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@Tallysfunny - my father threatened to take me off his health insurance policy and then when that didn't scare me, he threatened my suregon. Said he'd find something to hold against him. It was my surgeon who ultimately decided that he was uncomfortable doing my surgery and denied me as a patient even after my consent forms were signed and everything. And unfortunately, I don't know if I'll ever be at peace with any decision. If I don't do it, my heath will continue a steady decline. If I go through with it and my dad finds out, my relationship with him will be at its lowest point yet. So.. I just don't know. :/ @Chitowngirl - I was also on 2000mg of Metformin, for all five years. Part of it, I was switched on and off of both the generic name (gluphenogue or something like that) and extended release on both, also. But good Lord, did that medicine tear up my stomach something awful. And after numerous bouts or nausea/vomiting on it, I'd still gain weight. I'm mighty impressive, huh? @BigGirlPanties - first of all, what a fabulous username! I do have the support of my friends and roommates. The first go around, I had my mom's support but she can't find it in her to support me this time. She has said that if I do this, she doesn't want to know anything about it. I hope that it didn't come off that my father and I have a good relationship, because we don't. We're at each other's throats all the time, especially after he stopped me from doing this the first time. He's a recovering alcoholic that firmly believes that every single problem can be solved with a twelve step program and he also firmly believes that by doing this, I'm taking the easy way out. Hell no - he's got no idea what he's talking about. @jh5497 - That's exactly what I've been thinking and I feel like if I don't do this, I'm not doing it because I want to keep my parents happy and in turn, making myself miserable. I'm really, really stuck. And I was thinking that I could do this and keep it under wraps from my dad - I'm a junior in college with an apartment by school so he doesn't see me that often. I don't think he would think anything amiss if I was losing a few (a lot?) of pounds every six/eight weeks when he saw me, right? Haha I've had a lot of time to toss this all around. Thanks so much for your replies. I have a lot to consider. Tomorrow, I'm actually going to go to a seminar for a new surgeon and see how that goes. Going to make an appointment for next week and sit down with him and get a feel for what he thinks. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping everything falls into place.

People have misunderstood me. I do not dispute that alcohol should be approached with caution post WLS, particlularly for those who were addicted to anything prior to surgery My issue is with a professional making a claim as though it is fact, and citing statistics based on estimates and opinions rather than on research. It is professionally irresponsible to do so. I am sorry to have not been clear in my earlier posts. I do tend to react strongly when people use artificial statistics and unfounded theories to scaremonger. FYI - my surgeon and my NUT recommended wine in moderation as part of a normal and healthy diet.

How many days has it been for you now? We discussed the "head hunger" that I'll have to deal with...coming face to face with whatever you used food for in the past and having to deal with it rather than eating. Stress, disappointment, etc. Guess it's like overcoming smoking, alcohol, etc. I quit those about 15 years ago. I remember how that was.

One could also argue the reason that these studies seem to center around gastric bypass patients is because gastric bypass has been around for years and in terms of studies regarding any weight loss surgery, most of the studies are on gastric bypass. The sleeve is a relatively new surgery in comparison, we still don't even have many studies available to us on the long-term effects of the gastric sleeve. Personally, I know alcohol has a much greater effect on me now than it did before my surgery. I also believe that based on initial recent findings, it is wise of surgeons and nutritionists to advise their patients of the possible risks regarding alcohol to any and all bariatric patients, regardless of surgery type. I wouldn't use the excuse of a lack of published studies specifically on gastric sleeve patients as a pass to go ahead and drink too much alcohol. Everything in moderation, my friends, everything in moderation. Be aware of what you put in your body and how your body responds. Over-indulgence is never a good practice. Sent from my iPad using VST

I don't think it is nonsense. I think the reason why any data has come out is based on the fact that the lapband and gastric bypass have been around longer. There is very little data about the long term affects of the sleeve since it is still very new as a means of WLS. Hence why most of the articles are revering to the gastric bypass. However, it is an interesting correlation since many on this site alone have expressed a new found addiction to shopping. And there have been studies about people going from alcoholism to other things, so the argument can be reasonably made to suggest why not WLS too. We have addictions to food, why can there be no transference. All and all, I agree with IrishEyes that they were merely trying to share information with fellow Sleevers and give food for thought (pardon the pun). I know that it will keep me on guard once I get sleeved since alcoholism does run in my family. So I, for one, say thank you.

When I mentioned what my nutritionist said, I did not mean to upset anyone. I, personally, found it interesting and helpful. Alcohol addiction is very strong in my family and though I have done well so far in life with not having any issues, I appreciated any possible red flag, just in case. IF, by any chance (or any %), my risk increases after this surgery I appreciated the information. And that was my only intent in posting, to be helpful. Thank-you to those who posted the links. I found them to be good reads. I am on here to give/receive support and I am truly sorry if I upset anyone. I had only the best of intentions.

You need the two weeks off from work so leave the date as is. You should be fine to get around.for the superbowl. At six weeks post op, you will be on a regular diet, but nutritious and small quantities. Keep ready to drink protein in your room as a back up to make sure you get in your 64 grams. If you feel the diet options are not there with traditional football game food on the menu, you can always opt for a small grilled chicken salad. Remember, no bread, alcohol, or desserts. If asked about your diet choices and quantities eaten, just say that eating healthier is your New Years Resolution.

Again, those articles focus on bypass surgery. Alcohol is absorbed and metabolised differently for bypass patients than sleeve patients. None of them cite a specific or comprehensive study or research into cross addiction in sleeve patients. The cross over addiction theory is a theory. It isnt a fact. Even if it is possible, and it very likely is possible, you need a primary addiction. I know I was NOT addicted to food (or anything else) prior to being sleeved. So the risks for me are so low as to be insignificant.

Here are some articles that support why the NUT was trying to caution their WLS patient about the issue of addiction transference. http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120611/10250/gastric-bypass-addiction-transfer.htm http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/features/11622-weight-loss-surgery-and-the-new-addiction-part-1-of-2 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/54-feature/11725-weight-loss-surgery-and-the-new-addiction-part-2-of-2 http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/after-weight-loss-surgery-some-find-new-addictions-442508/ http://calorielab.com/news/2006/07/18/bariatric-surgery-trades-obesity-for-alcoholism/ Interesting that they are mention this. If we look harder we will see that. And I read "Bariatric Times" and this was covered there as well. I can't figure out how to link it because I subscribe to it as an app on my iPad.

So I had my seminar today, and am super stoked about this. One negative to it is I have to do 1 WHOLE year of supervised diet which I can totally deal with but it does kinda suck because I was hopeing for only a 6 month diet. But I was told if I could switch to another insurance which is still part of my insurance just a different plan. Then I would only have to do 6 month diet. Which is awesome! So I'm going to talk to my insurance to make sure there will be no penalties and see about switching to this other plan. I still am going to see tbhe doc and everything will basically roll over and I won't have to start over. So far I have the seminar done off the check list of requirements. So here ill list what insurance requires. -seminar -class attendance (which is educational classes there are 2 before surgery) -consult with surgeon (which is next week on 8/30) -5 years of past med records (weight documented 2-3office visits a year... which I have) -BMI 35- with 1 co-morbidity (my bmi is freaking 55 and I have high blood pressure) -12 months of physician supervised diet (unless I switch plans then only 6months) -psychological eval (with MMPI what the heck is mmpi lol) -pulmonary clearance -cardiac clearance -letter of recomendation from pcp (med necessity) -documentation from pcp on smoking cessation for min of 6 months (not sure what this is!) -maintain food diary (not sure for length of time will def ask surgeon) -physical activity log (same as food diary ask surgeon) I'm extra excited that I've gotten this taken care of and I'm very suprised that it really isn't too much asking for except the length of time it takes! I'm just excited about this whole thing, and my surgeon is very honest and careing. And he seemed definitely great! So I'm just excited to see what the next year brings! Because I've been trying to get this taken care since 2010 and since I found a doctor who knows what they are doing now I can actually get this done! I cheers to that. Oh and found out the drug screen and alcohol and tabacco screen too (which I don't smoke or do drugs but occasionally have a drink! So idk how that's gonna work out!)

How long did u guys wait to have alcohol? I really want a glass of wine.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/weight-loss-surgery-increases-risk-alcohol-addiction/t/story?id=16582225 Sorry, it isn't nonsense. We are hearing more and more about it lately. Sent from my iPad using VST

on the 1 year: My doc says that 60% of the weight loss occurs in the first 6mos. However, he didn't cap it to a year. He just said, "get up and move (exercise), eat right (protein & vitamins), and drink drink drink (water~not alcohol)" the rest will take care of itself. I love my doc.

I'm not worried about becoming an alcoholic. I'm worried about messing up my sleeve. I get the part about the calorie intake but with this small of a stomach, not eating much nor able to drink much. I just want to make sure if I could get it down it would not it ruin my sleeve. Thanks for all the feedback

My nut advised me that approx 30% of WLS patients become alcoholics after surgery due to the fact that they end up trading one addiction for another. And if there is a family history there is more of a risk.

I say you are still in ketosis..... not always a bad thing. When we are in the big weightloss phase this happens. It will also change your BO and yes other people can smell it. I had to switch to a stronger deoderant while in this phase. It sounds like your dental hygiene is great, but stay away from using rinses that are high in alcohol more than once a day. They can dry up your saliva and make things worse. Also make sure you stay hydrated. Don't worry, the bad breath will not last forever.

Alcohol can certainly derail the losses ... Depending on whet drinks you are having. SkinnyGirl margaritas are really good, low cal, low carb and premixed .. And believe there are some other flavors by SinnyGirl too. My rule is 1 drink, 2 full glasses of water, another drink, 2 more glasses of water. It would probably be better to forgo the alcohol altogether, but hey, it's nice sometimes, As for trying on clothes, I'm still taking them home to try .. But that's getting a lot trickier now!:-)

Kymie, congrats on getting over the hump!! I'm just getting back in to groove too, first full day of tracking food was today, so nice to track food in the green zone. I'm not hungry, I'm not over full, I'm satisfied. Could I keep eating? Probably. Do I always eat the things I'm supposed to? No, but I always watch my protein and fat intake especially, and I'm slowly beggining to realize, back to the basics of counting calories is really what will control my head hunger. Not saying I won't take a break now and then, but to get over this plateau I've been stuck at for the past few months, I'm finding it encouraging. NJ2NC, welcome back girl! We have all been so busy this summer, and I'm really looking forward to fall, it makes me feel so motivated! The weather, the scenery, running around in a corn maze and not feeling like the "fat person"...love it!!! Meredith, so glad to hear about your little "mistake" I'm so happy it gave you the confidence to rock your interview! Chrissylu, hope the scale was good to you!! Savannah!!! You're so close! Whether it is one or two pounds, honestly, you have already won. Look at how far you have come!! I'm so proud if you, and I'm sure you're gonna look HOT on Halloween!! I would like to be in onederland by Halloween!! I love having a goal to work towards. Ladybandito, so good to hear from you! Sounds like you have been doing amazing, keep it up, you're not too far from your goal!! As for me, I'm still slightly above 220 daily. I may dip below for a bit, but right back up I go. Honestly, one thing I know has been contributing to my plateau is alcohol. I have a fun loving family, and we get together a lot in the summer...I always say I'm gonna have one drink, but you know what happens when you have one...there go my inhibitions. Another reason I'm looking forward to the end of summer, lol. As I was saying before, I am back to counting calories, and day one went well. Even if I do have a drink, I'm going to limit it to once or twice a week and allow it only if I have room in the calorie count for it. I would like to keep it to once a week because of what alcohol does to your metabolism...its pretty much one of the worst things you can do for your metabolism....that being said, I'm gonna be trading the cocktails for water more often. I guess ee all have our demons, and mine just do happens to be having a good time, lol. I'm planning on Leslie Sansones 5 miles tomorrow, wherever I can fit it in, and going riding too. I'm so grateful for you guys, I love having you here, to talk about a plateau, and get me through it. I can talk to my family, but let's face it...they didn't understand me and my eating habits before...so they aren't going to now. They try, but no one gets it like you guys do Although I've been stuck, pun intended, at the sane weight for a few months, maybe a loss of five lbs over the past three months, I've been getting more compliments then ever!! Someone at work even asked me if I ever eat!! I went shopping with my sister today and was able to just pick some things out, try them on, decided I loved them, and went on my way! Am I the only one here that used to buy clothes without trying them on, just so I could cry at home instead of in a dressing room?? On that depressing note, have a good night everyone I think this post is long enough!!!! ))

Ever since starting my pre-op diet I've had really bad breath. I'm 2 months post op and still have it. At first I thought it was ketosis, but I eat about 1200 calories a day, so that shouldn't be the issue. Is it just me, or is anyone else experiencing this? Is this common, unusual, unrelated? PS I brush with an electric toothbrush 3x/day, use mouthwash and floss regularly. UPDATE: (2 days later) I visited my dentist for a cleaning today and had a little chat with him about my bad breath. I followed his instructions today and found it to be helpful. He said that there isn't a cure for "diet breath" as he called because it's a result of ketosis (as the very bright people below commented), but it can be managed by doing these things.... DO THESE THINGS Brush and floss regularly Rinse with a medicated flouride rinse (which I got from the office) Drink lots of Water Get a toung scraper (which I did and I think it was the most effective thing on this list) Chew sugarless gum or eat breath strips Increase your carbs (which I won't be doing) Eat an apple (which I didn't do, but may try, though I don't think apples are going to go down very well) DON'T DO THESE THINGS Rinse with mouth wash containing alcohol Chew sugar gum PS Does anyone know what happend to the spell check feature that used to be part of this forum?

Yea we can drink alcohol

Wow, this thread is old. Since I have last posted to it I have now picked up my 31 year medallion in Narcotics Anonymous. I think the reason so many here have trouble from this is they look at alcohol as a seperate problem. AA teaches that unfortunatly and I believe it kills manypeople. Addiction is a disease. It is not, "I have a problem with alcohol, ________ "fill in the blank. Alcohol, weed, sexual issues, herion, gambling, eating, pick your posion, is like switching seats on the Titanic. I am glad I am an NA member, we look at it all as addiction, an all encompassing disease and don't split them into categories. I laugh when I hear, "I'm clean and sober" that's like saying, "I'm sober and sober", or "I'm clean and clean", one disease. plain and simple. This is just my experience, and I am not trying to make light of anyone on here. I respect everyone's situation, I just think to seperate things into little boxes can be fatal for some people. God Bless everyone of you and I wish you well on your travel. PS I have gone from size 54 pants to size 40 pants since being banded, I do not weigh.

I was told, after I experienced this as well, that the sugar-free ice cream might not have sugar but it has sugar alcohol, which some of don't seem to tolerate either. Check to see if your ice-cream had the sugar alcohol and then that might be the culprit.

It's easy to make soups. Use unflavored or chicken flavored protein powder, combine with water or broth, and add soft cooked vegetables or lean meats. You can add even more protein with fat free greek yogurt. Spices to taste. The 14 day pre-op diet is to shrink your liver so it isn't in the surgeon's way. So the no fat, no sugar, and no alcohol part is very important.

My husband stayed with me for some days, but he must return tomorrow. My surgery was August 14th. I can move around, but my pain meds cause me diarriah due to sugar alcohol possibly containing sorbitol. That makes me uncomfortable and edgy all day. I don't know when the soreness will end and when this discomfort will subside. I'm hungry and I wonder now if this was a mistake? Thin or fat? Not sure? Maybe it's my discomfort talking and I'm damn tired of liquids! Sorry y'all too much complain. No sleep since 2 a.m. (TX time).

my doc says its ok in moderation like EVERYTHING else post op, including alcohol and such. I have a medium iced vanilla latte everyday, a diet coke everyday, and I have about 3 beers a week on average! Made goal in 8 months, easily maintain my weight, and I am happy and healthy, and not deprived.