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Has anyone heard the latest podcast by Dr. Matthew Weiner who covers a lot about GLP-1’s? The episode discusses: “recent studies that debunk the myth of increased risk of suicide and highlight the positive impact these medications have on reducing depression, curbing alcohol and binge eating disorders, and slowing the progression of Parkinson’s”. I’m curious to see if they are soon approved to treat these conditions. May be more reasons for insurance to cover them, hopefully 🤞

have you tried taking some alcohol on a q-tip and cleaning it? could be just residual but is it happening alot?

Sorry I have been MIA guys! I was out of town for a long weekend for a friend's 40th birthday celebration this past weekend and work was crazy before that, trying to prepare to be out. @Justarwaxx I hope everything went well with your surgeon. I feel like I have been losing weight slower than most too so I get your pain and feeling of unrealistic expectations put on you. Just remember that your still losing and your journey is exactly that... YOURS and it's yours alone. @ShoppGirl I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with cancer; I hope the treatments are working and going well! We appreciate you letting us in and sharing your story. It's great that that you are mostly feeling okay. I'm sure it has to be hard balancing managing your health in multiple ways at the same time. I'm glad we have this community to help support you! I went a little overboard with eating this weekend because there was so much food and alcohol; I think I did okay at meals but there was a lot of snacking. I am used to having my husband with me when I go out, because he is willing to split everything thing with me, though I had one friend that would do it sometimes. I didn't gain weight, but I also didn't lose any weight. I am trying to be super good today to help me get back on track and back in my normal eating routine.

My drinking days do seem to be in the past. I need a holiday, wedding or such to drink these days. My first drink was a Bloody Mary, very light on the vodka. I made it last and had no side effects. After that holiday I went on to try long drinks, vodka and diet tonic, Pimms, Dry Martini and diet tonic, Sangria or if its wintery, a spiced rum coffee. . Last Christmas I had a few glasses of wine and got totally smashed, first time in my long life that I couldn't remember where I had been. I just don't eat enough to soak up the alcohol these days. I had the foamies on a Baileys. Wine gave me terrible GERD. Enjoy your holiday

My advice is to make changes to your diet and exercise in the next few months that you feel you can maintain for the rest of your life, as opposed to trying a fad diet (Keto, paleo, etc.) that is likely to be too extreme. Focus on basics like reducing your simple carbs and sugars, increasing your lean protein and veggies. Start measuring your portions to make sure you are not eating more than you think. Start getting your 64oz or more of water every day and cut out any sugar-sweetened drinks that you might drink (and also alcohol) because it's just empty calories. Walking and light weights are really great, but remember that about 80% of your weight loss comes from your diet, and only 20% from exercise, so don't feel like you have to go crazy with joining a gym and working out, especially if you're starting from sedentary. Regular walking every day does amazing things. At this stage, small changes can make a big difference. One thing I did right away was go through my cupboards and get rid of temptations. I stopped buying crackers, pretzels, cookies, and sweets. I would still have a treat when I was out, but I would try not to bring it home. Since I work from home, not having things in the cupboards to tempt me was a huge help. I was not required to lose weight before my surgery, but by making these little changes, plus the strict 2-week liquid diet, I ended up going from 251 lbs to 225 lbs in about 6 months. You can do it!

Good Evening everyone!!!! Today is Saturday December 14, 2024. I had the Gastric bypass surgery on 10/9/18. I started at 510, pre op weight was 420lbs, and my lowest weight was 261 lbs in october of 2020. I relocated to Upstate NY in August of 2019, to meet the love of my life and we've been together solidly for 5 years. When 2020 hit, of course we all went down. My epilepsy took over along with my depression issues, so I gave up. I have a eating disorder and did not accept it until after surgery. I fell back into my eating disorder, along with drinking alcohol. Fast forward to 2024, February hits and I decided to get back on the journey. I started at 486 lbs and now am down to 344 lbs. I want to continue, until i hit my lowest weight again, of 261 lbs. What I am looking for is an accountability partner. I am wanting someone to talk with daily, someone who will take advice and will give advice also, someone who will accept hard love and encouragement, also provide it. Its just me and my woman, she has her own health matters and is not on the same journey as i am. So, i am alone with this. I dont have friends locally. And ive tried groups on facebook, no success. So, if anyone is interested, let me know please! it will be a judgement free zone and I do understand that everyones journey is different and we all have different goals. 4

I think the alcohol may be one of your culprits. if you’re counting that in your 1200 that may seem OK but a lot of added sugars and stuff or mixed drinks if that’s what you’re having. When I had my sleeves, I only went by calories, and it didn’t go so well for me. I was able to lose a pretty big chunk of weight, but I ended up gaining it back because I didn’t understand the quality of food I was eating and when my hunger came back, my portion got bigger and started coming back on. Also be sure that you actually measure with measuring cups. I know it’s a pain but until you get used to it eyeballing things can be a bit tricky. And do not go by restaurants estimates because they are never accurate. I have gotten a few meals to go and take them home and measured everything and it was way off. I would ask to talk to your team again and then get back with your nutritionist and find out more about the individual macros that they expect for you. Start doing the log of your food and if you have a Fitness watch or something log your activity and then let them review that and make suggestions.

Happy Friday everyone! I had my 2 week follow-up with my dietitian yesterday and got my diet progression schedule! I'm officially on mashable right now. I meal-prepped some ricotta bakes and refried beans last night. I get to have eggs which I'm excited about. In two weeks I go to soft and two weeks after that I move to solids and adding meat back in. No bread/rice/pasta/alcohol for 6 months. I also got to start my vitamins which should help with my energy levels. The only thing I need to work on right now is upping my water intake and getting back into walking. I was going to the gym consistently before my surgery but I've just been so tired it's been hard to get on the treadmill.

Education is key, right? If you're interested in learning more about alcohol and its effects, you might want to check out this article on alcohol poisoning from https://fherehab.com/alcohol/alcohol-poisoning/. It's always good to stay informed.

seems everyone's experience differs from person to person! i can drink any amounts (including bubbly and by gulping) right up to the moment i ingest anything "solid". once there are solids in me, i need to wait maybe 30-45 mins before i have any liquids to avoid that over-full feeling (at best), or vomiting (at worst). i don't have liquids and solids together if i can help it. this includes soups. i drink all the broth first before i eat any chunky bits. chilli and stews are hit or miss, depending on how watery/loose they are. i generally eat slowly so i can put the brakes on if i start feeling icky. aside: because of this way of eating of mine, i tend to get a little tipsy-ish at dinners out and parties, cuz i like to drink my alcohol before eating...and the combination of being a cheap drunk and and an empty stomach results in me being and EXTREMELY cheap drunk, ha!

Lots of people have posted about food, so I’ll tell you my behavior changes I make. I measure my protein on a scale. My personal dietitian told me 4oz protein per meal, or diabetic protein count 20grams. I record it either online in a phone app, or write it down. I can eat as much raw veggies or baked, or steamed veggies as I like, but only at meals with protein. No root vegetables due to sugar content. I drink 2litters of water, sometimes more during the day. I take my vitamins daily. Three meals look like that, then I’m back on track. If I’m hungry, one boiled egg before bed. That’s what the dietitian told my 5’10 son too. When we really want results we share and compare information to hold each other accountable, including weighing in on the scale. I watch the glucose goddess online for tips and recipes, and Dr. Weiner. In maintenance the fruit, nuts, seeds, cheese can come in one once quantities- those are “extras.” Alcohol is only for maintenance, just major holidays. Recap; weigh/ measure food, record it, share with a trusted friend or family to keep yourself accountable. Your dietitian should be telling you what a portion of protein is for you specifically.

I had a pretty nasty bout of blood in my stool which put me in the emergency room- I had lost a lot of blood. When the finally got the endoscopy done two days later- no active bleed. But it was depressing to say the least, and I'm no youngster at 70 years. So, I decided to stop alcohol. I've done it before- I was sober for about 35 years before I resumed drinking and went from 1-100 pretty fast. I know I'm an addictive personality, I found a program- outpatient intensive that will accept me-the real trick with this is what is called "after-care." I was never much for AA, but found groups where people can give feedback or respond to be extremely helpful. That will happen as p/o this program but it is short term and I've asked about aftercare options following the "intensive." I think my life will be better without the booze- it certainly was most of my adult life-- I got careless, figured WTF, and wanted something to calm me down. I don't like pot, it makes me paranoid. I used to drink tons of fizzy water. Can't really do carbonated drinks post surgery , I do stay hydrated and use sugar free electrolyte powder in my thermos. (Doesn't everybody have a thermos these days that they carry around? Sure seems like it). Anyway, the best path for me is the simple- abstinence and getting back to a mentality where a drink is out of the question. I gather than gastric bypass patients may be prone to shifting addictions but I already knew this was an issue for me before the surgery. Still working out at the gym-a life saver and seeing a "shrink" have both also helped, as has my internist. I'm hardly a moralist about this- if you can handle drink, fine. It's obvious that I'm in that cohort that cannot. Thanks for listening and for the feedback here. Happy this year to all.

I did tell my husband that doing laundry today was too much bending. So he knows that if laundry is getting done again in the next few weeks, it's on him to load and unload. I can pour in the detergent and get it going, but I just can't bend over to move the clothes around. I've been using alcohol swabs to try to get the sticky stuff off, but some of it is absolutely being hardheaded and wanting to stick around. Oh well, it comes off a little bit at a time lol. The grabber thing is a great idea. I hadn't thought about that. For the allergy tests, they do keep medicine in the office to reverse reactions. So if you want to play it risky at home, just make sure that there is someone with you in case you go into anaphylaxis. In office, ambulances are only called when even an Epi Pen doesn't cut it.

I drink it slowly & only have one glass so the bubbles aren’t as great an issue plus the bubbles are smaller & more refined in good champagne. It does mean I can’t open a bottle to drink at home myself. I don’t mind as I’m not drawn as much to alcohol as I once was but I do know what you mean by having a nice supply of bottles. Never know when you have to go somewhere or if someone pops in. I introduced my girlfriends to the joy of real champagne some years ago and now there’s never ordinary sparkling for us anymore. I say quality over quantity now. Don’t know about using a swizzle as part of the joy of champagne is the bubbles. What are your favourites champagnes? My go to is Mumm but I enjoy Veuve in summer don’t mind a Moet or Bolly and have three bottles of Dom in my fridge I’m saving (not sure what for though).

You must be so incredibly frustrated! Which type of surgery did you get, the sleeve or the bypass? I'm at about 7 weeks post op from getting the sleeve + intestinal revision and my calorie consumption ranges from 500-700/day, with my carb intake less than 35/day and a protein goal of 60/day with fluids of at least 48oz/day. I agree with others - it seems like a good idea, regardless of any advice you get from this forum, to revisit your surgeon. That said, I do believe you hit the nail on the head for one with the alcohol, and secondly I'd ask how many of your calories are coming from carbs. It's ok to include carbs in your diet, but really, this early, unless you are very physically active there isn't cause for many of them. At this stage it's typical to eat no more than 1/2cup - 1 cup of total food per meal, three times a day (or spaced out into 4 meals if needed). That's including your protein, which as someone else said should be the first thing you eat. Another thing about alcohol - it tends to cause dehydration - so you'd need to be consuming even MORE water throughout the day to compensate for that, just like caffeine. If you aren't hitting your hydration goal (PLUS, because of alcohol) then your body will struggle to convert your stored fat into energy, which is what causes most of the weight loss. An example of what my diet looks like at this stage is a single serve yogurt for breakfast (I have been getting the Aikos zero sugar or 2Good ones) - Remember no drinking 30 minutes before or after, and your meal should last at least 20-30 minutes. For lunch I might have a 'tuna melt' - which I make out of 1/3 can of tuna in water, a zero net carb small tortilla, and maybe 1/8 cup of shredded cheese or a low fat string cheese (I cook it folded over like a quesadilla) with maybe 1/8 cup of low fat cottage cheese, then for dinner a serving of one of the many bariatric recipes - there's a ricotta bake (lasagna with no noodles, basically), unstuffed cabbage rolls (Kind of like egg roll filling), or maybe chicken or tuna salad made with low fat mayo and a dab of relish with some cucumber slices/2-4 saltine crackers. I use the free Baritastic App to track my food and fluid intake. Using a tracking app increases weight loss significantly from what I've been told because you can see and understand what exactly you're putting in your body. The good news is that as far as I know, it isn't too late to backpedal and reset yourself! I'm NOT a doctor but my understanding is that if you get off track after weight loss surgery, especially this soon, one way to 'reset' is to go back on a liquid diet for a week or two, with zero-sugar jello, zero sugar pudding, and protein shakes (less than 5g of sugar each) to hit your goals. After that, work your way back up to puree foods for a week, then soft foods for a week. I strongly recommend eyeballing the nutrition information on any shake you think of buying, too, because there are some that are loaded with sugar and have as many as 22g of carbs EACH. After weight loss surgery it's also strongly discouraged to have fried food at all for the first 6 months, and after that maybe once per month. The same goes for sweets and baked goods. I hope this helps, and again - I feel like you should really follow up with your surgeon and a nutritionist! Best wishes!

Yeah covid was a bit of a kick haha, but I started to feel a little ill out there, but just kept pushing on! My cats definitely did miss us, and we are glad to have them home! Yeah I didn't even imagine I could do that many! It now feels weird being home and not out walking, but I thought my body could do with resting and recovering 😂10-15k per day is amazing - I need to be doing that!! Hahaha, I love that you call them dogs too! You're gonna love it! Definitely somewhere cold...that is my ideal too 🤣 Oooh okay I am glad I am not the only one literally feeling nothing from alcohol! I agree that I just feel it's a waste of calories and money, so I doubt I'll try again! Very strange. Don't get me wrong, he was enjoying all the extra food 😂 But he was excited to come home where I could control my portion sizes and he didn't feel the need to eat my leftovers haha. Thank you!

@NeonRaven8919, First of all, let me assure you that we all have head hunger. None of us got to a weight where we required weight loss surgery without overeating, and we all have our own demons. You are among others like yourself. It sucks, but it's not unbeatable. Here's what I have to say. I was in intensive outpatient eating disorders therapy for a few months, because I recognize that I am a compulsive overeater. That did nothing for the head hunger and portion control problems. For me, gastric bypass was the only solution because I need that brake on my overeating. And now, I have not had any sweets or high-sugar items since surgery because I know I could have dumping syndrome afterward, and nobody wants that. So that's another brake. For me, it's much easier to not eat something than to try to moderate. The reason for all of that is because I have a food addiction. I know this about myself because I also happen to be a recovering alcoholic, and the cravings are exactly the same. I did not get sober by myself. White-knuckling does not work for addiction. The compulsions are simply too strong. I could not have gotten sober by myself. And there was no reason to, because there is free help out there. Did I want to quit entirely? NO. But I couldn't go on like I was. And now I'm 32 years sober, after starting in a position where I couldn't go 24 hours without drinking. Why am I saying all this? Because your story sounds like mine. "Mindful eating" to control compulsion makes about as much sense as "mindful drinking" to control alcoholism (which is to say, none). So you may want to approach this problem like an addiction. I am not saying you are a food addict, only you can know whether that's true for you. What I'm saying is that you do not have to do this alone, and there's free help out there. @BigSue told you about some, and you will find TONS of support groups online in addition to the one she recommended. Take advantage of this free help, because white-knuckling is horrible and mostly doesn't work. Why? Because it's not about willpower. You did all the stuff to get your surgery, so we know you have willpower. If that worked against the kind of compulsion you're describing, it wouldn't be a problem. It doesn't. What does work is support groups. That's because they're full of people like us, who have to fight to change our relationship to food. If you do happen to think you might be a food addict, check out Overeaters Anonymous. There are groups everywhere and it's free. You don't have to commit to anything and there's no test or anything to attend. You can just listen or ask questions or whatever. I absolutely guarantee that if you told your story about the food at work to an OA meeting, every single head would nod. Everyone will know exactly what you're talking about because they've been there. Please don't give up on yourself, you're on a journey. People slip up. We get to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and keep on going forward. You did a brilliant, extremely courageous thing in sharing your challenge here, and see how much support and help you got? You can do this. You CAN do this. We all need a little help from our friends.

The only reason I suggested the stages is to give yourself time mentally to adjust to the changes little by little. It won't do anything for your pouch, but trying to change everything all at once, or even too fast, can set you up for failure. Yes, it's on you now. But really, it's always been. You just didn't know it. We rely on the restriction and the small size of our pouches to tell us when to stop eating, or what not to eat, or how often we can eat. But the food choices are still on us. Slider foods, foods high in carbs and unhealthy fats, high in salt and sugar...that's still on us. Slider foods, alcohol, sodas...that's still on us. So if you want to skip the stages, that's fine. But get yourself ready mentally to make the changes you need to make. You still have your tool. You just have to relearn how to properly use it.

I wasn’t tested for drugs or nicotine. Just basic metabolic panels vitamins ect. I dont use any drugs or alcohol and I quit smoking in 2017 so I guess it just wasnt on their radar

Not that uncommon and comparatively not more strict. There are variations between surgeons and surgeries with many of these things. Sometimes it’s also related to you, your health, how much weight you have to lose, your relationship with food, etc, Not being allowed carbonated drinks is common. The differences arise in length of time of this avoidance and then whether you can tolerate it. Also you may be allowed sparkling water that you let go flat a bit but not sodas. Same with alcohol avoidance but there are three main reasons often behind this. One is concern for addiction transfer which can occur after weight loss surgery. Secondly, alcohol is calorie dense and offers no nutrients which are vital while we are losing and eating small portions and lastly it will slow your metabolism & dehydrate you. Again some surgeons just put a time frame on it but it does depend on your surgery too. Caffeine is another thing that is allowed by some surgeons and not by others and again there can be differences in for how long you should avoid it. Deconstructing meals is not a forever thing. Certainly while losing, focussing on eating the protein component of your meal first is very important. If you are able after you’ve eaten the protein in your meal. you then can eat your vegetables then any carbs you are allowed. (There were many times I could only eat my protein at a meal and nothing else.) This is because of the small portions we can eat initially & the necessity of getting that protein in to meet your protein goals. It does make tracking your food much easier too. When you near your goal, and are eating larger portions, it’s not as important to eat your protein first but you must continue to hit your protein goals forever so it will be something of which you are aware when you’re eating. In saying that I often ate soups, stews & casserole type dishes, omelettes, etc. which combined protein & vegetables while losing but not every meal and not every day. Actually not allowing protein shakes is also not uncommon. For example, in the UK, many aren’t allowed protein shakes in the pre surgery diet (they drink milk instead). Protein shakes aren’t the sole source of protein & nutrients in that first stage after surgery. Bone broths, consommés and cream soups are also options. Thank goodness too because after surgery those protein shakes can be disgusting. I found them unpleasantly grainy and crazy sweet & struggled to drink one a day. Best advice is to follow your plan while you are losing.However, if you find it difficult to tolerate your food options or to reach your goals ask for alternatives that will allow you to still meet protein goals & other nutrient requirements within any calorie guidelines you are given. How and what you eat once your weight has stabilised is up to you, what you’ve learnt about your eating and relationship with food and if it allows you to maintain a lower and healthier weight & lifestyle.

I know it is hard but try not to let her (and anyone else with a negative attitude) get to you. You have taken a big step and congratulations on starting the journey to a new you. Did the medical team say they wouldn't operate if you didn't reach the 34lb loss? I am sure they don't stop everything if you are just a few pounds short so don't stress if you can help it. You say it is a supervised plan so I presume they are used to helping patients follow it and adapt it to an individuals needs so that should be a help for you. You are so motivated (studying, saving etc) that you will do your best and any loss pre-surgery is a win. I had sleeve surgery and in the months before I tried my best to eat smaller portions so I switched to an appetiser sized bowl and plate for most of my meals. I knew I would be using them after the surgery so figured may as well ease myself into it. I also tried to start eating slower - I am still not great at that but better than before. Food wise don't go so extreme that you then self sabotage at some point out of desperation for a food you love. We all have different reasons for getting to the size we do that needs surgical intervention, for me it was partly not knowing when to stop eating, too much carbs and alcohol and not exercising at all. I didn't have to go on a diet pre-op or do the liver reduction thing a lot of patients have to do but in the weeks before my surgery I went on holiday and ate everything I wanted so actually went up in weight so then when I returned I just cut down on things but still allowed myself an occasional treat, so instead of pastries for breakfast I had Greek or skyr yogurts, shop bought sandwiches etc for lunch were swapped for homemade veg soup, for dinners instead of pizza's, burgers and pasta dishes I tried to have more chicken & veg based meals, cutting back on a lot of carbs. I swapped out rice and pasta for cauliflower rice or lentil pasta. These small changes helped me get back on track before my surgery but as I didn't have to follow a pre-surgery diet plan it was more for me, so as to get into good habits. I am sure there will be plenty of advice and support here for you 💪

I don’t drink sodas diet or not either except for soda water & tonic on the rare occasions I have a gin (can’t recall the last time I had one). I do drink sparkling water every day (San Pellegrino is my go to). I started drinking that around month 3 or 4 I think. I’d let it go pretty flat & sipped on it for hours interspersed with plain water back then. If I’m socialising I’ll sometimes have soda or sparkling water with a slice of lime if I don’t feel like an alcoholic drink. I stopped a lot of carbonated drinks some years before my WLS as a way of managing my reflux, of course the calories (😁) & I was questioning the use & impacts of artificial sweeteners. So I lost my desire/craving for it way before my surgery. But you know you best & whether it will lead you down a slippery slope.

I had my gall bladder removed years ago after collapsing due to infected stones. I was told I wouldn't be able to eat rich foods afterwards but I didn't have any problems. I have to do B12 injections every 4 to 6 weeks. I used to get them at my doctors surgery but the GP said it was a waste of my money to be paying to go see her when I could do them at home myself. I used to be terrified of needles but like @MrsFitz says I actually find it easier to do it on myself now. I also do the thigh, alternate each time but I would consider it a long needle as it has to go through fat/muscle to get into the system. I often wonder what my cleaning lady must think when she is cleaning my cupboards, one is my drinks and medicine cabinet and when you open the door you see all the needles, alcohol wipes etc. nicely there besides the Baileys 😂

Hi! I had RNY in 2005, gained every pound back on, plus 30. I transferred my food addiction to substances. Alcohol especially. Carby slider foods and wine were a disaster. I have been healed from various medical issues and lost 120 lbs regain, so far. This was done with the Carnivore way of eating. I call it my "healthstyle". I am also now free from addiction. Feel free to message me, if you get this message from such an old post. I hope you're doing well. I hope to hear from you. Yes, the pic on the left was many years after surgery.

you will then it gets annoying lol after reading the rest of the comments, maybe getting into a routine. I measure and weigh everything. I track everything. I don't really pay attention to fat and carbs, but usually with eating a lot of protein I am able to keep fat under 25-30g and carbs under 60g. movement is super duper important too! I workout min an hour everyday. I know that seems daunting but I started with walking 25min during my lunch break and I built up then about 2-3months ago I started to incorporate weights. I don't drink alcohol (mainly because I have alcoholic tendencies and I did try to have a drink a month ago and it ended up being a 3day binge of a lot so I know I cant) I don't drink carbonation just water, Gatorade zero, coffee, ect.... I know it sucks because we want to be able to eat whatever we want but the reality is that our bodies don't let us and we gain. It is something that we will struggle with the rest of our lives, BUT we choose our hard. to be overweight and hurt? or sacrifice all the treats or just indulge a little bit. I still eat ice cream off my husbands bowl, or have a sip of his soda. I dont restrict myself crazily. You got this!!! dont give up!!! were here to help!