Search the Community

I totally agree with the 'billboard' analogy. I am 4 years post-op. About 2 years out, I decided I DESERVED to treat myself to alcohol. I have struggled since then with transfer-addiction, and put BACK ON 25 of the 110 pounds that I worked so hard to lose! My RNY testimony has been shot full of holes! I have finally decided that what I DESERVE is to WIN with this tool! Back on track! No wine, eating right and exercising again. Nine pounds off!

When I get a blister (last one was 2 days ago), I check and see if there is any fluid build up. If there is, I take a needle, clean it with alcohol then pop the blister and drain it. then I put Dr Scholl's Moleskin on it. It gives a layer of protection and I'm walking again the next day. I find it hurts like crazy if I leave the fluid in the blister. Hope yours heal quickly so you can get back to your exercise.

I'm not generally an ice cream person, but Blue Bunny makes a sugar free vanilla/caramel bar that is half covered in chocolate. It does have malitol in it, so if you're sensitive to malitol (or sugar alcohols), don't even try it!! Anyway, it's pretty good and 70 calories....doesn't taste like sugar free to me!!

Hi Syd. We were sleeved the same day. Currently I've lost 80 pounds! Congrats on your success so far. I've been out a few times for cocktails since surgery and haven't experienced the burning you have. It does take much less alcohol to get a buzz now though. Maybe try a different drink? I know that some favorite foods from presurgery don't settle well now so maybe it would be the same with the alcohol. Good luck!!

Thanks, I do understand re alcohol but I had this app for a couple of months pre op and I do know that stuff like alcohol & carbonated drinks are way off limit. Not sure if the op is slightly different here but nothing is off limits to us. In fact the bariatric nurse told me to have a glad of wine 1 week post op as I was convinced my op hadn't worked!! Lol that does not however deter from the fact that alcohol contain cals and I agree this is not something I do even weekly however my 2lb weight gain began a week prior to my having the alcohol so that has mystified (and panicked me) a bit. I have been so intrigued by the small differences is diet advice from both countries post op. it is rare for anyone here (I believe to suffer any gas pain!!) not sure why that is, however I was so grateful I didn't as it sounded painful. Anyhow I'll stay off the alcohol and continue with my 20 lengths swimming 3 times weekly and hopefully I'll move from my current hurdle to a more positive one soon. Thanks for your messages x

Hi Meg! Congratulations on your loss so far! When I was in weight watchers the leader explained it like this... Even if you count the alcohol into your calories for the day ( which they did not advocate), your body will burn the ethanol first, then any thing left from the carbs/sugar in the alcohol will be converted to fat. So while alcohol is is your system, you're not losing weight. I love a glass of wine now and then, but have sworn off until I get my weight down. I want to be burning fat as much as possible. But, honestly if I chose to have a drink or two, then I'll have to prepare myself for the scale not moving. Up your Water intake, see if that gets you moving again. Make the best choices for you, but be prepared for the reaction your body has. Good luck!

Alcohol is empty calories please get yourself back on track your weight will come off good luck

From the UK. I had my op 6/2/13 and was doing ok but last week I gained 2lb!! And this week I am at the same weight as my 2lb gain. I was doing ok till then having lost 26lbs in 6 weeks. Has anyone had experience/advice on this. I want to be honest with you all and say that I have been drinking alcohol as I was away for the Easter break with my family and managed that well but I did not over indulge by any means and also this does not account for the 2lb weight gain incurred prior to my weekend away. I'm a bit scared by it. Will I never lose any more. My start weight was 182lbs (13 stone) and I am now at 159lbs (11stone 4). Hope my calculations are correct I do everything in stones and lbs. I'm grateful for some support, advice or a serious talking to......x

That is true....I was at that crossroads myself, had to ask myself if food was all that important to me...(not for nutrition)...and in my mind, I decided that it was killing me and that I needed to look at food entirely different than before..... My attitude, is food is a necessary evil....like an ex-smoker looks at cigarettes, or an ex drug abuser..alcoholic...my attitude towards food has turned 180 degrees..... Yes, there are things and times I really enjoy a good meal....but I eat only to live...not live to eat.... When we go out to eat, I can't help but look around me, at what and how much people are eating, and I now find it disgusting and revolting.....even my own family....

I totally get what your saying! my mom was on the phone with me yesterday telling me that it was cruel and unusually punishment not to get the kids a basket and please just run out and get one! o_0. My children were fine I let them go across to the store and buy two Cadbury eggs each. I am a addict I cannot have that in my house. My mom doesn't understand, even though she is a recovering alcoholic.. I'm sorry that happened to you and I know how hard it is to take something away from your kids when they already have it..

And I always eat slowly and take 20 minutes at least to eat every meal... And I don't drink 1/2 an hour before or an hour after each meal... But my main problem is being 28 and going out drinking with my friends... I have never been so aware of the calories in alcohol... And I should probably start working out now since I haven't done that yet

After yesterday, I'm definetly adding Ice Cream to my 'I will never eat again' list..This is along with chocolate and alcohol - which I stopped drinking about two years ago (being a diabetic, it just wasn't worth the suffering for me). I know, also being a diabetic, chocolate shouldn't have been in my 'diet' anyway.. nor ice cream for that matter, but yesterday I gave in and after not being able to down the turkey, I wanted to feel part of the meal and went for the ice cream... this morning I realised my error.. its just way too much of a slide food - should come with DANGER on the side for us sleevers.. Has anyone else made any major life decisions this Easter?

My husband keeps asking me this. I'd the post-op lifestyle still involves a low calorie diet, exercise, no alcohol, no caffeine...why can't I just do that without the surgery and pretend I had it. Especially since the low hunger only apparently lasts 6 months or so even with the surgery. I know I can only go so long with a low calorie diet with my current body and metabolism. I did it with Weight Watchers (-35 kg) and Optifast (-20 kg). The problem is that it is such hard work and I am worming against my body so much, that after 6 months or so on such a restrictive diet I just lose steam I am hopeful that the surgery will give me that extra advantage that I need to push through it, and that at least I will have somewhat of a break from the physical hunger so I can focus on developing the good habits. I am already starting to develop them. I have cut back from 5-8 cups of coffee a day to 1. I have cut back to one glass of wine a week. I have completely cut out carbonated beverages (even though I love sparkling water) and have been drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. All of this before I even book my initial appointment. I figure if I'm not able to do at least this much now, I won't succeed after surgery. The next change I will make is to get my exercise going, starting with 3 times a week and hoping to work up to 5. I am serious about this. But can any of you articulate why we need the sleeve to move us beyond what we can do with diet and exercise alone? When I try to talk about it, I just get flustered and emotional!

This is a pretty controversial subject on this board. Some follow their Dr.s recommendation and wait a year. Some cut it out entirely (like me), some are hitting it weeks after surgery. Yes, there can be damage to the stomach since alcohol is hard on the stomach in general, and now you have 85% less stomach. Unless you are drinking beer or something carbonated, stretching the stomach is difficult (again a controversial subject on this board). Your best bet is to do what you feel like. Having a drink or two or what ever isn't going to kill you, but I do urge that you go very carefully. Some handle it well, some get pretty hammered after 1 drink. For me, I decided that if I was going to lie spread out on an operating table and let a group of strangers cut me open, I could let the drink go for the sake of getting healthy and living a better lifestyle. I have a fine time with friends without drinking and don't miss it a bit. Again, to each their own. Let us know how you do!

Hi- curious to know people's experience with drinking alcohol after sleeve surgery. Does anyone know if cider has a lot of carbonation? Can I damage my sleeve? Stretch it out? I won't have several drinks- just 1-2 socially for a friends birthday.

When I was first starting out my RN gave me the riot act over having surgery.told me that I would most likely become a drug user or an alcoholic. They do only see the negative parts....but remember a DOCTOR is doing the surgery! If they didn't think it was healthier for you then being obese then they wouldn't be doing the surgery in the first place!

I recently posted the following comments on another thread and thought they were useful enough to live stand alone in a new thread: If it is helpful, my NUT at Swedish hospital in Seattle (yay Britney) recommended eating like the induction phase on Atkins for the pre op diet. I did not have any trouble with that as lots of practice there over the years. The Atkins Induction phase is essentially a very low carb diet, no breads, starches, caffeine, etc. You eat proteins as much as possible with some low glycemic vegetables. The surgeon stated that I had a super healthy and small liver because of doing this type of eating pre op. Most people will end up losing 10 lb. a week by eating low carb before surgery. For example, I switched my diet one month before surgery to be like Atkins induction phase and lost about 30 lbs dropping my weight to 335 lb., probably reducing complications that might have been present had I been 30 lb heavier and still eating junk. I felt it also gave me a good kick start on learning to eat better *before* post op physical and mental struggles. Really important!! Maybe this simple suggestion will help you or others who read this later. I also like the idea of drinking protein shakes before surgery. That will help you get used to the post op drinking of protein shakes. All we drink are protein shakes for up to 3 weeks post op (aka the liquid phase) so the more you prepare yourself for this, the better. However, I do have to warn you that your favorite protein shake flavor pre op may no longer be your favorite protein shake flavor post op. Our tastes often change when going over to the other side. For this reason, it is not a good idea to load up on tubs of protein powder pre op thinking you will be also drinking the same flavors post op. happened to me. MyBariatricPantry.com and other sites like this let you buy sample packets of protein shake flavors. Try some or all until you pick one or more that you do not mind drinking. Again, do this post op as your tastes may have changed after your stomach is removed. I happen to like Nectar sweets (several flavors) both pre op and post op, but did not like Nectar fruits post op where others really like Nectar fruit flavors post op. I used to be big on peach and banana flavors pre op, but hated them post op. Everyone will have different tastes. I still have 1-2 protein shakes daily. They are really helpful for when I need a low effort 1st meal and a recovery drink after working out. Still love to drink Nectar Cookies and Cream even today. I feel good that protein shakes are helping me get in an extra 40-50 grams of protein a day. I try and eat 150+ g of protein a day today. Water and milk will taste different post op, maybe even gross or cause GI issues. I could not drink milk again due to lactose intolerance issues until month 5 post op and plain water again until month 6 post op. You may find an alternative like light soy or almond milk will work just as well as nonfat/low fat milk post op; it will be smoother on your stomach and less trips to the bathroom. Everyone is different. As for water, I could taste all the minerals and it sat heavy in my stomach post op. I am still flavoring my water today at month 9 post op, but can drink bottled and tap water again without flavor if the need arises. Luckily, the need does not arise very often because I have water flavoring in my pocket most of the time. Try and drink as much water as possible to flush toxins from your system. As you are dropping weight, the stored toxins are released into your liver and it needs all the flushing it can get to keep up. I try and drink 100+ oz water a day today. An Atkins style diet without the higher fat foods actually works remarkably well post op to drop lbs month over month until you are able to add back in good carbs around month 5 or 6. For example, month 1 (45 lbs.), month 2 (45 lbs.), month 3 (15 lb), month 4 (15 lb), month 5 (15 lbs.) and month 6 ( 15 lbs). I am maintaining at around 180 lbs now for 2 months. This is only a suggested style of eating post op as it will not work for everyone nor will it be preferred by everyone. As an aside, I also added coffee back in at week 6 and alcohol at month 6. My remaining pre op vices, I suppose. Hey, I am a Seattleite and need my coffee! Today I have transitioned into a Paleo diet with supplementation (shakes and bars) to help optimize my running and cross fit activities. Up until month 5, my exercise was mostly walking / elliptical and I encourage everyone to really get good at walking before taking on additional exercise activities. Besides, your dog will love you for it! Hope this helps! Please add other tips that have worked for you so pre ops will have a smoother transition to post op with regards to eating and drinking.

I was told no alcoholic beverages for at least a year by my doc. They emphasize the fact that your liver is like the housekeeper and needs to filter so much junk out of your blood as you lose, that asking it to metabolize alcohol on top of that could cause serious damage. I've also heard through some other groups that I belong to that people have gotten seriously ill and died just from a couple of drinks after WLS because of the way their new system works. Totally not worth the risk to me. I love a glass of wine (or a mojito, or margarita...) as much as the next person, but I'm not going to chance it for at least a year.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! It's not only the lifestyle change and surgery, but your attitude towards food and how you "use" it. People don't realize that food can be abused like drugs and alcohol, even severe addiction. It really sounds like you are making real progress in that department. Great work! Keep on truckin'!!

Yep. Definitely understand how foodies become alcoholics. Gonna have to watch that one and inform my mom and fiancé of the risk so I don't become a drunken pirate.

No hangover, never... I have a drink about once a month now post 6 months, just as a way to socialize when eating out. Seriously, over in 10 minutes for me...now driving home, just kidding. Wife driving home. I am surprised at how quickly the alcohol metabolizes. I just know my run tomorrow is going to be a b***h with this alcohol . Maybe not? It was Pre sleeve. I always suffered day after drinking when trying to run.

Well I guess it's a good thing I'm turning 21 in a few months and have time to get tipsy lol I don't really like alcohol anyways...with soda though cant you just let it go flat? Why does there have to be so many great tasting bad **** in America!

I am not "resentful" that a relatively thin woman is getting VSG surgery. I am sad for her because she has gone to DRASTIC lengths to stay thin/get thinner. She hasn't a frickin clue what she's in for. I also wouldn't even buy a drink in Mexico let alone have someone cut me open and remove part of my body there for a measly $5700. You'd have to be flippin nuts to do that, BUT that's just me, I know a lot of people here have had VSG in Mexico and been happy and successful as a result. However, I can remember my first few days after VSG and it was not the most comfortable. Could you frickin imagine taking a plane flight ACROSS THE DAMN GLOBE after having VSG???? Seriously post op'ers, think about that for a second. Also kiss your favorite junk foods goodbye, that ain't gonna happen anymore. A soda? Forget it. Oh, your mates want to go out and have a drink to celebrate something? Nope, NO alcohol if you want to continue losing or want to maintain that goal weight. I'd also be damned if I was going to do this surgery because some ****** bag on a plane or wherever made a comment about my weight. And this one: "I'm sick of people making comments and children laughing at me when I come out in my bathing suit to watch them in the pool." Man oh man, you seriously need some therapy because you have some serious paranoia and self esteem issues as well.

I was sleeved Sept 18 th and have lost 70 pounds!! I feel great and in size 12 jeans???????? I have tries to have a sip of a cocktail and it still sets my stomach on fire!!!!!! You would think 6 months out it would not burn. Any body else doing this?!??? Sent from my iPhone using VST

I'm so very proud to say I'm on day 3 of the preop diet and I've stuck to it religiously. I haven't had 1 slip up. I even went as far as going to a crawfish boil at my best friend's house which was full of delicious foods and alcohol. I patiently drank my protein shakes and chicken broth. Sipped on water all night and still had a blast. My friends have been so very supportive and loving. I will admit I did bust into tears briefly from feeling a little overwhelmed. But the important thing is I'm sticking with it! I've found strength and determination I didn't know were there. I have to admit I'm feeling a bit like Wonder Woman. Lol