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I found out that Smirnoff Ice is sparkly at least in Europe. Good thing that I'm not a huge drinker. Sometimes months go between me having a glass of alcohol.

@@robinsmj it may be the erythritol (a sugar alcohol) in the Quest bar that is making you nauseous. I don't have a problem with erythritol but I tried something with maltitol (another sugar alcohol) and it made me nauseous and gave me a seriously upset stomach. Perhaps try a bar without sugar alcohols and see if that makes a difference?

I follow all the rules given by my surgeon (don't drink 30 min before/after eating, log all my food into Myfitnesspal, exercise like a crazy person, eat 4 - 5 times a day and measure all my food, no carbonation or alcohol, etc)...... with the exception of: - I do find I eat slower if distracted by the TV or computer, so that's where I eat!! - I had trouble at first getting all my Water in (even though I'm a big water drinker), it's because I like to use a straw. That's a no-no..... but after 3 weeks, I started using a straw. Now I'm getting all my fluids in and haven't had any adverse effects from it.

I: Exercise at least 3 times every week Chew chew chew Drink as much water as I can every day(usually well over 64 Protein always first Virtually no carbs, although I'm not a sugar nazi No sodas to speak of, no alcohol Basically eat clean and good food

I think the main reason you should not drink alcohol is the same reason I shouldn't drink cokes. They are empty calories that got us fat to start with.

I had my surgery on July 9th at/around 800-900. I was terrified! I had read a lot of horror stories on the pain and discomfort and almost had myself psyched out the night before. Thankfully, after meeting the anesthesiologist (day of surgery), he gave me a Xanax and something for acid reflux. I remember being carted off into the operating room. The sterile smell was unlike no other, and the coldness even worse. Once inside, they moved me onto the operating table. I had 2 nurses helping with my transition as well as my anesthesiologist. I remember the anesthesiologist placing the mask on my face. The feeling of huffing the gas in was nostalgic. I felt light and airy and without a care in the world. I could hear the nurses making the sweetest comments to me for encouragement and well wishes, but obviously could not reply, thank, God! That was the last thing I remember until waking up. Then and only then do I remember being nauseated, which is to be expected. My anesthesiologist brought me an alcohol prep pad and had me inhale deeply. Wouldn't you know it worked!! I do not remember much about being in recovery, but I vaguely remember my family and I being on an elevator going up to my room. Fast forward to around 1pm and I had gotten out of bed, on my own, to use the bathroom... DO NOT DO THIS. Not everyone recovers from anesthesia the same way. This is according to the nurse who busted me and almost scolded me for my own safety; however, after she realized that I was fine, she gave the clearance for me to begin walking. As most others have informed you, WALKING is key! Walk, walk, walk. Every time you walk, walk a little further or for a little while longer. This will help not only with gas, but help to minimize your soreness. One thing that I held onto like a life saver was a pillow! When you begin to walk, use that pillow to press into your stomach. It makes a world of difference. Also, use a pillow to prop you up on your side. I was lucky and had very minimal, if any, gas this time; however, I learned with my gallbladder surgery two years ago that this trick will help move it around as well. sleep in a reclined position, but not straight back. Its unGodly to have to get up from a prone position! With all of this being said, all I was given post op in the hospital was Tylenol and even then I didn't want it. The pain isn't a PAIN, its more of discomfort. I didn't use the hydrocodone I was given once home. Now, that's enough about my surgery day and what I experienced. Here's a list of things to take with you to the hospital: - Wear loose clothing. I wore a pair of comfy sweatpants and a t shirt. Upon discharge I wore the same home and even wore a bra with under wire and had no discomfort; I also wore flip flops with good tread to prevent slipping. You won't want something to have to bend over and put on. - Chapstick - Tooth brush and tooth paste - Travel size shampoo, conditioner, and soap. The hospital does give you their own, but it wasn't the best. Thankfully, I was allowed to shower the next day. This too helps greatly throughout your recovery. A warm shower ALWAYS works wonders - Pillow. Take that thing with you every where you go. Its an aid to get up, down, and to get you walking and make you comfortable on the ride home (place it over your stomach prior to buckling! Hold onto it going over bumps and rough terrain) - Cell phone charger At home recovery: - Pillow - I upgraded to my body pillow. The first few days I used two(stole the hubs') and put one on both sides of myself and slept in a recliner. - Keep Water nearby. Sip. SLOWLY. Do not try to sip too much as you will end up with esophageal spasms and those are the devil.. Seriously! - Do not let anyone force you to eat too quickly. And by eat I'm obviously meaning drink Protein or soups. Your body is healing and right now you should only be worried with water consumption. I also recommend a low sodium, low sugar sport drink for electrolytes! - You know your body so listen to it. If you feel as though you need to have a bowel movement, get some Miralax. This was recommended by my physician and I've used it. Don't wait till it gets too bad. - Your pee will stink... BADLY.. Mine is finally beginning to return to normal, but I have concentrated a lot on water consumption. You should too as this will prevent dehydration. - Us women get thrown curve balls time to time... Be prepared for a yeast infection. Its quite common. Stock up on yogurt! - Walk. Walk a lot! - Don't over do it. You've just had surgery so don't push yourself beyond your means. Be prepared to nap a lot in the week. After week two, I began feeling almost normal. Here I am 20 days post op, back at work, feeling almost like myself. I get tired, but it's nothing unbearable. If I think of more, I will surely post it here. Good luck and best wishes!!!

My surgeon says no alcoholic drinks for 1 year.

I was never told I could never drink again, but not to drink for the 1st month. I'm not a big drinker to begin with, so I didn't try alcohol for 6 months. I've had no trouble drinking wine and tequila, or anything with carbonation - like Mike's Hard Lemonade - I pour over ice to get rid of some bubbles and I sip very slowly and carefully. At 30 moths post-op, I drink wine with my girlfriend on a regular basis - 1 or 2 glasses, 3 days a week (our date nights). The good news is that I'm a cheap drunk. :-) 2 glasses of wine - sipped slowly over 2 hours - keeps me feeling happy all evening.

I am 13 months post op and just had my first alcoholic drink a few weeks ago and did fine. I am on vacation right now and have had two glasses of wine this week. I tolerated it well. I just am not a big drinker- I would rather eat my calories. LOL

I would say once in a while, once maintaining would be okay (for me). Each to their own though, some give it up and some continue and have issues with it and stop and some continue and don't have issues. I love champagne but won't even try it ever again because of the bubbles. I will try a small glass of red wine on special occasions but if it causes one second of issues it will stop. I was advised by my NUT and team to give it up for good, as its using up space in the pouch and not of any nutritional value. If you do a search for this topic there are lots of posts about alcohol/carbonated drinks after surgery. Hugs Kate

Hi, Can you consume alcoholic drinks after surgery? My Co workers wife had a VSG a years ago. She was told by her pcp that she couldn't drink anymore or it could be serious complications. Anyone told otherwise?

Net carbs is basically total carbs-fiber and sugar alcohols. So my quest bar has 25g of carbs but 17g of fiber and 5g of erythritol (sugar alcohol). Therefore, it only has 3 net carbs.

Funny!!! I've tried a few drinks here and there also. I cannot do the "sweet" drinks anymore! Whew! And yes, I got crazy drunk very quick, but it also didn't last long for me. My metabolism is so fast, it just went right through me, LOL! Last weekend we took our 21yr old daughters and their guys out for dinner and drinks. Had a blast! The one guy had a chocolate stout beer. I tried a little and was delicious!! I always have liked beer, just not the cheap stuff, LOL. I like the local made stuff, or imported "fancy" beers. I drank the WHOLE big glass of this beer and didn't get nauseous at all! I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, LOL!! My surgeon says no alcohol, like EVER....but I figure maybe once a month I can indulge in a little bit! I get so drunk so fast too, and it seems that it goes away just as fast lol..not good! The last time I tried to have something tho, it hurt my stomach so bad... I was dumping. It was just a half a shot of fireball. I've had it before, so I'm not sure what the issue was. Probably my body reminding me it's not supposed to have it lol. I stick to my wine now :-)

Funny!!! I've tried a few drinks here and there also. I cannot do the "sweet" drinks anymore! Whew! And yes, I got crazy drunk very quick, but it also didn't last long for me. My metabolism is so fast, it just went right through me, LOL! Last weekend we took our 21yr old daughters and their guys out for dinner and drinks. Had a blast! The one guy had a chocolate stout beer. I tried a little and was delicious!! I always have liked beer, just not the cheap stuff, LOL. I like the local made stuff, or imported "fancy" beers. I drank the WHOLE big glass of this beer and didn't get nauseous at all! I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, LOL!! My surgeon says no alcohol, like EVER....but I figure maybe once a month I can indulge in a little bit!

Ummmm no sarcasm intended, seriously! I truly wanted to clarify! Everyone's plans are different. Everyone is here seeking and sharing information. You came on to a thread where someone offered info and said no thanks it didn't fit your plan. I wanted to clarify to make sure I didn't miss anything before suggesting for people who didn't mind the sugar alcohols might want to try these. Believe me, if I disagree I will disagree, read my other posts! I don't use sarcasm on the net much because without tone of voice it tends to be ineffective.

On my plan sugar alcohols do NOT count. The way it was explained to me is that they're from artificial sweeteners and therefore do not spike blood sugar as much.

The mini bar has 15g of Protein so not so mini there ???? Got it, sugar alcohols don't count the same on my plan so thought I'd clarify for others whose plan might be like mine! Thanks for sharing! Ordered some this morning.

0. What type of weight loss surgery have you had? Gastric Sleeve 1. How long have you been in maintenance mode? 7 months 2. What's your current height and weight? 5’ 3”, 106 lbs. 3. How many calories do you eat daily (on average) to maintain your weight? 1200 4. What kind of focus do you put on Protein -- number of grams or anything else you want to say? I don’t have a maximum, but my minimum is 70 grams 5. What kind of focus do you put on carbs - number of grams or anything else you want to say? As a rule I avoid starches and sweets and limit legumes, sweet vegetables (i.e. carrots), and fruit. I try to stay in the range of 40-60 net carbs per day. 6. What other nutritional tips / tricks are working for you that help you maintain? I’m working on looking at my diet overall on a weekly basis and trying to make sure that my weekly averages are within my desired ranges. I also weigh myself every day so that I can spot trends early. 7. Which foods, if any, do you avoid altogether? Bread, rice, potatoes, corn, fruit juices, pastries, cakes, etc. I also don’t drink alcoholic beverages as a rule. These foods (and alcohol) are indulged in only on holidays and infrequent celebrations. 8. What exercise regimen (exercise types and frequency) do you follow? Bicycling several times a week, walking every day 9. What role, if any, has counseling or therapy played in your WLS success? None 10. What advice would you offer WLS patients to help them be successful? It did not come easy to me, but I had to really look at my previous behavior and previous weight loss attempts and acknowledge that they didn’t work for me. Once I admitted that, I was able to begin to take the advice of the vets on this site.

For those of you now fully in maintenance mode and doing well at maintaining your weight, would you please answer these questions? 0. What type of weight loss surgery have you had? Sleeve 1. How long have you been in maintenance mode? 3 months 2. What's your current height and weight? 5'6" and 145 lbs 3. How many calories do you eat daily (on average) to maintain your weight? Don't count them at the moment. 4. What kind of focus do you put on Protein -- number of grams or anything else you want to say? Same as during weight loss phase, only with the occasional healthy carb like quinoa, barley, or brown rice. Not as careful to avoid corn as before, but still no "white stuff" or sugary sweets. 5. What kind of focus do you put on carbs - number of grams or anything else you want to say? Very limited! 6. What other nutritional tips / tricks are working for you that help you maintain? Still eating lots of nuts, cheese and Jerky. Probably too many nuts. 7. Which foods, if any, do you avoid altogether? White stuff, sugars, alcohol. 8. What exercise regimen (exercise types and frequency) do you follow? Walking 3-4 times a week and gym once a week. 9. What role, if any, has counseling or therapy played in your WLS success? Active on Bariatric Pal and my local monthly surgery support group. Use sharing my experience with others as my "therapy". 10. What advice would you offer WLS patients to help them be successful? See my story for lots of advice and tips.

I was a band to bypass. So glad I did it. I had problems the first year, mostly just learning experiences. If I had eaten exactly as I was told, I wouldn't have had any problems. But most of us have some addiction problems with food and we push the boundaries. Now I feel like an alcoholic who takes anabuse. It's a drug that makes an alcoholic really sick if they drink. I get really sick when I eat sugar period. Sugar was my weakness. And now that I am over 2 years out, I sometimes eat too much and then in 20 minutes I feel it. So I keep trying to remember to eat only one cup of food at any meal. Eat 3 meals per day and eat Protein first, then veggies and fruits. I do sometimes feel an emptiness inside where the sugar used to go...not in the stomach...I am learning that for me, being creative is a must. I have to have creativity in my life regularly. Some find a love of exercise and that takes the place of the food. Most of this journey is in our heads not our stomachs. And it's a wonderful journey of self awareness and learning to love ourselves from the inside out.

Am I missing something? I read the facts and it says 6g sugar. Are you adding in the sugar alcohols?

Like @@jss1988 said, I had a pretest to take before meeting with the psychologist (basic psychological stuff, self-worth, family history). Then when I met with him, he warned me about some of the issues that can arise as we start to lose weight, i.e., you'll be getting more attention, how to deal with that,, also he warned that victims of sexual abuse may struggle with certain weights if the abuse occurred when you weighed a certain amount, there may be memories that you have to deal with along the way. He asked about my support network, warned that some WLS patients will look to replace food addiction with alcohol, answered my questions, and sent me on my way. It was pretty painless: mostly an informative meeting.

0. Type of Surgery? RNY 1. How long have you been in maintenance mode? 20 months 2. What's your current height and weight? 5' 7", 150 lbs 3. How many calories do you eat daily (on average) to maintain your weight? around 1500 4. What kind of focus do you put on Protein -- number of grams or anything else you want to say? around 65 grams of protein per day derived from meals. 5. What kind of focus do you put on carbs - number of grams or anything else you want to say? I avoid like a plague processed sugar (including sugars with calories, such as honey. The exception being sugars found in fruits and milk.) Instead I use artificial sweeteners (Splenda), artificial sweeteners (Stevia and sugar alcohol) and the sugars found in fruits and milk. I try and limit my complex carbs (bread, Pasta etc.) to about one meal a day. 6. What other nutritional tips / tricks are working for you that help you maintain? I rely on fats to avoid hunger. As a result I eat real butter, whole milk and cream, meat other than lean meat. [in the weight loss phase my stomach was cut away and fats caused immediate dumping but after the first year my intestines took up the function of processing fats and I was able to incorporate it into my diet again.] 7. Which foods, if any, do you avoid altogether? Milk shakes, ice cream, any foods with more than 5 grams of processed sugar per serving. 8. What exercise regimen (exercise types and frequency) do you follow? I rely on normal physical activity (manual labor). For example last year I moved 100,000 pounds of gravel by hand and 50,000 pounds of concrete landscaping blocks. 9. What role, if any, has counseling or therapy played in your WLS success? None 10. What advice would you offer WLS patients to help them be successful? The approach to succeed in the weight loss phase is different than the maintenance phase. They need to adapt to the transition or if they follow the same rules, they may begin to put the weight back on.

After the first 6 months there really wasn't anything I couldn't tolerate. Rice was probably the last hold out. but I'm fine with it now. After the first couple of months I ate bread in small quantities, Pasta, desert, whatever I wanted really, just only a little bit. I do tend to stick to the separate food and liquid rules. I'm just more comfortable when I do. For me hunger returned at about 5 months, but the pull was not the same. Many mistake acid for hunger early on. I took 40mg of omeprazole 2x day from the beginning and never had that problem. I still like (and eat) everything I liked before. I just can't binge anymore. Today, my lifestyle is different, but maintenance is very doable. I start my day with a 45 minute bike ride, some strength training and Protein latte. The rest of the day I eat what I like in small quantities, typically protein first. I have a drink with my friends a couple times per week. I record weight weekly and if my weight creeps up I log food and give up most treats\alcohol until it comes back down. I live withing the same 5 pound zone most of the time. This feels very "normal" now. I don't know anything about sleeve inversion. Did fine with my standard sleeve with hernia repair. It'll be 2 years in October. Feeling great!

My post was not to condemn those who drink. To each their own. I am sure that at some point in time I will indulge in a cocktail or two or three. This was an issue that irritated me last week. As I have stated in previous posts, I attempt to reflect on things to see if this was truly about the "alcohol" or something deeper. I realize now that it was both and neither. As I'm nearing the anniversary of my father's death, who battled addiction the majority of his life, I know what alcohol can personally do to a family. I also read those statements thinking, "Will this turn into a hate the vets post" after one responds. My other thoughts came from wanting everyone to be fully successful on this journey. I also drink from a straw and have since day 1. It was becuase of this site and another one that I belong to where vets said it was ok. Clearly last week was an emotional one, here's hoping for a less emotional week! LOL