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Three weeks post op you def dont want bubbles... also 2oz will put you over the legal limit... your body cannot process alcohol the same way now... they say no alcohol for at least a year for a reason.

I just turned 21 on the 26th of July. Im about 8 1/2 months out. i think it just depends on the drink and how much alcohol is in it. I drank 3 smirnoffs and was feeling a little buzzed i also tried a shot of patron on a different night and was completely drunk. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You may want to speak with your doctor. I'm four months out and I haven't had any alcohol or soda. I've heard the carbonation is a killer. It's tough since it's your 21st! It's also a lot of empty calories.....but I would definitely ask. A nights worth of fun isn't worth hurting yourself! Happy Birthday!

Be sure to stay hydrated! Nearly 50% of WLS patients have NAFL (non-alcoholic fatty liver) -- which should resolve itself with weight loss. However, this usually results in a sluggish liver which is not comfortable. liquids and exercise help the liver through this process, make sure you are getting 64-80oz minimum of fluids/water intake every day. When you don't get enough, it can increase pain in other areas of your body. The liver is a giant filter for your blood and right now in breaking down fat your body is releasing more estrogen that it has to process. Plus, it's now trying to break down the fat stores in the liver itself. That's fun as it can spike at the worst times like in the middle of the night. Most likely your abdomen pain is a result of gas and/or incisional healing. Everyone here has great advice for that -- Fiber, GasX, etc. And as much as you may not like it, exercise does WONDERS!!! Sometimes when the diaphragm is in pain, it will reference in your shoulder. Remember, they had to retract/shift your liver around and fill you up with a lot of CO2. It can take a while for that to go away. And if you did have a fatty liver, they most likely took a sample with a needle to make sure you hadn't advanced to cirrhosis, etc. stages. I found my shoulders hurting a lot too because I was sleeping too much, and hunching over a lot to protect my belly. That plus the fact that all my bras don't fit leads to horrible posture. Trying some mild stretching and perhaps take some liquid children's tylenol for the pain. GOOD LUCK!

Hi chrissy we, ve already been chatting but to let other fellow brits know, i, m 6 days post op and 16 lbs down including pre op diet I, m a northern girl lol and had my surgery done at thornbury hospital Sheffield although all my other pre and follow up consultations Will be at the nhs northern General hospital with my surgeon dr patel. My post op diet is 3 days liquid followed by 3 weeks pureed then soft/mushy and crispy. Then stage 4 is solid textured diet 3-6 months after my sleeve, I guess I will know through triel and error when my stomach is ready for this stage. Dr advice is no alcohol for 12 months post surgery but I know some drs in America say 6 months, I know I will attempt a small glass of wine around Christmas, which will be about 5 months post op, I may find I no longer desire a drink, but I do like a glass with Christmas dinner so i, m not depriving myself lol.

@@aubrey222 -- I agree, a lot of the first week or two feels like rehab. I'm a recovering alcoholic (sober 14-1/2 years) and as I was going through the pre-op classes I could see that a lot of what they were teaching felt very similar to the first months of sobriety, and I use a lot of those same tools I learned when first sober now that I am newly sleeved (just under 2 months out). In AA we ask what has to change -- EVERYTHING and nothing. The point is we still have to live our lives. We have to get up, go to work, shower, take care of the family, all that. But now we have to take care of ourselves. This is MY responsibility, just like staying sober was (is). Just like it would be dumb to drink to punish a perceived slight from someone (what we called "drink at them"), it would be dumb to "eat at them" too -- I'm only hurting me. I don't really know where this came from this morning, lolol -- I just took the thread topic and turned it all inside out.

I was told 60-80g Protein and 64oz Water MINIMUM. And to stay away from bread, Pasta, rice, sweets and alcohol. That's it. The nut even laughed when I asked about calories and fat vs nonfat yogurt. She said I will be eating so little that as long as I was getting my protein and water and following the guidelines I certainly didn't have to worry about calories, fats or carbs. So I never did bother to count or track or measure. I get my protein, I drink my water, take my Vitamins, I eat healthy and eat smart. It's very simple and at two years out and maintaining 10 pounds below goal, turns out she was right. I was, however, concerned about not wanting to be low cal for very long....didn't want my metabolism slowing down. So I did "spot check" my calories a few times. I was never below 500 and mostly stayed at 600-800 the first 4 months, was up to 1000 at 6 months, 1200 by 8-10 months and last I checked, about 10 months ago, I was maintaining at 1400-1600 calories. I've never counted carbs or fat, so can't help you there.

Hi. My name is ms.sss and I am a human being. I drink alcohol, coffee and carbonated water almost daily. I eat deep fried foods, fatty foods, and desserts on the regular. I eat popcorn (smothered in butter and lots of salt). There were 4-5 straight days just after Christmas where my diet for the entire day(s) consisted of solely alcohol and pecan butter tarts, no joke! I smoke cigarettes and drive well above the speed limit. I smoked pot almost every weekend last summer. I have not filed my personal income taxes for the past 2 years. If I'm home, I eat lunch on the couch with laptop, and binge watch TV for hours on end. I haven't taken my vitamins/supplements in over year. I didn't brush my teeth before I went to bed last night. Sometimes (sometimes!) I worry that people will read what I post and get the wrong idea/message...like I'm eating too little, or too much, or just unhealthily. Or that I'm wholly irresponsible or going down the path the h*ll. Or, that someone with a different temperament than mine will do as I do and get unexpected results. But we are all adults here and we each can make decisions on our own lives without putting any onus on some stranger on the internet. In the end, I don't assume any responsibility for your actions, nor your reactions to mine. I will commiserate with you, make suggestions, share a joke, and offer up my own personal experiences. But what you do with your lives is on you*. * Clarification: You == the collective "You", NOT the OP nor anyone else on this thread specifically.

*big hug* I'm sorry you are having such a hard time of this right now. It seems like you realize you are making mistakes in choices, etc. So why not take a moment and sit down and write out a list of why you want to lose weight and how losing this weight could affect your life. Then when you are done with that list why not take a moment to write out a list of things you dislike and are unhappy with about your life that you feel is related to being overweight. Review your lists, maybe post them somewhere on your fridge (if you are comfortable doing so) as a reminder. Then take a deep breath and remember that the band is only a tool and will only work as good as you want it to and work with it to. Recommitt yourself to living the bandster lifestyle. You can do this, you have already noted that you are making a mistake and not taking advantage of the fabulous tool you have inside you. "Every passing moment is another chance to turn it all around". You can do it and we are here to help. Perhaps read and print out the following which could help you get back on track: Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of "soft calorie syndrome" b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as "good" and "bad" e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

I used to love a glass of wine most nights, im 6 weeks post op & i have had 3 small glasses on seperate occasion & the 3rd time i did not enjoy it, & im not bothered about the stuff now, i will drink something non-alcoholic & non fizzy drink, & thats coming from someone who loved her wine & could easily drink 2-3 bottles a week...

I think that people enjoy feeling superior; and fat is the last thing people can broadcast the superiority over. No one would say to a recovering alcoholic "I'm better than you because I don't drink." I am quite convinced that I was chosen for a lay off from my last perm job because I was fat. I've had several coworkers who told me the same thing after I expressed my thoughts to them. My boss however was an high functioning alcoholic; and bragged all the time about their blow out parties on the weekend. But she felt superior to me because my addiction was food and not booze.

First, I must say this: I love my family with all my heart, but a select few are driving me completely insane! It hit me yesterday, that FEELING is not allowed in my family. Voicing your feelings is not tolerated. And I can't live my life like this anymore. I refuse to raise my children that way. Depression is anger turned inward. And if you don't discuss your feelings you stuff them, with food, alcohol, etc. I CANNOT DO THAT ANY LONGER! I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT ANY LONGER! I just end up hurting myself. I chose to have this surgery and change my life for ME! If you love me, then be happy for me and support me. Don't blackmail me emotionally. Don't lay someone else's shit sandwich in my lap. If someone else is depressed or unhappy, that person should DO something about it. It's NOT my fault if someone is upset and too depressed to go to work. Tell THEM to put THIER big girl panties on!! Cuz honey, I've had my big girl panties on for A LONG time. I am dealing with my issues. I am trying to become a better person. I am not crying to my Mommy and blaming others for my unhappiness. I OWN my issues. They are on ME! And don't emotionally blackmail my children when they express their feelings and those feelings upset you. YOU are the adult. Shame on you! SHAME ON YOU! It is only natural for a child to protect his parent. God knows I've tried to protect mine. Even when they probably didn't deserve it. But to not only negate their feelings, and then threaten them emotionally! SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!! That hurts me more than any of the bullshit that has been thrown at me the last year. All of it put together, doesn't hurt as much as when my son told me how he was treated last night. By his own grandparent. I still can't believe it. If you only knew how much you hurt him. And me. I know you want to live your life with your head in the sand and pretend everything is a-okay. Fine. You do that. But don't expect me to. And don't expect me to raise my children that way! I don't want them to wake up twenty years from now, full of self-loathing, and stuffing every feeling because they can't express them. Been there, done that, and it SUCKS! I just realized it's okay to take care of me. People actually DO THAT. Take care of themselves. And it's NOT selfish!! WHO KNEW!? All my life I have been terrified of being a selfish person. So I give till I have nothing left to give. And I wonder why I am empty? Cuz I gave it all away! Someday I hope it is okay to have my wishes respected. I really do. I think that would feel good. I remember when I told you I was going to have this surgery. I SPECIFICALLY asked you NOT to tell my sister. I hadn't decided if I wanted to tell her or not. Even then I had an inkling that she would not be supportive and that my decision would be a problem for her. But you told her. Thanks so much. I also tried to explain to you over Christmas that I needed to keep the negative people at arms length. To take care of me. I was feeling extremely vulnerable. Then you turn around and tell me I need to go talk to her. Practically blame her depression on ME! Thanks for throwing that steaming sack of shit in my lap. Totally appreciate that. And last night, when you thanked me for doing what you asked.... do you know how that made me feel? Like all was right with the world, because Jennifer was happy, and that was all that mattered. You didn't even notice that I was crying. That my eyes were swollen from crying all afternoon. That shows me exactly where I stand. Thank you for that too. You probably didn't notice that I was drinking for the first time in three months either. Or that I was five seconds away from bumming a cigarette off the grumpy guy. After 16 months of being smoke-free, I was completely ready to throw all that hard work out the window. Hello self-sabotage!!! My old friend! But I didn't. I guess I had my big girl panties on after all. Huh, Mom?

I used to drink wine. I can't now because it is too acidic and gives me horrific heartburn. I do like a vodka/diet cranberry or diet pomegranate or a whiskey with Coke Zero. Now that it's summer, though? I love a cold beer or three. Sometimes the carbonation is uncomfortable, sometimes it is not. I do have a much better time of it if I pour it in a glass to allow some of the bubbles to some to a head. My doctor cautioned against alcohol for two reasons. First, it's empty calories. Second, people tend to eat more with less inhibition when they are intoxicated -- and usually not making good, healthy choices. Good thing about beer for me? After even one, I can't eat for at least an hour. I'm totally full. Two, I won't eat for several hours. Three, I won't eat for the rest of the day. A bonus? I burp like a sailor and it's quite awesome.

You have to watch the calorie and fat content too. Many of those sugar free goodies are quite high in both. I do not indulge in goodies on a regular basis. I need to leave room in my pouch for good nutritious food and as long as I am still in the losing stage I want to watch the in-between meal snacking. But when I do get a sweet tooth I eat 1/2 a South Beach Cereal bar or a SF Fudgecicle or Popsicle. South Beach also makes an oatmeal cookie snack that is pretty good if you watch how much you eat. BTW, sugar alcohol will give you gas and possibly diarrhea so you may want to keep that in mind. But it does not affect your blood sugar.

Hi newgrandma, I have arthritis in my knees right now but my mom has it in her fingers and other joints and my dad has it in his hip and back. He's had a hip replacement and invertebrea drilling before the age of 70. I have no cartilage between my knee cap and leg bone and develop spurs from the impact. Last year I had the spurs smoothed off by my surgeon but my diagnosis is stage 4 chondromalacia and he says I'm too young for knee replacements. I function OK on an anti inflammatory diet, i have salmon oil everyday, no wheat, try to limit alcohol (being sleeved has made it easier lol) and when I do mountain stuff like skiing and hiking I take lots of turmeric. I also ice afterwards. When it's really bad I'll take tylenol arthritis, it seems to work ok but i have to be in tears to take meds. I've seen what over medicating has done to my dad, he started loosing his mind at 65 and now that he's 70 he has officially been diagnosed with Parkinson's. I also think over medicating leads to cancer of the pancreas. Has your surgeon offered to do laproscopy and dremmel off any rough bits/spurs? Where do you have your arthritis? I can tell when I do my Tuesday yoga class that my L hip feels sharp when I do certain motions. I hope I'm not following too closely in my dad's footsteps.

Avoid any alcohol containing mouthwash. Alcohol = drying. Biotene has a great soothing mouthwash and they also have a line of other dry mouth products, toothpaste, a moisturizing gel (they have gum also but that's a no no). PLUS the mouthwash contains similar enzymes to the ones you have naturally in your saliva that help to fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay and periodontal disease. Dry mouth is BAD for your teeth. Dry mouth = increased bacteria + food we eat = the increased possibility of rampant decay. Like any of us need to also deal with that situation!

You definitely are right, however, it doesn't make it much easier. I completely understand that we have done this to lose weight and get healthty. I did this to end the cycle of overweight people in my family and start changing the diet in my household. My husband has almost done a 180 since my surgery and is going back to his old habits we've worked so hard to break in the last 6 months. He is also very overweight. It's almost as if he is rebelling against what I'm doing. And while it's difficult to see him do that to himself, it's also difficult for me to see/smell what he is eating. It's like an alcoholic going into a bar who has quit drinking. It's a good thing that they have stopped drinking, but it doesn't take that pain away when they're around other people who drink. The hardest part is an alcoholic can usually distance themselves from alcohol, but we have to be around food for the rest of our life. For some of us, our willpower is still not at 100% and that's something we will struggle with, but conquer! I guess my point is, we don't expect others to not eat around us. That's not what she was getting at, she was just expressing a feeling of what a lot of us are going thru - getting over the emotional tie we have to the food that got us this way. You are right though and made very valid points. Thanks! :ohmy:

I remember feeling resentful at first, which I knew was crazy, and I tried to hide, lol. It's been getting better, as I learn different tactics to help myself cope. I met friends at a restaurant, and yes, while their food looked and smelled delicious, I managed by ordering a strawberry margarita (sans alcohol) and ate it with a spoon. I have had great luck with anything frozen. I buy TONS of popsicles! (lol) I even found some that taste like rootbeer and dr. pepper, so that when I'm feeling really pouty about all the restrictions, I can feel like I'm indulging. I think that's the thing, we are not a population (as surgery recipients) that like limiting ourselves, so it's super hard to wrap your head around. But we needed help making better decisions, and we want to feel (and look) better and this is what it took. It's hard, but worth it.

My program says a minimum of 6 months, but they prefer waiting a year for alcohol.

I do this a lot at home.....there is a pomegranite flavor that is really good mixed with vodka.... I'll just order a jack rocks when out.....takes me a while to finish it.... Like others said, you will find your tolerance for alcohol has likely changed. Test drive it at home, you don't want to be out and find out three drinks is one too many. I've cut my drinking in at least half since I was banded....just not worth the empty calories....AND I WANT TO GET TO GOAL!

Keep nibbling and feel sick/full. Not enjoying all the food. Need to go back to regular meals. Look forward to getting back to normal. Far too many calories consumed in alcohol this past few weeks. Ugh. Lactose intolerant and no breads for me anymore. But 57 lbs down!

I am a sugar addict but I am treating it like alcohol,addiction...just like an alcoholic cannot have just one beer, I cannot gave just one candy. So I go day by day. I am on day 41 now. Yes once or twice, I did give in and had a piece of candy bug the next day I started over and go day by day. That is the only way I am able to do this. To reconize that each day is z victory. I am also off of bread , pasta, wheat and rice. One day at a yime, one step at a time. My surgery is July. I Want the change...I want the freedom from sugar. It's a conscience choice, to tell myself not that I can't have it but that I don't want it. Sugar addiction is hard to break but it can be done...one day at a time. If alcoholic's can do it. I can do it!!

Average rate of loss is 10% of your total body weight at the six month mark. Most of you are on target. I have had moments of struggling too since being banded. It was in my case completely due to my own poor choices. Are you drinking alcohol? Tracking what you eat? Cutting out refined foods? Exercising? If you can't honestly answer the above questions as they ought to be answered, then you have some work to do still. There ARE, however, people for whom the band is not effective. Everyone who feels discouraged by lack of loss needs to be talking to their surgeon.

Hey Perthgirl, Joondalup is a good hospital been there a few times and close to home. Not sure on what we can and cant eat but no more drinking (alcohol) is scary haha

I have been overweight my entire life; except for for when I lost significant weight at 13, and over 100 pounds at 18, and 30. There was a British study done a while back that showed in families where the men are alcoholics the women are obese. That is certainly true in my family. I think it shows a propensity toward addictive behaviors. I had to attend mindfull eating sessions as part of my preop. These sessions were really helpful to me. I have to actively decide not to eat fatty/high calorie foods; probably like an addict has to actively decide not to have a smoke or a drink. This is why my diets never worked in the past because it is mentally exhausting to constantly be chosing only healty foods. With the band if I do make poor choices it helps me eat less of them.