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For anyone pre-op, this tip from my nurse: Let the alcohol that you used to sterilize the skin dry completely before you inject. It's the alcohol that stings.

I had sleeve on 4/25/2018. Sw: 215 cw: 192 gw: 145. I’ve been struggling with depression and binging on the soft foods for about a week. Here’s what I’ve come up with: walking is my meditation. Bariatric is my hobby for the foreseeable future. Like an alcoholic I NEED support. Having low energy and being inside too much really brought me down. Also my hormones are whacked right now. Estrogen is off. Sex is off. So I’m sure our hormones and serotonin are off so walk. If you want to connect directly I’m kgbhalloween@gmail.com

Hi, I have not had my surgery yet, I will have it in October . I am a insulin dependent diabetic right now . I have been following the eating plan my Nut gave me in March 2018. I have had some very low glucose scares,. They usually happen in the middle of the night . I have dropped my insulin way down and I make sure I get something with protein and a few carbs about 1 hr before bed. My diet looks like this 3 oz lean protein 3x a day 3 servings low fat dairy 3x a day ( this counts towards my protein) 3 or more servings of veggies a day ( 1 c raw or 1/2 c cooked) 2 servings max of fruit 1 healthy fat ( oatmeal, quinoa 1/2 c I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks for anywhere of 1000 - 1200 calories daily 100 g protein 60 - 90 carbs ( I never reach this ) I have not had surgery yet 64oz water ( I drink about 80oz) No caffeine ( decaf is ok) no regular creamer sf only I use vanilla protein powder in my coffee that helps with my protein also No alcohol ( empty calories, high sugar) No pop or anything that is carbonated No candy, chips, bread , anything made with flour, rice, bananas, cream soup, tomato soup ( unless I make it myself without sugar) No pasta No juice (regular or diet) I used to have juice to help with my bs lows before I started this Now I use glucose tabs with 4g sugar. No real sugar ( stevia, Splenda ,other subs are ok with my Nut ) I drink at least 1 protein shake a day to get my 100g in. I will be going down to 80g in the beginning of June If you would like to know more send me a private message. I have lost 44.5 lbs from following this and exercising 5 days a week. I don’t miss the carbs anymore, I do miss my club soda but I can live without bubbles in my water. I will be very honest I started this diet change 7 months before I am even having surgery because I know myself. It will take me that long to be clean as I call it. I do have a treat now and then ,I have gone out and eaten a pice of fried food but I always ask for a box to be brought out when they bring my meal I take most of it and put it in the go box. My husband gets any fried food left over and I get the veggies , I always order veggies as my side . I don’t always get my protein in or my water but I try. I was never up before 9 am and now I am up at 5:30 and leave for the gym at 6:30 Monday - Friday . On the weekends I am usually walking around our doing yard work that is my exercise for the weekend. You can do this. You will have some bs lows but you will deal with them and move on. Please don’t get discouraged because of 1 person. Ask all the questions you have this forum is full of the best people around . They have experienced everything after there surgeries and have the best suggestions and great ideas to help get through this. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

from what I have heard, if you have nicotine, alcohol, or recreational drugs in your system the day of your surgery the doctor will cancel your procedure.

If you are finding that post- sleeve you are much more vulnerable to alcohol, you're not alone. Here's a link to an article that examines recent research. Basically, because our stomachs are so much smaller, we absorb more alcohol, and it peaks in our blood more quickly. My doctor said the alcohol is acting more like crack cocaine in terms of speed and intensity of the high. And therefore much more dangerously addictive. So, in addition to alcohol being empty calories, we are at much more grave risk of becoming alcoholics if we drink after gastric sleeves/bypass. Here's the link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171120133922.htm I'm now struggling with this myself. Snuck up on me quickly, within 2 or 3 months of dealing with some personal trauma and depression. Kept finding that when I'd try to stop drinking, the shakes and intense anxiety were overwhelming. After consulting with a number of agencies and doctors, found there are some meds that make the withdrawals much more manageable, and those have helped tremendously. But insurance limitations make obtaining additional support much more challenging - still working on overcoming that hurdle. Anyway, be very very careful with alcohol after the surgery. One shot of tequila can affect you like 5 shots. And the brain really gets to liking that way too much. Then that's another battle to fight.

No way around it, liquid diet sucks. I am 8 days out and bored as hell with my food choices. It is because I enjoy eating good food, how I got here to begin with. 😔 I am trying to look at it like detox for any other addict (drugs/alcohol). Food is gone. Maybe I need to take this time to adjust my relationship with and the way I think about food. I am detoxing from Food, it needs to have less of a hold on me. That is just my Zen moments, the rest of the time I am grumpy and want something good to eat. Trying for more Zen moments. . . . . FluffyChix said something in another post that I also try to keep in mind: Embrace the suck, you will never lose weight this quickly again.

I’m almost 4 years post op. I have indulged in to much alcohol and put a lot back on. So to reset my sleeve, I’m doing all the post op food stages again. Clear, liquid,purée, soft, normal foods.

Everyone is different and swelling can last for months but it did go away over time for me. If you are not already try and drink warm liquids at least once or twice a day. I had to do that with the lapband and it eases up the swelling. I mean your stomach can be fine one day but then you could maybe eat to much etc. and the next day swelling again. I have been drinking warm bone broth the last few weeks and I think it is why I am getting less heartburn now. I am not currently taking my protonix everyday. I just chew gaviscon when I need it. I went years with the lapband without it. And then the last 2 years I have gotten heartburn even with the lapband out. I pretty much think mine is only triggered by carbonation, alcohol and bending a lot after eating.

Honestly I don't get it either. To me alcohol is a lot more harmful. How many families have been torn apart because of marijuana compared to alcohol? I don't think either is good for you and consumption should be limited but I don't get why pot gets the side eye from so many people when getting drunk does not. Plus with pot at least you don't get a hangover the next day! I actually have a couple family members who are on medical marijuana for chronic pain and/or anxiety.

Brilliant! No jackwagon psychs allowed! Seriously, do the cruze. Have a plan though before boarding. Find out about the restaurants and dining experiences especially the buffets. And choose your day!!! You can do this and make it more than about food and alcohol. Or is that the definition of a cruise? I've never been on one!

I will be doing a variation of keto in that I have no intention of eating any fruit since I don't care for most of it and I don't want to trigger any sugar cravings. I also have gluten sensitivity and don't eat any gluten containing products (wheat/barley/rye) or the gluten free crap they sell at the store. I do make my own almond bread which I do not plan to have until much later. I love almost all vegetables and I am the queen of cauliflower. I absolutely adore chicken or shrimp fried "rice" with cauliflower as well as other recipes. I plan for this to be my ongoing weight loss diet. I do not purchase any fat free stuff and use small amounts of regular unsalted butter and/or EVOO. I did get some plain, reduced fat FAGE greek yogurt for my current postop period but not eating much of it (2-3 ounces per day) Protein sources of chicken breast, salmon, shrimp, fish, black or red beans. Not a big red meat fan. Love all types of cheese but will have very little, more like a garnish. I dislike sodas and juices so no worries there. My downfall are the candy type protein bars (atkins and others) and sugar free chocolate stuff that taste so good that it is hard to eat a reasonable portion so those are out. Swearing off all alcohol until football season at the very earliest. Hopefully by then I will not want it.

I'm soon to be in the same boat. Totally unsupportive alcoholic husband that doesn't want to change is on his way out the door. I don't know how I'm going to make it with one fixed income but I'll soon find out. FYI it's okay to feel sorry for yourself once in a while. This is a rough journey nevermind the journey + life woes. Best of luck to you [emoji106]

I'm starting again for the second time. i had lost 40Kgs put have put most of it back on. Back on shakes. I'm going to do shakes 2 times a day for 3 months. I just brought the nutrition guide to get back on track. Any one else starting again after putting weight back on. I'm not drinking alcohol either until i get back on track

I drank at 3 weeks post op. It was a week long work event that had nightly cocktails hours. And was otherwise very alcohol focused. I was really drinking just to fit in and to not draw attention to my WLS. i did not enjoy drinking. Which was very different from pre op! I felt no difference in the effect of the alcohol though. I never even got the slightest bit buzzed. After that week I have mostly swore off drinking because it caused a weight gain. That week I averaged 700 cals per day, including alcohol, and returned home to a 2 LB gain. That pissed me off, and made not drinking an easy decision. Since then I have had a couple of glasses of wine. One was forced upon me by my boss when we were out to dinner on my birthday. The other is when I was having a nice tapas style dinner w a friend that had an amazing wine by the glass menu. That was the first time I really wanted a drink. I had one, it tasted good, but not as good as before. These glasses of wine did not hit me harder than usual, in fact I didn’t feel any effect from them at all.

My surgery was on May 9th as well. I just got home from hospital I started running fever as well as having major naseau. Now that I am home these gas pains are horrible but I am drinking my protein as well as sugar free popsicles. Be careful I have found with sugar alcohols cause it will cause gas pains as well. I pray for each of you! And pray that each of you as well as myself reach the goals we have always wanted to be at.

I know what you are all going through. Lost almost 90 pounds to begin with 10 years ago when initially banded. Kept down to 148 pounds for almost 8 years then started gaining 5 pounds, then 10 pounds and now I have to lose about 30-40 pounds and this website has given me the resolve to do it again. I am just totally cutting bread, pizza and all the dough products that I have been eating over the last 3 years. We can all do this, this is our Lifetime Fight to get this weight off and keep it off. Somehow I think if I was an alcoholic it would be easier to do stop that instead of this weight issue that I have been battling my whole life.

Well,i have another story to tell, honestly not every life experience leads me to,pist,it merely sees that way. Way back,in the Bad Old Days, 34 years ago I had my gall,bladder removed. Now every abdominal operation in that time was open and I was no exception. Most people have what is called a right subcostal, diagonal, about 2-3 mm below the ribcagen not me. I'm so speciall, I had a right paramedian, right to the ringt of the navel, 3 inchs a above, 3 inches below, a nice white fine scar, except slightly wider at the top,where the JP type,drain was. The year before,my,mothers had been removed and when I mentioned I was having symptoms also I was told I was merely envious. When mine was finally removed I had many more stones, pointed instead of round in appearance and they had so abraded the inside of my gall bladder to the point it would have ruptured soon. Jealousy-Shmelousy, I said I was sick! Many years later in May 2015 I awoke in absolute mis3ry and pain. Never had i had such pain and I trust I never shall,again. I had 3 over 9 lb babies, natural and unmedicated, no pain like this! And the vomiting made morning sickness minor league. Told my son to call our local transportation company for they had a wheelchair lift, I had managed to pivot to,my whe3lchair left over from my,last knee replacement and I couldn't stand again. Turned out I had acute pancreatitis. And I was also out of the ordinary. there too. Most cases are caused by wayward gallstones traveling into the pancreatic duct,or alcoholism. Nope neither of those, so it is charted as idiopathic, this is physicanlanguage for," I don't know WTF caused it either!" So I cannot help but think,5he pain of a RnY will,be the difference between jumping into a volcano and a garden party. As the,little mouse said "Bring on that cat, 'I M Ready!"

I'm so glad I'm not the only one, I wonder what they are from. It's the same here, it feels hard to catch a breath after I have the hiccup... I was a bit confused on the crushing or not, and I did get one. There was a booklet my doctor gave me that said to crush all meds and not to use capsules.. but then his nurses were telling me that small pills and capsules are fine and the whole time I was there they were giving me pills whole with water. I even asked to clarify and they said it was absolutely fine... I may crush some though if it keeps feeling the way it does. I didn't take my vitamins yesterday but I will today. (All but the multvitamin.. I got liquid and it's 6% alcohol, go figure. I called and he told me to wait until Monday for that one. So as long as he knows about it.) Oh my gosh, I'm glad I'm not the only one but I'm sorry other people have this too baha! I didnt know how to explain the half hiccup other than to call it that- it makes breathing afterwards a real pain in the butt. The pain is about the same here, but I will say getting up out of bed today was a breeze for me. Sitting on the toilet hurt a bit, but then got better after I was back up and walking. Yay for gas going away! I'm a bit jealous.. I'm on a clear liquid until Monday diet lol. Though Im not a big fan of yogurt so that's not too bad, but wouldn't mind having a few other options. Just finished my protein and felt super nauseated for a bit but feeling better now.

The effects of alcohol consumption soon after surgery can be dramatic. The effects of drinking one glass of wine might be equivalent to drinking 5 glasses of wine prior to surgery. Two months post-op is probably too soon.

The sad fact is, many don't look at bariatric surgery like they do other surgeries. If someone told their friends or family that they were getting breast implants or other cosmetic surgery the overwhelming majority would not have a negative comment. If someone told their family and friends that they would be having surgery for a medical condition like removing their tonsils, still not many negative comments. Tell people you're having bariatric surgery to improve your health and the negativity starts to flow. Why? Because most people blame you for being obese. If only you can control yourself you'd wouldn't be so fat. If you took the initiative and exercised more, you wouldn't be so fat. What they fail to realize is over eating is a compulsion like drinking. No one would have a negative comment if they knew an alcoholic was having a liver transplant due to excessive drinking. No, most would say, hope this helps to get him/her to stop drinking and to be healthier. We don't get the same empathy because it's automatically assumed it's our fault that we are compulsive eaters. Work hard toward your goal of better health. Do not let the negativity derail you. After your surgery you will lose weight and you will begin to get healthier. Just remember that's only the first part of your success. After surgery you will have a period of time where the weight will come off easy. The mechanical part with surgery is taken care of. Now, you must work on the mental part to find out why you are a compulsive eater. Once you do, you will probably have many years of weight loss success. Be strong you're nearly there. It's nice to have support but if you must go it alone do so because your health depends on it.

My nutritionist gave me a large packet of very useful information, most of it had to do specifically with what to expect before and after surgery, and to to maintain a new and healthier life-style. But it was the lists that are helping me make the life-style changes that I have taken whole heartedly. I would like to share these with, in hopes that they can help you in the way they are helping me. Here is how it was explained to me; from the first list of 20 options choose 2 modifiers and start employing them into you life. Then, when you see your doctor in a month, choose two more. Don't just choose them, but add them to the previous months modifiers. Repeat this month after month. I call these modifiers, as that is essentially what you are doing, modifying what and how you eat. here is the first list: 1. Do not skip breakfast - eat three distinct meals per day. Avoid grazing. 2. Decrease portion sizes and stop eating when you are no longer hungry vs. when you are full/satisfied. 3. Limit eating out to once/twice per week; make better choices when eating out; ask questions about how the food is prepared. This might mean you cook more at home and meal prep. 4. Increase fruits and vegetables by including one or both at each meal. 5. Reduce desserts/candy/sweets to one time per week. 6. Reduce grab-n-go processed foods such as granola bars, chips, frozen meals, PB crackers etc. 7. Prepare meals with a half-plate portion of non-starchy veggie, a palm-sized portion of lean protein, and 1/3 - 1/2 cup of healthy carbs. 8. Avoid fried foods and begin choosing leaner meats (Leaner meats include the word round or loin such as sirloin, top rounds etc.) 9. Begin some sort of activity every day even if just for 5 minutes (walking, swimming, exercise videos etc) Reduce time sitting. 10. Decrease caffeinated, sweetened, and/or carbonated beverages with the goal of eliminating. 11. Start gradually increasing your water intake until you are up to at least 64oz per day. 12. Reduce alcohol with the goal of eliminating. 13. Begin a multivitamin daily (after surgery, you will switch to a quality bariatric vitamin). 14. Begin calcium citrate with vitamin D 500mg twice daily. 15. Practice taking bites the size the size of a thumbnail, eating more slowly, chewing more. 16. Practice SIPPING beverages---no longer "chugging" or gulping. 17. Practice NO LIQUIDS 30 MIN. BEFORE/DURING AND 30 MIN. AFTER MEALS. 18. Practice positive self-talk; weight loss isn't easy, so be nice to yourself! 19. Begin to reduce use of straws and gum. 20. Track calorie intake. The first month I chose #7 and #18. This month I chose #9 and #20 I hope this will be of some use to you who are just getting started, and to those of you already on the losers bench...

Are you drinking alcohol or having any desserts? Is sugar back in your diet anywhere? Are your protein drinks low carb?

@frust8big love from me. So much of your story is familiar. My mum is anorexic - by my teens and weighing a very normal 130lbs at 5foot7, she was telling me, her friends, my friends, everyone what a humongous blimp I was, I had legs like wharf poles, was shaped like a container crane. I still hear it in my head when I am big (she is sort of paid back, though. Cos she is still like it, I only visit her when I am below 190lbs - so very short stints over the years! Her loss.) But thank my lucky stars the man I married turned out to be one of the most decent men on the planet. Our marriage was short (6 months!) but we still love each other deeply 30 years later. We have both married lovely women who are our solid rocks - but from the age of 30 he has been a steady encourager, he pushed me to go to Uni, reassured me I WAS bright enough to get a psychology PhD, pushed me to aim for good jobs and now I am a CEO with 1000 staff. And now, he is unfailingly supportive in this journey too, (as is my wife, by the way - she is normal size but has lost 10lbs with my low carb cooking!). So he helped me move in myself - from a home life of mental illness, abuse, alcoholism - to learning to accept myself, know my good and bad bits, change the bits I wanted. I read your post - and will now email my (ex)hubby - to thank him again. Because of him the band surgery in my 40s, this RNY in my 50s. If it wasn’t for him, @frust8, I am not sure I would have EVER got my **** together like you. You are a bloody miracle. Thank you so so much for opening up.

I find that I tolerate some sugars better than others. A teaspoon or two of brown sugar on Oatmeal - fine. A few drops of liquid agave in a drink? Fine. Alcohol (certain ones) - not an issue if I have one drink ( e.g. 1 glass of wine or 1 cocktail.) A full sugar soda or dessert gives me the sweats and makes me nauseous. Refined white sugar is terrible on my system. Just for good measure - I'm about 20 months out and still losing, but working on building muscle - for me its not about the number on the scale, but how I look at this point. (I can't believe become vain.)

Thanks for the information. I would consider mine mild. I can go days without any meds and really its just alcohol or carbonation (or bending over after a big meal) that can give me reflux. I think I have a hiatal hernia as that seems logical being that when I bend over or lift something heavy I can get instant reflux. The manometry, scope, and gastric emptying test all showed everything looked good so they are a little baffled why I have reflux. I did have a hiatal hernia repair when I had lapband surgery back in 2010.