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My surgeon Dr Needleman summed it up pretty well ! After your surgery you will become a "Cheap Drunk" , a medicine cup of alcohol will do you,in, so It's really not worth it to you!😷

Yeh. I think all docs tell you that. But my dietician told me that it was fine to drink non-carbonated drinks (i.e. sugar free margaritas/daquiris (see www.bariatriceating.com for GREAT mixers) and my personal favorite is WINE. Also, if I can spare the calories I'll go for a Cape Cod (cranberry juice and vodka). The bubbly drink thing is supposed to be for the rest of your life (or at least your banded life) because "supposedly" the carbonation can expand the pouch and the extra gas causes discomfort. About 2 months out I had a sip of champagne and it didn't bother me, but I just don't want to risk it. Generally docs say no alcohol for a year or so because they don't want you to have the empty calories. Kristin P.S. LMAO at your screen name! I love it!!

Well, I hate to admit it, but I am worried about this same thing. I often socially drink and usually have a couple of beers or drinks to 'wind down' at the end of the day. It DOES add up. I wonder if I start looking at this as calories rather than a nice relaxation thingie would that make a difference. Truthfully, I can't see myself giving up my nightcap, but I know with alcohol, like food, I will have to make adjustments to my life and figure out what is working and what is not. Cashley-that is too funny...let me go through my cabinet and see what 'alcohol substitues' I can fine....(kidding yall)

It takes 6 - 8 weeks for your stomach to fully heal. Some will say hey, it's okay go for it, I did. Some people drink Soda and alcohol immediately too, but do you really want to take a chance? What you do with your body is your own thing, but I do want you to be fully informed. You think you won't be able to finish a small, but popcorn is a slider food. If you wanted to, I truly believe you could finish the entire Large bag at 5 weeks. Eating popcorn, does this mean you are going to buy a drink with it too? That will make the popcorn slide down so much easier. Popcorn melts in your mouth basically, the oils will lubricate it and you will basically have a clod of kernel and seeds in your tummy, but it won't make you full until you are way past a small bag and I truly believe you will easily be able to finish off the large popcorn. AMC's 16-cup large popcorn is 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat and 98 grams of carbohydates!! This is not taking into account any extra sodium or extra butter. Popcorn doesn't take up much room in your stomach, you will feel no restrictions from eating it and you will be extremely surprised, you will suffer later for it most likely, but not while you are eating it. If I were you, I would wait a few months out until you try the popcorn. At 6 weeks out, I was just allowed to get off full liquids, the restriction is never there for things like chips, popcorn etc. that's why you are suppose to be getting in your Proteins which will make you feel the restriction and the carbohydrates from a small bag of popcorn isn't going to make you feel the restriction. In the end it's up to you to give yourself the time to heal. This isn't a diet, it's a way of life. When you are completely healed inside and you truly have the self-control you need to handle a slider food like popcorn, go for it.

Slow cookers are great for working folks, especially those of us who need very tender, moist dishes. However....many of these great-sounding recipes are seriously overloaded with calories and sodium from the canned Soups. Also, the rice and potatoes are high carbs (starches) that we don't need if we are serious about losing weight. Therefore, cooking them is fine for a good meal for our families at night....but those of us trying to keep our weight down need to just pick out the meat (protein) from the dishes. Look at what just one CUP of Cream of chicken Soup has in it : Amount Per 1 cup Calories 233.43 Calories from Fat 132.38 % Daily Value * Total Fat 14.71g 23% Saturated Fat 4.17g 21% Polyunsaturated Fat 2.99g Monounsaturated Fat 6.55g Cholesterol 20.08mg 7% Sodium 1972.9mg 82% Potassium 175.7mg 5% Total Carbohydrate 18.52g 6% Dietary Fiber 0.502g 2% Protein 6.85g 14% Alcohol 0g

Hi Shedo / others, I think alcohol for sure has played a part for me however im just curious if any of you after a certain period of time had a moment where the sleeve almost turned off? If I can use that phrase, and felt you had to revert back to full manual control so to speak?

I had surgery starting weight 220lbs april 29th with a bmi of 32. I am 5'10 so I had to go to mexico to have it done. Dr. Ortiz with the OCC and had the best experience, I think they took better care of me after the surger staying in a surgery suite than surgeries I have had in the us where wham bam get out man. I did not tell anyone either. I have been in social situations and just told people i am on a diet that i am not straying from and it is protein shakes, since i am in the liquid phase and no alcohol and that is it. No one other than my parents and husband know and I have been to two dinner parties and a mothers day luncheon and not a problem if you just explain the diet thing and move on.

I'm sure the answer is no but I forgot to ask the dietician if I'm allowed to have alcohol during my 2 week pre op liquid diet that I started today. Do any of you know?

As a fellow partyer, this is good info! Im glad your first experience was a good one and it helps to calm whatever anxiety I may have had about trying for myself... But seriously, we can't hope to bring back every single thing we used to do before right after we get sleeved... U got this surgery because u wanted to make a change.. Sometimes that means just saying no for a little while... Don't jeopardize ur progress to hold on to a lifestyle that wasnt working for you before... Next time, order urself something non-alcoholic, sit there, watch your friends get sloshed and enjoy the crazy stuff they do... Hell, if it were me, I'd let them get drunk and play mind games on them just to get my jollies! LMAO!

Hi all, Not sure if you will see this since this thread has been out a while.... As a single 40 something, alcohol is part of my social experience, and I don't want to give it up. I enjoy good wine, dinner parties that include this, good beer and the every once in a while, margarita. I would be lying to say that it concerns me that I can't drink....... In fact, it is part of my decision process and why I am waiting to get the VSG. I need to wrap my head around NOT drinking before I move forward.... I really appreciated the original post, very honest. Thanks for that!

A small amount of wine goes wayyyyy further than it did before surgery. I'm being truthful here and having a hard time with stopping when I know I should. I really don't want this to get out of hand. Advice appreciated but please don't give it if you choose to judge me. Thank you.

ANYTHING .. That you can eat a lot of. As in cereal and alcohol in your case. Alcohol is sliding and you can drink endlessly and gain from all the gazillion carbs/calories. If you can eat/drink something and not get full with it then it's a slider food. You're digesting it as fast as you're consuming it. Avoid it.

You know there is research out there that has found those with by-pass surgery have a propensity to drink too much. Google it and see what you find. I have a son who had a Gastric Bypass and is fighting this issue at times. Something to do with the way the alcohol is processed in the stomach....don't necessarily have the turn off point that non sleeved patients have. For most of us by-pass patients - we are food addicts - unfortunately some of us replace the food with alcohol....the issues that caused the food addiction are still there - they just move to a different venue....

Alcohol is PACKED with calories dude, so yes alcohol is the problem AND do is food.

I have to agree with what most people are saying, which is that you should stop blaming outside circumstances that could be changed and instead look inward, being very blunt and realistic with yourself. Alcohol should not be consumed by people who have had a sleeve for ideally 6 months to one year after surgery. There is a special digestive enzyme in your stomach that processes alcohol. Since 85% of your stomach has been removed, there is very little of that enzyme (if any) to process alcohol. You could actually end up with alcohol poisoning and be in the hospital getting your stomach pumped. If cereal is a "trigger" food (a food that you can't seem to stop eating once you start) then don't buy it. There are a ton of things that I just can't buy because I know I can't control myself and I will eat all of it! Grocery stores sell pre-cooked chickens, usually for $5. If you want something quick and easy, you could get a chicken and eat off of that for a few days. Also, Protein shakes with milk will give you protein and what your body needs to feel full. I tried Isopure Water for the first time today. It smells kinda weird but tastes OK... and dang, it filled me up. I'm actually burping! (TMI) Support groups work when you work the program. Do you think it would be acceptable for an alcoholic to attend an AA meeting if they just kept drinking and drinking, week after week, year after year? Just going will not help someone until they actually hit rock bottom and make the decision to stop. The point is, it is horribly difficult... horribly horribly difficult to stop eating... (I am literally fighting it every minute of the day) but it is something you have to fight just like any other addict. Your stomach is not likely stretched all the way out, but you could be doing damage to your insides. Your hair is falling out because you are not consuming nutrients. The majority of people who get a VGS will have hair fall out - this is because your body is working to keep the more important parts of your body working (like internal organs and muscles) and ignores things like hair, nails, and skin. I've noticed in a lot of your posts you mention things you can't do, such as not being able to cook. I can't cook either, and that was a big fear of mine. So, what am I going to do? I'm going to sign up for cooking classes. In the meantime, I look up stuff on youtube that looks basic enough for someone who can burn water! My nutritionist gave me smoothie recipes that use frozen fruit and yogurt. The frozen fruit doesn't go bad for ages (cuz it's frozen) and the yogurt isn't anything fancy. Then I just add Protein powder and put it in a blender. It literally takes 5 minutes and you can't screw it up. To conclude, it's easy for anyone to tell you what to do; however, you sound very depressed on top of everything else, so anything people tell you to do will seem unrealistic. I have been through therapy myself and was on antidepressants from the time I was 15 up until last year when I finally got good therapy (I'm 33 now). So, I do understand depression... everyone is just like, "Well... don't be sad. Think positive." Gee.... why didn't I think of that? I'm cured! haha. The point I'm trying to make is, PLEASE reach out for help... either to your primary doctor to work with you on getting the correct type of medication for you, or to a licensed therapist that can help you through this. If you can work through some of these issues in a non-judgmental environment, you will feel more positive about your outlook in life, then things kind of click into place slowly but surely.

Also, the whole "Im not an alcoholic because Im in college" is bullshit too, anyone with a brain can know that. Its like saying just because Im a professional gambler doesnt mean I have a gambling problem or something like that. Regardless, the alcohol isnt the problem, its the food. People told me I would be stuffed. People told me I wouldnt be able to eat, that I would throw up if I pushed myself. And guess what? I threw up once, and that was enough to know that I should not drink (Water......) after eating a whole lot, and I should definitely chew a bit better. Other than that....yeah nothing is really working. I wonder if its possible to see how much my stomach stretched.

The surgery came with a huge lifestyle change. Im 21 years young so... i did a lot of partying and drinking (wasn't a alcoholic tho). Prior to drinking i ate to prepare for the turn up lol and after drinking more eating.... followed by sleeping. When you don't work out or live an active lifestyle... thats a BAD mixture and i know thats where all my weight came from. Now that thats over with i picked up other hobbies. Now that my pockets are heavier because i don't spend most of my money on alcohol and fast food i picked up a sneaker addiction lol been buying at least 1-2 pairs a week since surgery. And i also picked up gaming (PS4) . If I'm not at work I'm either at the gym getting my daily 2.5 mile walk in or I'm at home playing video games and lifting weights. Lost a lot of friends since the lifestyle change but hey thats life right?? I'm happy and content with the new lifestyle change and loving the person I'm becoming.... After surgery whats the biggest thing that changed for you??? Sent From Galaxy Note 5 using the BariatricPal App

I do believe that sugar is toxic for us....Here is an article I thought you might like to read and give your opinion on..... Your Brain on Sugar It gives you a rush, messes with your mind, and always leaves you wanting more - and now researchers are calling for the government to regulate the sweet stuff like a drug. Is sugar worse for you than, say, cocaine? According to a 2012 article in the journal Nature, it's a toxic substance that should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol. Researchers point to studies that show that too much sugar (both in the form of natural sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) not only makes us fat, it also wreaks havoc on our liver, mucks up our metabolism, impairs brain function, and may leave us susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, even cancer. So far, no federal action has been taken (advocates blame industry lobbyists), and experts say simply raising awareness isn't enough, especially when 80 percent of our food choices contain sugar. "It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion," says coauthor Laura Schmidt, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Nevertheless, after the shock of hearing the news, many of us shrugged and turned back to our cupcakes. Yet, truth is, women in their 20s and 30s may already be feeling the effects of too much sugar without even realizing it. Here, the most common sugar-induced issues and how to beat them to prevent long-term damage—and feel your best right now. STRESS EATING For a pick-me-up, you may feel the urge to inhale a bag of M&M's or scarf down a box of Cookies. But the impulse goes deeper. To examine the hold sugar can have over us, substance-abuse researchers have performed brain scans on subjects eating something sweet. What they've seen resembles the mind of a drug addict: When tasting sugar, the brain lights up in the same regions as it would in an alcoholic with a bottle of gin. Dopamine—the so-called reward chemical—spikes and reinforces the desire to have more. (Sugar also fuels the calming hormone serotonin.) THE FIX In times of stress, dieters are more likely to binge, studies conclude. That said, a cookie once in a while (say, twice a week) is fine, but on most days go for oatmeal with brown sugar, suggests Jeffrey Fortuna, Ph.D., a health and behavior lecturer at California State University, Fullerton. The whole grains fill you up and the sweetness is just enough to release serotonin. INEXPLICABLE WEIGHT GAIN You stay away from burgers and drink diet soda. But sugar—both real and artificial—is the secret saboteur. When the pancreas senses sugar, the body releases insulin, which causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen for energy. Eat too much at once, though, and insulin levels spike, then drop. The aftermath? You feel tired, then crave more sustenance to perk up. Faux sugars don't help. "Artificial sweeteners travel to the part of the brain associated with desire but not to the part responsible for reward," says Dr. Gene-Jack Wang, a researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. Nor do they trigger the release of the satiety hormones that real sugar does, so you're more likely to consume more calories. THE FIX Feed sweet cravings with fruit (the Fiber will help keep insulin in check), and sub in sparkling Water for diet soda. If you must indulge, go for a small snack made with real sugar, and eat slowly. Add fruit or yogurt to feel fuller and prevent a crash. BRAIN FOG Blanking out in the middle of a meeting? Research out of the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that sugar forms free radicals in the brain's membrane and compromises nerve cells' ability to communicate. This could have repercussions in how well we remember instructions, process ideas, and handle our moods, says Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, Ph.D., author of the UCLA study. THE FIX Stay under the USDA limit of 10 teaspoons (40 grams) of added sugar a day. Read labels and available nutrition information at chains: A 16-ounce Starbucks vanilla latte and Einstein Bros. bagel will max out your day's allotment! A wiser choice: black coffee and plain yogurt with antioxidant-rich blueberries and walnuts, sweetened with honey. AGING SKIN Sugar causes premature aging, just as cigarettes and UV rays do. With young skin (generally under 35), when skin support structures collagen and elastin break down from sun or other free-radical exposure, cells repair themselves. But when sugar travels into the skin, its components cause nearby amino acids to form cross-links. These cross-links jam the repair mechanism and, over time, leave you with premature wrinkles. THE FIX Once cross-links form, they won't unhitch, so keep sugar intake to as close to zero as you can. "It's the enemy," says Dr. William Danby, a dermatologist with Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire. Avoid soda and processed pastries and trade sugar packets for cinnamon—it slows down cross-linking, as do cloves, oregano, ginger, and garlic. A SLUGGISH WORKOUT Muscles need sugar for fuel, so carbs (which break up into glucose, a type of sim-ple sugar) can kick-start your morning jog. But fruit or prepackaged Snacks touting "natural sweeteners" contain just fructose, which is metabolized in the liver, not the muscles. The result: bloat, or even the runs. THE FIX A glucose-packed snack with just 4 to 8 grams of fructose—it'll help increase glucose absorption, says Dr. Richard Johnson, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver. Try a sports drink like Gatorade or trail mix with dried fruit an hour before your workout.

Congrats on 9 years! I lost my brother to drug addiction and my boyfriend is a recovering addict/alcoholic with 2 years under his belt. I just wanted to give you mad props!!

So you have a cross addiction correct? One to Food, and the other to Alcohol. I met a Man at a WL meeting. and he was banded, and was in Tip Top Shape. When we introduced ourselves, he said he lost over 400 LBS with the Band, and the Band saved his LIFE. My mouth hit the floor, I couldn't believe it. Then he said He swap 1 addiction for the other "this can be common." He worked out at the Gym while banded, but his calories were all liquid Calories. Next he tried pain killers for his knees, and the booze and the pills formed a real good relationship. Until he almost died of a over dose. So he belonged to Lap Band Meetings, AA Meetings, and NA Meetings. I will never forget him, because it was the first time I ever heard about swapping out Food, for another addiction, and his addictions were consumed all through the mouth.

I haven't had a drop of alcohol since right before I was banded. I will partake once I reach goal though.

If you had a cut with stitches on your arm, do you think pouring alcohol on it would feel good or help it heal? Think of your tummy like that...you have an incision running the entire length of your stomach being held together with tiny staples. Probably drinking alcohol tonight is not a good idea. Not causing a leak or abscess is way more important than what your friends think about your alcohol consumption. I made it easy on myself by just telling everyone I had surgery, so my eating and drinking habits were never questioned. Maybe ask the bartender to put Apple juice in a wine glass or sip on ice water and let em think it's pure vodka if you have to ????

I know I already posted about this yesterday, but it just keeps getting better and better. Last night, I had a small bowl of chili at around 6:30pm for dinner and was not hungry at all for the rest of the night. And, I am a big big late night eater, so this is big for me. I absolutely hate going to sleep on an empty stomach, but for once, my dinner actually kept me satisfied all the way until bedtime. This morning I ran out of time to have b-fast so I grabbed a zone bar to have in the car on the way to church and I could barely finish it! Unbelievable!!! Usually I would just eat one of those to keep my stomach from growling. I don't actually get any 'filling' sensation from them even after my first fill. But, w/this second fill, oh yeah! Woohoo!!! I also lost another pound this morning so a total of 21 pounds since surgery on 12/17. Its so so hard for me to believe this is even real that I could lose 20+ pounds in 2 months. And, not even being perfect about it. Usually, when I had done WW, I had to be absolutely perfect to lose anything and many times it would be a half pound or less. Now I have been contemplating my behavior w/the band and how I really have not been working it as well as I could. Specifically, I had started slacking off on exercise and letting more liquid calories (as in cocktails and wine!) slip back into my life. And, I've asked myself is this what I really want... to do the band half-assed? And, the answer is NO! Clearly, its doing its job for me and its time for me to get more serious about doing my part. So, now I think I am ready to make some goals. A friend of mine is getting married on April 2nd and I am making it a goal to lose 15 more pounds by her wedding so I can feel cute dressed up (instead of frumpy). I am 221 right now so that would put me at 206. To achieve this, I am going to: 1) Attend Jazzercise at least 2x per week 2) Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week (on the days I don't do Jazzercise) 3) Limit alcohol to only 1x per week Wish me good luck and persistence! :confused:

I know I already posted about this yesterday, but it just keeps getting better and better. Last night, I had a small bowl of chili at around 6:30pm for dinner and was not hungry at all for the rest of the night. And, I am a big big late night eater, so this is big for me. I absolutely hate going to sleep on an empty stomach, but for once, my dinner actually kept me satisfied all the way until bedtime. This morning I ran out of time to have b-fast so I grabbed a zone bar to have in the car on the way to church and I could barely finish it! Unbelievable!!! Usually I would just eat one of those to keep my stomach from growling. I don't actually get any 'filling' sensation from them even after my first fill. But, w/this second fill, oh yeah! Woohoo!!! I also lost another pound this morning so a total of 21 pounds since surgery on 12/17. Its so so hard for me to believe this is even real that I could lose 20+ pounds in 2 months. And, not even being perfect about it. Usually, when I had done WW, I had to be absolutely perfect to lose anything and many times it would be a half pound or less. Now I have been contemplating my behavior w/the band and how I really have not been working it as well as I could. Specifically, I had started slacking off on exercise and letting more liquid calories (as in cocktails and wine!) slip back into my life. And, I've asked myself is this what I really want... to do the band half-assed? And, the answer is NO! Clearly, its doing its job for me and its time for me to get more serious about doing my part. So, now I think I am ready to make some goals. A friend of mine is getting married on April 2nd and I am making it a goal to lose 15 more pounds by her wedding so I can feel cute dressed up (instead of frumpy). I am 221 right now so that would put me at 206. To achieve this, I am going to: 1) Attend Jazzercise at least 2x per week 2) Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week (on the days I don't do Jazzercise) 3) Limit alcohol to only 1x per week Wish me good luck and persistence! :frown:

You don't know what I've walked either, just like in your own little rant. I only know what someone posts and go off that information. Someone stated "I need someone around me when I drink because I make really poor food choices". My response was "Perhaps alcohol shouldn't be a factor at all then." If the very mention of living without alcohol is a threat, then I think it requires some deeper self-analysis. Just an opinion.