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I used to love beer and I have a job that requires entertaining which means bars and alcohol. I was really concerned about this pre-surgery but what I found out was that nobody really cares what anyone else is doing. We think that everyone is watching us eat / drink but not many people pay attention. They are much more concerned with the plate / drink in front of them. I have gotten Water and someone might say "just water" and I say "yeah not in the mood to drink tonight" and that's the end of it. juice (orange pineapple cranberry) on the rocks is a good option. Note to guys: Don't order juice if your buddies are within earshot, that will catch you more hell than ordering water. But back to your original question, Carbonation doesn't agree with me anymore so no beer or soda mix drinks. I'll order a Fireball on rocks or a Black Russian and a water. Drink the water, sip the drink and make it last. I've also found out the hard way that when you are 80# lighter you get hammmmmmmmered quick. Be careful, give your stomach a few months to heal and read about cross addiction before you start drinking again. Aside from that Cheers!

My surgeon told me that I could never have a drink again, period. I've read enough about banding to know that while this may be his opinion it is not the generally held opinion (even the Lap Band web site says that an occasional drink is no problem). I have pretty much accepted that beer is a thing of the past, which was a big hurdle for me because I'm a home brewer, but with the carbonation it wouldn't be good for the band. But wine or liquour in moderation I don't anticipate being a problem. However, I'm now 3 weeks out and haven't had anything and don't know when I will have a drink again. The big thing for me that I'm worried about is the calories in alcohol.

Today is my last day before I start my pre diet and I'm feeling Very afraid and cranky. Alcohol and food have always been my run-to's when I'm stressed. Reality is settling in Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Am I am being banded on May 5th, and have had a few business functions that I will just say docs have told me to avoid alcohol for the next couple of months to monitor hormone levels. Say whatever it takes so you don't feel awkward. This is a lifelong decision and will really have to start adapting now!

I've gone through three Band pregnancies (well, on my third). I've noticed that especially post-pregnancy, my Band can be very wacky! Even with no fill. Sort of like when I get my period. No doubt due to the weird hormones and such. So, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. As for the rules... Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew to mush! No drinking with meals or for one hour after. (I usually drank up until the meal came... but only Water.) No carbonated beverages. No alcohol. If you're breastfeeding, be sure to keep taking your prenatals. I ended seeing a bariatric nutritionist, and she had me on six small meals/day rather than three. It seemed to work better for me as far as weight loss went. Exercise. Every day. No excuses. Not a real rule...but for me... I was always extremely tight in the AM, so Breakfast was usually sugar-free Carnation Instant Breakfast w/ hot skim milk... or if I was feeling decadent, Godiva Hot chocolate w/ hot skim milk. Then around 10:30 or so, I'd have either cottage cheese and fruit or maybe a scrambled egg + 1/2 apple.

I have been going to counseling for some other issues and the first thing they asked me when I told them I had WLS was if I developed any other addictions. At first I didn't even know what they meant. They had to clarify, do you gamble, shop , or drink? It kind of cracked me up. I hate gambling because I am cheap. I am not fond of shopping unless I need to buy something. Luckily, I hate the taste of alcohol. I am even having trouble bringing myself to drink that sugar free gatoraide that Dr. Campos suggested I drink because it has artificial sweetner in it.

You're welcome and thank you!! You are correct, do not compare yourself and YOUR journey, to anybody else's. I lost 23 lbs prior to surgery, weighing 205 the day of surgery. I reached my doctor's goal, (150) just a few days short of 5 months, so my weight loss was almost exactly what yours is so far. I never felt I was losing slowly, I felt sure it would be forever. We had approx. 85% of our tummies removed. I cannot imagine HOW we could gain ALL of it back without trying to do so!!! You can drink your calories with milk shakes, cokes, alcohol. I guess if we were to do all that and rather than eat Protein like we should, we were to eat chips and Twinkies.....it could be bad. I weigh daily, and if I put on a few lbs, I nip it in the bud. Taking a few lbs off takes nothing but cutting out a snack and maybe eat a little less at a meal or maybe eat the can of tuna, which is 1/2 cup, rather than half the can with 10 mini Club Crackers. It's really that easy.

My surgeon was telling us about alcohol....he was tiptoeing around it and he just stopped and chuckled and said you'll be a cheap drunk! We all laughed but he warned us to but drink much and not for months and try to avoid all carbonation

How did you handle the wine? I am 9 weeks out and haven't had any alcohol yet. I was originally going to wait six months, but I think that is excessive. I was thinking abou having a glass of wine on Xmas or New Years.

Hi Mason,luckily dr Al Taie didnt mention the alcohol thing to me at all and somehow I didnt get a booklet from him.?.lol. So I am having a G&T every week.Now I havent followed the threat after I posted as I felt ignored...lol...so I dont know which side of the fence you are..lol. Myself,I am 75% of the time low carb,20% moderate carbs and 5% of the time I say whatever.Having said that in 10 months I have had 1 alcoholic drink once a week,a bite of a donut,a quarter of a big tasty (minus the bread) a slice of my kids pizza (UAE size not USA size) a little swiss chocolate,a bite of my kids ice cream,a bite of cheese cake,a bite of carrot cake.I have been to at least 40 friday buffets (torture in the beginning I might add) prefer to eat out rather than eat at home.I am low carb some days and higher some days. In these 10 months I have lost 130 pounds,had some loong stalls (7 weeks while low carbing) AND I HAVE MADE PEACE WITH food and with myself.I still freak out every now and then when I think I might regain in the long term but I know its just the old me trying to get attention..lol. My housemate ,MD of a company working 16 hour days very often,have found though that low carb is fantastic for her.She has lost 14kg's (gone from size 16 to 8, not US sizes UAE sizes..lol) and she has better memory,more energy,her skin glows,she says she feels alive when she is low carb.She was a real chocoholic before.When I eat like her,I am moody,feel like I have fluff between my ear instead of a brain,am sleepless,constipated and NOTHING can convince me to exercise,too tired all the time. We also had a third lady staying with us for 6 months.She is a diabetic that had a kidney transplant.She is tall and skinny despite her anti rejection meds that gives her a huge appitite and despite being restricted in her Proteins.She eats huge plates of food though.Really bulks up on veggies and salad (I mean a lot of food!) little Protein and about a quarter of her food is carbs.She walks every day of her life to help control her sugar and she doesnt cut anything out of her diet. 3 different people.3 different issues,3 different results.YOU SHOULD SEE US COOKING!We've had to learn to really respect each others way of eating and we all admire each others persistance in trying to find out what really works best for each of us as individuals.We are all happy,well adjusted and free from the burden food use to be for us. (ok,I still worry some times,but they keep me grounded) At this point I couldnt care what anyone thinks or says about my eating,I am a raging success IMHO and that is all that counts.I have found what works for me and that is what matters. Now,I will try to read the whole threat...lol

I am pre-surgery, I have five months left until my insurance will approve or deny me for surgery. I am doing keto to maintain/not gain weight before the insurance review. I love meat, cheese, eggs and non starchy veggies - so Keto is easy for me. I don't miss sugar too much, but Atkins makes low carb sweet treats to satisfy that craving. The best part of keto for me is that looking at the nutrition label and identifying if I can eat a certain product is so easy. Total carbs - Fiber - sugar alcohols = net carbs. I track my carbs and calories in Myfitness pal, by editing my macros columns so I can focus on the items I need to pay attention to. I have also found a recipe with cheese, egg and seasonings to make "flatbread". It is deliciously cheesy and I turned that same recipe in to lasagna "noodles" and found a low carb pasta sauce to make a lasagna tonight!

<p>I think people just want to be helpful but don't count on others taking them REALLY SEEERIOUS. </p> <p> </p> <p>The first solids I went to were Toddler meals. I ate real slow, one bite at a time and chewed my food well. I imagined my food would get stuck and someone would have to do the Himlech on me. Truth is, the first time I had a JAM in my pipes it was on Pasta, very little sauch and I actually gobbled it a bit faster than I should have. When I ate meat, it was chicken, small bites, chew slowly, no liquids, no cold liquids at meal to be sure.</p> Adding this edit to myself: Thanks for emailing me for clarification. I expanded my letters to exaggerate meaning OVERLY took a caution WAY too seriously. Sometimes people really go far....take my mother for example...you can say to her "Mom, when you are on that medicine, you should watch how much alcohol you consume". The next day at dinner, when asked if she wants wine she'll say "OH NO. I can't drink because of my medication." Big difference between not drinking four Jack & Cokes and drinking one glass of wine to NO I CAN'T DRINK. That's what I meant...over responding.

I don't think it's too much...it's just very heavy in calories. And, I agree with Candle...a lot of sugars, carbs, fat. (Although I don't know what half the stuff you put on there is!) We were not allowed to drink alcohol of any kind for the first year of banding as well. Where's your fresh veggies, lean meats, complex carbs like brown rice?? You asked for our opinion so mine is that you are just eating way too rich of foods and foods that are very calorie-dense.

Like people keep saying ... this surgery is not on your head. We all have problems we deal with. Now that you don't have food to fall back on, you are focusing on something else. Now is the time to get some help to work thru why you have turned to alcohol. Sure, everyone here can offer advice, but what you need to do is put in the work and go get the help you need. I pray that you look for and find help. Get to the root of the problem.

Definitely talk to an addiction counselor. I delayed my surgery for 10 months because less than 2 weeks before first scheduling, I had people begging me not to go thru with it. A relative of a close family friend was in the hospital dying of liver failure because she had cross addicted to alcohol because she could no longer eat to deal with her problems. She died at 32 years old leaving 3 kids behind. Obesity is an addiction just as serious as any other. If you don't deal with the problems that caused you to gain weight, you can transfer it very easily. Please, please don't wait to get some professional help. We don't want you to die.

Find a good support system. I couldn't have ever given up my own drug and alcohol addictions without my wife's strong influence. That also means not hiding your issue. That is exactly what your addiction wants you to do, hide it. That way no one can say "HEY STOP" because they don't know. Talk to people about it, tell everyone that you know is a safe and supportive person about your problem and enlist them to help you with it. This is a very real fight and you team an army not just yourself. Good luck it can be fixed.

Okay...here goes. Friday: The "sweet" french bread, should be sugar free, and 100% whole wheat is always better. Salami is loaded with fat. Try a leaner meat. If it's to dry, add a little moisture without adding fat. A nice mustard maybe? The cheese (gouda) is okay. The potato augratin with cream... Cream is very high in fat. Can you substitute 2% milk? the salad is very good. Saturday: Again, watch the sugar in the brioche. Maybe limit the bread to once a day. The moule marnier is an excellent Protein. So is the fois gras, just a little high in fat, but you didn't eat a lot, so that's good. Limit wine to one glass per day? Alcohol is a lot of empty calories. the ice cream desert... Sounds wonderful. Nuts have some good protein, but they are high in fat. So is the ice cream unless you were able to get fat free ice cream. The meringue isn't to bad. It's mostly egg whites and air with a touch of sugar. I would add some more vegetables. Sunday: Again... no vegetables. The mussels are an excellent source of protein. Limit the bread. Croissants are made with butter. High in fat. Monday: Other than the chocolate bar, this looked like a good day, although it appears you may not have eaten enough. One meal a day will leave you hungry. The curry sounds wonderful. I love curry, and it helps moisten any meat. It's easy to stew things in curry without adding calories. the prawns are an excellent source of protein. If you like it, by all means continue. Yesterday: This was a lot of carbs. I too love crisps and find them very difficult to avoid. I didn't see any lean meat or vegetables. The cheese and tomatoes in the lasagna is good, but you had noodles twice. To many carbs. Today: sounds delicious.This was your best day. Yogurt with a little fruit was good. Root vegetable soup. Very good. (just remember, root vegetables are higher in carbs than other vegetables) chicken breast with cabbage. Very good. Just watch the wine. I don't know where you are from, so finding vegetables may be a problem, but some of your dishes sound wonderful.

It may be that they are concerned about transfer addiction. When you stop being able to turn to food you start looking for something else, and if you have drank in the past it could be alcohol, could also be shopping, hopefully it will be nothing! But they want you to understand addiction a little better in any case.

OP, I understand where you are coming from. You have no idea the number of people who have reached out to me about exactly what you are saying. I honestly use the same term myself sometime, if we are going to be honest. I am hearing from many people because sometimes they just come to our site, a "support" forum, just to vent, to see if others are experiencing what they are, etc., not to be made to feel like they are a failure because they took a bite of a doughnut. As I mentioned in another thread, I stepped away for a couple of hours tonight because my fiance and I went out for our weekly Saturday night bacon cheeseburger at Chili's, and guess what, it was happy hour and I had two White Russians as well. By definition of some, I should seek immediate counseling because I ate 1/4 of a bacon cheeseburger and drank alcohol on a Saturday while out enjoying life with my man and friends. But, oh well, I am still losing weight and I am happy and enjoying the hell out of my life, so I just brush it off. They do what is right for them, I do what is right for me and my best advice is that you do what is right for you. I got this surgery to live and be happy. 95% of the time, I make healthy choices, but I am human and go out with friends and enjoy a couple of drinks, a cheeseburger or pizza when I do. I have no guilt. I don't need counseling. The difference is now, I am happy with that 1/4 cheeseburger. I don't need to shove the whole thing down my mouth. I know this isn't the last time I will ever be able to enjoy one, so I am quite capable of eating in moderation. If some aren't able to do that, well, then perhaps it is better for them to stay away from those foods. But for those of us who are able to do that, and continue to be healthy and lose weight, well, you know... Now, with all that being said, the "horror story" thread and the "cheeseburger" thread have already gotten way out of hand. I have had more reported posts on those threads than I care to mention. If this one goes the same way, and everyone can't learn to communicate as adults, disagree without name calling and being abusive to one another, and have intelligent, respectful debates, then I won't hesitate to close all three topics.

I think that we just have some apples and oranges here... Excuse the spiritual stuff in the picture it was the best comparison I could find at the moment Why “Everything in Moderation” is Killing People Published on October 12, 2013 Written by: Kris Gunnars. I can’t stand it when the “Everything in Moderation” mantra is pushed as the right solution for everyone. There are biological reasons why some individuals can’t consume certain things in moderation, no matter how hard they try. That’s because many people are literally addicted to the junk foods they are consuming. Just like with other addictions, the only thing that works is abstinence. For addicts, moderation fails… every time. Many People Don’t Even Know That food Addiction Exists In the past few decades, literally hundreds of studies have explored how certain foods can lead to addiction (1). However, food addiction has yet to make it into the mainstream and many health professionals don’t even know that it exists… yet. I’ve seen many dietitians and other health professionals literally discouraging people from completely removing the addictive foods from their life. They say that such “extreme” methods are doomed to fail and will lead to feelings of deprivation. Even though these people mean well, they fail to understand how hopeless this approach is going to be when applied to food addicts. Chances are that people who are true food addicts will never succeed if they try to eat “in moderation.” They will continue to eat large amounts of junk food and suffer all the horrible consequences for the rest of their (much shorter) lives. There Are Biological Reasons Why Some People Just Can’t Consume Junk Food in Moderation Food addiction has a biological basis (2). Humans are hardwired to seek out behaviors that release a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the reward system of the brain. This is interpreted by the brain as “pleasure.” Many activities release dopamine… including eating behavior, sexual behavior and all kinds of things that make us feel “good.” This dopamine-driven reward is NOT a bad thing when it happens under natural circumstances. The problems appear when do things that release more dopamine than we were ever exposed to when our brains were evolving. Whereas real foods cause a relatively mild dopamine release, highly engineered junk foods that are loaded with sugar can have a very powerful effect (3). Interestingly, this is exactly what happens when people take drugs of abuse like cocaine… large amounts of dopamine are released in the reward system of the brain. For people with a certain predisposition, this can lead to full-blown addiction (4). When this happens, the “reward seeking behavior” takes over… logic and reason fail and the individual starts succumbing to cravings, despite knowing that it is causing physical harm. This is the reason smokers can’t just decide to “smoke less” and alcoholics can’t just decide to “drink less.” The logical part of their brain doesn’t have control anymore. People who binge eat and can’t control themselves around junk food have the exact same problem. Of course, this is all a drastic oversimplification. Addiction and the brain are incredibly complex subjects and there are many brain centers and neurotransmitters involved. My Personal Experiences With Addiction I can support this with some personal experiences… I am a recovering alcoholic and a drug addict… sober since January 4th, 2007. I’ve been to 6 rehabs, a mental institution, jail more often than I can count and several trips to the emergency room due to overdose. I was also a smoker for many years, but managed to give that up after multiple attempts. The reason I’m telling you this, is to demonstrate that I know how addiction works. I’ve been there… succeeded, and failed, many times. A few years ago, I realized that I had been developing an addiction to junk foods. Full-blown addiction, nothing more, nothing less. I had completely lost control over my consumption… I used to binge all the time and often ate thousands of calories in a sitting. I struggled with this for years. I tried literally everything… cheat meals didn’t work, cheat days didn’t work, pills didn’t work, supplements didn’t work and various different diets failed. “Moderation” sure as hell didn’t work either. Eventually, I realized that I was experiencing the exact same symptoms as when I was addicted to drugs. The cravings, the thought processes, the failure to set rules, the complete lack of self control… being addicted to junk food was the same as being addicted to amphetamine. Exactly the same. Just like with drugs, the only way I have ever been able to stop eating junk foods is by completely removing them from my life. Moderation failed, every time. As soon as I managed to give up the addictive foods completely, I lost weight… with pretty much no effort. I have since spoken to many of my friends who are also recovering drug addicts. They didn’t struggle with binge eating like I did, but they have confirmed that craving ice cream feels the exact same as craving a drug. Even though there are no reliable statistics available, I am personally convinced that food addiction is much more common than most people think. If you have problems with binge eating or have repeatedly failed to set rules about junk foods, then perhaps this is something you should look into. It might end up saving your life. The Other Side of The Story – Restrictive Dieting and Eating Disorders There is a strange dilemma here… there are also studies showing that restrictive dieting can cause binge eating and lead to eating disorders (5, 6). For this reason, being flexible with your diet may be a good idea for a lot of people. Some people can and maybe even should include some junk foods in their life, without feeling guilty, in order to reduce the likelihood of developing an “unhealthy relationship” with food. This approach can work for some people, NOT others. I personally think that people who have already succumbed to food addiction will not succeed unless they manage to avoid junk foods completely. For these people, the “everything in moderation” message, which literally discourages them from doing the only thing that works for addiction, is seriously harmful. This is just one of many examples where there are very few “truths” in nutrition that can be applied across the board. While including junk food in moderation can work for a lot of people, it is a complete disaster for others. What is The Solution? When it comes to addiction, abstinence is only the beginning. Sticking to it in the long run (preferably for life) is the real challenge. People who truly have food addiction may need much more than just a firm decision to stop eating the addictive foods. Fortunately, there are psychologists, treatment programs, self-help groups and 12-step programs (free) that can help with this. One thing is certain… a person with true addiction will never, ever be able to consume their “drug of choice” in moderation. Telling a food addict to eat junk food “in moderation” is just as ridiculous as telling a smoker to smoke in moderation, or an alcoholic to drink in moderation. It simply does not work, period.

Laura, well said. It's not a one size fits all. I was the same way with cigarettes when I smoked. I quit and after 9 months had 1 and was right back where I had been before I quit. It took me many times to quit. I knew it was like alcohol to an alcoholic one and hooked. I am happy to report that it has now been 28 years since I have had a cigarette.

I was told that I can never drink alcohol again and that's what I plan to stick to. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using the BariatricPal App

Not all carbonated drinks are unhealthy and make you fat. There's sparkling Water for example. I believe the assumption (no research has been done to prove it) is that carbonation could stretch the sleeve. It also often causes significant pain and discomfort. I would not drink carbonated drinks just in case of the possibility of stretching your pouch. I think that the OP was not referring to carbonated waters (they can correct me if I am wrong). My point was that VSG is not a solution, it is a tool and without significant life style changes it will become ineffective over time. The vast majority of us did not get to this point in our lives drinking carbonated waters. I am pretty sure that a lot of us here were addicited to the main stream carbonated drinks such as Coke and their diet or zero offerings. Those products were created to be addicitive are a big part of our obesity cycle. I don't want to fall back in to that trap so I am good with removing them from my life which is really hard but if the idea that it would hurt and that my NUT says they are verbotten, well that just helps. I am sure carbonated water could be fine and I am sure there are people who have 1 12oz Coke Zero a month and are fine. But I am going to guess that the folks that can have 1 Coke Zero a month are in the minority here. (It would be interesting to see just how many of us were or are addicted to those drinks and what quantities we consumed pre SVG. I was easily 1 gallon -2 gallons a day of Coke Zero!) Hi London! I'm the OP, and I'm about to correct you As a matter of fact, my question was not referencing soda's specifically. I have never been one to drink my calories. I didn't get fat from soda. I got fat from eating salty/savory things like fast food and popcorn. Sugar is not my wheelhouse. While I of course have had the occasional diet soda in my life, I am by no means addicted to them. I don't even really like them that much. I have a "sodastream" machine at home that I use to carbonate water. I then add something like Crystal Lite or on occasion a little bit of fruit juice to flavor it. That is was I was referring to when I mentioned that it would be hard to get used to not being able to have fizzie drinks. "Rather than ask why you can't do something the better question is given the decision to have A VGS why would you want to have carbonated drinks?" - to quote you specifically from an earlier post. I must admit that I do not appreciate this way of thinking, nor the implication behind it. In my opinion, we are having a major surgery, with major life-changes built in. It is of the UTMOST importance that we understand each of these changes and why they are necessary. Not knowing the consequence only makes you that much more likely to break the rule. And asking questions is the only way to get answers. I'm not sorry I asked, and I wasn't wrong to ask. And asking a question does not make me less committed to my surgery or to the lifestyle changes that are needed. I am sure you had good intentions, but really hope you know judgmental your post came across. I do hope that we can be friends. Open mouth and insert foot! LOL I am sorry if it came off judgmental, it was more a case of incredulity! My apologies for that. I don't think I am alone in thinking soda, when I hear the words fizzy or carbonated drinks. You are absolutely correct my intentions was to do whatever I could to discourage you from having a Coke Zero, diet coke etc if I could! Since you don't have that demon you obviously don't know what it is like but it is like being an alcoholic! It has a siren call of its own and it is everywhere. As for soda alone be the root of my cause, uh no, food was the root. Salty, savory, sweet it didn't matter. I can eat when I am full and that has always been the issue but I think diet soda and the chemicals have screwed my system up so that I no longer understand or feel the triggers that a normal person does. Sure I know that bloated I overate feeling but hey it seems a shame to let those last 2 ribs go to waste! Maybe some peeps can have soda in there lives and not have that issue. I unfortunately am not, for me it is no soda more control. ​

Sweet Tea Cokes Steak .... Drinking with meals (non alcohol)

Gastric Bypass is a physical tool to help you lose physical weight. Assuming you follow your surgeon's suggestions regarding diet and exercise, you'll physically lose weight. However, gastric bypass isn't a "cure all" for the emotional weight many folks carry- i.e. food addiction and/or transfer addictions, (a weight loss patient becoming an alcoholic after surgery, for example). This is one of the reasons why the psychiatric evaluation is so important to have and to answer honestly before the procedure. It could be very eye opening as to why the weight issues are there in the first place. Your surgeon can re-route your insides and force them to comply, but if people aren't willing to re-route their mindset, the old eating habits & dependencies won't change. I think it's also important to have a thorough understanding and vested interest in your overall health throughout this process. Try to learn as much about your body & the chemical balances (or imbalances) you might have. It would be terrible to have such a major surgery and find yourself set up for failure because of a metabolic (or other) disorder you didn't even know you had that will impeded weight loss.