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@@Cape Crooner , your post above about feeling angry about not being able to socialize around alcohol in the past when dieting clarifies for me the reason for this thread and another thread you started about alcohol use. I'm not being snarky at all when I say I've had the impression you are generally grumpy about this alcohol topic. It's also obvious you keep coming back to it. I think I understand better now what's driving you on this topic. Thanks for sharing that insight about yourself. You've probably noticed from my comments that I drink, too. Wine and single malt scotch are my preferences. But since one (not two) drinks a day constitute social drinking for women, I endeavor to stick to one drink a night. When I don't hold the line on that I can start to feel entitled to having a scotch AND a glass of wine every night. Or two glasses of wine. And the wine pours go from 4 ounces to 6 ounces to 8 ounces. Sadly, I can't maintain my weight if I have two drinks a day every day. When anyone here comments about alcohol, they (like you) are coming at it from their perspective and their experiences. And if those differ from yours (or mine) it doesn't make them any more of a "troubled soul" than you or me. It only means they're not us. And that we're not them. Some people here are recovering alcoholics or are nervous about transfer addictions post-WLS. Or they're just trying not to drink their calories because they're still in the "honeymoon weight losing phase." I stopped drinking alcohol about 2.5 months prior to WLS and didn't drink until I was almost 6 months post-op. Looking back, that was the right decision for me, since it helped me navigate a calorie / macronutrients budget that let me maximize my nutrition while losing weight at a steady (albeit not fast) clip. I'm pretty sure that at our grown-up ages (I'm 70 years old) and given our respective long struggles with obesity and other life challenges that none of has had it easy. We're just trying to fight off the various monkeys on our backs while having as much fun as possible. Sometimes it's a real balancing act for me. Best wishes to you in figuring out how to do that, too.

Thanks @indieflickers. I'm still learning my way, but closely monitoring weight, food and (occasional) alcohol is part of the process. I'm 63, retired, 36 years married, and virtually all our social life involves some alcohol consumption. Prior to WLS, I'd drive my wife crazy by "just saying no" to invitations to socialize where food and alcohol would be preeminent. I think my forced abstinence built an inner anger. You know, "it's not fair that I can't go out on a Tuesday night, when my skinny friends have a beer at lunch." Now, with my tiny stomach, I can socialize more while eating/drinking far less (understand, I'm talking about once a week, rather that once a month.) I've been on this site for almost a year and have come to the conclusion that there are many troubled souls here. Well meaning "newbies" report observations, ask veterans if they've had similar experiences, or just make light hearted comments and people jump all over them like they're stupid, lying, or just born losers! Kinda sad, but after suffering though the way society treats obesity, it is totally understandable.

It’s winter time and still cold and gray. The big holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year are over, but some of us haven’t weaned ourselves from holiday sweets and alcohol that crept into our daily and weekly menus. And now Valentine’s Day chocolates are on the horizon, not to mention Super Bowl, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day parties. Whether you’re slogging through your pre-op diet or you're trying to maximize your post-op weight losses or you're at goal and trying to figure out maintenance or you're a long-time WLS veteran – how do you stop occasional treats or variations from your normal eating routine from turning into daily bad habits? Specifically, what are some victories you’ve had in cleaning up your eating act?

This is exactly why the lifetime commitment to changinging behaviors is so important for success. Patients need to be better informed about the long term realities of any WLS. Our lifestyle changes and eating habits are far more important than the physical changes of the surgery. Without the mental commitment the surgery itself is pointless. No one regains by staying on plan, excercising and making healthy food choices. I know if I regain any weight it is entirely my fault and a result of my behavior, not a "failed" sleeve. The OP is living proof of how this works. Once "back on track" again, she is losing weight, stretched sleeve and all. Congrats, BTW! Having WLS and grazing, overeating, or basically just consuming too many calories, is like a heart bypass patient continuing to eat poorly, smoke cigarettes and not excercise. Or a liver transplant recipient becoming an alcoholic. Their surgeries saved their lives but they are back killing themselves with their behaviors.

This is a very interesting and angry thread. I drink occasionally and greatly enjoy it. I do notice, however, that when I drink more than once or twice a week, my weight loss slows, even if I make sure that the alcohol doesn't put me over my calorie limit. I read an article recently that said that alcohol slows down your metabolism - basically because alcohol is empty calories, your body has to put everything else on hold to try and process the alcohol first, which slows down your overall metabolism. I don't know how scientifically accurate that is, but it seemed to make sense to me when I read it.

Woo hoo! Great job cathy! It's only 330 in the afternoon but I am in bed too. First day back to work, had to go into the office...hit the exhaustion wall about 130..... Why aren't I hungry? It's weird, I am making myself eat so I can heal. Lots kf Protein but no real drive to eat. NO alcohol for about 3 weeks, wonder if that contributes?

When you move onto more solid foods, maybe make meals that are healthy for both of you that you both can enjoy. Sit down and tell him that he could relate this to someone having an addiction who was trying to clean themselves up. He wouldn't smoke or drink alcohol in front of them (not saying he does) while they are recovering. Maybe he could see why eating fast food or fattening Snacks in front of you at this stage similarly? Trust me, it gets better. Congratulations on your surgery and weight loss so far! You made the right choice.

Have any of you cruised since being sleeved? I'll be having my surgery sometime in the next 6 weeks and I have a cruise already booked for July 4th weekend. This will be out 3rd cruise and on the past two I ate, and ate, and ate some more. I know this time will be different because I wont be able to. What was your experience like cruising without all the food? lol I know that sounds like it may be a really silly questions but it seemed like a lot of the fun that was had was based on either eating or drinking. And I don't think I'll be drinking because I've heard weird things about drinking alcohol after being sleeved and I've also heard a lot of people can't tolerate anything sweet. So, I'm just curios what other people have thought about cruising after being sleeved. Thanks!

3 months No No No I used to put away half a bottle of rum every weekend, pre-surgery. I drank dessert wine all the time, and fruity, sugary cocktails. These days, if I really want a liquor drink I'll have cranberry and vodka, but it only takes one. The only alcohol I drink regularly (2 glasses per week) is wine. Usually Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio. Sugar content is almost non existent, pretty low cal, and I don't overdo it. I also only drink Water, G2 (on long run days), or coffee with SF creamer otherwise. No soda or sweet tea or any of that crap.

For those of you who suspect that someone else (not you) could not possibly eat 1800 - 2000 calories a day and not gain weight, listen to this: I HAVE to eat that much not to lose anymore weight. I'm 70 years old, weigh 135 pounds and am eating my ass off! And although I do walk a lot and have a much more active lifestyle than I used to have, I am not a gym rat or a runner. I have a friend online who (like me) is a food measurer and tracker, a good cook, and scrupulously honest about what she tracks and eats. She gains weight if she eats over 1200 calories a day. She has to eat 800 calories/day or less to lose any weight at all. I don't know what these blatantly unfair metabolic differences are due to. But they are very real. (I have some theories about why the differences exist, but I'll save those for another day.) It sounds to me like @@CowgirlJane is one of those lucky people like me who can eat more than others and not gain weight. In your case, Jane, why don't you just trust the numbers you've been given and then for a few months track your food and see where you wind up? Ultimately, because of all our individual metabolic rate variances, that's what we each have to do anyway -- find out what works for us. And by the way, you don't have to guess or wonder what "big splurge days" are worth, calorically (or other ways). You can just log them and find out. I think my biggest splurge day since WLS was 3,500 calories. I know someone who's been post-op for about a year more than me, and she says her biggest splurge days have been 5,000 calories. Yikes! However, I know how to make that happen: Lots of sugary alcoholic drinks. Point is -- it's not mysterious. It's just about the data. But if you refuse to collect the data, you'll be living in the land of theory forever and won't ever be able to conduct any actual science about your own body.

Wow. Its been exactly one year, almost to the hour, that I had the sleeve surgery. Its been a very interesting year with lots of ups and a few downs. I posted about a week after surgery what the surgical experience was like. I'm not going to rehash that. Good Down over 80 pounds, BMI down to 23. Weight seems to have stabilized for last couple months. Although I never had high blood pressure nor took medication, it was higher than it should have been. I now pop out 115/75. Energy level is good. Very active. Knee/back pain is GONE or at least 95% of it Doesn't feel like I'm dieting. I still focus on Proteins, but my stomach's capacity is still 1/5 or less than what it was. I eat 3 "meals" and 2-3 Snacks per day. Cravings/desire for food greatly reduced. As a gauge of how much I can eat, I was traveling yesterday and ordered a 3 piece chicken strip and small fry from Chik-fil-a. I ate 2 pieces of chicken and 3 french fries. I was very full. Bad Definitely lost a lot of muscle. It partly makes sense as it takes less muscle to move less weight. But the last few months I've been working out putting muscle back on. Initial discomfort from surgery. Very distant memory now. Certain foods still cause issues - bread/pasta are two prime examples. My ass definitely hurts when sitting. Planes are terrible. Loose skin - definitely some saggy skin. Lightheadedness - Have this pretty regularly when getting up. Have actually passed out 3 times. Mostly when dehydrated or had any alcohol. Hot tub also does it to me. Have to keep a close eye on it and sit back down quickly if necessary. Social awkwardness - people don't understand why I eat so little and it has offended a few people. It is hard in a social food setting to not stand out. Ugly Foamies/vomit - I have had foamies 5 or 6 times and thrown up 3 times. Definitely not pleasant and just have to eat slowly and watch for signals to stop. That overfull feeling is terrible. Again certain foods like bread/pasta cause issues. Bariatric Vitamins - disgusting. I switched after about a month to a multi-Vitamin that had all the same stuff. These things made me gag. Sugar/alcohol - has a greatly increased effect. I can eat a kids size ice cream serving, otherwise get terrible sugar rush. Alcohol - same thing. Effect greatly amplified. One glass of wine and I am really tipsy. Overall I still feel it was a great decision. I had battled weight issues since a kid and had never been successful getting anywhere close to where I am, much less keeping the weight off. I think if I was in the same position today that I was a year ago, I would try the balloon first. I went with Dr Heider in Charlotte and was very pleased. The self-pay through them was very straightforward and covered everything.

I just did my psych eval. The psychologist asked about my weight history, my support system, what I do when I'm stressed, and my relationship with alcohol, drugs, coffee, tea, and soda. She also warned me about depression after surgery, why people get it, and how to deal with it. She seemed primarily interested in making sure that I know what to expect mentally after surgery and how to deal with it. I had to fill out two questionnaires also, and those will be evaluated later, and the results added to my file. The longest questionnaire (175 questions) seemed to be looking for signs of a variety of major mental issues. The second questionnaire was focused on depression only and was perhaps 30 questions. Overall, it was a very good experience and quite informative.

as far as alcohol goes...I stay away from drinks with high calorie additives and also anything carbonated. So..it's mostly wine I drink. I do so sparingly for the most part and this works for me...but I didn't really start drinking wine till I was around six months or so post WLS.

How did I become obese? Mass quantities of food and alcohol...... 12" sub with 2 bags of chips and large soda, 1/3 pound burger with a plate of fries followed by a piece of cake, lots of vodka, whiskey, rum and beer (my liquor store bill often exceeded my grocery bill), a pint of Ben and Jerry's, a whole Tombstone pizza, A tube of Nestles premade cookie dough. Basically I didn't have that chemical trigger that told me to stop eating because I never ever got full.

Thanks Dub! You gave me a giggle this morning. I waited until the kids were sleeping and talked to him about it. I told him right now I'm like a crack head trying to kick it, and he filled the house with crack. He feels like scum for it now, and sadly he kinda should. It's like he's drinking a huge beer in front of an alcoholic when he cooks and eats what he does. I know it's going to always be around, food in huge quantities is kinda like the American way. I'm hoping it will be a little easier when I'm A off the liquid diet and B sleeved. My surgery is on Tuesday. Feb 2nd his nookie days are numbered! Ha ha ha ha

For a long time, I avoided all complex carbs and sugar, which included alcohol. I am not a big drinker, so it was not a big deal for me not to have any. Technically you can have anything you want :-). Being mindful of the calories is important though, especially if you like to snack while drinking or like to drink a bottle of wine instead of a glass. I may have been overly cautious, but during my pre-surgery seminars, one of the nurses made a big deal about the fact that many people don't lose weight because they drink their calories. She told a story about a patient who was upset that she was not losing weight, but she refused to give up her multiple sugary coffees. I found little ways to reward myself, but I am now way more conscious about ingredients, Protein levels and carb levels than I ever was.

During the "honeymoon stage" it was easy. Didn't matter what I ate I would lose. All of that ended in December 2015. My body has suddenly become very resistant to losing. Had to re- think my lifestyle as my "little bites" of the foods I used to eat started creeping back into my life. That along with having a couple of drinks a day ( which also includes snacking) was stalling me big time. I'm back on track, stopped the alcohol, the drinking with meals and have limited the carbs. That along with no snacking between meals and exercise is doing the trick. So easy for bad habits to resurface!!!

I have a very obese father who raised me on his own and never taught me about portion sizes and healthy meals. I'm a fat kid turned fat adult. Then I finally started working out and eating healthy and I discovered alcohol. I gained about 70 lbs over the course of 2 years because I was going out 2-3 times a week. I started working out again, got down to 198 lbs from 255 and then I got dumped and I ate everything I could get my hands on and barely left my house. Ballooned back up to 267 pretty quickly. I've had two drinks since October, which is a HUGE deal for me. Those were post-surgery and I felt immediately sick so I have no desire to drink at all. I've also learned how to control my emotional eating and have been sticking to a super low carb diet. For once I feel like I can actually beat this obesity thing.

I'm 11 months (and three days) post op... I'm down 217 pounds (98.5kg) and have been thereabouts for weeks... Admittedly, I've not watched my intake and I've had MANY alcoholic beverages recently, so I'm certainly not complaining.. My aim is to hit 220lb (100kg) lost by my anniversary... That'll leave me at around 70% to goal* of 320lb lost by Christmas this year... *I don't actually have a number as a goal. I have a "feeling". The day I wake up and feel right is the day I'll reach my goal.

Yes, that's what I was told at the very first interview I had with my WLS clinic. They go over the no caffeine/tobacco/no alcohol issue at every appt and each nut-class. I've had several people tell me they drink coffee anyway, some use half caf.

@@JustWatchMe your right life does not cooperate. Even though I do all I can to stay away from stress it finds me. Today, I took some time to let the heart monitor wind down so I could remove it and take a nice hot shower and try to get those sticky rings from the probe pads off my skin. (yeah good luck...it's still sticky even after olive oil, alcohol and a scrub brush in the shower) As I was just about ready to leave and head into the office and drop the monitor off at the Dr. that is closer to work than home, I get a message from sister in law asking me what I did with my old mattress when I got a new one 4 years ago?! Did she think I put it in the attic to save it for some reason?! It was long gone when they came to deliver my new one. So I gather my father is complaining about them buying furnature for the apartment we are securing for him. OK I get it...but I said to my self this is not for me to worry about. Move on and do you...take care of yourself and get to work and take care of things you need to take care of. Yeah well of course I can't just leave it at that, I had to reach out to some people and ask them if they still had stuff in storage they might want to sell. Of course the last time I had heard about them having stuff in storage was December and life moves on...and they no longer have that stuff in storage but gave it away. Well low and behold, a few texts to a few people later and most of the people that took the items were not using them and only storing them so they were happy to give them to me for my father's apartment. In about half an hour I had the whole living room and bedroom ready to go. Really I don't know how the kids text so much my thumbs hurt. Now my brother needs to go and get the stuff....will that be an additional source of stress...? Oh boy I hope not!!! I can't do it for them, I could ask my boys to help but they work and only around on Sat. of course my brother has 2 parties to go to on Sat. REALLY? Grrrrr well I did my part....can I be off the hook? Cause physically right now I can't do more than drive the truck and broker the time and place for pick up. I really need a nap!

I found experimentation to be the best thing. An egg mixes well with tuna and makes a nice patty with a little olive oil. Sprinkle some salt on it and u have a crispy tuna patty - tons of protein too. Maybe some crab meat? Shrimp sautéed in a little butter and seasoned well? Salmon patties? Chicken salad? It's not the meat that won't sit well, it's the DRY meat. Add some moisture with butter, gravy, etc. make it more medium than well done. The point behind no corn or enriched flower the first couple months in the more successful programs is because our bodies NEED protein and theirs ZERO need for enriched flour and corn. Some of these programs around are nothing more than herding fat people thru a turnstile and knowing they will be back for revisions. Do some research. Don't eat enriched flour or corn. Don't drink alcohol, etc etc. Make smart decisions.

Doctor said 3 months out was fine for alcohol. But occasionally of course.

I wasn't a big drinker before surgery. I really have no desire to drink. I am nine months post op and have not drunk any alcohol since before surgery. Will I drink in the future? Maybe. If so, it will be once in a blue moon and very little. Alcohol is just not a priority for me.

Why would it bring out the worst in people? It's an honest question plus we are all adults here. I don't see how this will pose a problem. I'm an occasional alcohol drinker and just want to know people's experiences.