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I used to get dumping syndrome if I drank more than a cup of water in the morning without eating something first. It went away. Also check what type of sugar free sugar is used because some are sugar alcohols and cause diarrhea

You may discover that your definition of yummy changes. A lot of fast food, takeaways, sweets, etc. are really unappealing to me now. Watching advertisements for this type of food almost turns my tummy. When I was losing I ate the inside of a wonton (group of friends decided to order takeaway for dinner) but didn’t really enjoy it. I’ve had gyoza (steamed, inside only) twice & Chinese (braised chicken & vegetables) once since I started maintenance. Again a bit blah! I’ve also had some dessert & cake at Christmas, a wedding & a birthday but again honestly the couple of teaspoons/bites was more than enough. I didn’t get the same enjoyment from eating them. I do drink alcohol. About once a month & usually only a glass. Gin & tonic or champagne usually. Some people do have the odd pizza, burger, etc. eat the occasional biscuit, etc. but it’s an individual thing. Some have found healthy versions (like bun less burgers, high protein chips). You know your lifestyle best & how you will be able to manage adding some things back into your diet in the future.

although a stricture would cause vomiting - not diarrhea. At least that would be the case with RNY (I had two of them early out). I agree with what you said about fluids, though - and artificial sweeteners. Those give a lot of people G/I problems - esp sugar alcohols (those whose names end it "-itol" - like xylitol.

You've got some hoops to jump through, but don't be nervous. I'm a little less than a month past surgery and I already wish I'd done this 10-15 years ago. You'll need to figure out what your insurance requires in order to cover your surgery. This could be a period of supervised diet, it could be a requirement to lose a certain number of pounds or a percentage of your excess weight, or it could be as easy as just a few consultations and clearances. They usually want to make sure you'll be able to stick to the strict way of eating in the post-op phase. Then the hardest part is the pre-op diet. Most surgeons require some amount of liquid diet before the surgery in order to perform the surgery more safely. Some of us call it the "liver shrinking" diet. It's best if you step down over a few weeks. Replace one meal a day with a protein shake (use this time to audition shakes, though your tastes might change post-op so don't go crazy buying stuff). Then the next week replace two meals a day. Then the week or two that you have to do all liquid, go all in on liquid. Get off alcohol, caffeine and sugar as soon as you can—like now. Just accept you're going to have headaches and plan for them. You won't be able to have these things post-op, at least not immediately (and depending on what surgery you have, sugar may be off-limits period) Have an economy size box of Gas-X (chewable simethicone) for the few days after surgery, because you will want to burp out all the surgical air they inflate you with to be able to operate. Don't overpack for the hospital. You'll be exhausted. But do bring an extra long charging cable for your phone/tablet. Measure yourself—neck, upper arms, bust, gut, waist, hips, thighs, calves—and do it once a week for the first little while after surgery. I hit a stall about three weeks out (this is extremely common) and for the better part of a week I didn't lose any weight. But I lost a surprising amount of circumference, and that made me feel better. You've got this!

While I generally agree with @The Greater Fool, I've been told at least 64 oz post-bariatric surgery as you are losing weight because when the body is breaking down fat it uses water, so we need to drink more. Also, sometimes after surgery people don't drink enough because it's hard to swallow. I don't know how far out you are from surgery or if you actually have not had surgery yet, as your profile suggests. Some people find that drinking more curbs their hunger. This doesn't work for me, maybe it does for you. Some people will drink absolute gallons of water in a day; that can actually be dangerous as it throws your electrolytes out of whack. If you're not being extreme in either direction, not drinking a lot of alcohol, not running in today's Boston Marathon, not thirsty, you're probably gonna live.

Today, at 3 years out, i do about 1800 cals a day with moderate exercise. But I definitely do not eat healthily all the time….i drink alcohol and eat desserts regularly.

Operation Try-Not-to-Eat-So-Much-Crap: Day One. Gonna try to cut down on the alcohol, cookies and popcorn I’ve apparently been consuming quire a bit of late. Just to see if I can! Today’s salad lunch: 238 calories. Still in the middle of eating it, and will likely finish all of it by the time the day is over. There is a bunch or romaine leaves under all those toppings, swearies, lol

My pre-op appointment was twelve days before surgery, but could have been later. I got generic instructions (stop taking NSAIDs three weeks before, go off caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, etc.) with the initial packet but then I got a call two days before surgery with specific instructions, and an even more specific call the night before telling me what time to show up and confirming everything was set.

I have one scheduled for the end of October at Playa Mujeres north of Cancun. I plan to spend time walking an hour or so as well and limit my food intake to high protein foods like sushi, lean beef and fish. The alcohol I am going to have to limit as well. No mixed drinks with fruits and syrups, sticking to bourbon or scotch...3 to 4 a day max.

Wow. Good riddance I say. My husband lost 70 lbs taking a weekly injectible for diabetes before I had my surgery. I know he wanted me to lose weight too. I had the sleeve in Dec 2019, and lost 104 lbs in 12 months and am maintaining that weight eating and drinking what I want but in tiny portions. I eat healthier than I used to, but I definitely still eat things on occasion that I did not eat in the first year at all, and I had no alcohol for the first 12 months. I am lucky like that, he was very supportive and even did the shake diet with me in the beginning. He's a great cook and it was my love of his good cooking and my liking to eat that got me to 304 lbs in the first place. I ate it all willingly, but he cooks healthier for me now. After 30 years I can't imagine my life with out him. That guy wasn't the right one for you, be glad he helped you see that before he broke your heart or it cost you money.

I just remind myself that I'm choosing not to eat "junk" food. I think sometimes we compare ourselves to alcoholics or drug addicts when we are food addicts. We say things like alcoholics or drug addicts never have to have alcohol or drugs ever again to break their addiction but we have to have food. I know in my case, my addiction was sugar and junk foods and that's probably what got me to my highest weight. Now I try my best to avoid those and so far it's working. I just remind myself I never want to go back there! Whenever someones asks me, "can you eat this on your diet?" I tell them, "I'm not on a diet. I can eat anything I choose to eat...I choose not to eat that."

Certainly not trying to diminish what you’re experiencing. Just offering some suggestions, things to think about or discuss with your medical team. Head hunger encompasses more than just cravings it’s just the most obvious one that most relate to. But it’s also eating for emotional reasons: to sooth in response to anger, sadness, depression, anxiety, stress, etc. Head hunger is also habit driven eating. Like always eating when you go to the movies, watching tv, before you go to bed or eating very regularly (every hour or less). Also eating because you’re drinking alcohol & socialising. Plus perceptions of what is ‘enough’ food as I mentioned before. Because, if we’re honest when we’re obese, our body has plenty of stored energy in our fat it can burn if our body needs more calories than we’re currently consuming to function. It’s what we need to happen if we are to lose weight. Major surgery is stressful & doesn’t matter how ready you were for this surgery it still is an emotional roller coaster of various degrees. So that could be contributing. Is your esomeprazole prescription or over the counter? You may be producing too much stomach acid so you may need a higher dose - 20 or 40mg. The acid will make you think you’re hungry though you’re not. You eat & your tummy uses the acid to digest that food & the pain/pangs go so you think yes, I was hungry. Once you get onto solid foods this should reduce - more acid is needed to digest the denser food than just liquids & purées so you’ll use more of what you are producing. Hunger pains/pangs do not necessarily occur only when your hungry. They are the result of many triggers. Not the best article about the causes of hunger pangs but it may be a little helpful. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321725#symptoms. My tummy gurgles, groans, squelches, often (it’s doing it now 😆) but is not related to me needing to eat. (Remember how when our tummy would gurgle people would say you must be hungry? Not necessarily true.) It can be from what I ate (dairy causes it sometimes), drinking too fast or having too big a swallow, or even resting my iPad on my chest when I read at night. Can be a bit embarrassing but it seems to be how my tummy works now. I hope you can find a way to manage & help what you’re experiencing. And I hope your medical team returns your call soon. So frustrating when they don’t follow through with support. All the best.

I recently got some of the Smart Sweets at Target- 100 calories a bag or so. I really like them- they don’t taste exactly like real candy but that’s a good thing for me. I don’t feel compelled to eat them. And they have so much fiber in each bag I wouldn’t dare eat more than one a day because it would be disastrous, let’s just say. Also no sugar alcohols which is super important to me because of how sick those make me. My personal favorites are the sour patch kids knock off, and the regular gummy bears.

I was told that alcohol would hit me harder with the sleeve but I didn’t think it did either. I only drank one time and couldn’t really get much down cause without the “and coke” part of rum and Coke, it tastes pretty gross (I tried it with crystal light and didn’t like it at all). Anyways, people made it sound like one drink would get you buzzed and that was not the case for me either.

Generally, VSG is only a bit of restriction. All the plumbing is as it was pre-op. So, generally, there is no reason tolerances or much else should change. In some VSG folks, and depending on circumstances, alcohol may dump through the pyloric valve quick than pre-op, causing an effect similar to Gastric Bypass below. There could also be an impact that because you eat less and weigh less that eventually the buzz could hit slightly harder. For Gastric Bypass, in addition to the restriction, the pyloric valve is no longer in play so any alcohol dumps straight into the intestines. Generally this would cause the alcohol to hit nearly all at once, making it feel like it's hitting harder because it's processing all at once. Because all you drink is processed immediately my Doc* felt it was harder on the liver, so with my severe fatty liver he cautioned me not to overdrink if I could avoid it. As with all things, your mileage may vary. Good luck, Tek * I took what Doc said as fact though I don't recall researching it on my own as I usually would.

I am 7 months post VSG and 2 months post Lap cholecystectomy. We are on vacation at a resort so I am having a few cocktails here and there. I have to say I do not notice any difference in my alcohol tolerance now compared to before surgeries. I guess that is a good thing. I only drink on vacations and occasionally at home when we go to dinner/ party with friends. This week I am trying to balance enjoying my vacation with keeping an eye on the empty calories from cocktails etc. Planning to get back to tracking when I get home.

I also do not drink alcohol (I can't stand the taste), but I would be very careful with it from what I've seen on here and on other groups for several reasons: you can get drunk very quickly, especially at first. Alcohol gets absorbed very quickly and your blood alcohol can quickly go over the limit for driving and then for being just drunk to the point where you can't really function. And as you said, you're taking in empty calories and setting yourself up for eating other junky food. Plus there's a risk for cross-addiction. Some people become addicted to alcohol the way they had issues with food before surgery. It's not super common, but it definitely happens. That's not to say you should never drink, but maybe keep it to one small serve occasionally. I personally have told everyone in my life about my surgery. I just can't lie easily and if people see me losing weight, I knew I'd never be able to lie or even omit the surgery part. Plus, I was so excited to finally be doing it. I was not embarrassed. I felt like I was finally taking control of my life. The reaction I got was extremely positive except for one person I barely knew (I posted on Facebook). She has a whole "fat positive" view of life and has also had some sort of weight loss procedure that did not go well. I can't say whether you should or should not have the surgery, but I think maybe you should discuss with a bariatric trained therapist to talk about your concerns. Good luck in your decision!

Hello Bariatric Buddies (corny right? lol) I thought I'd come on here and share my experience so far for those who may be thinking about weight loss surgery OR are scheduled to undergo surgery soon. I started my bariatric surgery journey May 4th 2021 after YEARS of wanting to do it but not having the courage to start. At that point i was 298LBS. At my heaviest i was 305LBS. What prompted me to just go for it and conquer my fears was just wanting to be healthy again. I was tired of making excuses and as sad as it sounds i was tired of looking in the mirror every day staring at myself morphing into this person i no longer wanted to be. Fortunately for me, i didn't have any MAJOR health issues, however i did/do suffer from PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome). For anyone who knows the struggles of PCOS you know trying fad diets and exercising isn't really helpful when trying to lose weight when your hormones are so imbalanced. Any who, going forward - i contacted my local bariatric surgery center and set up my initial consult. Since we're still being affected by covid, majority of my appointments were via video. My first consult they went over my eligibility requirements, health history and goals. After speaking with the nurse navigator they then scheduled my next visit with the Surgeon who would then change my life forever. So, two weeks later, i meet my surgeon VIA zoom (and let me say, i love that she was blunt, super honest and made sure my goals and perception of the surgery was realistic), she told me about herself, she asked me a few questions about my life, health history in depth, and she then went over my surgery options and what she felt would be my best choice (Gastric Bypass RNY). We ended the appointment on a good note. At that point i was feeling good, motivated and just proud of myself, like - GOSH, I'M FINALLY DOING THIS! At this point in the process, i have scheduled an appointment to get an EKG, chest X-RAY, cardiology, pulmonary, and a behavioral specialist. Over the course of 4 months i would complete each appointment and the specialists would send over their impressions over to the surgeon. September 3rd. I had my pre op class (with a dietitian). I signed a bunch of papers stating that i would not consume alcohol or use tobacco. I watched a video and then the dietitian stated that starting September 9th - until September 19th i will need to be on a full liquid pre op diet - at that point in the liquid diet you are not allowed to take any vitamin supplements, and or specific medications (they would go over that with you). September 9th came around and i started my three protein shakes a day, with drinking 64OZ of water until September 19th as advised. Let me tell you, that was the single most hardest thing that i have EVER done, but in the end i was so proud of myself. September 20th at 10:00AM i had to drink 10OZ of Magnesium Citrate to bowel cleanse in preparation for surgery the next morning. I spent all day in the bathroom. Around 1:30PM i received a call from the hospital letting me know what time i needed to be at the hospital for surgery the next day (9/21/21) which ended up being 7AM. I had so much trouble falling asleep that night as i was so excited yet SO nervous! Surgery day rolls around and i am up getting ready. We (my boyfriend and i) then make our way to the hospital, check in, and head to my pre op room to be prepped. They took my temperature, and my weight. When i started, i was 298 - the day of surgery i was 282LBS! At 9:40AM i went in for surgery and was in the OR for about 4HOURS. I spent about an hour and a half in recovery where they gave me 1OZ water every half hour, that would continue as i was transported to my room that i would stay for the next 24HOURS. My hospital stay wasn't bad, and my nurses/doctors were super attentive, supportive and courteous! They came in almost every hour to check my temperature, blood pressure, and incisions. I went home 9/22/21 at 9:40AM. 1st day home was challenging. I was in so much pain and discomfort. That quickly subsided as the days passed. But in those days, i attempted to drink water and protein and move around as much as possible because walking truly helps with the pain. Here i am 9 days post op and i am not at 100% yet but i am improving i still feel slight pain only where i have internal sutures, and i am gassy (like burping and stomach feeling bloated) - for that i use GAS-X - it's amazing! I currently weigh 273LBS which makes a total of 25LBS lost and 9LBS lost since surgery. 6 Day's post op i was back at work (I KNOW I KNOW I AM CRAZY - BUT I WORK IN AN OFFICE AT MY DESK MAJORITY OF THE DAY SO I AM OKAY).. Hopefully this helps! & if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask :)

As others have said, these are all questions you should be bringing to your appointments. It might be helpful to keep a notebook with questions so you can jot them down as you think of them, and then bring them to your appointments. Don't feel like you need to know it ALL right now. This is a process and it takes time to get to a place where you are ready to commit. Do your research, find resources, as your questions. All totally normal. I would also STRONGLY suggest some counseling before you decide. It is absolutely imperative that you work through any trauma or baggage that might be contributing to unhealthy habits. Surgery is just a tool, it will only work as well as you are able to wield it. Making sure your mind is healthy is absolutely the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. That being said, I took a stab just to help give you some guideposts. 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? - This is program dependent. Some have a goal weight or BMI, others want you to loose xxx pounds before surgery. Ask your program. 2. What should my end weight goal be? - The expected weight loss with VSG and RNY is 60-80% of your excess weight. So, if you have 100lbs to lose to get to a healthy BMI, you can expect to lose 60-80 of those pounds. Some programs set a goal weight, others do not. Again, ask your program. 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. - Most programs do not say you can "never" have specific foods again. But there are a host of factors that determine what your long term eating habits will look like (what can you tolerate without feeling sick or having dumping, etc., are you hitting your water and protein goals, do you have any nutritional deficiencies, etc.). That being said, if you aren't ready to commit to long term changes, you may want to hold off. Sometime WLS requires we give up certain foods in order to be at our best.  4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. - Yes, side effects can occur. Surgical complications include internal bleeding, leaks at the "seams," anesthesia issues, all the normal stuff. Post-op complications can include GERD, hiatal hernias, malnutrition, and other things. Research the possible complications so you are well informed and ask your surgial center what their complication and surgical infection rates are. Overall bariatric surgery is very safe, but all surgical procedures carry risks. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? - See above, surgically very safe. All of this is available online, just do some scholarly Googling and, as always, as your program. 6. What if i start smoking again? - Just don't. It will kill you just as fast as obesity. Learn new coping mechanisms, go to therapy, pick up a hobby. From a surgical perspective, smoking greatly increases the risk of complications and can greatly increase recovery time. 7. What if i consume alcohol? - This is a combo of personal and program. Most programs have a strict prohibition for a period of time, others say try not to drink ever. In the end, its empty calories and you will get drunk MUCH faster than you did pre-op. Plan to abstain for a good long time. 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? - Talk to their pediatrician and get them into counseling. Do NOT rush into that. This is a major, life altering surgery and could be massively traumatizing for a child.

So i had my initial consultation. So i met my surgeon, my nurse practioner, and dietician, when i asked questions they had answers but since i left i feel like i didnt ask the right questions or not at all. So anyone willing to help me understand some things would be helpful. A lil about me.. 39yrs old, tubes tied after baby #4, im 5'4" and weight is 242.3 currently, but my highest was 302 mom of 4, divorced and now in a relationship for 4 yrs. Was a scrawny child (67# in 7th grade) ate candy/junkfood mostly my childhood, hit puberty gained a bit, met my ex husband and was in high school, began the sedintary lifestyle, began gaining weight and when i got pregnant at 17, i gained 107# in my 1st pregnancy. Never realized how big i was, never looked in a mirror w/ being depressed. Just kept gaining weight after each child, kept trying diets from watching my calories to only eating before 6p, to not eating anything except 1 time a day, i drank tons of water etc... i stopped working to be the stay at home, homeschooling mom after i got pregnant with baby #4. He cheated n i decided enough was enough. He left me and i lost 102# in 3-4 months of being manic depressed. I slowly gained it back after 6 yrs. Not watching what i ate, going back to the workforce, eating everything on the go, fast food, dine in with kids, i am a massive sweet tooth, and i drank easily 100 oz of dr.pepper a day. I have not drank any pop since 9.29.21. I have started cooking my own meals. Portion control is sooo hard, i could eat forever n either not ever get full or eat til i puke or close to it. I smoke 1-1.5 packs of cigarettes a day. Set to have gastric sleeve surgery after the 1st of the year, tbd based on covid rules. My questions are... 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? 2. What should my end weight goal be? 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. 4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? 6. What if i start smoking again? 7. What if i consume alcohol? 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

It won't help in the long term, but sniffing rubbing alcohol will help nausea subside immediately. It is weird, but it works!

After 11 years RNY I have now been advised I am pre diabetic with much the same symptoms as you. I struggle with eating out where alcohol is involved, parties & Christmas are a nightmare for me. I find myself having to go lay down until the spike episode passes. Tonigh I had a sugar spike after spare ribs, small jacket potato and salad ( it was the small amount of BBQ sauce on the ribs) Somethings can spike me one day and not another its trial and error. Hope you get it under control without too many dietary adjustments.

I wouldn’t recommend Atkins, the ingredients aren’t that great and they’re often very high in fat and sugar alcohols. I did Built bars (ones without nuts) during the soft food phase without issue. Quest bars would work as well but they tend to have more sugar alcohols.

I had RNY and consistently go out with friends and enjoy food. My surgeon really discouraged alcohol, but I still have an occasional drink.

You can try "lifestyle remedies" like elevating the head of your bed on bricks or whatever, not eating for the 4 hours before bed, avoiding foods that may be a trigger (tomatoes, greasy food, spicy food, alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, etc). If none of this works (there are other lifestyle remedies that I may have forgotten - try googling) you may need a revision to bypass unfortunately. It's a very common problem. Good luck!