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* TALL BOOTS --- Figures that this year when I *might* fit into tall boots, booties are in . I have a new pair of knee high boots still in the box from last Fall and have been too nervous to try them on. Status: Pending * FOOTBALL GAMES -- Status: Complete! Went to a football game and didn't care how far away we tailgated, climbed to nosebleed seats without gasping for air, didn't care I wasn't drinking alcohol and stuffing my face. * OLD COATS - Status: Complete! Went through my closet and got rid of the big coats and kept the cute jackets from years ago (yes, some are still in style ). I love this time of year! Especially when layers are acceptable - even though I don't need to hide as much!

I am four months out and I have a glass of red wine almost every night. My tolerance has not changed, nor have I suffered any ill effects from the alcohol. I do make sure to include the glass in my daily calorie tally. I have a few other friends who have had VSG, and they too enjoy a regular glass of wine.

immediately after surgery NO after a while...not a good idea. For one, since you're not getting as much food you will get drunk much faster and might not be aware of it. Also it's empty calories. you don't need alcohol to enjoy yourself

Yes. The question is SHOULD you. Alcohol after surgery can cause a few problems. 1. Addiction transfer- if you have a food addiction prior to surgery, it's a lot easier to move from one addiction to another when you can't compulsively eat anymore 2. The way your body processes alcohol after surgery is a lot different. Most people lose their tolerance and are flat out drunk after a few sips. So don't ever drink and drive after surgery. Not even one drink. For someone who is alcohol sensitive after surgery ONE alcoholic drink to a bypass patient is the same as almost SIX to someone who hasn't had the surgery. Your blood alcohol % flies through the roof really quick. Some people have no problem with it but most can't drink like they use to. 3. It's calories. As fun as drinking is (I'm 22 so I've only drank for a year and now I have given it up which is hard with my social life), it's not a necessity. My program has a flat out no alcohol for a year policy but not everyone is like that. I'm not taking the risk alcohol after surgery can bring so I plan on waiting a couple years.

can you drink alcohol after the surgery

First, a disclaimer: I plan to have a glass of wine at Thanksgiving. So I'm not apposed to alcohol, especially in moderation. But I've read a couple of research studies on alcohol use with RNY patients. First, one glass of alcohol (any kind) generally hits us like 4 glasses of that alcohol did pre-surgery. So if you drink, don't drive. Second, there is a much higher incidence of alcoholism with RNY patients than with the population as a whole. Research is not clear on why, but speculation is it may be transference (can't binge on food anymore, so binge on alcohol). I'm not suggesting any of this will affect you, just pointing out the research, and why doctors are generally wary of RNY patients drinking much.

Caffeinated coffee and alcohol are the two items where opinions are most varied. I think personal prejudices and philosophies play a large part in these disparate opinions. I was cleared to drink both regular coffee and alcohol, both in moderation, one month after surgery. I drink regular coffee every morning but have not yet tried having an alcoholic beverage but I will soon.

Glad to hear I am not the only weirdo-magnet out there. I'm a little older than you and I believe in the 50-something age range, its even worse. The "I love you" on the second date guys...the alcoholics... etc. I also believe if a guy has never been married by this time, there is a reason.

Men are always talking about how there are so many crazy women out there. I've been single a year and it seems like the world is FULL of crazy men!!! Not women!! Or is it just people in general? Geeze I thought I had problems. I go out with a guy twice and he's ready to marry me. I date an alcoholic and fall in love with him. I hear endless stories about crazy exes. What are people willing to settle for these days? Is it my age? (35) Is it that I'm online dating?? I have guys yelling at because I don't text them fast enough. I have guys who are completely emotionally stunted. What the hell????

I had my psych evaluation today too. Passed....yeah. First I had to take two test. First was about a 100 true or false questions mostly making sure I wasn't CRAZY...Lol. Second test was best answer out of 5 statements of about 10 questions making sure I'm not an alcoholic gosh didn't think I was going back to school....then to the psych Doctor. We had a conversation about my children. Seeing what kind of support system I have. Who in my family knows about my decision. How long I have been struggling being overweight. What other systems have I tried losing weight. He made sure I knew about exercising, drinking enough Water and Vitamins after my procedure. It wasn't too bad. He suggested that I start now trying out Protein supplements to see what I like. I hadn't even thought about it. Does anyone know if they have samples that one can try before purchasing a huge portion of protein powders or liquids? Congrats on passing your eval @@losing2win

OMG Nutter Butters! I used to be able to polish off a whole package in a day or 2. Yeah, those wouldn't be allowed in my house anymore! It was bad enough yesterday that my husband had bought some pastries for his work crew in the morning, along with some chocolate donut holes. They were calling my name, but I resisted! Sometimes I feel like an addict or alcoholic. I have to just take it one day, even one minute, at a time.

Sorry - long. My 6 month + "rules": Important Rules: 1. Eat only three small meals a day of 1/2 to a maximum of 1 cup food per meal. Some individuals may need an additional small meal or snack of Protein rich foods to meet their nutritional needs. There is no painless way to melt the pounds away. Total calories eaten must be less than your total calories expended in order to lose weight and maintain weight loss. 2. Stop eating as soon as you begin to feel full. Overeating may cause you to vomit or stretch your pouch and decrease the effectiveness of your surgery. Indications of fullness are:  A feeling of pressure or fullness in the center just below your rib cage.  A feeling of nausea.  Pain in your shoulder area or upper chest. 3. Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly. Chew each bit 20 to 30 times before swallowing to incorporate salvia and begin the digestion process. A meal should take 20 to 30 minutes to eat. 4. Do not eat between meals. Eat meals at regular times. Eat at the dining room or kitchen table. 5. Do not drink liquids 30 minutes before or during a meal. Wait 1 hour after a meal to start drinking. 6. Drink enough fluids during the day. Goal is 8-9 cups (64-72 ounces) minimum. Plan your Fluid intake. You may not always be able to drink when thirsty. Sip all beverages slowly. 7. Drink only low-calorie liquids. No carbonated beverages, sparking Water, beer, alcohol, tobacco and caffeinated beverages are allowed, as they will cause gaseous distention, pouch stretching, irritation, and nausea. No high-calorie drinks such as milkshakes, Cappuccino, cream based Soups, or fruit smoothies are allowed. These calorie dense liquids have poor nutritional value, lead to unsuccessful weight loss, and do not provide a feeling of fullness. 8. Eat only good quality food. Remember to start a meal with Proteins first. No high-calorie, low-nutrient foods such as cakes, Cookies, pies, candy, pastries, gravies, high-fat snack foods like chips, regular jellies & jams, honey, sugar, ice cream, etc. are allowed. Keep total fat intake below 30-40 grams per day. Read labels for fat and calorie content. No high fat meals such as salami, bologna, bacon, and sausage. They contain more fat and less high quality protein. No fried foods. 9. Bake, broil, boil, grill, steam, or roast are ways to cook your food instead of frying to cut down on fat calories. BEWARE – you may have problems tolerating high-fat, greasy foods after surgery. Season foods with herbs and spices instead of creams, sauces, and fats. Marinate meats to tenderize, flavor and moisten. 10. Have a meal plan in mind when eating away from home. Beware of buffets and salad bars. Share a meal or ask for a “doggie bag”. 11. Prepare a shopping list and stick to it! Shop after you eat. Avoid your eating triggers. 12. Exercise at least 30 minutes each day. Walking is the best exercise. Exercise may be in small 5-10 minutes increments per day. Make exercise a part of your daily routine. Up to 60 minutes per day is best. 13. Keep a daily food and exercise diary. Record amount/type of foods eaten, length of time taken to eat and any triggers that cause over eating – boredom, angry, lonely, etc. Avoid excess TV and computer time. Guide for Daily Eating Provides 1000 to 1400 calories and 50 to 60 grams of protein. Plan for about ½ cup of food at each meal, over time, no more than 1 cup. meat & Bean Group (Protein): 4 to 6 ounces each day. Serving size 1 ounce equals 55-75 calories, 6-8 grams of protein. 1 ounce of lean meat, poultry, or fish, 1 egg, ¼ cup cooked very soft dry Beans. Eat 2 to 3 ounces at a meal. Milk Group: 4 choices each day. Serving size ½ cup equals 40 to 50 calories, 4 grams of protein. Serving size ½ cup: Skim or 1% milk, sugar free yogurt, 1ounce 2% or Fat-Free natural cheese or processed cheese. Do not drink dairy fluids with a meal. Vegetable Group: 1 to 1.5 cups each day. Serving size ½ cup equals 25 calories, 2 grams protein Includes fresh, frozen, canned and vegetable juices. Use caution with high Fiber vegetables like corn, peas, and celery, skins and seeds that may block the outlet. Fruit Group: 1 cup each day. Serving size ½ cup equals 60 calories, 0 grams protein Includes fresh, frozen without sugar, canned without sugar, and 100% fruit juices. Chew fruit with skins, seeds, and membranes extra well, or peel, remove seeds and membranes, or cut into small pieces. Juices pass through your outlet without causing fullness. Try to limit 100% real juice to ½ cup or 4 ounces (diluted) a day as part of your liquids. Grain Group: 3 to 4 ounces or equivalent each day. Serving size 1 ounce equals 80 calories, 1 to 3 grams protein. Includes all foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or rye such as bread, Pasta, cooked cereals, unsweetened Breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits. 1 slice of bread, ½ bun, 1 cup ready-to-eat Cereal, or ½ cup cooked rice, pasta or cooked cereal can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent. Choose whole grains with at least 2 grams of fiber per ounce. Note: some patients have difficulty eating bread or any doughy bread product. Try toasting whole grain bread, use whole grain crackers, pasta, and cereals. Try brown rice, chew well, and mix with a vegetable. Eat this group last and after protein, vegetable, and fruit groups at a meal. Fat Group: 3 teaspoons. Serving size 1 teaspoon equals 45 calories, 0 grams protein. Include fats that are liquid at room temperature, such as olive, canola, corn, soybean, or sunflower oil. Some foods are naturally high in oils, like nuts, olives, some fish, and avocados. Limit intake of mayonnaise, low fat salad dressings and soft margarines. A small amount from this group helps to lessen dryness of skin and hair.

@@shawneedragon it sounds as though you're at a place of real honesty about your addiction to alchol and the effect that has had on your life. That is a starting point to turn it all around. I hope you're able to find the resources you need -- whether that is therapy, a psychiatrist to help with the medication issues so you are not self-medicating, AA meetings -- whatever it takes. Know that you are worthy and deserving of all good things. You can do this. Recovery is hard work and it's something that has to be dealt with every single day, but, as they say, it's one day at a time. Here you are. That's a great first step. Good luck with all. Eating disorder is so dificult to address because, of course, one has to eat -- unlike drug addiction, smoking or alcohol. Take good care of yourself!

Mostly water, diet cranberry juice when I was in and out the hospital, and today I had diet raspberry Snapple for the first time and I loved it! I also drink lemonade crystal light sometimes. No alcohol for me, I'm only 5 weeks post op and have no desire at this time.

Sorry you have all these struggles, and that your family is being so monumentally insensitive and mean. The fact is, while they can be as supportive as possible, they will never truly know exactly what you're going through, exactly how hard you have worked to get here, and how much you are having to endure right now. The only solace I can offer is to tell you that it WILL get better. It will only get easier from here on out, physically. Emotionally... well, that's what we are all here for. No one understands the pain and struggles of an alcoholic the way another alcoholic does, and the same is true for us. Right now, everything sucks and hurts and feels really difficult. But where you are now is a place you've worked so, so hard to get, and no one can take that away from you. People who have not experienced obesity and wls have NO idea just how hard the struggle is, just how much you've had to sacrifice in the name of your health and well-being. Soon, you'll be feeling as well as you did before surgery, and then you'll be feeling better than that, and then better than that... We're here for you. Take care of yourself, take your pain meds when you need them, rest when you need to, stop walking and sit down when you are too tired or in too much pain to continue. This is not a race and pushing yourself because of the pressure your family is putting on you will only hurt you. Everything will be so, so much better soon. Take care.

My nutrition after surgery book from our class states sugar alcohols are NOT ok if you've had bypass because it too can cause dumping. Anything ending in -itol should be avoided. So, I'd avoid those. You can find sugar free puddings that are sweetened with Splenda or aspartame(if you can handle it) that will not cause dumping or distress.

So I had my surgery on September 30th and I'm happy to say that things went relatively well. I only had three things I struggled with after surgery. 1. Immediately waking up I was miserable. They gave me everything they legally could and I still thought I was going to die for like 4 hours. 2. My heart rate. At "resting" it was at 115. When I wasn't feeling good it would get over 140. So they watched my heart really close. I think a lot of it was hospital anxiety. They finally got it to calm down with Valium at like 3 in the morning but by calm I mean 110. 3. Peeing. I know tmi but honestly it was the hardest part. My sips were fine. Swallowing was easy. But when it came to going to the bathroom I couldn't go. On surgery day I had to have a catheter because my bladder reached 800cc (catheter requirement is 500cc). I had the catheter over night and when they took it out the next morning I couldn't go on my own. Eventually my bladder got over 500cc again so they used a straight catheter. I didn't go on my own until late that night. THEN I got to go home. I still struggle now. I have to have Water running and use a wet cloth to get me to go. It's weird but it works. In the hospital they tried peppermint oils, showers, everything. It was so frustrating. Now I'm home and I weighed myself. I've lost five pounds already which is odd. Not complaining but I was expecting a weight gain from fluids and swelling. I struggle with Protein. Yogurt feels good in my pouch. The hardest part about being home is my family honestly. All I hear is: walk faster, walk more, you don't need your pain pills, how's that baby food taste?, don't you wish you could have a pop tart. They actually went grocery shopping specifically for junk food because they know I can't eat it and then ordered pizza. When I said something about it "I wasn't being compassionate" and "I knew what I was getting into".... Mk so let's send an alcoholic to a 12 step program just for them to come home and be like "look at all the booze we bought". I literally just cried. This whole process they were supportive saying we "are all making changes together" and I come home to this. I feel alone. I feel like it's not fair. I've worked really hard to change my life and I feel like I'm being punished because I chose wls. can anyone else relate?

I was also told sugar alcohols are ok. Anything too sweet can upset the pouch. So I think it's just in moderation.

I was told no sugar and no alcohol but sugar alcohol is an artificial sweetener and as far as I know it is O.K. There are several different types of sugar alcohols. Some can cause diarrhea if taken to excess. An example is sugar free gummie bears. Sugar free pudding was on my list of acceptable foods from the very beginning of the program.

5 days post op- My dietitian told me to not have sugar alcohol. Apparently irritates my new stomach. Then I'm reading about my stage 2. Apparently I can have sugar-free pudding. All the sugar-free pudding has sugar alcohol in it. So I want to know is a little bit Okay?

I am really struggling with cross addiction. I am diagnosed bipolar. I was anorexic as a teen and turned into a binge and purger as an adult. I cash paid for the lap band so I didn't go through any psychological evaluation. After the surgery I could no longer use food as a "drug" so I turned to alcohol and it has really messed up my life. My band is now completely empty but I still can eat food and throw up after every meal. I have found that if I drink alcohol I am able to eat more. I don't know why this is but, the fact that I able to eat anything at all motivates the drinking. I feel like the $15,000.00 I spent on the surgery was a deal with the devil. I contacted the Dr. who did the surgery (Dr. Liu) and was told I would have to pay another $15,000.00 cash to have it removed. This was the worst decision of my life. I lost my husband and my dignity all for vanity and a quick fix.

Easy Andrew, indeed! I never drank and became overweight. Still don't drink. And also to the other not everyone who is overweight is addicted to food! Why do we generalize and why do we use the words addiction and alcoholic so loosely?? My oh my.

I pay a lot more attention these days to how much others are eating. (Pre-op, I didn't notice that so much.) And in my estimation, only a few of my skinny friends are eating "a lot." When eating out at restaurants, they generally order what they enjoy eating and what they find delicious (not particularly low-calorie food), but they usually don't eat it all and leave food on their plates. They don't eat a lot of bread (or any). A lot of them are "foodies" -- they cook a lot at home, share recipes, and are on the lookout for where good food is served. They exercise -- walk a lot, do strength training, and yoga. Every once in a while, they take a break from food -- doing a mini-cleanse diet, eschewing alcohol for a few weeks or a month, etc. They stay well hydrated (they're seldom without a bottle or glass of Water nearby). Yes, some of them do complain about having gained five pounds and how they need to take it off. But they always do seem to lose those five pounds. And then gain it. And then lose it again. This is what their normal looks like. Sounds like "maintenance" to me.

Dub, You're going to be a great WLS success. As a sleeve patient, I can tell you I'm THRILLED with my "journey" (I think you adore that term ). I'm 13.5 months post-op. I've lost all my excess weight and been maintaining now for 5 months. I have a friend who had VSG surgery about the same time I did. I met him online and then met him IRL recently. He's probably your age (late 40s) and has lost over 200 pounds in the last 13.5 pounds and just hit Onederland. TWO HUNDRED POUNDS IN A YEAR PLUS. Since his surgery he has been very active. He has eschewed alcohol the entire time. He eats very healthy, follows all the good eating guidelines (you know them all). You will not believe, I promise you, how much your life is going to change in the coming year. Even your best dreams won't be able to predict how good you're going to feel - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Your life is about to change dramatically for the better. I'm so tickled for you!

Liz, glad you're feeling better. I have to see my husband Tuesday at my home for a house appraisal. I have only seen him once in person in the past 15 months and that was at court. I haven't been inside my house since I left. Lots of emotions, but of course the one thing that bothers me the most is my weight. I'm ten pounds heavier than when I saw him at court In April. I gave up all alcohol three weeks ago but the scale has not gone down. I'm going on liquids for a couple of days even though my fill appointment got postponed this week. Protein shakes and Soups. That has always been good for a couple of pounds down in the past. My lawyer suggested bringing a friend with me to the house. I decided against it because I don't want him picking a fight with her, and I also don't want to give the impression that I need reinforcements. I will be so glad when this divorce is over. My lawyer told me it probably won't be done until next summer. Meanwhile, I deal with the body issues. I felt so confident in April, and that court date was my lowest weight since WLS. Then I spent these last six months eating wrong, drinking every weekend, and gaining these ten pounds. Anyway, you here are my reinforcements. So talk me off the ledge, please! Just kidding. It will be okay. I just wish I didn't feel fat this week. That jerk is not worth this angst. Edited to add: Mr. Wonderful always predicted I would fail at LapBand. He was openly critical and would often mock his coworker who dropped 100 pounds and then stabilized, with probably 80 left to lose. This idiot's words are in my head this week.