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Last night I attended the bariatric support group meeting of my local medical group. There were 35 people in the room including a staff nutritionist and the Procedure Scheduling Coordinator. The attendees fell mostly into three groups. The first group were people going through the process of being approved for surgery. The second group had received surgery recently and were in the first few months of reducing. The third group were people who had surgery about a year ago and had lost a substantial amount of weight. And then there was me. I was the only one there who'd had WLS more than a year ago (2003 is certainly more than a year ago!). As I listened to the discussion, what struck me was that the main voices in the room were those in the honeymoon period. Most speakers were less than a year out from their surgery, had lost a tremendous amount of weight and were very euphoric. The theme that dominated the session was that it is smart for the prospective patient and those in the first few months post-surgery to surround themselves with people who have only positive things to say about their WLS, only read positive message boards and blogs, and keep away from any 'negative' perspectives. I make a point of spending time on message boards where people are struggling with their weight-loss surgery. I need to be able to understand their challenges in addition to those I have personally faced. As a Life Coach I need to see why and how people struggle and how they get beyond it. In addition to benefiting me professionally, this helps me on my own journey to maintain my goal weight when my old thoughts and behavior patterns re-appear. I spoke up to the group last night because I think it's important for all of us to focus not only on the positive, but also to acknowledge the land-mines that anyone can experience after weight-loss surgery. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost to learn from the struggles of others and avoid avoidable pit-falls. Weight loss surgery is an amazing tool for change, but it isn't good for everyone. Attention to some peoples' bad post-surgical experiences is an opportunity to balance the information given (or not given) by the those with an economic incentive to sell surgery. For example, at last night's meeting there was a woman (who has been approved for surgery in November) talking about how she looked forward to the end surgery would bring to her desire to eat in stressful situations. The professionals in the room were silent. I said to this woman, "Many weight-loss surgery patients still battle the tendency to eat when stressed." I told her that she shouldn't expect the surgery to eliminate the desire to eat when stressed and that it would be wise to begin to create strategies now for dealing with her stress after surgery. I told her that in my experience and in the experience of many of my clients, the stressful situations that triggered the desire to eat in the past are still very present after weight-loss surgery. With the loss of food as an ally and a slimming body that can feel vulnerable and unprotected in the world many turn to drugs or alcohol or force unhealthy foods down their throats looking for a de-stressor or comfort. Last night's discussion leads me to ask you, the BariatricPal veteran, the following questions: What were you told prior to surgery about life after surgery that was not entirely true or was not the entire story? What do you wish you had fully understood prior to surgery that you did not and what do you believe would have put you in the best possible position to succeed after surgery? What information, if any, was missing in the lead-up to your surgery that gave you unreasonable expectations or that led to disappointment in the months or years since surgery? I don't pose these questions to be negative, I want as many people as possible to succeed with their surgeries! I want to clear the air and "add to the record" about what weight-loss surgery does and what it will NEVER do. So, those of you who have had surgery, what do you want those considering surgery to know?

I drink red wine about 1-3 days a week (depending), without issue. I do however feel the alcohol much quicker, and on smaller amounts. Although, that doesn't necessarily stop me from drinking 2 glasses The biggest issue for me, is my lack of control around food when alcohol is involved. I can't eat what I did pre band, but I will eat too much of the wrong things.

my dr said ok to an occasional drink. i dont like beer, wine, or hard alcohol except for strawberry margaritas.mmmmmmmmmmmmm....... any hoo, keep this story in mind, i only have 1 -2 margaritas a month (or less) but i found out the hard way that the type of tequila can make a huge difference, really good Jose Cuervo tequila=no problems, cheap tequila at a mexican resturant=major reaction !(i threw up every thing!) Before being banded i had no problems with the cheap kind. Good luck !

Although I have not regained any of my lost weight, I can answer this question. Here's a hint...regaining weight is never really about the food itself. Many people undergo weight loss surgery without resolving pre-existing psychological issues. Many bariatric patients are emotional eaters who have always used food to cope with stress, grief, boredom, joy, pain, and life itself. They lose massive weight after surgery, but regain once the next crisis occurs such as a death, job loss or divorce since they self-soothe with food. Many bariatric surgery patients are hardcore food addicts. They lose significant weight after surgery, but regain once they add addictive trigger foods back into their diets. Many bariatric surgery patients have undiagnosed binge eating disorder. They lose significant weight after surgery, but regain once they start binge-eating again. Many bariatric surgery patients experienced childhood trauma such as growing up around domestic violence, alcoholic patients, or drug-addicted parents. A large number of obese people (especially females) were sexually abused in childhood. Those with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) often drown out the bad memories of their upbringings with comfort food. They lose significant weight after surgery, but regain once they revert back to food to deal with the uncomfortable memories and flashbacks. So when someone posts she's regained all her weight after experiencing some emotionally traumatic event, she often asks about getting "back on track" to lose the regain. What she really needs is counseling to adopt healthy coping techniques that don't revolve around the comfort of food. Success with weight loss maintenance after surgery is 90 percent psychological. Those who fail to address underlying issues will continue the regain/loss cycle. After all, it's never really about the food. Regaining is a symptom of a deeper problem.

Thanks. I plugged in "alcohol" and got nothing. Searching thru the maze of forums and posts is not practical for me at the moment. Thanks again for the link.

I've found myself drinking more and more in the last year or so, sabotaging my weight loss. It has always been nice to have a beer now and again. The carbonation has never been a problem for me. But I have found that alcohol might be taking the place of food in my life. Has anyone else found this to be the case? One bad habit takes the place of another? How do you give up something that never seemed a problem before? I know this is the reason I am not losing weight. There's about 4000 calories a week (at least) in beer! Anyone else out there looking to get out of this trap? :shades_smile:

I am down 45-46lbs. We were at the pool yesterday ( shirt still on) and people are saying wow you look good! I really wasn't expecting that yet but I guess it has started. Questions like what are you doing?...Answer---Not eating much and not drinking alcohol which is true. I have the right tool to get this done!

Sounds like a wonderful vacation you have planned! I had my band to bypass on October 24 and I am already on normal foods as long as I feel like I can tolerate them well, so I think you will be okay on being able to eat what is served, just in the appropriate quantities. My program does not want us drinking any alcohol for at least a year. I think that is partly because of the unneeded calories, but they also are very serious about transfer addiction at my practice since it is a very real thing. And I'm sure you know it takes much less alcohol to feel the effects in a bypass patient, so you may not be able to do every tasting, but I would think you'll be okay to have some. I personally wouldn't have my first glass of wine in public just in case I get sillier than I might think. 🤣 In regards to visiting your mom, my bypass surgery was about the same pain level as my band. I did not use any narcotics and I was allowed to drive as long as I was not taking narcotics. Even if I wasn't allowed to drive, I think I would have felt well enough to sit with a family member the day I left the hospital. Your mileage will vary of course, but I am sending out lots of good thoughts to you and your family so you will be feel well enough to be with your mom as quickly as possible.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT, REGARDING THE 64 OZ OF WATER MENTIONED , ALL MY ADULT LIFE I HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF DRINKING WATER, I DON,T DRINK TEA OR COFFE JUST WARM WATER, (OR ALCOHOL...LOL ) BUT SERIOUSLY I THINK IT IS SOOO GOOD FOR YOU IN MANY WAYS. YET WHEN I ASKED MY DOC ABOUT HOW MUCH I SHOULD BE DRINKING HE JUST SAID "DRINK WHEN YOU ARE THIRSTY" HE SAID "THE BODY IS A VERY COMPLEX AND CAPABLE MACHINE THAT WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU NEED TO DRINK" WHAT,S THAT ABOUT? I THOUGHT ALL DOCS WERE KEEN FOR US TO DRINK MORE WATER?:rolleyes WHEN I WAS TRAINED FOR S/W WE WERE TOLD TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DRINK WATER AND THAT HOW SOMETIMES WHEN WE THINK WE ARE HUNGRY WE ARE ACTUALLY THIRSTY. I KNOW I GET HEADACHES IF I AM DEYHDRATED. SO I AM GONNA CARRY ON SIPPING LOTS OF WATER.

Wow...thanks for the sincere responses. I know that IF I want to go through with this, it will be a band and not a bypass. I definately plan on having more children, and my surgeon advised that the bypass is not favorable for pregnancy. My biggest problem is my boyfriend not being on board with this. He is overweight too, and I think he's intimidated by me losing. He would never get the surgery, because he loves his evening beer way too much...that I can do without, but can I never drink again? Kaiser says yes...no alcohol...ever. But those I met who have had the surgery, can drink a teeny tiny bit. Im sure this is on another thread...Ill look for it and post there . Thanks again... A

I was told that I would for sure become an alcoholic after surgery during my pre-op psyche visit. Here I am at 10.5 months out and, while I do drink alcohol sometimes, I'm not an alcoholic. I am working very hard to transfer my addiction to exercise instead!

Alcohol use is exactly why Carnie Wilson re-gained her weight after her bypass. She was supposedly up to 10 mimosas a day! You've taken a brave step by admitting it on here. I know you don't want to waste all your pain and hard work. We are here for you whenever you feel the temptation!

Change certainly is never easy. But as the saying goes. nothing worth having comes easy. This in my opinion one of the hardest things I can think of in regards to life changes. Lets face it, if you are an alcoholic, addicted to drugs, you fight to break that addiction, turn away from the drugs/alcohol and you work hard to never look back. But we have the more difficult task (NOT NOT NOT that I;m downplaying recovering addicts, I have tremendopus respect for them) but we can't walk away from our addiction...food. We have to face it every day, making it a daily battle. But deciding to do this, to get the sugery, to change our lives, shows we DO have the strength. Some days its just harder to find then others EEsMom...don't let the hurdles discourage you, so many of us had to go through them. Lets face it, we are doing this because we suffer health issues, so no wonder we hit some walls along the way! Each step though, is one step closer. Good luck to you!!! Heres another blog... Posted 3/23/11 One more week makes it 3 months. 3 months. Funny, I would think time would have felt like it flew. IT HASN'T! hehe. Its been a long 3 months if you ask me. Just yesterday and last night I was sick again. I know, I know, try not to be shocked. I wonder if that's ever going to stop or if it's a permanent price to pay. Not that its the end of the world, I mean this is annoying but diabetes would have eventually killed me. So its seemingly a small price. But on days like that I do find myself a little...perturbed. For all the seminars, meetings etc that I went to no one spoke about these down sides. Yes, yes they talked about eating too fast or too much making you sick, or eating the wrong thing may give you "dumping syndrome" (Really? with all the medical jargon out there they couldn't come up with a better phrase? Come on, that’s just gross) anyway... I don't know if they would tell us ahead of time of ALL the negative consequences that a lot of people would change their minds. I really don't think it would deter anyone. Hell, I made sure at the seminar I asked all about death rates from the surgery and that kind of stuff. Now mind you, they didn’t have it as part of the whole presentation but they did most graciously answer my questions.(Leave it to me to scare everyone) But anyway, why omit anything at all? I'm sorry but I had no idea how sick I was going to be all the time. Last night I was barely able to hold my Vitamins down. That’s just crazy! But it is what it is. I was talking to a friend of mine who told me he ran into an old friend. She had once been like 400 lbs, had the surgery a year ago and was looking and doing great. Then he told me she said yes, she still felt sick a lot.... ... ... ... A YEAR LATER?! So I gave up one sickness for another lol. Well ok, being nauseous all the time wont kill me so this is the better deal but I do find some kind of twisted amusement in this. All I know is that I have indeed learned this: I once claimed that having surgery was "taking the easy route" Well it may have been the fast route but easy? LIKE HELL!!! It has its own price, a worthy one but a price nonetheless... Call it karma, call it cosmic justice... just call me in some tums. Have a great holiday everyone!!

I have BCBS-Federal. I was missing a note from my doctor stating that I had not been treated for alcohol or substance abuse in the past year. Once submitted, it only took one day for my approval to go through. HOWEVER, I would have not known until 5 days after the fact. I was approved on a Wed, it just so happened that Friday I had to call BCBS regarding something else, so while on the phone I asked about the status of my request, and thats when I found out I had been approved 2 days prior. I emailed the bariatric coordinator at my surgeons office to inform her. She emailed me that following Tuesday, to inform me that she received the approval from BCBS. So that being said, I would take the previous advice and keep calling to follow up.

You'll be fine. I cheated a bit on my pre-op. Plus, not all pre-ops are the same. There are lots of generic pre-ops, and those tuned to the patient. Mine was super generic, like, the nurse didn't even bother to check anything other than my BMI before prescribing me my pre-op diet. Just do your absolute best to stick to the diet and make sure those slip ups happen as little as possible. Avoid fats and alcohols and you should be doing just fine. Good Luck!

S1M1, I think most of us have been in the same situation, with the fear of losing our friend, food. Personally, I didn't think I had a food addiction until after I was banded. Then I KNEW I had a food addiction. Having a food addiction while dieting is like telling an alcoholic they can only have a drink in moderation. That's what we're up against. But the band makes this process SO much easier. So many new bandsters get the idea that the band will do all the work. You HAVE TO WORK! I still have to watch what I eat on a daily basis. The band just makes that whole process so much simpler. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Yup, every surgeon is different on this one. Mine said that drinking a bit of Coke when something is stuck will help to unstick it (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, from my experience). Like some of the others, whilst I'm allowed carbonated beverages, they hurt a bit, especially if I have good restriction. My favorite alcoholic beverage when we go out used to be vodka, lime juice and soda Water. The bubbles made it way less enjoyable, so now its vodka, lime juice and still water - much more refreshing and never have a hangover from it lol (not that I drink a whole lot anyway). I will admit to the very occasional half a can of pop though, when I just need a bit of sugar. It's best to talk to your doctor though and see what he or she recommends for you.

My doc said NO to alcohol pretty much ever again. I've got no problem with it. I think if in doubt, just don't do it.

Hi. My name is Laura. I had my surgery march 25. So far things are going well. I am feeling good with not much pain. So far including insurance mandated dieting I have lost 21 pounds. I have about 98 more to go. The worst thing is that I seem to be a little bit hungery all the time. I'm sure it didn't help that yesterday I was at a conference with lots of food but I was content with my shake for lunch. The waitress even offered to puree something for me. I have 2 small children 4 years and 18 months who I still have to prepare food for. My husband is very proud of my will power. He is a recovering alcoholic so He can relate to how Hard it can be. For me this lifestyle change is a step in the right direction for my whole family. I would never want my girls to be heavy and I can see my oldest adopting some of my old eating habits. I look forward to meeting people here and hope my experience remains posituve

Four weeks post op is way to early. Your stomach is still healing. I have had a little white wine since my surgery, but that wasn't until I was 4 months post op. It's really best and safer on your new tummy if you can avoid it altogether. Also, check with your surgeon about the matter, he or she may tell you that alcohol is never allowed. Each doctor is different.

Hi, I am a little over a week away from flying to MX for my surgery. I travel for work every week. It is about an hour flight, each way. I keep my main bag at the hotel. It has all of my main work clothes, toiletries, makeup, etc. Thus, I won't have a heavy bag to lift or carry. I just take "undies" back and forth and my laptop. I have a small bullet like blender at the work site. I currently go to whole foods every week and buy food for the week for lunch and dinner. Thus, I am used to not eating for the most part at restaurants. But, I do have semi-required dinners when the hot shots come to town or we are celebrating a milestone. In fact, we have one the first week I am back from surgery. I think I am going to try and skip this first one, but I can't do that every time. I have purchased the Dr's recommended Vitamins and Protein powder. I have a set in my desk and a set at my apartment. I purchased broth for both locations. I have told my immediate team that I am getting this surgery. In fact one of my team mates did the Y thing about a year ago. She lives closer to the work site and drove back and forth every week. She also convinced them to let her stay at an apartment. I really don't want to stay at an apartment as I don't want another place to clean. (call me lazy). Anyhow, my immediate colleagues know I will be eating weird and can't drink alcohol. But, the larger team doesn't know that I know of. I am sure they will find out eventually. Also, there are three of us that have gone together and we have a personal trainer that comes to the hotel twice a week. I told him about the surgery. I told him I probably couldn't do anything my first week back except walk. I am hoping that the next week I can start doing his workouts, but just making sure i am not lifting ... yes, I will talk to the Dr. in MX to find out more details. Any experiences with that would be helpful. What else can I do to make this VSG lifestyle work for me. Any and all tips are welcome. Mary

I had mine in May of 2023. I'm doing great , thanks for asking ! I've been eating low carb ,very small portions and except for a months long stall, everything is going a-ok I haven't had any carbonated drinks or alcohol so far, but I don't miss it. My stomach handles everything good with no problems. I'm down 2 sizes and couldn't be happier ! All my lab work have been perfect and I'm off 3 meds that I took for a long time. Diabetes is no longer in my future ! How have you been since your surgery ? You lost a ton !!!!!

So I'm 22 years old and had VSG surgery 2 weeks ago. I am very happy with my weightloss and honestly not being about to eat isn't bothered me in the way that I expected. I don't miss food that much but I miss the social aspect of it. I am a person that enjoyed very much cooking large meals and having dinners with my friends and family to show them that I care. Baking cakes for my friends birthday and just going out to eat in general. I honestly didn't realize how much of my social life had food and alcohol in it until I had this surgery. Now all my friends are having dinners and parties to celebrate new jobs and back to school, my best friend is a pilot and she just got her instrument rating and a big dinner to celebrate. I'm like torn should I not go and spare myself the agony of watching everyone eat and drink or do I just stay home and be a sour puss. Any suggestions and tips on how to be social without making everyone feel awkward will definitely help !!! Please I need it. And plus I'm moving to another country in a few weeks so I really want to be able to spend time with my friends now.

I had the SADI-S on July 23, 2020, so I'm getting close to 2 years out. It was definitely the best thing I ever did. I was self pay because our insurance at the time didn't cover any wls. I have lost 200 pounds. I started at 393 (I'm 5'3") and I'm currently 193. I'm hoping to lose more. I'm losing very slowly now, but it's still coming off. The surgery was not bad, except for the first few days I had a lot of nausea. Lo and behold, our insurance now covers wls, including this one, so my husband is having it done on May 13th. They are giving him nausea meds pre-op, so I'm guessing quite a few people have had nausea with it like it did. There weren't very many people having it done when I did so they didn't know as much. I am so happy I chose the SADI-S. I feel amazing, and I have tolerated most foods. I do notice alcohol just doesn't seem to sit right in my stomach, but I've only had it a few times since surgery and I'm not a big drinker so it doesn't matter too much to me anyway. My life has changed completely in so many ways! It is late and I'm tired so I can't think of what else to write at the moment but I'll be glad to answer any questions you have! Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm seven months out. The only goal that I had from this surgery was to reduce the amount of medications that I was taking. I didn't give a rip and still don't, about the scale. I've have met the goal that I have set in that respect, and I am now working on getting my weight to a point that I have not been before. I am not the fastest loser, but I really don't care that much as a slow loser tends to be a permanent one. I still have about 35+ lbs to go and probably will make that goal within the year I set out to do. I have really worked on changing my lifestyle. I eat healthy and I eat properly. I cut out the things that got me to the fat ass stage. (Soda, alcohol, carbs etc.). I don't eat white foods (flour, rice, pasta, etc.). I workout daily and I run almost every day. I don't miss eating anything. I still go out, I still have fun, probably more fun than before as I can be more active. I am thinking about a career change (I am a chef) and getting out of the food business. The surgery has given me the opportunity to really understand my relationship with food and eating. I really have a better idea of what my triggers are and how they can impact my eating and in turn, my life. For me, the decision to have the surgery has been one that I feel was proper. I have worked hard, and probably could have loss the weight on my on without the surgery, but in general I am glad that I did it. I think for the long term, it is a better approach.