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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.)

About a week ago on one of the forums someone asked that same question and wow she got a ton of replies and everyone said yes and some said the last week, im under the week catagorie. lol This Thursday night will be my last meal. Going to have a big steak with all the fixings.. Kinda cant wait...Silly i know but like a smoker has there last smoke and an alcoholic has their last drink same thing... Go for it..

I just had my surgery 10 days ago and already had a few shots of Patron two different times (no preaching please I know its wrong) but what I wanted to put out there was I heard everyone(including research I read) say they get a buzz much quicker now but both times I was on an empty stomach (neither time bothered my stomach) and I could NOT get a buzz period 1st time I did 5 total shots over a 1.5 hr period..NOTHING and the second time same thing only 8 shots over two hours..NOTHING I was always a beer drinkier before not any more but 3 shots of patron would always give me a huge buzz now straight alcohol on a empty stomach has no effect on me. Again I dont need anyone to tell me how bad I am being please just let me know if any one else has experienced this tolerance to alcohol after the sleeve? Thank you, Jr

Hello, Good for you. I am going there to an all inclusive as well and there is talks of New Orleans style BBQ and bottles of alcohol daily. I have never really been big on drinking. I do love dessert. However, I have been struggling to keep food down now and I am 3 months out as of yesterday. I have to get an upper and lower go to see why I'm having difficulty. Back to the vacation though, my main concern are my big sagging thighs. I not sure I want to prance around on the beach like this. And I really am looking forward to relaxing on the beach daily.

@OutsideMatchInside - I had purposefully skipped this thread until I saw another vet's name pop up in the unread feed. So I finally read this thread and you pretty much said exactly what I was going to say. It's no secret that I am big into tracking: Every bite I have eaten has been logged. Even the alcohol I drank. Every homecooked meal has it's recipe added to MyFitPal library. I don't know about any one else, but it is of immense help to me. My wife measures everything when cooking and then when serving. She packs my lunch with measurements or barcodes so I always have as accurate information as possible. According to MyFitPal I have 653 days in a row logged. So yeah, logging is a good idea for me.

Eh... i asked my surgeon about alcohol and carbonation post op and she told me you have to live your life. If you think you will never have anything sinful you’re just setting yourself up for failure. She also said carbonation is fine for some and hard to tolerate for others, but it’s not harmful to your pouch. She said there is a lot of misinformation out there on the topic, many times used as scare tactics to keep people from drinking full sugar soda.

*************** Thanks so much @ria☺️???????? Eating wise: I'm not perfect, I do eat chips crackers and vegan Protein Cookies more often than I should (a little just about everyday ????????) but I'm human. I make sure I get at least 90-100 grams of protein daily, take all my Vitamins and strive to drink at least 8-10 cups of Water daily. I focus on lean protein such as chicken, fish and turkey. I also pretty much don't ever touch or even think about or miss bread, rice, Pasta, decadent pastries, creamy drinks, soda or alcohol. I probably consume a bit too many calories for someone a little less than a year out but I am committed to fitness. Typically average around 1700 calories per day ...I still get most of my protein from Premier Protein shakes, Greek yogurt and protein bars such as balance bars, Think thin and premier crisp. I eat often, nearly every hour or 2 I'm nibbling on something. My hunger is back but it's not raging. I guess I just like the taste of food ???? Exercise wise: I'm very committed and really enjoy pretty much all low impact fitness. My favorite things to do are group fitness classes: spin ????, hot yoga, power yoga ????☺️, Pilates and barre. My confidence has soared and I feel and look so much stronger. Can't believe I am actually loving fitness. I think it's a combination of the fact that I took pretty extreme measures for weightloss and I fear the "devilish animal" known as constipation ????. early on when I wasn't very active and not getting in enough water I suffered so much with that and hope to never EVER EVER EVER revisit that experience again ???????????????????? Best of luck to you during this very unique wls journey of ours ????

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..

Kris, i buy the QuestBar. It has 20g protein, no sugar or sugar alcohol used, 200 c per bar (I eat 1/2) and has 22g total carb, 18g dietary fiber, sugar 1g. When you subtract dietary fiber from total carbs, your actually getting 4 carbs per bar, and since I only eat 1/2, I'm actually getting 2 carbs. A nutritionist I get news letters from talks about a healthy protein bar called JEN. I still need to search for it. You can get more info on QuestBar on www.wuestproteinbar.com.

One thing that I have not seen mentioned is alcohol. When I revealed how much I drank, the social worker made me go to AA. I even had to get a form filled out (like when people get DUIs and have to present a form to the courts). I knew I would have to quit for the surgery and at least a year after. I was very pissed that the social worker was forcing me into AA. But now that I have gone for a little over 3 months, I'm glad she did it. I don't think I could have quit by myself after all. This of course delayed my surgery a few weeks, but I'm grateful to be sober too and can't wait for my surgery!

Thanks, Gotta. You are right: I stuck to protein and the only cheating was some high-fat food--no sugar, no alcohol, and minimal carbs. And the good thing is that I didn't feel particularly deprived. I learned that I can sit with others at dinner and enjoy my shrimp cocktail while everyone else is eating a full meal.

Addiction gets such a bad rap societally. It is one of the most difficult things to recover from, yet it is so socially stigmatized that we don’t often talk about it freely. Food addiction is the most difficult addiction, in my opinion. Think about it: what other addiction do you have to wear on your sleeve? Alcoholics can drink to excess without anyone being the wiser. Pain pill addictions go unnoticed for years. Even people with addictions to cocaine, methamphetamines, and other hard drugs can go unnoticed for years. Gambling and sex addicts also go freely into society everyday without anyone raising as much as an eyebrow. In addition to having to “wear their addictions on their sleeves,” - food addicts can’t ever have the luxury of quitting “cold turkey.” We can’t quit food. In OA they say, with drug and alcohol addiction recovery- you slay the dragon, with food addiction recovery- you still have to take it for a walk three times a day. This is why understanding why we eat vs. just focusing on what we eat is so paramount in re-establishing a healthy relationship with food. If you’d like to take my free online course that helps you with this very concept, click here. Author Laura McKowen talks about the concept of the “pregnancy principle,” when people are recovering from alcohol addiction. She talks about the idea that when a woman is pregnant it is societally acceptable to say “no” at any time. A woman can go to a party for a mere 15 minutes and say “hey I’m really tired, I think I am going to go home now,” and everyone responds with “of course, you need the rest,” or “you are caring for two now- you have to listen to your body.” So why can’t one treat themselves with the same courtesy when recovering from food addiction. If you are at a party that has a bunch of triggering foods, a co-worker’s birthday party, a potluck, a restaurant where everyone has decided to order dessert- why does it feel so unacceptable to say “hey guys thanks for the great time, but I’m going to head home now.” This is much in part due to inherent shame surrounding addiction. One feels that they should just be able to be like everyone else. Yet study after study has shown there are key genetic factors that often play into overeating, food addiction, and obesity. We shouldn’t have to have another person inside of us to give ourselves permission to take care of ourselves. Aren’t you enough? Whether you are in the beginning stages of your weight loss surgery, or 6 years post- this month, try to look at your recovery the same way a pregnant woman looks at taking care of herself. If you know something is going to be too triggering, not fun, exhausting, mentally draining- either bow out politely, or go for a short period of time and excuse yourself when you’re no longer feeling it. If you are interested in receiving more free weight loss help with the psychological part of recovery, please check out my free course here.

Group--what are you thoughts on sugar-free candy? For the past several weeks I have had about 4 to 5 sugar-free hard candies during the day. I know they contain sugar alcohols and I am wondering if any of your NUTs have advised against them. They satisfy me between meals and when I feel like I want to eat out of boredom (not hunger). They are a quick fix for me in these situations. I have no issue with a laxative effect as I'm only eating a few. Thoughts?

Hi fellow Feb ‘19ers - well, I was doing extremely well and as for all of us, Covid hit... child with autism at home, zero therapy for her, husband lost his job, yada yada I gained 25 lbs back. I really fell off the wagon, especially with alcohol. I hardly drank before but used it to get through those hard months. Even though I have gained, I have actually done pretty well by my standards haha. Skip to now - kid back at school 2 days a week, husband working again (from home) and I’m getting a grip on life again. I went to see my surgeon and we are working towards getting a distal bypass done. I’m currently taking Saxenda to get me started on the journey and so far so good. Anyway, I hope you are all doing well. The photos you have posted are amazing!

*************** Thanks so much @ria☺️???????? Eating wise: I'm not perfect, I do eat chips crackers and vegan Protein Cookies more often than I should (a little just about everyday ????????) but I'm human. I make sure I get at least 90-100 grams of protein daily, take all my Vitamins and strive to drink at least 8-10 cups of Water daily. I focus on lean protein such as chicken, fish and turkey. I also pretty much don't ever touch or even think about or miss bread, rice, Pasta, decadent pastries, creamy drinks, soda or alcohol. I probably consume a bit too many calories for someone a little less than a year out but I am committed to fitness. Typically average around 1700 calories per day ...I still get most of my protein from Premier Protein shakes, Greek yogurt and protein bars such as balance bars, Think thin and premier crisp. I eat often, nearly every hour or 2 I'm nibbling on something. My hunger is back but it's not raging. I guess I just like the taste of food ???? Exercise wise: I'm very committed and really enjoy pretty much all low impact fitness. My favorite things to do are group fitness classes: spin ????, hot yoga, power yoga ????☺️, Pilates and barre. My confidence has soared and I feel and look so much stronger. Can't believe I am actually loving fitness. I think it's a combination of the fact that I took pretty extreme measures for weightloss and I fear the "devilish animal" known as constipation ????. early on when I wasn't very active and not getting in enough water I suffered so much with that and hope to never EVER EVER EVER revisit that experience again ???????????????????? Best of luck to you during this very unique wls journey of ours ????

If you are on the fence about it, take your time coming to a decision. Even if you are theoretically eligible for it, you might have a funny feeling about it still. Here are five signs that might be saying that you are not yet ready for WLS. 1. You want to know how soon you can have … Whatever “…” may be, if you are counting down the days until you can have it after your surgery, you might be missing the point. This is a lifetime commitment. It is not a 30-day period of abstinence from alcohol or from pizza. If your mindset is that this is a short-term race to goal weight, bariatric surgery might land you where other diets have: at goal weight and then back to starting weight, plus a few pounds. 2. You’re looking for any excuse to be found ineligible. You may technically qualify for weight loss surgery based on your BMI and any obesity-related health conditions you may have, but are you ready? You might not be if you are grasping at straws to come with reasons you that you “should not” have surgery. For example, you practically ask a doctor to disqualify you because your great-grandfather (who was a smoker) died of a heart attack at age 92 and therefore you worry your heart is not strong enough to withstand surgery. (Note: it is absolutely the right thing to do to explore all of your health history to be sure that the surgery is a relatively safe option for you. Just distinguish between real and imaginary reasons). 3. You are seeking fourth, fifth, and sixth-second opinions. Let’s say your primary care doctor recommends that you have the surgery, and you found a surgeon who gave you the go-ahead. It’s one thing to ask another expert for a second opinion, just to be sure that you are making the right choice. It is quite another to ask several more experts for their opinions, hoping that one of them will advise against surgery. If that is the case, it might be a sign that you are not ready to commit to weight loss surgery and the lifestyle changes that are part of that commitment. 4. You are not sure how it would be different than dieting. Bariatric surgery is worlds away from dieting. If you are thinking of bariatric surgery as a new diet that you will follow until you reach goal weight, you probably will not be prepared to sustain your new eating habits for life, and the weight will come back, just like it may have after countless diets. If you cannot explain to yourself why this is different than previous diet attempts, you might end up with the same results. 5. Your SO is doing more research than you. It seems like every day, your significant other or your mom or your sister is telling you factoids about surgery that they discovered while researching online or talking to people. In the meantime, you have not seemed to be able to find the time to look things up. The fact may be that you are just not that engaged, which may be a sign that, deep down, you are not ready to take the plunge.

It's been really hard for my daughter - she is very anxious around kids, but she considered the kids in her class to be her friends. She was in Grade 5, so Elementary School came to an abrupt end and she'll now be going in to middle school... I'm sure you know what it's like when we 'go off script' with our spectrum kids. She's dealt with it very well, but I know it's hurt her. Yes, I must not let food be the escape - that's how I ended up at 360 lbs in the first place. I was also turning to drink there for a bit too... not much, but enough for it to hurt my weight loss. So I really don't want to come out of this fat AND alcoholic. Thank you for your thought and prayers - I really appreciate it. I appreciate all of you letting me vent on this thread. I know you will understand and it's a safe place with no judgement.

All its ever taken for me to lose weight is to reduce calories and rebalance the in/out thing. It makes sense to me that markers such as cholesterol and blood pressure reduce when weight is lost (no matter how) because its really obesity that's central to those problems more so than what you're actually eating. Its the cancer thing, and other unknown health factors that would scare me. But then again, who knows. I've always eaten a wholegrain, high fibre diet, kept alcohol moderate, remained fairly active, my biggest crime was becoming overweight (despite fairly healthy habits,get the balance wrong and obesity still results). I still got cancer. I think its all way too complex and the best policy is moderation. I wouldnt fall hook line and sinker for ANY nutritional theory or advice, no matter who it came from. Even the experts change their minds every decade or so.

My dad could not be anymore against the idea of WLS - and I haven't even told him yet! I was supposed to have surgery five years ago. I was nineteen, in college, financially dependent on my parents, on my dad's health insurance (through his own business, so he was footing the bill for all things medical related). I had talked to my mom about WLS, and she was 110% on board, but I was much, much closer with my mom then my dad. We decided, knowing my dad and how he is, that we wait until all the test were done, insurance approved surgery, and we had a date, before we were to tell my dad. And that blew up in my face. My dad flew off the handle. He demanded to meet with the surgeon, and I humored him, thinking it would help things. It didn't - my dad threatened the surgeon, and 48 hours before surgery, my dad pulled me from the health insurance. My dad is a recovering addict. He struggled with narcotics and alcohol for most of my life. He is currently eight years clean and sober. My mom passed away almost four years ago, so her support is no longer there. I am twenty four now, I do not live at home, have my own insurance through my job, and am financially independent from my dad. I have gained almost 40 pounds since I was supposed to do this five years ago, and that's disheartening, especially since I have a friend who did it a month before I should have, and her progress is incredible! Despite being an adult, and despite having the support of everyone else around me, I know my dad will freak out with the news that this is something I'm planning on doing again. And, despite everything, he's still my dad and I will tell him. It's a struggle though, and something that stresses me out to no end. I'm sorry your dad doesn't seem to be in your corner, but he does seem to be coming from a place of concern (even if his scare tactics are insensitive). We need to do this for us, not for our dads. We have researched, planned, and thought about the decision we are making, and it is not for them. I wish you peace with your decision, and that your dad can find peace with it also.

And I think you need some serious help. If you are doing coke and chasing it with alcohol, you have way bigger problems than can be resolved in a bariatric support group. Maybe check out some rehab centers.

Such a great comparison. Last year, a crackhead broke into my house and went through me and my families things looking for valuables to pawn to support his drug addiction. I don't think my unhealthy relationship with food compares to the actions of a drug addict. And yes, if the OP without even thinking about it does a line of coke and chases it with alcohol before thinking it might have an effect on their recent major abdominal sirgery, they're an addict not an occasional user. Thanks for minimizing that.

Thank u so much for an honest answer. I'm 3 months out this was the first time with alcohol and drugs ( I did this lots before wls) I just got drunkand kind of forgot about the sleeve and then panicked I'd wrecked all my good work I'm managing to keep water down today so hopefully it's going away... defo a lesson learnt

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.

Dang, there's a lot of negativity on this post. She made a mistake. She realizes that she made a mistake. We've all made mistakes whether it's with drugs, alcohol, food, in life...whatever. Let's all remember what Thumper taught us all those years ago: "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all".

Alright Banstista that's what I have been talking about I don't care who's watching or what they think I dance like nobody's around , in fact I went with another friend ( Woman) & we went to this little hole in the wall restaurant & three was a blues band , I dance pretty much to anything & it's good fun sweat exercise , shoot I didn't drink any type of alcohol for almost 20 + year's then I had 2 glasses of wine now I know that's all I can handle LOL started to get that tipsy feeling SO I drank a lot of water & flushed it out but MY family is like your not home much anymore LOL cause I actually get out & do more now I think even though I'm living with them their starting to miss me LOL