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I drink a cup of coffee every day and drink alcohol probably twice a week. I'm 8 months post-op and I've 92 lbs. I've lost 92 lbs and feel great

I was really shocked when my post op nurse offered me coffee as one of my liquid choices after surgery... I can have coffee if I want it. I usually have a really big cup every morning with my GENEPRO Protein powder in it to get me going As for alcohol, I've only had a couple of drinks since surgery 6 months ago. One thing is true... A little goes a long way! haha! My doctor just said to be careful with alcohol and drink in moderation. The only beverage I was told is definitely off limits is anything carbonated because it can stretch my sleeve.

My surgeon only said to wait a month after surgery for alcohol. None during the pre-op diet phase either so about 6 weeks overall.

I have coffee daily and alcohol sometimes. I am 8 mos out and I still need a daily acid blocker, which lots of people don't need after the first month. When I drink, I don't lose that week. So, you can do it, but there might be tradeoffs.

Consumption of coffee/caffeine seems to be an issue only with doctors in the US. I've never heard of any doctor in the UK even mentioning it. I have always had at least two cups a day and it has never caused me any problems. I rarely drink alcohol anyway, so that's not been an issue either, but I don't recall the dietician mentioning it other than in the context of empty calories. As always I just think it's a case of 'moderation in all things'.

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 [

I was a Sept Sleever., Just stopped by to wish you all the best!... IF YOU do what the Dr tells you to do and drink your water.... YOU WILL succeed. If you lose 50 lbs like I have seen so many do, and then start eating Oreos, and chips instead of your protein and veggies............. you will fail. My wish is that everyone that is fixing to have this surgery done is that you follow the directions and do not get slack after a few months, thinking I can do this... YOU WILL FAIL. This is not a miracle. You do have to follow directions and rules. Do not ask after a month, why am I not losing, Can I drink alcohol.......... SLAP!!! SLAP!!!....... you will not lose every DAY, or WEEK. you will STALL, for what seems to you months. You WILL lose some hair..... to you it will seem like you are going bald, you are not. If you get in your protein and take your vitamins, this will help you. NO you cannot have this surgery and in 8 weeks go out and drink like you used to. If I can help any of you please let me know. I have gone from pushing out of 18W to a 8P. I have talked to people that knew me BEFORE surgery that did not know I had it and they do not even know who I am, and I am talking people that I was close to. This is a lifestyle. eating change....... You are doing the surgery to SAVE your life or make it better, please do not slack off after you have lost a few pounds, and there will be some of you that will do this. I am here to help, please let me know if I can help you. Drink that water and have a Blessed day!

My 2-week liquid diet countdown is about to begin. In a way this is a fair test of my commitment to VSG and more importantly the post-surgery dieting necessary to achieve the weight loss. It is time to get serious, establish my commitment, and get a do-over dealing with my obesity. Yes, obesity, I have hidden from admitting my situation, much like an alcoholic denies being a drunk, I am a foodaholic which in many ways is worse. I am tired of looking in the mirror and "remembering" my lighter days. It is too easy to say that my weight problem began when I quit smoking; but, facts are - I simply enjoy eating and when my taste buds recovered - my oh my - did things taste better and we all know what happened next. My issue is more than just losing the weight (100 lbs.), its about dropping the associated health risks, diabetes, high blood pressure, more drugs than I care to list, cholesterol, and a family history of heart attacks. I bought an assortment of protein drinks, soups and vitamins to start a dietary journey to a lighter me. Having read what so many others have posted in their topics, I believe that I too can show the same determination and will be reading and posting often. Have a great week, and thanks for being out there and sharing your successes.

Maybe try a different brand in a few days if you feel up to it? It is a " safe food" in general. I had no sugar added musselmand and it made me feel a little yucky. I found motts natural to be better. Sometimes things like sugar alcohol can bother you. Good luck !

Hi there! I'm in the same boat as you, with similar stats as well. Highest weight was around 300, but I'm down to around 276 after over a YEAR of jumping through hoops to get insurance approval (I started the process in February of 2021!). The weight loss I've experienced so far can be attributed to giving up soda (even diet) and alcohol, which I did last summer. My surgery is June 24th, so today is the first day of my two week liquid diet, and someone at work has already offered me candy...uuuuuuugh. I've only told my closest colleagues about my surgery (I work at a school and today is the last day for students, so my surgery will be over summer break when I don't work anyway) but I might end up telling more of my co-workers at the end-of-year faculty luncheon later today, because some people might wonder why I'm sipping a protein shake staring longingly at everyone else's plates. How has your pre-op diet been going? What is your surgery date? Edit: Oh derp, I just saw you said your surgery is on the 20th. >_<

I'm still slowly losing about 1-2 lbs a week. Down 80 from highest weight, 50 post-op. My six month labs were good, except my protein levels which were low. I've added in a protein snack and I'm trying for 80-90g a day rather than the 60-80 clinic recommended which I had been following. I've added 1-2 strength training sessions per week and 2-3 aerobic workouts. I know I should add more exercise and am looking for classes to add to my routine. Since adding the protein snack, I've been eating around 1100-1200 calories per day. Last night I had my first sip of alcohol post-op at a party at a friend's store on State St. here in Madison, WI. One sip of a strong mixed drink hit me like a Mack truck for about 10 minutes, then it was sober again. But the most wild part of the night was right after the Badgers won against Arizona. Thousands of people (mostly college students) came running down to State St. And congregated in front of the store where the private party I was at -chanting, singing, climbing trees and bus shelters. It was a fantastic celebration. Pics below ( mine are a little blurry.). I added a professional photo, too. The store where the party was has the orange awning.

You're still early enough in the process that exercise may not matter too much. It certainly helps, but lack of it shouldn't be preventing weight loss. So I'd examine other areas... Are you logging your food and Fluid intake? You should be getting in at least 60-80 grams of Protein per day and drinking 64+ ounces of Water. Are you drinking alcohol, fruit juices or sodas? Are you eating starches or sweets? Look closely and honestly at what goes into your mouth and you may find the answer. If not, I'd talk to your doctor or nutritionist for suggestions. A food log will help them to help you figure it out. Good luck!

I'm kind of odd when it comes to fears with this surgery. I'm not afraid of the surgery itself, I'm afraid of the life after. I have had 5 surgeries, 4 of them were on my knees (ex highschool & college football player). I'm afraid of the life after, I mean let's be real..... Im a 26 year old guy that loves to go out and have fun = bubye alcohol.... I have always been very athletic but never small enough to do a few things I have always dreamed of = still won't be able to do an Ironman because nutrition and hydration. I love to golf, the idea of being on a TX golf course in the middle of summer without a beer is insane lol! And the biggest one of all, social pressures. I have not told anyone I'm doing this because when I mentioned the idea a few months ago I got really bad feedback from my friends, at which point they stepped up and really supported my weight loss (better known as 3 mo. Pre-op lol) I have changed my eating habits and limited my drinks to 2-3 vs 12-13 and I have lost 30 lbs in the 3 months. But now they miss the old me and the pressure is on hard core to drink again (I do miss the crazy bar nights). With that being said I am HORRIFIED I will lose my friends I am now looking on the brightside of things, maybe of I lose my old friends I will meet some awesome new healthy ones and hopefully a nice girl to motivate me to keep dragging my butt to the gym! I guess sometimes you just need to be willing to sacrifice, even if that means friends, for the greater good of life!

Hi everyone! I'm Morgan, and I was sleeved on 12/5. I'm about 3.5 weeks out. The first day was ROUGH. I pretty much vomited from the time I woke up until the next morning. I'm doing well now, and just really trying to adjust to this new normal. I am having trouble getting all of my protein in, though. I do really love Genepro. I hear a lot of people mix it with coffee, so I might try that. I can't tolerate flavored protein shakes (my pouch HATES) artificial sweeteners, Sylvia, Trulia, and sugar alcohols. Premier Protein had been the worst so far for me. Are there any other options out there that actually taste decent?

Hi guys I did my surgery on oct. 3rd 2011 and i have lost 130 pounds. I look ugly im too skinny now i wanna gain some weight i tried eating everything even drinking alcohol didnt help gain anything. Does anyone know a way that might help ?

I just went for my initial meeting. I was immediately put on a high protein very low carb diet. No caffeine, no alcohol, no sugar, white flour, etc. It is very difficult. I get a bit angry when I see others are not forced to suffer this way. I'm soo hungry

patty: "440,000 people die annually from cigarette smoking, and the solution to it is very easy. Outlaw it like they do other things. That is 9X more than those without health insurance, yet noone gives a crap about those people who die. Absolutely NOTHING is being done about it. They force us to wear our seatbelts in the car, but they can't take away the cigs? And what about alcohol related deaths annually? There are so many people who die in the country from all sorts of things, that doesn't mean that the national government needs to make sure that these deaths don't happen. It doesn't mean that the feds need to take on the problem. To take on all that responsibility would be impossible. The national government was not created for these reasons." So what are you saying, patty? You WANT the Feds to control everything (taking away their cigarettes and your twinkies to save lives) or NOT ("all that responsibility would be impossible"). Can't you make up your mind? Or are you having a giant argument with yourself? patty: "I care about everyone. Jesus said, 'The poor you will have with you always.' This is just life." Sounds like you've interpreted that Jesus quote to mean that we shouldn't bother with the poor. They're here to stay and we can't be saving them all. Shucks, it's just too bad about them, but they don't work like everybody else so they deserve what they get. Jesus didn't mean that. You've taken something out of context to make your point. Jesus cared deeply about the poor. Far more than the rich people. You suggested that we give all the money that would be spent to the corporations. That's a telling statement, to be sure! At least you're open about your non-charitable views.

Hi there...I am recent banded Man--(March 28th-2007). I am right at 33 pounds lost--kind of slow--but I won't complain. Cheating--sometimes we meet cheaters and we feel that we are in a great loving relationship. Then our walls come tumbling down. I have felt that pain that no drug, no alcohol drink can make numb. I have tried to stay to myself--like stop dating. I have looked at many of the people around me. It seems to be rampant.Many have forgot all about HIV or the repricussions of their marriage or relationship will bring--if the other party found out. I have said--to many times to my neighbors--one of the ones who's cheating--Thank God I am single and loving it. This was a mother who I know. Our world has changed dramatically now. What was once right--is now wrong. What's wrong seems to be the norm for many. At my age of "fifty"(50)..I am so shocked and sometimes afraid--I say--My hurt throughout life is enough for me.Since I'm a single father of 2 boys--11 and 9. I would hate to see them be hurt. They were hurt already from a cheating Mom--who happened to be my wife. She walked away--7 years ago. Fearing my anger would turn Violent. Never would I ever hit a Woman who was about 120 lbs-all of 5'4"...I will soon be tired of my exile of 2 years upcoming in August...

Married to my first husband for 8 years. He cheated on me and got into drugs and alcohol. I was devastated. Then my high school sweetheart came back into my life and rescued me from the nightmare. All of the fireworks still went off. He got me and my kids out of a bad situation and we ended up together. I guess you could say we cheated, but I ended up marrying him and we've been together now for 18 years. blissfully happy. We have NEVER cheated on eachother. I guess we should have married in the first place!

Hi, I was intrigued to read your message about the importance of food in our lives and what to replace it with. I am about to have the surgery done (3 days) and I have already experienced what you're talking about during the pre-op diet. For one thing, I am using this message board to find support and answers to questions that I have. That is the first change I've made and I think it's a good one. There's nothing worse than feeling as if you're the only one going through something - so lonely... I also think that I will start to reward myself with clothing and accessories in place of the food. I know that when I was thinner I really enjoyed clothing and dressing up. Now I slink into the plus sizes section and feel embarrassed by having to buy such big clothes. Also I will use my hobbies of quilting and knitting to take up time and energy. I need to have something to do with my hands. I was used to having as much wine as I wanted with meals and am finding that part hard to give up. I have done it but am struggling with what to use to replace alcohol in my social life. Do you have any thoughts on that? Good luck. Barbara url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wHhZnhr/] [/url]

Clearly this is a difficult post for me to write, because this is the sixth time I've wiped it out and started over. So forgive me for poorly constructed sentences, the occasional grammatical error, and even -- heaven forbid -- typos. I've always been the lazy perfectionist... if I can't do something perfectly, I don't want to do it at all, and since I can (very) rarely do something perfectly, I find myself not making the attempt all that often. Nonetheless, here I am. Again. I had surgery on January 31st, 2005. I thought I'd be done with this whole "weight loss thing" by now. And here I sit, only 44 lbs down from where I was, with about 100 lbs still to go. What went wrong? In June, I completley changed careers, and I'm a full time graduate student now in addition to working a full time job. About that same time, my wife and I divorced, for the 2nd time. (Yes, from each other, for the 2nd time.) For 3 months, I was a "full time dad" too, but now they've gone to live with their mom and I miss them terribly. Lesson: life happens at a pace most people can barely hang on. But, we do. Somehow. Maybe nothing went wrong. Maybe I expected too much, too fast. Maybe as long as I'm making progress, that's all that matters. Lesson: I didn't get fat overnight, so I'm not going to lose weight overnight. But, the fact of the matter is that I'm not making progress. In fact, I've gained 18 lbs in the past 3 months, so I have to think that something's not right. I was having bad reflux at night and thought I needed an unfill, so I got one. And now, though I can't eat like I did pre-band, I eat too much, and I eat stupid stupid foods. And, if I eat at night, I STILL have reflux. Lesson: don't eat at night. And when I started gaining weight, I left my support group. That would be you guys. I'll be honest -- I don't find a lot of accountibility here, because you guys are just so loving and understanding, and despite what the world thinks about how quickly a weight-loss-surgery patient should lose weight, we know better. But, in the past, accountibility is what's always helped me lose weight. What I find here instead, though -- overflowing constantly -- is love and grace. And somehow, that's what it really feels like I need. What kind of group would this be if forgiveness and understanding were sacraficed for the sake of harsh accountibility? Not one that many (if any) of us would stick with, I suspect. Lesson: when things get hard, don't run and hide. The band isn't working for me. It's not tight enough. What ever shall I do? Duh. This "tool" isn't right for me because it's not restrictive enough; fortunately, it's an adjustable tool. Clearly, I need to get off my ass and get an adjustment. Lesson: the band is a tool, and you have to have the right tool for the job. Even with all of that, I'm still so damned stubborn. When the band was tight enough, I was PBing all the time, because I ate food I shouldn't eat, and in quantities that I KNEW I couldn't handle. Why? Because I'm addicted, and addicts make really stupid choices. Lesson: sometimes the band isn't enough. There are alcoholics on antabuse who still drink, despite the reaction. There's a 12 step program for people like me. I used to go. It used to help. Then things got hard, and an ran and hid. Lesson: when things get hard, don't run and hide. Hmm, that one sounds familiar. So now I now exactly what I need to do. Should be easy from here on out, huh? Lesson: there's a mile between knowing and doing. But at least I know what I should be doing. I miss you guys. Can I come home?

For what it's worth. There's a TV show on this morning...I usually use TV as background noise, but this one made me stop. It's about women who have had bariatric surgery, stopped their food addiction and picked up substitutes...mostly alcoholism. Some also now anorexics..

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:

No worries mate. I am very open about my alcoholism and drug addiction. I forgot to mention I do work a program of recovery and hit one AA meeting a week. I also suffer from Major Depressive Disorder and OCD, I find its better to be open about these things as maybe my experiences can help others.

Yes, it IS a tad early, just because the stomach is not fully healed yet and alcohol might be quite a shock for it so soon. Whether you choose to do so or not please remember to NOT drink to excess, for health and safety reasons. I started out on 3 oz of wine at about 8 months out and had no ill effects. I take red wine for it's purported health benefits.