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This was my day to day life for years! I loved to meet the girls out for some margaritas and wine, few beers by the pool and fire pit! Barbecue grilling and restaurant dining!! For the past six months I've been struggling with the smoking part and well the drinking and eating! I am smoke and alcohol free for now 30 days alcohol hasn't been a problem but the smoking is an extreme addiction! I think I want a cigarette more than I want food being in my two week liquid only diet! The main question for everybody is what do with myself now that drinking smoking and food are no longer a part of my life! During work is fine but my weekends are killers, i've been hiding in my bedroom all weekend too afraid to leave the house to fall back into bad habits! I am single and 40 and I live in Wisconsin with temperatures at freezing! I need to find a new hobby or something to do with myself anybody have any suggestions!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

SeaShells82- VERY good points made and I forgot about your #1 point so thanks for filling in an important gap! I'm glad you responded and you write very well. I didn't see any mentions of alcohol, and it's a pretty pertinent subject, so we may have saved someone from making a miserable mistake by bringing it up! Take care of yourself always Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

All of the reasons you list are valid but there are 2 other big ones that should be mentioned: 1) Especially for bypass or DS patients, the re-routing that occurs during surgery means alcohol hits your bloodstream very quickly and will be very undiluted when it gets there. 1 drink can easily lead to unsafe blood alcohol levels and severe impairment because the normal absorption pathway has been altered. Sleeve patients aren't immune either because of the small volumes of food their sleeves can take. They're basically drinking on an empty stomach - all the time. Not a good (or safe) scenario for anyone, regardless of the type of surgery they've had. 2) It's also really easy to swap one unhealthy coping mechanism for another when food is no longer something that can be turned to in times of stress. There are even some studies that show an increase in the prevalence of alcoholism among post-op WLS patients. This obviously isn't an issue for every patient but it is a very real problem for a lot of people who choose to set foot on that slippery slope post-op. All in all, drinking is not something that most surgeons support (generally not for the first year or so in sleeve patients and not ever for bypass and DS patients). Every surgeon is different though so if you have questions about your particular plan, I'd check with your team. Hope this information helps. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I know this is a big no-no, and I'm not a big drinker anyway, but why is alcohol so bad post-op? Is it because it takes up room in the pouch where the good stuff with Vitamins and nutrients should go? Is it because the pouch is sensitive to alcohol and the healing process is impeded? Is it because the sugar content will more than likely cause dumping? Maybe it's all of these things, I just wanted some feedback so we could help each other make educated choices instead of just following the rest of the herd. Or even worse drink alcohol without knowing what can happen! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had 4 weeks of total max 800 calories daily. Mostly shakes and other vlcd products, lean meat/cottage cheese/eggs allowed once daily. 64 oz of Water. No alcohol, smoking, cut back on caffeine if you do any of those. Used an app to keep track of my calories. Nilla

Thanks for sharing your journey (literally and figuratively). Traveling where you went definitely sounds like a food challenge, but instead of making it that, you were able to not center it around meals. I am getting better, but the constant preplanning and anticipation of what or where the next meal is will take some time to totally drop. Maybe I need to go to Southeast Asia for a jump start! Amazing you could walk that much. That inspires me to kick up my exercise a bit more. As for alcohol, I haven't had any issues with it, including champagne, but I can't allow myself to have it on a regular basis.

@@jenn1 - I am trying to boost my metabolism. I have increased my calories to 1400, and Protein to 180 a day, and then adding five days of intense exercise. Lost five pounds this week. It's a little counter-intuitive, but decreasing calories seems to slow down your metabolism. So switching my diet to get rid of crap carbs, alcohol, and other non-productive calories while ramping up activity seems to be working for me. Hard deprivation seems to work against you. I found this article which explained it to me... As a person becomes fitter and gains muscle mass, it is correct that he or she burns more calories at rest. However, some exercise enthusiasts have insufficient energy intakes, which do not meet the demands of their exercise programs. This imbalance may eventually reduce resting metabolic rate. https://www.unm.edu/...ontroversy.html BTW, several people have some good knowledge and experience and it is shared here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/387024-so-the-honeymoon-is-over/

Hi everyone, My partner and I made it safely back to New Orleans late last night after three-and-a-half weeks in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam). It was an amazing trip -- enlightening, exotic, beautiful -- but I am very happy to be back home. I weighed on my own scale this morning for the first time since December 19. Preliminarily, I lost 13 pounds during this time. I say preliminary because I'll be curious to see what my weight is Monday or Tuesday after I settle back into my normal routine and lose some of the bloat from the long airplane ride and the sodium from the airplane food. Here are some things I learned (or remembered) and experienced while I was gone: 1. Changing my relationship with food is the key to this entire battle: This was the first time since my surgery that I had to come outside of my protective food bubble. While I took some Protein powder with me, it was used up pretty quickly, and once we left Singapore, there wasn't any appropriate powder available. String cheese wasn't readily available anywhere, and what they call cottage cheese over there is very different than ours. I had to work with what I could find and make it work within the parameters I set for myself. One time, we ate at a fried chicken place. I pulled the skin off and ate the chicken breast underneath. Many times, I had to get a stir fry concoction and then pick out the protein and green vegetables and eat that. The point is, I was in less than ideal food situations, and I was able to successfully get the appropriate fuel I needed (and avoid undesirable food) because of my new relationship with food. 2. A little bit of alcohol didn't cause me any problems: I gave up alcohol after the first month of my six-month pre-op diet and I abstained from it for almost nine months total. While I did not consume alcohol every day during our trip, I did have at least one glass of red wine on probably 75% of the days, and two nights (New Years Eve and the next-to-last night of the trip), I drank quite a bit. Even on the "heavy" drinking days, my carbs never went over 50, and my calories stayed nicely in check. Now that we are home, I am planning on alcohol being an every-now-and-then indulgence (meaning no more than once per week), and if there is going to be a night that we have some drinks, I'll use Protein Powder to get my protein needs and keep the calories down and in check. The point is, the alcohol didn't hamper me in any way and my stomach was fine with it (just like my NP said it would be). 3. Exercise is important, but this journey -- right now at least -- is about consumption: We walked A LOT on this trip. I mean like 10-12 miles per day a lot. I was so proud that I could do it, and I was exhausted most days by the end of the day. And the walking probably did offset the alcohol I had, but all-in-all, my loss was along the lines it usually is. I will continue to exercise like I am supposed to, but this journey is still more about consumption at this point than it is any kind of exercise. 4. I still can't do carbonated drinks -- even a sip or two: Pre-departure drinks in international first class usually are champagne and juice. On one of the flights, I got a glass of champagne and took a few sips to see how I would do with it. For a while, it was fine. I ate a little bit during the meal service, and a little while later, I thought I was going to have to throw up in the little bag. (The seatbelt light was on for an extended time and I couldn't get up.) While I didn't actually throw up, I kept having to spit up Water until I had this enormous (and loud) burp. Once that happened, I was instantly fine. As much as I miss Diet Coke, I can't have it or anything else carbonated. I'm envious of those on there who say that they can have it, but I am not going through that again. 5. Food doesn't control my life any more: This trip was about the experience -- the culture, the people, the places. It was not about the food. That was the biggest victory for me. As we New Orleanians now Celebrate Carnival season for the next six weeks or so, I will approach the celebration in the same way. I am going to enjoy the season and be out and about proudly, but it isn't going to be about food, even if it is for others. So now, I continue my journey. And I will proudly crawl back into my protective food bubble for a little while! Best to all!! Blair

@@jenn1 These are the nutrition facts from the site. If you subtract the Fiber and the sugar alcohol, it has 4 net carbs and 6 grams of Protein. I have it with http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/collections/brownies/products/blondie-brownie If you compare it to regular ice cream, well there is no comparison as far as carbs and sugars go. I had this off and on since 6 months and I still managed to lose like 100lbs pounds having a little once or twice a week. I haven't had any in a while, because it is freezing, but as long as ice cream isn't a trigger for someone I don't see an issue. Also how fresh the halo top is, seems to have an effect on the taste. Some cartons taste better than others, you want to buy it some place with a high churn rate. @@Kaylamh Whole Foods has it, all the other places that have it around here are local places that you wouldn't have.

Hi! I have not tried these myself yet as I'm only one week post op, but thought I would share....protein Jell-O shots (no alcohol ) 1 box sugar free Jello, 5 scoops gene pro Protein, makes 14, 2oz shots, each one is 12.5g protein! Seen it on Pinterest Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I don't avoid fat other than trans fats, and I make sure I eat at least one meal a day with a minimum of 10 grams of fat -- I take my vitamins with that meal, as many vitamins are not properly absorbed without fat. I do eat some pretty high fat foods such as avocados, eggs, nuts (small amounts) and fatty fish, but as long as I stay within my calories for the day I don't care. My cholesterol and triglyceride numbers are always fantastic so I think I must be doing something right. As far as carbs go, when I was in weight loss mode, I kept carbs under 60 grams per day. I don't count carbs anymore now that I am in maintenance (well, MFP counts them for me but I don't even look at the number). However, my carbs tend to stay in the low range naturally as I eat a lower-carb diet in maintenance: no more than one serving of whole grains per day (no refined grains), no bread, no sweets, no starchy veggies, no tropical fruit, no alcohol, and modest amounts of dairy, beans, and legumes. This eating plan works well for me.

I agree with you that this stuff makes me sad. I stumbled upon a vlog of a young girl post surgery talking about her first drink etc etc, she wasn't following plan either, was getting into it with people offering constructive criticisim, fast forward to a few years later, her vlog show that she is now an alcoholic and has countless health issues including seizures. It was her last vlog and it was 5 years ago. Have a feeling there was not a good outcome there...was disheartening.

How your body reacts to sugar alcohols is hard to tell. It's not the same in every person. Some people find it makes them crave the real thing more, some people find it satisfies the sweet tooth and no longer want sugar. Some people experience *gastric distress*, some people don't (stick to the portion size, or a little less and you'll likely be fine). Some people claim it makes their body react as if they had regular sugar, more people however show little to no change in blood sugar after having sf candy. Really you're the only one who can answer whether or not it's a good idea for you. I don't know when your surgery was but I would personally suggest waiting at least a few months to let your stomach heal and then... it's up to you.

Nooooooo!!!!!! Sugar alcohols, regardless of cravings, are going to make you squirt like George Jetson on steroids. Don't ask me how I know this.

I would stay away from sf candy. Most of them have sugar alcohol and to your body, it still processes like sugar. Sugar alcohol makes me crave more sugar. Also, check the fat grams/calories. Often if sugar is removed fat is added for more flavor. It sounds like a slippery slope to me.

I hesitated to join this discussion because I have such conflicting feelings about weight now. On the one hand, I have a lot of compassion for people who are hugely overweight. Science is finding that it's not a willpower issue, and as I've personally learned it's not anywhere near as easy to control weight as some people think (and I used to think). Even when I was heavy, I used to think it was just because I was failing and lacked the willpower to do the right things. Now I know how badly the deck is stacked against us. I'm also a huge supporter of body positivity. Regardless of size or ability, people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. There's no reason for anyone to receive substandard medical care because they're heavy, or be ridiculed by people in the street. Hating your body/self is counter productive to being healthy, and health should be the goal, not some ridiculous idea of what looks good that's pushed by media and photoshop. Being overweight does not automatically mean someone is unhealthy, just as being thin doesn't automatically mean someone is healthy. That being said, there is a point where the weight interferes with movement and being able to care for oneself. As a nurse, I cannot consider that level of overweight to be anywhere near healthy, and this is one of the drawbacks I see to the body positivity movement. When I see someone who cannot move properly and maintain good hygiene because of the weight, I cannot help but wonder why they don't see that SOMETHING has to be done. Of course, drastic measures require access to medical care and many people in this country don't have it, so there's that. But I want so badly to channel Whoopie Goldberg's character from Ghost and grab them and say "you in danger, girl!!". As for dating and relationships with people who are quite heavy... I am SO VERY GLAD to not be in the dating scene anymore. But if I were, I would not want to date someone who would jeopardize my health by constantly exposing me to unhealthy eating habits and sedentary pursuits. I'm doing all of this so I can get more active and be healthier, and would only be interested in spending time with someone who is also interested in healthy eating and activity. I don't think badly of people who aren't, but this has to become a big part of my life and factor into my serious relationships. It's more like if I were a recovering alcoholic, it would be a poor choice to get in a relationship with someone who drinks regularly. As it is, I'm lucky that my hubby wants to be more active, I'm actually the one who's dragging us down right now with my weight and chronic health issues. He'll go along with whatever I want to do. I think ultimately we should seek out people with similar goals and priorities to ourselves, especially for romantic relationships. If one of our primary goals and highest priorities is our health, we should seek out people who feel the same and express that in their lives. Otherwise, our goals and priorities tend to change to meet those of the people we spend the most time with, and that can be detrimental to our health.

I'm still in the Honeymoon losing stage, but that didn't stop me from attending Cleveland Clinic's group session yesterday with the topic of Weight Gain. The room was packed with a lot of veterans about 2 years out. The number one culprit per the presentation seems to be carbonated drinks (aka soda) that many cannot seem to give up permanently. I'm glad I was never a soda drinker, although I was as a kid (thanks mom - but they didn't know much about nutrition in the 50s and 60s; we also ate mashed potatoes nearly every dinner). And to add to Babbs list, you should continue with support groups or nutritionist visits even after the year honeymoon period is over. Maintain portion and calorie control. Eat Breakfast, don't skip meals. Plan and shop and cook smart. Avoid or limit alcohol. They don't believe in that 5 day pouch reset. They recommend going back to Phase IV diet plan. Here is a copy of the CCF entire plan that they released electronically. Enjoy http://my.clevelandclinic.org/florida/ccf/media/Files/Florida/bariatric-surgery/Bariatric_Nutrition_Manual.pdf?la=en

I am a medical marijuana patient that is post op 3 months. I still get the munchies but it helps that it's a mental rather than physical feeling so I can usually get by with liquids. I have seen no change in my tolerance for marijuana though I have seen a change in tolerance for alcohol. I always smoke it. I can't do edibles since I had a rather unfortunate overdose that led to extreme vomiting. I generally have a puff or two to relax and maybe a couple of more to sleep. Typically I mix a high-cbd strain with a pinch of high THC strain 4 pain management. I recently tried dabbing and that knocked me on my butt. Though a dab of CBD meds works really well. HW 385 SW 359 CW 305 Sleeved 10/5/16

I used to enjoy bourbon before my surgery. If your doctor cleared you for booze - enjoy. Just be careful when you first start. My first experience with alcohol after surgery was not great. It felt like a roller coaster ride.

Thanks so much for responding folks! I really appreciate all of your thoughts. I think triplethreat nailed it with this comment. I'm not sure where to go from here, but perhaps I'll try to have a serious conversation this weekend. Unfortunately since I'm post op and she's recently out of rehab we can't use alcohol to make it easier!

I was looking at the nutrition info on Breyer's no sugar added ice cream (not sure what brand you were thinking of) and for no sugar added, they pack a lot of carbs in per serving! 13g. Most are sugar alcohols, specifically Maltitol, which can spike your blood sugar if you're diabetic because your body processes it similarly to sugar. Other sugar alcohols like Sorbitol can give you digestive distress, which I'm sure you don't want right now. So this might be one of those label reading learning experiences that sometimes they say sugar free, when it's a near fib and that it takes a lot of laboratory machinations to make fake food taste real. Maybe some ice chips for the cold you crave and something else you know is on your list would be better? Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

That's great! I'm going on vacation in May to an all inclusive resort which means alcohol and food everywhere (just like Vegas). It seems majority of people on this forum can now resist old temptations after surgery. I can't wait to experience that next month when I get my surgery. Height 5'0" Weight for consultation: 216 lbs. Pre-op Weight: Unknown until January 20th. My profile picture is not me. It's my "FitSpiration" body.

I would go back to basics: lean Protein and vegetables. Cutting out any empty carbs, alcohol, and anything that slides down easily. Not drinking while eating. It may be that the steroids and depo shot are really messing with your weight, but in that case switching to a bypass wouldn't change that unfortunately. Good luck to you. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic with my last post, I just meant that your sleeve is still there and they don't really stretch out so if it's not working you need to consider whether you are "eating around it" by eating stuff that goes down too easily meaning you don't get full. Another expensive major surgery won't fix your food choices when you already have restriction built in if you use it as intended. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

How could I regret getting my life back? I'm down 92 pounds, from a size 22 to a size 6. I'm active, healthy, and my self esteem has shot up. I was in constant pain while fat. I couldn't keep up with my kids. Now, I'm the mom I wanted to be. We've gone skiing and ice skating and trampolining together. I also don't miss out on good food and good parties. I just eat less and drink less (which is fine because alcohol hits so much harder now). Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App

I enjoy being out with friends. My enjoyment just doesn't involve mass quantities of food now. Yes I eat but I find that I'm more involved in the conversation than I've ever been and I feel like I get so much more out of the time that I've spent.How about drinks? Beer, vodka, wine? Sent from my Pixel using the BariatricPal App You can drink if you want. Hard liquor doesn't have carbs so that is better than beer. Take it neat or with a low carb mixer. I don't really drink but I have had a few drinks since surgery. Wine is too acidic for early post op. Drinking alcohol is counter productive go trying to lose weight but there is nothing to stop you. It just isn't suggested.