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At the end of the day, you have to decide. I don't think you'll find a doctor that would say you were at low risk for all sorts of morbidities with a BMI of 35. When I started the process of getting approved, I only had mild hypertension and was 36. However, every time I went for a physical, I was terrified I was going to be told I had developed Type II diabetes. Every time, the doctor told me I was at high risk for it. I too had tried most diets: Atkins, medifast, nutrisystem, normal and regular dieting. All worked in the short term but eventually I regained my losses plus more to the point I had a BMI of 47. All without having anything that a low level blood pressure medicine couldn't take care of. After my last physical in which I was terrified of being diagnosed with diabetes and having gone through another post-diet regain, I decided enough was enough. I couldn't let my fear of diabetes motivate me to lose and keep off any weight and I was tired of letting my size be the first thing people noticed about me. I started looking at lap band and quickly realized sleeve was the better option for me. One of the big draws for me was that I was not a snacker or grazer; I liked large meals. And looking at many posts here and seeing what other sleevers eat in person, I don't think it would be a big deal socially. Many guys eat a 4-6 ounces at a meal, which would be a decent dent in a plate at a meal. It is tough for the first couple months as we ease back into normal foods and getting to the 4-6 ounces we can eat at a meal. I'm still in that process right now and it is still odd. The other night, I went to dinner with friends, ordered some bisque and ate about 3 ounces of the liquid. Same thing at lunch last week. I'm only 13 days postop though. I'm realizing that socializing and eating huge meals are completely independent on each other. In fact, I have enjoyed it more as I am less focused on devouring the huge plate in front of me and more on chatting up friends. I too am very social. In fact, my very first post on these forums was in the Man Room asking about socializing after the sleeve. I love going out to bars, clubs, concerts, sporting events, etc. I do it all still without any issues. I haven't started back on any alcohol yet and likely won't for a while because in my mind, if I made this huge decision, I'm doing it right. I enjoy alcohol like most of us, but I've enjoyed it plenty on my way to a high BMI. Many, many sleevers drink and I will again eventually. But I still go out and have fun at bars and whatnot. At the end of the day you have to decide whether you want it or not. It's a hell of a decision and one that everyone naturally questions during the process. Socializing is one that I think you will find ends up not being an issue folks worry about.

I think its fine for people to give their opinions on alcohol, the subject at hand, no one was mean about it. I have been asked to not drink for a year, and I plan to stick with that, but if I WERE going to drink I would probably have vodka and cranberry, or a cape cod, which is just vodka, cran, and lime.

i know everyone is different but i'll be a year out in October and i drink and eat whenever i want (yes, even at the same time with meals). ive had carbonation, ive had alcohol, ive had carbs. now as a general rule i don't do the carbs, carbonation nor sugar, i keep it pretty keto, but i CAN if i want without issue. if you aren't very far out definitely listen to your nutritionist just letting you know things get easier and your tolerance gets higher for certain things. just be patient.

My doctor told me no alcohol for 6 months post-op (I think that it has more to do with becoming sick from drinking too much bc throwing up increases the chance of a band slipping).

Thanks for your reply Susannah. I do suffer from depression which is closely linked to anxiety but I've been stabilised on medication for years and have it under control. I've only ever had one panic attack in my life and that was during an IT exam a few years ago when I was under a lot of pressure during my Master's degree. I don't drink coffee or alcohol so there isn't an obvious reason for why this should be happening.

I couldn't go to bed because there are still posts to read. Nobody liked my suggestion of turning into an alcoholic, so I guess I'm bad at advice. Let's go to bed and wake up in a new, happy, healthy place. I'll eat good tomorrow if you do, k Sissy?

sleepwonderful sleep I wish I wasn't addicted to reading these damn post...alcohol...hmmm...nahhh I don't like it much....Shesh thank goodness or I'd be fat and brused from all of my stumbling. LOL:rolleyes:

Hypnosis didn't work for me AT ALL! The way I look at it is I'm a foodaholic. Literally. I really, truly feel like I'm addicted to junk food. I've done this over and over again. If I have ONE tiny bit of 'bad' food (chocolate, ice cream, chips), tomorrow I'll have two, then I'll have four, and it spirals until I am literally out of control. When I decide to go on a diet, I initially get the shakes from withdrawal. When I get banded in Nov, I'll have to do that liquid diet. That will be the 'getting clean' portion. Once all the junk is out of my system, this is it, I am not going to have one bit of junk ever again. I've done it before and I've gotten more and more out of control over the years. It's as though I have to 'stay clean' just like alcoholics do. I'm not paying $16,000 to then F it up. I'm sick of it already. I don't know why I eat the way I do but I know when I have a long amount of time when I'm 'clean' of the bad stuff, it's easy to eat well. Anyway, does this have any relevance at all to the topic at hand? It's late, I'm tired. I just know this is the end of the road for me, my last shot at losing the weight - nothing else has worked, this is it, I've got to do it the best way I possibly can. Linda

It will be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. In an attempt to stabilize my blood sugar, I eliminated all carbs except those found in low carb vegies (broccoli, green Beans, salads, asparagus, etc.). About a week or so after, I discovered that not only my cravings were gone, but so was my hunger. I no longer thought about food 24 hours a day. With a completely unfilled band (which is coming out tomorrow), I was eating 900 calories a day! It's completely realistic with a husband and 4 kids. First, low carb won't hurt them either, but if they have no problem processing carbs (i.e. they aren't overweight), then there's no need to restrict them. Just cook healthy meals in a way that allows you to avoid the things you shouldn't have. So if it's your normal mac and cheese night (for example), make sure there's a side vegie/salad to balance out the meal (which you can have) then it's a simple matter to throw a piece of meat in the Foreman Grill, broiler or pan fry, poach, etc. Once I got these bad carbs (at least for me) out of my system, I wasn't even tempted by them. Oh sure, like an alcoholic, I might think "yum that looks good" but I'm not driven to eat it as long as I consistently keep it out of my system...just like an alcoholic. .

I would have to disagree with you on the food addiction aspect. I think that while one cannot literally be addicted to food since it is necessary to live, I guess a better way of wording it is that people are emotionally addicted to eating bad foods. It's not an actual addiction like you would think of a drug addiction or alcohol, but it's that need to eat bad food and comfort oneself with those comfort foods. The medical dictionary's definition for addiction is "a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance." That pretty much sums up the eating habits of a lot of us here. It's an emotional connection and to me, that's the tricky part about this "addiction". You HAVE to eat food to live. If someone is addicted to heroine, they don't need it to live. They may get withdrawals when they stop taking it, but it's not a necessity of life. They can stop taking it forever and survive. Those of us who are addicted to food can't just stop eating food the rest of our lives. We have to still eat but we have to make better choices. It's like telling an alcoholic "Okay, so you can drink, you're just going to have to make better choices." Well that's really hard! I feel the same way about a food addiction. In a perfect world, we would be able to say "Okay, I have a problem here, I am just going to stop eating forever." But we can't. I think that's why the sleeve is such a perfect option. It helps us to make those better options and to really keep control of our portions. Going back to the alcoholics thing, it's like we have our AA Sponsor with us 24/7

So before anyone gives me ****. I'm a 24 year old party promoter in Los Angeles. Its my job to go out and drink. So I can drink pretty normally I was sleeved 1/26/13. I know how many calories are in my choice of booze (jameson- 64 calories/ounce) so I drink jameson and water each one has two to 3 ounces of jameson. The calories add up quickly. But I still do it. There was a week where I didn't lose any weight because I was drinking to much. So now I try not to eat much on days I'll know I'll be drinking. The one amazing thing about the surgery. Is I'm never hung over. Its like my stomach is too small to hold the alcohol. I love it. So I say keep living your life and if you want to get snookie wasted one night then go for it!

Great story... gave me chills! Yes, you can do it! One word of caution though, the band will not help with the "head" hunger, that addiction is powerful and, unlike alcohol, cigarettes or drugs, since you can't give it up completely, you might want to look into some counseling! I'm a firm believer that a good counselor is worth their weight in gold!! And I look forward to reading your post a year from now after your next Disney trip!! I'm sure you and the kids will have a blast!

It's a piece of cake. Nothing to worry about. They need to know you're ready to accept a lifelong change. This isn't a diet, it's a way of life. If you tell them you refuse to eat slow, or obey band rules, then they won't operate. I don't know anyone that's failed. For example, my surgeon won't operate on alcoholics or drug addicts because people don't have good judgement when they're intoxicated. If you sit in your psyche evaluation and tell the therapist that you expect the Band to do all the work, then that says you are unwilling to accept this enormous change. If you aren't ready to accept a new way of living, then the Band isn't right for you. That's it in a nuthshell.

What "clk" said!!!! 2,000 or 1800 is way too high for a sleever to loose. We who have yo-yoed or have become obese do not have the same calorie deficit formula. The sleeve cannot stretch all that much so you must be eating a lot of slider foods. It doesn't take much: a little Peanut Butter there, some mayo here, a few crackers there. I suggest using My Fitness Pal and documenting everything you put into your mouth. Eat dense, lean Protein first and then some good veggies if there is room. Cut the carbs way back. I don't eat over 40 grams a day. Go to The World According to Eggface for some great recipes. Substitute Greek yogurt for mayo and sour cream. You can add anything to flavor unflavored Greek yogurt (blue cheese, caramelized onions, spices, horseradish, a little avocado, SF Torani syrups, etc.) There are all kinds of tricks. Most important: Cut out the simple sugar. If you cannot limit yourself to tiny amounts of dark chocolate (and I mean tiny), do not touch it. If you cannot limit the crackers, get rid of them and substitute cucumber slices. We are like alcoholics in some ways and sometimes total abstinence is the only way to cope. You have the tool. All you need to do is pick it up and use it. I like the idea of going back to like you've just had surgery and doing the Protein shake thing. Again, go to Eggface. I learned how to make protein shake from her and they are so good that I actually look forward to them When I occasionally have one. You both do look pretty darn good! I see a thinner person in there too and there is no reason why you cannot reach your goal.

Hey guys, so I am 10 months post-Op and I used to be a social drinker. I do wanna introduce alcohol socially only during dates and other outings. Ofc I know I'll have to be cautious and what not and that I will be, so question is what alcoholic drinks are more favorable for bariatric patients? Form your experience, which ones did you try incorporating? Something that's low sugar and less calories? Red wine, white wine?

Ladies! How nice to come home from work and find your messages. I don't know how to reply all--so I'm going to hop in and out of conversations. This is addressed to all! It's amazing how losing mobility will have you "two-stepping" it into the surgeon's office. Mo Grandma, I'm impressed with your progress both with weight loss and getting to the gym! Like Mo.Grandma, I had my "moment of clarity" when I was at my son's house, and I couldn't carry the baby up the stairs. Well, I could barely get my own big self up the stairs. I've been plagued with a bad knee, sciatica, and back pain which my orthopedist promises will get better as I lose weight. I lost about 40 pounds a couple of years ago doing Atkins. I regained about 15 of those after my husband died, and I could see the path before me, as pounds would creep up unbidden. This Christmas I had a marathon eatathon and ate enough candy covered pretzels to gain 8 pounds over a long weekend. I just plain got tired of it. Now, having had the surgery and returned to work, I think I can see the biggest stumbling block. Like an alcoholic, food was my addiction. What am I going to do with the time I used to spend, planning, shopping, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after dinner? So, I'm collecting recipes and cutting down the proportions to 1/2 to 1 Cup per meal. What are you guys doing? Oh, my name is Nicki. I've got to get one of those cute ticker things to put at the bottom of my posts! Cute--geeze, I haven't felt cute in a hundred years!

I would have to say that I have attempted to commit suicide as a way to cry out for help... I did it my first year of college and it was feeble attempt at best... I just toke one or two pills of every pill I had. And nothing happened, but me vomiting in the bathroom. I will say that this was NOT related to my obesity... it was related to moving to a big city with no one that I knew around. It was related to having my first boyfriend and sure I was uncomfortable with my body but i knew I wasn't the only one. I got help, they put me on anti-depressants, and I became more irrational and I felt invicible and did even worse things on the anti-depressant- like jump in front of cars in the street, and drink massive amounts of alcohol to the point of poisoning... Every time I had an "incident" the raised my prescription to the point that I was taking the MAXIMUM dose allowed every day. And then one day, I realized what was happening, and I stopped taking it. Now I'm fine- never had a problem, haven't thought about suicide. I became stronger because people were pushing me further aside and wasn't going to have that. So now I'm a rock... later on that year, I went on depo provera and it made me happy... turns out I have a hormone imbalance and the depo corrected it. Now I know my behavior wasn't my mind's fault, but my body's. I've learned to deal with my moods now, and am very stable. But what I did my first year of school tainted me throughout my undergrad... funny how that works, right? But i can't really say I had thoughts of suicide with my obesity... although the thoughts about my weight didn't help it, but they didn't start it.

Hello Everyone- Recently I've been reading through many posts and have been inspired to share my story. I started the VSG process about three years ago, however, got cold feet. I thought to myself, there's no way I can go through this, and that I could lose the weight myself. I was wrong! As a full time mom, with a full time career (and two hour commute each day), there was very little time for me to focus on myself. Three years and three co-morbidities later, I realized VSG was my best option to effectively lose the weight and keep it off! I started my journey in September of 2016 with a 6 month required nutrition based diet program by my insurance. I must say, I didn't do my best during these six months because I found myself in a shame spiral of "food funerals". I had so much FOMO that I doubled down on getting all of the things in that I would "no longer be able to have". I was so scared that I was going to fail at this. My weight increased to my highest ever at 310 lbs. (but everyone told me I didn't look that heavy because I carried it so well). Not really though. I was sore, my body ached daily and my knees started to buckle on occasion, which was scary. I couldn't muster the energy to keep a steady workout routine and when I did work out, I hurt myself. In the spring of 2017 I realized I couldn't keep it up and needed the change. That it was my time to get it done and do it right. I took a weekend trip with my husband, began meditating daily with Insight Timer and I sought professional help for the FOMO and food funerals and made great progress over three months time. Biggest lesson & light bub moment - Food is the fuel our body needs to function properly. It only has meaning, once you give it meaning. The decision was made and there was no turning back and failure is not an option. On 5/17 I began my liquid diet and on 5/31 I had my operation. I was able to come home that Friday and by Saturday, I was walking 10K steps and I haven't looked back or slowed down. I've kept up the walking momentum taking 30-45 minutes on my lunch to walk and if it's raining, I walk in our parking garage! I started the C25K program and just finished week 3 day 1. This week I will add strength training to the mix. I'm six weeks out from surgery and just celebrated 52 lbs lost - 254 lbs! It's been eight weeks that I've been without alcohol, added sugar, excess carbs, or caffeine and over 5 years since I've been this light (after having my second child) and everything from here on down is a bonus! I realized this truly is a lifestyle change for the better and that it's not an easy road. However, the things I had the most FOMO about, I haven't given a second thought or missed them in my life. I listen to my body now and it tells me when enough is enough. Even after surgery, you still have to make the choice to do the right thing which isn't always easy. But with every passing day, it gets easier. I'm so excited for these new beginnings and rediscovery. In the words of Jimmy Iovine - "When you're running after something, you should not look left or right. No. Go. Go. Go. Go." May you be well, may you be happy, may you have peace. Iconcinnity

What? No alcohol? Excuse me ?

LOL I hate the taste of alcohol and I can't remember the last time I drank it. The closest I get is eating chicken Marsala!

I did smoke marijuana after a bad accident where I broke my pelvis and femur. It helped with the pain and I found I did not need as many narcotics. I did not like smoking, but edibles were not an option then (3 years ago and I'm not anywhere near any states where it was legal). This was a topic that did come up in my support group and there was one guy that became a fanatic about researching CBD products. A couple points that stood out to me.... 1)Be careful of the source of the hemp used. If it's cheap, it probably comes from out of the country and hemp is often grown as a "cleanup plant" in toxic and/or radioactive industrial sites. Not something I'd want to consume! US sourced hemp is VERY regulated (in order to make sure the THC level is low enough to make it legal) and usually organic. 2) look at the extraction method used. Stay away from the processes using solvents like butane or hexane (again, the cheaper way to do it.) Olive oil doesn't typically produce a full spectrum product that contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. That leaves alcohol and CO2 methods. Alcohol is the oldest plant extraction method dating back centuries. CO2 is the newest, high tech method but possibly doesn't produce a full spectrum product either. So for those of you that may be looking for a legal CBD product, this was the company this guy liked...... Www.enerhealthbotanicals.com And although a combo of THC and CBD is proven to be the best for pain, CBD alone does provide some relief, and so many other health benefits. I have a friend with MS that has greatly benefited. Google endocannabanoid system for some interesting info.

Found this on ObesityHelp and thought I would share.. How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted - You are losing 1-2 pounds per week without struggling with hunger. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week, then: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories _a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” _b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram ...(1) It’s also a stomach irritant ...(2) It relaxes the stoma, allowing food to go thru easily _c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? _a. Are you avoiding soft foods _b. You can’t just eat what’s easy _c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk? _a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. _b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits _a. Five servings a day _b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? _a. meat or fish ...(1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards _b. Vegetables ...(1) ½ cup – the size of your fist _c. Starch ...(1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much ...(2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners _a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite _b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar _c. They teach you to like things too sweet _d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods _a. Real food usually tastes better _b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes _c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great ...(1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine ...(2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats ~~~(a) They may go into permanent storage ~~~(:bananajump: Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? _a. Put the fork down between bites _b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal _c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? Use a Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? _a. Practice water loading between meals _b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? _a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough _b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? _a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day _b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? _c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? Easy Ideas - a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? _a. Log your food and activity on Fluid added to your band 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes, but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. Signs You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting (PB'ing) too much _a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? Ideas for controlling indigestion a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: ..(1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods ..(2) Chocolate ..(3) Caffeine ..(4) Alcohol ..(5) Some fruits and vegetables such as Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers ..(6) Peppermint ..(7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider G. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if 1. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. 2. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. 3. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever 4. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) 5. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

Well Kat, there are so many "best" things, I will tryt and keep it short. I feel great. I can wear anything I want to. I only eat when I am hungry. I went to speak to a group the other day and I was introduced as beautiful and charismatic. And probably one of the best things for me is that I am in control of many things, the given is probably food, but the other is alcohol. I don't drink much now because I stay to full to drink. This is a good thing for more reasons than one.

Dr Matthew Weiner posted about alcohol after surgery on instagram today.

Yes they have Margarita n mojito mix taste great!!! Makes it a lot easier to get the liquids in. Make as directed just put it in the blender with lots of ice n that's it. To the mojito I add half a lemon n crushed mint leaves so it taste just like a mojito without the alcohol. [ATTACH]2797[/ATTACH]