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i used to drink kombucha pre op for probiotics not in a pill. i'm 5 months post sleeve today, and am eating a little fermented foods daily(sauerkraut, pickles). i am about to start making kefir. does anyone drink kombucha? it is VERY mildly alcoholic and effervescent. would that little bit of carbonation cause problems? i'm just trying to make some really smart/healthy choices.

This is the third time I've gotten sick while being banded...pnemonia/flu. When I live in extremely cold climates this happens to me. New England now Utah....all this snow! Anyways, get your fluids in if you think you are getting sick. I can't even drink because my band seems to get really tight. I'm on maintenance yet I am spewing my fluids again. Hydration is so important with the band. Drink your Water and if you don't like water...anything is better than nothing. Stay away from alcohol as it causes dehydration in the cells. Anyone else have this happen to them? Sick and spewing? Any idea on how I can get some fluids in...w/o going to the ER for an IV?

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

"When I make the changes and I'm still FAT, what the hell am I suppose to do then?" LOL I'm right there with you! I guess that is the million dollar question isn't it. I see successes with the band. That keeps me going. I think this whole procedure is just screaming for a book to be written about what really happens. As it becomes more popular, someone is going to pull the trigger and make a million bucks. Would I have had this surgery if I had known that I would have to go back to WW to lose weight? No. This was a last chance option for me. I have tried and failed on all of the diets ten times each. I knew that I had a decent diet--I don't eat fast food, I don't eat out much, I don't drink cokes, I don't drink alcohol, I like all fruits and veggies. I just ate WAY too much. In my mind, I thought the band would be perfect for me. My dietician told me that I was the perfect candidate because portion control was my biggest problem. So, what do I do? I can't stay on an 800 cal/day diet with no restriction. It isn't going to happen. The hunger thing is a deal breaker. I went 3 weeks being so hungry that I couldn't sit through church because my stomach was growling so badly. I woke up at 2:00 a.m. STARVING. I was extremely irritable, had a throbbing headache and a bad case of "what have I done to myself?" I realized on my last fill that it is really a crap shot. She told me that they only fill 1 cc at a time. That was the rule. Well, starting at 0 cc's in a 10 cc band, it could take a while at fills every 14 days. She put in 1 cc. I asked "do you think that is going to be enough?" I didn't know. I was seriously asking a question. She said, "Okay, you talked me into it. I will give you another cc." So I doubled the amount of saline my just asking a simple question. I would like to think there is some clinical reason for the slow rate of fills. I have this nagging thought that it is more about insurance and copays. Every time I step foot into that office for a fill, my insurance pays $712, and I pay $30. Wouldn't it make sense to drag it out half a cc at a time if you were the clinic?

The thing is, food addiction is just as real as any other addiction. In some ways it's the worst addiction there is, because an alcoholic can never drink again but we have to eat to live, so every day we're faced with our demon over and over again. It does get much easier once you have good restriction, however even perfect restriction doesn't cure head hunger. Have you possibly considered a counselor to help you over-come the head hunger and food addiction? I really think it would help considerably. Best wishes to you and hang in there.

I feel the same way. . . I have struggled with my weight for the past 20 years and nothing worked. It is hard to make good choices every day. I know we are in "lap band he**" but my will power fads quickly. I have never had an alcohol or drug addict but I realize now how much I am / was addicted to FOOD. I am trying to figure out how to change all of these bad habits I have so this band and I can work on this together. Good post~

Forget alcohol for a year post-op. Ignore its existence. And after that, you will probably find that one drink is about all it's going to take to have you flying like a kite. I'm not a big drinker personally, so it's not a huge loss for me.

I'm 11 months (and three days) post op... I'm down 217 pounds (98.5kg) and have been thereabouts for weeks... Admittedly, I've not watched my intake and I've had MANY alcoholic beverages recently, so I'm certainly not complaining.. My aim is to hit 220lb (100kg) lost by my anniversary... That'll leave me at around 70% to goal* of 320lb lost by Christmas this year... *I don't actually have a number as a goal. I have a "feeling". The day I wake up and feel right is the day I'll reach my goal.

I keep thinking that I don't dump but maybe it's just that I haven't eaten any of these foods. I don't think I've had rice pasta or bread... Well except I did have a sushi roll with light rice. I haven't tried orange juice or ice cream. I was worried when I ate a yogurt that had 13 grams of sugar. I have a think thin protein bar in my purse but I'm afraid to eat it. It says sugar free but there r 11 grams of sugar alcohol. I'm wondering if sugar alcohol will make me sick?

Calories in Alcohol DescriptionServing SizeskCalFat(g) Calories in Best/Premium BitterPint187 Calories in Draught MildPint136 Calories in Gin & Slimline TonicSingle56 Calories in Gin & TonicSingle120 Calories in Red Wine175ml Glass119 Calories in Regular BitterPint170 Calories in Regular Dry CiderPint204 Calories in Vodka & CokeSingle120 Calories in Vodka & Diet CokeSingle56 Calories in Vodka, Lime & SodaSingle76 Calories in Whisky & LemonadeSingle82 Calories in White Wine - Dry175ml Glass116

Hello: I have my first appointment with my surgeon and dietitian on June 2nd. I am self-pay but they are going to submit it to insurance too I think. I have documented high cholesterol and had gestational diabetes with a BMI of 40. I am nervous, but happy, and trying not to listen to all the naysayers! They are every where! I feel like let's get the show on the road! I am scared about giving up beer though, not like I drink all the time but it is the only alcohol I like. So I guess I can't drink anymore when we go camping, or out with friends, ect.. : (

Since you'll have justed started eating a normal diet, my #1 advice is don't take chances. Don't order foods that you haven't yet eaten as a post-op. When in doubt, order Soup. If you'll be traveling by air, airline food is only an issue on long flights, on which you may be able to order a special diet meal (vegetarian, etc.). Bring non-perishable Snacks with you (Protein bars; granola bars; jerky; single-serving applesauce, fruit, or dry cereal; packets of protein powder). Most full-service restaurants serve things like oatmeal, yogurt, soup, smoothies, juice and milk, and hotel shops often have a refrigerated case stocked witgh juiced, iced tea, milk (ignore the soda), though their packaged snacks (chips, crackers, cookies) are best ignored. Restaurant eating tips: order an appetizer or a half-size entree; avoid buffets; order a child's meal (if there's a healthy-looking choice on the menu); order an extra vegetable instead of potatoes, rice, Pasta or other starch; order salad dressing, sauce, or condiments on the side so you can control the portion size; put a napkin or bread plate over your beverage glass so the server won't fill it; avoid alcohol; always locate the restroom before you start to eat, just in case you have to leave the table in a hurry. Who was it that asked if you have any special food needs? Is it someone you've met before, or are likely to meet in the future? Does this person reasonably have control over all the foods you'll be offered during the trip? Will you be seeing anyone you've previously met, or will it be strangers who know nothing about you? You don't owe anybody, stranger or not, any explanation about anything unrelated to the business at hand. In social situations, there are dozens of things you can talk about that have nothing to do with your eating. You can not tell anyone you'll be traveling with or visiting that you've had bariatric surgery and just wing it, or you can tell them you're recovering from (unspecified) surgery and give them some guidelines (see above). I have an acquaintance who told her coworkers she was recovering from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia (which was part of the truth), and another (whose coworkers were mostly men) who explained she'd had surgery for "female trouble" (almost guaranteed to turn them off). You could also say you're recovering from oral surgery. The problem with telling those little white lies is that there's always a chance you'll run into someone who also had that kind of surgery and would love to talk about it in detail. My own approach is to not explain anything and not do anything to call attention to the way I eat. If coworkers get nosy about it, I change the subject or give myself an exit line (like, "Oh, there's Bob. I've got to ask him something before I forget, so excuse me.")

I have tried NOW brand Better Stevia. It is a liquid form and I have not had any experience with it being bitter. Swerve is an Erythritol sweetener, which is a type of sugar alcohol, but it is not suppose to give the tummy troubles and I have read good things about it. And just an FYI, even with the sleeve you can dump. It is not common, but it can happen.

//Also, there are places to purchase these things online where they will send you samples much of the time. That is how I knew I would be able to enjoy my protein "shakes." My sister, who had gastric bypass, has found that there aren't any protein powders she can take, but I want her to try mine. I can't drink milk or use soy products. I found a kosher certified powder that is whey protein but lactose free, and I use rice milk with it. (Chocolate - Yummy!)// Amy - can you share that kosher certified powder with us? I'd love to try it. My Myoplex is good but I am always looking to try new ones. //I did ok during the HH this year. I get my fills on Thursdays, and only passed on challah once (I don't consult a Rabbi on this, sorry). I'm pretty good at liquifying challah in my mouth, even on the second day after a fill. Growing up my Orthodox rabbi, who was very well known, always told us that if you couldn't fulfill a mitzvah or law because of a health issue, that your health came first. I take that to heart.// I find there is a lot of variability in what Rabbis will say. I guess it depends on your own personal stats. My friend and I were banded within 3 months of each other, and we each consult a rabbi, and we get very different responses. I think that my friend who has a lot more weight to lose than me, and is also pre-diabetic with PCOS is considered more of a health risk, whereas I am very healthy and fit, just FAT. so I tend to be told not to do things that she is told to do. Staying hydrated on YK is one example. //Has anyone started to think about what to do during Pesach? I know I can go a couple days without the protein, but don't yet know whether I will be able to eat enough to get sufficient protein for the full eight days. Now THAT is a concern for me. I can live without a vitamin or calcium supplement for a week, but am not yet sure about the protein. I may be anticipating a problem that doesn't exist, but it is something I'm thinking about now, well ahead of time // this is a real concern. I know a friend of mine uses Dr. Ren and she says that in NYU before Pesach a lot of ppl come in for an unfill. My strategy - and I don't know if it will work is - I am planning on cooking a lot of meat and chicken and pureeing it, to be sure I will get in enough protein. I probably will be low, but it will be OK for a week. I DO NOT PLAN ON GETTING AN UNFILL. for one, I'm private pay and that's pricey, and for two, my friend gained 10 lbs over Passover last year and I work WAY TOO HARD to lose each pound to do that. In terms of vitamins, I believe Maxi Health makes a Kosher for Passover liquid vitamin, but it tastes NASTY. I probably will use it though. I am going to ask my Rabbi about 4 cups of wine. I find that since being banded my tolerance for alcohol has dropped, and I may just stick to grape juice if he says that's OK. Check out the maxi health site - they may have stuff and call their 800 number - I find their nutritionists to be very helpful and knowledgable. According to my scale, I'm down another pound, but I don't "count" it unless it shows on a Tuesday. So I weigh 183.4 unofficially today! I'm so excited. I'm hoping I won't ruin it this Shabbos with the birthday cake my kids will "surprise" me with this Shabbos. Rdk

Quick question, I was just banded a few days ago on Friday and this past Sunday, I went to Mass. I received Communion and took some Wine as well (tiny amount to help the host dissolve). I wonder if I should have done that so soon since I am obviously still on liquids. Do you think I could have hurt anything by doing this? I know I'm not supposed to have solids or alcohol. How soon did others start receiving Communion after surgery?

gonnabethin - your post scared me! I was trying to figure out how one drink could have 1150.0 calories - but the 0.0 means something else. DUH Bettina: Try vanilla vodka with a diet vanilla coke and a cap full of vanilla extract. (I really like vanilla) It tastes like a really vanilla delight. And if I'm feeling especially naughty I'll add a shot of vanilla rum. Cabana Boy. LOL But I thought we were supposed to give up alcohol post banding? My surgeon was adamant about that. So was the behaviorist, matter of fact. I wonder if that's fact or if that's judgment! Mmmmmm booze. I'm going to dream about buttery nipple shots and tequila shooters. Nathalie

It was a great experience. It was a little challenging just getting into a routine with meals. Breakfast and lunch were easy. I brought Protein drinks for when I first woke up. Then eggs and a little bacon or cottage cheese for breakfast. Lunch was some carved meat. Dinners were all at the buffet. Not drinking alcohol was not a problem at all. But I did find that getting all my Water in was a challenge Best advice I have, is when you go to the buffets, take a small plate. It is much easier to not take too much since I did not bring my scale. Next one is in 8 weeks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Premier Protein is really yummy, and it doesn't have any sugar alcohols and only 1 gram of sugar. I like the chocolate best.

For post WLS patients the hypoglycemia after booze would be reactive, and it can cause you to pass out. Alcohol is extremely carb-dense, and its liquid so it will be absorbed very quickly, your body will respond in kind by releasing tons of insulin into the bloodstream. The booze will past through your digestive tract extremely quickly and the insulin will lower the glucose in your bloodstream by far more than you can handle. This problem gets compounded if you haven't had much to eat or drink, as in water, not booze, in the prior few hours. At any decent concert one can be there for hours.. even worse if they're burning off energy standing, walking, moshing, etc., and not sitting, out in the heat, it only gets worse. Sometimes people need to learn the hard way that their bodies can't take much post-op.

Also, after this discussion with my friend, I came home, opened the website of a local newspaper, and at the top of the "most read" articles today, there was an interview with a woman who runs a food addiction clinic, the only one of its kind in the country. The headline was that up to 60% of those who had gastric sleeve ended up with an alcohol addiction instead. She didn't give a citation for her claim, so I don't know how accurate that is or if it has any basis in reality at all. She said that alcohol goes into the blood stream faster when you have a smaller stomach and so people developed an alcohol problem, swapping food addiction for another addiction. IDK, I drink alcohol maybe five or six times a year, and most often it's just a glass of wine at dinner. I googled this a bit and found a US study that said that around 20% of all people who underwent bariatric surgery in several centers in the US during a certain time period had developed problematic drinking. That correlation was strongest for people who had gastric bypass, where 20% of people had, according to the study, developed a full blown alcohol addiction. So, it looks like she exaggerated the risk. The headline shocked me a bit, but diving into the studies risk factors included being male (not me), younger (nope), smoking (nope) and drinking regularly (I don't know if a few times a year can be called regular) and having less social support (less than what?). Have you heard of or considered this risk factor? One of the articles I read said you should avoid alcohol altogether for the first year after surgery, is that something you have done or heard of?

Food addiction is a disease, just like alcoholism and drug addiction, though we don't like to think of it as such. Obsession and addiction to food can be similar to addiction to alcohol or drugs. Food addiction is a disease in which the addict craves refined sugar, flour and fats just as a cocaine addict craves cocaine. Food addicts get a feeling of pleasure and comfort from these foods and therefore continue to seek out the pleasure/comfort feelings. They use food to numb feelings of pain, anger, or depression. The food addict is often obsessed, unable to control the behavior even when they know intellectually of the negative health consequences. The physical craving overrides the power to make better eating decisions.

After a week of anxiety and wanting to eat everything I could find (good thing I didn't find anything!), I had my first fill yesterday. So excited to report that my total weight loss is 34 lbs - weight loss from date of operation 22 lbs! I am excited, but I have to make a confession. I haven't given up my wine or bloody mary's - even though I have been drinking SO much less, I haven't cut it completely out. My nurse didn't seem upset about it, but reminded me of the calories in alcohol and to add what I drink to my total calories for the day. I haven't seen anyone on this site ever talk about alcohol.... Well, here I am. I can do without the chocolate, anything sweet, but don't take my wine! LOL I have found a life-saver in food tracking and excercise tracking - MYFITNESSPAL.com There are even apps for every type of phone. I found it very enlightening (however, not surprising) that I was under-counting my calories, so when the tracker showed me the actual calories, carbs, protein and sodium, I made immediate adjustments. The best recommendation on protein shakes I have is make sure you have some everyday! Now that I can eat more, I have cut my protein shake serving down to 8 ounces - which is 23 g protein, 1 carb, no sugar and 95 calories! Doesn't get better than that! It is SMOOTHIE KING'S GLADIATOR chocolate protein powder. Mix it with water. I feel hopeful, excited, nervous and grateful for my new journey with my new best friend, her name is Lapsa. Take care all and I look foward to keeping up on the site - it is most encouraging and educational! Leslie

Thanksgiving Mystery: Does Turkey Make You Sleepy? Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News November 22, 2006 Thanksgiving feasters take heart. Contrary to popular belief, turkey's tryptophan dose doesn't cause drowsiness. In fact, the substance could possibly aid in the treatment of depression and multiple sclerosis. Purified tryptophan is a mild sleep-inducing agent. That probably spawned the idea that turkey and other foods heavy in tryptophan cause drowsiness. But tryptophan can't get to the human brain in large amounts when ingested as part of a massive Thanksgiving feast—it needs an empty stomach. "Tryptophan is taken to the brain by an active transport system shared by a number of other amino acids [the chief components of proteins], and there's competition among them—like a crowd of people trying to get through a revolving door," said Simon Young, a neurochemist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Consuming tryptophan-rich foods may cause blood levels of the amino acid to rise. But not enough tryptophan will reach the brain to have a sedative affect. "Brain levels of tryptophan could even go down after a big meal because of the [amino acid] competition," Young said. Turkey isn't even unusually high in tryptophan. Many foods, such as beef, chicken or soybeans, boast higher concentrations. "Think about how much turkey you have in a turkey sandwich without getting tired," said Sherrie Rosenblatt, spokesperson for the National Turkey Federation. The Washington, D.C. nonprofit represents the turkey industry. So why the traditional Thanksgiving nap? The slumber may be caused by the stressful hustle and bustle of the holidays, alcohol consumption, and the massive caloric intake of the year's biggest feast (overeating makes you tired!). "There have been many studies citing a post-lunch dip in performance, from factory output to single-car accidents," McGill's Young explained. "These things tend to peak in the early afternoon. A thousand-calorie lunch causes a sedative effect that a smaller meal doesn't have."

Article in the huffpost today: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4043980 Here's Why Your Favorite Foods Are So Hard To Resist Renee JacquesThe Huffington PostOct 16, 2013 It's no secret: When you buy Doritos, you're going to finish the entire bag. There are countless reasons why people have so much trouble putting junky Snacks down. And many of them are by design: Companies spend billions on marketing their products and conducting scientific studies to figure out how to engineer their foods to keep you eating. Consider this: In a Connecticut College study released just yesterday, neuroscience students found that eating oreos activated more neurons in the pleasure centers of rats' brains than did consuming cocaine or morphine. And New York Times writer and author of Sugar, Fat, Salt, Michael Moss recently wrote about ten components added to Doritos that make them extremely tasty and difficult to resist. Unsurprisingly, salt and sugar were major ingredients. In fact, the salty additives in Doritos give them a "flavor burst." That "burst" dissolves in your saliva, sending signals to the pleasure centers of your brain, explained Moss. Do these foods sound "addicting" to you? Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, and author of many books on nutrition, says there should be a distinction between having a strong desire for food and being addicted to it. "I think of the word as meaning a physical dependence. We physically depend on food in general, but never on one food in particular," Nestle tells HuffPost. "Food companies create food products that people want to eat. Is wanting the same as addiction? I don’t think so but there’s evidence that foods trigger the same neurological pleasure centers as do addictive drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, but not nearly to the same extent." Read on to discover exactly how some of your favorite foods may be keeping you coming back for more. You love pastries because they're packed with carbs. Lots of starchy foods contain complex carbs that your body breaks down into simple sugars. A study conducted on mice in 2012 found that foods high in carbs, fats and sugar can actually change the brain. The researchers at the University of Montreal discovered that after being exposed to diets with high levels of fat and sugar, mice revealed withdrawal symptoms of depression and a greater sensitivity to stressful situations. They also had higher levels of the CREB molecule, which is known to play a role in dopamine production. Much of this is still emerging science, and it's impossible to say that eating lots of sugar will necessarily make anyone feel happier, but humans are naturally drawn to sugary high-carb foods. "We evolved to love the taste of sugars as an infant survival mechanism," says Nestle. "The brain needs sugar to function and carbohydrates are the most efficient source of it." You love Cheetos because they literally melt in your mouth. How fast can you eat a bag of Cheetos? Probably pretty quickly. That's because the manufacturers of the puffed corn product have mastered the art of "vanishing caloric density." The Cheeto is extremely light and fluffy, therefore making it easy to rapidly melt in your mouth. Moss discovered that this junk food ploy tricks your brain into thinking you're not eating as many calories, so "you just keep eating it forever." You love Fruit Loops, popsicles and gummy bears because they are bright and colorful. Now, of course, that's not the only reason why you love these tasty foods, but their vibrant coloring has been known to play a part. Food companies add color to their products to make them more appealing. Dr. Linda M. Katz, Chief Medical Officer for the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, reports that color additives are incorporated into foods to "enhance colors that occur naturally" and to "provide color to colorless and 'fun' foods" (like popsicles and soda). "That’s what food companies do to sell foods," says Nestle. "That’s their business. People don’t like eating grey foods." You love canned sauces because most contain excessive sugar. When we think of satisfying snack foods, tomato sauce isn't really on the list. But that doesn't mean it's free of the additives that make more typical junk foods more appealing. If you look at the ingredients list on a can of Prego tomato sauce, for example, the second ingredient after tomatoes is sugar, one of the three addictive components of fast food, according to Moss. The New York Times reports that just a half-cup of Prego traditional sauce has about two tablespoons of sugar. That's the same amount of sugar as in two large Oreos. Nestle says the added sugar in canned tomato sauces "makes them taste better and covers up the off metallic taste from the canning process." But before you head to the kitchen to make your own, note that sugar can be found in canned tomatoes -- a common ingredient in homemade sauce -- in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. If you're craving tomato sauce, you're better off avoiding any kind of tomato product that comes in a can. You love candy because your body has not adapted to its intense flavor. There are a bunch of reasons why you can't resist munching on your kid's Halloween candy loot, but you can blame part of it on evolution. In an article on Prevention.com, Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Michigan, explained that the human body has not yet evolved to handle the intense trio of sugar, fat and salt that comes in candy bars. Gearheardt wrote that before processed food was developed, sugar was "found in fruit and guarded by stinging bees; salt was a simple garnish; and fat was a nutrient that had to be hunted or foraged." The tastes taken together are still very new to the human body. You love fries and potato chips because they have the perfect mix of salt and fat. And they're fried. According to Michael Moss, the coating of fat and salt on potato chips and french fries is what makes them so irresistible. Moss writes in his New York Times piece, "The starch in the potato causes the same glucose spike as sugar, but is absorbed into the bloodstream much more quickly." That spike will drop very fast, causing you to reach for another fry or chip. You love soda, juices and sports drinks because they are sweet, sugar powerhouses. Kelly Brownell, director of Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, claims that sodas and sports drinks are the “single greatest source of added sugar in the American diet, and the research linking sugar-sweetened beverage intake with obesity and diabetes is stronger than for any other food or beverage category. The average American consumes 50 gallons of sugar-sweetened beverages per year." The Nutrition Source revealed in a guide titled "How Sweet Is It?" that cranberry juice cocktail, orange soda and cola all have much more than 12 grams of sugar in a 12 ounce serving, with some packing upwards of 40 grams of sugar, which is the same as about 10 teaspoons of sugar. That's a lot of sugar. As with many of the items above, high sugar content plays a key part in making popular foods and drinks so hard to put down. But why so much sugar? Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at University of California, San Francisco has a theory that he outlines in his viral YouTube lecture, Sugar: The Bitter Truth: So why do I call it the Coca-Cola conspiracy? Well, what’s in Coke? Caffeine, good, good. So what’s caffeine? It’s a mild stimulant, right? It’s also a diuretic. It makes you pee free Water. What else is in Coke? We’ll get to the sugar in a minute. What else? Salt, 55 milligrams of sodium per can, it’s like drinking a pizza. So what happens if you take on sodium and lose free water, you get? Thirstier, right. So why is there so much sugar in Coke? To hide the salt.

My new tummy, at 4 weeks out, raises an objection for anything over 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Sometime, like this morning, I was eating scrambled eggs and cheese, and could only eat two bites. Drinking alcoholic beverages is something I won't be doing for a long time. Everything I consume must have food value of some sort.