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It is one thing to talk about yourself but you lump every overweight person into your own experience. Generalizations and stereotypes can be very counter productive regardless which population is being discussed. It is like saying all alcoholics just like the taste of beer, or all drug addicts just like to party. Do you feel that all drug addicts are merely addicted because they like to party? Or do you recognize that drug addiction is a mutli-faceted problem? Do you recognize that genetics can play a component in drug and alcohol addiction? How about societal factors that encourage teenagers to drink as much as possible to 'have fun'? Actually, I am no longer mad with you. Are you sure you are not a food addict in denial? Perhaps on the honeymoon phase where losing weight is easiest? Are you prepared for the maintenance mode? It is a good thing that you are exercising and trying to make permanent changes. I hope you carry those changes for life. Just to be on the safe side, perhaps you might consider reading about food addictions. Also, check out the links Alex put. It will save you from accidentally hurting feelings if, indeed, that was not your intention.

So how long did you guys wait until you had a drink with alcohol in it? 4th of July weekend and I am REALLY wanting one.

Under the influence... geeze. And yet another reason I get squeamish when people say "my doctor said I could drink"...yeah, prob because he is an alcoholic him/herself.

Wowza! Just thank your lucky stars that this happened before your surgery and not afterward. You might never have known if he had alcohol in his system while he was operating on you. Please try not to be too nervous. Don't let one bad apple ruin this experience for you. I'm sure his partners will take wonderful care of you. Good luck with everything; I hope this incident will be your only 'speed bump' during your journey.

Hi. I was sleeved June 27, 2014 in Juarez, Mexico by Dr. Rodriguez through the BeLiteWeight.com program. I just wanted to tell you my experience thus far, and I am also a nurse so I was very observant during my hospital stay. I was advised to be there on June 26, 2014 and was picked up by a taxi at the El Paso, TX airport. I was scared to death when I saw the taxi which was a bright orange van, very dirty, with hardly no air-conditioning. The driver was pleasant, courteous, but did not speak English. I was pleasantly surprised when another lady from Arkansas boarded the van with her young daughter and we immediately bonded and my nerves were eased up. The trip across the border was no big deal and it was a short trip to the hospital. The hospital was Angeles Hospital which was in a nice area that was surrounded by fencing and security at the gate. The hospital was beautiful, and was exactly as it is represented on you tube, if you would like to look. We were taken straight to admitting and never left alone at any time. Some advice for those of you that are admitted a day early, bring plenty to read or keep your self busy, it is a long night. In reference to pain, expect it. This is a major surgery and there is pain especially the first post op night, however they will give you morphine and will respond quickly to your light. The best thing you can do is get up and move as soon as possible, this will help you a great deal. I was fortunate that I did not have any GAS pain any place other than occasionally in my tummy. But most all patients have gas pain and it can be in your back, shoulders, chest, etc. (gotta move) STICK to your diet, do exactly what you are instructed to do and you will be fine. Your body will quickly tell you when you have taken too much in, so you will learn quickly to take in small sips. I am not hungry, but I find myself very exhausted so I push fluids and it does make you feel better. I am less than a week out and I am sleeping well, taking very little pain medication, and can get down my pills with no problems. PROS: The hospital is beautiful and very clean. The surgeons and anesthesiologist are very compassionate, and will visit you daily. The staff seem very happy to be there, and have a desire to please. All the staff are dressed in nice matching uniforms, with starched white jackets. The towels and dishes are monogramed, it almost feels like a 5 star hotel. Security is everywhere, and they do watch the elevators. No one comes or goes unless they check you out. I felt completely safe. Call lights are answered quickly. They will have food brought in from the outside for your guest. Almost everyone I came into contact with had a smile on their face and had a good attitude. CONS: Communication is terrible, even if you use a translator on your I phone. Not one person that entered my room washed their hands, and the hand sanitizer outside my door was empty. No one wore name tags or identified themselves as a nurse or a tech etc. No one wore gloves, except maybe one time as I remember and there are no gloves available in the rooms. There are no paper towels in the bathroom, even if they wanted to wash hands before care. No one ever cleaned the hub of the IV port with alcohol before push medications. The T.V. only has 1 English channel, boring. So basically the staff needs additional training in infection control. Things to take with you. Wash cloths, large hand sanitizer (and make them use it), magazines, chap stick, all your paper work, music, toiletries, Gas X strips, chewable antacids, liquid Tylenol, and any comfort things... I have no regrets, I am glad I did this. Hope this helps some of you. Qmovinon

For me I waited six months before drinking anything alcoholic and have tried both wine and beer since then. Wine seems to give me more of a buzz than it used to and two glasses is my limit now. Beer seems better tolerated even with the carbonation though I generally pour it into a glass now to get rid of some and can have a beer or two before dinner without too much effect but have to stop drinking when I start eating and wait at least an hour after a meal before drinking again which I rarely have so far. Still I am 120lbs lighter than I was a year ago so would be worried if I did not get buzzed faster than before.

Sounds like you’re describing my life! Honestly this is what I think…… If we’ve gotten to the point of needing WLS, we have issues LOL. Well an addiction. I completely believe food is like a drug and is addictive. Like alcoholics for example, just because they quit drinking doesn’t mean they don’t crave a drink still! They have their goods days and their bad days, just like us. Sometimes we all relapse and for some people it’s more extreme than for others. I’ve been relapsing for the last 2 yrs and put 30lbs back on. Yuck! I think the only way it passes for us bandsters is when we’ve had enough of backsliding. I have finally had enough and have gotten 5 of the 30lbs I gained off. I’m trying to remember that consistency is key. There is no end to this new lifestyle like there is with a diet. You got this, just remind yourself that you’re worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

My body actually seems to not absorb my pills right, nothing seems to work for pain but I think I'm just immune to meds now however, since I am a 1&1/2 years out my thyroid level has had to be reduced. I think a lower body weight has a lot to do with needing less meds. they also did tell me not to drink alcohol because it would get absorbed faster, and it would take less to effect you mentally. I don't drink anymore so I wouldn't know, but those two things I would say could make them feel more powerful.

I love Quest bars - 20 gm protien, and only 3g net carbs per bar. There are lots of flavors; my faves are Cookies & creme, chocolate chip cookie dough and vanilla almond. I purchase them online, from www.questnutrition.com, because (a) I buy a LOT of them, and stores won't always have the quantities I want; and ( the ones I've bought in stores aren't as fresh as those I get online. For me, 1 Quest bar = 1 fully satisfying meal. For convenience and because I love the flavor, I would be quite happy eating a bar for 3 of my 4 meals each day. However, I've found if I eat more than 1 Quest bar per day, I stop losing weight. I don't gain any, but I don't lose any either. I think it's because I'm on the Atkins diet and the Quest bars probably have some sugar alcohols that interfere with that.

Well, I have alot of allergies, both medical, seasonal, and food allergies. So the first thing I would look into is if you have any problems with the soaps or washes you've been using. I found out that chlorhexadine which is a heavy medical disinfectant is also being used in shampoos, soaps, even lubricant(that as an aha! moment). I happen to be highly allergic to it, but for others it dries them out just like alcohol would. Since it's in alot of products, I now use olive or coconut oil for lube, but there is also a very natural lubricant called H20 that is for all practical purposes a gelled Water. Very nice. You can of course, verify that oil is alright to use with your pharmacist or doctor as I am not a medical professional just someone who has been through the grind. *smiles* Hydration is key of course. Making sure that you get enough water every day. I know that I don't have enough if I even get an inkling of a headache. Some people praise premarin cream, but I had to go as far as full hormone replacement with the patch. My hair had began to break off in clumps and I had lost over a full inch in height in less than a year. It wasn't pretty. I hope this was maybe a little helpful. I can tell you more if you like, just tag me back.

Always the hard headed one, alcohol does not affect me easily. It is quite a waste of time now, I am not fond of the taste and the amount needed to cause me too feel it is far beyond my capacity and not worth the belly burn. I am intoxicated my not being fat anymore.

For me, I could basically out drink a football team before surgery, so I was looking forward to becoming a "cheap date" afterwards. Unfortunately that didn't happen. A couple drink experiments proved I am still pretty "alcohol -proof". It's actually become a motivating factor for me to not even bother to drink alcohol anymore. If I can't get buzzed, what's the point of drinking those empty calories when it has the same effect as drinking water.

Funny how people r so different. Alcohol doesn't affect me any differently now than before wls. I drink a 4oz glass of red wine almost everynite. Haven't gotten a buzz yet. I do miss drinking my Corona Lite on a really hot So Ca day - but carbonation is just uncomfortble now. I will occasionally have a sip of my husbands beer or diet Coke (and I mean just that - 1 sip) and it's ok. As long as I don't try one on my own. Not sure why I decided to measure my favorite wine glass a couple months ago. To my horror, it hold 12 oz! Wow. I had been drinking about 11 oz of wine everyday for months. Thinking it was about 100 calories (what a 5 oz serving is of my fav), I assumed I was doing ok. Come to find out it was almost 300 - a whole meal. I bought some 5 oz wine glasses and drink 4 oz every nite now. haven't missed even 1 oz. Even drinking 11 oz didn't get me buzzed! So not fair sometimes! I started drinking at about 4 mths post op.

Sorry...but you have to be fat (like I was and still am) to have bariatric surgery. I'm fat and so are you if you're having bariatric surgery or had it. Alcoholics are boozers, drug addicts are junkies, and overeaters like myself are fatties. No more hiding behind your oversized plate of slop, no more excuses about not having time, and stop watching a full season of Breaking Bad without leaving the couch. Get outside and walk!

I acted like I had just had the surgery done. I went back to those post op eating habits and exercised. Counted my calories. Nothing white, no alcohol. 100 grams of protein a day. Carried a pedometer and walked at least 10,000 steps a day.

I can't imagine not enjoying the local wineries and breweries here with my friends!

I am a girl that 19 months later I am still having complications due to my decision to have WLS. Do I regret it...NO!!!!!!!!!! I am at goal and living large. So I can't eat that much or binge eat anymore. To me that is a plus. I have learned to control my eating and I am so happy I have my sleeve to be there for me when my favorite foods are dangled in front of me.. When I was young I lost all my weight and then gained it back and set into motion a life style of gaining and losing until I ballooned at 381. Oh no it has not been easy and it never will. But you decided to catch it young and not suffer what a lot of us have suffered at the hands of other people and our own failing health. So you can't binge any more. I think you need to really adjust that brain of yours and realize that partying that way is not normal...It is abnormal. food and alcohol are your untrustworthy lovers. They will hurt you and leave you feeling worse then when you indulged.. Everyone gets buyers remorse...Common. Work past that and get it together. You can't fail. It is not an option now... Do it..Retain your brain and go forward. Live a long and healthy life from here on through. I wish I could have had this option as young as you. But hind sight is 20/20. Just keep swimming. You will only fail if you allow yourself to fail...okay!

Really great point, I could not have put it better myself. The reactions I get from people are almost like I am breaking a rule or a law, rather than undergoing a procedure that could really help me overall. About 75% of those I've told (most of whom are healthcare personnel) seem to emote a quiet judgment, like they really disapprove of this. I catch myself thinking that if I had been addicted to cocaine/meth/alcohol, and came to them, they would extend their arms and be a lot more supportive, trying to give me a hand up out of the problem since I'd sought help. And yet, I've done none of those (illegal) things, kept my nose clean and tried to diet hard, and catch tons of crap just for wanting a WL procedure. Like you mentioned, I'm almost treated like a criminal.

They generally say no carbonation with the lap band too. I have beer every now and then. I try to pour it in such a way as to get most of the carbonation out, then it's sort of a flat beer. I do find that sometimes after one beer I start getting bloated and gassy (no burping anymore with my band) so I will switch to wine or vodka. I do think I tend to get drunk faster, but I have 95 pounds less flesh to help absorb the alcohol. So I'm careful not to overdo it.

I know with RNY they say no carbonated beverages. And no alcohol for a year. I'm over a year and am having my Saturday night wine again. I get very tipsy on a single 4oz glass, where before it took a whole bottle. And I mean VERY tipsy - slurring words and unsteady on my feet tipsy! I haven't noticed that it wears off faster, either, though some people say it does.

Carbonation is BAD!!! Alcohol might not feel like it's effecting you but the alcohol registers in your blood and breathilizer as if you are drunk if you drink to much. So my suggestion is your stay away from it.

I was a big beer drinker before surgery...a twelve pack a day was no challenge on a river trip or weekend camping. But alas, I cannot handle the carbonation postop. I've had a couple sips, but the fizz is a no go. (And yes, it still tasted yummy). As for the getting drunk faster, I have had wine and vodka cocktails postop, but I really didn't notice a big difference in "rate of buzzedness". Honestly, my desire for alcohol has drastically lessened since surgery. I guess that's a good thing. Waking up hangover-free after a few postop parties has been wonderful.

I think this might be my first NSV---->Had a block party with all my neighbors. food all around and I brought a shrimp salad (yum) I had about a fourth of a cup and had my Water bottle with me. One of my neighbors told me don't be shy. GET IN AND EAT..I had to laugh, I've never had people try to force food on me before. They were eating burgers,hot dogs ,deserts and alcohol. I was not even tempted to go there. Throughout the night I got positive comments. What a journey!

On vacation, I tolerate it fine, but some folks can become a cheap date after sniffing a brandy. LOL! The alcohol can enter your system much faster after WLS. Empty calories... think of one hour on a treadmill to burn off what is one mixed drink. That usually keeps me in line, since I do three miles on treadmill everyday. Not worth the wasted effort--unless it is a special occassion.

Thanks Mac. That helps. I am one that can definitely go without alcohol. However, like you, I think it is a guilty pleasure. I'm hopeful I can occasionally still enjoy the red wine. Sounds like red wine isn't agreeing with you though. I'm going to be as compliant as possible because I want to be successful. Maybe I'll just hide the corkscrew!!!!!!!! Lol!!!