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Yes, One drink and I am pretty drunk. The good thing is all I have to do is eat some Protein and I am sober immediately. I don't really like that drunk feeling. I will usually eat something fairly quickly to get rid of that feeling. The alcohol is getting dumped into your bloodstream much quickly because our tummies are so tiny.

I see no reason why she can't work around food after surgery. It's not the same thing as alcohol at all, seeing as how we need to eat to live.

One drink is usually enough for me. Two just makes me a little sick and adds no benefit in buzz factor. Started drinking again at 6 months or so and have on average two drinks a month. Really just had them when out with wife for dinner or on weekend chilling out with bro. I had my last drink about 2 months ago, just don't have the desire any longer because it does not really offer any health benefits ( at least for the hard drinks I had like Long Island or even fine white wine). I don't know, I just lost the desire for it. Maybe it will come back, maybe it will not. It was kind of a waste to get buzzed for like 2 minutes only. I want to eat and drink foods that are going to contribute to optimal health. Unfortunately, alcohol is not one of them. Just my opinion.

I used rubbing alcohol and it came right off. Be mindful not to rub it directly on your incisions.

I second the alcohol suggestion. It worked instantly for me.

yeah...that rule itself has been broken many times when Lisa and some friends decided to run around the board calling her an alcoholic and drug abuser. that is rather harsh...an one of the reasons she has tried so hard to respond to every threat that came at her on the board. an not just in seperate threads...but threas where she was posting and minding her own business. Its hard having a stalker.

One of the things that was brought up when I was talking to the coworker (aka food pusher) was that it's like any other addiction. I'm trying hard not to eat those things that I have been addicted to for so long. If an alcoholic worked here, would we put out little glasses of wine? Why is candy and chocolate and doughnuts, etc. better? Most of America is overweight and eats poorly. That's probably a very strong analogy, but to me it's real enough!

I don't have pain if I eat too much it just wants to keep trying to come back up my esophagus. Then I spend the next hour or more trying to keep it down. Really annoying. I'm still on full liquids and have been trying to actually eat something 3 times a day like cream of wheat or a soup, but really I feel better when I don't. It's like alcohol though. No real signs while I'm eating then about 10 mins after a meal WHAM it hits me. Too late by that time.

I am 4.5 weeks post VSG, and I think I just had my first dumping episode! I drank my first cup of coffee (caffeine) with flavored creamer (sugar) and a tiny half-shot of Bailey's (alcohol and more sugar). What in THE WORLD was I thinking?! Please, I implore you, don't make my idiotic mistake. This was the absolute sickest I think I've ever been in my life! A full hour in the bathroom, never feeling confident which end would go first. They most intense gas pain I've ever endured. Sweating, writhing around. Praying God would just take me. If this story helps just one person resist temptation simply by scare-tactic, I'll feel better. [emoji21] Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

Questions are always good. Coffee was no for my surgeon for several months but green or herbal teas were fine from straight after surgery. Wasn’t an issue for me as I only drink green tea anyway. I hardly drink alcohol at all anymore & I used to drink a large glass or two every night. Now I only have a glass about once a month at most. I had a gin & tonic at about 2 months post surgery. Took literally hours to drink it. I’ve lost a lot of my taste for it & it’s also not worth the calories now. And yes alcohol can be an issue with addiction transfer. Stalling happens to us all. It can be frustrating when suddenly you notice the scale isn’t moving at all. The first occurs at around week 3+/- & can persist for 1-3 weeks. Ride it out. Stick to your plan. It will pass & your weight will start to drop again. I looked at it as my body taking a breath from all the changes - surgery, reduced calorie intake, change of diet, weight loss, etc. It’s likely you’ll experience a couple of stalls on your weight loss journey. If dining out while on your vacation, you’ll find you’ll only be able to eat appetiser size meals - mains are just too big. Some places may be happy for you to share meals with your family. Soups are also a good option when eating out. Oh, and pack a coat for your holiday. You become really sensitive to cold as you lose weight... even in high summer you’ll be freezing. Good luck with your surgery.

A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.

Addiction transfer to alcohol is scary stuff. I rarely drank pre op (maybe once every few months). When I started drinking post op everything was fine for months, until I noticed that I was drinking a lot more often, then I started having trouble stopping once I start. Then I noticed I was looking forward to drinking the same way I used to look forward to food. Now I promise myself I won't drink, but can't resist the urge and have the old pattern of guilt and regret I used to have with fast food. This all happened pretty quickly. Now I'm going to counseling and considering AA, even though I'm not a "real" alcoholic yet. I was of course warned about this pre op, but didn't think it would happen to me since I've never had a problem with alcohol or drugs, and I guess I didn't consider myself a good addict either, but I can see now that I was. Alcohol is much much worse of an addiction, I certainly wish I hadn't started drinking post op.

Soexcited, Your offended because you asked for advice and a person who answered your question said, "IF he is a drinker he should stop...". She did not ASSUME he was drinking, she said, "IF"... Then you tell her you to go to Mayo Clinic for information, which states Alcoholism (ie. drinking). can be a cause of Pancreatitis. Sounds like a educated guess to me. You asked for advice and gave a small amount of information about your husband, she is covering the bases that she thought might help you. Geez.

Hi Fifty, It's a shame you assume he's a drinker. My husband has never been a drinker, not even the good ol college party days. You can google it if you like Mayo clinic has some great info if you are interested. Im offended, please educate yourself before assuming. Pancreatitis has many causes A number of causes have been identified for acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, including: Alcoholism Gallstones Abdominal surgery Certain medications Cigarette smoking Cystic fibrosis Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), when used to treat gallstones Family history of pancreatitis High Calcium levels in the blood (hypercalcemia) High levels of parathyroid hormone in the blood (hyperparathyroidism) High triglyceride levels in the blood (hypertriglyceridemia) Infection Injury to the abdomen Pancreatic cancer

Wow Tiffy, you are actually living your life and enjoying food proportionately! This is something I want so badly--this is the "normal" I hope to aspire to. I am not a drinker per se but on occasion enjoy a little wine or a fancy frozen tropical drink. I'm now 3 months out so like Stoongal am wondering if it is still to early to sip on anything alcoholic.

This is it. Alcohol is mathematically poor. Calorie rich nothingness in the long run.

Hi, I'm Deb from Minnesota. I am so happy to have found this site. I know several people who have had the gastric bypass surgery but its too scary for me. When I heard about the lap band I knew that sounded much more safer to me. I have so many questions! First of all, does it seem like the weight loss is slower than you expected it to be? Are you able to drink any alcohol at all? I enjoy a cocktail or two on Friday evenings, sort of my reward for making it through the week. But I could live without it if I had to. Maybe others of you have felt like this, maybe not, but I dont want to tell everyone or really anyone for that matter that I'm going to have the surgery. :kiss Is that weird or what? :nervous Looking forward to connecting with you all and getting support and giving what I can too.

Hey Babs, you know what? Normally I love this board and I think its members are truly supportive and good-hearted. But this was a little harsh. My immediate reaction was wanting to yell something not very nice in your direction. It's not like I'm sitting around drinking nonstop all weekend; yes, being healthy is important to me, but the reason it's important to me is so that I can live my life the way I want. And I don't want to (or need to, in my opinion) completely give up alcohol in order to be healthy. I resent the fact that you are throwing alcohol consumption in my face as proof that the band doesn't mean enough to me. Where do you get off? Do you really think telling me how successful others are being and suggesting I "keep my eye on the prize" because I don't want this enough, or whatever other judgmental comment you're not so subtly making, is an effective way to help me reach my goals? Just because I have a drink or two on the weekends does not mean that I'm a couch potato sitting on my ass eating bon-bons. And let me help you out since your reading and math skills seem to be limited: I was banded January 5th, which means I've been banded less than 3 months. My doctor does not even allow a fill until 2 months post op. And yes, I am having problems with my restriction; namely, I don't have any. Think twice before you publicly call someone's motivations into question next time.

I had my first PB after a night of drinking. I lost my mind and ate a piece of ham in two bites and wound up PBing the parking lot of a Krispy Kreme. NOT PRETTY. What I've discovered is that alcohol makes my band sore. I can actually feel my stomach after I drink- if I have more than one or two. It also makes me loose my mind- see above as an example. What I do have is a glass of wine or two in an evening...or one vodka cranberry or something with no carbonation. But I do this once a month at the most. Megan

Zadyzu, I would wait if I were you. Since you are still in the liquid stage. I am almost 2yrs out. I know from my experience, when I drink I am able to eat more. Which is not a good thing. Alcohol is empty carlories. XOXO~Teresa

Crusoe's Daughter by Jane Gardam -- love her character Polly Flint! Here's a review from a while back: http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/27/books/polly-came-through.html Also taking a long time finishing a memoir called Mother, Daughter, Me by Katie Hafner -- I prefer fiction but a friend lent me this book and it's very compelling for any one who grew up with an alcoholic mother or some one in the sandwich generation of an aging parent plus a child at home -- here's a review: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/garden/mother-daughter-me-a-feel-good-experiment-that-wasnt.html?_r=0

So here are the stats: 75 lbs down 73 inches lost BP from 160/98 to 114/88. Sugars from 102 to 83 No aches or pains. From no exercise to walking 5 hours a week and taking 5-1 hour classes a week. Size 24 to a 12 No diet coke for over a year. No alcohol for over a year. Kicked caffeine in the last 4 months. Still working on the sugar thing... I also submitted a "Wow" moment to OH and have been informed that my story and picture have been accepted for a future issue. Very Cool. Best of all, I feel normal. Most of you will know what I mean by this. I don't worry about the size and strength of chairs. I don't measure myself against others to see if I am the biggest person in the room. I just...feel...normal. But the funny thing is, I still feel like the same me inside, just in different packaging. Best of Luck to Everyone on this Journey, Susan

cheese sticks/string cheese are a great quick snack. Be careful of adding a lot of sodium to your diet - it's not great for you. Make sure you're doing it under a doctor's supervision. Other things to consider are maintaining your volume intake, avoiding alcohol, and pumping your feet/ankles before getting up suddenly.

My doc said no alcohol at all! I didn't really drink before surgery but now since getting banded 3/28/12 i haven't had a sip.

A lot of people talking about caffeine withdrawals but I don't experience them. I have given up caffeine several times and I don't see a difference, except lack of focus maybe. I was taking one caffeine pill in the afternoon, then I went back to coffee after 6 weeks. I went without coffee 6 weeks, then I slowly added it back it. Slowly because I have never had any acid issues, and I know coffee is acidic. I have never had GERD issues and I don't want to start. I drink cold brewed coffee for the lower acid content. No issues. I do limit myself to 8-12 ounces. I used to drink 24-36 ounces a day before surgery. I gave up sodas and alcohol about 3 years ago, and I only had black coffee, tea and Water. I also make an iced coffee Protein drink. I put cold brew coffee, water, unflavored protein and ice and my blender and I will have that sometimes in the late morning. I forget to eat a lot and if it is mid day and I haven't had anything to eat yet, I will do that to get my protein started for the day. It is a very nice change of pace.