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Lissa - You are awesome! Congratulations on all your success! You mentioned having a drink to celebrate and I had to smile. It reminded me of what the NUT said at our preop meeting - alcohol is frowned on, but we'd be "cheap dates" cuz it would take so much less to get a buzz. I quit drinking many years ago but found that interesting....

Awww, thanks, Joni!! I don't drink a lot, but I do feel the alcohol VERY quickly these days. But, IMO, celebrating outliving the prediction calls for a drink...for me. I understand that some folks dont drink for various reasons, though. I'm still excited every day to see what new discoveries my sleeve has in store for me. My latest have been my collarbones and hip bones....

I drink Bacardi Lemon waters with crystal light ice tea, each time I get a different effect- usually have drinks on Saturdays only- yes higher calories from the booze- and yes 5 months post op- and no do not drive. Just have to eat well the rest of the week!! I am not an alcoholic because I enjoy a few drinks- yes I am happy I did the surgery- yes some are over critical on this site! But I am happy :-) good luck everyone!!

The reason post surgery it is generally I inadvisable to drink is because alcohol thins the blood which can have a damaging effect on internal stitches and staples which take up to six weeks to heal. After this, there is no risks in drinking alcohol beyond what risks alcohol generally poses to everyone. My surgeon and my NUT recommended the occasional red wine as part of a normal and healthy diet. I have enjoyed an occasional wine since I was six weeks out. I continue to lose weight. A glass of red wine takes 8 minutes moderate jogging to burn off.

It was. But over time I was able to eat around it. You can't really stretch the sleeve, despite what many people (and doctors say), but you can find ways to eat more. Slider foods (simple carbs) go down real easy so it's a slippery slope once on it. There's a reason why not everyone loses everything they need to lose, there's a reason why people regain. Hunger does return. After your stomach heals, it can deal with more food, and even being stuffed. That's why I'm much more conscious of bad habits and most importantly, PORTION CONTROL. One thing I did until recently was eat until I had the "full" feeling. I realised after awhile that this was a comforting feeling and something I needed to feel satisfied. But when I was losing on the sleeve I was much more aware of always being just slightly hungry (without the hunger, if that makes sense). Once I learned what that feeling was, I was okay with it, realising I had more energy. But of course over time the pleasure of being full overtook it. Think of being obese as like being an alcoholic - they are both diseases based on addiction, and once you recover (i.e. surgery/weight loss), you'll have to deal with your addiction for the rest of your life. So many people ask, oh, when can I eat cake again, or cookies, or a pizza, or chocolate...but from my experience I think there are some things that I will always have to avoid, because the chance of falling off the wagon again is too great.

Been a while since I visited here...have my reasons, mainly I find it tiresome after a while, mainly dealing with the self proclaimed experts.... However.... Thought I would give a report, especially for the newbies. I go to the gym 5 days a week at 5:30 in the morning. I run for 30 minutes (3 miles), do 45 minutes of weights, then finish the workout with 20-30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. It took me one year to reach my goal, total weight loss of 90 lbs. That was 7 months ago, and I am still loosing although very slowly now. Your body will stop loosing when it feels it is ready to. I do not count calories, measure or weigh portions. I eat when I am hungry, which is not often. I do not deny myself the little pleasures in life like desserts, ice cream, alcohol, including beer, etc, etc. I do get my daily requirements of protein, water, vitamins, amino acids, anti oxidants, etc, etc, with little or no problem every day. There are days when I just don't feel like eating at all, so i don't force it. I am not a believer in the "Starvation Mode" I have/had enough fat and glycogen stored away to use as energy, and that is what I did. All this from a man who is 60 years old, have had one heart attack that I know of, had cardiac surgery due to coronary artery disease, had diabetes that is now completely gone, had loss of circulation in lower limbs with loss of sensation (feeling) which is now a thing of the past, cholesterol, triglycerides, everything is now well within normal range. Had my stress test a few weeks back and the cardiologist could not believe he was looking at the same person. My blood work (lab results) are straight down the middle normal in every category. The band controls my eating and hunger entirely. It is NOT a tool, something that I can control. It is something that is there, constant, doing what it was designed to do. People are afraid to go to picnics, parties, etc for fear of what I'm not sure. I cannot overeat no matter how hard I try. Does not matter what food you put in front of me, the band will allow just so much then that's it. I went on a cruise a few weeks ago and I did everything I can to eat/enjoy as much as I can...Impossible! I lost weight! I do not get stuck, slimed, etc anymore. It has been a long time since that has happened. There was a phase, when transitioning into the "Green Zone" that I got stuck sometimes 2-3 times a day. But once I learned my lessons, learned how to eat like a "Skinny" person, I broke through to the other side and life has been normal ever since. The "New Normal" as my surgeon calls it. My only advice to newbies is to work the band for all it's worth. Don't settle for second best, something just to get by. Demand everything you have always expected. I make no excuses for my success and my new life...why should I care what others think? It's me they're going to put in the ground someday...then where will the critics be....I have achieved everything I ever hoped and dreamed this surgery can do for me. I was once a fat person, so i know what denial and excuses are all about.... So you may see why I don't visit here all that much any more....

Julie, I had my surgery Nov. 10, 2005 and I lost 109-111 lbs. in 8 months with no fill. I weighed 251 lbs. and I go between 140-143 lbs. Everyone thinks that I am absolutely crazy when I say that the band is just a helpful tool and it still has to be up to the individual to lose the weight. We truly have to make it up in our mind first that we will finally succeed this time and not fail our life long, change of life journey. I have become crazed with staying physically fit now. I do cardio 3 times a weeks and I am also with a weight trainer 3 times a week also. I can't believe I am starting to myself tone up. I love seeing the veins in my arms and the somewhat bulge in my thigh from a muscle. I quit smoking December 25, 2006 and I feel SOOOO healthy. I went from a size 22 to a size 4-6. I am almost 5'7" and I am 42 years old and have never felt better. I will say though that I will NEVER trust myself with my food ADDICTION and that is Fast Food. I haven't eaten that since Nov. 2005 but the smell of it still gets to me. It is like someones alcohol or someones chocolate. If I ever start back to my old ways though I know that as long as I have this band I can always go to my doctor and get a fill if needed. I didn't need it during my weight loss journey. I have maintained my weight loss for over a year now and that was July 25, 2006. The opportunity is there for me though if it is needed. You CAN lose the weight without a fill, it is possible. Strive for healthy foods and you will be on the right track. You need to believe in yourself, the power of positive thinking. To be honest with you, I have never even gotten sick and I can eat any kind of Lettuce or spinach and any kind of meat imaginable. I have never PB'd, thrown up, or anything. Good Luck Julie, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Josephine

Unfortunetly, I do not need alcohol to cause a memory lapse. I'll sometimes eat too fast or take too big a bite etc. I find the more this happens - the more I pay better attention to what I am doing! !! At a dinner party 2 weeks ago I had to excuse myself 3 times!!! I cannot imagine this happening without a bathroom nearby!!!!:confused: The prolem is sometimes you cannot know how your and is going to react to certain foods based on time of day, travel...

i am also curious about this. i am only 23 and recently graduated college. i don't drink often anymore. but once i am well enough, i am hoping to be able to go out about 2x a month. i am wondering how post op patients handle alcohol and if you are able to get drunk. sounds bad, but once in a while, it's fun to let loose with friends i haven't seen in a while!

Beni. Trust me. We have been seeking medical advice for years now. (Medical aid is free of charge in Denmark J ) So we have been in and out of hospitals and as so has been aware of B12 defiance all the way through. In fact, in Denmark all gb-patients gets injected with vitamin D and B12 even before surgery and ever since, she has received B12 on a third month basis. Twice a year her blood has also been monitored for iron, zink, magnesium, vitamin B D E, calcium levels and some more. There has been some minor B12 defiance, but never anything alarming. Since a pregnancy in 2011, she occasionally has to get iron and vitamin D intravenously though. Still my girlfriends’ neurologic condition seems like an enigma to the doctors. I have read a LOT of Google stuff about it all. Lately I found a diagnosis – Wernickes encephalopathy – that fits quite well on (some of ) her symptoms, but what also occurs to me is that her condition might not be that rare at all..? Meaning: My girlfriend is not aware of her condition. She cannot remember that she was ever any different from today and does not remember her “absence attacks” either. She recognizes her spelling and memory issues but does not notice that her very personality has changed. She used to be a very “tidy” person –hence her house was always clean and things were always in place, she always kept her appointments and never spend more that budget. These days she is all but different, her house and her financial situation being a mess. (Even her mother says, that she doesn’t recognize her own daughter anymore) We are members of a local gby forum and what strikes me is that a few of our gby acquaintances are dealing with (some of) the same issues. Some has lost their capability of spelling or their handwriting has gone horrible, some tend to forget words, names or appointments, some can’t find their ways, some occasionally has a “numb” sensation or deals with cold/hot/wet/dry issues. Only they are not striken as bad as my girlfriend – or at least not yet, and this is my reason for writing to Bariatric Pal. See: In Denmark we didn’t perform gastric bypasses before 2006, so if neurologic complications doesn’t show before after say 6 years or more, we won’t have that many experiences yet. And I am well aware that this might be one out of a thousand that has to deal with these issues. In Denmark that would be only a few dozens of individuals, so there wouldn’t be any statistic relevance to state a case upon. But to save my own family I really need to know, if anybody out there has any experiences on this matter and especially if anybody knows a cure… - MsUjima: There is quite a few research articles about vitamin B and E defiance. Most related to alcohol abuse though, but the symptoms are alike those of my girlfriends (who hasn’t tasted alcohol for 20 years)

Headache for me was caused by too few calories post surgery. I've heard a lot of people say alcohol pads under your nose helps with nausea. For me, I usually grab a SF Popsicle and it helps me,

That's really horrible to hear, especially since you went to a center of excellence. Part of the "hoops" that most people need to go through is phyc counceling. When I had my appointment she was as honest with me as I was with her. She told me that I should get counceling throughout my weight loss. I chose not to. I was honest with her about my past and she told me that if I didn't deal with my issues, I could turn my food abuse and become abusive with other mediums, like alcohol, sex, gambling, smoking, as well as other food driven issues. I knew from the get go that the band was a tool. It was very plainly NOT the magic pill everyone is looking for. Even today at my fill... man is that another story, the Dr. was questioning me about eating, exercise ect. What kind of treatment are you starting Sat? Counceling?

I was told no carbonated drinks but coffee is fine. I'm not a big coffee drinker anyway so I usually don't drink any. One interesting thing since surgery has been alcohol's effect. Now, if I drink like 1 glass of wine I'm practically drunk. It's a good thing that alcohol has never been my vice (food takes that prize).

MY FRIEND GOT SLEEVED AND ONE LIL MIX DRINK AND SHE WAS ON A GOOD ONE . BUT I WOULD WAIT A WHILE AFTER YOUR DONE RECOVERING .AND REM ITS EASY TO GET ALCOHOL POISON NOW SO DONT OVER DRINK

I began making lifestyle changes pre-surgery. Six months is a wonderful amount of time to start incorporating healthy changes: Begin eating lower calories. Begin eating lower carbs. Begin eating lower fats. Quit drinking sodas. Quit drinking alcohol. Quit drinking caffeine. Try different Protein shakes to see which ones you like. Watch LOTS of youtube videos from people who've had the surgery. Begin walking. Begin going to the gym. Learn how to cook healthier meals. There is SO much you can do in this time to prepare yourself for a successful post-op healthy lifestyle. The more changes you make pre-op, the easier your post-op transition will be.

I do think there are many people who have problems down the road. When asking my surgical team about this they were very up front with me about the statistics which you can find on line for your particular surgery. Those that gain back most or all of their weight revert to old bad habits like drinking soda, alcohol and not eating properly. Remember this really is a tool. In terms of people dealing with nutrient issues, many stop taking their Vitamins and do not go in for their regular labs. Ulcers happen for many reasons, some of which come from taking medications you are not supposed to. I too have read many of those threads and usually that person will say, I didn't take my Calcium or I started taking ibuprofen for my arthritis. This type of surgery is a life choice. Once you make it, you are in it for the long haul. Some people think it is a quick fix to lose the weight and revert to old habits. You have to decide who you are going to be 10 years down the road. I know that I am never going back to that unhealthy place with multiple comorbitities an almost unable to walk. I for one will follow the plan that includes taking my vitamins, getting all my Protein, and going to regular doctors appointments. I hope this helps but more importantly you must follow up with your surgical team and better understand the statistics for your type of surgery. Know exactly what you are getting into because you are making a life choice. Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

I didn't drink until I was at least a year out after surgery. Then, around the holidays I started having cocktails on a regular basis (several times a week), and I really wish I hadn't done that; I know they contributed to some weight regain. Alcohol is totally empty calories and was the first thing to go when I got serious about losing the extra weight I've gained. If you MUST drink, wait until you're at or near goal, and make it a special occasion splurge, or you will risk weight re-gain.

I am looking for a sweetener to use in my tea in the mornings. I don't add it to anything else. I am not allowed any sugar alcohols, and can not stand it if something I drink leaves an after taste in my mouth. I thought about adding some vanilla protein powder but I am afraid it will clump because I like me tea to be HOT.

I'm 47 and all I can say is I do it ALL as a postop. Most of the time, I eat what I like in very small quantities. Beer with dinner? Errr... no. Can't do that anymore, but get drunk with my friends, ya, occasionally. I almost always REGRET it afterwards and I'm a bit of a "light weight" (literally) now, but alcohol is not a problem in general. I DO have to work it in around food since eating\drinking together are a no no. It makes me uncomfortable, so I just don't anymore. The calories... are a different story and will still catch up with me if I indulge too often. I HAVE made major changes, do get that wrong. I exercise regularly now, make sure I get my 70+g Protein, all supplements and weigh once per week, (no more). I can't over eat anymore period. If I eat too much sugar, (it has to be WAY too much), I'll dump painfully, (just not worth it). My relationship with food is forever changed. So you don't have to change EVERYTHING, but everything will change if you hope to be successful. I'm definitely NOT sorry I did this and wish it was available when I was in MY 20's. Maybe I would't be trying to relive them now!

A deal is a deal! You did your part. Now for mine. I have had reactive hypoglycemia about five times over almost two years. On two or three of those occasions I ate an orange (and a small square of year old chocolate that my wife found somewhere the first time I had it). Symptoms have always disappeared completely in 20-30 minutes. In the case of the most recent problem, we were out of fruit and the closest thing at hand was a Protein bar with 17g of carbs, 2g of sugar and 4g of sugar alcohol. It also did the trick and symptoms were gone in 20-30 minutes. But now your PCP has me wondering. Fruit is considered a "simple" carb as opposed to a "complex" carb. I have read that including complex carbs in five to six meals a day will help to avoid hypoglycemia. The idea being that complex carbs take longer to digest and help keep blood sugars at a desirable level over a longer period of time. In other words, complex carbs will help you avoid hypoglycemia in the first place. Makes perfect sense. But it raises the question if doctors make the same complex carb recommendation if you are already hypoglycemic? It's too late to avoid it. The question is how to resolve it? And I would add resolve it as quickly as possible (it's definitely not pleasant)! My understanding is that simple carbs are digested more quickly, which raises blood sugar levels more quickly, which in turn should resolve the hypoglycemia - more quickly. Now to be my own devil's advocate - I have often wondered if eating too much simple carbs while hypoglycemic has the risk of creating a yo-yo effect. In other words if you ate two or three oranges, hypoglycemia would be temporarily resolved, but blood sugars could spike again, and then crash AGAIN in response to the increased insulin prompted by the spike. So you're right back to being hypoglycemic. I have never experienced this scenario but on the surface of it, the logic would seem sound. Hopefully someone a lot smarter than me will weigh in on this!

Hi there! and YES HE IS RIGHT. The contrast they make you drink after surgery right before the X-ray is worse than anything I've ever had in my entire life. That was probably the worst experience of my whole surgery lol. I literally cried and begged them to please not make me drink it. I was told I couldn't be discharged without this xray and without drinking it. Think consistency of dishwashing soap, with a taste of dishwashing soap and a bitter alcohol. So thick and gross. I chugged it, threw up and cried as I walked back to my room. lmao kind of funny now when I look back because I threw a tantrum like a child. It was bad. lol Good luck to you on your journey!

Oh I LOVE this thought. From now on, I’m going to imagine my surgeon sitting right across the table from me watching and judging what I would eat. Brilliant! Also, my biggest food tigger is Mexican food. I’ve been in a few restaurants, but no Mexican ones and my ex-fave is literally in the same strip mall as my Pilates studio. Mexican food is my kryptonite. As goooooood as the smells are coming out of that place, I always feel so empowered because I’m going there to that building to work out now instead of eat Mexican food. Another trigger of mine is alcohol. Hubs and I used to glory in selecting the perfect bottle of vino to complement whatever meals we were making. Our first 3 anniversaries we got hooked on wine country in Napa and I desperately miss the whole experience. Maybe some day I can go back to experimenting with the perfect wine pairing for my meals, but at this point in time I just don’t feel able to handle it. About 2.5 months post-surgery, I “allowed” myself a half glass of saki with my sashimi we were having out and I was battling carb/bad food cravings for the next 24 hours. It was awful and it scared me

Thanks everyone I appreciate the support more than you'll know. My wife noticed my bad mood and asked so I told her I felt like a recovering alcoholic babysitting friends at a bar supping a water. She understood and cuddled so doing a bit better now. I ate about a teaspoon of creamy peanut butter and that seemed to stop the cravings

No way man, don't not have the band done, you might figure out how to beat the band, (By grazing and eating soft foods) But with the right adjustment you won't be able to do even that. I would tell you to have it done and for as long a possiable not eat till you throw up. You want to have the band firmly in place, and it takes about 4 to 5 weeks. When they tell you to start eating regular food, beleive me, you will know right away what you can eat and what you can't. Even for as long as I have had this band I ate some micro eggs 2 days ago, and I did not chew that good.......... and some of the eggs got stuck in the hole. Well....... for almost all of the day I could not eat anything, shit, I could hardly drink. When I mean drink, I mean drink like we fatty's drink, we guzzle down whatever. I had to take little drinks and I was fine, except I could not eat, whatever I ate I threw up. I then figured, this was a good thing and it started me on a couple of really good day, with protine shakes in the morning, 1/2 sandwhich for lunch, and a modest dinner, if any. So it worked out good, but either way on the 19th I am going for a fill in NY, and try to have it maxed out. I am now after 5 years ready to have this done, I want to be done with this weight. NOW........... about why we eat so much, who knows, we do. They can put any name they want on it but, we are fat because we eat too dam much, way beyond any normal sense of the word, we are eating our self's to death. Just like the alcoholic who can't (or does not want to stop drinking) OR, the drug addict who uses........ whatever...... and keeps useing till he is either dead or in jail, takeing everyone with them. If there is anyone left. We fatty's, are just like that, we use food like a addict uses heroin, we keep useing till we hit a bottom. Sometimes the addict can hide his useing for a long time, but with us fatty's there ain't no hiding, no matter how much black we wear, LOL. You ever see a fatty swimming in a pool with a big Ol' shirt over there bathing suit ????? They think they are hiding something, like no one can tell they'er fat under the tee shirt. LOL. How stupid can we be........... telling our self's if I wear big shirts and baggin stuff, no one will be able to tell we're fat. We joke about it here at home, we are all fat here some more then others (OK I am at the top of the list, For now), LOL. We don't hide our fat, if your fat you might as well be honest about it. Like, when someone say's, "Man, My Feet Hurt", I will say: "You Know Why Your Feet Hurt ??", "It's Cause Your FAT". Anyway............ we can't hide being fat, when we're fat, everyone see's it. Not that I let people hurt my feeling anymore, I am through with that shit. If someone makes a off color, or a rude comment about me being fat and I take it to heart......... Well they better look out, because they are about to get the same back, and I can be just as crud as they are, and maybe a little more. Why is it OK to to insult fat people, but you will let some hard ass or bully walk around and not say anything to him or her. Anyway............ it's time we as fat people start to tell the truth about ourself's to ourself's. We are the first person we have to tell the truth to. NO MORE DENILE, no more lieing about what or how much we eat, no more hiding our eating. I would do this thing, I called it the "Glen Cove, figure 8." there was a Micky D's across the street for Wendy's, so I would order 2 different meals, one from each drive-in. I was thinking...... I did not want the person taking the order's to think I was too fat and all the food I was ordering was for ME. So I would split it between the 2 places........ NOW how sick is that !!!!!!! I cared about some pimple faced kid taking orders for $6 an hour. BOY HOW CRAZY CAN WE BE !!!!! Butch

I've found two beers that I can tolerate because they have very limited carbonation-Guinness and Tetley. If you are like I was in college, you won't be drinking 12 packs of these mainly because they're too damn expensive. But they aren't bubbly, so they don't make me bloated the way that regular beer or soda does. Whiskey doesn't have carbonation, so if you're not drinking it with club soda it should go down okay. The biggest issue with alcohol, though, isn't the carbonation. It's the calories. Lots of empty calories that go straight through the band. I don't drink much anymore because doing so would undermine maintaining my weight loss. Of course, I'm also 36 and drinking a lot isn't nearly so important to me as it was when I was 21. Good luck.