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Beer actually seems to sit more comfortably for me than soda does. But I still prefer not to drink it because I get all burpy -- which is not hot at a college party! I would try some wine at home and take it slow. I used to be able to throw back 6 beers, 4 shots and then some to get drunk. Now it is 1 shot of alcohol and I am stumbling drunk, this lasts for 10 minutes or so and then I am completely sober. So now I sip mixed drinks -- sugar free of course! This is just like sweets -- some people choose to completely stop drinking and others don't. It is a personal preference and I would do what I wanted to. Everyone has a different answer.

liquids, Protein shakes with ff milk applesauce sf, sf Jello, sf pudding no diet soda or alcohol reg vitamins stopped vitamins a week prior to surgery per dr request (vit e reasons)

I feel compelled to also contribute to this conversation given my background in behavioral health. But first, I must say, I like to enjoy a drink here and there as well But I thought I would share some very interesting research that is out about the increased rates of alcohol addiction of those who have had bariatric surgeries. Something to think about (I know I do and will continue to think about). It makes sense with a smaller stomach. I don't have all the details on it but I find it absolutely intriguing as what we know is that there is a strong genetic factor but with those with bariatric surgery, your risk goes up - even without the genetic factors playing a role (so if they do, I'm sure that it's even higher). Anyway- that's my lil' lecture (actually not trying to be). I JUST told my husband I think one day when I'm ready to have a drink I'll let mine fizz down. I love the Schmirnoff's- Grape. Tastes like Grape Jolly Good pop. But again, I'm not a big drinker. Maybe a handful of times per year at best. The truth is: I'm such a freak and will probably follow doctor's order to a "T" because I'll be too scared to do anything else.

FYI, I found this great explanation of how alcohol is metabolized in the body. If you don't have any chemistry training or background, don't get too bogged down in the first part of the page, it's all chemical symbols, etc. There is a wealth of knowledge later in the page that the average lay person will understand and appreciate though. Some of my favourites (you learn something new every day!): Women: If a woman and a man of the same weight drink the same amount of alcohol under the exact same circumstances, the woman will on the average have a much higher BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) than the man. This is because women have much less of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomachs than men do. If the same man and woman are given an injection of alcohol instead of drinking it they will tend to have the same BAC. This is because when the alcohol is injected it bypasses the alcohol dehydrogenase in the stomach. Why You Shouldn’t Drink on an Empty Stomach The surface area of the human stomach is only a couple of square feet, but because the small intestine has protrusions called villi, the surface area of the small intestine is thousands and thousands of square feet. Because of this fact the small intestine is many, many times more efficient than the stomach at absorbing alcohol. If you want the alcohol to be absorbed into the bloodstream slowly so that your BAC will only rise slowly, your best bet is to keep the alcohol in the stomach for as long as possible. This actually can be done. There is a valve between the stomach and the small intestine called the pyloric valve, and when this valve is closed the alcohol will stay in the stomach. This valve stays closed when the stomach is full of food. So this is why eating a full meal helps keep you from becoming rapidly intoxicated. Fatty foods and heavy foods tend to stay in the stomach longer than vegetables or sugars. Bluesman Charlie Patton spoke the truth when he said "If you eat a lot of fat meat you don't get so drunk." This was his formula for maintaining when he played at parties where the booze flowed all ***ht long. Carbonation: Carbonation speeds the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. People drinking carbonated drinks will become intoxicated more quickly and achieve higher BACs than people dinking the same amount of alcohol per hour in the form of non-carbonated drinks. There is, however, a trade-off here because many people drink carbonated drinks more slowly than non-carbonated drinks. Diet Soda: Diet soda interacts with alcohol too, so people who drink mixed drinks made with diet soda will become intoxicated more quickly and achieve higher BACS than people drinking identical drinks made with regular soda. Researchers in Adelaide, Australia found that the stomach emptied into the small intestine in 21.1 minutes for the people who drank mixed drinks made with diet soda. When people drank drinks made with regular soda, the stomach emptied in 36.3 minutes (P <.01). Peak blood alcohol concentration was 0.053 g% for the diet drinks and 0.034 g% with the regular drinks. Alcohol and Blood Sugar Although alcohol may cause a slight rise in blood sugar levels when initially ingested--the overall effect of alcohol is to cause a drop in blood sugar. The more you drink the more the blood sugar drops. Eating before, during or after drinking can help to alleviate this blood sugar drop somewhat. Drinks with lots of carbs like beer or mixed drinks with sugary mixers can lead to blood sugar spikes preceding the blood sugar drop. Because of alcohol's effect on blood sugar people with diabetes are recommended to have no more than one or two standard drinks per day and to avoid drinks high in carbs. Untreated diabetes can lead to severe consequences including blindness, amputation of limbs affected by gangrene and even death--so diabetics are recommended to be especially cautious about their alcohol intake.

My surgeon said no more alcohol. Period. I tend to agree with him: it's empty calories and bad for your health. This whole process is about making lifestyle changes to get you healthy. And despite what the advertisements and the "studies" will have you believe, alcohol is no health drink.

At about 9 weeks out I ordered a glass of red wine. As carbs and calories go, it's about as good as it gets (which doesn't make alcohol a good choice per se!). I drank SUPER slow, and only drank maybe half in a couple hours. I was fine. A little warm at some point, but not falling over drunk. Since then I've had a glass maybe once a week of there's an occasion that calls for it (work dinner, celebration, etc) and no probs and I'm at 11 wks. I did have a ***ht this week where I had nearly three glasses and didn't feel wrecked...but felt crappy enough the next day that I wouldnt do it again. Made me dehydrated and felt like I was catching up on water for days

I'm not gonna make a suggestion about when to drink beer. Mostly because I have already had 2 mixed drinks & 1 bottle of Dr Pepper(well 1/2 of it). So my personal choices have precluded me from making a good recommendation here. What I will say however is, when you do decide to partake in an alcoholic beverage take it SLOW. Before surgery I could easily handle 6 mixed drinks & barely even feel a buzz. I had 2 drinks about 3 weeks ago and I could barely walk.

This is a lot of great information! I agree that it would not hurt to have an occasional drink, but I strongly suggest not drinking beer at this point. The carbonation in the beer would most likely be very painful. I don't drink beer, but I know things that are very fizzy like root beer, cause me a lot of discomfort still and I am 20 months post op. Also, just like bypass patients, alcohol hits our systems a lot faster and harder than a normal person, and it is very easy to get carried away. Through my plan, they actually suggest not drinking alcohol until you have reached goal because it is so high in calories.

My surgeons states no carbonated drinks. Will fill you up quicker, irritate the pouch and eventually stretch it out. . THIS IS what I found on the internet; Surgeons have differing opinions about alcohol use after gastric bypass. Some suggest that it is safest to avoid all alcohol because of the problem of alcohol addiction that may sneak up on individuals. Other surgeons feel that alcohol represents "wasted calories" with no nutritional value. Still others fear that alcohol may be one of the substances that could increase the risk of marginal ulcers. In our practice we have suggested that patients can have an alcoholic beverage once in a while as a treat, but avoid regular use of alcohol. I'm not aware of any research that has documented the percentage of patients who use alcohol regularly say five years after surgery. I think that any gastric bypass patient will realize that alcohol will hit their system much faster and harder than before surgery.

If you feel you are ready to consume alcohol at this point (I would wait, myself), it is strongly suggested that you don't have beer. The carbonation in beer will probably hurt due to the bubbles expanding your stomach, and the acidity due to the carbonic acid in the beer might also make your stomach upset. I tried a Sminoff Ice Light (that's a citrus vodka cooler sweetened with sucralose) a few days ago (I'm about 12 weeks post-op) and I could only drink about 2 sips before it was uncomfortable. It has carbonation and I thought if I took it very slowly, it would be okay. NOT! Plus, truthfully, I didn't really enjoy it at all. Maybe it was because I was feeling stressed that I was drinking something on the "do not do" list (alcohol AND carbonation), and maybe it was because my tastes have changed. And even from just a couple of sips, I felt the "buzz" very quickly and it wasn't a pleasant buzz........ If you really want to try something alcoholic, try something non-carbonated first and see how a few sips sit before you proceed any further. Make sure you're in a place where if you get a bit "buzzed", it's okay (like home or a friend's place). Make sure you don't have to drive anywhere after. Our alcohol tolerance is so low now that the standard 1 drink per hour and you're okay to drive rule doesn't apply to us anymore! And finally, alcohol will significantly contribute to dehydration (which is usually why we feel so bad the next day when hung-over!). Make sure you have lots of Water before your drink, and lots more water after your drink. The last thing you need to do is also get dehyrated, on top of getting tipsy!

I don't see my NUT anymore unless I really need a consult, so I thought I would ask here. I am 11 weeks post op. Feeling great. Off all restrictions. When did you have alcohol the first time? I am well aware that I will only probably be able to drink 1/2 a beer once I drink one, but how long did you wait. I really want a beer. I'm not a big drinker, but I would like to be able to enjoy the occasional beverage.

Soooo speaking of alcohol, I have a few concerns. I was told that I could have a 1/2 shot on my birthday (my 21st bday is aug 6) and that I would get super drunk from it. I tried drinking prior to that (a few days ago) to make sure my body could handle it and that I wouldn't barf on all of my friends. How many shots of 70 proof rum did it take for me to actually get drunk? 5 shots. I took 1 at a time to see what would happen and spread that out 20 mins apart. Every shot (until the 5th) got me kinda sorta tipsy for 5 minutes then I was stone cold sober again. Why didn't I get drunk off a 1/2 a shot like I was told? My alcohol tolerance has not changed AT ALL post op. Rather concerned. - Kaylee Ann ~ Surgiversary: 6/11/12

So sorry for that horrible experience! Yes, the Dr is correct, the band indeed is not meant for things to "come back up" especially from lower stomach. It's only happened once to me (recently) and it was very painful and a HORRIBLE experience, due to alcohol, so I've learned my lesson as well.

It must be very frustrating and disappointing for you knowing that other family members have done well and you are having problems. when you say you are having chicken and drinks... for starters... what sort of drinks? alcohol? have you done a daily count of calories, fats, carbs etc? it could be that you arent getting enough ? just off the top of my head... i would do this, start a daily diary, put down everything that id eaten and work out the food values. do that for a week. also.... if you are having drinks that arent alcohol and are sugar free then they arent the issue. If you are having alcoholic drinks and other drinks with sugar, then thats an issue.

I have only lost around 40 lbs but it drastically changed how I process alcohol which I figured out the really hard way the other night. I used to have very high tolerance for a lot of hard alcohol and every once in a blue moon I would drink quite a bit. I hadn't drank in many months and decided to try it. I only really remember the first few shots but after that things got pretty ugly. I was really sick to my stomach the next day but I was able to not throw up. I'm glad to hear it won't be the end of my band if I do throw up. But yea alcohol is out.

I read the previous post. My NUT does not count sugar alcohols. So I do total carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohols. It might not make a huge difference in the daily total since not a lot of things have SA but if you eat any SF items on a regular basis it is going to greatly impact your count. I don't know if you use My Fitness Pal but many SF and NSA items you can search for the food with just net carbs, if that is what you count. Ex: ole tortillas net carbs

There are some tasty chocolate-flavored Protein bars out there! I am right there with you, Globetrotter. I haven't lost very much since February (less than 10 pounds) and most of that came off during two weeks time. I can eat wonderfully and exercise daily burning hundreds of calories and not lose a single pound. I can eat some carbs and drink some alcohol and not gain anything. And then for no reason, when my eating and exercise is great, I gain weight. And then I lose it even though there is no reason. And I can't figure out why. It doesn't make sense. The 3500 calores = 1 pound is not accurate for me. And when I don't get rewarded or punished, I tend to make bad choices (popcorn!). I suspect some of it might be due to monthly cycle stuff although I no longer technically have a monthly cycle. I had an endometrial ablation, so I don't get a period, but I think I still get the hormone influx, but I can no longer track it to that. I think part of it is that I am down to the harder to burn stuff. And it is in my problem areas (upper thighs/butt/belly), which are harder places to tone/exercise. I definitely have some psychological stuff. I tend to eat popcorn when I'm alone and working. I like salty/crunchy Snacks better than I like chocolate/sweet snacks. I tried protein chips instead of regular chips, but I don't like the flavor. At first, they were a good substitute for the crunch craving, but they taste so bad, I'd rather have 100 calories of actual chips than something that tastes bad but is better for me. I could get the crunch from raw veggies, which is actually my preference except I have braces, which makes eating raw veggies hard to do. I log my food daily, and I think that is a big part of me keeping on track usually. I am even thinking of doing a day or two of photographing what I eat just to see if it will help me make better choices. I have a blog, and if I had to photograph it would I be willing to eat it? Personally, I think the biggest down fall for me is the calories in drinks. I don't know a lot of calories in drinks, and they tend to surprise me more than anything. Summer drinks tend to be higher in calorie (like lemonade). I had a Gatorade the other day and didn't realize until after I had drank it that it had 39 grams of carbs in it.

I am 9 days away from a year out, and I have no regrets. I did think I'd be at goal by now. I still have another 30 pounds. To be honest, I think I could have been at goal by now if I'd continued to deny myself some food types. I don't eat a lot of them, but it slows my weight loss (popcorn/alcohol, for example). Part of why I didn't deny myself is because I didn't get this surgery to deny myself. I wanted a tool not a lock. I still plan on getting to goal. It just didn't happen the first year. But what I have lost and how much better I feel? Priceless.

Step 1 Locate the nutrition content of your food. Most food packages provide a descriptive nutrition label which contains carbohydrate information. However, if you cannot locate this information, then research the nutrition facts from an on-line database. Bad Food for Diabetes Foods to eat & avoid to control blood sugar. From Today Show expert www.JoyBauer.com Sponsored Links Step 2 Determine the number of total carbohydrates and total grams of Fiber. According to the 2002 edition of "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," fiber, glycerin, sugar alcohols and polydextrose, which are included in the total grams of carbohydrates, have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels and are, therefore, not included in the calculation of net carbs. Nevertheless, not all critics agree on the effects of sugar alcohols, like the Mayo Clinic which focuses on total carbs and total fiber to compute net carbs. In other words, whether you choose to include sugar alcohol, polydextrose and glycerin information is subjective to you. Step 3 Subtract the total grams of fiber from the total grams of carbohydrates to calculate net carbohydrates. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/85180-calculate-net-carbohydrates/#ixzz22F7etsOp

I have Tricare too... I didn't have to do a supervised diet but that may be because I am Tricare North/Standard. I had my first consult June 13th and my surgery is set for August 9th. What took so long is that at the consult, the surgeon/nurses are going to ask you to get labs done (to make sure you are physically able to withstand the beating your body is going to take from surgery and to make sure you are currently getting the nutrients you need) and see their nutritionist (because the diet after the surgery is graduated back into normal solid food from liquids over a 1 to 2 month time span and they need to know you understand that... also that you understand various problems that may arise if you don't get the nutrients that you need). Also, with Tricare you need to have a referral from a Psychologist the specializes in weight loss surgery (they basically determine if your expectations are realistic with the surgery, if you are emotionally stable to handle all the the changes, and to make sure you don't have any alcohol or drug addictions). After all that (assuming that your surgeon doesn't require any other classes), the surgeon's office needs to send in an insurance "package" with all of the classes, referral letters, and BMI in order to get approval from the insurance company. WLS is one of those surgeries that requires PRIOR approval and they won't cover it if it is just billed to the company after the fact without that approval. Tricare is quick with the approval but slow with sending out the proper documentation to make the approval official to the surgeon's office... mine took 2 days to approve but 2 weeks to get the documentation to my surgeon for the go ahead. PLUS you have to realize these surgeons are booked weeks in advance (and sometimes months in advance) for the surgery... I was lucky and there was a cancellation for two weeks after my surgeon got the approval. I don't think 2 months of a wait is that bad... but I don't know of anyone that got their surgery in less than a month (and they were all self pay!!!). Good luck at your consultation and keep us posted... And if you already knew all this information, sorry. I tend to go overboard and give waaaaaayyyy to much information sometimes.

I regretted the decision 48 hours out from the surgery because of the hellish nausea I was not prepared to endure. (yes..i was told nausea could be slight to moderate)..I even had hyperemesis gravidarum during my pregnancy with my daughter..so I am no stranger to nausea with eye popping vomitting) Nothing..and I mean nothing seemed to settle the nausea..I had a scopolamine patch, and phenergan and Zofran giving every two hours alternatively. Some nurse shoved an alcohol pad up my nose thinking it would help and completely choked me. I literally told my husband that I couldn't live with the intense nausea I was experiencing and wanted the dear Lord to take me home if it didn't subside. BUT at the 72 hour marker ..it got better..and better every day. Now..the only time nausea hits me is if I try a food I know probably won't suit ..and honestly..I dislike the nausea so I stay away from foods that I know I don't tolerate. Anyway..I don't regret my decision now..down 75# since April 3rd. Life is way better!

Hey all!!!! I have a predicament. You see, my birthday was yesterday... I drank alcohol on Saturday, but was still within my caloric intake. Well last night, I ate according to planning on drinks for my birthday, but unfortunately, I over drank with the alcohol..... Ultimately my body is more supseptible to alcohol since being banded. I've only PBed a few times, but last night I actually threw up..... Now I'm nervous about band slippage.... I'm so mad at myself... And I am not a huge drinker to begin with. Good thing is everything feels fine. No pain, reflux or anything, am I being a worry wart? I tell ya, I will not partake in any more alcoholic beverages in large quantities ever again.... Funny thing is, I had only 1 drink and 1 shot... Guess I'm a lightweight lol. How will you know if there is band slippage? 5/28/12 pre-op diet started (217lbs) 6/14/12 Surgery 1.8cc added to 10cc band (205lbs). 7/17/12 1st fill (194lbs). 7/24/12 (191lbs)

I was so nervous before my first fill, I almost asked him not to do it. It's actually super easy and it doesn't hurt hardly at all. Each surgeon is different I'm sure, but mine just had me lay on the table, he felt around for my port (had me do a crunch to help it stick out), swabbed the area with alcohol to clean it, drew up the saline to inject, then poked it in. It hurts way less than a tetanus shot (if you've ever had one of those). When my surgeon pushes the saline in, he puts in a small amount then draws it back out to confirm he's in the port. Once Fluid comes back out (indicating he's in), he injects the rest. I then have to stay in the office for 5 minutes and sip Water to make sure it all goes down okay. I do 24 hours of liquids then 24 hours of mushy food, then back to normal. Each surgeon is different, but that's the general idea.

I heard too many horror stories about Alcohol so I won't even attempt it. I used to drink in social settings basically from peer pressure do I won't be a "lame". But I can careless now, no way I wanna dump over something as foolish as liquor. If I'm gonna dump its gonna be for something serious like my grandma peach cobbler or uncle tea cakes! I don't even plan on those so alcohol is seriously the least thing I'd be thinking about. With smoking, every since the 3rd grade when they showed a healthy lung and then a lung that's been smoking for 5 years I told myself then NEVER EVER will I smoke anything.

Tablets were hard initially. I had chewable Vitamins and also the nexium which i cut in half and was the hardest. Thankfully I did not need any pain killers for pain while I was recovering. Random fact, since surgery I have barely taken pain killers for anything. Pre-surgery I had constant headaches, joint pain, sporting injuries, basically alot of generalised pain. Since surgery almost nothing, I think I have taken pain medication 3 times in 10 months, and one of those times was due to too much alcohol.