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I believe most tolerate alcohol well. I think it's a matter of personal choice. I avoid it because of the calories, but once I am at goal I might drink on occasion. My motto is that I never want to diet again. Life is too short not to "live" it. Therefore, anything within moderation is OK.

Do any of you drink wine or anything else? I am still on mushies right now, but when I start on solids, I would eventually love to have a glass (or a few sips!) of wine. Can we tolerate it? You know, to an extent?

The Core plan is different from the Flex plan in that you aren't alotted a certain amount of points per day. There is a core foods list, and you can eat any of the foods until you are satisfied. The list includes these (quoted) food groups: Lean meat and fish Fruits, Veggies and leafy greens Whole Grains Milk and dairy You still get like 35 points to use during the course of a week. On things like White bread, sweets, alcohol (any foods not on the core list) For me, since being banded I find this easier to follow and easy to get my protien. I feel that it pretty much mimics the food plan the doctors have perscribed for me anyway: Avoid refined sugar and flour, eat whole grains, limit empty carbohydrates, alcohol and sweets. So it's easy for me to get my Protein from the meat and dairy and Beans, then I fill up on veggies and fruit and use a little healthy oil in the mean time. And like others have said, have a glass of wine on special occasions or one peice (not a whole bar) of chocolate. For me, it provides the structure on a weekly basis for what has been advised by my doctors a few times on paper before surgery.

That is a big definite yes. I am typing this as a non sleever right now so forgive me. I have really been watching what I eat, when I eat, etc for a long time now and have been on a slow drop for a while. We started the Biggest Loser at work a couple weeks ago and I have dropped a good bit. As I weighed in yesterday morning, I realized that I have hit the weight that I stalled at 4 years ago. That was THE STALL OF ALL STALLS!!! I am not kidding at all. I had been watching everything I ate, I was jogging between 9-18 miles a week, no alcohol, NOTHING!!! I tried changing up my diet, my exercise, fluids, Protein up/down, carb cycling, detoxing, colon cleanse, fasting, increasing calories, you name it and I did it and I could not budge off of 315. I have been doing great the last couple weeks but after I saw 315 on the scale yesterday, I almost had a nervous breakdown! Not even kidding because I remember how that went last time. Now granted I am currently as low as I have been in 4 years, I am getting very nervous that it's gonna happen again! I know how you feel and wish you the best! I plan on keep on doing what I am doing and hopefully fight thru it. Thats all I think I can do..... Good luck.

You can have lots of things. It just depends on how you want to spend your calories. But as an occasional treat, I'm sure these are not the worst choice out there. But beware, Atkins products use a lot of sugar alcohols and a lot of people get dumping with them.

Yeah, those of us who've done Atkins in the past know that aisle well Yes, they've always been there (or others like them). But like I said, beware of sugar alcohols. Not everyone can tolerate them.

things went well with the surgery (9/10). i was in and out quickly. they did find that my liver was way larger than normal, so they took a biopsy. came back and i have early fibrosis/non alcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty liver disease) that could lead to cirrhosis if i dont get/keep the weight off. in the hospital overnight, couldn't sleep. was on an 8 minute dilaudid pain pump, which i thank heaven for. just don't let them take out your IV/pain pump til they are actually ready to walk you out the door, especially if you have a long way to get home. i had mine out too long and got very agitated because the dr took 2.5h to write my discharge orders... i felt horrible and then started running a fever and my blood pressure and heart rate (things i don't have issues with) skyrocketed. the nurse had a horrified look on her face when she took them right before i left. on the ride home, every bump was horrible. i just wanted my own bed. and it felt like years before my husband got home from the pharmacy with my pain meds. other than that just poking and prodding. went home the next day, pain for about a day and a half, only gave my oxycodone. phenergan did not touch the nausea, so they called in some zofran. if you have nausea, DEMAND the zofran. much more effective. turned out to have been pain mainly from the nausea from pain meds. i was fine w just zofran the 2 or 3 days after that, then i felt just fine. within the week, i actually felt GOOD. weird. i did have one night where i laid in bed and felt like there was electricity going through my body. i couldn't sleep and was just restless. it was horrible. i think it was related to an anti nausea patch they gave me to put behind my ear? not sure, but i stopped using it and it hasn't happened since. so far, down 25 lbs and 25 inches. mostly in my arms, legs, and face. coming off slowly on the abdomen, which is where i carry everything. was initially scheduled for 3 weeks off work. i feel good. was cleared for soft food, sex, and exercise today, THANK GOD. walking wasn't cutting it. i did get approved for another 2 weeks off of work though. i want to be less exhausted from healing. my sleeve doesn't hurt. it cramps a little in the am when i am empty and haven't taken my prilosec, but other than that, no pain. no nausea otherwise. i think i am eating too quickly bc i am overly full when i am done. take the time to listen to your body. eat super small bites VERY SLOWLY and you'll avoid getting too full, which feels gross and can make you cough out the extra. it's really not fun. matrix mint cookie protein and i are bffs. the best flavor! and not too thick. so glad i did it! best decision i have ever made! questions? lol

Well, I have been trying to get this surgery approved through my insurance since February... and have actually been considering it for a couple of years now. The good news is on July 17, 2008 I received an approval letter from my insurance company. The horrible news is it may never happen for me. In June I was informed by my human resources dept. that I didn't work enough hours in the previous 3 month period to qualify for benefits. I took a lot of vacation days and downtime due to my health but didn't have the doctor's visits or notes to back it up. I am 330 lbs now, diabetic with NASH (non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis - a liver issue due to diabetes and weight). I also suffer from horrific migraines. So... I signed up for the COBRA insurance... I got the bill in the mail for my insurance shorthly after I got my approval for surgery... $1800... due by August 25th... !!! That is premiums for 2 months at $500 each and $800 due on my flexible spending account that I had already used for medications and medical bills. Well, that might as well be $1,000,000. =( I am seriously working 30 hours of overtime this week and get paid bi-weekly. I tried to get a loan through my bank, but with my 2 car loans I am maxed out. I am crushed. I don't know what to do. I will be eligible for insurance through work again in October or November. However, I spoke to my insurance and asked them if I were to be cancelled what would happen... they weren't sure if the new policy would consider my request for surgery as something of a pre-existing condition or not. They advised I just pay the $1800. Is there an insurance person that could honestly tell me what to do here? Or a millionaire somewhere that has $1800 in change laying around? I have worked so hard to get this surgery approved. My insurance is Blue Cross/Blue Shield of California. I work for Marriott Hotels. I also have to come up with $1000 for a downpayment for surgery, however, the approval letter I have from the ins company says it is good until January 1, 2009.... so I am certain I can come up with that in time. Any words of wisdom? :biggrin: Carleen

I was released from te hospital after a two day stay and put on full liquids for two weeks and then two weeks of puréed. I was told I could have alcohol six weeks after surgery. They frown upon it because it's liquid calories. I am 27 years old and would like to have a glass of wine every now and again.

VST is a forum for vertical sleeve weight loss surgery support. Those who have had the surgery, and those who are family, friends, and supporters of them are also welcome to come here, participate, learn, educate and be educated. Often, those who have never experienced being morbidly obese truly don't understand what it means to those of us who are, or what we have been through, both physically and mentally. They tend to be more sympathetic to the person who has an addiction to alcohol, smoking, or drugs. But the difference is, nobody needs alcohol, drugs or cigarettes to live, but we do need food to live. And, that alone makes our struggle that much harder. Momto6ix, in order for Rick to succeed, you need to be on his side, loving him and supporting him 100% of the way. I do applaud you for asking what foods are best to make for the party, and being sympathetic to his needs. Please refer to our food and nutrition forums at http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/7-food-nutrition/ for some great ideas on what you can cook and he can eat. He is going through a lot of changes right now, physically and emotionally. If, at this juncture in his journey he doesn't feel ready to face certain situations, then respect that and support him. He has to learn how to handle the different situations he is going to encounter in the future, and he will. But right now, he is still new to all of this. Allow him the time he needs to adjust to changing his eating habits, learning to exercise, dealing with the changes his body is going through, etc. Also, keep in mind when your body is going through such drastic changes, you also have a lot of crazy hormonal/chemical changes going on. Eventually, it will all level out. He will learn how to deal with social situations where food is involved and he will be ready to start going out and living life again. Just don't expect it to all happen overnight. Lastly, everyone please remember our forum rules, primarily the one which refers to everyone being respectful of one another. We are all here to both learn and educate. The attacks are unnecessary.

it's a serious question as I try to live with someone who had this surgery. it does seem to me that many of the things I see and read on here, apply to any diet. isn't this surgery "tool" really nothing more then a diet? what is the difference? what is it that having major surgery does to your way of thinking, that just going on AND STAYING with a diet not do? I read on here that you've changed your way of thinking, the foods you eat, you give up carbs, alcohol & diet soda. you're willing to exercise. all of these things you'll do now, whereas before you wouldn't. you call no WL a stall, where as any diet calls it a plateau. what is the difference in your way of thinking, that changes because you had surgery?

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 had a similar question a week back as my surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Here is the thread: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/315277-drinking-alcohol-post-op-your-experiences/

No words sting worse to the ear of an alcoholic than the words of a "sober, recovering" alcoholic. But, I do think most come here for "support" and are in varying stages of recovery. At least on the internet you can take what you want and leave the rest. Some people have super steely constitutions. Some are weak. We all have stuff to learn from one another. But I get your original post. It's the Facebook friend who ONLY posts her EVERY woe. How can someone be truly that miserable???? The ones who do that (from my experience) usually create their own misery. Still, I think leadership means you foster hope in others. There is some "owned" responsibility to help others. Even if they are mind-boggling ridunculous. I almost spit out my coffee laughing at the "not to Scottland" response! Lolololol

My surgeon said don't drink w hile eating as this can wash food through the band too quick seems to make sense so why r people here drinking with meal ? Also alcohol makes me real hungry!!!

My doctor advise me drinking lots Water because i had history seizure at 12 years old.. I love drinking alcohol and i decide to quit alcohol because i had kidney stone..

Q: Can I drink alcohol after surgery? A: Alcohol is not recommended after bariatric surgery. Alcohol contains calories but minimal nutrition and will work against your weight loss goal. For example, wine contains twice the calories per ounce that regular soda does. The absorption of alcohol changes with gastric bypass and gastric sleeve because an enzyme in the stomach which usually begins to digest alcohol is absent or greatly reduced. Alcohol may also be absorbed more quickly into the body after gastric bypass or gastric sleeve. The absorbed alcohol will be more potent, and studies have demonstrated that obesity surgery patients reach a higher alcohol level and maintain the higher levels for a longer period than others. In some patients, alcohol use can increase and lead to alcohol dependence. For all of these reasons, it is recommended to avoid alcohol after bariatric surgery. (American College of Surgeons, 2011) Think of alcohol as being in the same catagory as soda. It does you no good and it has the potential to cause problems. If you think having soda every so often is ok..... having alcohol every so often is ok, too. It's the same thing. If you wouldn't do one...don't do the other.

I'm not touching any alcohol for a few more months, but I figure once I finally do, Guinness (or any other stout) would probably be a good choice. It's not carbonated like most beers.

Anyone have any ideas

Divorce is a very prevalent issue in the WLS community. I would suggest that your hubby join the +1 Crew on Facebook. It's a group that is exclusively for the spouses of WLS patients. It's a great forum where they can not only learn how to support you, but also get support for themselves because let's face it, there are going to be some rough time. Here's the link for the +1 crew https://www.facebook.com/groups/561857660576992/ If he's not really into Facebook, see if he would be willing to follow Vlogs. MoreofWIll is the spouse (and member of the +1 crew) of LessofSara, a well known VSG vlogger. Here is a link to his channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/moreofwill?feature=watch It sounds like you have a very strong marriage. Make sure you tell your husband what you need to be successful. An alcoholic can never have another drink again and be fine, but as food addicts, we don't have the option to abstain from food 100%. Even after your surgery, you'll experience head hunger and the cravings will come back in time, so put the kibosh on going out to eat where you would be tempted to consume large, unhealthy, portions now. Of course, I'm single, so pick and choose the parts of this advise that you like and forget the rest!

This is not the first thread that this has happened on. For some reason some people read responses and take them completely the wrong way. Some people seem to forget that on the internet you cannot see the body language or the tone behind a post and something that has been said with the best intentions is taken completely the wrong way. I think we all need to remember that when we post things on a public forum we will get some responses we like and some we don't. We just all need to lighten up and not take things personally. Going through this process is hard and some of the things that we have to do to get there can make us feel extra edgy. We are cutting backs on a lot of the crutches that we depend on. E.g food, sugar,carbs,alcohol,tobacco etc. All of those things can combine to make a person more on edge than they are normally. Just remember we are all working towards the same goal , some of us are there already, some of us are on our way but wherever we are in the process we are here to cheer you on and to help and guide you when things get tough.

No beer. Beer is carbonated just as is soda . Regular consumption of beer (or soda) could stretch out your pouch. As for mixed drinks and wine, they are fine in moderation but you have to remember that alcohol is empty calories -- no nutrition -- so regular consumption of alcohol could undermine your weight loss.

I haven't - yet. But, I've mostly dealt with my past trauma. It's current (and future) issues that I need help with. Many of us use food as a coping mechanism for emotional pain - the same way an alcoholic uses alcohol, or a drug addict uses drugs. If you take away a person's drug of choice - ours often being food - then it stands to reason that we will have to deal with the issues that we've been masking with the use of food. Well, we either have to deal with the issues or we get to look forward to transfer addiction (or regaining our weight in a year). I knew that I had issues with food and that I used food as a coping mechanism. So, about 2 months before surgery, I started therapy. If you have unresolved trauma that is coming up (or that you're worried will come up) I would suggest speaking to a counselor. The surgeon works on our stomach - not our brain. And if our reason for overeating was mental, then the surgery will only help us in the short term. Eventually, our tummies will heal and we'll be able to eat large amounts of food again. And if we aren't careful, and we make poor choices, then we will regain our weight. We really need to be taking advantage of this first year after surgery, to change our relationship with food.

I’m pretty sure every insurance company requires a psychological evaluation before you get approved for surgery. The purpose is to determine if you have any mental illness or conditions that will deter your progress after surgery. For example, they won’t approve anyone with bipolar disorder who has had a recent episode. Untreated alcoholism or eating disorders is also a red flag.

I was cleared for alcohol after 6 weeks. I regularly drink now with no issues.