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Despite cultural differences, for some people alcohol not being a part of their post op lifestyle is a good thing. Unfortunately there are not many indicators in who will have an issue so I understand the reason for the prohibition. But of course it will always be ultimately up to the individual. I promise I am not trying to be the party pooper.

Idk, I only focus on myself tbh but I’d hate to be the person not properly warned that a brand new alcohol addiction is possible.

Yeah, that sucks. For that individual. I mean, in the end we all have to make up our own minds. I'm just saying the long-term statistics on American bariatric patients aren't impressive, to say the least. Maybe "eat 500 calories a day and NEVER touch alcohol" as directed by Becky The Dietitian From San Diego wasn't a sustainable long-term plan for the average patient.

A non-alcoholic meany butt does. I mean probably an American. 😂

It’s all just a suggestion in the end. But for context, I literally saw a Bariatric alcoholic tackle 3 nurses trying to get away from the ER to drive home. That’s when I thought yeah maybe there’s a reason for that suggestion.

In my programs it was recommended to wait for 6 months for bread and raw vegetables. But I think it was a year to never again for alcohol 😂

I was waved away from bread because it tends to ball up and plug the pouch, which I eventually learned first hand. I don't recall how long I waited, or waited after discovering the reasoning was true for me. I've since learned to sip a bit with bread to thin the resulting paste. Raw veggies, like salads? Never been much of a fan, so don't remember how long I left it alone, but I don't think it was an actual rule, at least not one I recall now. I eat the occasional salad, but not in normal rotation. Alcohol, I have to believe there was a prohibition of some length, but again, too long ago to recall the specifics. I don't believe I drank until I lost all my excess weight. I had pretty much abandoned alcohol years before surgery as I tended to binge, well, everything. I've had alcohol since surgery, it goes to my head quicker than pre-op, and if I drink over much the hangover hits quicker and ends quicker so by morning all effects have passed. I really only drink now on vacations with fruity drinks during the day and after dinner cognac. Good Luck, Tek

Dietician, filling in online form at 4 week meeting: so what kind of alcohol have you been drinking Me: oh well I can't drink beer cause of the gas so I've been trying dry Vermouth. It's quite good. Dietician: and, frequency? Me: twice Dietician: twice a day, ok Me: no...just twice so far Dietician: *laughs* *rolls eyes* : OK...

Omg. In this country people drink alcohol at pretty much every meal and that's it. My program: after the first month, eat what you want but watch out for steak. There are no dietary restrictions at all: eat healthy, high quality foods. Chew well. Don't drink with or 30 minutes after your meal. My experience: I still do badly with hard things that cannot be completely chewed like some fruit skins (blueberry, apple). I haven't tried some things like bread because I either I haven't has the chance or don't believe certain foods are compatible with healthy fat loss. I ate a little pasta and it was fine.

raw vegetables - I was told to wait about five months before trying them, too. They can be really hard on your pouch. To be honest, at seven years out, they're still sometimes hard on my pouch (not always, but sometimes). This sounds weird, but sometimes when I'm having a snack attack, I'll start eating raw vegetables because sometimes they irritate my stomach so much that I can't handle eating anything else. Stops an attack dead in its tracks.... alcohol - also told to wait a year. I actually waited about three years. I rarely drink - maybe three or four times a year. It goes right into your blood stream, so you get really buzzed really fast. They have you wait because transfer addiction is a common problem. Some people who've never had a problem with alcohol before surgery develop it afterward - so this is part of the rationale behind them advising you to wait. I don't think my program ever said anything about bread (although it's been quite awhile), but maybe yours is one that pushes an ultra-low-carb diet, as many of them seem to do. Mine was a balanced diet, so they didn't really care too much about carbs, as long as they were the good kind. Still, I think it was probably a year before I ate bread. I still don't eat it very often because it sometimes sits like a brick in my stomach. Another thing about bread is that it's not terribly nutritious, and the first few months you can only handle a small amount of food - so they want you to focus on super nutritious things. I think I started eating salads at about five or six months out.

My program doesn't allow raw vegetables (no salads) until 5 months post op, no bread products for 6 months (but other carbs are okay), and no alcohol for a year. Curious to learn A)when did you start eating/drinking these things post op and how did you handle it? B)what advice your program gave you about them? C) experience with your first salad? Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you for sharing. Sadly I am in the same position and today is my 3rd day without alcohol and the withdrawals have been so bad that I needed medication from the doctor to get through it. My blood pressure raised at such high levels it was dangerous. All this is such a shock to me and before my bypass back in December 2017 I was never really interested in alcohol but over the last few years my drinking has increased so much so it had taken over my life…I seemed to look forward to the joy it gave me and the quick fix that food no longer could give me. I am hoping I can keep going and start to feel better soon. I hope to learn to live my life without alcohol and the extra weight gain from the late night snacks and start to enjoy eating healthy and to feel alive again! 🙏🏽

Trigger Warning: ..............................Yes. My dad is a food pusher. We have a very strained relationship now but growing up he would make 3 different dinners at once and have me eat a bit of all of it and then call me fat and bully me. He use to buy packs and packs of ramen noodles and hide them in my things like my desk/book bag/purse as I started becoming overweight as a child. I still can't eat ramen to this day because it brings me back to those moments. Hed tell me how ugly and fat I was but then push huge amounts of food on me. He's from a country where food is unstable and grew up incredibly poor so when he came to the US and saw how abundant food was he constantly buys food and cooks. He's a big reason why I had a bad relationship to food for so long/why im still working through it and why I still have self esteem issues. He's thin and in shape but has a serious problem with alcohol. I didn't tell him about my surgery because a) he wouldn't understand given a language barrier and he's treated me horribly over the years because I'm fat and the last thing I want is to hear those words but about my surgery. He's picked up on the fact that I had a weight loss procedure done. He tries to mend our relationship but still offers food because he doesn't know how else to show love. He offers me healthy stuff now but I simply just decline because I'm not ready to explain anything to him or become closer. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Okay so lets both take a deep breath together and break some of this down: Almost everyone here is here because we’ve had a history of eating/food/metabolism/addiction/toxic relationship issues. Maybe I’ve left a couple of things out, but that’s a good starting place. Let me start by saying that I’m now 3 years and 2 months from VGS. I had exceptional results. Lost over 100% excess fat, exceeded everyone’s expectations, and have more or less maintained. I lost 135 pounds in 9 months. Went from 267-132 (SW was 246). I’ve managed to maintain between 137-147 in the last 2 years after the free-fall dropped me down to 132. I was a hot mess at 132– BMI was right at 20% and people asked me all the time if I was sick. What I’m saying is the 10 pound “regain” is okay because I know that’s where my body needs to be. That being said, it’s still work. I still have to monitor what/how much I put in my mouth. Sometimes I tend to drink too much and I realize I’m using alcohol as a sub for food and then I stop and regroup. Sometimes I will find myself emotionally eating and have to stop and regroup. Sometimes I’m having a bad day or I’m on vacation and I just don’t give a damn. Afterwards I will stop and regroup. Only you (working with a therapist) can help deal with those habits, recognize them either during or after, then course correct. YOU do have all the power. Families can and will be toxic. If at all possible, have an exit strategy when it becomes too much. Have a go-to that doesn’t involve comforting with food and do that activity. Even if it’s as simple as putting on earbuds and listening to a guided medication. Even if you can’t physically exit the room. Also, I’m going to recommend that-for the short term at least-you’re going to have to let a certain amount of it roll off of you. You have decided a change is needed, but others aren’t compelled to go along with. In a perfect world, they would, but none of us got morbidly obese by living in a perfect world. I’m going to come out front and tell you that you WILL lose friends over this. There will be some relationships that WILL NOT be the same. They might end forever. You are about to embark on an amazing, difficult, rewarding, trying, and fantastic journey. It will be ugly at times. You will have highs and lows that will give you whiplash. You will not be the same person next year that you are this year. You MUST be prepared for all of this and be willing to embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s okay to vent. This is one of the safest spaces ever so vent away unapologetically. I’m trying my best to take my own advice because I’ve got plastics set up for May and my husband and my son are the only other two people on the planet who are aware I’m going to do this. I’m keeping it a secret from the rest of my family because of how many of them reacted when I had WLS. If any of them notices (somewhat doubtful as I can hide a LOT of skin under my clothes and nobody is going to see me naked) I will tell them after the fact - unapologetically and with a challenge in my tone. That challenge will remind them of how far and how successful I’ve become since I started this journey in early 2018. You’ve got this. We are here to help

As you have learned from dealing with your issues with alcoholism (Congratulations, by the way, for 10 years sober) you need to avoid triggers and you need counseling to deal with issues that cause you to not live life to your fullest or happiest (such as eating disorders, addictions, etc.) I wouldn't focus too much on putting a label on your food issues, whether it's Binge Eating Disorder or Food Addiction or just plain Morbid Obesity . . . it's clear you have an issue with food that you need to deal with. WLS is a tool that will help you lose the weight, yes. But the bigger battle is the mental battle. Get into some good counseling to talk about your food triggers and issues and good luck on your WLS journey.

I’m pretty sure every insurance company requires a psychological evaluation before you get approved for surgery. The purpose is to determine if you have any mental illness or conditions that will deter your progress after surgery. For example, they won’t approve anyone with bipolar disorder who has had a recent episode. Untreated alcoholism or eating disorders is also a red flag.

Just as one element of dealing with Alcoholism is avoiding triggering situations, the same can apply to at least some eating disorders, that you should avoid triggering situations. If you are triggered by this sites food talk you can get the same information from other places without the triggering food discussions. I stopped going to my Surgeon's support group because the talk was about how to cheat, or at least that's what I got out of it. So I stopped going. There is no law that says we have to allow ourselves to be triggered. Even if others think it's nonsense. Perhaps especially. Take care of you, do what you need to do. Good luck, Tek

I realized this site is a Trigger for me and i say this i mean everyone is talking about food it causes me to want food let me help you explain{ i am in recovery for alcoholism ( almost ten years this summer) never mind it's to complicated all i know is I'm having a hard time calling myself a "food addict" perhaps i am in denial , perhaps i need to have someone on here to help me better understand better this disorder , help me someone i cant keep living my life like this , one minute i think i might have this thing they call BED i can identify with alcoholism because i know for a fact i am for sure a drunk I'll be sober i am sober 10 years this summer ( June 30 ) anyway again i don't know if I'm a food addict but i know this site is triggering me to want food therefore does that mean i have BED because i have been triggered before and that was the result of having been diagnosed with PTSD so ( i know no one on here is an MD or maybe there is)) i know the feeling(s) that surface for me , i hoped this made " some sense " enough out of me. ☘️

Hi OP - There's no real evidence to suggest 'food addiction' exists*, but it's a highly American (especially) way of separating harmful behaviors from the self. Unfortunately, alcohol and narcotics are very different from food, and as such, it's it theorized understanding eating disorder as 'addiction' isn't helpful. You already got a lot of helpful answers in your previous threads about eating disorders (which certain do clinically exist), did you get a chance to reflect on whether that may be something to look into? *https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763414002140

I came to the conclusion that I am a food addict after reading several books These books also tell one how to deal with the addiction. Boiled down to the basics: one must avoid trigger foods just as an alcoholic must abstain from alcohol. The usual trigger foods are are sugar, flour. white potatoes, rice, and processed food. "Processed food" is anything in a bag or box in the center aisles of the supermarket. Shop the exterior aisles where one finds fresh produce, meats, poultry, dairy, and frozen vegetables. There is a withdrawal period that is uncomfortable, but after a couple of weeks the cravings for the trigger foods diminish. Unless one of the trigger foods is sitting right In front of me, I no longer have difficulty avoiding them. I have lost 93 lbs by cutting out these things, 70 lbs prior to RNy revision surgery and another 23 lbs to date post surgery, I recommend these books Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction by Vera Tarman Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction by Connie Stapleton Why Diets Fail (Because you're Addicted to Sugar) by Nicole Avena & John Talbott

I have Binge Eating Disorder which my surgery helped half way with. The other thing that helped was Rational Recovery, a book by Jack Trimpey. It's actually about alcohol but replace the word alcohol with food and you're there. It's an addiction.

Hi Everyone, So....it's been 7 months for us. I've lost 20 pounds. I was very depressed for a while because I wholeheartedly expected to lose more and more quickly. As long as I keep losing, it will be ok. Maybe it's good that's its been so slow. IDK So, get this, the new dr put me on Adipex. I told her that I had taken Adipex for my entire adult life (I'm 56). But she prescribed it anyway. She told me to eat every 3 to 4 hours. And she told me that I wasn't getting enough protein. I know that's true. Most days I don't even get half of what I'm supposed to have. I know this, I've had enough protein shakes and eggs to last a lifetime. Why aren't there scientists out there figuring out a way to make a protein patch or a capsule. LOL I did get some JRobb protein powder to add to soups and yogurts. I haven't tried it yet. I'm wearing clothes I haven't worn in a long time --and that's nice. I still have 16 pounds to go to reach my goal. The surgeon made it sound like I would lose all I would lose in year one. In other words, he doesn't see patients losing in year two very often. This leaves me 5 months to try to lose the 16. I'd like to know if any of you guys heard the same thing. Can I really expect NOT to lose after a year? Or possibly even gain back? On an unrelated note -- I've been reading about alcohol. I'm trying to cut back on that too, hoping maybe that will help with the weight loss. I've lost some hair. The new dr is super nice and she explained why we lose hair --that's why I've got to figure out a way to get the proteins in. I'm very happy for all of you who have lost really big amounts of weight. That's got to be life-changing. Congratulations. Baby sister had gastric bypass in Tijuana in October and has lost nearly 80 pounds.

I really appreciate it everyone. I do my best to ignore but some days it gets to me. I have a therapist so we talk about it as well. I've done 10 months now of counseling and will continue throughout the whole bariatric process. I told my family last night that I didn't want to deal with my problems the same way they do. They have issues with alcohol and my brother with both food and alcohol. They've refused to get help my whole life. It annoys me even more because I went out, got a psychiatrist, psychologist, dietician, surgery etc. And im still told you might fail, what makes this any different? Like look, I'm getting help...something they REFUSE to do for their problems. I REFUSE to be just like them. I really do appreciate the kind words of encouragement from everyone. I won't let their negativity stop me. I can't wait till I'm a year post op and they shut their traps. [emoji38] Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

So I met with surgeon today for last appointment prior to insurance submission. I asked all my questions and we had a good discussion. He said of all the complications the real “thorn in their side” was ulcers. Even as an entire practice rate of ulcers is about 15-20% lifetime. And lifetime use of PPI or at least 4-5 years dropping to the lesser Pepcid etc type drugs forever. I am astonished by this!!! Is this true? Is there a reason it’s so high? I mean my mother in law had open RNY about 25 years ago and is not a model patient. She eats ibuprofen etc like crazy, tons of soda and the like and never an ulcer. Any opinions, suggestions on diet or anything to prevent? I’m not a smoker or alcohol user now but even without that’s the rate. Or, like doc said it is a surgery that creates ulcers based on plumbing. This has me really second guessing even more

@la0525: 3.5 yrs out. Average 1800-2000 a day for maintenance. In weight loss phase i was doing much, much less. But once that was over, I upped my cals to the levels it is now (actually my avg calorie intake was higher 2000-2200 around year 2 cuz i was exercising lots) Regarding the issue number of calories, it’s actually quite easy to take in a high number of calories in the early months (or whenever, for that matter): just eat low-volume, high-cal foods. Like butter, oils, sugar, sauces/dressings, alcohol, fatty meat, cheese, nuts, etc. And of course candy, chips, etc. I mean i could/can eat more than one serving of chicharron/pork rinds (50g+) easily and that would be 500+ calories already. I think the best way to utilize the small stomachs for weight loss in the early months is to identify what foods fill you up and which ones are sliders, and eat accordingly. This will be different for everyone so it’ll be trial and error. Of course this is a simplistic directive as nutrition and individual food tolerances are important factors. There used to be a member on here that would share pics of the ridiculous amounts of food she would eat (in volume), but total calories were surprisingly low cuz she was very creative with her ingredients. So when you read about people who can’t eat any more than x calories and get discouraged because you can eat 3x calories, keep volume and calorie density in mind. Good Luck! ❤️ …and CONGRATS on ur anniversary and successful weight loss! The 80lbs loss SHOWS. You look great!