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No I am not an alcky I have not had alcohol for 3 or 4 months, but I do like the taste of beer. Thanks for the reply

Yes I do live in SE Idaho. I've quit drinking Diet soda for about a year now. I occasional have one at a restaurant but I usually have Water. That is one thing I am worried about is my water intake. I drink a lot of water, I guess I am just going to have to figure it out. Probably not a big problem. I never really drink alcohol much, I only do on occasions. I quit smoking two months ago. Which probably led to my last increase of weight. This overrating thing is my last vice I need to shake. I'm just impatiently waiting for bariactric services to call and get me going. Thank ya'll for your encouragement and comments. I appreciate it.

Consider the conversations on this board alone... How many are willing to allow even small amounts of alcohol or other seemingly harmless behaviors back into their lives after such a life transformational event. The highest rates of recidivism includes individuals who admit to soda pop intake. Those willing to write a new book, rather than just a new chapter, are the ones who will succeed. There are of course numerous nuances and factors

I feel you, banded bob, I really do. I work a job that takes a lot out of me and causes me extreme stress, but the money is good, so I keep going in for more. I don't do much booze anymore because of the effect it had on my triglycerides. I'm doing prescription anti-anxiety medicine because the shrink figures now that I am of a healthier weight, the stress will be what prematurely kills me. Stay away from the drinks that involve fruit juices - lots of empty calories there. If you need a mixer, diet cranberry juice is not too bad and will help save some of the calories. I have only had alcohol 4 times since I was banded 6 months ago (OMG, it is 6 months, isn't it) but when I had it I was in a social setting, so I ordered only an appetizer, that I shared with the person next to me, and the alcohol was allowed to have its full effect on me. Also, I mixed hard liquor and beer, which is always interesting. But I've always been a two drinks under the table kind of girl...

Yes, you can drink alcohol. Some people say it affects you much quicker with the band, so you are a cheap drunk. I have a glass of wine every once in awhile. I think beer might be kind of painful though w/ the bubbles and burping.

I actually had a few sips of wine, about 5 days after surgery. I have to say, it didn't taste that great to me. I'm 2 weeks, pre-op, and now I don't have the craving anymore. If you must, take a sip. It might just get you over your craving. I'll probably get ripped for making the suggestion, but I no longer have the need to drink any alcohol, for now. And no, i did not cheat on anything else. I haven't had food cravings. Maybe since i'm on the liquid diet still, I'm only have liquid cravings. Obviously, if you can wait, you should. The wine tasted like acid to me. I can't imagine, what it might have done to my healing. Thank goodness, I stopped at a few sips. Do you have any good books? Any DVD's?

Melissa, I read the article you referred to, and saw the Oprah special on the same subject. I am going to be banded on Monday, but I realize that I could very easily trade my food addiction for alcohol because I have struggled with alcohol in the past. I am seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders so that hopefully I will avoid major problems. I too recommend that you go to AA or find a good counselor or therapist. This is something that you don't need to fight alone. You are already well on your way to defeating your problems by publicly admitting them. My prayers and thoughts are with you! You can do this!!! Gina

I am in the same boat you are but my story is slightly different. In November 05 I went into alcohol treatment for 30 days. I stayed sober for 16 months. Right before I was banded I started to drink again. I drink daily too. I know we are not suppose to drink carbonation but I can't get away from 1-2 beers a day. I try to just stick to 2 100 calorie beers so I can still lose weight. I don't eat much during the day but I make sure I can have 2 at night. If I had wine in the house I would drink the entire bottle and want more so that is a bad thing for me. The only advise I can give you is either cut down or go into rehab or AA. It really helped me when I was sober. I wish you the best. You can PM me if you want more information or support. Julie

Hello moonlightdreamer and welcome! Let me start by saying that you are not alone. I know that I have had an unhealthy relationship with food for the past decade and actually found that it stemmed from my coping with my moms alcoholism. It didn't affect me until I became a mother. I made a promise to myself that I wouldnt drink or become an alcoholic; I didn't realize that I was actually turning into a foodaholic! Like you, it wasn't until I was confident with my progress in therapy that I decided to move forward with the surgery. In the past my weight has fluctuated between 80-100 lbs each year! Eek! I was banded two days ago and I am excited for this journey! I commend you on seeking this tool for your journey as well. You have made a major decision that will dramatically change your life for the better. Keep us posted! Good luck on your journey! -Cozy:)

I'm gonna be honest.... It's not the "I've had 6/7 cocktail nights..." that makes you sounds like an alcoholic. It's the PLANNING for them and feeling anxious that you might not be able to have more of them that does. We've all had those nights. But it being so important that you make sure you can keep having them that worries me. Also know that the amount of Alcohil in a jack and coke is way higher than in a glass of wine. Some people get sleepy or flushed or other weird thugs with wine but it's the tannins not the alcohol. Now that said, I will warn you the coke may be an issue. Carbonation is tolerated differently by many people after the surgery. I still get stomach aches from it four years out. Some people do fine though.

I guess some people are less botherd by it than others! I just love my nights out with my partner, we've been to a few weddings this year also and have enjoyed having a few and dancing and coming home late feeling like we've really let our hair down. Alcohol isn't everything, but this past year I've had a different outlook on it, and instead of drinking when I'm unhappy, I'm drinking when I'm in a good mood and am actually liking how it makes me feel! [emoji28] Sent from my F5121 using BariatricPal mobile app

More than 3 would be pretty dangerous after the surgery and I guess I will have to get used to that, but yes I hold my hand up and will honestly say I can have upto 7 drinks (not wine, too strong!) and still get home without stumbling through the door and just feeling happy/buzzed. My drink is jd and Coke, it just affects me completely differently to wine, I try to avoid wine if I can. You make a good point though, I can always have none alcoholic drinks in between so I can keep up with everyone else and not end up getting rushed to hospital with alcohol poisoning lol. I hope this post doesn't make me sounds like an alcoholic [emoji28] it's very rare I have that much but nights out that last about 6/7 hours do pop up every now and then and I'd like to be prepared for it! Sent from my F5121 using BariatricPal mobile app

Yeap, it's amazing the things we learn from ours and other people's experience. That's it, just give your stomach and aesophagus some rest for a couple of days, and the best thing for that is to stay on liquid+mushies, don't eat solid food for 48hrs. And most of all, don't drink wine when you have a PB episode or throw up, or slime - the wine (or any other alcohol beverage) will only irritate your stomach even more. niki

Wow! Hard core dude. LOL. Great it's worked for you and your bro. Congrats on your weight loss. I do agree that from my viewpoint, you have to be willing to say "screw food" -- at least in the WLM--in order to lose the quickest and get to goal without potentially setting yourself up for stalling out too soon and losing focus. I do think many of us have to completely change and break up with the foods that contributed to our poor eating behaviors. Otherwise, like alcoholics, we run the risk of recidivism. The beauty of the initial weeks out from surgery and the honeymoon period is that it presents an opportunity to break up with old habits and almost painlessly build new healthy habits and learn new food ways of eating. Thanks for showing us your plan!!! p.s. I never really had ANY post op pain or pain in refeeding...

Before I jump into this rant, I want to let everyone know that many years ago I worked as a waitress. I know that it is some of the hardest work I've ever done, physically. The incentive is to "sell up" by selling alcoholic drinks, sides, pushing Desserts. They are making a living, and I respect that very much. That being said, can we talk about the art of listening to your customer? Unfortunately, I come from family and friends who love getting together and eating out. And I should note most of them are at very healthy, ideal weights so I'm usually the "biggest" in the group. But whether they are extremely athletic or just have amazing genes, they can order the fried app, burger with fries and a few beers. I don't mind, the food is not the problem. I'm still in that great place where I'm rarely hungry and don't have cravings. Sometimes just seeing fried foods or the smell of greasy stuff can turn my stomach now. Call me lucky? But what happens is that for some reason I'm the one the waitstaff likes to focus on. I'm the one that they ask, "Just the side salad with chicken? Are you sure that's all you want?" Or when I order the grilled shrimp appetizer, and ask them to hold the butter during cooking (please use olive oil) -- and they show up with the full entree with rice or mashed potato side. When I ask WTH, I get, "I'm sorry I thought that's what you wanted." When I'm thinking in my head, that I'm positive I said "appetizer" and even pointed to that section on the menu. Even when I order the side salad, I get the full meal portion. WTH? "I asked if it was going to be your meal and you said yes, so I figured you meant to order this one and not the side." They are all accommodating when I correct them, which I have to do in front of everyone, calling more attention to my new eating habits. They don't charge for the larger thing, take it back, etc. When they don't, I'm then trying to eat my 3-4oz of food, leaving what looks like an entire meal untouched on my plate, and I get the "Is everything OK with your meal?" question multiple times during the meal, again in front of everyone. I get it. People are human, they make mistakes. But I do not remember waitstaff getting my order wrong so often before surgery. Of course, I'm presuming they're thinking, "The fat girl will not be happy with that little food, I'll give her more." But that's a slippery slope to presume their motivations. I'm reaching a place where I don't look forward to these occasions, of eating out. It's not about the food, it's about how what/how little I'm eating is such a focus. I've used the "I don't feel well" or "I'm not that hungry" excuses, it gets me by, but it's getting old. Has this happened with anyone else?

My doc's plan says no alcohol for 6 months.

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.

NO ALCOHOL. The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver. Alcohol is directly opposed to that. I would not be able to do any parties right about now. Parties and alcohol will always be here.

I am 5 weeks post-op and am cleared to eat anything I want (OK, no alcohol, no carbonation). I have been doing really well all along, didn't have the 3 week stall, feeling pretty good, eating most meats (well-chewed), etc. About a week ago, I started feeling "full" almost immediately when I eat. My full feeling is actually pressure-pain behind my breastbone. I'm beginning to worry about this. I am to the point where about the only Protein I can eat is cheese and cottage cheese. I've been mincing any meat and moistening it with broth, but I still can only get down about 1 tablespoon before I am uncomfortable. I do OK with liquids, so I've resumed drinking my Protein shakes, but have found that the milk-based ones fill me up pretty quickly, too; I am able to drink an entire 8oz of water-based Protein drinks but only about half of the milky ones. Should I be worried? What should I be worried about?I feel like I'm so far post-op that I shouldn't be calling my surgeon with this, but I don't know. I have an appointment with my Nut in a week and am hoping this straightens out by then. I am thinking of going back onto my liquids diet for awhile, to see if my insides smooth out a bit (I have plenty of turkey broth, hahaha, given I cooked a 14 pound turkey yesterday!). It just seems like I'm going backwards in my ability to tolerate different foods. Has anyone had this experience, or have any advice/suggestions?

Well your Dr. or nurse is a @#&$*? for sure. Here is my answer to your question I think. How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. That's it! However If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: You may need an eating adjustment Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber Are you avoiding all liquid caloriesSoup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram It's also a stomach irritant fruit juice is just sugar wAfter [*]Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? Are you avoiding soft foods You can't just eat what's easy cheese is glorified fat [*]Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of wAfter a day between meals [*]Are you eating too much junk chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. Stay out of fast food places [*]Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily [*]Do you always eat the protein first [*]Then the vegetables or fruits Five servings a day Potatoes are NOT a vegetable [*]Is your portion size appropriate? meat or fish - 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards Vegetables - 1/2 cup – the size of your fist Starch - If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much. Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta [*]You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar They teach you to like things too sweet There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don't [*]Avoid most diet foods Real food usually tastes better Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great. Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine You may need a behavior adjustment Are you eating only when you are hungry?If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of wAfter and wait. [*]Are you eating three meals a day? With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks [*]Are you sitting down to eat? [*]Are you eating consciously? No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions [*]Are you eating slowly? Put the fork down between bites Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying [*]Are you taking small bites? Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork [*]Are you chewing well? [*]Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? Practice wAfter loading between meals You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal [*]Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough Hard stop versus soft stop [*]Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. [*]Do not eat when you are not hungry You may need an activity adjustment Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week?Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? [*]Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators Walking on the escalators instead of riding Parking your car further away from the entrance Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through Getting off the bus one stop before your destination Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash Playing with your kids You may need an attitude adjustment Are you committed to your weight loss journey? Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising?Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days [*]Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? [*]Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? [*]Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? [*]Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? [*]Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? [*]Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? Obsessive – compulsive thoughts Perfectionism Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss [*]Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? [*]Have you learned how to take a compliment? [*]Are you giving up diet mentality? Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day Stop dieting Stop depriving yourself Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food You may need a band adjustment You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. You are having to struggle to lose You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. There are times when you can't get fluids down You are vomiting too much Mattintosh Long I know but maybe helpfull.

Since I don't enjoy alcohol now I can only hope it stays that way, but I would surely try to avoid it for 6months or more just so my stomach would heal.

I saw a news program that did a brain scan on people and how sugar effected some people and how it showed up in others... There are those of us out there that when we get a dose of sugar it acts like drugs to a heroin addict! People who don't have an addiction can never understand sweetie. Just like you can sympathize with a person who is addicted to alcohol, but you don't know their struggle unless you've been there. You do what is right for YOU!!! I am a firm believer in "Know your limitations!"

Alcoholism is not uncommon after WLS. Because of the surgery alcohol gets absorbed a lot quicker and gets into you blood stream at high concentrations. Most surgeons suggest skipping it all together after surgery some say small amounts after the first year.

Just be aware, as it has been mentioned several times, due to the decrease in area of the stomach the absorption rates in the gut from alcohol are about 7 times faster for sleevers. as such alcohol hits you about 7 times harder. No disrespect to the gentleman above, but i find it hard to beleive, since 8 to 10 drinks would make an absolute lush, drunk. And id have to say why on earth would you have 8 to 10 drinks? are you trying to fail? that's like 5 thousand calories and all from sugars, give yourself a chance. Your not even at goal. why would you do that? To give some perspective one of my best friends is a bartender and as such, he has repeatedly told me about customers that have ben brought to his attention to not serve a lot to, and to serve very slowly to as they are sleeves and the establishments management makes sure those patrons don't have problems, since they once had a sleeve drink 3 shots in like 15 minutes and had to be taken to the ER. So please be very careful.

Hey, if you can handle it power to you! There is nothing wrong with having fun. I really enjoy drinking wine and champagne and I admit I love a good party! Everyone is different in this regard as to how they handle alcohol. My point was just that at first I didn't notice a difference in how alcohol affected me. It took awhile and suddenly my body just can't handle it any more. I think being aware of the possibility of cross addictions is really wise. Most of us over ate as a coping mechanism and when that is taken away something wants to fill that void. I'm super aware that this is a possibility for me having a pretty bad eating disorder and my history of coping with self destructive behaviors. That's why I'm shutting down drinking right away rather than playing with fire. My body obviously can't handle it. It's enough already that I'm fighting to maintain my weight.