Search the Community

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.

That's funny, so does drinking alcohol.

@@pamelardz91 I know you are probably just curious & looking for information, and not necessarily a sh!t stirrer, but this is one topic that tends to blow up quickly & BADLY!! If you are really interested in the responses, do a search for "alcohol" and read the answers under previous threads. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, or discourage you from asking questions, but this is one topic that seems to bring out the worst in some people. Best of luck!

3 months after surgery. The first drink burned like hell but every drink after that was fine. However, alcohol effects you differently after surgery. Some lose tolerance. Some gain it. For me, I gained too much tolerance. Before surgery just one drink would cause me to flush and be hot and buzzed. Now I can drink multiple drinks and not feel a thing.

When did you first have it after surgery? What do you drink? How often? Or did you give it up completely?

How long did you abstain pre-opt? I quit 6 weeks before surgery and I'm glad I did. Not only did it help me lose 30 lbs per-opt and accelerate obtaining my goal, but each week I abstained, the easier it got. By the time on went on a liquid diet, alcohol was the least of my fond memories.

I was sleeved on Aug 4th 2015. I've been losing my hair pretty regularly and noticeably for about a month now. I take biotin and use Bosley hair products. My diet is very varied.....I drink coffee and have alcohol fairly regularly. I drink a green smoothie with Unjury protein powder everyday and really just eat when I'm hungry. I'm down about 100lbs, roughly 65lbs since surgery.I had some very serious difficulties about 3 weeks after my surgery when I developed pancreatitis...worst 2 weeks of my life...hands down. But I made it through. In one way, I feel like I'm back to "normal living" for lack of a better word. I have my cravings....I'm a carb queen....but when I have those cravings, I'm able to have a couple bites and be satisfied. I don't overdo it and I eat very slowly...which helps. I'm starting my lifestyle classes this wednesday.....I'm guessing it'll be mostly about nutrition, but I'm not sure. I think I'm averaging about a 2-3lb a week weight loss. My only real exercise is walking at the moment.

Why food Addiction Is Deadlier Than Drinking By John Kiernan 06/23/11 Overeating is often seen as a trifling addiction to addicts. Our writer—who's both a food addict and an alcoholic—begs to differ. Too much food and too much booze are both dangerous—but which is worse? At the end of an AA meeting recently, I mentioned to a friend that I had to go speak at a meeting for compulsive overeaters. He looked at me quizzically and said, “But you’re not fat.” To which I replied, “Yes, and you’re in AA and you’re not drunk.” I’m intrigued by the lack of understanding from people within the recovery community towards addictions they don’t have. And I’m not talking about newcomers but about people with 20 or more years in one program or another. Then again, when I think about a compulsion I don’t share—compulsive gambling, for example—the initial thought that pops in my head is “Why don’t they just not do that?” Of course the answer is simple: “It’s an addiction, stupid.” I seem to remember any number of people suggesting I should stop drinking long before I did—usually people standing over me while I was flat on my back on the floor. After 30 years in various programs, I know that addiction can take many forms. The question of which addiction is more severe can lead to engaging debates. And we all know the answer: Our addiction is the worst and yours is not so bad. From the subjective view of our own experience, it’s true. When I tell people I believe food addiction is harder to grapple with than many chemical addictions, their response tends to be less than respectful. “Food? Puh-leeze! So what happens, they find you in the gutter with a bag of Twinkies? Do they send you off to the Betty Crocker Clinic?” The question of which addiction is more severe can lead to engaging debates. And we all know the answer: Our addiction is the worst and yours is not so bad. I’ve found food addiction to be something of a punch line in other programs. And yet I’ve buried two sponsees in my food program and none in AA. There are dozens of people with food addictions I’ve known that didn’t make it. One of the most poignant situations was an absolutely brilliant guy I knew who weighed over 600 pounds; he died in a fire because he was too big to get out. Research has proven that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Studies have shown that about 20% of anorexics will die prematurely due to complications of their disease, including heart problems and suicide. Obesity is associated with a myriad of chronic health conditions—including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A person who is moderately obese can expect their lives to be shortened by about five years. Recovery from food addiction is, in my opinion, a more challenging road. I am not diminishing the recovery process from alcohol and drugs—it took me a few years to get sober myself. Once I had some sober time under my belt and continued my recovery by working the steps, the day-to-day urges to drink diminished—as I think they do for many with chemical addictions. Also, being forewarned about the dangers, I removed myself from drinking environments and avoided “slippery” places until my sobriety became stronger. But, there’s no getting away from food. Think what it would be like if sobriety involved having three drinks a day—no more, no less. How long would that sobriety last? People who are addicted to food talk about having to “take the tiger out of the cage for a walk three times a day.” Food is much more integrally involved in our psychological make up. It represents mother, love, nurture, reward, and comfort, among many other things. Food is part of our celebrations and traditions and so much of what makes us human. When asked what substance he was first addicted to, Eric Clapton answered “sugar.” Most addicts have at least a decade or two of life before they begin using heavily but food addicts are introduced to their substance as infants. Food is also much more socially acceptable. It is omnipresent in every office and every social gathering. It’s also very easy to want to minimize. After all, there are many people who can over-indulge in food, gain some weight, then go on a diet and take it off again. The great delusion of food addicts is that they can do this as well. There is another quirk to 12-step recovery when it comes to food. Society has mostly come to see the 12-step method as the most effective for recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. Most recovery programs have adapted the 12 steps into their programs in some manner. There certainly aren’t a lot of groups out there who have been successful at convincing alcoholics that they can drink safely again. If there were, my guess is every one of us would have given all of them a shot before making it to AA. Now imagine that there are hundreds, even thousands, of such alternatives. That’s part of the problem compulsive eaters face. The plethora of “easier, softer ways” that constantly bombard the active compulsive eater is staggering. There is a billion dollar business out there trying to convince compulsive eaters that they can have their cake and eat it too. This extra “competition” contributes to another difference between food programs like OA and chemical addiction programs like AA and NA. People don’t tend to show up to “audit” AA or NA meetings. By the time you’ve decided to dabble in AA, you’ve probably needed it for a long time. But people do dabble in programs like OA. For some of them, it’s another step between commercial weight loss groups and gastric surgery. This means that the eating groups have a far higher rate of “turnover” than other 12-step programs. Another factor with food addiction is how it is often inextricably linked to one’s sexuality.A number of food addicts were either molested or received other types of inappropriate sexual advances as children. As a result, while one part of the food addict desperately wants to lose weight and be “normal,” another part is terrified of becoming thin and attractive. This is one cause of recidivism in many young women—the attention becomes overwhelming and they turn back to the food. The weight doesn’t go instantly from 250 to 600. It moves from 250 to 275, then 275 to 300, and onward—slow enough to allow the mind games to adjust. We food addicts continually learn to accept that which was previously unacceptable. The main issue, however, that makes food addiction harder has to do with how it delivers its pain. At some point in most alcohol and drug addicts’ lives, some critical incident—or series of incidents—happens to cause them to hit a bottom. While this is usually acutely painful, it is the stimulus to get the addict to open his eyes and ask, “What the hell am I doing?” That’s the first step to recovery. Food’s pain is not acute—it is a dull, chronic pain. It allows food addicts (especially the smart ones) to continually keep moving the goalposts. One of my deceased sponsees had a genius-level mind. Had I been able to go back in time to his college years and tell him that someday he’d be 600 pounds, he would have laughed me out of the room. But the weight doesn’t go instantly from 250 to 600. It moves from 250 to 275, then 275 to 300, and onward—slow enough to allow the mind games to adjust. We food addicts continually learn to accept that which was previously unacceptable. Compulsive eating is a slow, chronic pain that makes the sufferer realize that they should do something about their problem, but it doesn't cause them enough pain to make them *willing* to actually do so. Another interesting wrinkle is that the addiction to compulsive overeating can take different forms and each of these forms may need a different approach. Some food focused 12-step programs (such as FAA or CEA-HOW) are very structured, attempting to equate the addictive nature of food with the addictive nature of alcohol. They have a structured and clearly defined approach to abstinence (the food equivalent of sobriety). Other groups (such as OA), which focus more on the process of compulsive overeating, encourage the individual to define their own abstinence. The downside of a more flexible program such as OA is that it’s up to the addict and their sponsor to determine which foods and behaviors cause them problems and which ones do not. While this is good in theory, if the addict does not have a good sponsor or is not honest about their addiction, it is like giving the inmates the keys to the asylum. As a good friend says, “You can’t fix a broken brain with a broken brain.” One of the other problems that sometimes occurs in more flexible programs like OA—even among people working a strong program—is the slow, insidious creeping back toward overeating. It’s not like people in AA don’t have slips—they do. But at least they know they are doing it. It’s easy, however, for someone in OA to have a slip and not know it until they are knee deep in it. Finally, for many addicts, food is “the last house on the block.” Often people with addictions find alternatives when they get recovery from their primary addiction. Food often becomes the “go to” substance for such a switch (the AA Big Book even suggests that newly sober alcoholics who are struggling should turn to chocolate). I think that for some, the idea of having to admit that food is yet another addiction becomes quite threatening. If they start examining their own behavior around food, they might be forced to then have to put down that “last drug.” The one thing I have to keep telling these “crossovers” is that the credits don’t transfer. It’s very difficult for people who might be circuit speakers in one program to hear that they need to sit down and become a newcomer again. In the end, trying to compare which addiction is worse is absurd. There are too many variables that make all such comparisons an apples versus oranges debate. I just hope that food addiction won’t continue to be a punch line. John Kiernan was born and raised in the New York City area and now lives in Los Angeles. His book, Recovering From the Food Relapse Cycle, is available on Amazon. John's website is foodrelapse.com. Please read our comment policy. - The Fix TAGS: AA OA Overeaters Anonymous food addiction. alcoholism dru g addiction John Kiernan Features John Kiernan

Obviously: Drink alcohol, lose weight.

Interesting! Would be interesting to see if it holds true for bariatric patients because we metabolize things differently, but interesting. Did they control for calorie intake variables? (I.e.--were the calorie counts consistent between groups and did that total include the alcohol calories). It's hard to read on my phone so maybe you know offhand. I will try and read on my real computer tomorrow.

You look amazing! Great job! I'm sorry you have gotten these comments. Just ignore all those people. Laugh it off. It isn't worth giving it the brain space (or heart space) to even think about. I think people just don't know what to say. I saw someone recently who I hadn't seen in over a year (a boss from out of town who then subsequently laid me off a few weeks later) and at over 100 pounds down, I expected him to say something but NOPE. Not a word. Perhaps he thought it rude. Mostly it was like a strange elephant in the room (especially since I met him for drinks but only would order Water and not alcohol). I am not sure what I would have wanted him to say. Perhaps a "Wow you look great!" would suffice. What I also notice is that the younger men find it acceptable to say something but older men have likely been taught it is rude to say something about a women's weight. I have an interview tomorrow at a place I worked for 14 years (and then left 8 years ago). I have seen a couple of people in that space of time and even a couple of them since surgery, but not most. It will be interesting to hear what they say. I am bracing myself to just smile and say "Thanks!". One of the people had sleeve surgery a few months before my RNY. I have seen her a couple of times and unfortunately other than the first 30 pounds right off the bat, she has given up and gone back to her old lifestyle. I know seeing me will make her uncomfortable and I hate that but I can't change it. I can just be encouraging if she asks (and only if she asks how I am doing so well) and tell her what everyone here says - get back to the basics. Keep up the great work! Enjoy the new body and new health!

Here is a link to the major study: "Among men, alcohol had only a slight effect on weight in either survey. However, among women, alcohol was associated with a substantial reduction in weight, which was as large as the effect of smoking. Compared with nondrinkers, women who consumed alcohol 7-13 times per week had the greatest reduction in weight: -3.6 kg (95% confidence limits [CL] = -5.6, -1.5 kg) in HANESII and -3.2 kg (95% CL = -4.9, -1.5 kg) in BRFS" http://www.ajph.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=3498373

Hopefully, we can continue this discussion, stick to the subject, hear from people who had wls and drink alcohol responsibly - without any judgmental bullying. I found this link on one of my other discussions that supports what I'm observing. Essentially, it says that MODERATE alcohol (1-2 low calorie drinks) actually speeds up our metabolism and contributes to weight loss. I know it's in Wikipedia, but the references all look legit... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_weight

I'm 6 months out from surgery but I am going give you some honest answers about where I am right now. I drink sooner than an hour after food. One reason is usually for me my food has emptied my stomach, for the most part what I eat doesn't sit in my stomach very long unless I have beef. I also eat my portions and not more, and I am not hungry. Yes you should wait an hour, but that won't always be the case, it definitely doesn't matter if you only had liquid for dinner. I don't go nuts chewing my food. I mostly eat things that are pretty soft anyway so it isn't necessary. The only time I have to make sure I really chew is if I have beef. I can almost guzzle water now. I can't chug 16 ounces at a time like I used to in one breathe, but after you have healed more at 3-4 months you can take bigger gulps closer together. I have no issue with drinking maybe 4 ounces in 30-60 seconds. It depends on the temp though. There is other alcohol in life besides beer. TLDR, the things that I thought were going to annoy me the most, chewing and drinking, at 6 months at a huge issue. I imagine at a year it won't even matter.

Nerves are totally normal! You're life is about to change if you go through with it - that's what you want, isn't it? I'm a year an a half out, and I can tell you my life is "normal". True, I don't drink with my meal. Whoopee But I've no issues drinking Water whenever I want otherwise. As far as beer or alcohol, you're going to get different opinions on that. I will occasionally have a drink - but one will do it. And it hits fast. But I'm not a kid any more and not out to par-tay. I've also had to address my food issues. Had to grow up and face them some time. I guess my 50's was it! I have my health and my life back. Wish I could have done this decades ago. Remember, it's just a tool. The success, it's ultimately up to you. But I bet you all ready knew that Best of luck with your decision. There's always a seat for you on the losers bench :-)

Totally. That was a rebound relationship for sure and a hard learning experience. I was with my kids dad for 7 years and I never even looked at another guy. He was bad to me but I truly loved him. I tried so hard to make it work with him. It was a really tough decision to leave but I had no choice. After that I was alone 6 months. When I started dating again it felt sooooo good to be able to love someone again and be loved... But I was SO on the rebound. I wasn't looking out for red flags and I fell in love super easily with that guy the alcoholic. He was really funny, for one, which is a weakness of mine. I was vulnerable and high on the feeling of affection. Anyway that was a rough relationship too and now that I'm past it, I'm in a much better place. I'm looking for someone who is really worth it on multiple levels. My priorities are my kids and my career. If I'm going to invest time in someone they have to be the right fit and be able to contribute to my life, not take away. Dating is fun but I do want a boyfriend. I prefer to be intimate and close to someone. I want to be with someone who knows about my food issues and is supportive. But I'm not even going to settle this time. I'm happy to walk away from red flags. So yeah. I've learned something this year!! The right one will come along. )

I think after getting the band I have turned into a alcoholic... Waiting for sleeve approval and nervous about the fact I can't drink but I wanna stop or cut back Forsure! I been miserable with my band and gave up on it years ago... Slipped,leaking,port flipped... I can't wait to feel "normal"

I'm a little over 4 months post surgery, so I'm back on regular foods. Breakfast is usually a small omelet with egg beaters and some 2% shredded cheese. lunch is either a chicken breast with a few steamed vegetables or maybe another Protein based entree. dinner varies but can be another serving of lean protein with some vegetables, small chicken/cheese quesadilla, lean cuisine or maybe some Soup. If I'm in a rush a meal may be as simple as a piece of string cheese and some raw almonds. I've also found that some of the Lunchables make a good quick meal as long as you go with the ones with higher protein content. i add a Protein Bar or shake every day, and have tried to eliminate most all breads and starches from my diet, focusing on lean protein and vegetables. I will occasionally have part of a sandwich or a tortilla but it is not a daily occurrence. My target right now is to stay under 1,000 calories per day which is pretty easy to do as long as I stay away from any sort of Snacks or slider foods. I try to keep my protein intake at 80 grams or more per day. This is usually plenty of calories and unless I have some type of head hunger issue I don't find myself hungry. As far as liquids I have a couple cups of coffee each day. I've eliminated all carbonated drinks and usually drink Water with some occasional iced tea. At home to switch things up I'll have some Crystal Light. The biggest change here is seriously reducing alcohol intake. Before surgery I was a social drinker having beer a couple days a week. I've had alcohol a handful of times post surgery and found that once I got out of the habit I didn't miss it very much. If the setting is right I will have a cocktail or beer once in a great while but it has gone from a regular part of my routine to a special occasion item. If I do have a beer I need to pour it into a glass and let all of the carbonation escape before enjoying it. Generally not worth the hassle. MyFitnessPal is a great app and website for tracking calorie intake which I have found is the key to managing a successful eating routine. I've looked at various different options and it seems to have the most extensive menu of food choices. Whatever you choose to eat, someone has most always already created an entry for it. I also travel a lot and have found that eating in restaurants is still a little challenging. I can usually find a menu choice that works out okay, knowing I will only eat part of it. For a while I tried ordering off the appetizer menu because the portions are smaller but appetizer items tend to be high fat selections that are lower in protein, so I decided that it was ultimately better to order a good protein item from the regular menu and just leave some of it behind. For air travel I always pack a protein bar in my carryon bag, and if I'm traveling over a meal period will add a Lunchables or a string cheese and some almonds for the meal in the air. Good luck in your journey!

I second what you are saying here!!! too suffer from binge eating disorder, as well as alcoholism. I'm scheduled to be sleeved in February. I went through intensive outpatient therapy later last year as I got closer to being cleared for surgery for exactly this reason. Dysfunctional eating will not be cured by getting this surgery. You need help. You've been given a physical tool, but you haven't been given the mental tools and resources to learn how to cope with the urges and the emotional eating that you have used in your life. I just want you to know you are not alone. This is not your fault. You sound like you're beating yourself up. This is a genuine disorder. You need help. What's great is once you get the emotional support you need, you have a fantastic tool in hand, or in abdomen ????, to help carry you through to your physical goals. I wish you all the luck. I don't know where you're located but if you look for eating disorder programs there are a few around the country. Best of luck. You aren't alone. And this isn't your fault.

sorry nothing "releases weight. I do notice you seem to post a lot about alcohol. Can i ask why you drink so much?

Well, if you look at my posts, you'll find a couple of heated discussions about alcohol. I have been a confirmed social drinker and disciplined low carb dieter for 40 years. I never drank during the week and generally followed low carb diet guidelines. I gained 75 pounds very slowly over 40 years by eating too much low carb food (nuts, cheese, dark chocolate) when I drank alcohol. I entered this journey knowing that I'd have to abstain from alcohol for an extended period of time. My program guide said 6 months, but in further discussion, it became clear that this was just a typical guideline - "your mileage may vary!" There are three issues to consider. 1. Damaging your surgery: The biggie here is creating a fertile condition for ulcers. Discussing this with the surgical team, I learned that the surgery effectively heals at 6 weeks and if you google around, you'll find some surgeons who recommend 6 weeks as the earliest green light. If you have ever had any kind of acid reflux, you should proceed with caution. I did have a glass of wine at 6 weeks with the extra protection of an extra antacid pill and plenty of Water and food before and after. 2. Your Liver: The kind of rapid weight loss we see through WLS puts a stress on your liver; as does alcohol. One surgeon mentioned this in the context of waiting until you're near goal to restart drinking. I was about 75% toward goal before imbibing and have continued to limited my daily and weekly intake. 3. Your Weight Loss: I have found that the top rated programs have the longest abstinence waiting period. I think this is for our own good, because alcohol is generally a empty calorie and many drinks have lots of carbs. In addition, alcohol can increase hunger, which makes it tougher to stay on track. I continue to log calories on days when I drink - including the alcohol. One doctor told me 300 liquid calories won't hurt my Weightloss, but potato chips, candy, and ice cream munchies will. My program closely tracks patient weight loss for life and uses our data to promote their effectiveness. If none of us every drink again, they're numbers would likely look better. I am about 4 months out and I've added 10 ounces of alcohol to my weekly 9,000 calorie diet since Christmas. To my surprise, it has not reduced my weight loss one iota. Now the biggie for you is RNY. I had the sleeve and in my orientation at Newton Wellesley, one of the top surgeons in the country (Sheila Partridge) recommended the sleeve for social drinkers and/or people who needed to take NSAID'S. She suggested that RNY patients should abstain from both! That said, I have heard from plenty of RNY patients on this forum who do drink. That's all I know...

Thanks everyone. Your responses are greatly appreciated. I should probably say that I'm afraid of these questions because I'm afraid of being denied! I have heard of folks "failing" their psych evaluations for various reasons including the possibility of crossover addictions and alcoholism. I feel like this is my last best chance to get this done. My work insurance won't cover so I bought an exchange plan and want to get this all approved as quickly as possible.

Have issues with my BP too. It will likely get better after the surgery. I am almost 3 months post surgery. I feel amazing. Currently 104kg from 126kg pre surgery. It is the best decision I ever made. For my health, family and may be vanity. I played football with my 4yo he had to tell me "mum it's okay - lets go in"! I wouldn't even dare before then. I feel like I can conquer the world. Don't find exercising as exerting as before and hoping to get better. Let me raise a glass and toast to a new you. Cus that's what the surgery will do! I guess the only downside for me is I can't drink as much alcohol. I feel tipsy really fast. So..... But that too is a small price to pay. Good luck.

My Bari program has a two week pre-op diet with 5 protein shakes a day with a list of soft protein foods you may have 6 servings of per day. If you have a bypass your hospital stay is 3 days. They advise against any nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine use before or after your surgery. They believe this is the healthiest way to be after your surgery.