as I have kept this surgery pretty much to myself. Do any of you out there think it will be ok to have the wine?