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the alcohol will affect your liver directly- dont take any chances

So how long did you guys wait until you had a drink with alcohol in it? 4th of July weekend and I am REALLY wanting one.

You reminded me - no caffeine, no alcohol, practice drinking 30 minutes before and after meals, practice drinking 1 oz. over 15 minutes, no soda (unless it is diet and completely flat).

You are most likely fine but I hope you will stay away from alcohol for a while. It's wasted calories and just isn't worth the effort. Drinking 2 drinks is most likely over a third of what your calorie intake is for a whole day. That said if you experience any pain over the weekend I would call the dr right away.

I took them in hospital and then quit after a discussion with the doc. I didn't like the heprin/coumadin risks, but for some its vital so do what your doc says, but feel free to question. It shouldn't be routine..it should be patient based. That said, I gave myself those types of shots (hormones and meds) for three years while trying to have or carry a successful pregnancy. A great deal of your problem (and any normal human) is that it's counterintuitive to stick a needle in your body...so you have to get over the mental game. I myself had to do it alone, no one could talk to me, look at me, bother me, etc. Total silence. Like a tummy poking ninja stealth.... A tip to avoid pain and bruising (which should not happen with each shot). The best thing to do is to ice the area by holding an ice cube on your shot location for a min or two, then quickly wipe with the alcohol swab and inject quickly into the location. (Have your shot all ready to go, alcohol pads open and on top of their container). Additionally if you pinch about an inch worth of skin and fat up and then do the icing and injection, pinching firmly but not hard, you will find it goes easier. If you find the ice a pain, just do the pinch. By the time you are done with the shots you will be an expert. The ice helps with the med stinging and can reduce bruising if you are hitting a blood vessel (there is nothing dangerous to hit in the fat so don't let that freak you out). You can also bruise by going in too slow. See....I got nothing out of the baby attempts, but it did make me an expert on gut shots so there's a silver lining out there right? heh heh

Havent had alcohol but six months out and i can chug water but not after eating

Ok... I've been lurking here for awhile, and have read all of the articles on alcohol everyone has posted. However, the sleeve patients in my town have their own group on facebook, and the alcohol question finally came up today. One person said they were told that it is more common to have liver damage post sleeve from drinking alcohol than it would be before being sleeved. Is this true? It makes no sense to me. I mean your liver is unchanged, so why would it be MORE damaged after a STOMACH surgery? If anyone has heard this before or know why this may be true please let me know. There's probly something I'm underthinking. lol.

Found on web Sunday, September 30, 2007 Alcohol after Gastric Bypass A glass of wine or two. A beer. A little mixed drink. Would that be OK after a gastric bypass? Well, early after the surgery, while the stomach is healing, you really want to avoid the irritant effect of alcohol. You want your pouch to heal well. So, the answer, as far as we know, is "no". But, what about drinking, let's say 6 months, a year, or more after the surgery? A very interesting study confirmed the previous opinion, that is, alcohol levels go higher after gastric bypass than people who had no such surgery. In a study published in the September issue of the journal "Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases" (SOARD), researchers from Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, concluded that the gastric bypass patients had a greater peak alcohol level and a longer time for the alcohol level to come back down to zero than the individuals who did not have gastric bypass. A particularly interesting finding was that the gastric bypass patients did not feel that alcohol influenced them any more than the no-surgery group. Could that explain why there are reports of post-gastric bypass patients who were cited for driving under the influence (DUI) after a small social alcoholic drink? Maybe. But also remember that there are other complications related to alcohol intake. Liver disease from alcohol is well-known. To develop alcoholic liver disease on top of the known obesity-related liver disease can be particularly dangerous. Alcohol is not good for peptic ulcers, either. Alcohol calories are empty calories, which is not what gastric bypass patients want to ingest. Also alcohol drinking has been linked to Vitamin B1 deficiency. Severe vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to serious nerve damage, that is, Wernicke’s encephalopathy. So far, we do not have a perfectly scientific answer to the question: Is it OK to drink, in moderation, if you are not driving, several months or years after gastric bypass? We just do not have the final answer, and prefer to err on the cautious side. Better be safe than sorry. References: Klockhoff H, Naslund I, Jones AW. Faster absorption of ethanol and higher peak concentration in women after gastric bypass surgery.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Dec;54(6):587-91. Hagedorn JC, Encarnacion B, Brat GA, Morton JM. Does gastric bypass alter alcohol metabolism? SOARD. 2007 Sept;3(5):543-8. (Note: This is the study quoted above) Posted by Hanafy M. Hanafy, MD at 7:04 PM <SPAN class="item-control blog-admin pid-1994542692' class='icon-action' alt='""' /> </SPAN><DIV class="post-share-buttons goog-inline-block' class='icon-action' alt='""' /></DIV>Labels: Bariatric, Eating Behavior, Eating Habits, food Choices, Gastric Bypass, Healthy Lifestyles, Lifestyle after Bariatric Surgery if (window['tickAboveFold']) {window['tickAboveFold'](document.getElementById("latency-6167538524377775520")); } <A id=Blog1_blog-pager-newer-link class=blog-pager-newer-link title="Newer Post" href="http://bariatricslounge.blogspot.com/2007/10/paradox.html">Newer Post Older Post Home

Welcome all. I was banded July 1 2013 down 78 lbs by far the best decision of my life. Grateful I found this site some people here are amazing and so motivating . I can't explain how the band has changed my thinking as well which is why I think I have been so successful. I follow the drs rules protein small bites n portions no drinking while eating my vitamins. I also got the gym 5-7 days a week combination of cardio j weight training. I started at 297 wearing size 22/24 I am Now 217 wearing a size 16 . And only 6 months out . There will be some emotions along the way especially as you get closer to surgery I was scared to go through with it but then I said if I d nothing in letting bad things happen to me as well so let me try and do the healthy thing. I have been on a diet since age 10 27 tears of dieting at at age 38 I decided to get banded actually got the approval on my 38 bday. I still go out to dinner eat way less and don't really drink alcohol but the drinking is by my chose. Good luck and we are here for you !!!!

Thanks for the comments. As I said, this was a very good learning experience. I knew that caloric beverages are the arch enemy of weight loss. I don't think I can pinpoint the flawed logic that enabled this behavior. It may have been "I'm on vacation" or "it's only once a year" type of logic, or it may have been that I've had drinks before on occasion (very limited and very occasionally) without much weight loss impact. Whatever it was, this was a very good eye-opening reinforcement that for me alcohol or any caloric beverage is not compatible with weight loss.

I will fully admit that I am new to this. I have never blogged before. I'm fairly new to weight loss surgery. But one of the ways that I think I can help hold myself accountable for my weight loss is through this blog. If people read, great. If not, that's fine too. At least it's a spot for me to journal what I'm going through. So here I go... Lap Band. I've got one. I'd thought about getting one in the past as my weight continued to balloon out of control. But I was always so nervous about it. I didn't want to be one of those people that couldn't lose the weight on my own. So I would diet. I would exercise. I'd lose weight -- 20 pounds here, 50 pounds there -- but it would always come back. However much I lost and then some. So I finally decided I needed to do something to save my life. I set up an appointment with Dr. Hung to discuss having a lap band. I hadn't been on a scale in a couple years. Even at my annual physicals, the physician stopped weighing me. I think they knew I was big. Real big. And they didn't do much more than that. So I stepped on the scale at the doctors and there it was. The number I was dreading to see. 345.7 pounds. I immediately thought -- I have no idea how I got this big. But that's a lie. I knew exactly how I got that big. Mindless eating, fast food, eating way more than one person should, drinking alcohol to the point of excess, late night food, not exercising. There was a list that went on and on. And I could have stopped right then and there. But the nurse that weighed me knew what I was feeling and knew what to say, "Okay, that's the last time you're ever going to see that number." So fast forward through the doctors appointments, through the pulmonary specialists, the psychiatrists, the physicians, the pre-op diet, the actual surgery to six months later. Here I am. I have lost weight ... quite a bit of weight ... and I'm happy with that. But not happy enough. Today I weigh 287.8. I've lost 57.9 pounds since that first day at the doctors. And I'm ecstatic about that. I feel better. I look better. People have commented how well I'm doing. But it's not enough. I have officially stalled. I weighed 286.6 before Christmas. Since then I've fluctuated between 283 and 290. That was seven weeks ago. In almost two months I haven't lost anything. Fortunately, I'm not completely upset with that to the point of quitting. I try to be positive about it. It was the holiday season. It's not an excuse. It's an inevitability. And looking at the last how many years of my life, I've never continually lost. It's always been an increase in weight. But I'm not settling for 60 pounds. I want another 60 gone, and then some. I was a self-pay patient for this surgery, so my wallet has lost $16,000. I don't want that to be for nothing. I know all the tools. I know what I need to do. I know the band isn't a cure-all. It's a tool to use in order to help you lose weight. So I'm getting back to basics. I'm journaling all my food and drinks. All day every day. Not just during the week and then letting things slide during the weekend. I'm not going to sneak food off of my family and friends plates like I have been lately. I'm going to start exercising again. I'm going to make this work for me. I have to. Sure 60 pounds is great. But I'm still obese. 287 pounds isn't where I want to spend my life. I want to be able to feel more comfortable with myself. So here we go, band. Let's get this journey going again. The six month honeymoon period is officially over. Now the real work begins. And I want it to. I want to be successful and hold myself accountable. Which is why I've started this blog. Time to be accountable for my actions. February 9, 2011 ... 287.8. Let's see how it goes for the next six months!!

I read on this forum yesterday that a leak in a sleeve only happens shortly after surgery. It never happens months/years later. Is this true? Does anyone have any links/research supporting that? One of my biggest fears of having the sleeve is the possibility of a leak. BUT I honestly don't fear it happening immediately following surgery, I trust my surgeon 110%, she has never had a leak. I fear it happening 20,30,40 years down the road. Is that possible? I tried to find info online, but haven't found anything...I also tried to email my surgeon to ask her, but the way my insurance is set up, I have to email my PCP. Who could then ask the surgeon to call/email me, but that could take up to a week or more and I'm a very impatient person lol. I guess it makes sense that it wouldn't be likely to happen once the stomach is healed...but I would think it could still be a possibility if someone were to drink lots of soda, coffee, alcohol, etc...???

Hey kasemcd 😊 I'm 25, I had my gastric sleeve on 6th April 2017 so about 10 weeks post op. Stomach restriction definitely working in full gear but as for liquids they go down pretty easy. I have tickets to a bunch of festivals over this summer so I'm sure I'll be drinking alcohol, shpuld be fine - I did hear from others that apparently you get drunker on less alcohol. Something to do with our bodies absorbing the alcohol into the bloodstream quicker than normal folk. As for liquid diet it'll get quite easy after the first couple days. I only cracked twice when visiting my mum on Sundays and ate pasta/rice. Still managed to lose 16lbs during that 2 week period amd it didn't cause any issues with the op. If you do fall off the liquid diet wagon just make sure that its further away from your op date than closer to it. Anyways, hope that somewhat answered your question - wishing you the best of luck with your op 🤗

Ok, for those of us having trouble getting our Protein in and still crave something yummy and sweet: PROTEIN PACKED PUDDING!!! ...all you need is: 1 box of fat-free/sugar-free jell-o pudding mix Skim or soy milk Your favorite Protein powder ...mix these things together and have a protein packed snack! ************* Don't know what to do with that disgusting (not so) unflavored protein powder??? Well, how about PROTEIN SHOTS?!?! ...all you'll need for this one is: 1 one package of your fav jell-o mix Water And that awful unflavored protein powder....make sure to add A LOT!!!! Pour the mixture into those little condiment cups. (*ya know, the ones we use for actual Jell-O shots, with the alcohol!* wink, wink!!! Refrain from using the vodka this time guys! Lol) Let the mixture congeal and you have yourself little protein shots that you can have each day, just like your supplements! Idk what to do about the awful tasting chewable Vitamins, you'll just have to man up and take them until they're gone...or just chunk them and get more!!! Haha Let it congeal and enjoy as much as you'd like!

I went to Vegas six weeks post op and did fine. I am 41/2 months out now and can handle the alcohol and food fine. Have fun!

food addiction and abuse are very similar to the more commonly heard of addictions of smoking, or drinking------but the difference is, you can live a perfectly normal life, and live for decades, without ever smoking or taking a drink of alcohol again. Abstinence is key. Avoid them completely to kick the addiction. With food that is not an option! We must eat. Making the right choices, or stopping with a reasonable portion is where our problems lie. And it is an addiction. We can start with all the right intentions.....but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It would be like the smoker who quits by smoking 3 cigarettes a day---some might be able to do it, but very, very few. The band, gives you the help to make eating right, and in proper portions possible. Then once you begin losing weight, you find yourself wanting to be more physically active. It is definitely a scary prospect to lose an addiction to food. It is one that is widely accepted, as far as addictions go! Every holiday, every celebration, every milestone in life and death is accompanied by food. It was there to comfort you, and give you something to do anytime day or night. To think that all your habits must change is an overwhelming thought! What you are going through is VERY common! Many of us visited the thought of WLS at least once before we become serious enough to research it and decide it was for us! The good news is.....the band makes all the changes you worried about soooooo much easier than anticipated! The help in portion control, and the lessening of the actual hunger itself has made doing this possible!!! I could not have lost over a hundred pounds without my band. By the same token, just having the band and not working with it, I would not have lost the 100 pounds either. Some people can and do lose this much without WLS, I just know myself, and know I tried through the years, and it would not have happened. I did good for a couple of months, and could drop 40-50 pounds, and then I would begin backsliding.......and within a couple more months the weight was back plus some more! I am over 2 years out with my band, I am in a size 10---even a couple of 8's! I do not "diet" per se. I use my head when eating, and try to eat in a healthy manner. I have learned portion control, and taught myself what triggers me to eat more (carbs in my case!!) I had a total unfill of my band a couple of months ago for my Tummy Tuck, and I have yet to have it refilled. So far my habits have carried me along, and the hunger has not returned as it used to be. Before banding I would walk in the house ravenous, and just begin eating, chips, Cookies, whatever was quick and handy! Now that the hunger is not like that, I make better choices. That has been a huge difference, I have control again! Flaking out is not uncommon, and is perfectly normal. It is to be expected when you make a lifestyle change---but this one is so worth it! Kat

LOL i love it! same as me - i don't see any difference pre-band v. post-band on drinking alcohol - effect is the same. I did go from being a big lite beer drinker to clear (color-less) liquor - usually absolute vodka + water/crystal light - so the buzz is faster and more intense - but i attribute that to the beer v. liquor - again, though, no difference pre and post band (only difference i can see is i eat and weigh less and that may quicken the buzz - but that would happen regardless if i was banded or not)

Why, oh why, didn't I think of this before?? I hope it's OK to post this here. I haven't been sleeved yet but I have started dieting in preparation. I've enjoyed everyone's stories, I've laughed and cried. I know we are all in search of the same goal. Everyday I look at the before and after pics. I read all the posts. Y'all are my inspiration. It hit me like a ton of bricks this afternoon, so I thought I'd share a little. I'm 44 years old and life has been a roller coaster, just like my weight. My battle of the bulge is similar to many. I didn't get fat overnight. It was fast, but it wasn't overnight. This is the biggest I have ever been. Yesterday, I thought I was 250#, but noooo, that was just cruel joke my scale played on me. I had just lost 10 pounds. I went to the doctor yesterday and he weighed me in at 262#. That can't be! I just lost 10 pounds, it should say 252#! That just added insult to injury. Damn scale! So actually I started at 272#. I realized I was staring 300# in the face, I was over half way there.......I just wanted to cry, it was tough holding the tears back. Anyway he made it better. Everything is gonna be OK, once I get my sleeve. I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the upcoming changes. I've read things like head hunger and food addiction. I can relate to that. I LOVE food. I eat even when I'm not hungry. My life revolves around food. I've come to realize I'm a food addict. Food is my drug of choice. It satisfies me, it comforts me. I'm no stranger to addictions. I really hate to admit this and probably shouldn't, but in my early 20's I had a nasty drug habit. I kicked it on my own and have been clean for 22 years and have never touched it again. Fast forward a few years and I married an alcoholic. That is a recipe for DISASTER! We have been together for 18 years. He has been sober for the last 6+ years. My husband wasn't your everyday drinker. He was binge alcoholic. He could go weeks or months and not touch a drink. But when he did, all hell broke loose. That's a familiar word. "binge". It was very ugly. I won't go into all that. He needed help. He tried "Antibuse", that didn't work. It was supposed to make him violently ill if he took a drink. It made him sick even when he didn't drink. AA didn't work, all that talk about drinking triggered him to want to drink. I was at the end of my rope. Nothing was working. I started researching, there had to be a way. Other people quit drinking. I quit drugs, why couldn't he stop drinking??? My research lead me to www.rational.org. OMG! that opened our eyes. It worked for us. He has been sober for almost 7 years. It can be used for ANY addictive behavior!! It's free. It can't hurt to try it. I used it 3 years ago when I lost weight on Adkins. I got down to 160#. Major life upset and I let my eating get out of control AGAIN. My bad. Anyway, while I was vacuuming today, it all came back to me. I went back to the website and it was still there. I encourage anyone that needs help to take a look at it. I am starting to use it again today. It can't hurt. It is another tool that some may find useful. Anyway here is the link and an explanation from their website. It was originally geared to alcohol and drugs but they found it works with all addictions and bad behaviors. The key is to change the words alcohol/drug with food/binging/overeating or whatever your vice is. Change the word abstinence to healthy eating. I know that it works and I will use it. It helped me to get a piece of paper and write it all down. It's not that long. Don't rush through it, think about what they are saying and let it sink in. It makes so much sense. When you read it, it's like flipping a switch. It will hit home for some. If it works for you, it's awesome. It will only take about 15 minutes to read through it. Another tool for your weight loss journey.. www.rational.org (copy & paste the link) This was taken from their website: Quick Start on Rational Recovery ©2009, Jack Trimpey, all rights reserved. There is enough information at this website for you to totally recover from any addiction, e.g., alcohol, crank, crack, heroin, opiates, sex and porn addiction, overeating, computer addiction, gambling, or other personal behavior that goes against your own better judgment. • If you're drinking/using today, you won't learn much of anything. Come back in the morning or when you aren't under the influence. • To quit your addiction you must first stop drinking/using long enough to learn AVRT®. Quit Now For Life! You now have access to Addictive Voice Recognition Technique® (AVRT®), a powerfully simple means to defeat any addiction, to any substance or behavior, in as short a time as you like. The link below will guide you through the decision making process to total recovery, before you sleep tonight. Go to www.rational.org , on the right hand side of the page click on the blue button that says CRASH COURSE ON ARVT Before you click this link, however, observe your thoughts and feelings, positive and negative, about abusing food. Feel the hope, but notice the dread! Thoughts and feelings which support continued abuse are called the Addictive Voice (AV); those which support abstinence are you. When you recognize your AV, it becomes not-you, but "it," an easily-defeated enemy that has been causing you to abuse food.

Alcohol affects me the same as it ever did, it didnt change when i got banded. Im only really a wine drinker, one or two is enjoyable, three is a good buzz and definitely no driving, more is ugly. Same as always.

Thanks so much for the kind words! I obviously can't speak for everyone but it seems to me that the bad and the ugly, along with the good, is how we learn. I think of myself as a "recovering" foodaholic. And just like a "recovering" alcoholic, I'll a l w a y s be a "recovering" foodaholic. Thanks to RNY, I fully expect to live a long life and that means I'll have to be cautious and aware of potential pitfalls - for a long time. Along those lines, I'd love to hear about what you have learned regarding the cause of the dilated anastamosis. How common is it? Does it often occur at a specific time range or period following RNY? Is it related to too much food? Or perhaps getting in the habit of not chewing well enough or taking bites that are too large? Anything you would care to share, post or PM, would be very much appreciated. Thanks again!!

Keep working at not eating as much - and get that exercise in your schedule! I am 1 1/2 years post-op and I still crave certain foods. I think I will always be fighting my head hunger --- I can pretty much eat anything I want -- but not as much of it....so that makes it nice. I can not overeat - without it coming back up....which is gross. But remember - there are "slider" foods -- that most people NEVER have problems tolerating. And it is the slider foods that will prevent people from losing weight - because they do NOT get stuck - you may end up overeating and NOT lose weight. Sample slider foods (varies for everyone): mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, ice cream, puddings, yogurt, popcorn, crackers, Cookies, and the list goes on and on....it's okay to have a LITTLE if you have control to STOP....otherwise I do not have any.....sort of like an alcoholic....don't start because it is difficult to stop. Good Luck - and keep this website as a resource -- take a look around the other areas....post op, etc. And remember it really is all about EATING LESS and EXERCISING MORE! The band will help you eat less -- but there are many people who LEARN to eat around the band and they actually gain weight. so be careful and stay focused. Hope this helps -- GOOD LUCK!

Yep! Still drink it too, with few repercussions. Sometimes reds give me reflux but whites are almost always okay. As for it making me gain, I tried my first drink a few months in while I was still losing, but was also still tracking religiously. When I chose to indulge, I worked it onto my day and lost fine. I also had developed a regular exercise routine burning 400-500 calories 5x per week which helps my metabolism and gives me leeway for the occasional "indiscretion". Now 2 years out, I don't track anymore, but if I gain a few pounds, alcohol and other "treats" are the first to go until it comes off.

I was told you should never have carbonated drinks bc it will stretch your stomach. As far as drinking alcohol my nutritionist said I could try wine at week 6 post op. At home of course to make sure your stomach agrees with it. I would say you probably won't be able to have beer again!

Your story sounds so much like mine. Was even born a big baby, and overweight as a child, but not obese until I got into college (which also happens to be when they finally tested me for hypothyroidism and reluctantly started to treat me for it). I was really active in high school - lettered in two sports - and as much as I walked in college, the cafeteria food did me no favors! Bad eating, a decrease in intense physical activity, the alcohol that frequently accompanies college days, and hypothyroidism led to a 50 lbs weight gain in less than two years. I just had my endoscopy today, no abnormalities found, so I'm excited for my sleeve date of May 12. I, too, had some initial good results with the Band, but slowly gained back a bit over time and then it just seemed to be rejected by my body.

Cut the soda and alcohol for a week to eliminate that possibility. Smaller bites and lots and lots of chewing to avoid getting stuck. I'm on fill 5 and it's difficult to remember to slow down, take small bites and chew, chew, chew after years of scarfing down food. But when I follow the rules, I don't get stuck, don't burp(unless I eat too much) and don't throw up.