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I am a drug and alcohol counselor. I strongly advise you to seek professional help. Withdrawal from alcohol can kill you. Medically supervised detox is the safest way you can do this. After detoxing, I suggest treatment of some sort with counseling. Please get help, if money is a concern, there are often programs to pay for or help pay for services. Community support, such as AA is also super important. This is only my opinion based on what I've read and of course, you will make your own choices, just wanted to put in my two cents from the perspective of one who works with addiction every day. YOU ARE NOT ALONE, many out there to help. Sent from my KFASWI using the BariatricPal App

I am actually afraid of EVER eating ice cream again. First, I would have to say that chocolate ice cream has always been my favorite treat, even when I was previously thin. However, I developed a very bad habit of dealing with work stress by stopping at Baskin Robbins on my way home from work. This developed into an addiction as I stopped 5 times a week for over 2 years. That is the single biggest thing that caused me to gain 60+ pounds in two years and grow to 243. I am almost 8 months post sleeve and I have not had a single bite of ice cream. I am so afraid that, like an alcoholic, if I allow myself that first bite, it will start me down the path of weight gain again. The good news is that I don't crave it or even miss it. I LOVE my Protein shakes! I use unjury chocolate splendor powder in skim milk and I add about 2-3 inches of frozen banana, ice and a little powdered Peanut Butter. Blend away, and I feel like I am having a milk shake. This is better than Baskin Robbins because it tastes delicious and it is a healthy choice. Is anyone else afraid to even have a small amount of certain trigger foods?

I'm about a week short of five months now and down 61 pounds. I figured I'd go item by item below. Coffee - I just graduated law school and am studying for the bar exam. I cannot go without coffee at the moment. That being said, I can't drink a full cup at one sitting. I make myself coffee in a teacup and that's about as much as my stomach can handle in terms of capacity. If you need the caffeine like I do, you'll find that it's absorbed into your bloodstream much quicker than before because of the size of your stomach. It's actually a pretty nifty upside. That being said, it'll probably take you about two months to be able to drink it again post-op because it's an acidic drink and your stomach will still be healing. Don't worry though. Caffeine isn't an issue in the long term. Soda/Carbonated drinks - Big NO. Not only will the carbonation agitate your stomach, but it will stretch your pouch (whether sleeve or bypass) and undo the operation as a result overtime. Not worth it. On the plus side, when I've dared to take a sip because I gave into stupid temptation, I've found soda is way too sweet for me now. So it might not be as big of a challenge. Don't worry, though. Diet iced tea and lemonade is your friend! Alcohol - I only recently tried alcohol for the first time since my surgery because white sangria was being served at my graduation party. I was a little over four months post-op then. I only drank about half of a standard wine glass. One of the major concerns concerning alcohol (aside from its high sugar content) is that alcohol (like caffeine) is absorbed into your blood stream far quicker after the procedure. Mixed drinks with something to temper the alcohol with is preferable. Light beer is also okay. Stay away from straight up liquor. Some have found red wine to agitate the stomach more than anything else. Go easy and work yourself up to the wine with mixed drinks/coolers first to gauge your body's reaction and give it some time. As an occasional wine drinker, it shouldn't be a problem. Hope this all helps, @@Michelle Tarver!

Dealing with the "you can't have" is just part of the process as you prepare your mind. I cited those 2 things specifically for several years as the reason I would never have WLS, but I have finally come to terms with it. As you can see from above, all drs are different and as a general rule it probably just isn't the best choices you can make. I don't drink coffee but had to give up a bad Diet Dr Pepper habit. I think maybe someday I will likely try a soda, but so far, I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would. I am more scared of the pain carbonation would cause me than anything right now. 3 months from now may be a different story, but my therapist keeps reminding me to stay in the present and don't worry about 3 months away for now. Re the alcohol, I do plan to have an occasional drink eventually; however, I do have 2 friends who ended up as alcoholics following surgery -1 of them still drinking even after a revision. The risk of transferring addiction to alcohol is very very real, so I think for most this has to be approached very carefully. Don't let these 2 things scare you off. Once you get there, these 2 items will likely be the least of your concerns.

Beer is liquid carb, pure and simple. But it's not just the carb count, it's the alcohol itself. Alcohol is the only carb metabolized as a fat. It screws up your liver. Alcohol and sugar follow the same pathway through the body.

It's more common than you think. So many people hooked on alcohol and drugs are in that boat because of terrible pain! Have you taken care of your dental issue? It's a priority to take care of the pain you are medicating with alcohol. Go to the source and fix the actual problem instead of placating the symptoms. Not sure what your best path is with the alcohol withdrawal but a detox/rehab clinic may be the perfect answer. Best of luck to you. You've been through a lot. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I found the book The End Of Overeating really useful. Dr. K. points out that it's not 100% willpower, and those who try to depend on willpower alone likely fail at getting control of their eating. Sugar salt, and fats affect us neurologically, and are as addictive as tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. I write a bit about it on my blog but this is the link to Amazon. I did search and find it at my library, as an ebook, as well. We can't do it alone and asking for help is the intelligent thing to do! Hang in there!!

My dietitian through my surgeon (the Cleveland Clinic dietary guidelines) suggests no more than 4 grams of sugar in a meal. To focus on protein first. As you progress through phases, liquid, purée, soft foods. You add soft vegetables. They don’t suggest complex carbs until maintenance. I keep things low carb. I have not counted. I count protein and calories to keep them both within a certain range. (Protein should at least be 0.36 grams per lb of body weight) I would guesstimate I eat below 20 net carbs a day. You subtract any fiber from the total for net carbs (or sugar alcohols) although my nutritionist said avoid those. I mostly avoid maltitol which is harsh on your guts but erythritol is not. Allulose seems ok. when you get to veggies, that’s where the carbs should come from. Mostly green leafy. For many people maintaining a low carb way of eating is beneficial.

Hi Michelle! My first thought was that it could be the estrogen pills, but I'm no expert! Sorry about your stall! Sounds like you are doing everything right. I've been doing well. I'm still (and probably for the rest of my life) tracking what I eat. It's crazy how some seemingly harmless foods have SO many carbs or fat grams! I'm paranoid about gaining, so I monitor everything I eat! I know some on this forum have a different philosophy, but this works for me. I've been losing at a pretty steady 3 lbs. per week. I'm still only eating 600-800 calories daily and I think I've only hit 800 once. My goal is 75 grams of Protein, 30 grams or less of fat, and 50 grams or less of carbs per day. I was told no alcohol until 6 months out. Even then, I'm going to only have a sip or two on special occasions, since even small amounts always gives me headaches. I work out 4-5 times per week, but it's been a little spotty these past few weeks as I am adjusting back to work after summer break. I am on my feet and walking ALL day at work, though! Since my pre-op days (beginning last November) I've lost 116 lbs and have gone from a size 26-28 to a very loose 16!! I'm holding on to the 16's until the cooler weather is here and I can buy a few cheap pair of long pants and warmer tops (still in Capris and summer tops for now!). HANG IN THERE!!! Talk to your NUT and don't worry! How are you feeling? I'm sure you have more energy, feel so much better from eating healthy and working out, and are a healthier person overall! Sometimes I forget that that is the most important thing, not the aesthetic!

My surgeon's "official" word is no alcohol again, but "un-official" is just to be careful on both volume and frequency. It will go to your liver quicker and stay there longer. I have had both wine and gin since my surgery and while before I would drink about 1 drink per hour about 1 time per week, I have limited it to 1 drink per evening every few weeks.

I believe you guys but I can't chime in since I'm against against anything that alters your mind, although that would make me a hypocrite since I've been on a type of runner's euphoria since my surgery, and I'm addicted to this weight training I'm doing so I guess things that are mind altering can also cause addiction........ And I've had alcohol a couple of times since surgery, mostly wine, so who am I to judge....... Hope you know I posted this to make people smile, and realize that we are all different for a reason, how can we even judge others after what some of us have been through???? Food for thought

Hello there, I understand so well as alcohol has been my best buddy for years until 6 months ago when it almost broke my marriage. I was diagnosed with high bp when rushed to hospital and it turns out I have damaged my kidneys in the process. My husband loves drinking with me but we have stopped together and I have realised half tve reason I drank so much was that it helped me feel more confident and less fat. I've been off the booze for 2 months but bliped last week and my kidneys shut down again so no more booze for me. I'm having a sleeve done tomorrow and hope that this will make me friens with my body rather than a bottle. I hear you tvough. It's like losing a life long pal. Good luck and take it a day at a time but it's scary that at 35 I have done myself so much damage. Sent from my SM-A310F using the BariatricPal App

If they ask tel, them you think you might be pregnant. ☺ Just kidding. Volunteer to be the DD. Tell them it isn't on your current diet. You are watching your blood sugar. Whatever you are comfortable with. As for when you can drink, ask your surgeon. They are all different. Mine said 6 weeks. I have had wine and didn't have any ihealth mpacts. If you do a search for alcohol, you can read more than you probably wanted to know.

Definitely don't drink. I was advised by my surgeon not to drink alcohol for a year after my sleeve...and I plan to follow that advice. Besides, it just converts to sugar in the gut anyway. I have never been a big drinker myself and so I never felt like I needed an excuse NOT to drink. I'd just grab a water with a lemon in it and nurse that all night. You may end up having to excuse yourself early from the get-together, because being around drunk people when you're sober is pretty annoying

Yes, I'm sure alcohol will be my problem when I'm banded. And I've certainly been noticing lately that lots of things that shouldnt be on the menu are much easier to chew up and turn to mush than lots of way healthier foods. But surely its OK to plan a treat every now and then?. Even when you're losing weight, its what you do most of the time that counts. You're supposed to be developing new habits that last you the rest of your life, well normal people dont live on grilled chicken breasts and lettuce leaves forever! What's the worst that can happen, you lose a little less this week? I think one of the most important things is to learn to handle those foods and to fit them into a healthy diet.

I can tolerate foods very well. I haven't had pasta, but I've had a little rice and potatoes. I'm not really nauseous. I'm doing my fitness pal to make sure I'm getting my protein in. I average 800-1000 cals/day. I'm so scared to try sugar or fatty foods, I don't want to dump. I think everyone is different. I have a bypass friend who can tolerate sugar and one who cannot. It's easy stay on track now but I'll be sad if later on I don't get the dumping to keep me in line, it wasn't my fail safe but was a back up plan lol. I think I'm holding off on trying sugar and alcohol till I'm at goal. But I'm truly satisfied with my food right now.....

my nutritionist recommended no alcohol for a year (not going to happen) The reason she said this is that the 1st year you lose the most weight after sleeve. I don't plan on drinking much but will be going to Disney food and wine festival in October and I may have a sip or 2 of wine. Not much I want to lose this weight and keep it off. I reached my 1st 20 pound weight loss on thursday which was 2 weeks post op. Of course I lost 9 of those the week before surgery. But I am so excited Im going shopping today my scrub pants are tooooooooo big.

I would suggest most responders re-read what I wrote. My point was that if it was a likelihood that alcohol was likely to cause a leak our warnings would be more than suggestions from nutritionists to lay off alcohol for a month, or three months, or 60 days, or six months. I cannot help it that most responders want to push their own self reached beliefs or fears. And SMG, if you are relying on warnings on your hydrocodone as one of your warnings against alcohol post-bariatric surgery, you are proving my point. Now, as to whether I had a reputable surgeon, top rated hospital in the State of Georgia.

Glow... if i were in your shoes.... i would just tell him that i quit. How will he know the difference. Make your appt early in the morning. Spray your self down with perfume and rinse your mouth with mouth wash. I don't smoke, but everyone in the house that i grew up in did... so i'm use to being around it and it doesn't bother me. Althought quitting would be great, some people can't. Smoking is a personal choice and if you want to smoke..... then smoke. I still drink my Mt. Dew (i'm not giving it up) and alcohol when i want too. its my personal choice. Like i said before, my friend Paula smoked before and still does.... and she has been having her band for over three years.

you are worth the changes we need to do. we became obese because we never said stop to food, right? now you have a new challenge, you are worth it. take one step at a time, take a breath and see what happens. walking will help you get your mind off the weight gain, start now. keep in touch with the forum. we want to see you succeed, you can do it. drug addicts and alcoholics stop using, so can you. I have been drug and alcohol free for almost 29 yrs. if I had looked at stopping everything past one day or even one hour at a time in the beginning I would never have made it. the best thing I did was get and use support of a group. I trusted others who had gone through the same issues, it works. smoking is not good for you, it is a drug. take care of you, you are worthwhile!!!

Its pretty structured - memory/iq(ish) test, vocab test and a true/false(ish) test. then a discussion about your support system and alcohol use. Not much to prepare for.

@@LisaAdams50, Congrats on your surgery and success so far! You must be doing things right if you haven’t had any pain or nausea since surgery! If you choose to drink, just remember that it’s different than before surgery. You’re way more sensitive to alcohol. It will affect you faster and after drinking less than it did before. Also, remember that you’re on a “strict diet,” but that drinking alcohol lowers your inhibition…so it’s harder to say no to unhealthy foods. Do your best to plan ahead and stay aware of what you’re eating. Good luck, and enjoy the event.

Hi @MarceMonster. Here’s the formula I used to get to goal weight: • Start every morning with a Protein shake for Breakfast. • Eat 60–80 or more grams of protein daily. • Drink 64–120 ounces of fluids daily. (I drink tons of Crystal Light, or generic, sugar-free/decaf iced tea.) • Do not consume any starches or sugars. • Get all carbs from green veggies, legumes, and dairy products. • Do not consume empty liquid calories/sugar (fruit juices, ice cream, etc). • Try to avoid alcohol. It’s empty liquid calories that turn to sugar in your body and can lead to poor choices. • All Snacks must be protein-based (Jerky, nuts, cheese, Greek yogurt, deli meats, etc.). • Get some exercise 4-6 times a week. • Never leave the house without a plan for what you can eat and drink while you’re out. If necessary, bring food and drink with you. • Restaurant eating is not hard: 1) skip the bread; 2) order a meat (or legume/bean) dish; 3) replace the starch with a second vegetable; 4) skip the dessert. You’ll probably end up taking some of the meat and most of the veggies home for another meal. • Beef/turkey jerky is my secret weapon. It’s saved me more times than I can count, so I try to always have some in the car for emergencies. You can buy a bag of jerky almost anywhere. It’s kind of expensive and not great for sodium-restricted diets, but it’s also high protein, low fat, okay sugar, and a 3.5-ounce bag is a meal by itself! • If you fall off the horse, get back on immediately – at the next meal. Not tomorrow, and definitely not next Monday. That’s what got us here! • Go to Bariatric Support Group meetings in your area, if possible. • Participate actively in online forums like BariatricPal. • Read as much as you can about the process and the journey; and especially, read posts and articles from those who had their surgery a few years ago. Try to understand what lead to their successes and/or struggles. • Share your story and reach out to help others who are behind you in their journey. By helping them, you’ll help yourself as well. • Have a goal weight in mind and strive to get there. (I weigh myself every single day.) But also set lots of smaller goals. It’s fun and inspiring to achieve them. • Always be looking forward. Don’t look back over your shoulder waiting for the heavier person to drag you back. Let that person fade into history. • Believe that the slimmer person in the mirror is the real you. • A little vanity is okay. Enjoy how you look. Accept compliments graciously and don’t deflect them. Have fun trying on smaller-sized clothes that fit now. Compare before and after pictures. Take pride in your accomplishments! • Accept that this is a somewhat selfish process. That’s okay, too. You don’t have to apologize for it. And don’t let other people interfere with your progress. We have to make our weight loss program a priority in our lives. • But at the same time, recognize that your journey affects your friends and loved ones as well. Be sensitive to their reactions and their emotional needs, without allowing it to derail your program. • And finally, try to have fun losing the weight and getting healthy! Hold onto your determination! That's what'll keep you going during the difficult times and the stalls. Good luck!

Did a holiday night on the town with a couple of girlfriends. I outweigh em both by at least 30#, but I got so hammered on the same amount they drank. We were safe and nothing bad happened but I feel awful today. Our uber driver sent us a text saying what a fun night HE had-ha. Apparently I told him all the gritty details of the burlesque show we saw and other adventures which he found entertaining. For some reason I let some guy talk me into dancing at the last place of the night. I remember making him promise to not let me fall down...gross, don't know why anyone would want to dance with me in that state. My friends said I looked pretty good, but it was very odd that I was wearing my friend's winter scarf out there dancing with a big tall guy who had a pretty good hold on me. Sheesh. Tequila may make your clothes off, but apparently gin makes me put more on. Anyway, trust me when I tell you that the sleeve changes the way your body handles alcohol. I did eat some dinner, but not enough because the drinks hit me hard. I changed my clothes into jammies when we got back to my friends house, I guess we danced more in the living room and I seemed "ok" but I don't have recall of things that happened after we closed the last dancehall. Good thing I am a sweet and happy drunk because I clearly was not in control of myself. I have no idea how people do this regularly.

Marijuana isn't addictive IMHO. Never seen anyone go through detox on it. Same category as alcohol but even less danger. Nobody ever beat their family on pot. Never seen a bunch of stoners in a bar brawl. However even medically it's used to induce increased appetite. If i hadn't quit (other than the rare once every couple years) I would probably steer clear on that aspect. So forego that weekly joint, you heathen pothead lolol!