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I can answer these questions with my experience. I just passed the 21 months out point. I'll be completely brutally honest with you and anyone that asks me. I have been maintaining my weight loss VERY EFFORTLESSLY at the age of 34 for almost a year. I have a 5lb bounce around on the scale any given week. I can tie it to my indulgences of high sodium foods, and my "girls nights out" with copious amounts of alcohol. I do not ever get in any formal exercise and have NOT for a solid year. I've had spurts here and there of working out at home for a week to 10 days, but nothing consistent at all. I honestly I do eat anything and everything I want. Here's the kicker, I don't want to eat a lot of junk food. Why? Because my body runs best, I feel best physically when I feed my body a nutrient dense, Protein full diet, BUT I eat Cookies, chips, pretzels, rice, bread, Pasta all in moderation. Of course, about 85% of the time, I eat protein first, but sometimes all I want is some veggies. I do not count anything other than protein and calories now. I keep white carbs in moderation to some degree, but if I want mashed potatoes and gravy, guess what 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and a little gravy didn't make me FAT, 4 cups of mashed potatoes with gravy on top of a 12oz ribeye with mac-n-cheese, 3 dinner rolls, and 3 glasses of sweet ice tea made me fat. Moderation is the key. I will add that I have zero metabolic issues, nor is my body sensitive to carbs. I do not get the "eat a carb, crave a carb" nor am I an emotional eater. Therefore, going into this, I feel I beat the curve quite a bit. I was a volume eater. The sleeve will work just like any other weight loss surgery works. RNY and DS can be considered failures as well. Not one single weight loss surgery is bullet proof. So, a tool working long term is only as successful as the person using the tool. Just like a hammer to a nail. You can choose to keep your eyes open, steady your arm, and aim with precision as you go to drive that nail in with just a couple of dings, or you can wield that hammer blindfolded, with a swagger in your swing, and you'll more than likely miss the nail, hit your finger or dent the wood. Make sense? ? ? I will add that I am eating the same amounts currently that I was eating a year ago, but that quantity is double what I could at 2-3 months. The sleeve matures over time. There is minimal stretching. When I say double amounts, I was able to eat 2oz dense protein at 2-3 months out, today I can get in about 4-5oz of dense protein with a couple bites of veggies. You can cheat any of the surgeries, and the sleeve can be eaten around. I know the tricks, I employ them on occasion. Drinking warm fluids or having a glass of wine with my meal relaxes my stomach, therefore I can fit a bit more in, a bit more = 1-2 ounces of mashed potatoes, or mac-n-cheese on top of my chicken. To this day, I can NOT eat an entire chicken breast without stretching my meal out over 40 minutes. I can barely eat 1.5-2 poached eggs. What I'm saying is that there is a max capacity to the sleeve, but the restriction you have the first 6 months will change, ENJOY that time, maximize your weight loss, and become diligent with changing your lifestyle. Any weight loss surgery success is defined by either compliancy or complacency and with some mechanical failures on the other surgery types you can find that a specific tool "didn't work properly". It's a choice you make. No one else, the surgery doesn't fail UNLESS it's not performed properly because there is nothing mechanical to fail with the sleeve like there is with the band or RNY. The other issues can be metabolic issues, or carb sensitivity, or some people lose differently. Stoma and pouches stretch, malabsorption of calories, fats and carbs stop after the adaptation process occurs in the intestines, and then RNY patients are having to rely on restriction only with a stretchy pouch, a blind stomach left behind making ghrelin at a higher level vs. Sleeve patients. With the band, the list of issues with it are long, detailed, but the reasons the band can and does fail are numerous. Pouch stretching, not being able to get a decent fill, then there's the physical issues with the band itself. I can go on and on. But, I know plenty of VSG'ers that are 2-4 years out (mainly on obesityhelp.com) that share my opinion on weight regain with VSG, their experiences are pretty similar to mine. There are several out there maintaining fairly effortlessly as well, and live a life of moderation. I've seen 20-40lb weight regain on a couple of patients that are 3-4 years out, and every time, they admit, I quit eating the proper foods, life happened and I turned to my old friend for comfort, or they just gave up and expected to eat ding dongs and hos hos without consequence. Most naturally thin women I know don't eat packages of hos hos on a regular basis. Most naturally thin women do watch what they eat, and do not shovel shitpots of craptastic food into their body without consequence. At least none of my naturally thin friends can eat like I did pre-op and not see weight gain. If you have any other specific questions, please feel free to contact me. I'm extremely open and honest.

Yes non alcoholic fatty liver. My enzymes had been slightly elevated but it didn’t raise a flag. I went in for the surgery in Jan 2017 and my liver was too enlarged to do the surgery. Got clearance from a liver doc that it was fatty liver and nothing else. Had to lose 30# to try again very pleased so far. Lost a total of 70# since last Jan. 40# since surgery. My diabetes is gone and I was a pump user. Also bp was 120/58. I had my 6 week check up yesterday. Hope this helps! So glad I did this. All the positives of the sleeve and bypass without the bad from them. Good luck!

To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. Understanding Slider Foods The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause a dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the “Protein First” rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the “Four Rules” the most important of which is “Protein First.” That means of all nutrients (protein, veggies, complex carbohydrates, then fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain. Feature courtesy of BariatricPal.com

I used rubbing alcohol as the strips lifted to remove the residue and stop the itching. Hope that helps.

Emotions???? I don't know if I can put into words how I feel, but here goes. Surgery tomorrow. Woke up feeling very sad, and tierd. This confused me. I should be excited. Now whats wrong me. Maybe I am crazy. Well I guess I can try to explore these feelings since I can no longer turn to my best friend (FOOD). Well I am a little nervous about the pain after surgery. I have Fibromyalgia, so Doctor said pain is worse for us, and recovery usually twice as long. I have given birth to 5 children, 4 no drugs, heck the Dr. didn't even make it in time for birth of my son. Not good, very painful. Baby was 10 pounds 1 oz. Survived that, getting banded will be fine. Next emotion- Feeling sad? I am going to miss my friend. We have been through so much together. Drug and alcohol addiction,(been sober 16 years) Divorce, quit smoking(defiantly ate my way through that one) Losing my mom, and 5 kids moving out and starting their own lives, and so much more. We won't even get into all the good times. Why does popcorn with extra butter make every movie just a little bit better? Is food really my best friend? NO!! I have gained 147 pounds eating my way through life, which of course has caused numerous health problems. Next emotion? Trying not to get to excited so I won't feel let down if surgery doesn't happen tomorrow. Well that one is just dumb get over it! I then decide to come here so I can write down how I feel. That in itself is weird. I don't blog, heck I don't even journal. But oddly enough it seems to help allot. I log on and I am so surprised people not only read my blog but they left comments!!! While I am reading them I get tears in my eyes. Tears of joy :smile: People care about me and my feelings. Now that's a new feeling. Their support and words of encouragement are truly amazing. One person was even spot on about me taking care of everyone else but me. I have said these very words. I have been a wife since I was 18, and a mom at 19. It has never been about me, and I think its about time!! This has left my kids wondering what about them. They want to know if we will have still have family dinner every sat. and many more questions about them. Whatever. It is time they see me as more than a short- order cook. Hey I like that feeling:lol: So I have explored each emotion instead of eating. Outcome? I feel nothing but excitement. I am having life changing surgery in exactly 24 hours and 3 min from right now!!! :thumbup:How blessed am I!!!

The stretchy part of the stomach is what gets removed during surgery. While there are some cases out there where people have overeaten on a regular basis and stretched their sleeve out to an extent it's not possible to get it back to where you orginally were. There is also the misconception that being able to eat a large portion of slider foods means your stomach is back to its old size. I've avoided things like protein bars because they never leave me satisfied. If anything they make me hungrier too. Finding some good quick-fix options are important to have. For me a lot of times some beef jerky and almonds provide a good fix. Food prepping can be a challenge at times, but also keep in mind when we food prep we can make things last. In the old days when I made chicken salad that might last for 3 meals at best. Now I could make it last for 6-8. I'm on day 2 of a strict low carb diet and it feels good to be back on track. I've gotten discouraged as well since the scale has been stuck. Getting active on the forum again has helped motivate me. I maintain that for many of us this is no different than recovering alcoholics attending AA meetings. It's always going to be a battle. Some days/weeks/months/years will be easier than others. Main thing is to remember that you're not the only one fighting these battles and we can all use support from time to time.

Unless you're drinking lots of wine each of those three times a year, I seriously doubt you need an AA meeting. I don't know what your surgeon was thinking when he said that, except that some surgeons are adamant about no alcohol, period. For all either of us know, he had a patient (or more than one) who developed alcohol problems after surgery. I also know at two months out (I was seven weeks yesterday), what messes with our collective heads is that we are still getting used to our new normal. Portions are still so tiny that one-item meals are still the rule rather than the exception, and we're still riding with our training wheels, so to speak. There is a real thirst to know what three-six-nine months out is going to look like, in purely practical terms. Refrain from asking your surgeon about wine again. You'll only get the same answer.

OutsideMatchInside. Thanks for stopping by and replying. You are right with your answer. I wasn't nor I'm a alcohol " Addicted" When I said...I realized I can drink 2 beer or 2 wine easily...That I had after 1 year...and I am post 6 month surgery. I started occasional drink 2 weeks a go and I realized I can drink handsome amount. but yes....I was drinking with no effects. Thanks for motivation.

@@shadowsoldier I don't want to sound negative here and by all means you should listen to your doctor but you have to keep in mind your insides are going to take about 4 months to heal. The reason we're told (we were handed books telling us specifically what to eat at Mayo) to follow the different stages of liquids, purees, soft, etc. is because the opening from our new pouch to our newly connected intestine is the size of our pinkie finger nail. It has to be slowly stretched by this process. That's why it's also very important not to stay in the liquid stage longer because of fear of discomfort. Protein is driven home constantly and it is of the utmost importance. It will continue to be the rest of our lives. Day 2 being home from the hospital I was getting in my 60 grams and today at almost 7 months post-op, I'm averaging 130 grams of protein. It can be done but I am able to do it by supplementing my diet with Protein2o Water (dual liquid in my book) and by using Premier Protein ready-made shakes as coffee creamer, milk substitute in recipes, etc. Give them a try but no matter what get your protein in! Here's something else that helped me that I read at bariatriceating.com: Sew what? In terms of food, you must stick to your surgeons program for post op food stages. You need time to allow the tiny pouch cut and sewn from the fabric of your giant floppy stomach to heal itself closed. We have all glued something only to have the seams pop open. The liquid and soft food stages are to avoid stressing pouch seams and give your stomach a break from the process of digestion. Is ice cream a puree? Sirloin steak is not a soft food. Ice cream is NOT a puree. You can’t eat popcorn, raw carrots or celery ten days after surgery. People ask if we think they could have a pork chop, we say ‘no’, they eat it anyhow, then tell us ‘they didn’t have a problem’. No alcohol for a year… non negotiable… but people push back saying their surgeon said five weeks was okay. Folks… we know better and we are trying to help you. General Tso? NOT your friend The post op dietary stages are not a suggestion, they are a requirement for you own safety. You cannot eat Chinese food the week after surgery because you ‘chew it well’. A ‘craving’ for Orange chicken landed one support group member in the hospital! It’s a very bad idea to push. Being ‘released’ to ‘regular food’ does not mean what you think it does, but you already know that. How long until you can have pizza again? “Pizza is not a food for someone having obesity surgery.” (that’s a quote from Dr. N on My 600 lb Life) Every single week in our support group, these actions land new post ops in the hospital. Sip sip sip sip sip… If you had a back injury, you would not tile your kitchen floor the same week. Yet, people think nothing of making a trip to a theme park when they should be at home resting and taking in fluids. People ask us ‘Do you think I would be able to go on a cruise two weeks after my sleeve?’ (Nooooo!) As high as 30% of post ops are dehydrated enough to land back in the hospital with a Fluid IV. Not drinking enough water after surgery can cause heart damage. Dehydration is the most common bariatric complication, yet it’s largely avoidable. Stay home and heal… drink hot water, cold water, broth, Diet Snapple, herbal tea, eat sf ice pops and Jello. (We have a free bariatric water app called HY, click for GetHyApp.com) What’s eating you? If eating is a compulsion that you cannot control, ask your surgeon to suggest someone for you to talk to. A therapist can help you come to conclusions about your life – you talk, they listen and even after one chat you’ll often have a clearer truth of why you use eating as comfort. Knowing what drives you can help you deal with your eating issues to better work with your surgery. Vitamins are critical It is impossible for you to have your stomach surgically removed or reconfigured and take in the nutrients needed to run your body. While your surgeons group has mentioned Flintstones, that is so you will possibly take something instead of being one of the 67% of post ops who take nothing. They are not optimal and won’t prevent long term problems like broken bones from simple falls and losing teeth, but may keep you from dying in the short term. The idea behind supplements is to prevent issues from grabbing you in twenty years when it’s too late to change the path. Take them! Protein from food? What a novel idea! Yes, yes, yes, we’d all like to get our protein from food and that’s what you want to hear. However, if you are unable to take in 70 grams of protein per day, you can either weaken and lose your hair or you can figure out another way until you are able to learn and eat the right foods. Protein drinks make up the difference between what you can eat and what you need. They are not simply a tasty beverage for your enjoyment for you to be all picky and ridiculous over. They are the antidote for your disease of morbid obesity. Morbid means death and obesity surgery only slows and reverses the disease IF you follow your plan. Please wake up get very serious about what you have done to your body. There are obvious rewards to losing 150 pounds, but it does not need take place at the expense of your life. Peace.

You guys are lucky, my surgeon told me no more alcohol, ever. Not 6 weeks out, not 6 months out, never. I had told him about a couple trips I have coming up and how I wanted to reach my goal before them if possible. He'd asked if I drank, which the answer was yes... Occasionally... He said never again. Didn't ask what, but completely shut it down instead. Sorry for the rant, but even though I don't drink often, to have the option taken away was a surprise. Sent from my iPhone

Can anyone she'd some light on this topic? I'm only a month in and I'm certainly not drinking any alcohol for a whole. I'm asking because I do like a cocktail every so often. What has been your experience? When did you dabble in alcohol again? Thanks. Sent from my SM-G935V using the BariatricPal App

I'm pre op and have thought a lot about this issue. My mom is a recovering alcoholic so I am concerned about the idea of swapping addictions. With all that being said I plan to drink post op but not for a long time, at least 8 months out. Longer if my stomach seems iffy. But even then I plan on only doing it on special occasions (birthday, thanksgiving, etc and no more than once a month). But before I do any of that I'm going to have a drink at home with a close friend here to see how I react to it. I do love cooking with alcohol though, does anyone know if that is an issue post op? I know it will be a while before I'm cooking real meals but wondering if it's acceptable. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I have learned a very hard lesson this weekend.... I am almost 1.5 years out and have never touched a carbonated drinks. I am on vacation and have not had alcohol since surgery so I decided to have a beer. Stomach hurt all day and I was bloated but I thought it was the heat. Day 2 had two Mike hard lemonade and my stomach bloated to double in size and rock hard. I googled if beer and Mike's hard lemonade were carbonated and well it turned out that yes they are. I can't believe how uncomfortable I am. No more drinks for me!!!! I will stick with my crystal light

I was served coffee with my breakfast in the hospital, LOL. My surgeon never mentioned not having coffee so I never stopped drinking it (just one cup a day). I'm not much of a drinker, so alcohol wasn't an issue for me. I think I had my first drink at about 18 months out.

So very true! I don't know why people are so worried when people are doing things to better their health! Even before WLS... I found things that "worked" better than others. For example, I struggled with major/severe exhaustion because of my then undiagnosed sleep apnea/ insomnia - so I was so tired I went to bed at 8 pm most nights (also was a very early riser). During that time, I found that I couldn't lose weight if I ate after 4 pm. OMG... the HORROR... I wasn't eating for the last 4 hours of my evening?!!! Yet several of my friends stayed up until 10/11 and didn't eat past 6/7pm. So, what is the difference?! I mean, I ate plenty throughout the day... just not at the END of the day. And drinking calories. If I had one bad nutrition habit, that was it. So I would do my best to avoid calorie filled drinks during any weight loss plan I had. And more importantly... I found I could NEVER lose weight and often gained if I drank any alcohol. Even just half a glass of wine. So I would go to a party and do my best not to drink alcohol. My friends were losing it because I didn't want to get drunk with them. They couldn't handle if I didn't drink anything or just had half a glass of wine. I actually had to ditch some friends that I used to love hanging out with because they couldn't handle that I wasn't willing to give in and drink with them every single time we got together. And exercise? Well... I hate most exercise lol. But I love my long walks. People think I am crazy because my go to walk is 6 miles and takes 1 hour and 45 minutes and they just don't get it. But I enjoy it. It is hardly a workout for me, but I feel great afterwards. But somehow it is wrong for me to take my long walks. People are crazy the way they react to others.

I was allowed alcohol at 6 weeks. I go out probably every other week but my tolerance isn't what it used to be, I have about 2 drinks and I'm all set. As far as not making any progress while drinking, I've been steadily losing 2-3 pounds a week since my surgery in December. I just make sure my drinks fit in to my calorie goals for the day. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@con con So by your own admission alcohol had nothing to do with your weight regain before? You chose to abstain. That's awesome. Some choose not to and embibe in moderation. That's awesome, too. What works for you isn't exactly what works for everyone else. You do you.

LOL! For those relatively new to this site, every thread here about alcohol turns into a pissing contest. And this thread is well on its way to the same destination. Carry on ....

I'm 1 year 2 months since my surgery and have not really thought much about drinking. The only time it comes up for me is at special occasions, holidays, etc. I usually substitute something non-alcoholic and once the event passes, no one thinks about whether I had a glass of wine or a beer or anything. I'm not opposed to drinking, but it doesn't really come up very much. And the few times where drinking would be appropriate, there are usually substitutes.

All its ever taken for me to lose weight is to reduce calories and rebalance the in/out thing. It makes sense to me that markers such as cholesterol and blood pressure reduce when weight is lost (no matter how) because its really obesity that's central to those problems more so than what you're actually eating. Its the cancer thing, and other unknown health factors that would scare me. But then again, who knows. I've always eaten a wholegrain, high fibre diet, kept alcohol moderate, remained fairly active, my biggest crime was becoming overweight (despite fairly healthy habits,get the balance wrong and obesity still results). I still got cancer. I think its all way too complex and the best policy is moderation. I wouldnt fall hook line and sinker for ANY nutritional theory or advice, no matter who it came from. Even the experts change their minds every decade or so.

I agree that it works for some people. I happen to one of the few that attending these type of meetings only upset me more than help. I seriously loathed WW meetings, and I attend alanon meetings when I was younger due to my father's alcoholism. I am not sure if I can pinpoint why this type of setting doesn't work for me, but I've been hesitant to even attend our monthly support group because of my past experience. I promise I wasn't trying to say that it doesn't work for some, but for me and my personal demons, I have to work on them through different venues.

Yes disclaimer to all the newbies! We do not endorse cheeseburger eating, alcohol, leaks And um.... Well nothing fun!! You got that!!

Protein is a major building block to repair your body and to survival. After surgery you are unable to eat large amounts of foods and shakes come in handy to help us get our protein. Everyone tries so many different ones because our bodies change after surgery. Like I can no longer drink any milk base items or anything with sugar alcohols in them or I dump. I also take a large amount of Vitamins as we that have had rny must..

wow thats great ! I wish my Dr. was that lax. Im supposed to be on liquids for 3 weeks ! I never thought I would grow so sick of Jello ! lol Im not sure I will last the whole 3 weeks , but Im gonna give it a shot! I will let you know too how I did on the cruise ! Im more worried about being able to drink alcohol though on that trip ! I figure I can have jello and liquid so maybe I could have vodka jello shots?! lol

Here's what works for me. A piece or two if sugar free candy. Especially the Russell Stover chocolate covered caramels. Only take one piece. Works better than any laxative. Its because of the sugar alcohol.