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My surgeon / NUT recommends waiting a year. Whatever you decide, keep in mind that you will feel tipsy quicker and then feel sober quicker, but your blood alcohol level will remain elevated. So be sure to have a driver, even if you feel fine, because if you get pulled over and do a breathalizer, you may be illegal. Be safe!

The bottom line is to follow the surgeon's and NUT's guidance to a t. So many people are pushing the limits or either not getting guidance on what they're supposed to do. I was told why not to use a straw, why to avoid straws, how much to eat for the first 12 months, to measure, to eat protein first. But I see so many people fresh out of surgery asking when they can drink alcohol, eating pizza at 3 weeks out, sucking on foods and spitting it out, etc. I try to refrain giving my opinion because you tend to get pounced on. There's also this huge race for the weight loss. The Sleeve is a slower weight loss than the Sleeve. This is a marathon, not a race.

I would stay away from chewable vitamins as they tend to have sugar alcohols in them (look for ingredients ending in -itol; e.g. xylitol). I tried some post-op and they caused diarrhea and smelly gas, and they hurt my stomach.

I would recommend to call your doctor. also the alcohol could have irritated the stoma. I didnt have a drink until 3 or 4 months out. kathy

Surely to God you don't mean drink as in alcohol. Have you not read about your post op diet? I think you need to understand what you're up against. 20 days is really soon for that kind of vacation. Can you postpone the surgery? This is a really critical time in your life. My surgeon won't allow alcohol for a whole year after surgery! Much less 20 days!!!

It's tough, but something you are just going to have to deal with. Those of us who have issues with food have it harder than some other addictions. When you are an alcoholic or addicted to some other drug and in "recovery", you are encouraged to steer clear of any "bad influences" you associate with so you aren't tempted to use. With food, people still have to eat. You can't force others to adhear to the strict regimen that those of us going through this process have to do. I'm 2 and a half months out, and there have been many, many times I watch my friends and family eat and drink things I cannot. Instead of feeling "sabotaged", I feel empowered knowing I'm doing what I need to do right now to get healthy. Once you start looking at it that way, it becomes second nature to be around others who are partaking in things we know we shouldn't.

Hello I was just banded on Monday March 3rd and my 21st birthday is on March 20th.. So is this too soon to have a first drink of alcohol if not what would you recommend I drink?

This time next week I will already be in surgery. I am the first case Monday September 14th, 0730 start time. We are traveling home from a family wedding at which I managed not to have any alcoholic beverages, which I am pretty proud of! Lots to do this week, I'm a little more nervous about getting life ready then the actual surgery at this point!

Yes, congrats on recognizing this and starting to move on. Just know, while you may be done with her, she is not done with you. She will be calling, so remain strong. As far as getting back on track, I would suggest you ensure you have no crap in your kitchen. No alcohol, no sweets and no sweet drinks. Continue with this resolution to get back on track and dump them all. I remember I would tell myself, "Once this tub of ice cream is gone, I just won't buy another." No ... I just needed to dump the ice cream whether it was full or not. Stock your shelves with proper foods. meats, Jerky, yogurts ... you know the drill. At least for awhile, eat exclusively at home. Don't be tempted by fast food or restaurants. This is just to get yourself back on track and disassociate yourself with the poor habits you developed with this woman. Get back to the basics of eating Protein first, then veggies and/or starches. Don't drink right before, during or right after eating. Chew very well setting your utensil down in between bites. Evaluate how you feel after that bite and try to stop eating AS SOON as you BEGIN to feel restriction. There should be some time between the swallow and next bite. Try not to eat to the point of where you are stuffed. That is what we used to do. Bottom line is things only change when we make a change. If we go back to doing things the way we used to, then we will get the same results. Praying 2 + 2 won't equal 4 leads only to resentments.

Thank you all for your responses. PdxMan and LindafromFlorida you are right she is not done with me. She texted and called me all day. I ignored her. True to form she even asked me to try again and that was very painful for me. It was a difficult day. I did start the morning by clearing out my refrigerator of all leftovers and sweet drinks. I don't buy snack or junk food and keep it in my house so that part was easy. Fortunately for the first day in awhile I didn't feel like eating and I guess that is the emotional part. I had been on an emotional roller coaster and eating every feeling that I had: happiness, sadness, pain, you name it, I ate it. Fortunately I do have someone to talk to but I spent a lot of time focusing on her and I need to shift the focus back on me and what I need. I had my gastric sleeve on December 2, 2013 and lost a lot of weight because I was afraid to eat anything. I had a lot of problems with keeping food down, especially Protein so the food I was eating were those soft slider foods and by February 14, 2014 I went from 368 lbs to 281 lbs. I was tremendously excited and perhaps overly confident about my success. My surgeon was happy albeit concerned that I really wasn't eating and losing 8-10 lbs per week. We talked about developing an eating disorder because of my food aversion but I didn't care. I thought the sleeve had solved my problem - eating - and I would deal with the fallout later. So when I met my ex and began to eat small amounts of food, I was relieved not to be throwing up any more after about 2 weeks. I was on several nausea meds that made my throat dry and I couldn't seem to quench my thirst. That's when I started drinking sweet drinks like lemonade, it helped. No excuse. Eventually I could eat anything including small amounts of steak. Of course, I have to take Miralax everyday to digest what I eat so that is stupid but technically I could eat. Before I could barely eat chicken breast. We were going to different restaurants 3-4 times per week and each week the pounds started to slowly climb back on. I remember when I first tried alcohol, my stomach couldn't handle it. Then I tried again and it wasn't so bad. I have never been a drinker really 1-2 drinks socially maybe once or twice a month, but I was drinking a couple of times per week which also contributed to the weight. I stopped drinking two weeks ago on my birthday. Things were strained between me and my ex because I decided not to be around her at all when she was drinking and took all alcohol out of my house. I took some time reading other posts yesterday where people talked about the sleeve being a tool in the weight loss journey. I realize I need to find a happy medium with eating and develop a healthy relationship with food. I know I can't go back to not eating at all or eating everything there is so just figuring out where that place is will help. I will try listening to my body and trying to see when I am actually hungry or just filling a need. Also making sure I am not eating too much. I will go back to my small plates and see how that works.

on the 1 year: My doc says that 60% of the weight loss occurs in the first 6mos. However, he didn't cap it to a year. He just said, "get up and move (exercise), eat right (protein & vitamins), and drink drink drink (water~not alcohol)" the rest will take care of itself. I love my doc.

We all know exactly what weight gain is; the scale goes up in numbers, our clothes start to get tight, it takes more effort to get out of a chair, the seat belt is tighter and we just don’t feel as well. We all know what weight loss is; the scale shows us a lower number, our clothes hang funny and fall off of us, people start complimenting us about the way we look, we feel better, and we need less medicine. But weight maintenance is something that we all have failed to understand. We have gone up and down in our weight our entire lives, struggling to keep the weight off, gaining weight over and over again. Gaining it has always been easy, I just look at brownies and I would gain two pounds. I never understood my neighbor who was always a perfect size 8 and ate everything in sight. We all know people like that. What has always been missing, is weight maintenance – it was something that I had never achieved. It was elusive to me. I was a constant yo yo. I would lose the weight and thought I could maintain my weight loss but those old habits would sneak back in and sabotage me one more time. The frustration grew every time that I would go down and then back up again and many times with a bonus extra pounds. Each time getting more and more frustrated. When you buy a new car you shop around to get the best deal and then you pick the one that best suits you and your lifestyle. When you pick it up, it comes with a manual, a set instructions and guidelines. You need to put gas into the gas tank to make the car move and every 3, 0000 mile change the oil. Then every once in a while you need to take it in to the dealer who opens it up and looks inside. They make some adjustments and then they give you a bill. You pay the bill and then you are on your way. You need to wash and wax your car so it always looks good. Well, if you think about this is the same as having Bariatric Surgery. The new car is the same as your new pouch. You decide what kind of surgery that is best for you and your lifestyle. You shop around for the best surgeon. You are given a set of instructions from your surgeon, just like you received with your car. You need to feed yourself protein and water to keep you going. Every few months you need to see the surgeon, to check under your hood to take sure your blood levels are good to keep you going in the best condition. You doctor will give you some suggestions to keep you running well and keep you on the right road to weight loss. You exercise and continually add more fuel. But then one day you stop checking the oil and washing the car. A rattle appears out of nowhere and you get used to the new noise coming from the right front of the car. A door ding shows up and you do not even notice the second or third one. You forget to check under the hood. For the bariatric patient this is the time that they start to stray from their doctors program, they start to gain a little weight, we go back to some of our old habits without even thinking about it. This is where we all start to get into trouble. We think we do not need support group anymore, after all we have lost a lot of weight and we think that we are doing just fine. Then all of a sudden we have a wreck, we got on the scale and it is up by 20 or 25 pounds. It is time to call the Auto club tow truck. We need to get towed back to the right road. The Maintenance Road. We all have heard the new Weight Watchers ad campaign, that diets do not work, every one of us know that diets do not work. We have tried them all and look where we ended up; heavier and more frustrated. The only thing that will have lasting effects on us is when we are ready to make lifestyle changes. These changes will make us not only lose the weight but to keep it off for life. To lose weight and keep it off, the best approach is to focus on lifestyle changes and develop an eating plan that's enjoyable, yet healthy and low in calories. This approach will result in weight loss that you can live with - that is, that you can maintain over a long period of time. We need to attend support groups and get a constant stream of positive motivation to keep us on the Maintenance Road. It is easy to get lost and to end up in a dead end; your support group can direct you back at anytime. We are here to help you achieve the goals that are important to you. We each need to learn to make it a Lifestyle that you can live with and enjoy day in and day out to continue to maintain your weight loss. Successful Make it a Lifestyle weight-maintenance strategies Now that you have lost the weight, you can't stop your hard work. Weight maintenance requires daily exercise, healthy eating, a long-term commitment and constant attention. The following habits are essential for you to develop to achieve long term weight maintenance: Healthy snacks and meals - Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Keep saturated fat low and limit sweets and alcohol. Remember that no one food offers all the nutrients you need. Choose a variety of foods throughout the day. Remember to eat two bites of dense protein to one bite of anything else. Exercise program - One of the most important things you can do for weight maintenance is to continue a aggressive exercise program. Studies suggest that it only takes 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity daily to maintain weight loss. Moderately intense physical activities include swimming, fast walking, biking, and hiking. Know and avoid your food traps - Know which situations can trigger you’re out-of-control eating. The best way to identify these food traps and emotional eating is to keep a food journal. For as long as you find it helpful, write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling and how hungry you are. This will help you understand and stay in control of your eating behaviors. Regularly monitor your weight - People who weigh themselves at least once a week are more successful in keeping off the pounds. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you become aware of small weight gains before they become larger. Be consistent - Sticking to your new lifestyle plan during the week, on the weekends, and amidst vacation and holidays increases your chances of long-term maintenance. Attend Support Group - Getting support is critical, whether through a friend, family member, trained professional or support group, can ultimately mean the difference between your success and failure.

Good to hear Kelly! Youre always quite helpful. I was concerned the menthol or peppermint oil could be a tissue irritant (like alcohol) and therefore possibly not allowed.

My goal is between 1000-1200, and sometimes I'm a little short, sometimes right in range. How many calories am I able to eat? A lot more than what I am actually eating. All I'd have to do is "eat around the band" -- drink with meals, drink calories like juice or alcohol, eat chocolate or ice cream... The band can't stop you from eating junk. It will help keep you feeling full between meals though if you use it right.

I do think some therapy would be good for you; most insurances cover it based on your plan of course. I am sorry you have to go through this. But even small walks on part your lunch break can help and be therapeutic for weight loss and mental health. I hate to pry further and lord knows you don’t have to answer but even though he chooses not to leave, you can have a court order for him to leave being he is abusing drugs with your kids in the home. My mom went through this with my father (I was an adult at the time so no kids in the home) and because he was an alcoholic, the court made him leave. I find it heartbreaking that your kids have to uproot their lives because of your husband

Great topic on this thread. I hadn't really processed it, but I too feel guilty if I think I'm eating too much when clearly it is such a small portion compared to my pre-op days. I get full, like I'm supposed to, but even that is a whole new experience because before full happened only after at ate half the refrigerator ( ok a bit of an exaggeration, but I'm sure y'all understand my drift) . I have yet to experience 'physical' hunger. I eat pretty much because I know i have to get the Protein in. If it wasn't for that, I'm sure I'd just graze along with a bite here and there cuz my head does say...have some if that. As for the comments on the nutritionist, that is clearly someone who has no idea who compulsive eaters are and what food/sugar/carb addiction is all about. I highly doubt she'd tell an alcoholic to have beer when their drink of choice is vodka. I know a lot of my trigger foods, and I have to be careful with some fruit cuz it triggers too. I have a whole list of " bet you can't eat just one" because I can't - sleeve or no sleeve. I have got to keep it clean, lean and mean. I've tried moderation, and that doesn't work for me. I did a lot of work with a therapist before my surgery. I was reading a study today that commented how we choose our words.... If we say we can't eat something, there is a greater chance that we will eat it. Whereas if we say I don't eat something, there is a greater chance we won't. This was a study done with a bunch of college students and the outcomes were surprising. But it makes sense. The feelings of " I can't " leave me feeling in this place of self punishment. I can't go out, I can't eat pizza, I can't drive a car.... But to say "I don't" has a different visceral response. Ok now I think of the snooty girl who looks down her nose, that sense of entitlement. I don't wear polyester, I don't eat sugar, I don't drink tap Water, I don't eat Cookies. One is like a "poor me" syndrome, while the other is a sense of self care and personal entitlement. Granted the snooty girl can be a B$$ch, but if done honestly it sets a personal boundary that someone else just can't get thru. Ya, the first dietician would tell us we could eat popcorn in week 2.... Oh, my belly hurts thinking of eating it now. She was an idiot. I have a much better on now who get it. Ultimately we have to know ourselves and be honest with ourselves. Tallyho

Wellbutrin, I take that , have for a while every since I was thrown into depression when Surgeon#1 up and refused to perform my surgery. I did not want to live, no not active enough to kill myself, I was willing to sit apathetic and decline, if I ate is was fast food, not going to intervene enough to actually cook.I take 100 mg of the SR formulation 3 times a day, and it has No Bad Effect on my RNY pouch. I am out of the deep blue almost black pit of depression, having my surgery went a long way towards my cute. Approached my PCP about cutting down or eliminating it since I am 9 months out, hasn't happened yet. Maybe never will? Yes hormones do have an effect, and what really is a Royal Bummer for you and myself, as you go into ketosis and your fat layer starts to melt, all the stirred chemicals including hormones get released and you can become a Storming Norma, a Weeping Wilds or Freddy Kruegers little sister. Let's see if I remember the sequence another Bari-Pal told me Puberty... but you aren't covered with zits Pregnancy ...but you don't get a cute baby with it Menopause except that finally ends and you're not certain this will but you either have not flashes or freeze to Death. But life does go on ,it does resolve, usually with time. And tho yet feel stuck permanently in dark clouds and rain, there is still a Sun that will shine for you. I'll close with something from a Motivation App Anxiety is worrying and being fearful about almost every thing . Depression blunts and smothers all the joy in your life. And if you have both, at the same time, it is a Living Hell! Yes I have been through it, doing much better,but like an alcoholic, even in recovery, is still internally an alcoholic I will always have the tendency toward depression. All I can do is live well to the best of my ability, and if I get to the point of needing therapy again, to not be Too Proud to ask! I'm almost always on or near Bariatric Pal, PM me anytime, I will Talk The Talk because I also have Walked the Walk. And although you may not feel it now, you are an incredibly STRONG woman to have come THIS FAR.😝👍🍀

I am drinking crystal light through a straw as I type this. I haven't had a problem w/ using straws. I tend to drink more w/ a straw which is a good thing when I am trying to make sure I drink enough water. (it may be a bad things w/ alcohol...just depends if you have a driver and the calories to spare :thumbup:

So I want to share my whole story as well as post my progress here. I guess after having issues with my weight for so long it's time to be honest as to why and how I get here. JUST A KID ages 10-16 I have always been a bigger person as a child by the time I was in 5th grade I already weighed 100 pounds, I know this because at a party with friends one of my friends said I had a Dream we all went out to party, and Shanqiua u we're skinny in my dream, that hurt. I become queen of disappearing to advoid ppl picking on me. It didn't always work I still got called fat, the ugly sister and if you were small you would be pretty. I learned to live in a made up world to not deal with reality. I would read a lot and made myself a character in my book. This lasted till 14 when I had my first kiss, that lead to first sexual experience than a baby. So adding to my issues I made myself a teen mom. It was very depressing. I balloon to 280@16 and stay this for a long time. I was in a bad space in my life. Teen Years age16-21 With a baby I still managed to excel in school graduating with honors and divorcing my parents so I could be my own legal guardian. I learned early on that what I did with my life was my choice, and I felt I could not control my weight so I control my life by ensuring I wasn't another teen mom who did nothing with her life. Went to school, college for BA , Grad school for MSW. But I was making bad men and food choices and I think the men choices I made was to please them because I believed no one would want me. THE HEALTH ISSUES age 19-25 I was a dibetic and didn't know it. I was 19 when I lost a ton of weight I went from 280 to 200 in three months, I was thristy all the time pee smelled like fruit and I was lossing my vision. I thought I was lossing weight because I had changed eating habits and started working out, this help but it wasn't the only reason I was lossing. I was so happy about the Weight lost that I didn't bother to go to a doctor till I could not feel my leg... This scared me went in and sugars we're 400. I was put on insulin, which cause the new found weight lost to stop, so I stop taking the insulin dumb yes. I did this back and forward with the medication for a long time till my doctor told me I did not care about my life, I did care but was so scared of going back to 280. I change eating habits for good and started working out which allowed me to stay between 200-210 MEDICATION age 25-26 I started my medication the insulin and did not get back to 280 but was hovering BTW 220 for a while. I was in a very toxic relationship and more drama than ever food and alcohol become my safe haven. After a DV situation with my now ex husband I decided to take my life back and I joined weight watchers, and the gym, my doctor put me on a diet pill as we'll . It worked wonders getting my weight to 185 lowest I have ever been since 16, with this new found confidence life was good but I started not taking the meds again plus the pill was giving me racing heart, depressing thoughts all the side effects. Stop the pill gained all the weight back and than some getting to 215. NEW START age 27-28 At this point I had two kids hated where I lived and was feeling like **** about my life, I took the 3k I saved packed my car and moved from MI to TX with my kids. Found a new doctor got back on my meds and hit the gym and boxing. Because of the yoyo diet, refusing to get on the diet pill again I was not lossing weight like before . My doctor talked to me about the wls and I was not on board i was 5'1 215 and was thinking im not that big, but reality was I was that big and knew I had to do something especially to get my sugars under control..i talk to my therpist about it and she was supportive. We went over the pros and cons as well as how relationships would be if I did go through with this. (We had been working through my relationships with ppl due to poor relationships with family, friends and men back home). After the talk and research I went in for a seminar. SEMINAR age 28 Went on 8/25/2015 Started process the following week. I did not like the first surgeron I went to and switch on 10/1/2015. Here is how the progress went: 10/7 Appointment met with surgeon, Nut(psy evaluation done that day), dietien. Was given requirements from doctor which was: Don't gain weight 216 Keep sugars below 150 10/12 Went to get blood work done Xrays done My insurance required six month diet, but I already met the requirements for this from past diets (the pill and weight watchers) 11/7 submited to insurance 11/8 approved 11/18- pre opt appointment (weight 213) 11/23 surgery date @10am

Your reticence is understanding, this is a huge surgery, a giant step. I had to take it to live, with severe diabetes, high blood pressure, urge incontinence, severe edema, all of which are now virtually gone at the 3 mos post bypass timeframe. I had hundreds of attempts to lose the weight but slowly over the decades crept up to over 422#. I, too, used the NSAID pain killers and Tylenol is a hoax, does nothing for me. The good news is that I don't need it anymore. I have already lost 80#, and look forward to a long life. I don't mind the supplements. Having said that, I think you should be solid about why you are doing this major surgery. You seem to think you might be able to make it to health without it. Go for it if you can. In alcohol treatment, addiction counselors frequently tell people who are unsure if they are alcoholics to go ahead and drink and see if there are any negative effects...

Drink a lot of Water, Propel 0 calorie 0 carb also was helpful. Brush your teeth and use a non-alcohol base mouthwash, Biotene works best for me. I also floss a lot, nobody eats right after they floss. When Ketosis hits the breath can get pretty nasty and dry mouth is the worst. * added - Decaff Peppermint or whatever flavor you like tea with a little Truvia or spenda is good to stop the craving and growling. I'm on 3 Protein shakes a day only on day 9 of 14. Day 3 & 4 were the hardest. Keep busy, walk and don't think about it.

before I had my gastric bypass I drank often. After surgery when I drank again i got drunk much faster. I soon discovered that I was an alcoholic and stopped drinking any alchohol of any kind. I discovered when in alchohol treatment several other people that also had a bypass done. Be careful and be aware when you drink the amts you drink and reasons for drinking. For me food was not my only addiction.

My surgeon said no alcohol for one year after banding, period. Alcohol is a gastric irritant is the reason why. He is more conservative than other doctors, from what I've read on here. It would be best to check with your surgeon.

I also avoid taking shots because when you burp, some comes up with it. Oh man, i have never gotten so sick from drinking in my life. The taste of the alcohol coming back up was horrible. Lets just say, my next shot won't be until i'm 21 hehe :]

I guess I learned the hard way, I was a beer drinker pre lap-band and had gone to a wedding 3 months post band and had wine, which is what most recommended b/c no carbonation. Well I am now on a no alcohol sabaticle!!!hehe I was not used to drinking wine, which should be sipped, b/c I always drank beer which you tend to drink more quickly. Needless to say I was very sick and I cannot even think of drinking wine again!!! Just follow your drs. orders b/c they know best and when it comes time for that drink be very careful b/c it will affect you much differently now.