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Both weight watchers and stoufers, make exactly what you are talking about - healthy??who knows.. they are sugar free, un sure of fat content and cals, too many can also cause loose stoole since it is made with sugar alcohols.

You're body asborbs the alcohol through the intestines, and tranfered to the blood stream and into the organs of the body, most of it detoxified by the liver.

@DisneyAddict - I quit smoking on 1/7 with Chantix and had surgery on 1/26. So stopped taking the Chantix on the day of surgery and never started it back. Now with all of the ways I'm feeling deprived currently - no nicotine, no alcohol, no food, etc I'm finding myself having really strong urges to start smoking again. I know I shouldn't for many obvious reasons, and really enjoy saving the money and not smelling like an ashtray. I wish I could truly enjoy going to the gym, but I just don't - at least not yet. I just need to find something enjoyable to do with myself. I feel like I go home and can't do anything except walk for a little bit and watch TV. It's a daily struggle with all of that.

All of this will cause/contribute to weight gain/prevent losses. In addition to the hormones. If you are drinking any calories (alcohol), that will also put the weight on like nobody's beeswax. I could be guaranteed to gain 5 lbs overnight any time I took my old pain meds that I no longer take.

once all the broken skin is healed...and not until then!....you can take a quick swipe in there with an alcohol swab daily. The alcohol kills germs and evaporates very quickly so it doesn't stay moist and invite infection. Now that you're aware of it, it probably won't be an issue.

What does it mean to be “full from within?” "This concept refers to the idea that we no longer have this psychological “black hole,” that needs to be fed through external things such as; food, drugs, alcohol, spending, relationships, gambling." ~ Dr. Colleen, The Psychology of Finally Being Full From Within To be truly full from within means that our “tank” is mentally full. In other words, our self, although beaten up, bruised, and broken sometimes as a result of our journey down each of our unique life’s path - is repaired and felt as whole again. Like a patchwork quilt that only gets stronger as a result of its many tears and reparations. How does one achieve this, you ask? Borrowing from Aaron Beck’s cognitive triangle - we have three components of the mind that work to repair the self: THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, BEHAVIORS. These are the different components that must be running on all four cylinders to ensure that we aren’t at risk of developing or perpetuating an unhealthy relationship with any of the topics mentioned above, for the purposes of this article, specifically - food. Thoughts To Repair The Self Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is a 25 cent term to describe the process of looking at the old tapes we run in our minds day in and day out for years upon years, and stopping them in their tracks, and replacing them with new ones. A hallmark approach in Byron Katie’s book “Loving What Is,” is to continuously challenge one’s thoughts by asking “is that really true?” 13 If we deem that we can’t say with absolute certainty that a thought is true, then we can replace it with a more constructive thought. For instance, if we find ourselves with a running narrative that goes something like “you are just never going to be someone that stands out, it’s ok you have other good traits,” then what is the behavior and feelings that it produces? Perhaps the person goes on feeling invisible like many people who are overweight feel. Maybe the person gives up on trying to stand out in the way they look and participate in life. Feelings To Repair The Self For my clients suffering from depression, I will often assign them a task of doing one social event, one bout of exercise (if they have never been inclined to exercise), and one learning activity (lecture, take a CE, attend a webinar, go to a pottery class, painting class, attend a speaking event). Many of them balk at the idea. Some of them have been doing things their way for years and there is an undercurrent of fear related to breaking their routine. It is almost as if the depression has a voice that says “don’t do it, you will only feel worse.” We must realize that when we have depression, our mind is sick. It is no longer serving us, and the messages are coming from crossed wires. In order to uncross those wires, we must physically and literally put one foot in front of the other and re-engage in those activities that we know from the research lead to a sense of happiness or at least contentment. Behaviors To Repair The Self One of the biggest misconceptions about our mind is the idea that we must feel a certain way to engage in certain behaviors. In other words, we must first feel happy if we are going to go to a social event and relate to others in a positive way. However, the cognitive triangle mentioned above is tri-directional14, meaning our behaviors can influence our feelings and/or thoughts, and vice versa. This is powerful information. This means that we don’t have to wait for happiness or joy to come around to engage in behaviors we know lead to more happiness. In fact, one of my first interventions with my patients who suffer from depression is the “just do it” approach, meaning they are given the task of doing three behaviors they don’t necessarily feel like doing in the six days in between their next therapy session. To explain depression via a very simple analogy- it is like the flu for the mind. What do you typically do when you have the flu? You cancel your appointments, stay in bed, drink lots of water, and get lots of rest. The reasoning is that if we minimize the number of life events for a brief bit of time, we will heal more quickly, and we do. BUT, this is not the case with depression. The same intuition we use to combat the flu is the antithesis of what we must do to combat depression, yet somehow our instincts tell us to do the opposite. When we feel depressed, our inclination is to isolate, do less, and wait for the clouds to part. The problem with this is that this type of behavior is what feeds the depression. Suggested Behaviors Benevolence - reaching out to others and getting out of our own head, focusing on how to make someone else’s life or day better through connecting or giving. Play- engaging in something that requires enough effort that we can’t run old unhelpful tapes (I’m not good enough, other people must be more disciplined than me, things will never change, etc), but provides us with enough fun that we leave the activity feeling light, like surfing, artistry, building, writing, playing an instrument, etc. When we are kids, we spend about 95% of our day playing and even trying to find play in our responsibilities (have you ever watched a kid brush their teeth or get dressed? it is never a straightforward buttoned up process). Yet, as adults - we flip that on its head and spend 95% of our time being a human doing vs. a human being. Learning- engaging in novelty is something our brain requires to feel happy and fed. It could be as simple as learning a new card game, all the way to enrolling in an MBA course. When we allow our minds to do what they are best at - our minds give back to us. Connection- We are social creatures by nature. There is a physiological rewiring process that occurs as result of being in near proximity to other humans. It is how we survived so long ago, and our minds still provide the payoff. We are not meant to live in isolation, yet so many of us drift in this direction when they are depressed. Even introverts require some social connection. While extroverts tend to thrive and recharge their batteries on social connection, it is true that introverts recharge in their solitude. However, there is a difference between being alone vs. lonely. As introverted as you may think you are, none of us are immune to going from alone to lonely if we don’t make time for some social connection. Exercise- There are about 99 reasons to exercise and happiness is one. I’m not going to waste space and wax poetic about the many benefits of exercise because I’m sure you’re well aware. But in addition to producing endorphins that have been proven to make us feel better, as far as weight loss goes- it also makes us less likely to put junk in our bodies. Ever do an intense sweat session and then make a beeline to the nearest McDonald’s? I didn’t think so.

If you don't want to get too skinny then why would you get something as drastic as gastric sleeve surgery? Not only is alcohol empty calories but your sleeve is still healing and you could potential burn your staple lines. Ever pour alcohol on a wound? Yeah that's what you are doing to your stomach.

Nurse Grace, you are a wise, wise woman. I'm very new to this site, and I found this thread so entirely offputting. Well, not so offputting that I didn't read the entire thing. I knew I wanted to post a response when I had read a few replies deep, and felt I should read everything that had been posted before I said anything so that I wasn't speaking out of turn. My response is this: It is attention-seeking behavior at its finest. I'm surprised that so many other posters called out people on attacking her (setting aside what must have been some entirely innapropriate responses from a now-banned former member), but no one responded to the fact that many people were attacked right back with blanket statements and it was suggested that they're "eating cheeseburgers," etc. The people who responded with vigor did so out of concern, and because of the attitude in which this thread was started, while many responses from the OP were inciting, petty, and reminded me very much of the bullying I endured growing up due to my weight. It was also pointed out many times by the OP how other people complain so much about this site. If that is the OP's belief, then why post here at all? It seems as though she was looking for a reason to post that, which again is just inciting. So, while I think a good administrator would be doing their job by officially closing this topic, I was highly motivated to post being that I am a pre-op, and I suddenly thought with horror of a possibly less-informed pre-op or fresh post-op coming across this thread and seeing it as evidence to the positive that they too could drink. The information is there on the possible damage alcohol can do early on, and it's all been listed already in full. Side with caution, future readers. Side with the part of yourself that felt surgery was a good option for you because you were concerned about your health and wanted to give yourself the best chance for a better life. Surgery is a drastic measure, and a tool with which you have been entrusted. Don't risk throwing your investment away on a momentary thrill or two minutes of feeling good. That's what many of us did for years before surgery, which is why we ended up needing it in the first place. There will be time for those enjoyments later, when you're feeling good for years at a time because you made so many right decisions for yourself in the journey. Save it as a celebration for reaching your goal a few months or years down the road, not as a way to tempt fate now. Save it for when you can raise that glass in a toast with your friends and say, "I did it!"

sleepwonderful sleep I wish I wasn't addicted to reading these damn post...alcohol...hmmm...nahhh I don't like it much....Shesh thank goodness or I'd be fat and brused from all of myb stumbling. LOL:rolleyes:

Would I have tuned in if the show were about people w/healthy habits no? Addictions, yes. A healthy habit and addiction are too different things. My going on the internet is a healthy habit. I don't wake up thinking I have to jump on the internet or forget to feed my kid b/c I have to jump on the internet. People that have addictions have serious problems and need help. You can be an alcoholic or enjoy wine tasting. Aren't these too completely different things? Who would have tuned into the show if people turned from food to knitting? No one would care, that's good..

Yeah I think some ppl just have addictive personalities. My cousin always has something she's addicted to, and takes the the EXTREME. For the last few years its been running, and she runs multiple hundred mile marathons. Previously it was Mary Kay, previous to that it was religion, previous to that it was alcohol, previous to that it was ...etc. Her knees are totally falling apart at this point but she keeps running, and her heart is having a hard time keeping up becasue the human body is not meant to run THAT much. My aunt is scared she will have a heart attack, her other daughter hopes one of her sister's knees will just totally blow out so that she can't run anymore. But then my aunt says she's scared what will her next addiction be?? I don't think im really a food addict. I don't have an addictive personality. Hmm maybe baby clothes though, I love buying clothes for my baby! Gymboree, Gap, Old Navy, Children's Place, lol you name it im there! HA.

According to this: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/bariatric-surgery/after-your-surgery/smoking-vaping-and-drinking-alcohol-after-bariatric-surgery it says : Can I smoke or vape after bariatric surgery? It’s best not to smoke or vape any substance after surgery. This includes tobacco, tobacco-like products, and cannabis. These products can cause problems with your heart and lungs. Smoking after bariatric surgery can also cause stomach ulcers.

And yes, at your stage, I had to remind myself to eat. I set alarms and would grudgingly eat my scoop of hummus or Beans, not wanting a lick of it, but knowing my body needed it to heal. I spent this last week in Las Vegas and alcohol aside, I probably ate about 500 calories a day because I was so busy. I still don't always remember to get in my nutrients, I just stopped setting alarms.

Well then.......drinks for everyone!!!! Would a little alcohol in a chocolate protein shake pass for a mudslide? More importantly, would that be okay on my full liquid week??!

ive read where sometimes the band can loosen somewhat later in the day. Also, having a hot drink before hand, or having some alcohol helps to ease it as well.

Be sure your surgeon knows you smoke. The best would be to quit before your surgery, but if your surgeon is aware and willing, then take it from there. As for alcohol, it is empty calories. I choose to have a glass of wine every evening. It was the one treat I didn't want to give up. I count the calories and work it into my 1200 calorie diet. Some doctors say no alcohol, mine didn't so check with your doctor. As for your emotional eating, the band WILL NOT help you there! You will have to battle that demon yourself. I would recommend counselling to help address the emotional issues. When I got my band I decided my life had to change completely......and it did. Now my food choices are healthy, there is NO junk food in my house anymore, I exercise daily (wow, never thought I would say that) and most importantly food does not control me....I control it. Good luck on your journey.

You're right... actually i was hoping i could get him to do something too, he's overweight as well. His dad had a quadruple bypass in his 30s i believe, my mothers 1st heart attack was at 34, both my maternal and paternal grandmothers died at 57 due to heart conditions, diabetes and prescription drug abuse, and one of them was an alcoholic as well. Sent from my LG-E980 using the BariatricPal App

Just on the topic of beer. My lovely boy got banded when I did and he was a MASSIVE beer drinker (don't get me wrong, he's not an alcoholic - just loves his beer). Since banding the only difference is that he gets drunker quicker! He can still drink beer although he does steer clear of the gassy ones. He's into the ales (kilkenny, guiness) and doesn't have a prob and he also drinks Corona ok too.

I originally chose lapband in 2008 (self pay) lost all my excess weight and stayed at goal until January of 2014. My band eroded.. I then chose to be revised to RNY Bypass in May of 2014. I didn't want to have to get another wls surgery (I checked on here and saw the revision from sleeve to bypass forum and knew I only wanted one last surgery). I had to gain 50 pounds to be eligible for the revision. I have since lost 75 pounds. I am doing fantastic and damn I wish I had done the bypass first. Reasons why: 1. I was self pay for both 2. I Haven't thrown up once with bypass 3. I can eat anything I want just in very small portions 4. No sliming 5. I can eat breakfast with no issues. 6. I can gulp water 8. I don't feel hungry 9. I can eat healthy food easily and now I can have 1 cookie and be satisfied. Love my RNY bypass!!! The only downfall to the RNY so far has been I really don't drink alcohol anymore.. It goes right to my head.. But honestly it's a minor downfall lol

Follow the post-op orders provided by your surgeon and nutritionist, which do not deviate on this point. Alcohol is not recommended for sleeve patients post-op (some docs/nutritionists say EVER), but at the very least in the critical healing 6 week period. If you don't believe us, drag out your booklets and notes. If you still don't believe us, call your surgeon's office or nutritionist on Tuesday. You have a tiny, tender, trying-to-heal stomach and you need to take better care of yourself.

Yeah I have issues with alcohol because I had a couple sips of a drink ... That's a joke also

I agree with mkardh, I see no reason to not enjoy an occasional drink now & then! With that said, alcohol IS a blood thinner...so you may be pushing it a little 2 wks out. I almost had a drink at a party last night, I'm a month out...but then thought better of it & drank water....however I DO see an occasional cocktail in my future. We have to learn to eat/drink smart...not deny & punish ourselves for the rest of our lives!

I think the best site to post this question will be alcohol anonymous it seems like an addiction I guess the only reason you got this surgery was for cosmetic reasons.. Anyone that I know of would be more concerned about healing instead of alcohol this is a major surgery and we take it very seriously. Also to me numbers don't make sense why would you get operated if you are size 12 ???? 201 lbs ???? A lot of things r not adding up and that's y everyone seems to be frustrated. Sent from my iPhone 5 using VST

I thinks its horrible someone that has gone thru this would give another such a hard time. Come on...we are all in this "together" and each person is different. I havent personally drank any alcohol....never did much anyway....but I have wanted to try a glass of wine with dinner. Im just too scared to do it. So I have repeatedly volunteered to be the DD if others drink. Im sure Ive had other stuff I shouldnt. And really get tired of others monitoring what I eat. I used to be a daily Starbucks Venti Vanilla Latte & Coke girl. And was really cranky when I didnt get my daily morning coffee. I stayed away for the first 2 months. I go get my coffee every now & then...but I get the small one & havent finished one yet. If you totally take away something someone has enjoyed their entire life..they are just going to want it more. Im taking it slow. Trying to get my exercising & vitamins going again (they were making me sick) & Im all about eating my protein & drinking as much as possible. I dont drink alot anyway. But I still work at what I need to do because I have a goal. I and others can see what I have lost so far & Im wearing my old, smaller clothes & that makes me feel good & gives me motivation. Keep up the good work everyone!! We are totally rocking this!!

Hey Babs, you know what? Normally I love this board and I think its members are truly supportive and good-hearted. But this was a little harsh. My immediate reaction was wanting to yell something not very nice in your direction. It's not like I'm sitting around drinking nonstop all weekend; yes, being healthy is important to me, but the reason it's important to me is so that I can live my life the way I want. And I don't want to (or need to, in my opinion) completely give up alcohol in order to be healthy. I resent the fact that you are throwing alcohol consumption in my face as proof that the band doesn't mean enough to me. Where do you get off? Do you really think telling me how successful others are being and suggesting I "keep my eye on the prize" because I don't want this enough, or whatever other judgmental comment you're not so subtly making, is an effective way to help me reach my goals? Just because I have a drink or two on the weekends does not mean that I'm a couch potato sitting on my ass eating bon-bons. And let me help you out since your reading and math skills seem to be limited: I was banded January 5th, which means I've been banded less than 3 months. My doctor does not even allow a fill until 2 months post op. And yes, I am having problems with my restriction; namely, I don't have any. Think twice before you publicly call someone's motivations into question next time.