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I have drank lots of different alcholic drinks since having the band put in. Phyically the alcohol will have not effect on your band. My tolerance is a lot lower now so be careful not to drink too much.. I personally think the reason they say dont drink it because the high calorie content. For example a drink that I love is the simple vodka/cranberry. Your looking at nearly 200 calories for just one drink!. When your consuming only 800-1000 calories per day your looking at around 20-25% of your daily calories in just one drink! But who can have just one. Hey if you going out dancing every once in while, go ahead and have some fun. Just dont make it a weekly thing because that will for sure slow your weight loss down. P.S. make sure you hit the water bottle!

lol that was too funny jenny I actually havnt gone to my Doc in a long time I mentioned it after the first few months and was told it was normal and that it would go away eventually and to swing my arm around and use heat pads and hot Water bottles and stuff but no joy. Sometimes its not to bad other times its extremly painful Strangly though sometimes it will start when I drink alcohol aswel!! Ufortunatly we dont have walmart here in Ireland humming bird but I'l have a look and see can I get some online anything that will help Thanks

Holy crap!! Literally! Ha! Thankfully your husband can laugh at the situation! I don't blame you for wanting to drink on your wedding night and being 8 months out, who would have thought that you would have had that reaction?! Any experiences with alcohol since then?? I'm dying to know!

The only thing I miss is a good deli style sandwich !! ( do not and cannot tolerate breads) And since I don't, (cannot) eat meat, I do miss a sandwich made from pastrami, corned beef, etc. Go to a good delicatessen or diner and have one of these sandwiches with french fries (something else I no longer eat) cole slaw and a pickle. Maybe a triple decker club sandwich! But all in all I do not miss being fat, unhealthy, and a pig! Not to mention what others thought of me. I'll take this healthy, fit life any day! Also, unlike others, I do still enjoy things like soda, beer, alcohol, ice cream, etc, etc....I am NOT on a diet!!! This is different than a diet.

Yvonne has used her weight loss surgery experience to help others. She spends over 80 hours a week advocating for bariatric surgery patients as “Bariatric Girl.” She answers emails and posts on Facebook and from her blog to advocate for weight loss surgery and support people who are fighting obesity just like she did. That’s like working two full-time jobs – for free! Being a great role model and giving back to the weight loss surgery community are what make Yvonne a true weight loss surgery hero. Don’t miss seeing Yvonne’s website or Bariatric Girl Facebook page, You Tube Channel and follow @BariatricGirl on Twitter! She’ll share her experience on bariatric surgery, and you’ll get to learn more about this talented woman’s photography and music! First, read Yvonne McCarthy’s story and our interview with her here. Finding Out How Heavy People Get Treated Yvonne was a strong and athletic girl. That worked out well when it came time to pick teams at school, but her athletic abilities weren’t needed or appreciated elsewhere. Instead, she quickly learned that bigger girls aren’t welcomed. She says, “I figured out pretty young how being different made people treat you badly.” Puberty hit hard, and the dieting started in fourth grade. Yvonne’s struggles got worse through college and beyond. She nearly turned anorexic during her college years, but “couldn’t keep it up.” After college, she “did every diet known to man” and each time, she gained back all the weight she’d lost plus a few pounds. Her highest recorded weight was 260 pounds. Didn’t Listen When They Said Not to Have “Unrealistic Expectations” Yvonne got gastric bypass in 2001. At that time, the bypass was only offered as an open surgery, not as a laparoscopic procedure. She went into surgery with the intention of hitting a “normal” body weight (BMI under 25), and didn’t listen when surgeons warned her not to have “unrealistic expectations.” She followed the prescribed diet and lost 130 pounds in the first 13 months! Yvonne now weighs exactly what she weighed in college over 40 years ago. Never Going Back to “Prison” Yvonne says she has a “really healthy memory of 30 years of obesity” and refuses “to return to that prison [that she] couldn’t break out from.” Post-op care wasn’t a standard part of care in 2001, and she didn’t see another post-op until three years later! She just stuck to the diet because she thought she had to, and she hasn’t strayed more than five pounds from her goal weight! “I assumed that you lost the weight and “IF” you regained that you should fix it while it’s small. When I attended my first weight loss surgery event everyone asked me how I kept it off. I literally didn’t know any better.” By that time, she’d developed the good habits that she maintains today. Learning to Manage an Addiction to Food Some people eat to fill a void. Some eat out of boredom. Others eat for comfort, or to manage stress. Yvonne discovered that she ate to cope with feelings she didn’t want to have. She had a food addiction. She says, “I was fortunate that I chose to work on my head just as much. I am passionate about the acknowledgement of the existence of food addiction and when I admitted I was an addict, I was able to take steps to work on the root problems that fueled my addiction. I don’t know how many years ago I started doing this but today I eat very boring things and practically the same food every day. I can no longer have “sex in a plate” so my food has to be just like the fuel you put in your car.” No More Junk Food The days of eating junk food are over for Yvonne. She’s not comfortable eating it for fear that she’ll fuel her addiction and regain the weight. “ I can’t eat just one so I quit craving sugar and junk food because I quit eating it completely. I haven’t had cake, pie, cookies, candy etc. in 13 years and I don’t even remember what it tastes like. I feel very strongly that if you wish to lose a craving that you need to quit eating it. “You wouldn’t give an alcoholic a sip of beer to get past the craving….why do we think that works with food? There are some people that can eat that stuff and maintain and I’m happy for them but I don’t know very many that can.” The Need to Support Others Yvonne didn’t just go against the grain by setting, achieving, and maintaining a goal of 130 pounds. She also didn’t know that the “only” way to lose weight and keep it off is to have a strong support system. So, she managed to succeed without the standard support system only because there were none and she was forced to figure out her “head” on her own. Yvonne turned to the Obesity Help forums and her profile there transitioned into her blog. Over the years, she “saw the exact same patterns over and over and I felt a passion to help warn others of what was coming down the road.” A Life Dedicated to Helping Others She felt obligated to help others because her own “unique situation of not seeing another post-op for 3 years in the beginning saved me because if I had seen even one other person regain I would have thought, ‘I’m nobody special and if they can’t keep it off, I can’t either.’” Bariatric Girl to the Rescue! Yvonne has done the majority of her advocacy as “Bariatric Girl.” She maintains a website and blog, You Tube channel, and stays active on her Bariatric Girl Facebook page and Twitter. She answers emails and Facebook messages, and even takes phone calls to help others with their struggles and questions. Yvonne now spends over 80 hours a week as a volunteer with the goal of supporting others who are considering weight loss surgery or who are already weight loss surgery patients. “Since the sun and the moon and the stars lined up for me I felt like I didn’t have the right to not help others by sharing the experiences of the thousands of people I’ve communicated with over the years.” In addition, Yvonne has spoken at many events and volunteered for many organizations by taking photographs and videos at events. Her other advocacy work includes: Former faculty with the Weight Loss Surgery Channel. Host of the channel’s Weight Loss Surgery Journeys, a program that included interviews with recent bariatric surgery patients. Member of Apollo Endosurgery Patient Executive Council. Three-year service on the Board of Directors of Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America, which advocates for bariatric surgery patients and provides grants to deserving patients who can’t afford weight loss surgery on their own. Every weight loss surgery patient and candidate wants to hear success stories. These stories are sources of hope because they’re about people who used to feel hopeless and out of control, but who found weight loss surgery as a solution. Yvonne was able to use the gastric bypass surgery as a tool to learn to manage her food addiction and turn over a new leaf. Yvonne is more than just a story, though. She gives her knowledge, love, and support to others who are struggling with their weight and who are weight loss surgery patients. It’s rare to find someone as giving and dedicated as Yvonne is, and everyone whose lives she has touched is grateful.

Well first off, I fully am grateful we live in a diverse world and that people have their own unique perspectives and beliefs. The power to choose is a blessing. And my choice will and should never be anyone else's but my own. And God bless on that! For me, there is EXTREME danger in telling myself right now at this point in my very TOUGH journey that it's just "hunky dory" for me to opt out of reaching my goal, excelling, and doing my personal best (which is goal--because I know I am fully capable of that being my personal best). It's dangerous and deceptive to allow that little whisper that says...."Psssst, hey dummeh, over here. Wanna buy a watch? Want some crack? This one tiny bite will make you feel good. It will ease your pain. You don't wanna process life without this Little Debbie do you? A Little Debbie will do you." Would you honestly give a drug addict that same advice relative to their disease? Would you give an alcoholic that same advice? Oh...you can self-regulate! You can self-moderate! Obesity has now been classified as a disease. It has. I am MO. Won't matter my goal weight or not. Once MO, you will ALWAYS be MO internally. You will always have a gazillion empty fat cells helping to regulate your hormones and who will be working against you. Seriously. I can't make this stuff up! Hells to the no you wouldn't! LOL. I am no different. I've had a lifetime of obesity. I am a junkie. I have a forked up mind and forked up (permanently) biochemistry. I have empty fat cells littering my super highway, just waiting for a slight of hand to send some new fat their way. And it turns out, that I can't even lipo it out cuz once the body recognizes that you once had X number of fat cells, it's so smart that it REGROWS those mother fuc*ers in a new place. Isn't that a kick in the teeth? That's how smart our bodies are and that's how much it wants to stay in homeostasis. So yeah. I feel FOR ME, that I must realize that for me to get to goal is an imperative. And for me to maintain, I'm gonna have to change my brain, my habits, my thoughts, emotions, and DEF behaviors and relationships for the better. It will be a daily lifetime walk. One day at a time, sometimes one step at a time. And it may border on the obsessive. I don't know yet what that toll will be. But simply declaring that I'm gonna be balanced is just plain magical thinking because of the brokeness of my body. Does that mean I will be devoid of happiness or joy? Oh hells no baby! I'm loving the crap outta life right now and doing things I've not done in 18 years. LOL. It gets better and better every day! Thank ya sweet baby Jesus of the golden fleece diapers!

Social situations changed for me when I reframed it as being about people, not food. I'm there to enjoy the conversation and the company. To gain comfort from the relationships. It helps me not obsess about what I can or can't eat or start rationalizing a bad choice. I was on my pre-op diet at a dinner party with some close friends, so I had to not eat anything but my salad and afterwards I went home and cried because it was the first time I simply enjoyed the company of the people in my life and I didn't think constantly about food. It was so amazing and also sad when I realized how much life I missed by thinking always about food. I can't say I'm "healed" but I'm able to catch the food obsession and remind myself it's not about the food. I'm an introvert so social situations can be stressful so sometimes I have to remind myself every few minutes, but it helps. I'm a teacher and not being able to drink alcohol in the summer is a lot harder than I expected. I didn't realize how much I use alcohol to relax over vacation. I haven't found a way to reframe that one. I feel the scale pain: my weight stays in the same two-pound range for weeks and then drops suddenly, then goes back up a couple pounds before starting the whole process again. It's super frustrating, but over the long run the weight loss does happen, eventually. Just not on my brain's schedule.

Hello and I’m sorry you are going thru this. I had RNY GBS 16 years ago and did fine until, I would say, 3-4 years ago when I started showing subtle symptoms that I attributed to stress and my quitting smoking and drinking alcohol. However, my symptoms got worse and I’ve been on a mission to find out what is wrong with me. May I suggest that you have a Hair, Tissue, Mineral Analysis (HTMA) done? It’s one of the most accurate ways of measuring our biochemistry to determine if we have acceptable levels or deficiencies with those vitamins and minerals that are so critical to us WLS patients. Your symptoms sound like some of mine, and I have yet to convince a doctor to order the HTMA for myself. From the blood tests I’ve had done, I’ve been determined to be Vit D and Zinc deficient. The top 3 minerals our bodies require to survive are Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc. Please get checked. Also, check out Robert Selig on YouTube and www.backtonaturalhealth.com. The information was eye opening and led my quest to other sources, which I would love to share if you find you are interested in learning more. I don’t work for this doctor or anything but I am a bit of a nerd and I needed so badly to know what the heck is happening to me. Also, something to consider is the menopausal period if you haven’t already gone thru or you’re in the midst of it. I found out (after advocating for myself and INSISTING on testing) that I am in menopause, which causes an imbalance in our hormones, which in turn presents the types of symptoms you are describing and which I am going thru. I’m not a doctor, just a person who has been suffering with chronic symptoms that would be debilitating if it were not for my absolute desire to not only live, but have quality of life. In order to do that, I had to advocate for myself, research everything I could that’s related to our WLS and the symptoms we are experiencing. I also stopped running to the doctor every time I had a new symptom. Nope, I put the brakes on and reassessed what I want to accomplish as far as my care and treatment are concerned. I want to be treated as a WHOLE person rather than symptomatically and not take a pill for each of those symptoms. I’m in search of a functional medicine practitioner to supplement the treatment plan of what my PCP would offer by being transparent with both of them and expressing that desire. Good luck and I hope you get better very soon!

If you are losing weight, you do not need a fill. My doctor believes that you only fill when you need to jumpstart your weight loss. On the other hand, your idea that you want to enjoy the holidays is a little scary. We are like alcoholics in that when we had the surgery we mentally and physically committed to never and I mean NEVER binging again. NO MORE "ENJOYING" the holidays. Enjoyment comes from the faces of people who admire the new you, the one who doesn't need seconds or thirds anymore. I strongly encourage you to read my archived blogs at Michaelwasfat. blogspot.com I can help you if you need it and you can write to me at michaelwasfat1@gmail.com btw- I am 5 1/2 months post-op and have lost 91 pounds out of my target loss of 101. I can help

We have all tested our bands from time to time and they do let us know what they will and will not tolerate. I have had two experiences with alcohol since banded a year ago and neither have ended well. I have no tolerance, if I drink I can't eat or I end up eating something while drinking that is not good for me. Now days I have an occassional glass of wine. I hate party's also, especially when people insist no there will be lots of things you can eat. New rule for me, eat before I go to a party, carry a protein bar. You may have gained the pounds from the dehydration from alcohol and should drop them quickly.

People feel they can criticize our method of losing weight there's a real lack of compassion for food addicts u have rehab for drugs and alcohol I feel like this our "rehab" so to speak much the same as drugs and alcohol if u don't work the program u will fail as obses ppl we can sometimes take a lot of crap that others wouldn't take the ppl with all the negative " opinions" are often the biggest offenders of shaming us and acting superior to us well if we lose weight what are they going to be able to insult us about? I've had ppl in my family say things to me like well "just don't eat so much ... Really? if it were that simple no one would be overwieght or offering to "cook my meals" lol that almost made fall over laughing considering I've been cooking since I was 10 yrs old taught them to cook fed them as children and adults still do who do they come to for holidays party's etc? Me! it's not a matter of not being able to cook or not understanding nutrishion it's a matter of wanting to eat too much food too often much like drugs and alcohol it's an addiction the skinny ppl just don't seem to get it

My doc said no alcohol for 6 months, no carbonation, period. He gave the same explanation the one in the video did. He also explained that one drink has the power of about 3 because you are drinking on an empty stomach.

I drink alcohol socially. Maybe once or twice a month I dont think its a big deal. The only thing is, not to do it too often. Lots of calories! And I can't drink as much as I did before the band because I get tipsy a lot faster, probably because I never have that much food in my stomach. Cheers!

I am very grateful to see the video I must say. That will give me this push I need to stay off of ALL carbonation. I wish I could get a doc to be honest about it more than just 'alcohol is empty calories.' The counselor at my docs practice did say lap band and bypass people look like hell when they get a lot of calories from alcohol. Your hair and skin go to hell. Which is why I don't drink 7 days a week to start with, that and general health, but I do want a night out every now and again with a few margaritas. I plan to wait two more weeks and see how a glass of wine goes down.

I can't really address either of your concerns, because I not experienced with either with the band. But its been my experience that good or bad for you, if there is a will, there is a way. But There is one line that you wrote that bothered me. Here's the thing, it sounds like you are self medicating. From your statement it sounds like you rely pretty heavy on these drugs to relax,sleep,work, socialize thats a very large aspect to someones life. Have you ever thought about why? Its my guess that food for you may be another "drug" to self medicate with. I would suggest that you talk to your doctor...most patients must have a pych exam before having the surgery. I think you might want to figure out to source as to why you "need" these druds in excess. You may benefit more from anti-depressants and Therapy. The lap band is not like some of the other WLS, if you want to cheat , you can. It's very much a head game. It will be what you make of it. If you choose to make bad choices wheather it be in food, alcohol or drugs, you will probably not be as sucessful as someone that committs to the life style. Good luck lemons........please consider talking to someone about your concerns/issues.

I quit about a year before my surgery. Cold turkey. The whole reason I am getting the surgery is to be healthier and live longer so it only made sense to quit smoking first. I will not lie. It was not easy. I gave up smoking, basically eating and alcohol. The three crutches that have gotten me through my life. It was very hard but like they say, anything worth having or doing is hard. You will get through it if you truly want it. Every time you want a cig you have to focus on the negative things about smoking.

So.. today is the official start of my pre-liquid diet. I say official since I decided to test it out this week and see how I would do. I actually wanted to make sure I didn't absolutely hate the shakes since I'm extremley picky. The aren't bad as long as they are extremely cold and I don't take too long to finish them, hope that doesn't work against me in the long run. I finally managed to like the chobani greek yogurt. Does anyone know if the fruit on the bottom is ok for this brand? It has 14g of protein and is great for you. I digress. I managed to lose 4.6 lbs this week from Monday-Fri and that was even with a pasta day on Thursday and a class of wine and a shared app on Friday night and that made me feel great! I woke up this morning and feel I'm raring to go and mentally prepared. The only downside, of course my boss is having a huge get together today and I have to go. It would be anti-social of me not to show and I will be the only one not eating or drinking alcoholic beverages. sigh..... Well, wish me luck, I am now 10 days from surgery and am waiting on pins and needles!

I don't remember when exactly I had my first drink after surgery...probably my birthday, which would have been about four months after my surgery. I would suggest staying away from anything carbonated, and stick to something low-cal. I found the best sugar free margarita mix...I can make an entire pitcher for 300 calories-which is all just the calories of the alcohol!

My nutritionist recommended no more than 5 grams of sugar in a meal. And said no sugar alcohols. Although from personal experience they are not all equal. Maltitol causes the most gastric distress, while erythritol is generally better tolerated and doesn’t cause gastric distress. There is no fruit on my nutritionist plan. I personally limit sugar as much as possible due to metabolic disorders. But it’s not always sugar that causes dumping. I had my gallbladder removed due to chronic inflammation so now I need to be careful with fats. (And I love butter even more than I do sugar ...) I don’t seem to have trouble with protein bars but I am careful which ones I buy. Never too much sugar or carbs. In moderation they can be fine. I bought some BariatricPal bars and have half with tea for breakfast (depends what I plan for lunch) it’s always been my go to breakfast. i did try some fruit but then stopped. It didn’t cause dumping but it was also too tempting to keep having more ... but for some sugar is an addiction and you don’t want to temp addiction.

And what about sugar alcohols? I've not dumped because I've avoided sugar like the plague, but I ate 3/4 of a low carb protein bar the other day and my heart started pounding and I felt like I had to lay down. That may have been a dump on only 2 net carbs, so I suspect the sugar alcohols might have been the culprit...anybody else have problems with protein bars?

Well it has been almost a month since my last update. I just had my 6 month surgiversary on this past Saturday, and I am still almost 75 lbs down. I weighed in this morning at 200.4, I weighed 201.8 yesterday. So I am paying for some bad choices I made, lol. I have been drinking my calories a bit too much these days in the form of full fat coffee/tea drinks or as my guys kid calls them...dessert coffee, and alcohol. The holidays set me off track with the parties that I was going to (even though I still lost almost 10 lbs over the holidays), and even just this past weekend I drank a lot. But I do have to remind myself that I had this surgery so that I could live my life happier and healthier, not like a prisoner to my weight and diet. Less drinking my calories and back to more strictly adhering to my better choices. I'm definitely not the best example of what to do post op, but I'm okay with that, and I am human, with limited self-discipline. Learn from me. My goal for January is still to enter Onederland, and I will. I am 0.4 lbs from 199 and I have 5-6 days to get there (My ultimate life goal is to be in the 165-175 range, though I would like to see what I look and feel like at 150). I will do it. I also wanted to update my pictures, I feel like I lose track of my progress a lot, because the scale doesn't move as fast as I'd like it to and I still have to fix that image in my head that I have of myself as the super obese young woman. So many years wasted being fat and unhappy. So here is my first side by side in months and it really has helped lift my spirits and put my choices into line better. Also, is anyone else finding that they get crazy hungry quicker this far out? I feel hungry just about every other hour! Sometimes I'm ravenous and can eat what feels like a lot, and other times a couple bites and I'm good.

Hi! I have been wanting to get on a forum for awhile, but haven't had the time... or so I say. Anyways, I had the lapband done 3 years ago and have only lost about 40 lbs, and am gaining. I wanted to get on a forum to get some tips on how to keep up the weight loss. I had my surgery done in Mexico by Dr Ortiz (who is AMAZING, by the way) so I can't really contact him with my issues anymore. I had my last fill in Jan of 07, and as far as I am concerned, I don't think I need another one. I still get things stuck quite often, so I don't think I need it tighter. I do have a problem drinking while I eat, and I don't mean alcohol. I don't "drink" like that at all. But it seems impossible for me to eat and not have a glass of tea. Is this really what's stopping my weight loss? I know that talked a lot about not eating and drinking at the same time. Anyone have any suggestions? I would LOVE to cross this 200lb fence I am strattling. Thanks!

Interesting how everyone is different on what their surgeon/dietician recommends. Ours said absolutely no alcohol for one year and even then he said, he recommend no alcohol ever.

Hi. I'm 1yr post op. I wanted to hear other post op's Alcohol effects. Wine burns my tummy and liquor gives me dumping and burns. Beer seems the only subtle drink but bloats me. If I do catch a buzz it's only literally for 15-20 mins

I live on ibuprofen for arthritis. I elected to take it over the Celebrex because of the controversary. The same could be said for Celebrex I guess as it has almost the same components and is NSAID. I guess I'll be switching to Tylenol for arthritis instead,although it doesn't help nearly as much. There is always the chance that losing weight is going to help the arthritis...so maybe I'll end up not taking anything and that would be wonderful. Thanks for the input. I wondered what caused band erosion also. I wondered if it was eating spicy foods or something like that. I had absolutely no idea. Is there any way to keep a port from getting infected? I mean do you clean it with alcohol, or do you stay on antibiotics awhile or what? I would think erosion could happen if the dr. places the band in the wrong place, and I've heard of this happening from several people. OK I'm scared.