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Friday I went in for my one month follow-up with the surgeon following my sleeve gastrectomy on Dec 16th. I'm down 35 pounds, blood pressure is great. Scars are there, but hardly anything too speak of. Other than the (sometimes TERRIBLE) constipation that I have experienced intermittently, my recovery has been fantastic. I'm feeling great, and not being tempted by the food around me. I've been to a few group support meetings, but none of them really "fit" me. I need to find one in Los Angeles with similarly aged men. The groups I visited were primarily women much older than me, and while the vibe was all positive, I could tell that their needs as "recoverers" were different than mine. Doc says all systems are go for me, and today I'm going to go to the gym for the first time in almost 2 years. Treadmill and light weights are all I can handle right now, but hoping to accelerate what has already been RAPID loss. While eating has always been an issue for me, my biggest fear about my new regimen was quitting drinking. For almost 20 years I have been an every day drinker. Not always a ton, but always something. And while I miss the ritual of drinking nightly, I haven't had any physical withdrawals or cravings for alcohol since I stopped drinking during surgery prep. I'm certain that the weight loss so far has been greatly improved by losing all those empty, nightly calories. Please wish me continued good luck, as I will for you on your journey.

WOW! @ beachgurl84 u sound so disgruntled. My statement was to answer is that why doctor says do not drink. Not to u specifically. And we ALL POST what we think, knowing that none of us are medical professionals. I don't THINK docs are telling their patients not to drink due to brain damage issues. Of course alcohol and sooo many other drugs can cause these and many more sever issues. Do I think that why ur doc says x amount of time and others doc say 6 months, some say 3, some say 6 weeks. No I don't THINK so... But common sense says we should ALL follow our own doc orders... no one else. Hope you have calmed down. This forum is to help and everyone provides their opinion. It is NOT to be hostile towards one another since we are all in this together. Good luck to you.

@@aclinton16 You obviously missed my second post about this subject. BTW - Which medical school did you graduate from? Obviously you did since you are implying what you think is the answer to all. I only imparted what my doctor's office told me. We all think to each his own, but to say you think it has nothing to do with brain damage is misleading unless you have a medical license. If you take a moment to research some academic articles on the internet instead of posting what you think with nothing to back it up, you will find numerous studies performed that do indicate alcohol can lead to neurological damage based on so many factors for each individual. Their own tolerance, calorie intake, ketosis, glucose levels, muscle mass, liver mass, it goes on and on. So it's not damn wonder it effects people differently. So as I said before, to each his own but it's not worth the risk to me. But don't worry, we'll all sleep better tonight knowing you think brain damage won't happen.

You would have to be very careful with frozen margaritas because they tend to be loaded with sugar. Some people can get sick from too much sugar and the loads of sugar combined with the alcohol might be too much.

I am 1 month out. Last night I went to a concert with dinner before hand. I had a few ounces of hummus and also ordered a Cabernet. I had 4 sips of it over an hour. I didn't get sick. The first sip was too big and it kind of rushed to my head at first but I was fine. No pain. I got slightly buzzed but didn't last long at all. It was kind of weird for me to be at a concert with so much alcohol and not partake, but I still had a blast! I danced around and had fun

Take a look at a 12 step recovery program. Replace the word " alcohol" with good. The 12 step program has worked for me with alcohol. I've heard of it working with other addictions (food, work, etc). I had surgery Dec 30th. Had to lose 30 lbs before. The first 10 lbs were the hardest. Once I lost 10 lbs, it motivates me to keep on track. I would eat healthy for 6 days and have one day I would eat what I wanted, but would keep away from the carbs. Good luck.

I never thought I had a problem with the carb addiction thing. I've read so many posts on here about someone having just 1 or 2 Cookies or some bread and being thrown into a tailspin of cravings. I never got that because I have no problem eating just one. Well then I visited family for Christmas and spent the week splurging on all of my moms great homemade sweets as well as bread, potatoes and alcohol. Boy, did that trigger the cravings! I felt like crap, but still wanted more sweets. It was a relief to get back on plan when I returned home. Took about 3 days to detox, I felt so much better and my cravings for healthy stuff returned. My head (that likes the crap food) has finally given in and admitted that my body knows best.

I don't do "diet" anything. I eat normal, regular meals, just in smaller portions. I never worried about fat...I do full fat dairy and eat a ton of nuts. I use real butter and real maple syrup on my homemade pancakes. I also don't like artificial sweeteners, so I drink Water, decaf herb teas, milk, juice and if I do drink a Vitamin water or other "sports drink", it's the real thing, not low cal. Seriously, the only thing I do different from preop is drink a large protein/fiber smoothie everyday (30-40g protein/10g insoluble fiber), make sure I'm getting plenty of fluids and eat healthy.....Protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains instead of fried or processed junk food. Not to say I don't still have deserts, alcohol, bread, Pasta and other "bad" things, but in moderation, and not everyday. And, BTW, I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have kept it off for 5 months....all without "dieting"

So far nothing. I haven't tried alcohol or strangely enough ice cream, but I also haven't had a desire for them yet.

Kindle, I think if you can stop and stay stopped at will, you were never an addict to begin with. Addictions do start with habits, so it's advisable to be careful as you know. VSGAnn2014, same boat. Sugar in the afternoon / morning will most assuredly land me making poor food choices into the evening. Same with alcohol, I always end up making food choices I regret when I have too much to drink or end up drinking later into the evening.

"Addiction is a state characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences. An addiction can be physical (nicotine, alcohol, sugar, cocaine) or behavioral (gambling, shopping, sex, exercise) Addiction - there is a psychological/physical component; the person is unable to control the aspects of the addiction without help because of the mental or physical conditions involved. Habit - it is done by choice. The person with the habit can choose to stop, and will subsequently stop successfully if they want to. The psychological/physical component is not an issue as it is with an addiction." So Did we eat (and in my case drink) the way we did preop because we were addicted or were they bad habits we didn't want to stop. the argument could be made that the physical limitations of the sleeve was the "help" I needed to control my food addiction. And Despite its potential for physical addiction, for me, I gotta throw alcohol into the habit category. I stopped by choice because the sleeve didn't really restrict that. And I have no problem having just 1 drink....it doesn't make me want more. But It's all very "grey area".

I know I'm not addicted to alcohol or cigarettes, although I do enjoy alcohol occasionally and years ago smoked socially. However, I do have trigger foods--the more of which I eat, the more of which I want. Those are highly processed foods made from sugar, flour, oils, butter, cream and include chocolate, cake, ice cream, Cookies, breads, pizza, and pastas. They "light up" the parts of my body and brain that are not satisfied with just one taste but want to be numbed. Is that addiction?

Interesting off topic discussion.....So what defines an addiction? I, too, ate whatever I wanted in large quantities my entire life. No problem in HS or my 20's. But then I turned 30 and gained 50 pounds. Then I turned 40 and gained another 50 pounds. I could usually lose 20-40 but then gain it back plus some. And yes, I ate to celebrate, I ate when I was sad, I ate when I was bored. And my brain NEVER said, "that's enough, you're full now". I overate every time I ate. Let's talk about alcohol....Starting in college, I drank to celebrate, I drank when I was depressed, I drank when I was stressed, I drank when I was bored. Nearly every social and recreational event involved alcohol. I drank every single day for a year and a half after my brother died. By every definition out there, that made me an alcoholic. And now for smoking....I'd say I was more of a "social" smoker because I mostly only smoked when out with friends when we were drinking. Occasionally I'd smoke after a stressful day at work or on my way to a board meeting. Probably not more than 1-2 packs/month depending on my social calendar. Then I decided to have WLS and to get healthy. I stopped smoking cold turkey 3 months before surgery and haven't touch a cig since. I quit drinking the day I started my 2 week preop diet, followed my pre and postop diets to a tee and had no cravings for all the bad stuff I used to eat. I no longer drink or eat when I'm stressed or depressed. I don't use food or alcohol to celebrate or make myself feel "better" when I'm down. I have an alcoholic drink maybe 2-3 times a month, (except when I went on vacation) and I never drink after a bad day at work. I stick with a food plan that works for me and have no problem getting "back on the wagon" after eating off plan while on vacation or over the holidays. It's been a little over a year and I did all of this without the help of a nut, a counselor, a therapist, or rehab. I simply decided to do it and I did. So whose to say if I had a food or alcohol addiction.....maybe I just liked the taste of food and liked to be buzzed. Seems to me it would have been harder to stop if it was truly an addiction. Or maybe I'm just in denial ????

xmaleengyx, sometimes I worry about people being nervous about upcoming stressful events they want to trim down for. I would say to refocus your thoughts on being well. This decision is for you. I'm sure your friends would rather see you healthier and thinner rather than unhealthy, fat, inebriated for the sake of "having fun." There will be other parties and so many other things to celebrate in this life. You are relatively young and if you can't envision a life with alcohol as the focal point of a party or celebration (for life) maybe talking more time to think isn't a bad idea.

You know, I definitely have food issues and consider myself an addict. I was raised by overeating non-drinkers who were raised themselves by alcoholics. Food addiction is all around me. I live with my mom right now, and it's a challenge. We don't eat together. She's a retired widow. I wanted to have supper together when I get home from work at 5pm, but we tried that for a few weeks after I moved in, and she got angrier and angrier at me. Finally I got the reason out of her. She said it's the "3 bites" of food I eat that makes it not worth her waiting for me. She eats "one big meal" at around 2pm each day. Ok. Not a problem. We will just eat separately. Well, one day I came home after half a day at work and let's just say I got between her and her food. Just by showing up, I interrupted her "big meal". Holy crap is all I can say. Seeing this flashed me back to my childhood. I haven't lived with my parents since I was around 21 years old. It all came back. Every one of us would hole up in our respective bedrooms with loads of food each night. We each had a tv as well. Now I literally can't eat with my mom unless we're at a restaurant or unless it's a holiday with company. And that's okay. It is what it is. I go to OA and I get what I need there. She supports my WLS for the most part, but we can't eat together peacefully. HOWEVER. My best friend has been a normal size her entire life until recently. She is cute, my height and wears a size medium top and has a nice waist. She has never. Dieted. A. Day. In. Her. Life. Never ever ever. I don't think she would even know what to do if she was handed a diet. Her older sisters have been both morbidly obese their entire lives. Not my friend. Small top, cute waist. Wide hips. She has her mother's build. "Birthing hips", they used to say. My friend has gained about fifty pounds since her wedding 28 years ago until today, going through menopause at age 55. Every ounce of it is in her rear. She's not happy about it, but she's never once expressed a desire to diet. Right now she weighs more than I do. She pointed that out because I've shared my WLS process and progress with her every step of the way. She's my number one supporter and always loved me, fat or thin. She does not have food issues. She has a fat butt. She'd like to wave a magic wand and make it thinner, but other than that, issue closed. So she's a person raised with obese overeaters, technically obese herself, but free of food issues and addictions and free of any desire to change her eating. So I'm a food addict. But my friend -- nope.

@Aprile3211 Great post, I completely agree. @xmaleengyx - I did have a catheter but they put it in after I was under anesthesia and removed it before I woke up. And ask your doctor about it if it makes you that nervous. Also, if you are really anxious about surgery, there's no shame in asking your doctor to prescribe something to help calm your nerves that you can take even up to the morning of surgery. Surgery and recovery is such a brief part of this that you forget about it very quickly. As for the alcohol and such, my psych said there is nothing we can't have (once we're healed) but there are things we shouldn't have. You will not explode if you have alcohol within a year of surgery. I am choosing not to drink alcohol because I don't really like it and it's not worth the calories but that's just my personal choice. You will not die if you drink diet soda after surgery. Doctor's generally say we should stay away from it but some people choose to have it again once they are healed. Same with caffeine. I think taking tiny bites is important early on but I think they get a little bigger than a eraser size as time goes on. It is important to chew well and I'm trying to break myself from a lifetime habit of not chewing my food up well. When I don't, I do get sick because the food gets stuck and it's a little painful. Some people never have a problem with this but I am a slow learner so I'm still working on it. I take one Multivitamin a day and my 3 month labs came back with everything completely in the normal range. It's something I really should have been doing before so I don't look at it as difficult. Hang in there and do a lot of reading on this site. It really helped calm my nerves about a lot of things.

My doc told me a year before any alcoholic beverages

I use them. I do not tolerate artificial sugars and do not want to switch bad habits for other bad habits (chemical laden artificial sugars), and I HATE the taste of stevia. I do err on the side of caution and use as little as possible because extracts typically contain 2-3% alcohol.

My nut said wait about 3 months to drink alcohol or eat out. But everything she said about alcohol was more precautionary about the empty calories & getting drunk fast. Nothing specific about it being a problem medically.

I've been wondering this as well. I was sleeved on 12/29 and my birthday is 1/28. I have no idea what to do to celebrate. I'll only be 4 weeks post-op so I'll still be limited in what I can eat and drinking alcohol is out (which is typically how I celebrate). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Happy (early) birthday @Qtpie28!

I don't remember the logic behind it. I just remember it was something about when your body is losing weight this rapidly the alcohol can cause neurological problems. Maybe that doesn't mean brain damage exactly but it's a heck of a lot easier to spell. I already gave up smoking to have my surgery, alcohol is a no brainer (lol) for me. It's just not worth it. I've heard a lot of people on this site talk about the alcohol setting them back on weight loss. To each his/her own i guess.

I also plan on not drinking until I hit goal. I am concerned about how the alcohol will affect me so I plan for that first drink to be around my family!

Interesting, I was told 3 months for caffeine, 6 for alcohol. I for one will and can wait. I would not want to harm my sellf for anything on this planet. I have been obese for what feels like forever, 6 months alcohol free is nothing.

Nah, I went Monday for my 3 week check up and that was one of my questions. When can u have alcohol. Doc told me 6 weeks out.

WOW I got a huge lecture from my doctor about the brain damage alcohol can cause while your body is in the intense weight loss mode. I was told at an absolute minimum 6 months after surgery but they'd prefer at least 8. Wonder if my doctor is being over protective or if the other doctors aren't aware of the possible risks.