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Is it really worth the sugar/empty calories & the possible effects on your healing tummy? Is it really worth being part of the growing statistics of post-rny alcoholics? It metabolizes quickly, meaning it goes straight to your head, then goes away pretty quickly, setting you up for a potential vicious cycle. I'm not against alcohol in general. I drank a LOT of wine pre-surgery (EVERY night with dinner), but I vow to never touch it again. To me, it's just not worth the risk. I sacrificed many things to have this surgery, Why sabotage myself? Just my 2 cents...

Beware of the empty calories...and you will likely find that less alcohol or wine will affect you faster and stronger than prior to your surgery. My surgeon advised his patients that a bandster can be considered legally drunk according to their BAC with only one drink. Be certain ahead of time that you will not need to drive.

Butterthebean...your post should be required reading for all people using this site! I will say, without judgement implied, that I am daily amazed by some of the things posted here...how long did you wait to have macaroni and cheese, or a milkshake, or to drink alcohol, or to smoke pot, or whatever other unhealthy thing you can imagine....and I wonder (usually to myself)..."Have you learned nothing about why you ended up needing this surgery??" Most of us had (and, I dare to say, still have) no real concept and understanding of "moderation.". We didn't track every bite we put in our mouths prior to surgery, so how can we know what is "moderate" in comparison? Without honest tracking, we rarely have a realistic impression of what was consumed (there have been amazing studies done on the disparities between what we "think we ate" versus what we actually ate!). Like you, I have made the conscious choice to not eat things that are harmful to me...to continue to do so, after having gone through the pain of surgery, makes absolutely no sense to me. While I understand I can't do anything to directly help anyone else on their journey (and I often get "smacked" on here for trying), I do sincerely worry for those who give every indication of not having changed their relationship with food. Best of luck, to each of us, as we continue on our journey to better health! Laura

Nooooo!!! Don't do it!!!! I know a guy that didn't wait until his year was up before drinkng and one night he thought he was dying!!!! He went to ER and they said the alcohol had started to eat his stitches/pouch away!! That's why your on this HUGE diet a year out b/c it takes your stomach that long to heal!

Anyone drank post surgery? What did you drink? I'm 10 weeks post op and have been following all the rules to a T but my best friend turns 30 next month and she wants to do it up big....going out that night and I know drinking is going yo be involved. So I was thinking....I cant drink beer because if the carbonation and I cant drink the yummy "umbrella drinks" due to all the sugar....don't tell me my only option is straight liquor!!!

Hello to all. I'm having pain under my left breast whenever I bend down. It's really painful. Also, the pain travels to my back on the left. Pain feels like something is ripping inside and its located on top of my major incision on the left. Called surgeon he ask if I had alcohol, aspirin, or anything that I'm not suppose to eat, thinking it might be an ulcer. I only chewed gum and had whole wheat toast. I am 8 weeks post op. Have appointment on Wednesday. Anyone had same pain. I am so worried. Thanks. Sent from my HTC EVO using RNYTalk

Ah, I couldn't live with my frozen margaritas! Alcoholic drinks offer no nutritional value and are simply empty calories, so you must track them closely. SageTracey hit the nail right on the head! My thought is, a few drinks will not hurt you, but definitely won't help your weight loss goals either.

I had wine about 3 months post op, I had a glass at home just to gauge how I will handle alochol. I did not even the a buzz !!! I was told by my doctors office in one of the classes that when you drink you can get extremely buzzed after RNY so be very careful. In my case the wine is the same as it was pre-op. I have not tried any other alcohol yet... maybe I will try a vodka and see if that has any different affects on me. But wine i was OK with.

Echoing what everyone else said, drinking in moderation is okay. Be sure to track your calories to make sure you don't overdo it. Alcohol can be high calorie with no protein payoff, and consequently I avoid it. My doctor also said both alcohol and caffeine are appetite stimulants as well.

Hi Cat D, Going out to dinner with friends can be just as fun as before. Initially, you will want to stay away from drinking at all. Give yourself time to heal. If you are going out with them during the early food stages or liquid phase order Soup and ask for it to come out with everyone's meal. Once you are on real food again, you could either share off someone's plate or order an appetizer (again ask for it to come with everyone's meal) If you decide to drink alcohol (I had my first one after 11 weeks) plan to nurse it all night. Alcohol is much more rapidly absorbed by your new sleeve...you will be a very cheap date! I have found going out to dinner with friends just as enjoyable as before. It will become much more about time with your friends than it is about food. I am also very carefull to eat tiny bites, chew really well and take a lot of time between. This is a habit you should start to form anyway, but when I am out to eat I am especially mindful because I do not want to get overly full and make myself sick. I think my only new addiction is this Forum, LOL. I wish I could say I replaced eating with exercise, but I don't think I will ever be addicted to that.

Try rubbing alcohol over the itchy parts, or benadryl. Even the Benadryl that you drink will work if you don't have the topical stuff. If that doesn't work, calamine lotion should do the trick.

My name is Rachael. I am a mother, a nurse, and a very fat person. I was given my first diet pill at age 10 by my mother... I couldn't take pills so I struggled to get the huge pill down. I don't know that I ever did or that it worked or if I even really needed it! I see pictures of my self and I am a bit chubby but not obese at all at that age. I remember being teased about being fat and large at an early age. I remember carving the word fat into my arm at around 12 years old. I remember hating my body and thinking my life would be perfect if I weren't fat. Years flow by I am in high school I am 5 7 my wt a HUGE 155. In retrospect that isn't that tall or fat but at the time I felt unattractive. I had a period at age 16 were I had a lot of dates no sex but boys asked me out and told me I was pretty....... I did have big boobs and a full soft figure. I think I undervalued myself in some respects but was a fun, gregarious person. I met the man I eventually married he seemed to think I was attractive. We moved in together 2 years later. I did my first "successful" diet at age 20 . It was a liquid protein diet run by a doctor. My dad paid for it and I achieved my ideal weight of 130 lbs. I bought a tiny bikini short skirts and tight jeans. I went to community college for 2 years then nursing school. By the time a graduated in 1983 I had regained the wt I lost plus 30 or 40 lbs. I married at age 22 wt 170 ish ....continued to gain year after year hitting 270 when I got pregnant for the first time. I lost wt during the pregnancy but regained during breast feeding. Rinse and repeat x 2 more kids over 7 years. At age 33 I was 300 plus lbs but active and healthy. Years flow by my life hits a snag or two my husband developed into an alcoholic and we have marriatal problems. We split for the first time when I was 38 wt 345 lbs 3 kids ages 12, 7, and 5. Living as a single mom for a year was hard we got back together kind of to buy a nice house in VA and be a family. The difference was we kept separate rooms. I had become used to sleeping by myself reading if I wanted to and did not want to hear my husband snore or reek of alcohol. I am tired that's the beginning of my history more soon. A few days later I added a second installment : Today I am thinking about why I decided to have the surgery. I have become increasingly UNABLE. I can not: walk up stairs, walk any distance comfortably, fly comfortably, ride a bike, get up from a sitting position with anything like ease, and take care of myself alone. I have a laundry list of things I want to be able to do a BUCKET list if you will. Chase my grandson walk up or down stairs without a rail fly to Africa on a mission ride a bike take a hike buy a small car and fit in it ride a motorcycle Meet someone and be attractive enough to attract them I sometimes want to do a skit like Jeff Foxworthy (not that its very funny) YOU MIGHT BE MORBIDLY OBESE IF you can't wipe yourself without hurting your wrist you can't climb a stair without a reinforced rail get up out of a low couch without assistance well you get the idea i have a million and they all make me want to cry life as a fat person in America is not much fun .....the ridicule is one thing ......the discomfort of chairs that bind you is another...... and the comments people feel free to make is yet another. Yes I am responsible for my situation I know that but it does not make me sub human or less valuable as a person. I know I have lost friends, one in particular that I relate to my weight and my inabilities. This makes me sad and mad. A few days and thoughts later........ I find out my surgery date next week. Today I hurt my leg walking into work. I did not fall I was just walking and my right calf pulled or charley horsed maybe my Achilles tendon. Whatever it was it has crippled me worse then I have been ever! I so did not need another obstacle to exercising sigh. I am ready to do this. I have a lot of questions about the surgery itself How long will I be in the hospital? How much recovery time will I need before I can return to work? How my much pain will there be? How will my body feel inside? Will I have control of my bowels and will I vomit a lot? I think I will visit the blue point website and attend a support group this week. I must get ready to get ready I am a disappointment to my children though they love me they worry about me when they should not have to. They miss being able to do things with me or having to do things for me. They want a Mom they can count on and not have to worry about. I want them to have that as well. That's why I am doing this surgery to be ABLE.

For all the smokers out there I am gonna say something on our behalf. We the bad bad naughty smokers bite our tongues on this subject a lot never daring to say they still do because we get told off any time its brought up or we admit we smoke still. We get told we never should have got the op if we are just gonna keep on smoking. Well to be frank its utterly annoying to constantly hear! People cheat all the time on the new healthy life people keep going on about and bashing smokers with. they drink coffee/tea/soda eat candy/ice cream/chips/fast food/slider food, they don’t work out they don’t take meds they drink alcohol and the list goes on and on! But everyone comes down on smokers like we are the antichrist for daring to not give up or if they do for picking the habit back up. I didn’t have my sleeve to stop smoking I had my sleeve for my weight problems that were effecting my health, it has nothing to do with me smoking my sleeve was not because I wanted to become a vegan health nut who was a purest and only lived a green healthy life. I had my sleeve like pretty much everyone else as a tool for weightloss. I was never told to stop and still aint now. You don’t know a persons smoking habits it could be 1 a day or 500 you take in more crap form car pollution a day than you do if you smoked 1 cigarette a day so anyone jogging out there in the road suck up a nice lung full of smog while you do it. I smoke roughly 20 a day out of anyone’s interest with an extra filter tip I add on and the lightest you can smoke 1mg of tar 0.1mg of nicotine and 1mg carbon monoxide in each cigarette. Yes I am annoyed and no I am not feeling guilt for smoking if I did I would never post I do smoke I am actually smoking while I type this! I am annoyed the smokers are jumped on by everyone but other smokers (and I don’t mean ex smokers) and spoken to how they are some times by some people. This isn’t a quit smoking forum or an antismoking forum give it a rest!

The issues with alcohol and the lapband are that alcohol is empty calories, drinking alcohol can lower your resistance to making poor food choices, and you may be affected more quickly by a smaller amount of alcohol. I had a drink on Friday evening (16 months post-op) and felt the effects quite quickly.

Drunk on a sip or two? Not unless you were seriously susceptible to the effects of alcohol pre-band.

So here's my question, I just had my lap-band surgery 4 days ago. My husband and I are going away mid September for our 10 year wedding anniversary. At that time I will be on my second week of soft food and 4 weeks post-op. I hate that I won't be able to drink any alcohol. Besides getting really drunk on a sip or 2 what else could happen?

I'm a scale addict too - every single morning without clothes after using restroom first thing before eating/drinking anything at all. Keep in mind - I've noticed the same patterns over and over every month - ramping up to period, during period, alcohol, salt - these all affect my weight very predictably. I can fluctate anywhere from 1 to 5-6 pounds throughout the month - depending on the circumstance - often no relation to what i'm actually eating. However, if I only weighed once a month I would see a drop every month - in the 10 pound range since starting (slowing down now as expected). Despite knowing about the fluctations I still have bad and good days mentally as a result of the daily scale number - i can't help it (although I am way less sad/frustrated when it's higher because I know eventually it will go back down and monthly I always lose every single time).

Thank you!! I am so excited and also anxious to keep losing. I found a photographer I love, she's a bit pricey so I am saving to get photos done to treat myself Went to chocolate cocktail party today. Soo much chocolate and champagne. I think I did well avoiding overeating and alcohol. Stuck with one small piece of dessert and drank Water I am low on groceries so thinking tomorrow I will treat myself (as long as I exercise) to macaroni and cheese or somethin at noodles and co. Been craving It. Breakfast - 1 pita with Peanut Butter lunch - 1 vanilla yogurt with fruit dinner - 1/2c black bean soup, 1/4c chicken mole Dessert - 2 strawberries, 1 sliver of cheesecake

You know Gustavo, it took a lot not to let that big old witch cat get out! She is an alcoholic, so I think we each carry a burden.... I hope you get the courage to tell everyone, you already did the bravest thing--you chose to do it!

I searched some, but didn't find a whole lot on this topic. I would like to keep some Protein bars around - they are easy to take on the go for errand running, etc. Easier to eat than Protein shakes - which I happen to like - but they take forever for me to get one down because of the volume. Anyone suggest some good tasting, good for you Protein Bars? So far Ive only tried the EAS carb control one (chocolate Peanut Butter crisp) and it was okay. Im hoping something is out there that tastes a little better. This one has: 240 cal, 8g fat, 27g carbs (6g fiber), 1g sugar, 17g sugar alcohols, and 17g protein. This isn't something I want to eat daily - just something to have on hand on the days I run errands and know I will be out and about when snack time hits. I will be a month out on Monday! Woo-hoo! Thanks for any suggestions!

My guess is the alcohol. Dumping is a bit different.

Not dumping but maybe your body can not tolerate alcohol.

Been having diarrhea for days but yesterday and today are really bad. Had one cocktail last night and been really bad for last 24 hours. Been 6 times today. Can't be much left and I'm getting worried. Is it alcohol? Is this dumping?

i'm having my surgery monday, but i've had a terrible time while on the protein shakes these 2 weeks--'tearing up' my intestines! (between 12 & 20/day--ugh) i've tried different brands, (dr's office says sometimes it's the sugar alcohols in some) Today i thought it might be a milk intolerance (since i rarely dirnk milk) so i bought some almond milk today. but it's practically pointless, since i'm on clear liquids tomorrow! I'll be glad when the shakes are over. good luck with your 'issues'. sorry mine is not related to yours, but i just had to vent.

Check with your surgeon as to his/her rules on alcohol. As to a contraindication for it, no there is not. It is not carbonated, so there would be no discomfort. It is a clear liquid, you should be able to drink it at a normal rate. As in, I could "shoot" Water, I have done shots of tequila. I can freely drink water, milk, beer (even with carbonation). I can chug water and non carbonated liquids. Beer I don't chug. I don't sip it, either. Just remember, if you are told to wait 6 months to a year before imbibing, your tolerance will be lower. However, we still metabolize liquor the same as we always have, so you won't be a true "cheap date."