Search the Community

Hello everyone. This is more for the longer post opers. Have any of you tried drinking alcohol? If so, how was it? I like to drink the occasional beer or 2 and want to know what others have experienced. Thanks!! Sent from my LG-D800 using the BariatricPal App

I just have water. Ask for a slice of lemon or lime so people don’t immediately think you’re just drinking water. In time you may be able to tolerate/be allowed to have some carbonation (sparkling water, soda water). You can stir it vigorously so some of the carbonation reduces & if you take it slowly a lot will abate as you sip. I went out for a ladies lunch last week & two of us just had water while the others all had wine or champagne. It’s certainly cheaper 😉. It can be a bit of a change of mind set initially if you’re used to drinking alcohol or carbonated drinks when you go out. Honestly, I sometimes had an alcoholic drink if I went out when I was past month 2 of the losing phase. I would have one glass & sip for literally hours & it was only about once a month.

I doubt it was the Long Island Ice Tea. I have heard that with the band alcohol hits you faster but I haven't had that happen to me. I don't drink much, my drink of choice is one of those flavored malt beverages and I average one or two a week but they hit me the same as previous, not falling down drunk like people have said. It sounds like you have a stomach bug. I would stick to clear liquids, for a few days, then go to shakes then soft. But as an ex nurse I can tell you that you shouldn't drink anything for at least 4 hours after vomiting then sips, no more than 1 cc every 15 minutes. Kind of like what they had me do in the hospital after surgery, 1 cc every 15 min. Why did they bring me that tray with a cup of broth, a 30 oz bottle of Isopure and sherbert? I got the broth down in about 2 hours and they took the tray away.

My doctor advise me drinking lots Water because i had history seizure at 12 years old.. I love drinking alcohol and i decide to quit alcohol because i had kidney stone..

I was not told anything about alcohol..., only no carbonated drinks and no drinking right before a meal, during the meal, or after the meal. I sure am not encouraging you to go against what you were told. But as I always told my kids, so what if you're drinking lemon water while your friends are drinking alcohol... I mean that .... So what? You won't be the first to not have a drink and you won't be the last. I have a few friends who are recovering alcoholics and they socialize all the time. When going out to eat, share a salad or an entree with a friend. Order off the appetizer menu. Order a cup of soup. There are so many options. Get out there and enjoy your life!!!!!

My surgeon begrudgingly told me a glass of wine would be okay here and there. I drink about every other weekend. Like she said before me, you just have to consider how many calories you are pouring down the hatch. Check with your surgeon again. He may have some reason in your health history or medications that he may not want you to mix with alcohol.

Im not a sleever but On a few videos i watched on youtube they recommended alcohol sugar free chloraseptic for after surgery because their throat was in severe pain so I plan on taking a bottle just in case CONGRATS on your journey

Grilled chicken and whole wheat wrap sounds good. Good Protein, Low GI un-refined carbohydrates, fruit & veg, plenty of Water before, but not during or within an hour of a meal. A good Vitamin supplement and maybe some additional protein of some sort. No fizzy drinks or alcohol. That should about do it. There are no hard or fast rules but protein should be at the top of the list. Oh yes and of course don't forget to.... Cheer-up!! It's not the end of the world...more like the beginning!!

MGambino: after only 9 weeks and you look like that? WoW you should be the poster child for VSG. LOL Please tell us that is a picture from a long dam time ago, that you are trying to get back to looking like. huge sigh. anyway, drink a small amount of what ever you want and if it tases/feels good count the calories and get on with it. I used to drink beer too, and still buy it for Hubby. I don't miss it though. I had some champgne punch at a party last night. No problems. I do not believe alcohol per se is a problem with the sleeve its self. I think the problem is the usless calories. And, the fact of staying hydrated. Alcohol will leave you quite de-hydrated. You need to protect your sleeve for awhile yet. I am really watching it until I get my lab work done Jan 15. Be cautious.

One question my husband asked before my surgery was if I could drink. Dr. Aceves said the occaisional glass is fine, just count it into my calories. I do not feel the desire to drink nearly as much as I used to. I have had wine, vodka mixed drinks, and a margherita since surgery (6 months ago). It takes me much longer to drink and I found that the margherita was just too strong for me now - my husband drank most of that one. My friend also had some hard cider, that was a bit bubbly and made me burp a lot. I have felt fine with the wine and vodka mixed drink. I find that I do tolerate less (I used to be able to keep up with the big boys). But now, one glass of wine lasts me all night! Wine seemed to affect me a little more than the vodka drinks, that went down a little smoother and didn't make me feel tipsy. To lower my calorie intake, I have made some adjustments - I use crystal light cranberry or orange and a shot of vodka. This keeps the drink around 70-100 calories (depending on what kind/how much vodka you use). If you're going out, take the crystal light singles, order vodka and Water, and just add your own flavoring. Wine is about 100 calories for 5 oz. (depending on kind/alcohol content) or about 500ish calories per bottle to put it into perspective.

Your relationship with food will change - it has to. That being said, nothing is absolute. I am 5 months out from my sleeve. I have had the complication of not being able to tolerate more than a bite of solid food, so am living on Protein shakes. I still go out to restaurants with my husband, I may not eat more than a bite or two, but I can still enjoy the company and the atmosphere. I am not feeling hungry, so it bothers me not to sit there and sip on a glass of ice Water while others eat. I am not an alcohol drinker, but I have read that on some programs a bit of alcohol is allowed once weight loss has been consistent. I know I haven't answered all of your questions, but don't be discouraged. Lots of us have been where you are, and we are making it just fine. You will also. (Also, reading the internet, while helpful, can at times be very unhelpful. Don't take to heart everything you read on here.)

Well, as the title says I'm about 21 months out and now starting to gain. I got down to 143 (my goal was 130, but I was comfortable in the 140s). I'm now back up to 155. Over the past year, I've also developed a bruising issue and have multiple bruises on my arms and legs, mostly on the left side; random but moderate/severe aches & pains; brain fog; severe fatigue, and other idiopathic symptoms. I have a physical scheduled for mid-June, but I'm wondering if any of these things are common after surgery. As for my weight gain, nothing has really changed. I still eat very clean, limit myself to two low-sugar/low-calorie alcoholic beverages a week, and really try to take care of myself. With the aches, pains & fatigue, I'm finding it difficult to keep up with working out, but to be honest, I probably wasn't working out as much as I should be anyway. Mostly walking & biking. I'm also at the age where hormones are likely changing (I'll be 50 in two months). Any idea what might be going on or how to restart the weight loss? Thanks.

Thanks for the tips! The two things I'm dreading to give up are my carbonated Water and my huge cup of tea in the morning. Not even the tea that much.... I dislike regular water. I have been working hard with my physiotherapist and I'm happy to say that I'm in pretty good shape, if you take into account I had to learn how to walk again just over a year ago. So physically ok, but people talk about the mental rollercoaster after the surgery... But nobody really explains what and why it is hard? And not asking about the letting go of food like it was before. Can anyone give me a hint? Any way to prepare..? The big no for getting the surgery here is smoking, absolutely not allowed. Also alcohol and certain medications are a problem, but I guess that is universal. Sent from my GT-I9506 using the BariatricPal App

If they ask tel, them you think you might be pregnant. ☺ Just kidding. Volunteer to be the DD. Tell them it isn't on your current diet. You are watching your blood sugar. Whatever you are comfortable with. As for when you can drink, ask your surgeon. They are all different. Mine said 6 weeks. I have had wine and didn't have any ihealth mpacts. If you do a search for alcohol, you can read more than you probably wanted to know.

Yes regular diet. I think I decided to steer clear of alcohol. Idk, haven't fully decided. Reading responses and lots of info online. I just don't want to do anything to hinder my sleeve or my progress. I thought about using the "i can't drink due to a medicine I'm on" however 3 out of the 12 of us are nurses so I'm afraid I'll get tons of questions. You know the domino thing when one lie is told?? Ugh. I may just go, and say I have work early in the am. Idk. Still waiting for that miracle response. Lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Definitely don't drink. I was advised by my surgeon not to drink alcohol for a year after my sleeve...and I plan to follow that advice. Besides, it just converts to sugar in the gut anyway. I have never been a big drinker myself and so I never felt like I needed an excuse NOT to drink. I'd just grab a water with a lemon in it and nurse that all night. You may end up having to excuse yourself early from the get-together, because being around drunk people when you're sober is pretty annoying

Stevia is plant based not made in a lab like Splenda is. I have not looked at the Desani drops, most liquid inhancers have sugar alcohol. I will have to look at them.

Hello all. I had the Realize Band put it on 6/13 and have now lost approximately 17 lbs. A friend of a friend, who had bariartric surgery turned me on to obesity.com and that's how I found this website. I am rapidly approaching 60 years of age and could not take the weight off myself. I have probably gained and lost the weight of two people before this surgery, and this will be my last. My doc is very nice, but there is not a lot of communication so I find corresponding with people and reading these topics very helpful. I do have some questions for all of you out there: 1) When can you begin a regular exercise program, like Curves (this worked for me before, so I want to try it again) 2) When can you start to introduce fresh fruit and leafy greens into the diet? I'm allowed to begin eating regular food again this week, but the diet plan excludes fresh fruit and leafy greens and I have no idea why. 3) Can you ever have wine or other alcoholic beverages? 4) Do all doctors prohibity the consumption of fluids for an hour before meals and an hour after meals? Why is this? Thanks for all your postings and keep your fingers crossed that I am able to make the long journey with all of you.

Hey everyone, its been awhile since I've been on the boards! I just wanted to share my story... I was banded September 2012. I learned pretty quickly how to eat (and drink!) "around" the band. I did not commit to an exercise routine, and have chosen mostly foods that I know will go down (carbs and lots of high-fat snack foods, mostly). As such, the only weight I have lost to date was due to the pre-op and post-op liquid diet. Now I have gained that back, and more. I have not been in for a fill adjustment since probably last Spring. Over the past year, I definitely have had some issues with what I believe is called "transference" - or turning to another addiction in absence of the ability to binge eat. For me, it was alcohol. I have always been a social drinker, but in August 2013 I ended up in a mental hospital after a drinking binge - the booze had interacted with the medications I take to help regulate my moods and I had become suicidal. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks, after which they wanted to send me to a 30-day rehab. I opted for an intensive outpatient program instead, which I attended for about 5 weeks before I relapsed. Since that relapse, I have continued to drink daily, with periods of heavy drinking interspersed. There is no doubt that the amount of liquid calories I consume has greatly impeded my weight loss attempts, though I have had no further bouts of deep depression since my hospitalization. I'm sharing all of this because with new year, I am making a new commitment to myself. I am going to try my best to do everything I need to do to help the band help me with reaching my weight loss goals. This includes scaling back the drinking (currently 24 hours sober!) and quitting smoking. Luckily, I am pretty well educated about band-life, as the one thing I did do right in the beginning was my research. But I believe the learning neve stops and I can always learn from others' experiences. Anyway, I have about 100lb to lose now and though I am not very confident, I am committed to at least doing the absolute best I can. Thanks for letting me share

Thanks all. We've been talking about it a lot and he's feeling better. I think it's fear of the unknown and worrying about how this will affect our lives which right now center around food and alcohol. He is not overweight. He was blessed with a super-charged metabolism and can eat whatever he wants. I on the other hand have gained 100 lbs since we met 16 years ago. I am thankful he's loved me through the gain, and I am hopeful he'll be happy to have the old, thinner me back in the coming months. I know it will be hard but I'm so ready for it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm a Newbie and just starting into this (I apologize now, if there is a list on this site, but I couldn't find it). My insurance is Highmark PPO Blue (BC/BS) of PA. I have a low BMI (36/37) so I'm learning that I need to document as many comorbidities as I have with my PCP -eg. my insurance needs 35-40 BMI "with comorbidities (eg., hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, dyslipidemis, diabetes mellitus type II, sleep apnea" (note- comorbiditieS, plural). While at an initial information seminar at the hospital I was surprised to see Asthma (I developed adult onset Asthma a few years ago) on their list of minor comorbidities during the slide show as obesity related (still don't know why as I didn't get a chance to ask, but now I know to add this in my documentation). I thought I'd start a list of what everyone's Dr's. have considered worth documenting to insurance as a comorbidity, then I can discuss the ones I have with my Dr. These are the ones I've found so far (no I don't have all these). Please add others you know of...Thanks! COMORBIDITIES - I've read these are the Major 4 insurance is looking for: 1. Hypertension- High Blood Pressure (Anyone know the threshold numbers for this? Do you have to be on meds?) 2. Diabetes Mellitus Type II-metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to produce enough, or to properly use, insulin (Do you need to be on meds.?) 3. Sleep Apnea- Obstructive, Pickwickian syndrome (I've heard some ins. need certain numbers on this as well). 4. Cholesterol: Hypercholesterolemia-High Cholesterol (What are the threshold numbers?), Dyslipidemia- abnormal concentrations of lipids or lipoproteins (eg. high total chol. or high levels of triglycerides) - Others/sometimes called "Minor"?: 5. Metabolic Syndrome: Abdominal Obesity (high waist circumference), High Serum Triglycerides and High HDL Cholesterol, High blood glucose levels, High blood Pressure (combination of 3 of the 4 above) 6. Respiratory: Asthma and Respiratory Disease, or Exertional Dyspnea- Shortness of Breath with minor exertion 7. Cardiovascular: Heart Disease, Cardiomyopathy, Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or Venous stasis disease - faulty veins that allow blood to collect in the lower legs (swelling), Venous Thromboembolic Disease 8. Pseudotumor cerebri - increased pressure in the brain which causes chronic headaches and eye problems (specific disorder mainly in obese women) 9. Liver Disease, Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - fatty inflammation of the liver that is not caused by alcohol damage, 10. Gall Bladder disease 11. Gastroesophageal reflux disease- GERD- a digestive disorder that is caused by gastric acid flowing from the stomach into the esophagus, or acid reflux 12. Incontinence: Stress urinary incontinence- involuntary leakage of urine caused by increased abdominal pressure from excessive body fat 13. Spine: Degenerative disc (spine) disease- wearing down of discs in the spine 14. Joints: Osteoarthritis or Weight-related arthropathies (joint diseases) which impair physical activity, degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint 15. Depression or Obesity-related psychosocial stress 16. Skin: Intertriginous soft tissue infections - infections in excess folds of skin that are caused by obesity, rashes, sores 17. Impaired Activities: Significant impairment in activities of daily living and work (list normal activities you can't do) 18. Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility), Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 19. Cancer: Some are related to obesity eg. endometrial, breast and colon

You will be fine.... I had wine about 8 wks post op and have wine a few times a week. I have not ventured to any other alcohol yet. Just be careful with your first drink, maybe try something at home first to see how you handle it.

It's been a while since I've posted a new topic. Life got busy when I started a new job about three months ago. Just here to motivate others just starting on their journey, either pre-op or just home from the hospital. I finally reached my goal weight last week, just 13 months after surgery. I met my doctor's goal weight (135) just before my surgiversary Jan 30. Technically, a stomach flu helped me get there faster than I would have liked The best news (as if goal weight wasn't enough) were the numbers on my labs. I was well within all the acceptable ranges and my cholesterol alone is better than it's ever been, even from when I was a teenager! My HDL was gone up, my LDL has gone down and I dropped nearly 2.0 points in my ratio. I am over the moon!! I feel great, I eat just about anything I want, and I live a very normal, productive life. Now, when I say "anything" I want to clarify that I still make very healthy choices 85% of the time, but I don't even have to think of small portions now. What I want is all I need, I get perfectly full and I'm good. I haven't counted a calorie in months, just keeping common sense of Protein first, etc. I eat more Desserts than I care to admit to, Peanut Butter anything is my weakness. Soda is still out of my diet completely, but I enjoy Water, tea, coffee and occasional juice. Tonight I had my first glass of wine, first time having alcohol in over 14-months, and it was great. It did not treat me any differently than before surgery and I kept it to the single glass. I should post pictures soon, my profile pic is now very old and about 40+ pounds ago. I'm loving life, running, playing, sleeping like a champ - so happy I made this wonderful choice for my life! Good luck to everyone!

Just a thought but are you taking vitamins? Back to basics - protien and water. I am with you - boring. What about a 5 day break from carbs sugar caffeine and alcohol? Also for me logging is a must. Keep us posted.

I'm two and a half years out - went down to about 114 but was really too thin. Then went up to 140 and definitely wasn't happy. My problem is very definitely sugar and carbohydrates. I'm a sober alcoholic (8 years this time out, and before the four year break (divorce + stupidity = relapse) was 22 years. Bu the point is that for me sugar is a drug and the insulin response I get from any processed carb works in pretty much the same way. So I've been working on killing sugar and processed carbs, plus grains and simple starches like potatoes, along with most fruit apart from small amounts of low GI berries over the last six months or so, trying various things. What have I learned: I can't do anything in moderation that isn't real food (by which I mean protein and fat and small amounts of carb appearing in leafy veg etc. This, alongside intermittent fasting (Dr Jason Fung is great on this) has begun to make a real change. Because it's not really about the losing weight for me now, although I want to lose about 15lbs still and it's beginning, It's about the need to be healthy, not to be constantly sickened by food, not to be constantly obsessed with food and to find a long term sustainable solution that allows me to get on with my life. Still hoping to cross addict onto exercise but that hasn't happened yet! Funnily, the post op diet which led with protein and allowed the veg and carbs in if there was room is closest to where I am now. I fast 16/8 - it varies but the average seems to be about 17/7. This is comfortable and I have loads of energy. Only been doing it a week properly and the keto for about a month but I was struggling with the macros and counting. Keeping it simple now. Be interested to hear if anyone is doing similar. What I would say is that my level of trust for something that doesn't involve someone trying to sell me special foods, vits, supplements, meal plans, exercise regimes is naturally quite high! Everything I need to do IF successfully if available for free. I like free! Actually - and again I'd be interested in people's thoughts here, I wish I'd discovered this and worked it pre-op. But hey, can't turn back time! Thanks all - this was a bit lonnnggg - sorry!