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Diet soda is a no no for almost every program but maybe yours is different. Only being two months out is usually too early to even think about alcohol. I know most program suggest at least six months. I would really talk to your surgeon regarding this. liquid courage is usually not a good thing anyway.

Totally quit carbs . When I eat carbs (protein bar) my weight slows down. Just like an alcoholic I know if I go back there it's a slippery slope that got me to the point of having this surgery. Drink more fluids that will help the acid. Sometimes I think we sabotage ourselves without knowing we are even doing it.

I would caution anyone who has struggled with food addiction to be careful with alcohol after surgery. I am 4 years post-op, started drinking 2 years ago, and it has really messed me up. I thought I could handle it, thought I DESERVED it. I have gained 15 pounds back, and lost a lot of evenings that I ended up inebriated. It is NOT worth it for me. I have a friend who also had RNY that is giving me support, and I am going to KICK this addiction to the curb!

How far out from surgery are you? My surgeon suggests no alcohol for first six months because of healing, empty calories. Then he has stressed to be very careful because you can get drunk faster and transfer addictions. what are you drinking?? Depending on how far out you are from surgery would determine how I would personally answer the question is it really bad? As long as you are far enough out and not drinking a lot I don't see a problem. I just wouldn't make it a habit and if you can go without alcohol it would be much healthier and better for you

I know I'm not supposed to drink but I have been and nothing has been happening. I don't get sick, I don't have any issues getting drunk fast. I have 2 drinks and that's it. Is it really that bad?

He does love me, I am BLESSED in that respect. Hmmm... I can't fit into a tub anymore and with my back issues I'd have a hard time getting back up in the first place. And yep, I can reach to do the "deed" because my "massager" is 18" long. Otherwise, nope, can't groom or reach. I'll take your advice on the wine though. I have 3 more days before I have to start my pre-op diet. I'm not a drinker but alcohol might put me in a position of not caring about my self esteem issues.

I went to the PINK concert last Friday and then to the club. I had 2 Malibu and diet coke ( first soft drink since surgery) and I felt a heavy buzz. You definitely should be conscious about your drinking after the sleeve. I could see how someone could get very drunk very fast and then have the vomiting or dry heaving. It also seems like soda loses its carbonation when mixes with alcohol. IDK if that is factual but it didn't bother me at all.

I quit about a year before my surgery. Cold turkey. The whole reason I am getting the surgery is to be healthier and live longer so it only made sense to quit smoking first. I will not lie. It was not easy. I gave up smoking, basically eating and alcohol. The three crutches that have gotten me through my life. It was very hard but like they say, anything worth having or doing is hard. You will get through it if you truly want it. Every time you want a cig you have to focus on the negative things about smoking.

I am at 11 months post op and weigh 179.6 lbs. My total weight loss to date is 66.4 lbs. I have averaged a weight loss of approximately 6 lbs per month. I am currently purchasing size 14 pants (my 16’s are getting baggy) and L shirts (I am between a L and XL depending on the shirt). I am 5’5” tall. Last month I wrote that I was going to be doing the Paleo eating challenge for the month of Feburary at my gym (Crossfit). I credit that for this month’s weight loss which was 6.2 lbs (I had only lost 2.8 for the month of January). The diet eliminates all grains, dairy, sugar, and beans from your diet. This wasn’t too much of stretch for me since I had given up most grains and sugars after my surgery 11 months ago. I didn’t eat/drink enough dairy to miss it that much and while I enjoy beans again I didn’t eat enough of them to really miss them either. I did miss the alcohol thoughJ. As part of the challenge we were to also drink half our body weight in ounces of water. I never made it (that would have been 12 cups of water a day!) but I drank more water during the challenge then I normally do. I liked the challenge because it gave me some focus this past month (I was also teamed up with someone from the gym who was very nice and kept me motivated). I cooked a lot more (new recipes) this month then I normally do (my husband cooks most of the time) and ate a lot more fresh fruit and veggies. I had a few slip ups (minor) mostly because I wasn’t prepared in certain situations. The girl I was partnered with lost 10 lbs. I am supposed to get my after measurements taken today so I’ll see if I lost any inches. The challenge is over and I plan to keep grains and sugar out but I will most likely add small amounts of cheese and beans (i.e. chili and hummus) back in. I also upped my exercise this month. We were required to do a minimum of three workouts at the Crossfit gym during the challenge (which was what I was doing anyway) and you got extra challenge points for extra workouts. I have been averaging two extra workouts a week this month for a total of five days of working out. I reached my personal goal during the challenge of getting into the 170’s so I am happy. My next goal is to get to 176 by my 1 year post-op anniversary, which is at the end of March. That would put me at 70 lbs lost for the year (with only 30 lbs to go to my goal). My paleo challenge got me thinking about other challenges. I did a random internet search for anyone else who had done a paleo challenge for 30 days and ran across a TED talk featuring Matt Cutts (some random person who works for Google) - http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html . He has been working on trying something new for 30 days. He hasn’t done Paleo but he has done a lot of other things. This got me thinking that this would be a fun challenge for myself this year. So in the spirit of trying something new each month for 30 days I signed up to do yoga in March (I am counting my Paleo diet as something new for February). I choose yoga because I have never done it and our local studio was running a 30 days for $30 which seemed like a reasonable price. I started making a list of other challenge ideas for myself. Some of them include watching 30 documentaries in a month, reading four nonfiction books within a 30 day period (one a week), no TV, try 30 new recipes in my Vitamix, etc. I’ll report back on the yoga next month. Hope everyone is have a good start to the new year. I’ll check back in next month!

well I am having date night next weekend... my drink limit pre-op was 2...after that I got silly... I had one drink so far post-op...that was in early January... I was at the club for about 4 hours and it took that entire time to drink a few sips of it... it was too sweet ( Cosmo) and I kept letting my friend drink some so the ice could melt down.... if I get the one drink down next week, Im cool.... the 3 people I'll be with are HEAVY drinkers that I have never tried to keep up with before...no sense in trying now Im not anti-alcohol post-op.... I just know my limitations

Hi guys, I just discovered this forum today and it seems like it is a fantastic resource. The amount of information that is on here is staggering. Apologies if I've posted this into the wrong forum. I've just started the process of this, I had my first meeting with the surgeon this week and I have booked all of the other appointments. I'm pretty nervous and I'm still on the fence about the whole thing. I'm a 33 year old dude, I'm about 6 ft tall and tip the scales at about 330. I'd love to get down to about 200-210. The surgeon seems to think that I'll be able to shed about 90-100lbs with the procedure. So that sounds great, but I still have some reservations about the procedure. I have so many questions that I really don't know where to begin. I suppose the first question would be: If you had to do it over again, would you go through with the procedure again? Are the sacrifices and the complete and total life change worth it? How difficult has it been to make these changes? What about alcohol, can you still drink? What happens/if you drink beer? Another concern is the excess skin, are there things one can do to help prevent this from being too big of a problem? Any advice, suggestions, etc.. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any and all feedback.

I had a lot of questions about the drinking from a straw. I never heard of the celery thing. Also, a big one is no chewing gum. The straw thing has to do with you accidentally swallowing air as you drink from a straw. Also, not being able to tell how big of a drink you take when you drink from a straw. I have found both of these to be true. Now personally, I had to try this to see if it was true...yes, it is true, at least for me, lol. I began reintroducing straws around 2 months I think. I still am cautious about drinking from them and conciously only take small sips from them. I still prefer to drink from the sides of a glass instead of through a straw. I heard citrus fruit, and it has more to do I think with the acidity. I also found this out to be true. I didn't eat citrus, but rather I tried to drink orange juice, and than around 1 month I tried to drink fresh squeezed limeade. WOW did both of those burn and make my stomach curdle! I think it's because we are not producing enough stomach acis to digest the harsh acidity of these yet. Another one is coffee or caffine. Again this has to do with acidity, but also because for many, caffine is a hunger stimulant, and for some they add many empty calories to their coffee to drink it. I have not really had any coffee in any mass amount since surgery, but I have a bad black tea addiction. Caffine or not, I'm sorry, I could not break away from my lipton brisk iced tea. I'm not a big 'sweet drinker' so getting liquids in with my iced tea has been my life saver. I don't think caffine has ever been a hunger stimulant for me, and in fact is a bit of the opposite. Another thing with caffine is that it can act as a duiretic and cause you to easily become dehydrated when it is very important to stay hydrated after this surgery. With the chewing gum, it has to do with swallowing air, and people accidentally swallowing the gum and getting it stuck in the incision. I thought this was silly, I'm a grown woman, I know not to swallow gum, but I naver was a big gum chewer, so haven't tried this yet. Another is alcohol. They say it will be absorbed faster into the blood stream, making you a lightweight and then causing the buzz also to wear off faster. Alcoholism is on of the types of 'transfer addictions' people with WLS can get, you go from being addicted to food to being addicted to something else, for some people it's alcohol. I've had a glass of wine about 3 months out, and it gave me a similar 'burn' as the orange juice did, so I didn't care for the way it settled. I will have a few drinks in the future, but I don't see myself finishing a bottle of wine by myself as I had done before the surgery. Another is drinking during a meal. That is because the liquid will fill you up fast causing you not to eat enough Protein and then will also cause the food to 'slide' through so you will not feel full for as long. If you drink too soon after eating, you could make yourself overfull and be sick. Yes, this is a good rule to follow. I've done all of them and prefer to NOT drink while eating. It feels weird at first, but you get used to it. The bottom line really is, there are tons of rules, some your surgeon will tell you, and some you will see around here, you will find some people that throw the rules out the window, and think they can keep on eating how they did before and do whatever they want. Some people will pick and choose which rules they feel apply. In the end, there's probably no rule that you must follow or you will die. You will get out of the sleeve what you put into it. Don't think that your life is over or there will be things you can NEVER EVER EVER do again, because it's just not true that can be a good thing or a bad thing. Take what you read here to heart, but don't be afraid to find out for yourself either

Just found these! Yummy!!! And no I am not an alcoholic, although I do love the occasional Margarita!! [ATTACH]2703[/ATTACH] xo Hilary

It all began when I graduated high school, moved out with my sweet heart and married him two years later. food became some sort of a comfort for me, through all my ups and downs. they say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, well try two years. It was hell most of the time. Food became the only thing that I felt I could turn to. When I cried, ice cream was my friend. When I was mad and felt like giving up with this whole weight loss thing Mcdonalds was my choice of meal. I thought about food all the time. I celebrated with it, and lived for it. It controlled me. I remember walking through the mall and passing that cinnabon place and every time it got me. I would indulge on the biggest cinnamon bun they had. I tried diet after diet, one being the cabbage Soup diet which resulted in bad breath and a hate for cabbage. I only lost a few pounds. then of course Atkins, oh my. GROSS. I couldnt stand the sight of an egg for weeks afterwards. and I gained. It was 5 years into our marriage and finally I was pregnant! we were so very excited! It was a bit of a rough pregnancy due to my weight but I made it through. although sadly we lost our little boy after 4 months..... downward I spiraled into a depression so deep I wanted to die. I hated everyone, blamed God, and diddnt care about myself. Two weeks after we buried our baby boy I felt a familiar sick feeling and realized I had missed a few periods. To my surprise I was pregnant. Something I wasnt ready for at all as I had my mind set on no kids. I hated not being able to turn to alcohol like i desired to. now here I was pregnant again and I was scared to death. I cried my way through it, worried constantly and half expected to plan another funeral. on novemver 16 2010 we welcomed our little girl into the world. she was perfect! she was healthy and happy and over the months i gradually let my guard down. maybe it was ok to be happy... now i had a sudden new lease on life. i got back on the weight loss wagon and went on a year long diet exercise program. I lost 10 pounds. yes 10 pounds. thats when i went to the doctor. he checked me out and of course all the tests came back normal. my old coworker told me about how she got gastric sleeve surgery so i asked my doctor about it and he sent in a referral to the bariatric clinic in red deer alberta. i was so excted at this chance at weight loss! however they called me a few months later and i actually wasnt big enough for it. my bmi was 37 and you need a min of 41. so i wasnt accepted. so crushed, i went on with my destructive ways of diet then sabotage. a year later and 20 more pounds gained. I got a call out of the blue from the clinic again saying they got another referral for me and this time they accepted me!!!!!!!! i was on cloud 9!!!!!! my life was going to change! i went through 10 months of pre op program and on november 30 2012 i got sleeved. it went fine, my recovery was rough but i made it. ive lost 35 pounds post op, 8 pant sizes, 2 shirt sizes, 3 dress sizes and ive discovered my long lost collarbone. lol. im happy as can be and i have no regrets. ive realized its not about a number on a scale but how i feel. if i can be a healthy size for me whatever that number is, thats good. i want to look good in a bikini, be able to play more with my daughter and feel more attractive to my husband. thats what matters. i know i will make mistakes and i know i can get back up. i know that i can do it and if i keep trying my best and focus i will get there. im on my way to achieving my dream of being skinny and nothing can stop me! ive overcome my emotional need for food and now i eat to live. food no longer means allot to me at all. im FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My surgeon's instruction say I should wait one year before drinking alcohol. Doubt I'll make it a year with no wine...

I used to adore a strong coffee but now I can't stand the smell of it, especially if an empty cup is not moved right away. I was a beer and cider drinker luckily in the UK there are quite a few beers and ciders that are not carbonated. My NUT said I should not have alcohol for 3 months.

I received my syntrax Nectar Fuzzy Navel today. I mixed it up added frozen strawberries, blended. It tastes like I'm drinking a fuzzy navel without the alcohol :-) I think these will work for protein for a while. Can't taste the strawberries. Gen :-) 12/15/12

Before I had WLS, I was terrified. I don't think I was actually any less terrified when I checked into the hospital or when I was rolled into the OR. But, I did it anyway and I honestly don't know why I didn't run, but I'm glad I didn't, even considering how screwy my journey has been (you can find my story on my profile if you're interested!). I was a food addict and I knew what I was signing on to give up! Imagine if you were an alcoholic and you were signing on to never be able to get drunk again. You wouldn't be doubting your fears, you'd be running for the hills!! We are not just changing our body or our eating habits, we are changing the way we live. For me at least, a lot of my day revolves around getting to my next meal. Eating is social and therapeutic and not least of all necessary process to thrive. We can't quit cold turkey like most addicts. We have to find a way to drink without getting drunk, and I think it's ok to be terrified by that idea. But, I promise you, that this will be easier than you think. And I promise you, that you will love the new you. I promise you that will not miss food like you think you will. And most of all, I promise you will love feeling healthy!!!!

I've been at goal for nearly a year. I could easily gain weight back now. What helps me: Eating enough good food (Protein, whole grain, veggies, and fruit, dairy) early in the day. If I don't, I have a roaring craving for Snacks later. Limiting alcohol to once a week most weeks and limiting to two drinks, which is enough to give me a buzz. Eating protein first at all meals. Limiting after dinner snack to a lower calorie option that is filling on most days. Keeping trigger foods out of the house. Stocking up on healthy foods I like. Walking at least 3 days per week for at least an hour. I do enjoy splurges, but they are a splurge, not the norm. Lynda

I was told no alcohol for 6 months after my surgery because beside being empty liquid calories, it's a gastric irritant. My 1st drink was at around 8 months post-op. I was on a business trip and ordered an appletini. I felt fine until I tried to stand up.Oooof!

I've been sleeved for 12 hours now. I'm skinny now! Well, not 100%, but I'm now officially on my way. I can't wait to buy clothes, go swimming with my shirt off, and fit on amusement park rides! I literally almost didn't go through with it, as my cold feet got pretty icy as the surgery day approached. I was worried about: A.Dying on the table B.Never eating again C.Missing my (unhealthy) receipt of drawer. D.Not being able to drink alcohol or handle myself in social situations. I kept thinking "yes, but I'm 331lbs now. I could be 400lbs in 2 years. I'm virtually guaranteed to get Diabetes. I've got 5 young kids, & DAMN IT, I'M GOING TO BE AROUND FOR THEM!" The positives WAY out-weighed the negatives. I just did it. I was only in surgery for a little less than an hour. When I woke up in recovery, the pain was SEVERE. I kept thinking "what have I done?" It got easier & easier? By 7:30PM (4 1/2 hours) I was up walking, AND IT FELT GREAT! I went for a longer walk around midnight. Feels great to get up & move. I know I've got some difficult days ahead of me, & I still hope & pray that I've done the right thing, but I feel that I have.

I've posted in here a few times to follow up on my VSG with Dr. Kelly and sing his praises, along with the whole experience I had. I am now at a BMI of 20.5, my labs came back great from my physical. I've unfortunately experienced some mysterious balance issues that seem to be related to alcohol or dehydration. Very long story short, after speaking from everyone from my PCP, ENTs, psychologists, VSG surgeons in the USA, therapists, other patients- NO ONE has been a wealth of knowledge or as understanding or compassionate as Laura. She knew everything about VSG, vitamin deficiencies, endocrine system, thyroid imbalances..the list goes on. She spent lots of time talking to me about my issues and truly cares, to the extent that she is even going to text me advice on what labs to request later, as she was going to talk to her sister who is a doctor on my behalf. She also told me a ton about dr. Kelly, how he was a US marine, grew up near where my mom is from, and about how he got into bariatric surgery. This is a person who stands to earn NO money from helping me or charming me- I have had my surgery, I am successful as far as all that goes. I really applaud dr Kelly for having such a great staff, Laura is a real gem, and dr Kelly has been quite responsive to my recent concerns too.

My surgeon says 90 days, though I know others say to wait a year. We were told that the alcohol may affect you more quickly (and remember, you will probably have not only a smaller stomach, but an empty one)--and that it also may wear off more quickly.

I'm 4 weeks post-op, and I'll be attending a bachelor party. It's going to be pretty tame, just doing some fishing. My nutritionist doesn't recommend (based on empty calories), but I'm just wondering when everyone else tried their first taste of alcohol post-op? Before my surgery, I loved whiskeys and darker beers. I won't be touching beer, but I still have quite an extensive collection of whiskeys! Has anyone tried whiskey?

When I first was new on this forum I got reamed by hundreds of people because I posted something about drinking alcohol post op too early. I guess it was the way I put it that people didnt like. I was called an arrogant b***h , a troll, and even got hate emails. Things like that don't really bother me. I'm still here !!!i get a lot of great information on here andI really like this forum .I'm not gonna let those people interfere with my life. Stick around and don't sweat the small things