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@@curlysue86 Which surgery did you have? 7 days out seems awfully fast to try solid foods. I had bypass and my doc had me on Clear liquids for a whole week, the full liquids for a whole week, then pureed for 2 weeks which I did not do well with. Finally at week 4 I was allowed soft foods, Proteins that were very moist, veggies that were overcooked. Even getting used to that at 4 weeks was slow going. Just wondering if your surgical team gave you direction on what to eat, how much and for what period of time. I have found that every physician is different but at the end of the day most of us figure it out. I was given a huge binder with every food stage. What foods I could and could not eat. You name it was in there. Then again, my Bariatric center of excellence made me sign a contract too that ensured I would follow the rules and also that I would not drink alcohol for a year. They were very throrough and it worked for me.

Alcohol? Yes, they're OK in moderation. Some (most?) surgeons advise you to avoid carbonated drinks though. And alcohol may hit you a lot harder/faster post-surgery.

Not everyone goes crazy after. Some started that way. In all seriousness though transfer addiction is a known issue after bariatric surgery. Some people have addictive personalities and it is easy to trade that food addiction for an addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc. Some of us have emotional issues along with the obesity like PTSD, depression, or anxiety. It is not uncommon for people that have mental health disorders to medicate themselves with substances and if you take food away it can create a situation where the person does turn towards a different substance. It is never a bad idea for any bariatric patient with or without a diagnosed disorder to seek therapy throughout the journey to help cope with the changes we must deal with.

I got a 6 month rule for alcohol. Have a margarita! But without the tequila

I've struggled with my weight since the 2nd grade. Always been very active, but I had always comforted myself with food. Being totally honest, I'm in my 20s, so a lot of my calories came from alcohol too. I decided to have surgery when it became difficult to bend over and put on my shows because my stomach was in the way. Something small and simple, but it bothered me. In January 2014, at the age of 28, I began the process to get my gastric sleeve surgery. I had to go through several visits with my surgeon's office and three visits at the hospital. Finally, my surgery date arrived on April 8th. I had the gastric sleeve surgery, hiatal hernia repair and my gallbladder removed. Before going in to surgery, the anesthesiologist warned me that being young and female, the nausea caused by the anesthesia would be very rough when I woke up. Next thing I know, I'm waking up with such debilitating nausea, I don't know how I'm going to make it. The first 6 hours were horrible because of the nausea. I didn't even want to open my mouth to talk. The only pain I felt was from the gallbladder removal. The nurse said they have to stretch a muscle really far when they remove the gallbladder and it felt like I was ripping that muscle in half every time I moved. The nurses encouraged me to walk, but I didn't until that first 6 hours of nausea passed. Then, my mom and boyfriend took turns helping me walk the halls every two hours. The toughest thing was blowing into the spirometer the tech gave me so that I wouldn't get pneumonia. It felt like I was ripping out my staples when I took deep breaths in order to blow enough air into the spirometer. After 8 hours, they gave me juice and water to drink and it wasn't difficult for me to drink at all. They gave me all of my antibiotics intravenously, so they only sent me home with nausea meds and the spirometer. I had picked up my prescription liquid painkillers the week before. I ordered ready to drink bottles of clear Isopure protein drinks ahead of time, so I drank those, along with water the first week. I ate sugar free Popsicles and chicken broth with Cajun spices mixed into it. I alternated between taking liquid Tylenol and prescription pain meds. The most difficult part of recovery was getting in and out of bed because of the pain from the gallbladder surgery. I was only off work for a week, but I should've taken off for two weeks. I'm a pediatric speech and feeding therapist, and I spend most of my day on the floor with infants and toddlers. My staples began to loosen and push out and get caught on my clothing. Everything was fine once the staples were removed 10 days post op. Taking all of my chewable vitamins (multi, fish oil. B12, calcium and D) was difficult the first month and finding protein sources that I liked was difficult. I have only thrown up one time since having surgery because I did physical activity too quickly after eating. I had horrible diarrhea from having my gallbladder removed, but that stopped after my nurse recommended drinking an ounce of blackberry juice each morning. Now, It's been over 5 months and I have no pain or regrets. I still take chewable vitamins (they're absorbed better than capsules and pills) every morning. If I dont take them, I get very sluggish by midday. I drink a GNC ready-to-drink lean shake in the car on the way to work each day and I have a Quest Bar for lunch. I eat a snack after work (usually edamame or tuna) and a 4 portion of whatever I cook my boyfriend for dinner. I feel sluggish if I don't get at least 60g of protein each day. I've never had a problem with getting my liquids in, so I drink 64 oz of water and unsweet tea each day. I walk on the treadmill or do strength training activities 3-5 times a week. I'm 5'1" and started out at 212 lbs. After 5 months, I'm down 50 lbs! My arms, legs and chin area look great. I do have some extra skin on my stomach, but it's not too terrible. My breast will need to be repaired. I was a 42D, so they're sagging and feel empty and flat. My butt isn't sagging, but it's flat too. I think squats will suffice in that area though. I used Bio Oil for the surgery scars. They've faded a lot, but can still be seen. After I'm finished having children, I'll go in for breast augmentation and a tummy tuck. My hair began falling out last month, but I can tell it's not falling out as much now. I know it will thicken up again and I've taken Biotin chewables for the past 4 months. I feel like I look great in my clothes and I know I'll look great out of them one day. I've got 32 lbs left to get to my goal, and I know I can do it. Weightloss stalls some weeks, but I still lose inches. I was a size 17 to 19 in April, and I'm already down to a 9 in September. I'm getting married next April and I can't wait to see how small I'll be when its time to shop for dresses!

Not totally sure if this is the proper subforum, but it's about food so here goes. I'm on day 4 of my pre-op diet and it's going very well so far. I've resisted all cravings and have zero intention of giving in. It's usually not terribly difficult as I really cut out all sweets, most carbs, all alcohol and other icky things months ago. But today, I woke up craving a chocolate caramel turtle. The ones with the pecans. I've always clenched my jaw and carried tension there, so chewing things that are really chewy (caramel, those bit o' honey candies, etc.) always really satisfied this bizarre need to work my jaw. This lead to me binge eating foods like that to the point that I was no longer eating just a bit o' honey anymore when I'd consumed 60 pieces of said candy. I'm not interested in returning to those behaviors or stepping a toe out of line on my pre-op diet because thankfully, I'm the paranoid type. Soooo...I'm at a loss. Eventually the craving will subside -- I know, but right now my jaw is really craving that hard chewing session. Being on primarily liquids (except for one meal a day -- again, thankfully) means I'm able to release that tension less often than I'm used to. My understanding is that chewing gum is frowned upon, though, my nutritionist never said anything specifically about it. I also have trouble not swallowing gum, so I don't know if that's a good idea anyhow. When you are really, really craving something, how do you handle it? What do you do to distract yourself until it passes? Has anyone else had this withdrawal from chewing frustration? My mind tends to ruminate on things, and hearing some suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you!! Sent From BariatricPal App

Are you tracking what you eat and were you doing so after hitting goal and the gain? Were you weighing yourself regularly? I'm about six months behind you time wise - my surgery was on 8.23.16 and I'm still working toward goal, but I find if I'm not religious about tracking, weighing my food every few weeks to remind myself what portion sizes are supposed to look like and weighing myself at least once a week on the scale, it is very easy to get off track. I weighed myself before leaving on vacation on 7/1 and then again upon return on 7/9 - I knew I gained because I was drinking pina coladas, laying on a beach and eating way more, including snacks, than I should. I gained 8 pounds during vacation. Six of those came off in the first four days - I cut out alcohol and upped my activity and water intake. I figure and other few days and the remainder should be gone and I can get back to climbing over the 100 pound barrier I've been facing. From what I have read, not tracking and measuring portions can cause all kinds of problems. Best of luck.

Here's my experience. Others' mileage will surely differ: My surgeon allowed me coffee at 10 days post-op. Thank God! I heat half a cup of skim milk and have that with half a cup of coffee. Nearly a year later, I seldom have more than one of these homemade skinny lattes a day. As someone with longtime insomnia, cutting down on coffee has really improved my sleep. Re wine -- I didn't start drinking alcohol again until 5.5 or 6 months post-op. These days (nearly a year post-op) I have 4 ounces of wine most (not all) nights. For those of us with GERD / acid reflux / heartburn issues, there are some well-known foods / drinks to avoid, and coffee and alcohol are both on that list. In other words, don't over-indulge in those foods if you suffer from GERD.

Good luck to you...all your fears are normal. I'm surprised he's offering you all the choices at the very end (I knew from the initial seminar). If you're worried about him messing up the port placement, just ask one of the nurses to mark the spot on you with a Sharpie "Port Here" (it's alcohol based, so it's sterile...and they mark people for different surgeries all the time). Or if you're crazy like me, you draw a 'porthole' on your tummy. If it helps, I did a lot of research and chose the LB (but I know you'll find people on both sides of this debate). One of the docs on here who has been in trials for the new Realize 'C' (which most docs don't have access to yet) says he prefers the LB to the old Realize...the new Realize 'C' makes them more equal, but I still would have picked the LB (and the LB site is in the process of being updated so it will eventually be more like the Realize support site). Stay overnight if you can...even though I didn't get much sleep, all my (minor) things happened the 2nd day and I would have had bigger problems at home (like when my blood sugar spiked...I'm not a diabetic so I would have had no way to deal with this). Try to get some sleep tonight, and good luck tomorrow! -BG

Most of us were given those rules. And most of us don't follow them. Those were mine from my surgeon, also. I have severe reflux, so I try to keep the caffinated coffee to a minimum, but I do have 1 to 2 cups a day and have since about 3 weeks out. No more, no less. Caffeine is just one of those things I just wasn't willing to give up. It's also one of those grey areas for a lot of NUT's and surgeons. Some allow it, some don't. As far as alcohol, I've only imbibed twice since surgery. Once at 4 months out around the holidays (a Bloody Mary I didn't even finish) and a couple of Mai Tai's in Hawaii at a Luau at 8 months out. I wasn't much of a drinker before surgery, and now that my reflux has gotten worse, I'm pretty much choosing not to drink unless it's a very special occasion. Plus I hate drinking calories (with the exception of protien shakes). Of course I'm not advocating for you to go against your surgeons orders. But from my experience, many do when it comes to caffeine and alcohol because there's such a discrepancy on the time lines with so many surgeons.

I made a gin and tonic for a guest at my house this afternoon and, not gonna lie, it was really hard to not make one for myself. I haven't had a drink since Sunday morning, January 22. It was the last day of my cruise and the deadline I set for myself to get serious about my pre-op diet. I also had done a few 2-6 day periods of sobriety/liquid diet in December/January to start practicing for the post-op period. All that to say I'm a pretty serious drinker, and this is hard for me, but I'm going to try to wait at least 12 weeks before I have a drink. I did it when I was pregnant with my daughter, I can do it again now. However, whenever you do decide to have your first post-op drink, do NOT start with a margarita. I imagine you will make yourself quite sick from all that sugar at once. Remember, we're not super prone to dumping syndrome like RNYers, but it can happen to us, too. I was doing low-carb around the holidays as part of my pre-op preparation and I had several vodka & Protein waters, which was totally drinkable. I'd start with that, since then you are just introducing one new thing, a neutral alcohol. Good luck with your choice! Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

Was at a friends house lastnight and had a shot of alcohol with everyone and was instantly sick. Just got my second fill friday and have good restriction but no problems with liquids. I started dry heaving a few minutes after and only air came out like belching. Then a pain started in my back and it comes and goes every few minutes. Liquids are moving through slowly but I figured I just pissed off my stomach and it may be swollen. Now this pain in my back just woke me up and I'm thinking of going to the ER. Dear god please let my band still be in place! I need guidance, and to think all this trouble just to try the new jim bean devils cut!

I've been to a bunch of social occasions, and on a 9-day vacation during my first 11 weeks. The secret to success (and mental sanity) is planning! Although, as others have said, there should be food you can eat at the wedding, you can't count on it. You need to bring something you can eat if there's nothing appropriate available. Several thoughts: Don't go hungry -- eat before you go. Bring along a Protein shake in your purse in case of emergency. You might even cook up a chicken breast and have it in a small tupperware container. You can quietly drop it on your plate and eat it with a knife and fork. Don't feel deprived. You're doing a great thing for yourself and your family. Don't let an event derail your progress. If you make less than optimal decisions, you'll pay for it on the scale. Not worth it! And to help you make good decisions, don't drink alcohol! Not only is it loaded with fast, non-filling calories, but it leads to questionable decision making. 30 minutes after you eat (whatever it turns out to be), start pounding the Water. You don't want to be hungry when the cake is cut. (That may be a good time for your secret shake.) When you make it through, be proud of your accomplishment. And if you don't, get back on the horse immediately - not two days later on Monday. That's the "old" way of thinking. Remember, you're only 7 weeks into a new life. Do your best not to sabotage your progress. As others have said, people may notice, but they won't really care what you're eating. And if anyone asks, just tell 'em you're eating carefully these days for health reasons. Good luck -- you can do it!!!

Has anyone started drinking alcoholic beverages after being sleeved? If so, how's that going for you?

Pre op tips? Follow your surgeon's instructions for any pre-op diet. If you have one, it will likely suck, but remember it's only temporary! Also, you will likely have moments of panic and anxiousness leading up to your surgery date. Have faith that you made the decision to have surgery while you were being logical and rational. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. What to expect for days after op? You will be uncomfortable at the very least, if not in real pain. It might be hard for you to get your Water in (if the internal swelling is bad), but it's incredibly important to stay hydrated. Just take tiny sips and try to get in an ounce of water every 15 minutes you are awake. You'll likely want to nap a fair amount. It's VERY important to get up and walk a little every hour or two. Even if it's just marching in place. The moving will help you avoid blood clots and it can also help with gas pain. Also, don't be surprised if you are moody and emotional and crying a lot. That's very very normal. What should I have organised at home? Whatever "food" you will need for the first couple of days. If you are on Clear liquids, you will want broth, sugar-free Jello, and sugar-free popsicles. You should be able to go shopping within a few days, so you won't need to stock up for your later food stages just yet. Shopping is a good way to get some walking in. Just make sure you don't try to lift more than a gallon at a time. How to manage with three kids under 5? Prayer? Seriously though, if you have friends or family members who can help wrangle the kids, you need to get them on board. Don't try to manage that yourself in the first couple of days! Pain rating? Seems to vary drastically. I didn't have any real pain, except gas pain. Some people seem to have a LOT of pain associated with their ab muscles and incisions. I didn't have any of that. Malnutrition? As long as you start working on getting your Protein in towards the end of the first week post op and follow all of your surgeon and nutritionist's recommendations for protein and Vitamins, you shouldn't have to worry. Dehydration is a much more immediate risk in the early days post-op. Sip, sip, sip! Excess skin? Not something you should be worrying about this early on. If you have more than 100 pounds to lose, you will likely have some excess skin. What you feel you need to do about it is up to you. There are a handful of things you can do that *might* help some, but it mostly comes down to things like age and genetics. Stay well hydrated, take your vitamins, moisturize daily, and do some strength training once you are cleared for it. Alcohol? Not that I do this anymore with kids but wine, can you still have it? I was cleared for alcohol at 3 months post-op. Some surgeons recommend never having alcohol again, because of the risk of addiction transference (WLS patients are more prone to alcoholism). Just know that if/when you do drink alcohol again, it will likely be very different than pre-op. In my case, I get DRUNK off a tiny amount of alcohol, but then sober up super quickly. Exercise? Can I still do weight training? Once you are cleared for it by your surgeon. I was cleared at 2 months post-op. Some surgeons clear for it sooner. You will definitely at least have some sort of lifting restriction for the first couple of weeks post-op. Energy levels? Mine were VERY VERY low for the first several weeks post-op, until I was back on solid foods and could get more calories in. The fatigue was a real issue for me. I was napping a lot while I was off of work. When I returned to work at 15 days post-op, I really struggled to last through the day. I ended up going straight to bed after work in those early days. Once I was cleared for solid foods at 40 days post-op and was able to eat more, my energy level got back to normal. How has your experience been? I'm 20 months post-op now and I consider my sleeve to be one of the best decisions I ever made! It was hard, especially in the first couple of months, but now I am completely adapted to it I reached my goal weight right around the 1 year mark. I've been maintaining below goal for 8 months now. I ran my first half marathon a little over a week ago. Life is amazing!

Yellow Stool Yellow stool can indicate that food is passing through the digestive tract relatively quickly. Yellow stool can be found in people with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Symptoms of GERD include heartburn, chest pain, sore throat, chronic cough, and wheezing. Symptoms are usually worse when lying down or bending. Foods that can worsen GERD symptoms include peppermint, fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate. Yellow stool can also result from insuffient bile output. Bile salts from the liver gives stool its brownish color. When bile output is diminished, it often first appears as yellow stool. If there is a greater reduction in bile output, stool lose almost all of its color, becoming pale or grey. If the onset is sudden, yellow stool can also be a sign of a bacterial infection in the intestines. http://altmedicine.about.com/od/gettingdiagnosed/a/stools.htm

I was so tired till closer to 5 months out. I was very sensitive to greasy foods, acidic foods, and spicy foods till 6-8 months out. Things are still a bit different but in a good way, At almost 18 months out, I feel I can eat a healthy meal including veggies, whole grains, and Protein. I can enjoy junk food or alcoholic drinks when I want and, in fact, I have to monitor their intake to keep my weight stabile. I finally have more energy than I did pre-op. It's amazing how losing more than 100 lbs. can free your movements! Keep an eye on things. If you are feeling worse instead of better, time to call the Dr.! Best wishes on your journey to the goalies bench! Lynda

I totally agree with all of the above....don't sweat it. I cheated a little to (in fact I drank alcohol both Saturdays before the surgery and was told none was allowed) we're not expected to be 100% perfect. You're doing great!!

I have found that if you don't make a fuss and order something small and juat pick at it that nobody notices. People will notice if you have an empty plate or if you make a fuss. But just get an appetizer. Alcohol has never been an issue. I dont find it that hard not to drink. If there is social pressure to drink then get one drink and just nurse it all night, or get a drink without alcohol

I can, and do, some. The beer makes you burp a lot more than normal. I'm a gal and don't drink too much anyway. I understand some folks lose the weight and gain an alcohol addiction! Be careful! But yes, you can still have the occasional drink with the guys! My husband is getting ready to have surgery, too, and that was one of his concerns!

Hi Everyone! I'm at the very beginning of my journey, so please bear with me. I am 37, single, female, and I live in Doha, Qatar. Currently weigh 259 pounds. I have many reasons for wanting to have the surgery - mainly to improve my overall health, but a big reason for doing it is to improve my confidence. I've always been overweight and always been shy around strangers, but with the right people around me I was happy and outgoing and being overweight wasn't such a big deal. But - I had a major knock to my confidence about 18 months ago and since then things haven't been so good. I'm in a vicious cycle of desperately needing to meet new people, but being too embarassed about my size to have the confidence to join any new groups. So aswell as improving my physical health, which drastically needs an overhaul the psychological benefits will be equally, if not more important. I'm having my surgery done at the local hospital here in Qatar and I'd be really interested to hear from anyone else who's had their surgery done anywhere in the Middle East. So far, I've just had the initial consultation with the surgeon. The hospital adminstration and communication here is very bad, so even finding out how to get the appointment was a traumatic process! But - eventually I got to see a surgeon to discuss my options. The consultation was brief... I was weighed, told I was eligible for surgery, and given the option of Gastric Bypass or Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. He told me to go away and talk to people who've had the surgery.... unfortunately there are no support groups for VSG in Qatar, so if you don't mind, guys - will you be my support group? But finally - I'm on the waiting list! The waiting list is 6-8 months, which suits me just fine. Time to mentally and physically prepare. In preparation, I'm trying to exercise every day - my reward for exercising every day is to treat myself to a massage at the weekend. If I skip a day I'm not allowed that massage, so it's a good incentive! I'm cutting down on the carbs, cutting down on smoking with the aim of giving up completely before surgery, and I'm trying to cut out diet pepsi! I hardly drink alcohol so that's not an issue. Is there anything else I should be doing? Any tips would be gratefully received! Next week I'm seeing the anaesthetist for pre-op assessment, then later abdominal ultrasound and then endoscopy, which I'm not looking forward to at all! I'd love to hear from any of you and share experiences x

I'm so glad this thread was made. My family and I are huge backpackers and hikers/mountain biking folks. On a weekend we usually ride 25-30 miles of singletrack trails, and take frequent biking/camping trips. We're planning a 3 day hiking trip in September when its not 1000 degrees in Texas. We did the same trip last year in July, hot as hell and wasn't as fun because of the heat. In May we're celebrating our 4 year anniversary and my wife has planned a camping trip for the two of us. No hike in, but a primitive site with plenty of hiking opportunities throughout the area for day hikes. When I was carb cycling in the past to get ready for meets, I loved the carb conscious Supreme Protein bars. 30g protein per bar, 6g NET carbs, and 4g sugar. the do have sugar alcohols so depending on how your body handles them, be forewarned. They never knocked me out of keto in the past, and never gave me the runs unless I ate 4 of them. Like Fiddleman said, Water water water, moreso than ever before. We bought a filtration system so we can collect water from any source. They really do work nicely unless the water is just way too muddy, you'd need a good filter then. It makes it a little more challenging with water sources in places, but I think it's more rugged living off the land. We take camping pans with us, cook up eggs and sausage/bacon by campfire when we go on 2-3 day hikes, no carbs, good source of protein to get the day started. Also carry cheese and pepperoni with me, love it. Also, electrolyte water like Vitamin water, Gatorade G2, or just electrolyte tabs to put in to your water. You can find a lot of low carb electrolyte supplements on runners websites since they're huge on that stuff. As for the when, my doc told me 6 weeks at first, then released me at 4.5 weeks. But after he saw a video of a few trails we maintain and ride frequently, he told me no crazy off road biking until 6 weeks just to be safe.

So you weren't really that hungry after surgery? I know this is not that important but what about alcohol? Not that I am planning on getting drunk anytime soon (empty calories and carbs) but I do enjoy a glass of wine here and there and would like to do it again someday. Is there a restriction on coffee if you use artificial sweetners?

Good luck. Just relax. You'll go in the o.r looking around next min you'll b waking up in recovery room. I was sleeved last wed and so happy. The next day was rough for me with nausea but they gave me zofran thru my iv and it helped instantly. Hardly any pain. If u get nauseous after ask for some alcohol wipes. They had me sniff it and it helps with the nausea. Good luck .post when your able

I feel like it takes alot for me too feel drunk.. beer does not sit well at all. But alcohol I'm afraid to see how much I can drink. But I've drank a good amount and never feel drunk. Pre op I used to get the worst hangovers. Now they're non existent. I have no clue . Don't make sense to me Sent from my SM-G935T using BariatricPal mobile app