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Hi! All docs and nutritionists have different plans. My doc's papers say to avoid alcohol for a whole year but I think that's from 'empty calories' point of view. Though lots of ppl on here drink wine few months post. If you were sleeved just last month, I personally feel its too soon.best to ask your doc

I've done quite a bit of personal research on the topic. That doesn't make me a Puritan. That makes me informed. But you are correct in that you do not have to be in ketosis to lose weight. However, regular consumption of alcohol will have an impact.

I really like your new photo, Lissa! Good morning from Brisbane where it has been pouring rain since the middle of the night. A perfect lazy Saturday I've been sitting out on the deck, reading and enjoying my coffee. Still limiting myself to one black coffee a day and no carbonated beverages. I have to say I have had a tougher time with alcohol. I'd like to limit myself to one a week but I think this week I had three glasses of wine and a half shot of cognac (not all at once). Only one drink per day so I guess that is something. LOL I saw my therapist again and we talked more about how I feel about the surgery. I told her that I felt awkward knowing she did not completely approve, and that it made me realize that I consider her an authority figure a bit. We talked about boundaries and how I am in charge of all my choices and nobody else (not her or my husband or anyone) gets to have a say, at least not as much of a say as mine. This is something I have struggled with, with my parents, partners, doctors, friends. I think lots of fat people get used to everyone having an opinion and feeling like the external opinions mean more than your own opinion. It is because society seems to think its ok to comment on fat people's appearance (and really, women's appearances in general). My therapist supports me and my choices and even if she didn't, I need to work toward the place where it doesn't matter to me, except simply as information. I just wanted to share that because I am sure some of you can relate. I am sure some of you have been driven to tears or anger because of other people's opinions. I know that parents, partners, friends, and doctors have wounded me and made me cry because of things they said about my body.

So true Chris R. Alcoholics and drug addicts can avoid people who use those substances, but everyone EATS! Not to mention there is a fast food restaurant on every corner. Multiple food commercials on every channel, every hour. Such a difficult challenge. I am glad there is now scientific proof that certain foods are just as addictive as heroin!

You know what? I had those exact same worries during my preop and directly after my sleeve...Those thoughts exactly.....every social thing EVERYTHING is centered around food! I though to myself that I would never be able to partake in anything social again! I had forgotten about those thoughts until you had brought them up! lol I have gone to many social gatherings in the last year....the first one was about 6 weeks out....I just pushed a bit of food around on my plate....but I really did connect with everyone there! I have actuallly become more social now because I feel more comfortable in those settings. My relationships with family and friends have improved because it is not about the food anymore, it is about the people. When I go to social gatherings, I eat some kind of protien...fish or some other piece of meat and then I also have tastes of things that are really good. I dont care too much for sweets anymore, I dont feel good afterwards.. As for alcohol, I used to drink a few times a week especially duriing the summer, party party party, now I dont really care to.. of course summer is coming again and I am sure I will drink more. These issues didnt become the big thing I thought they would. I just roll with it and do my best. If I want to continue to lose, I have to make the right choices. sometimes I focus on having a good week instead of a good day. Hopefully this will happen for your husband too. I hope you and he do well with this, it is hard and I know you want to support him...and I think there should be more support for family....kinda like al-anon. cuz yeah, how do you know what to say or not to say??? Good luck!

Don't beat yourself up, choose to be strong. It is just your body trying to "recover" itself. It is sooo important to keep the weight off for that year after you level out until your body creates a new set point weight. (It's new normal) We have a Dr. that comes to our support group who has spent his life dealing with the medicine of obesity. He told us how they are now using functional MRI's to prove that certain foods, even just the smell, triggers the same neuro-pathways as heroin. They are just as addictive. Unfortunately, just like in drug addicts or alcoholics, even a taste of sugar or fat, even the smell of one of those old unfriendly foods, can make your body remember all those "good times" and trigger your food addiction. The best way to get off of it, is to go back on your week 1 post surgery diet. Protein and water only for 2 weeks. You will lower your blood sugar levels and detox your body. This will quash those cravings again. You did it once, you can do it again. Then Stay Away from the crap food. You worked too hard to go back there!! Good luck!

I'm really sorry to hear about your friend, Lela. Days like that are super hard, and it makes it extra hard to stay on track. Good for you for not giving in on the chai, every little bit helps. I know for me, a little cheat here a little there, and before I know it I've totally fallen off the wagon. Sometimes it's easier if I don't have any cheats at all. I imagine it has to be a little bit like a recovering alcoholic not being able to have drinks in moderation... I'm keeping my band on the DL too. The first time around, I was really public with it, then I crashed and burned. My friends may or may not judge me, but this way I don't feel like people are watching me and waiting for me to slip up. Aside from my housemates and a few close friends, I'm keeping it to myself. I'm having a hard time getting in enough water too, but I'm working on it. I just started tracking my food again yesterday. I got lazy about it and I think that's part of why my weight loss has slowed in the last ten days. I'm trying to stay at around 1200 calories, which I can do just fine as long as I'm tracking, otherwise it's easy to think I'm in a good place for the day, and I'm at 1500.

hi all, been awhile since I checked in. Rick is not my husband, but only because I get alimony for another couple years and we're both willing to still get that. i know that sounds mean, or callous, but it's a joint decision on our part. the downside of that was MY insurance woulda paid for this years ago, whereas his ins doesn't. period. we used money from an IRA to pay for this. at our age tho, people always just assume we're married. lol we're used to it. in a way, i'm glad things went this way, because he mentioned last night he's way happier with this then he would have been with the lapband, something he tried for years ago. so it all worked out. we purchased a home together and plan our retirement together, and even tho I was frustrated every time he's quit on a diet, the main thing that Kimmie posted was "the choice to quit is taken away from us" maybe that's the most important thing. his stall has slowly stopped, but he lost inches anyway, and went down to a 48 pants from a 50, without losing weight. i think that when he saw that, he was encouraged because he just seemed to come out of a funk way faster. that, combined with being un able to quit, is huge for him. I think he would have succeeded on any diet, if only he would have just stayed on the diet. now, as kimmie said, he's got no other choice. amazing. when I've mentioned frustrations with him, those are a buildup of the past 8 yrs worth. when I met him, he was not this overweight. just a normal amount if that makes any sense. In fact, I gained weight after meeting him too, he's an excellent cook and we enjoyed that alot. we went on atkins together on his urging and I lost the weight but he quit. before his surgery date, he went on what he called a "world wide tour of eating" wanting to eat out every friday & saturday night. he wanted to go drinking with his buddies, go to all his favorite restaurants. I finally had to start saying no, because like I told him, YOU"RE having this surgery, not I and I can't keep eating like this. we're bikers, and yeah, drinking kinda goes with that. that's why I mentioned the alcohol. but in his group of maybe 15 guys that bike, he's the only one who's overweight, I never understood that. he does have a desk job, and on weekends he loves to hang out in his recliner all day. with this surgery, I have seen changes. he went back to seriously watching carbs. he's walking at work at lunchtime. we play pool alot, we had just refinished the basement. he misses the drinking. we didn't go out to eat alot anyways, that was mostly for special things. or when we were on the bike. so I'm sure I don't "miss my food buddy". He ate out every day at lunch cuz he just wasn't the type to take food to work, I live close to my job and come home for lunch. but now, he takes food. whoever mentioned they thought their husband missed her as a food buddy, but then said, he's never complained saved money etc; he probably didn't complain because he didn't think of you as a food buddy, just as I don't think of rick as one. but family gatherings are still going to happen, grandkids will get baptized, weddings will happen, these things focus on food, hey, I DIDN"T MAKE IT THAT WAY, and we will still have to do these things, and rick will have to join us. On Easier, we do the egg hunt outside for the 9 grandchildren who live nearby. that went on. it's tradition. I don't think of rick as a food buddy, but he's my partner in this world, and this world isn't going to change to accomodate this surgery. he decided now to join his friends at work for this broadway show, and I'm happy about that. food is a part of our society, and when you choose this surgery, you still have to find a way in that society, cuz it's doesn't stop because you did this. i'm sorry if that's blunt but it's the truth. I'm glad that rick has decided to now go and enjoy the show, because that shows ME that he's willing to continue to do things, even tho he can't eat. missing a food buddy is a silly way to explain it, because the social world revolves around social gatherings and gatherings have food. when you go to a food gathering, have you ever looked around? have you ever asked yourself why, out of dozens of people, you'll see just a few who are extremely obese and most are not? somehow, people ARE making it in a world where a focus is food. are they exercising like nuts? or born that way? who knows. they are making it tho, and to expect things to now change because some have chosen surgery, well, it's just unrealistic. it isn't just fat people who go to gatherings that involve food, it's all people. but only some end up obese. it's important to both of us, that he finds his way in a world when things revolve around food. I believe he can and will. as far as the exercise bike, the main reason I was surprised is because the dr gave him the clearance for riding the motorcycle the same time for riding the exercise bike. the harley weighs about 850 lbs, and he sits on it to move it backwards to get it out of the garage. THAT on his abdomen/stomach muscles is way different then sitting on an exercise bike. last night he said to me, we need a new vacuum. I'm looking on ebay. I was surprised, I said , we have a vacuum? this was his reasoning: we have hardwood floors, but NOW have a finished basement that is carpeted. so I keep the vacuum downstairs now in the closet. he cuts his hair with a Flobee, if any of you have heard of that, it hooks up to a vacuum. so he wanted to buy a vacuum to keep upstairs. yes, I vetoed that. I said honey, you cut your hair once a month. go downstairs to get it, bring it up cut your hair and bring it back downstairs. think of it as burning calories. so he said yeah, ok. vacuums are way expensive, to purchase one to cut your hair once a month, because you don't want to walk downstairs to get the one we have, well, things like that are what put weight on you. as for his birthday? it's always been a surprise. that part was important to me. knowing him as I do, that a surprise party would thrill him. he will be able to eat regular food by then, has anyone any suggestions on what types of food. I was going to cater it, I planned on going to work at my normal 530 am; then finding a place to hang until he leaves for work at 8; then going home to set this up. I've been planning it for 3 yrs, since we moved in. the only glitch is this surgery and food. trust me, I don't want to go back to presurgery, but, as I said, life goes on. when one throws a huge party, food is involved. I do think he won't really care about food so much, he'll just totally enjoy being the guest of honor. the party goes on, I know he'll love it. he'll be 9 weeks post surgery. (the date has been planned for the 3 yrs too, to throw him off). can anyone suggest foods for this stage? perhaps recipes or things that you have learned you can enjoy. I'm not trying to make food that he can think, wow yay lotsa of food. rather i'm trying to think of what to make that will work all around. something easy for him to eat, that will be healthy for him. what do i know? usually we do burgers, dogs, wings, salads, a Pasta dish.etc. I have a good 50+ people planned, I gotta feed them. Like I said, you go to a party, food is there. but I want something that he can think, ok good, I can eat that, be healthy, now, relax and enjoy my party. theresa ps. tho one day I would like to know why, if hunger is eliminated, do I see posts of those couple years out who are regaining weight, have stretched out their sleeve, etc. obviously you can, and do stretch out the sleeve too, I've seen that Frisco guy's posts. many posts seem to contradict many of the points made by Kimmie

it sounds crazy but my sister that is an RN gave me this tip and it worked. Plan old alcohol on a cotton ball.

I always thought that I was not addicted to food.. One reason I still think so.. is because.. after having the sleeve.. I dont really miss food.. all I really miss is chuging water.. food.. not really! I go out with friends to buffet lunches and I expect to feel depressed or something.. but don't.. But the scale has a different story to tell.. I have no linking for carbonated drinks before.. do not drink alcohol...don't smoke.. even without the sleeve.. I was eating less than 800 calories a day.. that low calories was partly because I worked/studied for atleast 16 hours a day.. and did not care much about eating when I was working.. lunch was my only meal.. and slept for less than 4 hours each night.. But.. then came the weekends.. and I would eat.. breakfast.. lunch.. and dinner.. well under 2000 cals.. but more than twice of what i used to eat the rest of the week.. umm.. and I wondered why I was gaining weight! all I am eating is a salad for lunch each day! I screwed up my metabolism.. thats' why! Just before I had the surgery.. I took a new job.. and don't work for more than 8 hours a day.. I sleep for atleast 7 hours each night.. (havent been able to do that for the last 11 years..) I actually get in more calories now after the sleeve..but not sweked towards the weekends.. So..honestly..now.. I dont know if I am addicted to food.. am I?

To be honest I use to be the girl who put up with everything. Now I could careless what you think. I want a life calm and peaceful. I actually cut ties with my moms sister in January bc she's 1) a alcoholic and 2) got pissed I tracked down my mothers organ recipients then had the largest newspaper back home do a story on her. She wrote me on fb first and I called her up and called her out. I don't care what people think of me. You need to do what's going to be condusive for you. Drama causes problems health, emotional etc. Your body is already going through enough. I can't tell u the decision to make but you need to weigh it down to what's the best for YOU not THEM. Good luck and hang in.

Thank you to everyone who posted comments and shared their experiences. I have a better insight now and I really think that a 0 tolerance to alcohol while I heal is definitely the way to go! Thank peeps!

I know it's taboo but is it true that you get very sensitive with regards to alcohol? I'm not a huge drinker but every once in a great while I like a glass or three of some nice Tullamore Dew. Someone told me that now a shot would do me in. Any truths to this?

I have a lapband. The adjustments never bothered me, it was that I was STILL hungry all the time. No matter what, I would eat and still be hungry because I could only eat very little and my "lower" pouch was still empty. I originally had it done for 2 reasons my BMI wasn't that high and I liked it was reversible. I never met my goal weight, was ALWAYS hungry even after I ate, but instead of being able to eat I would throw up and slime everything. I basically turned to soft foods (high calorie crap) and alcohol. I've been uncomfortable for years now and am getting a revision. Finally. I can't wait to get the lapband out of me. After working in Bariatrics for 6+ years I can honestly say the Sleeve is the best choice out there for me. The lapband works for some but most surgeons want to phase it out.

Nope my Tricare Reserve requires my dr to write letter stating I've tried to diet on own and I am tobacco and alcohol free... then I had 2 shrink evals and nutritionist apt... all the pre op test at hospital. .. so ekg, upper gi, ultrasound ..etc...once ppwk was sent to tricare it was approved in about 8 days... Covered surgery 100% ...office visits I pay a $150 copay but only till I hit my deductable...

My advice is to avoid alcohol 100% for at least the first 6 months and frankly until you get to goal. After that, proceed with caution. Addiction transference is the real deal. You are all saying "that couldn't happen to me" - well - I know someone that basically DIED 4 years after her gastric bypass as a result of becoming an alcoholic. Something changes ... alcohol CAN be different post sleeve. I do socially drink but notice that i like booze more then I used to. I hardly used to have a sip of alcohol at all, like maybe a few times a year, but on a recent business trip, i shared in the bottle of wine at the dinner table every single night - sure just one glass of red but I wouldn't have done that before - and I can't explain why it is now more appealing to me. So, I still allow myself to drink socially as long as is after food, but i am quite diligent. I had an experience that shocked the crap out of me. I poured myself a drink on a "friday" about 730 or so something I never would have done before. My hubs came home at 9 and said I was sound asleep (and i am normally a light sleeper). I had forgotten to eat so consumed that drink after having gone without food for 6-7 hours and I theorize I basically crawled into bed and passed out. So there you go, that is how people start substituting alcohol for food. I will NEVER do that again, and I am sharing my story as a word of caution - there is something different about alcohol post WLS Oh, and now I am a month from plastic surgery and so am drinking zero alcohol just to be safe. I am going to be ramping down my main addiction - coffee - just like I did before the sleeve. I am really dreading giving up my beloved caffiene.

So here I am. I have decided to take a step towards the final frontier of my personal happiness. My health. I have been through a hell of a ride on my journey to today. I have struggled through a dysfunctional marriage to an abusive alcoholic, stood witness to the attack on New York City first hand, narrowly escaped death from sepsis blood poisoning, fought a ten year fertility battle, and buried a friend/lover taken far too young from brain cancer. Life as a human being is hard enough, no wonder I was unable to keep my weight under control – there was too much else to focus on. Today, I am the proud mother of a beautiful two year old boy, I am fulfilled in my 10+ year career with a fantastic company who value my efforts, I own my own home, have a functional car, and am in a relationship with a man whom I have known almost all my life in some capacity… its new… its fresh, but its good. He is kind, and patient and wonderful with my son. The song Good Mother by Jan Arden goes through my head on a daily basis these days – if you don’t know it, check it out on YouTube. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to truly believe that I am finally happy and at peace. There is only one concern left… and that is my weight and my health. I have tried over the years to lose weight and on a couple of occasions have been somewhat successful, most notably loosing 70ish lbs in 2001 on the Dr. Bernstein Diet. But, being predisposed to easily gain, it keeps coming back. Last year I topped my scales (having left my husband 3x in the same year my child was born) at 296! I knew I had to do something and quick. I started an exercise regiment and eating well, and managed to lose 26 lbs in about 4 months. 270 felt pretty good and I started to gain back some confidence in myself and hope for my future. Then suddenly, my guy (who was not my guy at the time) broke up with his girlfriend and landed on my couch!! We were not an item but decided to try and live as roommates until he either found something more permanent or the arrangement was too awkward. Riiiiiiiight. That clearly didn’t and wasn’t going to work. He came with a WHOLE lot of baggage and there were some serious growing pains – the to point where I threw him out of my house in January. That’s what we needed I guess to determine that our friendship (and the stuff that blossomed along with it) was in fact a love neither of us were looking for. But, all that confusion and activity made me put my weight loss on the back burner, yet again. So here I go again, at the start of this year, new diet, new exercise regiment –this is going to be it! I rejoined Weight Watchers (probably for the 18-20th time) and bought myself a treadmill. Starting the year off at 278 I went gang busters being perfectly well behaved with my eating and working out on my treadmill approx 5 times a week at 40 minutes a pop. I was on the move again and dropped to 265. Then suddenly I started suffering from sciatica. So, thinking that the exercise would sort it out, I pushed harder – increasing my efforts to every day and included some workouts on my vibration platform. By the end of February I could no longer sleep or stand for long periods of time without pain. Turns out I have something called Piriformis Syndrome. Apparently what is happening is a muscle that attaches somewhere in my butt and hip is clenching up when I exercise and pinching my sciatic nerve. Are you KIDDING ME? So through acupuncture, deep massage therapy and chiropractic, they are still trying to make the muscle ease up… and I have not been able to work out. I continued my diet plan for a while but then threw my hands in the air out of frustration and so here I am - and back up to 277.8. So much effort to lose it, so easily regained. What I do I know is that I have the will and determination to make this work… all I need is the rewarding results for my efforts. One thing that my fella said to me shortly after we started to cohabitate was, "I dont understand with all that you do, and how you eat, how you weight more than 98 pounds!" That sort of outside review is the justification I needed! :wub: This is a big step... and a bit scary... but I am worth this effort, and there is simply put, nothing I wouldn't do for my boy. He deserves a healthy mommy who will be with him a long long time. Let’s do this thing. May 10, 2013. Dr. Rodrigues at Star Medica in Juarez. I’m ready.

My philosophy from the beginning of my journey has been, train like an athlete for the rest of my life. I have food cravings, mostly protein. My thinking revolves around feeding my muscles, having enough carbs for energy and vitamin nutrition and fiber for health. The garbage food that is presented to me gets little more than a taste. I am building something here, I have sworn off tearing myself down. The sleeve was a gift given to me. It cost me $1000. out of pocket and nearly $40,000 was paid by insurance. It was like I was walking to a goal that was impossible to reach and someone came along and gave me the keys to a Rolls Royce. I would be an idiot to not make the most of this. An alcoholic once told me he used to detox just so alcohol would have a greater effect on him, not to change his life. Get clean, get dirty again. You might hate being fat but that is not enough. You have to hate living and thinking like a fat person. You must hate the process of getting fat. Stay off that train, find the right one!

"Hello! I am 20 months post-op. I have been maintaining for a 13 months. I can drink fluids just as I did pre-op. I get grief from other sleevers cause I drink sparkling Water all day long. It has not and will not stretch my sleeve" Sleeve of steel may be the exception- - surgeons and bariatric professionals have seen more failures than one individual who is able to break the rules and be successful. For the general population it is NOT recommended to push the limits and the rules . Even gastric bypasses are seen DAILY stretched by such behavior. No one is saying dont do it-- don't let it become a habit. Studies show that obesity is easily replaced with alcoholism or other addictive behavior- shopping and gambling as examples. Life is about moderation- obesity isn't because any of us practiced that very well--- the rules are like AA 12 step to keep you on track and not testing your limits.

Hello! I am 20 months post-op. I have been maintaining for a 13 months. I can drink fluids just as I did pre-op. I get grief from other sleevers cause I drink sparkling Water all day long. It has not and will not stretch my sleeve!! But to answer your question about alcohol-- I had my first beer 4-5 months post op. And have had 2-3 beers per week regularly since the 9 month mark. On my Birthday last year I may have had 6 beers over the course of 4 hours hehehe... So once in a while you can splurge, and I have maybe 2-3 beers on Fridays with my fiance and we share an appetizer. I am normal, and that's what I love about the sleeve. I do make good choices mostly throughout the week and I work out. Just wait until your healed, and if you can do it in moderation, and maintain your weight loss.... why not?

I asked my surgeon this very thing because I LOVE beer and a Rum and Coke. He told me to give up the carbonated drinks, he said it can make the new stomach feel really uncomfortable, and to be ware that alcohol will greatly slow down the body's burning of fat. He recommended that I wait until I am at, or very near, my goal weight before I reintroduce alcohol. Good luck to you!

I'm planning on having a drink, or at least 4 sips of one, real soon. It is worthy of mention however, that a lot of people have lowered tolerance for alcohol after the sleeve. My husband knows a man from work that had the sleeve about a year ago. This guy started having a few drinks on occasion, progressed to having drinks frequently to combat the frustration he felt over not being able to eat normally anymore, then ended up in rehab. Such a shame. The only good part is that he's lost a ton of weight and looks great. I've never been a big drinker so over doing it won't be a problem, but for some it could cause big problems.

I am three months out and have not had any carbonation.....doesn't bother me at all to not have it. I have had alcohol a few times....wine, cosmo, margarita. My tolerance is much lower but when I have to enter the calories into "myfitnesspal.com" it is not worth it.

Broke my halo is spot on !! You won't need/ want or desire it. Initally it BURNED my new stomach- your tolerance will be a 1/4 of now, you can't eat to off set the alcohol-- I can eat OR drink not both. Until your at goal- give it up-- the carbonation will stretch your pouch, cause pain and delay you, the alcohol burns and increases calories. Your new sight post sleeve is to get to a healthier weight, smaller pant size, learn a new lifestyle--- refocus and good luck !

I hate to be the buzz kill but I would be super careful with alcohol. I would kick soda and avoid alcohol until you have reached your goal. I know, I know. No fun. When I had my lapband, I was drinking a month after. Totally sabotaged my weight loss and honestly replaced food for a while. Now with my revision I plan on avoiding alcohol, if I go out I plan on ordering Water with lemon- or a virgin drink. A few sips can turn into a whole drink, then 2 drinks... Sounds boring and will be boring, but let me tell you NOTHING sucks more than letting alcohol slow your weight loss. Take advantage of this stage of your surgery, in the start is when you can really drop some serious weight. I have worked in Bariatrics for over 6 years, I've seen hundreds of patients ruin their surgery because of alcohol choices. The last thing you want to do is make alcohol apart of your journey and make it seem "normal", get use to your new life alcohol free, after 9+months (or reaching your goal) of KNOWING how your new stomach works start introducing alcohol. /endbuzzkill.