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Here's an article on alcohol and WLS, but it talks about gastric bypass. People Get Drunk Faster After Bariatric Surgery, New Study

I started drinking again about 3-4 weeks post surgery. I felt a buzz after about 3 oz of vodka :cool:, but im assuming thats because I hadnt had a drink in about 2 months. I mixed it with zero calorie Vitamin Water and found I could taste the vodka much more than if I had mixed it with, say, orange juice, but I was able to tolerate the taste better than before as well. Dont know why. As you get smaller it takes less alcohol to get you buzzed too. I've had drinks the last 2 weekends and it hasnt affected my weight loss, so as long as I keep losing I dont see a reason to stop :wink2:

What was your pre-op diet? Mine was low fat, normal food, sticking to around 1000 cals a day. Didn't measure cals and may have had one or two more bowls of muesli than necessary but everything I've eaten has been low fat, zero sugar and no alcohol. I had one meal out on Friday night which didn't exactly meet the low fat requirements but still avoided chips (fries), alcohol and sugar. Thinking about doing a liquid diet (Complan/Soup etc) for the next 4 days leading up to the surgery, just to make up for any deviations on the pre-op and also to cleanse my system.

Yeah...think I'd be a bit irked if I heard that from a doctor. So, what, wait a few more years until you do actually have comorbidities and then it'll be okay? I really get tired of people that say "oh you just to diet and exercise more." Sure. Just tell somebody dealing with alcoholism to stay out of bars and all their problems will go away. Well, in the end you're the one having surgery, not him. It's ultimately up to you. Man this burns me up reading this...lol. Put this in your pocket and break it out the next time you need it.

@@Monet08 I too am worried about that. I haven't gained since my original assessment but I'm not down to the goal he originally set. Last Monday I cut out all carbs, alcohol, and really upped my Water intake. I'm having a small Protein rich Breakfast, half a Protein Drink as a morning snack, a really light lunch (sometimes just more protein drink), raw veggies for an afternoon snack (and for the fiber) and a super light dinner. Protein and cooked veggie only. I lost 2 pounds. That's something but this is really difficult. I just want to get to my last appointment before the surgery and weigh in. By the way, I'm also scheduled for September 14th.

This is an incredibly perceptive observation on the use of the word "cheat." It absolutely implies that there are supposedly some "rules" that all people should play by ... when there just aren't. What's that pill some alcoholics go on ... the one that makes them violently ill if they ingest alcohol? Is that a "cheat" because other alcoholics use their will power? No, it just observes that for some people whose issues run deeper, "will power" alone isn't enough. Great for the other people if their will power is stronger. They win. I'm not them, but if the size of my behind was any indication, that was already obvious. Of course I can lose weight with diet and exercise. If I make my life's profession losing weight, which I have to do, then I lose the weight. But, my body goes into panic mode always after around the 3 month mark. Continuing to eat at diet levels makes my subconscious kick into survival mode, and I frequently found myself eating portions that were even larger than my "pre-diet" portions just to get that "okay, I'm satisfied now" feeling. I need the help. The one neighbor I told in great confidence actually said her sister had undergone the procedure ... used to be a large woman and now is quite petite, and very happy! It did take me a while to tell my husband ... he surprised me by being incredibly supportive. He even said he was really excited for me! As for my extended family, fortunately the only two sisters-in-law who would ever say anything on the subject, both of them have had liposuction and breast work, so they are the last ones to point out anything about "cheating." But, great observation again on the "competition" - there sure is, in their minds. I also liked very much the comment about yes, I'm cheating ... I'm cheating an early death ... good one. Kim in the pipeline, looking for surgery date probably April 2010

I eat Atkins (but I don't eat the ones that have any sugar alcohol) and another one I like a lot are Oh Yeah, but I have to order those online. I bought some at GNC but we don't have a GNC here in hicksville where I live.

Sighs… I am not going too lied to you guys I was drinking like I lost my damn mind yesterday. My birthday started great. I woke up and workout for 30 minutes. Then Mandy surprised me with breakfast. She made me a spinach and mushroom quiche and coffee. Then Mandy left so I work out for another 10 minutes. Then my Besties Jon and Jessica come over to take me to the winery. Once we got to the winery it went downhill. It was like I forgot that I was even banded. I was able to order from the kids menu. I order the Italian Beef (no bread) and I ate 1 serving of potatoes chips. I barely ate the Italian beef because I guess I was still full off the 2 glass of wine I had while waiting for our food. Okay I know you guys are probably thinking 2 glasses is not too bad but I am not done yet! After the winery we went to a nearby bar there I had a shot and another drink! Oye! I didn’t throw up or anything but still this was my first time drinking like this on the band. On our way back to my house we stop at my favorite Irish restaurant to pick up some wings for my parents. So did I have some to drink there? NOPE! I had me some water. But when we got home it was a whole different story. The original plan was for Jon to BBQ for me but I told him I was still full off of the wine and lunch so I really wasn’t hungry. We had the water balloon fight and we got Jon good. After that we went to another bar! I know but this time I only had one drink. I didn’t getting wasted last night but I did drink my calories yesterday. How much? I tried to keep track of my alcohol intake on my fitness pal but I failed miserably. I know it was over 500 calories. However I did have fun on my Birthday Today I woke not hungry (I wonder why) I had to make myself eat breakfast this morning. I normally don’t do this but I was planning on working out for 2 hours today and I didn’t want to work out on an empty stomach. I think I burn half of my alcohol intake from yesterday. I didn’t wake up hung over or anything I woke up wanting to work out. I am still learning this banded lifestyle but I am happy that I am getting healthy now. Thanks for reading.

I felt the same way. All of my milestones (onederland, certain pant sizes, goal weight) have kind of been anticlimactic because I don't know how to celebrate now. No cake, no alcohol, no huge steak dinner. I never went with the "buy yourself something" advice because 1) I don't have a lot of spare $$$ just lying around and. 2) shopping can certainly become a cross addiction...no sense starting up a bad habit. So I end up just sharing the news with my sister or a close friend, posting on here, and quietly embracing the warm fuzzy feeling and pat myself on the back. On the flip side, I'm hoping I can handle life's sad/ disappointing moments as non-destructively as the good times, since food and alcohol were my go to's for those also.

mine smells too. i noticed that as i lose weight my tummy is looking frumped over. like the top is now falling down and it covers up my belly button. what i typically do is after a bath/shower i wipe it dry with a towel and sometime a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. or if i am going to be home i sometimes just stick a cotton ball in there (i have a deep button). it soaks up the moisture. i just leave it in for alittle bit. usually helps. while it was healing i would put a cotton ball in there for a while. just made it feel better. that's where my only incision is. not sure if these will help but good luck!

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

For those of u that r 6-15 months out, what is eating like? Will I ever be able to have pasta again? What about alcohol? I'm a week away and wondering what I got myself into.

Addiction transfer is real, as so many people have stated on this board. It doesn't have to be smoking, alcohol, gambling etc. - we all know that this not "healthy behavior". Addiction can be way more sneaky. Being addicted to exercise and eating "healthy" is all too often encouraged and seen as a good thing because it aids "weight loss". No one intervenes when things get too excessive. Excessive exercise and eating little calories is seen as desirable. Something many obese people even aspire to achieve, being that person who "lives in the gym and eats 100% clean". And people in their environment only start "to worry" once the person has become thin enough to raise concern and/or suspicion. However, someone with a normal or slightly overweight BMI rarely raises these concerns so people suffer in silence. I think most people don't actively lie about this. Yes, maybe some people give the answers they deem to be "the right ones" - like all of us know what people in our environment want fat people to do, huh? So some people I guess actively lie/lied about calorie/food intake and exercise. It's the same the other way around. Once there is concern about a person getting too thin or not eating enough, the person might lie about food intake as well. However, I think someone who claims to "eat very little" actually is convinced that he or she is not eating that much. After all "a little" and "a lot" is 100% relative, it always boils down to whom you're comparing yourself to. Just look at the posts where people ask about what amount of food is "normal" X weeks or X months after surgery. Compared to the amounts people on this board claim they eat I look like a hopeless glutton. To my environment my food intake looks fairly normal.

I had a rough night last night. Family holiday dinner and SWEETS galore. I mean, it was ridiculous! My drug of choice is cookies and there were literally six different kinds and it took every iota of willpower and determination not to indulge. I hope that at some point in the future I can be an eat-one-cookie-and-be-fine kind of girl, but I'm not that girl today. It would've been like an alcoholic saying, "I'll just have one drink." I was feeling sorry for myself last night, but I'm proud of myself today.

Cigarettes and alcohol can be given up. But food...we have to learn to make good choices for the rest of our lives in order to live linger.

5/13/22 - I had my visit with Cardiologist. I got an EKG and saw the doctor. They scheduled me for a Transthoracic Echo (heart ultrasound thing?) and a stress test at the hospital on May 18, and I have a follow up with him on June 3. 5/18/22 - I had my Echo-thingy and stress test at the hospital. Everything went well I think. The stress test was telling. I got my heart beat up to 137 in three minutes, and did another minute on the treadmill before asking if I could call it quits. It took me 4-5 minutes to get my breath. I am so out of shape, but at least my heart didn’t explode. 6/3/22 - I had the follow up with Cardiologist. What a waste of time. Cost me $40 co-pay for him to say I was good to go for the surgery. He wants to see me in 6 months and says I might be able to get off some of my medicines. We’ll see if I make the appointment. I called my patient advocate at the surgeon's office to tell her I had finished all my appointments. She was still waiting on clearances from my cardiologist and my primary. I’ll call back on Monday. In the mean time I'll call my primary and find out why they haven't sent their clearance letter yet. 6/5/22 - I had a chat with my neighbor’s wife this weekend. She got her sleeve a few years ago. It’s kinda scary to think about my life after surgery. I’ve been drinking beer for years and I enjoy socializing with friends. I enjoy eating. These things are going to have to change. I am not going to be able to drink beer anymore, or at least I probably shouldn’t. I'm thinking about vacation in August. If I get my surgery in early July, I will miss out on that fresh Iowa sweet corn. I'm thinking about fantasy football drafts. Tailgating for the Saints' games and Talladega in early-Oct. This is going to be a challenge if I can’t drink alcohol. Sigh. 6/7/22 - Only 3 days till my 3rd/last visit with the surgeon. I checked with the office and found out they had no received the clearance from the cardiologist. I scanned a copy of the letter and sent it via e-mail. 6/10/22 - I weighed myself at home and I am down to 295.8. That's 21 pounds I've lost since March. At the surgeon’s office, one of the ladies behind the counter seemed excited for me since they had all the documents. I signed all the consent forms with the doctor, but they have to send the package to BCBS and we will have to wait a few weeks to get the final okay before we can schedule the surgery. Hah. Just when I thought the waiting was over. LOL.

Zoiks didn't realized I miss so many posts. Reflux....well I took the prilosec prescription two nights and both nights slept that was last weekend. Since then I've been up every night with this crap. Some nights I"m coughing like crazy and my chest hurts from the acid other days, I cough a little, take a tums and I'm able to sleep. Craziness! Of course...TOM has been here all week so I don't know if that made it worse or not...so now I'm playing head games with myself. OK now that TOM is almost done...maybe it will go away again and I don't have to worry. So we'll see...if it keeps up again next week (as if a few months hasn't been enough) I'll call my doc and see if she'll prescribe the Aciphex. I'm going to tell her about my banded friends who have had success with it. MAYBE she'll remember I have the freaking band in the first place instead of me having to remind her yet again and believe me and let me try it. All I can say is reflux sucks and it really does make me worry about my esophogus (did I spell that right? don't wanna check lol being a rebel). Cripe one morning at 3am I woke my DH up with all the freaking coughing and choking and I was practically in tears over it. He was concerned and I chopped his head of saying I'm sick of this and I'm getting ready to have it ripped out. Poor man...he didn't deserve it but, he did the right thing, rolled over and went to sleep lol. naturally I got over it and I really don't want this taken out because you know what people...........as much as I'd like to say I have this weight thing under control and I've learned so much....I haven't. Its all my fault, I"m the only one raising my hand or fork to my mouth and I'm the one sitting on my ars in front of this computer since early this morning only occassionally getting up to switch laundry or clean. If I have this taken out I'll be as big as a house again Sad but true so I need to get this reflux under control so I can concentrate on the other things that will get me to goal. Its difficult right now to eat right because nothing sits right in my stomach BLECK. Anywho...enough of my ranting and raving...geesh maybe I belong in that thread huh? Cripe too afraid to post in there after all I've read. People really aren't very nice in there most of the time it's sad. Ok ok enough of this crappyola from me hahaha Last night took a friend out for his 40th birthday with his wife and my DH. We had a blast..one of those places where they cook the food on the table in front of you. Sirloin and chicken for me and took more than half of it home. The others ate all theirs. (Hmmm ya think my band is working?) Had a drink...some peach something or other...man it hit me pretty hard. Naturally I can't drink and eat at the same time (I guess I did learn a little something lol) so I drank it all first. Wooooozie for me after that but, fun hahaha. Wowza great time, great mean....big bill I'll be paying for for a while. Oh well..won't be doing that anytime soon but, DH and I really love these two and they've been going through a hard time with some stuff so getting them out was well worth it. They'd be the people who would drop everything to help us too...nice to have those kind of people in your life. Anyway...my point...after that great fun, drink and meal...got home and upchucked just about all of it. Something didn't sit right..probably the alcohol I"m not used to drinking and then eating so quickly after it. ZOIKs it was ugly. I swear I broke blood vessels in my face and I was seeing stars and once I started I couldn't stop. Cripe! Haven't thrown up that hard in a while. yuck but, saved on some calories huh? Jetti - I LOVE to bake but, eating cake and brownies doesnt' always agree with me. I think what I'm noticing lately or what I'm wondering is....is every time I feel sick caused from white floured things? Does that make sense people? Anyone? So...I have this DVD Hip Hop Abs someone let me borrow WEEKS ago. (Poor girl hope she wasn't expecting me to use it right away ugh) I promised her I would use it today. She's been good trying to get me moving. She's a coach on Beachbody, think I mentioned it before. Anyway since I promised I always keep my promise so I'll do that today and let you folks know how it is Betty - July 4th party sounds like fun actually. Wish I could make a trip to TX I wish I could meet you folks I really do. I love you all lots and you're always so supportive...THANK YOU EVERYONE. yea...I'm going through something huh? I think it's the lack of sleep lol Up and down...hormones are wacked too. I'm still upbeat...but beat myself up. Make sense? Zoiks need to get off this thing before I depress ya all. ok.......trying to Psych myself up to do this HIP HOP chit hahaha. Now if the music is cool that will help.......say a prayer for me folks hahahaha

You're welcome RSG! That's too bad your first dietitian didn't work for you. Maybe your doctor could suggest another? I believe trying to go it alone is never a good idea. Seeking help is strength & smart thinking - you first sought help with your weight loss by getting a lap-band, now continue with someone who can help you eat smart. It's like alcoholics that seek help with AA - they are the ones most likely to succeed in conquering their disorder. I couldn't have come this far without my dietitian - she's a great fountain of information. I wish you the very best, and stay with us here and let us know how you are doing! :cool2: I agree too Jodi & Christasha - everyone is welcome here. :wink: And I hope I didn't sound like I was hatin' on the Protein shakes LilMissDiva! :smile: If it works and you like it, perfect! They just don't work for me, I'm hungry like 10 minutes later.:cursing: I really hate the day after a fill - drinking liquids for 24 hours drives me nuts. I do like StLouisGal's idea though, she made a very good point - those shakes would be perfect in the morning for people who have that tight band problem! just keep swimming! :thumbup:

Well I thought I made it clear that I am not a drinker. Honestly my empty calories would come from milk. So maybe that advice is better for the big drinkers. I probably haven't had alcohol in 4-5 months.

Personal anecdote, not saying you're heading for the same path: I lost weight on my own once in the past, about 70lbs (I've gained it all back and more and now almost approved for surgery). I was married and my husband didn't like me losing weight. He often accused me of looking for other men. This was not about *me*, I was not being secretive, flirting with men or whatever he thought. His problems were about HIM - self consciousness, feeling of inadequacy, alcoholism, thinking I would leave him if I finally got the self confidence and decided that he was not right for me. He refused couples counseling and I finally did leave, not because I wanted someone else - but because I wanted to be treated with the respect that should be given in any relationship, but he was a toxic person. If you cannot get your partner to participate in counseling - go on your own. You can learn a lot about boundaries, respect, why you accept or participate in unhealthy behaviors, etc.

Yes, let's have a party with bacon, Cheeseits, loads of alcohol, pizzas, steaks, and throw all post op instructions to the wind! After all, the Baby Stomach can go straight into eating steaks and hard to digest food, right ??? Wash it down with few wines or beers or tequilas, babies drink this too, right ??? The hell with baby type food .....

Well, I have experience with both alcohol and grass. I drink daily and smoke daily, I have been banded for 3 years, I am at my goal weight for the most part. My band is filled and eating is slow, I actually should have some taken out so that I can eat more whole foods and stop eating so much processed junk food. Anyhow, drinking is something that I have no problem with, I am able to drink one after another all day, beer, mixed drinks, whatever. Now I do have to remind myself to eat because I often skip Breakfast and sometimes have a drink before eating anything for the day but I still drink about half my calories ~1600-2200+ a day in alcohol. (Probably not recommended for everyone.) Be careful of too much carbonation in the first months especially while you are healing and still careful after that too prevent stretching of the band. TIP: I sometimes open a beer and leave in the refrigerator for a couple hours before I drink it to knock some of the carbonation down. As far as reefer goes, it actually helps my belly settle after a large meal, or while eating sometimes I get a little backed up. A toke off the pipe VERY MUCH helps with instant digestion, especially if you cough a little. Hope that helps, peace brother.

I like several brands, I look for low sugar, low or no sugar alcohols, and high protein- this rules out a lot of "body builder" type of bars. Other than that, go for best taste. I second the Quest bar recommendation.

CAN you smoke pot and drink alcohol after band surgery? Yes. SHOULD you? No. I think you're going to have to search far and wide to find a bariatric surgeon who would approve of a patient's drug & alcohol use, and if you're not honest with your surgeon, you're not going to get the help you need with anything - weight loss, drug use, depression, anxiety, etc. etc. The basic issue as I see it is this. I know for a fact that to succeed at weight loss after band surgery, and to avoid unpleasant side effects and serious complications, you're going to have to change your behavior. You say that this is a lifestyle change, but I can't see anything in your post that indicates you're willing to change your lifestyle. Your lifestyle now seems to revolve around dope, alcohol, and school. School's fine, but if it doesn't allow you enough time to exercise now, how is that going to change after surgery? If you can't or won't regulate your drug and alcohol intake, how are you going to regulate your food intake? There is nothing in the band that will magically make you lose weight. All it does is help reduce your hunger and appetite. You must still make good food choices, practice portion control, exercise, avoid emotional/boredom/stress eating, and so on. I don't think that a habitual user of weed or alchohol is able to see the problems associated with that habit. My husband used to smoke dope every day. When he thought he was acting fine, he was acting like an idiot. There is no way he could have maintained the self-awaress to regulate his eating behavior. Eating with the band requires a lot of attention and focus to avoid side effects. I don't know how you're going to do that when you're in a happy haze every day. And by the way, after my husband quite smoking weed, he lost 30 lbs. So in summary, I don't think you're ready to have weight loss surgery. In my opinion, your depression and anxiety, and your drug and alcohol use, all need attention more urgently than your weight issue. I know my post will come across as harsh and unsympathetic, but when you ask a question in a public forum, you're going to have to take what you get. I'm not unsympathetic. I know how hard it is to live with depression, anxiety, and obesity. So, please take this post as tough love.

Trying not to be judgemental - you can drink alcohol with the band but you will get drinker more quickly. And alcohol is empty calories. As my focus is on losing weight, I avoid empty calories as much as possible. I don't use marijuana or other illicit drugs so I won't comment on that other than to strongly urge you to discussion use fully with your surgeon so he/she can be sharper and prepared for any possible implications with your surgery and follow up.