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Like Twister, only not alcohol induced.

I have had similar reactions from my overweight friends. One wanted my clothes, others it just made them feel bad about themselves. Makes them face the fact that they are also overweight and need to do something about it. When you start a diet your friends have seen you start many diets probably and are there to sabotage you too... We have eating buddies, just like alcoholics have drinking buddies.

I would say nay, but I also don't have a taste for alcohol, so it's really easy for me to say nay! I smoke, and I wasn't willing to give up smoking after surgery even though it's the healthy thing to do.

I've seen that alcohol now affects me more than it used to (I'm nearly 15 months post-op). Now when I drink in social settings I do drink much more slowly and, consequently, not as much as I used to. Also, drinking wine (with no food) does increase my stomach acidity.

I have had wine a few times, I am almost 6 months out. I too got tipsy after 2 glasses. The big thing, I think, is the fact that alcohol is high in calories. Drinking your calories can easily cause weight gain. So I try to keep alcohol to special occasions and not too excess.

I believe most tolerate alcohol well. I think it's a matter of personal choice. I avoid it because of the calories, but once I am at goal I might drink on occasion. My motto is that I never want to diet again. Life is too short not to "live" it. Therefore, anything within moderation is OK.

I was told people tend to not lose when they drink, mainly for 2 reasons: 1) the calories in the alcohol 2) impaired judgement -- have a drink before dinner while you are out to eat and you tend to eat more or not make the best food choices. I've just been avoiding it because of the calories. (and partly because my favorite drink is rum & coke and I've chosen to stay off pop for good) But I don't think an occasional glass of wine would hurt anything.

Do any of you drink wine or anything else? I am still on mushies right now, but when I start on solids, I would eventually love to have a glass (or a few sips!) of wine. Can we tolerate it? You know, to an extent?

I was on the boards for over a year pre-op, and inhaled all kinds of stories. I was (I believe) adequately prepared for how the VSG would be a tool, would offer a brief time (1 year) to build new skills, deal with surprising upsets about not being able to soothe myself with food. I also realized I needed to be in therapy, during my journey -- I call it my Year of Losing Weight, my Year of Maintaining my Weight, and Boring Real Life. That's my therapy commitment -- three years. I'm old enough to know that life isn't an endless honeymoon. Boredom, habits and real life end all honeymoons. And then the marriage begins. So I was well prepared. I do see those who are starstruck and want to wake up 365 days later and find themselves Cinderella at the Ball being chased around the floor by The Prince. I see some who are, frankly, not smart enough to appreciate what they're doing to themselves and what it will mean. I seem some who thought they were ready, but find it so much harder to adapt than they'd dreamed. Some of those adapt. Some of them don't. I see some who can't be compliant because they're too food-addicted or simply unable to follow directions or those who can't let anyone be the boss of them or those who think they're too special to do it the boring way everyone else does. I see the perfection puppies, the alcoholics, the ones whose lives are a train wreck with no space in it for self-protection, the wounded adult children, the smart ones who can fix everything but their weight. I see those with bad surgeons and inattentive care. I see those with no support at home or outright antagonism and hate disguised as nagging. People who are desperate enough to have weight loss surgery are not all in mental spaces or physical spaces that are safe enough for them to undergo WLS and its aftermath. Of course, I see people who do well. A lot of them are older. They know it won't be perfect, but they're patient. They have seen tough times, and they aren't shocked by some tough things about WLS. They're a bit long-suffering and don't bitch about every new food that doesn't thrill their palate. They can tolerate temporary discomfort to get to the easier times two months out. In a word, they're just compliant -- or as compliant as they can be. They don't beat themselves up when they're not perfect and they are resilient enough to get back on the path without being a drama llama about it. They don't start threads with titles like: "Oy vey ist mir!" or "Will I ever be happy again?" or "Please tell me this won't last forever." They already know they'll be happy again, that this won't last forever, and that ein bischen vey doesn't require a clickbait thread title.

I am 27 months post-op from RNY gastric bypass surgery. There are two stages to RNY. They are the Weight Loss phase and the Maintenance phase. The goals and meal plan in my humble opinion are different between these two stages. At 5 months post-op you are still in the Weight Loss phase and the weight loss will level out soon and you will slide into the Maintenance phase. In the Maintenance phase the goal is to maintain the weight loss that you achieved in the first phase. After surgery, the part of your stomach that processes fats and sugars were cut away. Therefore the meal plan excluded fats and sugars which would lead to rapid dumping syndrome. But somewhere around the 6-12 month post-op mark your body will change. The intestines will develop the ability to absorb fats and sugars in place of the stomach. This change is actually an opportunity. It give you the ability to reintroduce fats back into your diet. I am 27 months post-op and my weight is towards the lower end of the scales. I entered the maintenance phase 20 months ago and have done very well by not adding any pounds back on. (I have actually lost 15 pounds in the Maintenance phase.) For my meals, I concentrate on high Protein meals. I avoid processed sugars. I use only artificial sweeteners (Splenda, sugar alcohol), low calorie natural sweeteners (Stevia) and natural sugars found in milk and fruit. The other types of sweeteners I avoid like the plague. I read nutritional labels. After surgery I completely lost my hunger. Without hunger constantly gnawing at my bones, it was easy to lose weight. So from my opinion the key to succeeding in the Maintenance phase is to control hunger. Fats take away my hunger, so I reintroduced fats back into my diet and at 27 months post op, hunger still does not rule my life. I use whole milk, real butter and normal cuts of meat. When I snack, I snack on fats. I have one or two cups of coffee each day. On the coffee I put a heaping spoon of whip cream. This whip cream is home made and uses Splenda in place of sugar. During the day for Snacks I consume 2 or 3 Adkin's treats. These use sugar alcohol as the sweetener and contain fat that controls hunger. I have a sweet tooth and these satisfy this need. I limit my meals to one meal per day with complex carbs (bread, pasta).

Hello All - I am super excited to get banded on April 29th. (scared as well). Here is what I need your help with. I have a weddiing on Mother's Day, which is May 11th. At that time I will still be on Phase I which is Clear liquids. Now I how can I go to this darn wedding??? The problem is I really have to though..... No eating, no drinking alcoholic beverages & I still might be soar so I am not going to be cutting up the dance floor like I normally would. What can I say though?? I have no intentions of telling any of these people at this point in time. I hate putting myself in this type of position, but my health and my life come first. Should I tell a white lie ??? Not go??? This is a big fancy sit down wedding. HELP!!!:biggrin:

I'm really bad for getting anxious, so, I have no suggestions. I like the alcohol idea.

Holiday celebrations are all about food, right? Save up every year, to overeat and not keep yourself in check. It’s a losing mindset from the get-go. The end of the year is really about memories, gratitude and those who we care for in life, not just the Thanksgiving feast or the Christmas Day buffet. What makes a holiday special also makes it filled with emotions and triggers that enable our unhealthy excessive eating behaviors to be acceptable at this time of year. A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.

Be sure to add some Protein to that alcohol, you wanna be healthy . My favorite is a little ice, frozen strawberries, 1/2 a banana, couple of scoops of rice protein, (has a nutty taste), some low carb orange juice, a splash of Vodka, blend well, sip slowly to avoid brain freeze, sit back and relax.

Dear Pokieism, You ask so many good questions that I'm going to cut and past your questions and then give you very honest answers so I can keep it all straight. Sara - there was a question I wonder if you would answer - were you taking only what you are supposed to of the Alli? I did take more than the recommended doses. I took the dose doctor's prescribe when writing an Orlistat prescription, which is more than the over the counter recommended maximum. Overdoing is a lifetime pattern for me. All things to excess, nothing in moderation. Have you developed any eating disorders? I am addicted to Frozen pineapple on a stick from Dryers. I credit it with the 30 pound weight loss during the last 2 years. I make my main meal of the day lunch and then replace dinner with Dryer's Pineapple Pops. I stopped keeping ice cream in the house 2 years ago and go through 9 boxes of Pineapple pops a week--that is addictive behavior because many times a day I'm grabbing a Pineapple Pop give give my mouth something to do when the people around me are eating meals or when I'm feeling weak and might eat something with fat calories if I didn't keep the pineapple around. Dorrie had a wonderful answer for you. I would say a concern for you from me is def the cheating - because that will set you up to fail. Another serious issue. Crossover replacements for your foodstyle...they are known as addictions. Alcohol, smoking, weed, cutting, and replacement "feeling" (I forget that one - help me out Dorryie!). Yes, in the first 5 years of my band I did develop addictive behavior with wine coolers. The band was tight, and I would skip solid food and drink wine coolers after dinner. I was never a drinker before I got banded and one night I was watching an Oprah after work enjoying my dinner ---a 6-pack of Green Apple Smirnoff's Vodka Coolers. The topic of the show was people who got WLS who developed alcohol, sex, or gambling addictions once food was cut off to them as their go-to addiction. That was probably 2005 and even though I was at my goal weight I knew that Oprah Show was talking about me. I cut myself off from those friendly little bottles cold turkey. Now I may have one or two bottles once a month but that is all. Going to a counselor is OK - but what then - do you actively work on what you have talked about? Do you read on your own? If you were not taking a diet aid, could you maintain your loss? If I was not taking the Alli I could maintain my weight. I credit the Alli (and walking) for the 30 lbs I've lost in the last 2 years. I did go to a counselor for several intense years and I thought our work together was completed. I am going back to her. My nature is mostly that of a loafer, a lazy person who does the minimum required to get by in the world and I make no apologies for it. I know who I am, I like living a lazy life and I don't have kids so I'm not failing a duty to children to teach them by example to work hard. I will always look for the easy way out. But when I want something I will work. When I lost weight I jogged 5 miles per day 3-4 days per week. When I wasn't jogging I was on bike rides with friends in which 200 miles cycled in a day was not uncommon. I loved it, but then had a nasty bike crash while in a pace-line and that wrecked my right knee and ended my cycling career. The esophogeal stretch may be a way to get some of it covered by insurance, even if they will not approve the sleeve. My insurance is happy to pay for the band's removal, but with my behavioral patterns and a BMI of 32 I no longer qualify for WLS as a covered medical procedure. Replace the mochas with a coffee, or warm up and froth a glass of hoodia soy milk in chocolate or a spash of coffee. I go to Peet's Coffee and they make a non-fat, sugar-free mocha that doesn't taste sugar-free. I get a small and that's 250 calories. That is something I enjoy and wil continue to gie myself several times per week. I don't like soy milk, or black coffee, or tea. I have tried and they are not for me. Popscicles are good (Dryer's Frozen Pineapple Chunks on a stick) , Jello too! If you cant get away from alcohol, make a jello shooters, freeze them, and blend them in a blender with some crystal light you have poured into ice cubes. I stopped alcohol in my life because I knew it was becoming a problem in 2004/2005. Get onto My Fit Pal, get to know the site well, it will help you alot. Never heard of it. I'll look into it. Thanks! If you find yourself off the band, still go to therapy, and prepare yourself to do this old-style until your esophagus and tummy can heal - get the original "eat this, not that" book, and feel free to stick around the forum. There is alot discussed here, not all VGS related, and you can build up a healthy bit of knowledge. Notice I did not say yay or nay about whether you should get the sleeve...I cant make that decision. Whatever you go, I hope you work through everything and are well. You misunderstood me. Sorry my words were unclear. I wasn't asking anyone to make the "sleeve after band with esophageal stretching" decision for me. I know that only I and a willing surgeon can do that. I offered my medical history and was asking if anyone in this forum ever got the sleeve after having a band removed due to esophageal stretching, and did it have the desired outcome. I talk like I am telling you what to do - it is just my nature, I only intend them as suggestions... If you don't believe you can find a way out you become the problem. If you believe you can find a way out you have solved the problem. I know that ultimately it is up to me to change my love-relationship with the things I put in my mouth and learn to eat for nutrition rather than comfort. I'm working with a dietician now to do that. But I also want to take advantage of the latest medical procedures to build upon my efforts. My knees are shot and my spine is shot in two places so I live in constant pain and on Oxycontin 24/7. I need to keep working at getting the weight off this body sooner rather than later and this time I'm committed to doing it right with my therapist, my dietician and my personal trainer. But I do also want to know if anyone has a medical history similar to my medical history with the band AND has benefited from an additional, newer procedure. Thanks for your ideas and concerns. I really do appreciate them because you help me develop my own thoughts to a point of greater clarity and you help me see where blind spots in my thinking might cloud my judgement. Sincerely, Sara

There is a thread here from a week or two ago where someone posted a You Tube video of a doctor explaining WHY no carbonation and if you see that, you won't want to risk drinking a beer. She explained that the carbonation rises and goes back up into your new little stomach and makes it expand. That's not a very good medical explanation but you get the general idea. It sounded like it could permanently negate the whole affect of having a band. Wine and alcohol are fine in moderation, as long as you recognize that not only is it empty calories, but it generally will stall your weight loss.

Most doctors say no beer. It has empty calories, has carbonation which stretches the pouch out and you can become intoxicted quicker. My nutritionist/surgeon also feels that drinking alcohol is also stressful on the liver when you are losing weight because it gives it a double whammy when having to burn calories but also work on filtering alcohol. They feel it puts the liver at a greater risk for becoming diseased. I've also seen people post who have drank beer post op and they say it causes an unbelievable bloating that is miserable.

Are you kidding? They stressed that upfront...no alcohol. As a matter of fact, I was told to not drink coffee. I am having a coffee attack right now. I love tea but it just does not cut it when you love coffee. Please discuss this with your doctor. You would not want to destroy all of what you paid for in the lap band. lot of luck!

BUT, I looked it up and pretty much it can be all kinds of things.. What ever, all I know is that for two weeks, I am in pass out mode.. all times of the day and with seemingly no cause.. It wont matter how long or how hard I have slept..and I have NEVEr slept nor drempt (lol, is that a word) so much in my life. Its totally different than anything in my life I have EVER experienced. I have tried and tried to get on a schedule.. doesnt work I have checked my meds to make sure I am not suddenly without realizing it, taking too much. .... I am not. I have thought long and hard about it being depression.... WHo knows I have not checked my blood suger and I guess I will go to lab next week and check it.. but ITs NEVER my diabeties whenever I think it may be. I am eating like CRAP.. worse as I ever have, but still think I get enough nutriants and stuff not to have some weird sleeping disorder. Its ticking me off.. I cant live like this!!! I looked this up.. but what do you guys think? Anyone go through this? Hypersomnia leads to the urge to nap during the day, no matter what you're doing. Thats what I am doing Other symptoms may include anxiety, always increased irritation, well yeah when the house isnt quiet and my body is in pass out mode decreased energy,duh restlessness, yes, dont know what to do when I am up, but I dont do anything now cuz I feel like I am just gonna have to be asleep soon slow thinking and speech, loss of appetite,well I cant ever eat cuz I am always 'waking up' and I wake up swollen.. hallucinations the dreams I am having are pretty darn close and memory problems. hard to tell Hypersomnia may be caused by narcolepsy (or sleep apnea, another sleep disorder)Not that I know of, drug or alcohol abuse, No, not unless my pills are affecting me different all of a sudden (pain pills) But I dont feeeel anything when I take them (like high or euphoric or nothing a tumor, or injury to the head or central nervous system. well thats broad Multiple sclerosis,no depression, I dont know encephalitis, ??epilepsy no or obesity so there it is.. THATS IT!!!!lol can also be contributing factors. grrrr

I'm so sorry that you are going through this!! As Dr Phil says "You can't fix what you don't acknowledge" so it sounds like you are getting on the right path! Congratulations on kicking the alcohol habit! Definitely not easy. I am fairly new here (well, almost 6 months out), but I have read a lot about the "pouch reset" which involves about a week of going back to basics. I think you need to get on a scale and then focus on protein and water goals again! Good luck!!

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm new here. I was looking for some kind of forum where I could interact with others like me. I think I may have found it. I live in South Texas, and I had a sleeve gastrectomy in Mexico in 2009 when I was 35. I initially weighed 340 lbs and lost 149 lbs. and went from a size 32 to a size 14. My goal was a 12, but I was really happy. I was exercising 5x a week on the elliptical for a whole hour nonstop! I kept the weight off for approximately 6 years. Unfortunately, all kinds of tragic events started changing my life. In 2014 my father passed away, and I took it really, really hard. I ended up on Xanax and Ambien. In 2015, I got divorced. In 2016, my mother passed away. In 2017, I was transferred from a job I really enjoyed to a brand new location with all different people to work with. Then the COVID Pandemic kept me teaching from home for a year and a half. It was literally one heartbreak after another. Rather than looking for actual help, I helped myself... to pills, alcohol, and crap food. Over the past 9 years, I regained all my weight. Even though I still felt restriction in eating (i.e. only half a burger or 1.5 slices of pizza, with no sides or drinks and I was done). I was 10 lbs away from my original weight before my sleeve. Last year, though, my school district sent out an email stating that WLS was now covered by our insurance. I was so excited! I looked into it, made many calls, and thought coverage was out of the question because I had already had a surgery. Our insurance covers "one surgery per life." However, since my first surgery was private pay, they went ahead and accepted covering my revision to a bypass. Today is my 18th day post op. I've lost 42 lbs altogether since May 11, but only 10 of those lbs since the surgery. I feel a little blue because I was hoping for more than a 10lb loss in 3 weeks. I lost more weight at the beginning when I started a semi-liquid diet to prepare for surgery. I was doing 3 shakes and one solid, no-carb meal. I know that revisions are slower than virgin surgeries. I am doing as much reading and research as I can. I just can't help it, I guess. After my sleeve, the weight loss was phenomenal. Right now I am consuming 450 cals, 60 g protein, and keeping my carbs under 40g. I am walking around my house (not outside because South Texas) 4x a day and was told I could start on the treadmill this coming Monday. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I'm also trying to find ways to consume fiber without a lot of carbs. I've eaten 1/2 cup of pinto beans twice but, man, that's a lot of carbs. I wanted to try raspberries, but I'm afraid of the little seeds getting stuck in my sutures. Any advice, thoughts, suggestions?

I'm not sure I know what you're trying to convey here. Whenever someone has trouble finding a mate, people accuse him or her of being too picky or having too high of a standard. And I'm sure some people are too picky, but sometimes it's just that you haven't met the right person. Sometimes it seems like a miracle when it actually does happen for two people. I have a preference for certain things in terms of appearance--maybe that's shallow, but I can't imagine having a good relationship without some level of physical attraction. I also have certain parameters--the guy shouldn't be married or involved with another woman! He shouldn't be an alcoholic, a drug user or dealer, unemployed (unless retired or otherwise financially secure). Perhaps the hardest of all, he has to be someone I can talk to comfortably. Is that too picky? I don't think so, somehow.

I am so sorry your Dr. treated you that way. What a jerk! I went to a diet doctor pre op who fired me as a patient when I cried after only losing 10lbs in 4 months even though I'd exercise 1 to 1 1/2 hours every day, gave up carbs and alcohol etc. What I notice in your last post is a lot of cheese. Try cutting out the cheese. You might be lactose intolerant. Could be causing the constipation. Also, my NUT has me communicate by email. Maybe you can scan your food log and email to NUT and get a quicker response than waiting until Feb. Good luck from fellow slow loser but I'm plugging at it. I've lost more than I would have without surgery.

Addiction is addiction, you have swapped one for the other which is not uncommon, there are many folks that slip on this path. I am sorry for your recent troubles, it seems when it rains it pours in regard to personal problems and you are not alone in this predicament. First of all, don't let your ex-fiancé determine your success or your future. Put down the alcohol and take a sober look at your present predicament. He has taken away a lot from you by "dumping" you but he can't take away your determination and self-esteem unless you let him. Decide what you want...to lie down and let him win or stand up for yourself and let this process change your life for the better so you can win. Get another job...any job to see you through for a while. You can find your dream job later... what you need now is income. See if a relative or a friend can put you up until you can save a little money to get you on your feet. Life has roadblocks and detours for everyone, very few people follow a path of roses and sunshine. You have undergone this major surgery to make your life better, please don't sabotage it by giving up. Sending you healing hugs and offering up prayers for you to find the strength to do what you need to do. You have a wonderful support group here. Please use it .

I thought I read that you would become intoxicated faster with the sleeve due to how the alcohol is absobed in the stomach. wrong?