anayortiz

alcohol has affected my weight loss, I'm definitely limiting myself to 1 day at week.

after the surgery I was feeling depressed and found myself drinking 3 - 4 times per week, n 9 months Ive only lost 60lbs. which makes me sad to know, i let my emotions take over.
I will definitely think twice about drinking during the week n try to workout instead of thinking of drinking.

I will just tell you from personal experience that I drank once at almost 5 months out & I don't ever want to drink again. Whiskey neat was my drink of the night. I am no light weight drinker. I got VERY drunk VERY quickly. In the past I would have had a liter of Water & 2 Tylenol before bed. With the sleeve I just couldn't get anywhere near that quantity of water in. I had one of the worst hangovers of my life the day after. The alcohol tore my whole intestinal system up. It was horrible. I can tell you that I have absolutely no interest in ever drinking again. So, I won't preach about calories or addictions, but I'll tell you that it straight up sucked. Big time. So, proceed with caution.

Okay, you asked for info, so I'm going to give you some with "no holds barred".
Let's start with some facts:
Beer - 12 oz - 5-6% alcohol - 150 calories
Beer, light - 12 oz - 4-5% alcohol - 105 calories
Wine - 4 oz - 12% alcohol - 77 calories
Wine cooler - 10 oz - 5-6.5% alcohol - 125 calories
Spirits - 1 oz - 40-80% alcohol - 64-84 calories
Liquiers - 1 oz - 16-26% alcohol - 103-123 calories
You're not using mixers, so you think calories are not a problem. WRONG!
Just ONE drink per day will use up approx. 10% of your target calorie intake in the first few months of your post-op life. That is without any redeeming nutrional qualities such as Protein, Vitamins, minerals, etc.
In fact, alcohol causes very significant dehydration during the metabolization process (that's a large part of why people get such horrible hangovers). The liver metabolizes fat (important during weight loss), however alcohol intake takes "priority" in the liver and fat metabolism will take a "back seat" while it works through your alcohol.
Alcohol consumption causes increased loss of Calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. It interferes with Vitamin absorption (B1, B6, B12 and folate), as well as interfering with the processing of Vitamin A and D.
Post-op you are already facing a significant challenge in maintaining proper nutrtion, preventing muscle loss due to Protein canabalization (the body prefers to break down muscle for energy before it breaks down fat) and dehydration due to smaller quantities of food/fluid intake.
The body also needs much more Water to process fat and alcohol than you normally need when not in weight-loss mode.
SO WHAT, you say? A couple of drinks a day won't hurt me (I assume you mean at least that many if you "like to drink a lot").
Aside from the obvious health risks excessive alcohol brings into your life without this surgery, you MUST realize that drinking AFTER this surgery will negate most of the positive effects of this very drastic decision you've made to remove 85% of your stomach!
Now as to problems.......
You wil get drunk VERY fast compared to pre-op. That could lead to safety issues (driving, operting machinery, hell even walking could be dangerous!). And when you drink, you lose your inhibitions, and sometimes self-control. But for the first few months of post-op life, you MUST be super-careful what you eat/drink so you don't damage your stomach and possibly cause a life-threatening leak!
It's hard to be in good control and make smart decisions when you are impaired. And you WILL be impaired, even if you're not ready to admit that to yourself or anyone else. The brain does not operate at optimal performance levels with toxins "on board" and that is literally what alcohol is, and that is why we get drunk.
I'm not saying NEVER drink. But you should wait until you're stable and fully recovered from surgery (that can take up to 6 months), on a good stable eating plan (also at least 6 months) and when you do start drinking again, make it in a controlled and safe environment (at home?).
Okay. So now you know and you can make informed decisions. It's up to you.

I had my first drink 9 weeks post op...i am a bartender so although i dont really drink at work i do socialize and like my cocktails. I am a beer and vodka drinker and shots are always in the mix. i havent had any beer ,i scared of the bubbles and i usually use seltzer as a mix so i cant do that now either ..also the shots i havent done .. but i love my coconut vodka on the rocks with a bit of pineapple juice now or my vodka and splash of cran with lots of ice.. We have to live our lives so enjoy !!! Its just the calories i think we need to watch out for!

Find out when your doc clears you to drink.
Alcohol is empty calories so just keep that in the back of your mind. Also crossover addiction is a concern. But one night after doc clears you probably won't be too risky.
Beer may make you feel bloated, but it wouldn't stretch your stomach. If any excess gas is stuck you will burp it out just like pre-op. With the fundus removed, the stretchy part is gone.
Alcohol on a fresh cut probably doesn't feel too good. So at least six weeks. But again ask your surgeon.

I am less than 2 weeks out. They said I could have wine. First of all I drank too much and threw up. Then the next day I could barely move. It was like hangover x10. I stayed in bed all day. I guess next time I will just sip one glass, if there is a next time. May just give it up now hen I added the wine to my fitness pal I was disgusted at the calories.

Are you serious? I was told absolutely no beer, never. I am a beer drinker, so that made me sad...but I think a beer, that is carbonated & expands in your stomach, is super risky at 2 weeks post op. I will probably try drinking a beer a year post op.

I have a glass of wine every now and again. But I really feel guilty about consuming the empty calories, that takes me off of my plan, so I avoid it as much as I can. Quit drinking beers altogether and haven't had a cocktail in about 8 months. Really like how I feel!

I'm 2 weeks post op and I had a small (1/4 c) of red wine last night. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the taste. I let the wine sit on my pallet and it wasn't bad. It relaxed me...I was afraid it would do damage to my healing process, pouring alcohol in my healing tummy. I felt fine.

I have a concert at the end of July and my surgery is end of June how long before you can have a glass of wine ? Not sure if I will ever want to have another drink after the surgery bit I'm just curious

^ I am in the same position. I can literally eat much more than I expected. I tracked it for 2 days via myfitness pal and saw that on those 2 days where I ate to fullness (not stuffed) I ate close to 1400cals!! So after those 2 days I went back to my normal 650-800ish cals.
You are definitely correct in stating that we must have control over our minds and actions. I can't rely on Mother Natures hunger cues because I am often tricked by Father Time's quick and instant head hunger, which is then followed by Baby Slumber (NAP!) So, I must be very aware of what I am putting into my mouth and savor each bite slowly in order to conquer the partial beast that remains inside of me.

Hi jennlg2! I hope you're feeling more positive today. Firstly I'd like to point out that you're still losing weight and that's the most important thing. Second, my two cents, try and stay away from fast food joints..they're bad for you. And lastly, when at all possible have your homemade "go to" easy foods on hand whether its tuna..protein bar..ricotta bake lol..anything! If you're going to fill a largish sleeve fill it with Protein. I got that advice from a nice lady on this site.
I'm almost five weeks out and can eat everything and it seems a lot of it :-( I was feeling really sad and cheated that the sleeve wasn't restricting me like advertised! I had head hunger but now I recognize the difference and know that I actually get hungry..total bummer..and to top it off I haven't lost any weight since one week post op and even gained two pounds this week. But you know what!? The sleeve is a tool. We need to learn how to use it, take advantage of it and most importantly CONTROL OUR MINDS AND ACTIONS! It's hard..it's a downer but it's up to you too make it work :-)
I'm totally pms and wanting to eat everything in sight..I'm going to eat tuna and cheese instead. Tomorrow? I don't know but for this bit of hunger..I'm in control? Lol!
Good luck and thank all of you for listening and helping :-)

omg ! my boss used to make fun of me bc i was cold all the time too !!

I worry about this, too. I know I can eat more than others say they can. If I thought it would stay like this forever, I'd be thrilled. I'm currently 5 months out, I'm doing fine and losing, but I do wish I was one of those who report being full after a few bites. I totally know what the OP is referring to - it's a little frightening to think we went through all this only to end up with minimal restriction.
Its just too soon to know how much we will be able to eat, but I try not to worry too much. We can still lose the weight, it was never a magic bullet anyway. For me, even without great restriction, it is still way easier than before surgery.

I'm one week out and I'm surprised at how much liquid I'm able to drink

I'm still measuring and recording my intake, but I will say I'm hungry more now, I think the ghrelin is coming back. I say that because was always over heated and sweaty before surgery and after surgery I was cold all the time but the last couple of weeks (no matter what the weather) I'm hot and sweaty all over again.

I'm 6 months post-op. I am experiencing feeling hungry again & being able to eat more. I notice that there seem to be a lot of variables though. For example, if I start my day with food instead of Fluid I can eat more at Breakfast (a whole NY bagel as opposed to a half). Nobody needs to tell me that I shouldn't be eating Bagels. I know. I think Laura is right. This seems to be where some hard work begins. I am happy with my results 6 months out, but I have to make better choices. This week I have been dealing with the return of PMS cravings. It's been hard because I haven't really had cravings before now, but I have been wanting ice cream all week! I haven't had any & am feeling cranky as a result.
Just keep hanging on & try to find what works best for you. I am in the same situation. Like I said, I notice that when I drink more regularly I have less capacity for food. I still follow the rule of no drinking 30 minutes before or after meals. I avoid foods that easily slide through my sleeve (like Cheetos). Sometimes I just serve myself 6 oz of tofu, vegetables & rice but don't eat anymore even if I think that I'm still hungry. It's trial & error. The sleeve is a tool & I guess this is kind of like we just got our training wheels taken off. You're not alone & we can all do this!

I am 18 months now. I can eat all the filling from a 6 inch sub. Veggies meat all the good stuff. I can eat a 6 inch meatball, with half the bread. I usually cut the part that is less messy, then fold it in half. Going back to liquids for a few days does help. I had the flu for a week an only did liquids, once I was able to each I could tell the difference.
Also to put it in perspective, when I was 6 months I could eat 1 chicken wing. At a year I could do 2. Now I can do 3 and a bite of celery. Still pretty good!!

I worry I'm going to be one of those people that can still eat like a cow, even with their sleeve. I'm only a week out and I can already drink liquids pretty quickly and can gulp with no pain. I'm really looking forward to solid foods so I can feel the restraint of my sleeve!

Proton Pump Inhibiter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton-pump_inhibitor Prilosec is a common one.
Lynda

Liquid calories will go right through you and not fill you up. Drinking liquids with your meals will make your stomach empty faster and you will be hungry faster. That's why you are supposed to wait 30+ minutes before and after meals to drink. Some people have been told 45 minutes or an hour, even.

I've been feeling like that lately, hungry all the time and have only lost 60lbs. since September 2012, not sure what I'm doing but it can get depressing sometimes

Before you look into appetite suppressants you might want to try upping your Protein. Protein helps with hunger . I don't know what your eating habits were after surgery and now but also try eating more often. I eat every 3 hours and on avg. about 5 times a day. My body no knows tat it will get food every 3 hours and I don't start to feel hungry unless I go over the 3-4 hour mark. Some people eat even 6 times a day. I am not a doctor so I would ask your doctor about this before doing anything. But I feel if you get more protein in and have a fixed eating schedule you will see a difference.

Hi everyone. I am 5 months post op and am not one of the lucky ones who lost my hunger. Sadly I've been hungry since I woke up from surgery. For the most part I can usually stay between 800-1000 calories a day. I'm considering taking an appetite suppressant to help with the hunger to get me down to my goal weight. I am still losing weight right now, but I know I could lose SO much more if I wasn't constantly hungry all the time. So, thoughts? Anyone else do this? I have emailed my dietician but have not heard back yet.