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I'll just give what guidelines I was given by my surgeon before I even had the procedure. -no carbonated beverages- as I recall, not only will it cause discomfort, you run the risk of stretching your pouch, and increase the possibility of your band slipping. Some people still choose to risk it, but I personally choose my health over the fizzy stuff. I've been without soda or anything carbonated for a year, I feel better, and don't feel that deprived. - no alcohol for a year. Alcoholic drinks can be LOADED with sugars, which makes it easy to gain weight if you drink them on a regular basis. On rare occasion, I've had one drink, but not until about 6 moths post-op, and even then, in the past 6 months, I've had maybe 5-6 drinks. Just remember to do things in moderation, since drinks can be so high in sugar, and because liquids go down easily, it's easy to overdo it.

I am looking for a sweetener to use in my tea in the mornings. I don't add it to anything else. I am not allowed any sugar alcohols, and can not stand it if something I drink leaves an after taste in my mouth. I thought about adding some vanilla protein powder but I am afraid it will clump because I like me tea to be HOT.

At five months after VSG I was clicking along, well on track for my weight loss target. Then came almost two months of extensive travel, being on the road almost every week. This included a week-long sales meeting, a week of vacation and a week of training plus some other trips. I got completely off track from my diet and also consumed way more alcohol than I should have. Long and short, my weight loss stopped in its tracks. I think I lost two pounds over two months. The good news was that despite all of this I didn't gain anything. Getting back on track meant going back to basics. A return to tracking all of my intake, with a focus on Protein and limiting carbs. Plus a re-dedication to physical activity and exercise. The combination of these has gotten my weight loss moving again.

I don’t have forbidden foods but I don’t enjoy drinking alcohol anymore. Probably just as well.

Thanks for all the great advice! Any idea of what specific medications can't be mixed with alcohol??? Or that would be really really bad with alcohol?

Oh I can help here!! The first restaurant that I went to was a mexican restaurant and the folks on here gave me some great ideas. Order off the a la carte menu. Usually mexican restaurants have these. I got one cheese enchilada and a side of refried Beans. Went down perfectly and was enough food. I also had a couple chips and salsa, but it wasn't as satisfying as it used to be. Given your history, I'd avoid the celebratory margarita. Alcohol and sugar...bad mix on the sleeve (at least for me.) If your stomach can tolerate meat yet, you could try a chicken enchilada. And you probably want to stay away from the fried stuff. Regarding other restaurants. I used to be embarressed about not eating, and I too have a hard time asking to order off the kids menu or a half portion (I even have a card from my surgeon to present to the waiter/ress that says I had weight loss surgery and would can't eat the normal portion, but I haven't had the guts to use it.) I typically order something lite, eat what I can, and then just ask for a container to go (even if you aren't going to eat it later. Saves having to answer questions.) The hardest places I find to eat at are the bars that my husband and I used to swing by on the way home for an easy dinner. They have NOTHING that I can eat yet nor am I going to drink....so we really have just cut those places out. I guess that's just one change that we have made. My husband has been really supportive and hasn't asked me to go to any restaurants where I can't get anything to eat. But if he really wanted to go there, I would and then just make the best out of it. I always keep a small, lunch size cooler bag with me too with sleeve friendly Snacks, so if I do know I'm going to be in that kind of situation, I can eat ahead of time and then just order a cup of Soup or something to be social. Sorry for the long post, but I've been trying to figure this one out too. I hope this helps.

I know what you mean. My sites were irritated and red with the tape, worse on the last to heal drain site. I took my shower, put alcohol on them then covered with dermatape that was especially for sensitive skin. I was told not to put anything else on them and especially caution putting any creams/antibiotic on the sites. Air dry if possible, I used the hair dryer, and then recover them. I have really sensitive skin and was able to finally heal. Last cover I used was a small spot bandaid and the tape left a little ring for awhile. Please let your doctor know if it looks infected. Good luck. Linda

I wanted to add: Based on your mention of a family history of addiction. Have you ever considered exploring 12-step recovery? You might want to consider visiting some meetings of a recovery group like OA (for compulsive eaters), CODA (for Codependents), or Al-Anon (for families of alcoholics/substance abusers). A support group like one of these and/or a bariatric support group may help you to learn some new coping skills. This might be something to talk to your therapist about.

How long can you drink alcohol after gastric sleeve surgery ? whiskey vodka tequila beer .

There is an initial time period in which you lose the most weight. The sign that it is over is that you stop losing weight with the diet and exercise you've been doing. You start to feel like you're beating your head on the wall to no avail. That is where i became discouraged and turned to old comforts. I also had a very stressful time in my life right then, and I did not exercise the amount of self control i needed to. I continued to exercise, but the cravings were kicking in, and I was GIVing in. Then i started on the tasty alcoholic drinks. Don't drink your calories. The Grehlin figures out a way to start producing again, and the hunger pangs return. HOWEVER- you DO still have a smaller stomach, so like Diva said, you can still work your tool. Stay with protein and veg first. I strayed from that rule. Still struggling. When I get hungry, I get almost manic. I suddenly feel like I have no ability to make rational choices. So I was giving in to sugar cravings, and started that ugly cycle. Trying to break that yet again. I AM thankful to still have a small stomach, or i'd weigh 500 lbs by now. So... there's that...

I began making lifestyle changes pre-surgery. Six months is a wonderful amount of time to start incorporating healthy changes: Begin eating lower calories. Begin eating lower carbs. Begin eating lower fats. Quit drinking sodas. Quit drinking alcohol. Quit drinking caffeine. Try different Protein shakes to see which ones you like. Watch LOTS of youtube videos from people who've had the surgery. Begin walking. Begin going to the gym. Learn how to cook healthier meals. There is SO much you can do in this time to prepare yourself for a successful post-op healthy lifestyle. The more changes you make pre-op, the easier your post-op transition will be.

Good lord I love this thread. I am a binge eater and a secret eater. If I picked up food for work or home, I always had something "extra" to eat in the car on the way back. If I had to stop at the drugstore, I got a candy bar and ate it before I got home. I'd sit in my car and eat lunch after driving through somewhere bc I didn't want anyone to see how much I ate. And when I'd get donuts on the way to work, I pretended that some of them were for my coworkers, but they were really all for me. It's such painful behavior and it's both humiliating and liberating to admit it. My BFF and I (both with troubled childhoods and difficult mothers) "joke" about our addiction by saying, "Well, lets just go eat a hug." I've always HATED myself for having no willpower and feeling powerless over food. I'm about 3 months out from surgery and my appetite is returning to a certain degree. It terrifies me. To date, I have not "cheated". I'm proud of myself for choosing well so far and I have an amazing DH and circle of friends cheering me on. I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm trying hard to deal with my addiction to food and it is like dancing with the devil. I come my a family of addicts and worry every day that I can't do this. I told my DH, "It's like telling an alcoholic, 'I know you can't handle alcohol, but you'll have to drink it every day of your life and it's up to you to make sure that you drink only this certain type of alcohol and only in moderation.'" It seems almost impossible! .

Don't forget the "how soon can I have alcohol" crowd!

Is it time or near your time of the month? That can bring it on, as can stress, and sluggish digestion. The liver can also be the culprit. Here are some internet suggestions for under eye bags: Try to avoid stress and get extra rest, especially during menstrual discomfort. Drink plenty of warm Water. Avoid ice cold and carbonated drinks. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol. Add coconuts, raisins, papaya and sweet juicy fruits to your diet. Only take a moderate amount of sugar. (or use agave nectar) Avoid red meat and heavy fried foods. Avoid drinking fluids before bed. Favor only natural beauty products Do not smoke, and avoid second hand smoke. Get plenty of sleep. Place a washcloth dipped in warm water over your eyes for 5 minutes once or twice daily. Make sure you are laughing every day it gives excersize to facial muscles. For puffy and swollen eyes, make facial steam or facial wash with warm, salty water. For tired eyes use silk eye pillow. For inflamed baggy eyes soak cotton pads in cold milk with rose water, or cucumber slices or cool tea bags placed over closed eyes for five to ten minutes.

Hi all, I'm going to be banded on Feb 22nd and I love to party!!! Will I still be able to drink enough to get a buzz?? I know that sounds bad but I like to have fun and I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to get drunk again!!

I just had a drink this past weekend. (Sleeved 1/25/10) I sipped very small sips and I did not finish but probably 1/3 of it. I ordered a lemonade type drink with vodka. I told them to keep it light on the alcohol and they did. I couldn't stop thinking about the lemonade having so much sugar, so I just didn't finish it. I never even felt buzzed. Vacation is next week and I will probably do it again but under the same limitations.

A friend of mine got banded years ago....and she wanted me to follow suit. No way would I ever have WLS, there was no reason medically, I was healthy as a horse. I did feel down after I HAD to go shopping when I HAD to have something new. I did always feel like the biggest girl in the room, I did hate to have my picture taken....but I was healthy, I had a husband who loved me big or small. No way, hell would freeze over first. Well three years passed and my friend had lost 60 lbs and she had not died. Ok, positive things, but still. At 2 o'clock one morning, I got up to go to the bathroom and my tummy was in my lap.....right then and there, I made the decision to do it. Yes, I think clearly and come up with great ideas in the middle of the night, some times I'm in the bathroom, sometimes I just wake up and something comes to me. The next day, I told my husband I'd made this decision. I was firm about it, not wishy washy. He was not on board with fixing something that was not broken. I had no health issues, I wanted to have fun shopping and feel good about myself while I was younger (49 yrs) and while I was still healthy. Vanity and preventive maintenence, priorities rule!! That was Dec 2009, my DH wanted me to do research. I did, I read every single thing I could come across. I found a support group and started attending, and so did he. This guy became my biggest cheerleader!! He attends all my group meetings, even asking questions and taking notes when need be. I found a doctor in Texas, our 'home'. We were at that time living out of state, but I knew I wanted someone in Dallas or Houston to take care of me. I knew we would be moving back at some point. I first thought I'd get a band, but the more I read and heard, even though my friend did ok and did not die......it wasn't the best choice for me. I chose the sleeve procedure after days upon days of talking to different doctor's offices, and after obsessively reading everything I could find. I attended the seminar in Dallas in April and in June 2010, six months after that fateful 2 AM decision, I did it. I never, ever, ever regretted it. Not one minute of buyer's remorse. I've loved every single second since I woke up in recovery!!!! It is a wild ride and the most fun I've ever had!!! Clothes started falling off me, people started to ask if I'd lost some weight, which can be uncomfortable some times. A saleswoman called me LITTLE. LoL I have bones and my mom was wrong all those years, I am NOT big boned!!! I love my collarbone!!! It's my favorite NSV to this day. I'd wake up and all of a sudden have hip bones and my shoulders feel so boney now days!!! I finally got use to going to the Missy dept instead of the Women's. That was hard and it is STILL difficult to get a size that fits. I tend to want a size larger. It takes a long time for your head to catch up with your body!!! I'd read on this forum somewhere that we should get a disposable camera prior to surgery. Have someone take a picture the day before or day or surgery, then once a month on the date of your surgery. I did that, and then after my 1 year anniversary.....I got it developed. Wow, those pictures laying side by side from the previous year, I saw my transformation. I highly recommend doing this!!! I reached my doctor's goal in just under five months. My goal, five lbs less, a month later. My total loss is anywhere from 81 - 84 lbs, depending on the day. I lost 23 of those lbs prior to surgery. I have been maintaining for over 2 years now. I had a hard time stopping the weight loss....is this possible???!! Yes it is! I added calories and gained back to where I was comfortable. Would I do it again....in a New York minute! Forced portion control, that is what I needed. I still make choices, but I don't feel deprived at all. I'm not hungry, my new hunger is an empty feeling, which makes making wise choices much easier. I weigh myself every single morning, first thing. I've done this from the beginning. I log my food on line and I weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home. This is part of my life, it's like a game. I love it, it also keeps me aware of what's going on with my body. Even if it isn't the wisest choice, I am aware of everything that goes into my mouth. No more mindless eating. I need 1150 - 1275 calories per day to maintain. I do not exercise, not really, so I knew that I'd have to make life changes I could live with, that would allow me to accomplish what I wanted. I get anywhere from 60 - 95 grams of Protein per day, almost without fail. It's all been pretty easy for me. I think I eat pretty much like a naturally thin person. This is my new life, it's fun. I feel good. It is possible to lose all you want, still enjoy food and maintain, but this is not a magic bullet. You can't have 85% of your stomach removed then eat chips, ice cream, drink alcohol, milkshakes and eat food from a drive through, and expect to be successful. We still have to make good decisions. 'Nuff said!!

I have a strong opinion on this. I started taking Phentermine in 1996 or so. My doctor prescribed 37.5 pills two times a day, one at 8am and one at 3pm. I was about 40 pounds overweight. I was basically high all the time. It made me want to drink alcohol to level me out. He’d refill my script when I weighed as little as 115 pounds ( I am 5 foot tall so I was hardly overweight at 115). Back in the 90’s-early 2000s I Could get it on the Internet easily so as they lost effectiveness I would buy it and take it from online vendors. An a point was taking four+ 37.5 mg a day. Besides the fact that I felt like I was basically on crack, a couple of other things. They give you dry mouth and bad breath. For me the dry mouth led to gum recession. They also cause me back pain, heart palpitations, etc. Phentermine makes me high and then irritable and then completely made me want to isolate myself from other people. But for me, being “hot” was always worth these risks. I was taking pills and counting calories at 97 pounds! Around 2002, my now ex-husband got into them and took like 6 in one 24 hour period and had to be admitted to the ICU for 3 days. His pulse was racing at 200 for almost 2 straight days. These days I don’t think any doctor their merit would write a prescription for two of those a day. It set me up for 20 years of weight loss and gain. I just stopped taking them in 2016. I literally took them off and on all those years. Not to that extreme of course. I put on about 30-40 pounds and for the last 10 years would take 1/2 to 1a day them to maintain that weight. Anyway, That’s what led me to the surgery decision and ultimately to this forum. I will never live that way again. That’s an extreme example (and an example of drug abuse/misuse) but that’s my truth. It’s a quick fix for a lot of people myself included. I’m sure there are some people that take them successfully but I was not one of those people. Hope I didn’t scare you; just wanted to share my story.

Request a Rx for Mycolog Nystatin OINTMENT-no cream. The cream is scented=alcohol. My gyn prescribed it for me. Works great!

My incisions are good. One is a little sore, the only place I bruised was on my left side. I went through a lot before my R&Y was done. I went to my primary care she referred me to a wonderful surgeon. She found I had cancer in my stomach. Then she found I have NASH. Non alcohol related cirrhosis if my liver. I had numerous minor surgeries before this. Once I was under she decided to remove the stomach. It was pretty rough the first few days. But I have lost 27 pounds since the surgery. Sent from my Nexus 6 using the BariatricPal App

I'm 52 and just had the surgery in August, glad I did even though the weight is coming off pretty slow (my fault for not exercising). My reason for the surgery was health, which is a thread with those of us who are older it seems. After 50 I was so tired I almost couldn't function, years of a highly compeditive stressful job, combined with packing around 100 lbs made me feel like I had a couple of years left (at the most). It was just one health problem after another including sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, asthma, back pain, knee pain, and mobility problems (1/2 block I was out of breath). I hope to loose 100 lbs but will be happy with 80, and I plan to take early retirement in 2 years (as soon as I am eligible). Can really afford to start over with something new, but can't take the pressure of the corporate environment either. I'm just sorry I didn't wake up years ago, but grateful I did wake up. Even though the weight is coming off slowly, my life is improving. I can walk almost a mile (slowly), I eat primarily healthly (white bread, white rice, white flour and white sugar, has become a thing of the past), mostly vegetarian, some fish. I don't feel bloated all of the time, and I don't feel like a glutton when I eat. I feel better when I take my vitamins, but I forget alot. Drink alcohol alot less, 1/2 glass of wine is the most I have. Before surgery 2 dark beers followed by a large glass of wine with dinner was the norm. I guess what I'm trying to say is the surgery won't cure everything, I do have to work with good healthy choices too, but the band helps to make me think everytime I eat and drink. I too think it's the best thing I've done for me so far, retirement just might top it however in a few years.

Hi Leona: I was banded in July as well and have gone through some bumps. I think it's normal and it hits us all at different times. I freaked out at having a foreign thing in my body and felt like "what have I done and get it out of me now!" That's totally better now. As for the social thing...I do understand about loosing your confidence. Maybe you were comfortable in who you were and now that your body as well as lifestyle is changing, it's a liitle unsettling. I hate change as well and going out without alcohol as liquid courage is kind of scary. Everyone around you is having a great time and you have to socialize stone sober. Maybe that's OK though. You're a smart, funny and lovely girl who can stand on her own and prove to yourself that you can have a great time without the aid of alcohol I went out with a group of friends Thursday night. It was my 1st time out after surgery and I was a nervous wreck. So I piled on the makeup and wore the sassiest thing I could find.....and I had a great time. I think talking to a counselor is such a wise thing in times of major change. It helps keep you grounded and makes this transitional time not so scary. LOL Who knew that shedding all this weight could be so complicated???? Best of luck to you....I think that once you work through the kinks you'll enjoy your banded life much more! Stefani

Phatty, I am so sorry for your and your partner's loss. Losing a baby, no matter if you are in the first month, or the ninth month is very difficult. It is not the fault of the band. He is grieving as are you, and one of the stages in that grief is anger. You are both going through a tough time and need a chance to heal. The honest answer is that in most cases we do NOT know why women miscarry. It just happens, and I have to trust that it happens for a reason. I work in Neonatology (we take care of extremely sick and premature babies) and I can tell you from many years of experience, you can do EVERYTHING by the book, eat right, exercise right, avoid smoking, avoid alcohol, take no medications, and still have problems. You did not cause this intentionally. I do hope things get better for you, there are many loss groups out there, when you feel up to it you might want to look into them. Here's a link to one that has been around for a very long time, I hope that this helps in some way: http://www.nationalshareoffice.com/

Oh man I can relate! Every day I was at least a 7 or 8 on a 1-10 scale and really most days I was at a 9-10. I would cry daily. And took pain pills and drank to help dim the pain. It was an awful existence non-existence! I can tell you the difference at 5'4" and 56 years from 287lbs to 135lbs today is dramatically different!!! I still have neuropathy from cancer treatment/surgery, but my pain at the end of the day is a very manageable 3-4. I live life and can be active now! It's night and day difference in pain relief. And I only have had pain pills for an emergency surgery-and no alcohol for pain management either! It's a miracle! Can't wait for y'all to experience this!!!

Hi and thank you SOOOO much for your excellent informative reply! Good luck for the 4th Feb (thats my birthday so that may be a good omen!) You must be so excited! Your costing info was excellent and I agree, cost is nothing compared to knowing you have the best care you can get but I have no one to recommend me although I have heard some doctors names mentioned around the place. What does the cost mean anyway compared to the benefits? And how easy is it to eat $2000 worth of food? Think of the money we'll be saving!!!!!! Loved the bit about the drinking too, I was worried about that because maybe 3 or 4 days out of 7 i drink at least 10 drinks and could easily down a bottle of scotch in a binge session (and then some!) ahhh thats the joy of compensating for happiness with alcohol! So it will be interesting to see how that goes although food is my drug alcohol is just a secondary thing for me and I can go without if necessary. the Optislim freaks me right out, more than anything else that will be a killer!!!!! So how long was it for you from the time you had your first appointment to surgery? I look forward to hearing from you, thank you so much for getting in touch, greatly appreciated! Shannon