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Congratulations on your amazing weight loss! Substance abuse (no matter the substance, alcohol, drugs, food, sex, whatever) is just a symptom of an inner problem. Our problem isn't food, it's our minds. My therapist knows that we're working together because I have food issues. But, we have hardly talked about my eating, at all. We've talked about all the other garbage that needs to be worked on, in order to be able to change my relationship with my drug of choice - food. It has been a very interesting experience, working with a therapist. And I know that the hardest work we will do, is yet to come. I started talking to him before my surgery, because I knew that I was really going to need his help after surgery. After my surgical sites heal, the real work will begin. It's a grand adventure!
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My plan did have me do hibiclens both the night before and morning of. They provided two 4oz bottles as well as a lovely pink scrubbie. They also gave me a bottle of alcohol-free mouthwash and wanted me to use that instead of my regular one. Apparently they claim it's a fire hazard. News to me! I also had to self-isolate for 2 days between my covid test and surgery. I thought that one was a bit odd in that my wife was going to be my driver, would be allowed in the hospital room with me, and would be my helper post-surgery. If she just happened to have covid, isolating for the 2 days between the test and surgery wasn't going to protect me or the medical team.
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Low BMI obesity gastric sleeve option
William Weston posted a topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Hello. I am 44y old male and I am seriously considering SG. I am 5’7 and around 195 lb. I know this is not too obese -I am in fact BMI 31- and normally bariatric surgery should not be an option. Yet, after extensive literature reading I believe it is a good option. I have high blood pressure , high cholesterol and early non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Moreover , I have been always struggling with weight issues since I was a teenager, alternating times of physical activity and good diet habits -and a relative healthy weight as a result - with bad periods of overeating and sedentary behavior. All in all, the aggregated tendency is adding up weight on the long run. My wife is highly critical of this decision, blaming me for taking the “easy way” instead of modifying my eating / physical habits. I’ve tried to explain her several times the apparent inconsistency of deeply wanting to get rid of my weight problem with the fact that it is nevertheless not easy at all. She’s naturally skinny and cannot grasp how fat/obese people relate with food. I’d love to hear from those on a similar situation. I believe it is the right step to do, but I want to hear open, sincere opinion -so not just for reaffirming my choice but rather to have well grounded , unbiased, facts for a well informed decision. -
Pre Op Urine - HELP
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to Bossmama1's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
From what my surgeon told me, if you test positive for anything associated with a drug (nicotine, thc, cannabinoids, hard drugs, alcohol, etc) then the surgery is postponed until you can pee completely clean. -
Thanks for reply.. I have 2 days of pre op to go. I’m doing the next 2 strictly shakes and water. ugh I’m so worried. I think I’ve done pretty well considering. I have had no sugar, bread pasta or rice- a few chips here and there.. majorly reduced my caffeine by 3/4, same with the alcohol and no cigarettes for 11 weeks now. I’m being hard on myself but yeh, I am worried about the possibility of a cancellation cos I have had a few blow outs of 300 cal or so over 1200 limit 😩
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Bariatric friendly alcoholic drinks?
ms.sss replied to DaisyAndSunshine's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
i stopped drinking in the first day of my 2 week pre-op diet. And no, i didn't have to take a blood-alcohol test at any time. Had my first drink (2-3 sips of red wine) at around 3 weeks post op. Had my 2nd (partial) drink around 2-3 months post which gave me one of the worst dumping experiences i have had to date (it was a sugary soju-sake cocktail). I had maybe 4-5 (partial) drinks during weight loss phase: vodka sodas or very dry red wine. Now im just a normal regular drinker for the most part (but i still try to stay away from overly sugary drinks). Im 4 years post op. -
Bariatric friendly alcoholic drinks?
Arabesque replied to DaisyAndSunshine's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
In the weeks before surgery you’re on the restrictive pre surgery diet so no alcohol for about two weeks +/- prior to your surgery. After surgery you’ll be advised to avoid alcohol too for a period of time. Alcohol is high in empty calories, dehydrates you & will slow your metabolism & weight loss. Plus there is the concern that if you have an addiction to food you will become addicted to alcohol as you can’t satisfy your food cravings. -
Bariatric friendly alcoholic drinks?
Barry atric pac replied to DaisyAndSunshine's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
Did you take a Blood Alcohol Test before surgery. If so, how long did you have to abstain from drinking -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
SpartanMaker replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
This is a good point. Especially if you are someone that has non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD), or especially the more severe form non-alcohol related steatohepatitis (NASH), regular drinking probably isn't in your best interest. A lot of obese people end up with NAFLD/NASH since obesity is the leading cause. Depending on the severity of your disease progression, you may have caused sufficient damage to your liver that frequent drinking on top of that could put you on a one way path to cirrosis, liver cancer, and/or liver failure. Now that said, one drink or even a few now and again isn't going to cause severe disease. Also, weight loss often can completely reverse NAFLD, so if you didn't actually damage your liver permanently, this may not be a factor. I totally get those that say alcohol is a poison and don't understand why anyone would purposely poison themselves. Objectively though, ALL of us are here because we purposely poisoned ourselves with food. I'm in no position to judge anyone that chooses to drink. (By the way, my main hobby pre-surgery was winemaking, so stopping drinking was an even bigger challenge for me. I had to give up not only nightly glass of wine, but my main hobby.) In the end, I think we're all grown-ups and everyone needs to decide for themselves what's right. Just know the risks and decide for yourself if the risks are worth it to you. -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
RickM replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
Adding to what SpartanMaker mentioned above, the other major concern with alcohol use post op is that it is a liver toxin (physiology here, no moral judgement) and that our livers already tend to be in poor shape owing to our obesity (hence the "liver shrinking" pre op diets that some programs put their patients through) and then the liver is further taxed by its role in metabolizing all of that fat that we are rapidly losing. The last thing that it needs is the added stress of metabolizing alcohol. Surgeons vary on how much this point bothers them, largely depending upon their experience with such things (and maybe their own alcohol tolerance?) Our surgeon also moonlights as a biliopancreatic (liver, pancreas) transplant surgeon, and the last thing he will tolerate is one of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table. -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
ms.sss replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
+1 i had like 4-5 partial drinks during entire weight loss phase. Now, i am what one would call a regular drinker (some may even, dare i say, call me an alcoholic). I was a drinker before surgery as well. (Though before surgery I would drink lots in a short amount of time, every few weeks, now i drink less at a time, but more often). My increased drinking frequency had a lot to do with Covid lockdowns starting in 2020 though. From a weight-loss perspective, what little i did drink during weight loss phase did not seem to affect ME in getting to goal. Nor does the amounts i drink now seem to affect my ability to maintain my current weight (note though that i simultaneously keep an eye on my total calories - alcohol or otherwise- , so there’s also that) I get tipsy quite fast post-wls (and on small amounts), but I also sober up in record speed. As others said above, if you really want to, try it out and observe how you react, and then decide if want to again. Or, don’t. Up to you…you know yourself best. Sincerely, An alcohol-drinking-DRINKER (from Canada). (i also smoke, drive above the speed limit, and am late paying my taxes this year…) -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
SpartanMaker replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
It's not uncommon that bariatric programs warn people not to drink alcohol post-op. Some, like your team seem to take a "never again" approach, while some say avoid it for a specific length of time, such as the first year. As I understand it, here are the biggest concerns those programs have: The biggest concern by far is that there is an increased risk of developing Alcohol Use Disorder. As @Starwarsandcupcakes mentioned, some research suggest that susceptible patients transfer disordered eating onto alcohol. Some studies have even found that the incidence is as high as 20% of bariatric surgery patients. The second concern is that alcohol affects our altered biology differently. Honestly this is worse for gastric bypass patients, but sleeve patients still have have issues with getting drunk much faster, on much less alcohol. Further, it can take a lot longer to metabolize the alcohol you do consume, meaning you'll stay drunk longer. Bottom line, it's really easy to overdo things and end up completely drunk on a lot less booze than before. There is also the concern that this is wasted calories that provide no nutritional benefit and can slow your weight loss. Obviously for those in maintenance, this doesn't really matter, but for those still losing, it might be a concern for some. -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
kcuster83 replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
You have to make this decision for yourself. There are some obvious CONS with drinking alcohol anytime and I would say even more of them after surgery. I will say, take it slow. One drink, drink it slow and wait to see how it effects you. It hits me hard, like really hard. I have only drank 2 times and really just once because the first time was more of a sip to taste test. haha But I had 3 drinks over 5 hours the second time and I was destroyed and would NOT sober up or throw up no matter what i did so I was just miserable. -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
summerseeker replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
In Europe we have a more relaxed view of alcohol use. Red wine is seen as good for you if you have a glass a day etc. I don't drink much these days, but I was the same before surgery. I went on an All-inclusive holiday about 2 months after surgery and carefully tried a few drinks here and there. I kept the alcohol content small and the drink long and tall. Every time I felt slightly tipsy for 30 minutes or so and then nothing. I am the same now. Its your birthday, have a drink if you want to -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
I don't think I understand. If you've been a non-drinker all of these years and decided to get weight loss surgery and have had much success so far... why suddenly do you feel the need to drink? Even one drink? Drinking completely stops the process of burning stored fat for... (I believe... 48 hours???). The liver can't convert the stored fat to energy (fat burning) while it's busy trying to process the alcohol. So I agree with everything @Starwarsandcupcakes said. Obviously I'm not a drinker and don't advocate drinking. I see no purpose in it. It's a poison and hinders weight loss and has no benefits. I think the bigger question here is if you have never been a drinker, why do you want to start now? -
NON Drinker Drinking Question. (Alcohol)
Starwarsandcupcakes replied to Veritas34's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
From a medical standpoint I have to agree with your nutritionist. Alcohol is a poisonous liquid that has no real nutritional value on its own. Also, WLS patients are more likely to suffer from transfer addiction which includes alcohol. From a WLS patient perspective, one drink isn’t the end of the world and if that’s how you choose to spend your birthday then that’s your business. Just choose a really good drink and just have the one as alcohol can affect people different after surgery. -
I went to my nutritionist today for my 4 month visit. Down 135 lbs since I started my journey in April. (Surgery in June).... I asked the question as my birthday is this weekend and I thought maybe I could go out and have A drink... I am not a drink. I never have been.. But I was told by nutritionist that there's no way at all I should be having any alcohol... EVER... I was kind of shocked to be honest.. Again I dont drink but I didn't think one drink would be so off limits.... Not a big deal to me but shocked at the answer today...
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net would be sooooo much easier… i do have a list of “free foods” i don’t need to count (broccoli, avocado, onions etc) and that helps … but outside that list it is a desert for fiber lol oh and i don’t count sugar alcohols - but i just am not doing a lot of sweet for anything
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That would be hard! I did 25g NET carbs, so I didn’t count fibre nor sugar alcohols…
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it’s normal to be nervous!! mine was seeing if I was mentally stable enough to safely complete the pre and post requirements. If i had any substance abuse issues or uncontrolled eating disorder (especially emotional eating and binge eating) issues that would be an encumbrance to a successful surgery. And did I fully understand the life changing decision and possible ramifications of surgery on my life. really it wasn’t that bad - mine was concerned about alcohol because of my family history of alcohol abuse which I am very very aware of but otherwise thought I had things in control enough for surgery (i have depression anxiety and other lovey things currently controlled) make sure to tell us how it goes!
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Help getting back on track
SleeveMeToIt replied to Happy Stylist's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Often in the past during my weight loss efforts and when I'd get off track and eat off of plan, maybe have more alcohol than usual, I'd realize how much harder it was to get refocused. I also realized that during that time, I'd have caused some acid imbalances by poor food choices and booze. I wouldn't have traditional heartburn sensations, but a constant gnawing hunger. Starting to take an acid reducer like Prilosec or something (not the gummies or tums) would help me get back on track. An acidy tummy can feel like hunger. I remember that now that I've had sleeve and am trying to stay focused and on track. Also, if you got off track - there is a good chance you are dehydrated. Are you meeting water/fluid goals? If not, start there. Are you constipated from eating crap food? Another good place to start. Probiotics can also help reset your gut flora - that can cause cravings when disrupted by processed foods, sugar and drinks. Maybe focusing on a couple things at a time and giving yourself a little grace can help. Self sabotage can continue when our minds are in a bad space because of getting off track. You can do this! You had fun, now it's over. No biggie. -
Help getting back on track
Afrankrn replied to Happy Stylist's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
My therapist (who I got to help combat my food issues) said cravings usually last 30 mins or less. Try to keep that in mind when you are craving something. I think you are like me. I am going to have to be very careful around certain foods (carb heavy hitters like bread and pasta for me). If I start, I won't stop. Kind of like an alcoholic in recovery. Some people can have a little bit and not suffer from "withdrawals", but if I were to have a little bit then my cravings spike and can spin out of control fast. My recommendations: 1. Track what you are eating in an app if possible cause sometimes that will help reign it in 2. Wait 30 mins when craving something and drink water. Go for a walk or pick an activity to distract you. After 30 mins, see how you are feeling and what your body may really be after (protein/more water/?) 3. Try to find healthy substitutes for what you are wanting. Pizza? Find a low carb recipe that tastes good and fills that urge. Sweets? Are some sugar free options or low carb options a possibility? 4. Journal and track when these cravings are happening. What's going on when they do? Are you stressed/bored/angry? Are you around others who are eating things you want? Are you out of the house and having to do fast food as quick options? Etc. See where your weak points are and then start identifying ways to help deal with them. 5. Get a supportive therapist to help you deal with your mindset around food. You can outeat wls. For many of us, this is going to be a lifelong addiction that we can defeat but will always have to be mindful of. -
Dumping or something else?
catwoman7 replied to fourmonthspreop's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
it might be - although that usually involves heart palpitations, sweating, and dizziness. Diarrhea for sure - nausea is less common (I know you said you had a couple of these symptoms). Sugar or fat is what normally sets off dumping (sugar is more common). This bar didn't have very much sugar in it, though - so I'm not sure if this was dumping or not. I'm thinking it could also be a reaction to whatever artificial sweetener they use in those bars. I've heard of those kinds of reactions to various sweeteners, too - esp sugar alcohols (those whose names end in -itol - like xylitol or maltitol. PS Just looked those bars up - they do have xylitol in them, so it could have been that, too.. https://healthfully.com/xylitol-sweetener-side-effects-5965019.html -
what did it feel like when you ate?
ms.sss replied to KimA-GA's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
No difference in actual eating (but i did/do) burp an awful lot. Fullness felt different…it was/is a pressure in my chest instead of a bloated feeling in my lower abdomen. further…when drank alcohol the first time (about 3 weeks post op) for swear i could feel it travelling down my intestines. After a few months (can’t remember exactly when) alcohol no longer produced that sensation. -
a person i know uses xylitol based gummy bears to break constipation. gastric “side effects” happen with overconsumption of some sugar alcohols (a couple spoonfuls of the sweetener may work too)… the body can’t process it for energy so no calorie issues
