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I'm a newbie, and my surgeon also recommends obstaining from alcohol for a year, mostly due to carb. intake=cravings and slows weight loss. (Same for complex carbs. like pasta, crackers Nut. said from MY HISTORY with weight gain and loss-carbs create overwhelming cravings for more. Although a lot of the stomach that produces the harmone is removed, the rest of the stomach could still, for SOME PEOPLE, create carb. cravings!) once I'm down in the 100's again, I may revisit this recommendation. (I could do a few sips if a good, ice cold vodka, if I HAD to-lol!)

My surgeon does 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks pureed, 2 weeks soft, then regular food. Of course they say no alcohol, popcorn, sweets, or carbs like bread, rice, Pasta, and I probably won't have have any of those for a while, mainly because I truly want to focus on protein being that I cannot eat very much.

I agree with you im tired of going under the knife and just want mt life back. Its looking like i will probably go with the bypass I just wanted to know if there's anything i should know that's not really talked about or published on bypaas I know i will have to take supplements for the rest of my life. (I currently don't take any with vsg and blood work is perfect) And i have to be careful on what pills i take. Dumping syndrome i understand. What about an occasional alcoholic drink? Anything else?

Ophelia, Surgery or not, you will have to face your food demons sometime. I am seeing a therapist to help me work through some issues because it was recommended in my psyche evaluation and because I want to maximize my benefits from this surgery. So far, I've realized that it IS possible for me to deal with heavy emotions without resorting to food. I used to literally eat my problems away, but, just like an alcoholic, those problems were still waiting after I indulged. Now I'm learning to speak up when I'm upset, and to realize when I'm upset with someone, rather than eating something to shut myself up. Whether you go forward with the sleeve or not, it's a good thing to deal with the food issues. I agree that most obese people do not have a healthy relationship with food. That's not our fault, but we are the ones who have to do the work to put food back in it's proper place in our lives.''\ I'm finding it very interesting that for me food is no longer divided into "good" or "bad". Now it either IS or IS NOT Protein. if I want something, I decide whether to eat it based on whether I have reached my protein and Water goals for the day. I eat what I want, but I concentrate on the protein first, usually. Just like every other human being, I have days where I don't meet my goals, but I am changing my way of living, not "dieting". That's the freedom I get from being sleeved. It lets me eat to live without the distractions of constant hunger. I no longer live to eat. Oh, and dealing with problems now? I go walk somewhere, or I get on the treadmill, or I do my version of weighlifting. Once I've done some kind of physical activity, if I'm still upset, THEN I address the person who has upset me. So I'm also building my conflict resolution skills while I'm getting healthier. It's a win win for me! Good luck with your journey!!

So I had my psych eval this afternoon. I found myself wondering on the drive there what kinds of questions they would ask. I really didn't worry about it but I was curious. Since I wasn't a patient, I had to fill out all the new patient stuff...but it was kind of cool because it was all on a tablet and went pretty quickly. The Dr. was able to see my responses as I entered them and since I was the last patient of the afternoon I actually went in about 10 minutes early. I'll try to list as many questions as I can remember: 1. How long have you been married? 2. Why are you here today? 3. How long have you been considering WLS? 4. Which surgery do you think you want? This one was followed by a discussion about talking to the surgeon, what did the surgeon recommend...etc 5. What are the cons to the surgery? I started with the medical ones...he pushed towards the "other ones" things like changing behaviors, social situations, family issues.... 6. What are the pros to the surgery? 7. How long has weight been an issue? I briefly wondered if this was a trick question....like "when did you stop kicking your dog...lol 8. What else do you hope to accomplish with your surgery? 9. Have you ever been in a psychiatric hospital? 10. Tell me about your depression. (self reported by me, have been on anti depressant for about 6 years and it runs in my family) 11. Tell me about your family's weight/relation to food. Then we did some memory stuff...he asked me to remember three words, then asked me to spell world, then spell it backward (harder than you think under pressure ), who was president..before him...before him....and then he asked me what the 3 words were. I can only guess that this was to make sure I was able to follow things???? 12. Have you ever binged and then purged? 13.Ever been treated for drug or alcohol abuse? When we were done he said he thought there were 4 main reasons insurance companies require the psych eval: 1. To ensure the person has a good understanding of the commitment level/risks (although the surgeons office also assess this I would think especially if you have a supervised diet period) 2. To ensure that there aren't any environmental issues that might keep you from being successful 3. To help ensure you are able to follow instructions/guidelines 4. To help ensure that you will be a good patient for the surgeon (although he didn't elaborate on that one). All in all easy peasy. Next Monday is a busy day for pre-insurance testing...I have my second NUT apt, an upper GI, an EKG and my cardiac clearance apt! Beth

Yes, I have stevia that I put on my Cereal in in my herbal tea. I hope they start putting it in more things. That sugar alcohol is worthless! I can't be in the same room with anyone if it sneaks into my diet. I have to read labels of everything to make sure there is none in what I am going to eat. I wish they would just get rid of it.

Shoudn't be any issue, you didn't mention how far along you are but anything after a few weeks should be OK. Just be careful of the calories as wine and other alcohol is pretty high in cals. About a year ago I started drinking 3 oz of red wine each night before sleep. It helps me to sleep and it supposidly has healh benefits for cancer prevention and cholesterol reduction. Something besides general diet is working in that respect as my last months check revealed my cholesterol was 133, pretty rediculously low! I didn't realize how much I HATE the taste of alcohol though, it really turns me off, so no danger of over induging here!

Alcohol YES please. Oh um yes I tolerate alcohol but not to the excess I was able to before sleeve. I have not touched a beer since pre surgery and never will. I now enjoy some wine a few times a week. Most I can drink in a little over a glass. I get bad headaches if I drink more than that now. Otherwise I had no issues.

Had only been at my job for six months when I was sleeved March 24. I developed a hernia after Christmas and knowing I would be out for surgery in the near future, I shared with people that I had a hernia and I was going to have a surgery. I wanted to sort of "cover" the surgery issue because I knew I'd be out. But what I didn't consider was that my coworkers would notice my weight loss, and put 2 and 2 together that I had WLS. I have had a few people say, how are you doing it?, etc. I have said that I cut out processed foods, sugar, alcohol, white carbs, etc. That is all true. But now some people have asked for details because they want to lose weight themselves. And these people who asked for details are not obese, but want to lose a few pounds. Also, there are 2 obese women there who are the best of friends and always talking and huddling. And I have very clearly sensed dislike and jealousy/or envy from one and a sort of, "I'm not stupid, it's obvious that you had surgery" looks from the other. I can feel their judgement just seething from behind their smiles. One asked how my surgery went (I gave her the hernia explanation). Anyway I feel like I need to do something pro-active now. I can't say I had WLS now because I'd be "lying" in their eyes, and I don't want their judgement (even if they are judging silently to themselves!)… So now I'm not sure what to say because my weight is still dropping and I'm still getting questions. I know I don't owe anyone any explanations and it's my business and stuff. The reason I elected to tell only a handful of friends I'd that my BMI was only 35, and when I began thinking about it, the folks I did talk to told me that I didn't need it. And another thing that crossed my mind was that I would seem vain for wanting to do it when I wasn't morbidly obese. Now I know it was they best decision ever and I am very happy about my results. But I need advice on how to proceed. Thanks

A few days ago woke up with a sore throat and it got worse through the day and the next day I had a headache and that all over achey feeling. I headed to Walgreens to find something to take. I know we are supposed to avoid NSAIDS like ibuprofen, aspirin, Aleve (naproxen). I spent a very long time going through all of the choices on the shelves, looking for something that might help with my symptoms. Eventually I gave up and went for an Alka-seltzer product that dissolved in Water. Yes, it did contain aspirin. So I mixed it up and let the fizz wear off and drank a dose. It was a nighttime version and knocked me out. I felt better so I took another dose when the instructions said to, even though this time it made me slightly nauseas to drink it. Again, I felt much better. Both times I also took a Prevacid to help with any stomach acid. Later that night my stomach and intestines were letting me know that things were not all good. After a few hours of discomfort, I went to the bathroom and had a lot of very soft, solid black, tarry stool. Nothing that I had eaten could be attributed to that outcome and it wasn't Iron supplements since I take those daily and have not produced black tarry stool from iron. That meant that it was probably quite a bit of blood in my stomach. I ate very little the next day. Last night I poured a glass of red wine and took a sip. It felt like glass in my stomach. I'm going to guess that my stomach lining was raw and the alcohol scorched it. I have read from other posters that you don't have problems with NSAIDs, but I wanted to share this with all of you during this cold and flu season. If anyone knows of a good alternative that targets sore throat, sinus pressure, headache, body aches, cough, etc., please share it.

Hi Leepers, way to go on your weight loss -- you're doing great! Reading your post (we were writing at the same time so I didn't see it), we have a similar thing going on -- the not eating the exercise points back and heavier caloric intake days being due to alcohol. If we have a highly social couple of days I really take it easy for a couple of days after and it seems to be working. I'm very happy with my loss so far and look forward to getting to Onederland soon (please, please, please!).

geeeeeeeeeez I must be a dork. meant to say burger not buger LOL. also how do I stay logged on for this lapband forum? everytime I go to it to read I have to log on each time..........thanks again....also I am going on vacation end of july should I wait to have another fill until I get back? what about alcohol is it okay to have margarita on vacation?

Hey, whats up, i am a student at university of ottawa in canada. I'm 3 weeks out of surgery. Going into 3rd year next year, I know how you feel, about the eating in public thing....i think that as fat people, we think that people are watching everything we eat. I know that i always look at what others eat and i judge people, (i feel like an asshole) Anyways, yeah, i always thought if i would eat well, but then if somebody would see me eat some junk food they would snark and be like, no wonder he's fat...whatever, i think it might be true to some degree, but on my 10 day pre-op diet i thought for sure i'll have to become a lie master (not sure about telling my friends yet). But guess what...not 1 time did anyone ask about my eating changes. I guess people don't really put it high on their list of important things to know, lol its silly now that i think of it, but it's not because i REALLY thought it would be a big issue. I am having mixed feelings about the alcohol, i am for sure not drinking beer anymore, 1. It has a LOT of extra crap, carbs calories....2. Carbonation, not good for the band. I might be tempted to have a low carbonation beer in the summer one day, something like a corona or something, but it will be in a long time. 3. Hard liquor is probably the best bet for drinking, although alcohol still has calories, the more alcohol dense, the better. 4. there is the issue of casual drinking and getting shitfaced...if thats the plan, might not be too good, throwing up is bad for the band, slippage is not fun. I think it's going to be weird not drinking, but my health is more important, plus alcohol is not that great for you in big quantities. (low doses have proven beneficial health effects) But drinking too much...no. So yeah, Hope it helps you somewhat. if you have a questions send me a private message or post on this thread or something. Good luck

• I was taking Gas-X. He told me to stop taking it and to use Maalox Maximum Relief. • I was drinking a Protein shake called ENS chocolate Milk. I would mix it up thin but as it would sit it would get very thick. He asked me to stop drinking it for a while. • i was taking my multi-Vitamins in the morning. He said that they can sometimes cause gas/bloating/nausea so he asked me to take them at night before bed. • I was using soy milk for my shakes. He asked me to use regular milk for a while and see what happened. • I was taking one or two SF mints daily for my breath. The contained sugar alcohols so he asked me to stop. Unfortunately, I did all of this at once so I have no idea what made the difference. Hope this helps :-)

Great topic this! I am 8 weeks out from VSG and 60 lbs lighter. For some years my blood pressure meds have caused impotence. I have used Viagra with some success but now use Cialis as it lasts for 3 days (the medication that is, not the erection) and alcohol doesn't interfere with performance. My experience is that I have been transformed into a teenager (in terms of performance not that I have lost half a brain). My wife is pleased with the results. Another side effect is that I believe that the erection is bigger for the simple reason it is maintained at full strength for longer. I have come off one of 2 fairly strong BP meds and am hoping to reduce this further. It should be interesting to see what happens impotence wise. There seems to be some improvement already but Cialis gives you such, how shall I put it, confidence, that I may not want to stop using it. This lack of confidence also happens to men as they age, so Cialis is a bit of a wonder drug in my experience, tho' fairly expensive and needs a prescription (at least in Australia). This seems like a great topic for a clinical trial.

Sorry to be Debbe-Downer here, but I used my preop time to get RID of the addictive foods - alcohol, caffeine, sugar, processed foods, refined carbs. I cleaned up my eating a lot. I did not want to struggle with any of that afterwards when recovery itself would be hard enough. I figured I did not have to wait until surgery day to decide to make the changes for life. Just saying.

Yeah, I know my eating habits have completely screwed me lol. I guess that's why I'm in the situation I'm in now. I haven't had as much water today as I usually do. I guess I haven't felt as thirsty as I usually do probably due to the Jello and such moist food. I am drinking water now though so maybe it will pass. My surgeon gave me a book that has the diet I'm supposed to follow. No alcoholic or carbonated drinks, no caffeine or sugary drinks, lots of water and 1-2 Protein Drinks a day. It doesn't say any limit on calories or anything like that but I was assuming that I shouldn't be eating like a fiend either before a surgery that is supposed to help me lose weight lol. Also, I was under the impression that snacking is not a good thing?

I went to my first OA meeting today mostly in support of my roommate, but I mean hey - I'm getting banded - why not?? Strangely enough I didn't feel like I fit in... but I was totally honest about why I was there and it seemed like the rest of the group kind of glossed over the surgery. My dad has been a sober alcoholic for 20 years, so I understand how powerful the 12 steps can be. But I'm still wary about the band + OA.

Drinking with meals, avoiding alcohol and fast foods.

Yesterday was my birthday. My office had a cake for me with fresh fruit on top. (So sweet of them to think "fruit") I had a tiny piece. My husband took me out to dinner. I had a cocktail. No problem. I had lamb and spinach salad. I was actually pretty good. Then had about three small bites of a cheesecake the waiter brought to the table. I definately didn't go overboard, but I haven't had sugar and alcohol at the same time in months. I feel so lethargic and drained today. It's killing me. I feel just awful. All this from a drink and few bites of cake? Wow have times changed. After feeling like this, cake has lost it's appeal. I even have a raging headache. Is it normal to get sick like this from a small indiscretion? Anyone else get like this when they've been naughty?

My nutritionist said it was fine every once in a while as long as it didn't exceed 4 oz and I had met my protein requirement for the day. Don't waste calories on alcohol if you still need to get in all your required nutrients. And she said that if I ever stall in my weight loss, alcohol will be the first thing she cuts from my diet.

Thanks Jack. I didn't realize that over time we would lose our adaptive capability in our liver, and become toxic with minute amounts of alcohol and sugar. What a trip. When I think what I used to drink, and the buckets of ice cream I used to eat, my liver must have been lined with steel! Mega bottles of water later.... I feel better.

It was part of my first surgeon's visit/questions. Told them I get heartburn on occasion, and they wanted to do a EGD, which is where they put the scope down your throat to see your stomach. Thought was I might hav a Hiatal hernia which would be fixed when the band put in, but instead I have gastritis. I wasn't sure what it was either, but I went to WebMD to find out. Its an infection/irritation in the stomach lining. It can be cronic, or a single time. Causes of it are stress, medications (ibuprofin,asprin,etc.), alcohol, etc. All the fun stuff. My surgeon's office called back and said it would not keep me from getting the band. It isn't really serious, I guess. It feels like I have a rock in my stomach sometimes....more discomfort than pain. Congrats on your approval and surgery date! I'm getting anxious...my shrink appt is tomorrow, then everything gets sent to BC for review.

I am being banded on Tuesday and am on my pre-op diet and doing well. I am having a social dinner with girlfriends tomorrow and would like to have a few cocktails. I can choose low carb alcoholic drinks but am concerned about my liver and the Dr. not being able to preform the surgery. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this.

So I should purchase some gas x somebody told me to smell alcohol wipes Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app