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There was a study of alcohol after RNY surgery published in the "Journal of the American College of Surgeons". You can read the whole thing here: https://www.facs.org/media/press%20releases/jacs/gastricbypass0311 Note that the study shows we become MORE affected by alchohol as we heal from RNY surgery (effects are more pronounced at 6-months than at 3-months). One 5-ounce drink of wine was enough to raise the BAC over the legal driving limit. To put it in perspective, one drink after surgery approximately affects us like 4 before surgery. Also, they continue to warn that in RNY patients, there is a higher chance of abusing alcohol due to transference. Here are some excerpts: "The results of this unique demonstration of alcohol metabolism changes in gastric bypass patients showed that patients who underwent a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) operation had considerably higher breath alcohol content (BAC) and took significantly more time to return to a sober state after drinking, compared with BAC levels tested prior to having their procedure." "During the study, alcohol metabolism tests were performed on 19 morbidly obese patients before their RYGB operation and then measured again at three and six months post-operation. Patients also reported symptoms experienced when drinking and answered a questionnaire about their drinking habits." "The results showed peak BAC percentage of patients after drinking five ounces of red wine was significantly higher post-operation. BAC was 0.024 percent at pre-operation and 0.059 percent (p = 0.0003) at three months. Tested again at six months post-operation, the patients’ BAC was 0.088 percent (p = 0.0008) which is more than the legal driving limit of .08 percent. Additionally, it took 49 minutes for patients to reach a zero BAC prior to their operation compared with 61 minutes at three months and 88 minutes at six months post-operation." "RYGB patients need to understand that their body will respond to alcohol differently after their operation and they need to exercise caution if they choose to drink alcohol,” said Dr. Morton. “Our recommendation to all of our RYGB patients is never drink and drive and to limit consumption of alcohol to one standard drink (one 12-oz beer, 5-oz wine, or 2-oz liquor) for every two hours."

Hi all, I had my 8 week visit with the Dietician today and have been progressed onto 'normal foods'. Yayyy! I've lost 12.5kg (28 lb) since my Op & feel good. She was happy with my weight loss, but slightly concerned how quickly I'm losing and queried whether I have been eating enough. I assured her that I have and don't let myself get too hungry. I've only been walking 2-3 times a week and she doesn't recommend upping the ante just yet as I'm still recovering. She said I can try toast, crispbread, soft drink & I alcohol (keeping in mind it will affect me more). I also told her how I've eaten chocolate and wasn't scolded- just told it's a 'sometimes food' and to know my limits. It was pleasantly refreshing because some people in the bariatric community talk like it's the antichrist lol I can hear the US weight loss patients collectively gasp at how much free reign I'm allowed. I have faith in her professional advice as she works closely with my surgeon, who is well regarded in my state & has trained most other GB surgeons in the city. What I am wondering is whether other people have been given the same advice. I don't really have much contact with other GB patients in Australia, so can't compare. I wonder whether pre & post op diets are that much stricter in the US because insurance companies fund the surgery costs, therefore want the patient to drop weight super quickly? I might be way off....I don't know much about US insurance. I just know that I paid hospital cover for 12 months and was instantly approved for surgery, whereas it seems like the process is much more complicated in America. So glad to be progressing on to the next stage in this journey.

Actually, the rudeness comment was directed toward my comment and I'm ok with that. I'm just amazed when people are a couple weeks out from surgery, and they are asking when they can have chips, ice cream, alcohol, etc. To each his/her own.

to my H, a snack ALWAYS consists of carbs! or alcohol. or both.

Well I don't know about you but alcohol was one of my all-time munchie-inducers. I don't drink at all anymore, but if I did I'd probably try to give it up post-banding for two reasons. First, of course it's just empty calories. Both the alcohol and the mixers are loaded with poison, things that do your body no good at all. Outside of really fine wine I can't see putting much of that stuff in me anymore. Just like I can't imagine smoking. (Of course, I'm still pickled from my college days--I drank enough for a lifetime.) Second, the loss of impulse control would do me in. Munching whatever is at hand was always a hallmark of a few drinks for me, and I know I'd be forgetful about chewing carefully. Maybe I was the wrong person to respond, and I really don't mean to sound preachy, but my recommendation is stick to wine and make it an infrequent indulgence.

Hi, I had my first post op drink last Friday (vodka mixed with pink lemonade crystal light!), I was 24 days post-op, it went down fine and I have had a frozen margarita since then. I think it just depends on how well you handle your alcohol and also yes it is empty calories so you have to be extra careful if you want to continue living healthy with a successful weight loss!

I'm going to throw this out here just for the sake of proving the point. Cycling carbs and calories while exercising sufficiently is a very effective strategy to strip body fat. Men lose fat more easily than women. Why? Because a man's body consists of more lean muscle tissue than a woman's. And a man's hormonal makeup is more geared toward anabolism. I like to eat. I don't like to feel deprived - and I like ice cream... No... I LOVE ice cream. I want to eat as much food as I can, while still losing body fat. Here is an example of my last 8 day period. For the first 5 days I ate relatively good foods and stayed in the 2000 calorie a day range - which is a deficit for me. I kept simple carbs to a minimum while making certain I was eating sufficient grams of Protein to protect my lean muscle mass. Then I let myself up off the mat and in the last two days I ATE... and I ATE A LOT... In the last 2 days alone I ate a combined 3000 calories plus of JUST ice cream. That does't include the mexican food at Bandidos or the alcoholic beverages or any of the other intake. I no doubt consumed somewhere around 4000 calories each day. But now I will settle back into a deficit for 5 more days, limiting those simple carbs but still keeping my protein intake sufficient enough to protect my lean muscle mass. This is certainly too extreme of a swing for most people here, but the general principle still applies. The high calorie days and sufficient exercise keep your metabolism white-hot, yet the lower calorie days keep your lean muscle tissue protected. The end result is a reduction in body fat, while not feeling weak and sluggish or depriving yourself. I have used this principle for quite awhile and have more and more muscle definition as each month passes. If you don't believe me check out my gallery. My abs are becoming more and more defined as body fat continues to strip away. It's a slow but steady process but it is very effective. When I first started I had to dig through fat to find my port. Now the damn thing sticks out like a tumor because there's so little fat over it.... I have struggled with low fat / low carb / low calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles just like everyone else. I did Atkins and so many other fads... They don't work long term... You must have a permanent lifestyle change to be successful - band or not. The proof is in the pudding as they say... Search LBT and you'll be bombarded with threads and posts about people eating 800 calories a day and not losing weight... There's a new group of them that comes along every few weeks... So many just end up throwing in the towel and declaring the band didn't work for them... This isn't stuff that my surgeon or nutritionist gave me. It's research and trial and error I did on my own to get results. Save yourselves the headaches and struggles and learn from the mistakes of those who've gone down this road before you. My advice for women trying this technique would be to do sufficient cardio 5 days a week at 40 minutes a session, working all 3 target heart rate zones. Add in two strength/resistance training sessions a week. Continually challenge yourself and increase intensity of your workouts as they become easier. Everyone's activity levels are different, but for the sake of argument I'd increase calories by 100 every 5 days until you achieve about 1200. Then every 5-7 days take 2 days and run that number up to 1800-2000 and then slam back down to 1200 for another 5-7 days. Repeat this cycle and you will strip body fat... and you will have so much more energy and not feel like you are dieting so much.

It is a long journey to gain the approval from your insurance company. I had to complete. Educational Seminar Dietician Group Meeting Support Group Meeting 2 Dietician Visits 1 Psychiatric Evaluation 6 phone courses from insurance with a trained nutritionist and exercise specialist (2 to 4 weeks apart) Pulmonary Clearance Cardiac Clearance Gastroenterology Clearance H. Pylori Breath Test (tested positive so had to do treatment for a month then retest) Monthly Weigh Ins PCP approval Proof of Diet, Exercise, Medication Mandatory Meeting to turn into insurance Insurance Approval It is not a short journey but well worth it. I feel all this hard work will make the hard work of losing weight post op not seem so stressful. Pre Op approval is the hardest part. Log your journey so you can look back and see everything you accomplished. Don't give up. Its very worth it!! I told very few people. I sort of lost a friend due to her not understanding the lifestyle changes and constantly into drinking and eating. I gave up smoking and alcohol cold turkey. Coffee is the hardest thing to give up but I still drink it and chew gum. I stopped drinking out of straws and lost 17 pounds from changing my lifestyle. 17 lbs in 10 months is not much which is why I need the surgery to help. Keeping it private helps block the negativity. I would have quit the journey if I listened to all the negativity. The truth is you do not know all the work that goes into it unless you have been through it. My husband goes to all of these meetings with me so he understands mostly. A lot of people say its the easy way out. There is nothing easy about this!!

Might be reflux developing (citrus, spices, alcohol, etc. make the burning worse). It's a very common banding side effect so keep an eye on things.

If there's not someone in your immediate vicinity that you could give them to, I'd throw them away. I know that my addiction to food, especially things like Girl Scout Cookies would prevent me from acting responsible around them. It's not worth the money, the calories -- or what it does to us, mentally, when we fail in our attempt to avoid temptation -- to keep them around and see what happens. Maybe I'm taking this too seriously, but for me, it's a serious issue. I *can't* have stuff like that around. For me, it would be like an alcoholic keeping beer in the fridge.

No. That's not bad. It's your own personal business. I can think of lots of things people keep private. Can you imagine if all skinny people, for example, had to wear a T-shirt that displayed their problems the way our fat does for us? "I'm an alcoholic", "I lost my rent money gambling", "I had a testical removed" People keep their personal information private. Just because you're used to everyone knowing your business doesn't mean you have to tell them

Thank you, unfortunately however i had to start a very strict diet . . . i'm glad i have the sleeve cause it helps with the hunger, I don't feel it anymore. . . i do only about 900 calories or less a day and no more then 30-40 g of carbs a day, less if possible, and tons of water. . . i've cut all diet sodas, alcohol, sweets, flour products, fruit, etc. . . reminds me of my olden days before the sleeve, only this time it's easier cause again, the sleeve helps combat the hunger. . . good luck to you and i'll let you know when i hit onderland in hopefully 5 weeks!

I just moved and was just starting to get to know the corner bar crowd. Now that's done no food or alcohol. Hope i make some friends in my local post surgery group.

Hi everyone. So far, so good...3+ months out and just over 48 lbs lost. I feel great and am exercising nearly every day. My question is - I chew a lot of sugar free gum. I also have been having problems with my stomach for the last two weeks or so. I saw where someone else called it "unconstipation". That is a very good way to describe what happens to me. It's several times a day, very nasty and somewhat painful. It just occurred to me in the last few days that it could be from the gum. I've always been sensitive to the sugar alcohol in SF candy, etc., but never really thought about the gum. Is it possible? Any opinions? Thanks! Stephanie

Yes, my PCP and insurance company. Their policy is that unless you have co-morbidities, a lower BMI of 39 (mine) didn't qualify me. That is ridiculous. The 1# cause of death in America is heart disease, directly caused by obesity. So, really obesity is the leading cause of death in America. Just because I haven't had a heart attack or stroke yet, doesn't mean morbid obesity isn't going to kill me. That is why I had to be a self-pay. Dr. C will do the surgery w/o comorbidities, if you are at least 70 lbs overweight. Oh, and guess what? My surgeon's post-op report revealed that I have a fatty liver, that can cause serious problems, and even progress to non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, if weight is not lost. And, I had a large sliding hiatal hernia that went undiagnosed until my VG. My father died due to kidney failure caused by diabetes. He wasn't supermorbidly obese, just obese, and wasn't dx w/diabetes until after his triple bypass, at age 50. They ended up paying for 2 coronary artery bypass surgeries and a kidney transplant, but WLS? Out of the question. I knew if I didn't do this, I would have ended up just like my dad. I have that abdominal fat, which is the worst, and strongly indicates insulin resistance, which is a step away from diabetes. Diets rarely work, so this was close to my only hope to get my health back. I will be 52 in a couple weeks. I wish I would have done this sooner.

Diet rite is what I was drinking before surgery a well. What I'm confused about is some drs including mine say no alcohol for a year. So is that meaning no beer just liquor?

Yeah, alcohol is ok, just beware that a little will go a long way! A drink that I like is club soda with a splash of cranberry juice and a twist of lime. You can add a little vodka to spice it up. It's pretty tasty and very low cal.

My immediate thought after reading that post was “just don’t drink so much that it makes you sick, then you won’t need to worry about throwing up.” But it has me wondering…is drinking a lot of alcohol like overeating? Is it a compulsive thing that you have to fight to control? Is telling someone not to drink as useless as telling a binge eater not to eat? I’m sure it’s obvious that I am not a drinker, but this is something I have wondered about. What is it about alcohol that makes people drink to excess, knowing that it will ultimately make them feel like hell? Is it a comfort thing? Does it just feel really good? Or is it that you really really like the taste and it’s a treat you allow yourself? I hope everyone doesn’t jump on me for this. I’m not trying to say that drinking is bad or wrong. It’s just something I’m totally unfamiliar with, so I’m curious...

Ok, so, I know that alcohol can irritate the stomach, and is full of calories, but that aside, I'm sure lots of people still drink with the band. Right? I'm not talking a glass of wine or 2 at dinner... but you know, going out to a party/pub/bar or wherever you do your recreational drinking, and actually getting drunk... purposely. If someone were to do this, to the point of feeling nauseous... is there anything that can be done? What about a bad hangover with the potential for puking? Probably just some Gravol, right? I'm not a huge drinker, and I actually haven't had a drink in months, but I know that it's gonna happen again (and I'm looking forward to it!), so I just want to be prepared so that if I drink too much, and start feeling sick, I know what kind of things might help. Thanks guys, Mandi

I don't know if you read my post last week. After my go around with Kaiser.I not sure what do. For days I have been myself to just forget the whole thing just try again on own. Now I am starting to get my fight back on.. I am not sure which way to go, fight the under 40 BMI with my HP,HC fatty liver, or gain some weight plus put weights in clothes. What do you think is the best route? NIH Requirements for Weight Loss Surgery The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services, is considered one of the world's foremost medical research centers. The NIH has set patient criteria for weight loss surgery which states that eligible patients should have a BMI of 40 or higher (morbidly obese) or a BMI of at least 35 with co-morbidities (obesity related health conditions) such as diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, high cholesterol, or hypertension (high blood pressure) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Eligible patients must also have attempted and failed at previous weight loss efforts and need to pass a psychiatric evaluation to be recommended for weight loss surgery.

I had surgery on April 18th. I have had caffeine without issue. Tho they do say give it a few weeks. The reason is caffine causes dehydration. But yea you need to heal up. Trust me i had regrets too after surgery. Missing all my favorite foods. Realizing that food was a great joy in my life, Going out with friends, Going to get the newest thing to arrive at Taco Bell or Pizza hut lol. Eventually i hope to be able to eat some of the stuff again. Like say mcdonalds.. No i wont be able to eat a double quarter pounder anymore. But i hope a happy meal lol. Just have to learn to eat very slow. 30 minutes per meal minimum, wait to drink water a half hour after eating. As for beer. I would be waiting a while before that. but you can have alcohol again but it will be very different. You will end up getting drunk off of just a couple drinks. So you may not be able to enjoy a long night of drinking.

What you're feeling is completely normal at your phase. Please believe me, it gets better as your progress to eating more normal food. Try not to isolate yourself! It's super hard at first to see everyone enjoying food and alcohol around you, but as you progress to different foods, it will get easier. I think most of us felt the way you do at first, but it gets better! Hang in there! Why do you feel you're disappointing your husband?

They are a sort of artificial form of sugar. They are similar to sucrose, but with an -OH group added to the end (an alcohol group).. This makes them taste similar to sugar but our bodies don't absorb/digest them, really.. so they pretty much go right through you! Unfortunately, this creates some interesting side effects in the bathroom, such as diarrhea, bloating, and major gas issues. You find them in a lot of "low-carb" candy bars or proteins shakes.

We always have friends over... I mean almost every weekend. I buy either special K or Kashi crackers to dip I'm hummus or a home made dip that I know is healthy. Also we usually grill chicken or steak kabobs with veggies and fruit. As for alcohol I'll have flavored vodka with diet cranberry juice ( 5 calories) And just skip dessert;) Have fun!!!

"If they are so concerned about it -- why don't they address this problem during K-12? You know, while "we the taxpayers" are footing the bill for the education." Well, they do. Gym is mandatory K-12 and health classes are required in the core rec. Most colleges don't simply target those who are obese. At my college, it was mandatory for everyone. And I have never heard a professor say, even in casual conversation, that drinking to excess and posting pictures about it is a rite of passage. We have whole programs here to help the students stay away from alcohol and how to manage it and stress properly. They'd get reported in a heartbeat. Taking an extra gym class in college did not kill me. It was easy credit and got me moving, which is always good because I think exercise is a pain in the ass. Having it be mandatory helped me lose weight. I don't know, but out of all the problems going on, this isn't one of my concerns. Maybe when they start asking for BMIs during the application process to screen out the fat kids... then I'll be on board, haha!