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I think my acquaintance (who has told me many times he spent 40 years drinking too much) has some manner of alcohol-specific brain damage. And he needs friends, but my weight is not a topic of discussion. I will accept, "you look really good," "you must have had your surgery, it looks like you're doing it right," etc... But not "wow see I told you you'd be hot if you lost weight" or something like that. I might have to break his nose with my newfound elbow.

Alcohol is fine hon, fizzy wine, larger and champers etc may cause you to feel like you are going to pop (and should be avoided!) but a vodka and orange type drink will be fine! In the Uk they dont tend to fill as tight as they do in the US, I can still chug a drink down if I want to, I have never needed to sip my drinks, and I have still lost the weight. Just be aware that there are SHED LOADS of calories in booze, and as it is a liquid it will just slip down, you can google for the calorie content of drinks -some sites have really good lists- and then just factor it in. Hope this helps and if you need any other info just ask! Nina x

How long did everyone wait post banding to have there sip of alcohol?

What are you eating in a day. Post some sample menus please with daily totals if possible--also how many cals per day? Also, what volume is a meal? And are you still drinking protein drinks? How many meals/snacks/times do you eat a day? Are you drinking alcohol? Do you drink/eat at the same time? Are you taking supplements? Do you exercise?

All of the reasons you list are valid but there are 2 other big ones that should be mentioned: 1) Especially for bypass or DS patients, the re-routing that occurs during surgery means alcohol hits your bloodstream very quickly and will be very undiluted when it gets there. 1 drink can easily lead to unsafe blood alcohol levels and severe impairment because the normal absorption pathway has been altered. Sleeve patients aren't immune either because of the small volumes of food their sleeves can take. They're basically drinking on an empty stomach - all the time. Not a good (or safe) scenario for anyone, regardless of the type of surgery they've had. 2) It's also really easy to swap one unhealthy coping mechanism for another when food is no longer something that can be turned to in times of stress. There are even some studies that show an increase in the prevalence of alcoholism among post-op WLS patients. This obviously isn't an issue for every patient but it is a very real problem for a lot of people who choose to set foot on that slippery slope post-op. All in all, drinking is not something that most surgeons support (generally not for the first year or so in sleeve patients and not ever for bypass and DS patients). Every surgeon is different though so if you have questions about your particular plan, I'd check with your team. Hope this information helps. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was researching vitamin patches and what I thought was true. Vitamin patches can not be absorbed by the skin. This is what I found. When we heard about ‘multivitamin patches’ that were being marketed to bariatric patients, we were skeptical because we remember the ‘spray vitamins’ similarly targeting us a few years back that turned out to be bogus – the FDA and Attorney General of several states thought so too. We consulted with experts regarding ‘patch multivitamins’, all of whom emphatically said that none of the claims made by the patch company were true. Not a single word. They even underscored that what these companies are proposing is biochemically impossible, as the skin is a very good seal against water soluble organics, which is why you can’t get drunk on alcohol through your skin. It’s also a good barrier against ion transfer, or else a few hours in the ocean would dehydrate and kill you. Think of all the things you come in contact with during your day – if these materials passed through the skin, it could in many instances mean death. Most vitamins and minerals fall into these two categories and anybody claiming nutrient absorption through a known protective barrier had better produce studies to back it up – burden of proof is upon the patch companies, as their claims go against widely accepted and well known medical facts. One pharmacological expert went further to say that the people responsible for the bariatric vitamin patches ‘are either willfully fraudulent or just plain stupid, but either way are a second away from an FDA Warning Letter or FTC action’. Use your judgement and please be careful of this kind of stuff. You cannot fit the entire world of nutrition in a single pill. It does not make sense that you could tape a packet of pulverized vitamins to your arm and have all that material magically move through your skin and into your body. You cannot absorb the amount of minerals needed after bariatric surgery through a ‘sticker’. People who have had bariatric surgery are often looking for something easy and defend this product because they want to believe. People cite nicotine, birth control and other medications used as prescribed treatments via patch dose – the difference is that the highly specialized transdermal medication patches available via prescription, are for tiny amount of drugs, not several teaspoons of organic minerals. There is no comparison. If you’d like to be compliant, there is no easy way out, you must swallow capsules or chew tablets. There is no magic pill and certainly no magic spray or sticker.

Alcohol isn't going to be good for shrinking your liver, so don't do that! Never heard of a milk diet though, I'd imagine a lot of poo'ing is involved!

Keep in mind that there are plenty of things you enjoy that you'll still be able to eat. You might just have to modify how it's prepared or swap out lower calorie/fat/sugar/etc. ingredients for the full versions. I recommend google searching various recipes to kind of get an idea of how easy it is to prepare foods that are perfectly fine for you to eat but can also be enjoyed in larger portion sizes by other people. That way you and your husband aren't having to prepare different meals. Two books I recommend are: The Gastric Sleeve Bariatric Cookbook and The Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Guide. Especially with your surgery being so close to the holidays you wanna make sure you have a plan to get yourself through a time period that is so food-centric. Alcohol is never a complete no-no. You could always do A shot or have A beer (although I wouldn't recommend the latter due to the carbonation), but maybe not so close to your surgery. A lot of people I've spoken to recommend waiting a year after surgery before reintroducing alcohol and only having 1-2 drinks a month because of how it affects you. It is not at all uncommon for WLS patients to become alcoholics as they replace their food addiction with alcohol, so be wary. I'm 1 week post-op as of tomorrow and the only issue I'm having is boredom with the limited options of clear liquids. I start full liquids tomorrow so that will open up a few more choices for me and pureed foods start on Halloween (so that'll be my little treat). It's definitely gonna be a life changer for you so don't stress too much. Get it done and take each day as it comes as a new learning experience.

Hey guys, It's now to late for me because I'm now an alcoholic. Just to let you know it's intoxicatingly easy to fall into it if you go that way. You really don't want to do this. I've read that a GBP patient can easily fall into it but I ignored it. Now I have to figure out how to fix it. No need to preach because I'm not ready for that. I just wanted to let you know for me it was way to easy to fall into this.

SeaShells82- VERY good points made and I forgot about your #1 point so thanks for filling in an important gap! I'm glad you responded and you write very well. I didn't see any mentions of alcohol, and it's a pretty pertinent subject, so we may have saved someone from making a miserable mistake by bringing it up! Take care of yourself always Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Protein h2o is my favorite coconut one tastes just like piña colada without alcohol & has 20g protein

I did not have any alcohol until 6 months post op per my surgeons suggestions. I am not a big drinker at all but I've had a few cocktails or wine here an there over the past 5 months (I would say maybe 5 times) and it hasn't bothered me but I would follow your doctors recommendation!

I am waiting for my insurance to OK my lap-band surgery. But in the mean time i am eating like i always have,its like i know i will never be able to have these foods again. And i guess maybe i will feel deprived and have mad cravings? why do i do this knowing i need to change? I feel like i want to eat everything ,i guess like a alcoholic having his last drink before going in to rehab. I just hope that i can get over these feelings and have better control of my eating. Maybe i will have to change or die.

I'm soooo nervous haha...i think it's more being prepared for life after...I don't drink alcohol so the only real socializing I do is food. And I'm keeping this a secret so I'm assuming the first little while will be difficult Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well, since surgery is on Wednesday, I figured it was a good time to review my post-op diet binder since I'll be doing my grocery shopping this weekend. This is the first time since I really looked thru it since meeting with the dietician (I only met with her once and that was just last week - my surgery was scheduled an hour after I met with her). What stood out to me is that much of the instruction is in CAPS, BOLD, UNDERLINED, and seems to be yelling at me/the patient. I totally understand that a point is trying to be made, but I would have appreciated someone maybe explaining to me why these things were so important, rather than just "yelling" at me about them on paper. My situation is a bit different as I don't have a food addiction, I'm not an overeater, I'm not an unhealthy eater, etc. Long story short, I gained an insane amount of weight during pregnancy due to an undiagnosed chronic illness and have been physically unable to exercise (to a beneficial degree) for many years. It was eventually decided that I should have surgery to get the weight off and once the weight is off, I should have more energy and can hopefully get back to a more active lifestyle. So, my question is, with regards to all the "sugar-free, fat-free, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol, no bread, no pasta, no rice, no butter, etc." is that because they are poor food choices or because they can actually cause damage to your new stomach? I know sugar can cause dumping syndrome in folks that get bypass, but I'm having the sleeve and was told that's not an issue. Thankfully I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so it's not really an issue, but to NEVER be able to have any sugar ever again? Ugh.... I'm also a little confused about why they're so hellbent on patients only drinking certain protein drinks (they only allow two premade shakes - all others are milk mixed with powder). When I went thru the program at another hospital (but decided to change surgeons before the actual surgery) they were much more flexible on protein drinks, the pre-op diet was totally different, the post-op diet was a bit different, stages/timing of "new foods" post-op is different... I'm just trying to figure out why there are so many differences between programs, and why this new hospital seems so unbelievably strict (again, with the "yelling" and inflexibility in their program). Any insight would be great. I'm so looking forward to getting this over with. The anxiety leading up to this I think is worse than the surgery itself! LOL!

First off congratulations on your tremendous loss! It is wonderful. I think it is difficult when you establish a relationship that is based off of a situation and then you have to change. I am not saying that you two necessarily have always had a "fat" relationship, but when we get comfortable in a situation, and then there is a change it is really difficult to deal with. I pulled away from my best friend after she got married, for a long time I tried to remain as close as before but the reality was, as much as we needed each other, they were seeking couples to do things with and I never fit that mold. I grew tired of being the fifth wheel (because I always was invited, but I was always alone) We are still friends, but not as close as we were. My brother and sister in law met in a bad situation, they both dealt with substance abuse issues and the first year of their relationship was completely surrounded by drugs, alcohol and partying. When the haze lifted and they decided to get clean and do better they had to establish a new relationship, nothing was the same, their friends were different, their fun time was different, but they found new friends and new fun times and turned it around into a lot of outdoor activities and have managed to turn it into a 3 year court ship and 4 year marriage. It doesn't have to be over, it may take a big fight from you. Don't let her get you down, don't let her comments get you down either. My best friend has always been quite a bit thinner than me. I have never come close to her size, and I thought the other day how weird the day will be that I can share her clothes, or even potentially be smaller. I think it is important to let them know we are the same, and how important they are in our lives.

I love shrimp. Then one Christmas eve my evil mother in law made her usual shrimp and i got itchy and ad just some minoe trouble breathing that benedryl took care of. Now i haveheard that after sleeving many folks seem to feel the effect of alcohol is increased. Does anyone know if food allergies will be enhanced as well? If so should i avoid them or go eat a shrimp cocktail in my docs waiting room.

Hello, I live in Kansasville Wi. and went to a seminar on gastric bypass operations, by Dr. Chua, in Racine. I will probably be traveling up to Milwaukee for some appointments and such if I go thru with this. I wish you much luck and peace thru-out this process. Take Care, Janet Hi Lap Band People, I am just trying to get into this site because I believe I will need some support and information on my journey. This seems to be a huge and active discussion group. I am also hoping to find a local support group in Milwaukee. I got my band on Thursday, May 12, 2011, from Dr. Thomas Chua, Wisconsin Bariatric Clinic, on Loomis, in Milwaukee. My insurance excluded coverage so I bit the bullet and paid for it myself. It certainly cut the paperwork and got me on the fast track. Now I'm healing. Still sipping vicodin, but starting to get free of it. I changed my dressings. I got a food processor and little 4 oz cups to freeze stuff in. I have a kitchen scale (for foods). A couple of weeks ago I was 313 lovable pounds. Now I am 297, sore, disoriented, but no less lovable, I hope. I was crabby this morning with a person who works for me, who is also obese. I told her I didn't appreciate her assumption that every new idea would be a bad thing. My goal is 200 pounds, but maybe it should be 175, as I am 6', 61 years old. I am divorced since a couple of years ago. I have 6 children, 3 of which are in their 20's. One is 9. I wanted to stick around awhile to see how they do. I have a good primary physician in Milwaukee. He has watched my weight increase despite stringent efforts to overcome the problem. He watches over my asthma, sleep apnea, pre-diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, heart risks, etc. He mentioned the lap band surgery. I resisted by trying one last-ditch effort with a psychiatrist, who gave me prozac for 6 months. At first it helped. I stopped drinking alcohol too. But eventually the appetite reduction effect subsided, and I quit prozac and psychiatric visits and started drinking again, which certainly doesn't help anything. I don't think of myself as an alcoholic, but there is no question that alcohol lowers my resistance to sensible eating. I eat too much. It's a vicious circle. But I hope I am done with all that. I am doing well with the lap band. I have no desire to start drinking again. I am looking forward to feeling well enough to exercise. So that's me. I introduced myself. I will appreciate any support and try to be supportive in turn.

I think 2-3 weeks post op is a little early to start drinking because alcohol can impede the healing process and you ARE still healing during that time. Check with your doc. I can drink beer at almost 1 year out (with my surgeon's ok)...but not everyone can.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to help you guys out with some things about the gallbladder.... I havent had surgery yet (sept 2!!!!) or had issues with my gallbladder but I am in medical school so this is what I know! There are lots of situations after extreme weightloss where people have to have their gallbladder taken out. When you are eating terrible your gallbladder is taking care of all of the fat that is piling up in your system. Then you cut fat almost completley out of your diet and your gallbladder no longer has to work. So you get that build up and it becomes almost stagnant if you will. This is why it is good for you to have healthy fats in your diet such olive oil, beans and nuts! Keeps your gallbladder working at a healthy rate. ALSO when it comes to gallbladder people are getting them taken out at a very rapid weight when it is not always nescessary. Only about 10 percent of people with gallbladder issues actually need them taken out. If you get your diet working right adding those healthy fats lots of times he gallbladder takes care of itself (the body was meant to heal itself) And for those of you who might think you have symptoms..... there is a stabbing pain that usually referes thru your sternum (almost) and more importantly your right shoulder blade. It comes mostly after a heavy fat meal or alcohol. Esp. if you have been eating very little fat and then you load up on some fat! So talk to your doc about some alternative things you can do before you jump into surgery! Like I said most of it can be done naturally with out surgery! Good luck everyone!!!!

My surgeon didn't require for any weight lost before surgery, he set the date of surgery around 2 months after the first appointment. During those two months I did the hell lot of the research on life after gastric sleeve (of course this site is one of my useful resources) and I decided to try if I could live with it. So I followed the low carb diet, drank a lot of water, no alcohols, no soda, no sweets (except with my coffee in the morning), ate a pound of vegetable per day and I lost 13 lbs! during those two months post-op. That's how I knew I was ready to commit myself to the life after gastric sleeve.

1. 1. So yes, we all get the point of the surgery is to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle BUT that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves sometimes. My favorite food chain is in LA, In-N-Out Burger. Will I be able to eat a cheeseburger and small fry with like a milkshake? Clearly I won't be opting for this on the daily but we all still need to indulge in our favorites once in a while and I'm not sure how much of it I'll be able to eat I'm assuming maybe like 1/3 or maybe 1/2 of the entire meal. But does anyone have experience with eating cheeseburgers, fries and a milkshake on like a vacation or for just a little "cheat meal"? (Again, I get the point is to NOT eat these types of food but sometimes you have urges especially on vacations). I don't think there is anything wrong with a little indulgence every now and then. I went on vacation at 3 months post op, and I ate a few things I don't normally eat, and it all went fine. I had a couple bites of ice cream, a small pancake with butter, a piece of a cookie, etc... (not all at the same time), but it all went fine for me. Now, I did have a smaller weight loss that week, but I only did it while on the vacation. 2. I absolutely LOVE sparkling Water like La Croix and San Pellegrino, does anyone drink sparkling water on occasion? I haven't had anything sparkling or carbonated yet, and don't really plan to. It can aid in stretching out your new tummy, so I wouldn't recommend it. 3. Cocktails and Wine, I'm not sure about you but being 24 I like to have myself an occasional couple of social beverages, how was your experience with alcohol both mixed drinks (hard liquor) and wine? (Don't worry about beer I don't like it). My doctor's advice on this topic was to wait until 6 months post-op, so I still haven't had a drink since my operation. 4. Not to generalize but I think a lot of people have a sweet tooth, I love the occasional scone, croissant, cookie, French macaron, etc. how has your experience with these types of baked pastries been? I've only had a piece of a cookie, the ice cream I mentioned before, and a little dark chocolate. That is not something that I would recommend that you regularly do, as you'll end up wanting more and more, that's how I would be anyways. I would stick to the sugar free popsicles and sugar free jello. Those help with the sweet cravings with no added sugar. 5. coffee. I'm ADDICTED to coffee and espresso beverages; lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, matcha lattes. How have these affected you and do you sweeten them at all or keep it plain? Can you sweeten them with like flavored syrups like a pump of lavender simple Syrup or matcha powder? I've had some coffee post op. I drank it every day before the surgery, and now I have it like once a week or so. I usually go to Dunkin and get an iced coffee with sugar free syrup and a little almond milk, then I add equal to it. Just go for the sugar free options, if you have to have coffee. 6. Now I know the clear answer and feedback I'm going to get on this question but for those who aren't going to just simply says "QUIT!!!" then I'd appreciate an answer, don't answer this is you're going to lecture me on how bad this is in general regardless of VSG, I know it's bad, I'm not stupid but it's an addictive habit I'm trying to quit. Smoking. How have cigarettes or e-cigs like Juul's affected you? Does it bother your stomach or can you smoke without issue? If so how many cigarettes or Juul pods do you go through a day? I know this is the answer you don't want, but you HAVE to quit smoking before the surgery. It could kill you if you continue to smoke. The only near death experience my doctor's office had was with a post op patient who didn't heed the doctor's advice, and they kept smoking. It could kill you. 7. This is hopefully not going to be a struggle but when I eat I like to sip on water or unsweetened iced tea, coffee, etc. I know in the beginning you're supposed to drink like 30 minutes BEFORE consuming food. How soon after can you drink something? Also will there be a time when eventually I can have a beverage while eating a snack or meal? Or will I forever not be able to consume liquidsand solids at the same time? I always liked to drink with my meals too. It's a bit inconvenient, but you'll eventually get used to not drinking while you eat. You should wait, at least, 30 minutes after you eat before you drink anything. It's a forever thing, but, like I said, you'll get used to it.

Goodbye Taco Tuesday.... Hello tighter tummy! (Hopefully!) hello all, my name is Cassandra... I'm 9 days from my gastric sleeve surgery and getting very excited! I have always been the girl with the "pretty face" and always have been big! I think the last time I remember not being the biggest girl in class or the biggest girl on my softball team was probably when I was 8-10 years old! People always referred to me as "curvy" or "thick" growing up but in my head I always knew they were just being nice! I played college softball and have always been very athletic... But as I get older I just have continued to get bigger. I have tried all the yo-yo diets and that's exactly what they were! After having my son 3.5 years ago, I never lost all my pregnancy weight (80 pounds) and just have always been ashamed and embarrassed! I have thought about WLS for years but have known 2 people who had gastric bypass, got thin, and became alcoholics..... I didn't want anything like that to happen to me, so I decided WLS was not for me. Not that I'm a huge drinker, but I do drink socially. However, my son was diagnosed with autism and is VERY energetic... I am a single mom and keeping up with him is hard. He is diagnosed as severely autistic & the reality of the situation is that he may always need care, even as an adult. This was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back for me, I needed to get healthy to make sure my son was never alone ! Of course there are plenty of other reasons, in fact I wrote out a list of 32 reasons tonight so if I have bad days after surgery I have something to remind me why I started this journey! The various forums have helped me immensely and all of you seem like such great inspirational people! I'm looking forward to the journey and to talking with you all about my experiences in the future! For now, I'm doing the countdown as if I were going to Disneyland (and could Fit on all the rides!)

40 - I remember 40. Sigh. Enjoy it. The time just speeds by. I grew up in Vegas, graduated from Las Vegas High School and UNLV. I have very fond memories, but would never move back. It was smaller, simpler town in the 60s and 70s. It's too darn big and impersonal for me now. I remember getting shrimp cocktails on Fremont street at lunch in high school, listening to Sigfried and Roy's tigers roaring at night in the subdivision, delivering newspapers on the strip (my first job in Junior High), and riding our bikes from bar to bar on the strip looking for my neighbors yellow lab (Baron) who loved beer and swimming pools - in that order. One time, he got delivered to my neighbor's front yard in a cab, because he had imbibbed to many beers and passed out. He's the only alcoholic dog I've ever known.

The one thing I did was journal, and I'm not talking about blogging where we write for other people's enjoyments, or entertainment. I'm talking about a private little notebook that only YOU can read. Mine is full of doodles, emotions, some pages are tear-stained, some are nothing but absolutely positive affirmations and things that would get me through the next day and struggle. I wasn't an intense emotional eater, but I did/do love food. I would eat out of boredom sometimes, and while I didn't battle emotional eating, I had other venues of self-medicating that I battled and will battle for years. Least to say, my biggest concern with transfer addiction was and still is alcohol and substance abuse. Since I can't use food, I'm always afraid of the next big life tragedy that will inevitably happen. I won't lie and tell you that I'm above falling into the trap of transfer addiction. I have to fight the desire to drink, illegal drugs are definitely a no no considering my husband is a military cop, and I would not only be risking my life, but I could screw his military career, not to mention losing my son. So the concern with substance abuse is not as heavy as the alcohol abuse. I firmly believe finding other coping mechanisms will be absolutely the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself. Writing was my coping mechanism. Even to this day, I pull out that journal, and read through it. I smile, I cry, and it takes me back through my hellish recovery and I remind myself that I am stronger than any addiction. I remind myself that I survived a horrific surgery and recovery, and that my life has a purpose. One thing that I've learned over the last 2 years since I started my WLS journey, is you have to forgive yourself. Don't punish yourself, recognize the behavior, and have a plan of attack to overcome the urge to eat your emotions. I'd rather just drink my sorrows away than eat any day of the week. That's the only thing that got through my ordeal. It's not always easy, it's not always daisies and rainbows, but it's so worth it. Believe in yourself, and believe in your sleeve.