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I think all docs are different on alcohol too. My doc said that I was good to drink at my 8 week check up. But did warn that it was wasted calories and that many people told him that it effected them much quicker than prior to surgery. I don't eat or graze on nights out with friends anymore so it is a nice options to nurse a glass of wine.

Hi all, Darcy I'm so ssorry to hear what going on with your FIL. I do agree with what Betty said though. If it's what he enjoys why not ;et him have it. I had a very very close frend who was really like a family member to me. I adopted him and we became very close he even lived with us at one point for a while when Floyd came to NJ and flooded him out. Anyway he was a major alcoholic and in the end his daughter and I brought him a bottle of vodka and we had a drink with him. It was very sad for all of us, but it was what he enjoyed and needed. FIL and MIL aren't to great. Things are still nuts around here. We are moving him out of the Columbia house on Saturday. I gave in to Garry and said what the heck I can only do so much. He gave into me and said ok hire a moving company. So at least we will be rid of Columbia in a few days. FIL has no appetite and slept ALL day yesterday. Today he was a bit better. The PT came to work with him and I tink that helped. MIL was ok she had lip stick on today. She looked good. She is walking more with the walker, but still cant do anything for herself. We brought Cindy her cocker to visit her today Cindy didn't seem to care about seeing her which was to bad. You guys know I LOVE animals, but I have got to tell you Cindy is the dumbest dog I have ever known I think she could win an award for being the dumbest dog on earth. She doesn't walk on a lease she does the breast stroke! I am not kidding! She is really something. OH I have no idea how he will be able t keep her. She is great company for him she sleeps on his lap but when she is awake..wew... I take FIL to urologist on Thursday. His PSA is 22. I am afraid of what is next with him.

I wasn't cleared for any alcohol consumption until around 3.5-4 months. My surgeon warned me against red, dry wines. I didn't ask his reasoning, but I drink white Rieslings now without issue. Some surgeon stress no alcohol until close or at goal due to the wasted calories and dehydration factor of alcohol.

I'm 5 months out and still do shakes. As for alcohol....most doctors say 6 months. Me personally, I've seen what it can do to a rny patient that wasn't carful and it scared me so I won't touch a drop. HW: 331 SW: 11/26/12 319lbs CW: 229 04/23/13 GW: 157

Does alcohol cause ulcers??

April 11, 2017 ================================ 21 days post op. I feel basically back to normal now, have since about day 12. That's also when I hit my first stall. Fun! I lost 10 lbs in 10 days and then stalled. I know it's normal - I lost 20 lbs total in March between the pre-op and post-op very strict diets so it makes sense that my body would need a week or two to catch up and figure out what's happening. I'm trying to avoid the scale except for Friday weigh-ins. I feel lighter and my face and neck seem to definitely be the first place I'm losing. Which is nice because i wasn't a fan of my double chin and it's almost gone. I'm at about 41lbs gone total since starting this process. I just hope that when I hop on the scale Friday it shows some positive movement. Eating - I'm currently on purees until next Wednesday (my 1 month checkup), when I'll move to soft foods for a month - then I'm put on a "normal" diet with a few restrictions. So I've been using my blender/processor a lot. I skip that part sometimes and just chew really well but it doesn't do quite the same thing so sometimes I regret that. I haven't gotten sick yet (vomiting) and nothing I've tried has really gone down "wrong". The only time I feel uncomfortable is when I eat too much or too fast (or both!). I'm eating chicken, tuna, beans, guac, sour cream, melted cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, yogurt, pudding, etc - all pureed/chewed to the consistency of pudding. I'm off red meats until at least 2 months out per my doc, bread until at least 4-6 months (if ever), and alcohol until further notice (my own restriction - it hit me hard before, I can only imagine how it would affect me now - plus alcoholism runs in my family and I figure why risk transferring my food addiction to alcohol!). Constipation hits every few days but usually eating some beans helps within a day but if not, I've been drinking a half cup of regular coffee and that always works (I'm not "supposed" to have caffeine but a half cup once or twice a week won't do much I'm sure - and I prefer that to taking a laxative!) I started back on the treadmill this week. Just 3 days a week, 20 - 25 mins for now. I have been doing all my regular daily routine stuff for about a week and except for getting tired (I'm only taking in 600 - 800 cals still) or having a little incision pain if I do too much, I feel pretty good. My incisions are all closed up and healing well, albeit ITCHY some days. One is almost invisible already! I have a few random stitches sticking out that bug me but I'm trying to leave them alone and let them work themselves out. I have been putting aquaphor on them daily to help them heal. Once they're completely healed i have some Bio Oil to use at night and I'm going to try coconut oil as well. Overall, I feel WAY better than I expected to at only 3 weeks out. Now if only the scale starts moving again...

It has been over a year since I blogged? wow, I cannot believe it. I am holding up okay, right at 165-168. I do need to loose more, but I have not really been working at it. I have had another issue, come up and I just want to talk about it a litte. I have been drinking wayyy too much. I used to be someone who could have 1/2 glass of wine and throw it away because I just didn't want anymore. I guess I have a cross additction. I have been searching the internet about the topic and apparently it is more prevelant than I thought. I thought I was the only one. I am relieved that I am not. It started in 2009, I think. I would buy some 2.5 buck chuck from Trader Joes. It went down so easy and tasted so good, I just kept buying it, by the caseload! I knew something was not right, but I could not stop and it continued. I really noticed that I had been drinking at least one bottle of wine in December of 2009. I could not remember a day when I did not have anything to drink, crazy, right? I could go one or two days without drinking. But not a week and not a month. I would say to myself (just like the diets) "okay as of the first of the month, I am not going to drink or I am not going to drink until my next vacation. Well, that would never happen. I would keep drinking and drinking. I have now become an alcoholic, which is a bad thing, but the great thing is I was able to go to a meeting yesterday and with the help of AA, I hope to have a sober life. I am taking it one day at a time. I am sharing this because if you are having the same issues, weather it be alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, etc. I want you to know that you are not alone and can contact me at anytime, for support. I thought I had my food addiction kicked, but it just manifested itself in another addiction.

May 29, 2017 -- 10 weeks post op ==================================== Been a while since I updated! I'm 10 weeks out and have been cleared for all foods as tolerated (they suggest avoiding alcohol for the first 6m - 1y which i planned anyways - I was never a big drinker). I have still yet to find something that really doesn't agree with me - some things go down harder or fill me up faster, but I can still eat pretty much everything (just in very small servings!). I'm down a total of 58lbs since I started this journey, about 22 since surgery. I've got another 48 to go to hit the top of my goal range. I feel that I'm a slow loser, but honestly I'm OK with that at this point. I seem to lose 6lbs in a week, then stall for 2-3, then lose again, then stall. It appears that just what my body likes to do! I am down 2 pants sizes from a tight 20 to a comfy 16 (sometimes I can fit 14s), started jogging again and resistance training for strength. My knees and ankles don't hurt anymore. I have SO much more energy! I wake up refreshed and ready to go, instead of wanting to go back to bed. I was taken off my BP meds at my 1m appt and my BP has been good. I've started getting compliments and comments when I see people I haven't seen in a while, which is nice but weird I've gone to "girls' night out" events and BBQs and dinners with my family and had NO issues with any of them. Just nibble and move on. My life no longer revolves around what food I should eat next. I get my protein, veggies, and water in; and if I have room I indulge in a bite of dessert. I feel amazing. I am still in the transition phase of course, but I think this will end up being one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself and my family. <3

Hello Hello! It has been many months since I last posted here. The last time i posted was concerning me developing a problem with alcohol after the sleeve. Well, that problem has been resolved and I no longer abuse alcohol. I admit it was bad and I was drinking whisky literally as soon as I got up, sneaking it at work, and all through the night. I managed to wean myself off after not quite 2 months. I feel great and my liver feels great too. (Used to get pains in my abdomen after drinking but they are gone.) So this is what I'm here for now. For the past 6 months I've been eating crap. I used to be so good on my low-carb diet. Then I started to allow the carbs back in. I was eating everything that I knew I shouldn't. You name it, I ate it. Ice cream, Cookies, cakes, candy, Pasta, mashed potatoes, bread, rice, take-out, I ate it all. As a result I gained 6 lbs. I became horribly depressed and didn't even try to stop from eating this stuff. I simply chose not to weight myself anymore. These past two weeks were the worst. The other day my supper was 2 Hostess orange cupcakes and a pack of Hostess crumb mini donuts. My belief that I was gaining weight was so strong that I convinced myself I could no longer wear the new clothes I bought and was considering buying larger sizes of clothing. I felt so fat. Then one morning I decided to weight myself before showering. Not only did I lose those 6 lbs I gained but I lost an additional 4 lbs on top of that. I'm now at the smallest I've been post surgery and only 10 lbs shy of my goal weight. So should I go back to my low carb diet or should I continue eating crap?

well i started my preop diet early, i've been working on it since october. I gave up chocolate, alcohol, and cigarettes. Though I've only been banded 2 weeks. I know that I have 2 new addictions. When stressed i used to eat. . IT was my comfort. Now that I've been losing weight my new addiction is sex. and the other one is checking myself in the mirror. I feel kinda vain though for looking in the mirror so much.

Your cravings might be just because you are so limited in food choices right now and need more protein and a little more fat to be satisfied - add some avocado with your egg and/or sprinkle cheese on the egg. You miss chewing - I know I did, it will improve with time. Six months from now it will be a blur and it will all change. Be patient and be prepared, it's a trip. And Fluffy just sees all kinds of eejits on here asking if they can have pizza at one month or alcohol and actually doing really stupid chit all the time, so her squawking sometimes sounds like chicken-little... @FluffyChix

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.

Thanks but OMG My arms are not toned! I was actually commenting the other day how I REALLY NEED to start doing weights! LOL I did just fine and I was even drinking Beer! I am just about 7 months post and this was the first time I tried beer. I have had carbanated drinks about a month ago so I figured I could try. From 6pm to 430am I drank 8 beers, 1 glass of wine and a glass of vodka and cranberry juice! LOTS of alcohol and my sleeve did Great! Even managed to lose a lb this week after all that! hehe Any BTW the girl with me had RNY 4 years ago and is still looking FAB!!! Her alcohol intake was WAY LESS then mine and she was WAY more drunk! LOL

I think it is a good idea to differentiate between foods you "can't" eat post VGS, and foods that don't agree with you or you choose not to eat. As for the "Can't" list (from my doctor and nutritionist) 1) Anything with carbonation (soda, beer, champagne) 2) Alcohol for the first year post surgery 3) Chewing gum (concerned that if you swallow the gum it will block the stomach). That was it on the "must not ever eat again list". I am 3 months post surgery and have only had one food "disagree" with me. That was a chicken and apple sausage. I felt yucky, and my stomach was upset, but it wasn't a horrible experience, I just wouldn't choose to eat it again. Then there are the foods that I don't eat anymore - this is purely my choice! I try to avoid most simple carbs - white rice, bread, Pasta. I am ok with the whole grain versions, but getting all that Protein in my meals doesn't leave a lot of room for simple carbs, veggies and fruits. I'm eating about 1100 calories a day and losing 2 pounds per week. If I truely crave a food, I will have a mouthful, and then the craving is done and over with. As for a prohibition on grapes, maybe in the first 2 months, but after that if you chew it well, it should be fine. I hope this helps.

i'm having a glass of wine right now! there's no medical reason why you can't drink alcohol. All it does is slows down the weight loss process. I know myself - I am extremely social and like to drink. I've accepted that and I accept that my weight loss will be slower than other who don't drink. But the food was keeping me the same or making me bigger. the band has stopped the food going in. I've been working out 3 times a week, and drinking almost every day, and i'm losing. I had my first vodka the day after my surgery. No, I'm not an alcoholic!!! but if you're gonna have to live on Soup for a while, why not be happy about it!!! oh, and you get tipsy way faster! some worry about alcohol because some people use food as a crutch or an outlet to numb other emotional issues.... and with the food gone, there is a risk that one may turn to food and rely on that to deal with their emotions. That's a psychological risk, and only you can answer whether you believe you have an addictive personality and need SOMETHING to cope with what you don't want to deal with face to face..... if that's even an issue... maybe it isn't. anyways, enjoy your new band and your new lifestyle!

1. What is your name? Kelly 2. What color shirt are you wearing? Peach 3. What are you listening to right now? Amazing Silence!!! 4. What was the last thing you ate? Mashed potatoes & corn 5. Do you wish on stars? No 6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Purple 7. How is the weather right now? Sunny & cool 8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Mom 9. Favorite Sport? Basketball 10. Favorite drink? Non-alcohol Pina Colada 11. hair color? Dark Brown 12. Eye color? Blue 13. Siblings?1 brother & 1 sister 14. Favorite month? September 15. Favorite food? I like it all - LOL 16. What was the last movie you saw? Stargate 17. Favorite day of the year! 4th of July 18. What do you do to vent anger? Call my mom 19. What was your favorite toy as a child? Books 20. Summer or winter? Summer 21. Hugs or Kisses? Both! I'm a lover! 22. Favorite ice cream flavor? Blue Moon 23. Restaurants or home cooking? Home Cooking 24. Will everyone care enough to respond? Sure 25. When was the last time you cried? Last night 26. What is under your bed? Dust bunnies & probably a toy or 2 of Dylan's 27. How long have you been a member of Lapband Talk? Just over a year 28. What did you do last night? Went to the ER 29. What are you afraid of? I don't "fear" anything but God, but I respect anything that can bite or kill me. 30. Favorite car? I like the new Hummers - If I ever run into money, I WILL have one!!! 31. Favorite flower? Roses 32. How many keys on your ring? 3 33. How long have you been at your current job? Proud SAHM since I was 5 months pregnant. 34. Favorite day of the week? Saturday or Sunday because we're usually with family 35. What did you do on your birthday? Mom had a surprise 30th b-day party for me 36. How many states have you lived in? 2 37.How many cities/towns have you lived in? 2 38. What is your favorite form of exercise? Aerboics at home 39.Your favorite store for bargains? Dollar Store or occassionally Walmart has some good deals too 40. Wasn't this fun? Sure

I was not commenting on the effects of sugar alcohol, and xylitol. Also thank you for posting peer reviewed evidence as far too many people don't understand the importance of peer review. I always read real research ( peer reviewed), and never get sucked into the fitness woo( pseudoscience), and bro science. My advise also comes from my surgeons, and an outstanding registered dietitian, and not a nutritionist as nutritionist is not a professional title or actually certification. Net carbs does not have any actually scientific backing, and was created for marketing. There is no standard for how net carbs are counted on packaging or printed. All the current research does support the concept of net carbs. While xylitol for example has little effect on blood sugar, many packages use sugar alcohol as their reason to off set carbs in their net carbs calculation. That is very bad, and can be dangerous for some with diabetes. There is a reason net carbs don't appear on the nutrition labels. That's because it is not a regulated term by the FDA. It's a made up term by food manufacturers. It's also important to understand not all sugar alcohols are equal. Some do raise blood sugar. So how does the lay person know which raise blood sugar, and which don't? How do you calculate the net carbs not knowing if the sugar alcohol in that product has a higher glycemic index? You also need to be careful subtracting fiber in some products. Should someone subtract fiber to figure out net carbs? Well if they do that, and eat protein bars they need to be careful. Most protein bars use a form of fiber isomalto-oligosaccharides(IMO). IMO is highly processed and barely a fiber. On the glycemic index it is also equivalent to grapefruit or apple juice. I wouldn't call either of those low glycemic index. IMO also has 2 calories per gram. That counts for something. The point of my post is you need to be very careful with net carbs. You seem informed, and as such my post was directed at you, but it was for people who may just think net carbs printed on packages are what they can go by. It's much safer to count all carbs, and more important calories.

The difference is the effect on blood sugar levels and insulin response. Whether that is why you avoid carbs or not is a personal preference. But that is why I, and many plans, don't count them. This is an article with plenty of peer reviewed scientific articles quoted, with the pubmed links included-- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-alcohols-good-or-bad#section4 And here's a rather dense scientific peer reviewed article about the metabolic effects of xylitol- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3128359/ Interestingly the scientists have also shown links to positive effects on gut bacteria, bone density and collagen production! So, the science community quoted in this article doesn't think it's BS, they aren't marketing anything. Read, do research and make an informed decision. Or go by your surgical teams' plan... you trusted them to cut you open, trust their dietary advise over the advise of strangers on the internet.

Its your choice. I found that once I told people they were more supportive then I thought. But some people will never be supportive. I personally could care less what people think about my decision because it has been the best for me. But Im very lucky that my family is not critical of my choice. The ones who have never had a weight problem are interested on how it works and are learning that I had a food addiction. Its easier to compare to an alcoholic since we have a few in the family. But so far almost 2 years later no one even says anything except now they ask if it interferes with my pregnancy.

For people who really enjoy drinking you need to be careful because weight loss patients have significantly higher rates of alcoholism, especially if there is a family history of that. it puts you at a much greater risk. Almost every on line article about this came Rom the same small (and IMO flawed) study. The belief that WLS patients have a higher risk of alcoholism than anyone else is not so cut and dry. It's true that people who overcome one addiction, be it food, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, shopping or even religion or exercise, are more at risk for a new addiction. However, the actual number of people who have WLS with no previous history of alcohol abuse is small. People who enjoy drinking alcohol are not always alcoholicc. And, like many obese people who don't enjoy eating, many alcoholics don't actually get much pleasure out of drinking.

I just got my Nugo sample pack today and tried the Brownie Crunch. It is really good tasting and satisfied my hunger just fine. Each bar has 16 g of protein, 19 g of carbs (2 g are sugar carbs, others are sugar alcohols or something not counted in net carbs) and 7 g of fiber. After I finish the 3 bars in the sample pack this weekend I am going to put in an order for a box or two of my favorite flavor. I can see myself eating 1 a day or maybe not even that often. It depends on the impact of these on my goals.

I just got sleeved on the 14th and wanted to share some of my experience. I was previously banded at age 30 and lost nearly 100lbs. But by age 38 I had complications and had it removed. Now at 40 I had regained more than half the wt lost. So I elected for the sleeve. I chose to go to Mexico because it was less than half the cost of having it done by my original surgeon. As an RN of 18 years I wanted to share some thoughts on StarMedica in Juarez. But first I should say I chose to drive to El Paso and I traveled solo so my wife could care for the kiddos. I woke up on Friday early and made my family a pancake breakfast (had a bite of one myself). Then got on the road for El Paso. 810 miles and 11.5 hours later and I was there. I went by Wal Mart to pick up a heating pad (very helpful post op) and some slippers. I also (full disclosure) had an excellent "last meal" at JnL Cafe of enchiladas. Then headed for the Holiday Inn Express for the night. I had a little confusion with scheduling my transport from the Airport long term parking but got picked up with another sleever at 1245 at the main entrance of the Airport. I was given the name of Sergio by my coordinator but this was not who picked me up. I did ask about Sergio and where I was being transported to before my luggage got in the van (I know, paranoid much?) The ride across the border was maybe 25 min with a 30 second stop at the border. Once at the hospital, we were met by a fireplug of a Mexican with salt n pepper hair, in khakis and a blue Members Only type jacket. This was Dr. Caulderon. He helped translate the admissions paperwork for the other sleever I'd ridden over with then said he would be back. The admissions clerks asked If I could speak spanish and i indicated a little. Well, it was enough. I was going to sign their standard documents regardless so WTH, I figured. I gave them my money order and DL for them to copy. Once Dr. Caulderon came back he took me for a chest X-ray (was film....I have not seen few in a few years). After that it was up to the 2nd floor for my room. Now, I have worked in HUGE Metro hospitals and tiny community hospitals over the past 2 decades. This was somewhere in between. Clean, a good size, style was a bit dated but not more than a decade (no lime green tiles here). The bed was a later model Stryker electic model. There was a couch/padded bench appx 28"wide by 5.5 to 6' long. Was a big picture window and a spacious bathroom with shower (lukewarm water at best). Shortly after Juan my nurse came in, he said he had 4 years of experience and that he was one of 4 male nurses at the hospital. He wanted to start an IV but honestly his technique was that of one of my 2nd semester nursing students. I am a fat man so veins are hard to visualize but not palpate. Anyway, Juan brought gloves but did not wear them. And I never saw him wash his hands and there is no alcohol hand sanatizer in the room (all of which is SOP in the US in the 1980s). The nurses also wore white (standard in the US in the 1980s), which I prefer. Juan spoke almost zero english and on his second attempt got the IV cath in but, because he forgot to take the tourny off my arm got blood on my gown, bed,and floor. "Oh Mi Dios! Mucho Sangre!" I reached over and popped the tourney off for him and it stopped. The lab draw later was a bit of a trial (same deal,poor technique,no gloves or handwashing) that took 4 sticks. And in my opinion could have been avoided if a policy was in place for the nurse to draw the blood samples when the new iv cath was started, and before flushing. So I just kept reminding myself that I was not there for the nursing care but the reported success of the surgical team. I then hung out in the room until about 630p when I was wheeled to pre-op. In preop the nurse gave me some IV meds which as best I could understand were for relaxation. The anestheologist came by for a couple minutes, the surgeon too and then I was wheeles into the OR where I scooted onto the table. That is all I remembered until post op. Was back in my room by 845p and up walking by 10p. The next day was a mix of walking and getting IV pain meds. Best part was my nurse. Adalyna spoke excellent english, answered several questions, got me a remote for the TV and got me a password for the WiFi (all were beyond my limited spanish to ask for). She actually had good clean technique changing my dressings. Late in the day Dr. Caulderon got myself and 5 other new post op pts together and gave us discharge instructions. That night in addition to the IV pain meds, I got 10mg Valium for sleep. The next morning I woke up, packed my bag, took a whore's bath (couldn't face a tepid shower) and made my bed and cleaned my room. At 930a I was taken downstairs and got on the Taxi back. Took appx 1.5 hours on return. Mostly sitting in line at the border. US border officer asked me what I was bringing back and I told him of the Ketorolac (non controlled pain med) Omeprazole (acid reducer) and Antibiotic. No problems. The driver dropped me off at my car in long term parking about noonish. Then, 810 miles and 13 hours later I was home. I stopped and got some chewable gasX on the way cause the gas pain was rough. Also stopped every hundred or so miles to walk around to stave off DVTs. Well, that is my story.

My dr allows you to have small amounts of alcohol 12-18 months out I was just wondering if after the surgery does a little go a long way does it in fact make you a "cheap date"?

Good lord I love this thread. I am a binge eater and a secret eater. If I picked up food for work or home, I always had something "extra" to eat in the car on the way back. If I had to stop at the drugstore, I got a candy bar and ate it before I got home. I'd sit in my car and eat lunch after driving through somewhere bc I didn't want anyone to see how much I ate. And when I'd get donuts on the way to work, I pretended that some of them were for my coworkers, but they were really all for me. It's such painful behavior and it's both humiliating and liberating to admit it. My BFF and I (both with troubled childhoods and difficult mothers) "joke" about our addiction by saying, "Well, lets just go eat a hug." I've always HATED myself for having no willpower and feeling powerless over food. I'm about 3 months out from surgery and my appetite is returning to a certain degree. It terrifies me. To date, I have not "cheated". I'm proud of myself for choosing well so far and I have an amazing DH and circle of friends cheering me on. I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm trying hard to deal with my addiction to food and it is like dancing with the devil. I come my a family of addicts and worry every day that I can't do this. I told my DH, "It's like telling an alcoholic, 'I know you can't handle alcohol, but you'll have to drink it every day of your life and it's up to you to make sure that you drink only this certain type of alcohol and only in moderation.'" It seems almost impossible! .

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