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I don’t think we would be on this forum if we weren’t mostly terrible dieters ☹️ But we have made a decision to change our lives for the better 😊. You can rock this diet! Good luck! Your pre op is more the UK’s post op, mine is just 1000 calories a day no alcohol, as it’s Christmas they said I can have a relatively normal Christmas Day (probably not my normal 🐷) and then 800 calories to compensate until the 30th.

Good luck with your dietician appointment, I found this a little overwhelming to start with it made it very real for me and the extent of the changes to be made but that’s all settled in my mind now so I am happy with the decision. I love that you are feeling calm about it most of the time, I will get there, each day I feel a little less worried. I usually suffer with anxiety, and although I feel emotional the anxiety seems to have eased - which is amazing! My pre op is 1000 calories a day until Xmas day and then to counter Xmas day (which can be a sensible Xmas day with no alcohol) I am then 800 calories a day until the op on the 30th. I can have the calories however I want just not alcohol which isn’t a problem I’m not a big drinker anyway. post op is weeks 1-4 liquids building up protein intake, but the dietician gave great ideas, such as using milk powder mixed with milk to double up your protein intake. Weeks 5-7 soft food then gradually onto normal foods, just tiny portions. There is still such a stigma in the UK as well maybe we should be the ones to records our journey so that others can gain inspiration. Good luck with your journey 😊

My weight shot up so quickly (Chemo, quitting drinking & excessive popcorn really accelerated my weight) I didn’t recognize myself, and I had never been so uncomfortable. I had gained some weight over 8 years or so, I felt “fat” at 160 then, boom, one year later I was at 22-something. I qualified for surgery by 1-2 pounds. It was shocking to look in the mirror. I made an appointment and had surgery 5 months later. I just feel like myself again, and it turns out I really missed me! I had transfer addiction kinda backwards, which also led to my weight gain. Before surgery I drank a lot of wine daily when I was stressed, (aka Everyday) which helped add pounds. I quit drinking 5 years ago and I don’t miss it. I really thought I would, it was a big part of my social life and stress reliever for me. Turns out I didn’t need it. **However, I replaced my nightly wine with popcorn...that didn’t work out and compounded my weight gain as you can imagine. Alcohol and popcorn are two things I will live without. I quit smoking 22 years ago, and I’m not touching that again either. I began painting (not art) after surgery to keep busy and now I’m looking for a new hobby. I’m planning on trying out woodworking when the weather is better. I’m the type of person who needs to be busy. I’m lucky, I have a super supportive husband, I feel terrible for those of you with a partner who isn’t your biggest cheerleader. You deserve that. I shop less than I used to. I was always buying clothes to make me look less fat or replace things that got too tight. Now with the plague, I have nowhere to go and my closet is so organized! That’s why I don’t post on OTTD anymore, I’m wearing the same things! 😂 I do freak out a little bit if I see the scale hit 125, I don’t vary my diet a lot, but I’m comfortable with my diet. It’s a mix of good for me and eh, not so good for me. I really have a hard time splurging on food. I’ll have just a bit of something that’s really caloric. I do log everything, I simply have to. I’ve had real pizza a few times and a small thin crust pizza lasts 4 meals. I can live with that. I joke that I’ve quit smoking, drinking and eating, so now what?

Generally surgeons will tell you to hold off on alcohol consumption for 6months to a year. I'm 10 months post op and haven't touched alcohol since long before my surgery (haven't had alcohol in about two years).

This thread has been really helpful. Last week I was given the green light to have surgery on 4th January. It was my first visit to the surgeon! I have one week of the liquid and steamed veg right over the Christmas and New Year period which doesn't really bother me. Last December I gave up alcohol, if I can do that I can do anything! Last night at my husbands Christmas party I met a lady who had the gastrectomy in May this year. She gave me some good advice on the liquid pre op period. The Optifast puddings keep you satisfied longer and it was recommended by her bariatric dietician. That and Powerade Zero (we are in Australia so not sure what the US equivalent is).

I definitely reduced my alcohol intake during weight loss phase (maybe 5 or so the entire time, and not even full servings).

Hi All, Im new to the group, I have my surgery planned for the 12th jan 2021. So excited but nervous! Anyone who has had the op have you all given up alcohol?

SMOKING: I started smoking again on vacation last sept after being smoke free for 11 YEARS. I said it would just be on vacation, which led to just finish this pack I brought home with me, to just while its warm outside, to basically smoking as if I never stopped all these years. Slippery slope indeed. I made 2-3 attempts to quit during the past year+ but if I'm honest, I haven't tried so very hard. Am still smoking. DRINKING: On paper, apparently I am an "excessive drinker" now. I was a "social drinker" pre-wls, maybe 3-4 drinks a MONTH, max. This slowing started increasing since last summer, to where I was drinking maybe 2-3 drinks a WEEK by Christmas. Always when I was out, or at a party. Now (especially since pandemic started) I drink pretty much everyday, and at home. According to literature, "excessive drinking" in women is when 7 or more drinks are consumed in a week. Yep, that's me. On paper, based on what I've been reading, I just barely fit the criteria of being a High Functioning Alcoholic. Barely, but I do fit. Am still drinking. OBSESSION PREOCCUPATION with food: This one I don't consider to be too damaging, but it is a little eyebrow-raising. I think about food probably 1/2 of my waking hours. The things I find I spend ALOT of time on and/or get actual pleasure from: spending time looking at food pics, organizing the pics and Urls based on interest, planning and shopping for meals, cooking/baking, plating food, taking pics of the finished product, watching people eat it, smelling it, reading an ENTIRE menu to the last detail often multiple times, ordering off said menu, having Food Network on TV as my background noise. Actually EATING the food is very low on the enjoyment priority scale. Sure I'll eat/taste something if I deem it "worthy", but more often than not, I'd rather do any number of the former things instead. Am still preoccupied with food.

OK, trying to be honest AND hold myself accountable... First Thanksgiving post WLS- I feel like a WLS Pilgrim! So I started the weekend with a 52lb loss since surgery ... YAY! And then.... yeah... then... I gave myself "permission" to indulge - OOOOPS - That was a slippery slope. Now it's Saturday morning and thankfully (it works for me..), I'm a slave to the scale. Up 3.3 lbs in just two days of indulging. I kept telling myself that I wasn't eating and drinking too much (because lets be real.. we CAN'T eat much at one sitting - but we can damn sure graze..) so I ignored the obvious - I WAS EATING AND DRINKING TOO MUCH. Some harsh realities morning: 1. I'm just NOT good at moderation (hence the reason I NEEDED this surgery). 2. I need to learn to give myself "permission" to succeed rather than to FAIL. 3. Holidays will always be food focused at my house (I'm the cook), but I need to find better options for me. 4. Once the meal is over, the food needs to be put away to avoid grazing (but damn was that ham and cheese slider yummy!)... 5. Alcohol - I've just got to say "NO" - Socializing with family on holidays all day around my house generally involves lots of wine and laughter - I need to find a better substitute than Gatorade Zero because somehow it just isn't the same (suggestions welcome!). All in all - I wouldn't trade the time with family for anything. I enjoyed cooking, drinking, laughing, and eating BUT I need to find a way to do that AND keep on track during this journey. Beating myself up a little, but unlike previous WL attempts, I'm determined to make this a success and I'm back to basics now. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!

This. Abstinence doesn't work for everyone. Neither does moderation. One simply has to try and find out. Depending on what you've been exposed to more mentally by your treatment team and/or fellow patients either IRL or on the web (i. e. either the abstinence or the moderation approach) you might have to muster up a big amount courage and take a leap of faith. I've seen countless people taking the moderation route who've failed during the years, doesn't matter if we're talking about eating, smoking, drinking, shopping etc. However, I've also seen countless people who swore off the bad foods or the alcohol, the cigarettes etc. and I've seen many of them relapsing hard. The approach has to fit the person. Trying the same thing over and over again is ludicrous.

I stay away from processed foods, period. The nutritional value is not great, and after a while, you really don't even want that stuff. The longer you eat healthier foods, the more your body craves healthy food, and the processed stuff just doesn't have the same appeal. Realize that processed foods are engineered to keep you coming back. They often appeal to our genetically programed survival taste preferences for sweet, salty, and fat. Food manufacturers know how to manipulate these to get your brain to release dopamine as a pleasure sensation. The release of dopamine and serotonin is the key to addiction to anything, and processed food plays to this. WLS is such a gift. We owe it to ourselves to make every bite as nutritionally dense as possible and to train our brains away from unhealthy choices. You can actually get a release of pleasure chemicals by making a choice for a healthy snack instead of a junkier one - once you train your brain to be happy with a delectable piece of fruit rather than a processed quick fix. I admit that I am always a little worried for folks who ask about going back to unhealthy choices for fear of feeling deprived. This seems like a bit of compromising justification, and is what got us in trouble in the first place. An alcoholic is destined for relapse if they think they can go back to drinking in moderation. Sobriety cannot be compromised. A food addict is playing with fire if they think they can eat addictive foods in moderation. Why even mess around with that? Why not retrain your brain to love the good stuff instead? WLS gives us the tool, but we have to relearn how to eat and how to be happy about healthy food. Personally, I made the decision that I AM NEVER GOING BACK. I am NOT going to regain after all this hard work, and I am NOT going back to the unhealthy eating habits that made me obese. For me, that means I am NOT going back to processed foods in any way, shape, or form. It's just not worth it. A beautiful honey crisp apple is so much better than a bag or bar.

In my honest opinion, if you're worried about drinking right now, you're setting yourself up for failure. Drinking alcohol is limited. And Drinking carbonated is basically forbidden. Beer inflames you. Maybe stay thinking about what light beers are out there. I gave up driving socially for 2 years because I needed to focus on losing weight. Now, I rarely even crave a glass of wine. Just my opinion. Focus on what your real goal is. Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

Erm, I think some surgeons say carbonated drinks is a no no, so it depends. I imagine when you've reached eating normal textures then you can try. Alcohol has to be limited in quantity though.

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.

Not in any particular order: Ice water Hot water (with or without lemon) Black coffee, black tea, carbonated water (i.e, Perrier) w/ or w/o zero-cal "water enhancers" (i.e., liquid, stevia-sweetened citrus flavourings), lemon/lime wedges, cucumber slices broth alcohol: mostly vodka or gin with low-sugar (if any) mixers, or dry red wine. **Note** I am 2+ years post op and very rarely drank alcohol during weight loss phase...now however, is a different story... I don't drink pop/soda, beer, milk nor juice if I can help it.

Hi please bare with me I’ll try to explain my best! so I have Medicare as my primary insurance and state medicaid as my secondary insurance. Typically I don’t get a bill bc the state insurance picks up what Medicare doesn’t pay. Well my surgery is approved by Medicare but the Medicaid is saying they won’t approve it bc they require 1 year free from alcohol/ drugs as I use marijuana for pain management that violates there rules. Typically I follow Medicares rules as they are the primary n the medicaid They would cover the part A Deductible and the leftover copayment 20% etc. I feel like the medicaid denial is based on if they were they primary which they are not. So I basically have no idea of I’ll have a huge bill or not. has anyone been through something similar?

start tracking your intake, increasing water intake, eliminating caffeine, sweets and alcohol, start meal prep research and invest in any needed tools, try a variety of protein shakes and powders, research recipes and phases....the more you do to prepare the easier the transition will be after surgery. I personally invested in glass meal prep containers, measuring cups, shaker bottle, personal blender, 1/4-1/2 c storage containers. I also had a variety of premade shakes available, protein broths and soups, hot chocolate and chai tea (from BP store), and a vanilla, chocolate and unflavored protein powder for adding to food to supplement protein. Also, get in the routine of being active everyday if you are not already. Hope this helps and good luck!

"Schnitzel" sandwich. Had a little glass of white wine before. First alcohol since our last vacation in September. Meh, it hit strong, lol. Yes, my 24 h shift was hell...

Being prepared by doing lots of research is a good move. If you haven’t yet, look at your current diet & start making small changes. You could cut back on your portion sizes, reduce your caffeine, alcohol & sugar intake or reduce how many carbs you’re eating. Look for healthier food choices & cooking methods. Add some exercise into your daily routine if you don’t now. Introducing some of these changes will make it easier in the long term. You could start thinking about why you’re eating - habit, boredom, emotions or actual real hunger. What do you crave - sugar, salt/savoury, caffeine, carbs, ... This is part of the head work we all have to do. Start making new habits now. Even if your approval is delayed, the changes will be of benefit to you. Good luck. I hope you hear positive news soon.

Hi all, I'm about a month and a half from my bypass surgery and I'm struggling to be good on my food. My partner is an alcoholic and decided to go off his mental health meds a couple weeks ago without consulting his therapist or me. I've managed to get him to start them again a couple days ago, but it's been rough. Additionally, my special needs 6 year old has been home from his special needs "school"/ therapy center over insurance issues that won't resolve until at least the 30th. His being out of school coincided with my partner starting a new job, so suddenly he's not home with us and my son has been acting out a bit. To top it all off, my chronic pain has been flaring up and I have no medication to treat it. I use heating pads etc. but it's debilitating. My PC thinks it's fibromyalgia and I've been referred to a pain specialist but they won't be calling me to schedule for another 2 weeks. Meanwhile I can barely get out of bed and when I do it's excruciating. So my question is: what do you do for stress relief that doesn't involve exercise or alone time? I have a therapist I talk to once a week and I'm on mental health medication already.

I’m brand new to the game but I’ve been having some thoughts about my long term plans around some foods. For me this whole process has really made me look at the way I treat food and how I act around certain foods. I have parents with alcohol addiction, but I never made the connection between that and my chronic overeating until recently. I have addictive tendencies, and there are certain things that will cause me to spiral out of control. Long term, I’m not sure I can ever reintroduce candy. I binge on candy like nothing else on this planet. Chips and crackers, I have a lesser but real problem with. Does this mean I will never eat anything sweet or salty ever again? Doubtful. But I’m not sure I can ever bring home a bag of gummy bears or sit in bed with a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips again, nor do I need to. This wasn’t bringing me the happiness I thought it was.

And I forgot to say...read anything you think will help! The Favorite Grocery Products thread is amazing and Food Before and After will give you great ideas on what to eat and how much people are eating. I have started shopping at Trader Joe's and Aldi looking for the best products I can get (for the cheapest price). I have a board on Pinterest for Low Carb Meals and Gastric Sleeve ideas. Most people on here are so kind and want to help! But the search functions is your friend! Stalls, Headaches, Coffee, Alcohol...whatever you want to know...I have typed in my surgeon's name so many times!

I can actually get down on the floor now and GET UP BY MYSELF! This is still quite amazing to me. There is a ton of information about WFPB eating online. Go to You Tube and watch "The Game Changers" and "Forks over Knives." That will give you a good idea. Basically it is WHOLE, unprocessed food. That means food as close to its natural state as possible. Whole grains, not refined grains, for example. No processed sugars, no animal products (that includes dairy and eggs), no processed oils (you use avocados, nuts and seeds and nut butters instead.) LOTS and LOTS of veggies and fruit, plenty of starchy veggies, lots of legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, no alcohol, no soda or artificial colors/flavors/chemicals, decreased salt. Many WFPB folks also avoid gluten (wheat, rye, barley) and I am highly sensitive to it, so have already avoided that for years. I get more than enough protein, tons of fibers and phytonutrients, eat all I want, am never hungry, have tons of energy, and am NEVER sore after workouts. Amazingly, my cholesterol always hovered around 225-235, even after losing over 100 pounds. Once I went WFPB, my cholesterol dropped like a rock to 152 (80 points!!!). My triglycerides and LDL also plummeted. Even with the low total cholesterol, my HDL went up to 80. For me, it is a lifestyle that I will maintain for life. It is change, for sure, but not actually hard to do. Most of my family is making the switch as well. You don't have to go 100%, either. When you look at the areas of the world (the blue zones) where people live to be over 100 and have virtually no cardiac disease, osteoporosis, dementia, cancer, or diabetes, these are all plant based societies. Does this mean they won't eat some fish or cassowary eggs if they find them? No. But animal protein is the exception or reserved for celebrations. They don't eat meat 3 times a day like most of the western world does. I will occasionally eat an egg (my own backyard chickens) or a little wild game meat. (The more I learn about commercially raised cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys and dairy cows, the more I cannot bring myself to eat these products.) So there you go - probably more info than you wanted. I started this about 6 months after my surgery as I learned about it and once I was able to eat the volume that is required. I had to rely a bit more on the grains and nuts to keep my calories up so I wouldn't keep losing weight. I used pea protein powder as needed to keep my protein up. I don't need that now, with the increased legumes, tofu, tempeh, and soy/oat milk and yogurt. Now I eat a lot more of the veggies and legumes, and control my weight very easily with decreasing/increasing the grains and nuts. I did gain 8 pounds of COVID weight, but have lost all of it and some extra, just by cutting back a bit on the nuts and grains. It really couldn't be easier!

Most plans advise against the use of alcohol after surgery. It's empty calories, irritates new stomach, may cause dumping syndrome. According to the instruction book I received for surgery: ----------------------------------------- Thinking about resuming your old lifestyle??? If you decide to return to pre-op behaviors of smoking cigarettes and/or drinking alcohol, you are at risk for creating bleeding ulcers - which may have to be treated by surgical intervention. ------------------------------------------ In general, I found exercise (walking) to be the best tool for relieving pain right after surgery. When you go to bed at night, I found a pillow between your legs to be helpful, especially after some of the weight comes off and it feels like your leg bone rubbing against your leg bone. The incision points can take awhile to heal. I had several small ones but the big one where most of the surgery takes place took a year to disappear.

I agree with the advice you can generally eat what you’d like once you’ve well established your maintenance. However, there are a few things you have to remember: portion control, frequency, what your system will tolerate & your danger foods. At 18months, I don’t have rice, pasta & bread. I avoid sweets (desserts, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, cream, etc.) 99.9% of the time. I don’t add sugar or artificial sweeteners to anything. I’ve reduced alcohol to probably once a month. No fast food but have had Asian takeaway three times when with friends. I call it my reduce, restrict, avoid plan. It allows me to have a little of certain foods (the odd treat) limit other foods & avoid the foods which would equate to weight gain for me or fill up my tummy too quickly. I switch up foods to healthier choices & use healthier cooking methods. As some random examples: I make chia pudding (milk, milk powder, vanilla extract & chia seeds) if I want a dessert. I use an air fryer for a crispy finish instead of frying, use non stick pans & spray olive oil. When I had the takeaway I chose either chicken & cashews (braised) or steamed pork & prawn gyoza (ate the filling only). I just don’t buy certain foods - if they’re not in my house I can’t eat them. I also deleted the home delivery apps off my phone - lol. I take my lunch to work so I’m not hitting up the food courts. It’s not easy and I work at it every day. I just hope one day I will have ‘rewired my brain’ as @AZhiker mentioned & it will be a little easier. I just don’t want to be overweight again. But in reality, it all comes down to finding what works for you. Good luck.