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I've heard that booze will knock you flat after the sleeve. I had little to no tolerance BEFORE surgery, so now I'm paranoid about trying any alcohol at all. My MIL gave me a teaspoon of Everclear with herbs in it when I felt like I was coming down with a cold and a teaspoon full made me feel like I was going to pass out. I think I'll just stay away from cocktails indefinitely. Besides, my fiance can't drink so I know he feels better when I'm sipping on Water with him.

I don't see where anyone mentioned alcohol. Yes, you will be able to eat and drink at the same time in the future, if you so choose.

I did think of that one! I'm actually on one (and have been for years) that states on the label not to drink alcohol with it! I think it's easier in large group settings. ~~anne

You're body asborbs the alcohol through the intestines, and tranfered to the blood stream and into the organs of the body, most of it detoxified by the liver.

It is a serious risk, addiction transference is a real risk post WLS. I personally know someone who DIED in her 40s after losing weight post bypass due to alcoholism. She was type 1 diabetic, got uber skinny, went off the rails so to speak (left her hubby and kids) and died an unemployed alcoholic. However, most people don't do this. Let's say it happens to 5 percent (I made that up do not know the stats) it is all part of the calculated risk. I had 100 percent chance of early disability and premature death without surgery with a BMI over 50.. If you think you are at risk, freaking don't drink at all. I choose to socially drink but have rules/boundaries around it just like I do with food.

This may really sound dumb but here it goes. My boss hates the concept of bariatric surgery. She insists it causes someone to become an alcoholic. I really don't think this is true. I know her sister in law that had gastric bypass is an alcoholic but honestly don't think the surgery caused it alcoholism runs in her husbands family. Did anyone else hear of something like this?

Hi. WLS is a big deal so kudos to you for thinking everything through again before surgery. Food changes after surgery...that’s why we do it...at the same time, as long as your surgeon is ok w it - eating some things here or there like two bites of birthday cake isn’t unheard of. My surgeon said no sweets and no alcohol. How determined are you to stick w it? You will be the best predictor of the outcome. By following your surgeon’s guidelines, you’ll give yourself the very best opportunity for success. Will two bites of cake cause you to want more sweets more often? If it will, are you able to stop yourself from eating more? The same about wine - will you want to drink more alcohol more often? It really becomes a mental game as much as a physical one. If you don’t want to be part of the 30% that regains, you’ll need to eat only what your stomach allows in terms of portion sizes. In general, I think you may eventually be able to eat a little more than two spoonfuls but it will still be a lot less than it once was. I had surgery just over 2 months ago. I was nervous too, especially the night before. Everything went really well for me. I’m super happy I had sleeve surgery. I wish you all the best. [emoji272]

Hey there. Thanks for the reply. I may go out to have drinks a couple times a month. I can go for long periods of time without a drink. That’s not the issue. I don’t consume alcohol during Lent every year. That’s 40 days that I go without a drink. However, if I am at an event that has alcohol and I’m not driving, I will partake. I rode in a Mardi Gras parade over the weekend. I started drinking and didn’t stop. Since the alcohol hits me so much quicker than when I was 400 lbs, I don’t know when to stop.

Typically speaking you seem to be going through the official grieving process, maybe just a little more enhanced. Here's some thoughts or ideas to try; 1) ask your boyfriend for more support and not to eat Pizza Hut or trigger foods in front of you. 2) take a walk or plan an activity when he is having dinner. 3) seek counselling or look for local support groups (or just pretend your an alcoholic and go to an AA meeting for support- lol) joke 4) think of the reasons that you decided to do such a drastic change, health, think about your goals, personal and scale. 5) find some guided meditation on the Internet and listen to that. Ground yourself. Now I say this and I'm 2 days away from surgery so I can't fully relate. Perhaps next week I'll be posting the same but I know I'd love it if someone was telling me that it is normal. Tell that boyfriend of yours to be more supportive!! Lol Take it easy and keep me informed! Shelly

Okay I'm going to open up a little about something because I so feel what you're going through right now Cloe. About 6 weeks ago I started to really feel like I was going to come out of my skin. My inability to control my stress and anxiety was taking over and I felt like I was going to completely fall apart. For 2 and a half decades I ate my pain,stress,fear,anger...everything...I ate it away. Now here I was with the inability to sooth myself with food and I DID NOT know how to cope with that. So I joined Over eaters Anonymous. I wanted to know how to incorporate normal coping mechanisms into my life. Though my overeating wasn't in mass quantities at one time, I knew I was still dealing with an addiction of sorts. It could have been alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling...any of those....it just happened to be food. I've only been going for a couple of weeks....but I feel better for going. It's one or two days out of my week that give me the small glimmer of hope that maybe I can beat this. We all know that the band doesn't do all the work...and I am definitely finding alot of the head work more difficult than the changes I've had to make in the kitchen. Stay focused Cloe....things will get better. Ultimately your daughter is at the age where she's going to make her own choices regardless of what you say....as much as it sucks there really isn't anything you can do about it. I'm sure there were many many times when my mom wanted to strangle the life out of me....but she had to just let me go...I wish I had known how hard that would be...I have a 14 year old and it's so hard already...lol...I can only guess what the next 5 years will bring. My thoughts are with you...take care.

Bless you for posting this! I am so frustrated I could just scream. Sleeved on Feb 20th, lost 30 pounds practically overnight and haven't lost a pound in 20 something days as well. I am getting my ass kicked in boot camp several times a week plus going to the gym on alternating days and I am back to the liquid diet. Haven't touched sugar or alcohol since my surgery and the shakes I prepare do have some carbs but not a lot. It saddens me to think that this is as good as I'm gonna get :-(

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukah to our Jewish friends! Season’s Greetings for those of you who are not celebrating a holiday now – it’s still a festive time when everyone can enjoy the uplifting spirit around town. As we near the end of a long season of tempting food, you may need a little help getting back on track or staying on track. Here are our offerings. Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery Hopefully this newsletter can help you keep your weight loss goals in mind and give you a little push to inch closer to hitting them. After reading the newsletter and spending some quality time with your loved ones, don’t forget to head on over to the BariatricPal Forums so you can share your tips and ideas with all of the BariatricPal members! Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge The weight loss surgery journey itself is a bumpy road, and recent weeks may have been even tougher as the holiday spirit has taken over. High-calorie, fatty, sugary foods have been everywhere, and gift shopping, family obligations, and holiday parties may have been eating into the time you might otherwise have spent exercising or planning healthy meals. So, what do you say to a challenge to lose weight this Christmas? The idea may sound crazy, but it is actually possible if you try hard. Here are our suggestions for a weight loss Christmas Day. Christmas dinner the WLS Way The totals for a full-blown Christmas dinner can be somewhere between staggering and horrifying. You yourself may have indulged in a few such dinners in the past. Between the ham or turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and Desserts, plus some alcohol and a bit of nibbling on appetizers and nuts, you can have 5,000 or more calories on this single day. Yuck – that’s 1.5 pounds of fat! Here is a more reasonable Christmas Day scenario to consider. Breakfast: Festive Protein pancakes with 1 cup sliced strawberries (150 calories) Meet ‘n’ Greet Appetizers 1 cup fresh cut vegetables with yogurt-based dip (100 calories) Red, white, and green Christmas skewers with cherries, peeled apples or pears, and green grapes. (100 calories) chocolate Coated Protein Puffs Soy Snacks (150 calories) Christmas Dinner 3 ounces of ham or skinless turkey or duck breast with mustard (150 calories) Green bean frittata – a high-protein, low-calorie substitute for green bean casserole (100 calories) Green salad with Light Dressing ½ cup pureed sweet potatoes sprinkled lightly with crushed pecans and sugar (or honey or low-calorie sugar substitute) (200 calories) 1 medium baked apple with cinnamon, served with light or sugar-free whipped topping (150 calories) Later Snacks Protein Cocoa or Mocha (100 calories) 1/2 ounce mixed nuts (100 calories) (Don’t forget to use coupon code BPNEWSLETTER10 for a 10% discount of your first order!) Savor Your Treat Don’t forget to leave room for a treat. That’s right, even WLS patients deserve a treat. Just make sure: It’s one that you really, really want. You can tolerate it (some treats are too sugary or fatty for your post-op digestive system, and even a small serving can make you feel sick). You take only a small amount and count the calories. In the sample Christmas Day menu shown above, there is room for another 200 to 400 calories from your treat while still staying under 1,500 to 1,800 for the day. Those calories can get you any two of the following: A half-cup of mashed potatoes with gravy. A half-cup of bread or rice-based stuffing. A 1-inch sliver of pecan, pumpkin, or another kind of pie. A small square of fudge. A small dinner roll with a pat of butter. A half-cup of eggnog. Get Moving, for So Many Reasons It’s a busy day, but surely you can find a few minutes to get in a short walk or workout. There are so many reasons to get moving in the morning or during the day. Burn calories and boost metabolism. Keep yourself motivated as you notice how good it feels to get moving rather than eat. Take time away from the food because when you are walking, you are not eating. Bond with your children, nieces, or nephews; with your out of town relatives; or with your significant other. Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! One bad day of eating does not make a habit, but a six-week period does. A skipped workout or two doesn’t get you out of shape, but a month of inactivity makes you sluggish. A single bad weigh-in is no cause for alarm, but a few weeks of climbing numbers is reason to take heed. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can put you in a weight loss slump. Over time, your can get weaker and those poor decisions can get easier. While a bite of a cookie might have made you feel guilty in early November, the whole cookie and a second one may be par for the course now. Snap out of it! It is time to get out your slump. If the thought of reversing all those bad habits at once is too much, take heart. You can put yourself on the right path with a single decision. One good decision can increase your confidence and lead to more good decisions. You could: Make your own 200-calorie Breakfast sandwich with Protein Pancakes, a fat-free slice of cheese, and egg whites instead of hitting the drive-through for a 500-calorie breakfast biscuit. Schedule a short walk with a neighbor – no backing out! Log your food for a day, no matter how bad you know the numbers will be. Step on the scale if you’ve been avoiding it. How will you break your slump? The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery As hard as the food and lifestyle around the holidays may be for you as a weight loss surgery patient, your family can make things even harder. You can prevent them from knocking you off your game by being prepared for what to expect and how to handle it. Problem: Pressure to Go Off Your Diet Saying no is just one of those things you have to learn how to do in life. Refusing your relatives’ offer of freshly baked Christmas bread or Christmas Cookies made “just for you” is difficult. They may feel that you are rejecting them. Practicing ahead of time can help. A simple, “No, thanks” can do wonders, and it leaves no room for argument. You could elaborate with variations such as “No, thanks, I’m not hungry,” “No, thanks, my doctor says I can’t eat that anymore,” or, “Not right now, thanks. It’s already great to get to see you!” Problem: Unwanted Comments on Your Weight or Weight Loss If you got your WLS in the past year, you may have dropped several pounds since relatives from out of town saw you. They may be overly reactive to your weight loss. Or, they could have the opposite reaction and say something discouraging about how they expected you to lose more weight by now. Whatever they say, do not let them throw you off your game. Problem: Lack of Acceptance of Your WLS They are not living your life, and they do not know exactly what you have gone through. A lack of understanding about what WLS is and how a WLS lives can inspire negative comments. You can choose to ignore them, or try to explain your WLS to them. You can also try to include them in your routine, such as inviting them on a walk or asking for their help in your kitchen while they’re in town. You can grow closer and develop a better understanding. Again, Happy Holidays! Enjoy this special time with family and friends, and make it a safe and healthy time for yourself and your loved ones. Thanks for spending some time with the newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you on the forums! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I have bad PMS - mood swings, cravings, bloat, the works. I *always* gain weight right around my period so I try to stay off the scale until the last day of my period or later. Just not worth the discouragement! Also try to consider if you consumed food that was saltier than usual the day before, or if you had a glass of wine. Alcohol and foods high in sodium lead to Water retention.

Like others have said, it varies with the tightness of your band but I have found that social settings are not as hard as I had imagined they would be. The trickiest bits for me are: 1. Avoiding alcohol (or drinking at all) 2. Avoiding sodium Now the above two things are simply because I am trying to lose aggressively. Foodwise, before my last fill, I could eat almost any food in smaller quantities. The last fill has made that more difficult so fish, moist Proteins and Soups are the staple. Yesterday, I went to lunch with my wife and ordered the healthy chicken breast lunch (Grillsmith). It was a Chicken Breast, a scoop of potatoes and grilled asparagus. I ate half the chicken breast, two asparagus spear tips and half the scoop of potatoes. I took the other half of the chicken breast home and made chicken salad out of it for dinner. Did it feel weird? Yup. But it works and it can be worked through.

My daughter had a partner who ditched her the same week her cat of 14 years died. She was really down in the dumps until a friend suggested that she join up with the roller derby crowd. What a great way to get out agression and get exercise at the same time. Yeah, being abandonned hurts...badly....but at least there is a new way to keep her mind occupied and her feelings in check. If not now, this may have happened sooner or later. Whatever the dynamic of a partnership is, weight loss surgery changes relationships as well as bodies. This surgery still needs to be about you and improving your health. One thing that happens unexpectedly is that when we go through the physical changes, we find the "real" us that has been hiding behind years of fear, shame, and loss. I hope that you still will have at least one person (parent, sibling, friend) that can be your support through the medical process. Then you can hope that on the other side you will find a new life that enhances who you really are. Please do not give alcohol any power over your health and happiness. Here is a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Hopefully it will give you the courage you need to follow through with your surgery and begin your new life. "Whatever you can do, or dream you can.............BEGIN IT! For boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

I am 9 days pre op and have a horrible Cold. Body aches coughing etc etc Is there anything I can do? I was told no Tylenol, Ibuprofen etc. any home Remedies that don't involve alcohol or sugar/ syrup Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My nurse from my general practitioners office told me that I would end up a drug addict or an alcoholic! I was absolutely floored! Needless to say every time I go in for a checkup since surgery I make sure to make a comment like....well still not on any meth thank you! Lol Some people can be really rude and insensitive to other people! Grrrrrrrr!

Might I add, I am feeling a little sadistic having this surgery. I have given up drinking alcohol, coffee, food, smoking. Where is my will to live? About the only thing left is SEX and that might be difficult because I am such a moody B from quitting everything and being on a liquid diet, who can stand to be around me long enough to ... well you know....

So, as I travel this road of research heading into this decision, I find myself very concerned about privacy. I’ve been adding up the pros and cons of using a local hospital versus an out of town one strictly in the name of privacy. I know a lot of folks in my local medical community, and I feel it will be nearly impossible to keep this quiet if I do it locally. And really, it probably would not take much for it to leak if I go to an out of town hospital. One piece of paper crossing the wrong reception desk and my “secret” would be out. It is frustrating to keep waffling back and forth. On one hand, I don’t want to hear judgmental comments before or after, or unwanted advice. On the other hand... am I really going to go through all of this and a big transformation and deny the fact that I got some medical intervention as support? Really, where is the shame in it, anyway? I figure, if I encounter anyone who judges my decision or brings negativity to me, I will show the them the exit door out of my life and enjoy my new health with people that matter. Wondering what others thoughts are on privacy. The stigma with weight loss services is frustrating. No one ridicules smokers for using medicine to help them quit. Or alcoholics who go into intense rehab.

Some of the shakes have sugar alcohols--which can be really hard on the gut. I really love Bariatric Eating's Inspire line of Protein. The flavors are awesome, and the PURE unflavored protein isolate is quite possibly my favorite (it can be added to anything). You can order at BariatricEating.com - BE, Inc. The number one bariatric website for protein, Vitamins, and success..

I'm going to have surgery in June with the likelihood my date is moved up. I had joined a Facebook bariatric group thinking I'd find support and possibly friends there, but unfortunately left the group due to the outrageous number of posts regarding how soon people could eat pizza, drink alcohol, eat I cream or drink soda pop, etc., etc. then the myriad of unhealthy recipes that were posted was upsetting, even as I scrolled past them. Then, I came here. It's the same difference. The people who have knowledge are vastly outnumbered by the addicts and self indulgent. What's worse is if anybody speaks the truth, which is that the vast majority of people here are seeking a quick fix, don't want to put in the work, are food addicts and compulsive over eaters, and even lazy, then they risk the wrath of people who disagree and want to mess up for their own ignorant and selfish reasons. Stupidly and indulgence win out the day. I'm always from the school of thought if I know something or have information I ought to impart that to others. Knowledge is power and the truth is always better. It pisses me off to have to keep my mouth shut so that stupid or misinformed people win out the day spreading their crap all over these forums and ruining it for those of us who actually can use the encouragement and not use this site as a crutch for our self indulging. I was thinking of leaving. Then I realized I'm not alone after reading a post on here expressing the same outrage. Plus, I'll stick around for the few people who actually can use the help and viable info, not to mention have real issues with support outside these forums for reasons beyond what is normal, either they have limited net access and funds, or get a doctor that isn't up to par, plus I feel it's my duty to give out the correct information. And yes, there is actually correct information about this stuff. It's really easy to find and a great doctor will give it. Some of what I read is preposterous. Reading stupid crap such as it's okay to drink soda or pop because the stomach muscle left over from the surgery won't stretch - B.S! NOT TRUE, and if that isn't the worst if it, not acknowledging what sugar and fake sweeteners do to our bodies is the icing on the cake. Nobody is that daft in 2017. Rather than attack and change the nature of the addictions, people seek any excuse to indulge them. It's tiresome and boring. Have some guts, and stop spreading stupidity to others. Believe it or not, some of us want to be healthy and actually live longer by correcting the habits that got us here in the first place. If you don't like it, fine. It's not my job to encourage bad behavior, not for myself or anyone else. Leave a rude comment or not, that's your bit. At the end of the day it's about adding years to our lives and making the best out of a tool that not everybody has an opportunity out to use.

Be sure to take it easy for the new years celebrations no alcohol etc preop

We are asked to wait at least 6 months. Two reasons: (1) avoud alcohol's irritating effects on your new stomach, and (2) avoid transferring your 'addiction' from food to alcohol. That said, 'one' won't kill you.

Congrats on the good news. I like how non judgmental my surgeon is, too. She is the first medical professional who understands weight issues for some of us are genetic and psychological, not just a willpower thing. In her info session she compared obesity to alcoholism - some people had no problem controlling alcohol intake and others had a genetic predisposition for addiction, and that for obese folks the hunger factor is what sets them off in seemingly self destructive behavior. Problem is, it's still fashionable to call obese people lazy and publicly ridicule them. I understand that guilt feeling abs not waning to show your face. But also I sided where you might be without the band? 50 lbs heavier than your start weight??? You're doing a great job. 50 lbs is no small amount, I don't care how heavy you are! The docs are there to make sure you're at the magic fill. The support groups help you get out of your head. Make sure you are physically hanging out with banded people too!

If I remember correctly, some of the Quest Bar flavors don't have sugar alcohols. The ones that do use erythritol.