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I had a few sips of champagne at dinner 3 weeks post-op to be polite. I'm not really a big drinker, so this wasn't something I was overly concerned about. Once your stomach is mostly healed after six weeks without complications, there's no reason you can't have alcohol, you'll just need to understand that you're drinking your calories and your stomach is smaller, so there is a greater chance that you are now a lightweight since you don't have 80% of the stomach that used to be able to hold more alcohol. Sip...slowly, lol.

My packet from my surgeon says to be careful with alcohol not only because it's a slider but also because you may get intoxicated quicker than you're used to. I still say go and have fun! (Just be mindful :-) )

I am one week and one day out. I feel bloated. I can lie on my stomach, don't know if I should or not but I do. I can also lie on either side. I have not gotten to anywhere near 64 oz. of water. I have been drinking 16 oz of milk with 1 scoop of Unjury. No, I cannot finish that in one sitting. Because I have added Unjury and orange juice to my diet I have reached 800 and 900 calories within a day. Before that I was teetering around 378 calories a day. I am sick of burping all the time. I am sick of gas sneaking up on me and I am certainly tired of pooping liquid. I am especially tired of thinking I have to pass gas and finding that its much bigger than that. However, I am 10 lbs down. I cannot complain. My belly itches, so I wipe it down with alcohol wipes. I still have all but one of my steri-strips. That's probably because I am terrified to "wash" my stomach. I do not want an infection. Since I am using 70% alcohol wipes I know that my stomach is clean - Of course I bathe (shower) the rest of me. I am back at work today. Earlier I was suffering, but I took a dose of liquid Tylenol and I am back to "normal."

How ever said being single sucks.... obviously isn't having as much fun as i am. So i think in stead of writing updates, i think ill write my escapades here.... If you'll don't mind. Post 10/20/16: I don't care what anyone says... Dating is fun.... Date again last night and tonight.... Friday maybe open... so hit me up... hurry... it's going fast.. Saturday another date... This is how that went: Thursdays date went great... Tim (executive for Entergy) is a really nice guy. Had dinner at a great restaurant (by the way, my son is loving all the leftovers i bring home). Weekend was ok... i actually spent it with my soon to be ex. He as bought tickets to a concert and i had previously agreed to go.... then we went to Houston saturday and back home on sunday. Halloween week: Started on Thursday, had dinner with a girlfriend visiting from KY.... Then drinks with Brian (his oldest son and my oldest son are best friends). He and i always have a fun time. We ended that night at a "gentlemen's club" aka strip club... lol Get this, im sitting at the bar at the "club" and Brian is to my right and i look over and there is ??? can't say his name (his son and my youngest son are best friends, what are the odds)..... Friday ended up being a good night. Visited with some friends and planned out night out for Saturday. Saturday.... OMG.. my wonder woman costume didn't turn out the way i wanted, so i scrapped it. Went with a kinda steam punk thing. I got home at 4am.... hehe. Sunday was another day/night in the quarter. This was with Todd (golf pro).... he and i hit the quarter, drinks, and ended with dinner at GW Finns...(so good). This week: Wednesday night had a date with Daniel.... NOT good, he's was more out going when i meet him (maybe it was the alcohol) First he forgot to tell me he has to small kids. 5 & 8.. NOTTTT. The conversation was torture.. So it told him that i didn't think it would work... he agreed. Last night was with Tim again.... Went to Copeland's, nice dinner and drinks.... sat and talk for a longgggg time. Tonight, Im meeting with ??? for drinks. Saturday i have a date with Scott (NHR driver) so.... gentlemen... start your engines.... Stay tuned for future escapades..... hehehehe Chris

I love to drink too! I have not had the surgery yet so I'm not sure either. All I know is you have to wait 6 months but I thought beer was off the table.?? No bubbly stuff. Plus if you drink a lot you can gain the weight back. I hope someone that has experienced this will comment. I have cut way back on the drinking since I decided to get the surgery so I'm prepping myself for no alcohol. Good luck!!

Since being banded and diagnosed as Metabolically (Insulin) Resistant, I've come to learn a great deal about myself and my relationship with food. The band has been a wonderful tool in assisting me with recognizing my problem areas. I have done some REAL listening to my body lately and that has opened up doors I've kept locked up for so long, I've forgotten they existed. This, along with journaling, has helped me to unlock these doors and discover these hidden rooms inside myself. Today, I have decided to air out these rooms, by confessing. I've never been addicted to drugs or alcohol, nor have I ever been through a 12 step program. I neither claim to know anything about psychology, nor do I claim to be an expert in health and nutrition. However, I have learned for myself, that in order to begin a healing process, we must first recognize there is a problem, confess it and move on. This is why I am starting this thread. After some negative reactions from some of the posters on this forum, I am a little nervous about this, but this is something I MUST do for myself. Confession, after all, is good for the soul. Here goes: 1. I am a sugar addict. My body constantly cries out for sweets and no matter how many times I try to give up sugar for good, I always go right back to it. 2. I've kept this secret hidden from my husband, my family and my friends. People have made remarks that I eat like a bird. They don't know about the chocolate hidden in my closet. The secret trips to the snack machine at work. How I make "cover up" noises to keep them from hearing the noises of the wrapper as I open my 3rd Snickers bar for the day. 3. I don't like cake but I love frosting. I can't tell you how many times I've eaten a whole bowl of frosting or eaten all the frosting off the cake, then pretended to drop the cake in the floor to cover up my secret. 4. Sometimes, when I buy groceries, I buy a jar of Smuckers hot fudge and eat the whole thing on my way home. I drive by a dumpster before I get home so I can toss the empty container. I would be mortified if anyone knew this. But now YOU know. The Addiction Resource Guide difines addiction like this: The physical and psychological craving for a substance that develops into a dependency and continues even though it is causing the addicted person physical, psychological and social harm. The disease of addiction is chronic and progressive, and the craving may apply to behaviors as well as substances. Yes, my friends, I am a sugar addict. I thank God every day for making it possible for me to have the lap band, because now I know, there is hope and with the help of my band, I can start moving in the right direction. With the band I can feel full and satisfied longer, which will help to keep my blood sugar regulated and reduce the cravings. With the help of my band, and reading this forum, I'm finding the strength to say no and make it through another day.

So today has been a rough day and we haven't even hit 1 PM yet. This morning, instead of having my normal 3 turkey sausage links for Breakfast (100 cal, 13 gm protein) I decided to have a ham, egg and cheese croissant with only 1/2 the croissant from our local donut shop. I have done well lately and have been seeing the scale move which has made me really happy. I have been craving one of these croissants which I haven't had since before surgery so I figured this morning I would stop and get one and then do REALLY good for the rest of the day. I don't mean skipping meals, just getting the most out of what I would eat for the rest of the day. Anyway, things got hectic at work and I didn't get in a morning snack, by 11 I was so stinkin hungry and with no end in site for lunch I grabbed what was easiest and closest, 1/2 a donut... and then the other half. I haven't eaten a donut since well before surgery. Then the boss went out and bought hamburgers and fries from Burger King for lunch. I ate mine with only half the bun, and only one fry but still, not my good planned lunch that I was counting on. He also bought me a chocolate shake and I can't remember how long its been since I had one of those. One drink of it and I knew if I kept going I would feel bad because of all the sugar. It went down the drain. I haven't had a drink out of a straw since surgery and I even drank the drink of the chocolate shake through the stupid straw. I know better. I know better than all of it. I'm disappointed in myself that I let myself fall off the wagon like I did. I'm a food-a-holic, I have to watch myself just like an alcoholic does. I feel like I have failed miserably today. I also feel like I missed the good feeling of the "drunk" and went straight to the hungover feeling. None of what I ate made me feel better. In fact I kinda feel gross right now. I know it is a lesson in learning. I've been really proud of myself with how well I have done over the past 5 months. I thought I was getting to the point where battling these food demons was getting to be second nature and it wasn't so hard anymore. I don't want to do anything to screw this up. I don't want to start gaining back what I've lost... I've worked too hard. Nothing about this journey has been easy but I have been living it. I've been making it and making it work for me. I just feel really defeated. I told my sister about all of this (she is in the process of getting approval for the sleeve) and told her that tomorrow would be better. I can't wait until tomorrow, starting from this minute the rest of today has to be better. Sorry for the vent/whine. Praying for a better rest of today and for better decision making...

Do you mean an alcoholic drink?! 20 days out is too soon to be drinking! Your stomach is still healing, and you need to stick with your post op diet. You are risking a leak if you don't allow your new little tummy to heal properly. And yes, soups would be great to order...as long as its okay with your doctor at that time. You may have a hard time watching everyone else eat and drink I think. Just sayin'.

And I suppose she's one of those that thinks Jesus didn't drink alcohol?? Yea, like there was anything else in those days to drink but BEER!! We had a neighbor that used to come into our house, talk our wine and hollar that we were going to hell for drink it!! I told her too late... we're already there and she's the antichrist....

I have read that after being banded alcohol hits you harder than it did before so be careful.My surgeon's office recommended trying a first drink at home to see how it effects you before doing any public drinking.Well also alcohol could hit you harder after being banded becasue as your weight goes down your tolerence level will too-thinner people are ""cheap drunks'' and can get really buzzed on less alocohol.

I think the answer lies in why we overeat to begin with. For most of us, eating is our addiction. Even the medical community is finally coming around to the fact that it is an addiction. Imagine an alcoholic being told they must drink one shot of alcohol every day...but that's all. Imagine a gambling addict being told they must go into a casino and play one round of cards every day...but that's all. Now, imagine a food addict being told they can only have 'so much' food and that's all. It's the same thing. The only difference is that we can't avoid our addiction. We have to find some way to control it while still using it. That's the beauty of the band. With good restriction, we can eat like normal people and when the demons of that addiction grab us by the throat, the band will remind us to stop when we attempt to drown ourselves in it. Either by making us feel full...or through pain should we be stupid enough to continue. Without restriction, I eat until I think I'll pop. With restriction, I feel full and know that one more bite and I'll pay with pain. Pain is a good deterrent for me. .

Elfie, I'm willing to accept that. I don't have a particular issue with carbs; while I may want and crave them, I don't experience any sort of physiological reaction when I eat (or do not eat) them. I do eat "cleanly," and avoid refined carbs to maximize my health and loss. But it's not to avoid symptoms. I think there are probably as many different answers to WHY as there are people. My point was that for ME, identifying what's going on in my head is useful when I'm trying to change my behavior. It's not required--I can white-knuckle any kind of change. But for long-term success, I do better if I'm able to say, "Oh, I've just hit the 30-pound down mark, and the last time I weighed this little, x, y, and z were going on. Wow, that was uncomfortable; I wonder whether approaching this weight again is stirring up feelings that are causing me to get in my own way." Obviously, that does not mean that other things (types of foods eaten, and so on) don't require change. It just is helpful. I made the distinction between alcoholics and addicts in that, while it's great for an alcoholic to recognize what triggered his/her disease, once it IS a disease, that knowledge is relatively useless. If you withdraw alcohol, life-threatening physiological responses occur, and medical intervention is required. I hadn't considered that for some, banding might represent a similar sort of medical intervention to help treat carb addiction. Interesting to ponder.

170 days after starting my preop diet I am down 78 pounds and officially at my surgeon's goal weight. There really are no words to express what I am feeling. It's a wonderful thing, but also kind of a weird let down. Maybe because I don't know how to celebrate. Celebration always meant food and alcohol. Now what do I do? ( And don't say excercise or go for a walk....or I might have to cyber slap you). I guess what I'm gonna do is go for a couple great horseback rides this weekend, wearing my brand new boots I just got yesterday. I'm sure no one (besides me) is happier and appreciates my weight loss more than my horse!

To each their own... I enjoy my glass of wine and I'm sure you have something that you enjoy. As we've learned, moderation is the key. You could say the same thing for a bunch of the foods that we've eaten that made us fat. Alcohol is a choice and I choose to drink it in moderation.

How long did you wait until you tried any type of alcohol? I love a glass of wine or mixed drink every so often. I know it will be absorbed more quickly and I will have to watch for that.

Several individual on this site have reported the condition. It is officially called "reactive hypoglycemia". Here is a link to the condition and the recommended approaches to deal with it. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778 For the majority of people, reactive hypoglycemia usually doesn't require medical treatment. It may help to pay attention to the timing and composition of your meals: * Eat several small meals and Snacks throughout the day, no more than three hours apart during the waking hours. * Eat a well-balanced diet, including lean and nonmeat sources of Protein, and high-Fiber foods, including whole grains, fruit and vegetables. * Avoid or limit sugary foods, especially on an empty stomach. * Be sure to eat food if you're consuming alcohol and avoid using sugary soft drinks as mixers.

I've sure found them this week. Gained two lbs. Let's see BBQ beef or pork every night. Baked potato with goodies. (What do you mean, potato is not a vegetable?????) Multiple alcoholic drinks during the cooking part. Takes so long to cook, potato chips and dip are in order. And ice cream. Don't forget the ice cream. I have good restriction. I have bad habits! :hungry: Oh, well, summer is nearly over and indoor cooking will happen again. Sigh!

When it comes to alcohol it depends on what mood my band is, to what I can drink. See my doc has never said drinking was bad so I drink on occasion when going out etc. Since being banded I have become a big wine person. Maybe you can try to find a sweeter wine. I prefer a sweeter white wine which is nice with meals. If you cant find one or dont want to try, here are a few suggestions. White russian Baileys and milk Vodka and orange juice Vodka and cranberry juice grapefruit juice and vodka Pina Colada Bloody Mary martinis Whiskey sour Amaretto Sour Happy Anniversary

I can tell you that my favorite alcohol beverage is... beer ? Although, I get very mixed responses when asking people, Dr's, etc... about carbonation. My nutritionist said it was okay in moderation, and that the carbonation shouldn't really be a problem after 6 months. Some people say you can never sip a diet coke or beer ever again. If getting healthy means I have to sacrifice beer for the rest of my life, so be it, but I wouldn't mind the occasional microbrew every now and again...

Had my post 3 months follow up with my surgeon. I'm happy and he is happy! I lost 50% of my excess weight My labs are now Perfect! (only exception is my Thyroid, an ongoing issue for me) Prior my op, I was heading towards Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Now my liver is happy too Prior my op, I was getting to a pre-diabetic stage. Now my Pancreas and blood sugar levels are also happy My cholesterol levels are getting healthy My hair has thickened and growing like crazy Although I no longer have reflux, due to Nexium PPI, I was told I need to stay on it for 12 months. I follow all the guidelines and recommendations from my surgeon, my dietician (NUT) and my bariatric psychologist. Sometimes it is hard for me to get all the Protein and calories, only when I get stressed. I was told to force myself to eat, and keep having regular meals I still battle/deal with my Graves Disease. Once my weight stabilises, hopefully my life will be easier in this respect My favourite exercises are dancing and walking My face is now defined, and I can see my waist coming back I laugh more The New Chapter in My Life has started, and for that I am very, very grateful I had to wait 9 months for this surgery, due to my thyroid auto-immune disease. I was supposed to be sleeved last July 2015. Finally sleeved 8th March 2016. No regrets, just massive gratefulness

I read on here (I think) that holding an alcohol swab under your nose helps get rid of nausea. I tried it in the hospital and it definitely worked for me. I keep a couple of the little swab packets handy and open one and wave it under my nose whenever I need to alleviate nausea. Now that I'm 5 days post op, the need to use them has diminished significantly.

Alcohol is metabolised by the small intestine, but primarily affects the liver. Legally it leaves your system in 5 hours but metabolically 10 hours. Do you really NEED to drink alcohol? Which is more important?

Just my PERSONAL opinion but a life with out alcohol is NO life! I had one glass of champagne on my pre surgery diet to toast the New Year at mid night and my liver was fine for surgery. Wednesday will be two weeks from my surgery and I celebrated the end of of surviving my first week back at work (working over 60 hours) with 3 glasses of wine on Saturday. I was down 11 lbs at the dr visit today. could I have been down 12 if I had cut out 270 calories of wine...maybe, but the point is, it wasn't worth it to ME. I have been overweight my entire life and if it takes me 4 years to get to my goal weight that is fine with me. Just because I enjoy alcohol does not mean I am not ready for this surgery. I might not ever get to a size 6 but if I can loose 20 more lbs and keep it off longer than two seconds that will be a miracle as far as I am concerned.

Two weeks of parades, parties, and fun. Two weeks of ALCOHOL and FOOD shoved in your face at every turn...... But, this year will be different. I won't be partaking in King Cakes, fried chicken, snack foods, and lots of adult beverages.... I will be able to march parade routes 6-7 miles long as a chaperone for my son's high school band (that's a first bc i couldnt do that 100+ pounds ago). And I may be partaking in sugar free Jell-O shots the night I'll be riding in a parade..... If you're coming to New Orleans, remember to yell, "Throw Me Something, Mister!"

I have read that after WLS we are very susceptible to liver damage because of how quickly the alcohol travels through our system into the liver . Just what I have picked up on various Bariatric sites. Good luck on your journey.