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I've tried plenty of alcohol, lol. It's no problem.

I drink very rarely, always have. I have not changed my habits with alcohol because of the band. Every few months I have cocktails with girlfriends or the occasional glass of wine with hubby. No difference for me. Congrats on the new job. Have your drink to celebrate!! Enjoy your life.

I drink wine regularly, no differences . I'm sure you will be fine just go slow because you won't have much food in your stomach to absorb any alcohol. I usually have a glass or two at the most and I'm at home so I haven't had to drive..! Cheers !!

I have seen many different recommendations from surgeons on here, so above all, check with your surgeon. I have seen some posts that say none for 6 months and some say none for a year. I waited almost a year, except for communion My tolerance was very low for awhile, but I have never been a big drinker. Stay away from carbonation and drink a glass of water with every alcoholic drink you have. My favorite is a bloody mary. Good luck to you on your journey!

Married? How long? Is there support from your family? How long have you been at your current job? Anyone else in your family obese? Are your parents alive? Are they a healthy weight or have a drug or alcohol problem? Do you have a drug or alcohol problem? How much do you drink? Do you have children? Do you binge or purge? What do you think this operation is going to do? Have you thought about after the surgery and the restrictions and "rules" you are going to have to follow? Typical questions and I answered all of them honestly and as short as I could. I've never been to a psychologist so I was a bit nervous. I think they are just trying to see if you are in a stable frame of mind and have the support of family or friends. Good luck and don't sweat it!

You may already know about the risks of replacement addictions, or even be fighting them yourself. The theory is that food is an addiction for pre-op bariatric surgery patients. Weight loss surgery helps you break your addiction to food, but it leaves a hole and puts you at risk for other addictions ranging from drugs and alcohol to exercise. Replacement addictions may be more common than you realized. This article describes research that found that 21% of gastric bypass patients in one study developed alcohol abuse problems over the next seven years. That is one out of every five gastric bypass patients! Being aware of the risk can help you avoid the pitfalls. You can also try to prevent negative addictions, such as drugs and alcohol, with positive ones. For example, you can fill the “food void” by taking up a new hobby such as gardening or art, or spend more time volunteering or exercising. Are you concerned about replacement addictions? If you are a post-op patient, have you developed any? Have you taken any steps to prevent them? If you are a pre-op patient, have you been warned about them? Are you planning any steps to prevent them?

I never watch any of the cooking shows but a friend of mine who is a card-carrying anorexic and a serious alcoholic has them running on her TV all the time. I find this very odd when she exists on beer, cigarettes and the occasional half sandwich.

Hi all: This is my first post on these message boards. I am in my first month of my six-month long physician-monitored diet to receive approval from my insurer for gastric bypass surgery. I am hoping to complete the monitored diet by early August and then schedule my surgery for early October. One of my biggest concerns with this surgery is how my husband will also have to adjust to this change. I am the cook for all of our meals and we eat take-out a number of times a week. I had my psych evaluation this morning and they stressed how important it is to recognize that relationships will have to change once you have surgery. That, like an alcoholic, you can no longer have friends that "go out to the bar and drink," so to speak. My husband has never had to worry about his weight and eats anything he wants. He is incredibly supportive in my decision to have weight loss surgery but I would like to find some additional resources for him to read or watch if they exist. I think that sometimes it's easier for a spouse or family member to have some material to look at on their own rather than me talking at them all the time. Hopefully that makes sense. Does anyone who is pre-op already attend support meetings, and if so, has anyone taken his or her spouse or support person to the meetings? I am wondering if that is a good way for me to keep him involved. Anyway, that's all for now. I am sure I will be posting more on here in the future, so I look forward to talking to and getting to know some of you. Thanks! L

I had my RNY with a gall bladder removal on Aug 4th. FWIW, here are some of the things I found most helpful. And yes, everyone is different, but I found it useful when others on this list shared their experiences, so here are some things that made the process a little easier for me: 1. In packing my overnight bag I only brought a change of underwear for the next day. I wore a caftan thingy both to and from the hospital so it felt like moving in and out of a nightgown. Ladies, I just skipped the bra at that point. 2. Also in the bag, I brought a pack of pre-moistened wipes. I am allergic to alcohol so I didn't want to rely on regular hospitals wipes and I was so happy to have my familiar, cooling, cucumber scented wipes to freshen up afterwards and to use on my forehead to soothe. 3. I was glad I thought to ask the nurse for an extra pillow to hold on my stomach. Getting up and down, it helped to put pressure on my incisions and muscles and have them strain less. 4. Music and headphones were essential and over-the-head ones, as opposed to earbuds, were much easier for me to keep track of with all the getting up and down nurses moving me around. 5. Best move I made all day was in the pre-op, after I was all set up, and had been given some pills that were making me dopey. My SIL who had been with me up to that point was still there and trying to keep me calm and distracted, and I just asked her to leave so I could have time alone for prayer (and silence!) All in all, things went smoothly for me, though the anesthesia really kicked my butt and it took me a long time to be able to get up and around. My first walk was at 4am when the took me to get weighed. It seemed kind of cruel at that point. Finally, my spiritual practice includes "mindfulness" and I'm using this opportunity of relearning what it feels like to eat to really focus on the whole experience. It doesn't make my protein drinks taste better, but it changes my intention toward them when I say I blessing of thanks for the opportunity to nourish and heal my body.

Yes, true -- diet change is the primary line of treatment for actually diagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, in terms of treatment: gradual weight loss may improve the process in obese patients; rapid loss may worsen NAFLD. And just as with any obesity-related issue, not all obese people will have the problem. We read of so many people on the boards who were otherwise completely healthy, just overweight to some degree. Presuming that all fat people have a fatty liver is inherently prejudicial and not based on ANY EVIDENCE. Makes my effing head spin it does. So this raises two questions for me: first, was the OPoster even diagnosed? Or just "presumed guilty" as it were, by the very crime of being obese? Did they run her liver enzymes and know she had NAFLD? Second: A two-week crash diet -- which is precisely what liquid diets or severely calorie/carb-restricted diets are -- is every bit as likely to worsen the problem, if it's present, or to have zero effect at all. It's more of a compliance hurdle IMO -- which is fine, but don't dress it up and call it something else. Using very thin (disingenuous) science as a rationale for kicking people who are already down (often, way down) is the worst kind of sadism IMO. I think there are some seriously sadistic assholes working in the bariatric field -- some real fat-phobes. No kidding. I had such an outraged reaction to the OPoster's situation that I seriously will have to wait until later to do my BP check. I about stroked out reading that. What an irrational, asshole thing to do. Man of science? Neutral, objective god/surgeon? I think not. Punitive, petty, power-hungry, sadistic bastard, more like. Humiliate and shame her for gaining a couple of pounds or eating a few carbs?!? Does that seem like a reasonable reaction to ANYONE?? I'm completely outraged. I respect the fact that you said you couldn't lie, Infernored -- but I have to say, given the circumstances and the utterly biased and unfair nature of the entire situation, I would have sat there and lied right through my teeth, with a smile on my face. What an asshole. I'm SO sorry you were treated like that. You didn't deserve it. Even if you ARE completely and intractably "addicted" to carbs (ie, like 90% of your fellow humans), you STILL don't deserve to be treated like that. Yes, now you'll have to play along and jump through a few more hoops, but I really hope you won't beat yourself up over this. Feeling shitty and down on yourself and like a failure is NOT the way to start this new journey. Hold your head up high, and stick to non-white carbs and Protein as long as it takes. And if you don't lose weight again the next time round? Please, just lie. You don't deserve this. Hugs and good luck to you. (I'm going for a nice vigourous walk now, to try and calm down.)

It's the obvious answer and one that your inner voice doesn't want to hear.. BUT... here it is... STOP DRINKING! I know... easier said than done... but you OWE it to yourself to do so through whatever means necessary. As other posters have said, there is AA. If you're not a big fan of AA, I recommend seeking a therapist who specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and ONLY CBT. This type of therapy focuses on your self-talk and the ways that distorted thinking affects our lives. It is EXTREMLY effective and insurance companies love it because significant results are often shown in 10 sessions or less. Congratulations for recongizing that alcohol is an issue that is affecting your weight loss and wanting to do something about it. After all, admitting that you have a progem is 9/10ths of the journey towards overcoming it! Remember to tell yourself daily that you WILL be successful and that NOTHING will stand in your way!

My surgery is 13Sep in Boston. My pre-op diet is just High protein, low fat, low car, low fruit, lots of non-starchy veggies. Also no carbonation and no caffeine. And no alcohol, but I don't drink anyway. The last six months I was trying to prepare, but for the last few weeks I've been throwing a lot of food funerals with eating out and traveling for work. Trying to get back on track!

I'm 3 months out and was just thinking the same. It's a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I don't think you can ever be really prepared for all the changes. It really grinds on my nerves when someone insinuates i took the "easy" way out. An alcoholic and a smoker can have moments where they give into temptation. We cant this soon out even if we wanted to. Hang in there. It's going to be worth it.

I've had alot goin' on and no excuse for not doing my Monday Weigh in!!! I've gained am 197.6 I've had wayyyyyy too much alcohol this past week... and it being New Years eve and alll.......... guess I'll behave later!!! hehehehe Hope everyone has a Safe and 'Wonderful New Years!!!!! I'll do better next year

First, I second what others have said: Everyone's post-op sleeve experiences / capabilities are NOT identical. My own experiences include these: * I had a perfect surgery with no complications and recovered easily. * I've never thrown up post-op. Not once. * I did have gall bladder surgery a month post-WLS, but recovered fast and well from that, too. * I've lost 100 pounds and been maintaining well for nearly a year on 1700 - 1800 calories/day (and 90-100 grams of Protein a day). * I do NOT drink carbonated drinks -- I did so during one long road trip, and the resulting stomach acidity (not the soda's bubbles) made me sick as a dog for a week thereafter. So I don't do that anymore. * Sugar makes me crave more sugar -- so although I do indulge sometimes, I ration it carefully. * Yes, I do eat pizza -- about once a month. But only 1-2 small slices. * I now drink a 5-ounce glass of wine OR 1.5 ounces of scotch most nights (didn't have anything alcoholic for 6 months post-op). * I have tracked my food using My Fitness Pal since 2.5 months prior to WLS. I think it's the best tool you could use in addition to WLS to understand your relationship with food and to help you plan the most nutritious menus you could possibly eat. You should consider these things as well: * I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't changed not only how much I eat, but WHAT I eat. I do not eat "normally." I eat healthy foods 90% of the time. I thought I knew a lot about nutrition pre-op, but I know so much more two years later! And I use that information daily to make much better food choices than I used to make. * I am not a binge eater -- but it sure sounds like you are. I recommend that you seek therapy with someone who deals with bariatric patients to help you overcome that eating disorder, because BED will put the weight back on you even with a sleeve. Want evidence of that? Keep reading here. The sleeve will NOT fix a binge-eating disorder. * If you and your wife in the past were BED codependency food addicts together, the strong potential to reignite that relationship is still there. I would suggest you both address these issues with a therapist as well. * The sleeve is only one of many tools (behaviors) you will probably need to be successful long-term. The speed with which you eat will have to be addressed. Your daily activity level and exercise are critical to long-term success. For many people drinking their calories is a huge barrier to success. * Two of the biggest negative behaviors of those for whom WLS doesn't result in weight loss / long-term maintenance are (1) grazing (nibbling on food all day long) and (2) eating "slider foods" (highly processed, high-carb foods) that don't stay in the stomach long and slide quickly down into the intestine. I could give you a long list of slider foods (cookies, chips, ice cream, crackers), but many slider foods can be purchased in fast-food restaurants. Good luck to you. You're doing the right thing -- learning more about the sleeve and your personal challenges. If you go the WLS route, don't expect the surgery to fix all your issues. It will not.

Hmmm, that's a sneaky way to get free alcohol

Appeal Appeal Appeal don't let them win!! That is what they want you to give up. I am in the same boat I am on my second appeal now and have my third waiting for the denial so I can shoot it off on the same day! I also have PCOS and diabetes hypertension blah blah blah the list goes on!!! It is an exclusion on my husbands insurance as well but it won't be by the time I am done if I have anything to do with it. This is no different in my eyes then alcohol and drug addiction and they pay for those so why won't they pay for the treatment of food addiction???

well I am having date night next weekend... my drink limit pre-op was 2...after that I got silly... I had one drink so far post-op...that was in early January... I was at the club for about 4 hours and it took that entire time to drink a few sips of it... it was too sweet ( Cosmo) and I kept letting my friend drink some so the ice could melt down.... if I get the one drink down next week, Im cool.... the 3 people I'll be with are HEAVY drinkers that I have never tried to keep up with before...no sense in trying now Im not anti-alcohol post-op.... I just know my limitations

My appetite is dimmed and I can make good choices -- and I had no restrictions after recovery, just to eat when I'm hungry (way less) and learn to pay attention to my band, I'm glad nothing is outlawed -- caffeine, alcohol, etc. I had years of outlawing all sorts of things to no avail. I am not on a diet. I have a band and make good choices.

I’m 8 weeks out and totally had a hard seltzer the other night. Low carb, low calorie, 5% alcohol. Naughty but so yummy.

Many people find that the sleeve has a shockingly-sudden positive effect on almost every aspect of your health. The doctors cannot even explain all of it, but your blood pressure, blood sugars, lipids, and liver enzymes all get really good really fast. No to mention things like sleep apnea and so on. With your fragile health, it seems pretty likely you will see a lot of big benefits. Also keep in mind that people who have problems post a lot more than people that don't. Most sail through this procedure effortlessly. I am one of those. It was absolutely not a big deal. Minnimal pain, and a few weeks of restricted diet. I am 9 weeks post op and living a pretty normal life (67 lbs lghter). I love food. I love to cook and I love eating with people. I can eat almost anything in small quantities. Since the surgery I have eaten stingray, and satay on the back streets of Singapore. At home I have eaten Creole, Sushi, Italian, Tapas and more. In the next 6 weeks I will be eating in Spain, London, Jordan, Chile, and Panama. I plan to eat well. I can't eat the carbs for a while, but I get in everything else. I am holding off on the alcohol, but I might get just a little of that in while I hang out in my favorite underground blues club in London. The sleeve doesn't control your life, you do. Make your decision on the facts, and then make your new life the way you want it to be. It is all about taking control of those voices in your head and moving on with your life. You will be OK.

This saddens me, you ask for help or answers and youre getting pretty much the same answers across the board.... Im not knocking your "college lifestyle" perhaps you should have thought the fact of sleeving is a huuuuge "life style" change that we all know about! Youre adamant on the 2 shooters.. But all drs. Are different... I have not heard of one that says alcohol is ok after only 1 month... You put yourself at a plethera of risks by doing so and setting a bad example... I have been dehydrated through the entire post op from April 30th and have been hospitalized a few times....just got out again yesterday... Over the week I said i thought I was finally just thought I was hungry. I informed him I had 2 teaspoons of lentil soup as well as 2 spoons of tuna... He told me as chief of surgery of the hospital... Which is actually 3 hospitals in one now... Not saying my dr knows it all or is above anything however. His point was although 3 weeks out can be frustrating with food I have to meet with the NUT and him for my 3 week post op to make sure youre ready for full liquids then a week for reg. food...you have no idea what your stomach can handle of youre only starting full food around now.. That food I ate to soon could have damages the work that was done or caused leaking... My issues is I get alot of dry heaving and my insides(major surgery and blow to all organs) swell because theyre not fully healed.. Most do better then me im down 39 lbs and not the healthy way... My point is the knowledge behind it is long term studies drinking eating eating certain foods can all cause ALOT of damage....poor choice all I can say is of you wind up back in the OR and that os VERY high risk of happening then you knew what you were getting yourself into... Also drinking can lead to sloppiness if you should fall or even pass out It would truley be a shame to wind up in the or!!!! Noone or nothing to blame but you

Wait until you get there. If you can get your 60-80g Protein and 64 or more ounces of Fluid at one month out by all means enjoy yourself. Personally, I think you're going to be more interested in moving out of softs and into real food than getting blotted. I'm just passing my second month and many in my cohort (including myself) are still not getting everything in. The thought of alcohol just really does not appeal

Thank you Laura for posting. I am 5months and 78 lbs out from surgery. This post is both encouraging and frightening to read. Encouraging knowing I am not alone in my food addiction and struggles with trying to find the place I fit in a world of people that encourage/support my journey and those same people who tell me "just a little isn't going to hurt you." Just yesterday after telling a dear friend that I gained 2 lbs over the weekend after drinking alcohol for the first time after surgery, he said "2 lbs, really get perspective, 2 lbs will be back off by the end of the week." I feel that people just don't get my mindset that 2 lbs hurt, the feeling that I could lose momentum and lose my way scares the @##$ out of me. So I too plan drinking, eating, exercise and sleep like it was the plan to world peace! This was frightening because I have read yours and other veteran posts and realize that this really will be a lifelong struggle.....but I feel with the sleeve, I CAN succeed...it will just be a battle that I have tools for. Again, thanks for posting and sorry all if this is a rambling blah blah blah.

Every insurance is different, and perhaps you have other co-morbitities that you haven't mentioned here, but usually if your BMI is under 40 they are expecting two or more other comorbidities (Non-Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes, Hyper Lipedimia, Sleep apnea, etc...)