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March 28th!!!! I start my pre-op diet on Monday. This week I'm saying goodbye to my all my favorites and alcohol!

I can drink any alcohol but the sugary mixers make me feel like crap. Beer doesn't hurt like everyone scared me into thinking would happen. I don't have it often and sip it slow and only have one. I found out the hard way that my alcohol tolerance is way low. Just take it slow and you'll find out what works for YOU.

VSjrs is right. Every person is different. Some tolerate carbs, some don't. Some tolerate alcohol, some don't. I'm more than two years past surgery and there are some things I still can't eat or drink. I've made peace with those because there's so much more I *can* eat and drink. Celebrate what you can do now and realize it will continue to change. Good luck!

I believe most surgeons (but check with yours for sure) say to wait at LEAST 6 months. That's how long I waited. Alcohol is harsh on the stomach and empty calories. Trust me, I still have a beer or spirit every so often. So I'm not saying ever again. But again, check with your surgeon/NUT. How fast you get drunk is dependent on each person. With the sleeve, your stomach empties of liquids much quicker, so the alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream faster. You will feel it much faster than you did before. Pre-op, it'd take 6-9 shots of Patron Silver for me to even feel a buzz. Now it takes 1 on an empty stomach, 2 if i'd had anything to eat in the last hour or two. Pace yourself. Do not take shot after shot or drink after drink.

Relief from GERD has been a wonderful byproduct of my RNY. Dumping only happens if you eat stuff you shouldn't be eating. So if you eat what you are supposed to eat, you will be fine! So no fried foods, no high-sugar foods. I also can't tolerate any of the sugar alcohols so that's made it easier to tame my sweet tooth

Here in just a short few weeks I'll be turning 21, also going to be 3 months post op. I'm not a big alcohol drinker anyway.. but I'm going to a casino for the night for my birthday. Can I have a glass of wine while I'm there? How fast do you get drunk? Sleeved

Hi everyone, firstly I am so glad there is this forum and there is so much experience here. I am in my 40's a typical story of Diet Coke addiction binge eating and fad diets. I have had a private consultation and my bmi is 34 with a weight loss needed of 5 stone. I can have the sleeve and I really think it will suit me in that my bad food choices will be removed or restricted My biggest fear is hair loss. I have fine thinning hair anyway and it will be really noticeable so how likely is this and is there anything to prevent this or any supplements? Secondly and this is frivolous but going out drinking is a big part of my life and a life without alcohol will be a struggle. I accept the point about calories and accept that it will not aid weight loss but other than this and low tolerance, is there any reason why reduced alcohol cannot be consumed on the odd night out. Any one that can give me some advice would really help. I really want to change but I need to do it with my eyes wide open Thanks all

It’s March! Trees are leafing out and the green of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations surrounds us. This brings to mind that instead of wearing green, we should be eating more greens…and yellows, oranges, reds and purples. Include the colors of the rainbow in your veggie choices. Veggies have vitamins, minerals, water, fiber, and anti-oxidants. Having a smaller stomach pouch after surgery makes it a challenge to get in more veggies. Veggies you can sip instead of chewing to applesauce will make it easier to get in your vegetables. Think about blending veggies with protein powder to help increase your protein intake. Focus on non-starchy veggies. There are several ways you can sip your veggies. One way is to experiment with blended smoothies. A blended smoothie has 3 main parts: fresh or frozen produce, ice cubes, and a base. The base can be water, milk or yogurt. For bariatric patients, a base can also be protein powder or ready to drink protein shakes. You’ll need a good blending machine like NutriBullet, Ninja or Vitamix. Look for a blender with at least 1000 Watts for best results. Next time you make a protein smoothie, throw in a handful of raw spinach or kale, cucumbers, shredded purple cabbage, frozen veggie blend, fresh herbs or something from your garden. Fruits are often a part of a smoothie, but you will need to calculate the carbs to stay in your carbohydrate goal. Another idea is to make a non-alcoholic Bloody Mary. Stir a tablespoon of unflavored protein powder into 6 ounces low sodium V8 vegetable juice. This V8 is a blend of several vegetable juices. Throw in dashes of lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, stir again and the pour over ice. Unflavored protein powder can be added to vegetable soups. Sprout’s has unflavored whey protein powder in the bulk bins, which is a way you can test taste this protein without buying a large canister. One tablespoon provides 10 grams of protein. If you use whey protein isolate, remember to keep it under 140o F. to prevent the protein from curdling. Healthy sipping!

Having a smaller stomach pouch after surgery makes it a challenge to get in more veggies. Veggies you can sip instead of chewing to applesauce will make it easier to get in your vegetables. Think about blending veggies with protein powder to help increase your protein intake. Focus on non-starchy veggies. There are several ways you can sip your veggies. One way is to experiment with blended smoothies. A blended smoothie has 3 main parts: fresh or frozen produce, ice cubes, and a base. The base can be water, milk or yogurt. For bariatric patients, a base can also be protein powder or ready to drink protein shakes. You’ll need a good blending machine like NutriBullet, Ninja or Vitamix. Look for a blender with at least 1000 Watts for best results. Next time you make a protein smoothie, throw in a handful of raw spinach or kale, cucumbers, shredded purple cabbage, frozen veggie blend, fresh herbs or something from your garden. Fruits are often a part of a smoothie, but you will need to calculate the carbs to stay in your carbohydrate goal. Another idea is to make a non-alcoholic Bloody Mary. Stir a tablespoon of unflavored protein powder into 6 ounces low sodium V8 vegetable juice. This V8 is a blend of several vegetable juices. Throw in dashes of lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, stir again and the pour over ice. Unflavored protein powder can be added to vegetable soups. Sprout’s has unflavored whey protein powder in the bulk bins, which is a way you can test taste this protein without buying a large canister. One tablespoon provides 10 grams of protein. If you use whey protein isolate, remember to keep it under 140o F. to prevent the protein from curdling. Healthy sipping!

No but I don't really eat off plan often. I'm almost 2 years out also. Honestly my digestive system and body function exactly the same, the only difference is my stomach is small. No changes to tastes, no food allergies, same alcohol tolerance, etc.

And many an alcoholic and drug addict have probably said the same things. Why should I go to AA? I'll just stop going to the bars. Or I'll avoid person X & Y who want to get high all the time. WLS is not a magical pill that fixes thing. It is a tool to help long term. It's easy to say that I'm going to stick with my diet this time. This time it's going to be different. All those other hundreds of times I tried and failed were practice, but this time will be different! Not saying this to be a smart ass. It's just easy to say this time will be different. I'm sure the idea of surgery has scared some people away, they did stick to a diet, and were successful. It's no different than those that were so sure this would finally be the fix they needed but then end up gaining all their way back. I look at WLS like I would going to an AA meeting. Ultimately it is up to me to make the right decisions in leading a healthy life, but the WLS is a tool to help me be successful. It's not an easy decision, and yes, I went through all the second guessing as well. I had complications with my surgery. Did it suck? Yep. But I don't regret my decision. I worry about things like the loose skin too, but in the end I was more concerned about having a heart attack within the next 5 years because of the extra weight I've been carrying in additional to the other health problems I was facing. I'll take some loose skin over being dead before I'm 50.

see i can live without it but i want to be able to drink it sometimes with alcohol and if i have a tummy ache, gingerale helps me :/

i never really drank soda but when i drink occassionally i like to chase alcohol with a shot lol not the end of the world if i cant have it though

My tastes aren't different and nothing affects me differently, coffee or alcohol. Even though I rarely drink alcohol, I am not a light weight, my tolerance is still very high.

I had IBS when I was younger and it developed into full-fledged ulcerative colitis by the time I was 30. I've been on meds for it off and on since then. I had my surgery 3.5 weeks ago and I have to say I haven't had any symptoms. I think. It's hard to know what's normal after sleeve since I've never had a sleeve before. Unlike many other people, I do not suffer from constipation post-op, and usually have a bowel movement 3 times a day - it's always loose and soft, similar to what I had pre-sleeve. However, I do know that when I went on the pre-op diet, which allowed lean protein and non-starchy vegetables, and was no dairy or alcohol or caffeine, all of my symptoms cleared up immediately and I had no issues. The big difference between then and now is that I am eating cheese and greek yogurt to help meet my protein goals, but I wonder if that is affecting my BMs. However, I'm not going to change anything until I back to full foods and can cut back on the dairy. I'm not taking any meds for the colitis at the moment as I don't know how well they'll work with my new sleeve. I'm going to go talk to my gastroenterologist next week about it. That said, I've done some research about it and it seems that the sleeve really helps alleviate symptoms. I know colitis and IBS in general are not exactly the same, but as I have suffered from one or the other for over 30 years, to me there is little difference between them.

When was the first time you had a drink after surgery? What alcohol works best for you? Share your stories about booze please!

Hi Molly. I have not been sleeved yet, but I am in the process of getting approved. I know I am a food addict. I am a recovering alcoholic and have been sober almost 9 years. My addiction has transferred to food since getting sober. I recommend what the previous poster has said, work with a therapist. See if you can establish why you want to eat? Is it due to stress? Is it due to depression? What is the driving force? You could also look into Over-Eaters Anonymous. Also Food Addicts Anonymous. I hope this helps. Know that you are not alone, many people have the same struggles as you. Myself included.

@Proud2BeMe Nice to see you posting again! I'm glad you worked out your alcohol issues, we were worried. I think that those of us that were super morbidly obese and lose to normal or close to normal size really face special issues. Most of the people that post here now are not and have not been super morbidly obese They start in the 200s if that. So their opinions to me don't carry that much weight (ha!) There are very few people that are in the situation that people like you and I are in. People can't and don't understand. It is a really huge mental trip, and most people will never experience it. I would normally say seek counseling but I am going to be honest, it isn't going to be very useful. Not many of them are going to have experience with what you are going through. You have to really just work through your feelings and emotions in your own way on your own path. I would rather see you abusing carbs than alcohol, but the fact you feel the need to go overboard on anything is an issue. I think time to adjust to yourself is the best and only realistic solution. I eat keto/low carb (less than 25G per day) because it keeps me upbeat and my moods balanced. I enjoy it and it is healthy. You should eat in a manner that makes you feel good and is healthy for you. You probably just lost weight because you upped your calories, not the carbs. So just eat more protein. I'm going to PM you.

@Bluesky1 - I have been pretty adept now at eyeballing what the size/weight would be - but still weigh food when i am at home and it is a new recipe or food or when i feel i am getting off track a bit - I will make my chicken, for example, think what i think the weight is and then measure it - if i am more than .5 ounces off then i weigh everything for a week to re-adjust myself. I log everything in myfitnesspal (the good, the bad and the ugly) and mostly just pay attention to my protein/carb/fat ratio. I hate to say i have struggled a bit getting my calorie count back up so i can fluctuate between 800-1200 Calories a day. I can eat normal amounts for a vsg person I guess - Probably can get down between 4-6 ounces at a time depending on the bulk of it. Typically I will have as a meal: pre-breakfast: coffee, splenda, fat free half and half (or regular half and half if I am out of my house) Breakfast on days where I am hungry: 0% Fage greek plain yogurt with lemon juice, splenda, 1/4 banana and a handful of raisin bran for crunch Mid morning: premier Protein chocolate drink lunch: 2.5 oz tuna pack with light mayo and dill relish Snacks if i snack: beef jerkey, a few Peanut Butter pretzels (which i am trying to cut out as they are wasted carbs and i wish they wouldnt have at the office). If i am hungry i will maybe have the yogurt or cottage cheese if the jerkey isnt in stock at the office Dinner: I mixed it up between home cooked grilled fish or chicken (in a variety of preparations...could be with mexican seasoning or asian or gravy, etc.) with a squash or green vegetable, zoodles with turkey meat sauce, turkey or chicken "burger" with blue cheese crumbles in a low carb tortilla with avocado or just on a plate, turkey mexican salad, eggplant Parmesan with turkey and cottage cheese to up the protein. When i create meals, i will normally weigh them out and make recipes to store in myfitnesspal so i dont have to type it all in each time. I typically do sashimi 2x a week after my trainer or get beef carpaccio as a treat. Other snacks: cheese stick, boars head turkey pepperoni, light babybel, cucumbers with bolthouse avocado greek salad dressing and lemon juice, Sweet Craving satisfiers: grapes, dole dippers 60 calorie strawberry packs, a few tablespoons of halo top or similar ice cream, skinnygirl Milk Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt Toffee Alcohol(Don't judge): 1.5 ounces of citrus vodka in a 44 ounce tumbler with Water, big ice cubes, a squirt powder packet (I love these) and ginger powder - I also mix msm powder for my joints into it. I also cheat on my diet. I have a pizza slice at the office every once in a blue moon, each spinach dip or nachos when we are out, sour patch kids, etc. but I log it all and keep myself accountable and acknowledge when i put it in my mouth that I am consciously eating something that i gain no benefit from- and i am ok with that, I guess. I decided awhile ago that I am not going to deprive myself of the joys of food - but i am NOT going to ever again 1) reward myself with food, 2) self medicate myself with food when i am feeling sad or down, 3) eat out of boredom. As long as what I am eating is not for one of these reasons, them I am ok with it in small amounts. I have been fluctuating for many months and cannot get to below 140 - i go 140.2 - 145 - today i was 143.7 - go figure. Probably because i have been busy at work and haven't worked out since getting back from a trip on monday.

Ignore any snarky/bitchy responses. What I'm reading here is that you have a lot of emotional issues here. Your used of alcohol was a transference of your addiction to food. Now you are in a really precarious place it seems with your emotions. And, I'm gonna be honest, I feel it's 100% normal. I'm a wreck some days. It's been 5 months since my surgery and sometimes the emotions get worse. I think therapy is exactly what is needed here. And I'm not just saying that, I'm in the process of trying to find a therapist right now. For me I'm forming an inappropriate crush/attachment at work. I'm becoming fixated on it like I would with food. So rather than f'up my life I'm going into therapy. I didn't become morbidly obese because I had a healthy mind. lol! We are creatures with dents and bruises and sometimes those dents and bruises gather more attention and need and then we need to go take care of them. To me it sounds like you are really struggling and eating only carbs and sabotaging yourself, in your mind, means you are mentally dealing with so much and looking for outlets. I don't want to just be healthy, I want to be HAPPY. To me, that's actually the most important part of this, besides getting to stay alive.

I have developed a plan. I imagine that with 26 people, they will start splintering off into smaller groups so I will gravitate to whatever group she is with. From there I will kind of gauge the situation. This thing ends around 10:30. Since it's a work thing, there's no alcohol. I'll assess the situation and see if an opportunity arises and ask her to go for a drink or something after. This is not something I have done before so it remains to be seen if I can follow through on it.

I didn't notice a difference with the affects of alcohol being quicker. But one time I dumped from having 2 coolers that was not nice! Luckily I was able to make it home before the explosion...

You absorb more alcohol more quickly with a small stomach, hence you get drunker faster. It makes it easy to inadvertently binge drink, and the alcohol absorption is harder on the liver than a normal person's. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

My addiction to alcohol was only short lived, maybe 5-6 months. I quickly realized I had to get it under control quick and I instinctively knew what I had to do, taper off. So that's what I did. I monitored what I drank over the course of a day. Since I was doing primarily shots of whiskey It was easy to simply reduce my intake by one shot every few days. I need to stress that although I was "eating crap" that my restriction is still intact from the surgery. So if I messed up and ate donuts then I could only eat 1 and not the dozen that I could eat before surgery. So I would eat a cupcake or what not and that would be my meal. When I regained 6 lbs it was primarily due to the fact that I was eating every 2-3 hours, and it was usually something sweet or carb-packed. I stopped doing that as well but continued to eat mostly carbs. I think the restriction is what led me to lose those 6 lbs and more. I'm almost 2 years out and the restriction is still strong. So what I've been eating mostly now is a Protein shake or an egg McMuffin for breakfast, a small Lunchable (the kind with meat, cheese and crackers) for lunch, and either a salad, bit of Pasta, and/or something sweet like a cupcake or two for dinner. So yeah, it's not good but it's nowhere near the abuse I did to my body before surgery.

Hi - we just bought one last weekend. We were thinking of buying it, and while at Costco Vitamix was there demonstrating. We got the newest model ($600. Canadian). Before we invested that much $ in it we discussed how much we'd use it and for what. For me, it'll be handy as I cannot have sugar alcohols so will likely be steering away from processed, flavoured protein mixes. I want to try to make my own so I'm getting the vitamins from real food. I also get very nauseous from calcium, and although my clinic insists I MUST take it - being so sick daily isn't a great option. So again, I'll need to get as much as possible from food. My husband and I also think it's a great way to sneak veggies into out 11 year old daughter via smoothies :-)