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@jbrooks_rn. It might have been me that said I had my family to dinner. I have had 3 parties since 12/26 which was the day I started my liquid diet. I looked at those events as if I had an alcohol addiction would I expect no one to drink and my answer was no. This was a decision that I made. I can't expect everyone to live by my guidelines right now. They are supportive in many other ways, they can't give up their life for me! Good luck with your journey and Happy New Year! When is your surgery date?

Wow, I have the Realize band too. I was banded Sept 22 and started out at 239. Now I'm at 227 but have lost inches galore. I have been hitting the gym really hard. 45 minutes of cardio, and weights. I try to burn about 500-600 calories. I don't really have any restriction yet, and I have an 11 cc band, and it's filled to 7 cc. I know EXACTLY what you mean about taking a few bites, being full and then going back to eating or not losing weight at all. I am trying to "keep the faith". It's a struggle, but hang in there. I have a "buddy" on this forum, and so thankful for her. The last two weeks have been a struggle, and I think I put on a couple lbs. I cut out alcohol almost entirely. Maybe a couple glasses of wine in the last few months. No coffee, caffiene free....and looking for things that are "ok" to eat, and good for us. I've found when I keep up with my vitmans, and Calcium I feel like a million bucks.. I was am weighing myself every other day, which I hear is horrible. Don't forget to incorporate PMS weight, and so forth. I didn't realize that personally I put on about 5 lbs of Water weight, so cutting down on sodium is key for me. The best advice (which I need to follow better) has been GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, and keep moving...and keep talking to your friends on this website. People are here to help and it's fantastic!

Watched this 2021 UK documentary yesterday & it was very interesting. Dr Chris van Tulleken put himself on an ultra processed diet to see the impacts on his health. The results were quite frightening & also thought provoking. Within a month his body was producing more hunger hormones & fewer of the full/satiated hormones. He was never full & was always hungry. His brain was creating new links which are very similar to those formed with alcohol, cigarette & drug addictions. And of course the expected increases in weight, cholesterol, etc. Scariest was that they don’t believe some of these changes will ever be completely reversed by returning to a low processed diet. Could explain the struggle many of us continue to experience with hunger, cravings, etc. Worth watching if you can find it. I watched it on Netflix here in Australia.

Everyone is different. Believe me I miss food so much. I play tricks on myself. Sunday dinners I keep myself busy and sit down and eat when people are almost done. Alcohol is not a problem. I don't drink as much as I did but I still go out and have a good time. The smoking I quit but sometimes I have just a puff or two. It is all in your mind. I still sometimes think what the hell did I do to myself when I am craving a hamburger or deli sandwich and know if I eat the bread I will throw up. It bugs you in the beginning but when you go from a size 20 to 12 and feel 20 years younger than it is worth it.

I was sleeves on May 20th and I'm 25, you're not alone! ????I was sleeved in the 26th and I'm actually 21! The whole no-alcohol thing seems to be the hardest for me right now because all of my friends are having birthdays and the bar is where we all seem to hang out now!Awesome! I'm so glad to finally find some people on here around my age. Not that everyone here hasn't been super helpful, I just feel like it's such a different experience going through this when we're young. It's a fairly new procedure for weight - loss and we're going to be living with it for a long, long time! I agree the non-alcohol thing is difficult. I pretty much told my friends I'd be going into hibernation for a couple of months since most of our activities have revolved around alcohol. I'm going to make it work though and still find ways to go out and have fun until then. We should definitely all keep in touch since we were sleeved at the same time and will be going through all the stages together. Yeah for sure! Are you on soft foods yet? I start Thursday and can't wait! I lost 12 lbs by day 5 post and haven't lost anything since I'll be 2 weeks post tomorrow, guessing my body is in survivor mode and maybe will start the scale will start moving again when I can get some actual food in ✌????️ Not yet! I think I move onto pureed/mushy at my two-week follow-up appointment next Tuesday! I'm just starting to get sick of liquids now, surprisingly. I'm so excited to get to eat some different foods soon! My weight has been fluctuating every day and there are days I don't lose, so I wouldn't worry about the scale right now! I'm actually going to try to move to weekly weighing instead of daily so I stop freaking myself out.

I was sleeves on May 20th and I'm 25, you're not alone! ???? I was sleeved in the 26th and I'm actually 21! The whole no-alcohol thing seems to be the hardest for me right now because all of my friends are having birthdays and the bar is where we all seem to hang out now!

I'm right there with BeachBabe! Sometimes I think I would rather have some wine than food. I know that's not good but old habits are hard to break sometimes. As for margaritas I found a low cal recipe called the Skinny Girl Margarita. It is good but very strong so you will be a cheap drunk if you're not careful. I have also discovered that once your banded alcohol can effect you differently each time you drink. Well at least that is the case for me! Crystal Light and vodka is a low cal option too.

Crabcake I've noticed that the people I know who are alcoholic don't eat sweets very much. But, when they quit drinking they become sugar addicts.

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

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.

Contrave Generic Name: bupropion hydrochloride and naltrexone hydrochloride Date of Approval: September 10, 2014 Company: Orexigen Therapeutics Treatment for: Obesity FDA Approves ContraveNew weight loss option targets both the physiological and behavioral factors associated with obesity. The U.S. food and Drug Administration has approved Contrave for chronic weight management in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity. Contrave is a combination of two FDA-approved drugs in an extended-release formulation: naltrexone (ReVia, Vivitrol) used to treat alcohol and opioid dependence bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorder, and as an aid to smoking cessation treatment. Contrave is approved for use in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (obesity) or adults with a BMI of 27 or greater (overweight) who have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. Medication GuideRead this Medication Guide before you start taking this medicine and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical problems or treatment. Important informationContrave can cause serious side effects, including: Suicidal thoughts or actions. One of the ingredients is bupropion. Bupropion has caused some people to have suicidal thoughts or actions or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking medicines used to treat depression. Bupropion may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. If you already have depression or other mental illnesses, taking bupropion may cause it to get worse, especially within the first few months of treatment.Stop taking this medicine and call a healthcare provider right away if you, or your family member, have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying new or worse irritability attempts to commit suicide acting aggressive, being angry, or violent new or worse depression acting on dangerous impulses new or worse anxiety an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania) feeling very agitated or restless panic attacks other unusual changes in behavior or mood trouble sleeping (insomnia) During treatment, you or your family members should: Pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. This is very important when you start treatment or when your dose changes. Keep all follow-up visits with your health care provider as scheduled. Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you have concerns about symptoms. Contrave has not been studied in and is not approved for use in children under the age of 18. What is Contrave?Contrave is a prescription medicine which contains two medicines (naltrexone and bupropion) that may help some obese or over weight adults, who also have weight related medical problems, lose weight and keep the weight off. It should be used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. It is not known if it changes your risk of heart problems or stroke or of death due to heart problems or stroke. It is not known if it is safe and effective when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight loss products. It is not known if it is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age. It is not approved to treat depression or other mental illnesses, or to help people quit smoking (smoking cessation). One of the ingredients, bupropion, is the same ingredient in some other medicines used to treat depression and to help people quit smoking. Who should not take Contrave?Do not take this medicine if you: have uncontrolled hypertension have or have had seizures use other medicines that contain bupropion such as Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin and Zyban have or have had an eating disorder called anorexia (eating very little) or bulimia (eating too much and vomiting to avoid gaining weight) are dependent on opioid pain medicines or use medicines to help stop taking opioids such as methadone or buprenorphine, or are in opiate withdrawal drink a lot of alcohol and abruptly stop drinking, or use medicines called sedatives (these make you sleepy), benzodiazepines, or anti-seizure medicines and you stop using them all of a sudden are taking medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including linezolid. Do not start treatment until you have stopped taking your MAOI for at least 14 days. are allergic to naltrexone or bupropion or any of the other ingredients. See theend of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients. are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking Contrave. Before taking ContraveBefore starting this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you: have or have had depression or other mental illnesses (such as bipolar disorder) have attempted suicide in the past have or have had seizures have had a head injury have had a tumor or infection of your brain or spine (central nervous system) have had a problem with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or low levels of sodium in your blood (hyponatremia) have or have had liver problems have high blood pressure have or have had a heart attack, heart problems, or have had a stroke have kidney problems are diabetic taking insulin or other medicines to control your blood sugar have or have had an eating disorder drink a lot of alcohol abuse prescription medicines or street drugs are over the age of 65 have any other medical conditions are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. This medicine can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you should continue treatment or breastfeed. You should not do both. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, Vitamins, and herbal supplements. This medicine may affect the way other medicines work and vice versa, and can cause side effects. Ask your healthcare provider for a list of these medicines if you are not sure. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider or pharmacist when you get a new medicine. How should I take Contrave?How to take Contrave Morning Dose Evening Dose Starting: Week 1 1 tablet None Week 2 1 tablet 1 tablet Week 3 2 tablets 1 tablet Week 4 Onward 2 tablets 2 tablets Take the tablets exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to. Do not change your dose without talking with your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will change your dose if needed. Your healthcare provider should tell you to stop taking the tablets if you have not lost a certain amount of weight after 16 weeks of treatment. Swallow the tablets whole. Do not cut, chew, or crush. Tell your healthcare provider if you cannot swallow the tablets whole. Do not take more than 2 tablets in the morning and 2 tablets in the evening. Do not take more than 2 tablets at the same time or more than 4 tablets in 1 day. Do not take the tablets with high-fat meals. It may increase your risk of seizures. If you miss a dose, wait until your next regular time to take it. Do not take more than one dose at a time. If you overdose, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away. What should I avoid?Do not drink a lot of alcohol during treatment. If you drink a lot of alcohol, talk with your healthcare provider before suddenly stopping. If you suddenly stop drinking alcohol, you may increase your chance of having a seizure. Contrave side effectsSerious side effects include: See Important information Seizures. There is a risk of having a seizure when you take this medicine. The risk of seizure is higher in people who:take higher doses have certain medical conditions take this medicine with certain other medicines Do not take any other medicines during treatment unless your healthcare provider has said it is okay to take them. If you have a seizure, stop taking Contrave and call your healthcare provider right away. You should not take Contrave again if you have a seizure. Risk of opioid overdose. One of the ingredients (naltrexone) can increase your chance of having an opioid overdose if you take opioid medicines. You can accidentally overdose in 2 ways:Naltrexone blocks the effects of opioids, such as heroin, methadone or opioid pain medicines. Do not take large amounts of opioids, including opioid-containing medicines, such as heroin or prescription pain pills, to try to overcome the opioid- blocking effects of naltrexone. This can lead to serious injury, coma, or death. After you take naltrexone, its blocking effect slowly decreases and completely goes away over time. If you have used opioid street drugs or opioid-containing medicines in the past, using opioids in amounts that you used before treatment with naltrexone can lead to overdose and death. You may also be more sensitive to the effects of lower amounts of opioids:after you have gone through detoxification when your next dose of Contrave is due if you miss a dose after you stop treatment It is important that you tell your family and the people closest to you of this increased sensitivity to opioids and the risk of overdose. You or someone close to you should get emergency medical help right away if you: have trouble breathing become very drowsy with slowed breathing have slow, shallow breathing (little chest movement with breathing) feel faint, very dizzy, confused, or have unusual symptoms Sudden opioid withdrawal. People who take Contrave must not use any type of opioid (must be opioid-free) including street drugs, prescription pain medicines (including tramadol), cough, cold, or diarrhea medicines that contain opioids, or opioid dependence treatments, buprenorphine or methadone, for at least 7 to 10 days before starting Contrave. Using opioids in the 7 to 10 days before you start may cause you to suddenly have symptoms of opioid withdrawal when you take it. Sudden opioid withdrawal can be severe, and you may need to go to the hospital. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medications you are taking before a medical procedure or surgery. Severe allergic reactions. Some people have had a severe allergic reaction to bupropion, one of the active ingredients. Stop taking this medicine and call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you have any of the following signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction:rash painful sores in your mouth or around your eyes itching hives swelling of your lips or tongue fever chest pain swollen lymph glands trouble breathing Increases in blood pressure or heart rate. Some people may get high blood pressure or have a higher heart rate when taking this medicine. Your healthcare provider should check your blood pressure and heart rate before you start taking, and while you take Contrave. Liver damage or hepatitis. One of the ingredients, naltrexone can cause liver damage or hepatitis. Stop taking this medicine and tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems:stomach area pain lasting more than a few days dark urine yellowing of the whites of your eyes tiredness Your healthcare provider may need to stop treatment if you get signs or symptoms of a serious liver problem. Manic episodes. One of the ingredients, bupropion can cause some people who were manic or depressed in the past to become manic or depressed again. Visual problems (angle-closure glaucoma). One of the ingredients, bupropion, can cause some people to have visual problems (angle-closure glaucoma). Signs and symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma may include:eye pain changes in vision swelling or redness in or around the eye Talk with your healthcare provider to find out if you are at risk for angle-closure glaucoma and to get treatment to prevent it if you are at risk. Increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines to treat their diabetes. Weight loss can cause low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (such as insulin or sulfonylureas). You should check your blood sugar before you start taking this medicine and during treatment. The most common side effects include: nausea dizziness constipation trouble sleeping headache dry mouth vomiting diarrhea Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. StorageStore tablets at room temperature between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C). Keep all medicines out of the reach of children. General informationMedicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use this medicine for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give it to other people, even if they have the same symptoms or condition that you have. It may harm them. If you take a urine drug screening test, Contrave may make the test result positive for amphetamines. If you tell the person giving you the drug screening test that you are taking Contrave, they can do a more specific drug screening test that should not have this problem. This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information that is written for health professionals. IngredientsActive ingredients: naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride Inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, lactose anhydrous, L-cysteine hydrochloride, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, edetate disodium, lactose monohydrate, colloidal silicon dioxide, Opadry II Blue and FD&C Blue #2 aluminum lake

Just got back from an all inclusive vacation to Punta Cana, DR. And, it started off with lots of bad habits - example - alcohol and then the need for nachos. After 2 days, the Bariatric Gods intervened and I got sick.... Let's just say I met a guy named "John".... I spent two days in the bathroom.... After that, no more alcohol. I did have more bread than normal just to settle stomach. (I'm not really a bread person so you know it was necessary). Anyway, I ended up loosing 6 pounds on vacation!!!! Lol. Now that I'm home, I'm back on track! A few NSV - no extender for the airplane seatbelt, size 16-18 clothing including " sexy" dresses. And, a rather attractive Dominican telling me I had gorgeous legs!

Ron, Certainly, no sane person agrees with the militant idiology....most Muslims will say they are harming their religion. As I also lived in an Islamic Country for a time.....I can tell you, most non-muslims are truly in the dark as to "what" are the muslim fundamentals. In the quran itself...which is sacred and considered God's word....it says: La iqraha fee deen....meaning there is no complusion in religion! Religion is a matter of the heart....it cannot be instilled by any sword. Muslims throughout its very begining have had non-muslims living within the community. They were protected and given all the rights like any other citizen. However, they were told not to engage in alcohol publicly (within the confines of their home was their sanctuary) They had to pay the taxes and would be subject to the laws like everyone else. Jewish scholars have all agreed that they lived "unpersecuted" under the Islamic caliphahs.....while their counterparts in Europe were suffering tremenous indignities. The religion does not preach aggression, only a defensive position if threatened. Now....certainly one can argue this point in today's current atmosphere. I am not an idiot....just trying to make sense of things like everyone else, but not wanting to buy into the daily propaganda being feed to us on "Fox" news! On that note....I listen and go online daily to BBC (British Broadcasting) and CNN International. I suggest others try doing that....it will expand your horizons. Militant or Radical groups from any genre are always dangerous and should not have a place in civil society. Religiously, there are radical Islamists, Christians, Jewish, Seiks and I'm sure others but they never represent their religion correctly....only a narrow, warped version that seems to give them the permission to forgo rationalism. (let alone all the nationalists, separatists and ethnic extremists) However, it is always wise to see what was the environment to seed such thoughts...and is there anything that could be done to relieve or calm down the pressure so that these people will not continue to find recruits into the madness! There is a lot of ugly injustice in the world.......that translates into some angry, misguided and very dangerous situations. Just my little 2 cents.....Diane

Yep check with your team & watch the sugar alcohol sweeteners. Also you may find things become so super sweet & you can’t eat them when your taste buds temporarily change. I loved that phase as I never went back to sweet foods or drinks & broke my desire for it - I loved a sweet treat after dinner & on weekends. I keep my sugar intake low (less than 10g a day) and avoid artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives wherever possible. They only feed your craving for sweet & research is showing that artificial sweeteners actually lead to weight gain, mess up your immune system & cause inflammation so I choose to avoid them. Now if I want something sweet I have some fruit.

I can tolerate any artificial sweetener, but some people have trouble with some of them. Sugar alcohols (those whose names end in "-itol", like xylitol) are especially known for giving some people problems.

There's no replacing a cigarette. I quit 3 years ago by chewing Nicorette. They say you're supposed to take a piece and chew a bit then tuck it in your cheek. Honey, I chewed so many pieces at times I was blowing bubbles. While I still miss smoking, I don't miss being a smoker. You're going to have to cut out the psychological triggers...for me it was the phone and computer. I also cut out ALL alcohol. Another thing that helped was looking at smokers in their 30's and 40's. Their skin looked horrible and they stank. Trust me when I say you don't realize how much you stink until you quit smoking. My doctor also told me if you quit by 40, the body has a chance to revert to a 'nonsmoking' body. After that, no matter when you quit, you face emphysema. I wouldn't go out with my friends who still smoked and I spent a lot of time in places I had already trained my body not to smoke like the library or homes of friends who didn't smoke. Take up cross stitching or something that keeps your hands busy. Get your doctor to prescribe a low dosage of Xanax for the really bad times. Keep telling yourself you're doing it for your kids/loved ones/anyone but yourself because in the throes of a nic fit, you don't really care about yourself, just getting a cig. I smoked from 13 to 37 and I still have cravings occasionally. One thing that helped me quit is I got the kids to watch me like a hawk and tell me I'd better not smoke. Then, I'd look at them and think of them having to watch me die...it was harsh but it helped me through the bad times. I quit a thousand times...it was the 1001st time that took. Good luck...it's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Seriously.

The article was about people with gastric bypass being able to absorb alcohol quicker so therefore could drink a lot more , lpbands should not affect alcohol consumption other than all those calories u are consuming. The article was specifically to do with gastric bypass people who have more tendency to become alcoholics because of the absorbtion differences .

Its like with anything. It is willpower. Some people have more addictive personalities. People mourn the loss of the way things used to be so you want something else to fill the void. My husband had the bypass 5 years ago. He since has been addicted to drugs, alcohol, shopping, hoarding, porn, eating, dipping, smoking. His sistet had it and is fine.

a lot of surgeons don't seem to have an issue with coffee (some do, though). The smoking and alcohol restrictions seem to be pretty universal, though.

I see some what of a trend of dizzyness. This happened to me and I found it to be low blood sugar. This is why I eat 2 servings of fresh fruit everyday. Yes fruit has carbs but it also has lots of fiber. This has helped me cure the low blood sugar issue. I still have been religious about no alcohol and bad carbs such as bread, pasta and rice. I have also been dealing with gout which fruit such as cherries is recommended. If you start feeling dizzy or not well from low blood sugar a quick fix is some juice. This does not mean to start chugging juice but just a few onces will fix low blood sugar very quickly. Again, I now add fruit to my diet and have not had an issue with sugar levels.

I was pretty bad pre-op. I did cut out alcohol though (was a big drinker). But I had a birthday, kids parties and long work hours where I forgot to take the shakes with me and ended up eating toasted cheese sandwiches! One day I went allll day without eating and ended up eating a burger... I felt terrible so then I had about 5 days where I was ‘good’ pre-op. My surgeon was impressed with my liver (phew). Haha. I lost only a tiny amount of weight which I think was just the cutting out of booze. I also took ‘vegetable’ capsules which are full of antioxidants supposedly good for the liver. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m actually glad I gave into my burger craving pre operatively.... it’s a long time until I can have one again! Good luck. You’ll be fine :)

When I first was new on this forum I got reamed by hundreds of people because I posted something about drinking alcohol post op too early. I guess it was the way I put it that people didnt like. I was called an arrogant b***h , a troll, and even got hate emails. Things like that don't really bother me. I'm still here !!!i get a lot of great information on here andI really like this forum .I'm not gonna let those people interfere with my life. Stick around and don't sweat the small things

I understand exactly how you feel. The thought of surgery often frightens everyone, but just remember the outcome. My mother and father both died in their early 60's. They both had numerous health issues, including high blood, diabetes and heart disease. Neither one of them smoked or drank alcohol, but they were over weight. My life-long goal is to become healthy and live to enjoy the "Best" of my life... I have surgery on May 25th... not too scared at this point... trusting that God will see me through this time... Hang in there...

Well Long Islands do have carbonation from the coke in it. A maybe that gloats you and is what makes you feel yucky. I don't even know what I'm going to be drinking once I'm healed. I love alcohol but was mainly a beer drinker. I will probably be doing margaritas or red wine when I'm allowed. Sigh.

sugar free gums and candies have sugar alcohols in them and cause gas and also they tend to do the opposite of taking away the craving. They cause you to want to eat. I can see it not being a problem 1+ years out when you are well established though. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App