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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.

@@sonandonubes Please seek help immediately. You should not be mixing prescription drugs and alcohol to help clear you head. You are doing wonderful. I would love to lose a 100lbs. I know things are going to be rough and we are all going to have our ups and downs, but you cant let the downs get you this far down. You are amazing and an inspiration to many of us. If you need to talk to some please message me, I am a good listener. I am also 33 and I have no children.

I’ve had a couple very low carb 5% alcohol grapefruit hard soda water and for thanksgiving I had a cran, soda water and vodka. None of it has made me tipsy or drunk but I have a natural tolerance. If you’re going to drink, make sure you have a DD in case just one or two drinks hit you hard and just incorporate the nutrition info into your daily macros. Vodka and diet mixers are what I would stick to. Flavored vodka with soda is yum but I tolerate carbonation well.

Sugar free chocolate usually has sugar alcohol in it. Sugar alcohol gives me severe gas. I have to be very careful to see how many grams of it are in anything that is labeled sugar free.

Here is an interesting article http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20120618/after-bariatric-surgery-alcohol-abuse-more-likely

So, be careful. This is actually why they tell people who have had the surgery to not drink at all. First, too much sugar in it. Second, we can easily transfer our food addiction on to alcohol, which has bigger risks. We just trade one addiction for another. My surgeon, other surgeons that I know of personally who do this surgery, the NUTs, everyone involved say please do not drink. Anymore. From now on. Now, most of us do and are fine but it is VERY common for people who have had this surgery to become alcoholics. It is just a risk that we have and it happens a lot. To me, it is bad enough to be addicted to food but the other addictions really really scare me. Take care and whatever you decide, we are rooting for you.

The Core plan is different from the Flex plan in that you aren't alotted a certain amount of points per day. There is a core foods list, and you can eat any of the foods until you are satisfied. The list includes these (quoted) food groups: Lean meat and fish Fruits, Veggies and leafy greens Whole Grains Milk and dairy You still get like 35 points to use during the course of a week. On things like White bread, sweets, alcohol (any foods not on the core list) For me, since being banded I find this easier to follow and easy to get my protien. I feel that it pretty much mimics the food plan the doctors have perscribed for me anyway: Avoid refined sugar and flour, eat whole grains, limit empty carbohydrates, alcohol and sweets. So it's easy for me to get my Protein from the meat and dairy and Beans, then I fill up on veggies and fruit and use a little healthy oil in the mean time. And like others have said, have a glass of wine on special occasions or one peice (not a whole bar) of chocolate. For me, it provides the structure on a weekly basis for what has been advised by my doctors a few times on paper before surgery.

Don't you feel the world is attacking obese people this week? It seems each day a new article comes out with another poke at obesity. Now, they are saying that being obese is linked to mental illness and that the fat aren't jolly? True, I am an emotional eater, who added two hundred pounds following the deaths of my mother and my boyfriend --- BUT I have always been FAT AND JOLLY!! I never denied myself anything that gave pleasure, and food gave pleasure. Also, I am a people person, so sharing good company and good food -- with a lot of laughter -- was common in my life. Though I am learning smarter ways to manage my weight, I certainly don't want to lose the laughter and friends. Joyce Here's the AP article... Study says obesity, depression linked By LINDSEY TANNER The Associated Press CHICAGO — Obesity is strongly linked with depression and other mood disorders, according to a new study by Group Health Cooperative. Whether obesity might cause these problems or is the result of them is not certain, but there are theories to support both arguments. Depression often causes people to abandon activities, and some medications used to treat mental illness can cause weight gain. On the other hand, obesity is often seen as a stigma, and overweight people often are subject to teasing and other hurtful behavior. The study of more than 9,000 adults found that mood and anxiety disorders, including depression, were about 25 percent more common in the obese people studied than in the nonobese. Substance abuse was an exception; obese people were about 25 percent less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than slimmer participants. The results appear in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, released Monday. The lead author was Dr. Gregory Simon, a researcher with Group Health in Seattle. The results "suggest that the cultural stereotype of the jolly fat person is more a figment of our imagination than a reality," said Dr. Wayne Fenton of the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the study. "The take-home message for doctors is to be on the lookout for depression among their patients who are overweight," Fenton said. Both conditions are quite common. About one-third of U.S. adults are obese, and depression affects about 10 percent of the population, or nearly 21 million U.S. adults in a given year. Previous studies produced conflicting results on whether obesity is linked with mental illness, although a growing body of research suggests there is an association. The latest study helps resolve the question, said Dr. Susan McElroy, editor of a textbook on obesity and mental disorders. "This is a state-of-the-art psychiatric epidemiology study that really confirms that there is, in fact, a relationship," she said. The study was based on an analysis of a national survey of 9,125 adults who were interviewed to assess mental state. Obesity status was determined using participants' self-reported weight and height. About one-fourth of all participants were obese. Twenty-two percent of obese participants had experienced a mood disorder, compared with 18 percent of the nonobese.

Fortunately today there are alternative to satisfying a sweet tooth such as low calorie natural sugars such as Stevia and synthetic sugars such as Splenda and sugar alcohols. And many of these are being integrated into products that you can buy in the supermarket.

I admit that I like to drink. In the last year I have cut my alcohol use down significantly from a cocktail or two per night to one-two per week instead. I also make smaller ones than I used to. After VSG why are we not supposed to drink alcohol? Is it just the extra [empty] calories or is there another reason? I have already cut down from 7 oz martinis to 3 oz ones. I have 1.5 oz martini glasses I can switch to in my bar if it is just the calories. I do enjoy drinking wine as well and have cut down from 3-5 bottles per week to just 1. If there is another health issue other than the calories? It is no big deal to drop my consumption to almost nothing but really don't want to lose the booze completely (although I am willing to do that if necessary).

Nice to meet everyone! I just turned 21 last month and am a junior in college! I'm majoring in Sociology and am going to do a program once I graduate to be state certified to be a Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor. My father was killed in an alcohol related accident about a year and a half ago and it has changed my mind about wanting to major in Business. I recently got a place with My amazing boyfriend and my younger brother. I am pretty much a mom to my little bro (he's not so little-19 years old) I love hanging out with my family and going to the lake/river or goin out to the desert to watch my boys (bro and boyfriend) race dirtbikes! We live by the beach and I am happy to say that next summer i might've actually lost enough weight to wear a bathing suit down there!

I was told that we couldn't have any for three months. Since then I've had some wine and some beer, but I'm not much of a drinker. Most likely yes, you will never have a pint of beer again, only because it won't fit in you. You would probably be able to have a few sips before feeling full. nothing against the poster but I find it interesting how much people worry about alcohol. don't drink much so it's not a big deal for me but I find it interesting to see people worrying about not being able to have a beer again. I would think that loosing weight and becoming healthy is more important than some alcohol. I felt similar about not being able to binge at a buffet, but I keep telling myself that it's a small price to pay for loosing all the weight

I think the hard part about stopping soda is the fact that besides water (usually only at the gym) and wyler's (bascially tha same as crystal light, but I like the taste better)raspberry flavor, it is the only thing I drink. I don't like ice tea, or stuff and I don't drink alcohol, yeah, so it will only leave 2 things I drink and basically only one, since I only drink plain water at the gym.

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.

The issue for people post surgery is addiction transfer & alcohol is an easy transfer from food. I enjoyed a glass of something (wine, gin, scotch) every night pre surgery but since my surgery I probably have a glass less than once a month. And then I rarely finish it. I also found that my taste buds have changed & a lot of alcohol tastes too sweet & just plain blah! Have to admit I don’t really miss it. If I do have something to drink it’s gin & tonic. I drink it very slowly - an hour + for a low ball. Most of the bubbles dissipate quickly which helps with the carbonation issue. A couple of things to consider: The carbonation fills you quickly & causes issues like discomfort. If you’re drinking, you’re not eating. Alcohol will dehydrate you. Alcohol has no nutritional value.

My experience with alcohol (wine) and the lapband is that I don't feel the effects of the booze immediately. Then like someone flipped the switch and I am bombed, almost passed out (have passed out). I also purchased an alcohol breath testing machine. It takes 3 times as long to the booze to leave my system as my husbands when having the same amount of drinks. The machine will read triple zeros for him and I will have a .045 blood alcohol level. We are wondering with the band is the alcohol residue is staying above the band longer.

well it all depends on the person. there are a lot of people that transfer addiction from food to alcohol, shopping, sex, PS..... I can only talk about the band and sleeve. I have a drink a few nights a week when my husband is home.... when he is not, I don't. For me it's definitely not Crack.... for some, maybe

I was banded today and noticed that I have a red stain over the entire surgical area and then some - I suppose it is used to clean the surgical site. How does it come off? Soap, Alcohol, or do I just wait for it to fade?

Started pre-op diet at 276lbs. Surgery was cancelled for another 2 months but I kept calorie counting that whole time so in total I lost 25lbs pre-op in the end. Surgery weight 251 Date of sleeve 17 November 2021 Current weight 220 So that's 31lbs off in 11.5 weeks since surgery. 8lbs in the week of surgery then a long post-op stall that lasted over 3 weeks. I have really found a groove with my eating and am losing a steady 2lbs a week at the minute. I do drink some alcohol every weekend which I know is completely empty calories, but it's something I have chosen to do and factor in. If I stall again or once my rate of loss slows I'll probably stop it again! Hope that helps. I loved reading other people's stats pre-op and I still do really. 😍 Keep asking questions - it's a big decision, a lifelong commitment to being different, and there is such a lot of experience in this group you're absolutely right to use it.

I am glad that you said it before me. I am 6 months post op in a few weeks. I started out going crazy over protein goals and my doctor, at my second visit when I was healed and on solids, told me to stop. His view on the protein is that it is a number that was developed with no real solid reasoning behind it. Before anyone gets crazy about my doctor HE IS EXCELLENT. He is one of the top teaching surgeons in Houston and I can't say enough about him. I started out at 215 and am now 148.5 as of this morning and I feel terrific. My eating plan is clean eating. End of story. I also eat my protein first and then move on to vegetables and last carbs. I can tell you right now I barely eat carbs. I don't eat red meat because I just can't handle it and I don't drink alcohol. If I can "pick it, pluck it or kill it" I can eat it. I will start back in he gym this week. I was ahead of the curve this last 6 months and I have been able to walk but my doc didn't want me in the gym until around 6 months because I needed to be ready and feeling strong enough to get in there. Side note- I have lost very very little hair. I have always been a shedder and it just increased a little starting last month. Just thought i would share because I know the feeling of feeling like a failure immediately post op because you can't keep up with the goals and you are already incredibly emotional and I felt a loss lift when I was given simple instructions that's i could live th for the rest of my life.

My surgeon said if I want to follow calories that my intake should be around 900 to 1200 calories a day. I average 1000 to 1100. Sometimes I have days when I eat 1600 or more. (Usually due to alcohol intake). I do not eat my exercise points back. I am losing pretty fast. 62 pounds since December. Not everyone wants to lose that fast or be as strict with what they eat. Fast is not necessarily better. With the amount of exercise I'm doing, sometimes I feel I may not be eating enough. Find what works for you.

PCOS doesn't slow down weight loss. And 39 pounds in 10 weeks it a lot! You weight goes up and down all the time. If you are following your prescribed food plan you are losing FAT no matter what the scale says. Maybe you can stop weighing yourself every day? Some weeks you might not lose any weight. That is NORMAL. I eat 25 grams of carbs, 90-110 grams of Protein, and as little sugar as possible (just what's in the 8oz of 1% milk I drink a few times a week). I add Fiber ( ground flax seeds) to my Protein shakes, you can also add Benifiber (it's clear and has no flavor) but drink the shake right away of it gets weird. I feel fuller for longer if I add some fiber to the shakes. I don't pay any attention to sodium, but I also don't eat packaged or canned food. Watch out for alcohol sugar (it's often in candy and protein bars) it will stall your weight loss no matter what the labels claim. In my opinion there is such a thing as too much zero calorie (100% chemical) sweeteners.Lots of studies fine that ithey increases hunger. I limit it to one or two packets a day. According to my PT I will get better results working out every second day. I alternate days walking (2miles) and toning/strength training . As for calories, what does your NUT/plan say? If you eat 90 grams of protein and 25grams of low calorie carbs you're eating about 600 calories a day. I eat about 800-900 because, strange as it seems, I wasn't losing much weight and was told by the NUT To increase my calories. Yes, it's normal to get a bit obsessed about your weight. I use a journal to keep track of everything I eat, how much Water I drink, my Vitamins, my blood sugars and exercise. How I explained it to a friend recently is that I have never spent so much time and effort on eating so little food. I want to add that I don't know how old you are, how much you weigh or how active you are. So...keep in mind that the things I do might not be the best for you. Please don't feel like people her are judgmental.

Wow, after reading this thread I'm starting to get nervous as I had my first drink about 2 weeks post-op (red wine then a margarita). I felt fine and still do feel fine. I had a few non-carbonated drinks yesterday as well. Hrm... I'm not sure why non-carbonated alcohol would be bad for your sleeve other than the empty calories part of it. It's technically under my post-op diet restrictions although my doc didn't say anything about alcohol specifically.

Hi Heather, Being banded does not mean you can never drink again. Yesterday I had three glasses of champagne at an Easter function. But you WILL have to learn how your body reacts to alcohol, which may be different than you were used to. Even if you haven't lost significant weight yet, drinking can affect you a lot faster just because you're taking in way fewer calories. So take it very slowly. And, of course, keep in mind that alcohol is just empty calories that pile up very quickly, so drinking at all is pretty counterproductive to weight loss.

Each doctor has their own opinion about this subject. Here is the information I was given... In addition to meeting with my nutritionist for an hour appointment, I had to attend a 2 hour class which discussed nutrition post surgery. We were told to avoid alcohol at all costs for the first year of losing weight. Not only does it lower your tolerance to alcohol but also puts your liver at increased risks for liver toxicity, cancer and other liver diseases. It can also contribute to hypoglycemia. ulcers and malnutrition. It was explained that your liver is not only working overtime burning fat from your body but if it has to process alcohol then it's giving it a double wammy for having to work that it's defenses are at higher risks for getting sick.