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I still don't do any salads & I'm almost 3 months out..Funny because I was craving them too..I don't think they reccommend them til after 5 months..Lettuce does not digest. You can have a cocktail, it might kick your butt fast...just remember alcohol dehydrates you badly, you might just find out you don't like it any more...I always drank Kahlur Sombreo's & I hate the smell & taste now..I don't eat any fruit either because of the sugar in it, so I stay away...

Hi all. I am 3 weeks post-op as of this past Monday and I am not going to try either of these things any time soon, but am curious about a couple foods. How does everyone tolerate salad and raw veggies? I was sent home with diet literature and it says that starting with stage 4 and continuing on that you may not be able to tolerate raw veggies. I want a salad so bad that I can’t see straight! How does everyone tolerate alcohol, specifically wine? We love vineyards/winery trips and wine festivals. About once a month we would pop open a bottle at home with dinner. I will miss that greatly if I can never do it again. It is one of our “us” things. Like I said, don’t plan on doing any of this tomorrow or even next week, but I am thinking about the future. Any insight or personal story would be helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond!

I was not a huge drinker pre op. I would go out every now and then for a few, and to be honest, I don't really miss it. I am almost 8 weeks out. BUT.....in just about 2 weeks my husband and I are going on a cruise. THAT was always a drink-fest! I haven't had any alcohol since surgery and I am afraid to try! I can't see going on the cruise and NOT drinking, so if you were me what would you try drinking? You know those frozen fruity drinks are always being passed around. What do you think is the easiest going down? Please don't get on my about empty calories and all that. I already know. It's vacation....and we are celebrating my 40th!

I used to drink before socially, I'm not worried about alcoholism, but that's a pretty interesting study. Transfer addictions are a very REAL problem with post bariatric surgery patients! I work in psychiatry. I hope to have exercise be my T.A.

My surgeon said no alcohol until a year after surgery, as well. Interesting.

I would follow your surgeon's instructions. Each surgeon has different experiences w/different patients and base their instructions on those personal experiences. Mine is strict about alcohol use because they've seen transfer addictions and liver failure (resulting in death) in patients. He also prefers chewable Vitamins and calcium for life, but I can swallow any pill the size of a Tylenol tablet or smaller. Some keep you on fluids longer and probably have reasons for it. Whatever the differences in our instructions we should each follow our own surgeons instructions - we chose them, we trust them, so we should do as they say. Just my thoughts on it. :-)

Hello my wonderful 5:2 ladies and apologies! I didn't realize that it had been so long since I was here, and I just spent well over an hour getting all caught up. Thank you Coops for getting touch with me to say I went MIA and was everything ok! I am going to try and get thoughts out here but if I miss/forget anything please forgive me! Oh my gosh, my thoughts are with you Sue about Gary....I didn't realize and I'm so sorry. Hywel is still so young and I just can't imagine how that would affect my girls...I'm sure they would be a mess. I like what Dorrie said about something positive coming out of this and I love that line of thinking. I like that you and Steve can hopefully both be at the funeral and help him through this time. Hugs to you all! Dorrie, sorry things have been difficult with you and your marriage. I hear your voice a lot in my own line of thinking, because I do this all the time "Tomorrow I will fast. Tomorrow I won't eat junk. Tomorrow will give me a fresh start" arrrgh! How many times have I told myself that? Along those same lines of thinking...this seems random but isn't...I just read an article in Reader's Digest about alternative ways to tackle alcoholism. No, I'm not struggling with overuse of alcohol, BUT how many times have we said "well, if I was an alcoholic I could just STOP DRINKING, but since my drug is food, it's NOT like I can just STOP EATING!" Right? Well, there are alcoholic programs out there that encourage MODERATION. OMG. I didn't even know this! I am and will continue to be in the moderation camp when it comes to my eating. I refuse to life life in a black and white zone, I need to give myself patience and credit when it's due and I also need to know when I'm going OVER the line and need to reign it back in. Anyway, I hate to think that any of us are living in the tomorrow...for what about today? And happy early birthday Dorrie! Florinda, I didn't mean to stir up anything negative for you. I was just simply floored because I thought I had been following along pretty well with this group and then it hit me like a ton of bricks that you had lost 30 fuc*ing pounds!!! Holy sh*t woman had I lost -30lbs I would have been shouting it from the rooftops for anyone within listening range to hear. I understand where YOU were coming from with the "but I need to lose xxxx more..." but I think that can be a dangerous line of thinking. And I'm going to be honest here...I hear that from ALL of us to some degree. I mean this IS a group formed around one common thread afterall...WEIGHT LOSS...but I wish we did a little more celebrating and little less self-bashing here. Oh I know we all struggle in our own way and we should be allowed that, I just don't want us to wallow in the "but I'm not THERE yet" mode. I feel a little rambly and I hope that makes sense. We all share what we want when we want so no one should ever feel bad about that, I was honestly shocked because I thought you were STUCK and couldn't lose a pound, or at least that is what I took away from your posts and so to hear that you had lost so much, I honestly thought I had missed something. LOL. And I love what your male friends told you...that is awesome! Please do tell us more about your living conditions, as Sarah pointed out she envisions MASH and that comment made me laugh because I agree to some degree. Denise, I'm so happy for you with Bill. Sorry about the CPAP and the ex-GF, but it sounds like you guys are working through some of the kinks and I'm envisioning a happy relationship for the two of you. I'm sorry about your purse and I PRAY that someone turns it in. What a horrible winter we are having and the main thing is you are ok. Keep us posted about the purse! Cathy...YEAH GIRL!!! That is awesome! I'm sooo happy for you, dancing bananas all the way around (for any of you who didn't belong to this site like 2-3 years ago, they used to have a TON of crazy emoticons and you could put a GIANT dancing banana into any post...it was so cute!) So anyway, hats off to you...so exciting! FYE - OMG you DID marry a viking! Holy cow! That is crazy. Tell him all your 5:2 ladies are sending him get-well wishes. And with me being gone I also missed any grumbling about secret groups. Sigh. People need to get over the fact that we have our own space here. Sheryl, glad you are also ok, this has been a tough winter...seems like the entire US has been gripped in ice/snow/cold temps for the last 6+ weeks or so. Here in Denver, we should hit about 60 degree this week and sunshine...OMG sunshine...we are desperately addicted to our sunshine here, so we need some good light and 60+ is shorts weather around here. I'm glad your ex is gone and it sounds like you and Steven are working through some issues. If the issues COULD be worked around do you see yourself entering into a more long-term thing with him? Wanda, how is Curves going? I hope you are going as much as you can and that you like it. Please update us on that... Dee, I'm so sorry you are sick. Sounds like you have it really bad and I hope you are on some good meds. What a terrible time for you to be so sick. Getting back into your place and your stress levels sound really high right now...maybe that is why you fell ill...stress I think tends to weaken our immune system...hugs. Sarah, so glad you got a new stove...also hats off to you for baking and not partaking! I could never do that! You have done so well and you are such a great cheerleader around here! Thank you for that. Love that the girls all want your son to bring them goodies. I did that at Christmas let my 13 yo dd take fudge to all her friends at school...they were so happy! Kelly...CONGRATS to your Seahawks. They showed up and deserved the win. I'm not sure what happened to our boys...gosh it was a sad super bowl party. People left early, and depressed. LOL. United in Orange now must be referring to that sunshine we are going to get later this week. Georgia, I hope your granddaughter is feeling better! Going to check that link about the twins when I'm off from here! Thank you for sharing. Alas, I'm feeling as if I've already forgotten someone. Gah! Sorry if I did. As for me, I've started back to school (my last semester yay!) my first class was Jan. 27 and I might be wrong but it's been about that long since I hopped on here! WOW! Time sure does fly when your days are full of homework. HOwever, this class is really going to be a good one because it's all about us finding a JOB when we graduate in May. It's called Business for Creatives and we are working on getting together an online portfolio, writing an artists statement, polishing our resume, etc. So lots of work but really good stuff. Ironically I am sick today, hence being on here instead of working out. Hubby had been sick in mid-Jan and took meds, got better and then fell sick again on Sat. He's finally passed it to me (sore throat, cough, etc.) and so I decided to skip my workout today. Was planning to go then it hit how I really didn't feel so hot, so gave myself permission to skip. I will try to be better about coming here...having to read through 25+ pages in one fell swoop is no fun!

I don't drink, so it's no bother to me, but alcohol is a big no-no on my doctor's list of things to avoid.

Every surgeon is different - mine allowed it at 3 months post-op (wine only) and at 6 months we were allowed carbonation in small amounts (beer and cider drinks for alcohol). Be sure to check with your doctor's instructions!

I am 13 weeks post surgery, and this past weekend I had my first taste of alcohol since October. It made me feel very flushed and sick to my stomach. Was never a vodka and cranberry gal but it did taste really good! I will admit I miss drinking with friends but personally for me I am making the choice not to drink for a while.

Surgery has totally changed my relationship with alcohol. I only drink wine or Irish cream now. I get buzzed immediately and I'm a jerk the next day. Mostly I avoid it.

Hi Sherry, we've been daydreaming about food. And alcohol.

Pre op I used to like to drink once in a whole mainly when I went out. I'm 7 weeks out and have not had a drink I was told at 6 weeks I could have red wine. I still have not had any I'm waiting for a weekend that I'm at home with no plans I'm scared to how it's going to effect me. I'm not worried about alcoholism because I don't/never had alcohol every day or had a eating disorder. I must say I miss my wine and vodka specially after a stressful day at work a nice glass of wine would be great.

i personally think the whole alcoholic thing is 2 fold, one if you have food issues i think its easier to swoop one addiction for another using booze as the thing you now use. Say if you were an emotional eater food is no longer the pick me up booze is and becomes a issue. Also my second theory on this is if you are a very social person going out to eat has issues its hard to deal with, costly for what you can eat, you might puke, there may be pain etc etc etc so you have drinks instead. which can become a hell of alot if its always drinking. thats my take on it anyway

A common concern for weight loss surgery patients is that healthy foods have the reputation of being expensive. You might fear that the commitment to years of healthy eating will be outside of your budget, especially if you paid for weight loss surgery out of pocket. But, you can eat healthy on a budget. Junk Food May Seem Cheaper at First Your pre-surgery eating habits may seem cheap. For $1, you can order a burger, taco, burrito, sandwich or fries from at value menu at most fast food places. Candy bars, chips, crackers, snack cakes and sodas from vending machines also cost about $1 each. For $5, you can get an entire pizza, a fast food value meal with a burger, fries, and a drink, or the workplace cafeteria’s daily lunch special with a fried chicken sandwich, onion rings or fries and a drink. Almost everywhere, ordering larger portion sizes and extra side dishes gives you bigger discounts. These options seem inexpensive at first glance. For example, if you compare the cost of a pizza to an alternative of ordering grilled chicken and a salad for lunch at a sit-down restaurant, the pizza is cheaper. Similarly, a doughnut from a convenience store is far cheaper than a fresh fruit salad from the same convenience store. However, you can make better use of your food dollar. Convert Your Pre-WLS Food Dollar into Post-WLS Nutrition Most of the foods on your diet before weight loss surgery may have been relatively inexpensive, but the total cost may have been more than you think. Consider this sample day to see how your post-surgery diet can continue to fit within your budget. Breakfast: Before WLS ($5): coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. After WLS: 2 hard-boiled eggs, a cup of cantaloupe and a slice of turkey ham ($2). Save $3. Morning Snack: Before WLS ($3): a muffin and a coffee. After WLS ($1): string cheese and a half an apple. Save $2. Lunch: Before WLS ($7): a sub sandwich, chips, and a drink. After WLS: tuna, whole-wheat crackers and a cup of cooked cauliflower ($3). Save $4. Afternoon Snack: Before WLS ($2): a soda and a bag of cookies. After WLS: peanut butter and carrot sticks ($1). Save $1. Dinner: Before WLS ($4): steak, mashed potatoes, a dinner roll with butter, a green salad, and cheesecake. After WLS: ground turkey, green beans, almonds and a half a banana ($3). Save $1. Eat In More Often Save money by preparing more of your own food and eating less often at restaurants or fast food chains. Another benefit is that you have more control over what you eat when you prepare it yourself. You can keep your homemade food simple and still have a nourishing diet. Consider these restaurant meals and home-made alternatives to try. Each of the suggested alternatives is simple to make and it is more nourishing and less costly than the restaurant choice. A sugar-sweetened, flavored coffee beverage plus a cinnamon roll versus fat-free yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit. A burger, fries, and drink versus a salad with lettuce, grilled chicken breast and pecans. Breadsticks and a dip, soup, and fettuccine Alfredo versus broiled salmon with steamed spinach. Soda, an alcoholic beverage, or another beverage versus water. Shopping Strategies to Cut Costs and Improve Nutrition Without caution, you can spend a lot and leave the supermarket with plenty of unhealthy foods. On the other hand, a plan and some practice can help you stretch your food dollar while you stock up on healthy foods from the grocery store. Use a list. This helps you avoid impulse purchases of high-calorie, high-cost foods. It also ensures that you remember key ingredients so that you do not have to get them at the last minute from an expensive convenience store. Watch the sales. Staples in your kitchen might include tuna, peanut butter, whole-wheat pasta, beans, frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen chicken and lean beef and spices. Stock up on these non-perishables when they are on sale. Buy in bulk. Purchase larger packages, since they are usually cheaper than single-serving packages. Measure out single-portion servings when you are ready to use them. This is an especially good strategy for family-sized packs of chicken and fish, for snack products such as nuts and whole-grain crackers, and for yogurt. Buy store brands. They usually taste the same as the national brands and are far less costly. Dairy products, cereals and frozen and canned goods are good candidates. Check out your neighborhood. Discount stores and ethnic stores often have certain high-quality products for far cheaper than the chain supermarkets. Check for fresh produce, spices, and condiments at ethnic and discount stores. Buy in season. Out-of-season fruits and vegetables can be prohibitively expensive, but in-season ones can be on sale and higher quality. Some fruits and vegetables that are relatively consistent year-round are apples, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, lettuce, onions, and celery. Your new diet after weight loss surgery requires major adjustments to your eating habits. Practice and also planning are necessary so you can get the protein and other nutrients you need, avoid the foods that are bad for you, and lose the weight you want. With so much to worry about after WLS, you do not want to have to worry about the cost of the healthy foods you need. These tips can help put you on the path to healthy eating within a reasonable budget.

I used to drink before socially, I'm not worried about alcoholism, but that's a pretty interesting study.

My surgeon says none for six weeks and then to take it slow until you know how you will be effected. Apparently some people get flat drunk on one drink and others don't notice a difference. Of course, alcohol is empty calories so he cautions to save it for special occasions. I'm not a huge drinker but it is nice to know I will be able to have an occasional glass of wine.

Interesting reports of increased alcoholism risk after Roux-en-Y. I don't know that the sleeve has been studied. See: http://www.m.webmd.com/diet/news/20121015/addiction-risk-weight-loss-surgery?page=1

How far in post op did you have it? What type of alcohol was it? How was the experience? What was your doctors directions?

Make sure they do regular blood work on you. I still have problems a little over 2 months. I have a B1 thiamine defeniciency. I am tired. Cant exercise. I can't stand for more than 15 minutes. The part of the stomach that supported the thiamine was the part that was removed. So I am on a thiamine pill. But on my next visit. I will inquire about injections. I do not like shots but I know they work faster. Alot of people think its B12 or a iron defeniciency when I tell them some of the systems. But it can be dangerous to your health. Look it up. My doctor has me do blood work before each apptointment to chevk this. Mine was real low. My sister who is a registered nurse told me last night they have injections for it. She also told me that this is usually given to alcoholics. I told her I don't have that problem I do not drink. Check into this. My doctor gives me a print out each month of all my results.

Whew! I just got back from my third road trip in the past few weeks. I know I haven't been keeping you in the loop. I've been busy! I told you I was going to be gallivanting around the country. So I hope you'll forgive my tardiness. I have certainly felt the wrath of some of our more ardent followers. Believe it or not, there are few fatty fans out there who just can't live without this blathering blog. One or two are even a bit stalk-ish. (Note to FeelingFatInFinland: Yes, I got your e-mail. No, I won't send you a photo of my bare ass with all the stretch marks connected in red marker. I can't reach that far. Besides, if you really need to see something like that, a detailed road map of Cincinnati would probably do the trick.) (Note 2 to BiggunInBoston: The answers to your questions in order are: Yes, No, Three at a time, On my head, NEVER!, Boomerang, Oink oink baby and jelly.) That takes care of this weeks fan mail. I will share more in the future. OK, now to the news. As previously stated I have been on three roads trips in the last 3 weeks. Staying on my self prescribed 1200 calorie a day plan was difficult. Logging my food choices was not an option. Eating the right foods all the time was a struggle. Staying away from alcohol was impossible. The bad news is I gained about a pound and a half. But I think I 'll be able to dump that by Friday after a week of detoxing. I'm not upset. I'm right where I expected to be. I mean really. I spent a few nights in the foodie paradise of New Orleans and then 5 nights partying at a golf tourney in Palm Beach. Honestly, I feel pretty much unscathed. I really did watch my food intake. I ate every meal out. So I tried to eat the right fruits and fishes where possible. I watched my portions. Other than a small binge on plain M&Ms that were mistakenly sent to my room, I avoided all sweets. Pretty much a home run. Unfortunately, Johnny likes his booze. All flavors as a matter of fact. We all know that booze is a secret diet killer. The more you drink, the thinner you think. The thinner you think, the more you eat. It's a vicious circle. Clearly, Mr. Booze (or AL C. Hall as we know him) are the enemies of restraint. And I succumbed repeatedly to their liquor-i-ous offerings. Martinis, Cabernet's and Merlot. Greyhounds, Screwdrivers, Bloody Mari's and a frosty margarita. As a salute to the Olympics, I even sprinkled a few White Russians in for good measure. A regular cornucopia of adult beverages. Hell, I get it! It's back on the ol' wagon for me today. I'm tracking my food, I'm off the sauce and I might even try to get in a workout or two. I'm leaving for the Valley of the Sun in 3 weeks and 4 days. I'm planning on being under 180 when I get on that plane. SO let's do this. Phase 2 of the Deconstruction of Johnny has begun! I have about 28 more pounds to lose by May 2015 according to Dr. X. I might as well start now. BTW... I saw Dr. X before I left for Florida. I'll update you on that next time. Soooo long for now. Johnny FAT FANS! Send your questions and comments to: mccgolfer99@gmail.com I will answer any questions and read all comments. Who knows, you might even make the blog!

I told my wife and my parents and that's it. I have two young kids and even though I went to surgery, was laid out for a few days and have lost 50 pounds since, they haven't noticed. I have a high profile job and just didn't want all the attention or to have to deal with everyone's questions. I think your average person just doesn't understand this. When people ask what I'm doing to lose the weight, I say "high Protein, low carb, small portions and very little alcohol." All 100% true. Since people typically don't like that answer, they just shrug their shoulders and say something like "good for you." BTW, as part of my job, I'm frequently out at business lunches and dinners. For the first 2 months post opp, I really avoided them, but now I go all the time. Everyone's so busy stuffing themselves, they hardly recognize how little I eat. I just order something that reasonably fits into the prescribed diet and then pick at it slowly. At some point the waiter passes by and I say "you can take my plate". He scoops it up (1/3 eaten) and that's it. Personally I was really worried about all this, but it's fine. And bigger parties with buffets are even easier -- you just nibble unnoticed. Totally respect those that told the world but I'm really a private person, so that's not my thing.

Alcohol is a tricky one.. Best to avoid.... Cocktails? Go for a very mild one (and perhaps only the one at first) and probably after 6-8 weeks. Booze can hit really hard and no one likes a sloppy drinker. But again, before the abstinence fundamentalists get on one... Best to avoid alcohol until you get into your groove with the weightloss and new healthier lifestyle... So a few months.

When I had my mine, their main concern was transfer addictions. They don't want people to replace the food and the feelings with alcohol, drugs, sex, or gambling, all that sorts. It wasn't as bad as I thought either, the cost however wasn't covered by insurance and cost me $400. The end result will be worth it though. You will do just fine at your eval ????

The holidays are behind us, but it is not too late to consciously think about what we are grateful for. Take weight loss surgery, for example. Weight loss surgery changes almost everything. It can affect what and how much you can eat, your exercise goals, the attention you pay to your health, your daily schedule, and even your personal relationships. Achieving success after WLS means saying goodbye to pizza parties where you eat the whole pizza, trips to the drive-through for a pre-dinner meal on the way home from work, and polishing off the half-gallon of ice cream in the freezer while you watch late-night television. That can seem like a lot of sacrifice, but success depends largely on your attitude. The difference between rapid, healthy weight loss and a bumpy road filled with complications and struggle may be as simple as the difference between saying “I can’t have that” and “I get to have that.” Here are examples of changing your attitude to improve your weight loss journey. From “I Can’t” to “I Can” There are plenty of things that you can’t safely do after weight loss surgery, such as overeating, eating high-fat and high-sugar foods, and drinking alcohol without restriction. Instead of thinking “I can’t” eat that when you are at a dinner party or restaurant, think “I can” have a better time than I used to before weight loss surgery by focusing on the people instead of the food. Don’t think, “I can’t” order a large popcorn and soda while at the movie theater with my friends. Instead, think “I can” fit in the seat now and enjoy the movie! From “I Have To” to “I Get To” Some of the daily tasks after weight loss surgery can seem like tedious chores, but think of them in terms of the benefits you get. For example, measuring each serving of food can be a nuisance and is something that you “must” do, but it is also something you “get” to do to help you lose weight, learn portion sizes, and stay in control. Similarly, taking your daily vitamin and mineral supplements and monitoring your health is something that you “have to” do, but you also “get to” enjoy better energy and improved health numbers, such as blood sugar and cholesterol, when you visit the doctor. It’s not that you “have to” go to the gym; more accurately, you “get to” go to the gym to enjoy your new, healthier body and make it stronger and leaner. From “I Lost” to “I Gained” You might lose some alone or family time each day when you go to the gym, but you gain it right back in quality. When you are in shape, you can keep up with your children, spouse, and friends. The time you spend with them is higher quality than when you might have been too heavy and out of breath to do anything but sit and watch from the sidelines. And, you can say that “I lost” the chance to go to the donut shop on the way to work each morning, but it is more accurate to say that “I gained” time and money from not going to the donut store, and also the self-respect from skipping the morning sugar load. From “Never-Ending” to “Constant Progress” The post-weight loss surgery journey is long…the rest of your life! You are bound to get discouraged if you think about the journey as a “never-ending” struggle. Instead, stay motivated by looking at your constant progress. For the first year and more, your progress can include regular weight loss, smaller body measurements and smaller clothing sizes. For years afterward, progress can include improved fitness or certain athletic milestones, such as completing a 5k run. Other progress might be reduced cravings for sugar, better relationships with your family and having improved health. Eliminate Doubts One of the most important attitude shifts you can make is from being doubtful to being confident. When you know that you are going to make the right decision, you do make the right decision. When you let doubt creep in, you are far more likely to make a regrettable decision. Each day, be confident that you will make the right choices. Think about what you will do, and not whether you will do it. If it helps, attach a reason to each statement. You will go to the gym as planned because it will give you momentum for the rest of the day. You will take your healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks to work so that you can get the protein and other nutrients that you need. You will walk past the secretary’s desk without slowing to look at the chocolates so that you can feel proud of yourself as you work in your office. You will drink the amount of water that you are supposed to because it will help you lose weight, stay awake, and be less hungry. As with so many other things in life, successful weight loss depends on you following certain rules and actions. Beyond that, your attitude makes the difference between being able to make the right decisions, and making decisions that you will regret later. Will weight loss surgery be a burden to endure, or will it be a privilege to appreciate? It’s up to you…and your waistline and happiness may depend on your answer!