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FYI, I found this great explanation of how alcohol is metabolized in the body. If you don't have any chemistry training or background, don't get too bogged down in the first part of the page, it's all chemical symbols, etc. There is a wealth of knowledge later in the page that the average lay person will understand and appreciate though. Some of my favourites (you learn something new every day!): Women: If a woman and a man of the same weight drink the same amount of alcohol under the exact same circumstances, the woman will on the average have a much higher BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) than the man. This is because women have much less of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomachs than men do. If the same man and woman are given an injection of alcohol instead of drinking it they will tend to have the same BAC. This is because when the alcohol is injected it bypasses the alcohol dehydrogenase in the stomach. Why You Shouldn’t Drink on an Empty Stomach The surface area of the human stomach is only a couple of square feet, but because the small intestine has protrusions called villi, the surface area of the small intestine is thousands and thousands of square feet. Because of this fact the small intestine is many, many times more efficient than the stomach at absorbing alcohol. If you want the alcohol to be absorbed into the bloodstream slowly so that your BAC will only rise slowly, your best bet is to keep the alcohol in the stomach for as long as possible. This actually can be done. There is a valve between the stomach and the small intestine called the pyloric valve, and when this valve is closed the alcohol will stay in the stomach. This valve stays closed when the stomach is full of food. So this is why eating a full meal helps keep you from becoming rapidly intoxicated. Fatty foods and heavy foods tend to stay in the stomach longer than vegetables or sugars. Bluesman Charlie Patton spoke the truth when he said "If you eat a lot of fat meat you don't get so drunk." This was his formula for maintaining when he played at parties where the booze flowed all ***ht long. Carbonation: Carbonation speeds the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. People drinking carbonated drinks will become intoxicated more quickly and achieve higher BACs than people dinking the same amount of alcohol per hour in the form of non-carbonated drinks. There is, however, a trade-off here because many people drink carbonated drinks more slowly than non-carbonated drinks. Diet Soda: Diet soda interacts with alcohol too, so people who drink mixed drinks made with diet soda will become intoxicated more quickly and achieve higher BACS than people drinking identical drinks made with regular soda. Researchers in Adelaide, Australia found that the stomach emptied into the small intestine in 21.1 minutes for the people who drank mixed drinks made with diet soda. When people drank drinks made with regular soda, the stomach emptied in 36.3 minutes (P <.01). Peak blood alcohol concentration was 0.053 g% for the diet drinks and 0.034 g% with the regular drinks. Alcohol and Blood Sugar Although alcohol may cause a slight rise in blood sugar levels when initially ingested--the overall effect of alcohol is to cause a drop in blood sugar. The more you drink the more the blood sugar drops. Eating before, during or after drinking can help to alleviate this blood sugar drop somewhat. Drinks with lots of carbs like beer or mixed drinks with sugary mixers can lead to blood sugar spikes preceding the blood sugar drop. Because of alcohol's effect on blood sugar people with diabetes are recommended to have no more than one or two standard drinks per day and to avoid drinks high in carbs. Untreated diabetes can lead to severe consequences including blindness, amputation of limbs affected by gangrene and even death--so diabetics are recommended to be especially cautious about their alcohol intake.

Supersweetums, as soon as I saw you post about drinking "Caesars", I immediately knew you must be Canadian! This drink is not widely know to our U.S. friends! For those unaware, the drink is called a Bloody Caesar and it's essentially a Blood Mary, but instead of using straight tomato juice, the "filler" is a mix of tomato juice and clam juice (also known as Clamato juice). All the other ingredients are essentially the same (vodka, Tabasco, salt, pepper, Worchestershire sauce). The rim of the glass is coated with celery salt, and usually garnished with either olives or a celery stick, and a slice of lime. Before you freak out and say "OMG, clam juice? Yuck!"....it's surprisingly good tasting, and extremely popular here in Canada. We can even buy the pre-made mix in various ****e levels (mild, medium and HOT) in the grocery store and all you have to do is add vodka, a few ice cubes, and enjoy!

If you feel you are ready to consume alcohol at this point (I would wait, myself), it is strongly suggested that you don't have beer. The carbonation in beer will probably hurt due to the bubbles expanding your stomach, and the acidity due to the carbonic acid in the beer might also make your stomach upset. I tried a Sminoff Ice Light (that's a citrus vodka cooler sweetened with sucralose) a few days ago (I'm about 12 weeks post-op) and I could only drink about 2 sips before it was uncomfortable. It has carbonation and I thought if I took it very slowly, it would be okay. NOT! Plus, truthfully, I didn't really enjoy it at all. Maybe it was because I was feeling stressed that I was drinking something on the "do not do" list (alcohol AND carbonation), and maybe it was because my tastes have changed. And even from just a couple of sips, I felt the "buzz" very quickly and it wasn't a pleasant buzz........ If you really want to try something alcoholic, try something non-carbonated first and see how a few sips sit before you proceed any further. Make sure you're in a place where if you get a bit "buzzed", it's okay (like home or a friend's place). Make sure you don't have to drive anywhere after. Our alcohol tolerance is so low now that the standard 1 drink per hour and you're okay to drive rule doesn't apply to us anymore! And finally, alcohol will significantly contribute to dehydration (which is usually why we feel so bad the next day when hung-over!). Make sure you have lots of Water before your drink, and lots more water after your drink. The last thing you need to do is also get dehyrated, on top of getting tipsy!

That's good news.........you got lucky! So I guess from now on, the important thing is to slow down and give more thought to your actions before you do something and double check it's okay for you pre-op and even more important post-op! This is a MAJOR change in your life, on almost all fronts, so it will be difficult to remember everything you're supposed to do and what you're not supposed to eat, or do. Try to keep your most important information close-by so you can refer to things when you need direction, and come visit VST when you're not sure. Someone here will help, no doubt! Good luck with your surgery and welcome to the Loser's Bench! You will be happy with Dr. Kelly and his team, I'm sure. He's a great surgeon with a fantastic bedside manner and Omar and Cecey (Dr. Kelly's wife) are the best.

I have the big "caboose" and a large "front end". What a picture! I'm MORE than curvy, in all directions! But I'm down close to 55 lbs about 11 weeks post-op and I actually do see it shrinking! I take measurements on my "surgiversary" and I do pictures (front, side and back) every 2 months. You will get there...........the incredible shrinking butt is going to be YOU.........believe it! As to not felling that big, it's amazing! I obviously think I'm smaller than I am (and was). I used to sport a large variety of bruises all over my body from trying to get through spaces I can't fit through, walking past walls and thinking I had room to spare, etc. If that's not a strong indication of a messed-up body image, I don't know what is! I'm hoping my size will shrink down to what my brain thinks it really is.........so that I stop running into things! LOL

Wow.....really fantastic! Everything is smaller except your glasses and your smile! And you've got lots to smile about! Keep up the great work and savour the NSVs like this. They are the little things we never even thought about pre-op and now we get them on a daily basis. You've taken back your life and living it to the fullest..........yeah!

When the surgeon and/or hospital administer blood thinners pre and post-op, they are using a controlled dose; they are aware of the pathophysiological activity of the drug they are administering and they know the best way to control the amount to keep it from being too high or too low for that particular patient's medical history, weight, etc. When the patient takes meds themselves, they often are unable to answer important questions about what they took, what strength and dosage and frequency ,etc. That leaves a lot of guesswork for the surgeon and support staff and can introduce unforeseen complications related to excess bleeding, or not enough thinning (should they decide to forgo injected blood thinners due to the patient taking an oral med themselves). There is a good chance you will still be able to proceed with your surgery, as long as you can give Dr. Kelly a complete picture of what you took and any possible medical history-related items that are particular to you. He will know which questions to ask so that he can make that decision and advise you accordingly. Get in touch with him right away (try Omar again, if he hasn't responded in a reasonable period of time. He's usually very fast to reply). And definitely stop taking the Ibuprofen immediately! Good luck!

The smile on your face says it all.........! Congratulations on your success so far. Those NSVs are the greatest, aren't they? By the time you are in the wedding in December, you will have to get a significant refit done! Keep up the great work, and keep smiling. You have a lot to be happy about!

Yup, I agree completely! I only posted my response for anyone else who's read the thread and is calorie and fat-aware such as me so they are tuned into the numbers around pepperoni. They can then decide if it's right for them with a more complete nutritional picture! Exactly as you say, everyone has their own approach, and I'm not suggesting my way is the only or best way! There are more ways "under the sun" than there are people....... Keep up the great work! Cheers.

No question, pepperoni slices are yummy. But for me at this point in my post-op (approx. 3 months), my calorie intake is about 600-650 per day. Just 6 slices of pepperoni have 140 calories and 13 g of fat, but only 5 g of protein! When I eat them, I feel like I've "blown the budget' when it comes to fat and calories (I target about 20-22 g of fat per day and 60+ g of protein). Those 6 pepperoni slices are: - 60% of my fat "budget" for the day - only provide about 8% of my day's protein requirements - at 140 calories, it's about 22% of my day's calories I would have to eat 12 x that amount (a whopping 72 slices!) to get my full 60 g of protein. And it would be 156 g of fat (more than a week's worth!) and 1680 calories (again, close to 3 days worth). Doesn't seem fair, does it? When I feel tempted to eat pepperoni, I eat one or two slices and them supplement with some cottage cheese (1%). A 4 oz serving of 1% cottage cheese provides: - 0 carbs - 90 calories - 1 g of fat (<5% of daily target) - 14 g of protein (23% of daily target) - 270 mg of sodium (12% of daily target) I would only have to eat 17 oz of cottage cheese to get my full 60 g of protein, with only 4 g of fat, and only 386 calories! That being said, not everyone likes cottage cheese (flavour, texture, etc.) and sometimes you just want to bite and chew (hard to do with cottage cheese!). I couldn't eat 17 oz of cottage cheese, believe me! Who would? I'm just using it as a comparative example. And I am certainly not Ms. Perfect when it comes to my eating either! But thinking about my day's food as if it fits into a "budget" seems to work for me. Once I've "spent" my allotment in each area, I'm done for the day (except protein, which I always try to increase, where possible). It's keeps me in check and so far my results have been good and I'm less tempted to cheat. And of course, using tools to monitor your food intake, nutritional information, etc. are vital. We have to know what we're putting into our bodies, how much fat, carbs, protein, sodium, etc. I started out using Sparkpeople.com but I bought a Fitbit, and Iiked the fact that it interfaced with MyFitnessPal (MFP), so I use MFP to track everything. They have a good smartphone app, so I have no excuses for not logging and knowing where I stand at any particular point in time.

Hi former_vbg! I don't know much about your situation other than what you've got in your signature. But I do see that you've been VERY successful with your sleeve! Congratulations on a job well done, and being an inspiration to those of us still on that road. I wanted to point out a couple of cautionary things. You mention in your post that you've "developed a taste for crunchy / salty things in the past several months". That's okay in moderation, but as you've identified, it's not easy for you to control. One of the problems many of us obese (formerly obese in your case!) patients share is food addiction and the inability to manage our cravings. You've clearly done VERY well in managing things to get to your goal. Now is not the time to let that self-control slip away from you! You can indulge your love of salty foods "once in a while", but as you mention, it sounds like going cold-turkey with the pickles will help prevent you from going down a slippery slope. The sodium not only contributes to water retention and weight gain, it also stresses your kidneys, creates an electrolyte imbalance in your entire body, and increases the work your heart must do (greater resistance in your blood vessels means having to pump harder to distribute blood - a classic cause of high blood pressure!). I'm not saying a day or two of pickle-fixation is going to create any long-term problems......and we all have cravings we occasionally need to fill. Heck, we're only human! Just keep an eye on yourself and your behaviors and nip them in the bud if they look like they could become a problem. FYI, I also love pickles, but I usually have 1-2 a week with my lunch and that's it. Luckily my current fixation is with sashimi and since it's all Protein, I'm okay (LOL). I go VERY easy on the soy sauce and wasabi. Congrats again on doing fantastic with your sleeve and getting to goal!

LOL. That is what I call my thighs too....makes my husband laugh every time!

I'm 5;4" (on a "tall" day).... My pre-op weight was 319 lbs and I was having some challenges with various size 28 pants (depending on the style). I'm now down 52 lbs and can get comfortably into most size 26 pants (with room to spare), but even fit in to a variety of size 24 pants (again, depending on the style). I carry most of my weight in my hips, butt and thighs, but my abdomen is/was no slouch either! Someday (not too far away) I hope to fit easily into single digits!

I had a lock on my suitcase that I bought before flying. It was one of those locks that are part of the airport security system (the inspectors have a universal key to open and then relock at the airport when you're not there to open it for them.....protects your bag from theft by other staff, baggage handlers, etc.). It won't prevent a determined thief (they'll just break or cut off the lock), but it should prevent spontaneous theft and it would leave evidence that there was tampering. In my case, my surgeon was Dr. Kelly in Tijuana, and his assistant Omar offered (before I even had a chance to ask) to take my bag with him and lock it in his car until after my surgery. I wasn't really concerned about leaving it in my hospital room, but I let him take it "just in case" and it gave me extra piece of mind. I got it back right after surgery (I was still asleep in my room!) and all was good. Perhaps you could ask for something similar from your surgeon's coordinator?

I'm so glad! Some days, it's just hard to keep up your motivation....but the great thing about life is that a fresh new day is coming! And then you get to start all over again!

Post-op pain in the shoulder is often just a sign of the gas that was injected into your abdomen migrating upward under your shoulder blade. If however, you are concerned, and/or if you have nausea, trouble keeping liquids down, fever, pain (new), etc. then please get yourself to an ER right away and have it investigated!

Try to be patient.......I know it's hard! I stalled at week 5 for 11 days. And now I'm stalled again (started 2 days before my 2 month surgiversary), for the past 9 days..... Looks like I'm going to be losing 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, then stalled for 1 1/2 weeks. A frustrating cycle! But when I ended my first stall (didn't change anything really, just kept on "keeping on"), the weight was really falling off fast 14 lbs in less than 3 weeks! So I guess if I'm able to lose about 15 lbs a month, I'm going to be quite happy with that (with periods of frustration every month!).

You're already 60% of the way there according to your ticker (6 lbs lost, with only 4 more to go!). You can do this! Protein first every day to fill you up. Veggies after, to give you good nutrients and vitamins! Keep the carbs as low as you possibly can (especially breads, Pasta, sweets, etc.). Watch the sugars in your drinks (they are sneaky carbs!). You can do this! I believe in you. Others here do too! Now you have to believe in yourself............stick with it.

Hoping2BSleeved, I thought I would share my perspective with you as well, regarding the "tone" of your post(s) so that you may understand why some of us may be reacting negatively. The interpretation of who the "best" surgeon is, whether it be in Mexico, the United States, or anywhere else in the world, is HIGHLY subjective. Just a few of the influencing factors in people's decisions include: - highest level of experience, regardless of cost. - complication factors related to the environment (hospital vs. clinic) where that surgeon practices - level of experience in their support staff (such as anesthetist, nurses, etc.) - type and duration of post-op care and support - exact surgical technique (drains vs. no drains, placement and number of incisions, experience with complex cases involving previous abdominal adhesions, etc.) - some patients are revising from the lapband to the sleeve - not all surgeons have this experience and it can be tricky and finally, for some, cost is an ABSOLUTE factor. This surgery can save their lives, but if they can't afford the most expensive surgeon, does that mean they shouldn't have it done at all? I don't believe that...and many people here have very successfully had wonderful surgical outcomes with less expensive surgeons. Myself, I travelled from Canada. We have national healthcare, and if I was willing to wait long enough (5-7 years) and get the substantial medical backing that I would have needed to justify the surgery, I could have had it done for free here. I chose to not wait any longer (I'm already 42 and still healthy, but with a long history of obesity-related disease in my family). I chose a Mexican surgeon based on my own personal influencing factors. I too had a list of several choices and after exhaustive research here on VST and many other resources, as well as speaking directly with surgeons and their former patients, made my choice. I am very happy with my experience and my outcome thus far. So are many many others on VST who made their own choices based on their own individual factors. At no time did anyone try to talk me into, or out of my choice. They simply provided information in an unbiased and factual way. For example. For myself, based on my personality, I knew that I would prefer a hospital and hotel environment for my post-op time, as I tend to be a care-giver and would find myself trying to help others if I was in a recovery house. This was time for me to focus on myself, and I knew that it would best be achieved if I was more alone and introspective. Others find they do much better in a group environment and have the ability to share the experience with people going through the exact same thing as they are. That is why so many of us are here on VST! Those individuals would benefit the most from the recovery house experience. Please try to remember that we are all here to offer assistance to one another, through all phases of the VST journey (planning, pre-op and post-op). Our individual choices and experiences are unique to ourselves and while we share much common ground in how we got here and how we're improving our lives with this surgery, NONE of us are better than the other. Not in our choice of surgeon, in the amount of money we spend or spent, in how fast we're losing, how long we've stayed at goal, etc. We're all just walking this path together and we all value our lives, our families and our health. Valuing your community here on VST in that same way will get you a long way towards more support and friendship here. Perhaps re-read your post(s) before you hit the "post" button, and try to read your comment through other people's eyes. It may help you "soften" your tone a bit and get you the help and feedback that you are hoping for, rather than the flood of "reaction" that you appear to be getting instead.

The advice you're getting to walk is great if the pain is due to gas. Myself, I had alot of pain when drinking post-op for the first two weeks. It due to the swelling and inflammation in my stomach from the surgery. Every drink, especially if I didn't take very small sips was a new experience in cramping, twisting stomach pain! I was really worried it would be that way forever. But it soon resolved, and now I can drink several sizable gulps in a row without discomfort.

That is fantastic and fast, but as Lissa points out, don't expect it to go that fast every week or for months at a time! The initial loss is usually quick dramatic due to many reasons. You're losing Water, so that is quick. You're eating VERY little post-op as you begin healing and learning what you can and cannot tolerate. You stomach is quite swollen, so you capacity is tiny. It will get bigger and you will eat more. On the flip-side. Those of us who have more to lose (starting with BMI >45 or >50) tend to lose faster. It's probably tied to the fact that our new calorie intake is so dramatically less than what we were eating prior to surgery, just to maintain our larger size! Now we're eating tiny amounts and still having to use up energy to move our big bodies around. This creates a significant calorie deficit, and the only place the body can turn to for that energy gap is our fat! Which is fantastic! That's what we want! Use up that fat darn it! Beware though, as we get smaller, our calorie requirements decrease, and our food intake will remain roughly the same. That means a smaller calorie deficit and slower loss. That's usually why VSG patients have to "crank up" the exercise as they get closer to goal. To introduce more of a calorie deficit (we can't cut back on our intake, after all, it's already very low!). Enjoy your "shotgun" start! And keep up the great work!

Nope! If the inches are coming off, you need to put the scale away for a while. The numbers on the scale are only part of your story. Do you feel more energetic? Clothes fitting more loosely? Better endurace/stamina? Have you started doing some exercise (even just walking is great!). The scale can be a thorn in our sides, especially during the famous "stalls" (often at 3 week, but sometime later in the early days). Let your tape measure give you some feedback, but mostly, just "keep on, keeping on". It takes time for our bodies to adjust to everything that's going on.

I paid an upgrade fee to fly to San Diego (and back) for my surgery with Dr. Kelly in Tijuana. I didn't really need the "pampering" for the flight there, but I wanted to treat myself. It was MUCH more comfortable, and the service difference between first class (called Executive on Air Canada) was AMAZING. Only 20 seats in Executive and we had an attendant all to ourselves. drinks before we even left the terminal......nuts in an individual ceramic dish......Free headsets, newspapers, pillow, blankets, 4 course meal in real china with stainless steel cutlery, free alcohol, Snacks. Unbelievable difference! Of course, as I was on a clear liquid diet, I didn't get to eat anything, and no alcohol. But it was still really comfy and pampered! If you can afford the upgrade (or talk your way into one), you should go for it!

I posted about this yesterday. Here's a repeat! You may be experiencing excess acid production and sometimes this leads to reflux. Many VSG patients have reflux post-op. For some it resolves with time, for others it ends up being fairly permanent. The good news is that it is quite well controlled with medication (a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) such as Omeprazole (Prilosec) often by itself or in combination with another med). There are many theories as to the why patients develop Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) post VSG surgery: 1. The new long narrow shape of the stomach make the mobility of the acids more easily progress up into the esophagus. 2. The sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach many have mobility issues post-op due to the surgery. Often these will resolve with time and healing. In some cases, there may have been some scarring or injury to the sphincter during surgery that can result in a more permanent condition. 3. During post-op healing (which can take up to 6 months to fully heal), the lining of the stomach is very sensitive and more likely to react to the acids being produced. This can cause some spasms that may push the acids upward into the esophagus. 4. Some patients may develop a hiatus hernia. A hiatus hernia is a widening of the diaphragm at the point where the esophagus passes from the chest into the abdomen. When you have a hiatus hernia, the stomach slips into the chest and the sphincter at the end of the esophagus is less effective. The hiatus hernia can be surgically repaired (and often patients have this pre-op and it is found during VSG surgery and it is repaired during the VSG!), which should also help resolve the sphincter mobility problems. 5. And of course, eating foods that irritate the stomach or cause excess acid production, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, garlic, onions, spicy foods, foods high in fat, alcohol, and caffeine should be avoided in the early post-op stage. If you are progressing well following the elimination of many of the foods suggested above and are taking a PPI, you can begin to try to reintroduce one of these foods at a time and assess your tolerance. Laying down after eating can also increase the likelihood of GERD and should be avoided. Good luck!

Benjammin, you are so CUTE! Thanks for making me smile!