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I'll have a sip of root beer occassionally, but the truth is, I just can't handle that much. There's lot of talk about how it will stretch your sleeve ... empty calories ... blah, blah, blah. I can only speak for myself, so your milage may vary. I don't consume enough calories each day where I am going to stress out over an additional 100 or 200 calories. I have some carbonated beverage MAYBE once a week and it is MAYBE about 4-6 ounces. Now, if you're trying to suck down 5 or 6 Mountain Dews a day ... then there is another problem going on which needs to be addressed. Stretching. I am almost 19 months out and have excellent restriction. I asked my Dr about stretching right after my surgery and he laughed. He basically told me that I would have to put in a real effort to stretch my sleeve and it would NEVER be stretched back to the size it was pre-sleeve. Just can't happen. Period. So, I think the occassional sip or four is fine, but if we are honest with ourselves we will know what our motivation behind what we consume. If you are wanting to drink several carbonated beverages a day, then you need to realize this is a problem for you. In these cases, no, you should not consume any carbonated beverage. It's like an alcoholic only having one martini a day. It just doesn't work that way.

Oh yes, MJ....I most definitely had a cocktail!!!! My beverage of choice has always been Crown Royal with water......nothing exciting or exotic. And on Wednesday of last week.......it was Crown and Ice! and it took a good hour to drink it, which was fine by me. I've always had an unusual tolerance for alcohol, so the effect was minimal - other than it just took the edge off my nerve. Not really sure if it was the alcohol that did that, the setting, the company (I really do like my hubby), or just the fact I sat there, breathing in and out, sipping on my beverage. But if your question regarding effects of alcohol were more tolerance directed....it doesn't hurt my stomach, cause nausea or anything like that. And if your question is more of how does it effect my weight loss, couldn't tell ya cause I quit weighing daily weeks ago. I discovered that was bad for me. Leslie - go for it girl! And, ain't it lovely to cherish all 4 delicious bites of whatever it is that you're eating (cottage cheese and tuna are a favorite of mine)? I don't remember really enjoying eating pre surgery like I do post surgery.

Well I have only told one friend about the surgery. I was a person that just could not see getting gastric bypass. My sister did and she looks awful, rotted teeth, no bone density, no muscle, just flabby gross and very sickly. Then to top it off she became an alcoholic! I am not doing this for anyone but me. I went to CA with my granddaughter and just had no strength in my legs to do all I wanted to and so that was it for me. I took my 10k from my retirement acct and 5 weeks later I am done. The incisions aren't leaking badly, but the coughs still give a new adventure in pain. I was bad today, ate some chocolate covered strawberries. Mothers day gift. I am in some pain but working through. I need and want to lose weight. I am tired of being tired and fat and weak. I will resume my pool time as soon as dr says I can. swimming will tone me best! Keep smiling!

I'm sorry that you are having difficulty, it may be best to contact your surgeon as soon as possible. I have not experienced this, but not being able to keep foods down is one of the symptoms/side effects that I was informed to contact my team for. It may be possible that you are dehydrated also, if you have been vomiting. Alcohol can also cause dehydration. Hoping you feel better.

I am at the stage in life where I divide everything into two categories: my problem - not my problem. If it's my problem I fix it. If it's not my problem I don't worry about it. When you do this life becomes very simple. I avoid toxic people. I avoid negative people. I don't tolerate whining well. I have a list of coping skills on my bulletin board. When I feel I need food to cope I read through the list first. Be realistic Get perspective on the problem Be optimistic Give up perfectionism Meditate Reflect Think Relax Journal This will not last for ever Create positive energy Talk to yourself Talk to others Visualize One thing at a time Exercise or engage in physical activity Hobbies Do something you enjoy Look to the future Make healthy lifestyle choices Eat less, decrease caffeine, decrease alcohol Sleep, exercise, seek balance Share feelings, talk Use groups Use your relationships Love, support, guidance Give in, be flexible Go easy on the criticism of self and others Change your reaction to the situation Change your thinking Change your feelings Change your behavior Get help Get professional help

Reading your story brought me to tears, it was like I was reading a chapter out of my own life. Food has been my whole life, the only constant in my life from as early as I can remember. My mom left the state when I was 9 and I was left with my alcoholic father whose was emotionally not available. I was never restricted on my food and was always alones as I to had no friends. My dad died when I was in high school then there was nobody there at all. I consistenly spiraled out of control into an abusive marriage but was able to get out by moving to a new state. I have been here 8 years and would also diet and do well for a while then always fell off the wagon and gained more back each time. I've been trying for weight loss surgury for 7 years and been denied 5 times including all my appeals. I had basically given up hope and any shot of being an average size. I decided last summer to give it 1 more shot and started jumping through all the hoops once again. I took 3 months to complete all the test and I kept waiting for an answer and nothing. I would call the dr. and they kept saying insurance needed more info so I said here we go again and said it's never gonna happen. All of a sudden in feb 7th 11 i got the call I had been approved. I had waited so long I didn't know how to react. It took a couple of weeks to sink in and of course I went on an eating spree for 2 weeks. Starting march 1st I started my liqid diet and was banded on the 15th of march 2011. It was so nice to see someone that i can totally relate to, day of surgury i was 296 and this morning weighed in at 284. I know it will slow down greatly after I'm able to eat real food. I am hungry alot and geting sick of liquids or I decided to try a scrambled egg today and it didn't got so well, so back to soup for me. How are you doing with your hunger? It's not easy doing 180 degree turn in routine but for the first time in my life I'm starting to believe I deserve it and I know my 2 beautiful girls deserve the best mom possible. I felt like the loss of food was like a death in the family. Did you have similar feelings? Its not easy to reverse 37 years of bad eating habits. I am not good on the computer and havent figured out how to do my profile yet but I will keep trying. Thank you for sharing your story. By the way my name is Tanya...I hope we can stay in touch and help motivate each other. Have a great day.

Thanks for all of the advise. I got some off with the alcohol then used babyoil and scratched the rest off my stomach. I think I got most of it off my stomach. As for the glue on the incision I am leaving it be just like you all said. Thanks again!

I guess big people are more of an open target since people can clearly see we have a problem. There is no way to "hide" from people. People can hide alcoholism and drug abuse and many other things, but we are just out there. It still doesn't make it right. I wish people knew what it felt like. Once I went to a party of people I didn't know and I wore a bathing suit. I had a cover up on but some guy walked past me and said "omg what is that?" and it didn't feel too good. Him and the rest of his groupie friends sat there making fun of me for about an hour until I asked my boyfriend for us to leave.

I don't understand people who ridicule others at all! I would never comment on another person's flaws but it seems like if you are big your an open target. I don't understand the argument that obesity affects everyone because it raises the cost of health insurance well it may be true but doesn’t everything raise the cost of health insurance including drinking, smoking, and any and every kind of illness. And just like every other kind of illness we did not choose to be obese, because who in their right mind would choose it. And I hate the argument that all fat people are lazy and have no self control. Why is it that people have sympathy for drug addicts and alcoholics and do not blame their vices on them while if you are fat you automatically have no self control? It makes no sense to me. If anything it seems like it would be easier to be an alcoholic because once you quit drinking you never have to drink again we can't quit food it is there everyday taunting us. Jeeze sorry I am kind of rambling here I was looking online for info about exercise for big people and I came across all these anti-obesity web pages, I shouldn't have looked but I couldn't resist and now I’m angry. Well thanks for letting me vent

Oh I am also going to indulge in a few last alcoholic beverages utilizing my Diet Coke over the weekend! One last hurrah before the healthy me takes over.

I abstained from alcohol throughout the duration of my six month pre-op diet program and the first 3 months post-op. And, even now (5.5 months post-op), it is an every now and then thing, and I adjust my eating on those days to still meet my protein goals while keeping calories and my 20 carbs aside for the alcohol. (So basically on those days, I eat 4 oz of plain grilled chicken 4 times. 480 calories, 96 g of protein, 0 carbs. This opens up about 600 calories and 20 grams of carbs for the drinks.) My team told me at the 3 month mark that it wouldn't hurt me, which is why I brought back at all. But it is not a regular thing. I'd rather have food with my calories and carbs than booze, but on special occasions, I can accommodate it. Good luck!

Found this great eArticle regarding ways to enjoy some of everyone's favorite alcoholic beverages in a reduced calorie manor. Just thought I would share - also remember that Bacardi makes a lite rum (almost 50% calorie reduction) Here are the drinks: Thanks to the dozens of different diet crazes, we are all abundantly aware of carbs, protein, and fat, and we all have different opinions on which is the most evil. But we forget that alcohol has calories too, specifically 7 calories per gram—more than carbs or protein and almost as much as fat. What does this mean for you? It means that it's a challenge to burn off alcohol, especially when it's mixed with yummy sugary ingredients. The most obvious solution is abstinence, but what fun would that be? Since we cannot remove the alcohol from the recipe, let's remove the excess calories from some popular summer drinks. Here are six summer cocktails and recipes to make them waist friendly. Margarita. The enemy in the margarita is the margarita mix. There are "light" versions out there, but the taste is less than extraordinary. Here is another option that will cut your calories in half without sacrificing flavor. Ingredients: 3 oz. light limeade (either the Minute Maid® version or your own, made with limes, water, and a sugar substitute) Lime juice (one lime) 2 oz. tequila 1.5 oz. triple sec Ice Either pour over ice or blend with ice. Add salt to taste. Sip while pretending you are on a beach in Mexico, and you look amazing in your swimsuit. Calories before: 435 Calories now: 180 Cosmopolitan. The sneaky trickster here is regular cranberry juice, which should be called sugar with cranberry flavoring. This light version uses only one type of alcohol, which drastically cuts your calorie count. Ingredients: 3 oz. light cranberry juice drink 1 oz. raspberry vodka Squeeze of lime Lime twist, as garnish Shake together with ice. Strain ice cubes and pour into fancy fluted glass. Look incredibly trendy and thin at the same time. Calories before: 413 Calories now: 98 Tipsy Arnold Palmer. Sweetened bottled versions of lemonade and iced tea can be pretty loaded with sugar. However, if we brew our own iced tea and squeeze our own lemons, with a bit of sugar substitute and 2 ounces of vodka, we can make a really tasty cocktail that doesn't have so many calories. Or, the light Minute Maid version and some diet iced tea will work for the domestically challenged. Ingredients: 3 oz. light lemonade (or juice of one lemon plus 3 oz. water and sugar substitute) 3 oz. diet iced tea (or 2 teabags steeped in 3 oz. water) 2 oz. vodka Sprig of mint (optional) Ice Pour over ice. Stir. Enjoy. Just don't try to play golf after two of these. Calories before: 156 Calories now: 71 Strawberry daiquiri. Nothing says vacation like a drink that a little umbrella will stand up in. Sugar, yet again, is the culprit. Try this version for a vacation flashback that will be reminiscent of the good times, and not of how you ordered seconds of dessert. Ingredients: 1/2 cup sliced strawberries 1 Tbsp. lime juice 1.5 oz. light rum Sweetener to taste (depends on how sweet the strawberries are) Ice Throw it all in a blender, and let the good times begin. Please don't consume so many that you try to drink the umbrella. Calories before: 299 Calories now: 118 Piña colada. Done correctly, it is the taste of summer. If not made well, a piña colada will taste like someone served you suntan lotion in a glass. This recipe uses actual fruit and skim milk to replace the sugar and cream. Ingredients: 7 oz. canned chunk pineapple, including juice 2 packets artificial sweetener 1 tsp. imitation coconut extract 1 cup skim milk 1 cup ice cubes Blend well, garnish with a small plastic monkey, and mentally escape to the Caribbean. Calories before: 297 Calories now: 146 [*]White wine/light beer/champagne. These all seem fairly obvious and don't require recipes, but they're worth mentioning. White wine has about 100 calories in a 4-ounce serving. And it's rather refreshing on a summer day, especially if you add a blast of club soda to make it into a spritzer. Beer comes in very light versions now, and some contain fewer than 70 calories. Champagne is not only fantastic with brunch, it also is around 100 calories per serving. With all of these, just be sure to measure your amounts so you don't end up with a splitting headache the next morning. And there you have it. A handle on your summer cocktails, without adding to your love handles. Now get out that swimsuit and let summer be the party it was meant to be!

To understand parts of my blog you should have a little background about me and the people in my life that you will see mentioned in my blog. About me... I'm 38, divorced and currently not in a real relationship. Relationships are a challenge for me, I just can't seem to figure them out. I am totally a people pleaser and give way to much of myself in relationships without expecting anything in return...You guessed it...the perfect setup to be used and taken for granted. Albeit by my own doing as I set the stage for such happenings. I'm working on fixing this character defect and trying to figure out a good balance which is why I am currently not in relationship..Another thing that makes relationships hard for me is the fact that I am very independent and self reliant and supported..I own my own house (my family and I physically built it ourselves) and make a decent living... I think that makes most men a little intimidated. PS to the guys out there who may read this...why wouldn't you want a woman who could take care of herself???....well enough on that subject. A little more about me...I have been trying to lose weight all of my life and I have made it a goal that if I was going to be fat at least I wasn't going to be weak so I have worked out a lot in the past yet, I am 100 pounds overweight. I'm a size 14-16 and wear and extra large shirt. I did this more for my health reasons than for looks...the looks thing that's icing on the cake...being able to get off my diabetes medicine and knowing I'm not damaging my body by not controlling the diabetes that's the important thing for me. Moving on... People in my life. Lets see. My mom, She's the reason I had the band put in. She's a walking medical book of her own. She has so many things wrong with her all because of being overweight and alcohol. She does not understand nutrition at all!!! She fell and broke her hip in July of 07 after my dad passed away in April from a broken hip, you can imagine how scared I was when I got that call. Three surgeries later she's finally able to walk and care for herself. My Sister Lisa, she and I were really close until she started working with me and couldn't separate work from home. Love my job but don't want to live it 24/7. She hates April because she blames her for taking me away from her. Totally not the case at all. My best friends April and Donna and Dalena. April, she's amazing. She has got to be one of the strongest people that I have ever met. She's under 30 and has lost two children. Serenity who was 20 days old and born with six major birth defects and Alex...My buddy...I miss him so much. Alex was four, he died September 10th, 2008 a day I will never forget because it was one of the hardest days of my life. To watch the life leave such an amazing little boy was heart wrenching. It makes me cry just to think about it. April has her days when it's really tough and the next six months I am sure are not going to be easy as we are coming up on the anniversary of his death and the Christmas holiday season. Most importantly I will be standing beside her and holding her close. Next is Donna. Donna she's complicated(She's my niece through marriage but also my best friend). She has the most amazing supportive attitude and helpful spirit. But, Donna like myself is morbidly obese. She's very frustrated about her weight and the fact that April and I are both losing weight and she feels lost. I try really hard to support her and have even set down and showed her the numbers of how many calories a day that she's putting in her body just by drinking soda(enough that by just stopping drinking soda would help her lose 12 pounds a month or at least not gain it). McDonalds or fast food of some type is a staple in her daily diet and it saddens me to watch her feeding that stuff to Payton my great niece who is 15 months old. I try to make suggestions such as order the apples instead of french fries. I think Donna wants to lose weight, but I don't think that she knows how to...Like so many of us. I see so many little changes that could make a big impact on her weight I just don't know how to approach the subject with her. I love her no matter how much she weighs or what she eats. I just feel a little guilty that I have this tool and I know that right now there is just no way that she could afford it with no insurance. Dalena...She's actually going to be moving in with me in a week. I'm a little nervous about that because she has a ten year old son and she doesn't drive. I live in the country and there is nothing within walking distance. I don't want to be a taxi service. We get along great I just worry that she will expect me to drive her around and that I will be the built in babysitter. Next the men in my life... Larry...I love him with all of my heart but know that he is a playa playa and totally the wrong man for me. I hired him two years ago. I could tell that he was into me because it was like he was making up reasons to come in just to "ask" me questions. I screwed up totally and fell into the game...I'm not a game player and had never been exposed to what would happen next. I dated Martin--Control freak--OTR truck driver...he broke up with me and I called my nephew who was working on the night crew to go and take all the pictures of Martin out of my office because I couldn't stand the thought of seeing them the next morning. Anyway...The next morning, Larry shows up in my office and makes the move...I ended up at his place that night and stupid me...yes, stupid stupid me slept with him!!!! DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB I would never do that again if I had it all to do over again. Anyway, this relationship without being in a relationship went on for a year and a half. I broke it off with him about two months ago because I knew that going into this lapband that I had to concentrate on me. T...Larry's best friend. He keeps asking me out, the only problems are one...He's Larry's best friend...Two He's Larry's best friend and Three he lives two hours away. Then there's Dave...He's awesome, we actually date, but he doesn't want a relationship either...GRRRRRR men they are so fickle. AM I JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO DATE? Lastly, Greg...HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT OH Did I mention he was HOT!!!!! He transferred in about four months ago. He and I just clicked, not sure why, normally I would probably never have talked to him because he is way HOT and I am Way bashful. I get the feeling that he likes me. The other night we were on the phone, I was booking a trip for him to Ireland. I asked him if he missed having me around this week and he said "No, because we're sleeping together...or at least that's the newest rumor" I laughed and said "Dang it! I missed it." We laughed ... Why is it that when I sit down with a guy at lunch the next thing I know it's going around that I'm sleeping with them?...not that I would mind at all with Greg but sheeeeshhhh come on people. The pets... Ruffaluf...Grey tiger stripped regal looking cat. He was born on my mom and dad's 47th wedding anniversary. Making him nine years old in September. Hotta hootta Houchy moooo...Other wise known as Hotta B or Obbitchywan...He's my baby. I had to bottle feed him because he was so little when we found him his eyes weren't even fully opened. He's been my baby ever since. Can you say SPOILED!!! He's a beautiful black tuxedo long haired cat that loves to snuggle in the morning. I love it when he pets my face to wake me up. Bear Bear...He's was an abused dog that Martin rescued that I got stuck with. He is a beautiful black lab. His name used to be Dr destructo but now he's starting to finally be a good dog except for when left outside alone he gets in the neighbors trash and drags it all over his yard...BAD BAD BAD DOG!!! That about wraps it up as to the important people in my life. Totally exciting huh????

My doc was fine with me reintroducing alcohol after my 12 month follow-up. No binge drinking mind you, but with-in reason is absolutely fine he said. I follow all my guidelines and am doing well so far. I don't really break the "rules" on this stuff cause I get sick if I don't follow the protocol.

Real food sucks...I have it on occasion and 1-2 oz's max. Protein shake in the morning, then munch on nuts, cheese, beef jerky and protein bars throughout the day, then have a few bites of whatever the fam's having for dinner. Doc said no alcohol for 6 months post op. Yeah, right. I've been drinking as regularly as I did before (sans beer ) since the full liquid stage. Tolerance was low for about a day or two, then back to normal. Exercising as per the nutritionist's guidelines, though, so not doing everything wrong. 75 pounds in a little over 2 months. Extreme hypertension down to near-normal. No regrets. Am I alone in just doing it my way?

I agree!!! My co-workers love their "afternoon chocolate" and roll their eyes at me and say something like, "oh that's right, you can't have chocolate" I tell them would you offer an alcoholic a cocktail, then rub it in? I am proud of how how much I have transformed. I work hard! I refuse to feel guilty for refusing or even wasting food. I deserve to be healthy!

How has everyone been? I've been so busy and lazy I forgot to check in. So what is new? I feel like I am getting back on track and things are back to normal. I don't feel like I have to be censored and everything seems to be natural now. So far I am keeping my food down and I am slowly added different fruit and veggies to my diet. I am just afraid to eat pasta, rice and bread. The other day I wanted some Raman noodles but I got scared and bake me some fries instead. Also I've been on a carb kick lately but at least I am choosing smart carbs. Wait smart carbs? Is that even possible? One thing I noticed about being back on track is my triggers days made an appearance and this past Sunday was it. AKA Sunday Funday. Why Sunday? Just in case you guys haven't noticed but I love sports and Sundays consist of sports. Also I love True Blood and Dexter. So did I handle my trigger day? Easy... I planned it. I know I will be drinking and there may be a possibility that I go off my healthy lifestyle because I will tell myself this is my "cheat day". So, I double my workouts on Sunday and preplan my dinner. Well I should say me and my friends plan the dinner. I love my friends by the way for two reason One the are on the mission to find lap band friendly recipes and two they found low calories drinks to make. How cool is that but I have a confession to make. Sunday I finished a whole bottle of Moscato at first my friends were like that wasn't too bad until one of them look up how many calories are in bottle. I am ashamed to say it but I will tell you this I see why alcohol is empty calories so I will need to be careful. Trust and believe I worked out another 30 mins when they left. I am still learning but I feel like everything is back to normal. Thanks for reading .

Well, I'm scheduled for my surgery on 8/13; pray for me! I am hoping that the problem with my severe reflux will be resolved and that the cause is a band slippage as he will be able to just reposition the band and leave it in place; the worst scenario would be total removal of the band,however, that would also mean,hopefully, a complete relief of my reflux symptoms and a wrap of the stomach around the esophagus for a "makeshift" lower esophageal sphincter which the one I have now may not be working properly. I really dont want to lose my band as I am so afraid of regaining the wgt more than anything; I am just now mentally being able to see myself as a smaller person; I look at my thighs that still have some "fluff" and see that as being overweight; I do need to lose about 10 more pounds to be at goal; I know I absolutely must exercise to maintain my wgt loss no matter what surgery will bring; thank you for everyone's encouragement and sharing your thoughts; I cant talk to anyone else as candidly about my feelings-skinny people dont understand;they tell me "just go on weight watchers",etc but as we all know if we could just go on this or that diet we wouldn't have needed a lap band to start with!That's like telling an alcoholic, just have a little glass of wine and you'll be fine or a drug addict, just smoke a little MJ and you'll be fine!!! If I start regaining the wgt I definately will consider another surgery even if it means without the blessing of my family; Thank you all for listening!

The one and only time I dumped was like a week post op and I was still on pureed foods. On the list of my approved foods was Sf chocolate pudding. I was sick for almost 3 hours over that cup of pudding. My doctor said it was a sensitivity to sugar alcohol. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using the BariatricPal App

Fran, I'm glad you're ready to try again. It is a journey, not just a quick fix, that's for sure. My signature contains a link to a blog where I keep a record of what I'm eating. I'm having good weight loss and so I think my choices are pretty good, for the most part. I've been banded for 4 months and lost 65 pounds. I don't drink alcohol. I try not to drink any calories if I can help it. I do have Protein Shakes on occasion, but usually I just drink Water. I really like water and that's what I mostly drank before my surgery anyway, so that's easy for me. You might try the five day pouch test to get your pouch back in shape. I haven't used it yet, but it seems to be helpful to some who have used it. Good luck and don't give up. Seeking support and admitting what's been happening is a great step.

I'm 19 weeks post op. Some people in my monthly support group meetings have said they've started to drink alcohol about 6-10 months post op. I have absolutely no intensions of doing so but I don't have the guts to ask those people how they feel after drinking. Anyone here started drinking alcohol? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi Syd. We were sleeved the same day. Currently I've lost 80 pounds! Congrats on your success so far. I've been out a few times for cocktails since surgery and haven't experienced the burning you have. It does take much less alcohol to get a buzz now though. Maybe try a different drink? I know that some favorite foods from presurgery don't settle well now so maybe it would be the same with the alcohol. Good luck!!

ABSOLUTELY! I am an addict and I will admit it. When I am off carbs (when I do manage to get there) I don't crave or desire extra food. But once I cave, I'm back to my addiction. I have a glass a wine with my evening meal, but to be honest.. I could really drink another and enjoy it. After reading the OP it's scared me into not even wanting one glass now. I'm being sleeved Dec 14 and no alcohol for me until I reach my goal... And maybe not even then Traceyh... Please don't go this dangerous route of thinking surgery will help you at this point.

Tracey, I applaud your openness on this difficult topic. I don't know of any one who is an alcoholic that was sleeved, but I do have some scary tales of woe on this subject that makes me worried about you. Years ago, a co-worker had the gastric bypass. She lost weight great, actually got pretty dang skinny. I lost track of her but during the time I was researching the sleeve, I was invited to her funeral - she was in her early 40s. I was appalled and of course assumed that it was the "dangerous" gastric bypass that killed her. No, it was the alcoholism. She died in her sleep from organ failure. In her case, she it was complicated because she was also a diabetic. Anyway, when you eat so much less, and the changes to how your body handles alcohol, it seems to become more dangerous from a health perspective. To the best of my knowledge, she was the "addiction transference" case and became alcoholic after losing her excess weight, but of course I don't really know. Life post weight loss surgery is very wonderful (dropping a 100 pounds really makes your day!) but it is also stressful. Even if a person is abstaining, you need to really know that the stress might cause a relapse. i seldom drink, but when I do - one drink is plenty. The metabolism of alcohol seems a little different now. A small minority of people develop a new addiction to replace the way they used/abused food. Anyway, I hope you are able to discuss this with a professional and get all the facts about the additional risks you may be incurring. Only you can know if this surgery is a good idea with that underlying condition, but I am worried for you. Best of luck, and you have my support whatever you wind up doing. In spite of my words of caution, I know as well as anyone the overwhelming need to get the extra weight off and how impossible it is without the tool of WLS.

Hi Tracy: I'm about 2 and half years sober, meaning I dont drink any alcohol - not a drop. I will be sleeved in one week. Yes, as Cowgirl mentions above, there are cases of "transferrence" from overeating to problem drinking. I'm choosing words carefully here so as not to offend folks with the terms "food addict" and "alcoholic", but for me, that's the way I see it. Again, i am not saying that anyone here is an addict or otherwise. I happen to believe that I have a psychological compulsion to drink and once I start, I can't stop (when I was drinking). In many cases, its the same for me with food. For that reason, I believe that the are both issues/illnesses, however you want to call it are related and that they have to do with pleasure centers in my brain that look for any way to be "pleased", whether food or alcohohol or anything else. In eliminating the avenues available to seek pleasure, the brain still seeks them, thus the possible transferrence of addiction. Yes, this is dangerous stuff, and I'll soon be eliminating another possible avenue for my brain - but my brain will not turn off it's compulsivity just because my stomach is gone. Am I scared? Yes. But I know I need to do this for both my mental and physical health. I wish you the best!