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Posted this in the general forum, but, was mainly getting responses from women. Wondered what your guys' take was? Thanks: I am 31 years old and have basically done whatever I wanted (within reason) whenever I wanted since mid-college. I'm self-employed in the financial industry so I have been able to take off on a vacation, golf, or whatever reasonably easy (since I didn't have to ask my employer first.) This do whatever, whenever mentality is partly why I'm in the shape I'm in, I love to eat... and eat good. One of the things that I'm most worried about is the possibility that I won't be able to drink carbonated beverages such as beer or alcohol in general after surgery. I'm not an alcoholic by any means, but, I have a lot of fun. And drinking on the golf course or during a cocktail hour in business settings has been a big part of my life over the past 10 years. Not to mention, most of my friends like to kick back and drink on the weekends. I'm confused because I have read many things that a lot of folks aren't able to handle alcohol or drink carbonated beverages at all... Yet, I have a good friend who had the surgery and in some ways, I wouldn't hardly notice a difference in his eating/drinking unless he had told me. He still drinks a few beers, drinks a ton of wine, and some mixes and seems to be fine. The main area I can see a difference is that he seems to get drunker quicker. What are your experiences? What is the norm? Is it just that this surgery affects everyone differently? I mean, I am obviously willing to give up some of this for my health for my family... But, I'm just trying to figure out what to expect. Any input is appreciated. Oh, and my surgery is scheduled for this coming Monday. Thanks.

Several weeks after being banded , we went out for dinner fo the 1st time after surgery. I took 3 tiny bites of the inside of a quesidilla, 3 tiny sips of my hubbys margarita ( I forgot and used the straw ! ) Uh oh !!!!! Half came back up in the bathroom, half in the parking lot ! I dont know if it was the alcohol or the straw, but DON'T try a straw unless you're way out from surgery, and preferably home near a bathroom. Just sayin' .

Personal experience, no preaching. I am almost 9 months out. I honestly haven't tried carbonation. I drank WAY too much diet soda to open that door again at this point. I do hope to maybe try a beer again one day, or a hard cider...but since drinking while eating makes me completely ill I probably won't try that for a LONG time. I think it's luck of the draw who can and who can't. Carbonation makes a lot of people ill. I have has wine (once--about 1/4 glass), margaritas (twice, again about 1/4 glass) and an after dinner liqueur (once--amaretto--about half of a shot glass). All four times the alcohol hit me VERY fast and hard. Which is why I have only done it twice!

I was so damn thirsty and out of Water I had some soda when I was 1 week post op, and was totally fine!! I've had sips of sparkling water and sodas here and there and It goes down like wata! I think beer would be fine but might take you a while to get used to again because of the foam . Everyone is different so I wouldn't count on other peoples experiences to be your own. But In my experience it's been fine, I've had no nausea or vomiting or taste change since surgery and never had high blood pressure or acid reflux or diabetes. I guess take a look at your own stats and maybe you'll guess how your body will react, if not well your surgery is right round the corner so you'll know sooner than later lol Plus I always hear about people after surgery who trade one addiction for another and become alcoholics, well that makes me think that drinking is possible after the surgery. Just be careful, I have to tell you that for me right now at 3 weeks post op, your brain is going to hurt and not being able to eat is going to start to wear on you so I can see how it's easy to pick up drinking to cope. I'm 30 as well. Gooooood luck!!!

If you are putting yourself thru WLS why would you be worried about drinking? Are you having this surgery for the right reasons? If you can't give up alcohol then maybe you should reconsider the surgery. Having a drink once in awhile is one thing but several drinks several times a week is another matter. You don't have to drink to have a good time. Good luck on your WLS journey. It will be worth it. It is also a lifetime commitment.

Hi, although I have the band 28/08/13, I read that your not supposed to drink carbonated drinks and I asked about this ( also about 'do you have to relax your band before flying - you don't) and I was advised that originally it was a big No No as it is thought that the bubbles could end up stretching your stomach pouch or become uncomfortable if the air gets stuck but the jury is now stuck on the stretching bit but yes the air can become trapped ( which can hurt lol). I personally have never really been a fizzy drinker but have on a few occasions had b couple of mouth full off pop on a hot day and can honestly say I now don't bother to drink fizzy as it does get stuck lol so I suppose it's how you tolerate it. I don't drink alcohol anymore as it now gives me hart burn and I have now learnt it's much more fun when you don't have the hangover the morning after. The question about your friend doesn't seem to be able to hold his drink so well now will be down to several factors, he isn't eating as much - think about when you go out with out eating = a cheap date. Also, he would of been used to drinking a lot as his body with all the extra size would of been soaked up as well as a fatty and swollen liver that's used to the excesses in life would of been able to deal with braking the alcohol down better, now he has very little fat, his lives would of shrunk and not be able to process as quickly. Im sorry if I have rambled, but hope I might of been able to help. Good luck with your decision, I have lost 61/2 stone or 31 kilo in under a year and now only have 2 more stone to go and you can do it too

This is just my personal opinion -- having several nephews who suffer from these issues. (I also was a young person one time. ) Many young people who "just drink with my friends when we go out" have literally no idea that they have a serious drinking problem. In fact, some of them are alcoholics. The problem is they have little context for what is happening. Everyone in their social set drinks like a fish,and there's literally no appreciation for what social drinking actually is. For the record, social drinking means having 3-5 drinks a week. It's not 2-4 drinks 4 nights a week and 8-12 drinks the other 3 nights of the week. Social drinking does not include getting drunk. Ever. Now, having gotten that off my chest, if your friend drinks a few beers, a ton of wine and some mixed drinks ... bazinga! He's going to gain back all the weight he has lost. Bottom line -- yes, after a while (a year or two) anyone who wants to can eat and drink around their sleeve's restriction. In fact, that's precisely HOW 40 - 50% of all patients who have WLS eventually gain back all their weight. Sincere best wishes to you. Your long-term success with the tool your sleeve offers you depends on your ability to be compliant with your surgeon's instructions and to change your lifestyle -- eating, exercise, and probably some serious "head work" that most people who are obese have to tackle eventually.

I am 3 weeks post surgery and know that diet coke/ wine/ beer is out of the question for me forever. Funny thing is, I haven't missed it at all. My taste buds have been altered and the only thing that tastes ok is Water and un-sweet tea. Even I am surprised that I don't miss it. Since you asked, and this is only my opinion, dont sell your self short. You can have a great time enjoying the new you without alcohol. I frequently enjoyed wine in the evenings and certainly at outings and social events before my surgery. What I have read in several reports, is the incidence of alcoholism rises significantly after bariatric surgery. Obviously, I have eating issues; I have just undergone VSG. If I cant eat, I don't want to replace one issue with another. May I remind you, that you are a lot of fun and have many friends who want to hang out with you! They will see you looking better every month and will encourage you to let the part of your past go that led to your weight issues. You can do this! Good luck to you. I know that's how it's supposed to be, but, again... I physically see my friend who has had the operation doing it, as well as reading a few other posts from other people saying they have an occasional beer or three as well. What dictates whether your able to handle it? Is it just pure luck? Or if you drank a lot in past, are you more likely to be able to handle it after sleeve? Again, I don't know, just asking.

I am 31 years old and have basically done whatever I wanted (within reason) whenever I wanted since mid-college. I'm self-employed in the financial industry so I have been able to take off on a vacation, golf, or whatever reasonably easy (since I didn't have to ask my employer first.) This do whatever, whenever is partly why I'm in the shape I'm in, I love to eat... and eat good. One of the things that I'm most worried about is the possibility that I won't be able to drink carbonated beverages such as beer or things that mix with alcohol after surgery. I'm not an alcoholic by any means, but, I have a lot of fun. And drinking on the golf course or during a cocktail hour in business settings has been a big part of my life over the past 10 years. Not to mention, most of my friends like to kick back and drink on the weekends. I'm confused because I have read many things that a lot of folks aren't able to handle alcohol or drink carbonated beverages at all... Yet, I have a good friend who had the surgery and in some ways, I wouldn't hardly notice a difference in his eating/drinking unless he had told me. He still drinks a few beers, drinks a ton of wine, and some mixes and seems to be fine. The main area I can see a difference is that he seems to get drunker quicker. What are your experiences? What is the norm? Is it just that this surgery affects everyone differently? I mean, I am obviously willing to give up some of this for my health for my family... But, I'm just trying to figure out what to expect. Any input is appreciated. Oh, and my surgery is scheduled for this coming Monday. Thanks.

Just wanted to share this today....It doesn't take a marathon! http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/28/even-a-5-minute-run-can-help-prevent-heart-disease/ Even a 5-minute run can help prevent heart disease Good news for runners: A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests running, even for a few minutes a day, can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease – whether you plod along or go at race speed. Researchers studied more than 55,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 100 over a 15-year period, looking at their overall health, whether they ran and how long they lived. Compared to nonrunners, those who ran had a 30% lower risk of death from all causes and a 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, investigators found. In fact, runners on average lived three years longer than those who did not hit the pavement. When data was broken down by age, sex, body mass index, and smoking and alcohol use, the benefits were still the same. “That’s important to note,” said Dr. Warren Levy, a cardiologist and chief medical officer of Virginia Heart in northern Virginia. “Even with all the negative factors, such as obesity, smoking and diabetes, those who were, let’s say, obese and ran had a less likely chance of dying from heart problems than those obese people who didn’t run. Same with smokers, diabetics, etc. ” The speed and frequency of a person's running routine did not make a huge difference either. The data showed novice runners who ran less than 51 minutes, fewer than 6 miles, slower than 6 miles per hour, or only one or two times per week still had a lower risk of dying than those who did not put on running shoes. D.C. Lee, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Iowa State University's kinesiology department in Ames, Iowa, said the researchers found runners who ran less than an hour per week have the “same mortality benefits compared to runners who ran more than three hours per week.” So more may not be better. “Its been shown that after a certain amount of running over a certain period of time, the benefits seem to wane,” said Levy. “We aren’t quite sure why.” However, researchers did discover that consistency was key. They found participants who ran consistently over a period of six years or more gained the most benefits, with a 29% lower risk of death for any reason and 50% lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke. There have been many studies that have shown the benefits of exercise on the heart. But this study is one of the largest to pinpoint the positive effects of running, especially for nonmarathoners or nontriathletes. "Since time is one of the strongest barriers to participate in physical activity, the study may motivate more people to start running and continue to run as an attainable health goal for mortality benefits," Lee said. Activities like running can lower your blood pressure and decrease the production of glucose, which cuts your risk of developing diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. Running also seems to protect the innermost lining of the arteries, keeping the walls and cells intact, which cuts the risk of blockages or clots that can cause strokes or heart attacks. Levy, a runner himself, said people considering taking up running programs should talk to their doctors first, especially if they have chronic conditions. “A lot of weekend warriors just go out without preparing for their run. It’s the runner who takes it gradually and trains correctly, even for a run around the block, who's the one who avoids injuries and other complications."

Even a 5-minute run can help prevent heart disease Good news for runners: A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests running, even for a few minutes a day, can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease – whether you plod along or go at race speed. Researchers studied more than 55,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 100 over a 15-year period, looking at their overall health, whether they ran and how long they lived. Compared to nonrunners, those who ran had a 30% lower risk of death from all causes and a 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, investigators found. In fact, runners on average lived three years longer than those who did not hit the pavement. When data was broken down by age, sex, body mass index, and smoking and alcohol use, the benefits were still the same. “That’s important to note,” said Dr. Warren Levy, a cardiologist and chief medical officer of Virginia Heart in northern Virginia. “Even with all the negative factors, such as obesity, smoking and diabetes, those who were, let’s say, obese and ran had a less likely chance of dying from heart problems than those obese people who didn’t run. Same with smokers, diabetics, etc. ” The speed and frequency of a person's running routine did not make a huge difference either. The data showed novice runners who ran less than 51 minutes, fewer than 6 miles, slower than 6 miles per hour, or only one or two times per week still had a lower risk of dying than those who did not put on running shoes. D.C. Lee, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Iowa State University's kinesiology department in Ames, Iowa, said the researchers found runners who ran less than an hour per week have the “same mortality benefits compared to runners who ran more than three hours per week.” So more may not be better. “Its been shown that after a certain amount of running over a certain period of time, the benefits seem to wane,” said Levy. “We aren’t quite sure why.” However, researchers did discover that consistency was key. They found participants who ran consistently over a period of six years or more gained the most benefits, with a 29% lower risk of death for any reason and 50% lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke. There have been many studies that have shown the benefits of exercise on the heart. But this study is one of the largest to pinpoint the positive effects of running, especially for nonmarathoners or nontriathletes. "Since time is one of the strongest barriers to participate in physical activity, the study may motivate more people to start running and continue to run as an attainable health goal for mortality benefits," Lee said. Activities like running can lower your blood pressure and decrease the production of glucose, which cuts your risk of developing diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. Running also seems to protect the innermost lining of the arteries, keeping the walls and cells intact, which cuts the risk of blockages or clots that can cause strokes or heart attacks. Levy, a runner himself, said people considering taking up running programs should talk to their doctors first, especially if they have chronic conditions. “A lot of weekend warriors just go out without preparing for their run. It’s the runner who takes it gradually and trains correctly, even for a run around the block, who's the one who avoids injuries and other complications." http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/28/even-a-5-minute-run-can-help-prevent-heart-disease/

The Red Dress Run is an annual 5K BAR HOPPING "RUN" through the French Quarter, where everyone, including the men, wear RED DRESSES. The older and funkier the dresses, the better. Lots of alcohol, but that's par for the course when you live in THE BIG EASY!!!!!!!!! I bought a CUTE red summer dress bc I intend to wear it again. My husband's dress is a THRIFT STORE MARKDOWN. LOL

Good advice riggins - also, what are you eating, are you drinking calories, are you tracking your food /water(or drink) intake, - this is the number one BEST way to be sure your remain on track - also do you drink alcohol - obviously all of these thing will vary your results - at the end of the day it's still about burning more than you consume... Lots of luck - keep your chin up, be active, make every bite count & be true to yourself ! - you can do this !

Whew...I suck to my pre-op diet and made it through my birthday without eating cake or drinking alcohol. It was hard. I haven't told anyone besides my wife about my upcoming surgery. So my friends and family put a lot of pressure on me to day. They all meant well. I made a promise to myself and stuck to it. Good luck to everybody.

So I had my psych eval this afternoon. I found myself wondering on the drive there what kinds of questions they would ask. I really didn't worry about it but I was curious. Since I wasn't a patient, I had to fill out all the new patient stuff...but it was kind of cool because it was all on a tablet and went pretty quickly. The Dr. was able to see my responses as I entered them and since I was the last patient of the afternoon I actually went in about 10 minutes early. I'll try to list as many questions as I can remember: 1. How long have you been married? 2. Why are you here today? 3. How long have you been considering WLS? 4. Which surgery do you think you want? This one was followed by a discussion about talking to the surgeon, what did the surgeon recommend...etc 5. What are the cons to the surgery? I started with the medical ones...he pushed towards the "other ones" things like changing behaviors, social situations, family issues.... 6. What are the pros to the surgery? 7. How long has weight been an issue? I briefly wondered if this was a trick question....like "when did you stop kicking your dog...lol 8. What else do you hope to accomplish with your surgery? 9. Have you ever been in a psychiatric hospital? 10. Tell me about your depression. (self reported by me, have been on anti depressant for about 6 years and it runs in my family) 11. Tell me about your family's weight/relation to food. Then we did some memory stuff...he asked me to remember three words, then asked me to spell world, then spell it backward (harder than you think under pressure ), who was president..before him...before him....and then he asked me what the 3 words were. I can only guess that this was to make sure I was able to follow things???? 12. Have you ever binged and then purged? 13.Ever been treated for drug or alcohol abuse? When we were done he said he thought there were 4 main reasons insurance companies require the psych eval: 1. To ensure the person has a good understanding of the commitment level/risks (although the surgeons office also assess this I would think especially if you have a supervised diet period) 2. To ensure that there aren't any environmental issues that might keep you from being successful 3. To help ensure you are able to follow instructions/guidelines 4. To help ensure that you will be a good patient for the surgeon (although he didn't elaborate on that one). All in all easy peasy. Next Monday is a busy day for pre-insurance testing...I have my second NUT apt, an upper GI, an EKG and my cardiac clearance apt! Beth

I'm only five days post-op and I don't regret it. I do freak out realizing I can't eat an entire pizza ever again. Lucky for me i know this addiction journey. I gave up alcohol 3 years ago, at first I was in disbelief I had really given it up. Then I went through the envy phase - why can everyone else drink and control themselves and I can not. It took a long time to not stare at others drinking or feel awkward going out in drinking environment. I just have to be patient knowing that I will soon enter my envy stage and it will take time before my mind stops craving the food and I move on.

I am waiting for my insurance to OK my lap-band surgery. But in the mean time i am eating like i always have,its like i know i will never be able to have these foods again. And i guess maybe i will feel deprived and have mad cravings? why do i do this knowing i need to change? I feel like i want to eat everything ,i guess like a alcoholic having his last drink before going in to rehab. I just hope that i can get over these feelings and have better control of my eating. Maybe i will have to change or die.

I am waiting for my insurance to OK my lap-band surgery. But in the mean time i am eating like i always have,its like i know i will never be able to have these foods again. And i guess maybe i will feel deprived and have mad cravings? why do i do this knowing i need to change? I feel like i want to eat everything ,i guess like a alcoholic having his last drink before going in to rehab. I just hope that i can get over these feelings and have better control of my eating. Maybe i will have to change or die. ...feeling out of control pre op surgery in November 2014

I am waiting for my insurance to OK my lap-band surgery. But in the mean time i am eating like i always have,its like i know i will never be able to have these foods again. And i guess maybe i will feel deprived and have mad cravings? why do i do this knowing i need to change? I feel like i want to eat everything ,i guess like a alcoholic having his last drink before going in to rehab. I just hope that i can get over these feelings and have better control of my eating. Maybe i will have to change or die.

This is a great thread. Of course there is the given impossibility of just stopping food, vs. alcohol or heroin, etc. And how black and white all that is. We need to be able to eat healthily, so in that way it's a completely different animal to negotiate.....but our behaviors? I know that I have an addictive personality. I have to look at my decisions from that point of view.

..how grateful I am for my band. I was on a cruise last week and was able to do whatever I wanted. I walked all over this huge ship and had no pain, no issues at all. I went onto a small boat to go snorkeling and had no problem getting on it from the dock, or getting in and out of the Water on the ladder either. I was even able to run the length of that long long pier in St. Thomas as we were late back to the ship. I kept up and even went faster than my sister. I've gotten a new lease on life and it's all due to the band. I had absolutely no issues with the food because I was so aware of how much better I was feeling this time compared to the last cruise I was on. It's easy to walk away from the buffet when you can move without pain and when you can fit in any chair, booth, lounge chair, barstool, plane seat, etc, etc. Below is a picture of a very happy woman sitting at the bar at Maaho Beach and not sweating like a pig or embarrassed about her size. Life is good. ...oh and I lost another pound even with the increase in alcoholic consumption over the past week.

Clearly, you are NOT a doctor. What you are mixing is crazy-- very dangerous! In my opinion, it also sounds like you are on the way to crossing over from a food addiction to an alcohol addiction.

India Mark ... With all due respect, are you nuts? Taking Percocet (oxycodone) and alcohol together? Google is your friend. http://prescription-drug.addictionblog.org/mixing-percocet-with-alcohol/ http://www.drugs.com/disease-interactions/acetaminophen-oxycodone,percocet.html

I spent the past week in Florida (my first real vacation since my VSG just over a year ago). We had a blast!!-- 1 week at Vero Beach and a couple days at Disney (Magic Kingdom). I was surprised and excited to see how wonderful vacation is as an average sized person. I wore a bathing suit, played in the sand, kept up without getting out of breath, my feet didn't hurt, and it wasn't NEARLY as HOT as I remembered other vacations to be. LOL. I felt comfortable in my own skin & fit in all the rides -- I skipped my family's last trip to Disney bc I was embarrassed I wouldn't fit on some rides-- anyway-- It was AWESOME! So... About the food: For the most part, I eat very well at home. Very few packaged food (only dairy, nuts, Protein supplements, and peanut butter)) and the rest of my diet is fresh produce and meats. As for our trip, I decided to take a vacation from my way of eating while on vacation. I still focused on protein and ate small portions, but I went a little wild on my choices of Snacks at Magic Kingdom. My husband (who also follows a low carb/ high protein diet) says, "there's no rules on vacation!" LOL My confession: at Disney I ate a Mickey icecream bar, a fruit smoothie, 5 French fries, and shared an icecream sundae with my husband. GASP! I also had 3 alcoholic beverages during my week (of which I can only drink about 1/3 ). Confession continued: nothing tastes as good as I remembered. Nothing gave me the high it once did. I didn't crave it. I didn't love any of it. And afterwards, Those poor food choices made me feel tired & down... Just no energy. That trash did nothing good for my body. Junk makes you feel like junk. So I had a WONDERFUL vacation, but I'm happy to be back to my normal eating & drinking habits. Here's a few pic of my trip along with some food & beverage choices. And a pic of the safety bar on a ride that doesn't keep me very safe bc I'm so much smaller than my husband now. HAHAHA.

I have kept to the diet described in my Surgery Bible. I do not eat anything that my nutritionist says is objectionable. I know me. If I start binging on foods that are sorta on the list of bad things. I will explode! I know of 1 person that lives in my building that had the same surgery. He lost some weight. But started eating all the same FAT and SUGAR stuff he ate before. That is not for me! I have a long journey before I am through. I will not eat pizza. I will not eat Junk food. I am a FOOD ADDICT. If I start down that road, The Gremlins in my head will tell me SURE IT IS OK. Eat what you want. Your tummy is all shrunk up. No problem. BULLCRAP! I have to not give in to my cravings. now Addictions. I have been Sober from Alcohol for over 24 years. I had just switched Addictions from Alcohol to Food. I had to learn how not to drink 1 day at a time. I am learning how not to Eat as an Addict. This to me is a WAR that I aim to win! 1 meal at a time!