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At 5 months you will be on a regular diet - so when you have breakfast you have have eggs or an omlette. Lunch - there's plenty of protein at the various restaurants - so maybe some fish with a veg. Dinner - same thing. If you're really concerned, pack a container of protein powder and a shaker bottle. The bigger issue will be dealing with the temptation of all the sugars/sweets/carbs/pastas and alcohol. And avoiding the temptation to eat all the time, since food is always available. Make use of the fitness center and when you are in port, get lots of walking in and other exercise to offset and "slips" which might occur.

I have been failing miserably at my pre op diet. I do well all day but then have eaten cake, drank alcohol, had crackers, etc. my surgery is in 6 days! Should I cancel!?

I think you're OK. Anyone who says this surgery "fixes" any sort of food cravings is crazy. I crave sweets all the time still. If it makes you feel better, about 5 weeks after surgery I had alcohol. It was Christmas time and I come from a heavy-drinking Irish family that doesn't take "no" for an answer when they offer you food/drink. And I survived. This is going to be the reality of the rest of our lives. You're going to have good days, and bad days, just like if you were trying to lose weight the "normal" way. The only big difference is now you have a tool to help you, like using the bumpers in bowling Good luck! And don't beat yourself up!

I posted a story, "Never Again." I had made frozen drink and drank about 5 sips and went into what's described as Dumping syndrome. Sugar+alcohol =HELL I walked around in agony! I had spasms from my throat to my bottom. The cold triggered it, sugar, and alcohol exasperated it. Relief came after I got into a hot shower, and after put a heating pad on my tummy. I did not have other gastro issues some might imagine. Just pain that I couldn't even stay still. June will be 1 year and white wine works for me. Vodka knocks me on my Butt. Red wine is too acidic for me.

Cigarettes and alcohol can be given up. But food...we have to learn to make good choices for the rest of our lives in order to live linger.

You've got this CocoNina, half the battle is being aware you've an issue. I hate suggesting this but it's worked for me, and as one person said, fighting head hunger is like alcoholism. Try OA, it's for people who struggle with food addiction, compulsive overeating, or triggers that cause one to eat. The reasons we struggle are as various as the people who struggle. If you don't like groups, try seeking counseling or therapy. Or, write in a journal (not type) what your triggers are and why you think you have them, how you feel, so you slow your mind down and recognize with clarity what you're feeling and why, and how it connects to food. The surgery is such a fantastic tool, but many of us have work to do on our heads, too. Also, try doing things with friends that don't revolve around food too, if you already don't. Create activities that will take your mind off eating, and replace the old urge to eat with a better habit. Takes time and work but one can get passed head hunger. I think protein helps aid in reduced head hunger, too as it reduces physical hunger.

The reason the doctors tell us no alcohol is the high sugar and calorie content. Between ice cream and booze, wow. A lot of people know how to really keep a tight reign on it, but others just indulge. That's dangerous. This is a tool for me, I've cut out all the alcohol in my diet. Stopped eating sugar, period, don't do sweeteners either. I figure since I got so fat they had to cut me open, why ruin the fantastic tool I'm to be given?

I exercise a lot. I walk 3 miles 5 days a week. I go to the gym & lift weights 3 days a week. I gave up Fast Food, Sodas, Fried Foods, Sugar, Alcohol, Bread & Pasta. Drink a Protein Shake for Breakfast. Eat 3 small meals 3 hours apart. They average 300 calories each. I have 2 or 3 snacks a day. Protein is mainly grilled chicken or fish with veggies. I'm now used to eating this way. Everybody is different but this is what worked for me. Ive lost 180 lbs in 2 yrs. Got 20 more to go. Good Luck to you. Hope you figure it out.

Im kind of worried about being able to drink also. I know two people that had wls several years ago and both of their alcohol tolerance is very low to this day. If I have to give it up I will but I sure hope not.

It's the food addiction many of us suffer. If you changed the above references from food items to alcohol, you would have a recovering alcoholic that is starting to fall off the wagon again, right? Tell dear husband he needs help. Be that in the form of going to a local bariatric surgery group monthly, or seeing a psychologist, or self help in the form of a book. Coincidentally, there is a good book on amazon called Never Binge Again which happens to be free in kindle version for a limited time. I would pick it up and see if it can help him with his situation.

Hello, I am desperately in need of some help. My husband had the sleeve gastrectomy in October. He's lost 115 pounds and looks amazing! In the beginning he was very strict and followed his diet. Now in the past month I've noticed him cheating more. He will take 1 bite of everything he's not supposed to eat, and sometimes more. I mentioned it to the nutritionist and she said it's okay as long as it's only 1 bite to satisfy his craving. It's starting to be more than one bite, and if I say something or give him a look it starts a huge fight! The other night I came home and saw a dirty ice cream bowl in the sink. I told him how worried I am bc my old boss regained ALL her weight from alcohol and ice cream. He fixed his body but not his brain. I'm 100% sure he's going to regain the weight if he's already cheating 5 months out. We have a baby now and I want him to be alive to see it grow up! He refuses to go to counseling. Please give me some advice on how to be supportive!

Remember alcohol metabolizes as sugar so I'd be careful ........ but have fun[emoji873]

Do you feel the alcohol faster since surgery?

I'm not an expert. I was sleeved August, 2016 after a lifetime of diets and eating/exercise programs. My weight fluctuated my entire life. I was an obese child. My first diet began at age 9 after being teased unmercifully at school. I struggled to maintain a "close to" normal weight as I entered my teens. Thus began a lifetime of eating disorders that included bulimia and anorexia that lasted well into my 50's. I took pills, shots and filled my body with anything that promised a quick solution and weight loss. All this to say I've had a lifetime of experiences being overweight. I know many people on this site have very similar experiences. I feel compelled to post about my surgery because I fully expected my life to be very different post surgery. I did lots of research and read many stories from many people who had not only sleeve surgery but also bypass surgery and lap band surgery. I needed a drastic change. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life waking up and going to sleep with my weight dominating my thoughts. While I'm certainly still adjusting I am learning to listen to my body. I'm aware when I've had enough to eat and it is well before I'm "full". If I don't listen to my body sometimes one additional bite can cause me to feel nauseous and throw up a portion of my food. I made a commitment when I had the surgery to stop eating when I'm not hungry any longer. Feeling full is no longer enjoyable for me and I'm happy my body doesn't tolerate it very well. Things are very different. Meal time is different. What I eat is different. How people react is different. But I expected these changes. If people are concerned about how much or what I'm eating I compare it to an alcoholic worried that I'm not drinking enough [emoji4]To my friends I usually say "why don't you worry about what you're eating and I'll worry about what I'm eating".......with a smile. This is lots of reading for a very simple thought and my very humble opinion. Your life changes after sleeve surgery (or bypass or whatever). It's a permanent change and you will eat differently, you'll feel differently about food. The hard changes are about how we use food, how we think about food and what food we think we want or need. That doesn't go away overnight. The sleeve is a tool. It will work beautifully if you use it correctly. If you don't make the necessary changes it will fail. You still can't eat anything and everything you want in huge quantities. You still can't use food to heal emotional hurts or make you feel rested if you're tired. You still need to make good choices and eat things that will fuel your body instead of your emotions. Many people on this forum have said over and over again that "head hunger" is a problem and we need to work on it everyday. Surgery doesn't make it go away. I had never heard the term before but believe it's true. Food is never the solution but perhaps counciling and/or a good support group can help. Any type of bariatric surgery is simply a tool. It is not a magic cure for being overweight. If you think your whole world will change as a result of the surgery I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. It still requires commitment, dedication, sacrifice and a willingness to work hard. I absolutely believe it's worth it!

If you are only going to be having sips instead of cups, you should be fine either route you decide. Isn't Pass Over around August? If you are 10 months now, you'll be well past the year mark by then. The alcohol will not be a risk by that time. It may burn a little like normal alcohol, but not the stinging discomfort of a new patient. And the sugar content of grape juice would not likely cause you dumping syndrome.

Food is an addiction just as bad as anything else. Years ago (prior to quiting) whenever I used to give thought to giving up smoking I started to smoke more than normal. It's that idea of giving something up and taking in as much as you can while you can. This is a big moment of reflection that you need to do with yourself and really evaluate your relationship with food. So often I see topics asking about doing a final binge before the pre-op diet starts. Not that there's anything terrible about that as long as kept in control, but the way I looked at it is that whatever last food "fix" I got it wouldn't be enough. I might take care of one craving, but another would take its place. That was a wake up call on how much control food had on my life. You have to decide if you're going to continue to let it have control over you or if you're going to take control of it. Emotional eating is commonplace, but it's that addiction that has to stop. The surgery is going to be a tool but your mind has to change as much as your body. You can still eat emotionally after surgery, and while you may not be able to eat as much of an unhealthy food you can still graze and bring all habits back. I say this a lot, but for myself I feel like my food issues are no different than somebody that's recovering from an alcohol problem. Each day I have to make the right decisions, and at this point (about 9 weeks out from surgery) I still battle with avoiding old/bad habits. In time it will get easier just like it was when I quit smoking, but I also know this is a life long fight that I'll have.

OP- Everyone has a different preop diet. Your nutritionist should have given you a list of acceptable and permitted foods. You are essentially starving. I'm almost done with my preop diet (surgery is Weds) and they tell everyone else clear liquids the day before but because I'm working a 12 hours shift the day before I get to have protein shakes as well. If it were that easy to shrink a liver alcoholics who have fatty liver could just stop drinking for two weeks. The real purpose is to reduce abdominal girth and put you at a lower BMI so the surgery is successful and get you used to not eating solid food since it is so critical in the early stages of the diet. I don't looks at this as breakfast lunch dinner etc I look at this as drink something all day so I don't fall over. Try Tylenol for your headache and stick with the plan your doctor gave you.

I find the puree stage to be boring for me. I love my liquid (no alcohol or carbonated drinks). The food is not enjoyable. I prefer shakes and water. I try very hard to remember not to drink with my meals or after. I love my sugar free lime popsicles as we as other frozen sugar free. I feel kinda stuck on the food part. Is cheese ok?? Im a cheesehead-Wisc girl here. Im used to making sandwiches and now no more. I cant wait till I start using romaine lettuce in my diet. I now know what full feels like. Im good at stopping once Im full. I do soups quite a bit. Suggestions? Thanks, this board is very helpful and interesting. Im learning a lot from you guys!!

First of all, I would like to apologize. This is my very first posting. As you will read below, I have read numerous postings on this and other bariatric blogs trying to see if ANYONE is experiencing what I am going through since my surgery. In July 2014 I went through a Gastric Sleeve Bypass (in the US – (Hospital listed is not accurate)) for weight loss reduction surgery. I was around 370lbs and now I and hover around 230 lbs. Off all high blood pressure and cholesterol medication. That’s the good news. Now for the very bad news. Immediately after the surgery, and over the last 2.5 years I have been experiencing severe pain in my abdominal, thoracic, and left lower ribs beyond anything imaginable. I have been unable to eat anything without taking pain medication which will only reduce the immense pain. When I say pain...the scale from 1 to 10 is 7-8 off medication and 3-4 on medication. To make things worse, I have drink alcohol (not beer) from morning (wake up) to nighttime (sleep) to enhance the pain medication because it’s not enough to reduce the amount of pain I’m currently in to have any quality of life. What’s amazing, I don’t feel intoxicated. Now, to make everyone feel safe out there, I don’t ever drive. I work from home and if I go anywhere my spouse is ALWAYS driving. With the “stigmatisms” of all the opioids in the news and current abuses, it’s embarrassing to tell the physician it’s not working as good as it used to (after 2.5 years) or that I need more, so I drink. Talk about depressing….. Over the last 2.5 years (and a 140lbs lighter) I have sought guidance from the Mayo Clinic (Rochester) and the MRI and CAT scans found mesenteric hernia, Pain Management (Local), and even returned back to the original bariatric surgeon who supervised the sleeve operation. I’ve been enrolled with pain medication for the last 2.5 years had several injections from Pain Management to include a “Celiac Plexus Block” (burn nerves with denatured alcohol) which provided temporary (30 days) relief. The Bariatric Surgeon completed another “exploratory surgery” in Feb 2017 and removed some extensive scar tissue but didn't think the hernia was an issue. After the surgery I seemed to be fine and my pain reduced significantly, and was able to eat without any pain. But within 45 days I am unable to eat anything. The pain has returned to my abdomen, ribs, and thoracic spine. All of this has taken a very extreme toll financially (about $40K out the window), emotionally, physically, and most of all on my very great supportive family. I have read through THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of bariatric blogs to see if anyone has experienced anything like I’ve experienced with my surgery. I’ve found nothing. I’ve been to the very best physicians in the country and nobody has seen anything like what I’ve experienced. This really sucks. I have another appointment next week and the surgeon thinks he can “block” the upper left port nerves in the abdomen with “denatured alcohol.” I guess it’s worth a shot. I’m almost out of options, and it’s very hard to keep going on. I'm barely hanging on.

Nyquil tends to leave the warm fuzzy inside (at least for me it does) due to the alcohol content. I can imagine it might be extra warm since not having much of a stomach to handle it as well. I'm glad it went well and seems like you're much better.

"Kidneys filter 200 liters of blood a day, help regulate blood pressure and direct red blood cell production," states the National Kidney Foundation. "But they are also prone to disease; 1 in 3 Americans is at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney failure. There are more than 26 million Americans who already have kidney disease, and most don’t know it because there are often no symptoms until the disease has progressed." Prior to my RNY gastric bypass surgery around 4 years ago, I had high blood pressure and diabetes. After surgery these diseases quickly went into remission. Which will positively affect the condition of my kidneys. I came across an article today that describes the do's and don't to inhibit the development of kidney disease. Many of these fell into line with the directions I was given after my surgery. They included: Drink plenty of Water daily Avoid drinking tea or coffee to excess Limit one's intake of sugar-sweetened drinks and alcohol Exercise regularly More than 661,000 Americans have kidney failure. Of these, 468,000 individuals are on dialysis, and roughly 193,000 live with a functioning kidney transplant. Each year, kidney disease kills more people than breast or prostate cancer. In 2013, more than 47,000 Americans died from kidney disease. http://acsh.org/news/2017/03/23/caring-your-kidneys-essential-often-forgotten-11042

If you lose the weight relatively quickly, this summer is very possible. The waiting is also dependent on if they hire a new psychologist soon or not. They have been shorthanded for a while so I would hope that they are getting close to finding someone new. Other kaisers were helping out by doing some of the psych evals for fremont but last I heard, they pulled back and said they couldn't help anymore. I didn't start losing weight until a week AFTER I met with my surgeon(I met him the day before Christmas eve so enjoyed my holidays before getting serious). I lost 40lbs in my first 7 weeks. Once 1/1/17 hit, I went straight down to 1200cals. I have not had a soda, carbonated beverage, caffine, alcohol, fast food etc since. I added in a lot of the staples that they say are helpful post surgery, Greek yogurt, string cheese, eggs, etc and made sure i got my protein in from a lot of different sources. You could probably cut carbs and lose quicker but I didn't. I went high protein, low carb. I tracked my protein intake but not my carb intake, just kinda avoided excess carbs. I still have a piece of toast every morning but I don't usually have a carb with dinner. 2 thing to remember. 1, the most important part pre op is to build the right habits. A lot of people who do extreme dieting to lose weight preop quickly, really struggle with post op. You are dropping to 1200 cals, you will lose weight quickly regardless if you cut out all the carbs or not. 2, you have to maintain and continue to lose weight throughout the whole process. Especially because they are backed up, you can't gain weight after you hit goal. If they don't see you under your goal weight and continuing your weight loss progress, they won't approve the surgery. So however you decide to lose weight, it has to be sustainable.

If you lose the weight relatively quickly, this summer is very possible. The waiting is also dependent on if they hire a new psychologist soon or not. They have been shorthanded for a while so I would hope that they are getting close to finding someone new. Other kaisers were helping out by doing some of the psych evals for fremont but last I heard, they pulled back and said they couldn't help anymore. I didn't start losing weight until a week AFTER I met with my surgeon(I met him the day before Christmas eve so enjoyed my holidays before getting serious). I lost 40lbs in my first 7 weeks. Once 1/1/17 hit, I went straight down to 1200cals. I have not had a soda, carbonated beverage, caffine, alcohol, fast food etc since. I added in a lot of the staples that they say are helpful post surgery, Greek yogurt, string cheese, eggs, etc and made sure i got my protein in from a lot of different sources. You could probably cut carbs and lose quicker but I didn't. I went high protein, low carb. I tracked my protein intake but not my carb intake, just kinda avoided excess carbs. I still have a piece of toast every morning but I don't usually have a carb with dinner. 2 thing to remember. 1, the most important part pre op is to build the right habits. A lot of people who do extreme dieting to lose weight preop quickly, really struggle with post op. You are dropping to 1200 cals, you will lose weight quickly regardless if you cut out all the carbs or not. 2, you have to maintain and continue to lose weight throughout the whole process. Especially because they are backed up, you can't gain weight after you hit goal. If they don't see you under your goal weight and continuing your weight loss progress, they won't approve the surgery. So however you decide to lose weight, it has to be sustainable.

Has anyone experienced a sweet alcohol from your breath? It also makes everything smell and taste funny

Hey I'm a little over 3 months post opp and I'm not on any special meds. I've had this horrible sneezing and cough for almost 48 hours now but I really need to go to sleep. Does anyone know if NyQuil is ok? It has 10% alcohol so I don't know if I can take it but that is all that's in my house right now. It's to late to call my doctor otherwise I would've asked him [emoji30] help!!