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I was banded on 10/26 and had my first fill today- up to 3.6cc's. Thanksgiving got me though, and I went up from my 2 wk weigh in (4 lbs.) My dr. was not thrilled. I've found my biggest calorie ruiner is alcohol- and i didn't help that I was at the in-laws for t-giving. Is anyone else having this problem? The fill didn't hurt as bad as I thought it was going to, but I made the mistake of looking at the needle beforehand. That sucker was huge!

Green: If you start out your bar-be-que tour in Virginia you will promptly wretch, turn tail and head back to Toronto. Them crazy folks think that a nice barbeque beef or pork sandwich should come loaded with cold slaw. Yup. You heard me right. COLD SLAW. Gag, wretch. Now if you want some decent barbeque honey, you trot yourself on down to Oklahoma or Texas and get you one fine pulled pork barbeque sandwich. In Texas the barbeque brisket will seriously make you delirious. The ribs are awesome too. Barbeque is a very serious art in Texas and even though Memphis is famous for its ribs, Texas actually has them beat as far as I'm concerned. In Memphis they smoke their meat and use a "dry rub" coating of seasonings all over it. If you want barbeque sauce on it, you add it at the table. Eeeh they're good, I'll give 'em that. But for the very best in barbeque, head west. In Texas and Oklahoma you can get dry rub seasoned ribs and meat if you insist, but if you want really tender and larrapin' meat, you use some amount of water in your smoker and smoke it until it nearly falls off the bone and during the last hour or so you baste it with a somewhat sweet/tart smoky dark red barbeque sauce. Yee haw! The meat should have some blacked edges all around. This all reminds me of a place where my sister used to live, El Reno, Oklahoma, where there was a stand alone red wooden shack in front of the Wal Mart (where else?) and it had a big sign on it that said Bubba's Barbeque. There was a smaller sign under that said, "Nobody beats our meat!" (I never could figure out why Bubba decided to brag about that.) Which reminds me of a ski trip we made to Beaver Creek, Colorado. We decided we needed some alcohol to take the edge off our sore muscles, and went looking for a store. There it was all big and boastful...a sign that said... are you ready? BEAVER LIQUORS. Needless to say we had to go see for ourselves! Woo, hoo!

If you lose the weight relatively quickly, this summer is very possible. The waiting is also dependent on if they hire a new psychologist soon or not. They have been shorthanded for a while so I would hope that they are getting close to finding someone new. Other kaisers were helping out by doing some of the psych evals for fremont but last I heard, they pulled back and said they couldn't help anymore. I didn't start losing weight until a week AFTER I met with my surgeon(I met him the day before Christmas eve so enjoyed my holidays before getting serious). I lost 40lbs in my first 7 weeks. Once 1/1/17 hit, I went straight down to 1200cals. I have not had a soda, carbonated beverage, caffine, alcohol, fast food etc since. I added in a lot of the staples that they say are helpful post surgery, Greek yogurt, string cheese, eggs, etc and made sure i got my protein in from a lot of different sources. You could probably cut carbs and lose quicker but I didn't. I went high protein, low carb. I tracked my protein intake but not my carb intake, just kinda avoided excess carbs. I still have a piece of toast every morning but I don't usually have a carb with dinner. 2 thing to remember. 1, the most important part pre op is to build the right habits. A lot of people who do extreme dieting to lose weight preop quickly, really struggle with post op. You are dropping to 1200 cals, you will lose weight quickly regardless if you cut out all the carbs or not. 2, you have to maintain and continue to lose weight throughout the whole process. Especially because they are backed up, you can't gain weight after you hit goal. If they don't see you under your goal weight and continuing your weight loss progress, they won't approve the surgery. So however you decide to lose weight, it has to be sustainable.

I have a rant/complaint. This is December 5th, yeah less than 3 weeks until Christmas and I'm not sleeping. Just saw an Aldi commercial on TV for the eleventeenth time. Now Aldi' s is a nice enough place, have shopped there and saved money. And this advert is saying Food=Love. How many of us found ourselves heading to Bariatric Surgery for this reason? It is difficult to recover from alcohol addiction, rougher yet to recover from drugs, but when you are a "foodaholic: it is a life-long trial to become fast-food, high calorie SOBER. And it could have gone back to the 3 bags of Aldi chocolate chips YOU THOUGHT would make you a BETTER personmvNews Flash, They didn't!😧😪😧

Bariatric Realities – Medical Professionals’ Guidelines about Alcohol Use & WLS I know I said my next article was going to be on causes of obesity, but I got carried away tonight doing some investigating about the professional medical guidelines for alcohol use after weight loss surgery. In summary, the gist of the recommendations are: “Patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be screened and educated regarding alcohol intake both before and after surgery… patients should be made aware that alcohol use disorders (AUD) can occur in the long term after bariatric surgery.” (From: http://asmbs.org/resources/alcohol-use-before-and-after-bariatric-surgery.) Well, now. Those are some non-specific medical recommendations by medical professionals who are the predominant leaders and caregivers of the surgical weight loss population. Education and awareness. Hey – I am all about education and awareness. Great things, education and awareness. And yet, I’m gonna say that as a recommendation, that is a very “PC” non-recommendation recommendation, when one considers that we are talking about 1) ALCOHOL and 2) WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY patients. Consider these educational nuggets and facts I found that WLS patients really ought to be aware of: Psychologist Stanton Peele, writes, “readers now know that scientifically, it's not alcohol that causes people to live longer, but it is simply being with others and that they are less socially isolated when they drink that prolongs their lives. After all, alcohol is a toxin.” (italics and bold added) (From https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/addiction-in-society/201011/science-is-what-society-says-it-is-alcohols-poison. My comments: Yes – alcohol is a toxin, and that means POISON. Those of us in the medical field really ought to know that people are not supposed to ingest poison. But the recommendations do not say, “Do NOT ingest the toxin, alcohol.” No, no, no… they say be educated and aware. Dr. Charles S. Lieber, M.D., M.A.C.P., in a publication for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, writes, ““A complex interplay exists between a person’s alcohol consumption and nutritional status,” and … alcohol and its metabolism prevent the body from properly absorbing, digesting, and using essential nutrients” (italics added.) Dr. Lieber does indeed, educate us about the nutritional value of alcohol: “Alcohol would not fall under the category of an essential nutrient because not having it in your diet does not lead to any sort of deficiency. Alcoholic beverages primarily consist of water, pure alcohol (chemically known as ethanol), and variable amounts of sugars (i.e., carbohydrates); their content of other nutrients (e.g., proteins, vitamins, or minerals) is usually negligible. Because they provide almost no nutrients, alcoholic beverages are considered ‘empty calories.’ Therefore, any calories provided by alcoholic beverages are derived from the carbohydrates and alcohol they contain.” (italics added) My comments: People who have weight loss surgery (other than the band) experience absorption issues to one degree or another. Nutritional deficiency is one of the concerns the medical professionals monitor in the months and years following WLS. We stress to patients the importance of taking vitamin supplements for the rest of their lives to help ensure proper nutritional balance. And yet, rather than saying, “Alcohol use is unwise after WLS,” or “Don’t drink alcohol after WLS,” the governing body of health professionals for bariatric surgery recommends being “educated” and “aware.” Is that happening? Are the physicians and surgeons and nutritionists and mental health professionals educating patients and making patients aware that ALCOHOL IS A TOXIN THAT CAN INTERFERE WITH VITAMIN ABSORPTION – and it should not be consumed after weight loss surgery? I can’t answer that, although I know we do this at the programs I work with. If it’s not happening, why not? Having a background in direct sales, which, ironically, was incredible education for my later career as a psychologist, I was taught to “anticipate the objections.” Many health care professionals may be pooh-pooh’ing the vitamin deficiency issue associated with alcohol, stating it’s only those who drink heavily who are at risk for this type of vitamin deficiency. That information, to the best of my knowledge, is relevant for persons who have not had weight loss surgery. What’s more, we don’t know the extent to which people are drinking many years after WLS. Most of the research, as noted in the ASMBS Guidelines/Statements entitled ASMBS position statement on alcohol use before and after bariatric surgery, states, “The existing studies do not present a uniform picture regarding the overall prevalence of lifetime or current alcohol use disorders (AUD) in patients seeking bariatric surgery. The vast majority of the existing literature is retrospective, with small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and low response rates. There are also varying definitions of alcohol disorders (“high-risk” versus “misuse” versus “abuse/dependence”) in the bariatric surgery literature.” In other words, this research does provide some information, but remember, we don’t really know that much because there isn’t enough research on enough people over a long enough period of time. We don’t then, know the actual affect that alcohol use has on vitamin absorption for WLS patients. We DO know that vitamin deficiency is a concern, so WHY aren’t we telling people not to drink? Not only is alcohol a toxin for our bodies, “Alcohol is actually classified as a drug and is a known depressant. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)” (italics and underling added). http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/article.htm My comments: I am literally chuckling now at the absurdity of this situation. The situation being the medical professionals, all having a code of ethics that reflects the “do no harm” sentiment, ignoring potential harm for their patients. Please note that we would all consider alcohol as being “empty calories” and having sugar/carbohydrates and certainly no protein. PLEASE let it be the case that the mental health practitioners around the world who deal with surgical weight loss patients are telling them, “Don’t eat empty calories. Eat a lot of protein. Limit the simple carbs and sugar. And refrain from consuming your calories from liquids. NO STARBUCKS. BUT, HEY - GO AHEAD AND DRINK THOSE SUGAR/CARB LADEN, EMPTY, NUTRITION-ROBBING TOXIC CALORIES IN ALCOHOL, THAT ARE, BY THE WAY, THE MOST WIDELY ABUSED DRUG IN THE WORLD.” Honestly, that sentence should be the entire article. But WAIT! There’s MORE! I really love this last tidbit I’ll share with you. It’s so much nicer for me when I can find it online so it’s not that mean, alcohol-hating Dr. Stapleton being the one to blame! “The truth is that no one needs alcohol to live, so regardless of what you've heard or want to believe, alcohol is not essential in our diets. Did you know that a glass of wine can have the same calories as four cookies? How about a pint of lager – surprised to hear it’s often the caloric equivalent of a slice of pizza? You do not need to be an alcoholic for alcohol to interfere with your health and life.” https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/appearance/calories-in-alcohol Do you hear this, people in the medical profession? Are you giving the OK for your patients to eat four cookies “now and then,” or “in moderation,” or “not for the first six months, or year after surgery?” Do you realize that you may be DOING HARM by giving your patients “permission” to drink alcohol? “But our job is not to be the watchdog or decision-maker for people.” Another potential objection to my dismay about the recommendations being for “education” and “awareness,” rather than a direct, “SAY NO TO ALCOHOL” stance. I agree that no one can make the decisions about what people can or cannot do, or what they will or will not do. People in the medical field do tell people things like, “Don’t get that wet or you could get an infection,” “Keep the splint on for the next six weeks if you want to heal properly.” There ARE dos and don’ts that are educational and increase awareness. What’s the real issue that medical professionals don’t take a hard stance on alcohol after WLS? I don’t know. I do know that I did my dissertation on medical doctor’s attitudes toward addiction. Turns out it is much like that of their attitudes toward obesity: many don’t know that much about it, very many do not feel comfortable working with it, and most don’t care about/understand it. To top it all off, HERE’s the real kicker… Not only do the medical AND some of the WLS organizations not tell people, “Don’t drink alcohol,” THEY PROVIDE ALCOHOL AT THEIR EVENTS! I can’t say any more. Connie Stapleton, PhD connie@conniestapletonphd.com Facebook: Connie Stapleton Twitter: @cstapletonphd LinkedIn: Connie Stapleton, Ph.D.

You are definitely in the right place! You will find tons of great folks here who are more than willing to answer your questions based on our personal experiences. The most difficult part of post-op life? Many folks who suffer from obesity are food addicts. There are a number of similarities (and differences) with addiction to other things such as alcohol or drugs. Some experience a type of "withdrawal" from their former eating habits. The big difference being that it seldom manifests with physical symptoms such as a drug addict would experience. It is usually more of a mental challenge - often described as losing a best friend and often resulting in depression. The good news is that it is usually short-lived. Watching the pounds melt away usually puts you in a pretty great state of mind! Maintaining your goal weight - I believe that maintenance should be practically seamless from what you were doing during the rapid weight loss stage. The only change should be a gradual, nice and easy increase in your calorie intake until you determine what your daily calorie number is to maintain your goal weight. Your surgeon and his/her team will likely drill into you that the surgery is a tool. Far and away the most important part of the process, what I call the Prime Directive - lifestyle changes. And you develop those changes during the first year following the surgery. The really cool part is the surgery makes those formerly impossible changes, possible. Finally, start maintaining a food log. And never stop. Do a search here on the forum for the thread "A Little Too Skinny". You might find it interesting. Gym rat - I lost 130 lbs in thirteen months and did not visit a gym a single time. I chose instead to walk. At least four times a week (often more), 20 minutes each time to begin with and slowly building up to two and half to three miles and 45 to 60 minutes each time. But that was my choice. What's important is that you get active and stay active. There are many, many options for doing that. I'm sure some of the folks here will chime in with their choices. Whatever you do, find something that you ENJOY. If you hate your choice, it's not sustainable. Keep trying as many things as you need to until you find something you enjoy. Remember that staying active is not synonymous with working yourself to exhaustion. That's not sustainable and more importantly, it's not necessary. You're gonna love the new you!!

Today is day 8 post op and the first day I felt like a human. I had to call the doctor yesterday morning for anti nausea medication. I wasn't throwing up, just couldn't stomach the thought of anything. It worked well and now that I can get some calories and carbs in, I feel so much better with more energy. I think it was sugar free syrup with the sugar alcohols that set me up for a really bad weekend. Staying away from that ! I'm still not on soft foods but enjoying a variety of soups and baby food. I know many plans have people avoiding carbs and sugar but I'm not one of those and man, do they make you feel better lol Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

But if you are going to talk about alcohol, you have to include the best political speech of all time and the best on the subject: Read it here: http://www.rdrop.com/users/jimka/whisky.html John Grisham reads it for you here:

There's a "governing body of WLS"? A governing body? Really? You do realize, don't you, that bariatric surgeons don't even agree about whether a sleeve stretches post-op. This business about "alcohol is a toxin" is such a broad-brush assertion -- since toxicity of a substance (including drugs) is dependent on dosage.

Well Connie, it looks like you disrupted the masses. It would be much easier to post an article telling people what they want to hear. Congrats on doing the right thing by telling us the Truth instead. More than a decade ago when I had my gastric bypass surgery, patients were led to believe that they'd be normal weight, if not thin, after weight loss surgery. I guess that falls under the realm of education and awareness that you speak of in your article. We all know what a lie that is today. As for me, I don't drink alcohol anymore. That includes beer and wine. I haven't for years. I also don't eat processed foods, smoke cigarettes (never have), or watch TV either. It is a lifestyle. You're either in or you're out. There's no dipping your toe in the Water. Choose health or choose anti-health. More than a decade ago, I was a processed food junkie and couch potato on ~10 prescription medications for obesity-related illnesses. In 2003 I made a decision to chose health. Had I not done so, I would not be alive today. Today I choose health. Today I choose life. Today I choose me. Here is My Story of reclaiming my life. Climbing down from my soap box now...

It's not worth it, it really isn't. I have read a lot about alcohol abuse after surgery. Our body's can't handle it and it goes through our system very quickly. We would need more to get the same affect. Why trade one addiction for another? Where I work a woman was fired after WLS because she became an alcoholic; she actually came to work under the influence. I am going to France and would love to sample some wine while I am there but it won't be worth it (I will have a dessert or two though...also a no-no but no DUI)

This is my preop diet!! I will be living off the chocolate shake and berry bar from the Optifast range. (I'm in Australia) Brekkie...Optifast Choc shake or Berry bar Mid morn Apple (or other permitted fruit (there are specific amounts you can have (not banana's)) lunch Optifast choc shake Mid afternoon.....1 cup vegetables (from the list of ok veggies, IE Low card and green vegies) or a shake or berry bar dinner Optifast shake and 1 cup vegetables from the list of ok veggies or have both cups of vegies in a Soup (made with stock)... I can have as much diet Jello as I like (but I think I would stop the red before surgery due to reasons mentioned elsewhere) I should drink 2L of Water and/or calorie free liquid and take a multi Vitamin No carrots, legumes, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, tomato sauce (Ketchup), mayonnaise, tartar sauce, fruit juice, alcohol or vegetable juice... I could drink tea or coffee but I don't like it!! can have diet soft drink, diet cordial, atrificial sweeteners lollies or gum and all spices and herbs can be used also can have lemon juice, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (in moderation) chilli, mustard, tomato paste My dietician said if I eat the foods on the don't eat list then it knocks the system out of whack and will make you feel hungrier! Just need to get through those first 3-4 days

Hi Loridee, 30 pounds cool start! Deal Breakers, definite Abusive behaviour be it Drugs, alcohol, mental, physical, drama queens and LIARS I have found that often times where a littany of excuses lead BS follows. Boy am I cranky, strarting to feel effects of that darn unfill!!! I could eat my !@#R$@^%^& *(&*&^%^$# $#$@# coffee table right now!! Three weeks to refill :-( JC

hey ladies, long time no talk. i just posted this on another thread but figured it was a good "catch-up"... I've been having a pretty rough month. I moved, am still looking for a job, my car/ipod/sunglasses were stolen, and my computer died. In the past five weeks, I've exercised maybe twice or three times. I started eating whatever I wanted for every meal, including lots of sushi (rice), burgers, potatoes, pizza, fried foods, chips, chocolate, fast food, whatever I wanted. My restriction isn't at the level where it can stop me, and I can eat what I would call normal sized portions (i.e. equal to someone of normal weight who isn't banded - not what i ate pre-band). I also have been in party mode and drinking 5 or so nights per week (which can be anywhere from 200-500 calories per night). Not the ideal bandster, I have to say... So my lowest weight pre-craziness was 260. Weighed this morning, I'm at 263. In a month of doing all sorts of craziness, I have gained maybe 3 lbs (now I say maybe because my weight does fluctuate a lot, and 4 days ago I was at 260 still). So I'm ready to jump-start my weight loss again. I've committed to at least a ten-day run of no drinking alcohol or high-calorie liquids, and no eating anything that I don't cook in my own kitchen or that's processed. But still... 1+ month of no motivation to lose weight and bad choices... And I'm still within a 3-lb. range (normally my "hey wake up!" point is 5 lbs, due to fluctuation). so that's where i am now. day 2! woohoo

Wow! I never knew that before.... This is interesting. Will you tell me more? This poor woman was my best friend in university and she was my only bridesmaid. She was both brilliant and very, very beautiful. Now her health is ruined and she looks like a street person. At one point she lost all her hair and at another point she went blind with cataracts. She has been rushed to hospital because she was vomitting blood and she now has advanced osteoporosis and walks with canes - when she does walk at all! For a little while she was on welfare. She now takes handicapped transit to work. This woman is eleven months younger than I am. She always used to be a party girl even though she performed well in university and has held some pretty interesting jobs. She has the worst taste in men though! Underperforming and uneducated alcoholics with anger management issues. I have kind of drifted away from her over the years as a result of her men and her drinking. I guess this is too much information considering that my inquiry had to do with understanding anorexia, eh?:phanvan

Why WLS? You actually answered your own question when you said "all of my efforts to lose significant weight have either failed or yo-yo'ed". The band is a tool to help you avoid that outcome. I've read about the restrictions after lap band, and some of them are simply the restrictions that any diet should have: avoid sweets, avoid white, bready foods, chew slowly, stop when you're full, control portion size, exercise lots, and so on. Additionally, there are some WLS-specific restrictions: NO (?) carbonated beverages (there goes my love of Diet Coke), NO alcohol (I'm not a lush, but I love a summer beer or vodka cocktail), NO (?) caffeine (so I can't even have coffee?), plus a lot of scary things about how for instance taking a whole pill can lead to chain vomiting. A lot of docs actually allow carbonated beverages after a period of time with the band. But each doc is different. But soda is bad for you, period, so if you do without it for a period of time, you may not feel compelled to drink it again. I was NEVER told that I could not have alcohol or caffeine. I drink (damn, I'm a PARROT HEAD! Do you think I'd go to a Jimmy Buffett concert and party in the parking lot without a good rum drink?????) and I have caffeine (I love a big steamy mug of hot tea in the morning). I have 5.8ccs in a 10cc band and I can take two Tylenol at once with no problems. All those other meds I was taking for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are all things of the past -- which is why I did this in the first place. I have NEVER vomited, post-banding. I've PB'd but it was my fault for eating too fast every single time. Second question, what are the real limitations? I have read so much, conflicting stuff. I know you can't shouldn't eat, for instance, Snickers' bars (and why would I want to sabotage myself that way), but what about coffee? Carbonated beverages? Alcohol? Do I have to give up all of life's little pleasurable vices for this goal? See my comments above. Getting a band is NOT going to prison. You are still able and supposed to enjoy life. The only beer I really like, I can't buy in the States (Belikin, which is brewed in Belize) so no beer is not a question I've ever really had to address except when I was in Belize just over a month after surgery. Yeah, I had one but I had to drink it slowly. I've eaten birthday, a few M&Ms, I don't like coffee but I LOVE hot tea and I drink it. I don't miss Diet Coke. I stopped cold turkey and never looked back -- except that I mix it with rum, which pretty much takes the fizz right out of it. But, I reiterate, it is ALL THINGS IN MODERATION. If you pig out on anything, your band will stop you from going too far. If nothing else, no more food can get into the pouch and you will feel very uncomfortably stuffed and will have to stop. Believe me, you only have to experience that too-full feeling once and you'll remember you want to avoid it. It's like you ate 3 plates of food at Thanksgiving dinner and one of every dessert. Ugghhhhh. I've read a lot about things getting "stuck" in the stomach pouch if you eat to fast, or if you swallow a large pill, or something. What does this mean? Vomiting? Discomfort? A stomach pump? Along with being obese (BMI of 41) and having sleep apnea (a comorbidity; if insurance companies weren't so difficult, I'd be a shoo-in for the surgery), I'm a hypochondriac. What are the real RISKS post lap-band, versus just discomforts. Discomforts I can live with (assuming, of course, the benefit is worth it -- see my first question). Stuck is exactly that...it sits in one place and you wish it would move. Occasionally, you will cough the stuck bite back up (productive burp or "PB") and when that happens, if's actually a relief. But it IS NOT VOMITING. It is regurgitation of that stuck bite or two. Vomiting is when your stomach muscles force all the contents of your stomach back out. Two very different things. Lose the weight and all your aches and pains will disappear and you won't want to be a hypchondriac any more...you'll be too busy enjoying life. The risks are somewhat minimal. Slippage can occur, though not often, and many, many docs actually stitch the band into place to prevent that (mine did). If your band gets too much fill, you can develop a night cough and acid reflux, all of which is easily remedied by you admitting you have the problem and getting a slight unfill of even as little as .2 cc. I remember some posts from a man who turned out to be allergic to one of the components of his band and had to have hit removed. That was one person. Risks of anesthesia and surgery itself are separate things and your docs should advise you of those risks, but they are pretty small percentage risks. Finally, some health-related stuff. I know most/all here aren't doctors, but I have a fatty liver (diagnosed w/ultrasound) and quite possibly a duodenal (not gastric, that's important) ulcer. Am I disqualified from the surgery on medical grounds? Fatty liver ... the pre-op diet is designed to reduce your fatty liver. Stick to the pre-op diet and you'll be fine. A duodenal ulcer needs to be treated but shouldn't keep you from surgery unless it's not responsive to treatment. I will say unequivocally that getting the band has not compromised my quality of life in any way or amount. On the contrary, it has improved my life immeasurably. I think most people here would agree with me. Go to a seminar and ask the presenters your questions, too. (Many seminars have a patient or two there you can talk to as well. i've done this for my surgeon.)

Name, real or screen~CTMom Age~40 Goal weight for January 29th~144 Weight on January 1st~ Dietary goal for January~More veggies and Protein, no alcohol Exercise goal for January~Start training for May 1/2 Marathon - five miles 3x week Personal goal for January- organize, clean out, and streamline Date banded~ 1/9/11 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 59 lbs What is your goal weight for the coming year~ 138 [

At 20 months out, the eating slow, chewing things to mush is not my life. I do not eat slower than my girlfriends or family UNLESS, I want to eat more. Stretching the meal over 45 minutes, allows me to eat more food. I haven't been chewing food to mush for a year now. I did it until I got into maintenance because I had to get in more calories until my body was settled. As for Protein first, I don't always, and will never follow that rule 100%. I love veggies/fruit, and especially salads. I eat salads 2-3 times a week, I get in plenty of spinach, and other veggies. Never was a big fruit eater so I have it on occasion. This whole difficulty with drinking is short term as well. Yesterday, I slammed 20oz of Water in 3 minutes. I think that's pretty normal. I had zero pain, I did burp once, but no discomfort. As for the drinking/eating simultaneously thing, I sip during my meals. Again, this is a way to eat more. If I eat a bunch of dense protein, the water kind of just sits there. But, if I eat meat and veggies, liquifying my meals can lead to that empty feeling because food gets soft faster and can pass through the pyloric valve faster. I never get hungry so I can not comment on getting hungrier faster if eating and drinking at the same time. I do drink wine with my meals sometimes, and alcohol relaxes my stomach and allows me to eat more food as well. Avoiding "drinking" with meals helps you keep a good satiety level with your meals. There is plenty of data out on partial and full gastrectomies for stomach cancer and ulcer patients that indicates they have zero issue consuming enough calories/protein/fat/carbs over their lifetime. Even though the "sleeve" is fairly new, it's actually been performed as a stand-alone since 2001-2002, research is slow to report, but gastrectomies have been performed for decades upon decades. The concerns you are reading about are for people that are still early out with major swelling/trauma from the surgery. Some heal faster, some take longer. I was one of those that took longer, and I relied on soft Proteins to get in my calories/protein goals. It was boring, but my body did not suffer. My labs have never been anything short of stellar. Bread, Pasta, rice, crackers are all sliders for me at 20 months out. Nothing gets stuck. Cornbread causes some discomfort, but all other types of bread really go down just fine. Early out bread did expand in my sleeve and I had zero room for anything else. Now, not so much. If I eat bread and meat together, say a hamburger, the bread goes right down without issue, and I can actually eat the same amount of meat, it's like it gets mushed up along with the protein and goes right down.

Thanks for the advice on the soda...I really don't do it that much. If I have 1 Diet Mtn Dew a week I'm lucky. I used to easily drink 4-5 cans a day before my banding. Now I mostly drink Crystal Lite or water. As far as the alcohol I'm a social drinker and that's far and few between. I'll usually drink Vodka Cranberry to avoid the carbonation. I used to drink whiskey and seven up but I don't want the carbonation...especially in public. Again I don't do it often. I really think I am going at a good pace and I'm sure once summer comes around I'll be more active outside and that will help even more.

today was my first day home & i really wish i wouldve stayed in the hospital. i just finished throwing up and its so disgusting & burns so bad!!!! im actually mad that i pushed to go home so bad! i shouldve stayed. this morning i found out my prescription portion of my insurance was not active so i couldnt get my meds until just a few mins ago. when i say nightmare, im talking about nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the acid is like triple & burns so bad that it feels like someone is pouring alcohol on an open cut. i dont wish this on my worst enemy. i just really wish i could go back to normal. this is just crazy!!!! :'(

This is a great post. I am really struggling through figuring out my food issues right now. Reading this is helping me see how I am not alone. I am having my surgery on the 12th, so one week from today I will be recovering . If it was as easy as losing weight I would be so happy. I have done that before but it always comes back. I had a rough pysch eval. She brought up that I might not be a good candidate for this surgery because of my emotional eating. I was really frustrated with her because I was like uhhh... That is why I need this surgery. But I Have been reflecting on it and working with my therapist more to to really try and tackle the underlying issues along with my physical need to lose weight. I have been going to my therapist once a week but also started going to OA. I am not religious, but no hoping to find some kind of spirituality to help me. I have accepted that my parents are alcoholics and have been my entire life. But I'm not really sure how it all equates to my weight issues. My sister and brother had weight issues but both conquered them in their 20s. They both drink and smoke a lot of weed, so maybe they have just chosen a different drug. It is nice to see so many people who have faced similar issues and have come to a better understanding of the causes. I am still working on it, and very hopeful for success and happiness.

You are well on your way to a successful weight loss story! This is exactly what is needed to make this work!! We are addicts of food using the food to mask our pain, happiness etc. No different than an alcoholic or drug addict. Same outcome of medicating what bothers us. You have to look back in life as you go through this journey and fix what didn't work! Otherwise it is just a diet with a little help that will end up with some regain. With that said regain can also be used to learn from. Why did that happen? Many circumstances in life can bring us to being food addicts it's a matter of decoding it. I had a mother in the hospital a lot when I was young and spent many days being the mother. I gained weight as a child through this part of my life trying to feel better. Lost it as a teenager and regained it later because of an injury. The regain wasn't that bad but my mind wouldn't let me see it that way. I got depressed and gained more on top of it! The sleeve has allowed me to lose the weight and begin to feel good about myself again. I have realized that my body image has made me a prisoner for to long and will no longer be a slave to it. I am working on finding other ways to feel better about daily life issues, and the serious ones. Food is not the answer taking the problems head on in a realistic manor is what is working for me. In addition I have learned that carbs really are an enemy for me. They take me down a path of destructive thinking about my abilities and make me want them more. Learning yourself and how to make the changes is what it is all about! Thank you for this thread it has helped me to further validate myself and what I have to do and be for a successful me!

Drinking alcohol on a regular basis is one of the reasons listed as who should not get the band. Not that you said you did. Cheri

I found this thread so helpful. I'll be honest I was a bit nervous at first when I started reading about people not being able to drink after WLS. I am definitely not an alcoholic, but I am a college student and I enjoy the odd party to relax after midterms or on spring break I am glad to see that most people can still handle some drinks. For all you crystal light and vodka people, Ocean Spray makes a great line of calorie free cranberry juices and cocktails and with vodka they are amazing! FYI My surgery is in 3 weeks and I am stoked!!!

Since a few people started the topic of drinking alcohol after getting banded, I have a few quick general questions I thought a few people might have answers for. I just turned 30 and am looking into getting banded. * What are the rules regarding drinking alcohol after being banded? How soon after surgery can you drink? Is there a limit to which kinds of alcohol you can drink and/or how much you can drink? * Does alcohol affect you differently after you've been banded? * Are most people able to drink alcohol with the band? * Are there certain types of alcoholic beverages that give people with the band trouble? * After you gotten through the harder post surgery period (say, about 3 months after your surgery) can you drink the same amount of alcohol with the same frequency as you did before the surgery? * Are there any dangers with drinking alcohol after the surgery? Thanks so much!