Search the Community

I was always a drinker...not as in alcohol, but in regular drinks. I always had a Water or something with me. I was sleeved on 11/7/16 and I am missing the ability to really get a good drink. The little sips just aren't doing it and I feel like I am constantly thirsty, but can't quench that thirst. I mentioned it to my doctor and he kind of shrugged- not much help. I know I can't guzzle down a glass of anything, but I hope that this passes soon. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have the same feelings. I know I did his to myself. But I also know that I got a double whammy with addictive personality traits from both sides of my family. I just turned to food instead of alcohol. I am at the point you were at when you posted this. I am preop. I need to drop 28 more pounds before they will schedule my surgery, And they are not counting the 15 pounds that I lost between my letter of medical necessity and my first appointment from them, but my insurance company will. Sometimes it drives me nuts. I have my psyche eval scheduled and I am awaiting to hear when my preop tests are scheduled.

Hi All, I have just come back from the same clinic that Rukhshandah went to for the VGS. The post op diet for the 1st 4 weeks is below. Is that the same as Dr Aceves? I was very impressed with Dr Cierny in Brno, both Rukhshandah and I went there via a UK company called Cosmetic Bliss (don't be put off by the cheesy name). First day diet: Usually an i.v. Fluid has been administered and a contrast X-ray examination precedes per oral alimentation • Drink slowly in small sips of Water, tea. • Wait in between the sips for a minute or two. • Do not drink more than 50ml at once. • Nothing but tea with or without sugar, or still mineral water. • Wait for least 10 minutes between drinks. Your total per oral fluid intake should be not exceed two glasses or 0.5 litre in the first postoperative day. First two weeks • Clear broth or Soup without vegetables or meat and not too creamy. • Low fat, sugar free yogurt. • Skimmed milk. • Natural fruit juice or pureed soft fruit (apple, banana, pear, etc). • Vegetable juices. • Low calorie drinks. • Sugar free Protein supplements, with skimmed milk. • Water (6-8 cups / 2.0 - 3.0 litres a day). Between meals you may drink vegetable juice, milk, fruit juices & water to ingest sufficient liquids and prevent dehydration. Sample Menu - Week 1 & 2 Breakfast 1/3 cup pureed fruit ½ cup yogurt lunch ½ cup consommé or broth 1/3 cup pureed fruit dinner ½ cup yogurt ½ cup pureed fruit Third and Fourth Week after Sleeve Gastrectomy A liquid/pureed diet for your meals during week 3 and 4 after the operation may help you to get used to smaller stomach. Remember to keep a high level of protein in your diet. You will need to use a blender or food processor. The food has to be blended until reaching a applesauce consistency. Avoid spicy foods; they may irritate your stomach. Here is a list to give you some suggestions for what you can eat on weeks 3 and 4: Liquids or beverages, and milk. • Good options: Tea, non-carbonated drinks, natural fruit juices, coffee, water, skimmed milk, low fat and sugar free yogurt. • Limit or try to avoid: Artificial fruit juices, soda, alcohol, all carbonated beverages, Iced tea with sugar, milk or yogurt products with nuts or seeds, chocolate milk, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk. Fruits. • Good options: Applesauce, pureed pears, and bananas. • Limit or try to avoid: Canned fruits or fruits with syrup. Vegetables. • Good options: Pureed vegetables, vegetable juice. • Limit or try to avoid: Raw vegetables, canned vegetables, vegetables that cause discomfort (gas forming). Soups. • Good options: Broth, cream soups make with skimmed milk, egg drop soup, low sodium bouillon or consommé. • Limit or try to avoid: All other. Starches. • Good options: Mashed potatoes. • Limit or try to avoid: Bread, Pasta, rice and all other starches. meats or protein supplements. • Good options: Pureed chicken, fish, tuna, veal, beef, low fat cottage cheese, baby food meats, mashed or pureed tofu, pureed egg or egg substitute, sugar-free Protein shakes, No sugar added Instant Breakfast. • Limit or try to avoid: Peanut Butter, others. Fats, sugars and others • Good options: Sugar free Jellies and puddings, sugar free ice cream and frozen yoghurt, low fat (slimmers) puddings. • Limit: Others. Sample Menu – weeks 3 & 4 Breakfast 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/3 cup pureed fruit (or4-6 tablespoons cooked refined Cereal, adding 3 tablespoons of skimmed milk) 1 hour later 1 cup fruit juice (or milk) 2 hours later 4-6 tablespoons yogurt 1 hour later 1 cup water (or unsweetened fruit juice) Lunch 3 tablespoons pureed chicken with 2 tablespoons pureed vegetables and 2 tablespoons mashed potatoes, 1 cup water 1 hour later 1 cup water 2 hours later 1 cup protein supplement (or1 packet No Sugar Added Instant Breakfast) Dinner 2-3 tablespoons chicken (or fish or tuna)with 2 tablespoons vegetables and 2 tablespoons mashed potatoes 1 hour later 1 cup skimmed milk 1 hour later 3 tablespoons cottage cheese with 4 tablespoons pureed fruit 1 hour later 1 cup broth-type soup or milky (semi-skimmed or skimmed milk) drink General Recommendations: 1. Eat small meals five times a day and limit snacking in between meals. 2. Eat slowly and chew food until it reaches a mushy consistency. (15 to 20 times per bite). 3. Stop eating or drinking right before you feel full. 4. Eat only good quality foods. 5. Drink low calorie liquids. 6. Drink enough liquids /about 2.0 – 3.0 litres per day. 7. Drink after each eating 8. Exercise moderately, however not sooner than 2 weeks after the operation

My doctor said 6 months and I waited the 6 months. Alcohol is no issue for me so I don't drink it very often. A glass of wine at special events or dinners is usually it for me. I suggest waiting your surgeons allotted time and then proceed with caution. As mentioned above some people are effected highly by alcohol and some aren't. My tolerance was the same as prior to surgery but I really don't want to waste the calories so that's a decision maker for me.

I'll chime in in case someone cares. Research shows that bariatric patients' blood alcohol levels increase two to four times as high as typical folk after consuming the same amount of alcohol. 2-4 times! So 1 beer for us postop is equal to 2 to 4 beers preop.

It hasn’t been a topic with my dr because I know I can’t drink carbonated drinks and we have discussed alcohol because I told him I wasn’t worried about drinking .. I’m 3 weeks out it was just a question I had for people that drank earlier

@@ilikecake2much - Welcome!! Your doctor must have had a reason to recommend you for bariatric surgery.......besides just being overweight. My PCP made the same suggestion because I was diagnosed in 2013 with non-alcoholic FATTY LIVER, which a lot, if not most, obese people probably have. I also had diabetes, albeit controlled with food, exercise, and Metformin, and high BP which had been diagnose a couple years before the liver issue. He felt WLS was the best opportunity for me to lose the 100 lbs. he said it would take in order to halt the progression of the fatty liver disease and all the bad stuff that can come with that, i.e. cirrhosis. I took about a year to read, research, and talk to everyone I'd known who had been through WLS. I, too, felt like it was such a drastic route to take to lose weight, but as my PCP said, "I know what you're already doing, and what you've already done, to try and lose weight and it's not been working well for you." Once I started thinking of WLS as a tool to lose the weight for MY HEALTH, and not as a shortcut to lose weight just for the sake of losing weight and looking better, then I was ready to make the commitment to scheduling the surgery. I wish you well on YOUR journey! Know that the new lifestyle you create for yourself by having WLS is for LIFE! Literally and figuratively. For every pound we lose, we're that much healthier!! March 31, 2015 - Tuesday Reality Check It's important to not undermine your commitment to weight loss by telling yourself, “Maybe I don’t really need/want to lose weight,” or “Maybe I don’t actually have to do these things.” If you do, you will have a much, much harder time getting yourself to just do what you need to do. From Beck Daily Diet Solutions - http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/

I have absolutely no problem adjusting to any social situation. If it's in a restaurant I portion. Out what I can eat and ask for a take out container right away. If I go to a partyI'll take a taste of this or that and incorporate it into my calorie count. If I get samples from Sam's I always ask to see the nutritional label so I can add those calories in my count. I use an app called my fitness pal and I log the calories right then and there. There are a lot of good apps that keep you accountable and you'll be able to adjust to any situation involving eating. Let's face it, you can stop drinking alcohol but you can't totally stop eating. We need nourishment to survive. Before you know it your new eating habits will become second nature to you. Good luck!

I did not mean to be interpreted as high and mighty in my response. I apologize if it read that way. As far as alcohol being fattening, no matter the calories, I would contend that's bogus. Let's use the Wine/Big-Mac example again. Let's say I drank 576 calories of wine and my best friend ate the Big Mac. Who just creamed their saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol for the day and who did not? Same calories; different nutritional results; same exact weight loss, if both of us stay the same below our BMR. What someone eats affects their overall health. How much they eat (caloric intake) affects their weight.

I'm only 1-1/2 years out. I'm considered a success because I'm 80%+ of weight loss. I self sabotaged with alcohol and that has created a big stall though no weight gain. Why did I do Sleeve over other procedures? The Mayo Clinic was in year four of a five year follow study, and the results were nearly identical to the bi-pass with fewer complications. I also had a fear of dumping. Despite the stall, I could not be happier with the results, I climb mountains, run 5K's and have enjoyed the best sex of my life. I did recommit to breaking the stall, quit drinking and I joined the Memorial Day challenge. Let's see if I can get to goal by my 53rd birthday.

All or nothing attitude? Look, I'm completely sorry if you think I came across as rude or insensitive. And this will not be the first time someone has accused someone else of being rude because they don't like the things the read. So I apologize if I hurt your feelings. But perhaps you need to hear something like that for you to get on the right path. Before my surgery I was told (by my surgeon) that some people, for whatever reason, don't lose weight after getting the band. I asked "because they aren't eating correctly or exercising?" And she said "no. Just because. We dont know why they can't lose weight." Whoa. Obviously I went through with the surgery. I'm four months out. I was told very clearly...no alcohol for six months. Have you ever bothered to look at the nutritional value of wine? Look, all I'm saying is...now more than ever in your whole entire life, it is imperative that you eat healthy. I'm not saying "don't have a small piece of birthday cake when your (enter friend/relative here) has a party". What I'm saying is...not even two months out and you're "cheating?" You still need to train yourself. That's all I'm saying. I haven't had it easy either. But I was given a pretty good guideline/diet book before my surgery. And I've prety much stuck with it. I spent 33 years eating whatever the hell I wanted, and you're right...I didn't get this very expensive surgery to mess it all up. So I really do apologize if you think I'm rude. I'm really sorry. But join a support group. talk to your surgeon, or better yet, your nutritionist. Go over your food diary (are you keeping one of those?) And hopefully they can help steer you in the right direction. I'm just guessing (and I'm no professional) that if you aren't losing weight, the nutritionist isn't going to OK the sweets and wine. That's all I'm saying! Saline in your band isn't going to fix what's going in your mouth.

I despritly want the answers to these questions too.. 2. Alcohol: Does it cause erosion, or do we avoid it because it's empty calories? 3. Drinking before and after meals: How long to wait after eating? What are their reasons for these rules?

I have to know if anyone else is experiencing any wierd side-effects from their pre-op diet. I started my pre-op diet two weeks ago (I started a week early because I thought I had to). It's just a low carb diet, I didn't think it would be a big deal. This has been the hardest week ever. I'm really not hungry, but I don't feel satisfied either. I just don't feel, right. I've been so irritated and well, bitchy for a few days now. I'm so weepy. Also, my T.O.M. was a week late. I know that might account for some of my moodiness, but it's not generally like this. It's been very painful and I've had headaches for days. I feel like my blood sugar is extremely low most of the time. Has anyone else felt like this after starting the diet? I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't have a cup of brown rice. I'm not missing the sodas or sugar, I just want a piece of bread! I know lots of people who do low-carb diets and don't feel weird. I've done low-carb before and don't remember feeling so edgy. Honestly, this was easier the first week than it is now. Just for background: My surgeon prescribed low-carb diet consists of meat and eggs, any veggie except peas, corn and potatoes. No alcohol, bread, Pasta, rice or fried foods. I can have sugar free Jello and popsicles and skim milk. I can have Protein shakes as long as they are less than 200 cal, at least 15 g of protein, and less than 10 g carbs. I've been pretty much eating all of these things. I eat 3 meals per day as suggested. I drink lots of Water. I can also have any sugar free drink as long as it's not carbonated. I also take a Vitamin everyday as well as a Calcium supplement. I hope those of you who are doing an all liquid diet don't hold this against me. I know an all liquid diet is extremely hard to do and I know I sound like a cry baby. I'm really not. I've been perfectly happy to do whatever it takes to get this done, but I really feel like I'm loosing it. I'm also getting really bad muscle cramps especially in my sides and stomach. I'm also not sleeping very well. I only have a week left and I will suck it up and do what I have to do, but I'm going crazy. Any suggestions or ideas? Thanks in advance for your help.

Short answer, for an occasional drink after you have lost all the weight that you want to lose, yes. The qualification here is that it can be a slippery slope to overdoing it, though compared to an occasional slice of cheesecake, alcoholism is a lot tougher to recover from than carb overload. that's the biggest long term concern is addiction transfer, where what was an occasional indulgence turns to full blown addiction, so care is needed to maintain limits. As with other kinds of "treats" the solution for some is total abstinence as they don't have much control, while others can control an occasional indulgence. You know yourself best.

Thanks for the response. Luckily, I was raised with a healthy respect (and fear) of alcohol and I understand it’s risks. It is good to hear that I won’t have to be the odd man out forever though.

it really depends what your doctor told you about carbonated beverages. my doctor told me no carbonation or alcohol for 3 months post-op and i literally counted the days until i could have a diet pepsi! i'm almost 3 years post-op and have had no problems drinking it but i only allow myself 20 ounces a day. when i do drink carbonation, i can feel it traveling thru my band and it does make a loud gurgling sound almost like a stomach growls when its hungry.

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!

What about non carbonated alcoholic drinks, such as Amaretto Sours? I haven't been banded yet but I enjoy this drink once or twice a month. I'm also a Pepsi addict but am looking forward to kicking that habit. Blessings, Michelle

I'm pre op and also addicted to carbs, fat and auger. I find if I can stop eating them for 2-3 days then the cravings stop. Eating dense protein helps. Like an alcoholic as soon as I have a small carb or fat item I just lose the plot and can't stop eating more and more.

What suffering? This surgery is supposed to be life changing. It can be if you change your life. You also have to change your thinking. Head hunger, scale watching, thinking about food all the time, focusing on the negative... These all have to become past behaviors. You are feeling sorry for yourself. Do you have kids? What do you tell them when they feel sorry for themselves. You made a courageous decision. One that cannot be made lightly or impulsively because it takes too long, costs too much, and makes you think all the way up to surgery day. AND YOU MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. You are going to LIVE. Not just exist on a couch. It is ok to feel this frustration. Understand where it comes from. It comes from you, your past life, your ability to see change through, and ability to find a way through it. You need strength. You needs support. You need encouragement. You probably have all three or you would not have gotten this far. Don't throw in the towel. You are losing weight, making progress and changing your life. Just like alcoholics go thru DT's, you may be having head issues. Food is all around us and has been a safety blanket for most of us here. YOU CAN DO THIS. Find help today to talk to and see you through these tough days. It will get better!!!! You were wonderful to get this far... Keep going!!!! TJ

I gave up alcohol along with soda and sugar pre-op I see alcohol as just one of the many things you have to change

I do not drink hard liquor or beer. Just no preference for it. But pre-VSG, I was very much a wine drinker. Not cheap rotgut stuff (no offense to anyone who enjoys $2 moscato). I would have a few glasses each night without fail. I was very concerned about what life would look like on the other side of my surgery as far as my enjoyment of fine wines. A little over a week post-op, and shockingly, I have no craving for wine. No desire. It doesn’t turn me off, but I’m not missing it. Something I never would have believed could be true pre-surgery. I asked my doctor about wine specifically at my one-week appointment, and he said it would be fine to have it in very small amounts, just being mindful of the empty calories aspect, and that smaller amounts of wine would hit me much harder now. Unlike RNY patients, VSG patients don’t experience many of the same issues with alcohol damaging their digestive systems post-surgery and can often drink in small amounts after their surgery with minimal issues. A few days ago, we had a small (socially distant!) outdoor gathering with friends. None of them know about my surgery. I knew it would raise all sorts of concerns if I didn’t drink at all, because everyone knows I love my wine, so I brought a cup with about 4oz of wine in it, which I took teensy tiny sips of over the course of a few hours. It was fine but I didn’t want any more.

Hi there everyone! I am in the UK, and in the process of having my pre-approval for a gastric sleeve. I am 33, 5'4 (164cm) and approximately 20 stone (280 pounds). One thing that came up in the psych assessment is that I am a heavy drinker, and this will hinder my attempts to lose weight (with or without surgery.) The doctor said I need to decrease my drinking to 10 units a week, which is a lot less than I drink now. I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience, and had to drastically reduce their alcohol intake, and how was their experience of that? Was it easy/difficult? Was it an issue post-surgery? Thanks for your help.

You can do this!!! It's funny I told my family the same thing about having things in the house that I couldn't have and to think of me like an addict. I have teens so they can bring anything home...especially around easter. I finally broke down and said...look please don't put that stuff in front of me. I am just in the beginning stages. They thought I was joking but I told them that you wouldn't put a bunch of beer in the fridge and a keg stand in the kitchen for a recovering alcoholic...then please don't put my vices in the house right now. I think they saw the light and are more supportive in that area now. I think as you progress your body will get more and more used to the diet. What Protein shakes are you drinking. I kind of like the EAS shakes from Wal-Mart. They have 17G of protein and only 100 calories...they seemed to keep me full for a while....which helped.

peripheral neuropathy comes form many dz processes, malnutrition, diabetes, hypoxia, pressure on the nerves, as well as neurological demylenation disorders. Causes By Mayo Clinic staff It's not always easy to pinpoint the cause of peripheral neuropathy, because a number of factors can cause neuropathies. These factors include: Alcoholism. Many alcoholics develop peripheral neuropathy because they make poor dietary choices, leading to Vitamin deficiencies. Autoimmune diseases. These include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Diabetes. When damage occurs to several nerves, the cause frequently is diabetes. At least half of all people with diabetes develop some type of neuropathy. Exposure to poisons. These may include some toxic substances, such as heavy metals, and certain medications — especially those used to treat cancer (chemotherapy). Infections. Certain viral or bacterial infections can cause peripheral neuropathy, including Lyme disease, shingles (varicella-zoster), Epstein-Barr, hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. Inherited disorders. Examples include Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and amyloid polyneuropathy. Trauma or pressure on the nerve. Traumas, such as motor vehicle accidents, falls or sports injuries, can sever or damage peripheral nerves. Nerve pressure can result from using a cast or crutches, spending a long time in an unnatural position or repeating a motion many times — such as typing. Tumors. Growths can form directly on the nerves themselves, or tumors can exert pressure on surrounding nerves. Both cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) tumors can contribute to peripheral neuropathy. Vitamin deficiencies. B Vitamins — B-1, B-6 and B-12 — are particularly important to nerve health. Vitamin E and niacin also are crucial to nerve health. Other diseases. Kidney disease, liver disease and an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) also can cause peripheral neuropathy