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I enjoy wine...a lot. Drinking to get drunk is not the point. I just think enjoying a glass of good wine (preferably with friends) is about one of the best things in life. That hasn't changed with the band. I prefer dry red wine which usually has less calories than whites (which are often sweeter). I drink slower and order a glass of water along with my wine these days, but "feel it" faster so I haven't had more than 2 glasses. Since restaurants/bars serve different amounts, I usually ask the bartender or server to let me know how many ounces are in each glass (usually 3-5 oz but sometimes 6; they have equipment to measure properly for you, so they may as well use it). It's not too hard to find a glass of wine at or around 90-100 calories a glass and not too hard to find those calories in a day. Alcohol converts to sugar (carbs) in the body, and will still be used by your body as fuel, unfortunately it's more likely to make you want to eat than make you feel full. But if you're deciding between a glass of wine and a 100 calorie pack, they're both throw away calories as far as I'm concerned. Just about what gives you most pleasure.

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).

I've been reading and reading.. Trying to get as much info as I can. I am still pre op I'm hoping for a surgery date in june or July. I've read where some patients and surgeons say you CAN'T have certain things ever again... Like soda, alcohol, coffee, candy etc. then some say it is fine just in small amounts. I am willing to give all of these things up, I'm just trying to get a straight forward answer. Sent from my iPhone using VST

@@Afrikanaaa i was going to say the exact above phrase @@Daisee68 beat me to it she is such a smarty pants!!! (i taught her everything she knows) LOL since you (or anyone) no longer has the vice of overeating it's possible you might turn to some other bad habit (like alcohol) smoking, shopping etc in excess or.............coming to BP too often!! i was never much of a drinker now i drink all the time Water of course drinking to your health good luck kathy

This is true to some degree,not for me though.I was a mild alcoholic before surgery .I am 17 months out of surgery and I hate liquor.Some ppl I know are full blown alcoholics and gain weight back.

Hi, I have not had my surgery yet, I will have it in October . I am a insulin dependent diabetic right now . I have been following the eating plan my Nut gave me in March 2018. I have had some very low glucose scares,. They usually happen in the middle of the night . I have dropped my insulin way down and I make sure I get something with protein and a few carbs about 1 hr before bed. My diet looks like this 3 oz lean protein 3x a day 3 servings low fat dairy 3x a day ( this counts towards my protein) 3 or more servings of veggies a day ( 1 c raw or 1/2 c cooked) 2 servings max of fruit 1 healthy fat ( oatmeal, quinoa 1/2 c I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks for anywhere of 1000 - 1200 calories daily 100 g protein 60 - 90 carbs ( I never reach this ) I have not had surgery yet 64oz water ( I drink about 80oz) No caffeine ( decaf is ok) no regular creamer sf only I use vanilla protein powder in my coffee that helps with my protein also No alcohol ( empty calories, high sugar) No pop or anything that is carbonated No candy, chips, bread , anything made with flour, rice, bananas, cream soup, tomato soup ( unless I make it myself without sugar) No pasta No juice (regular or diet) I used to have juice to help with my bs lows before I started this Now I use glucose tabs with 4g sugar. No real sugar ( stevia, Splenda ,other subs are ok with my Nut ) I drink at least 1 protein shake a day to get my 100g in. I will be going down to 80g in the beginning of June If you would like to know more send me a private message. I have lost 44.5 lbs from following this and exercising 5 days a week. I don’t miss the carbs anymore, I do miss my club soda but I can live without bubbles in my water. I will be very honest I started this diet change 7 months before I am even having surgery because I know myself. It will take me that long to be clean as I call it. I do have a treat now and then ,I have gone out and eaten a pice of fried food but I always ask for a box to be brought out when they bring my meal I take most of it and put it in the go box. My husband gets any fried food left over and I get the veggies , I always order veggies as my side . I don’t always get my protein in or my water but I try. I was never up before 9 am and now I am up at 5:30 and leave for the gym at 6:30 Monday - Friday . On the weekends I am usually walking around our doing yard work that is my exercise for the weekend. You can do this. You will have some bs lows but you will deal with them and move on. Please don’t get discouraged because of 1 person. Ask all the questions you have this forum is full of the best people around . They have experienced everything after there surgeries and have the best suggestions and great ideas to help get through this. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Earlier on, I could only drink a few sips of sparkling water at at time. It made me burp like crazy and I swear I could feel it travel through my stomach and intestines. Now (almost 8 months post op) I can drink sparkling water just fine, and in pre-op quantities. I suspect I do have issues drinking carbonated alcoholic drinks, but that is probably more because of the sugar content than the carbonation (a lesson I learned the hard way )

How long can you drink alcohol after gastric sleeve surgery ? whiskey vodka tequila beer .

That was the first question asked of the surgeon at my Information Evening. He laughed and assured us that drinking alcohol (beer included) would be fine in moderation. Course he didn't tell us to go on a drinking binge LOL, but I've not had any problems with the occassional few glasses of drink.

I think if I can have one, I should be good. Just something to sip on. It’s such a lifestyle thing for me. It’s the norm for me and the BF and EVERYONE around me. Not to advertise here, but just for an example, my band’s (of the rock sort, not tummy) name is even BrotherLush. That should tell you something. I won’t miss the buzz, or any of the nasty effects alcohol can have on a person, but it is very social and such a way of life for us. Anyway, I just have to make up my mind that this is not an acceptable obstacle. I will just add it to the list of things I have decided will not get in my way. Thanks guys.

I get full on a very small amount of dense Protein, but there are some things that won't fill you up (aka slider foods ).....you can eat ice cream, chips, donuts, chocolate, etc all day long. The surgery simply makes your stomach smaller, but what you put in it and how often is up to you. Surgery doesn't "Fix" cravings and head hunger. For example, you won't be able to eat a whole pizza for one meal, but you could munch all day and end up eating a whole pizza over several hours. After surgery it's up to you to choose what to eat and to not graze all day long. Personally I am hungry and eat every 3 hours or so. But I eat protein, veggies, some fruit and whole grains. Carbs, sweets and alcohol are rare indulgences, but could totally sabotage my weight loss if I ate them regularly. Of course I still like these things, but I have to CHOOSE to not to eat them. If these things are not what you expected, maybe you should step back and take another look at what exactly this surgery can do for you. It really is 10% physical and 90% mental.

My post-op diet varies based on individual tolerance and is as follows: Stage 1 - Clear Liquids for 3-5 days Stage 2 - Full Liquids for 2-7 days Stage 3 - Blended Diet for 2-4 weeks Stage 4 - Soft Diet beginning around 3-4 weeks post op Stage 5 - Life long healthy eating - around 8 weeks post op (Alcohol can be added at about 6 months after surgery in limited amounts and used very cautiously) YIPPEE!! I'm very successfully at the soft diet stage, but really miss my caffeine, which I'm not supposed to have.:thumbup:

Wow, thanks for all your replies, they're very helpful. One of the questions I forgot to ask was regarding alcohol. Can you still drink alcohol after surgery? (Obviously not straight away lol). It's not a deal breaker but as mentioned in my original post I do enjoy drinks with friends every so often. @WInston223322 you look amazing, like 2 different people! 😊

Anything without sugar, like a martini or tequila on the rocks should be okay if you drink it slowly with a lot of water on the side. Only issues I have had with alcohol are when I drank sweetened (prickly pear margarita) or carbonated (prosecco) drinks, but others do not have the same issues. Try a few things before you go so you dont get sick and have a fantastic cruise.

Well,i have another story to tell, honestly not every life experience leads me to,pist,it merely sees that way. Way back,in the Bad Old Days, 34 years ago I had my gall,bladder removed. Now every abdominal operation in that time was open and I was no exception. Most people have what is called a right subcostal, diagonal, about 2-3 mm below the ribcagen not me. I'm so speciall, I had a right paramedian, right to the ringt of the navel, 3 inchs a above, 3 inches below, a nice white fine scar, except slightly wider at the top,where the JP type,drain was. The year before,my,mothers had been removed and when I mentioned I was having symptoms also I was told I was merely envious. When mine was finally removed I had many more stones, pointed instead of round in appearance and they had so abraded the inside of my gall bladder to the point it would have ruptured soon. Jealousy-Shmelousy, I said I was sick! Many years later in May 2015 I awoke in absolute mis3ry and pain. Never had i had such pain and I trust I never shall,again. I had 3 over 9 lb babies, natural and unmedicated, no pain like this! And the vomiting made morning sickness minor league. Told my son to call our local transportation company for they had a wheelchair lift, I had managed to pivot to,my whe3lchair left over from my,last knee replacement and I couldn't stand again. Turned out I had acute pancreatitis. And I was also out of the ordinary. there too. Most cases are caused by wayward gallstones traveling into the pancreatic duct,or alcoholism. Nope neither of those, so it is charted as idiopathic, this is physicanlanguage for," I don't know WTF caused it either!" So I cannot help but think,5he pain of a RnY will,be the difference between jumping into a volcano and a garden party. As the,little mouse said "Bring on that cat, 'I M Ready!"

Helloooo! This is my first time on this forum and I'm very excited! I'm a little nervous because I've never had any kind of surgery before. I've been on the clear liquid diet for almost 2 weeks and I really hope this is the hardest part!! Every where I go I smell food... it's on the tv... it's in magazines... it's everywhere! I definitely find myself getting a little emotional, it feels like I'll never get to enjoy food again. And quite honestly, I really miss food right now. :rain: Couple of questions for anyone that's been banded for awhile.... :help: I heard that all beef and white bread are very difficult to digest... as well as carbonated beverages. Beef and bubbly drinks I can easily give up... but i looove bread... How about whole wheat or multi-grain type breads?? What about melted cheeses? What are some of your favorite foods to eat?? What do you do when you dine out? Do you ever drink alcohol?? Super duper hungry:nervous kayla

I am an alcoholic in recovery and you are right, there is nothing "mild" about it. I am glad that I have a program behind me to hopefully help me with the adjustments after surgery.

Please remember you are in the "GOLDEN" time with WLS. Your tummy is probably still swollen. Make sure you get your liquids and protein and you are good. Your food taste will come back, in the mean time you should be losing lots of fat, you can get to goal quicker by being on track. Its when people go off track and it takes awhile to get back. ( off track I'm meaning eating slider foods, drinking alcohol, eating white carbs ect.) Hope this makes sense. Good Luck Linda

Although I was banded in 2010, my recovery seems like it was yesterday. If I recall, I really had no real pain after the surgery, but the gas in my chest was the most uncomfortable thing. While you had it go away quickly, mine lasted up to two weeks. For new bandsters, it is important to know that each person has a different recovery experience as well as a different weight loss journey. The first few weeks post surgery can definitely be annoying, and it may take several fills before you feel like you are restricted, but everyone has a different experience. A tip for those of you new bandsters, who are still learning the ways about timing while you eat, I found that setting a timer for 20-30 minutes on my phone, was the perfect amount of time to eat as long as you take one bite every 30-45 seconds. My doctor told me that it takes about 20 seconds for the food to pass through the band into the lower portion of the stomach. Also, by keeping yourself on schedule while you eat or drink, will fill you up faster and give you less of a chance of having the food get stuck (as you focus during during those seconds to savor and chew the food to a pulp). As you progress in your weight loss journey, you will have days when certain foods will go down, which others won't. My family who had the band, as well as others I know, refer to the band as a "fickle b***h" because how tight you are can depend on not only how much Fluid is in your band, but on stress, alcohol consumption (makes food go down easier because it relaxes your esophagus,etc.) I speak at the information sessions as a live testimonial for the NYU weight loss group in manhattan. If you have any questions on pre, post or cosmetic surgery, please feel free to ask me (whether here or In a message...)

Thank you Cheri, your posts were very helpful and insightful! Update: No alcohol for over a month now. I am not anemic as far as a CBC can determine, and I am not B-12 deficient. I just got insurance, and will insist on getting tested for other nutrients as well as for hyperglycemia when I get a physical. I am better, but the vertigo-like symptoms come in waves, as does some brain fogginess as well as panic. Some have suggested dehydration, but I get quite a bit of Water. Thank you all for your input, it seems like I am not alone! I hope that I get answers and will update so anyone else going through these frightening symptoms can have some guidance.

Hello Miss Lisa girl, Sorry you have been blue today. I have missed you all too. Vegas was such a magical time for me and I can truly say I had an absolute blast. I wish we weren't all so far apart. I had a busy long work day and then went to Water aerobics. Now I am about to go watch one of my few favorite sitcoms Survivor. I don't know why I love that show but I have watched it forever. I loved that Rupert fellow the last season. I am glad you enjoy riding the motorcycle more than you thought you would. They are really cool looking. Do you feel comfortable letting Chris drive you around? I would be a paranoid freak. I have a hard enough time keeping my mouth shut when KC is driving a car. How is little Cloe? I really think something should be done about that situation. I know you don't want to play God or anything but you would feel terrible if something ever did happen to her and nobody had done nothing to change the situation. You and Chris should take the classes for foster care just for kicks. Maybe fostering to a special child is something you might consider some day (right time/place). My neices are caught in a precarious situation too but at least they are not abused, have two parents at home all the time (they refuse to keep jobs) and are well loved. If any of that ever changes though I would step in quickly. Anyway, hope you wake up in a sun shiney mood tomorrow. At least you have warm sun shine there. We came back to Oregon and we felt totally unclimatized. I went and weighed in today after our vacation and only lost .2 lbs. NOT MUCH!!! Oh-well, It was vacation... I was mainly just happy I didn't gain after vacation. All of those yummy alcoholic drinks and road food.... Sigh... Well, chat later, Teresa:)

I'm 1.5 years out. I basically eat anything I want, within reason (roughly 80/20 healthy/unhealthy). If I start putting on weight, I just take it easy with desserts and alcohol and eat more fruit. I put on an odd 2-3 lbs in the last month due to a crazy work schedule with constant availability of goodies and I just made a crap ton of fruit salad - blackberries, oranges, apples, bananas, and a tiny bit of Greek yogurt with honey - and ate that for Snacks and within a week, the weight was all gone. I don't count calories, but I probably hang around 2000/day for my average. For Protein, I just focus on the protein part of my meal and have Protein shakes after working out. Today, I had Greek yogurt with fig jam for Breakfast, 3 pieces of rainbow sushi roll and Bolthouse Green Goodness juice before working out, a Protein shake post-workout, and now I'm having a mixed greens salad with some avocado, mozzarella, and grilled chicken. In 2-3 hours, I'll have the remaining 3 pieces of the rainbow roll. Then the only meal left would be dinner - no idea what I'm having, maybe Indian food?

I found minced meat meals the easiest. Meat balls (rissoles & gravy), zucchini noodle bolognese, savoury mince, etc. Single serve portions freeze really well too. I also made chunky soups & slow cooked casseroles. Just add the spices, herbs & vegetables you like & can tolerate. I remember staying with my mum & I made chicken chasseur for our dinner. Bad idea because I added the white wine as per the recipe (alcohol cooked out so thought it’d be okay) & it made it taste disgusting. It as all I could taste. Like acrid. Couldn’t eat it. My mum loved it. So tread carefully.

Isopure and many SF puddings contain sucralose (otherwise known as Splenda) or other sugar alcohols that can make you have diarrhea or other gastro problems because your body has a hard time breaking those additives down. I thought I was lactose intolerant too and it was "liquids in, liquids out" until I realized it wasn't the milk or the protein -- it was the artificial sweeteners that was causing the problem.

No one told me not to drink - I just decided on my own. Never even discussed it with my doctor. Liver shrinkage was the main reason since alcohol is bad for the liver. But I take back my advice - everyone must make their own decisions.