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I assume most of us had to attend nutrition and pre-surgery classes as part of this process. In our class, I think I could pick out a couple of people who are not going to be very successful. After being told that we could have neither alcohol nor carbonated drinks, one woman declared that she will NOT give up champagne. Another one said that her hectic schedule meant she had to eat fast food, and that would not change after surgery (which reminded me of "My 600-Pound Life). I'm not saying that I'm going to be a saint and never cheat, but I can't understand why you would be doing this if you were going in with the intention of cheating. Am I being too judgy?

I'm not saying this is an idea solution, but this is what I've done, in order of best to worst: Look up KETO recipes for sweets! You can make your own chocolate (yes, even bars!), use fat alternatives to reduce the fat in the recipes, and eat it pretty much GUILT free. Make it with erithrytol or stevia as your sweetener so you don't have an insulin response. You can also look into Lily's chocolate bars, your local super market may have them and they use stevia. Buy Slim Fast fat bomb peanut butter cups and have ONE. They're made with erithrytol so they're good! Or look at Quest protein bars or Atkins candy. Try to avoid Maltitol, which is a sugar alcohol that WILL spike your insulin and can perpetuate further cravings. In a pinch, get sugar free chocolate (like Russell Stovers SUGAR FREE) and only have a portion size or less. Definitely don't have more or you'll be married to the porcelain throne all night. Warning: they are dangerously delicious and, much like sugar, won't fully satisfy that craving and will leave you wanting more so exercise extreme caution and willpower here. Good luck!

Thanks everyone. It's a weird thing. Intellectually I feel no shame for WLS. It was an excellent decision and I should have done it a long time ago. I would never judge anyone else for doing it. Yet, part of me does feel embarrassed that I couldn't do it without intervention. Food is an addiction for me and I don't want to discuss something that private with others. Would an alcoholic or drug addict be expected to casually discuss their issues with others?

I bet if you bring something health-ish your friends will thank you! What about doing fruit skewers with strawberries, watermelon and grapes. You could make a sugar free (sweeten with Stevia) yogurt dip and add a little food color to make it pink. There are tons of ideas on pinterest. A good old fashion veggie tray always seems to be a hit! Pink or not! If you don't want to drink alcohol but want to feel like you are celebrating, bring some pink crystal light! Stick to your plan and try to focus on the companionship versus the food! Good luck and have a great day!

I'm going to a Galentine's party tomorrow and I'm expected to bring something. I looked at the list of what others are bringing...all sweets and alcohol. The theme is pink/love/girls etc. Any suggestions on some healthy VSG-friendly Valentine's day related things I could bring to the party? I am 4 months out and do not eat sugar. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Smell some rubbing alcohol. That's what they did for me in the hospital. Or suck on a peppermint disc.

Kay I go to a few support groups. My surgeon has a twice monthly group meeting of pre and post op patients. The benefit of these meetings are the chance to talk to pre op patients about what they will experience. The meetings did help me pre op. As for post op, we compare notes and root for each other and give support. I also go to a group meeting that my therapist has. The meeting isn't productive. Everyone talks over each other and there is no structure for people to participate. It's the loudest and pushiest that get to speak. I actually go to these meetings for the entertainment value as I don't get much therapeutic value out of them. My last support group is Overeaters Anonymous (OA). My therapist was able to show me that I was a Compulsive Overeater. No matter how much weight I could lose it would only come back due to my compulsion to over eat. OA is based on the same 12 step program as Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a very good fellowship that helps to get one spiritually grounded and to help with the compulsion of overeating. I attend a few meetings a week and I also have a sponsor who I call every day for guidance and support and to help me be mindful of my eating habits.. Any support group that you feel comfortable with and that will help you succeed is worth joining. I know that I cannot be successful on my own. I am 100% successful in failing at all of my previous attempts to keep my weight loss off. I take it one day at a time. If I can be successful today then I try my best to carry that success over to the next day. So far, I'm doing better than I thought I would. I'll be 18 months post op at the end of this month and I've been able to achieve my goal weight and maintain it. How long can I do it for? I don't know. I do know that I will never again get the advantage that I now have from the WLS. I don't want to squander this "Golden Ticket" that I've been given. Good luck in your weight loss journey and I wish you much success.

My cousin is in the process of getting WLS a sleeve. He was supposed to stop all alcohol but he keeps on drinking 2 glasses a night. I told him that he wouldn't succeed if he continued to drink and if he did he would be drinking his calories. I commend you for realizing that the wine was holding you back from greater success and putting in a plan to stop it. My question, how much were you drinking on a daily basis and how much do you think it affected you getting to your weight loss goal? Thanks again for your journal and I wish you continued success.

Hey guys! Great news. I saw my surgeon and he says I’m doing great-except the alcohol of course. So, last appointment he told be to cook and I’ve been cooking ever since. Lots of Protein and veggies in my foods. I keep forgetting to take photos. So, my exercise is great as usual and he said I’m only 6 lbs off my 6 month goal. Also, please remember that this is my journey. I’m not perfect and that’s the point! This is my place to document what I’m going through, good and bad. My blood work was perfect as well. I’m super great with my vitamins, not drinking with meals, etc. 

Hey, I’m not sure if you read the recent info. I’ve been cooking since December 26th when my mother bought me my instant pot. My issue is not food is was alcohol. But I’m down another four pounds since stopping.

Congrats on so many things! You're weight loss from 300lbs Maintaining in a 10lb window for the last year following your honeymoon period Raising a family Working Going to school to provide a better future for yourself and your family. Recognizing you have an issue and need practical suggestions for change, rather than ignoring the situation. That's amazing and sure doesn't sound like someone who is failing WLS. Make sure to give yourself credit, cuz the morale very rarely improves with beatings. You know in your heart of hearts that you have a decision to make. It lands solely on your shoulders. And you already know the answer. The answer is you HAVE to want to choose to go back to the old rules from your surgeon that actually worked. Or if they don't work, then you have to find new rules. But at the heart of it, you must take action, quit rationalizing, have a game plan, and implement the plan. No one likes going "BACK" on a diet. No one. Cuz it's like 2-3 weeks of PIA and pain. You're not feeling satiety cuz frankly, you are rationalizing bad behaviors that contribute to the problem. Maybe you are: Eating too many carbs which cause blood sugar and insulin spikes which drive hunger. Eating too quickly of the wrong things Eating too much "comfort food that is sliderish" and lacks density Not eating protein first Eating the wrong kind of protein Not eating things that are low calorie and low carb that will help fill you up (ie al dente and raw veggies along with dense lean protein and a bit of healthy fats) Not following the rules about drinking and eating at the same time or in close proximity of each other Not fully hydrating Not taking time for you and not exercising etc. etc. etc. But these are all fixable things! The rules exist for a reason. They work! They get results! Honestly, sugary foods, and sugar alcohol sweetened waters make me MORE hungry! They wake up my cravings! Same with candy bars protein bars. To me those things have no place during active weight loss. All they are is crack cocaine that helps sabotage your diet and plays mind games with your resolve. Maybe some of you can eat them as a snack during maintenance in order to drive calories up to maintain? But they wake up cravings in most of us. I'm much better off eating a cheese stick and a hard boiled egg than eating a protein bar! Even beef jerky and cheese sticks are better than protein bars! They have P3 packs (cheese, meat, nuts or boiled egg, cheese, nuts) that can be stuck into a back pack! Easy meal on the go! Etc. There ARE solutions. They just may not be as "nummy" as a candy bar! But they ARE more feeling and won't drive cravings! Go back to the basics. Kick the taste of sweet to the curb. Meal prep on days off! Go back to eating "boring" easy button meals for 2 of 3 meals. You can turn this around and finish what you started without more surgery or diet pills...just sayin'!!

I am sorry to hear that, but at times I wish i had that. I just posted on my own thread.. I am tired of this once a week or 4x a month. I think i recall when i was eating sugar free chocolate from Russell Stovers.. the amount of sugar alcohols used to make me go to the bathroom a lot. I am seriously considering driving an hour to score some chocolate and make it a daily routine.. No worries.. last time i bought and ate it, i was on the Atkins... and it was part of my normal routine.. LOL.. but seriously.. something needs to give!

I am 17 months out. I am going to tell you my thoughts but please don't take them for the norm. My diet/life style works for me and may not work for anyone else. I have been off of all carbonated beverages for 2 years now. I currently eat anything I want but stay away from bread and pasta (anything made with flour actually). Now when I say I stay away from it that doesn't mean I don't have a bite or a taste occasionally but for the most part I stay away. I do have a small bowl of ice cream every now and then. I also eat small chocolate candies periodically. I have an alcoholic drink (probably about 2 shots) almost every night with a nightly cigar. I normally don't eat vegetables or fruit (I rely on my multivitamin for those nutrients) but I have some occasionally if I want. My diet mostly consists of Protein and fats. I don't eat a lot of red meat because I find it hard to digest. I mostly eat chicken, turkey and fish. I made my goal weight December 1st, 2018 and have maintained it since then (between 165 and 170 lbs). I just had blood work for my Primary care provider and all results were within normal ranges. I no longer have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. My doctor is very happy with my results and is impressed at how disciplined I am with my diet and lifestyle.

I have a few questions that I have not asked the nutritionist yet. So long term i.e. 12-18 months post bypass can you eat red meat? bread? ice cream? I read somewhere it said never chew gum due to increased air being swallowed but the nutritionist did say it was fine. I know be careful with alcohol and avoid carbonated beverages. I also know you should never have a 3 scoop ice cream sundae but can you have a few bites of pretty much any food on a rare occasion? Also dumping syndrome-- is that more of an issue initially or does it happen years after surgery too?

Yeppers, when I had mine I went ahead and requested to remain awake for just that. Disnt want to wake up in the middle and have a . panic attack. Do you have rosacea? They call it the Celtic Curse and I do have it, have it, Praise God no flares recently. Once when I was in the middle of an attack I was accused of being alcoholic because my nose was red and face flushed, no just my Irish blood coming out. My 2 sons names are Kevin(now an Angel) and Bryan , only more Irish would have named them Declan and Dermot, and late husband would not have gone for that. Rocked Kevin to "Kevin Barry" poor Bryan just got " The Rising of the Moon" both lovely Irish tunes. Did you get pinched on St Patrick's Day because you faied to wear Green? My daddy would pull that on me, got peeved , told him Da, your people were Northern Irish, did not gain me any amnesty, learned to at least put a green ribbon in my hair!

Oh lads, I had THE WORST DAY. It started off with a protein pancake. It was a sample from the chemist and it tasted so fake, so I put some canned whipped cream and sugar-free syrup on it and by breakfast end I'd used up over 300 calories without feeling satisfied so I ate a protein bar but then I felt sick. So I didn't eat lunch, got hungry and lost the battle that had been raging in me for over a week to buy junk (yeah, I crapped out on the challenge). So I'm stuffing my face with chickadees and Mars Bars knowing full well its going to make me as sick as a dog. Lads, the taste wasn't even good! The chocolate was sickly sweet and the chickadees were overly salt and processed nothingness. THEN came the dumping and reactive hypoglycaemia. After I recovered I ate a white bread roll with smashed banana and chicken nuggets. I literally don't know what happened to me. I have been SO GOOD for months with only a minor slip up now and again. What the heck??? Back in the saddle tomorrow and I'll assess the damage at next weigh-in, but I feel like an alcoholic that is on that naxalone drug and I couldn't even get "high" just sick and now I'm regretting everything. Sigh. Oh lads, just when I thought I was in control. Oh well, onwards and upwards. Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

Not trying to argue with you, but if you had said something like "need to vent" maybe we wouldn't have responded as we did. You asked for help. You wanted suggestions. Folks are giving them to you. Yes, I'm 2.5 years out from my surgery, but I remember what it was like and I used the 3 months prior to my surgery to get my head in the right place and get myself started eating as I would be post-op. I make a choice every morning when I get out of bed to follow the plan - just like an alcoholic makes the choice every morning not to take another drink. If you've waited to do that until your pre-op diet, you have done yourself a disservice. Please reach out to your doctor's office to find out what his/her rules are so you have more guidance.

I understand, that is why I wrote it. I find myself being guilty of all the things I mentioned. After a 40 hour work week I feel like I owe it to myself to eat something to "reward" myself. I want pizza or junk food or the like. I am recovering alcoholic and addict, I am sober today. Food is the only thing I have left to abuse. The sleeve has definitely helped me in the sense that I cannot eat as much as I used to, but the mental obsession to eat is still there. Before sleeve surgery I estimate I was taking in roughly 8000 to 10000 calories a day. I typically take in about 3000 per day now at 18 months out, I realize that is too many calories and am trying to get it under control and starting to walk as a form of exercise.

So glad I came across this thread. Hopefully I can help. Therapist, specialize in treating us, also complete evaluations, also have Bipolar I (and had surgery so...🤷🏼‍♀️). According to the actual guidelines that we are supposed to follow regarding who has to be considered as not ready for surgery: - actively psychotic - recent (past year) inpatient hospitalization for mental health (suicidal/homicidal) - drug/alcohol abuse within the past 6 months - unstable mental health diagnosis (e.g. not actively in treatment, not keeping up with meds and appointments, etc.) Now, the good news is, NONE of those things mean the person will NEVER be approved - they may just have to have a period of time that they show stability/treatment compliance BEFORE they get approved. That info is straight from the ASMBS (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) guidelines. If the psychiatrist says otherwise, he can take it up with them! 🤣 I hope that helps. ~SW: 278 CW: 165~ RNY 1/5/2005 "What got you here won't get you there."

I'm just about 6 months post sleeve, weight loss 70 lbs incl pre surgery diet. Yes I've eaten unhealthy at different times, including having alcohol. But I know myself and if I completely remove unhealthy things then I will end up binging at some point and it may take a long time to get back on plan so I just stay mindful of my choices and most days I do eat healthy. Best of luck on your journey.

I have a strong opinion on this. I started taking Phentermine in 1996 or so. My doctor prescribed 37.5 pills two times a day, one at 8am and one at 3pm. I was about 40 pounds overweight. I was basically high all the time. It made me want to drink alcohol to level me out. He’d refill my script when I weighed as little as 115 pounds ( I am 5 foot tall so I was hardly overweight at 115). Back in the 90’s-early 2000s I Could get it on the Internet easily so as they lost effectiveness I would buy it and take it from online vendors. An a point was taking four+ 37.5 mg a day. Besides the fact that I felt like I was basically on crack, a couple of other things. They give you dry mouth and bad breath. For me the dry mouth led to gum recession. They also cause me back pain, heart palpitations, etc. Phentermine makes me high and then irritable and then completely made me want to isolate myself from other people. But for me, being “hot” was always worth these risks. I was taking pills and counting calories at 97 pounds! Around 2002, my now ex-husband got into them and took like 6 in one 24 hour period and had to be admitted to the ICU for 3 days. His pulse was racing at 200 for almost 2 straight days. These days I don’t think any doctor their merit would write a prescription for two of those a day. It set me up for 20 years of weight loss and gain. I just stopped taking them in 2016. I literally took them off and on all those years. Not to that extreme of course. I put on about 30-40 pounds and for the last 10 years would take 1/2 to 1a day them to maintain that weight. Anyway, That’s what led me to the surgery decision and ultimately to this forum. I will never live that way again. That’s an extreme example (and an example of drug abuse/misuse) but that’s my truth. It’s a quick fix for a lot of people myself included. I’m sure there are some people that take them successfully but I was not one of those people. Hope I didn’t scare you; just wanted to share my story.

Just a thought but are you taking vitamins? Back to basics - protien and water. I am with you - boring. What about a 5 day break from carbs sugar caffeine and alcohol? Also for me logging is a must. Keep us posted.

Coexister, I had a stroopwaffle on the plane home last week and a chocolate covered biscuit at work last week. Felt so guilty and thought surely I will explode , right ? But all good - still I have told myself , no junk food , cakes, cookies or alcohol till I reach goal and then only very little every again . I have 38lbs to go to goal , I’ve eaten that crap my whole life - I don’t need it any more , it doesn’t make me happy . Nothing tastes as good as being thin !

You may want to consider starting to change some of your habits as soon as you can, like reducing/eliminating alcohol, sugar, caffiene, nicotine or anything prohibited in the prep for surgery so you are ready, willing and able to transition. Studies show it takes an average of 66 days to build new habits, and it's often a bell curve. Get feedback from the Team you choose and follow their instructions. Safe Journey 🎈 Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 998-1009. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674/abstract)

Different programs have different rules. I didn't have to stop at the beginning of the program, but my doc does not want us having alcohol after surgery during the rapid weight loss phase (he'd prefer not ever, but he's realistic). Both because of the empty calories, but also because of something I don't completely understand about the liver - that the liver is busy dealing with the weight loss - and we metabolizing alcohol differently after surgery. I haven't really asked because it wasn't that important to me. I'd eventually like to have a glass of wine every now and again, like on my birthday, but I'm not worried about it now. It may be good to taper off before surgery, but its worth talking about with your surgeon.