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LOL yeah there were times when I was like... OK Crap... start deep breathing to get some of the alcohol to process before you end up face down on the bar. It sneaks up quickly! It does seem like the "Drunk" doesn't stick around for as long though too, which I found interesting.

My liver shrink diet go like this Remember: Vegetables are unlimited on this diet. (except potatoes, corn, beans, and peas) Breakfast Protein Shake or Protein Bar Mid Morning Snack 1 small piece of fruit (if you have Diabetes add 4oz low-fat yogurt) Lunch Protein Bar Or Shake Mid Morning Snack 1 small piece of fruit (if you have Diabetes add 4oz low-fat yogurt) Dinner 3oz meat (lean)-The size of a deck of cards steamed vegetables or salad with Fat-free salad dressing 6 un-salted crackers or 2 slices low-calorie bread or 1 small baked potato 1/2 c fruit or 1 small piece of fruit Evening Snack 1 small piece of fruit (if you have Diabetes add 4oz low-fat yogurt) (you may use any shake as long as it has 220 or less calories and 10g or less fat/serving) (you may have non-caloric beverages on this diet) NO ALCOHOL Examples: Decaf Tea, Crystal Light, Sugar-free Kool-aid, Water This is only for the 2 weeks before surgery This is what my Doctor gave me

Thanks for pointing those out! The use isomalto-oligosaccharide instead of soluble corn Fiber, so I might be able to handle them and the nutritional info looks good. Only slight red flag is the amount of sugar alcohol, but I think I'd be willing to give them a try. Do you know any brick-and-mortar stores that sell them?

Let me elaborate on what I mean by "metabolic support" (as described by my surgeon). I was referring to the concept that only with VSG do they remove the section of the stomach that sends hormones to the brain that make us hungry. Nothing is removed in band surgery and in gastric bypass, the stomach is left behind and continues to produce the hunger hormone. That said, bypass patients do great in weight loss because they also have their digestive system "shortened". My issue with bypass was that I was uncomfortable with all that organ rerouting. Also, my surgeon said no alcohol or NSAID'S for life after bypass. Here's one link that touches on some of the differences: http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/gastric-sleeve-surgery.html#The_Difference I do know that lots of people have done great with the band, but I also know a lot if people have failed and then gotten conversion surgery to VSG or one of the others.

So... I attended my first party yesterday - an 80th birthday party! Lots of nibbles, birthday cake, party food flowing all afternoon... surprisingly, I was so strict with myself!! I had about 1.5 glasses of Bollinger (first alcohol since October) a piece of parmesan and 2 slices of meat - one chicken and one ham. I had to sneak the birthday cake into my bag and then throw it away when I got home... I ate when I got home - 75g prawns, 30g of avocado, 40g cucumber, 1 scallion, 2 cherry tomatoes, cup of watercress a bit of garlic, chilli and some ACV... and this morning I've lost .9lbs!! Unbelievable! I was convinced that the champagne would have done some serious damage. I'm arranging to see a nutritionist again - a different one this time who I hope thinks outside the box on trying to figure out what I can do to make the journey less rigid... I was also thinking of going back to my diet when I lost weight on Atkins... I was down to 5g/10g of carbs and that was successful for me... but eating at that rate isn't really practical long term... but keeping to 20g carbs which is what I'm on at the moment means I can add bits of veg onto my plate and keep that cup of hot chocolate in the evening... although I'm noticing that I don't want it every night at the moment which is fantastic!! My head witch doesn't think I have BED anymore although I'm not convinced. She went through the BED test with me and for the moment it does look like I'm not in that place right now... she said the stats for BED after surgery were that 50% of BED folk pre-surgery didn't have it after surgery. Please god that I'm one of the 50%! I'm feeling super charged this morning! I have one more hurdle to face tomorrow as it's another birthday event - this time lunch at a local lovely restaurant... I will have half a glass of wine and hopefully something simple from the menu like grilled chicken and salad... fingers crossed I make it!

Hi December Kids! I started this journey at 268, sleeved at 255 and am now 226. My loss has been very slow but steady as I approach the 3 month mark. I am feeling meh about it. I had one of those iron stomachs that tolerated anything and other than the amount of food I can ingest, I have had no issues with anything... Not sure if that is a good thing? The only thing I have to look out for is the amount of food bc I do feel it if I eat too much. I try to do 3-5 small meals a day ... protein protein protein. I’ve given up most carbs but every now and then I “indulge” when it can’t be helped. My work keeps me traveling so I eat out a lot. I had my first alcoholic beverage two weeks ago... ate dinner prior to the drink and sipped slowly. I had two more drinks on different days in the following week. I ate a few bites of desert and a nibble of chocolate. I also get scared that I’m eating too normal as aimee jones said. I eat protein first and sometimes am still not full. So 30 mins later I try to fill up a on water. Eventually we are supposed to be able to eat more than a few ounces though I didn’t expect to be able to so soon and that worries me. I actually don’t have an end goal weight so I’m just going one day at a time. Sorry.. no point to this post ... just talking. Would love to continue chatting up December kids though!

I would like to respond about the carbination. Everyone's recovery might be different. However I would recommend now having carbination yet. I know that air in the stomach right now isn't good for it because it expands it. I know ppl who had bypass a while ago who will drink soda and another one who admits it bothers them when they drink it. I think it takes time and then you can try it and see what works for you. I will want to have a beer in the future. I am 5 weeks post op. When I can have alcohol according to my surgeon I will have non carbinated for a while. Then when I am ready I will try carbination again and see how I tolerate it. Essentiall the idea is that medically we will be able to eat and drink anything and everything again, but in smaller amounts. In the meanwhile... You could make some sort of uncafinated tea and make it iced if you want. Starbucks/Tazo Passion tea is non cafinated and has great flavors. I also love the water flavorers- mio or whatever you can find. There's different flavors. I like the fruit punch and iced tea. Also protien waters taste good. Atkins has a water with 20g per bottle! My surgeon said it can't count as water because I was not getting enough water. But it's something you can drink and helps with your protein goals. Hope this helps a bit -Joe M.

That's my plan too- to have my first drink at home. I didn't tolerate alcohol too well prior to surgery so I need to see how I handle it at home first

True, however they should maybe tone it down a little. Just like if I drank and the were an alcoholic I would go easy on them and not just drink everything that I can. Sent from my XT1585 using the BariatricPal App

Amy surgery in 4 days???? its perfectly normal to be dealing with different emotions post op........ you just had major surgery - take it slow!!!!! if you have gas, walk and walk some more in the hospitaal sip Water sllllowly at home, rest as much as you can if you have kids, tell them to go run around the block for one week going to stand up in a wedding a few days post op some people feel fine in a few days, even go back to work hopefully you will be feeling ok drink only liquids no champagne though docs usually tell you to wait "at least" a few weeks - or maybe up to 6 months before alcohol is allowed the one thing we have in common is that we're/docs-NUTS are all different always listen to YOUR doc/NUT good luck speedy recovery kathy

My doctor put no alcohol on the paper like that's going to happen. So what I want to know is how long does it take to leave your system?

I have found that I react to alcohol the same way I did before I was sleeved. I was a big partyer when I was younger and now one or two drinks is plenty; as Indymom noted, alcohol is empty calories. I have no idea how long it takes to leave my system but I don't wake up with a hangover after one or two screwdrivers.

I would love to hear about your vacation adventures this year. I'm always looking for new places to explore. I'm home from a memorable 25th anniversary road trip with my husband. ( 8 days in a car and we did not kill each other ) Route 66, Las Vegas, Grand canyon and Tombstone. Indulged in alcohol and expensive restaurants. Still in love with my man! Enjoyed a pool party in Las Vegas. I was comfortable showing skin with the help of a few cocktails. Our anniversary dinner was at a french restaurant. I had escargots for the first time. Hiked areas of the grand canyon. A six pound gain in 8 days. I'm kind of shocked that was all I had gained. I was very naughty. My next trip, I hope will be a bit unusual and away from tourists.

Does anyone have any experience with drinking alcohol after the sleeve surgery? Specifically: how long did you wait to drink, what did you drink, any awful side effects?

The problem is the carbonation in beer which puts it off limits for good. Carbonation puts you at risk of stretching your pouch among other stuff. You CAN still have alcohol after surgery, but it would have to be wine or something non-carbonated, and it will hit you MUCH quicker than before, so be careful! I've been slowly saying goodbye to beer these past few months. I am submitting to insurance next month, so I know I will need to say goodbye to that and diet soda very, very soon. It's not a sad goodbye though...I'm ready for a new life

@@needtorecover I have a friend with sleep apnea. They don't wake up, but they sound like they are dying over and over during the night. It is terrible to hear, and every time we go on vacation it keeps me up because they refuse to wear their cpap thing. So you can have it and it won't wake you up. Sleep is one of those things I fixed before surgery. Because of my work and the fact I have a pretty open schedule, I can pretty much work whenever I want as long as I meet my deadlines, I used to nap in the afternoons often. Once I stopped napping in the afternoons, went to bed at a decent hour, in a completely dark room, with no electronics in it, my sleep greatly improved. I sleep around 8 hours a night and it is a deep sleep, my eyes close and then they open. It is actually freakishly deep for someone that has never slept well at night before. I wake up and hit the floor ready to go. I am so relaxed and refreshed. Make sure you have the nicest most comfortable bed you afford, a dark quiet room, and don't drink before bed. My Dr told me years ago that drink to sleep, actually interrupted your sleep and I didn't believe him but since I gave up alcohol a few years ago, my sleep started improving. If you drink before bed, you never get into deep REM sleep.

Does alcohol alone make you dump? So straight moonshine would be OK?😀 Is it just sugary mixers that's the problem?

I had gastritis, Barrett's esophagitis, a Barrett's polyp, and a hiatal hernia. The polyp was removed. The hiatal hernia was repaired during my gastric bypass surgery. I was put on omeprazole after surgery and follow up scope showed total resolution of the Barretts! However, there were signs of eosinophilic esophagitis which resolved once I stopped whey protein. THEN....... I developed a bleeding ulcer 9 months post op. Fortunately, it also resolved with omeprazole and remains resolved now 19 months post op, with no medication. With the weight loss and elimination of whey protein, and time to completely heal (doc says maybe a rogue suture caused the ulcer), it seems that all issues are now resolved. I continue to avoid all caffeine, soda, and alcohol. PS: Chronic gastritis (inflammation) and irregular Z-line are very common findings in the general population. Once you lose weight and reduce the acid reflux, this may well resolve. It is nothing that will prevent surgery, and surgery will most likely help.

Read this on another WLS forum.... Slider Foods Spell Weight Regain For Weight Loss Surgery Patients By Kaye Bailey For most people eating sliders is a good thing. Popularized by the American food chain, White Castle, a slider (originally slyder) is a miniature grilled hamburger or cheeseburger on a steamed bun often served with onions and dill pickle and other condiments. They originally sold for a nickel a piece in the 1940s making it affordable to add a side of fries for just pennies. By all accounts this is a good kind of "slider" food. To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker Snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free Cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of Protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain. Kaye Bailey 2010 - All Rights Reserved

It's almost been 6 months since I had the lap band surgery. Still the best thing I've done for my body! I admit that I'd like to have lost more weight specially when I read about how much other people have lost. But I'm at 15 kg or 33 pounds. I had 1 month set back because of sickness and travel, I have to remember that. I also have to remember that this is not a competition, that I'm doing this for myself and nobody else. Also that I'm only 3 kg or 6.6 pounds away from a personal milestone. Can't wait. I also have to remember that for the first time in 20 years, I'm living a normal life. I chose to live normal and not diet. I eat like other people do. Ok I eat a LOT less than what other people do but I now can enjoy food like other people do. I allow myself to have a cake if there is a cake at the office, or ice cream if there is some at the office. Just a small amount for the taste and no seconds! Before the lap band, I NEVER had any sweets and it was mentally destroying me that I never allowed myself to do anything and still gain weight. Yes I did and by over eating normal food. But because I allow myself to have a cake, ice cream, candy.. (no not too often!! seriously) then I loose weight slower than I could. But I also always check if the cake (omg love cakes) are worth it, worth the calories. For example 2 days ago at work there was a store bought chocolate cake. I like home made more, so I decided it was not worth it. I mean it would have tasted ok but not worth it since it wasn't a fantastic cake! Also there was ice cream for desert at work and mmmmm I wanted some really badly. But nope, I decided not to have some since I was going out in the weekend and there is a birthday party I'm going to as well. So I do have self control I went partying yesterday for the first time. I was a bit nervous so I decided not to go to a club. Just stay at the party at a friends place. I had white wine. There was beer but nope no carbonated drinks. I had read that some people don't need a lot of drinks to get a little tipsy so I was kinda expecting that. But nope, it was the same as before the lap band. I had to drink the same amount to feel a little tipsy. I didn't want to get drunk and loose control and throw up. My doctor and reading about the lap band have all warned about that. But I never get that drunk anyway so I wasn't that worried. I always just get a little tipsy and happy But I don't like alcohol that much so I was hoping I only needed 2 or 3 glass of white wine. Maybe when I loose more weight, I will need less. Oh gosh this is such a luxurious problem haha. So this is the day after, slight hung over as in head ache and no binge eating or wanting really greasy unhealthy food so yay I've been a good girl. That's it for now

@@Proud2BMe - I wanted to say thanks for sharing your story. I am going to be sleeved on Wednesday. I only drink occasionally and don't have a drinking problem. However, addiction does run in my family. I haven't had anything to drink in two weeks now because of the preop diet. I know the recommendation to never drink again, but since I just have wine occasionally I figured it will be ok to have a little here and there in the future. Your story makes me seriously reconsider that thought. My brother in law had RNY about two years ago and seems to have a problem with alcohol now too. He also went through a divorce and I thought that might be more his reason. I do wonder though. My brother is an alcoholic and has been doing it for awhile. He's to the point where it seems nearly impossible to stop, even after a DWI and $10,000 down the drain. I urge you to follow your own instinct and seek some professional help. Stop it in its tracks. Don't let the disease leave you down and out, like it does for so many. A friend of mine did AA and said it really turned his whole life around. You faced WLS and lost all that weight. You took such a huge step at making a better life for yourself. Don't let this stop you. Get some help. You can tackle this too. Thanks again for sharing.

Get PROFESSIONAL Help! In support group I met a woman who started drinking wine and became an alcoholic. She lost her husband and children in 2 years of this addiction and decided to attend AA Meetings to reestablish a relationship with her children. In the AA Meetings she polled the people and found out 15 in the group had WLS. 1 DIED a slow miserable death. So her warning to us was NEVER drink, it can cost you everything. Sent from my SM-G530T1 using the BariatricPal App

Good luck. Plan on at least a month with no alcohol following a taper. You want to give your body time to heal. Pay attention to your heart rate and blood pressure during this. If you really start to spike, talk to your doctor about benzos. There are parts of your brain which were severely suppressed with all the alcohol in your system and the benzos will help. Nice of your room mate to help. Make sure your roommate is familiar with DT symptoms. A small part of the population (esp. those with seizer disorders) is susceptible and it can be life threatening.

Your post was incredibly brave and admitting and accepting you have a problem is the hardest thing to do. I deal with a food addiction but I also have a mother that is an alcoholic. She never wanted to do anything about her problem and to live through the devastation of it personally was one of the hardest things. I will say it is one heck of a beast so I wouldn't suggest going it alone. You need someone that has been there done that. That's kinda what this place is for us. I would suggest going to some type of group meeting having a sponsor is the best thing you can do.

Dump the sugar and simple carb laden foods, no soda, alcohol, added sugar, etc and then add some exercise. Do all that first if you have not already done that. I made all those significant small changes first, then went harder. The week I attended the seminar I ditched the diet coke, done. Then let go of pasta, rice, any bread except rye and then only one piece toasted once a day, etc. These changes are pretty much permanent. To go hardcore to get to your most important goal - which is surgery scheduled - you may need to go lean protein and vegetables sooner - which is the lifestyle we all have after surgery anyway. You don't need the shake routine until your doc says do the shake routine, unless for you that seems easier. Me - I would rather have tuna or chicken than a shake. Good luck.