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I am 2 years post-op from RNY surgery. My weight is fairly stable. On a recent visit to my nutritionist, I asked her "Why do some people lose significant weight after WLS only to gain it back years later?" Her response was because of grazing. I agree with you that gaining 10 pounds over the last two months sounds like it is on the high side and is of concern. Make sure you are meeting your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. Are you taking any medications that have an adverse side effect of weight gain? What works for me is when I graze (snack); I graze on protein and fats. Fats have the power to take away hunger. Without hunger it is not difficult to maintain my weight. Since I am 2 years post-op, I have begun to introduce fats back in my diet. I drink whole milk and use real butter. I begin each day with a cup of coffee. I top it with heaping spoon of real whip cream. This is whip cream that I make. It has no processed sugar. I use Splenda instead. I also consume Adkin's treats, because it contains fats but not processed sugars. It works for me. But I also steer clear of any processed sugars in my food - period. I will use artificial sweeteners (such as Spenda and sugar alcohols), low calorie natural sweeteners (such as Stevia) and natural sugars found in fruits and milk. Last week I hit my lowest weight thus far - 149.0.

At five weeks out I was able to eat 3-4 oz of protein from something that had a mother three times a day. I weighed every single protein on a kitchen scale. I did feel restriction at 4 oz. no snacks rest of day. Getting in all my water was a challenge at 5 weeks. Now, eight weeks out, I have added 1/2C vegetables once a day and 1/2C berries once a day to the three 4oz protein meals. I have gone to a restaurant several times and try to order off the appetizer menu but still try and eyeball 4 oz. no dairy yet and no alcohol or sugar. Water is easy to get in now. Walk three miles seven days a week but break that up into half in morning and half in evening.

My Bariatric nurse is a bypass patient several years out from surgery. She does the three month checkups and discussion groups before we see the doctor. She admitted she fell off the wagon and gained 45 lbs last year. She described how she went back to the basics and started with the routine we all went through post op - liquids, puréed food, soft protein, 4oz solid protein, 1/2 C veg, 1/2 C fruit, no snacks, getting in her water, eliminating caffeine and alcohol to reset her body and her mind. She admitted it was very difficult because the rest of the family was eating a typical diet and she had to adapt what they were eating to her own needs. I guess it might be helpful to get back into a support group or visit your nutritionist to help reset your motivation. We all know we have a tool for weight loss but we have to allow the tool to work and to get back on the plan for a healthy reset.

Your month pre op?idk maybe you ment post op but thats crazy!!!!! I was told around 7 to 8 months or later! I didnt have issues but i did feel my stomach kind of burn or sting but other then that i was good. I felt like i handled my alcohol like i would have pre op but not drinking and going out every weekend has saved me a fortune so it was only once and god knows when ill drink again but not anytime soon!

Depending on your size it can easily take your body 1 hour or more per drink to metabolize alcohol to the point where your blood alcohol level is below the legal limit. As a former police officer, every person I arrested for DUI swore they were fine and ALL of them were over the limit on the breath test. Nothing can help you get alcohol out of your system but time. It doesn't matter if you eat something, drink coffee, or light your farts on fire. There are many old wive's tales out there about how to sober up. None of them work. Live and learn.

It is so hard. I know it's in my head, but those thoughts and habits die hard. Initially when I would go to restaurants with family, I even secretly resented them for being able to eat all the things I wanted. What I do now that helps: I'll order a smoothie or a frozen drink without the alcohol. I've found anything frozen goes down for me, and then you're not just mooning at their food, lol. I think it's really more about having something to do, so even hot tea works.

I was sleeves on May 20th and I'm 25, you're not alone! ????I was sleeved in the 26th and I'm actually 21! The whole no-alcohol thing seems to be the hardest for me right now because all of my friends are having birthdays and the bar is where we all seem to hang out now!Awesome! I'm so glad to finally find some people on here around my age. Not that everyone here hasn't been super helpful, I just feel like it's such a different experience going through this when we're young. It's a fairly new procedure for weight - loss and we're going to be living with it for a long, long time! I agree the non-alcohol thing is difficult. I pretty much told my friends I'd be going into hibernation for a couple of months since most of our activities have revolved around alcohol. I'm going to make it work though and still find ways to go out and have fun until then. We should definitely all keep in touch since we were sleeved at the same time and will be going through all the stages together. Yeah for sure! Are you on soft foods yet? I start Thursday and can't wait! I lost 12 lbs by day 5 post and haven't lost anything since I'll be 2 weeks post tomorrow, guessing my body is in survivor mode and maybe will start the scale will start moving again when I can get some actual food in ✌????️ Not yet! I think I move onto pureed/mushy at my two-week follow-up appointment next Tuesday! I'm just starting to get sick of liquids now, surprisingly. I'm so excited to get to eat some different foods soon! My weight has been fluctuating every day and there are days I don't lose, so I wouldn't worry about the scale right now! I'm actually going to try to move to weekly weighing instead of daily so I stop freaking myself out.

RogofUlm's Story Vertical Sleeve surgery: June 24th, 2014 Pre-surgery high weight: 265 Weight at surgery: 254 Initial goal weight: 154 Time achieve goal: 8 months (including 2-week pre-op diet) Stretch goal weight: 145 Time to stretch goal: 10 months (including 2-week pre-op diet) Total weight loss: 120 I went on my first diet at the age of 7, and sometimes feel like I've started a new diet every Monday morning for the last 48 years. I've done 'em all – from a 40-day hospital stay in a ketogenic program in 1974, to Weight Watchers (3 times), Diet Center (2 times), Jenny Craig, Nutri-System, Atkins, South Beach, Cambridge, Slim Fast, Fen-Phen, grapefruit and egg, and even starvation. I've probably lost close to 1,000 pounds throughout my life, including three or four diets resulting in nearly 100-pound losses. And after all that, at the age of 55, I still found myself 110 pounds overweight; with diabetes, apnea, asthma, arthritis, high cholesterol, and borderline blood pressure. With a wonderful wife and 10-year-old child at home, I was a heart attack or stroke just waiting to happen. So why was I able to lose weight so effectively at times, but never keep it off? Same as most people, I suppose. When fully committed, I could “flick the switch” in my brain and resist anything… for a while. I'd lose a bunch of weight and start looking and feeling better, and then I'd be at a party with lots of goodies and think, "What the heck. I've done so well, so I’ll treat myself just this once and get right back on my diet." Hello, slippery slope! And then the cycle would begin: pig out, starve myself, pig out, starve myself… Eventually the pig outs would last longer and require more and more fat, salt, and sugar to satisfy. And, of course, each new day brought a brand new commitment to get back on track, so I wouldn't eat anything until 6 pm... and then I'd pig out again. That “switch” doesn’t always stay flicked, you know? So what's the definition of insanity again? Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. Then, 20 years ago, I lost a bunch of weight and maintained it for quite a while. But because of a bad reaction to a medication, I eventually had to have a hip replaced. Everything went well with the surgery and I even quit smoking in the process. Great, right? Yeah, but then the weight started coming back on, and eventually I gained about 50 pounds. So then I bounced around for a few years, yo-yoing all over the place between 60 and 100 pounds overweight, until I got married and we had a baby. Of course, during the pregnancy I gained 40 more pounds of "baby weight". But unlike my wife, I never delivered mine! So that brings me to the more recent past, when all those years of being overweight finally caught up with me and I began getting all the "fat diseases”. When the diabetes first came on, I dropped 30 pounds without even trying. But eventually we diagnosed it and got it under control with pills; and then the weight came right back on. A couple of years later, my weight started dropping again "for no reason". Of course I knew what was really going on, but the weight loss felt so good that I rode it down 45 pounds. But again, eventually I had to get it back under control, and again, all the weight came back. So by the time I decided to have WLS, not only was I taking pills plus daily insulin injections for diabetes, I was sleeping with a CPAP machine for apnea, and taking fistfuls of pills every day to manage the other co-morbidities. And that brings us to last year. In addition to all the diseases, I was exhausted and achy all the time, and had trouble dragging myself out of the recliner to play with my kid like I should. I'd take naps after stuffing myself at lunchtime, and exercise as little as possible. We all know the drill, right? And I’d gotten myself hooked on chicken wings with high-calorie sauces, a mountain of French fries, blue cheese dressing, and four large glasses of tea. I'd go out 2-3 times a week for wings, but I'd go to different restaurants because I was so embarrassed by how much and how frequently I was eating them. And gradually, I got more and more disgusted with myself. During that time, two of my co-workers had weight loss surgery: one bypass and one sleeve. Every day for about a year, I watched them get smaller and smaller. They didn’t keep their surgeries a secret, so when I asked about their experiences, they graciously shared all the details with me – the good, and the bad. And gradually I got to the point where I said, “I WANT THAT!” So my inspiration to have weight loss surgery was a direct result of my co-workers’ successes, and their openness about having had weight loss surgery. Once I decided to get sleeved, I went "all-in". I followed all my doctor’s post-op rules to a tee (with the exception of coffee – my one remaining vice). But this time something was different from all those past diets. Because of the restriction in my stomach, instead of losing momentum and giving in to temptation, I was able to stay on the horse. My new “tool” gave me the strength I needed to consistently make the right choices. I lost 110 pounds and made it to goal in 8 months. And in the two months after that, I lost another 10 pounds to give myself a comfortable buffer. I put away the CPAP machine; I’m off all diabetes, blood pressure, and asthma meds; and I'm on the lowest dosage of my cholesterol meds. In a few more months, I hope to be off those too. So now that I’ve reached my final goal weight, I don’t need – or want – to lose any more. I’m exactly where I want to be for the first time in my adult life; which, quite frankly, is a totally mind-blowing thought! My big secret? Just follow the danged rules – all of them! (And mind you, I’ve been a rule breaker all my life.) If you do exactly what your doctor or nutrition program recommends, the weight will come off. After a month or two of making good (but difficult) choices, the cravings for the foods that got you to your pre-surgery weight will start to fade away, and the pride in your accomplishment will have a stronger pull than the food. That’s when you really get on a roll! Here’s the formula I used to get to goal weight quickly: Start every morning with a Protein shake for Breakfast. Eat 60–80 or more grams of protein daily. Drink 64–120 ounces of fluids daily. (I drink tons of Crystal Light, or generic, sugar-free/decaf iced tea.) Do not consume any starches or sugars. Get all carbs from green veggies, legumes, and dairy products. Do not consume empty liquid calories/sugar (fruit juices, ice cream, etc). Try to avoid alcohol. It’s empty liquid calories that turn to sugar in your body and can lead to poor choices. All Snacks must be protein-based (Jerky, nuts, cheeses, Greek yogurt, deli meats). Get some exercise 4-6 times a week. Never leave the house without a plan for what you can eat and drink while you’re out. If necessary, bring food and drink with you. Restaurant eating is not hard: 1) skip the bread; 2) order a meat (or legume/bean) dish; 3) replace the starch with a second vegetable; 4) skip the dessert. You’ll probably end up taking some of the meat and most of the veggies home for another meal. Beef/turkey jerky is my secret weapon. It’s saved me more times than I can count, so I try to always have some in the car for emergencies. You can buy a bag of jerky almost anywhere. It’s kind of expensive and not great for sodium-restricted diets, but it’s also high protein, low fat, okay sugar, and a 3.5-ounce bag is a meal by itself! If you fall off the horse, get back on immediately – at the next meal. Not tomorrow, and definitely not next Monday. That’s what got us here! Go to Bariatric Support Group meetings in your area, if possible. Participate actively in online forums like BariatricPal. Read as much as you can about the process and the journey; and especially, read posts and articles from those who had their surgery a few years ago. Try to understand what lead to their successes and/or struggles. Share your story and reach out to help others who are behind you in their journey. By helping them, you’ll help yourself as well. Have a goal weight in mind and strive to get there. (I weigh myself every single day.) But also set lots of smaller goals. It’s fun and inspiring to achieve them. Believe that the slimmer person in the mirror is the real you. Always be looking forward. Don’t look back over your shoulder waiting for the heavier person to drag you back. Let that person fade into history. A little vanity is okay. Enjoy how you look. Accept compliments graciously and don’t deflect them. Have fun trying on smaller-sized clothes that fit now. Compare before and after pictures. Take pride in your accomplishments! Accept that this is a somewhat selfish process. That’s okay, too. You don’t have to apologize for it. And don’t let other people interfere with your progress. We have to make our weight loss program a priority in our lives. But at the same time, recognize that your journey affects your friends and loved ones as well. Be sensitive to their reactions and their emotional needs, without allowing it to derail your program. And finally, try to have fun losing the weight and getting healthy! Now, I’ll admit that many people think this much rigor is unreasonable and unsustainable. They believe that you need to learn how to “eat normally” on your way down. I get it… but I don’t buy it. (And believe me, self-discipline has never been one of my strengths.) My philosophy has been that there’s plenty of time to learn how to eat for maintenance once I get to my goal weight. That way, if I add something back in my food plan and it causes me to gain a few pounds; I only need to re-lose those few pounds. I don’t need to lose them PLUS all the rest that haven’t come off yet. That’s a whole lot harder and more daunting than just losing a few. I also believe that we get a 9–12 month “honeymoon period” (when the weight comes off more easily and the hunger is more manageable), to get our heads in the right place for the long haul. I firmly believe that people who take maximum advantage of their honeymoon period are far more likely to get all the way to goal weight; and hopefully, to keep it off. And now my theory will be put to the test... Over the next few months, I’ll need to start experimenting with what works and what doesn’t. I’ll need to add back some foods that will stop the weight loss, without causing a gain, and without putting me back on the slippery slope. But what are those foods? My doctor suggests that if you want to increase your carb intake, to add only foods that you would eat cooked as part of a meal (like brown rice, whole wheat Pasta, sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa, oatmeal, and green peas). No white bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes, no refined sugar, no fruit juice, soda, or ice cream, and nothing that would tempt you to go to the fridge or pantry for a handful or bowlful as a snack. That sounds reasonable, so that’s what I’m going to try. But what about all those yummy foods I’ve been missing? I don’t know yet. Maybe the day will come when I can have one small scoop of ice cream, or four cheese crackers, or a mini chocolate bar, or a sandwich. But today is not that day. For now, it’ll be baby steps until I’ve maintained my weight loss for a good long time. If the truth be told, since I detoxed completely from starch and sugar, I haven’t really craved the stuff. So how do I feel about my weight loss journey so far? Believe it or not… it’s been a total blast! And see... that’s another reason to follow all the rules and lose the weight quickly – the compliments, your reflection in the mirror, clothes that fit and look good, the extra energy for family and friends, and most of all, your new-found health – are a thousand times more fun and motivating than anything that could ever go into your mouth! And here’s one final thought… Several months ago I ran into a woman I hadn’t seen for a while. She’d been thinking about weight loss surgery, but was afraid to take the first step. But when she saw the “new me”, she said the exact same words I had said a year ago, “I WANT THAT!” Well, a few weeks ago she got sleeved and she’s doing great! And that’s how this wonderful story continues… I wish all of you great success, and a healthy, exciting, and fun journey to good health!!! Rog (of Ulm)

I was sleeves on May 20th and I'm 25, you're not alone! ????I was sleeved in the 26th and I'm actually 21! The whole no-alcohol thing seems to be the hardest for me right now because all of my friends are having birthdays and the bar is where we all seem to hang out now!Awesome! I'm so glad to finally find some people on here around my age. Not that everyone here hasn't been super helpful, I just feel like it's such a different experience going through this when we're young. It's a fairly new procedure for weight - loss and we're going to be living with it for a long, long time! I agree the non-alcohol thing is difficult. I pretty much told my friends I'd be going into hibernation for a couple of months since most of our activities have revolved around alcohol. I'm going to make it work though and still find ways to go out and have fun until then. We should definitely all keep in touch since we were sleeved at the same time and will be going through all the stages together. Yeah for sure! Are you on soft foods yet? I start Thursday and can't wait! I lost 12 lbs by day 5 post and haven't lost anything since I'll be 2 weeks post tomorrow, guessing my body is in survivor mode and maybe will start the scale will start moving again when I can get some actual food in ✌????️

Keep logging food and exercise and keep an eye on your weight. I had kind of the same experience, (I'm about 1.5 yrs out too) but I had stopped logging and let larger Snacks and too frequent alcohol creep in. Put on like 5 pounds outside my goal range then had to go back to the habits that work to take it off again, (which I have), but only just. Now working on creating a little wiggle room. If you're not gaining, maybe you need the calories. If you really want to stop it, change up your snacks to whole foods only for a week or 2. Sometimes I just need to break a habit and going "clean" can help.

Thanks, @ for that story. I sure don't mean to represent that I've never driven "impaired." It's the rare person who gets through life without having done that. But over time I've certainly learned much--and continue to learn--about how my body responds to every substance I put into it: food, alcohol, OTC meds, Rx meds, all of the above. Certainly our driving is also impaired by too little sleep, too much stress, people distractions, electronic distractions, etc. It's hard being perfect. But it's not hard to learn and improve. After all, that's what we're all here doing, eh?

I served on a jury for DUI. A lot of people have the misconception "I'm not drunk. I'm mentally clear. I can drive." But what the attorney stressed was the charge is driving under the INFLUENCE, not drunk. That means if you are impaired at all, it's not safe to drive. All you need is to be under the influence of alcohol to be arrested for DUI. I personally cannot drink in good conscience 3 hours after one drink because since surgery, alcohol goes straight to my small intestine and I get buzzed very very fast. I had a pint of wine last weekend and I felt the buzz for at least 3 hours while walking around so I had my husband drive home. By the way, the jury unanimously decided the defendant was guilty. Thankfully he didn't hurt anyone.

Wait WHAT!?!?! You had five drinks and drove an hour later? :faint: Yeah i live like 10 minutes from where we were and was perfectly fine. I danced and pee'd it off. And we ate food afterwards so i was fine.The only way your body can get rid of alcohol is through your liver. Dancing and peeing will not help your body metabolise alcohol. Only time. You were a massive danger to yourself and other road users. I appreciate the consurn and i know how i felt and i know where your coming from. Thanks.

Wait WHAT!?!?! You had five drinks and drove an hour later? :faint: Yeah i live like 10 minutes from where we were and was perfectly fine. I danced and pee'd it off. And we ate food afterwards so i was fine. The only way your body can get rid of alcohol is through your liver. Dancing and peeing will not help your body metabolise alcohol. Only time. You were a massive danger to yourself and other road users.

I know this post is older but I was reading everyone's stories and desperately need help. I am 38 year old female and 12 years post RNY and removal of gallbladder. I became lactose intolerant immediately after surgery but have had severe abdominal pains for years after drinking wine, alcohol, etc. I thought it was an ulcer but just had upper/lower scope done a few weeks ago; removed a couple polyps from colon but no big deal and no ulcer seen. I have been having bad headaches for years with chronic constipation, bloating, gas, vomiting and Dr after Dr to find no answers... A couple days ago I became the most ill of all!!! I started having the most severe stomach pain imaginable with extreme bloating, all of my joints hurt, face is swollen, I feel poisoned and feel like something just isn't right in the intestines... Me and my husband decided maybe it was gluten intolerance so we threw out everything that contained gluten and de-contaminated all dishes, etc. I have had low iron always but with the constipation already being so bad it makes it really hard to want to take iron supplement.... I have been sitting here all day, in tears at times from the pain, and just don't know what to do. Trying to get into Gastro Dr here is a month wait. Please help....

I know this post is older but I was reading everyone's stories and desperately need help. I am 38 year old female and 12 years post RNY and removal of gallbladder. I became lactose intolerant immediately after surgery but have had severe abdominal pains for years after drinking wine, alcohol, etc. I thought it was an ulcer but just had upper/lower scope done a few weeks ago; removed a couple polyps from colon but no big deal and no ulcer seen. I have been having bad headaches for years with chronic constipation, bloating, gas, vomiting and Dr after Dr to find no answers... A couple days ago I became the most ill of all!!! I started having the most severe stomach pain imaginable with extreme bloating, all of my joints hurt, face is swollen, I feel poisoned and feel like something just isn't right in the intestines... Me and my husband decided maybe it was gluten intolerance so we threw out everything that contained gluten and de-contaminated all dishes, etc. I have had low iron always but with the constipation already being so bad it makes it really hard to want to take iron supplement.... I have been sitting here all day, in tears at times from the pain, and just don't know what to do. Trying to get into Gastro Dr here is a month wait. Please help....

I know this post is older but I was reading everyone's stories and desperately need help. I am 38 year old female and 12 years post RNY and removal of gallbladder. I became lactose intolerant immediately after surgery but have had severe abdominal pains for years after drinking wine, alcohol, etc. I thought it was an ulcer but just had upper/lower scope done a few weeks ago; removed a couple polyps from colon but no big deal and no ulcer seen. I have been having bad headaches for years with chronic constipation, bloating, gas, vomiting and Dr after Dr to find no answers... A couple days ago I became the most ill of all!!! I started having the most severe stomach pain imaginable with extreme bloating, all of my joints hurt, face is swollen, I feel poisoned and feel like something just isn't right in the intestines... Me and my husband decided maybe it was gluten intolerance so we threw out everything that contained gluten and de-contaminated all dishes, etc. I have had low iron always but with the constipation already being so bad it makes it really hard to want to take iron supplement.... I have been sitting here all day, in tears at times from the pain, and just don't know what to do. Trying to get into Gastro Dr here is a month wait. Please help....

I know this post is older but I was reading everyone's stories and desperately need help. I am 38 year old female and 12 years post RNY and removal of gallbladder. I became lactose intolerant immediately after surgery but have had severe abdominal pains for years after drinking wine, alcohol, etc. I thought it was an ulcer but just had upper/lower scope done a few weeks ago; removed a couple polyps from colon but no big deal and no ulcer seen. I have been having bad headaches for years with chronic constipation, bloating, gas, vomiting and Dr after Dr to find no answers... A couple days ago I became the most ill of all!!! I started having the most severe stomach pain imaginable with extreme bloating, all of my joints hurt, face is swollen, I feel poisoned and feel like something just isn't right in the intestines... Me and my husband decided maybe it was gluten intolerance so we threw out everything that contained gluten and de-contaminated all dishes, etc. I have had low iron always but with the constipation already being so bad it makes it really hard to want to take iron supplement.... I have been sitting here all day, in tears at times from the pain, and just don't know what to do. Trying to get into Gastro Dr here is a month wait. Please help....

My friend that had the surgery last year around this time said what helps her to drink a bit more is eating some peanuts! Or little pieces of bread that will help absorb the alcohol more than your tummy! I'll try this when I'm ready to my first drink

@@sonandonubes Please seek help immediately. You should not be mixing prescription drugs and alcohol to help clear you head. You are doing wonderful. I would love to lose a 100lbs. I know things are going to be rough and we are all going to have our ups and downs, but you cant let the downs get you this far down. You are amazing and an inspiration to many of us. If you need to talk to some please message me, I am a good listener. I am also 33 and I have no children.

@NikkiDoc - I feel the same way about the alcohol, but I haven't done the follow-up to ask, if I do. same scenario though - hot tub, hubby...glass of wine @@bikrchk - I thought I would miss pizza. I ordered one and picked it up otw home from work a couple of Fridays ago. Not my preferred pizza (pre-surgery) it was thin crust all meat. I got the narrowest slice and took a bite from the end away from the crust and chewed it, and then spit it out. I "ate" about 2 more bites and it went in the trash. Havent even thought about another piece since

I am 4 months out and have never felt deprived. Since I generally don't have a problem getting in my Protein I don't feel bad stealing a bite or two from my husband of things that I like but are not on the diet. I will have a 1/4 of a mozzarella stick, 1 french fry, 2 bites of ice cream, a Dorito or two. (not at the same time). My husband got me 4 chocolate covered strawberries for my birthday. I had 1 a day. I have had scalped pizza. This gives me a taste of things so I don't feel deprived but I don't have enough to derail my weight loss. The only thing I have missed a little bit has been alcohol. We went on vacation in mid-May and had a hot tub. I would have been nice to have a glass of wine. I was tempted to have half a glass for my birthday at the end of May. Per my surgeon I can't have alcohol until August 2nd. I can wait until then. I put the alcohol in the sorta miss it/head hunger category but not strong enough miss to to call it feeling deprived.

The only "rules" I was given were: Don't wash your meals down - I adhere to this one as drinking with meals tend to make me uncomfortable anyway. Get your Protein - Yes. In maintenance 1 year now and still put a scoop of whey in my (real) coffee every morning. I avoid caffeine the rest of the day now. (Previously lived on diet coke). Stay compliant with supplements - Yep. Still do that too. Vitamin deficiency is a real risk with us. My Iron sat was down a bit even while taking iron supplements as directed (outside any other supplements) so I changed to a chewable with C. Hopefully I'll absorb it better. Don't know if it's helped, but I have more energy now. Guess I'll find out at my next physical. Other than that, I eat high protein and pretty clean during the week, exercise every weekday and party on the weekends including alcohol in moderate amounts. I don't consider it "rule breaking", but living life as a fit person in maintenance!

Three weeks is soon IMHO. I would not have been ready. I was a dry red wine drinker before but found that after surgery it just doesn't typically sit well. White is better now if I do wine, or even a cocktail made without soda. I do find that alcohol will put weight on me faster than ANYTHING else. Even 1 drink per night with calories worked into my day can derail my progress. I'm in maintenance now for the last year. If I dial it back to just weekends and watch the quantity, I can maintain\lose a little to stay in my zone relatively easily. I echo what others have said about the empty calories. If you want to maximize your WLS honeymoon period, try and leave it alone as long as possible!

I nursed a mixed drink at about 3 months while I was on vacation, some sort of blue coconutty conconction, didn't impact me any differently. I didn't finish it because I couldn't hold it all and, like Kindle said, not worth the calories . TBH, I haven't had any alcohol since, so I don't know how my tolerance would change with time.