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Drinking postop is wild. For me, I would get exceedingly drunk off half of a drink...and then mentally sober up just as quickly, which I could keep drinking through and not feel drunk anymore. Obviously, I'd still be drunk, but didn't feel it at all. It started very innocently this way for me, and quickly led to a couple years of alcoholic behaviours. These days, I can control it, but I had to take about 9 months away from alcohol altogether. I limit myself to 1 drink and if I'm with people who can't fathom that, I just won't drink with them at all. Additionally, I am convinced that it completely derailed my weight loss.

I am a convert to the church and a recovering Alcoholic. For years I felt uncomfortable in church, rarely speaking to anyone, always the first out the door. I felt like I didn't fit in and that no one made an effort to get to know me. I always had the feeling that I wasn't good enough to belong to this organization. Well somewhere along the way I made the decision to try the opposite, to put my self out there, to seek out friends, and it worked! I move around a lot too, and I have found that there is always at least someone who you can identify and become friends with. I also enjoy church so much more now. I found I wasn't being judged nearly as much as I thought I was. I know how you feel about the the people who try to appear to be the perfect mormon, but they are struggling through life just as we are, and I think it's all just the way we look at things. Anyway, that's my experience.

I have heard many similar stories, but the hair loss was due to people taking powerful drugs affecting their new hair. You need to take a vitamin complex to strengthen your hair. I also recommend using olaplex 0 and 3 as these shampoos work well and have been proven to work many times. In addition, you need to start eating right and get rid of bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol. By doing all this, you will definitely be able to stop hair loss.

Hi Paige, I lived and worked in Europe for ten years and understand the healthcare system. My husband is Dutch and I DO understand that you cant have immediate service . I am also not suggesting that the US system of health care is better. Regardless based on what you told us, your band is TOO TIGHT. You do not benefit mentally or physically from a too tight band. I don't see how barfing and living miserably (which is not what the band is about) is productive and helps you in any way at all. If it aint working of course you will be depressed. Anyone would be. However, you have not had enough fills by a competent professional to say that you really know that there is a problem with the band. Here in the states, the increments are much smaller for first and second fills and even third. Most docs are really conservative and it seems that the biggest losers are the bandsters who have the least amount of fill in their bands and do lots of head work as they build up restriction. So empty it, (not all of it) work on your head and healing your esophagus and giving it a rest and then fill it up really really slowly to find your sweet spot. Regarding your mental health issues, I understand that the band is causing them or exacerbating your mental health issues. The band is not for everyone. It doesnt work for everyone. But having some other bariatric surgery such as a bypass or DS may not solve your problems either. Its really a lot of work having a band, both mentally and physically. There are days I DO wish that I had some other procedure. I was always a volume eater and still to some extent dont know when to stop. My band makes it harder, but you can quite easily eat around the band. I know it to be so. I gained back some of my losses as a result of pouch packing and dilation. ALL of us here to some extent carry some major psychological luggage as obese or formerly obese people.. I lost a lot of weight with the band and sought therapy for the new problems of being thin, more attractive and desirable. I was miserable as a morbidly obese person, but I was also very very sad about some of the developments I encountered as a thinner person. I lost friends who really werent friends and people treat you differently. My point is Who cares whether the cart is before the horse? I would tell an alcoholic if one treatment is not working, then to try another, so I dont get your analogy. With the band LESS IS MORE. You dont have to be restricted to the point of daily barfing to lose weight. Does it really matter whether the band caused your mental health to deteriorate further because it hasnt worked for you? Having your hair fall out and not getting Vitamins coupled with not losing weight would make anyone depressed. Feeling healthier with a less full band will help you to think more rationally. Hugs, Babs in TX 334/190 ish

I have cheated so many times its not even funny and I'm still losing weight and gaining muscle. I just got back from a cruise and I feel like I ate 24/7. I probably gained 5 lbs on the cruise but I'm not worried about it as I'll go to the gym and get back into my better habits once I'm home. The Sleeve is a tool. Use it and you will be fine. I actually indulged in alcohol on this past cruise. One drink and I'm drunk for a very short amount of time.. then sip some more... I guess smaller stomach = lighter weight drinker.

There's a lot being said on here about replacing one addiction (food) with another (alcohol). How about we all choose our new addiction and throw ourselves into working out. If we can conquer food, then we can take control of and retrain our minds for what we will embrace. This band isn't the one doing the work. It is my tool... but it's still up to me to take control of what goes into my mouth, whether it's food, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. Folks, I don't want to get on a soapbox, but if you think you're having a problem with alcohol, you need to reach out for help before it takes root in your life.

I think it's more the thought. I smell the alcohol and get dizzy. Lol

I suggest going to your local deli and try some new things...some of my favorites are BBQ ribs, roasted veggies, turkey curry salad, meatloaf, garlic sesame pork loin, seafood kabobs, crab salad and broccoli bacon salad. One small container will last me several meals. Visit areas of the grocery store you don't frequent and really look things over for new ideas. If you are miserable with no Pasta, bread, rice, etc. go ahead and eat some.....in moderation! No sense losing weight if you are miserable. Just try to make it as "high protein" as you can. There are some breads higher in Protein than others. Use a thin wrap or flat bread to make a sandwich. I eat chicken salad and tuna salad with Pita bite crackers. I pile on the salad and am stuffed after just 3 crackers.... a "full serving" is 7 crackers. If you make a pasta dish, add extra protein ( pasta salad with chicken, spaghetti heavy on the meat sauce, light on the pasta). Barilla has a "Plus" line of pastas that are higher in protein. Have Chinese food or curry with just a little rice. I've had sushi roll with rice and yum. Visit the recipe sub forum on here for some recipe ideas that might not be so blah. Google "the world according to eggface", too. She has some incredible recipes....cake, ice cream, donuts, smoothies, etc. I am not a fan of cooking myself, (thus the deli suggestion), but I even made my own protein pancakes using Red Mill pancake mix, unjury Protein powder, Garden of Life Raw Protein and an extra egg. They are better than any pancake I ever had preop with 8 G protein. Basically, if you REALLY want something, figure out how to make it work, or at least practice serious moderation. Hell, I've had ice cream, cake, cheesecake and alcohol when I wanted some and there's nothing high protein about any of those! Hmmmm, I wonder if I could make protein cheesecake?!?

Most doctors say no beer. It has empty calories, has carbonation which stretches the pouch out and you can become intoxicted quicker. My nutritionist/surgeon also feels that drinking alcohol is also stressful on the liver when you are losing weight because it gives it a double whammy when having to burn calories but also work on filtering alcohol. They feel it puts the liver at a greater risk for becoming diseased. I've also seen people post who have drank beer post op and they say it causes an unbelievable bloating that is miserable.

There is a thread here from a week or two ago where someone posted a You Tube video of a doctor explaining WHY no carbonation and if you see that, you won't want to risk drinking a beer. She explained that the carbonation rises and goes back up into your new little stomach and makes it expand. That's not a very good medical explanation but you get the general idea. It sounded like it could permanently negate the whole affect of having a band. Wine and alcohol are fine in moderation, as long as you recognize that not only is it empty calories, but it generally will stall your weight loss.

Are you kidding? They stressed that upfront...no alcohol. As a matter of fact, I was told to not drink coffee. I am having a coffee attack right now. I love tea but it just does not cut it when you love coffee. Please discuss this with your doctor. You would not want to destroy all of what you paid for in the lap band. lot of luck!

I had a lap band placed 11 years ago (and removed 2 days ago!!) but back then my husband voiced his concern that I might lose weight and leave him for someone else (an irrational fear he's always had). My own fear with my upcoming sleeve is that when I lose weight he'll no longer be attracted to me. He's never known me at a healthy weight. We've been married for almost 16 years. Alcoholism, interfering family, lost jobs, bankruptcy, foreclosure, a baby in the NICU, having 3 babies 3 and under at one point, a move across the country and back again 10 months later that was intended to be permanent, health issues for us both, and a child who has fought a brain tumor for almost 4 years...we've made it through all of that, so I pray we can make it through this one too.

I see a couple of questions here so I will answer them as I understand them, and if I've not answered the right questions, let me know. I can eat whatever I want as long as I'm careful and listed to my body. I read this in a few ways, and I'm not sure which you're asking, so I'll answer both. Can you drink alcohol? Yes, you can drink alcohol. Can you drink with meals? I CAN, as long as the food is passing through the stoma. I used to sip with meals, but I don't so much anymore. If I have food that has not cleared the stoma, drinking hurts and can make me have to yak. Tough to know how to answer this because overeating and my social life were never the same thing... so ability or inability to overeat is a "not applicable" when it comes to my social life out at a restaurant, for example. Can you overeat? Umm... yeah, unless you're tight and have consistent restriction. If you don't have restriction, the band can't do its job. If you do have restriction, you could still have irregular restriction patterns (for example you're very tight in the morning and not at all tight in the evening). But if you have restriction AND have it consistently, overeating is fairly limited to grazing because you're only able to physically hold so much until the food begins to clear the stoma. If you overeat with good restriction, this could most definitely impact your social life! :laugh

Got these at GNC - it is 45g of protein in a 3.1 oz container that looks like a big test tube. I tried the fruit punch flavor - it's almost cough syrup-like in its sweetness and consistency. It's a lot easier (and faster) to get down than a bottle of Isopure, though. My two worries are that it contains 8g of carbs (5g from "sugar alcohol") and a blend of protein. I was told to try for 100% whey protein if possible. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks.

I was about to ask how in the world you got WC to pay for bariatric surgery to begin with, but then re-read what you wrote and now I get it. That's an interesting scenario, and I can definitely see why they'd fight having to pay for a sleeve, but I can also tell you that, having worked at the WC center for General Motors at one time, probably 95% of all lawsuits brought against the company by the employee are won, and that includes completely ridiculous ones like "I can't work because I'm an alcoholic because my job made me that way," or "I can't work because of the mental problems caused by my job..." yeah, totally serious. I'd say if the job caused removal of the band, and now you can't have another band, you'd stand an excellent chance of having your WC pay for a sleeve, maybe even without much threat from a lawyer (although you may still have to initiate that process). Hmmmm, interesting. Keep us updated!

I went on an alcohol and eating feast the first two weeks after learning that I was going to have lap-band. It was just to clean out the frig and wet bar -- great that this happen at St. Patrick's Day. Since March 18th, I've been sticking to Protein drinks and one balanced dinner. No alcohol, no sodas, no red meat, almost no bread -- the killer was no ice cream. AND I still have to get down to a BMI of 40 or 327 lbs before Memorial Bariatric Center will perform the lap-band surgery. Stay focused on the goal.

Artificial sweeteners continue to feed your desire for sweet. They’ve many other negative issues too. And you’re right, they seem to be in everything these days. Monk fruit is being pushed as a better alternative but it doesn’t stop the sugar cravings either. Neither do natural sugar alternatives (honey, coconut sugar, molasses, etc.) which are still basically sugar with slightly different glucose & fructose content. The weight loss stage made it easier to cut out or greatly reduce added sugar & sweeteners. I was only eating protein, vegetables, dairy & fruit after surgery so little opportunity for added sugar & sweeteners. (I stopped shakes from day 1 purées.) I prep most of what I eat from scratch myself. It’s the only way to control the ingredients. I carefully check the ingredient list & nutrition panel on any products I do buy. I avoid sweeteners but know there’s some in the yoghurt & protein bar I eat but that’s all. I’d rather choose products with low quantities of real sugar than artificial. I don’t drink carbonated drinks like colas, etc. or juices. I only have cakes, sweet biscuits or desserts, etc. a couple of times a year. I have a glass of alcohol about once a month. Our bodies do need some glucose. I get most from naturally occurring sources: dairy & fruit. My daily intake of added sugar is harder to define as total sugars on nutrition panels include naturally occurring & added as one total. I don’t add any myself. I know there’s 2-3g in my salad dressing & 1g in my crackers & about 6g if I use a condiment like mint or teriyaki sauce (couple of times a month). My desire for sweet has changed greatly & sweet foods are crazy sweet now. This is just what I do. Others may have better suggestions, alternatives, experiences or made more changes. It just depends upon how much you’re willing to omit or reduce from your eating plan & if it’s sustainable for you.

For all of us who wonder the following: How come I'm not losing How come I'm not losing fast enough How come I'm always hungry Do I need another fill Do I need an unfil Am I eating right I found this information at another site and it pretty much answers most of the questions I have seen at this forum that are either restriction or food related. I think some of us bandsters here could gain from reading this. Carol How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: 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.(It's also a stomach irritant). 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 (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - 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 (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. 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? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. 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? 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? 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 ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 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. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? 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 (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) 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 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. 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. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. 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.) e. If your pain is severe

Ok I have been going through the thread and I am wondering. Why do some lose 50, 100 pounds in less than a year and it takes some two years to do so. I have a friend who was 208 pre-op and now she is 146 or was now she is 152. She was banded in 2004. I'm thinking it has to be lack of excercise and following the bandster rules. Three years to lose 60 pounds seems rediculous to me. Maybe because my friend is older I dont know. She doesn't excercise either and she is a major sweet eater. Me I'm a volumn meat eater which why I chose the band. But wouldn't you want to excercise and do right to get the weight off and keep it off? I'm 244 at 5ft2 and my goal is 130-140 I dont want to be 3yrs trying to get it off! So those of who have succeeded to 75-100 pounds in less than a year please post what you ate and how much you excercised. Did you stop eating after 6 or 7? What excercise routine did you do? Did you drink alcohol? Cut sugar? How many fills?

Thanks you guys...all the advice really helps! I think I will get the hang of it. It's just one of those things that is so automatic that it's hard to break the habit. I haven't even tried soda yet...which I'm not much of a soda drinker anyway...but do any of you have problems with soda? How about wine or cocktails? We had friends over at the pool last night and had some beer and wine and I didn't even indulge because I forgot the rule about alcohol~ plus I didn't get IN the pool because #1...I have'nt lost THAT much weight lol and #2 I don't know when we can go in pools or jacuzzi's and the such?? I'm sure at 5 weeks out it's fine though right?~? LOL I used my incisions as the excuse although it was more due to my #1 reason!!! :biggrin2:

There are too many individual factors that contribute to weightloss rates to answer "why do some people lose so quickly?" Motivation, individual metabolism, lifestyle, genetic disposition, psychological disposition, luck of the draw... and on... and on... and one of the biggest - how much weight you need to lose. I could say I lost 200# in my first year, but that wouldn't mean you should expect to do the same, especially if I had 600 lbs to lose and you had 50. Almost every piece of literature will gauge progress on a percentage of excess weight lost, and not pounds lost. There's no way I could post everything I've eaten. And I didn't journal it on a public site, so no easy links. As for your other questions: Did you stop eating after 6 or 7? Maybe - if I wasn't hungry after then, but there were many occasions I know I ate considerably later than that. What excercise routine did you do? No set routine. I tried the set routines and they bored me too much. Did you drink alcohol? Sometimes, if I wanted a drink. For me, "I want a drink" means one drink every couple of months. Not a big drinker. Cut sugar? I did in the beginning, didn't worry about it so much later on. How many fills? I didn't keep track of the number of fills. I think what's more important is fill level. I'm at 2.75 in a 4. (IMO it doesn't matter if it took me one fill to get there or 20, what matters is that 2.75/4 is a good place for me). I'm reticent to answer questions like this because often we'll see follow-ups of "I tried what so and so did and it didn't work" -- and it's SO important to go into this understanding that you may be the fasest loser, and you may be the slowest (probably you will be somewhere in between), and that it's all one big learning curve toward figuring out what works for you and what doesn't. There are no "givens" when it comes to what works.

I was banded in TJ in May of this year and returned to have one fill done in July. I am a nurse and the procedure looked pretty simple, so I was thinking that for my next fill I would just do it myself. I have a 9cc midband with a 3cc fill right now. If I do try to do my own fill I would only add 1cc per fill and space them out several months apart. I have permission from work to use a sterile syringes, IV flush solution and 22g IM needles, gloves, alcohol pads and any other supplies as needed. The needle used for my first fill in TJ was a huber 22g 50mm. My questions are: #1 Is there any difference in a huber needle and a regular IM needle, as my internet research on that did not help. #2 has anyone else done thier own fill and how did it go? I do know the risks of infection, MRSA and no I am not crazy.

The problem with drinkig with alcohol isn't so much what it will do to the band, because it won't do really anything. The kicker is consuming all the empty calories. We can eat so little, so its important to make good choices when we do consume calories.

Personally I am an alcoholic!!!!!!!!!!!! Just kidding, but i do still drink plenty on weekends i mean i am only 22

I believe it is all in the brain. I truly and finally felt what it was to be normal for the 3 months I was on Phen Fen, which of course was taken off the market. While on those drugs, I had no compulsions to eat, my body told me when I was hungry. I am in mourning that it proved harmful and was taken off the market. I have no compulsion to drink alcohol, I have no compulsion to gamble or take drugs. My compulsion is to eat. I pray one day the answer to obesity is solved. Certainly lifestyle has a huge part. We are some of the richest people in the world, with regards to food availability and 'soft' lifestyle. I am trying very hard to train my younger children to get lots of exercise and eat properly. So far, so good. I see one of my children with the same compulsion to eat sweets and carbs. So far she is thinish and she is kept busy. I pray, she didn't inherit my compulsions, my brain chemicals, whatever you want to call it or all the above. But I see the behaviours in one of my children and not in my other 2. Such a complex issue.