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well, I too am more of a lover than a fighter, especially when consuming alcohol. One night at a local watering hole, I was with several friends and we were all shooting pool. We were also ALL drinking... well as you can imagine a few men were watching this roudy bunch of women drinking. One man came up to me and challenged me to a game of pool. I asked him what I would get if I won. He said he wasn't sure. HE said he wanted to see my breasts if he won( HEY! who wouldn't want to see a nice pair of Natural DD's~~as they are such a rare occurance in nature--LOL LOL). I said ok "Tit for Tat" and pointed at his crotch..If I win I want to see TAT...both sets of friends with us started howling and roaring in laughter. I continued drinking through out the match and low and behold I actually Won. The guy became nervous and said that it was never a real bet. All our friends said he did infact bet. Well as not to crush the poor man's ego I challenged him yet again to of all things..an ARM WRESTLING match. As it turns out I am freakishly stong when intoxicated. Yes. I did win. So at the urging of all of our friends and by this time, my mother( how she got there I still don't know) the guy reluctantly went out back with me to show me the goods. To say the least I was not impressed. Let's just say that Alcohol is not kind to those who are not that well endowed in the first place. Flacid would have been an improvement for this fellow. I walked back in to a room of people eagerly awaiting my response. I said "Wow I finally got to see the male hummingbird's penis upclose." He was VERY angry and said he would show me again when he was sober so I could see the full extent of his man hood. I told him not to bother, that if I wanted to see another thumb I had two of my own. He got pissed and stormed out of the bar. He has never been back there. Not exactly the bar fight you were talking about , yet an interesting bar story none the less.

I'm still tracking my food as well. 717 days straight on MFP. I am nowhere near goal and haven't lost a whole lot since about 6mo after surgery but have basically maintained +/-10lbs. I really wish I could've done the DS but my insurance wouldn't pay for it so I did the sleeve. I'm happy I did it and it has changed my life immensely but I know the DS would've been a better fit for me. I have a ton of extra skin that makes me very self conscience with my 90lb loss (from my highest, only 70 since surgery) but I have a lot more energy and have put off having to have a total knee replacement for another 5-10yrs which is great for my family history! I have very little restriction anymore but I still don't have any soda (exception: the occasional mixed alcoholic beverage) and only drink water. My favorite food prior to surgery - pasta - is now my sworn enemy because of the pain it causes which is both a blessing and a curse. All in all I'm ok if I don't lose more but in a perfect (rich) world I'd have a conversion to a DS and then a tummy tuck and breast lift soon after.

Thanks all for the replies. I know my question is too complicated for a "right" answer, but it's nice to get some theories to ponder. Being the scientific person I am, I definitely think the changes in our metabolism and GI biome do play a role. As a fecal transplant recipient, I can personally attest to the actual physical changes that occur when you all of a sudden have a different population of GI flora. And the instant (not weight-related) changes seen immediately postop in many diabetic patients is well documented. Mentally, I think the "ready for a change" theory also plays a part. For those that don't succeed at this, maybe that's a big missing piece of the puzzle. But it was a significant factor for me. I really hit rock bottom as far as my weight-related and alcohol dependence mentality goes. I had no control at all. And like many other addicts maybe that's what it takes to finally get your shit together. The positive feedback loop, self reinforcement and getting a handle on our mental health no doubt also plays a part. Even though I've lost a lot of weight in the past, (almost to surgeon's original goal) there was always something missing. For some reason I just lost the incentive to maintain those successes. Why it's different this time remains a mystery. I think there are too many factors to really be able to explain my original question. And I'm sure it's different for everyone.....I guess success is just a matter of your personal "perfect storm".

Okay, here is the mediocre picture of the lemon Protein pudding I made: To give you an idea of portion size, that is a regular size teaspoon and a small dessert ramekin sitting on a saucer. I made a half-box of pudding with one cup of milk, and then turned that recipe into three servings. Here are my ingredients and the final numbers: 1/2 box sugar free, fat free lemon pudding mix 1 cup (240 ml) Carbmaster vanilla Reduced Sugar Milk 2 scoops* Syntrax nectar Medical Unflavored Protein 1/4 t. lemon extract** 1 dollop fat free Redi Whip Final numbers per serving: 62 calories, 10 g. protein, 4 g. carb, 0 g. fat. *Syntrax Nectar Unflavored protein comes in very small scoops! 2 scoops = 80 calories, 20 gr. protein, 0 gr. carbs. **I put in the lemon extract because I love lemon flavoring, but if you do, be warned that the pudding will set a bit softer than normal. If you like super firm pudding, don't add alcohol-based extracts. This was super yummy! I have lots of flavors of pudding mix on hand and will definitely be adding this to my repertoire. Thanks!

I was so terrified of transfer addiction (my sister had gastric bypass about 20yrs ago and then turned to alcohol, she’s now 6yrs sober🙏) and just the mental aspect of the life changing journey! So I got established with a therapist prior to surgery day and I’m so glad I did, I feel it’s really made a difference for me!

3 months after surgery. The first drink burned like hell but every drink after that was fine. However, alcohol effects you differently after surgery. Some lose tolerance. Some gain it. For me, I gained too much tolerance. Before surgery just one drink would cause me to flush and be hot and buzzed. Now I can drink multiple drinks and not feel a thing.

I had my surgery on tuesday of last week (so 8 days ago). I went to my doctor today to make sure everything is healing well. He told me that I have healed so well that I can start eating any kind of food, exercise, and drink alcohol (as long as I mind my calories). He made an appointment for me to get my first fill in seven weeks. I ate about a 1/4 cup of rice and about an 1/8 cup of chicken for dinner with no problems. Although I feel totally fine, I still find it odd that I have permission to do everything 3-4 weeks earlier then is typically allowed. Did anyone else start eating solids one week after surgery?

I went to Vegas this past weekend and did really great on my eating and exercising because we walked around so much. However, on Sunday night, Superbowl, I went a bit crazy and drank the bar under the table..Needless to say, that I am back on my workouts and water regimen but I feel much guilt because I do enjoy my alcoholic beverages and I just wonder how much is too much?? I don't drink daily but I do have a couple a drinks a week if not every other week..I had surgery in September and have lost 30 pounds and Im feeling great but I don't want to sabotage my weight loss due to alcohol consumption of any kind....

Have you spoken to your surgeon about your food choice? Are you working with a counselor to figure out why you made such a dangerous choice while your body is healing? Food issues are hard to handle on our own because unlike an alcoholic or drug addict, we still have to eat. I'm sure many successful people have made bad choices but I'd also bet they didn't make them often. Call your doc for use! Best of luck to you. You can do this.

Sounds like a wonderful vacation you have planned! I had my band to bypass on October 24 and I am already on normal foods as long as I feel like I can tolerate them well, so I think you will be okay on being able to eat what is served, just in the appropriate quantities. My program does not want us drinking any alcohol for at least a year. I think that is partly because of the unneeded calories, but they also are very serious about transfer addiction at my practice since it is a very real thing. And I'm sure you know it takes much less alcohol to feel the effects in a bypass patient, so you may not be able to do every tasting, but I would think you'll be okay to have some. I personally wouldn't have my first glass of wine in public just in case I get sillier than I might think. 🤣 In regards to visiting your mom, my bypass surgery was about the same pain level as my band. I did not use any narcotics and I was allowed to drive as long as I was not taking narcotics. Even if I wasn't allowed to drive, I think I would have felt well enough to sit with a family member the day I left the hospital. Your mileage will vary of course, but I am sending out lots of good thoughts to you and your family so you will be feel well enough to be with your mom as quickly as possible.

Honestly, this is the type of thing I don't like to see here. BUT - I get it, so you wont get any judgement from me but here is what I do have to say on the topic. Most surgeons would not touch you with a ten foot poll if they knew you were drinking alcohol at this stage, because you are setting yourself to have problems. That goes straight to your liver (which you should be reducing at this point) and ultimately if you do poorly, it reflects poorly on them. You should be following your rules ONE HUNDRED PERCENT for at least the first 18 months post op and in the months leading up to your surgery. If you cannot commit to that, I question your candidacy for something like this (from a healthcare standpoint) As a patient - I get it, but I don't really approve, not that it matters.

Oh another question, alcohol, is it completely off limits? I am not a heavy drinker but enjoy a glass of wine or a few beers on the weekend...

So, I am finding it super hard now that it is summer and everything revolves around sitting in the sun with a cocktail. I am 26 and I love to mingle..... If anyone cares to know what I have been drinking it usually consists of Firefly's sweet tea vodka with water and lemons.... And today I found a new flavor fav which was stoli blueberry vodka with water and I used half a packet of propel's sugar free raspberry lemonade and seriously it was great. I don't drink beer or soda, but when I do drink with my friends I try to stick to sugar free drinks w/ whatever vodka... (What do you drink?!?) I probably sound like a major alcoholic! I do find I'm slowllllllly loosing weight.... Shame on me!

I had VSG on 11/30/2012 and have kept off about 110# in the 6.75 years since then. I am ~ 25# overweight but right about at my original goal. I'm 5'11" (male), 195#, 34" waist, very fit and active, etc. I was down to 175# when I ran marathons but have had a few hip issues that are now resolved and had a minor regain. I actually really like how I look / feel at this weight as I looked a lot older at the lower end. I'm pretty happy with my weight loss. But since about 2 weeks out I've had ridiculously bad GERD. I get an annual endoscopy (familial cancer syndrome) and ever since VSG, I have had erosions show up from the reflux. This last time it was diagnosed as Barrett's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancerous syndrome. I cannot control it fully with meds. I either take 5-6 PPI (200-240mg esomeprazole magnesium) or 6-8 extra strength Zantact (900-1200mg ranitidine). These are of course way above the recommended limits and in the case of the PPI there are long-term risks associated with it they don't want for me as I need good bone density for my hip implant. The bariatric surgeon (University of Wisconsin) has recommended for years that I convert to RNY and after the Barrett's Esophagus diagnosis, my PCP and the genetic cancer team both strongly recommended it as well. So I'm going to do it despite not really wanting to. I have been approved by my insurer and have an early November surgery date. I have several concerns, most notably that I don't really have more than 25# to lose or I drop to the < 18 BMI range and I don't want to be there. The surgeon says he will make a larger pouch and a smaller bypass portion but it's still there and I work out all the time so I already know I will lose more than I want in the beginning. I guess I have a bunch of questions. Feel free to answer any and all if you've had this type of revision: 1. How long did you take off work? I'm told 2 weeks. I usually work from home at a computer. Was there much pain? 2. How long before you could work out again? 3. Did you lose more weight than you wanted? 4. Did it resolve your acid reflux (if that was the reason)? 5. Were you able to enjoy good food at special meals (holidays, etc.) with RNY? I'm terrified of losing ability to have a nice meal with family. What does a normal meal capacity look like at a year out? 6. Are bowel movements normal at some point? 7. Could you drink alcohol again? I'm fine going months without but at some point would like to enjoy a glass of champagne again. I can't right now as carbonation is brutal. I'm just reluctant even though I know I have to do this. Any re-assurances would be helpful.

Hi Johnny, we're here to help. I was sleeved in Feb. 2018, then revised to RnY in Oct. 2018 due to reflux. I think it was worth it. 1. How long did you take off work? I'm told 2 weeks. I usually work from home at a computer. Was there much pain? I took 2 weeks to return to a desk job. Pretty much the same as the sleeve and similar pain level. 2. How long before you could work out again? I had other complications that skewed this one, so I won't comment. 3. Did you lose more weight than you wanted? No, I still had about 20# to goal and it took me 4-5 months to get there. 4. Did it resolve your acid reflux (if that was the reason)? Absolutely and immediately. 5. Were you able to enjoy good food at special meals (holidays, etc.) with RNY? I'm terrified of losing ability to have a nice meal with family. What does a normal meal capacity look like at a year out? I have less restriction with my RnY than I did with the sleeve. I am eating 1-2 cup meals now (10 months out). 6. Are bowel movements normal at some point? No problems, in general. 7. Could you drink alcohol again? I'm fine going months without but at some point would like to enjoy a glass of champagne again. I can't right now as carbonation is brutal. I enjoy the occasional 1-2 glasses of wine. I can't handle carbonation, though.

I had my RNY with a gall bladder removal on Aug 4th. FWIW, here are some of the things I found most helpful. And yes, everyone is different, but I found it useful when others on this list shared their experiences, so here are some things that made the process a little easier for me: 1. In packing my overnight bag I only brought a change of underwear for the next day. I wore a caftan thingy both to and from the hospital so it felt like moving in and out of a nightgown. Ladies, I just skipped the bra at that point. 2. Also in the bag, I brought a pack of pre-moistened wipes. I am allergic to alcohol so I didn't want to rely on regular hospitals wipes and I was so happy to have my familiar, cooling, cucumber scented wipes to freshen up afterwards and to use on my forehead to soothe. 3. I was glad I thought to ask the nurse for an extra pillow to hold on my stomach. Getting up and down, it helped to put pressure on my incisions and muscles and have them strain less. 4. Music and headphones were essential and over-the-head ones, as opposed to earbuds, were much easier for me to keep track of with all the getting up and down nurses moving me around. 5. Best move I made all day was in the pre-op, after I was all set up, and had been given some pills that were making me dopey. My SIL who had been with me up to that point was still there and trying to keep me calm and distracted, and I just asked her to leave so I could have time alone for prayer (and silence!) All in all, things went smoothly for me, though the anesthesia really kicked my butt and it took me a long time to be able to get up and around. My first walk was at 4am when the took me to get weighed. It seemed kind of cruel at that point. Finally, my spiritual practice includes "mindfulness" and I'm using this opportunity of relearning what it feels like to eat to really focus on the whole experience. It doesn't make my protein drinks taste better, but it changes my intention toward them when I say I blessing of thanks for the opportunity to nourish and heal my body.

I have not heard that you "can never have alcohol again," but obviously alcohol is empty calories. I have been sleeved for 2 1/2 months and have not touched any alcohol. For some reason "for at least six months" rings a bell. Alcohol is going to impact your weight loss since it had been proven to slow down your metabolism. Also, having a 4 oz stomach, therefore distorting your food absorbtion, it is something you want to be very, very careful of. Prior to be sleeved, I liked "Diet coke and Jack" and beer. No more carbonated beverages so those two drinks are out but I too like wine and burbon with water. Curious what others know, think and/or have done.

Ok...let's see what I can do here...first and formost you have to do this for YOU. The benefits are 10 fold! I still take a sip, occasionally, when I eat...but for the most part, I'm okay with waiting... you should find (like most of us did) that it's not that bad, once you get used to it. Eliminating carbonated beverages from my life is probably one of the healthiest things I did as well. My husband has lost weight as well, and basically he just stopped drinking that junk. I never was big into alcohol, so that was no biggie for me...a bunch of wasted calories and carbs... and I'm past the age were I want to be "wasted" in any way! LOL YES you feel full and satisfied! Truly you do... Head hunger is when you think you are hunger but really aren't, and with any change in your "diet", you have to work thru it... I found a hot beverage helps at times like that, since you have to take slow sips to get thru it...but it's not a horrible thing... I still have days where that happens...but I know what NOT to eat and I follow the program Loose skin depends on a lot of things, your age, your body, etc... mine isn't all that "loose", but I would like it tighter...exercise of ANY kind helps...water is best for your body as it is very very low impact and very easy on your joints...who cares what others think...go to a Water aerobics class...and they can watch the "incredible shrinking woman"! The pills depend on the kind you take as well....I had to grind mine down for a short time...a small price to pay for the long term results. And stairs...well...it's surgery...so in the beginning they will not be your friend, and you may end up camping out on the couch or recliner for a few days... but the stairs will, eventually, be a very good thing... you can walk up and down them every day for a few minutes to get your cardio in... All in all...I am not one iota sorry I am taking this journey...it's the best thing I ever did for ME!

When I started my journey almost two years ago, I remember being told during my psych eval that it is very common for us sleevers to develop other addictions post-opt. Made sense to me, since food was my drug of choice and this "treatment" would severely limit my "habit" (ha ha). However, I never thought I would develop a post-opt addiction because I'm against drinking (alcoholism runs in my family), smoking (my grandma died of lung cancer), gambling (brother is an addict) and excessive shopping (I love clothes, but I'm also very cheap) or a lot of the other common vices I saw around me. I thought I was fine. Then, slowly and without me realizing it, I started becoming addicted to my job. I have a special alert set on my phone just for work emails. It doesn't matter if I'm at church, in bed half asleep, having dinner with friends, on vacation, at the doctor's office, at a traffic light, whatever. If I hear that special alert, I'm clamoring for my phone. Almost all my lunches are working lunches. On the weekend, I will sit down at my computer for "a minute" to do something quick for work, and not realize several hours have gone by until I get hungry and/or need to pee. My job also dominates most of my conversations. I've noticed it myself and find that when I try NOT to talk about work, it agitates me. So I take turns talking off different people's ear about my job. I get excited when someone I don't talk to regularly contacts me because I know that means I can talk about my job for a long time and not feel guilty because it's not like they have to listen to me everyday. When I watch TV, I'm half paying attention because I'm either reading a work email, responding to a work email or making a document for my job. Even though my Mom (who I'm extremely close with) has said several times that I seem consumed with my job, I didn't realize it was true until I had two panic attacks (one this morning, one last month). As I was driving home today sorting through my feelings, I remember my pre-opt psych eval. Now that I don't/can't binge eat, work is my new "comfort food". But like I used to do with food, I'm overdoing it. All my self-esteem and sense of self worth has also become tied up into my job. When I do a great job at work, then I'm walking on sunshine. When things don't go as planned, then I'm miserable and feel worthless. If I find out I've been excluded from something social (ie: maybe some coworkers go to a happy hour) I feel devastated even though I have a good number of close friends and family I spend time with outside of work. I constantly compare myself to other more senior staff members and tell myself I'm a loser who didn't deserve my promotion. Even though I've worked at my current job with the same staff and boss for almost 7 years, every day I go in like I have something to prove. Most mornings, I'm there before my boss and even though I leave before the boss, I go home and work another 3 - 4 hours. I plan to talk to my therapist, but I just thought I'd share. If anyone has thoughts and/or has been through something similar, would love to hear. Thanks for reading/listening.

I think a lot of the pre-op diet has to do with your BMI. Lower BMI = fewer restrictions. I was able to eat up until 3 days of my surgery, then I had full liquids, even purees. I started with a BMI 35. Also there's something to do with shrinking the liver and that has to do with BMI, whether you drink alcohol, and maybe other stuff (guessing). So, I don't think there's an easy answer to your question. BUT if you're migraines are related to your food intake that is a HUGE consideration, too. I personally would do anything to get away from that kind of pain.

Anybody have issues with alcohol now that they cant eat? I find myself struggling with alochol now. So sad anout this. Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app

Never counted, tracked or weighed. Eat when I'm hungry and just until satisfied. I Keep a running tally in my head so I know I'm getting at least 64oz water. Have a large 30-40g protein/fiber smoothie everyday and just eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. However, I also eat deserts, ice cream, alcohol, bread, cake, muffins, chips, potatoes, pasta, and candy in moderation. Easiest "diet" I've ever been on and I've been maintaining at 10 pounds below my goal weight for almost 4 months.

I had my first fill about a week and a half ago (6 weeks post-op). It wasn't bad, but a little "weird" for me. My surgeon numbed me with a shot of lidocaine first. He put a pillow under my back so my back was arched. He then had me lift up a bit like I was doing a sit up while he pushed around on my belly to find the port. After he found it, he marked it with a pen, swabbed it with alcohol and injected the saline. What was a weird sensation for me was I felt the Water go up the tube. I think as we lose weight, it will be easier for them to find and access the port as it is covered by layers of fat now. Nonetheless, it wasn't a bad experience for me. I drank some water afterwards to make sure I was ok and that was it. If they cannot find it then I believe they may do an xray (flouroscopy?) to help pin point it. I think that is a rare occurence though.

I have seen people way less than a year drink alcohol and I've heard doctor recommendations anywhere from 8 weeks out to never. Just remember about transfer addictions and that you may become intoxicated much more quickly now.

I have late dumping , hypoglycemia , Triggered by large amounts of processed sugar or alcohol sugars. Very symptomatic / scary but treatable and avoidable . Glad I still have my old blood glucose monitor ! Best wishes.