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How long did anyone wait to have an alcoholic drink? My dr said to drink on special occasions but never now long I should wait.

I buy them too. I get them in a variety pack at Sam's club. I feel uneasy about having 300 calories per bar, so most of the time, I break them in half. I have found another brand that Sam's and Walmart carries that I'm finding myself buying instead of Premier. Pure Protein bars. 20 grams of protein/180 - 200 calories per bar. But they are a smaller bar. What I've discovered is that almost all the Protein Bar brands I've tried are 4 to 4.25 calories per gram, so of course Premier Protein is higher in calories/protein, since it's a bigger bar. The Pure Protein Bars I've eaten were - chocolate Peanut Butter/Chocolate Peanut Caramel/Chocolate Deluxe. They all tasted as good as or better than Premier Protein. I tend to favor the Chocolate Peanut Butter, but I like all 3 flavors. Now they are made with sugar alcohols, so if you can't tolerate them, stick with the Premier Protein - I couldn't find an old wrapper, but I think Premier is made with real sugar. I have to buy the variety pack at Sam's, but Walmart sells the individual flavors in separate 6 pack boxes. They all run me about .95 cents a bar.

I'm still slowly losing about 1-2 lbs a week. Down 80 from highest weight, 50 post-op. My six month labs were good, except my protein levels which were low. I've added in a protein snack and I'm trying for 80-90g a day rather than the 60-80 clinic recommended which I had been following. I've added 1-2 strength training sessions per week and 2-3 aerobic workouts. I know I should add more exercise and am looking for classes to add to my routine. Since adding the protein snack, I've been eating around 1100-1200 calories per day. Last night I had my first sip of alcohol post-op at a party at a friend's store on State St. here in Madison, WI. One sip of a strong mixed drink hit me like a Mack truck for about 10 minutes, then it was sober again. But the most wild part of the night was right after the Badgers won against Arizona. Thousands of people (mostly college students) came running down to State St. And congregated in front of the store where the private party I was at -chanting, singing, climbing trees and bus shelters. It was a fantastic celebration. Pics below ( mine are a little blurry.). I added a professional photo, too. The store where the party was has the orange awning.

It is also still illegal in my state. That is the only problem I have with it. If it were legal I would equate it w/having a beer or a glass of wine. If I needed it for medical reasons I would have no problems using it w/a prescription. It's medical use is increasing in popularity and acceptance. We have several locations in our area where you can get it and business is booming. As far as munchies go (I'm very familiar w/this, being a child of the 70's) keeping snack-type foods around that also have high Protein is a great idea, as someone suggested. Nutrition stores stock high protein Snacks that satisfy crunchy-salty cravings while meeting protein needs. I like CrunchO's w/12gr of protein (also available on Amazon). Nuts, while higher in fat, have protein and healthy oils, and Protein Bars are satisfying too. MJ isn't the only thing that causes munchies - I tend to want snacks when I have my wine. Alcohol lowers my will power and relaxes my judgment a bit so having protein snacks available helps me to stay on track during weak moments. :-)

I smoke a couple of times a month when I go out and drink. (I used to be a smoker for 19 years. Quit 5 years ago) Both are habits strongly discouraged by most surgeons. I haven't had any problems but alcohol is extra calories and well, cigarettes are just nasty. But... sometimes this girl's gotta have some fun. You might get a lot of negative feedback on here. Letting nonsmokers weigh in is like expecting someone who's always been skinny to understand what it's like to be fat. In the interest of full disclosure, I'd tell the surgeon. Still, I do encourage you to give it up, as it makes exercise so much easier. Best wishes!

Yeah, so why isn't drug and alcohol use a choice too? It seems to be even more of an individual choice, in my eyes, then obesity. Of course I may be looking at drug and alcohol use in the same way others look at obesity so it's a wash and everyone is wound up in a circular debate where personal preference dictates choice. However, insurance companies should not be designing their policies this way. At least they are not supposed to. The only way out of it is to eliminate the preferential treatment towards one or more demographics of people.

When your husband tells you "Why can't you just not eat too much and exercise?" you should ask him if he'd say the same thing to an alcoholic! It's an addiction, just like alcohol, but it's even more insidious because we NEED to eat food to survive! You can't just NOT eat! Re being selfish, maybe we are being a little selfish. But we NEED to be! If you're anything like me, you always put your husband/boyfriend and kids first! This time, for this little while, we need to put OURSELVES first!

Fiddle man, Double standard with health care, too. I have a "premium" health insurance according to the federal standards. They are require to cover care for drug abuse and alcohol abuse, even tobacco cessation programs however exclude all weight loss related treatment. They are treated as a disease yet me being very overweight since the age of 6....well, that's a choice I guess.

Agree. There is definitely a double standard when is comes to societal injustice. The obese man or woman is invisible or publicly ridiculed when in plain sight, but the smoker or alcoholic is accepted when lighting up or drinking a few long islands in public. Infuriating, even now when on the attractive side of the coin (sorry about self promoting, but I have worked really hard to get to the point where I can state this). Yet there are so many public announcements on tv, on the radio, in the magazines and on the billboards, mandated by government, which emphasize drinking leads to alcoholism and smoking leads to cancer. And alcoholism and cancer leads to death. It is there in plain sight. Yet, we don't see the same public announcements about obesity and that prevents the average citizen from not looking at obesity like a disease and, perhaps, more like an inconvenience that the obese person can easily fix. Does that make alcoholism or cancer a "better" or "more accepted" illness then obesity? Rhetorical question, I know, but the question is designed to provide a focused lens into the societal injustice around us. It is blatantly clear. Somehow people emphasize with alcoholics and drug pushers and offer acceptance, not ridicule. Why would the same people who feel the need to ridicule obesity not feel the need to ridicule publicly the drug abuser, the alcoholic and the smoker? Clearly they all shorten life in the same manner. If the food industry is anything like big tobacco or big alcohol (I know this phrase does not exist) then it would be in their best interest to educate the average citizen who ridicules obesity that obesity is "acceptable" in order to sell more food. That being said, I think food industry is being a bit indirect about the link of obesity to death by offering healthier alternatives. Yet they are not going out there and linking obesity to death in their advertisements so people will stop treating obesity like something that will just go away if one tries harder. Try telling that to the alcoholic or druggie. What do others think about this?

So rude! My night nurse after surgery made a comment that I wasn't that big. I just told her that it was a decision that I made with my doctor based on my health. What gets me, though, is that no one would tell an alcoholic or cocaine addict to not go to rehab. Or that they don't use enough drugs to get outside help.

So - my plan requires four nutritionist appts, and two are before surgery. The first one is in the large group pre-op and it was basically just an overview she came in to give, answering questions about alcohol, soda and other no-nos. The second one was an hour long and we had to pay for it. I had to fill out a 3-4 page form about my eating habits and what I hoped to get out of the appt, and if I had any questions for the nutritionist. She never once looked at my questions or concerns, and spent the whole hour essentially reading the post-op diet to me (which I've already read several times) and going over do-s and don't-s of weight loss surgery--all of which were in the booklet we were given to read - and told to read before hand. I did glean she knew her stuff about nutrition in general, and might well be very helpful after the surgery - and if i'm to see her again i'll call or write ahead and tell them I've read the material and need to spend the time otherwise. Long way around to saying - my pre-op NUT appts were a total bust. I wouldn't waste a lot of time and money before surgery seeing one, but once you've had the surgery and are closer to eating in a new way, and have more 'real time' questions and various things like taste, nutrients and amounts are becoming known - that might be a great time to see one. There was literally not one thing said in either appointment I had that wasn't in the reading material and on this terrific site from such great experts as everyone on here.

In talking with clients I am constantly reminded of the dietary myths that circulate to leave people confused about weight management. Here I bust some of my favourite weight management myths. Myth 1: Don’t eat after 7pm (or 7:30pm or 8pm, etc) Our body doesn’t switch off at night. Our metabolism continues ticking over as our heart pumps blood, our lungs breathe, our muscle tissue repairs, etc. This happens all day and all night. In fact, we burn calories when we are sleeping, just as we do when we are awake. Our metabolism does not shut down at 7pm, so there is no reason to stop eating at any one particular time. It is important however not to leave all of our eating until the evening. We should fuel our body regularly throughout the day so that it can perform at its best. This is even more important following weight loss surgery, as you can no longer eat the size of meals you once did. Therefore, you can’t skip your meals during the day and expect to meet your nutritional needs at night. Regular meals throughout the day are also important to control your hunger. Being ravenous at the end of the day is another trigger for overeating late at night. Some people find rules that they should not eat after a particular time at night appealing, as this is when they tend to overeat. Overeating at night can act as a ‘reward’ for getting through the day, or as a way to relax and wind down. It may be habit as we watch TV or a movie. This is when night eating is problematic, as it is not eating for hunger. Do you eat for reasons other than hunger at night? What else could you do to relax? Could you sort through those photo albums that are overflowing, have a bubble bath or phone a friend you haven’t spoken to for sometime. What about a jigsaw puzzle, a crossword, scrapbooking, sketching or even an evening walk? The options are endless. Myth 2: There are good foods and bad foods Food is neither good or bad, it is what we do with it that counts. Of course, some foods are high in energy (calories/kilojoules) and have little nutrition, so these should be eaten in small amounts. However, food itself is morally neutral. We assign it the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ label, or define it as ‘allowed’ or ‘not allowed’. By labeling food in this way, we are then ‘good’ or ‘bad’ if we eat it. A better view of food is one where all food is morally neutral. You have permission to eat any foods you choose, you can choose eat those that are more nourishing, most of the time. I often say to clients that there are 21 meals in a week, if one or two are not perfect nutritionally, it is not a problem. If the balance is reversed however and only one or two are nutritious, then this is not going to help you achieve good health. Some foods that provide little nutrition may provide much enjoyment, so may play a very valuable role in your diet in other ways. You can and should include foods that give you pleasure, it is managing the amounts of these foods that are important in achieving good health. Myth 3: Carbs are fattening Nothing is fattening in isolation. Anything can be fattening if you eat too much of it. Food is made up of combinations of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water. Carbohydrate, protein and fat provide energy, the other nutrients do not. If we look at the nutrients that provide us with energy in their most simple form: • Carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram • Protein contains 4 calories per gram • Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Whilst not a food, alcohol contains 7 calories per gram As you can see, carbohydrate itself is quite low in calories. So why does carbohydrate have such a bad reputation? The problem with carbohydrate containing foods is the way we have come to serve and eat them. We heap rice, pasta and noodles on our plates, leaving very little room for protein foods but more importantly, vegetables and salads. Low glycemic index, carbohydrate-containing foods can be quite nutritious and when eaten regularly, in appropriate amounts, help us manage our hunger through the day. We just need to look at how we serve them. For example, rather than serving spaghetti bolognaise as a plate or bowl of pasta topped with a little meat sauce, serve equal amounts of meat sauce and pasta on half the plate with a side salad on the other. Myth 4: You can do some extra exercise to compensate for eating ‘bad food’ The problem with this myth is that is feeds into the ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ myth. If exercise is something we do when we eat ‘bad food’, exercise is seen as a punishment. Exercise can help you feel good, help you sleep better, give you more energy and help you become healthier. It should be enjoyed for these benefits. Myth 5: You need to eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism up Every body is programmed differently and will have a slightly different metabolic rate. Some bodies will need to be fed more frequently than others. If we set a basic meal pattern, our body will let us know how much we need to eat. If we provide our body with appropriate fuel three times a day, it will then let us know if we need to eat more often, we just need to tune into the signals. If we start the day with breakfast, our body is given the signal we are starting the day and can help regulate how much we need to eat through the day. You may have heard a ‘rule’ after weight loss surgery to eat only three (or less) meals per day. I strongly believe that there is no one rule that fits every person. The only way you can tell if you need to eat between meals is to tune in to your hunger and satiety signals. If you are genuinely, physically hungry between meals it may be fine to have a small snack. If you are eating as you feel bored/tired/frustrated/lonely or simply watching the clock, then you need to work on another solution. Myth busting your way to success Whilst the internet has brought a whole world of information to our fingertips and can help share dietary fact, it has also perpetuated lots of dietary fiction. Think about some of the food facts you have come to believe over time. Write them all down and take them along to the dietitian in your weight loss surgery team. They will help you sort the fact from fallacy.

Some surgeons will state you should not drink any alcohol as it is empty calories. My surgeon states this but as I dont drink it never bothered me.

I haven't been on here in a while, so I'm kinda glad to be back. In July, I had a Lap-Band, which I lost 125 pounds on, changed to a gastric sleeve. I had lost 125 pounds, and then gained it all back plus some. Since I got my sleeve, I've lost 31 pounds since July. That's it. I'm way behind. I know for a fact that I have stretched my sleeve, and I feel that I don't have the control over the amount of food that goes into my stomach that I did with the Band, and I really need to shrink my sleeve again. It is WAY too easy to keep food down that I don't have room for when compared to the Band. Then there comes the problem that I live in a dorm on a college campus, so my food options are VERY limited. I get my apartment next year where I can cook my own meals, but for now, I'm kind of limited to what I can keep in my dorm. I live in a world full of junk food, alcohol, and bad habits, and it's SO HARD to get out of it. Is there any way I can shrink the sleeve back down? Any suggestions for a college student? I'm so disappointed in myself and I just pray that I haven't done irreversible damage to my sleeve. That guilt is really crushing, and I am scared to death I'm going to remain fat.

Thank you everyone for the great ideas on feeling full! I'm on a one week liquid only plus 90 grams of protein shake diet for preop. Sounds like there's quite a bit of variety when it comes to the preop diet, but I've been told no milk or milk products, no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol (which would probably just make me looped off a sip at this point!) sooooo yeah #hungry. I'm glad I really only have to do tomorrow without the band because FRIDAY is the big day!! But I'll also be on this same diet for 4 weeks postop! Hoping just having the band with a little fill will stop me from being so darn hungry :/

KJcasegreg, If your stats are correct, you have succeeded TREMENDOUSLY! I can't even imagine what it took to get you there. DO NOT get down on yourself. You are remarkable to have come this far. And I do agree that you should talk to a professional. You need to let out your feelings in a safe way, and not turn to alcohol. Remember, not only are they empty calories, but drinks will adversely affect your kidneys and liver, which post-surgery are already working OT. Don't sabotage your success. I wish you luck, friend....and keep chatting with us. We are here for you!!!

I've lost around 70 lbs in 6 months, docs, fam and friends are happy. The most important thing is I'm not happy. I still feel fat, which I hate that word. I drink to be happy,calm, just me. I use to call myself an alcoholic, not drink like I use to. I feel sas and depressed like this surgery was and wasn't the best. I never knew I was "fat" I thought it would make me happy Happy nite

This is one of those things that you will get a different answer to. For me, my surgeon was fine with it. About the only thing I DON"T drink from a straw is coffee and wine. Some will say never, ever. Coffee, alcohol and carbonation are other things that is debated. There are lots of folks that are banned forever from all the above. My only no no is carbonation. I can live with that. I'm a year out now and I can safely say my sleeve has not exploded, stretched or any other bad thing from using a straw since a couple weeks post op. That is me, though, I will always say follow your surgeons direction. Good luck to you! You are gonna love your sleeve!

Hi all, I have been reading up on all y'alls posts for a few weeks now and finally have gotten up the nerve to post myself. I have been overweight all my life. It runs in my family. My father had WLS when I was in high school (2000). Long story short, he has had some complications over the years, but is doing okay right now. My sister had a gastric bypass a few years later. She has been successful, and while she still has to work at it every day, she is happy and healthy. I had lap band surgery in 2005. I was successful, or so I thought, for a while. I hit my goal weight, but realize now that I was not healthy. I was frequently burdened with acid reflux and severe restriction. In one instance, I ended up in the emergency room on the 4th of July in the middle of the night because I could not keep Water down and I was severely dehydrated. I had been dealing with a doctor that I didn't particularly mesh well with, and who I felt was not terribly concerned with my health, but more with the money (my father had paid out of pocket for my surgery). That night in the emergency room, I was able to get in touch with my sister, who had me give the emergency room staff her doctor's name. He and his partner were a God's send. About a month later, I called him again because I was having restriction issues again. He was able to see me immediately and was able to see that my problems had been stemming from the fact that my band had slipped. He immediately rushed me into emergency surgery to remove my band. I was still not covered by an insurance that would pay for a surgery, and both my parents were out of the country at the time, so we held off on making any decisions on future surgeries. I tried to keep the weight off myself. I knew I couldn't realistically keep it all off, but I hoped to be able to keep a majority of it off through exercise and nutrition. It worked for a while. I had a personal trainer and went to the gym every day. I eventually ended up in a very destructive relationship. I became severely depressed and ended up gaining back all of the weight I had originally lost. I ended the relationship a year and a half ago, and a year ago my ex passed away, having lost his battle with alcoholism. Getting another surgery has been something I have been thinking about for a long time but had not been in a good place mentally or emotionally. I did not want to jump into a decision while I was dealing with so much happening in my life. I feel ready now and I have pretty much decided on the sleeve. It still scares me though. It took me three days to finally pick up the phone and call my doctor's office to make an appointment. I have an appointment next month and have already started a list of questions to ask him. I have not told my family yet that I am thinking about doing this again. I know they will be supportive, but I also want to be absolutely certain before I involve any of them this time. Thankfully I now have insurance that covers the surgery. My biggest concern is taking time off work and people I don't want to tell finding out. I work in a very customer facing business, and I don't know yet how I am going to handle all the questions I know I am going to inevitably going to get from my clients. I look forward to getting to know some of you on this journey, and all appreciate all the support.

There certainly seems to be a stigma with regards to WLS. I have not told anyone that i had it done except my daughter and daughter in law who have been very supportive of me. People consider you weak that you cannot stick with a diet or exercise routine. The thing that they don't realize is that this is NOT the easy way out. I went through a living hell the first week out of surgery. I couldn't keep anything down--not even Water. My blood pressure soared sky high along with my heart rate after sugery *( all my pre op heart tests came out completely normal) The nurses and doctors said i was in great health and a good candidate for WLS after reading the results of a long list of pre op testing I endured. My only big health issue was my BMI which still wasn't so high as to not make me a Sleeve candidate. I just don't get it. If people are drug addicts or alcoholics no one thinks it's horrible for someone to go into rehab. They applaud them for getting the much needed help. So why do they critisize the obese who have an eating disorder or metabolic disorder. I have had food addictions and metabolic syndrom that caused me to lose weight very slowly even with the strictist diets. Now since the sleeve surgery, I can finally control my addictions to food and food no longer controls my life. I have the tools needed to finally beat this and become thinner and to look at food in a new light now. I tried every diet in the book and nothing worked long term. what the general public doesn't realize is that we STILL have to work hard with diet and excercise to lose weight but the great thing is that the VGS has given me the tools i need now to accomplish this because it's like a long acting diet pill. I have no real hunger and it only takes very small amounts of food to fill me up. I have chosen healthy foods to eat even though I am still on pureed foods now but plan on making healthy eating now a long term goal for the rest of my life.... No more snacking on chips and salsa, potatoe chips, pretzels, candy, ice cream, Trips to fast food places when out, eating large portions of food then having seconds and raiding the fridge at night. I have no desire for any of that anymore and since i took such a drastic step to do this, I plan on using this as an advantage and I'm not trying to sabotage my efforts by experimenting with foods that i used to eat. WLS has come a long way. I know in the past a lot of people died from the bypass back in the seventies and eighties and on when the WLS was not perfected and many obese patients were not screened like i was with all the pre op testings. I'll never forget when i was in nursing training and there was a by pass pt in the recovery area that was like 400 lbs and the Drs had to do CPR on this guy. I heard rude remarks from doctors or residents about this poor man.... i thought it was so unethical and rude. Now days the medical profession recognizes obesity as a disease and not just a weakness in character or a stigma that we are just pityful lazy people that don't care for ourselves nor have respect for ourselves enough to lose weight. I'm so happy we have finally able to come out of the closet and for it to be recognized as a real disease. Believe me i had tried EVERY diet under the sun. I even did the Optifast and lost 70 lbs only to gain it all back in two to three years. Fad diets never work in the long run. Anyone can lose twenty pounds or ever fifty on a diet but it will come righ back on once we slip into our old habits of over eating again...... Hooray..... I will beat this now.... I have confindence and I am so grateful for this surgery.... It has given me a new chance on living versus dying a slow death. I wouldn't recommend this surgery for anyone. If you are young and can diet and excercise and get counseling I'd certainly try that first of all. The WLS should be a last resort but in my case it was. I took the risk but glad that i did now.

Mine says a year for several reasons. 1 - Alcohol can be irritating to a healing pouch. Possible ulcer risk, also. 2 - There is a high risk of transfer addiction. It's not uncommon for weight loss surgery patients to become alcoholics. Most of us had a food addiction and need to learn to deal with our problems without turning to food or other substances for comfort. Avoiding alcohol while we are learning this is important. 3- High risk of liver damage and/or failure. While we are losing weight fairly fast (primarily during the first year) toxins stored in the fat are released into our bodies. Our liver is working overtime to process these toxins. Adding alcohol can be dangerous at this time. The danger lessens as weight loss slows and stops. Always follow your own doctors instructions. Each doctor has his own instructions based on their own personal experiences and observations.

Hey there!! Im not sure if you've read throughout my comments to other people but I have said things to her several times over the past 3 months (I tell everyone I started working out/eating healthy in October) about me cutting out carbs, alcohol, working out like crazy, lifestyle changes, etc... So she can't use the excuse that I never brought it up! I should have clarified more in my original post, but this girl and I are definitely not best friends! We were in high school but we weren't as close in college and then after college, she moved several hours away and every time we would talk, all she would talk about is brag about her job and how much money she made (and not that it matters, but I never said a word even though knowing that I make and have made significantly more than her) because I never want her to feel in competition with me, yet she always has. If my BEST FRIEND lived 30 minutes away, holy crap, we would try to talk our husbands into living together! I would stalk her daily haha! That's what close friends do so I'm glad you've got that with your BFF! I honestly hoped when we both moved fairly close again that we would re-kindle the high school days and become closer, but to me, I find myself pulling away even more. I'm waiting for my old high school friend to show herself, but unfortunately I think she is gone.

My doctor plainly said to avoid it as much as possible. He didn't want to give me a specific "go drink alcohol" permission lol. I started though about 3 months out. But I don't drink often. One drink a month or so. Less sometimes.

Oh, I've said a few comments over the past few months… Every time we see each other, it's over meals or at social events where everybody is drinking EXCEPT me. So, one of the first times, it was just her and I and we went for sushi… well, she ordered wine and 2 sushi rolls, salad, soup and edamame. I typically would have ordered 2-3 rolls when her and I used to go for sushi, and this time I just ordered 6 pieces of sashimi (raw fish) and only ate 3 of them and took the rest with me. She would say "is that all you're eating? You aren't going to order a glass of wine?" and I would respond with, "Nope, no alcohol for me because I don't want to drink my calories anymore and I've cut out most carbs so no rice.. just going straight protein tonight!" Most recently when I saw her about 2 weeks ago, I finally ordered a beer and I said to her "This is the first beer I've drank since your engagement party which was back in October! Been trying to stay away from those carbs!" and her response… "Oh wow, that's a long time." That's it. I gave her every opportunity! I've mentioned how I've been working out every day, getting back into running, going to the gym, eating right, etc… Not a single compliment. Oh, and to the others who have commented, I appreciate the advice! She is definitely not my best friend by any means, she was in high school, but we have definitely drifted apart in terms of closeness. All of my really close friends are extremely supportive of me getting healthier!

I so agree had a few of those yesterday!! Made me very upset starting to think are they right!! But they are not told my step father !! who weights over 300 lbs if it was so easy why hasn't he done it??? They wouldn't take a The alcoholic to a bar three times a day and put a shot glass down and say this is all u can have and see you at noon and five!!! And don't forget your family and friends are their drinking in front of you!! I love it when people say but you won't be able to eat this and that when your done bullshit I will be able to I just won't have to eat it all!!!