Search the Community

I went to a friend's 50th birthday party three weeks after my surgery and it was rough! I love beer, and to be there without being able to drink was a struggle. But, I made it through the night without a drink, and I did it knowing that some day I could probably have beer again. I didn't have a beer until six months post-op. I'm two years post-op and I have an occasional beer, but it's usually a stout because anything with carbonation bothers me. I've learned to savor my beer because you will be a total lightweight after surgery. I usually don't finish my pint, which still stuns me! Hang in there - you'll get to have alcohol again, and it will be worth the wait.

I try to drink more than 64 oz of fluid (including coffee and tea because it's a myth that caffeine dehydrates; in truth only alcohol dehydrate), 60-80g protein, less than 80 g carbs with including very little added sugar (fruit and veggie sugar okay by me), less than 40g fat (although I often eat a lot of cheese and nuts, so this goes over frequently). I'm 4.5 months out. I count my calories on myfitnesspal and eat about 900-1300 calories a day. I am not trying to do ultra low carb because I want to be able to sustain this. I eat crackers or pretzels or sweets occasionally in very small amounts, and I eat out all the time because I travel for work. Good luck!

That was my first thought too but The NA beer still has a tiny bit of alcohol in it so if it’s the alcohol part that is acidic it may still be too harsh. I would worry about the carbonation so early out as well.

Sorry, I can't help you with this one, I don't drink alcohol. What about a nonalcoholic beer?

not only is it acidic, it's carbonated. Not a good choice at less than a month out. You're still healing. Plus transfer addiction is unfortunately a real thing - some people develop issues with alcohol after bariatric surgery. So I'd be careful. we were told to wait a year after surgery to indulge - some people are told six months. Some may not have to wait as long, but 3.5 weeks is way too early.

Different plans have different timelines around when to start consuming alcohol again. What does your plan say? Remember it’s always best to follow your plan. Why the craving? Is it really beer you’re craving or something else (food)? Do you really need it or are you looking for something to comfort you? Swapping one addiction/craving for another is a concern after weight loss surgery. You can’t satisfy your food craving so you look for something else and alcohol is often what people turn too. Will one beer satisfy your craving or will you want another one tomorrow? Will that beer be worth the calories & the carbs? You’re not 4 weeks out & are still healing. It’s why you’re still on a staged return to eating a broader diet of solid food. Beer is very acidic & will upset & irritate your healing tummy. These are just some things to consider before making your decision. All the best.

I am now 10 weeks post op and I have lost 27lbs since the day of my surgery. I had just one long stall of about 2 weeks post op but have lost about 2lbs a week since then. I'm so so pleased with that. I have quite a way to go but I feel like I'm into the swing of things. I do have a little alcohol every weekend but it's one or two drinks and all counted in my calorie allowance, which is around 800 per day now and 1000 at weekends. Good luck to everyone, hope it's going well for you all.

My preop diet is 1 week of full liquids. There are also some things I was told to cut 2 weeks out (NSAIDS, caffeine, alcohol. . . ) This varies for my doc based on BMI. I start my liquid diet tomorrow. I work outside sales. I drive around all day. My Surgery is on a Thursday, I go back to work the following Wednesday. My doc said some go back to work after 4 days. I am getting the sleeve done.

Okay now I’m even more nervous about ever trying alcohol again! 😆 Good to know though!

Looking for advice, will try to be brief. Thank you for allowing me to join your community! As the title explains, I have had two operations in the last 12 years. I have had issues with alcohol in the past which led to my revision. Anyway, I will complete a 'my story' post soon. Today I am trying to determine if what I am experiencing is normal or not. Thank you, in advance, for your candid advice. I developed GERD-like symptoms about nine months ago. I tried to moderate it with diet (less spicy / tomato), a few rounds of Prilosec. About seven months ago I gave up all alcohol in-part due to the painful symptoms. I had greatly moderated from my two bottle a day heyday, but I still drank. I am proud of my progress, but meetings may be in my future. At three months, Dr. ordered an endoscopy. I had the procedure October 30, 2021. Results showed that I was inflamed, but no ulcers. 'Just stay on Prilosec, forever if you have to' is the advice I received. After endoscopy, I decided to give up all carbonated drinks (I was hooked on about 100+ ounces a day of Diet Dr. Pepper). My go-to drink is now water. Also have added a lot of unsweetened iced tea and some coffee. A few days after New Year, my appetite started to decline. Just the thought of food was making me not feel well. I work from home and I fell into a habit of: one yogurt in the AM, protein drink at noon if hunger strikes, then just maybe 10 bites of anything around 4pm. Dinner at 7, maybe 20 bites over two hours. Hunger pains come on strong at times, but go away fast with 2-4 bites of anything.. As of today, Jan 23, my appetite is still just about 30% / 40% of what it was. I still find myself feeling like I have to 'force' myself to eat sometimes. Nothing sounds or tastes very good. I had a colonoscopy in December. Came back normal with one non-issue polyup (sp). Last week, I ran out of Prilosec. I decided to see if maybe I could get away with an as-needed solution. Big mistake. For the last three nights I have been awakened with extreme pain in my stomach. I have been taking Pepcid and Rolaids / Tums as needed. I plan to restart Prilosec tomorrow. Not sure why my stomach is still on fire??? I have a rather bland meat and potato diet. I quit alcohol and all carbonated drinks. Maybe a liquid fast and 100 Hail Mary's? This is my theory about my appetite issue: I think giving up the pop has resulted in far less bloating in my small stomach. Perhaps this has allowed it to heal back to a normal, or less inflamed, size. I cannot eat as much, but if I space out my eating, I'm sort of fine. I'm not sure about the mental aspects of this situation or how they corollate in parallel to the physical issues. However, the last time I felt this way (loss of appetite, could barely eat) was just before my emergency revision. Thankfully I have not developed the abdominal pains of that episode, just the eating issue. Just for context: I am a 47 year old male, about 260 pounds. I worry about constriction due to scar tissue, I was warned to look out for this. Thank you for any thoughts or advice! Matt

I’ve never heard that drinking water at night causes reflux & I’ve had it for decades. Never advised that at any time either. We’re you told this by your doctor? I managed my reflux successfully by making dietary changes. Avoiding alcohol & carbonated drinks before going to bed I can understand but not water which actually supports digestion & flushing food & acids through your tummy. I wonder if drinking large amounts of water before bed so you’re bloated may not be the best but then most of us can’t do that anyway.

Yeah, i went ultra low throughout the 7 months of weight loss phase, for me, that meant under 20g NET carbs per day (i don’t count fibre nor sugar alcohols). For about a year into maintenance, I just went “regular” low-carb at about 50~60g net daily. Now, while I do still keep track of my daily carb amounts, I don’t try to stick to any limits or anything…I track mostly for data collection and future analysis (yeah im nerdy like that, lol). In terms of calorie consumption, here are the averages during MY weight loss phase…. NOTE: my calorie intake is on the low side compared to others I’ve read on here. I do not recommend anyone do as I do without a consultation with a medical professional. It worked for me…and may or may not work for you. 2 week liquid pre-op diet: 600-900 cals (I had either 2 or 3 protein shakes a day) First 2 weeks post op: 50 cals a day (no joke…surprised I didn’t keel over and die) Week 3 to Month 3: 300-400 a day Months 4-5: 400-600 a day Months 6-7: 600-800 a day Months 8-12…worked up to 1500 Year 2: 2200+ a day (this was my peak exercise/activity period) Year 3: 1800-2100 a day Now (in year 4): 1600-2000 a day, but mostly stay around 1800.

I'm so sorry, that is really difficult. I experienced something somewhat similar. When I was about 3 weeks out my mom fell and broke her elbow and I completely spiraled and ate whatever I could, I was depressed and I drank alcohol. So when I went to my 6 weeks appointment they were disappointed that I didn't lose more. However, my dietician tried to not be judgey and try to work with me to get back on track. She looked at my log and told me to stay focused on proteins, vitamins, water, and if I have room vegetables, also finding the formula for miralax so I can relieve constipation. I also didn't see my surgeon I saw his assistant. Okay so to your question, honestly its so hard. I've been blessed to have a therapist so I meet with her every other week to deal with my mental health because that's part of it. I'm trying to take time to be disciplined, dedicated and intentional. I keep working really hard every day to stick to that book they gave me before surgery and I try really hard not to compare myself to others. Some people bodies are just so different and I keep telling myself to keep going. But the reality is that I still cruise this site to see where everyone else was at this week or that week. And while sometimes it helps me there are a lot of times where it doesn't help. My best advice would be, if you can work closely with your dietician to try to find something that you can eat without discomfort. Keep repeating that and stay steady and give yourself some grace.

I can highly recommend an 80/20 approach. Do right 80% of the time, don't stress about being perfect. I've had way too much alcohol (don't worry, not daily or ever alone); I've had weeks where I didn't exercise, I've had days when I went way over my calorie goal, I stopped taking iron months ago, I have to make sure I don't eat popsicles all day long, every day. Damn, I love those. And you know what? I got all the way to my goal and beyond. Because this is a long journey, and it's not about perfection. Sure, your team will tell you so-and-so, but nobody does everything right, all the time. So there's a choice; do everything right for a short time or do some things right for the long haul. Which do you want?

Hello Athena. What do you mean all of the things that come with the new you? With the exception of being mindful of what I eat now and no longer liking alcohol things are pretty much the same for me as they were before surgery. What obstacles are you having?

So, I looked up body dysmorphia (body disphoria usually deals with gender identity issues) and learned that it's not terribly uncommon. I do hope you'll consider therapy/counseling to deal with this. You'll feel so much better and learn to accept your body as it is now. The causes are unknown, but abnormalities in brain structure, genetics and environmental factors play a role. Symptoms include a frequent examination of appearance in the mirror, comparing their appearance to other people, avoiding social events and photos. Treatment includes medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. Symptoms The symptoms include: Frequent examination of appearance in the mirror Constantly comparing their appearance with other people Seeking dermatological treatment or cosmetic surgery Avoiding social events and photos Seeking verbal reassurance Excessive grooming Restricted eating Anxiety Depression Compulsive behavior Treatments Treatment includes medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. Medication Antidepressants: Such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) of help with symptoms of depression. Fluoxetine Self care Avoid alcohol and drugs: as they may worsen symptoms Be active: Perform exercises and engage in physical activity Therapies: Cognitive behavior therapy

I had battled alcohol problems long before WLS also due to PTSD and physical ailments. After WLS I gave up alcohol for a year and a half, but due to a series of crises this year, I began to "drink-medicate" again -- just to escape the terrible feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and sadness. "It's only a couple of glasses," I'd reason wrongly. But I had two binge drinking episodes after sudden crises that finally provoked me to give up alcohol altogether. The first caused me to end up in urgent care, with elevated liver enzymes. The second caused me to fall and get a gash across my forehead. Because I am an atheist, I wouldn't consider AA. But I was directed to an amazing book called "Alcohol Explained: Understand Why You Drink and How to Stop" by William Porter. All I can say is it is absolutely incredible and since I finished the book, I haven't touched alcohol and don't intend to again. Porter explains what really happens when we drink: the wonderful calming and relief from worries... followed hours later by an increase in anxiety, depression, and hangovers as our brains readjust to the alcohol (which is a toxin). So the vicious cycle begins -- drink to stop the bad feelings... the bad feelings get worse after the drink effects go away... requiring us to drink again... etc. And there's so much more to it, too. Porter does not believe that alcoholism is a disease (the AA model does) but it is a behavior that can be changed through learning, reframing, and changing behaviors. I can't recommend this book enough. Lastly, something I should have been thinking about all this time... Before WLS, my surgeon told me he had only had one patient die after the surgery. The man binge-drank a few times over a three month period and succumbed from alcohol poisoning. His new body couldn't handle the volume of alcohol he used to drink prior to the surgery. We never think such a thing could happen to us but... now I know.

In general, due to bariatric surgery, alcohol tolerance does not change in any way. Those biochemical processes that occur in the body and are associated with the disposal of alcohol remain the same. All the biochemistry associated with the assimilation of alcoholic beverages remains the same as before the operation. But some things are still changing. After any bariatric surgery, alcohol usually enters the small intestine faster and, therefore, is absorbed faster. After the operation, I started getting drunk with a smaller dose and somewhat faster than usual. After that, I had a lot of questions regarding alcohol consumption. And I found all the answers on the platform https://fherehab.com/alcohol/detection-window /.

I had my VSG 7/2015. I never felt much restriction and was hungry from the start. I restricted my calories to 800 per day and followed all the rules for the first 3 months and lost 60lbs… then my mother in law was dropped on my doorstep. LONG story but I was the sole provider for my husband and 2 small kids, working 12 hour night shifts. She had stage 4 emphysema and end stage esophageal cancer with alcoholic dementia to boot. Our house was tiny. She was 69 and weighed 65 lbs … let’s just say I was a bit stressed. I stopped counting calories. I plateaued for a full year and then started gaining. I’m now 6.5 years out and just 27 lbs from where I started. I’m hesitant to revise. My bariatrician tells me people tend to not have as much success with revision. I chose a sleeve because I didn’t want to risk not being able to absorb medications I need but my GERD is so bad I may not have a choice. I’d love to hear if anyone had a similar struggle with their initial surgery and were successful with the second. Those in the thread who had the scar tissue and hernia repair, surely they will allow a follow up procedure.

So the family has been bugging me about my alcohol consumption since Covid started. Full disclosure, prior to the new year, I was drinking as least 2 (sometimes 3, on rare occasions 4) drinks A DAY. Either an espresso martini or red wine. So to get them off my back, and prove to myself I could do it, I agreed to cut down to no more than one one a day for a month. I thought this would be a piece of cake, but lol and behold, I ended up non-compliant the first 2 days. Mostly because I “forget” that I am on a mission. So on day 3, I put a sticky note on the vodka bottle when I have a drink to remind me I already had a drink that day….and I tell Mr. so he can remind me at dinner if I absently reach for the wine. Since doing this the past 3 days, it’s been working. When I quit smoking (again) last year (I had quit for 10+ years, went on a vacay in 2019 where I accepted an offered cigarette, and just like that, I was smoking again). And my quitting attempts last spring was also thwarted by me “forgetting “ that I was trying to quit. So I tossed all my lighters, got rid of my outdoor ashtrays and told EVERYONE I was trying to quit, and asked to remind me if I forget , but not to enforce me (cuz I know that will just piss me off), as I want to make the decisions myself. I’ve mostly stopped since about April 2021, but I admit I’ve had maybe 10-15 in the past 9-ish months….which is a heck of a lot better than 10-15 A DAY. Final examples: I log everything I eat. Having a running total of my calories, has a bit of influence on my food choices at the end of the day. I weigh myself every day…so I am aware if my weight starts to move from its happy place. Just a couple other “reminders” for me to keep myself in check. This approach may not work for everyone, but I seem to have moderate success with it. Anyway…this was my long winded attempt to suggest you try to find what it is that works for you and what doesn’t (either on your own or with the help of a therapist), and make efforts to implement this knowledge to achieve your goal(s). You may not be perfect, and that’s ok, small changes for the better are better than non at all. Good Luck! ❤️

Aside for the helpful advice, please note this devil in the detail: What if you made sure you weren't hungry at all first? And I don't just mean not hungry, but actually full - and maybe some controlled snacking, too. It's better than the alternative. Our body works with our minds to get us what we need. This is why you can't just 'decide' to be thin. The mind and body will work together to get that food. I can't help but wonder if alcohol = finally getting enough food (but then it goes overboard, because living in "good" or "bad" states of mind means when we're "bad", let's be really "bad"). Worth considering.

So sorry to hear you're having these problems. If you haven't seen it already I'd suggest watching Dr Weiner's Youtube video about alcohol use after gastric bypass - the video and the comments are very interesting. Judging by what he says it seems that gastric surgery can trigger alcohol abuse, and that the same amount of alcohol will affect more strongly after surgery. He suggests that zero alcohol after gastric bypass is the best way - maybe keeping no alcohol at home at all? You're definitely not alone. I've been teetotal for nearly 35 years - I just wasn't interested in drinking alcohol at all - and I found his video a few months ago because I was trying to work out why all of a sudden after surgery I was craving an alcoholic drink - it's bizarre! The last thing I expected. But you've already overcome the food addiction and lost loads of weight - you can definitely overcome these cravings. Stay strong - life has been so rubbish with covid, but hopefully we're coming out the other side now.

I would agree with what everyone has said about finding a different therapist. It can take a few tries to find someone who is a good fit. Don't feel bad about switching therapists; that is something they are used to and the will not be offended. You could also try a support group for alcohol use. Many people use AA, but there are probably others if AA is not your cup of tea. Try to take it one day at a time, can you go today without a drink? If you find yourself wanting a drink, can you distract yourself with a walk or an exercise video or a hot bath or shower? Good luck!

I walked away from cigarettes November of 2016 then booze a few months later. I was already over 300 lbs and I knew I had to start somewhere. I've been reading up on addiction transfer and it's real. This is not specific to the subject but might help get you started: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19033853-the-emotional-first-aid-kit?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Ubhhurkvj4&rank=2 I'm also still fighting with what I call the "munchie monster" and I'm still working through my childhood traumas. I'm also re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and trying to incorporate little changes in my daily routine to ensure these habits and/or rituals become second nature. Alcohol destroyed my dad as it has many others. I hope you can find away to address what's really going on and start walking down a healthier path. I'm here to vent to or talk to if you need .

First of all, I am so, SO proud of you for naming it out loud and asking for help. That is the biggest, hardest step and you did it! You need to know your feelings are completely valid. Trauma, chronic pain, massive weight loss - those are all HUGE things to deal with and everything you're feeling is normal. If your current therapist isn't helping, it may be time to look for a new one. You can try PsychologyToday. com or call your insurance for a list of in-network providers and see who might specialize in PTSD and disordered eating/addiction. Transfer addiction is a real thing, it happens to a lot of bariatric patients, and you are not alone. Do you have any hobbies or past times you enjoy? Are you engaging in those or other forms of regular self care? If not, maybe try and work in some of those things. You deserve to have rest and downtime, but getting it via alcohol won't serve you in the long-term. You are worthy of health and happiness and taking small steps that align to those will make all the difference in the world. We are cheering you on.