Search the Community

i've been smoking since I was 15 and im 23 now and when I found out I was going to have surgery 2 months ago I stopped. its nothing bad like people think. I don't drink alcohol, I think it should be illegal Fred Montana JR

I had my pre-op appointment on Wednesday and I 'only' have to do the pre-op diet for 10 days: 3 shakes a day (Vanilla Bariatric Advantage) that I can mix with Water, almond milk, or low-fat milk; 2 plain non-fat yoghurts of no more than 100 calories each, and sugar-free jell-o or ice lollies to snack on if I feel like it. I'll switch to Clear liquids only 48 hours before the surgery, have 2tbsp of milk of magnesia the day before, and nothing to eat or drink from midnight on the 20th until the 22nd by the sounds of it: my surgery is scheduled for the afternoon of the 21st. The advice I got was no caffeine or alcohol at least 24 hours before, but I already cut both out earlier this week. I'm also avoiding carbonated drinks (even though I could have anything sugar-free if I felt like it), to get used to the post-op restriction. So far (1 day!!), so good but I did notice that every other ad on TV seems to be for food

I have been an avid baker and cook my whole life. This morning I went through my kitchen a gathered all of my baking ingredients and sweets; tons of chocolate chips, sugars, lard, shortening, condensed milk, etc and put it all in a storage bin. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it so I put it out of sight in the basement. Just now, I threw it all out. It was liberating. I remember years ago I burned my ex's love letters that I had held on to for years, after that I was able to finally move on. It felt good getting rid of that food myself, like an alcoholic clearing out their liquor cabinet on the path to a new start.

Could it be worse than the pain meds? Seriously? You are four days post op and want to drink alcohol? Apparently no classes, surgery or all the crap you have gone through is enough to say no I wont drink because its not that it will hurt the band but it will hurt your weight loss in the worst way. Empty calories mean less weight loss. Try consentrating on why you had the surgery and not why a glass of wine should be counted as liquid. What in the world are you seriously thinking. You know what your doctor is going to tell you even next friday? If he is a great surgeon he is going to tell you hell no about alcohol. You are way to new post op to be thinking about something you shouldnt. Just saying but the ultimate decision will be yours of course.

Hi I was sleeved on oct 17 my bachorelette party is in march I haven't had any alcohol yet any suggestions my surgeon said I could drink Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It has been 1 month since my lapband surgery. I am really feeling great most of the time. I am trying to stay around 1200 calories and exercise every morning. I am down about 12 pounds since my presurgery visit. I started the Couch to 5K running program this week. I did that Monday and today and walked yesterday since I am only supposed to do the running program 3 days per week to let my body recover. This morning I was finished with the running portion and was in the slow walking part to cool down when I almost balcked out and became weak. My heart rate became very rapid. My husband was about to leave for work, but he saw that something was wrong so he helped me in the house and got me something to drink. Now I have had this type of episodes since I was about 18. Usually, my heart will race for a short time and then go back to normal usually after I have taken several very deep breaths or tried to hold my breath for a few seconds to kind of reset my heart. Only one other time about a year ago, I had to go to the emergency room and get a shot to slow my heart rate. I was really worried that time that something was bad wrong because it had never lasted that long before. I recognized that this one wasn't going away easily, so I let my husband carry me to our local ER. They did the same thing and now I feel great. Both of these bad times, I had been running early in the morning before eating or drinking anything. I think it could be what is triggering the episodes. Maybe dehydration or low blood sugar? They told me I have PSVT which is not life-threatening, but could be corrected with a type of surgery. Since it had only happened that once bad enough to go to the ER, I never saw the specialist. Now I am wondering if I should go, but I still am not ready for another surgery right now. I have researched PSVT and the only triggers that I can find are caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and illicit drug use. Caffeine is the only one of these that could have caused my 1st bad episode, but I stopped that before I had lapband surgery a month ago. So that is not the problem. One doc told me that it could happen without any particular trigger. But I am convinced that it has something to do with strenuous exercise before eating or drinking. I just have to figure out what I need to eat or how much I need to drink before exercise in the mornings to prevent this from happening again. I would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced this, and what I might do to prevent it. I am really trying to make changes to my lifestyle to finally get this weight off for good. I don't want to stop exercising in the morning because I find too many excuses in the afternoon. Plus I have more energy for my day exercising in the morning. I get my first fill in 2 weeks and I hope this helps me to be satisfied with less food. I am hoping that combined with the exercise will help me reach my goals. I would like to be down 50 pounds by Christmas. I know it is possible if I will stick to my program.

Hi sleevers- I was wondering how long after surgery did you have any alcohol and what the experience is like. Thanks

I got sh*t faced 7 weeks out by accident, it for sure hits you A LOT harder than you would imagine. If you're going to drink, try a small sip first, I also tried drinking a shot at 5 weeks and it burned waaaay too much. everyone has different opinions on alcohol

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....

Remember, with a sleeve they are removing Ghrelin, that is a hormone produced mostly by your stomach that signals your brain that you are hungry. That's not the only way your body tells you that you are hungry, there are also insulin/blood sugar issues too. But Ghrelin is the big one. The first week you do not WANT anything. You struggle just to get your fluids down. You should be drinking 64oz daily and I haven't met anyone yet that has managed to get all the fluids down. Not in the beginning. In the hospital you'd almost pay someone to drink fluids for you so that you don't have to hear the harping from everyone telling you to drink fluids. ;o) By the end of clears you are bored with it, head hunger DOES kick in, but not stomach hunger. I will be honest, I had a band and then revision surgery so I have done the post op diet twice. The 2nd time was a breeze, I don't know how much of it was that I had been dealing with food issues and head hunger was not kicking in full force and how much was the lack of Ghrelin. But I will tell you that I didn't have any problems with it. But again, I had already dealt with many food issues, I revised at 125# and a BMI of 20.8. After banding it was hard but doable. You won't want alcohol at first, it will burn along your staple line but I have it every now and again. I will tell you that when I was losing weight alcohol would stall my weight loss every single time. Without fail. It will slow down your weight loss. Artificial sweetners are fine, I live on them. ;o) Coffee... only problem with coffee is that it changes the cells in the lining of your stomach and it does tend to make your stomach empty faster thus defeating the purpose of any WLS. It's the caffeine. But if coffee did not bother you before surgery it probably won't bother you afterwards. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

My surgeon says 2-3 months before alcohol but that it's never really recommended because it does slow your weight loss. Some surgeons say longer or never, but I think they are not giving a medical answer but a value judgement. Plus, you'll be a lightweight, if you weren't already. So do the first drink in a controlled environment. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

College was fine. I had no issues, my professors all let me keep Water and Snacks with me, everyone was understanding, it was actually very easy to maintain my weight there since many college folks are so health-conscious. I stayed away from alcohol for a full year though. It simply wasn't worth it to me to risk permanent damage to my body. Now, I can go out for a night of drinking, but I must give myself lots of time (1.5 hours minimum) to digest food. Mixed drinks take forever because my stomach capacity is small, so I end up pretty much just drinking straight shots, but I pace myself carefully with plenty of time between drinks (and I NEVER MIX CLEARS AND DARKS). If I try to drink too much, I'll vomit. If I mix, I vomit. My sleeve is very good at telling me when enough is enough. Unlike many people, my alcohol tolerance didn't really change, and after all the weight loss, I still don't really feel much of a difference in the amount it takes for me to get a buzz. But enough people have expressed a lower tolerance, so be careful anyhow! Lastly, drinking is seriously overrated. I wouldn't do it too often, sleeve or not. Campus culture can be nuts, and it's not good for your health overall to drink so much. I definitely feel the pressure, so I just limit the nights I'll drink, and encourage my friends to take part in activities outside drinking (bowling, trivia, dancing, etc). Learning to have fun and participate in social activities outside of food/drink has been really helpful!

I'm 11 days post op. My surgeon calls for no alcohol, or coffee forever. I have committed to a lot of changes and really, nothing bothers me, giving up the weight loss struggle is worth giving up a lot of pre surgery habits. BUT.. I miss coffee! Decaf just doesn't give me the same satisfaction. I have scoured the internet to try to understand why it is so bad... that works well for me. But I can't find any convincing arguments against it. Only, IF a patient is suffering from GERD or acid reflux as it can result in more acid production, but from what I've read, so does decaf and he says that is ok. When I pressed the question with the NUT she said it is an appetite stimulant. Ummm, I just don't see that being an issue for me. If anything, I had my coffee in the morning and more often than not went all day without eating (I just get busy at work and don't think about it). I just know, I measure and pack my meals and plan my days, a cup of coffee in the morning is very unlikely to change what I consume during the day. Sooooo, my questions to others with more experience are: 1. What is your Dr.'s stance on coffee? 2. Do you have coffee and what if any effect does it have on you? I will stick with my surgeon's requirements. But if a year from now (or after I reach goal and am fully healed) and I can't find any real tangible reason so support a no coffee lifestyle, and given I still want it, I may have to step out and be a rebel

yes i definitely don’t mind being unremarkable in this regard lol!! i’ve had scoliosis probably since i was like 8, so no surprise there. and i knew i had a little bit of reflux (as in if i eat spicy/acidic food i get reflux) so i wasn’t surprised by any of the findings. My next step is to attend a young adult meeting on april 26 and in the mean time cut down on my coffee/alcohol/weed intake (the coffee and alcohol have been fairly easy to cut down on) definitely easier to go through the process with others, i will keep updating as things move along! best of luck to you as well!!!

Just wanting to share my story and current status at 1 year in. I started the journey in June of 2020 after considering it for years. Having surgery was something that was in the back of my mind for years. I have a co-worker/friend who had gastric bypass about 3 years before me and quite honestly, she is the reason I ended up taking the plunge - Gastric Sleeve was the best choice for ME. Watching her journey and seeing her success motivated me. I appreciated the fact that she was willing to share her experiences both positive and negative. Prior to my meeting with the surgeon, she gave me a ton of insight on what to expect with both positives and negatives. Physically, I knew I was ready for a change. I needed to make sure I was also mentally ready for the change. I WAS! I started with a BMI > 40. I'm currently 80% complete towards my goal. I hoped that I would be at goal by now, but I'm ok that I'm not. Much of that is based on decisions that I've made with regards to how/what I eat and drink. I WILL get these last 20 off and hopefully another 10. I don't know how long it will take, and at this point, I'm not overly concerned if it takes another year. What's my life like now? I can move better,I can buy clothes anywhere, I'm confortable in my own skin (loose that it is!), and I have a newfound confidence in most everything that I do. I eat pretty much anything I want - Just in much smaller quantities. I've been lucky - So far, there's nothing that really upsets my stomach or makes me sick unless I eat too much (has only happened a couple of times). I drink alcohol when I want it - Some weeks I may have a drink or two a day, and then other times, I'll go weeks without a drink. Again, I'm ok with that - it works for me. Some weeks I gain, some weeks I lose. I've been horrible about tracking - However, if I see a gain, I start back just so that I become aware of exactly what is causing it. Again, OK with that. I DO get on the scale often. It works for me. Keeps me accountable. Every once in awhile I get frustrated with the restrictions (OMG, I ordered veal piccata the other day and it was AMAZING - I wished I could eat the whole darned thing at one sitting!!) - However, I choose to look at the upside now on this one - I ate it for 3 days!. Good food choice: NOPE - Worth it: YEP! For those just starting the journey, it isn't always easy - it isn't always fun. For ME, it's the best decision I've ever made for myself. It's definitely not a quick fix and I would encourage anyone who is using food as a coping mechanism to really look deep before you take the plunge. This surgery certainly doesn't "fix" anything like that. it's a tool (and a great one, but remember, the change is only to your stomach, not your brain) - I happen to be one of those people who just loves food, cooking, and the social aspect of it. Having the surgery has allowed me to continue that and still keep me in check with smaller portions. Hope this gives folks some insight into what CAN happen. We're all different and will have different experiences.

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.

I'm almost 1 month post op, so I'm just out the gate. I used to LOVE wine, but I've been a good girl and have had nada. I am a bridesmaid in an upcoming wedding and I REALLY want to imbue. Be honest. How have you dealt with alcohol? I don't want to go bananas and drink all night, but I'd sure like a glass of wine at the bachelorette party (this Sat) and one at the wedding (June 4). Go for it? One or the other? Avoid? Do you drink? Please put in your 2 cents.

Hmmm... I didn't think about that. On first pass I'd think that, as bypass patients are missing the beginning of their small intestine, they'd absorb less alcohol, as the majority of absorption happens in the upper small intestine. However, I'll need to read and look more (Yes, I am a nerd, and formerly a scientist, so I like this stuff! It's keeping me busy while I sip and recuperate from sleeve surgery on 9/15!)

Hello I am new to this forum i have my gastric sleeve surgery on March 6th and honestly I am freaking out a little I am 5 11 and at my highest was 385 since deciding to do surgery I have lost over 35 pounds and hope to take more weight off prior to surgery with the pre op liquid. Long term goal is 220 i went to pre op education course yesterday so I am clear on everything to do for the next week and the weeks following My questions revolve around several items is two weeks post surgery realistic to go back to work . I work in finance so desk job i understand the need to strictly follow the post surgery liquid diets etc but when you get to 6 months are you pretty much able to eat most foods ( recognizing that focusing on protein and fewer carbs will be key for the weight loss ) How common is vomiting post surgery 6 months and I assume it is just over eating is the main cause and how sensitive is your stomach ( ie I have 6 ozs of meat instead of 4 am I throwing up) the thought of vomiting a lot obviously is not pleasant . I know Alcohol is discouraged but safe to assume that for special occasions one or two drinks will be fine ( once again 6 plus months out post survey ) i am excited to do this a get to a healthier life just probably now just processing how much change there will be to my life thanks so much for any feedback

I don't really consider it cheating if I have a really small scoop of carb smart ice cream and then stop at that. You will need to decide if you can handle just something small like that. It really depends if you have an eating disorder (binge, addiction) or not. I got sugar free popsicles and eat them daily. I also got some sugar free candies and limit myself to 2 a day because the sugar alcohol can cause stomach discomfort. I had to completely cut off any kind of regular candy - chocolate was my nemesis. I won't eat that again. Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 198 GW 135

I think it'd be okay, but they warn you that your sensitivity to alcohol will be much greater/you'll get drunker quicker, so be careful.

OK, long time ago and long story, but I got alcohol poisoning in college, called the poison control hotline and they said to sip on the juice from a can of peaches or pears (packed in 100% juice, not syrup). After three days of vomiting non-stop it's the only thing that helped the nausea subside. It's not carbonated either, might be worth a try...

Thanks so much for your reply. I'm very very nervous about all of this. When my surgeon removes my band, depending on the scarring in my stomach, will then decide if Sleeve or Gastric Bypass will be best suited to me moving forward. By the time I am set to travel, I would be 5.5 weeks post op, so think I am on normal foods at that stage. What I am most concerned about is the effect that having too much food has on your new stomach. With my band - I get a funny feeling and just know I need to find a bathroom. NOt sure of what the experience is like if you have a little too much with a sleeve or GBP? We will be sitting on a beach in Thailand, so also hoping I am allowed to have an alcoholic beverage by that stage too?

I can tell you that when I eat too much it hurts. I have never had to run to a restroom or been sick, but you do get really full fast. I have still not had any alcohol and I am now at 9 weeks post sleeve. My nutritionist said wait 6 mos to a year, I am sure you will do great

I just confirmed a week's vacation with my hubby, son and daughter to spend Thanksgiving on the beach this year. This will be unusual for me as I usually host the big family dinner with 30 plus people and enough food to feed 60 which results in a 4 day feeding frenzy. I'm glad we're doing something a little less traditional this year as I hope to break some of my Holiday habits...gaining 5-10 pounds. What do I plan to do in Daytona? Swim, walk the beach, ride bicyles, dancing at night clubs, Christmas shopping, anything that requires me to be active. My goal will be to burn off any daily calories that are not necessary (ice cream, alcohol) and continure to lose weight while I'm there. I have approximately 130 days to get my body ready for a skimpy swimsuit. Will I be a size 8? No.... But I'll look damn good in a size 12! :shades_smile: P.S. I have officially walked 100 miles since the first week in June and have ridden 48 miles on my bike. I feel so much stronger than I did 2 months ago.