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Remember, alcohol is empty calories. I have drinks a few times a month (serious karaoke junkie) and have since I was a few months out. You need to remember that you will get hit hard and fast now. I drink bourbon on the rocks, have no problems but know when enough is enough. I am usually good for 2 or 3 at best in a 4 hour span (my local dive pours very heavy).

I am sure it has to do with body mass. I was probably down 70 lbs from 300 when I took my first drink. I doubt the alcohol is metabolized any differently. Perhaps in RNY patients there is some kind of difference do to absorbtion but I doubt there is any difference in sleevers. I am sitting at 185 now, 40% less body mass than when I started. My triglycerides were 63 (normal is less than 150) when I had them taken 3 weeks ago. That is the biggest indicator of alcolol induced liver problems.

I think there's tons of support on this board. I truly do. I give it, and I get it. There are a lot of people here looking for help and support through what is a challenging adventure. Some of them are sincerely looking for information they didn't get from their surgeons or are confused by some of the goofy information they've read here and elsewhere online. There are also a few (not many) dimwits who want to know if it's OK to smoke after surgery, eat ice cream during the soft food phase, drink alcohol the first month post-op, and eat potato chips instead of Protein because protein is so yucky. I'll readily admit that supporting dimwits is not my superpower. Therefore, somebody else here needs to pick up the slack and take care of the dimwits. Thank you.

Slow cookers are great for working folks, especially those of us who need very tender, moist dishes. However....many of these great-sounding recipes are seriously overloaded with calories and sodium from the canned Soups. Also, the rice and potatoes are high carbs (starches) that we don't need if we are serious about losing weight. Therefore, cooking them is fine for a good meal for our families at night....but those of us trying to keep our weight down need to just pick out the meat (protein) from the dishes. Look at what just one CUP of Cream of chicken Soup has in it : Amount Per 1 cup Calories 233.43 Calories from Fat 132.38 % Daily Value * Total Fat 14.71g 23% Saturated Fat 4.17g 21% Polyunsaturated Fat 2.99g Monounsaturated Fat 6.55g Cholesterol 20.08mg 7% Sodium 1972.9mg 82% Potassium 175.7mg 5% Total Carbohydrate 18.52g 6% Dietary Fiber 0.502g 2% Protein 6.85g 14% Alcohol 0g

I'm 9 months post op. I average 750-900 cal. a day, mostly lean protein and veggies. Weight loss has slowed but still losing 10-15 lbs a month. I am able to eat larger portions now but just because i CAN doesn't mean I SHOULD. I have begun dabbling in carbs, you know the simple ones that got us to this forum in the first place. My body clings to them like a drowning man to a rope. Any weight loss comes to a SCREECHING halt. I can even gain several pounds in a day. WTF!!! I have two things only on my no go list, carbonation and alcohol. I tried both once, and did NOT like the results for either. I look at it this way, I know there is poison ivy in the woods. As hard as I try to avoid it, sometimes it gets me. But if I start to itch, I know what to do about it. After a little while it goes away. Once in a blue moon though, I'll get naked and roll in a patch of it, and later ask myself if it was worth it... My NUT suggested 1-2 T. of grains per day AFTER I reach my goal as a way to slow weight loss(also switching to full fat dairy-milk and cheeses). Keep up your hard work, it pays off!

Well I have a surgeon and I have a date - Friday 16 March 2007. Weighed in at 120.5kg when I saw Dr W. He has asked me to lose a few kilo's prior to surgery. I reckon I could lose 5kg in 2 weeks. He seemed skeptical and said he didn't care how I lost weight, but that if I can lose a bit my liver will shrink and make the operation a bit easier (for him I guess, not me). My goal is to get to 75kg. I figure if I am only 115kg when I am banded, it's 5 less to lose later, plus it has given me the kick in the butt to cut out alcohol in the lead up and start walking again. Have walked both days since I saw him. I am not too sore. I am taking "Scorch" to try and increase metabolism and curb hunger. When Warren goes back to work on Tuesday I will start having a liquid dinner (protein drink). It makes me feel a bit woozy. I feel this is a good prep time for the operation. Don't know how long it will be after the op before I can do some exercise. Surgeon is adamant he won't operate on smokers due to smoking being a far for serious health issue than obesity. I have always thought I need to tackle "one problem at a time" but can see that in taking such a dramatic step as obesity surgery, means that I can tackle my smoking and weight together. I plan to start nicotine replacement therapy on Tuesday (when Warren returns to mine site). I have now doubt that I will be feeling shithouse for the first 6 weeks, so being a ex smoker at the same time may just see me feeling totally empowered.

Well I have a surgeon and I have a date - Friday 16 March 2007. Weighed in at 120.5kg when I saw Dr W. He has asked me to lose a few kilo's prior to surgery. I reckon I could lose 5kg in 2 weeks. He seemed skeptical and said he didn't care how I lost weight, but that if I can lose a bit my liver will shrink and make the operation a bit easier (for him I guess, not me). My goal is to get to 75kg. I figure if I am only 115kg when I am banded, it's 5 less to lose later, plus it has given me the kick in the butt to cut out alcohol in the lead up and start walking again. Have walked both days since I saw him. I am not too sore. I am taking "Scorch" to try and increase metabolism and curb hunger. When Warren goes back to work on Tuesday I will start having a liquid dinner (protein drink). It makes me feel a bit woozy. I feel this is a good prep time for the operation. Don't know how long it will be after the op before I can do some exercise. Surgeon is adamant he won't operate on smokers due to smoking being a far for serious health issue than obesity. I have always thought I need to tackle "one problem at a time" but can see that in taking such a dramatic step as obesity surgery, means that I can tackle my smoking and weight together. I plan to start nicotine replacement therapy on Tuesday (when Warren returns to mine site). I have now doubt that I will be feeling shithouse for the first 6 weeks, so being a ex smoker at the same time may just see me feeling totally empowered.

Also, the whole "Im not an alcoholic because Im in college" is bullshit too, anyone with a brain can know that. Its like saying just because Im a professional gambler doesnt mean I have a gambling problem or something like that. Regardless, the alcohol isnt the problem, its the food. People told me I would be stuffed. People told me I wouldnt be able to eat, that I would throw up if I pushed myself. And guess what? I threw up once, and that was enough to know that I should not drink (Water......) after eating a whole lot, and I should definitely chew a bit better. Other than that....yeah nothing is really working. I wonder if its possible to see how much my stomach stretched.

You know there is research out there that has found those with by-pass surgery have a propensity to drink too much. Google it and see what you find. I have a son who had a Gastric Bypass and is fighting this issue at times. Something to do with the way the alcohol is processed in the stomach....don't necessarily have the turn off point that non sleeved patients have. For most of us by-pass patients - we are food addicts - unfortunately some of us replace the food with alcohol....the issues that caused the food addiction are still there - they just move to a different venue....

I have to agree with what most people are saying, which is that you should stop blaming outside circumstances that could be changed and instead look inward, being very blunt and realistic with yourself. Alcohol should not be consumed by people who have had a sleeve for ideally 6 months to one year after surgery. There is a special digestive enzyme in your stomach that processes alcohol. Since 85% of your stomach has been removed, there is very little of that enzyme (if any) to process alcohol. You could actually end up with alcohol poisoning and be in the hospital getting your stomach pumped. If cereal is a "trigger" food (a food that you can't seem to stop eating once you start) then don't buy it. There are a ton of things that I just can't buy because I know I can't control myself and I will eat all of it! Grocery stores sell pre-cooked chickens, usually for $5. If you want something quick and easy, you could get a chicken and eat off of that for a few days. Also, Protein shakes with milk will give you protein and what your body needs to feel full. I tried Isopure Water for the first time today. It smells kinda weird but tastes OK... and dang, it filled me up. I'm actually burping! (TMI) Support groups work when you work the program. Do you think it would be acceptable for an alcoholic to attend an AA meeting if they just kept drinking and drinking, week after week, year after year? Just going will not help someone until they actually hit rock bottom and make the decision to stop. The point is, it is horribly difficult... horribly horribly difficult to stop eating... (I am literally fighting it every minute of the day) but it is something you have to fight just like any other addict. Your stomach is not likely stretched all the way out, but you could be doing damage to your insides. Your hair is falling out because you are not consuming nutrients. The majority of people who get a VGS will have hair fall out - this is because your body is working to keep the more important parts of your body working (like internal organs and muscles) and ignores things like hair, nails, and skin. I've noticed in a lot of your posts you mention things you can't do, such as not being able to cook. I can't cook either, and that was a big fear of mine. So, what am I going to do? I'm going to sign up for cooking classes. In the meantime, I look up stuff on youtube that looks basic enough for someone who can burn water! My nutritionist gave me smoothie recipes that use frozen fruit and yogurt. The frozen fruit doesn't go bad for ages (cuz it's frozen) and the yogurt isn't anything fancy. Then I just add Protein powder and put it in a blender. It literally takes 5 minutes and you can't screw it up. To conclude, it's easy for anyone to tell you what to do; however, you sound very depressed on top of everything else, so anything people tell you to do will seem unrealistic. I have been through therapy myself and was on antidepressants from the time I was 15 up until last year when I finally got good therapy (I'm 33 now). So, I do understand depression... everyone is just like, "Well... don't be sad. Think positive." Gee.... why didn't I think of that? I'm cured! haha. The point I'm trying to make is, PLEASE reach out for help... either to your primary doctor to work with you on getting the correct type of medication for you, or to a licensed therapist that can help you through this. If you can work through some of these issues in a non-judgmental environment, you will feel more positive about your outlook in life, then things kind of click into place slowly but surely.

I am no expert. I used to be big into atkins though and as far as I understand it sugar alcohol does not have the same effect on blood sugar that regular sugar does. I did however find that if I ate too much of it like in the sugar free candies I felt sick to my stomach and didn't lose as much weight as I did without consuming them. It was probably the calories though. On my pre-op diet I was required to buy shakes and bars from my program. The bars has sugar alcohol. They tasted good, helped me lose weight and didn't make me sick.

I agree about the sleep study. My hospital required a sleep study because apparently there is a higher incident of problems if there is sleep apnea that is not treated. So, I found out I have pretty bad sleep apnea. Now I know why I would wake up so tired and with headaches. I don't have the same issue because I have a ton of co-morbidities with a BMI of 37. My bp is so bad they have been working hard to reduce it it just for surgery, it was 200/120 not too long ago. Plus I have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes diagnosed at 34/35 years old. I am 43 now. I am really anal about seeing the doctor and so I may not have had all my diagnoses if I had not been pro-active in seeking medical care. So , one thing is to keep track of your blood pressure. Have your liver enzymes checked out and also the sleep apnea. I am surprised they wont take you just with your BMI!

i was sleeved by dr. fernando garcia in t.j. exactly 11 months ago. he is great the staff is kind. you will be safe i promise. my advice is LISTEN to what they tell you. if you are not hungary after great. dont worrie. just dont over eat or eat the wrong food. no diet cokes no alcohol. and you will look great and feel better. honestly i love being sleeved. but its still hard. im hungary, and fight eating right. is it easier than before yes.

I had my surgery about 5 years ago and now when I drink alcohol it seems like I go straight from tipsy to not feeling well. Anyone else feel that way?

I knew that surgery was going to be very hard, requiring discipline and a new way of eating. Wanting to give myself every chance for success, I tried to give up every addiction I could PRIOR to surgery, so that the battle would be less complex afterward. Prior to surgery I gave up sugar (my joints never felt better!), caffeine, soda, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, processed foods, and snacking. I also started 16/8 Intermittent Fasting. I had already given up wheat/gluten several years ago, I was never a smoker. The sugar, caffeine and snacking were especially hard, but I am SOOOOO thankful I am not dealing with those now that I am only 2 weeks post op. I would suggest this to anyone in their preop period. Get rid of the junk NOW! You don't need to deal with cravings after surgery - food deprivation is enough! It will give you the confidence to comply with the post-op restrictions, and will set you up for a much healthier life style for life.

Anyone drank post surgery? What did you drink? I'm 10 weeks post op and have been following all the rules to a T but my best friend turns 30 next month and she wants to do it up big....going out that night and I know drinking is going yo be involved. So I was thinking....I cant drink beer because if the carbonation and I cant drink the yummy "umbrella drinks" due to all the sugar....don't tell me my only option is straight liquor!!!

Took a little vacation last week and first part of this week and was bad. Was out in nature camping and it ate camp food, hotdogs, Beans, cheeseburgers, ALCOHOL . Have not and will not get on the scale to see what injury/damage I've done. Had a wonderful time! I've got a fill scheduled for Monday so I'll find out. Last time at the Doc's I was 185. I hope I haven't gained too much but if I gained a pound or two I'll forgive myself and get back on track. I know that March was pretty much a wash with no weight loss and not sure why cuz I worked my butt off. Will post update Monday. Just wanted to say hi, I'm glad I'm back and need my pals here to help me get back on track.

Follow the eating rules and in a couple of months you will awaken to feel life super man. Dumping the numbing effects of food and alcohol is fricking amazing. You will want to live life to the fullest. That is what is happening to me.

When alcoholics get sober, they eat candy and goodies like it's going out of style. It's another form of sugar that helps feed their addiction. Can't that hold true for popcorn once giving up sugar, since it's a carb that converts to sugar in another form? Hahah, listen to me act as if I know what I'm talking about!

Sorry for the late update but I am now at 145.5 and officially only 15 pounds away from goal. I've started dating again this past week which has been interesting. Definitely need to watch my alcohol intake and make sure I'm getting enough Water. Protein is good, but I also started to see some hair shedding for the first time this week which has freaked me out more than I can even say. Hoping it doesn't get any more dramatic and goes away soon!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I've had no problem with beer - I choose the light variety all the time though as it does really make a difference in calories consumed. when drinking from the bottle straight though you may find it a bit hard to swallow because of the carbonation. I found beer easier to drink from the glass. It's no fun when you take a nice swig and it all comes back up and maybe hits somebody in the face (unless it is someone who is giving you unwanted attention). That's been my experience with beer. Other alcohol, no problem. :Banane34:

Yes. All fluids count (non-caffeine, non-alcoholic of course). Even ice and Popsicles count.

I like alcohol my intentions are not to drink everyday! Just special occasion I'm.celebrating my 25th bday and ofcoyrse I'm not looking to get wasted and drunk just a drink without the all the empty calories that won't do too much to my sleeve and alternate with water don't like being dehydrated .....thank u tho for ur opinions they are appreciated tho....

The key to losing fat - (I say fat because even muscle loss = weight loss and who wants to lose muscle?) is understanding and applying the energy balance PLUS understanding how your body uses food as fuel and how those fuels differ (carbs, fats, proteins, alcohol). Your body has a strong will to survive. It will not voluntarily give up its' fat stores. You have to coax and burn them off. You do this by creating a calorie deficit created by BOTH exercise and reduced food intake. Creating this deficit by intake alone will not take an obese person down to a healthy body fat percentage - at best, it will create a skinny fat person. Calories In Vs. Calories Out is a bit too simplistic. 1000 calories of cotton candy and 1000 calories of skinless chicken breast are profoundly different. The difference in insulin response alone (not to mention other body chemistry) is huge! All calories are not equal. Ponder this... "Joe" eats 1000 calories a day, day after day. He needs to lose 100 pounds. This low calorie diet gives him a deficit of 2000 calories a day. By this calculation he should be able to completely lose his excess body weight in 175-200 days....(Bet he doesn't)... But what if he continues this trend for several years? Does he completely disappear? Of course not. Because it's not just about calories in/calories out - it's about managing your metabolism via your energy balance. I eat 1000 calories some days - I eat over 3000 other days. I still have challenging food demons, but I manage them. If I'm going to eat cheat foods, I do so on planned high calorie days. By cycling calories this way - combined with a challenging exercise schedule consisting of both strength and cardiovascular training - I keep my metabolism white hot. My body fat percentage continues to fall, while the scale stays relatively stable (small lean muscle tissue gains). This lifestyle allows fat loss on calorie deficit days and muscle gains on calorie surplus days. There are several scenarios of posts on LBT that leave me grumbling... One of them is very low calorie diets. People who eat very low calories (600-1000) love the weight loss they initially see. But how much of that weight is lost muscle? Your body is a machine. If it's being starved is it going to give up metabolically active lean muscle tissue which is high maintenance to keep - or fat stores which costs next to nothing to maintain? Some of both, but the ratio is going to tip toward the lean muscle tissue. As muscle tissues decline, your body adjusts it's metabolism in a fight to avoid starvation, the weight loss slows and then comes the unavoidable - yet easily predicted plateau. They havn't lost weight in months, but hey, plateau's are normal right? No... they aren't normal - they mean your body has adjusted your metabolism accordingly to try to stave off starvation. It won't give up without a fight. But their doctor prescribed the 800 calorie low carb diet, so that must not be it... :rolleyes2: Here's another one... I've read a lot of posts where people are eating 1000 calories and gaining weight and they try to suggest it's muscle gains... Not a chance... It is physiologically impossible to maintain that large of a calorie deficit and gain muscle tissue, which actually requires a calorie surplus. One person is starving themselves eating 800 low carb calories a day, while at the same time I sit here on a high calorie day snacking on Peanut M&M's dipped in peanut butter. "So Brad, if your so damned smart and think this is so easy, then why did you get so fat you needed WLS?" Because I didn't understand the energy balance and how my body used fuel and how those fuel types differ - BUT now I do... And I want everyone else to know too... It may be simple - but it isn't easy... The band is a great tool to help you achieve your goals. Your body is a wonderful efficient machine when properly understood. Fuel it appropriately and it will reward you! Good Luck! Brad

Originally posted on 3/30/2014 Link to original post http://www.bigfatloserblog.com/2014/03/back-to-drawing-board.html So, a big blow to the morale! Back in January I got call from Michael at AR Rehab congratulating me for being approved for the Gastric Sleeve through a state program that would pay for my surgery. This came after 2 years of work. Doctors appts, food journals, sleep studies, psych evals, and much much more. He explained that funds would be available in March, and that I should call him back then to discuss it further. I waited until about the middle of the month to call him, and tried for over a week. He was either out of the office "temporarily" or on the other line, or a myriad of other excuses. Finally last week I received a call back from him and he left me this voicemail. (The name was distorted on purpose) I was left scratching my head after this voicemail, because it was pretty unclear. "Is he saying that they aren't going to pay for it?" I was unhappy with the voicemail, and so I called him up. I could tell by his tone he was immediately on the defense. I asked him to elaborate what the VM meant. Michael: "You listened to it didn't you? I said everything in the voicemail" Me: "Well, yea, but what does it mean that you are re-evaluating spending? Are you saying you are cutting the program." Michael: "Look Ronnie, I could have just told you no back in January, but I went to bat for you. You are being ungrateful" Me: "No Sir, I was very grateful when you told me I was approved. I told my entire family, I blogged it, and I have been expecting this surgery ever since. I would have rather you told me no in January than to congratulate me on something that wasn't a done deal." Michael: "I feel like you are being rude." Me: "I feel like you lied to me, and my whole family." Michael: "I can see that this conversation isn't going anywhere, so I am going to let you go and get back to work." That was all she wrote. I stared at my phone for a minute. I literally felt like I was punched in the gut. My next call was to Blue Cross Blue Shield. I would have to be out of pocket 4 Grand, but I was confident that I would have support to help me get the surgery. I explained that I had a packet put together already with everything they would need to approve me. Doctor's notes, medical records, (about 60 pages of information). The rep said that they would not be able to accept that from me, but instead would have to receive it from each perspective doctor. I explained that it took over 2 years and thousands of dollars to gather this information and I can't afford to go back to the doctors and get the same paperwork I already had. They insisted.... So here I am, back at square one. 400 lbs, and no closer to surgery than I was 2 years ago. So unless I squat and lay a dozen golden eggs, and shell up $16k, I'm starting over. However, I am not going to be stagnant while waiting for this to come together (if it ever does) The fact is, ever since I learned I was getting the surgery I have let myself go. Red Bulls, fast food, alcohol. All because I thought, what the hell, I'm getting the surgery in 2 months anyhow. NOPE NOPE AND NOPE. I immediately regret that. Starting tomorrow, I am going to give the Keto Diet a shot. A real shot. It is a little controversial and defies common knowledge of how diets work, but I have seen a lot of success stories revolving around this diet. And, it's gaining popularity among medical community. However, it is expensive. Let face it. Meat, Cheese, and fresh veggies are high. My health is more important though and I need to make sacrifices elsewhere so I can afford it.