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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.

I had a relatively low BMI (36-38) and it took me 30 years to gain the extra 60 pounds that were killing me. Quite frankly, every time I researched WLS, I either didn't qualify or I couldn't justify all the internal organ rearrangement. I live 6 months a year on one coast and 6 in the the other, so the band was a logistical no-go. I heard about the sleeve from Howie Carr, a Boston talk show host. He was my age, 44 inch waist, etc. He had a sleeve in January and was down 85 pounds by June. That was enough to get me to an orientation. I went to the same hospital and got the same surgeon Howie had. They don't do bands, but they do the other three. The sleeve was my first choice and the more I learned, the more it seemed right FOR ME. They said no NSAID'S after RNY. I have pretty bad arthritis and I need my Advil. They also said no alcohol for life with RNY because the pouch isn't as tough as the remaining stomach sleevers have. I have learned to be a disciplined social drinker over the years and given the choice between giving up drinking or not losing weight, I'd pick not losing weight. My social life is an important part of who I am, but without some social drinking, it would collapse. Finally, the sleeve seemed to be the least invasive surgery. I already have a titanium hip and to me the sleeve is less of an anatomical change. Although the RNY leaves the dead stomach, virtually no one has ever reattached it. I also like keeping all my intestines intact. Maybe if I had a BMI over 45 and no social life, RNY or DS would have been a better choice. I think all of this is in God's hands!

I was told 6 months post op alcohol was allowed. However, that came with a disclaimer. The alcohol will effect you more after surgery. A small amount may make you intoxicated. I never drank alcohol so it wasn't a big loss. I took some NyQuil the other night and I felt drugged so I will continue to stay away from alcohol. Anyway, discuss this with your surgeon.

You ask many questions that are answered in a number of posts. I would suggest searching. Additionally, depending on what procedure you are having the answers to your questions vary. Assuming you are having a sleeve or GB, I can answer many. Your first question comes up all the time. The answer is it's different for everyone. Search out some good examples in these forums. Second - Alcohol. Sleeve a GB are completely different. First, know this, alcohol is essentially a sugar, hollow empty calories and many of them. Sleeve people can probably drink in a similar fashion as they did before surgery, not beer, no carbonation allowed, but alcohol is still processed by the duodenum, jejunum and ilium as normal. Not even close to GB, I drank 2 shots of Seagram's 7. And was buzzed. We were taught that a guy with my build would take about 4 oz of alcohol to be fall down drunk. Here is the kicker, it lasts for about 1/2 an hour. You are still drunk and would fail a breathalyzer test. But the effects of alcohol go away quickly. Third - Loose skin, depending on age, how overweight you are, genetics, and speed in which you lose weight all factor into how your skin responds. That being said any cream with Cocoa butter is a good choice. Fourth - Exercise. Start walking while in Hospital. I got 12K steps the day after surgery and 13K the day after that in hospital. Make sure you are getting enough Water and you can walk pretty much all you want. The first week is a bit odd, as there is post op pain to deal with. As for resistance training, it depends on your surgery and what your surgeon says. I was taken off restriction at 8 weeks out. But told to go slow. I have yet to begin, as I am concentrating on walking. Fifth - What to bring to hospital. IPhone and a tablet/laptop, clothes to wear home (loose fitting, wear sweat pants) I brought headphones and had like 50 movies on my tablet, but I spent all my time walking. I was doped to the gills and just enjoyed walking. I made and took a couple calls, but I was so wasted no one called a second time. Sixth - Pre-op diet, follow the surgeons advice. They will most likely weigh you to make sure you have dropped enough weight, that is how they ensure you are following the diet. This is VERY important as it shrinks the liver so the surgeon can get it out of the way to work. Seveth - Post op phase one diet. Follow guidelines established by your NUT. It is a very limited diet. The big takeaway is to eat without distraction. No TV, PC, Radio, cell phone. Nothing. Pay close attention to what you are eating and savor every bite. This eating habit will hold true for the remainder of your life. Never eat while distracted. Chatting with someone is nice, and can help you to eat slower, which is good. And remember Protein FIRST! Start every meal, post op, until death, by eating the protein on your plate first. Advice - Two thing matter post op, really two. Protein and Water. Calories are important but secondary to Protein and Water. Sip sip sip. If they sell it in the UK, get Fairlife milk to make your Protein shakes. unjury makes a great chocolate shake. But they are pricey. I use Opurity Vitamins, as the No China trademark had me sold. I switched to Isopure low/no carb protein recently as it is less expensive, has the same 1.00 PDCASS score and a ton of vitamins in it. Remember this; only use protein supplements that have whey Isolate as the protein source, they will have a PDCASS score of 1.00. Take a probiotic, starting like now. Do NOT cheap out on this. The following link is to the one I use that you can get from Amazon, here. It's an amazing probiotic that my NUT went gaga over. Your surgeon will tell you when to start supplements. For me it was 4 weeks out. For more in depth answers to all your questions buy Alex Brecher's books here is the sleeve and here is the GB, both from amazon of here through the BariatricPal Store (I do not know if he'll ship to the UK) They are BIG books and answer all the questions you have asked and a shite load more you did not ask because you do not know to ask. Buy the book that relates to your surgery, NOW. And read it. Become an educated consumer. In doing so you will remove many surprises that you would have never expected. You'll also learn WHY your NUT is telling you what he/she/it is telling you. What is going on inside you. And what to expect. Best of luck and Happy Holidays!

Chocolate chip cookie dough - before my surgery anyways. Quest bars make me dump. I have a hard time with sugar alcohols now.

I am NOT against taking antidepressants as prescribed by a doctor in conjunction with therapy or counseling. I've been on 3 different kinds. And while they helped some, in the end their benefits were not worth the negative side effects. My best friend committed suicide 8 months ago. He had been on antidepressants for years following a breakdown and was doing very well. However, he had recently stopped taking them (without telling anyone) and I have no doubt that contributed to his state of mind when he decided to pull the trigger. Looking back now I can almost pinpoint to the day when he stopped them based on the changes in his mood and behavior. Perhaps he'd still be alive if he was still taking his anti depressants ?? For him, the pros certainly seemed to outweigh the cons. And I was more than happy to take the Xanax prescribed by my doctor after his death. An occasional anti anxiety on my really bad days definitely beats the daily self medicating with alcohol that I opted for after my brothers death. So my post was not meant to be anti-drugs. I just wanted to share my experiences and stress that even prescribed medications can cause harm. But they can also be beneficial. Everyone needs to make informed decisions about the best way to proceed with their WLS journey and that's exactly what the OP is doing by posting here. And would it make you feel better about my "claims" if I posted my brothers autopsy report and mothers ER notes?

Hi All, I am scheduled to have my operation in January and it has been a long journey! I have chosen to keep my surgery private from my family and "friends", with only my mum, aunt and best friend knowing. I feel my generation is really critical and judgemental, not to mention the way people change once you've changed for the better so, I feel this would certainly work best. I want advice on EVERYTHING! How have younger people coped post and pre-op? (Teens/Twenties - but we're all young so what the hell) Alcohol intake post-op? (We all deserve some fun!) Loose Skin (if you have or have not experienced any)? What you did to prevent this or what you recommend to avoid loose skin? How soon did you exercise? - I know it's recommended to do 30 mins. Walking post-op in the beginning, but how soon did you start resistance training? As I know this is best to stop excessive skin as well as Protein. What did you take to the hospital? I'm on the low cal pre-op diet for 2 weeks and start on the 30th - What did you do? Post-Op: what is recommended? food wise, mainly the first 2 weeks Please share your thoughts and experiences!

i was told 1 year for alcohol soda and straws

When you can drink alcohol after surgery varies. Ask your doctor for a more specific timeline, but you still can at some point. Just remember that it will hit you fast and then leave you even faster. Ha ha! I went home back on Halloween and had a shot of vodka with a friend. I felt it fast but also recovered fairly quickly after that initial buzz; up and down in about 20 minutes or so...it was fast! So you received a card? What does it say? I had read about these in a couple of books, but this is the first time I've seen somebody mention having one in these threads (granted I don't read everything here).