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So we've all heard it- "You need to change your relationship with food." But what does that mean? How do you do it? How do you know it's done? I see this advice all the time but never steps to take to make that change. I'm seeing a therapist ( I have bipolar disorder and have had several different addictions through my lifetime so I will ALWAYS have a therapist) and I'm working through my problems with her. But I want to know how everybody else did it. How did you start? Did you have any slip-ups? When did you realize that you had gotten over your love of eating, or the unhealthy eating for convenience? I'm not saying everybody here is addicted to food. I don't even want to start that debate so please don't misunderstand Just to go ahead and start the discussion: Like I said earlier, I've had many dependency and addiction problems. In middle school it was my obsession with friends and attention. In my high school and college days it was pot and pills. In the most recent years I've struggled with alcohol dependency.* I've overcome it all! (YAY ME!!!! ) Now I'm staring down losing my most basic coping skill - food. It scares me. Of course all programs start out by telling you to QUIT. Quit smoking, quit drinking. We can't do that with food! So wtf do we do? What do I do? I'm working with my therapist but I'd like to have some advice from people who have actually faced this and overcome it. *I'm hoping that you guys will withhold judgment of my past deeds and try to help me with my current problem. I fully understand the risks associated with WLS and transferring addictions. Thank you

I enjoy alcohol. I loved various IPA's (type of beer). I am sure that love got me some extra poundage. After surgery, I stayed away for 3 months. Now, the same beer with the carbonation hasn't been that attractive, plus, taste has changed. Red wine, ok, but again, not the same. I have found vodka either served bloody mary style or with cranberry juice is ok. I do find you feel tipsy faster and I would not drive even with one. the best part of the drinks I just listed, you can go virgin and nobody would know. You also start to count the calories and make choices. Again, I like to drink, I would never say don't, it just becomes harder.

I think (?) it's true that I haven't mourned the loss of food. Perhaps it's because because I was sleeved later in life (at 68) I'd eaten about everything there is to eat--some great food. I also understood that being sleeved didn't mean I could never eat good food again. Four months post-op, I am certainly less focused on food than I was pre-op. I'm sure that's due to having so much less ghrelin in my body than pre-op. However, I'm still interested in food to supply nutrients for my body, to supply energy, and (to a lesser extent, for now) food's taste and aesthetics. It's pretty easy to avoid or reject food most of the time that doesn't have high nutritional value (sweets, alcohol, high-carbs). I'm sure this will all continue to evolve and change. But the current phase is a comfy place to hang out.

I think how alcohol affects WLS patients is as varied as non-WLS patients. I've had 4 cocktails within a couple hours postop and it certainly didn't hit me like 28-40 cocktails would have preop! In fact, I was barely buzzed. And I definitely didn't have a 28 cocktail hangover. Actually, I really don't notice any difference in how fast or how hard alcohol affects me at all. I simply choose to drink a hell of a lot less than I did before surgery....just because of the whole empty calories, blah blah blah reason. I simply treat it like any other "white carb" and only have it in moderation.

Alcohol seems to hit me at the same rate as before, which was pretty quick to begin with, but I haven't noticed any increase in the rate of intoxication since surgery. ETA: Either way I would strongly suggest waiting longer to try it, one month is just too soon/risky imo

My surgeon and nutritionist have told me no more alcohol ever, as in for ever , never etc. so im not sure why there is such a disparity of 3 months for some and me never and no im not much of a drinker never was. I like very good expensive wine, although it is very rare maybe once every two years I would have something like that. Ive been told that alcohol hits your bloodstream about 7 to 10 times faster with a sleeve and even more for a bypass so 1 shot is the equivalent of 7 shots to a non wls patient. weird that such a wide variety of treatment plans exist.

I had my first wine at 3 months. Had hard liquor cocktails by about 5-6 months. I don't get buzzed any quicker than before (bummer), but alcohol will give me gastritis if I drink more than a couple days in a row. But I wouldn't dream of drinking alcohol only 1 month out. Incision is not healed yet and nothing is worth the risk of causing damage so soon.

1 month post op and wanted to know when you tried alcohol for the first time, I have 3 Christmas parties to attend and will be surrounded by it! Per my MD can't have any til month 3 just wanted to see if anyone bent the rules out there!

I saw my NUT yesterday and it turns out I should eat more. I have lost 50 pounds and I am on the higher scale of weight loss. But still within the expected range of 2 to 5 pounds per week. Well, I told her I can only eat 1/4 cup. I have been cleared to have 4 meals per day rather then 3 and I should spend a full 30 minutes eating to stretch my pouch. I asked about a bunch questions about food choices. Her answer, within reason and being mindful that empty calories are not our friend, I was told, it's okay to have coffee and alcohol. She did mention absorption rates are faster with WLS. If I drink either too fast I'll have a jolt. Take it slowly at first to see how it goes. I was warned about alcohol being a danger for WLS patients as far as substituting one addition for another. Instead of food, alcohol. Her point was, we should have a happy relationship with food.

Learn about cross addiction & discuss it during psychological. You have already identified that you had one addiction alcohol & transferred it for food. There is no harm or fowl in working with a counselor that specializes in Bariatric patients along with the programs, your program should be able to suggest someone for you. Also start tracking your food now, get an app & buy a food scale. Because once you are in a program, typically you can't gain any more weight then your starting weight & they require you to track food so they can see where you could improve. Figure out some exercises you think you could stick with forever & start doing some now. Cleveland Clinic has a lot of non opinion fact based information on their Bariatric site read up. Watch a surgery online so you can have an idea what to expect. Deciding to make a healthier choice like this should be considered long term, a lot of people think it's magic forever & they mess it up I have personally known 4 who gained all of their weight back. Best of luck going thru the process I started April 15th of this year & got surgery September 8th so don't get discouraged if it takes awhile. Also talk to your insurance company & see what your coverage is exactly so you aren't surprised along the way.

As a nurse, I work with jerk doctors every day. Unfortunately some of the biggest jerks are the best docs and some of the really nice ones, I wouldn't let them touch me with a ten foot pole. It sounds to me like you're doing a great job working your band and losing weight. DEFINITELY treat yourself along the way. I did, and I've almost made goal in one year. I had the occasional treat, drank alcohol, even sipped on 3 or 4 sodas along the way. You'll be fine. If he's a good doc, let it go. If it continues, then I may look for another.

I remember watching a programme on British TV when I lived there, about a low income woman who was given free WLS, and after she had lost all the weight, free plastics. She went from a quiet church goer to a wild child who had unprotected sex with multiple partners and abused drugs and alcohol. There was no psych or nutritional support that I can recall. It was pretty scary for me at the time. I wonder what happened to her.

Anecdotal experiences of individuals are often attention-grabbing. However, the following facts about alcohol abuse and dependence among the general population and among WLS populations offer context for the experience of the WLS patient shown in the above video. Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the U.S. 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than seven million children live in a household where at least one parent is dependent or has abused alcohol. https://ncadd.org/for-the-media/alcohol-a-drug-information Here are the findings from one study published in 2012 about transfer alcohol addiction after WLS (in this case RnY): In addition to the potential for weight regain, WLS patients, RYGB patients in particular, are at risk for emergence of alcohol use disorders by 2 years post-WLS, with 16.5% of patients engaging in hazardous alcohol use and nearly 10% having an alcohol use disorder [37] http://turner-white.com/pdf/jcom_oct13_bariatric.pdf The same study referenced these earlier study's findings: In a large-scale longitudinal study, rates of alcohol use disorders did not differ from 1 year before to 1 year after surgery, but by 2 years post-WLS the rate of problematic alcohol use increased significantly. Specifically, drinking ≥ 4 times per week and meeting alcohol dependence criteria both increased from about 3% to 5% of patients from baseline to year 2, and any form of alcohol use disorder increased from 7.6% to 9.6% during this same time frame. Notably, the escalation of problematic alcohol use was significant only among RYGB patients, not those who underwent adjustable gastric banding.

I have past addiction problems, so I was sent to a bariatric psychiatrist after my psych evaluation. That was when the topic of "cross addiction" was brought up. It wasn't really explained why alcohol was so bad after surgery. I had to research that on my own.

I cant say much about this. alls I am going to say is all my preop screening was EXTREMELY extensive. very thorough. to family history all my issues for my weight . psych evaluation , dietician..they ran me thru the ringer. and from the BEGINNING it was DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL . It goes striaght thru the blood stream an it affects a person differantly an VERY quickly! they put the fear of alcohol in us!! the sugar from alcohol in the blood causes major insulin swings an the quicker it drops the more you want.I am not sure what to think about this. its possible that she was a self pay maybe an didnt get screened like those who depend on Ins an didnt have the proper education? I really dont no. but I can also see if a person has already a tendecy to WANT to drink (like in her genes bc of family prominates of drinking) if you already want it that small taste can take over an I mean the brain will crave more an more. I may be wrong but thats pretty much what was really instilled in us going thru our preop classes. I will be watching for others comments..

Title of YouTube video: Bariatric Surgery and Alcoholism This video shows the story of Lori, a 43 year old woman that had gastric bypass in 2003. She was never a heavy drinker and stayed away from alcohol for the first year after surgery. She noticed something different about her body's reaction to the alcohol after surgery. Her tolerance level had changed dramatically and it led her drinking to spin out of control. I think all pre and post op patients should watch this short interveiw to better understand why alcohol is dangerous after surgery. Please give your viewpoint after watching because the message is slightly against weight loss surgery. You may have to cut and paste the URL, otherwise type the title in the search bar at YouTube.com

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It sounds like you're doing fine. But I worry about your Protein and Fluid intake. Heads-up – my doc said getting your protein level up quickly and maintaining it throughout is the best chance of preventing hair loss. He also said that hydration is a key to skin elasticity. Armed with that info, I try to get in 80-100 grams of protein and 100+ oz. of liquid every day. Anything else is gravy. Besides those two stipulations, my doc's only other rules are to take multi-vitamins and Calcium-citrate-plus-D every day, and keep carbs as low as possible. For me that means no starches or sugars (including alcohol). Here's my plan. Maybe it will help you get some ideas. Good luck! Rog Below is a "typical" day's menu: As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but my doctor just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your protein and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss. Okay, here's an example of my day: I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work. I count my morning Protein Shake as a meal, not a fluid. (30 grams of protein) 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.) After that, I drink a 24-oz. tumbler of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light throughout the morning. (Lots of frequent sips) Then I walk for 40+ minutes. Then it's lunchtime - tuna salad or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies if there's room. About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz tumbler of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack. At around 4:00 or 4:30, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies or a V-8 if you're getting enough protein at other times.) Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.) Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean steak, fish, chicken, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies. Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening. If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello or sugar-free popsicles are good. And if I'm short on protein or still hungry, another yogurt or protein shake. (I'm not worried about the calories because this menu only provides 700-900 per day.) So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid. If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work. The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. Beef or turkey Jerky is my on-the-fly meal. A 3 oz bag is over 30 grams of protein and about 200 calories. The sodium can be high, so watch for that. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip the dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home. I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal". In the meantime, this eating plan is working really well.

Sorry you are going through this too. I have very bad gerd and esophageal spasms. I don't drink alcohol but the sugary coffee is just as bad. It has been very easy to gain this back. I've kept off 85 pounds but still i'm so scared. I know I'm the only one that can turn it around. Just I've never had weight come back this fast before and I don't eat which people don't believe even the drs... but liquid calories are just as bad. Maybe both of us can get back on track in the new year. I never thought I would be back here.

Honey, you're talking mostly to people who don't drink like 25-year-olds anymore. The most alcohol I've had post-op in a 24-hour period was 5 ounces of wine, which I nursed all night. On a few other occasions, I've had vodka neat or single malt scotch. Most of us have been cheap dates for several decades.

Personally, I don't even bother with the empty calories of alcohol... I'll have an unsweet tea...if they don't have that, an iced coffee... I keep sugar free flavoring in my purse, so I'm ready... don't need the alcohol to have a good time... but that's me... never was much of a drinker anyway...

@@kellogirl428 Welcome! Yes, some doctors advise that you go ahead and start a high protein / low carb diet for the few months leading up to surgery. You should also go ahead and get off caffeine, carbonation, and alcohol. Start taking really tiny bites of food and chew them thoroughly, don't drink 15 mins before a meal or until 30 mins after. Take these changes in stages, don't try to do them all at once. Then, when you're closer your dr. will put you on a pre-op diet that she/he deems necessary in order to shrink your liver and get it ready for surgery. Best of luck to you!

Just curious, what triggered you to take that drink last night? I am not certain that anything will happen but it might be important for you to understand why suddenly after all this time you took that drink and then took it too far. I have several family members including my son who are recovered alcoholics. I know that it is a fight everyday and understanding your triggers are as important in fighting the war with food as it is with other addictions. It might be worth it to talk to your psychologist. Good luck, I am praying that everything goes well for you!

I am so upset right now. I had an alcohol problem in the past in which i went and got help back in 2008. i haven't touched it since except for last night and i drank a little too much at a Christmas party. My husband got very upset and called the hospital , i guess to see if they would take me in, and he told me we were going home and instead took me to the hospital for them to detox me.They kept me till this morning and told me I could go home. I am already all set for the gastric bypass and am now waiting to get my pulminary test done on Dec. 30th, everything else i have done. Supposed to have the surgery on Jan. 27th. Now I am afraid they will deny me. Anyone know anything about this? Thanks

You are losing, that's all that counts! I'm struggling with being bloated also but I'm much newer to the sleeve than you so we may be experiencing different things. What im trying is to cut out sugar free things that have sugar alcohols, and also trying a non dairy Protein shake. (Still looking for a good one). Cutting sugar alcohol has helped already so it may be something for you to try to aid in reducing the bloating feeling. (Assuming it's due to gas) Good luck and don't be down on yourself. You lost weight and are continuing to lose, that makes you a success already.