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@NeonRaven8919, First of all, let me assure you that we all have head hunger. None of us got to a weight where we required weight loss surgery without overeating, and we all have our own demons. You are among others like yourself. It sucks, but it's not unbeatable. Here's what I have to say. I was in intensive outpatient eating disorders therapy for a few months, because I recognize that I am a compulsive overeater. That did nothing for the head hunger and portion control problems. For me, gastric bypass was the only solution because I need that brake on my overeating. And now, I have not had any sweets or high-sugar items since surgery because I know I could have dumping syndrome afterward, and nobody wants that. So that's another brake. For me, it's much easier to not eat something than to try to moderate. The reason for all of that is because I have a food addiction. I know this about myself because I also happen to be a recovering alcoholic, and the cravings are exactly the same. I did not get sober by myself. White-knuckling does not work for addiction. The compulsions are simply too strong. I could not have gotten sober by myself. And there was no reason to, because there is free help out there. Did I want to quit entirely? NO. But I couldn't go on like I was. And now I'm 32 years sober, after starting in a position where I couldn't go 24 hours without drinking. Why am I saying all this? Because your story sounds like mine. "Mindful eating" to control compulsion makes about as much sense as "mindful drinking" to control alcoholism (which is to say, none). So you may want to approach this problem like an addiction. I am not saying you are a food addict, only you can know whether that's true for you. What I'm saying is that you do not have to do this alone, and there's free help out there. @BigSue told you about some, and you will find TONS of support groups online in addition to the one she recommended. Take advantage of this free help, because white-knuckling is horrible and mostly doesn't work. Why? Because it's not about willpower. You did all the stuff to get your surgery, so we know you have willpower. If that worked against the kind of compulsion you're describing, it wouldn't be a problem. It doesn't. What does work is support groups. That's because they're full of people like us, who have to fight to change our relationship to food. If you do happen to think you might be a food addict, check out Overeaters Anonymous. There are groups everywhere and it's free. You don't have to commit to anything and there's no test or anything to attend. You can just listen or ask questions or whatever. I absolutely guarantee that if you told your story about the food at work to an OA meeting, every single head would nod. Everyone will know exactly what you're talking about because they've been there. Please don't give up on yourself, you're on a journey. People slip up. We get to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and keep on going forward. You did a brilliant, extremely courageous thing in sharing your challenge here, and see how much support and help you got? You can do this. You CAN do this. We all need a little help from our friends.

Officially 8 weeks and 2 days Post-op and honestly I'm pretty comfortable with my progress though a little disappointed with my hydration. The weight loss is steady, protein intake was a little tricky but I think I got it, and keeping up with physical activity has been smooth. Last month's first follow up with the nutritionist did get under my skin, I questioned returning to my previous vitamins vs these nasty Flinstones...and she went on and on about my calcium, iron and protein levels wouldn't be sufficient due to me not eating meat. I explained I had no problem taking additional calcium or iron IF necessary, and finding new ways to add my protein BUT I wanted to see how my bloodwork came back. She finally conceded in saying "well, you're an adult, if you want to take more vitamins that's your choice". I mean OBVIOUSLY it is my choice and her condescending tone is one of the many reasons I've never cared for nutritionist. Nevertheless, guess who's blood work is PERFECT?! In other news, I will say this ketosis stage, while extremely beneficial... it is giving me the "ick" with side effects, smells, body odor etc... I've introduced some carbs hoping things will balance out but it seems to be a slow process. Uranalysis confirmed I'm still burning ketones sooooo there's that. 🤷🏽‍♀️but when will these side effects end ? Speaking of introducing carbs... I had a small bowl (4 oz) of mac and cheese (chickpea pasta)... this is a true trigger food for me, but I ate it, I enjoyed it and I moved on... it wasn't until the next day, I was thinking wow, I really didn't "Want" another bowl... "I'm good". In the head scratching category... I overheard my co-workers having a convo about individuals on the show "My 600lb life"... DISCLAIMER: I say overheard loosely, there's 3 of us in a small room, they were speaking freely as we usually do but I had my earbuds on and wasn't a part of the beginning of the convo. While I can't say I've ever watched a full episode, I am familiar with the premise of the title as well as what "reality shows" really entail when it comes to production and I'm sure I've caught a snippet of an episode on a meme, commercial etc. They also do not know I've had a procedure. I digress, at some point in the convo, they were both giving their opinions on "how could someone let it get so bad"..." when your pants stop fitting..." "when you're out of breath walking from house to mailbox..." etc. and while I have no doubt that they did not have malicious intentions nor have I personally fit into any of these examples... I suddenly became very offended. I even thought to myself have I lost that much weight that this is how "skinny" people speak freely among you ? (The answer is no, regarding me... I've lost a good amount, but they've known me for several years...at my heaviest). I thought, are they thinking I'm really deep into my work and not paying attention ? (The answer is no, we always engage with each other based off of body language to get the others attention and they were engaging). The answer boiled down to, they were just ignorant to the reasons this could happen to someone and the fact that reality tv has a way of making people look and behave at their worse. So I chimed in with "As a fellow big girl..." and explained to them that food addiction is real, and it's real easy to forget that unlike, drugs and alcohol, people have to eat for survival/nutrition and if you are addicted to such it's easy to forget how someone can "let it get so bad", there are also health issues and medication side effects. They were both receptive and admitted that didn't even consider that thought. We went on to talk about the state of "healthy" food choices, labels, vending machines in schools and all. But I definitely walked away from that convo scratching my head because they are both thin and love to eat and not always the "healthy" stuff... so I'm thinking it didn't occur to you others JUST CAN'T do that. Anyways, it was an experience and I'm glad I had it.

I don't think I ate anything that made me sick post op, except for sugar (I am sure it is a form of dumping). At 10+ months post op I eat everything, and by everything I mean I can eat everything and feel fine, my portions are much smaller of course. I eat tacos, burgers, sushi, noodles, pizza and even dessert but in smaller amounts. I eat out 2-3 times a week. Here are some things I follow that help me eat what I feel for in moderation: - I do not drink my calories, other than an oat/almond flat white, all my drinks are calorie free. I do not drink alcohol nor sugary drinks. I drink water, diet soda and coffee and that's about it. - I limit deep fried food, I almost always opt for grilled/air fried/baked. If there's a portion of fries and I really want some, I will have one or two and stop. - I prioritize protein 90% of the time. On weekdays I always start with my protein, then my veggies THEN a tiny bit of carbs if I have space (most of the time there is not much space left). When I'm out for a nice dinner or I've ordered in I will eat my order the way it is and will not pick the protein first, so if I've ordered a burger I will eat it as it, or if it is sushi i will eat that and not worry about protein first, but that is only a couple times a week. - I make tweaks and substitute when taste isn't compromised. I love my big mac tacos but I don't want to be eating 200+ calories from a tortilla, so I substitute that with a mission low carb because I really can't taste the difference, or it's negligible. I also substitute wheat toast for protein toast (still occasionally eat sourdough because I love it and can taste the difference). I also opt for low fat milk/dairy/meats when I can, but I will not substitute cheddar for a low fat version for example because MELTED CHEDDAR 🤤 - I eat carbs in tiny amounts. So if I'm snacking and picked up a cookie, I will eat a bit of it or half at most. If it is a slice of cake I make sure it is tiny or I will eat half the slice, if it's ice cream it is half a scoop. I can't tolerate much of sugar and it makes me ill but I will taste/try. And it has to be WORTH IT. I will not eat something for the sake of eating it, I should really want to try/eat it, and if it ends up not being good, I will not continue eating it. - I workout a lot, I lift, I run, I do Pilates, I cycle and close my steps. I stay active. If you can control your portions and refrain from the "all or nothing mindset" it is very possible to eat what you like and maintain your results, at the end of the day it's calories in vs calories out. Also, my moto is that life is too short to be living miserably (I love food LOL). I will however say that I recommend that you hit maintenance first before exploring with the above. I was VERY strict during weight loss and ate 100% clean.

I think the alcohol may be one of your culprits. if you’re counting that in your 1200 that may seem OK but a lot of added sugars and stuff or mixed drinks if that’s what you’re having. When I had my sleeves, I only went by calories, and it didn’t go so well for me. I was able to lose a pretty big chunk of weight, but I ended up gaining it back because I didn’t understand the quality of food I was eating and when my hunger came back, my portion got bigger and started coming back on. Also be sure that you actually measure with measuring cups. I know it’s a pain but until you get used to it eyeballing things can be a bit tricky. And do not go by restaurants estimates because they are never accurate. I have gotten a few meals to go and take them home and measured everything and it was way off. I would ask to talk to your team again and then get back with your nutritionist and find out more about the individual macros that they expect for you. Start doing the log of your food and if you have a Fitness watch or something log your activity and then let them review that and make suggestions.

was thinking the same thing....? (just one 1 G&T is like 120 cals, and just one beer is at least 200 cals...). alcohol in and of itself will not stop you from losing weight, but too many calories (in the form of alcohol or whatever else) definitely will. further, are you tracking your actual food/beverage intake to conclude 1200 cals a day, or eyeballing it? lastly, my NUT wanted me at 1500 cals by 3 months, so i guess it depends on who you ask if that is alot of cals or not at your stage. BUT, despite this recommendation , i personally was NO WHERE near 1500 cals at that stage, more like 400 cals honestly (which is on the lower end of average, but still).

Yesterday’s lunch and dinner and today’s breakfast. Lunch- after pics of the salad and mini cannolis. I only ate 2 bites of soup as lunch just wasn’t my jam. Dinner- only grabbed an after of the salad but ate a small roll with about a tsp butter, 3/4 the steak, 4 bites of the underside of the chicken (it was dry and the sauce was gross), both carrots, 2 bites of asparagus (less than 1/2 a spear), and about 1/3 of the mashed potatoes underneath. I ate about 1/4 of the 2 desserts offered because I split with a friend. I also had some 1/3 cup street corn dip, 2 mini pita, half an eggroll filled with black beans and corn, a mini eggroll, and 2tbsp hummus as a snack yesterday and chips with queso during bingo. I gave my alcoholic drink tickets to someone else because after half a glass of champagne I was done drinking alcohol. Breakfast- coffee had half and half and I drank it all. Drank about 6oz of the milk but ate the yogurt and oatmeal. I didn’t eat any of the mid-morning pastries offered today and the boxed lunch I picked was a roasted vegetable wrap with balsamic dressing, 4oz of potato salad, a cookie and I stopped and picked up green beans from the truck stop. I ate 1/4 cup of the green beans, 3/4 of the potato salad, pulled off about a 1/3 of the tortilla before eating the wrap and gave away the cookie. I can’t wait to have surgery next week because within 1-3hrs of eating I’m in unbelievable pain. I can chug my water like I could a few months ago for the same reason and I’m over it.

Lots of people have posted about food, so I’ll tell you my behavior changes I make. I measure my protein on a scale. My personal dietitian told me 4oz protein per meal, or diabetic protein count 20grams. I record it either online in a phone app, or write it down. I can eat as much raw veggies or baked, or steamed veggies as I like, but only at meals with protein. No root vegetables due to sugar content. I drink 2litters of water, sometimes more during the day. I take my vitamins daily. Three meals look like that, then I’m back on track. If I’m hungry, one boiled egg before bed. That’s what the dietitian told my 5’10 son too. When we really want results we share and compare information to hold each other accountable, including weighing in on the scale. I watch the glucose goddess online for tips and recipes, and Dr. Weiner. In maintenance the fruit, nuts, seeds, cheese can come in one once quantities- those are “extras.” Alcohol is only for maintenance, just major holidays. Recap; weigh/ measure food, record it, share with a trusted friend or family to keep yourself accountable. Your dietitian should be telling you what a portion of protein is for you specifically.

I am coming at this thread from a slightly different perspective. I'm not a long termer (whose experience I know you were asking for) so please do place more weight on those people's posts. I do rely SO MUCH on the stalwarts here to be my guiding stars and four of them have shared their wisdom already. I have struggled a bit to maintain my loss. I reached my original goal weight about a year after my surgery. The second year or so I lost much more slowly but ended up about 20lbs under my goal. In my third year I slowly regained 16lbs. I eat pretty well I think. I cannot, and never have, eaten breakfast. Coffee only before about 11am. Looking at the link above I do wonder whether I should just start stuffing something down. I think my regain has been due to bits of sneaky sugar creeping in, and alcohol (totally empty calories - if you can do without then this is the smart way forward, I simply cannot completely LOL). I reached a point a couple of months back when I was unhappy, thought I'd gone beyond the well known third year rebound and decided to cut out the sugar and (mostly!) the alcohol. Since then I've lost 10lbs of the 15 I gained. Still loosing now. My maintenance calorific intake seems to be 1500 or a little less. I am pretty tall and moderately active. It's weird because I lost large amounts of weight consistently on much more than this a year ago. I think some people get blessed with a new set point weight that is easier to maintain with a much higher calorific intake and some get cursed with a lower set point so that inhaling a random breath of air containing just a whiff of bacon can disrupt. Sadly I appear to be in the latter category now. Take home message - everyone's weight loss in the initial and the maintenance phases seems to be individual to them. Yes we can look for patterns and try to emulate those in order to maximise our own losses, but it doesn't mean our own loss will follow any particular trajectory. Sugar and alcohol are our enemies. I wish you all the best after your op OP. Keep posting, it's endlessly fascinating to hear others' experiences.

Today I grieve fried chicken! I rode by Popeyes here in Texas and was literally salivating by the mouth! Some weeks are harder than others. Due to my addiction to food I do not have cheats days nor do I get to indulge. Much like a sobering alcoholic or meth/crack addicted individual one hit/sip leads to relapse. They don't get an opportunity to have a "cheat day". I am in the same boat I can not indulge. 1 day of pulling in to the drive thru will lead to 5 consecutive days of pulling in. Ahhhhhh FRIED chicken lmao

When I had my RNY 21 years ago, I was diagnosed with fatty liver also. Doc said it was the largest he'd ever seen. I don't know if the two things are related. As liver diseases go Fatty Liver seems the most benign. I just need to avoid things that are hard on the liver. Alcohol, Acetaminophn (Tylenol), etc.. Annual blood work tells me that my liver enzymes are a bit wrong, but no medications required. I don't have experience with your SASI, but I do know that whatever you eat or drink goes straight into your intestines, there is no stomach or Pyloric Valve to slow things down. If your eating is over sugary, fatty, or even carby, diarrhea is a symptom of dumping. It also might be a symptom of something esle, or it may even be normal for SASI, I don't know. Good luck, Tek

I used to be like this back in my fertile years (😉). I craved carbs and could eat a loaf of bread in one day. Sandwich after sandwich. I had to consciously stop myself. About year 2 after my surgery, & well into menopause, I’d get these random days where that carb craving for bread would hit me. I couldn’t do anything about it because bread sits so heavily in my tummy so I avoid it & I never buy it. Thank goodness there wasn’t any in my house. I doubt foamies or my restriction would have stopped me. LOL! You joining the hysterectomy club @Starwarsandcupcakes? I’m three weeks out since mine. Yesterday I was feeling pretty good. Even went to the theatre to see a contemporary dance production but today I’m wiped out. Even chose an afternoon session so I could have a little nap before I went. Also had a fun experience with alcohol hitting hard. Drank almost a 1/2 glass of Prosecco and as I took it into the theatre it hit me. Woozily climbed the steep stairs to my seat. Sat with a thump. The stage was moving (it wasn’t) then the electronic music began and lighting effects. OMG! It was not pleasant. Felt like I’d quickly downed a bottle & not sipped a bare 1/2 glass. Damn cheap theatre alcohol!

Not that uncommon and comparatively not more strict. There are variations between surgeons and surgeries with many of these things. Sometimes it’s also related to you, your health, how much weight you have to lose, your relationship with food, etc, Not being allowed carbonated drinks is common. The differences arise in length of time of this avoidance and then whether you can tolerate it. Also you may be allowed sparkling water that you let go flat a bit but not sodas. Same with alcohol avoidance but there are three main reasons often behind this. One is concern for addiction transfer which can occur after weight loss surgery. Secondly, alcohol is calorie dense and offers no nutrients which are vital while we are losing and eating small portions and lastly it will slow your metabolism & dehydrate you. Again some surgeons just put a time frame on it but it does depend on your surgery too. Caffeine is another thing that is allowed by some surgeons and not by others and again there can be differences in for how long you should avoid it. Deconstructing meals is not a forever thing. Certainly while losing, focussing on eating the protein component of your meal first is very important. If you are able after you’ve eaten the protein in your meal. you then can eat your vegetables then any carbs you are allowed. (There were many times I could only eat my protein at a meal and nothing else.) This is because of the small portions we can eat initially & the necessity of getting that protein in to meet your protein goals. It does make tracking your food much easier too. When you near your goal, and are eating larger portions, it’s not as important to eat your protein first but you must continue to hit your protein goals forever so it will be something of which you are aware when you’re eating. In saying that I often ate soups, stews & casserole type dishes, omelettes, etc. which combined protein & vegetables while losing but not every meal and not every day. Actually not allowing protein shakes is also not uncommon. For example, in the UK, many aren’t allowed protein shakes in the pre surgery diet (they drink milk instead). Protein shakes aren’t the sole source of protein & nutrients in that first stage after surgery. Bone broths, consommés and cream soups are also options. Thank goodness too because after surgery those protein shakes can be disgusting. I found them unpleasantly grainy and crazy sweet & struggled to drink one a day. Best advice is to follow your plan while you are losing.However, if you find it difficult to tolerate your food options or to reach your goals ask for alternatives that will allow you to still meet protein goals & other nutrient requirements within any calorie guidelines you are given. How and what you eat once your weight has stabilised is up to you, what you’ve learnt about your eating and relationship with food and if it allows you to maintain a lower and healthier weight & lifestyle.

Hello - for anyone who has gone through the northern California Kaiser bariatric program, how are you handling the diet post op? It is very strict, not allowing any protein shakes, carbonated drinks, caffeine and alcohol. We’re also taught that we have to eat our meals deconstructed, eating all the protein first before anything else. I’ve asked the nutritionist if this was forever and she said yes it is. I keep, however, seeing videos and post from other people who have coffee daily and who make meals like for example, the ricotta cheese bites where everything is mixed in a small muffin pan. I understand different programs do things differently, it’s just strange to me because it’s the same surgery everywhere. Thoughts? Experiences?

You've gotten some good advice already, but reading your post, a few things stood out to me. These are in no particular order: 1200 calories sounds high for 15 weeks post-op, but if that's what your plan calls for, who am I to question it? I think the bigger question is does this 1200 number include all the alcohol? One of the reasons alcohol is not recommended post bariatric surgery is that it's got a ton of calories and will definitely slow weight loss. The other huge concern on alcohol is that a substantial number of post-op patients develop alcohol use disorder. (Some estimates are as high as 20% or even 30%.) You didn't actually specify how much you drink, but when I see "active social life", I interpret that as "I drink a lot". Maybe try drinking non-alcoholic drinks when you are socializing? If you find that you can't give it up the alcohol, this is a major red flag and you really need to seek help. Taking another approach here, I noticed that you are being more active, which is fantastic! I did want to make sure you knew that changing your activity levels like that (starting a couch to 5k plan), will cause your body to retain more water. This means you may not see the results you are expecting on the scale, even if you are still losing fat. Keep in mind that the your weight is made up of lots of things other than just fat, so variations are normal and are just part of the process. If you are eating less than you burn in a day, then you are 100% burning off fat reserves, even if the scale does not show it. Best of luck.

Do you track (weigh and measure) everything you eat and drink? Are you following the plan set by your surgeon and dietician? Are you meeting your fluid (alcohol doesn’t count) and origin goal every day? Are you focussed on eating protein rich and nutrient dense foods? Yes, alcohol will slow your weight loss. Did your surgeon really say live your life? Did they mean alcohol? Did they know how much you drink? Did I drink alcohol while I was losing? Yes. I had a gin & tonic at around month 3 (nursed it for hours) and then a couple of single glasses over the next 6 or so months after that. This first 6 months to a year or so are a gift. You want to embrace this time to lose the majority of your weight. So yes, you will have to make some sacrifices but for these few months it’s so worth the lifetime of future benefits. Doesn’t mean you can’t go out and socialise. It just means you have to make best choices you can in whatever situation you’re in and put yourself first. The reset diet of returning to the liquid stage is an old wives tale. You’re not trying to reset your tummy but reset your head, your thinking. You can do this.

You must be so incredibly frustrated! Which type of surgery did you get, the sleeve or the bypass? I'm at about 7 weeks post op from getting the sleeve + intestinal revision and my calorie consumption ranges from 500-700/day, with my carb intake less than 35/day and a protein goal of 60/day with fluids of at least 48oz/day. I agree with others - it seems like a good idea, regardless of any advice you get from this forum, to revisit your surgeon. That said, I do believe you hit the nail on the head for one with the alcohol, and secondly I'd ask how many of your calories are coming from carbs. It's ok to include carbs in your diet, but really, this early, unless you are very physically active there isn't cause for many of them. At this stage it's typical to eat no more than 1/2cup - 1 cup of total food per meal, three times a day (or spaced out into 4 meals if needed). That's including your protein, which as someone else said should be the first thing you eat. Another thing about alcohol - it tends to cause dehydration - so you'd need to be consuming even MORE water throughout the day to compensate for that, just like caffeine. If you aren't hitting your hydration goal (PLUS, because of alcohol) then your body will struggle to convert your stored fat into energy, which is what causes most of the weight loss. An example of what my diet looks like at this stage is a single serve yogurt for breakfast (I have been getting the Aikos zero sugar or 2Good ones) - Remember no drinking 30 minutes before or after, and your meal should last at least 20-30 minutes. For lunch I might have a 'tuna melt' - which I make out of 1/3 can of tuna in water, a zero net carb small tortilla, and maybe 1/8 cup of shredded cheese or a low fat string cheese (I cook it folded over like a quesadilla) with maybe 1/8 cup of low fat cottage cheese, then for dinner a serving of one of the many bariatric recipes - there's a ricotta bake (lasagna with no noodles, basically), unstuffed cabbage rolls (Kind of like egg roll filling), or maybe chicken or tuna salad made with low fat mayo and a dab of relish with some cucumber slices/2-4 saltine crackers. I use the free Baritastic App to track my food and fluid intake. Using a tracking app increases weight loss significantly from what I've been told because you can see and understand what exactly you're putting in your body. The good news is that as far as I know, it isn't too late to backpedal and reset yourself! I'm NOT a doctor but my understanding is that if you get off track after weight loss surgery, especially this soon, one way to 'reset' is to go back on a liquid diet for a week or two, with zero-sugar jello, zero sugar pudding, and protein shakes (less than 5g of sugar each) to hit your goals. After that, work your way back up to puree foods for a week, then soft foods for a week. I strongly recommend eyeballing the nutrition information on any shake you think of buying, too, because there are some that are loaded with sugar and have as many as 22g of carbs EACH. After weight loss surgery it's also strongly discouraged to have fried food at all for the first 6 months, and after that maybe once per month. The same goes for sweets and baked goods. I hope this helps, and again - I feel like you should really follow up with your surgeon and a nutritionist! Best wishes!

That's a lot of calories so early out, and yes, alcohol will definitely stop your progress. Especially this early out. What are you eating? How often are you eating? Slider foods can also derail things. Prioritize protein first, then veggies, then carbs and healthy fats. Make sure you get enough fiber, hit your fluid goals, and cut way down the alcohol. There are significant dietary changes you have to make with weight loss surgery. Eventually, like at a year or more out, you can start to live/eat/drink more normally, but this soon out, there are big changes that should be made to maximize your weight loss.

Really you need to toe the line in the first 6 months to give yourself the maximum weight loss. This way we learn how we should eat. Our bad habits need to be changed. This is the theory. 0-6 months is the sweet spot for the easiest weight loss. This of course does not allow for real life BUT if you have too much life, you will struggle with this surgery. You can't do what you did pre surgery. That will only lead you back to where you started pre surgery. You need to find a midline you can live with. If you are truly on 1200 calories a day then you will loose weight, especially if you are exercising like you are. Do you log your alcohol calories, your non alcoholic calories ? Some mixers can hide serious calories. And if you drink a lot and log your calories, you are not getting the nutrients you need on such a calorie deficit, How many grams of protein do you need per day ? Every surgeon has different guidelines.

I'm 14 weeks nearly 15 weeks post op, I have only lost 19lbs overall, I was on holidays and have had a some social occasions, I started at 93.6kg, I'm 85.5 this morning, my calories intake is only every 1200, I'm hitting my protein target, I walk 4 to 5km a day and started doing couch to 5k. It's so frustrating, is it alcohol stopping me losing weight? I have an active social life I thought the sleeve I would be able to lose weight and maintain that. I know other people's surgeons said no alcohol for the first 6 months, but my surgeon was like go be free live your life, maybe I'm expecting too much?

seems everyone's experience differs from person to person! i can drink any amounts (including bubbly and by gulping) right up to the moment i ingest anything "solid". once there are solids in me, i need to wait maybe 30-45 mins before i have any liquids to avoid that over-full feeling (at best), or vomiting (at worst). i don't have liquids and solids together if i can help it. this includes soups. i drink all the broth first before i eat any chunky bits. chilli and stews are hit or miss, depending on how watery/loose they are. i generally eat slowly so i can put the brakes on if i start feeling icky. aside: because of this way of eating of mine, i tend to get a little tipsy-ish at dinners out and parties, cuz i like to drink my alcohol before eating...and the combination of being a cheap drunk and and an empty stomach results in me being and EXTREMELY cheap drunk, ha!

Sounds like a fabulous trip. Hopefully the first of many where you can get that kind of walking in! Sorry you ended up with Covid. Horrible virus. I hope you don't suffer any long term effects. Guess that's what we're all hoping for these days. Feels more and more like Russian Roulette though. 😟 I have had the opposite experience with alcohol - hits me much quicker. I have to be really careful.

Yeah covid was a bit of a kick haha, but I started to feel a little ill out there, but just kept pushing on! My cats definitely did miss us, and we are glad to have them home! Yeah I didn't even imagine I could do that many! It now feels weird being home and not out walking, but I thought my body could do with resting and recovering 😂10-15k per day is amazing - I need to be doing that!! Hahaha, I love that you call them dogs too! You're gonna love it! Definitely somewhere cold...that is my ideal too 🤣 Oooh okay I am glad I am not the only one literally feeling nothing from alcohol! I agree that I just feel it's a waste of calories and money, so I doubt I'll try again! Very strange. Don't get me wrong, he was enjoying all the extra food 😂 But he was excited to come home where I could control my portion sizes and he didn't feel the need to eat my leftovers haha. Thank you!

Sorry you have Covid but so glad to hear you had a good trip. I bet your cats missed you too. Wow 25,000 for multiple days good for you. I have been doing like 10-15k average just around the house and neighborhood and the one day I did almost 20 and boy oh boy my dogs were barking as my Dad used to say. I am so looking forward to being a little further out and being able to truly do whatever I want in terms of activity. Told my husband I’d like to do a trip when I reach my goal weight and if he been asking people for suggestions. I don’t want anywhere hot. Someone suggested Iceland. I’ve gotta research that. After my sleeve, alcohol was the exact same for me. I used to drink the flavored rums with my Coke Zero so I tried it post surgery with crystal light and margaritaville mixes and it tasted okay-ish but I was expecting this super fast buzz that everyone talked about and it did the opposite. Tried it a few more times over the years and even two or three in a night and I still felt nothing. I decided it’s a waste of calories and money for me and I haven’t drank since. I mean I never did it to get trashed but the point usually was a little bit of a buzz at a party or occasion. Your poor boyfriend who gained a few. Tell him he was taking it for the team, lol Seems like men usually can drop a small amount of weight pretty quick if they really want to 🤞. For future you may want to remind yourself that when you’re in a situation like that it is okay to waste a bit of food. I know it’s hard wired into some of us that we shouldn’t and I have been freezing things and having leftover nights at home to try and avoid it but it is okay if you don’t even have a refrigerator to put it in. It’s better than you or someone else having to overindulge. Now if he was secretly was looking forward to your leftovers that’s a different story. 😉 I hope you feel better really soon!!

Oh this is VERY interesting thank you for sharing @GreenTealael! I have loads of friends on these drugs who tell me that along with losing interest in food they lose interest in alcohol. And this is in Ireland, where alcohol is THE social lubricant. Does not compute. Many people even on strict diets will include a 'beer allowance', LOL. Seems there might be a place for these drugs in managing alcohol dependence post physical WLS. Watch this space?

GLP-1 receptor agonists are now being studied for alcohol use disorder so that maybe an option for our population. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/28/1194526119/ozempic-wegovy-drinking-alcohol-cravings-semaglutide https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/research-update/semaglutide-shows-promise-potential-alcohol-use-disorder-medication https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10371247/