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I find that you need little for a buzz. If I drink it do a vodka water with lime. Don't need much and has the least amount of calories in alcohol. I'm 6 mo post op

I'm not in the U.S, I live in Israel, I have been given a low carb, high protein diet that is high in Calcium avoiding any fruit juice, alcohol or drinks with gas

My doc recommended sugar free Popsicles to help hydrate post op but I've found that most brands have sugar alcohol in them. I stopped eating them yesterday and gas pains have been greatly reduced. ( sugar alcohols cause gas in many people) If you are recently sleeved, eating SF Popsicles and can't get rid of gas, sugar alcohol may be contributing to some of it. It seemed to be for me.

@MrsMurky721- I got mine at Walgreens. Something else to keep in mind: if you are eating sugar free Popsicles they Could causing additional gas if they contain sugar alcohol. (Almost every variety I checked had it in the ingredients so I stopped using them and gas has reduced greatly in days 3-5)

Trader Joe's sells a very good Low Carb chocolate bar called "Simply Lite". I have maybe one per month. The sugar alcohols can have a laxitive effect, so it acts as built in moderation for me.

I was sleeved September 14, and I enjoy a drink now and again. I drink Advocaat and 7-up, the Advocaat has a little Protein in it (small amount), but I also drink a lot of mineral Water as well, so I just add a little vodka, some pomegranate juice and Ice to my mineral water and it makes a nice light cocktail. But it's still the calories you have to track, it doesn't matter if they're in solid or liquid form, they all count. I had my first alcohlic drink two months after surgery, just one or two, and didn't have any adverse effect, but I'm just as happy to drink straight mineral water with ice and lemon as I am to have an alcoholic beverage. Moderation is always the key!

I actually thought it was ironic that I was diagnosed with NASH. I have never been one to drink alcohol. Never frequent bars and don't even own a bottle of any kind in my home. So why me??? But my addiction was food instead and I guess that made me a candidate for a fatty liver. I have never asked if it was the foods in my diet or if it was my weight. Either way I expect my new lifestyle to be helpful in resolving the problem.

The holidays may be the happiest and most exciting time of year, but they can also be the most dangerous for your weight loss and weight loss surgery. It’s hard to resist the holiday treats, which can be everywhere for the entire month of December – if not since before Thanksgiving! Plus, you can easily lose your focus when the family is around and sitting on the couch is more appealing than going for a walk in the rain or snow. You’ll probably find your own strategies for getting through the holidays without gaining weight and without getting into trouble with your gastric sleeve, gastric bypass or Lap-Band. Here are a few tips to get you started. Follow Your Weight Loss Surgery Diet Rules Go back to the basics if you want to stay on track this holiday season. Portion size rules are still in play. A quarter-cup of mashed sweet potatoes is very different than a few large ladles. Measure everything you can. When it’s not possible to measure, eyeball the portion sizes. Enough is enough, and another bite is too much. Stop eating when you’re barely full. It’ll keep you from gaining weight or from getting dumping syndrome or feeling sick. Choose protein first, whether it’s turkey, ham, or the egg whites from deviled eggs. Go for vegetables and fruit next, whether it’s salad, roasted veggies, cut raw veggies on a vegetable platter, or a fruit salad. Keep moving. Make time for your regular workouts. On the days when things get too busy, think about moving as much as possible. Go for walks whenever you can as long as the weather does not involve icy conditions, white-outs or other dangerous situations. Always Be Prepared You don’t always know when they’ll happen, but challenging situations are sure to hit. Always be prepared so you can come out on top. For example, you can keep some almonds and yogurt at work so you have a high-protein snack available at any time. That’ll help you stay away from the chocolate-covered raisins on the secretary’s desk. Also, plan activities that will keep you out of the kitchen. When you’re off work and at home without anything to do, you might find yourself wandering over to the fridge. Keep yourself busy with anything that will keep you away from the fridge, whether it is meal planning, taking a walk, doing needlepoint, or going to the mall. Make Holiday Recipes Healthier Make healthy substitutes for holiday favorites. Try broccoli slaw or grated turnips fried in cooking spray instead of potato latkes deep-fried in oil, and serve with apple slices and Greek yogurt instead of sweetened apple sauce and sour cream. Turkey or ham instead of duck or brisket. Roasted root vegetables with rosemary or green beans with almonds instead of green bean casserole. Roasted sweet potatoes or acorn squash instead of candied yams or sweet potato pie. Baked apples with cinnamon instead of apple pie. Hot tea with a cinnamon stick instead of hot cider or spiced hot wine. Be a Good Guest and Host How does that help you lose weight? When you’re a guest at someone’s party or event, bring a dish to share. The catch is that you make it a healthy dish. If there’s nothing else healthy for you to eat, you can always keep munching on the dish you brought. If you’re hosting a holiday party or dinner, you can still serve everyone’s favorite dishes. Just make sure to make some dishes that you can enjoy, too. The following are good party dishes. Shrimp cocktail Skewers with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and low-fat mozzarella or feta cheese Stuffed tomatoes with fat-free cream cheese and olives Salad with spinach or mixed greens, pistachios, and cranberry vinaigrette Chicken and vegetable skewers Roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and sage Fruit salad Spoil Yourself You are someone who is entitled to eat only the very best, and not someone who must eat everything that is available. Think of yourself as picky, not deprived. Unless, of course, you are afraid of dumping syndrome or you have certain food intolerances, you can eat your favorite holiday foods. Just keep the portions small, and choose only the ones you truly want. You’ll feel better deliberately eating a few controlled and measured bites of your aunt’s sausage stuffing than you will if you skip it and later eat a cup of it, plus some mashed potatoes and gravy, because you feel deprived. Want It When Willpower Runs Thin Want it. We all run out of willpower around this time of year. Instead, think about your “want power.” It’s not about, “I need to gather the willpower to pass up this cinnamon roll.” It’s about, “I’m going for a walk in about an hour, and I’m going to feel way better during it if my stomach isn’t bugging me because of a cinnamon roll.” Drink Water. Drink Water. This tip has so many benefits! Drinking water instead of alcoholic beverages can save tons of calories. Choose water or hot tea instead of cider, hot chocolate, and other caloric drinks. There are other reasons to drink water. Sip on water at parties. As long as you’re circulating the room with a glass of water in your hand, you won’t be able to carry and eat from a loaded plate. Plus, your weight loss surgery diet doesn’t let you eat solid food while you’re drinking water. Choose the water over the solid food for most of the party, and you. Enjoy the Company, or Pretend to This may be the only time of year you get to see certain friends or family members. Take advantage of it. Focus on them, and not on getting seconds and thirds. You may actually find that you enjoy your holiday events more when you notice the non-food aspects of them. Socialize even if you don’t like the company, because it’ll keep you from digging into high-calorie food that you don’t need or want. Look at it this way. If someone told you you could lose weight and the only thing you’d have to do is listen to your coworker’s friend’s husband talk about his snail collection for an hour, you’d do it, right? Well, do it. You can stay healthy this holiday season as long as you focus and plan ahead. Once you do, you’ll feel very proud of yourself, and with good reason. Happy Holidays!

I was prescribed 40mg omeprazole to take daily for 2 months, mandatory. Excess acid is very common postop. Basically you are producing just as much acid but with a teeny sleeve to hold it. The antacid helps create a less acidic environment for your incision to heal. Many people have to stay on a PPI for a lot longer or even for life. I'm not positive, but GERD is probably the #1 long term side effect of VSG. Fortunately, I don't have it, but I do get a sour stomach sometimes (basically feels like hunger pains) which Rolaids takes care of. And I will get a little gastritis on occasion (usually from a medication or drinking alcohol) and take Prilosec for 7-10 days when I do. Never took a single antacid product prior to surgery. So yes, it is common to go through a lot of antacid products.

You’ll probably find your own strategies for getting through the holidays without gaining weight and without getting into trouble with your gastric sleeve, gastric bypass or Lap-Band. Here are a few tips to get you started. Follow Your Weight Loss Surgery Diet Rules Go back to the basics if you want to stay on track this holiday season. Portion size rules are still in play. A quarter-cup of mashed sweet potatoes is very different than a few large ladles. Measure everything you can. When it’s not possible to measure, eyeball the portion sizes. Enough is enough, and another bite is too much. Stop eating when you’re barely full. It’ll keep you from gaining weight or from getting dumping syndrome or feeling sick. Choose protein first, whether it’s turkey, ham, or the egg whites from deviled eggs. Go for vegetables and fruit next, whether it’s salad, roasted veggies, cut raw veggies on a vegetable platter, or a fruit salad. Keep moving. Make time for your regular workouts. On the days when things get too busy, think about moving as much as possible. Go for walks whenever you can as long as the weather does not involve icy conditions, white-outs or other dangerous situations. Always Be Prepared You don’t always know when they’ll happen, but challenging situations are sure to hit. Always be prepared so you can come out on top. For example, you can keep some almonds and yogurt at work so you have a high-protein snack available at any time. That’ll help you stay away from the chocolate-covered raisins on the secretary’s desk. Also, plan activities that will keep you out of the kitchen. When you’re off work and at home without anything to do, you might find yourself wandering over to the fridge. Keep yourself busy with anything that will keep you away from the fridge, whether it is meal planning, taking a walk, doing needlepoint, or going to the mall. Make Holiday Recipes Healthier Make healthy substitutes for holiday favorites. Try broccoli slaw or grated turnips fried in cooking spray instead of potato latkes deep-fried in oil, and serve with apple slices and Greek yogurt instead of sweetened apple sauce and sour cream. Turkey or ham instead of duck or brisket. Roasted root vegetables with rosemary or green beans with almonds instead of green bean casserole. Roasted sweet potatoes or acorn squash instead of candied yams or sweet potato pie. Baked apples with cinnamon instead of apple pie. Hot tea with a cinnamon stick instead of hot cider or spiced hot wine. Be a Good Guest and Host How does that help you lose weight? When you’re a guest at someone’s party or event, bring a dish to share. The catch is that you make it a healthy dish. If there’s nothing else healthy for you to eat, you can always keep munching on the dish you brought. If you’re hosting a holiday party or dinner, you can still serve everyone’s favorite dishes. Just make sure to make some dishes that you can enjoy, too. The following are good party dishes. Shrimp cocktail Skewers with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and low-fat mozzarella or feta cheese Stuffed tomatoes with fat-free cream cheese and olives Salad with spinach or mixed greens, pistachios, and cranberry vinaigrette Chicken and vegetable skewers Roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and sage Fruit salad Spoil Yourself You are someone who is entitled to eat only the very best, and not someone who must eat everything that is available. Think of yourself as picky, not deprived. Unless, of course, you are afraid of dumping syndrome or you have certain food intolerances, you can eat your favorite holiday foods. Just keep the portions small, and choose only the ones you truly want. You’ll feel better deliberately eating a few controlled and measured bites of your aunt’s sausage stuffing than you will if you skip it and later eat a cup of it, plus some mashed potatoes and gravy, because you feel deprived. Want It When Willpower Runs Thin Want it. We all run out of willpower around this time of year. Instead, think about your “want power.” It’s not about, “I need to gather the willpower to pass up this cinnamon roll.” It’s about, “I’m going for a walk in about an hour, and I’m going to feel way better during it if my stomach isn’t bugging me because of a cinnamon roll.” Drink Water. Drink Water. This tip has so many benefits! Drinking water instead of alcoholic beverages can save tons of calories. Choose water or hot tea instead of cider, hot chocolate, and other caloric drinks. There are other reasons to drink water. Sip on water at parties. As long as you’re circulating the room with a glass of water in your hand, you won’t be able to carry and eat from a loaded plate. Plus, your weight loss surgery diet doesn’t let you eat solid food while you’re drinking water. Choose the water over the solid food for most of the party, and you. Enjoy the Company, or Pretend to This may be the only time of year you get to see certain friends or family members. Take advantage of it. Focus on them, and not on getting seconds and thirds. You may actually find that you enjoy your holiday events more when you notice the non-food aspects of them. Socialize even if you don’t like the company, because it’ll keep you from digging into high-calorie food that you don’t need or want. Look at it this way. If someone told you you could lose weight and the only thing you’d have to do is listen to your coworker’s friend’s husband talk about his snail collection for an hour, you’d do it, right? Well, do it. You can stay healthy this holiday season as long as you focus and plan ahead. Once you do, you’ll feel very proud of yourself, and with good reason. Happy Holidays!

Thanks for your responses. I don't drink alcohol but I do or did eat many many sugary carbs.

Had my first wine at 4 months. Had first hard liquor (vodka and whiskey) about six months out. Can't do beer at all...too much carbonation. I did manage to drink hard cider after letting it set over ice for a bit. I probably drink alcohol 3-4 times/month. I did have 2-3 cocktails everyday for 10 days straight when I was on vacation and then at a conference back in October. The 3 notable results were....1) I discovered alcohol does not affect me any differently than preop...I barely get buzzed. 2) that much alcohol gave an upset stomach (gastritis) that was fortunately fixed with 10 days of omeprazole, and 3) I gained 4 pounds that was most likely Water weight because it came off easily in a week. I know transfer addictions can happen after bariatric surgery, and I definitely used to turn to food AND alcohol for comfort. So I make it a point to NOT drink when I'm sad or upset or stressed. I consider those "trigger emotions" and make sure I do not default to the old habits during those times.

I occasionally drink - tequila, beer, Mike's Harder Lemonade. I don't drink very often, so it was about 6 months post-op before I had my 1st drink. Now that I'm 2 years post-op, I'm not worried about drinking. But for the 1st year, I was worried about the extra calories in alcohol. I just take into account the approximate calorie count in my drinks and cut back on my carbs to make up for it. I have notice that I get a buzz faster, but it doesn't seem to last as long.

I had my sleeve August 18th 2014. I have not drank any alcohol since August the 9th over 4 months. I am wanting to drink but I am afraid for a few reasons. I am afraid I will gain weight, afraid I will get sick or dehydrated, but the weight gain is my biggest worry I have come to far to fail now. Any sleevers that drink ???

@@Beni I'm not sure where they get that number from. My doc/nut also told me to get 60-80 a day. With my issues from the protein shakes and my nausea from most meat, it is difficult for me to get that much. I try to have a Greek yogurt in the morning, some nuts for a snack sometimes, cooked veggies, deviled eggs, cheese....and I think I am ok. I don't think my body is like omg give me meat! Today I was going to try a shake again, just because I had a little bit if alcohol last night and I was feeling guilty lol, but I am just not feeling it yet. Idk, I had some ham and mashed potatoes for dinner yesterday and my tummy liked that, so maybe some more tonight, we'll see

@RubygirlThe most common cause is alcoholism. Almost all heavy drinkers have fatty liver disease. Other causes are toxins, certain drugs, and inherited metabolic disorders. In many cases it has been associated with high blood cholesterol, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. : )

My surgeon said to take it for life. Just like no carbonation, no alcohol, no straws and no caffeine for life.

I had surgery in February. My surgeon told me at least 3 months no alcohol. Over the summer, I'd have an occasional drink. Half way into the beverage you're feeling the effects. Every person is different as every dr is different. Your body will tell you what's right for you.

My surgeon says no more alcohol... ever! Not an issue for me as my family has a history of alcoholism so I've made a point to never drink much. Typically, my drinking consisted of sampling my husband's beer when he would try a new one. I stopped doing that months before my surgery and don't miss it at all. However, I have noticed that people who do drink around me, (and I don't have any problems with people drinking around me) get very uncomfortable with the fact that I choose not to drink. For some reason it bothers them a LOT! If I don't care if they choose to drink, why should they care if I choose not to?

Ugh I just wrote a big long post and it didn't post. I don't have the desire to eat most of the time. Some days I'm sooo hungry tho. But for the most part I have to remind myself to eat. I will be honest, I did try the alcohol today...I had half a shot of bacardi torched cherry, and within 5 min I was like woooooo! Lol I was feeling pretty good. It wore off within 20 min tho. No issues, no upset tummy or anything. I am perfectly fine now. Tomorrow is back to the grind tho, yogurt and protein shakes! I tried popcorn the other night and it was fine too...def filled me up as well!

This is all reassuring, thank you ladies. Edy makes a Splenda popsicle labeled Outshine with 2gms. Sugar alcohol. The flavors are more adult.

Be aware with alcohol after surgery it will hit you like a ton of bricks! I'm talking one drink and you will feel it take it slow. it burns off really fast but it hits fast also.

My doc recommends at least 3 months, the fact is if you don't want to tell people, you can hold anything in your hand and not drink it. So if they do a toast raise a glass Cheers them on and don't drink it. The other standbys are you have been feeling a bit under the weather or that you are on meds you cannot mix with alcohol. For me, my family and friends all know but that doesn't mean I want to announce it on a billboard. I would probably just stick to water, mostly cause I think water downed Gatorade would really seem odd ha ha!! Have a great night!

Im going through the same exact thing I have gain 47 pld since March of this year dont no how to get back on track I feel like a complete failure I lost my job in February and havent been the same every since my son got diagnosed with seizure scared the hell out of me im a emotional eater and just want to get back on track what can I do please help me you guys im so ready to turn this thing back around. I HAVE gerd and a alcohol problems.???????????? sorry for ya lost.

Tell them your pregnant! Ha! No you don't want to be drinking any alcohol. Just order a virgin drink and act like your drunk nobody will know the difference : )- let yourself heal completely.