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I concur with what's written above - ask your surgeon! Mine says no alcohol for 6 months (frankly, I don't want the empty calories anyway), but I was allowed caffeine immediately (drinking coffee right now).

Well, first of all, what does your surgeon say? That's going to be your guidebook through this sleeve journey. In my option though, 5 weeks after is waaaaay to early to drink alcoholic beverages- weak or not. You just had most of your stomach removed and are still healing- I'm two weeks behind you and I just started on purée- no way is my stomach ready for alcohol...I'm not even trying caffeine yet! Every surgeons office is different...some even say you should NEVER drink again after sleeve surgery. My surgeon's office said three months, but I'm trying to wait six months like my husband did, just to play it safe. I'm not saying the lemondrops haven't been calling my name! Alcohol also has lots of extra calories you don't need this early on, so keep that in mind when you do drink later on. But please, don't drink this early out- not good for your sleeve!

A good friend of mine had a bypass in 2000. She lost a lot of weight had a beautiful baby and became an alcoholic. She would drink a couple of bottles of wine a night and just couldn't figure out why her weight was creeping back on. She is now divorced and back at her original weight but she did give up drinking altogether this year. I don't think she ever looked at the surgery as a tool...she seems to think it is supposed to be a magic solution that should require no effort.

I'm a therapist and have worked with kids for 20 yrs. I'm not saying I'm a know it all bc I certainly don't. But more of my patients were very damaged from being obese in early childhood development which spilled into adulthood and progressed into addiction and many other issues. I say break the cycle early...the earlier the better. Mom, you know mainly bc of genetics and experience that she doesn't have a shot in hell. As an addiction therapist I see so many addicts who would've done anything to have stopped the progression of the disease. And as an addict, bc of the genetic factor on both sides, I didn't stand a chance. If only I had known this at an early age maybe I would have never taken that first drink or hit. It's not about will power...if it was none of us would be here. It's about management and I have learned to use the sleeve to manage my addiction. Now, if I could only find a "sleeve" for drugs and alcohol...I wouldn't think twice! And by the way, I think 14 is a good age developmentally bc it may save her from a lifetime of trauma...which means therapy for life. Just my two cents. I have a daughter....a pretty hefty daughter big surprise. I think I would do everything I could to manage her disease. Good luck!

I started w/ bmi of 36.3 and I'm now 23.9. (I'm 14 months post surgery). For me, when I'm out w/ friends I still have eyes that are bigger than my stomach. I have fun and occasionally have some alcohol or a treat, but I try to stay within my daily calorie allotment. Just remember to order the appetizer and not the entree (unless you want to take home a doggy bag)!

I know that I eat as a coping mechanism. I think many WLS patients do that and it's why so many turn to alcohol after they get surgery in order to find another way to cope. I've said this many times in these forums that I think WLS patients should get therapy afterwards to help deal with the changes in our coping mechanisms. When I went to therapy he broke it down very simply for me, I eat to cope. I need to cope because of stress. I have a choice, reduce the stress in my life or find a different way to cope. By thinking of it like that it's easier to address the stress and why we are eating to deal with it. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you find a healthy way to cope or a way to help reduce the stress in your life.

Look. First of all, never, ever, ever EVER weigh at night. If you must weigh, weigh once a day, first thing in the AM. I can "pack on" as much as six pounds throughout the day - it's Water, sodium, little muscle tears from exercise, whatever. Second - the alcohol. There's a line here. For starters, it's not forbidden and it's not packing on pounds. It is, however, empty calories but so long as you log them and account for them in your diet it is not an issue - LATER ON. There is nothing wrong with a drink but you'll find yourself even more dehydrated and might find your mood isn't so great if this is where you're consuming a good number of your calories so far. What can be an issue is transfer addiction, so please be mindful. Socially drinking at one year out has somehow turned into daily drinking for me three years out. I was enjoying just one beer, cider or wine an evening but have recently called it quits entirely. Alcoholism is very, very common post WLS, so just be aware of your consumption. Finally: reassurance. You already know that 3,500 calories make a pound. And you already know you didn't accidentally consume an additional 21,000 calories in the course of a few days. Lynda told you and it's true - it is physically impossible to gain that much, that fast. Hormones play a role here, too. I gain four pounds every cycle. Stress makes me gain. Lack of sleep makes me gain. Too much sodium will make the scale bounce. If there were as many ways to lose as there are to gain, we'd all fly to goal in no time and hang there forever! I had two nine week stalls. Stalls are normal and happen. Put that scale away - HatheryOHW is absolutely right because it's making you a bit crazy. If it depresses you and brings you down it's a problem. So weigh once a day, first thing and put it out of your mind. Do not expect to lose every time you step on the scale. You are only a handful of weeks out from surgery. Your body is still recovering. Give it some time. This happened to me a lot, too. It still does!! I bounce up and down on the scale or hold steady for weeks at a time. Then, all at once a few pounds fall off. Then I get to start the whole process again! I had months where I only lost in the tenths of a pound. Relax. Get back on your PPI if you've not been taking it. Eating regular, small meals will help. Do not allow yourself to be dehydrated. At this point, your focus is still hydration, then Protein, then calorie count. And no, alcohol doesn't fit in there just yet, at least not regularly. It's more important to focus on building a solid foundation of good habits here before moving into the things we learn while transitioning to maintenance! ~Cheri

I'd agree. I was banded at a higher bmi, but my weight loss has been fairly steady all along. I am now bmi of 24 and am not in any way, shape, or form actively trying to lose weight, but it still comes off. Even as I have settled into this lifestyle and am not nearly as strict about food or alcohol intake (i do love some mixed drinks myself , I still continue to lose at a decent pace. Heck, at this point I am the ones my friends point to when complaining about skinny people, which completely blows my mind.

Today was a non-fast day (following a fast day) but oddly, I wasn't hungry until about 4 p.m. I just ate a small ramekin of vegetarian chili. Wondering if today will be my second fast day for the week (Mosley, the author of the 5:2 plan says it does not matter if your 2 fast days are 2 days in a row or spaced apart--he does usually do his on Monday and Thursday though). I think it's important not to go crazy with empty calories like wine/alcohol and carbs on the non-fast days. Excited to see where this goes!! :)

From: http://www.stopafib.org/causes.cfm In addition, atrial fibrillation can also happen to otherwise healthy people, especially when they are stressed or fatigued, have had too much caffeine or alcohol, have smoked, or have exercised too much. Other causes that are frequently mentioned include heart and other medications, recreational drugs, air pollution, chemicals and pesticides, and H. Pylori, which is often associated with ulcers. Another known risk factor is having too much or too little of some minerals in your body, such as Calcium, magnesium, or potassium. It is becoming more and more common at younger ages, including young people in their teens and twenties. Being overweight is often mentioned as a risk factor for afib, but normal and underweight people have it, too. One woman's doctor attributed her atrial fibrillation to weight, and it went away briefly after her gastric bypass surgery, but it soon returned, triggered by a sinus infection. We are now learning from a number of studies about atrial fibrillation in families as recent research has found genetic clues about why afib runs in some families. To learn more, see Mayo Clinic Finds Gene Mutation Responsible for Atrial Fibrillation That Runs in Families and New Genetic Cause of Atrial Fibrillation Found. About half of afib patients have obstructive sleep apnea, a stronger correlation than between afib and any other risk factors. There is also a high correlation between sleep apnea and other heart diseases, as sleep apnea is correlated with high levels of C-reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation that indicates the possible presence of heart disease. It's also possible that afib may cause sleep apnea as well. Afib, obstructive sleep apnea, and obesity all appear to be related conditions, so as we see a surge in obesity, we can expect to see more afib and obstructive sleep apnea, too.4

It's not about the calories... more complex than that. Most pre op diets are ketosis diets (high protein, low carb) to help mobilise fat out of your liver, and so shrink it. Alcohol will take you out of ketosis and it will take a couple of days to get back in. Precious time lost pre-op. it's a bummer, but I wouldn't do it.

OTR Sleever isn't even searchable in the members' list anymore. I didn't realise he was post-op long enough to have started gaining. I wonder if he will see the Vets' forum and maybe give it another go. I hope so! As for Iggy -- do you know if she's all better now? Did all her complications eventually clear up? I was away from VST for a few months cos life intervened, so I missed some things I had been following up till then. I have totally had the same issue. For me it's because I'm grinding my teeth a bit, or at least tensing my jaw more. I hate it! I don't know why fasting causes that, but it seems to be a thing for me anyhow. Hmm. I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling so overwhelmed. I'm in a similar situation with alcohol, but not for the same reasons. I am not feeling the need to self-medicate (though I totally relate with that, been there in the past for sure), but I'm feeling this sort of...vindication? Or maybe a bit of anger? Where I JUST WANT TO HAVE SOME FUN GODD**MIT! You know what I mean? I've been slogging through one hard thing after another, dragging my sorry ass through misery and abuse and arghhhhhh, all while being sort of perpetually fat since the start of the 21st Century LOL. And now I FINALLY effing feel a bit better and I am FINALLY feeling good in my skin and I JUST WANT TO ENJOY IT. I WANT to go out with friends, I want to get tipsy and be an idiot. And I don't want to say no to any of it. So yeah. I'll have my summer of fun and then I'll knuckle down on that part too. Three weeks in the US will pretty much mean three weeks of no alcohol LOL. Good luck, Cheri. You're good people, believe that. <3

I'm 100% with Hazel on this. She covered it all..... Now that I'm 4 months out, there isn't any eating situation that concerns me. If we go out to a restaurant, I order a meal, eat what I can, and either leave the rest or take it home. The ONLY reason you would have a stuck episode, is if you take too big a bite, and don't chew thoroughly. Taking small bites & chewing well isn't obvious to anyone you eat with. You are eating.....that's all they see. As Hazel said, if your social life involves drinking on a regular basis, you will have problems losing weight. There is not a lot of room for regular alcohol intake on any weight loss plan, because there aren't any nutrients and your body can only store it as fat. That, and drinking brings on loose eating for many; it does for me! If you DO drink, count the calories, and make sure you don't consistently blow your daily allowance. Maintenance is another story, but it doesn't mean that you can throw caution to the wind. Relax, and take the time necessary to "reset" as Hazel mentions, and get re-aquainted with food, and what will ultimately be your new "normal". Good luck!

Ended yesterday at 592...not so great for a fast day, and yeah...that hard cider I had at the end of the night, unplanned, is what did it. I'm struggling with emotions and stress right now and definitely need to take a closer look at my coping mechanisms. My inability to relax or let things go for the moment without a glass of wine or alcohol is very troubling and is something I'll need to work on, especially if my husband does go play soldier sooner rather than later. Up on the scale after my fast day but I'm not terribly surprised. I kind of don't expect much out of the scale anymore! Hubs says that the scale is bonkers, anyway. His unscientific test on it the last two days indicates that it shows weights within a four pound range one after the other. I just bought the darn thing, too. I'll replace the batteries but it would be nice to believe that I'm not having as much fluctuation on the scale as I thought. So, down from weigh-in on Sunday by eight tenths of a pound. Up from yesterday. Bleh. Dumb scale. Normal day. Lots of cooking and baking today. A yummy, healthy dinner of shakshouka, salat yerakot (Israeli salad), freshly made pitas and hummus. Yum. This is a meal I need to keep in mind because it's ideally suited (sans pita) for fast days, too. Not too many calories. I won't go into detail about the baking as a courtesy to those fasting. Good luck, fasters! I'm glad to read that everyone is experiencing some measure of success here (extra special shout out to coops and M2G!) even if it sometimes seems frustrating to me. ~Cheri

Yes, thank you for the wonderful post. It's absolutely true and the epidemic of bypass patients becoming alcoholics - to the point where I've read that it doubles your chance of alcoholism - is not something to tiptoe around or assume you'll avoid. Any addictive behavior can transfer and you'll read about hundreds of crossover addictions if you look and do your research. A few rare people make those addictions fitness but you'll see many more instances of other, less beneficial ones. I definitely tended to lean on food in times of stress and I find that now, especially a few years out from surgery, that I'm more likely to lean on alcohol these days. Things that I never once would have abused or considered prior to surgery are things I have to be careful about - I had an issue with sleeping pills to help me sleep last year. Why on earth would I feel the desire to take them once the need was past? But it can happen - with anything - if you have unresolved addiction issues. It's enough of a worry for me that I refused pain meds after the birth of my daughter. The nurses and doctors are drug pushers and must have asked me a dozen times if I wanted them in the hospital as well as a bottle to take home. No, I don't take chances and I didn't need them. I have to go the safe route these days. ~Cheri

I experienced this first hand on a date the other night. I am and will always be an alcoholic. I dont know why I thought the surgery would change that or limit that. The only difference on my binge drinking night is that it hit me sooner and I blacked out quicker. It is playing with fire and im just not gonna touch it. AA is there for a reason. Especially only 7 1/2 weeks out of surgery, I need to be back in those rooms and meetings. Im sorry for what happened with your wife. I pray she finds her way again.

If you are on a pre-op diet, it is usually because your surgeon is looking to improve the condition of your liver to make things easier on him when he is working around it during your surgery. This typically is a low carb diet of some sort and as alcohol is a carb, you don't want it from that perspective, and then you also don't want it for its toxic effects on your liver at this time. Not all docs require these diets, but if he does, then want him to be as comfortable as possible when he is working inside of you; some docs take this seriously enough that if they take a look inside and don't see what they like, they close things up and tell the patient to try it again in a few weeks.

I say no time like the present to start adjusting your mindset for social situations...choose something else to drink that is non-caloric...will prove to yourself that you can do it, and post-op you will have to get comfortable with how you navigate both eating and drinking in social situations...if it is helpful, imagine yourself pregnant...you wouldn't feel "pressured" to drink alcohol with everyone else because you would know that isn't a healthy choice...or if you were on medication that couldn't beiges with alcohol...you wouldn't take a drink then, right?

Is it okay to have a glass or two of wine for this pre-op diet? I I have an evening banquet ball to attend I was Wondering if I can have a glass to socialize with my colleagues

Hi all, my name is Frank and I’m 38 years old. I had VSG surgery on July 8th, 2013. Here’s my story... I've had a weight problem ever since I was 8 years old. Even so, I was always an active kid who loved to play outside, play most sports and probably took PE class way too seriouslyJ. I played organized football, baseball, basketball & soccer. I was always a little bigger, stronger and taller than most kids my age, so football became one of my strongest sports. As most of you know, there are weight limits in Pop Warner football and every season, I had to cut weight just to make the team. First year it was 5 lbs., next it was 10, then 20. I always succeeded in losing the weight, but it began a vicious weight-cycling pattern for me at a very young age. My last season of Pop Warner, I weighed approx. 170lbs. age 13. After that season, I never had to step on a scale again to play football! My freshman year of football was great…I just played without the anxiety of stepping on the scale to make weight. Unfortunately after the season, things really got out of control for me. I packed on a tremendous amount of weight over a very short period of time. By the time I was 15 years old, I weighed 275 lbs., which meant that I gained over 100 lbs. over 2 years! I was so depressed. I spent most of my early teens inside my room, eating my troubles away. I stopped playing football 10th & 11th grade because I was so out of shape; I isolated myself from friends, avoided family/social gatherings and missed a lot of school. I was pitifully depressed, ashamed and missing out on some of the most important years of my life. Then, by the grace of God, something happened to me toward the end of 11th grade. I literally woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe my eyes! I said, “How could you let yourself go like this?” Something inside of me just “snapped” and I vowed to lose the weight and get my life back! Through intense dieting and working out 6 days/week, I lost 40 lbs. that summer and got back into football my senior year. I played at 225-230 lbs., not worrying too much about losing more weight since having mass helped me as an offensive lineman. That was a huge accomplishment that truly changed my life. Following the season I was so proud I wasn’t going to stop there. I continued my dieting and exercise routine even more intensely. Time flew by my senior year. My friends and I headed to the Jersey Shore following the Prom and I was now 199lbs.!! NO MORE 200’s!! When I finally graduated that June, I was all the way down to 180Lbs., 32” waist and felt like I was on top of the world! I took this life-changing experience and decided that I wanted career working in some aspect of health and wellness. I went to college to become a Certified Athletic Trainer (AT) and continued my education in Graduate school to become a Health & PE Teacher; I am presently working in both careers to this day. So what happened? I gained all of the weight back and more by age 26. I’ve been up and down from 305-270 for 10 years. Not the best feeling when you are working with young, healthy individual’s where your job is to teach them how to be healthy! See the thing is, even though I conquered my biggest obstacle as a teenager, I never really learned how to manage stress without abusing food. In my world, food is my “heroin”... Some people drink alcohol, some do drugs; I do FOOD. Through all of the trials and tribulations, I managed to succeed in other aspect of life. I’m happily married for eight years, my wife and I have been blessed with three beautiful children. Our oldest son is 5, our daughter 4, and baby boy is 1 month old; he was born June 12, 2013. I had VSG 25 days after his birth, so my son and I will be sharing meals at some point of this journeyJ. My choice to have VSG surgery was not an easy one, but what finalized my decision was simple.… “I have too much to lose” and I’m NOT talking about weight! I have so much to be happy and proud of that I’m not going to jeopardize these fortunes anymore…WE deserve better! A thinner, healthier and happier man will slowly emerge; having been trapped inside of this obese body for much, much too long. So from now on, I will march forward with my chin up, shoulders back, eyes set on my VSG goal……..life-long health and happiness for me and my family! Best Wishes to All, Frank

I think it's especially important for us to pay attention to these things too. Not only because it takes so much less to knock us on our butts. I think the risk of a "crossover addiction" is very easy! I come from a background of family members with addiction issues (drugs alcohol) I have NEVER had a problem with drugs or alcohol (just food) . I was very prepared for many things after surgery but the one thing I didn't think about was the temptation to find comfort in things that never comforted me before.. The weeks after my surgery I became increasingly aware of my "need" for my pain meds (refilled twice) it got to a point I looked forward to my nightly dose. I wasn't taking it during the day just at night for my relaxing down time (the time I used to over eat also). I knew it was becoming an issue so I fessed up to my husband who then helped me hold myself accountable after. To this day I have to be really honest with myself as to why I want to take a medication.. Even allergy meds that make me sleepy. Eyes wide open.

Dustin-- We need to "Sticky" your comment. I'm with you all the way with your thoughts. It's me--I quit drinking after 11 months of up to 2-1/2 bottles per night. I work where I see the devastation of chronic drinking. I was not going to be a statistic. My hubby and I are married over 30 years and I was not about to lose that. I work on my old food addiction but not with alcohol to numb the process. I'm just making better choices protein first, good veggies next, and very little carbs. This seems to work. Also started L-Glutamine for strong cravings, a 500-1000mg when they are strong really helps me. (it is and amino acid). Please heed Dustins advice sounds like "he's been there done that" Good Luck.

Hi Gary! Glad you are doing well. There is Fluid in my band too, but I forgot to ask how much post-op. I should be able to have my first fill on Aug 7th. I was debating on whether I needed it or not, but I am "dieting" at this point. I am counting calories so I don't gain. I am satisfied on my portion, but do find I get hungry faster and I am going to bed hungry. Congrats on all your victories! Wow Sunshine, that's great! I also started up exercise again. Just walks at the moment, but I need to add strength, specially for arms. Good luck with your fill! Hi Gavin, wow that's about 42 pounds right? Sorry I had to do a conversion from stones to pounds. That's great! I haven't had a sip of alcohol yet. I am a little afraid to. I bet I am a real lightweight now.

Have a good fast day girls! I'm on tomorrow. I bounced up a pins yesterday to 163 hoping it goes away this week. Clk I feel you about those other threads ugh. I'm not going to get drawn in again (I hope ) Coops you lost the pound and I found it! I need to get back to 162 so we can be twins again! I'm not ready to give up artificial sugars yet, a girl has to have some fun... Oh sugar alcohols? I don't use those. I've been taking Psyllium husk powder the last couple of days (yuck) but is working to keep things moving

Thanks for the words of caution. I'm very sorry for the pain it's caused you but glad you're approaching your big change with appropriate care. My father was an alcoholic and he went the opposite route. When he sobered up, he replaced alcohol with food. He blew up quickly before he even realized the replacement that was going on. We definitely need to identify our own cumpulsive patterns. We are like this because we couldnt exert control over certain things. My doc recommends cutting out alcohol altogether and I'm leaning towards following his advice.