Search the Community

I am trying to come at this as, this is my new "normal." All my friends ask - when can you start eating pizza, mexican food, etc., when can you start drinking again. It drives me crazy!!! I continually tell them, I can have anything I want right NOW. I'm making the choice NOT to have them because those foods/alcohol are what got me here in the first place. Might have to find new friends - those skinny b*&^es!

I think you really need to stop and think about your actual thinking here. :scalesno: Seriously, the whole idea behind the band is so that we can be like normal people and eat like normal people. With the band, for the most part, you can still eat all the regular foods you would normally eat anyway, right? So doing an unfill would serve what purpose? Allow you to eat like a cow again? I mean, that is what we do without a band, right? Isn't it a bit like suggesting an alcoholic drink since they are on vacation? The only value is so that you can eat mega portions. We are trying to get OUT of that mindset, not find excuses to go back to that way of thinking. We are trying to be normal again when it comes to food issues, not find reasons to go backwards.

Fair warning – This was a lot longer than I thought it would be. You might want to have your Water bottle with you before starting! Today (plus one day that I've confessed to above) makes one year out for me. WOW! What an incredible year. In some ways it seems like forever and in other ways, just like it was yesterday. As my signature states, I’ve gone from an 18W to size 4/6. My BMI changed from 32.8 to drum roll please .... 20.1. Hard to believe!!! My surgeon was Dr. Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas, NV. I found him through Medical Tourism and am very thankful that together we’ve made sure I have a nice long, healthy life. The typical question – would you do it again? YES, YES, YES! I was known as a “lightweight” since my BMI was “only” 32.8. Was I fat? Definitely! Did I have risk factors? Definitely! I’ve often said that I was the smallest obese person in my family, but I had to personally realize that I was still obese. I really considered this surgery due to my father. I lost him in March 2009 due to complications from his obesity – congestive heart failure and uncontrolled diabetes. He was only 64 years old. It broke my heart to lose my dad at such a young age. I want to be around for my kids (currently 20, 17, and 9) and their kids! Not only do I look better, I feel better. I can run up and down our stairs all day! No more having to sit down because I’m tired after one trip up. I can go to costco, shop, put the food away & still have energy for more chores/tasks. INCREDIBLE!!! With that being said, I still have not been good about regular, planned exercise. My stomach may look better if I had (but part of me thinks not – skin just isn’t going to bounce back but so much). I am thinking breast augmentation, but I probably won’t. Just invest in more push up/padded bras. Do I want to punch out people that say I took the “easy way”? Yep! Is it hard? Yes. Do people who say I’ll gain it all back annoy me? Yep! Does my new tummy give me a tool that can make me successful? Heck yeah! Am I already successful? YES I AM! Am I concerned about maintenance and gaining again? Yes, but with continued dedication & support groups like this one, I can make it! The next question – how much can you eat now? Slider foods – more than I thought I could/should. I can pack down close to pre-surgery amounts of Cookies, ice cream, popcorn, etc. I have been testing a bit with “normal” foods … the other day, I was able to eat almost all of a McDonald’s hamburger with just the top bun & all but 3 slices of the Apple Dippers (no caramel sauce). I had one or two more bites left of the top bun, but knew I was done. I can eat about 3 ounces of steak with a bite or two of salad & maybe 1/4 of a baked potato. My biggest battles right now are (1) head hunger at night and (2) not counting foods as “bad” or “good”. I am trying to change my thinking to “good for me” or “tastes good, but not very nutritious”. I met with a nutritionist last week to talk about my eating plan for life. While she questioned if I still needed to track every bite I eat, I told her that it helped me be accountable. I am now tracking to 60g Protein, 64+ ounces of water, 100+ grams carbohydrates, and somewhere between 1500-2000 calories a day. I will add a confession here – I track Monday to Friday, but rarely on Saturday & Sunday. I just kind of eye ball/mentally track on the weekends. OK – enough rambling … Just want to leave with 2 more things. (1) If you are on the fence about this surgery, I want to strongly encourage you to investigate further. This surgery has truly saved my life & given me a new future and (2) At one year out, I thought it would be fun to go back and read some of my old posts – my worries, fears, doubts and successes. I don’t know if it will help anyone or not, but I’ve listed a few here: Surgery & Post-Op: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3255-on-my-way-to-the-airport/page__p__29783__fromsearch__1#entry29783 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3363-weird/page__p__30519__fromsearch__1#entry30519 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3403-surgery-recovery-sucks/page__p__30905__fromsearch__1#entry30905 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3471-im-gagging-over-here/page__p__31374__fromsearch__1#entry31374 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3538-concerned-should-i-be/page__p__32047__fromsearch__1#entry32047 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3602-finding-the-time-to-stop/page__p__32545__fromsearch__1#entry32545 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3687-advice-for-road-trip/page__p__33232__fromsearch__1#entry33232 Losing: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3884-took-measurements-today/page__p__35215__fromsearch__1#entry35215 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3944-time-to-increase-the-portions/page__p__35826__fromsearch__1#entry35826 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4565-need-some-support/page__p__40607__fromsearch__1#entry40607 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4263-wanting-to-eat-more/page__p__38113__fromsearch__1#entry38113 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4778-size-12s-and-medium-tops/page__p__42293__fromsearch__1#entry42293 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4827-gotta-get-serious-about-exercise/page__p__42772__fromsearch__1#entry42772 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3769-am-i-the-only-one-wanting-sweet-liquids/page__p__34103__fromsearch__1#entry34103 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5217-its-a-fat-day/page__p__46024__fromsearch__1#entry46024 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5065-post-op-when-did-you-have-your-first-carbonated-drink/page__p__44749__fromsearch__1#entry44749 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6305-my-funny-nsv/page__p__55830__fromsearch__1#entry55830 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5869-normal/page__p__51835__fromsearch__1#entry51835 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7060-why-cant-they-just-say-congratulations/page__p__62386__fromsearch__1#entry62386 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7964-irritated-with-people/page__p__69470__fromsearch__1#entry69470 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7376-i-cried-tonight/page__p__64804__fromsearch__1#entry64804 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8064-need-to-be-accountable/page__p__70372__fromsearch__1#entry70372 Moving to Maintenance · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8602-calling-those-on-maintenance/page__p__75039__fromsearch__1#entry75039 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6171-weight-regain-with-vsg/page__p__54548__fromsearch__1#entry54548 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8392-today-7-months-out-and-642-pounds-gone/page__p__73224__fromsearch__1#entry73224 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9506-goal/page__p__83431__fromsearch__1#entry83431 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9995-almost-9-months-out/page__p__87012__fromsearch__1#entry87012 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10260-i-am-not-controlling-my-sweet-tooth/page__p__89285__fromsearch__1#entry89285 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10135-holiday-strategies/page__p__88283__fromsearch__1#entry88283 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10981-nsv-nsv-nsv-for-me/page__p__95104__fromsearch__1#entry95104 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11548-so-discouraged/page__p__99499__fromsearch__1#entry99499 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12379-this-is-why-journaling-food-is-so-important/page__p__106369__fromsearch__1#entry106369 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12406-fruits-and-veggies/page__p__106553__fromsearch__1#entry106553 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12769-not-quite-a-year-out/page__p__109462__fromsearch__1#entry109462 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11607-i-have-a-question-about-alcohol/page__p__99986__hl__alcohol__fromsearch__1#entry99986 For newbies … this is a great place to start: http://www.obesityhe...or-New-Members/ (yes, I know this is another website, but many of us frequent there as well as VST.J)

I don't think many people are going to get into this, just read the post 'alcohol' to see how touchy some people are about a little drink!! I can only tell you my personal experience and that is I have had alcohol since being sleeved and have had no problems whatsoever.

First of all, congrats on your weight loss thus far! That is truly an accomplishment. I admire your willpower and self control you show in making those changes. You are right about one thing, alcohol and weight loss just don't go together and I see that more than ever now. Thank you for the inspiration

Find out what kind of sterile prep they used on you. there is a newone called Chloroprep that numerous people have had an allergic reaction too. I had it after a biopsy. It occured several days after surgery. I had to wash real good and clean with alcohol, and they gave me a cortisone to put on it. It went away right away.

@@librarianlk - Great question and you have received some great answers. I am only 8 1/2 months out, but not only did I have the same question as you pre-op, I recently had a similar conversation with my therapist about wanting to be "normal" with relation to food. In the beginning, I felt very food obsessed, so I completely understand where you are coming from, but now, I am just more mindful. Having said that, when discussing with my therapist she said something that resonated with me. "You aren't normal yet" she said. I obsessed about food for at least 40 years of my life and to expect that I would undo all that and be "normal" in 8 short months is unrealistic of me. I hope to reach a point in my life where I have a more normal relationship with food; however, 1) who is to say what "normal" really is? and 2) just as an alcoholic is a recovering alcoholic for the rest of their lives, I too will always be in recovery from my obsession of food. For the rest of my life.... That is daunting sometimes, but the struggle does change (and will continue to change) and I strive for being mindful yet not obsessed of every bite. I hope this helps a little. I am trying to explain that your fears are reasonable but please do not let them get in the way of making the decision of going forward with the procedure. It is an incredible journey and I would highly recommend therapy as you move through it. It will be the biggest tool you have (next to the actual surgery). There is a really good article posted today called "Food and Eating...the Extremes" that addresses the extreme obsessiveness on the other end of this journey. It is worth a read.

When did everyone start drinking again? My surgeon's office said to wait 3 months post op. I'm not wanting to overindulge but I would like to enjoy a mimosa at the baby shower I'm going to in a couple weeks because heavens knows I will need help getting through it.

Make sure you eat breakfast in the morning which includes some sort of protein -- Greek yogurt, weight smart oatmeal, scrambled eggs... If you have a smart phone try using My Fittness Pal to track your progress. and keep you honest. Cut out all soda and alcohol ... its evil!

I'm about 6 1/2 months out. I have had alcohol once and I haven't had a single bowl of cereal since I was sleeved. Nobody can make you drink and eat that stuff except for you. The sleeve doesn't make you change your eating habits--you do that. Remember the part about not drinking when you eat? You can't eat cereal with milk--same thing. You're just diluting the cereal down, it's passing straight through and you get hungry quicker. I strongly suggest meeting with a dietician. Your physician should have provided you with a meal plan. I lost hair between 3 and months. You should be taking a multi-vitamin, vit D, Vit B12 and Calcium at the very least. You should be eating 60+ grams of Protein a day. Stop buying cereal. You will not be able to eat like you used to and keep the weight off. I'm down 77 lbs and I still cheat every now and then. I keep chocolate chips in the freezer so I get a crunchy/sweet snack sometimes. I eat pretzels ( I count out 10) when I want something salty. Stop buying cereal. If it's not there, you won't be able to eat it. Don't even go down the cereal aisle. And lay off the partying for awhile. There are plenty of things you can enjoy without alcohol. My diet plan is basically 3-4 oz of protein 3 times a day. I can have a low-carb veg if I'm still hungry AFTER eating the protein. I stay between 500-800 calories a day. Sometimes I still do a Protein shake at Breakfast. I eat around 20 grams of carbs a day. It's really a mindset, changing your attitude about food and developing self-control. You have to do the work--the sleeve only helps you with portion control. There are days I eat crap too. I think probably everyone does sometimes--protein can be boring. Save the crap for special occasions or just the occasional splurge.

OP- only YOU can decide if you have a problem with alcohol. The reason we are all picking up on that is because it is fairly common to see an alcohol problem emerge after WLS. It seems to me that alcohol is very important to you. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a problem with it. But consider also, if it is not a 'problem', then it shouldn't be a problem to give it a rest for a while. I must tell you that I, personally, am a recovering addict with over 3 years free of drugs or alcohol. When we are having trouble succeeding, we have to look at our self-destructive behaviors which may be contributing to our failures. I wish you much success and hope you can get some assistance to help you get on track.

Last night I drank a whole bunch for halloween, and during the past four days or so I have gone through like almost 4 boxes of Cereal, and not the good kind. I see people post on a support group Im in (not sure why Im in it..like...it does nothing for me but see people succeeding...yay them...) All this surgery did for me was make me drop like 60 pounds in the matter of 6 weeks or so, and made me not handle my alcohol at ALL. So I'm THAT guy when I go to college parties. And by THAT guy, I mean the guy who is the most drunk. I dont want to be the most drunk. I wonder if my stomach stretched all the way out? I never feel full anymore. My hair is falling out at an alarming rate, my shower/bathtub is a mess because I have like tens of dozens of hair strands just all around... yay life.

I threw up once when I had Cookies and Water, and I probably took too big of bites. I have had scares, but the only time anything has came up was once. And I learned my lesson to limit my drinking and eating at the same time. What are some dense Protein foods that can keep you full? eggs are apparently dense protein, dont do **** for me. Doesnt help that I cant cook. Doesnt help that I can eat a full bag of cereal and not feel a thing. I dont know how to take personal responsibility when I THOUGHT that was the point of the sleeve, to help me out. All it did was make me hurt like hell for two days, hurt bad for another 7, then be sore for another so and so weeks. TJL, Im mid summer. I have been taking my Vitamins once a day, maybe three days a week or four, when I want to be taking them twice a day seven days a week....Maybe thats why Im losing hair so fast. Its a bit disgusting. And guys Im not an alcoholic........I dont know why you got that picture. Alcohol now gets me soooo drunk that before I used to control myself, now its harder. I remember taking a shot of a 100 proof vodka and almost immediately felt it. It just goes through me.....

Just a couple of other things I wanted to mention, though for the most part it's already been said. As long as you're over 18 and your parents don't have any kind of medical proxy over you, your counselor can't tell them anything. Don't hesitate to be honest, that's why you're going there! As far as telling your doctors the truth, please, please, please do that too. Remember this: they work for you! Every time you see them, they get paid a ridiculous amount of money (whether you're self pay, have insurance or use assistance doesn't matter, they still get paid), and it's in your doctor's best interest to see you succeed. They can also refer you to a nutritionist who can help you figure out what you can eat that meets your nutritional needs and that is still within your culinary skill level. Don't let embarrassment damage your health. Also, I hope you don't take offense, but you might be helped by some assertiveness training too. I took an assertiveness seminar a few years ago and it made a huge difference in the way I carry myself, and how I live my life. You've got to practice it every day, and might need a refresher from time to time if it doesn't come naturally (it doesn't for me, and I could use a "tune up" at the moment myself), but it might help you reach a point where you're willing to step up instead of sublimating your needs to what you think other people want from you. It's also a good way to help you "lose your inhibitions" without alcohol . As long as you're still breathing, there's not much that can't be fixed if you really want to fix it - you can do this!

I quit 1/7/11 with Chantix and had surgery on 1/26/11. I had to stop taking the Chantix at least while I was in the hospital. I had such bad headaches from the withdrawal that I opted not to start taking them again. I felt really confident at the time that I would not go back to smoking. So far so good, but it is REALLY hard. I was a 30 yr 1 - 1.5 packs a day smoker. Now I've given up nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and food basically. I feel like there is no pleasure in my life. I also have a lot of stress due to my 23yr old son & his girlfriend just moving in with us. The urge to smoke has been terrible lately. I really enjoy saving the money, and not smelling like an ashtray........but I'm not sure how much longer I can fight the urge. I will be 4 weeks post-op tomorrow.

Hopefullyhappy, perhaps you can look up a local support group meeting for banded people in your area? I am recently banded and I will be attending my first meeting this month. I do agree with Honk that you should try to halt your drinking. Try drinking one, then sip on water. We are all in a new way of life and it may take time to change our previous lifestyle choices. I attend bootcamp for exercise, perhaps you can join a dance class? I know it is hard to keep a journal, perhaps you can write down your thoughts at the end of the night when you realized how much you were going out per week and over indulging in alcohol. That may help identify a pattern. I am finding I am getting better at organzing my house and watching less TV than before. I too struggle with watching choices but I remind myself that I can begin the day with a fresh new start. Don't beat yourself up, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and remember you are walking a new pathway and it isn't always mapped out for ourselves. Hang in there chickita! Best of luck to you! Dena.

This thread got me interested in further research on the subject, I found this article and the references fascinating... http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/10/cocktail-science-do-alcohol-calories-count-digesting-spirits.html And add to it the problems of figuring out your caloric set point that HBO highlighted in their documentary on the weight of the nation special...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A It is made even more complicated by the changes in hormone levels due to surgery and weight loss changes our body and makes us more efficient metabolic machines. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/grp/2013/528450/ This all points to one important thing, we don't know everything. So to the point of this thread, don't go nuts trying to figure out each calorie, but, it is a guide to help you lose and a good tool to aid you. But we are very complex critters. So eat well, just less of it and hang on as we keep learning new things. And keep listening to the many successful people on this site and their advise, I do.

Not having the emotional crutch of food and alcohol. Learning how to deal with life's stresses without my old standby's. Having to feel the full effects of my emotions without being able to dull the pain. I eventually had to find a good therapist and start taking antidepressants after my best friend committed suicide. As for drinking with meals, I do it all the time and have since about 6 months out.

I just cant seem to make it all work. I must remember my vitamins!! I finally got something to put them in so I can carry them with me for the days I'm gone the entire day. Haven't taken the Citricals, even the petites turn me off due to the size. I try to get in my Protein but I may only get 30-40, could this be what's causing my dizzy spells and nausea? For my Water, I can barely get in 30oz. Water is hard to go down and seems to only go down with a huge air bubble accompanying it. Juices go down fine and shakes too but at 3 weeks out, should I already be expecting to meet the daily requirements or just keep trying? I have a friend who calls her sleeve "Rockstar" because she never has any sickness or complications and she forgets to eat for days(she claims 4 at the most), she eats whatever she wants, whenever she wants, she drinks alcohol like a fish but no water at all, even smokes, never ever took Vitamins and finally got pregnant 2 times after trying for 14 years and at 6 years out, I want to admire her since she still loses weight but now she can do it on demand and looks great but I want to do mine the healthy way, I just cant seem to meet these numbers... I already had a hard time eating which is why I thought this surgery would be perfect because I can eat less but it's like I have to eat so much during a day just to lose weight.....and I just cant force feed myself that way. 1 or 2 small meals a day works just fine for me....or a pill that allows me not to eat at all...I always feel so fat and heavy after I eat anything. So if I can only force one...which is more important, vitamins, water or protein??

#3 on a day to day basis...no tracking, mindful of my protein and water intake, abstain from nothing but indulge in moderation. However, I tend to leap with both feet firm in the #2 camp over holidays and when on vacation. But afterwards my tummy usually hurts so bad from all the sugar and alcohol, I'm more than happy to return to the #3 camp.

All you really need is a good quality high protein powder to make your own shakes if you like high protein is important while limiting carbs and sugars preop! Also if you can start to cut out sodas and alcohol it will help a lot.

My mother in law and I got banded on the same day. (possible regret) It was good and bad. We have someone to ask questions of (ok- she has someone to ask questions of) We went back for one fill together and she has had one fill here in STL. My only regret is really not being able to do it sooner. I got pregnant (after 13 years of trying) while saving the $$$ UP THE FIRST TIME. wAITED ALMOST 2 YEARS then was able to do it. My small little problem is I am a great looser (if all goes well I will be well over 100 lbs lost before my 1 year anniversary- same as expected on bypass) Mom is not doing as well she is a very slow looser ( but if she followed any rules she might do better- her worst is the alcohol/wine every night & she refuse to do an exercise. She is closer to 45 lbs loss now. But it is still a loss. She is mad at me because I am in size L or 12/14 and she is still in 18's (I was 3x before). She also started out with miuch quicker losses before our first fill and I felt like a failure then. So I guess it evens out! But if they take my band- I would just cry and cry!!!! and probably make them wire my mouth shut. My only other regret is I can't enjoy a salad yet. It just sucks and tastes crappy after all that chewing. But when I get closer to goal- if I can't eat it then I will have some taken out!

Maybe values was the wrong word. What I was trying to say is if you are an alcoholic you don't surround yourself with alcoholics. If you are a former drug user you don't surround yourself with drug users. If you are a binge eater, you don't surround yourself with binge eaters. Not that you wouldn't try to help others or that you would feel superior to others. That's not what I meant. I meant that in order to be healthy (from the addiction) you have to change your behavior and that can mean the people you associate with.

I went on an alcohol and eating feast the first two weeks after learning that I was going to have lap-band. It was just to clean out the frig and wet bar -- great that this happen at St. Patrick's Day. Since March 18th, I've been sticking to Protein drinks and one balanced dinner. No alcohol, no sodas, no red meat, almost no bread -- the killer was no ice cream. AND I still have to get down to a BMI of 40 or 327 lbs before Memorial Bariatric Center will perform the lap-band surgery. Stay focused on the goal.

I can get drunk and sober several times in one night. Sometimes I’m drunk off 1 drink but I sober up in a crazy fast rate. Keep most of my drinks low in alcohol sugars and diet or calorie free mixers. Addiction transfer is real. My sister is in AA and my uncle was a hardcore drunk so I’m mindful. Luckily, zero issues with my drinking habits. I was actually sober from 2007 (17) until 2012. I didn’t really NEED it but I was going through a weird time as I became bipolar. Once I got that sorted and took an addition class at UCLA I realized I’m a normie!