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I'll chime in in case someone cares. Research shows that bariatric patients' blood alcohol levels increase two to four times as high as typical folk after consuming the same amount of alcohol. 2-4 times! So 1 beer for us postop is equal to 2 to 4 beers preop.

It hasn’t been a topic with my dr because I know I can’t drink carbonated drinks and we have discussed alcohol because I told him I wasn’t worried about drinking .. I’m 3 weeks out it was just a question I had for people that drank earlier

My doctor said 6 months and I waited the 6 months. Alcohol is no issue for me so I don't drink it very often. A glass of wine at special events or dinners is usually it for me. I suggest waiting your surgeons allotted time and then proceed with caution. As mentioned above some people are effected highly by alcohol and some aren't. My tolerance was the same as prior to surgery but I really don't want to waste the calories so that's a decision maker for me.

Yeah, the withdrawals can be hard. Takeaway the caffeine, the sugar, etc. & you get headaches, feel weak & sometimes tremors. Similar to withdrawal from alcohol or drugs. You’ll feel generally crappy for a few days then it improves. It can be surprising to realise how much you & your body relied on these stimulants & then in time realise how much you didn’t really need them.

Am I the ONLY one who wasn’t given a diet plan?? I was given a rough caloric intake count and that’s IT. I’m still stuck at 145- but yes I eat mostly anything I want in tiny amounts- except alcohol of course. I always thought people gained weight from alcohol or maybe over stuffing them self? After gastric bypass- so far, there’s no way of eating enough to gain more than 1 lb of water weight... I know this can change in 5 years?? Also- to break plateau I was thinking of All liquid protein and some chicken and lettuce? I cannot go without all sugars and carbs... it makes me crazy ... however I do eat sugar from berries. Now sure what else to try. I can’t digest most animal meats still- so anything Keto just won’t work... too much cheese won’t work either. Too bad people have to be so mean to each other and take things with such a heavy heart... 🤷🏻‍♀️😐💜💜💜

I'll fess up...I enjoy a cocktail or two (sometimes up to 4) a couple of nights a week...whether mimosas at brunch or a trip to one of Denver's many breweries. I know I am going to have to give up bubbles...so no beer or bubbly which I am just fine with. I also am prepared to give up alcohol for several months prior to an after surgery. However, I just got off the phone with my sister who is coming up for a visit this summer and one of the things she and her husband are looking forward to are brewery tours and festivals that will, of course, involve alcohol. I know I will have to be careful about how much I drink as it will effect me quicker than before and with less (I'm thinking similar to moving to altitude). I also know that most drinks are empty calories that can and will lead to weight gain if you over indulge. My question for you wonderful post-oppers is how many of you gave up all alcohol for 18 months as many Surgeons recommend? And if you didn't what was the result? Am I going to be the designated DD for the next two years?

I have been overweight my entire life; except for for when I lost significant weight at 13, and over 100 pounds at 18, and 30. There was a British study done a while back that showed in families where the men are alcoholics the women are obese. That is certainly true in my family. I think it shows a propensity toward addictive behaviors. I had to attend mindfull eating sessions as part of my preop. These sessions were really helpful to me. I have to actively decide not to eat fatty/high calorie foods; probably like an addict has to actively decide not to have a smoke or a drink. This is why my diets never worked in the past because it is mentally exhausting to constantly be chosing only healty foods. With the band if I do make poor choices it helps me eat less of them.

Hmm, my case was quite different. I attended my orientation on August 10, first meeting with surgeon, psych, and NUT on September 2, got approved for surgery on October 1, surgery on October 6 - entire process under 2 months. I live in California in the winter and Boston in the summer. My flight to California was booked for 11/7, so 10/6 was pretty much my go/no-go date. There were multiple reasons why I was able to pull this off: 1. I have a very good Anthem CA policy (PPO) that was grandfathered from Obamacare. Before the ass-clown destroyed the US Healthcare system, I was paying $450/mo with an $6,000 deductible. Now I pay $1300/mo with an $8,000 deductible, but they approved my surgery in 5 days without question. 2. I went to Newton Wellesley and handpicked Dr. Partridge - the head of surgery. I told her that I had to be in California for Thanksgiving in the first meeting and she said she'd do what she could to make it happen if I did everything they told me to do. I did. 3. I'm in my 60's and I've been dieting for almost 50 years. I always kept weight and diet records. I attended the first meeting with a 2 page write-up of my diet/weight history along with a 2008 diagnosis from my PCP of obesity. 4. I think I impressed the psychologist with my conviction and my logical case for why I wanted a VSG. By the time I met with the surgeon, she said "everyone on my team is very impressed with you". 5. Given my relatively low BMI (38), I ate like a pig the day of my orientation and then convinced one of the assistants do an official weigh-in after the August 10 orientation. I came in at 281 (BMI 40.2). This cleared me through insurance for comorbitities. 6. Before my first meeting, I met with my PCP (mid August) and got a strong letter of recommendation. 7. From the day after the orientation on, I dieted like crazy. I was down to 266 by 9/2 and 256 by my final session before approval, and 251 on the day of surgery. I think the fact that I lost 30 lbs in less than 2 months helped my surgical team do a very minimally invasive operation. I went to every support meeting I could and actively participated - further impressing the staff. 8. I continued being a model patient for 7 weeks after surgery. Eating exactly what they told me to eat and walking/riding my bike at least and hour/day. By Thanksgiving I was down 65 lbs and resumed a new normal but healthy lifestyle. Today I weigh 204 - down 77 pounds and 14 pounds from my goal - 5 months after my orientation and 4 months after my first meeting. I'm eating what I want, drinking alcohol in moderation, enjoying a social life, and still losing 2-3 lbs a week. The first 3 1/2 months was hell - a self imposed "biggest loser" contest (no social life, alcohol, coffee, or soda), but now I'm thoroughly delighted with the results. You can do this if you totally focus on the endgame!

Only if I have any excessive amount of sugar alcohol. If it's just a tiny amount I'm good, but any more than a little and it's pretty bad. I'm pretty good about avoiding it though so it's a rarity that I go over the amount that my body can handle.

So true, the funny thing is my surgeon doesn't say no alcohol, they say its not gonna hurt you any... just moderation. Get a shot and sip on it over a few hours and drink it with Water if you want. Do what makes you feel comfortable. I am not a big drinker. I gave up soda, do I miss it yeah.. if my dr says i can drink it again I don't know if I would. I do want to be able to go to a friends house and not have to bring my own food, I want to be normal and just eat a small portion. If that means I have to drink a Protein drink or 2 because I can't get it all in then I will. Guess I am different than a lot of people. Do I plan on eating better and healthier, of course. But my problem was portion control.. Now that I have my tool, I can control my portion control.

For starters, I have never believed everything I read on here. Don't think anyone should. Secondly, It seems like everyone has different instructions from their Surgeons and NUTS. After all, we trusted them enough to remove 80% of our stomach so why would we NOT do as they instruct? That said, I believe the different surgeons instructions come from this; first, medical fact, second, medical opinion, third, serving the lowest common denominator, and lastly, covering their asses. Caffeine is fine? No caffeine ever again? Straws ok? No straws ever? Alcohol ok? No alcohol ever? Carbonation ok? No carbonation ever? I think lots of surgeons say these things because lets face it, we didn't get morbidly obese doing all the right things so many think that there is no wiggle room in their patients and they don't want someone suing them because they used a straw and gained all the weight back and we not warned about it. I do follow my surgeon's and NUT's instructions but I also think they use a common sense approach. My only no no according to them is carbonation. I can live with that. Had I been instructed to never have caffeine, alcohol, use a straw, or consume a carbohydrate I would not have had this surgery. I got this surgery to live a long, healthy and normal life not spend the rest of it being afraid every time I put something in my mouth. I'm sure there are some WLS patient who need that strict set of rules but I think for the most part, we can all use our common sense along with our medical advice and make the right decisions that work for us.

Great advice.....I fell off the wagon today....as I was upset that I only lost 3lbs in a month....but tomorrow I will start again.....food too is my drug.....and it only hit home when food was compared to alcohol.....as a drug.....I would not keep alcohol around an alcoholic....I need to find another fix.....to trick my brain when I am having a bad day.....food always = happiness = sadness.....I need to divorce junk food forever ....its just causing me to be unhappy

AdiosAnnie300, there are some of us who are sugar addicts just like others are crack addicts, heroin addicts and alcoholics. We just can’t. When people say, “Just have a bite,” I want to say, “Would you hand an alcoholic a glass of wine and say, Just have a sip?” But it seems so benign to others. And I get that. It’s playing with fire to us. ;)

I am 3 weeks out from surgery today. I have gained and lost the same five pounds the last two weeks. I am the type of person that needs to see results. Not seeing them was getting really discouraging. I read about the plateau and that it can last anywhere between a week to over a month. That was slightly reassuring to find out it was normal but I caught myself last night stressing that I did the surgery for nothing and slipped into a state of self pity until I fell asleep. Thankfully, I got up this morning and I am down 2 pounds from my lowest weight. I am hoping that is the end of the plateaus for a while. It pisses me off that I still l crave all the garbage that got me where I am. I have pretty much been on a soft diet. The only foods I am supposed to avoid right now are steak, pork, white flour products, soda, alcohol, nuts, seeds, raw veggies and processed foods. I have around 800-1000 calories a day and a ton of non calorie, non carbonated drinks. I'll be cleared for a normal diet on Aug 21. I am getting in my fluids without any problem. Part of me felt like there was something wrong with me because I have been able to drink without issue since about post op day 5. I've read many posts where people can barely get down 2 oz of water at a time and here I am able to guzzle a 20 oz bottle without any issues except maybe some gas pain til I burp. I am tall and I have read that taller people have longer sleeves and it can make drinking much easier. My doc doesn't seemed concerned about it...it's just crazy how different people's bodies react to the surgery. I am not sure exactly what I expected to happen, but I am still dealing with head hunger and having to push old ways of thinking out of my head. I'ts hard and I guess I thought I had a pretty good handle on it even prior to surgery. I spent a year pre-op going to diet classes and researching the net to prepare for surgery. I must have been so busy preparing myself that I forgot to deal with my actual relationship with food. I know it will take some time and it will finally become second nature. But I would be lying if I said this isn't the hardest thing I have ever done for myself. The good news is reaping the benefits makes it all worth it.

Remember that alcohol is going to be very different from before surgery. 1 beer will hit you like if you took several shots. This is a good video to watch

I agree with this statement. I am a US citizen my husband is not. He is from England and the times I was in England with him the socializing and drinking blew my mind. It is a different culture abroad. I just went with it. I was there to spend time with him and I did not drink alcohol (this is several years ago, no WLS). I did not drink for two reasons, 1. no way I could keep up with a Brit 2. I didnt want to be drunk off 2 drinks and miserable for him to deal with lol Like another poster said, you dont have to drink to have a good time with friends but Id definitely try something lighter just to see how your able to tolerate it. Maybe try something at home first before the wedding in case you have an adverse issue at least you can deal with it and know how it will affect you ahead of time.

Agree with this. It's all about how you feel and if you think you can handle it. At the end of the day it's best to stick to your dieticians word. I'm not trying to give you a reason to do anything but I have noticed the wls guidelines in the US are very anti drink vs. Europe. I personally think you're too early on and your stomach is probably still healing. I will tell you I went against my dieticians word and had a drink before the 6 month mark she gave me because I go to a lot of events and parties. I had a long talk with myself and my mom (who is a physician) and came to the conclusion to just try one drink. I made sure it had no sugar or carbonation in it so I did a vodka water with lemon juice. Personally it didn't hit me any different than pre op. I had the drink 2 months and some weeks post op. I will say you can feel the alcohol a lot more (not in the getting drunk sense) but you can feel it go down your esophagus and into your stomach and intestines and it hurts and burns and even makes you cramp a little. Not very pleasant. Anyway, it's up to you. 3 weeks is pretty early on. I will say at 3 weeks I was so focused on feeling better and hydrated I did not want a drink. It might make you feel awful because you're recovering. In my opinion, just have a mock tail. If not, try to decide if it's really worth it, if you can handle maybe getting sick at a big event or bad dehydration without being able to chug water or eat greasy foods the next day. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Sure. Have a sip. Wait. Assess. Consider. Have another sip. Repeat. Also the OP is from Swansea not rural Pennsylvania and alcohol is formulated differently there.

Why not just have soda or virgin drinks? You don't have to stay home and be left out. As long as you're there with your friends, does it matter what you're drinking? If they're you're friends, they'll understand why you aren't drinking alcohol and they'll just be glad you're there with them.

Hey Hanne, Sorry for delay! Been a busy few days. Yes, I've had alcohol a few times now - mostly I'll get a glass of wine and sip on it, which I've done 3-4 times. I had a wedding in December where I had 2 glasses throughout the whole day/night. I read a lot about alcohol hitting you a lot quicker after surgery, which is why I've been very careful and sipped only. Can't say it felt any different to me than normal but I do find it can give me heartburn now. I love wine and I'm sure they'll be times where I miss being able to join in like a I did before, but I can't say it's been an issue for me yet! Your perspective changes when you are forced to think much more carefully about everything you put in your body and the things you think will be hard just . . . aren't.

Look into zollipops they’re made with xylitol a sugar alcohol which also helps with dental health. My kids like them.

Thank you for sharing. I am sure you are relating to those that have the same issue with smoking. Personally, my mother smoked for over 50 years. She stopped at age 62 and died at 68 from cancer. I watched my big sister eat and stess herself to death. I am just trying to change my story. We really have little control over so many things. I am just trying to control the things I can. I drink alcohol and that has slowed down. I understand addiction. I just want to end the cycle of premature death on my family. It's indeed hard. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

Understanding smart food choices. Portion size is a major factor in your success with the LAP-BAND® System. However, the types of foods you eat can affect your weight loss as well. A healthy diet will have items from each of the following food groups. Quantities and suggested foods are listed in each group. Always talk to your doctor or dietician about your particular dietary needs. Good Choices Fruit and vegetables: 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetables daily Whole grains: 1 small portion of cornflakes for Breakfast, or 1 to 2 slices of toasted whole wheat or rye bread each day. If you find you have trouble with bread blocking your stomach opening, substitute other whole grains such as refined, cooked or ready-to-eat Cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or grits. Protein: 2 to 4 oz of meat, fish or poultry, or one egg for additional Protein Remove all visible fat from the meat. Remove skin from poultry/fish. And cook with little/no fat — grill, steam, microwave, or boil. Dairy: 2 cups of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 1 oz low-fat cheese (max.) Since milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form, you might think they should be avoided. However, the Calcium and protein they have makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Fats: 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day (max) Low-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise (in moderation) Drinks: Unlimited zero- or low-calorie liquids per day, including: Non-carbonated beverages Tea or coffee (black) with low-calorie sweetener Clear Soup and broths Water Not-so-good choices Proceed with caution: Some foods may cause problems as they may block or have difficulty passing your stomach opening. Introduce these types of foods to your diet slowly, one at a time, to see if they are tolerated. Remember: always be careful and chew these foods well before swallowing. Dry meat Peanut Butter Shrimp Untoasted or doughy bread Pasta or rice Fibrous vegetables (e.g., corn, celery and asparagus) Dried fruit Coconut Popcorn Citrus fruits Nuts Steer clear: Some foods contain too many calories and too little nutritional value to be of any use to you with the LAP-BAND® System. Avoid foods high in sugar or fat, including: Syrups, jams, honey Candy, pies, cakes, biscuits chips, dips High-calorie soft drinks Some doctors suggest patients avoid carbonated drinks, as they may contribute to enlargement of the stomach pouch. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation (one glass of wine or less per day).

Just jump back in! In the past it would, for me, be, I messed up, ate something I shouldn't have, the day is ruined mine as well finish the day off eating like crap and start tomorrow. Now it's, ok you had a treat, back to the program. Gotta get your mind around that. One bad meal is NOT going to ruin all your progress. You may initially see the scale go up a little, but it won't be a true gain. As for the alcohol, I hate the taste, so I can't help you on that, sorry.

I am so sorry for your loss. It is a sad day when someone trying to improve her health doesn't make it. Words can't express. I was so afraid of WLS because of all the stories of people's passing. A young woman - 41 - I know died in her sleep 4 years after Gastric Bypass. It turns out she was type I diabetic and had become alcoholic - that is what really killed her, but it is still a very sobering thought because in a way it was related to her WLS.