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Alcohol is just empty calories.

I had a 3 day interview in Spain (I live in the UK) in the middle of my 2 week pre op diet. As it was basically a 3 day interview, i didn't want to arouse suspicions by not eating the amazing spanish food and the great spanish wines. so i I was allowed to revert back to a normal diet and drink a few glasses if wine. I didn't go overboard and reverted back to the pre op diet as soon as I could. The pre op is to shrink the liver but you can also loose shed loads of weight so I would say if you don't need to drink alcohol during the pre op diet don't. Rather than seeing the pre op diet as a pain I would recommend it as seeing it as a great kick start to your new life

Hello my fellow May sleevers! I don't think I have introduced myself yet. I'm in Detroit, Michigan and I am a band to sleeve revision. I was initially scheduled for a gastric bypass in March but I chickened out the week of surgery. My sleeve date is May 16th! I feel so much better about this decision. My docs office was a bit irritated with me but I have to do what is right for me! I have had my crap band for five years with little weight loss and I have been taking off and putting back on the same twenty pounds for the last six months. I'm just sick of it and I need to do something different. I've been trying to get myself ready so months ago I quit soda, carbonation, and caffeine. I also gave up alcohol almost completely (never thought I'd be able to do that). I've also learned to love yogurt which, until two weeks ago I could not stand! I made a list of what I will need and posted in a thread. I purchased my Vitamins, belly band, ear plugs, and eye mask for the hospital today. My goal is to get to the gym everyday until surgery so that I go in in the best shape possible. My doc does not require a liquid diet but I would really like to try to do one for a couple of weeks prior. I figure there can't be any harm in trying to keep my liver out of the docs way! My surgery will include gallbladder removal, band removal, hernia repair (caused by the crap band), and my revision to a sleeve so I am anticipating being in a world of hurt or as the coordinator at the surgeons office put it a "hot mess"! She has assured me they will get me through it. I look forward to sharing this experience with all of you and wish you the best of luck!

The purpose of a pre op diet is to shrink the liver. Drinking alcohol probably won't add weight to your liver but alcohol will lower your inhibitions and you could pig out on a plate of nachos which would make you gain another 2-5 lbs of fluids. If you do, stay away from carb and sodium loaded margaritas. I'd stick with wine or hard liquor with no sugar additives. tmf

Well, many people drink a few times a month. do you drink alot when you drink? That sort of drinking - alot at once, is considered to be a major health risk. Trust me when i say that alcohol is different post sleeve - you do not want to drink quantities as it will kick your butt. Maybe they see something that is concerning.

I started my process in feb. Iv got everything done and iv lost 45lb since I started. Now they are telling me they want me to go to alcohol rehab because I drink. I only drink twice a month every other Saturday. I don't think I have a drinking problem by agreeing to what they want I'd be calling my self a alcoholic and I'm not I don't know what to do now

I know this probably seems ridiculous - and I'm really just inquiring if anyone did this??! I have a vacation in Montauk less than a week before my surgery - can I have a few drinks while on my pre-surg diet? My dr. Said it won't really hurt but I shouldn't. ... If I can't I won't - but I'm just wondering! Trust me I've been more than compliant and plan to continue to be... But I really want to enjoy my vacation and its bad enough I'll be on my pre-op diet! Lol

Hello everyone. I'm a band to sleeve revision scheduled for May 16th! Getting here has been a long and often miserable road. I am so excited to be beginning this new journey. I really messed up by not being prepared when I had my band put in and that is not going to happen again. So, I spent some time today compiling of list of things to get in the next month. It's suited to my tast so there is no pudding and only vanilla flavors (no chocolate or strawberry). Also, everything is pre-packaged (making it more expensive) because I have two kids who keep me extremely busy and a husband who works all the time. I quit drinking carbonated beverages and caffeine a couple of months ago and gave up alcohol (almost completely ) in January. I never though I would be able to do that (of course I am really fightin replacing with eating)! Anyway, just in case this may help someone here it is: For Day of Surgery Ear plugs Eye mask Chapstick Warm blanket Ear buds for TV Gas X (couple of different forms) Slippers or Socks Belly Binder Nightgown Belly bear or pillow Phone charger Milk of Magnesia For Weeks 1 and 2 May 16th – May 31st 21 Carnation Instant Breakfast Vanilla (Pre-made) 28 Fat free or low fat cream Soups (strained before eating)(see list at end) 28 No sugar added Greek Yogurts 3 Cartons chicken broth 3 Cartons beef broth 1 Carton skim milk 14 Jello snack cups 6 Cans crushed pineapples in Water or light syrup (for smoothies) 7 Bananas (for smoothies) 1 Carton OJ (for smoothies) 6 Mangos for smoothies For Weeks 3 and 4 June 1st – June 14th 1 Large box of quick Quaker Oats 14 Fat free cream soups (see list at end) 21 No sugar added Greek Yogurts 14 HMR or Healthy Choice etc. frozen dinners (to put in blender) 1 Spinach (to put in blender w/ frozen meals) 1 Broccoli to put in blender (to put in blender w/ frozen meals) 1 Box of instant mashed potatoes 14 Prepackaged snack cups of unsweetened apple sauce 4 Cans of chicken for chicken salad 1 Jar of Hellman’s low fat mayo Vitamins and supplements Mulit-Vitamin – Bariatric Advantage Convenient Daily Packs (30 day supply) Biotin – Nature’s Bounty 5,000 iu Protein – unjury unflavored, Unjury strawberry sorbet, and Unjury chicken Soup Vitamin D – highest dosage (I'm African -American (so my Vit D is always low) but with enough other stuff mixed in that my mom has osteporosis. Go Figure!) I also already have every heartburn medicine (both OTC and prescription) at home but if you do not probably good to have it on hand. Tylenol - liquid or chewables if I can find them. I get migraines so I am sure one will hit me. Cream soups may include from Campbell’s Brand – FF Cream of Celery, FF Cream of Chicken, FF Cream of Mushroom, FF Broccoli cheese, Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup, Cream of Potato Soup (sparingly)

Alcohol is not really my thing. Glad I don't have to deal with this dilemma!!

Mine said... Never ever again! Kiss alcohol good bye! ~Leticia **HW: 259**PreOp: 216**SURG: 3/21/13 **Discharged @: 221**24 days post op. CW: 200.2 lbs<br />---THE WORSE PLATEAU EVER ---

I think the main reason most ask you to wait so long is to cut down on your chance of transfer addiction. Mine said he wants me to have the full year to overcome whatever 'food addictions' I may have before adding in alcohol.

VST is a forum for vertical sleeve weight loss surgery support. Those who have had the surgery, and those who are family, friends, and supporters of them are also welcome to come here, participate, learn, educate and be educated. Often, those who have never experienced being morbidly obese truly don't understand what it means to those of us who are, or what we have been through, both physically and mentally. They tend to be more sympathetic to the person who has an addiction to alcohol, smoking, or drugs. But the difference is, nobody needs alcohol, drugs or cigarettes to live, but we do need food to live. And, that alone makes our struggle that much harder. Momto6ix, in order for Rick to succeed, you need to be on his side, loving him and supporting him 100% of the way. I do applaud you for asking what foods are best to make for the party, and being sympathetic to his needs. Please refer to our food and nutrition forums at http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/7-food-nutrition/ for some great ideas on what you can cook and he can eat. He is going through a lot of changes right now, physically and emotionally. If, at this juncture in his journey he doesn't feel ready to face certain situations, then respect that and support him. He has to learn how to handle the different situations he is going to encounter in the future, and he will. But right now, he is still new to all of this. Allow him the time he needs to adjust to changing his eating habits, learning to exercise, dealing with the changes his body is going through, etc. Also, keep in mind when your body is going through such drastic changes, you also have a lot of crazy hormonal/chemical changes going on. Eventually, it will all level out. He will learn how to deal with social situations where food is involved and he will be ready to start going out and living life again. Just don't expect it to all happen overnight. Lastly, everyone please remember our forum rules, primarily the one which refers to everyone being respectful of one another. We are all here to both learn and educate. The attacks are unnecessary.

DOn't drink for two months after surgery as the alcohol can damage your healing tummy (picture pouring it on an open wound...and wounds inside heal slower) but that said, at two months and a second...ok not really it was more like three because I did have significant complications, I had some wine. It went down fine, though I do drink slower now. I will say that I don't have the issue of it hitting me harder. I drink slower because I just do...just like I eat slower, so I don't drink as much as I used to, but I can easily have two or three decent sized glasses of wine and it's no different than prior to the surgery....EXCEPT....I get sober very quickly if I do feel the slightest twinge of tipsy Which is just fine with me. I don't drink hard liquor so I can't help you with that experience, but my husband says he was hoping I'd become a cheap date (I do like good wine LOL) and it hasn't worked out for him that way heh heh

Hey I did that! This was the weekend I crossed over the line between overly cautious and eating what I'd really like. So here's what happened - Friday night was at El Fenix with the family. I ate a taco and drank 1/3 of a peach margarita. And a few chips. I was quite full and I discovered that it's true what they say about sleeves and alcohol. I didn't need very much at all. Saturday night - we went to a local sports bar. I ate 1 stuffed jalapeno pepper. Man was it good! Had 1/2 of a buffalo chicken wing and about 7 chili cheese fries. I was full and couldn't eat another bite. Had less than half of a frozen margarita and lost interest in it. i wasn't sick and felt fine other than being full. So now I know. I can eat some of this stuff from time to time and not become ill. It was an awesome discovery.

Here's what works for me. A piece or two if sugar free candy. Especially the Russell Stover chocolate covered caramels. Only take one piece. Works better than any laxative. Its because of the sugar alcohol.

My Dr told me the reason alcohol was more potent for bystanders was because it stayed in the pouch for a longer period before moving to your stomach where even more alcohol was absorbed. Makes sense I guess.

Momto6ix... I agree with most other posters who have responded to this thread, and I can appreciate the frustration on both sides of the issue. For people who don't struggle with weight, it is very hard to "get" what a struggle this is for someone who does. It sounds like both you and your husband could benefit from some therapy...both individual as well as couples...for him, it is critical to the self-discovery process that will help him understand the reasons he has medicated with food and work to employ new emotional habits along with the physical changes that surgery requires. For you, it might uncover some surprising ways in which your beliefs and actions could have been contributing factors, and without identifying those, could serve to drive a wedge between you and your husband While it might seem like an extreme comparison, replace "food" with "alcohol" as the thing your husband struggles with...my guess is that you more readily accept the concept that, for some people, they can't just have 1 or 2 drinks in the way that you and I do...both alcohol and food trigger feel-good receptors in the brain, and release natural opiates that make you want to come back for more. For some complex reasons not yet fully understood, some people appear to be more susceptible to the effects than others.

As everyone says every doctor is different. Mine says never to drink alcohol again. His partner in practice says wait a year then only drink red wine 1-2oz a month. I drank often before surgery (2-3 drinks fridays and Saturdays ) and had to stop a month before surgery. So far it's been 2 months since I've had a drink and I don't miss it. But the social component of it makes it hard not to crave a drink. HW 283. SW265. SD 3/22/13! CW 247

I was putting together my preop and postop plan to get myself in peak condition for surgery and I thought that some of you may be interested in what you can do to help yourself heal after surgery. I am a nurse, a lot of this I have learned over the years from managing surgical patients and from doctors. I hope that maybe some of information below will help someone recover from surgery faster and heal better. If you have any chronic illnesses or diseases be sure to speak to your doctor, in other words, don't solely take my word. ------------------------------------ Building up your Protein levels so you are in peak health for surgery is the #1 thing you can do for yourself since it is protein that facilitates healing of the stomach staple line. If your blood levels of protein and albumin is low your chances of suffering from delayed healing is greatly increased. I have started drinking 2 Protein shakes a day as a way to increase my protein stores and as a way to start getting used to the shakes so it is not such a shock mentally once that is all I am eating. PREPARING FOR SURGERY; Everything you would expect your MD to have told you. Now until 2 weeks from surgery; Below will prepare your body for surgery 1) Increase protein intake to at least 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. For my weight (260lbs) I SHOULD eat at least 120 gr of protein daily. 2) Take Omega 3's daily - Among Other Things (AOT) it will help your hair postop 3) Take Multivitamin daily 4) Take Vit C daily - AOT it helps healing 5) Take Zinc daily - AOT it helps healing 6) Take amino acids, L-Glutamine and L-arginine - AOT it helps healing 7) Take Coenzyme C-10 - AOT it helps healing 8) Take probiotic - prepares your gut for the change to liquids and possible antibiotics postop 9) Drink at least 1 ounce of Water per Kilogram of body weight daily. At least 10 days before surgery you MUST STOP below things; Causes bleeding or interacts with anesthesia 1) Stop Vitamin E, K, C and B including your daily multivitamin and all other herbals 2) Stop Fish oils, aka, omega 3's 3) Stop drinking green tea, alcohol, caffeine, aspartame (equal) 4) Stop eating cayenne pepper, ginger, flax seed, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant, sugar, fried foods, transfats and MSG, fatty fish such as salmon 5) Stop Aspirin and NSAID's ONLY take the 5 things listed below from 10 days up to the day before surgery; 1) Zinc 2) amino acids (L-Glutamine and L-arginine) 3) Coenzyme Q-10 4) Probiotics 5) Prescription medications okayed by your surgeon Postop Day 3; RESTART everything below as okayed by your doctor; 1) Restart everything that you stopped 10 days before surgery 2) Keep your protein as high as you can; try for 1mg/kg (this helps healing and minimizes hair loss)

I am almost 7 weeks and was told to wait 8.. I had a Malibu rum and crystal light orange (light on the flavoring.) I had no problems and did not even get a buzz. I had in large glass. Malibu is a lower alcohol content...I had one more..drank half but felt nothing... I am an ex bartender and beer drinker...a shot now and then...I could handle my alcohol pre sleeve though. In bar business 19 years..working two jobs...loved the money! If I couldn't or can't in future then I would not drink since I hate drunk girls falling down..lol. Everyone is different so it is hard to say. I am going to miss hot summer days and cold beers but not the calories.

Has everyone completely cut out alcohol?

Well I had a single glass of wine yesterday since my last fill and was instantly very drunk! Been ill all day today with nausea and not being ale to keep any food down at all. So that's the end of alcohol for me !

How long before I can have an alcoholic drink? Im 5 1/2 weeks out. I just want to taste a margarita!!

My name is Kendi and I definitely have an addictive personality. I am addicted to food and have to watch my alcohol intake. I could easily choose to go down the wrong paths, but instead I work at staying vigilant & supplement my addictive tendencies with healthier options. By that I mean that when I sense that my emotions are in a place where I could easily cave into my addictions, I have to consciously choose to replace my addictive behaviors with healthier activities. {Alas I have not reached the place of love & devotion to exercise as some of you have (I still have to FORCE myself to exercise Every da@n day)}, but I have learned to supplement my unhealthy desires into more positive activities like reading a book, doing some sort of art / creative work, sewing, etc. The latter activities help me unwind without harmful consequences (of course with the exception of possibly creating UGLY fashion but that's a different issue)... in reality, I am waiting for the day that I don't have to feel the struggle. I wish my brain would automatically choose healthy behaviors vs. addictive ones. I dislike feeling like I have to fight myself in order to overcome my automatic & initial tendencies... I guess what I am wondering is when do our new habits become the permanent lifestyle change we are all working towards?

It is nasty for sure at first. However, what I did was I added more water and organic pinapple juice. You can add apple juice too, but they say it's best if you add pinapple something about the enzymes. As far as the protein powder, it would probablly cover the taste, I've never tried it. Zija sells a Moringa protein power in chocolate and vanilla too, but I've never had them. The trick is that you have to suck it up and drink it even if it's little by little to build up and eventually you'll like it. My kids hated it and my husband was like, can I mix it with alcohol to kill the taste...lol but they all love it now.