Search the Community

The booklet I received with post-op instructions say 30 days, that's it. Here it is verbatim: "Do not drink alcoholic beverages (beer, wine and liquor) for one month after surgery." One year seems really extreme. I hardly ever drink so it won't be an issue for me either way.

Hedwig, we are in the same boat girl. I am down exactly the same as you, 34 lbs since June. My doctor has me at 3cc in a 10cc band. I don't know what my problem is. I have days that I can barely eat. Today I took 2 bites of sushi and had to run to the bathroom. My band is really fickle. I am waiting until after the Holdays to decide on more restriction. Its discouraging, I know. Some days I exercise, some days I don't. My alcohol consumption is still there which I know is a detriment. From the sounds of it, I think you need another fill. The worse thing that can happen is you are overfilled and you would have to have some taken out. You should be able to consume a lot of food. Write me back and lets stay in touch. Maybe we should try a written diet together for a week to see how we do. Keep in touch.

Well, I'll be the first to admit that I don't drink enough Water to cleanse my system--I never have and I know that I've got to begin drinking plenty! Everything I've read says gout is caused by ingesting too many purine foods, i.e. legumes (beans), organ meats, broths & consummes, yeast, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, and also from drinking too much beer. (No, no not me! I drink no alcohol!) The kidneys deposit uric acid crystals around a joint and that's what causes the arthritic inflammation and pain instead of ridding the bloodstream of them. Don't really think it's WLS related--but some bodies (like mine) have a perpensity for it, I guess--and I really brought it on by eating too many legumes and not drinking enough fluids to flush my system. I sure learned my lesson!

Once you finish your meds and problem is resolved, try eating 10 to 12 radishes or 1 package each week. My husband has not had an attack since he started that. Once you get the "crystals" in your joint or toes, they stay there and just seem to flair up and get aggravated. Let me know if it works for you, too! P.S. in the old days, Gout was considered a "rich" man disease, as it seemed to be related to alcohol, red meat and a rich diet.

SleeverSk That was beautiful i am impressed with you i felt a little bit like that when i had BOTH HIPS replaced i went through so much emotionally that i ( 10 yrs, in recovery for alcoholism) i sat in my recliner and ate morphine like they were candy because i didn't want to "FEEL" so i numbed my feelings for weeks and then i ran out of pain meds and all the feelings i numbed came flooding back and let me just say i was a mess the morphine was gone they were no longer delivering them to my house and i was " on the pity pot for at least 3 weeks and wanted to die because i still had no meds and no one wanted to help me aside from my wife who anyway i was able to get my shi*t together and take the meds like they were prescribed , my life got better and i got better and if you feel like you won't get better you're wrong I'm telling you, you will it's all part of the process be gentle with yourself you deserve to be happy and deserve to be loved even though you may not feel it now theyll come a day you will look back and say " all the kicking and screaming i got through it " youre stronger then you think , so keep your head up you are so worth it. Coop

I have to be at work at 6:50am I can eat when I first wake so I have to have Breakfast about 6:30 before I leave for work. Last night my area had a "Dining for life" at specific restuarants which means that if you eat at participating restuarants then 25% of your meal tickets get dedicated to the philadelphia center (our Aids prevention and treatment center) I gathered about 9 people to go with me last night and for the first time had some alcohol since my surgery. One single delicious frozen strawberry swirl maggie. mmmmm. One enchilada, a few chips, and a few bites of Beans. Sounds like so little to me but in reality so much less than I used to eat. I tried to eat a tortilla covered in butter like I used too before my food got there because I was starving. One bite and my band said..."Are you crazy" and I put the tortilla down Anyway back to the main part of my story, and a Question. This moring I obviously woke up late bc if noone else has tried this alcohol effects you much more aggressively now. I usually wake up at 5 today I woke up at 6:11. So I had to get dressed, take a shower, and make myself pretty in 30 mins. I was going to grab breakfast to go...but dang it. What is breakfast to go now? Everything comes wrapped in a biscuit, a croissant, or atortilla ( which I can't eat unless it is soaked in sour cream sauce apparently) My Dr. told me to eat breakfast. Now I am up here hungry and confused. What do you guys have for take out breakfast?

So far so good I've identified that I use food as a 'reward' for doing well in other areas of my life, as well as stress eating to feel better. Working on rerouting those triggers with other behavior. I drink one beer every week or every other week, or not at all, down from 4-5 weekly. Don't do sugary drinks, never have since living a low carb lifestyle. The occasional diet soda if I feel the craving, but that's rare. I don't do sugar replacements/sugar alcohols. Splenda is a migraine trigger for me, and sugar alcohols are bad for the gut, so I cut them out completely to get my palette used to natural sweetness instead of overly sweet fixations. I've found some Vitamins I like and can tolerate. I've been playing with Protein powders and just bought some unsweetened pea protein, excited to try that. I'm an overachiever... next!

Hello all, I know this may sound like a really insignificant, possibly moronic question, but it's always better to know what you're getting into. So what exactly is the story with drinking after you have had this procedure? Is it contra-indicated? Any restrictions on what you can drink, or is it just not really in the cards practically speaking? I don't mean to sound like Joe 12-step alcoholic, but I'm attorney who runs his own firm with three cosmic-sized egomaniac attorneys, insurrectionist disloyal staff, and clients whose pathetic needy clinging is only matched by their boundless rage, usually aimed at yours truly. It's a miracle I only stop in for a drink or two on my way home every so often. By all rights I should have a superhuman heroin addiction. But that's enough of my cheerful thoughts for the day. Looking forward to my new sleeve in two weeks, and I'm glad that this resource exists! Take care, Tom

I did have a couple slime incidents when I was sick. Had a couple coughing episodes that ended with a messy suprise! The first time was not long after I had eaten and thought for sure the food was coming up, but not a bit a food. It was odd. Other than that, I've never thrown up and the only food issue I have is when I eat spicy things. I love spice! I try to keep it to a minimum, cause I pay for it with acid upset and heartburn =( Otherwise, my stomach hasn't really rejected anything. Got a little upset about a Burger King burger I had eaten...at a time that may or may not have been just a little to soon after surgery =) It's all trial and error and different for everyone. OH! I almost forgot! I totally CANNOT drink alcohol!! I really don't drink anymore, so it's not a big deal to me. I used to drink...a LOT!! But I got bored with it and decided to have a child instead! SO GLAD I traded!! Anyway, on New Year's Day, we had a bottle of champagne. All it took was 3 drink/sips, over the span of about 20 minutes and I was good!! Then one night I actually agreed to get out of the house and go to a comedy show with my BFF. So I go and decide to have a drink...cause you know...I'm out! Long story short I drink about 95% of a (I'm guessing) 12oz drink. I drank it over the course of the show, which was an hour 1/2. I felt buzzed while drinking it. By the time we left, I felt fine. I wasn't driving, but I didn't feel buzzed by the time we got to the car. My tummy was slightly queezy but not bad. Got home, decided to have a drink of water...and...well...I didn't get to keep what was left in my stomach. Wasn't much, but still not fun!

This is from the ASMBS : Misconception: Many bariatric patients become alcoholics after their surgery. Truth: Actually, only a small percentage of bariatric patients claim to have problems with alcohol after surgery. Most (but not all) who abuse alcohol after surgery had problems with alcohol abuse at some period of time prior to surgery. Alcohol sensitivity, (particularly if alcohol is consumed during the rapid weight-loss period), is increased after bariatric surgery so that the effects of alcohol are felt with fewer drinks than before surgery. Studies also find with certain bariatric procedures (such as the gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) that drinking an alcoholic beverage increases blood alcohol to levels that are considerably higher than before surgery or in comparison to the alcohol levels of individuals who have not had a bariatric procedure. For all of these reasons, bariatric patients are advised to take certain precautions regarding alcohol. If you're someone who occasionally partakes, there is really no reason not to continue to do so. Telling patients to never drink again is absurd and completely unnecessary. Yes transfer addiction can be a concern but there are many things besides alcohol that are risky. I for one more less became a whore after I lost 100 lbs. Thankfully it wasn't long lived and I came to my senses before I ruined my life and my reputation !

Carbonated drinks like beer and soda are not recommended after being banded. And of course alcohol adds empty calories. Generally it's best to limit alcohol significantly during the weight loss phase and once you're at maintenance you might need to switch your drink of choice to wine or a hard liquor. Yeah, bummer! The left shoulder pain is because there is a nerve that runs from our belly to the shoulder and when the band gets tight we feel the tightness in our shoulder. I just got a fill and I have a twinge of pain in my shoulder as well. I know that's a signal that my band is working. This is a good time to learn to "read" these signals our bands are sending us. Unfortunately, I get a lot of gas from almost everything I eat since being banded. I am still trying to figure out how to treat it. Gas X hasn't helped much, I am trying Beano next.

Maybe check with your doctor as there may be some restrictions about when to start drinking alcohol. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

How has everyone been? I've been so busy and lazy I forgot to check in. So what is new? I feel like I am getting back on track and things are back to normal. I don't feel like I have to be censored and everything seems to be natural now. So far I am keeping my food down and I am slowly added different fruit and veggies to my diet. I am just afraid to eat pasta, rice and bread. The other day I wanted some Raman noodles but I got scared and bake me some fries instead. Also I've been on a carb kick lately but at least I am choosing smart carbs. Wait smart carbs? Is that even possible? One thing I noticed about being back on track is my triggers days made an appearance and this past Sunday was it. AKA Sunday Funday. Why Sunday? Just in case you guys haven't noticed but I love sports and Sundays consist of sports. Also I love True Blood and Dexter. So did I handle my trigger day? Easy... I planned it. I know I will be drinking and there may be a possibility that I go off my healthy lifestyle because I will tell myself this is my "cheat day". So, I double my workouts on Sunday and preplan my dinner. Well I should say me and my friends plan the dinner. I love my friends by the way for two reason One the are on the mission to find lap band friendly recipes and two they found low calories drinks to make. How cool is that but I have a confession to make. Sunday I finished a whole bottle of Moscato at first my friends were like that wasn't too bad until one of them look up how many calories are in bottle. I am ashamed to say it but I will tell you this I see why alcohol is empty calories so I will need to be careful. Trust and believe I worked out another 30 mins when they left. I am still learning but I feel like everything is back to normal. Thanks for reading .

I guess i thought the alcohol was worse than ur making it seem@berry78. Perhaps the info i was given was wrong? Ive been told that with bypass, alcohol is especially bad for us because we no longer have the stomach to metabolize the alcohol so its entirely upon the liver now to do that, which its not designed to do, which is why cirrhosis of the liver is something like 4-5 times more likely for bypass patients who drink. I imagine theres quantity and frequency dependencies that go into that stat, but drinking nonetheless for bypass patients regularly is playing liver roulette. No? As for coffee, i agree, no big deal. My team is more concerned about caffeine being a diuretic, so thats why they dont want me drinking caffeine until many weeks out.

I would be worried about the smoking, just because of the risk of ulcers especially with a bypass. I’m not sure about the alcohol, I think I read somewhere 3 months. You sound like you’re doing pretty well with the food though. I understand it’s hard with these changes and we often fall back into the familiar. I used to smoke many years ago and I think people do find it relaxing so it’s a hard habit to break. But for you it’s pretty dangerous so I guess forewarned is forearmed. I don’t expect everyone is an angel but I do think it’s probably important to follow the plan in terms of not slipping back into bad habits. It’s so easy to sabotage yourself. I wish you the very best of luck. We are all human and don’t always make the right choices. Give it some thought.

I still follow the diet guidelines completely, I still can't eat more than 1 egg at a meal or 4 oz of cottage cheese. The only place I really deviated was with the coffee yesterday morning and the occasional cigar (they don't want you to smoke whether you have had the surgery or not). They never said I couldn't have a drink from time to time they just told me I would feel the effects of the alcohol a lot quicker. The reason I was told to stay away from caffeine was because it slows down the healing process and after 4 weeks I thought I was pretty much healed. As far as going to the gym, I just can't sit still I want to get up and be doing things all the time. 2 days after surgery I resumed my 1 to 2 mile daily walks. I have always been very active and to sit around and do nothing for 6 weeks would kill me.

What diets have you tried? What do you expect from this surgery? What does a normal day of eating look like? Do you binge? Do you graze? Have you ever been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused? How much do you drink? Are any of the members of your immediate family alcoholic? Are you now or have you ever used illicit drugs? Do you now or have you ever smoked? Who in your family knows of your decision to pursue WLS? Who lives in your household?

Ok, I found a good graphic to base a drinking recommendation on. This chart is for non-bariatric folk, and since we can't handle as much alcohol, we should cut the amounts down. Men: 2/day and 7/week Women: 1/day and 4/ week

The Irish say Everyone has a wee bit of Irish in them on St. Patrick’s Day. So being a wee bit Irish today I set off to find out about everything Irish. Even the Obama’s are Irish today. Michelle and her leprechauns dyed the White House fountains green today. Pittsburgh's own Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers) was named Ambassador to Ireland today. It’s all about this guy… If you don’t wear green you’ll get pinched by everyone but your boss (sexual harassment and all that). I sent both of my boys off to school without reminding them…no green….BWhaahaahaahaaha (evil laugh). Hey, teenage boys getting pinched by the girls…I think I did them a favor. If you tell people you're Irish they have to kiss you...keep breathmints on hand. Of course, they eat potatoes and corned beef, but they also eat some of this today…I don’t even want to know…haggis… They drink a LOT of this today. This pic is of Guiness beer, but it looks the same as Irish coffee with clotted cream on top…to the Irish, it really doesn’t matter as long as it has alcohol in it…and after awhile the pub bartenders can serve either and no one knows the difference…it’s all good… After a few drinks they run around looking for their Pot-O-Gold… …or if the line at the Port-O-Pot-O-Gold is too long they use this one… Then they dance the Irish jig…and apparently if done fast enough you'll eventually levitate through the air… Then they fall down into the grass and look for these… And if they're really lucky, they'll catch one of these guys...probably passed out right next to them... A toast to you on St. Patty's Day.... For each petal on the shamrock This brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness For each and every day. Slainté! (health)

I take a Protein bar to work every day, because I work 12 hour shifts, and I really need something in the afternoon or I feel like crap. I like the Pure Protein Bars and most of the Atkins ones, too. I don't have the problem with sugar alcohols giving me gas or diarrhea, though (thankfully!). I've never tried any other kind because I do use the Atkins theory of net carbs, although sometimes I wonder if a sugar alcohol is really that much different from sugar. Especially the one that tastes good -- Maltitol. I have heard it actually has nearly the same impact on blood sugar as real sugar does, which makes it pointless.

congratulations on your weight loss, I get depressed too. But I know all this will be worth it... why do you think you get depressed Well because food is always there birthdays, holidays, etc... And now i wont be able to eat that much. I hope it gets natural so i can be more happy, but i now also now that food and a bad life style got my obese and with this tool i would be able to enjoy more things than just food. yeah I feel the same way sometimes that's why I'm having a hard time with the liquid diet because I just wanna chew things what do you think is different about teens having this kind of surgery i mean hoy is life going to be for us? well I mean everyone I know who is older and had this surgery have lived in their twenties and have a care free life. Ours will be a lot less care free social experiencenes will be different we can occasionally indulge but won't be able to pig out our potential night life will be affected as far as alcohol and because we are younger we hopefully will have more years to maintain this new healthy life because old habits die hard... what was your starting weight

This was sent to me by a good friend of mine. I laughed so hard. Great Answers to some good questions. Health & Fitness - The Facts: Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it...don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap. Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products. Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the Water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up! Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have a body and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc. Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain ... Good Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you? A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you? Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach. Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: Are you crazy? HELLO ...... Cocoa Beans .... another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around! Q: Is swimming good for your figure? A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me. Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle? A: Hey! 'Round' *is* a shape! Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets -- and remember, "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - strawberries in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming - WOO HOO! What a Ride!"

Love the health & fitness facts! I've gotta pass them along to some friends who have been arguing that sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and grease are the four basic food groups.

Hi PM2022, What kind of surgery did you have? I had a sleeve 10 years ago. Yes, with a sleeve I am able to physically drink coffee. I love my coffee, but it sometimes make my GERD worse. And , yes, I can drink beer too, but the carbonation is irritating to the stomach many times. But here's the deal. I can eat and drink anything I want (smaller portions)... I have also proven to myself that I can regain 30 pounds indulging on calorie-rich food and alcohol. (That doesn't feel good, trust me.) I would encourage you to hang tough Enjoy your new tummy and the restriction (even though it may be temperamental for awhile), follow the diet, log your foods , and enjoy the weight loss. "Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin feels." It will be worth the effort. Hang tough!

What are grits? Sounds intriguing! To answer the drink question I've been having lots of Water, green tea. If I want something sweet mango or apple juice. Not bothered by alcohol much but did have a glass of red wine. To be honest I think my taste buds have changed as I used to love it and now it doesn't feel right