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Not drinking isn't hard for me, it's the drinking enough that's my problem. All over the boards it says to keep your water intake up to wash away the toxins from the weight loss. Water is just not my thing, but I'm working on it. When it comes to "drinking" I'm going to miss my occasional glass of wine. I hear alcohol is a no-no the first six months. Liquid calories and all. Keep up those walks!!

A helpful tip I learned in the hospital, the smell of rubbing alcohol helps nausea. Keep a bottle near where you are sitting and if a wave of nausea hits you just take a whiff. Odd but it truly helped me when the nausea meds didn't get rid of it. Also the pain meds can really cause nausea

Hi everyone I am new to this and am 6 weeks post sleeve doing ok i think would love to know if i can drink alcohol, in moderation ofcourse. I have a family party to go to this month and was wondering has anyone got any advise, my drink normally is bottle lager, or am i being to ambitious. Thanks for any help

It's probably best to ask your doctor, they all seem to have a different date in mind for when you can begin exercising, eating mushy food, eating solid food, and when you can drink alcohol. I can say that beer, or carbonated drinks in general, should probably be at the bottom of your list since the bubbles will fill you up (and expand in your stomach). If you're going to drink you may want to try wine or a mixed, non-carbonated drink first to see how you can handle it. I'm only 3 weeks and probably shouldn't be drinking yet but on New Year's eve I had a vodka and cranberry and Crown & Ginger (setting the ginger ale out in a glass a couple hours early to let it go flat).

No carbonation is definitely one of the rules of banding, however, there are different schools of thought on this. I'd try to stick with what my doctor says. Alcohol, besides being high in empty calories and known to be a stomach irritant, there is nothing that says you can't enjoy a cocktail now and then. Anything in excess could be setting yourself up for esophageal problems, band erosion and of course slower weight loss.

Hello all just wondering if any of you have had alcohol after your surgery?:phanvan

I'm sure you hear this all the time, but let me start by saying you are an awesome parent to know you needed this surgery to be there for your babies. ((((HUGS)))) to you on that. With that being said, I currently have the Lap Band that I am having LOADS of problems with. My husband also has the band and has lost 20 pounds in 5 years, he can still eat the "old way". I believe once I recover he too will convert to this surgery once our insurance decides it's cheaper than all the problems associated with the Band or RNY. As far as your food issues. What really helped me when I was going through my "withdrawals" from food was to really tell mysel that "The Colonel", "pizza, Pizza Dude", "The Golden Arches and all of them had done me WRONG. Basically they were all slowly killing me and taking me away from my friends and family. Why would I stay with a friend who continually hurt me physically? I wouldn't and neither would you. So if food is your friend then why would it hurt you so much? I understand correctly eating food isn't like alcohol or drugs or cigarettes you have to eat to live. But that's just it, you eat to live not live to eat. They did surgery on your tummy not your head. And until you get to a point and you will that you realize all the awesome benefits you get from giving up the beast that has hurt you so badly over the years you will feel this way. You've lost 23 pounds so far which is amazing. Your ticker says you want to lose 95 more pounds. I would be willing to bet within the next few months you will be almost half way to the remaining goal of 95 pounds. Write down a list of things that you want to do that has nothing to do with your scale weight. Such as taking your kiddos on a roller coaster, fiting into a regular airline seat w/o an extention, bending over to tie a shoe without feeling like you can't breathe, etc. Basically write out all your Non-Scale Victories and put that on your refigerator. When you start "missing" food look at the chart and by all means mark through each goal as you achieve it. Doing that will keep you motivated. As a single parent I would be willing to bet if it came down to doing something for the kids or yourself the kids would win everytime! Well you are doing this for yourself but also for your KIDS. They will have an even more awesome and interactive dad than they have ever had. You developing a closer relationship with your kids will fill the "void" you my feel without that extra food. YOU CAN DO THIS. You may also want to write down a list of everything you hate about being obese. This will give you an actual list of how your old friend aka food has "done you wrong". Perhaps this will make you miss it all the less. Another suggestion is to take up a new hobby or two that has absolutely NOTHING to do with food. Also when you go to visit folks, be there for the company, NOT the food. You are there for adult interaction, not whatever is there to eat. That's a hard one I had problems with that one for a long time because nobody ever serves others nasty food. lol. Take care my friend and remember you are never alone here. I sincerely wish you and yours the best.

I was looking at the labels, and it looks like Mio at least has some sugar alcohols. I don't have the other labels to check right now.

I am almost 5 years out from surgery. I lost around 155 pounds and kept it off for about 3.5 years. But in the past 1.5 years, I have suffered from depression and started drinking alcohol excessively ( I typically would have ate food excessively in the past). In the past I could have several drinks and be fine; however post surgery the side effects were much more severe (depression, a feeling of real dependency, blacking out suddenly with no recollection of where the cutoff point would be i.e. 2 drinks now was just as strong as drinking 5) The alcohol goes so quickly into your system that it is a real danger if not properly monitored. Although my eating habits didn't change, without daily exercise and with the added calories of excessive alcohol consumption, I regained around 60 pounds. In addition to the weight gain I have struggled with the affects of alcohol dependency, which I never had experienced before. As VSG patients we were all cautioned on drinking and how it affects us differently after surgery. I didn't really take heed to those warnings until it had become a problem for me. I am working on it daily now and also am struggling to lose the weight all over again, which feels pretty much like as difficult as it had been prior to surgery. I think this is not talked about enough and I'm sure I am not the only VSG patient who has experienced this. As a community being open with one another, and as individual seeking out help earlier, I probably wouldn't be struggling with these 60 pounds now. Anyone who's been through it should reach out sooner than later. Not only have I suffered from this issue, I have had to deal with the fact that I messed up my own progress and success and now have to deal with the ramifications of starting all over again so to speak. This I can say for certain, staying in a support group and dealing with your issues is imperative to continued success in this journey. I'm not sure if I'll loose all of the 60 I've regained again, but I am willing to fight the battle to do this all over again and to warn others of how dangerous alcohol consumption is for us post surgery!

I got a fill on the 17th of July and on the 20th I went to a BBQ, I am not sure if I at too much, cause I cant eat a lot right now anyway, and i also had some alcohol. I woke up at 2 am with severe pain in the back and in the front like someone was kicking me constantly, it was very bad cramping, like I had to use the bathroom, but I didn't, I went to the Er and while I was there I swear I felt my stomach turn and the pain stopped and completely went away. I don't know what is going on. They gave me a shot for muscle contractions in my stomach and prescribed me muscle relaxer pills to take when needed. I am sitting here right now and my back is beginning to feel sore again so I think I will take one of those pills! I have contacted my surgeon and if I cant see him today I will see him tomorrow. I hope to GOD everything is alright and that I didn't mess anything up. Time to stick to just liquid for a few days for fear of eating anything solid! Has anyone had this happen before or heard of it? :ohmy:

You're welcome Yes it could had been to strong or maybe thw alcohol in it,...feel better

Another possible and very serious problem with drinking (if you are under a year post-op) is liver damage or failure. In the first year when your body is burning the most fat your liver is working overtime to process the toxins released from the fat. Alcohol at this time is VERY dangerous and can seriously damage your liver or cause it to fail. Please seek some help for your need to drink.

It shouldn't be too big a deal. Don't tell them about your ancient history.. if you're 40 and you tried pot in college, you can leave that out. LOL My psyche consult told me I would be an alcoholic after surgery. She was wrong. Just stay calm and it will be okay. They're trying to weed out the people who won't be able to handle the changes to their psyche from losing weight. You're "normal", right?

I had to do a survey first. There were like 200 short statements that I have to rate on a 1-5 scale and a lot of the the statements were the same but worded differently. Like: "On a scale o 1 -5 do you feel like you have a support system in place?" Then later I'd read: "On a scale of 1-5 are you lacking support?" The Doc said they don't do that to trip you up but to see if you can read and comprehend. We are expected to be educated about this journey and we have to sign A LOT of forms for consent, etc. He said that for patients where the scores come back funky, he recommends additional "classes" to help educate them that may take an additional 3 months to 1 year. Also, like Lissa said, there were a TON of questions about drugs and alcohol and he said, seriously, NOT interested in ancient history. You'll be fine!! Have fun!

I'm a big dude myself. 6' 6" with a heaviest weight of 430. I never was a big drinker, but more of a big eater. People that have this surgery can still drink, but you have to have a lot less. And I would stay away from beer just because of the carbonation and the problems with the sleeve filling up with the gas. It's just one of those things. You have to stare down your demons and decide who's going to win. We all face this in some way or another. Give up the alcohol if possible. If not, then cut back a lot and ask the doctor how long until you can have some. I can't remember what mine said, but I think it was around 3 months postop.

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers!Thanksgiving is behind us and the holiday season is officially underway! Filled with holiday shopping, festivities at work and spending time with friends and family, this time of year is can be the most rewarding. It can be hectic, too, so paying extra attention to your diet and health is even more important than usual. Use this newsletter as a reminder and some motivation to be extra cautious with your choices so that you can keep seeing the results you want from your weight loss journey. Here’s what’s coming up in this newsletter. Tips for the Season: Thriving at Holiday Parties! Member Challenge: Activate Your Party Action Plan! A Big Thank-You to Our Members as 2012 Ends We know the hustle and bustle of this season make your life busy, but we hope you spend part of your holiday season with us at SleevePlicationTalk.com! Our members are what make the forums so encouraging and valuable. While you’re there, feel free to contact us about anything. We love hearing from members! Enjoy the newsletter. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Member Spotlight: Still Searching! Please post in the Member Spotlight forum if you want to be featured in the newsletter’s member spotlight section or if you want to nominate another member. If you prefer, you can also send Alex Brecher a private message telling us that you want to be featured. Everyone has a great story to share. Thanks! Tips for the Season: Thriving at Holiday Parties! The holiday season is challenging for all people who’re trying to control their weight, and it’s even tougher for weight loss surgery patients. You’re not just concerned about weight loss. You’re changing your lifestyle, and staying on track takes a lot of effort. If your surgery was recent, you’re still getting used to your new eating patterns and food choices. Holiday parties can interfere with your best intentions to stay on track. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, parties can be regular events at work and the homes of family and friends. Frequently overeating can not only derail your weight loss, but also lead to surgery-related complications, such as feeling overly full or dumping syndrome. Whether you’re a weight loss surgery veteran or this is your first holiday after getting the surgery, these tips can help you enjoy the holiday parties without doing damage to your diet. Eat before you go. You don’t want to go into the party on an empty stomach. If you’re starving when you get to the party, you might be tempted to grab whatever’s available – which probably won’t be that healthy. Enjoy the party. The holidays should be about appreciating people. Use parties as opportunities to spend time with coworkers and other people who mean a lot to you. Focus on enjoying the party, not on hiding yourself in the food. Take care of yourself. Make sure there’s something at the party that you can eat. One option is to pack a high-Protein snack or two for yourself and eat it when it’s time for your regular meal or snack. You can also take a healthy dish for the host to serve at the party. Sip Water. Carrying a glass of water around gives you something to do without adding any calories to your day. Another benefit of drinking water is that you know you shouldn’t eat solid foods when you’re drinking fluids. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a source of calories that you just don’t need. Worse yet is that it lowers your inhibition. That means that you’re less likely to resist unhealthy holiday foods. Member Challenge: Activate Your Holiday Action Plan! This newsletter’s challenge is related to our advice on holiday parties. The challenge is to choose a specific strategy designed to get you through the holidays without interfering with your weight loss goals. You can take one of the suggestions listed above, or choose your own. Some other ideas are to keep healthy Snacks at work so you’re not tempted by unhealthy snacks and to record each treat that you eat in your food record instead of pretending that it doesn’t count. Tell us in the Member Challenge Forum how you complete the challenge! Was it easy or difficult? What tips do you have for other SleevePlicationTalk.com members? We also want to know anytime you go back and complete an old Newsletter Challenge, which you can find in the archived Newsletter Forum. It’s never too late to try a Newsletter Challenge! A Big Thank-You to Our Members as 2012 Ends As we close out 2012, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank each member. We truly appreciate your support. We value each member, whether you post many times a day and use all of SleevePlicationTalk.com’s many features, or whether you log in infrequently to read just a few posts. You, the members, are essential to SleevePlicationTalk.com’s success, so a heartfelt thank-you to each of you! 2012 has seen rapid increases in the number of members, the beginning of regular newsletters and the launch of mobile apps to access all of the forum’s features. Big plans are in the works for the coming year, and it promises to be an exciting ride. We’re glad to have you on board! Of course, we’re always open to member suggestions, so please feel free to contact any board administrator. That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We hope it was inspirational and helpful. Have a safe and peaceful holiday season, and take care of yourself and each other, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I'm so with you. I was about 15 lbs away from my goal, and had been there for about a year, when I started self medicating with food and alcohol. I have now stopped drinking, am taking anti-depressants, but continue to gain weight. My 149 with 15 to go is now 165. This weight loss is causing me to become even more depressed, besides still working on the reasons I was depressed to begin with. I would suggest if you think you are depressed go to your internist and ask for suggestions. I, myself, am working on getting my a$$ back on a regular exercise schedule. I think this is key, not only is it good for you physically, but exercise tends to have positive psychological effects. Perhaps this is an option for you as well. I also think I need to post on here more and look for more support than always trying to do things alone. Good luck to you and I hope you work thru this tough time :thumbup:

I'm having the same issues 7 months out, yes it could be sugar alcohols in some protein bars and ice cream bars. But it just started. Will try the probiotics that Ed listed. Thanks

To help with nausea sniff alcohol pads.....I've been to the point it was just about to come up....sitting in front of trash can waiting and smelling those alcohol pads....works immediately Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Well yes it is a life changing process. I find I am struggling most about the weight not coming off still. It's like ok got the band and now I am still not loosing weight. I lost those pounds mainly cause of diet. liquids the first 10lbs,liquids the second and for the last 15 was post op when you are on straight liquids for 1 week. And pureed for 2. So in fact I feel the band has not worked for me yet. And I know that it will. i am not eating as much not as though I feel full but I am stopping myself from eating. The Dr says its only a tool but after reading some entries here in the forum looks like it takes some time for your body to adjust and everyone is different. For the drinking social part. I was told and read that a little bit of alcohol can make you drunk. Again this is on a personal basis. And they also say alcohol has a high calorie content. So your drinking your calories. I am mainly a once in a great while drinker(In the Navy I was a heavy drinker I think this is why all my weight came on)I went away a couple weeks ago and I had a drink or 2 a couple nights. Not just beer. LOL. I felt a little buzz nothing major. I think the warning for the alcohol is a lot for the gastric bypass cause your body absorbs the alcohol different. I would say try it . Be careful when you do. See how your body reacts. I find the band does not interfere with my social life. Eating yes. But I am also sensitive to gluten so I have had to deal with that. So you just order or do something else. Good luck to you. If you like to chat I am open to. Over all,I do not regret this in any way. I am very happy I had this done. I found the 35lbs has let me wear clothing I have not been able to in years. Its a great feeling. But that want to loose more weight is even more. :wub:

My surgery was almost exactly one year ago (1/15/15), and I was already down 40 pounds before I had the surgery, and have gone on to lose another 40. I am within 15 pounds of my goal. I thought I'd share some of my highs and lows over the last year - some things I've done well, and things I want to and am working to improve upon for my long-term success. 2015: Had the surgery; lost 80 pounds; bought a new house and moved (first house in California); trained for and ran in my first 5K; lost my mother in November. LOTS of big changes and emotions and stress to navigate through. I managed to do very well and had slow and steady weight loss and/or maintenance up until my mother went into the hospital in mid-November...thus began a 6 week shift in my diet. Not a tremendous amount of crap, but ate things I had stayed away from completely for almost a full year - i.e. sugar. What happened? I gained about 8 pounds and I felt pretty crappy by the end of December. Bloated and lethargic. What I've been doing since the first of January is a re-boot to my eating. No sugar or white flour at all. And in just 4 days I feel like myself again. No bloat, no discomfort around my middle, and I'm slowly detoxing off the sugar - you know it feels worse before you feel better getting that out of your system! Lots and lots of Water too. I'm committed to getting to my goal and maintaining a healthier lifestyle with both diet and exercise. I went from a size 20 to a size 4 - I gave away ALL of my clothes from a size 8 up, and have a lovely new wardrobe that I've built. I have no intention of sizing out of my current wardrobe! The freedom from everything that made me feel so uncomfortable and unhealthy last year has been achieved in so many ways. I can take the stairs any time I want and not pant and sweat. I get an hour of walking or some type of exericise every day and my body as a result has responded in kind. I can shop for clothes any where I want. I can comfortably sit in booths in restaurants, and can sit in a chair and cross my legs comfortably. I have so much more energy and confidence. Do I have the skin sag of a 51 year old woman? I do! But it's not anything I can't live with. You won't see me walking in a bikini on the beach - but I will wear a bathing suit that makes me feel good, and shorts and sun dresses in the summer, with no discomfort whatsoever. I used to get very red faced and sweat ALL the time. I just ran hot constantly because I was so overweight and out of shape. It's just not an issue anymore. If anything, I actually get chilly and need to stay warm where I used to have a fan on full time under my desk. I don't take any of the medications I used to for high blood pressure. It's consistently normal. I am in a normal and healthy range with blood sugars and cholesterol, so there is no longer a threat of treating those conditions. I'm continuing to learn to cook smaller amounts for my husband and I. It's not easy to retrain yourself to cook a smaller amount! But I'm working on it. We purchased "snack or lunch" sized plates and ramikins and we use them to eat our meals. Smaller portions look normal on smaller plates. When we eat out, we share one meal (I should mention he had the surgery in November 2014 and has lost 150 pounds), and we eat half of the shared meal, and bring the other half home and re-heat the next day and share for dinner. It's mind boggling how little we eat today. But I definitely got nervous over the holidays when week after week was going by as I was grieving the loss of my mom, feeling a little out of sorts and reaching for more and more of those foods that just don't make me feel good...a cookie here, a muffin there, it wasn't binge-worthy, but it wasn't helping me feel good either. Live and learn. Just thought I'd put out there in the universe, on the anniversary of the best decision I've ever made (other than getting sober 23 years ago and marrying my husband 5 years ago), to heal my body and my life from the inside out and lose the weight and do things I never thought I'd ever do...let alone at 50 years old! Everyone tells me they can't believe my age - that the weight loss has taken years off my looks. Which is a lovely thing to hear. So there you have it. I'm grateful. I'm still a compulsive eater in recovery EVERY DAY. I say with alcohol, I put the plug in the jug and never picked it up again...but with food, it's like taking a tiger out of a cage 3 times a day and then getting it to go back in after meals! It ain't easy! But it's worth it. I welcome any feedback on anything you are doing post-surgery, post-holidays to re-boot your body and mind back on track to keep moving forward. Happy New Year!

I looked up those Steaz and it kinda sounded to me like they were carbonated. Are they?? Also, FunnyDuddies- I wonder if those might be available online somewhere. I really miss my diet cream soda and that vanilla cream sounds like it might be a good alternative. Also, the ginger ale might be a good mixer for alcoholic drinks. Thanks for the info guys! I used to LOVE trying all the new sodas that came out. Kristin

I had my 2nd fill (4cc) 3 weeks ago and had a hard time eating solids, so I stuck to crunchy things and protein shakes. Recently, over the weekend, I spent some time at a neighbors and drank Martini's and Jack daniels until 4 am. Since that night I have not been able to eat anything except liquids and liquidify cream of wheat. For the 1st time since I was banded, I have Slimmed/Pb'd 3 times within the last few days - Its exhausting!!! I have no idea if the alcohol did something (I was not drunk that night) or if my band is just way too tight. But I am very hungry and have no clue how to eat. I did try some captain crunch this morning. 1st bite was fine, 2nd bit ok, then third, well, got that stuck feeling, started slimming and up it came. I read how people who have more cc's than me are able to eat regular stuff, but I just don't why I am unable to eat just basic food. How do you know if the band is just too tight?

I actually like the shakes and can see using them as a Meal Replacement but my co-workers may have to wear gas masks! Is there anyway to combat that? I am sure they use sugar alcohols because that happens to me anytime I eat sugar alcohols.

I travel a lot for work. You will be fine after 3 weeks if as you say its a relaxing visit. Most important will you have a kitchen? Preparation will be the most important and who knows what you can get in Columbia. I was able to find a GNC in Mexico while I was there and purchased some of their pre made Protein drinks. You'll still be needing to supplement your diet at 3 weeks. Heck I'm 5 months and still supplementing mine with Gen Pro. You may want to pick some of that up. Tasteless and mixes into anything and gives you 30 grams. You're diet at 3 weeks will be very small and limited. You shouldn't be attempting to go out to dinner, no alcohol. Like I said, if you have a full kitchen and can supply it like you do at home, you should be fine. I was not cleared for exercise or lifting until six weeks. So keep that suitcase light or have someone carry it. Plan food/drinks for your flight.