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Hi all, just back from a week long cruise. Left for the trip at day 26 post op and was pretty nervous about eating, flying, etc. Came back and gained .5 lbs but had a great time. I didn't expect to lose any weight on this trip and was pretty happy that I didn't have a big weight gain. I searched and searched for some advice about taking a cruise so soon after surgery and didn't find much so thought I'd share my experience for others about my trip on Carnival Cruse Lines. This is definitely not advice and don't recommend anyone does this but what I found: Buffet: Limited Breakfast selections that worked for me. Scrambled eggs, some luncheon meats, scoop of tuna from the deli, maybe a sausage link (only had them one day), milk. The yogurt they had was only 3 grams of Protein and loaded with sugar so avoided that. I did order a Guy's Hamburger and had a couple of bites of the burger with a fork and not too bad. There was some other stuff that looked edible for dinner but never ended up eating dinner at the buffet. Dining Room: There was usually a Soup every night but found most of the chilled Soups seemed to me to be very high in sugar so I avoided them unless there was no other option. Entries were limited to eat because of being carb/pata heavy or tougher meats. They always had flat Iron steak which was tender and I was able to eat so got that a few nights and most other nights got chicken or something like that. Got a tofu steak one night and it was bogus . Had to cover it with hot sauce to make it edible. Sorry tofu lovers... Only one night did they have a no sugar added desert that was something I was able to eat and it was a key lime mousse. Most the other nights, the no sugar added desert was cake or bread based. I usually couldn't fit desert anyway so didn't deal with it too much. Islands, Beaches: Most serve typical beach stuff. Burgers, fried foods, etc but there was usually something that you could order if you wanted. I'd usually get something simple like a club sandwich and just eat the meats. Had a fry here and there also. Alcohol: Talked my doc prior to cruising and although he did recommend being very careful with alcohol, he said it wouldn't damage my sleeve or anything like that. This is definitely not medical advice and just sharing my experience. So a couple of the days, on the beach and here and there, I had a pina colada's or daiquiri's and maybe a beer here and there. The first couple of beers I had, I would put my finger in the top and shake them a few times to let out the carbonation and to be honest, flat beer, even when cold wasn't that great. On our last beach day, someone bought me a Heineken and I didn't shake it up but drank it right from the bottle, carbonation and all and it went down okay, no pain or anything but waited a little bit before eating or drinking everything else. The buzz if definitely different.. About mid week, I went wild and had two Frozen banana daiquiris (with a dark rum floater) in about a half hour time span and got a good buzz but the buzz was gone within an hour at most. I really enjoyed the cruise but found that having some soft-ish Protein Bars were definitely beneficial for those times that I didn't want eat breakfast at the buffet or beach food. I enjoyed the cruise tremendously and found there was always something to eat but you definitely had to plan a bit due to buffet hours/selection and choices in the dining room. Keep in mind, I was just starting soft foods so had some limitations. With all that said, I'd do it again in a second.. m

Several individual on this site have reported the condition. It is officially called "reactive hypoglycemia". Here is a link to the condition and the recommended approaches to deal with it. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778 For the majority of people, reactive hypoglycemia usually doesn't require medical treatment. It may help to pay attention to the timing and composition of your meals: * Eat several small meals and Snacks throughout the day, no more than three hours apart during the waking hours. * Eat a well-balanced diet, including lean and nonmeat sources of Protein, and high-Fiber foods, including whole grains, fruit and vegetables. * Avoid or limit sugary foods, especially on an empty stomach. * Be sure to eat food if you're consuming alcohol and avoid using sugary soft drinks as mixers.

I've been getting tiny fills now and then over the last year. Four fills of 0.10, with my last one in August. I debated getting one in September but my NP and I decided together to try modifying my food plan and waiting to see those results. Well, I'm a stubborn old broad, and I resisted making serious changes right away. But here's what I did change over the last four months: I gave up alcohol completely in September. I gave up fried food in November. I gave up my weekly carby Thai overindulgence in December. Do I miss it? Hell yes. I gave up movie crapcorn completely in December. (Not movies though. I actually smuggled two pears into the movies a few days ago and got a little thrill out of that.) I began planning, committing, and tracking my food to my OA sponsor and using MyFitnessPal again two weeks ago. What happened? My band is talking to me again. I feel the stop signals very clearly now. I get the "enough" sensation on much smaller quantities. My dog is loving it because he gets the p rotein I can't finish. Bottom line is, I had to clean up my food for my band to be able to do its job right. I'm filled enough. I know that now. The band surgery alone enabled me to drop 2/3 of my excess weight without much behavior modification. Sure, I was eating less, and not eating between meals. But I was emotionally hanging on to my greasy, fried favorites and drinking with friends every weekend, not to mention socking away tubs of buttered crapcorn on a twice-weekly basis. And scratching my head as to why I stopped losing weight. Making the changes I made above was an incremental process. I wasn't ready to do it until I was ready to do it. I'm really glad that my band stayed consistent while I floundered around figuring this out. For whatever reason, I'm now motivated to get the rest of this weight off, and to follow the disciplined plan I have worked out with my OA sponsor. This may or may not help somebody else. But if you're chasing the elusive green zone, and wonder if you really need more fills or not, see if cleaning up your food for a few weeks first makes a difference. It did for me.

Ok the story gets better. The guy who propped me up on the dance floor called. I apologized for been such a drunk and he laughed it off, said we girls were just having a good time so I guess I wasn't as bad as I feared. Well except I don't really remember what he looks like or why I gave him my number! It really was fun and I don't feel guilty more like a warning. I don't process alcohol normally so if I have a few, well spaced out with food I am fine. ..if I don't follow my own rules... well, it gets crazy fast. I never drink alone or when I need to drive...safe and at least somewhat sane. .

I have moved from wine to beer and mixed drinks because wine hurts so much. UGH, @@monyLiza , I feel you. I only have 1 or 2 before I am done. I'm usually at home, so no fun stories, but alcohol does hit me hard. Glad you are safe, glad you had fun! No guilt should be had, but you now know what makes you uncomfortable so go forward with that. Personally I think your experiences were fun -- certainly nothing to fret about. I'm a ho like that.

I have never been a drinker, before my sleeve I would get drunk after 3-4 glasses of mix drinks. Last week we went out to our favorite club and got very tipsy after one full shot and two shots of half vodka with rockstar recovery. No hangover though! The worst was a swig I had of a Peach Moscato, OMFG.... Never again! Moscato was my favorite wine but now I felt like my stomach and esophagus was on FIRE! Not sure if it's because it's a different brand, different flavor or simply because my stomach just couldn't handle the alcohol with high sugar content that this type of wine has. I do know something though, no more sweet wine for me.

Did a holiday night on the town with a couple of girlfriends. I outweigh em both by at least 30#, but I got so hammered on the same amount they drank. We were safe and nothing bad happened but I feel awful today. Our uber driver sent us a text saying what a fun night HE had-ha. Apparently I told him all the gritty details of the burlesque show we saw and other adventures which he found entertaining. For some reason I let some guy talk me into dancing at the last place of the night. I remember making him promise to not let me fall down...gross, don't know why anyone would want to dance with me in that state. My friends said I looked pretty good, but it was very odd that I was wearing my friend's winter scarf out there dancing with a big tall guy who had a pretty good hold on me. Sheesh. Tequila may make your clothes off, but apparently gin makes me put more on. Anyway, trust me when I tell you that the sleeve changes the way your body handles alcohol. I did eat some dinner, but not enough because the drinks hit me hard. I changed my clothes into jammies when we got back to my friends house, I guess we danced more in the living room and I seemed "ok" but I don't have recall of things that happened after we closed the last dancehall. Good thing I am a sweet and happy drunk because I clearly was not in control of myself. I have no idea how people do this regularly.

I have cheated so many times its not even funny and I'm still losing weight and gaining muscle. I just got back from a cruise and I feel like I ate 24/7. I probably gained 5 lbs on the cruise but I'm not worried about it as I'll go to the gym and get back into my better habits once I'm home. The Sleeve is a tool. Use it and you will be fine. I actually indulged in alcohol on this past cruise. One drink and I'm drunk for a very short amount of time.. then sip some more... I guess smaller stomach = lighter weight drinker.

This was me, about 8 years ago? Surgery was 5 years ago. Diabetic, one heart attack. (for starters) You can see why. This is me, a few days ago (Christmas Eve) with my new Grandkids (twins) I will be 64 in 2 weeks. 100+ Lbs down, feel 1/2 my age.....little or no health issues. This is my favorite time of year...the parties started a few weeks ago. At least 3-4 that were work related, plus one my Wife gave for her employees and their families. Plus it seemed as though every hospital/clinic I went to for the past 2 weeks has had some sort of in-house luncheons, etc. Then there came Christmas eve, which is a big tradition for my family, then Christmas morning at my Daughters for a large brunch... Back to our house for our Christmas dinner that evening. Today we are off to my Brother-in-laws out of state for a full day... After this, comes New Years with dinners and full days of watching College football... I'm not so concerned about gaining weight, been here before since surgery and I know my Band and how to listen to it.....what I am concerned about is all the unhealthy things I would not normally eat, not to mention the huge spike in alcohol consumption. I do not believe in New Years resolutions, but come Jan. 2, I am going on a 14 day PaleoCleanse to rid my body of all these toxins.... Christmas comes but once a year....and with my new life that surgery has given me, I am enjoying it more now than ever....(I probably would not be here without it)

WOW! They asked about sexual abuse and alcoholism for yours? Mine was much more laid back. None of those questions were asked.

What diets have you tried? What do you expect from this surgery? What does a normal day of eating look like? Do you binge? Do you graze? Have you ever been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused? How much do you drink? Are any of the members of your immediate family alcoholic? Are you now or have you ever used illicit drugs? Do you now or have you ever smoked? Who in your family knows of your decision to pursue WLS? Who lives in your household?

I'm over a year and a half and I haven't tried a drink yet. Not because I'm scared of the side affects but because I hear of WLS patients turning into big drinkers. Socially we are out more and partying more so naturally we would have a drink or 4 before surgery. It's even more important to control that behavior and ask yourself, do I really need an alcoholic drink to bring on the new year? Not worth ruining your night or developing a bad habit. Take it easy and enjoy your healthier life. I'm glad you asked this question because I'm sure there are tons of people who wanted to. Enjoy your new year!!!

you can probably get some lists of food from your nutritionist to help you through the first stages and even later. Since you will be concentrating on Protein at first, you really shouldn't be eating anything with much sugar in it anyway. But, for example, later when you are trying to find a good Protein Bar - you really need to read the labels - they are not all created equally. Some have as many as 30 grams of sugar! My Nutritionist gave me several lists as I went through the different stages and even some recipes when I got cleared to eat 'regular' food. As you go through this website, you will see there are many discussions about food for the different stages and even some recipes. t would be a good idea for you to start looking at the nutrition labels on food to get an idea of what is good and what is not. Ask your NUT for some guidelines - I'm sure she has some. For example - just because something says 'diet' or 'low sugar' doesn't necessarily mean that it is good for us. Sometimes something 'diet' may not have sugar, but can contain dextrose or sugar alcohols.

It was a great experience. It was a little challenging just getting into a routine with meals. Breakfast and lunch were easy. I brought Protein drinks for when I first woke up. Then eggs and a little bacon or cottage cheese for breakfast. Lunch was some carved meat. Dinners were all at the buffet. Not drinking alcohol was not a problem at all. But I did find that getting all my Water in was a challenge Best advice I have, is when you go to the buffets, take a small plate. It is much easier to not take too much since I did not bring my scale. Next one is in 8 weeks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The alcohol content of it is very mild so I wouldn't worry about that. The fizziness might irritate your tummy so I would go slow with reintroducing it. You could also try letting it sit out before drinking although I don't know if it goes flat like soda does.

Last cruise I went on was in 2011. I was doing Atkins hardcore, but ate well during the cruise. Drank enough rum & beer to sink the ship. 7 days of this. I weighed in at my gym the day after I got home. I'd lost 5 lbs during the 7 day cruise. My secret was to avoid eating any carbs.....my only carbs came from the alcohol. Every morning......every single morning found me in the ships gym doing an hour of cardio and lifting weights. I was in BEAST mode and having a ball. Going on another in March-April.....obviously a post-sleeve cruise. Probably going to book it on the same ship since I know they have a great gym.

I was allowed alcohol at 3 months post-op, but advised to never drink carbonated beverages. That being said, I have had beer a couple of times and I know that there are several people on these forums who drink soda daily. You have to make some choices for yourself. Personally, carbonation scares me and I worry about how gassy and uncomfortable I might be if I tried to drink much of it. But you have to assess the potential risks verses rewards for yourself. Advise from your NUT and surgeon should be fully considered and understood, but ultimately, you are the one who has to live your life.

i used to drink kombucha pre op for probiotics not in a pill. i'm 5 months post sleeve today, and am eating a little fermented foods daily(sauerkraut, pickles). i am about to start making kefir. does anyone drink kombucha? it is VERY mildly alcoholic and effervescent. would that little bit of carbonation cause problems? i'm just trying to make some really smart/healthy choices.

Well I've been working out 6 to 7 days a week trying to build muscle. When I joined the new Gym, I also hired a personal trainer who I meet with usually 6 days a week, 1 hour a day. I also try to squeeze in 1 hour in addition to weight training. He has told me I'm not eating enough and I need to be eating around 3500 calories a day. My goal isn't just weight loss anymore, its getting muscle. I want a six pack and dang its taking a while to get there. Some days I have trouble getting in full meals. I also have bolthouse shakes to drink as they contain Protein and also have other stuff as well as a high calorie count. I'm extremely active. The last three days have been thrown off due to the vacation. We got to the airport at 4am, arrived in Florida at 2pm, up the next morning at six and today is our first normal day... so I'm going to try to get up at my usual 5am and hit the gym on the ship tomorrow. I'm just hoping I'm not getting used to eat too much. I guess its time to do the 5 day pouch reset when I get home. I will say that this is the first time I've really consumed alcohol since the surgery. I figured heck if I'm going to spend $62.00 a day for it, I'm going to try to get my money's worth lol. For the first time in my life, I'm able to go to the beach and I'm not ashamed... I'm not fat anymore and I have so much energy. I just don't want to get off track. I have found that it is hard to find healthy foods on the cruise ship. I'm terrified of getting norovirus... it would probably kill me lol.

I've had a beer or two on a few special occasions. I've found that in order to be able to drink it at all I need to pour it into a glass and let it foam up well. That releases enough carbonation that I can drink it. Otherwise a couple of sips and I hit a wall with the carbonation. To your point, though, alcohol of any variety is generally not recommended because it is empty calories and doesn't create fullness like food does. I used to drink a good amount of beer several times a week, now it is only maybe one or two on a very special occasion. I try to remind myself that I earned a lot of the fat I'm burning off by drinking beer; that seems to help.

I know that alcohol is a no no. I also know that I won't be able to have alcohol for awhile, but how many of you can drink beer. Also, I love champagne, anyone able to tolerate a glass or two.

I have watched people drink alcohol and sodas, eat fried food, go to McD's, you name it. So I do agree that many patients are going to stray. There are others though who do have problems and I think could use better education. Round and round we see the complaints: after care is just not there. That is because the $$$$ aren't there. I can see a lot of the education I got was boring. With all due respect, there are a number of ways to fix that. I know mine would never ask me: they didn't want EBM when I gave it to them. Considering their actions, I'd still say that I need to see more work on behalf of the surgeons' due to the $$$$ issue.

I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner and prescribe these meds to people daily. Although some people do gain weight on citalopram most do not. Escitalopram (Lexapro) is the newer "cleaner" version of citalopram (Celexa) and I see even fewer people gain weight on it. When they do research on these meds they have to document EVERY possible side effect. I believe that much of this is people that are very depressed lose weight and when they begin to take these meds they "gain" weight but really are just getting back to a normal weight. Brintellix is a good medication but is a newer one and much more expensive (and less well covered by insurances than citalopram). Also it work on serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, where citalopram works only on serotonin that is more implicated in anxiety (where the others are more implicated in depression and anxiety combined). The psych meds that are really bad for weight gain are the atypical anti-psychotics like Zyprexa, Seroquel, Risperidal, etc. These can be used for psychotic conditions and, more commonly, bipolar disorder. But not everyone gains weight on them. Anxiety meds that are worse for weight gain - paxil, remeron, sometimes prozac. In my opinion if you have uncontrolled anxiety you are more likely to "self -medicate" to feel better. That may be with food, alcohol, marijuana, other drugs (prescription or illicit), gambling, etc. Good luck!

@@Kindle, How did I miss this post earlier this month? Thank you for the update on your progress. I always enjoy your posts. I am sorry for your losses in your brother and best friend. Perhaps the pain will lessen in time? But kudos on your NSV in not turning to alcohol and food to deal with the pain. I hope 2016 will be a good year for you.

Wow, I have to hand it to so many of you. Since I was low BMI I was not required to do a pre-op diet really..I ate better, but I ate. And now at day three, I am seriously frustrated. I don't even know how to put it to words, I am actually upset with myself seeing how much I dependent I am on food for comfort, love, and a sense of peace in a strange way. I am use to stuffing myself every single day, I loved feeling stuffed...well, that's not entirely true. There is shame, hopelessness, and frustration in that act as well. But food was my choice of drugs. I am also a recovering alcoholic, so I know all about addiction. And I know, food was a drug to me. I've been co-dependent on people, places, things (men, for certain) and here I am without my normal coping strategies. I can't stuff my face; there is not a man in sight, and it's too demoralizing to think of some of my options; and I ain't gonna drink or use any mind altering substance, wow that feels like...wow, a hit in the head. I just been so dependent on men, food, or some mind altering substance to feel okay and cope with life, this is hard. I took a walk and tried to get my head straight. Reached out to a few friends but can't completely share since I have told virtually no one of my surgery. I feel like I am being a huge infant about it, but I just knew I had to talk about this with someone and tag..you are all it (God bless you). I need to get this off my chest. I am a little physically hungry, but more than that, I just wanna stuff my face. Order a huge pizza, Pasta, garlic bread, large pepsi..watch the debate tonight..gosh darn it, change isn't for the light-hearted. Tell me it gets better, this big old baby needs to be burped.