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I have had a drink or two starting at four months out. White wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc) is my drink of choice. I am usually tipsy without getting sloppy after two glasses. Before the people on here get all judgey and stuff...We are human and enjoying a glass or two of wine with friends while out to dinner is NORMAL! We get the SLEEVE to be NORMAL, right? -- I just have to get that out there. I have read forums where people start berating for asking the question about alcohol and get all soap boxy about surgery and weight loss...blah blah blah... Anyhoo...I think you are in the safe zone about four months out, but take it easy. SIP SIP SIP!!! YOU WILL GET TIPSY QUITE QUICKLY...so stay ahead of getting drunk!!!! NURSE YOUR DRINKS...until you know what you can handle with your little stomach!

I am pre-op (in liquid phase) and my Dr. insists on no alcohol for a year. I don't plan on touching a drop until that time and then it will be very moderate. Alcohol has so much sugar in it in all forms. Not for this chick for all the money sunk into this surgery. (smile)

Weight loss is in slooooooooooo moooooooooooooooootion! But to be honest, I have been partaking much more alcohol this summer than usual and eating more of the bad stuff. But my fill is still pretty good. I am going to be more serious about my good food this month and come September, I am gonna rock on hard. I am determined to beat the odds of a 60% weight loss. I am aiming to lose 100%..... 20-25 more to go..... How is everyone else doing on their current fill. I'd love to hear. I am thinking, one more small fill to 3.2 and I will be there.

I've lost a good bit by now (84lbs with 39 to go) my belly button isn't getting any air and it's gross and smelly and wet. Sooo gross. I've tried lotrimin spray and alcohol to clean it but it's still gross. Any advise on how to deal with this? Also when do you start thinking about plastic surgery. Again I still have a ways to go but I'm already seeing belly button issues and thinking I need to wrap my head around another surgery. And also what's the chance I get my insurance company to pay for it? Band to sleeve revision surgery 1/16/17 HW: 283 CW: 199 GW: 160

I don't really blame your Dad for refusing treatments for lung cancer. Many times the treatment is much harder than the cancer and it can sometimes speed the death process. The final days are not very fun on chemo. As for the ways your Mom treated you growing up... I have this theory. If I had a chance to change things and not have been raised by alcoholics, I still wouldn't change a thing. It wasn't easy but I learned a great deal from it. I have skills and abilities I wouldn't have had I not been raised exactly as I was. My sisters whine and complain and blame every issues within their personalities on the way we were raised. I guess I just see things differently. It gave me a great deal and I learned from it. Question... what in the world made her quit drinking at 70? That's a long time to be drinking and suddenly quit. I'm sorry about your Dad. Treasure even the frustrating times. If I could have my Dad back in ANY way, with any personality, with any issues... I'd do it in a heartbeat. Just get him to tell you stories that he remembers about when he was growing up. Or have him remember the times that were fun and tell about it. Just be honest, tell him that with his cancer nobody knows what kind of time he has left and you want the stories. People LOVE to talk about themselves. They love to tell stories, they love to talk about funny things they remember. If he is still grumpy and grouchy talk to him like his little girl and explain to him what you have told us here. Just be honest with him. Try it, tell him you are going to miss him *so* much and you really need some Dad/Daughter time. What do you have to lose?

do you eat anything with sugar alcohol in it? Most sugsr free foods have some. My protien bars had 9g and I was having the worst gas ever. I switched bars and it is a lot better now. Just something to look into Good luck,

JaLynn, That is really cool about your dad. Cat for sure takes care of their employees and guests! I can guarantee you that your dad has an awesome time at the races! Yeah cutie pie Kasey! My 16 year old daughter caught a glimpse of him on Sunday and I thought she was going to die! How 'bout Mark Martin #4? He is so awesome! Did ya'll know he is a recovering alcoholic? He also love rap music? Does anyone watch NASCAR 360? It is usually on on Saturday nights during the September programs. Ya'll should catch it if you can! It is an awesome show. the spotlight like 3 different drivers each week. The funniest one is was when Kevin Harvick farts on his prissy wife! I died laughing! Just a couple weeks until Texas! Wooo hooo Getting way excited!

Hi there! I was sleeved by Dr Hart also, on May 15th, so I'm exactly 8 weeks out today. Lost 35 since surgery, 50 since heaviest weight. I'm doing really well, but I like to drink alcohol a few times a week. Vodka doesn't bother me at all, but trying to find new ideas for mixers. Seems like everything is either sugary or carbonated. Any yummy suggestions for what you drink? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks everyone. I reallyfeel I could benefit by eating raisen bran for the constipation issue, but I am a carbaholic. Just like an alcoholic avoids the drink, I don't know where to quit when I start with carbs. I have to wonder if a small amount of raisen bran would cause cravings though. I guess I just need to try and see. It's going to eat up all my carb allowance for breakfast.

Well that brings up a good question, Nancy. Since all I am hearing about the sleeve is how great and wonderful it is, why would anyone choose RNY surgery these days? I am assuming that RNY is the procedure that has been done for many years that involves bypass rather than removal, correct? I understand that you believe that you need the malabsorbtion side effect that RNY creates. Is that because it causes you to restrict the fat you eat, due to the odor problems? Or is it for some other reason? Wasa I really appreciate hearing your story. And Susan, you too. I've been here since Aug. 2006 and I've read a lot of posts by both of you. Wasa I know what a proponent of the band you were and you even helped other people who were looking for a doctor and all that. Wasa at first I hardly knew where my port was. I had to really probe around to find it. The longer I've had it, the more prominent it is. But that may just be due to my having put on some poundage in the last few months. Susan you've lost 80 lbs. and I've only lost about 40 lbs. that I can keep off. There's another 20 or so that I seem to play around with. At first I thought I had just slowed down losing, but since I have regained 20 lbs. since Nov., I think I am realizing that I will never get to 135, as I'd hoped. I too got to the point where I hated, just hated, to go for a fill. I got really tired of either having too little restriction or too much. I hit a point where I had a fill of 2.2 and it seemed to be my "sweet spot". Then something happened (who knows what) and it was too much. And I'm back into the search for a fill that actually helps me instead of causing me grief. I am like oregon (I think it was) who said she was sick and tired of thinking about food all the time. I'm either trying to work on finding an intelligent choice for my next meal, or I am obsessed with what I can eat that will taste good and stay down. It seems like that's kind of like an alcoholic who is constantly thinking about drinking all the time and having to choose whether to drink 8 oz. of gin or 4 oz. of vodka. Not a perfect analogy, but you get my drift. Frankly, I am jealous of plain's and Jachut's success.

Down a pound this week...just .5 and I'll be at 75# (my next goal). I can't even believe I lost weight over Christmas...I ate snacks/appetizers, drank lots of alcohol and ate a little of everything, including a few cookies. I'm starting to feel 'normal' when it comes to food LOL! I love my band!

I will certainly try that...it's so hard for me at times. During the evenings I crave carbs so badly I just feel like the craving takes over me... I hope I can break this cycle the 2nd time around with the balloon. I wish I could get the 2nd balloon tomorrow but the doc says I have to wait a good amount of time so that it'll shock my stomach again. Hence why we're waiting until July... I just hate this battle. For some people it's gambling, alcohol, drugs, coffee, for me it's effing food... I hate this. One great thing was I stopped smoking completely from others, I was only socially smoking but I will not do it ever again, I have absolutely no desire.

From what I've seen the 30 gram bars are usually just higher in protein because they are bigger. You can only cram so much into a small bar. I second the Think Thin bars, they have sugar alcohols instead of nasty stevia or sucralose, but don't eat them in excess because sugar alcohols can cause terrible gas and bloating.

186.5 for me today. I was away for check-in last week, but had gone up 2 pounds to 189 (that stress must have been catching that week). So with a little pre-planning I lost those 2 I'd gained and another .5 pound ON VACATION last week...simply amazing...6 days of every meal out and lots of alcohol (yes, I did) and I lost weight. I love my band! GO BUNNIES!!!

Here is a June 18th article. Please click on LIKE in corner if you read this. Gastric bypass for weight loss increases alcohol use, study says: Patients who undergo a gastric bypass for weight loss are 30% more likely to develop problems with alcohol. (National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health / June 18, 2012) By Thomas H. Maugh II June 18, 2012, 12:11 p.m. A major new study confirms previous sporadic reports that weight-loss surgery increases the risk of alcohol abuse, researchers reported Monday. In the second year after having a gastric bypass, technically known as Roux-en-Y surgery, patients were 30% more likely to have problems controlling their alcohol use, a team reported online in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. and at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Previous reports have suggested that alcohol abuse could be a problem following bariatric surgery, but the studies have been small and generally involved collecting data at some point after the procedure. In the new study, a team led by epidemiologist Wendy C. King of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine began studying 2,458 adults before they underwent bariatric surgery at one of 10 hospitals. Of those, 1,945 could be monitored for one to two years after the procedure. The team found that 7.6% of the patients suffered from alcohol-abuse disorders (abuse and dependence) in the year before the surgery. At the end of one year after the procedure, the percentage was about the same, 7.3%. But by the end of the second year, the prevalence of such disorders had climbed to 9.6%, a 30% increase. Virtually all of the increase occurred in patients who had undergone gastric bypass, with no increase among the roughly 30% of patients who had a banding procedure. Some research suggests that the increase in problems arises because the metabolism of alcohol changes after gastric bypass. "Given a standardized quantity of alcohol, patients reach a higher peak alcohol level [in the bloodstream] after surgery compared with case-controls or their pre-operative levels," the team wrote. In other words, bypass patients get drunk faster and with smaller amounts of alcohol. The excessive drinking may be a greater problem for bariatric surgery patients because alcohol abuse can affect Vitamin and mineral status and liver function, which are already potential problems for the surgery patients, King said. She urges clinicians to perform a better job of screening patients for abuse before surgery and to offer counseling to help them combat the problem. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

PNut - Congratulations on the loss and the size 14's!!!!, and congratulations on having the courage to be open about your self-medication with the alcohol, not just to the board, but most importantly to yourself! I know a zillion people have said it, and will say it, ignore the haters. Issues with alcohol and/or drugs is -nothing- to be ashamed of. Just like struggling to overcome over eating, addiction is a medical issue, not a moral one. If people have diabetes or cancer no one attaches a stigma to it, substance abuse/addiction should be viewed the same, unfortunately it's not by too many - those people are the ignorant ones. Get support, get well, and keep us posted!!!! It's obvious to all, you have not only oodles of love and support around you at home, but here on lapbandtalk too. XO Leila

My surgeon didn't require for any weight lost before surgery, he set the date of surgery around 2 months after the first appointment. During those two months I did the hell lot of the research on life after gastric sleeve (of course this site is one of my useful resources) and I decided to try if I could live with it. So I followed the low carb diet, drank a lot of water, no alcohols, no soda, no sweets (except with my coffee in the morning), ate a pound of vegetable per day and I lost 13 lbs! during those two months post-op. That's how I knew I was ready to commit myself to the life after gastric sleeve.

If you are struggling to eat 60 gms of protein but are eating 600 to 700 calories per day, the non-protein calories must be coming from carbs, fats or alcohol calories. 1gm of protein = 4 calories as does 1gm of carb, 1gm fat = 9 calories, 1gm alcohol = 7 calories. Say you have 50gms of protein, that would be 200cals...the other 400 to 500 are coming from something else. That or you are not consuming as many calories as you think.

Hi Everyone, I'm Michele T addict, alcoholic, cancer survivor, and friend of Bill's celebrating 7 years sober today. What a gift! I'm getting sleeved on Aug 16 and really aware that my disease can manifest is many other places. Today a cute guy on a motorcycle smiled at me and I was high for an hour (oh and for that hour I almost forgot I was married) Everything is a drug to me so I've stepped up my meetings and when I read the BB I am always reading it and putting food, shopping, men, ect in place of alcohol. I'm in the midst of a deep 4th step right now to try to clean out the cobwebs and be ready for this next phase of my amazing journey. Nice to know there are others here. Hugs, Michele

First trip since the pandemic started. Strangely, reflux was better, I am wondering if it's because I forgot to pack the iron supplement. I know the iron irritates my intestines but I didn't know it could influence reflux. I will have to experiment with taking it/not taking it to see if that's the cause. Also, I found out I'm sensitive to some kind of sugar alcohol--I had pancakes for breakfast one day and the syrup in a little pitcher on the tray was thicksomething er and not sugary-sweet like pancake syrup. I used a few tablespoons and was treated to the most amazing amounts of bloating, gas, and liquid poop. I spent the afternoon in the bathroom. I think the waiter just grabbed whatever pitcher was nearest in the kitchen and either it was "diet" syrup or they buy something augmented with sugar alcohols because it's cheap. I won't make that mistake again.

Thanks for all the info. The 2 day break really helped and my period has stopped. I took the shots yesterday and today and had no problems. I think my hormones were raging last week and I was just freaking out over all of this. Letting the alcohol dry does help with the stinging and if I do the shot quick, the only pain I get is a little stinging for a short time after I do the shot.

I didn’t post this earlier because this board was a place for hope and optimism and I didn’t want my failures to bring the hopes down. Currently I find myself spiraling out of control and just waiting for the happy release when I hit the ground. I started this band process in October of 2008, today, I’m down 3lbs since then. That hurts, and what hurts more is that it’s not the band, it’s me. I eat the wrong things because they’re convenient and because they’re there. I don’t live alone, so there are things in my house that are easy to eat that are wrong and I know they’re wrong but I do it anyways, and then I hate myself for it. And I don’t know why I can’t stop doing that. I don’t want to admit these things at a group meeting because… what the fuck? How is that even possible? What kind of person knowing makes the wrong choice and gets depressed over it, only to repeat the cycle hours later? That’s psychotic and that’s what I find myself doing. It’s painful and stressful to sit and think horrible things about yourself after every meal. And I know, before you say it, I know that I should just make the right choice, but even I don’t know why I don’t. Please believe that if it were just that simple I would already have done it. I’m exhausted all the time. I have one full time job where I have to work as hard as possible every minute to prove myself as there seems to be some kind of stigma against younger workers that they’re lazy and ineffective. I have two part time jobs so I can help out my parents, who aren’t doing so great right now. I take three classes so I can finish my undergrad degree, and I’m exhausted. I’m also exhausted from being disappointed in myself when food comes. I’m not giving up, and I want to win this fight, but I’m so exhausted that I don’t know when I can. I find it complete bullshit that alcoholics and people addicted to drugs get sympathy and drug programs and get to take leave of absences from their jobs to work out their problems, but they can avoid liquor when they’re done and they can have prescriptions that keep them from detoxing, but overweight people face food everyday multiple times a day and the support is…. Only from other people fighting alongside you. We all have the people in our office who put candy on their desk or encourage us to make bad choices, and ultimately those choices are our own to make, but could you imagine finding out a coworker was an alcoholic trying to remain sober and you put out a little bowl of nips? Maybe the parallels are only in my head. I have meetings schedule with Dr. R. and Phyllis and they frighten me because this struggle with weight is the one thing I’m not completely honest about. I want to pretend that I have it all under control and that it’s not controlling me. I need to control everything and this is the one thing I can’t and it makes me feel powerless and at its mercy. Beating this will be my greatest victory and sense of control, knowing that If I get it under control, I can handle anything, but until then it’s my biggest fear and insecurity. When we line up on the battlefield, I have my brain and my band, and the opposing side has found a way to neutralize my brain and the band just isn’t designed to win on its own. Until I can fix that, I will lose, and hate every minute of it. I’m sorry this was so long.

Ducker: You seriously need to relax. You are the classic "extremism person" who probably exhibits this behavior in other areas of life. "All or nothing" as you say philosophy in one of your posts. In studying behavior, you are probably are a choleric personality type who tends to control things. Heck...you didn't either bother to verify that the original poster was 4 weeks post op instead of the 3 days. In moderation alcohol is fine...so please don't act like its not and treat people like they are second class citizens if they do. Yes...we all need to be careful (especially during the healing phase) but to be LEGALISTIC on alcohol (in moderation) is clearly wrong from a common sense point of view and medical point of view. I know you said you are fine with alcohol...but the words and spirit (in your posts) clearly says otherwise.

I can say from almost a year and half of being banded and 90 lbs lost that drinking alcohol has not held me back. But again your experience may be different and you need to tell your Dr. The reason I got the lapband was to make some positive lifestyle changes but I also enjoy going out with my friends, having a couple drinks or shots. I got the band so I could live the life I wanted to and that does include some alcohol. Plus they did a study in britian that found that women who drink 3 to 4 a week are actually healthier than those who don't. It was a 20 year study. Again you should have this conversation with your surgeon.

You need to be upfront with your Dr about alcohol use. I had turned 21 a couple months before so I told him plan on drinking once in a while. After all the reason I got the band was I could live a fun and more enjoyable life. Listen to your drs suggest about when you can start. Remember alcohol is empty calories but I always say they are damn good empty calories. Also remember since your losing weight and eating less you are going to be more of a lightweight. Also you should search the forum cause this topic has come up before, so you can get more input.