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@ - I do catch your drift! Your story helps me to stick with the decision to not tell people. You are so right about how they will be watching everything that goes into my mouth too. I hate that. And you're right - that does NOT help an emotional eater to succeed. My husband and I were just saying the other day how it seems like people often try to get you to fail because they feel threatened and insecure. We were talking about it in regards to alcohol as some drinkers at his workplace got a recovered alcoholic to start drinking again, on purpose! Idiots! And my 18 year old son chimed in that he feels it too. He decided to give up sugar recently. He doesn't have a weight problem, but realized it doesn't make him feel good. People are on his case about it. Why?! I think because it makes them feel bad. It is sad. Why can't we all support each other in this crazy game of life!

I only threw up in the hospital when they gave me my meds as the first thing to swallow! Nothing really makes me sick except sugar alcohol (something that comes from artificial sweeteners) I wish sugar made me sick but sadly it does not and I must maintain self discipline. I'm 14 weeks out and have lost 44 lbs. 14 pound in the first week is awesome! Don't be surprised when it slows down and try to think of it as an average weight loss per week. That helps me. I'm averaging 2 lbs per week from my pre surgery weight which I feel great about. This way I don't have to explain how I did it because I've only told a handful of people. 2 lbs per week is what the diets out there say is a great and healthy weight loss so it doesn't seem abnormal. Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 179.8 GW 135

When did you first have an alcoholic drink after post-op?

I'm glad yours "saw the light"; I think it's going to take mine a little longer. We actually got into an argument about it tonight. In another post I mentioned how he brought home some pastries that I literally have cover to avoid the temptation and how he refuses to take them out of the house. I was dealing with it, but tonight he pushed it further: he asked me to cut him a piece of one of the loaves and I told him no. He got upset and said that he was doing me a favor (I asked him to take the recycling bin to the curb because the container is HEAVY) that I should do him one. He went and got it himself, but when I tried to talk to him about why I said no he got angry and threw his food away, telling me I should "know better" than to eat something that would "hurt me" He doesn't seem to get no, it's not going to HURT me, but it's WAY too soon for me to be eating anything like that and I don't want the temptation. If I could say no that easily to bad stuff, I wouldn't have gotten the surgery. I likened it to asking an alcoholic to go buy you beer when they're trying to quit. Yes, we should be able to say no, but why would you even challenge them like that? *sigh* You're probably right that he thinks he's helping but I've been through this before with him and I'm tired of it. He thinks saying "should you be eating that?" is helpful...I'm just so frustrated right now.

Remember alcohol metabolizes as sugar so I'd be careful ........ but have fun[emoji873]

I posted a story, "Never Again." I had made frozen drink and drank about 5 sips and went into what's described as Dumping syndrome. Sugar+alcohol =HELL I walked around in agony! I had spasms from my throat to my bottom. The cold triggered it, sugar, and alcohol exasperated it. Relief came after I got into a hot shower, and after put a heating pad on my tummy. I did not have other gastro issues some might imagine. Just pain that I couldn't even stay still. June will be 1 year and white wine works for me. Vodka knocks me on my Butt. Red wine is too acidic for me.

Aafter the doc gets the rash cleared up you can use bath and body works spray ( mostly alcohol) in all of the crease areas 2x a day. It keeps bacteria at bay plus you smell good.

I was wondering if anyone have tried alcohol? I am almost 7 months out from surgery and have not had one drop of alcohol. I am wanting to have a drink Tuesday night since it is my last day at my current job of 15 years. I am moving on to bigger and better things. I am scared that I might get sick or how it will affect me. I know for sure I wont be having carbonnation OK can't spell. Haha. I tried a sparkling water once and it made me instantly sick. So maybe a margratria. What have other people tried?

I had Lap band 1/5/08. The day of surgery i weighed in at 367lbs. As of this morning i am weighing in at 239lbs. Lost 130lbs so far and still losing. I am concerned with a few things though. One i have never gavr up my habit of drinking. I drink about a half gallon of Whiskey every week. I know many of you will say i have a problem but i dont i just like to drink. I drink about a 5th every Friday and another 5th on Saturday. Im only 23 so cut me some slack. The other problem is that i have recently been taking Adderall during the day for school and at night i take about 2mg Xanax to calm down after i work out. I dont mix pills with alcohol either. I am wondering if this can increase my risk of erosion. Is adderall/xanax/Hard alcohol anything like NASIDs. I am having no problems other than i get a funny pain near the port area every no and again almost like a tug. Simply wondering if i need to stop taking my meds. Are they going to increase my risk of band removal. If so ill stop immediatly. I will never have this thing removed it has completely changed my life. I can ride on an Airplane, tie my shoes easily, Sleep 5 hours and feel great rather than sleep 12 an still fell tired. I can run, lift weights, and dont even get me started on the ladies; didnt have a sex life before the band, i have made up for that. Went from taking, Lexapro,Diovan,Nexium,water pill,Toprol to nothing. Well until recently the xanax and adderall. Had obstructive sleep apnea; dont even own my machine now. If you are considering this procedure do it dont wait like i did just do it. The best 13 grand i have ever spent. If anyone has any advice on my condition let me know. I am not going to take another pill until i get some answers. Thanks to all fellow bandsters.

Wow...what a post I'm with the rest of the people and their advice. Congrats to you on your major weight loss, but seriously dude, talk with the Doc about that alcohol you are consuming. You've come along way with your weight, you don't want to waste it on alcohol. Like it was mentioned earlier, it definitely looks like you have traded one addiction for another. :cheers2: Just one side note, people on here are in your corner and wishing the best for you, they are just concerned about you. Hope all works out for you, :tt1: G

I am a food addict as well and can relate. I am also a recovering alcoholic and suffer from Major Depressive Disorder. I wish I had some words of wisdom but I do not, just wanted you to know that you are not alone. I am about 10 weeks out, feel free to PM if you want to chat.

I have no stance on consumption. I'd just be interested to see how 'happy' the government will be when they add to the set of problems they currently have, caused by alcohol, with a whole new set of additional social, political, legal and wholly more problematic psycho-social medical issues as can be caused by pot smoking? Particularly in adolescents who seem to reap the worst 'benefits' of smoking cannabis during their 'developmental' years. Lest we get into the argument of 'one drug leads to an other' or how through legalisation and if consumed whole-sale, how it might damage the pharmaceutical industry by impacting upon their profits. Although, who is to say that those companies wouldn't end up producing the stuff themselves and it being part of the governments long-term plan? In my inexperienced opinion and if the 2nd, 3rd and 4th order effects were calculated? I can't see it being worth the money accrued through taxation of the market, because of the much greater expenditure which would be required elsewhere (fiscal, medical, enforcement activity, market protection, etc.) Although in saying that and conspiracy theories abound... Who's to say that some of those effects might not actually be part of the desired outcome which is why the legalisation - or at least decriminalisation - is spreading? Now, there's a thought!

I too have had binging/eating dreams since my surgery. I have heard that alcoholics and addicts have similar dreams about using their drug of choice. Makes me happy that I did this, because I truly believe that food is an addiction as well. Its great to have another support place!

Just look at the label and see if it is okay to YOU. Everyone has a different set of rules they follow. Just be careful with the sugar alcohols like mentioned!

You know what has happened to me... over time. I care less and less about my food addiction and more and more about the rest of my life. That doesn't happen overnight and I am FAR from perfect. I am a person who definately has "treats". I probably have one or two alcoholic drinks a week for example. I go out with friends and we sometimes like happy hours etc. I didn't do that during the loss phase, but now that i am in maintenance - it is something I really enjoy - it is a social event and in my world, "normal" behavior. I however KNOW that ice cream is a demon with a red dress on. That stuff is like poison to me... I eat it and can't seem to stop at a reasonable quantity... and then i feel physically sick. So, I don't want to tell people... go ahead and have that martini - because I don't know YOUR world and if you can control it appropriately. I do what works for me and one of the reasons I do 5:2 is so that during my non fast days I don't have to be quite so careful. I don't go crazy, but I feel normal ... and comfortable. I do really believe that people who want to get to goal should take seriously being pretty hard core in those early months... first year or so. My opinion... to each his own though.

I bought little 1oz and 2oz cups w lids to easily measure food. I made sf jello "shots" to be ready when I get home. Was odd making Jell-O shots without alcohol

What's so hard about this addiction is that we aren't physically able to abstain. Alcoholics can avoid bars/alcohol, drug addicts can completely avoid drugs, smokers can completely cut out cigarettes.. But food addicts can't cut out food unless we are tube fed the rest of our lives. We just have to realize WHAT the issue was before surgery, and try to resolve it. Perfect example is that while you (gamer girl) have a sugar addiction and must avoid all sweets, I've never had a sweet tooth and could take it or leave it. Me on the other had, am a carb addict. I love me some Pasta or bread or mashed potatoes. Plus, my portions were outrageous. As far as the portions go, I weigh my food so I could "empty my plate" without going over. I've slowly been learning that I don't have to empty my plate, and it's ok to leave food over. It comes from my mom and I being poor when I was little, and always being taught to eat everything on my plate. As far as the carbs go, I avoid them, just like you avoid sugar. They are a trigger, and once I have one, I want them all. I'm sorry for rambling! But I think a lot of people "enable" and act supportive is because the second someone uses "tough love", they are pounced on and called "heartless" or an "internet bully", so some refrain from being blunt all together.

As of yesterday, I have lost 100 pounds. YEA! (cue happy music to start playing loudly) Now, to lose the last 18 pounds. My target is to be done in January of 2012. I started my preop diet on February 9th of this year, and had surgery February 22nd with Dr. Nicholson in Dallas, TX. My surgery went extremely well. I had no complications and went home after one night in the hospital. My recovery went smoothly. I had no trouble drinking fluids or finding a Protein I could tolerate. Didn't have any vomiting once I got home. Didn't need much pain medicine at all - took a total of two or three pills after I left the hospital. Went back to work three weeks after surgery - I had to wait for my three weeks check-up before I could get my doctor's clearance. I have a two hour drive to the office, and the doctor was concerned about me being in a car for that long that soon. I had to stop and walk around for 5 minutes or so after an hour - to help prevent the possibility of clots. Working a twelve hour day (8 hours work, 4 hours driving) was too long at first, so I would stay in a hotel close to the office for three nights a week until I was ready for the 12 hour days. This journey so far has been a major learning experience for me. I am a very organized (obsessive?) person. I had everything mapped out for each day - what I would eat. I tracked calories, protein, carbs and ounces of Fluid. In all my dieting history I had never tracked the grams of protein or carbs in my food - so this was brand new. The other major learning experience was how to deal with life without my old "frenemy" FOOD as my coping mechanism. There are addicts in my family tree (alcohol, recreational pharmaceuticals) and that tendency is within me. Not for drugs or alcohol - why go there when there was food available? (Cocaine couldn't be any more satisfying than brownies.) So I am having to build an entire new relationship with food, and build totally different coping skills for all of the triggers that previously resulted in me choosing to use food inappropriately. I am pleased to report that this effort is going well. But it really is "one day at a time" as the AA folks say. I have to stay 100% conscious of what I am doing. On a lighter note - I have had a blast rediscovering smaller clothes. I am now in 12's and some 14's - and they are petites! Still sounds strange to even say that! I started out is 24 Womens and 3X's. I say "thank God for clothes" as it hides all the sagging wrinkled skin from the weight loss. I am also WAY HEALTHIER than I was. My PCP was talking to me prior to me starting the 6 month preop (which actually took a year for me - insurance issues) about WHEN I would have a heart attack, not IF. My father dropped dead of a massive heart attack when he was about the age I was when I started my preop diet. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea (I hated my CPAP machine and wouldn't use it). My joints ached all the time. Now, I am off all blood pressure meds, all cholesterol meds and I no longer have sleep apnea. My last labs looked good - except for borderline anemia (even with iron). That doesn't have anything to do with the sleeve, I have been that way most of my life. The only meds I take now are Vitamins and minerals, acid reducing meds, and hormones. Didn't mean to natter on for so long. Thank all of you on this site for being such a wonderful support for me. You guys are my "AA" - and, believe me, I come here every day to help me stay focused. If I can be of help to anyone here, feel free to PM me - I am happy to return to favor. I posted some before and recent pictures. The picture with the giant guitar is at the Hard Rock in Albuquerque. That was last Thursday - I was on vacation with my 86 year old energizer-bunny mother and my two sisters.

Pat- I use rubbing alcohol on all my electronics. The moisture evaporates almost instantly and the grime comes off as quickly as using soap & water. No streaks! I have a 2 year old and clean my TV and monitor at least once/week. This also works for the keyboard. Get some cheap swabs and a big chunk of time... Magic Erasers are the best. Here's an idea for the sink again- is the problem discoloration on the drain? If you are looking to impress (short term beauty) try brasso on a really dry drain. It removes tarnish like those black or green splotches on the non-stainless steel part.

Well, I do not drink at all, but as far as never having beer again ... I don't believe VSG is a death sentence to enjoying an occasional brew. My Dr told me no alcohol for the first 6 months, and you'll read postings on here from folks saying they are just empty calories. Well, if we made a list of all the foods we still do eat which are empty calories, I would need a larger monitor to see them all. Much larger. Then, of course, there is the carbonation factor. Going on 3 years out, I enjoy the occasional root beer or a few sips of Sprite. The carbonation definitely restricts the size of gulps I can take, but I still enjoy them. But, back in the day when I did drink, as I recall, a nice porter or stout didn't have the carbonation of the lagers. I would think a Guinness on occasion would fill the need. I'm sure @@Madam Reverie would agree.

There's a lot i stop doing like i quit drinking alcohol and pop i stop smoking but I just find it hard to stop over eating but i know its time to change my day is coming soon thanks for sharing . Sent from my LGMS330 using the BariatricPal App

I'm not a huge drinker but occasionally would like to enjoy a drink or two on a night out with the hubby. I don't like wine and obviously I avoid carbonation. I have tried a few mixed drinks but they are too sweet and upset my stomach, help! I need suggestions! Banded 11/12/12 243 pounds sz 20/22 Current weight 182.6 sz 14/16 and feeling awesome!

The main issue with RNY regain is that once their malabsorption wears off, it's called intestinal adaptation, they are NOW metabolically challenged to keep the weight off. We have simple restriction only to keep us in check. For all the sleeve patients I've seen gain weight is that "life happens", and emotional eating creeps back in. Also, choosing the wrong foods, getting back into bad habits/behaviors that led to their obesity in the first seems to be the culprit. I've said since hitting maintenance that losing was super easy. Maintenance is where the hard part comes in. I'm a firm believer that behavior modification is the biggest contributor to long term success for any weight loss surgery patient. Trying to find a balance of a new "normal" and remembering what contributed to my obesity is what helps me tremendously. I do live a pretty extreme life of moderation, and I accept a 5lb bounce. Anything more than 5lbs, be it Water weight from alcohol, and carbs, or if it's a true gain from several weeks of just eating what I want (which I experienced last holiday season), and I go right back to Protein, protein, protein. Knock on wood, I was not compulsive or emotional with food. I just ate a lot of it. I have only recently been dealing with head hunger, and absurd cravings that I can only contribute to the pregnancy. I honestly can not wait for the next 3 months to fly by so I can get off this rollercoaster, and back on plan with my eating. It's been an emotional twist for me that I've gained weight, and that I can not get into ketosis.

Every surgeon is different. My program is avoid for 6 months. Definitely not this early on. I was told for the first 3 months to stick to the the program while the stomach is still healing. Your body reacts differently to alcohol post Surgery.

Most surgeons are different, but the minimum is usually 6 months. My surgeon's office was 1 year. Alcohol hits you harder after surgery and is also empty calories. They also worry that food addiction will transfer to alcohol as it's very common in WLS patients. So maybe ask your surgeons office what their guidelines are and decide from there.