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Hey Dimples58, Soooooooo.....drinking after wls is truly different for every person. I was also advised by my medical crew that I would not be able to tolerate much alcohol, BUT this was not true for me. I can drink a sailor under the table. Lol! This is not good though because it's a lot of calories and causes weight gain. My first attempt was a shot of whiskey about 6 months post op and I felt nothing. The only time I feel it quickly is if I don't eat first.

My nutritionist said no sugar alcohols at all but I think they tend to treat them all the same as maltitol that tends to be the worst when it comes to gastric distress. But xylitol and erythritol don’t cause gastric distress and I found neither did Allulose. The one thing about allulose is it’s derived from sugar. My nutritionist said stick to anything below 4 grams of sugar. Which I ate less sugar prior to surgery (low carb) I haven’t gotten up to eating protein bars again yet. I can’t say if the hero bars would cause dumping and every person is different in what causes dumping. I can only suggest to try a bite and see how your body reacts. For some people even if it’s a sugar alcohol their body sees it as sugar. I’m sorry if that’s not helpful.

I'm over a year out and I still haven't told many people. I have since told my immediate family and they've all been very supportive, even my mom who usually is not. My grandmother, no matter how often I explain the band, still refers to me getting my stomach stapled. When I requested time off from work, I just said I was having a medical procedure done. On my FMLA forms, no specifics were given. I did have some people ask me what I was having done and I simply told them it was of a personal nature and I didn't feel like sharing. I find that a lot of people have very strong opinions even though they're uninformed. I didn't really want to deal with other opinions. There is one person that I eventually told whose main concern was that I'd become an alcoholic. I just don't feel like educating each and every person who's ignorant on the issue.

Avocado. The taste & texture of it seems gross now. I don’t really enjoy alcohol like I did. I have a glass about once a month but often don’t finish the glass.

I had a sf kona ice early out too and it made me so sick! So do sf slurpees. St popsicles are fine- I think the flavorings must me too concentrated or something like that. I got some sf butterscotch candies that I am realizing give me the sweats and hot flash- I'm wondering if they are really sf or if maybe they have a high sugar alcohol. This is a trial and error area for sure! I ate something on Saturday that made me so nauseous and gassy for hours and can't figure it out- I only ate yogurt, yoplait 100. I'm wondering if it uses the same artificial sweetener! Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 196.6 GW 135

Agreed! Oh, and considering I'm always late to my morning classes (just by a squeek) I wouldn't call it strolling, more like a forced march. Well dang on the pilaties, but practically my entire dance class is dancing, with very little time spent on demos. Any demos we have she, does the move once then we repeat it, and at this point, not a whole lot of new moves are being introduced. It really is non-stop for at least the first 30 minutes while we do our drills. Between our shimmies, drops, lifts, undulations, mayas, camels and geiraphs, and all our isolations.. Well, no talking there. This is a serious, kick-your-ass dance class for dance majors/minors... So, is it alright if I claim 1/2 an hour for the hour of dance? Sorry you had such a crazy day, that's been my week lately, what with major projects due... Oh, and I definately need a fill. I suddenly lost all restriction... again. So this week, my calories have been sky-high in the 1500 calorie range Yeah, I know, normal woman range, not calorie-obsessed-weightloss-driven-demented-woman range. I think this week I managed to get in all my servings of grains! And you bet I'll buy you that drink (or 3) next year at the Bash. (but not 4) I have to believe that alcohol poisoning would be bad-bad-bad for the Banded Brigands...

Hey guys, Atkins is still giving away their Quick Start Kit, which includes 3 Atkins bars - completely free. I did an Unboxing and review video of the contents, it's posted below. The link to the Atkins free offer is below the video. http://goo.gl/1mAv8A - This is the link I promised to the sign up page for the free Atkins Quick Start Kit. There's no catch, they need your email and shipping address, they even pay shipping and handling. The kit included 3 different Atkins bars - one small, one medium, and full size meal replacement bar. All 3 were delicious, it was hard not to eat all three of them. Just a word of caution, the bars are sweetened with sugar alcohols, so those of you that can't tolerate sugar alcohols might not want to eat the bars. The kit also includes some literature: 2 coupons for $1 discounts on Atkins bars, snacks, and meals. An Atkins approved food booklet and the Atkins Quick Start guide that explains the Atkins diet and the phases. As well, there are links to the Atkins support community and where you can download the Atkins app. The Atkins app will help you: *search for nutritional info, *keep track of your carb intake, your weight and how close you are to reaching your goal, *provides a daily meal plan or help you design your own, *has a database of the foods considered acceptable for each phase, *and has a restaurant guide to help you make Atkins friendly food choices when dining out.

If you don't want to be tempted to drink beer don't read this! Okay, I am in college and as such feel it is my obligation to have an occasional beer. That said I have discovered a band friendly beer (and at the same time come to realize that I am a bona fide alcoholic). First of all, I really enjoy a cold dark beer. The taste is scrumdidlyumptious and the carbination is much less. Step one is to pour your beer into a glass in a manner that causes a large hear to form. Second, allow the head to fall then gently stirr your beer (this can be done conspiculously with a fork or discreetly by swirling your beer casually). Last, if the head fails to fall - touch your finger to the tip of your nose then swirl it in the head. Believe it or not the oil from your skin will cause the head to fall, and viola you have an ice cold band friendly flat beer. Too bad there isn't a method for getting rid of the calories.

I love the Atkins bars but they make me super gassy. It's probably the sugar alcohol that's upsetting your stomach.

I can't conceive of the idea of someone being approved for this surgery if they were not well informed, committed, and ready to make a lifestyle change. No alcohol means NO ALCOHOL. You can't have this surgery and expect to go back to your old lifestyle. Why would you go through all this (I'm still waiting for my date) and risk it all on a hamburger or a cocktail?? I'm so concerned about making sure I get all my Protein and Water in, keep up with exercise, and loose skin that I can't even think about what can I eat when. It's a little nerve racking to read some of the questions, but for the most part it is good to see that others have the same questions and concerns that I have. I have found this forum to be informative and heartwarming. But I 'gotta' tell you guys...I'm hearing conflicting stories about loose skin. Some say you will definitely have lots of it - others say it depends on your start weight and your goal weight. I'm 255 lbs @ 5/4" and my goal weight is 170. Will I have a lot of loose skin?? I'm also afraid of lots of face wrinkling and turkey double chin and neck. I'm not to concerned about how I will heal because I intend to follow doctor's orders, dietician's orders, and rheumatologist's orders. Ay ay ay - the vanity!

I feel compelled to respond to this because I see this situation a little differently. I had my sleeve 3 years ago and my insurance did require a psychological evaluation. I was tod the purpose was to assess if I could comply with post op instructions,not screening for addictive behavior. Addiction transference is real and it happens to people who were not addicted to alcohol,gambling etc. Pre weight loss. I lost over 160, and am still maintaining under goal but I say the reason people regain is because over time, it's really really hard. It's hard to fathom this when you are in that amazing first 6-18 months, but at 3 years out I need to eat really small. I have to work out (plagued by injuries). I have to face a social world were as the "trim" chick, food is often pushed at me. I do sometimes stress eat but my main issue with food is that I have to eat pretty low calorie, low carbohydrate to maintain and yet I get hungry. No psychological evaluation helps with that. Anyway, just a different perspective. I do feel that the outstanding education and support provided by my surgeon and staff has been critical to my success. I advise anyone to shop for a surgeon with great follow up if at all possible. Several of the staff, one of the surgeons and anothersurgeons wife were sleeved so they are believers!

I'm surprised at some of the questions I see here and on other WLS boards from new VSG patients, like ... * I just had VSG surgery. What am I supposed to eat now? * My surgeon says not to drink alcohol until X months out. Can I drink now anyway? * When can I start eating ice cream? * I'm four days out and just had chicken McNuggets. Have I damaged my sleeve? * If you plan to drink heavily, first take a Percocet to calm your stomach. I totally get that, even pre-op, this surgery can sometimes be overwhelming. But some patients' questions suggest that even though they've just undergone major surgery they haven't read their post-op instructions, understood their instructions, don't believe what could happen to them if they don't follow instructions, or maybe they just never received any instructions at all. Weird!

I did very well. Water was difficult at first because I was so full from even the tiniest bit of Protein. My surgeon and nut actually customize the plan for people based on their sw, gw, history of weight loss, and eating habits. For me, there were very few restrictions... the one I'm still following is to abstain from bananas and carbonation; all other restrictions are gone. I gradually added in caffeine (one cup/day as per my nut), alcohol (maybe twice a month, one drink), carbs (less than 40/day, about to go up to 80), 100 g of protein (started at 60), exercise (every day at first, then vigorously 3-4 X week for 45 minutes), sleep (very important- this really affects your metabolism and most plans I've seen don't address this), Vitamins. Since the restrictions were fewer at each stage and since I came into this with pretty good eating habits, by the third month I was basically off the leash to do what I wanted provided I met protein/carb goals. I kept a glass water bottle with me and knew that I had to empty it 3X every day to get in the water (I still use it). I tracked everything I ate. I began by walking every day and then transitioned into running and biking. I'm no athlete but I actually like exercise now! My other tip is to have a good relationship with your scale. My surgeon also had guidelines for that. Daily weight for two weeks so you can see your progress, then every 4-5 days until the 4th month, then once a week... once you hit gw, once every two weeks. I wish that I had followed this protocol but I didn't until I was about 2 1/2 months post op. The scale can make you crazy!

So, I had my 6 week check in today and all is well. Weight loss is on track...27 lbs down. I do need to increase my calories. I've been around a thousand and the doctor and dietician would like to see me at 1200-1500, particularly before I start going to the gym. While I was there, I asked how long I needed to wait before I could have a glass of wine. I expected to hear 6 months to a year based on what others have posted. I was surprised when the dietician said that I could have started a couple weeks ago! Of course they gave the usual caveats...empty calories and take it slow to see how I react. Just thought I'd share since I know that question comes up a lot

Webblarsk, do you buy this at the grocery store? Cranberry and cherry-lime are two of my favorite flavors ever, so I have a feeling that this would be right up my alley. Kind of like a non-alcoholic cape cod cocktail with a little grenadine.

I really think it depends... some people did not address there underlying issues due to lack of support, insurance issues etc. But some people really screw up despite help and should not get revision unless they are truly ready for change but there are many reasons a revision may be necessary I kinda feel like some of us are way to critical, judgemental and even self righteous The government and many plans allow drug a alcohol addicts multiple expensive admissions into rehabilitation without a blink. People. Who smoke like chimney are allowed transplants,. Chemo etc Why are we so critical about WLS and eating addictions Nothing is really one size fits all...

Not concerned about replacement addictions. I don't like alcohol, tastes like crap. I enjoy wine but won't try that until a year out maybe. I would love to get addicted to exercise again. I used to spend 2 and a half hours in the gym 5-6 days a week, cycle there and back. That's a fabulous addiction as it combated some mild situational depression and kept my energy high. I find the study interesting, it's the same for people who have food addictions. I would hear often of people in OA at the meetings I attended, say they were now abstinent of their food addiction, but now battling alcoholism. I always shake my head when people are defensive regarding food addiction in these forums, obviously many people are addicted to food or a kind of food, or element in food, such as carbs. Half the battle is recognizing it, owning it, and abstaining.

Thanks everyone! It does seem like the dehydration is the main concern. I had a cup of real tea today and I felt so much more productive. I’m going to stick with that for another couple of weeks is I can and then switch to coffee. It always did bother my stomach a bit, so I want to be careful. I’m going to try and avoid alcohol for a year if I can. I always eat too much when I drink and the worst foods-chips and crackers and chocolate.

FWIW - I drink my coffee black. Always have. Partially as a result of that, there was full caffeinated coffee on my tray day after surgery. I had a few sips and was in heaven. My team's approach is if you don't add extra calories to it (e.g. cream and sugar) and you aren't bothered by the acid - have at it but try to keep it to 1 cup a day early on. I'm 23 months out. I drink roughly 32 ounces of black coffee almost every day. Doesn't bother me. Doesn't bother my team. I was told I could experiment with alcohol at 6 months. I waited on the booze, with the exception of sipping some wine at toasts at weddings I had to go to before that point. My rule on alcohol is that I have met all my protein and water goals and I have calories left in my daily allotment, I can have a drink. Again, that has been ok with my team and has worked for me.

I had the Bypass and was told no alcohol for 6 months, I don't think there was a duration for coffee, I'm drinking 1 cup daily at this point now and I started not long after my 3 month mark. Just aim for some low acid coffee and make sure to add some milk to allow the caffeine to bind to it, since high acid content and caffeine binding to calcium is some of the reasons we don't want to be consuming coffee too soon.

My husband and I researched WLS 10 years. We knew what to expect, what the risks were, and what our risks were if we had not had the surgery. I hope anyone who has not had surgery yet makes sure they can handle this. It is not for everyone. We both had hernias. We both were prepared not to eat pizza and french fries the rest of our lives. We gave up cola and alcohol. We are smiling at each other today, over 4 months later, because the sleeve surgery has exceeded our expectations. I am so sorry for anyone who has had these extreme problems, but I have also seen threads where someone is very sick and in two days they post how much better they are feeling or had an issue resolved by their surgeon. I would do everything in my power to follow strict eating and drinking guidelines, even if it meant eating yogurt 3 times a day because nothing is worse than being ill. WLS is not for everyone. You will still want pizza. If you are depressed you will still be depressed. If you drink and party, you will still want to drink and party. I wish better days for everyone who is feeling sick. Linda

The holiday season is here and it’s time for us all to quickly gain ten pounds. What? Why would I say that? I say that because it’s written all over the place. Over the next few weeks, you are going to see and hear references to our tendency to gain weight during this time of year in every newspaper, magazine, website, blog and television news program. And while the opportunities to eat may increase this time of year and the kinds of foods pushed on us are often not the healthiest, you don’t have to gain weight. However, if you expect to…you will. The holiday season is here and it’s time for us all to quickly gain ten pounds. What? Why would I say that? I say that because it’s written all over the place. Over the next few weeks, you are going to see and hear references to our tendency to gain weight during this time of year in every newspaper, magazine, website, blog and television news program. And while the opportunities to eat may increase this time of year and the kinds of foods pushed on us are often not the healthiest, you don’t have to gain weight. However, if you expect to…you will. What do expectations have to do with weight gain? Think of expectations as a combination of predictions and learned patterns of behavior. Outcomes that have occurred in the past, we generally expect to happen again. Take Thanksgiving for example, or what I like to call “National Binge Eating Day.” Thanksgiving is one of those few days of the year where the holiday seems to be about overeating. Of course, Thanksgiving is supposed to be about taking the opportunity to give thanks for how fortunate we are to live in this great country and to count our blessings for what we have. However, if you ask most Americans what comes to mind when they think of Thanksgiving I’ll bet turkey, stuffing, pie and football come long before giving thanks. More importantly, it’s not only food and eating that we think of but overeating and overindulging. This is so common that it’s often parodied in television commercials. Companies that manufacture antacids run ads showing people with exploding pant buttons or slumped back in the big armchair following the big meal. Thanksgiving, holiday parties and overeating seem to be synonymous. Many of us expect to overeat on Thanksgiving and at holiday parties so we inadvertently mentally gear up for this to happen. With this expectation of overeating in mind, our behavior becomes less controllable…you’re psychologically setting the stage for a binge to occur by expecting a huge meal to be served and by recalling previous Thanksgivings when you overate. Similarly, this is the season of holiday parties. Holiday parties tend to include foods that are rich, highly caloric and plentiful. And let’s not forget the alcohol. When you attend holiday parties, many of us expect these foods and drinks to be available and we are more likely to overindulge if that has been our pattern in the past. You’re certainly not a drone who is unable to make change, but it is infinitely less likely unless you take active steps to make that change. What can you do to prevent overeating at this time of year and gaining those extra pounds? Change your expectations by planning what you will do ahead of time. On the morning of Thanksgiving, think about what the likely layout will be where you are having the meal. Have you been there before? Do you know what to expect to be on the table? If so, plan ahead. Make some decisions about what you will eat and how much. Promise yourself that you will not overeat. After all, it’s just one meal and ironically many people who overeat say they’re not particularly fond of Thanksgiving food. They just get caught up in the collective binge mentality and the rest is history. If you plan ahead and carefully consider what to do instead of binging, you have a much better chance of controlling yourself and feeling good about your eating behavior afterwards. Consider that while eating may be a significant and enjoyable part of holiday parties and gatherings, OVEREATING does not need to be. Try not to give yourself permission to overindulge. Let’s face it…eating is fun and enjoyable and is a large part of holiday merriment. However, there is no fun in feeling nauseas or uncomfortable just after the meal and guilty and self-deprecating hours later. Don’t starve yourself on Thanksgiving morning or on the day of a holiday party. This is one of the most common, yet foolish strategies people employ. The calories you give up by skipping breakfast and lunch usually pale in comparison to the calorie content of the evening binge at Thanksgiving or the holiday party. Instead, eat normally during the day which may actually help keep you from binging later. You are far more likely to control yourself if you are mostly full during the day rather than starving when you walk in the door of the party. Consider making some eating compromises. Who said you have to have turkey only on Thanksgiving? Is pecan pie banned at other times of year? Consider having the foods that truly are once a year items rather than loading up on everything. And even then, you don’t need five pounds of the special foods. If you only get to eat your grandmother’s special stuffing once a year, you certainly shouldn’t pass that up. However, I promise you that eating a ton of it will not make you happier than having two nice size tablespoons of the stuff. Again, plan ahead and make decisions earlier in the day. Watch the booze. Alcohol causes our judgment to get a little fuzzy. You are going to be more successful controlling your behavior if your brain is firing on all cylinders. If you drink too much too early in the day, you’re going to have a tougher time sticking to whatever plan you created. Also, too much alcohol causes us to make other foolish decisions. There are enough unfortunate tragedies that happen this time of year. Make sure you’re not a part of one. I’m not suggesting in any way that you be a killjoy and I certainly don’t believe that it’s necessary to avoid holiday parties or gatherings where food is available. By planning ahead, changing your expectations, and making a few specific eating compromises, you can truly have your cake and eat it too. Happy Holidays!

I am 31 years old and have basically done whatever I wanted (within reason) whenever I wanted since mid-college. I'm self-employed in the financial industry so I have been able to take off on a vacation, golf, or whatever reasonably easy (since I didn't have to ask my employer first.) This do whatever, whenever is partly why I'm in the shape I'm in, I love to eat... and eat good. One of the things that I'm most worried about is the possibility that I won't be able to drink carbonated beverages such as beer or things that mix with alcohol after surgery. I'm not an alcoholic by any means, but, I have a lot of fun. And drinking on the golf course or during a cocktail hour in business settings has been a big part of my life over the past 10 years. Not to mention, most of my friends like to kick back and drink on the weekends. I'm confused because I have read many things that a lot of folks aren't able to handle alcohol or drink carbonated beverages at all... Yet, I have a good friend who had the surgery and in some ways, I wouldn't hardly notice a difference in his eating/drinking unless he had told me. He still drinks a few beers, drinks a ton of wine, and some mixes and seems to be fine. The main area I can see a difference is that he seems to get drunker quicker. What are your experiences? What is the norm? Is it just that this surgery affects everyone differently? I mean, I am obviously willing to give up some of this for my health for my family... But, I'm just trying to figure out what to expect. Any input is appreciated. Oh, and my surgery is scheduled for this coming Monday. Thanks.

The holiday season is here and it’s time for us all to quickly gain ten pounds. What? Why would I say that? I say that because it’s written all over the place. Over the next few weeks, you are going to see and hear references to our tendency to gain weight during this time of year in every newspaper, magazine, website, blog and television news program. And while the opportunities to eat may increase this time of year and the kinds of foods pushed on us are often not the healthiest, you don’t have to gain weight. However, if you expect to…you will. What do expectations have to do with weight gain? Think of expectations as a combination of predictions and learned patterns of behavior. Outcomes that have occurred in the past, we generally expect to happen again. Take Thanksgiving for example, or what I like to call “National Binge Eating Day.” Thanksgiving is one of those few days of the year where the holiday seems to be about overeating. Of course, Thanksgiving is supposed to be about taking the opportunity to give thanks for how fortunate we are to live in this great country and to count our blessings for what we have. However, if you ask most Americans what comes to mind when they think of Thanksgiving I’ll bet turkey, stuffing, pie and football come long before giving thanks. More importantly, it’s not only food and eating that we think of but overeating and overindulging. This is so common that it’s often parodied in television commercials. Companies that manufacture antacids run ads showing people with exploding pant buttons or slumped back in the big armchair following the big meal. Thanksgiving, holiday parties and overeating seem to be synonymous. Many of us expect to overeat on Thanksgiving and at holiday parties so we inadvertently mentally gear up for this to happen. With this expectation of overeating in mind, our behavior becomes less controllable…you’re psychologically setting the stage for a binge to occur by expecting a huge meal to be served and by recalling previous Thanksgivings when you overate. Similarly, this is the season of holiday parties. Holiday parties tend to include foods that are rich, highly caloric and plentiful. And let’s not forget the alcohol. When you attend holiday parties, many of us expect these foods and drinks to be available and we are more likely to overindulge if that has been our pattern in the past. You’re certainly not a drone who is unable to make change, but it is infinitely less likely unless you take active steps to make that change. What can you do to prevent overeating at this time of year and gaining those extra pounds? Change your expectations by planning what you will do ahead of time. On the morning of Thanksgiving, think about what the likely layout will be where you are having the meal. Have you been there before? Do you know what to expect to be on the table? If so, plan ahead. Make some decisions about what you will eat and how much. Promise yourself that you will not overeat. After all, it’s just one meal and ironically many people who overeat say they’re not particularly fond of Thanksgiving food. They just get caught up in the collective binge mentality and the rest is history. If you plan ahead and carefully consider what to do instead of binging, you have a much better chance of controlling yourself and feeling good about your eating behavior afterwards. Consider that while eating may be a significant and enjoyable part of holiday parties and gatherings, OVEREATING does not need to be. Try not to give yourself permission to overindulge. Let’s face it…eating is fun and enjoyable and is a large part of holiday merriment. However, there is no fun in feeling nauseas or uncomfortable just after the meal and guilty and self-deprecating hours later. Don’t starve yourself on Thanksgiving morning or on the day of a holiday party. This is one of the most common, yet foolish strategies people employ. The calories you give up by skipping breakfast and lunch usually pale in comparison to the calorie content of the evening binge at Thanksgiving or the holiday party. Instead, eat normally during the day which may actually help keep you from binging later. You are far more likely to control yourself if you are mostly full during the day rather than starving when you walk in the door of the party. Consider making some eating compromises. Who said you have to have turkey only on Thanksgiving? Is pecan pie banned at other times of year? Consider having the foods that truly are once a year items rather than loading up on everything. And even then, you don’t need five pounds of the special foods. If you only get to eat your grandmother’s special stuffing once a year, you certainly shouldn’t pass that up. However, I promise you that eating a ton of it will not make you happier than having two nice size tablespoons of the stuff. Again, plan ahead and make decisions earlier in the day. Watch the booze. Alcohol causes our judgment to get a little fuzzy. You are going to be more successful controlling your behavior if your brain is firing on all cylinders. If you drink too much too early in the day, you’re going to have a tougher time sticking to whatever plan you created. Also, too much alcohol causes us to make other foolish decisions. There are enough unfortunate tragedies that happen this time of year. Make sure you’re not a part of one. I’m not suggesting in any way that you be a killjoy and I certainly don’t believe that it’s necessary to avoid holiday parties or gatherings where food is available. By planning ahead, changing your expectations, and making a few specific eating compromises, you can truly have your cake and eat it too. Happy Holidays!

I just had my first alcoholic drink since pre op diet. I had two glasses of wine at a tavern grand opening this past weekend. I had eaten but what I didn't expect is that I was almost fall down drunk on those two glasses. Now I used to be able to throw down shots with the best of them and hold my own. I don't know if it had to do with being banded or that I haven't had any alcohol in two months but WOW! I won't be doing that again too soon! :-)