Search the Community

I love going on cruises...I love everything about cruising, and if you are like me...you probably know that the food is one of the best parts of cruising. Well, we have a cruise coming up in a few months, and I am extremely tormented about it! I know I will need to face lots of food at some point in my life, but I also know I'll need some serious strategies to be able to resist some of my favorite deserts for example. By then I will be over half way towards my goal, but not there yet. and I am wondering how I will coup with 7 days on the high seas with all that yummy goodness. A part of me things, no problem, I can do this, while another part is wondering, is this not like an alcoholic leaving mid AA program to go to an All You Can drink Winery? So my question is...are there any cruise lovers out there that have sailed since being sleeved, and if you have any advise for how to coup with the temptation. I would sure appreciate it if you shared your experience.

I live in Denver and although most if what you have stated is accurate there are some things that I could clear up for you. Colorado legalized pot for several reasons. 1. To tax the hell out of it and give the money to the school system. 2. To regulate it so people got what they paid for and nothing laced or fake or anything like that. Buying pot in the street can be dangerous and you don't know what you are getting. 3. Pot tourism looks to bring a lot of money to Colorado. People with out of state drivers licenses can not buy as much as a state resident but they can come to Colorado and purchase and enjoy. Also, pot may not be consumed openly on the streets it in public areas. It may be consumed on your property or in privately owned businesses where NO alcohol is served. Don't think you come to Denver and see people hitting bongs while they walk down the street. The state has also imposed high driving laws similar to drunk driving laws. You are not allowed to smoke while driving or be high. They pull you over and test you. No where in the street is pot $25 an ounce. People currently pay more on the street for the same pot you buy with a medical card because someone had to go but it first then sell it to you. So the cost will likely go down for consumers purchasing it legally. I am not a regular pot smoker. I have smoked it on occasion for recreational purposes but since I am only 15 days post op I will wait until I am feeling a little better to try it again. I support all peoples opinions on this matter but have found that most people who oppose recreational pot have never smoked it.

You need to check with your doctor. Mine said no alcohol at first as we are healing and adapting... then to limit because it is empty calories. Not all of us count "sugar" and in fact many don't.

Don't get a lap band then! Seriously. This is hard work and you have to make the right choices every day. All you have to do is read this message board and you will see that most people with the band are not forced into eating healthy. You'll see people saying they eat the same way they did before the band. You'll see people saying that they have gained weight with the band. The band only works if you work with it (and then sometimes even then it doesn't work for everyone). Sure, I could have ice cream and alcohol and Cookies but I choose not to. I choose to eat healthy and I am not being forced. I also exercise intensely six days a week and the band is not forcing me to do that. Do some more reading on this board and get an accurate snapshot of what the band will do and won't do. The band helps but doesn't force. You'll see that what you need to force you to lose weight is you. May THAT force be with you!

Subject: Fw: Here are the answers you have been looking for! I Love THIS Doctor !!!! HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap. Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products. Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit.Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the Water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up! Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc. Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good! Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you? A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you? Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach. Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around! Q: Is swimming good for your figure? A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me. Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle? A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride"

Thanks for your reply and pointers! I wish I could upgrade to business class but even for just one-way it's over $3000 more. But I did get a seat behind the bulkhead for my 11.5 hour leg so that will make it easier to move around and stretch. Maybe I'll try begging the ground crew to let me sit in business class since I can't eat or drink alcohol. (Ha ha)

I am in agreement with Splenderella. Just to demonstrate that alcohol temperance or abstention must a life-long objective: I had my initial RNY 30 years ago and still cannot drink more than 1 or 2 cocktails or glasses of wine before becoming inebriated. As a result I drink very rarely and stop at one drink. Addiction transference is a real thing for WLS patients. Some become alcoholics after surgery, perhaps because alcohol is a substitute for food addiction, a different coping mechanism. Be cautious with alcohol after surgery and keep track of your drinking behavior. Be honest with your surgeon and dietitian about your alcohol intake. Have your first drink at home in a safe environment. Avoid alcohol for as long as you can, for at least six months post-surgery. Alcohol dehydrates you, so be sure to drink extra water. Stay away from all sweet drinks, which can make you dump. Alcoholic drinks are empty calories, which should be reason enough to abstain. Alcohol hits your bloodstream much faster after surgery so it will affect you much harder. Never drink and drive. The way alcohol affects you after surgery will definitely impair your ability to drive.

It's been 2008 since I had a very successful surgery. Seriously, I swam in SF Sharkfest from Alcatraz to SF 2 yrs in a row. As I've gotten older, I have learned a few things I'd like to pass on to those who might not know this. Someone who has had bariatric surgery can only drink 5 oz of alcohol (wine/beer) and then they are legally drunk (trust me, you look act like you have had way too many drinks--slurred speech, staggering, falling down) and if you were to blow into a breathalyzer, you would get a reading indicating you are inebriated. Although I hadn't had anything to drink in about 30 yrs, during a few social dinners at our house, I had a small glass of wine and then my husband wanted to know just how much I had had to drink. When I say, "Not even one glass of wine," I was in such bad shape that he didn't believe me. He was furious and told me I wasn't to have any more drinks for the night. This also happened at my son's who was just livid with me and told me to go to a spare bedroom for the rest of the night. And, truly, I felt super drunk. At some point, I did some research and learned that because of how small my stomach pouch is and the way liquids are absorbed, I really shouldn't even have a sip of alcohol. Just thought I'd pass that on. Also, I originally lost 137 lbs to get to my goal weight. I maintained it for several years because I was working out regularly. A few yrs ago I started to put some weight back on, mostly because I wasn't exercising as much, I was alone ALL the time because of Covid because my husband was in contact with Covid infected people at the hospital he worked at 5 shifts a week for 1 yr and 9 months until his last day was Nov. 1. My diet wasn't as healthy and we were sleeping in different bedrooms on separate floors because he was so afraid he would test positive and give it to me. All last year, from July through May 29th when I had left hip replacement, I swam in a local lake for 1 hr each session...2x-4x a week with water getting down to 40 degrees. That kept me sane. Both of us have had our Covid vaccination shots and booster shots and I'm back in swimming in the cold water. If you have gained weight during the pandemic, just go through every day thankful and get back on the post-surgery diet your doctor put you on. (Currently, mine is 1200 cal, unless I burn over 900 swimming and only then do I get to add on 300). Even though I was afraid I had "stretched" my stomach pouch (I'll be 68 yrs old in a few weeks), I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy a month ago and the gastroenterologist said everything looks perfect.

What did your NUTs or Dr.s say about alcohol? When are you all allowed to have a drink? Recognizing that they are empty calories, etc, I do like an occasional glass of wine. Just curious what everyone else's teams have said. Thanks!

I've never been a gum chewer, but I do eat sugar free breath mints occasionally. If you have dry mouth, try the ones with xylitol in them if you can find some. It's a sugar alcohol so it may give you G/I issues, but it doesn't for everyone (luckily, it's never bothered me). Xylitol supposedly stimulates saliva production, which can help with the dry mouth. There are also sprays, mouthwashes, and lozenges for dry mouth. Any pharmacy or places like Walmart or Target should have some...

I've tried to approach it with a "why wait for the surgery to begin losing" view. It's been very revealing. I cut out beer, rum and all other alcohol at the very beginning. Turns out to have been easier than cutting back simple carbs. I've caved in to doughnuts and pizza more than once. A back injury woke me up and had me consider the bypass surgery.....healing has been stubborn but it's occurring while I'm slowly losing weight.....hoping to be able to begin exercise very soon. This will help me better prepare for the bypass procedure. I really needed to face this stuff now.....well ahead of my surgery. Like I said....it's been really revealing.

Zofran is the best thing for nausea, although the taste of the melting lozenges they gave me made me sick. I learned to just lightly bite it and swallow quickly. Also, I read somewhere that putting a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol under your nose will help with nausea. I hope you are through this phase and having better days soon!

I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble. Try rereading the materials from your doctor again to help you recommit to following their guidelines. I don't think the recommendations were created to make us miserable or miss out on all of the fun--they just want us to be protected from as many complications as possible! From what I understand, carbonation can cause your new pouch to stretch, which could affect the healing of the part of the stomach that was pulled over the band. :omg: If you do go out with friends, try to think about a strategy to avoid alcohol ahead of time. Maybe you could have a Protein shake before you leave and plan to sip Water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or juice while you're out. I always do better avoiding things I shouldn't eat in a social situation when I have a plan, but boy, is it hard to stick to! I rarely drink alcohol so I don't think that will be a problem for me after surgery, but I'm definitely not looking forward to having to give up my carbonated, flavored water or my beloved Diet Coke! :cry

Has anyone drank alcohol on the pre-op diet...I have a function and I'm wondering if would be ok to have a few drinks HELP!!

You know, Elfie, you make a really good point. I can't remember what it's like to not think about food. Even when I wasn't hungry, it was already thinking to the next 2 or 3 meals. Support group and the classes have really helped, but I realize I still have an unhealthy addiction to food (after all, it's not like alcohol in that you don't need alcohol to survive where you NEED to eat in order to stay alive). It is slowly getting better, but I am so happy I did this for myself. I'm so proud of all of us :-)!

Today was my final appointment with my surgeon so we could submit to insurance. I had a list of questions with me because I have heard some of the most outlandish things and just wanted real answers. I hope this helps someone else as well. He confirmed NO gum/straws/alcohol for one full year. GUM=some dingdong swallowed a glob and they had to do surgery to remove it as it had clogged her tube leading to her tummy. STRAWS=this gives too much air a chance to get in, causing painful gas and bloating. ALCOHOL=You will NOT react the same to alcohol as you did prior to surgery, beer has carbonation and other drinks have sugar. It's to be completely avoided. At my Bariatric center they use a 36F Bougie, standard. These means your new stomach will be approximately the size of a pen. The bougie is NOT your new stomach, just a tool used to aid in sizing during surgery. Your surgeon may vary, but he said this is most common across the board. (Anything less than a 33 is known to cause exacerbated reflux issues.) I am fortunate and neither catheters or drains are used unless there is a complication. He said that is more common practice than not these days to reduce the risk of infections. --The permanent Titanium staples will not go off in an airport, cause x-ray or MRI issues. Scar tissue will grow over them-they are part of you for life. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you should have an all in hospital visit of 24 hours. --Your new stomach will have a leak test performed on it before you are woken up, so no need to concern yourself with that. Concerns over painful gas in your shoulder and arm: due to the gas they push in you during the surgery and gasEx will not help.. Walking it off and moving around works the quickest. Like when your baby was constipated and you pushed their knees to their belly to push out air. DO THAT, if you can find someone to help you. Realistic weight loss: In the first 6 months, if you follow all directions and are without complications, you should lose 60% of your excess weight. (If you are 100lbs over according to charts/bmi-you can expect a 60lb weight loss) This is only my personal experience with my surgeon. Obviously, check with your own bariatric team for specifics on how they do things.

My surgeon used a 40 bogie. It appears that size is becoming more common and may become the new "norm". There is minimal difference in size between a 36 and 40. I had a catheter. Getting back in bed after walking was interesting. The convenience of not having to get up to pee while I was groggy the first night: priceless. My surgeon allows alcohol and carbonation after 6 month. Not sure about gum since I don't chew gum. I have been using straws even though I am not supposed to but have not had any problems. I was leak tested while still under but had a swallow test the next morning to make sure liquids would go down. I think they were more concerned with swelling closing things off. I was lucky and never had the post op gas pains. It is interesting how much varies from surgeon to surgeon. OP- Good luck with your journey. Sounds like you have a surgeon that is willing to answer your questions. I consider that to be a good sign of a surgeon that wants to work with you.

Thank you for the site to visit for bariatric recipes and the words of encouragement. I have barely been eating anything... not because I am not hungry but because I am afraid I won't lose weight. It is good to hear of your yummy menu and this will encourage me to try more food rather than just sticking to a few basic items. I tried to cook a large buffet style menu for guests with all healthy type of menu and it was good but seemed very strange to me to be thinking that way. It may take some practice believing that healthy recipes can taste as good as the ones with all the cream and butter! But I will stick to my plan which of course is to lose weight. TOday I saw the gp for my first post op check at 6 weeks and wow. The results were somewhat shocking. Off all meds since surgery yet my BP, cholesterol and sugar levels are WAY down compared to when I was on the meds. What an improvement. She believes my gout may also no longer be a problem although I had no testing done to show that. She tried to claim that this is due to not being able to drink alcohol but I pointed out (silly md) that I used to only have a few drinks once every couple of months so I don't think that small amount of liquor contributed to my having gout. It is amazing to see the change in medical results and the improvements and I remind myself that these are worth even more than the improved appearance. Thanks again.

I've never seen a list of alcohol we can drink. Most people here will tell you none at all. I was a big drinker in my younger days. Now I drink white wine or a whiskey sour with sugar-free mixer. Bourbon is my fave liquor. I can drink it straight but it does burn a little. I like Master of Mixes lite sweet and sour mixer. It has 8 carbs and 10 calories per serving. So one drink has about 110 calories. I don't get any more intoxicated on the amount I drink. It seems to be about the same as it used to. I wish I was one of those who could nurse one drink all night and be buzzed but I'm not. Just goes to show how everyone is different and you really don't know how something will affect you. Oh, btw, my usual disclaimer: When I do drink my weight loss slows. So just keep that in mind as something to watch out for.

There are actually many drinks out there that leave out the carbonation. I usually go drinks like a White Russian or shots of liquid Marijuana. You could also have a margarita, martini, wine, screwdriver, Cranberry Vodka, Royal F***, Pina Colada, Bloody Mary, Black Russian, Godiva chocolate liqueur + cream Shots, etc... You could always just drink the liquor straight. My favorite is Captain Morgan's Tattoo Rum... It's yummy. The only problems I have with alcohol is that my tolerance for it has decreased. I usually can handle only one drink compared to the 5+ I could handle pre-op. Just try to keep the drinking to a minimal because it will prevent or greatly decrease weight loss. (Believe me...I tested this theory out)

Hi Knaroz. Good points and all true. More reasons to stay away or at least be very careful with alcohol consumption. Maxi

Gastric Bypass is a physical tool to help you lose physical weight. Assuming you follow your surgeon's suggestions regarding diet and exercise, you'll physically lose weight. However, gastric bypass isn't a "cure all" for the emotional weight many folks carry- i.e. food addiction and/or transfer addictions, (a weight loss patient becoming an alcoholic after surgery, for example). This is one of the reasons why the psychiatric evaluation is so important to have and to answer honestly before the procedure. It could be very eye opening as to why the weight issues are there in the first place. Your surgeon can re-route your insides and force them to comply, but if people aren't willing to re-route their mindset, the old eating habits & dependencies won't change. I think it's also important to have a thorough understanding and vested interest in your overall health throughout this process. Try to learn as much about your body & the chemical balances (or imbalances) you might have. It would be terrible to have such a major surgery and find yourself set up for failure because of a metabolic (or other) disorder you didn't even know you had that will impeded weight loss.

My dr. also said the absortion of alcohol will be different after the sleeve. It will be much more potent.

To be honest I did drink before 3 months and had no problem with it. I would say stay away from it as long as you can though because it will hinder your weight loss. I lost 80 lbs really quick and have stayed at this weight for 6 months. The stoppin of my weight loss is all alcohol. I drink a few drinks every weekend and then I have to lose those lbs during the week. I have not gained any weight but I am not losing it and I attribute it all to alcohol. so, my advice would be to stay away from alcohol until you are at goal weight. (That's also what my doctor keeps pounding in my head.) .

Ok, well my surgeon says to wait one year. I'm clearly in the minority here but my one year will be Sat. Oct. 22nd...and I have YET to have even one sip of alcohol (or soda for that matter!) but that's just me. I'm a rule follower and I'm not a big drinker so it was no big deal for me to give up alcohol for a year. I'm a bit curious to see the effect of alcohol on my sleeve but not curious enough to try it yet. Maybe someday soon! Glad you had second thoughts about it...let that tummy heal first!