Search the Community

Thanks everyone! I ended up telling my two friends tonight that my sister was making me dinner and I would come meet them afterwards. I got there when they were done eating, I ordered a virgin, frozen, strawberry margarita and only had 1 or 2 sips. I really ordered it so they wouldn't think something was up and I told them I wasn't drinking alcohol tonight because I still wasn't feeling great (I had told people I was sick with a GI bug/flu during surgery and recovery). I hate all the lies, but I don't think it is really anyone's business either. They, of course, had chips and guac at the table and kept asking me if I wanted any. It was surprisingly easy to say no. When I got home I had some sugar free jell-o

I am also feeling like backing out. My banding is scheduled for Oct. 14 and my family is not all that supportive. They don't get why I can't just stop eating and exercise without this. I am also worried about no alcohol because I like to have a beer now and then. :-(

11 days out and I can't even think about a drink of coffee! I will say I had a band before this and in the beginning alcohol didn't effect me the same. I think I was so paranoid I'd get stupid drunk or vomit I tricked my brain to stay sober. But seriously. Alcohol is just sugar calories. What's the point?

I just had my surgery 10 days ago and already had a few shots of Patron two different times (no preaching please I know its wrong) but what I wanted to put out there was I heard everyone(including research I read) say they get a buzz much quicker now but both times I was on an empty stomach (neither time bothered my stomach) and I could NOT get a buzz period 1st time I did 5 total shots over a 1.5 hr period..NOTHING and the second time same thing only 8 shots over two hours..NOTHING I was always a beer drinkier before not any more but 3 shots of patron would always give me a huge buzz now straight alcohol on a empty stomach has no effect on me. Again I dont need anyone to tell me how bad I am being please just let me know if any one else has experienced this tolerance to alcohol after the sleeve? Thank you, Jr

Regardless of whether you "feel buzzed," after two hours of drinking 8 shots (12 ounces) of hard liquor (50% / 100 proof), your blood alcohol level was 0.34%. I used this blood alcohol level calculator, estimating your weight at 300 pounds: http://oade.nd.edu/educate-yourself-alcohol/blood-alcohol-concentration/bac-calculator/ At 0.25% - 0.39% blood alcohol levels, you will experience "alcohol poisoning; loss of consciousness." At 0.40% BAC, you will experience: "onset of coma; possible death due to respiratory arrest." Reference for these facts: http://oade.nd.edu/educate-yourself-alcohol/blood-alcohol-concentration/ You might want to do some more study about how massive amounts of alcohol can kill you. Or not. Your choice.

I assume most of us had to attend nutrition and pre-surgery classes as part of this process. In our class, I think I could pick out a couple of people who are not going to be very successful. After being told that we could have neither alcohol nor carbonated drinks, one woman declared that she will NOT give up champagne. Another one said that her hectic schedule meant she had to eat fast food, and that would not change after surgery (which reminded me of "My 600-Pound Life). I'm not saying that I'm going to be a saint and never cheat, but I can't understand why you would be doing this if you were going in with the intention of cheating. Am I being too judgy?

I have a food addiction too. The thing is, you can't quit eating, like smoking or drinking alcohol and unhealthy food is all around us, I just drove by a billboard showing a McDonald's burger and I wanted one, I wasn't hungry BUT that burger looked good!!! Life is hard and this is probably the hardest thing you (all of us) will go thru that is truly our OWN obstacle, not our spouses or kids, so that in itself is tough, especially if you always put others first. Well good luck everyone, the struggle goes on.

Congratulations on taking steps to get healthy! You will likely have no problem qualifying. Usually most insurance companies will approve a person with a BMI over 40 as long as you follow their requirements. Jumping through all the hoops is a pain but in the end you learn a lot along the way. I am glad to see you are excited! I know I felt the same way going in, the morning of surgery felt like Christmas morning for me. I was very ill and knew this was literally going to save my life in the long term for me. There are things you can do now that will set you up for success post surgery: - begin removing as much sugar from your diet -if you smoke, quit now, you will be required to and it gets hard changing everything all at once -if you drink carbonated beverages now, stop. You won't be able to ever again post surgery. -if you drink caffeine, try to ween yourself off if it. You will need to for a period of time. If you can live without it, even better. Caffeine dehydrates you and post surgery it is difficult to get hydrated properly -if you drink alcohol, you will need to stop that as well. It hampers your weight loss and your body changes post surgery to where you can become drunk very quickly. My surgeon had me sign a contract stating I would not drink for the first year. Not hard for me I only drank a handful of times within a year. -start drinking lots of calorie free liquids. 64 oz. per day - start walking everyday for 30 minutes. - remove distractions while eating so you can pay attention to how your tummy is getting full. Along with this eat slowly over the span of 20 minutes to no longer than 30 minutes. This will become important post surgery. -this one is harder than you think to do but nothing to drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. Once you have surgery this becomes much easier unless you eat a lot of spicy food. These don't all have to to be accomplished at once but these are a lot of the changes required. For me, I had 9 months to work at them so by the time I got to surgery day, life was a lot easier to adapt to! best of luck to you and feel free to reach out with questions!

I'm at 5.8 cc in a 10cc band. Yes that's a concrete number but I think the 'tightness' also varies by patient. I've read that some people have up to 8 or 9 cc's in their 10cc band. For you to still be gaining weight - do you keep track of every single bite that you eat and sip that you drink (including ice cream and/or alcohol)? Are you doing any nibbling with the 3 year olds snacks? Taste testing the temperatures? That will add up. Do you have a mfp account that we can look at your diary entries? What does your calories count look like? How's your protein intake? Do you eat protein first? If you're getting stuck with everything you're eating and chewing it really well then yes, I'd say you're too tight. Are you taking small bites to begin with? My fiancé cuts up my meat as if I was a 3 year old - actually maybe even smaller than that lol. I try my best to take the proper portion and eat it slowly one bite at a time. Could you be eating too few calories to where your metabolism has slowed to a crawl? I know if I don't eat enough protein I'll be super hungry really quickly. I know if I eat too little the scale will slow down too or make me gain. If all else fails - have you had your thyroid tested recently? Could your gain be due to a hormonal issue?

Excellent analysis of hte problem. I went on line and took the low thyroid test and I have like 9 out of 10 symtoms.... losing hair, dry skin so bad that it turns white if I don't lotion up daily, I don't tolerate heat or cold, I had a very hard time conceiving my 3 babies, and the house temp is 70 and my feet are freezing!!! I'm tired with no energy. But whenever I have my thyroid tested with blood tests it comes up low normal. It's at the very bottom of the normal scale. I haven't had it tested in a while though. Last time I went to the weight loss clinic they did an xray of me swallowing the chalky stuff. They said it was fine. They then sent me to a nutritionalist who told me to go back on the South Beach. I've been on Atkins and South Beach for 8 yrs now and I'm sick of it. I get sick just looking at eggs in the morning. How long can a human stay on a diet?? I cannot stay on it but I do try to eat protein with every meal because it satisfies. The Lean Cuisine meal had little protein. So it didn't keep me long. I'm thinking I just have to get used to being hungry. I ended up getting up at 2 a.m. and eating a banana. I had heartburn so bad and I think it was from not eating and taking my pills. I have not kept a journal. We eat out a lot because we travel. We have family in just about every state in the US. I try to pick healthy things though. Today we took Lily to Wendy's for lunch. I ordered the chicken wrap. I left the wrap and just ate the chicken and I could feel it getting clogged so I stopped, wrapped it up and finished it at home where I could upchuck if I had to. The chicken was tender but thick. For Breakfast I eat soft because I can't tolerate much at all. I take 3 graham crackers and put thick natural Peanut Butter on them... makes a sandwich and a half. I dip it in coffee to soften it. That's all I eat until 12 or 1. Then I will eat Soup, or a Protein shake or egg salad on whole wheat crackers. I can't tolerate bread at all. For supper... that's where I think I overeat. It's like I'm so hungry from not eating enough during he day that I'm familished. I make family meals... meatloaf, potatoes and veggies and eat all but the potatoes (sometiimes do take a bit.) Yes, I sometimes taste Lily's Cookies. I buy her those tiny tiny ones... tidbits. I'll eat about 4. Before bed I eat a Skinny Cow icecream, but I smear the natural peanut butter on top so I get the protein to keep me til morning. If we eat out I like to order Chicken Souvaki or a salad with chicken on top. We have a great soup and salad bar place we like. Sometimes I crave pizza. We go to Pizza Hut and get the thin crispy crust and i eat one piece. I do not imbibe in alcohol except 1 glass of wine on New Years Eve. I drink decaf coffee in the a.m. with cremora (no sweetener), Decaf tea in the afternoon, Another coffee an hour after dinner, and Water the rest of the time. Have I been getting exercise? Not since my foot surgery in Sept. I can walk now and we just joined a gym.

Do any of your Protein drinks contain sugar alcohols like Maltitol? Or sucralose? Some people are sensitive to sugar alcohols and have bowel issues. If so, you might try experimenting with a product that has no sugar alcohols and see if it makes a difference. \ I hope you find relief soon.

Hello All! I am new to the bariatrics community, I have done research for the past 10 months have pulled the trigger to go ahead with bariatric surgery. I am scheduled to meet my doctor on December 15th, 2016. After many months of research i have gained comfort on choosing the gastric sleeve procedure (of course if my doctor agrees that it is suitable). I have never been so ready to change my eating habits and lifestyle... The reason I have created this post is to find out more about social drinking after gs. I am 20 years old and as my first appointment is approaching I find myself fearful of having to let go of my "partying days". On average I usually go clubbing once or twice every few months, and I won't lie... I definitely enjoy getting a little bit inebriated. I know all the risks of alcohol abuse post op and i am emphasize on the fact that i am not a big drinker, but on those special occasions, i really do enjoy having some extra fun. So my questions are... has anyone else felt this way? What is it like being drunk after gs? Does it feel the same as pre-op? I'm so happy to have found this forum, where other people my age may be able to relate to me and give really great advice. If you have anything else too add, I would love to know! Thank you!

If that were the case, about the sugar alcohols, then it seems like the protein shakes would also be causing problems.

Here's my newsflash. Think about what kind of a drinker you are. In a most small groups, or at home, I have absolutely no trouble with "one and done" or even none. (I work in nonprofits, so I think we "socially" drink more than most professions. One of my board members just shot me a note about our meeting tonight telling me that he will remember a corkscrew this time. Yup.) However, if I get in the right kind of party situation..walking around, chatting, catching up, no repercussions from being unprofessional or people watching to see what I'm doing? I have discovered that I forget myself. So this may totally not apply to you but I would highly recommend that you give your individual habits and tendencies some thought before you imbibe, especially in public. For me, just knowing how the alcohol would affect me didn't prepare me for being on good behavior. I'd been doing so well that I relaxed way too much. This is the other side of whether you're ready. I was not, completely.

I told my wife and my parents and that's it. I have two young kids and even though I went to surgery, was laid out for a few days and have lost 50 pounds since, they haven't noticed. I have a high profile job and just didn't want all the attention or to have to deal with everyone's questions. I think your average person just doesn't understand this. When people ask what I'm doing to lose the weight, I say "high Protein, low carb, small portions and very little alcohol." All 100% true. Since people typically don't like that answer, they just shrug their shoulders and say something like "good for you." BTW, as part of my job, I'm frequently out at business lunches and dinners. For the first 2 months post opp, I really avoided them, but now I go all the time. Everyone's so busy stuffing themselves, they hardly recognize how little I eat. I just order something that reasonably fits into the prescribed diet and then pick at it slowly. At some point the waiter passes by and I say "you can take my plate". He scoops it up (1/3 eaten) and that's it. Personally I was really worried about all this, but it's fine. And bigger parties with buffets are even easier -- you just nibble unnoticed. Totally respect those that told the world but I'm really a private person, so that's not my thing.

I'm not planning on binge drinking. I plan on getting buzzed and staying there, as I have had some hard times controlling alcohol (only drank a handful of times, and the past couple times I've been able to recognize when I need to stop to feel in control. Tipsy, not wasted). From what I hear, people's tolerances are lowered, so maybe getting buzzed off 6 drinks, 2 drinks now might get you hammered. From what I hear, alcohol tends to replace food addictions, which I had so I am well aware of it. I'm more worried about medically though, over mentally. How well can my body handle carbonation from a beer or champagne? I was looking forward to drinking champagne. I haven't had any carbonation since, as I heard it fucks up with your stomach. Has anyone had any experiences with carbonated alcohol and want to give insight?

The anesthesia, the pain meds, and having my mouth open so long during surgery did this to me too. I don't know if it is the same with yours without looking in your mouth. I was so bad that water or anything else would not help. It took away all my saliva to the point where a few days after surgery a layer of my oral mucosa pealed off including the papilla (hair like taste buds) on the top of my tongue. That was actually a good thing. After getting rid of the tissue that had been dried out too long, things quickly went back to normal. Try a very mild cough drop. I used rootbeer flavored one from walgreens. One thing to keep in mind is to not use Listerine while you have this dry mouth because it is very high in alcohol and will only dry you out more.

I was sleeved on 12/28. It took about 4 days for the majority of the pain to go away. Three days later I was back at work with no pain. Be careful about what you eat. I didn't know it, but I was causing myself gas pains by eating sugar free popsicles (they contain sugar alcohols that my stomach didn't like) and sugar free Jell-O (don't know what sugar substitute they use, but my stomach didn't like it either). The only thing I could safely eat for the 1st 2 weeks was low carb protein shakes, cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup.

I think you are asking about the list of Comorbidities that Factor into Bariatric Surgery Eligibility if you have a BMI of 35 or greater. Here is a small sample list Serious comorbidities include: Type II diabetes mellitus Obstructive sleep apnea Pseudotumor cerebri Less serious comorbidities include: Hypertension Dyslipidemias Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis Venous stasis disease Significant impairment in activities of daily living Intertriginous soft tissue infections Stress urinary incontinence Gastroesophageal reflux disease Weight-related arthropathies which impair physical activity Obesity-related psychosocial stress You will also need to check with your insurance company if they cover WLS and then check the requirements needed to qualify. Hope this helps. This Forum is also a great resouce and great people that helps. Good luck

It's more likely it's due to being properly hydrated now. Although cutting sugars, alcohols and caffeine will help out to some extent (depending on the research you are looking at) as well, but I feel the majority of it is due to folks actually paying attention to and consuming the proper amounts of water.

When can u have a alcoholic beverage?

Thanks for the advice on the soda...I really don't do it that much. If I have 1 Diet Mtn Dew a week I'm lucky. I used to easily drink 4-5 cans a day before my banding. Now I mostly drink Crystal Lite or water. As far as the alcohol I'm a social drinker and that's far and few between. I'll usually drink Vodka Cranberry to avoid the carbonation. I used to drink whiskey and seven up but I don't want the carbonation...especially in public. Again I don't do it often. I really think I am going at a good pace and I'm sure once summer comes around I'll be more active outside and that will help even more.

You can do this! I smoked for 22 years. During the last 15 of those years, I was smoking 3 packs or more a day. If I took the elevator from one floor to another, I needed to have my smokes with me in case the cable broke. If I wasn't dead, I was gonna smoke! SO... If I can quit smoking, the devil himself can – and so can you! I've been smoke-free for 19 years now, but I remember my addiction as if it were yesterday. Aside from marrying my wife, having a child, and now having bariatric surgery, I still consider quitting smoking as one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. Okay, Here are some tips: Sipping citrus drinks helps curb cravings. Since fruit juices are forbidden after WLS, perhaps Crystal Light lemonade will work. Quick intakes of breath also curb cravings. If you need to suck on something (since candy will be off limits), try cutting a soda straw to roughly cigarette length. Then stuff it with two coffee stirrers to give it a "draw". There's some satisfaction to be had there. For a week or two after surgery, all of your routines will be broken. That also breaks your smoking routines and makes quitting a little easier. I quit the day I had my hip replaced. Do not drink alcohol! Whenever someone tells me they quit and then started smoking again, I ask if they had an adult beverage in their hand when they had that first smoke. 100% say yes! The good news is that you're not supposed to drink booze on this program anyway, so that should help. And finally, nicotine cravings only last 30 seconds or less. At first they keep coming, but each day that passes, the cravings get weaker, and the time between them gets longer. You can tolerate anything for 30 seconds, right? Keeping this concept front-and-center really helped me make it through. Good luck -- you can do it! And imagine the double-health benefit you will achieve. You'll feel so much better!!!

I saw this on another forum and thought it worthy to share as it has all the great information and advice we all need for the journey! it is written by Mellissa Gangi and what I had wished I had been told from the very beginning. Sleeve Tips: I'm 10 months post op today and along this journey, so far, I've seen a lot of the same questions or concerns from many. I thought these tips could help! 1. Take preop photos... you'll want them! 2. Protein shakes...I used isopure protein powder and scooped it into 2 oz. of water (u can add ice and blend too) to drink in my immediate postop period. It was much less to drink at a sitting and you still got in your protein. It would take me over an hour to drink each one, but way easier to me. Plus, isopure has multiple flavors and it was reasonably priced. I bought off Amazon. Also, Genepro is an unflavored protein powder that is very popular. It can be added to pretty much anything. The scoop is tiny and it gives 30g of protein per scoop. I use it daily in my morning coffee but if adding it to hot liquids you have to add creamer 1st to cool it down or it will clump up or dissolve in a little warm water 1st then add... the directions are on the bag. It is not completely unflavored and it has a smell to it, but most of us get used to it quickly. Your body can only absorb up to 30g of protein per serving, so anything more than that at once will be wasted and it doesn't count towards your daily goals! 3. STALLS happen...stick to your plan and the scale will move again! You most likely will be losing inches during that time. They can last a few weeks...especially the 3 week stall. The further you are out they may even last longer and at that point you may have to shake things up a bit, maybe a day or 2 most increase your carbs then go back to your plan. Don't get discouraged and try to just be patient. 4. No NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, aleve, motrin, etc...) they can cause ulcers...tylenol products are ok and Excedrin Tension is ok (great for headaches) it has tylenol and caffeine in it, no aspirin like the other excedrin products. Also, peppermint oil rubbed on your temples help for headaches. 5. Fluid intake...atleast 64 oz of non caffeinated, non carbonated, sugar free fluids but the rule of thumb is drink half of your body weight in ounces. 6. Caffeine and alcohol...follow your surgeons orders. They both can dehydrate you and cause ulcers in the beginning of your journey. And alcohol may affect you differently postop, so be careful. Absorbtion changes postop. 7. Transfer addictions...a lot of bariatric patients give up food for other addictions like shopping and alcohol. Be mindful. 8. Increased chance of pregnancy after surgery. You can be much more fertile. Even if you had problems with it preop. 9. Increased divorce rates postop...I have looked into this because I was curious as to why. I have found that it does indeed increase, but the majority of the couples that do have had issues preop and the spouse that had surgery loses the weight, increases their self esteem and simply won't stand for the same behavior anymore. 10. Sugar/Carbs...1st and foremost, follow your plan. There are reasons why your surgeon and/or nutritionist gives you one, especially while healing and it takes approximately 6 weeks for your tummy to heal. After you are advanced to a "regular" diet, usually about 2 month postop, yes you can eat some sweets or carbs but in moderation. Always try to get your protein in 1st, though. I have chosen to stay away from sugar and certain carbs. I don't crave them, so why reintroduce them. I know me, and moderation is hard for me. 11. Everyone's weightloss journey is different. Try not to compare yourself to the next person. It's hard not to, I know! But their weight, height, sex, medical history all plays a part of it. If you do what you should be doing, you'll lose! 12. Dumping and The Foamies... Dumping occurs when your new tummy just doesn't agree with something you consumed. Dumping occurs more in bypass patients but it can occur with sleeves, also. Symptoms can include sudden vomiting, diarrhea, and increased heart rate and last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The Foamies... you'll know what this is if you get it. It's a lot of phlegm that is produced in your esophagus all of a sudden. It can happen if you eat or drink too fast, or take in too much, or drink right after eating...wait to drink atleast 30 minutes after eating. Plus, if you drink with eating or too close afterwards you flush the food through your belly too fast and you're not absorbing nutrients. 13. Take your vitamins and get in your protein daily! This will not only help your weightloss and prevent vitamin deficiency but it will help with the sunken in look when you lose weight. I was told 60-90g of protein daily, but follow your drs orders. I take 2 flintstones with iron chewables a day because I couldn't tolerate the prescribed multivitamin, in addition to calcium with d3, and magnesium and b12. 14. Gas ex chewables, heating pads, and walking help big time for your gas pains. When I woke up from this surgery I thought I was having a heart attack because the gas was causing chest pains. Also, use the incentive spirometry in the immediate postop period. Anesthesia affects your lungs and it takes 72 hours to completely wear off so the breathing exercises help strengthen them and prevent pneumonia. 15. Heartburn...omeprazole works so well for me. My surgeon prescribed it from day 1 and I love it. 16. Postop hormones... your body almost goes into shock in the 1st 6 weeks or so after surgery from the major changes to it. You may feel different mentally...it does get better but if it's bad talk to your dr about it. 17. Medications... your body can change postop. The same medications you were on preop may be absorbed differently postop so if you notice changes talk to your dr. They may need to be adjusted. And extended release meds may not work as well. 18. Tracking your intake keeps you honest. I love the baritastic app. It also has recipes for all the stages and reminders. 19. Head hunger vs real hunger. This is a lifestyle change, your body needs much less calories postop but you have to retrain your brain. It may take time and that's normal. If you fall off the wagon one day...oh well...get back on it the next. We are all human. Don't get discouraged. Just pick yourself back up. 20. Complications can happen. If your body starts feeling different...new onset pains, nausea, vomiting, passing out, food feeling stuck in esophagus, etc...call your surgeon. You're always better safe than sorry. 21. Abbreviations... HW your highest weight SW what you weighed on your surgery day GW your goal weight CW what you weigh currently NSV non scale victory Nut nutritionist VSG vertical sleeve gastrectomy (sleeve surgery) RNY roux-en-Y (gastric bypass) DS duodenal switch surgery 22. Hair loss or thinning happens. But, it will grow back. I thinned starting at about 4 months. It can last months. Many take biotin supplements for it, I didn't. 23. Get ready to be cold! You're body is changing, it's almost in shock so invest in a Comfy, like me, or electric blanket to keep warm lol. 24. What to bring to the hospital for your surgery stay...a long phone charger, chapstick, your phone, comfy pjs, slippers, a robe, earbuds, and a list of your medical history, surgeries, allergies, and medications with dosages. Others add gas ex chewables but I'm an RN and don't recommend taking any meds from home without the nurses or drs knowledge. Some also say a heating pad to help with gas pains, but walking is best. Also, remember to hug a pillow if you cough or sneeze. It will help! 25. Constipation! It is a part of this journey, unfortunately. The only thing that helps me, and this is not conventional, is sugar free hard candies. A few of those babies (no more than 5 or you'll hate me) and you'll be going within 12 hours. The sugar alcohols do it for me. But, more conventional approaches are benefiber packets, smooth move tea, or miralax. And there's diarrhea in the beginning...liquids in, liquids out. But your 1st bowel movement may take awhile...its all normal. 26. Ketosis...when you cut out sugar and go low carb you're body goes into a state of ketosis. This is a metabolic state that now uses fat for energy, instead of carbs. It aids in weightloss, but has some side effects like bad breath, body odor, bowel changes, fatigue at 1st but then increased energy the longer you're in it, and insomnia. Those side effects will decrease over time so just invest in mouthwash for the meantime! I know this is a lot, but hopefully it helps! If I missed anything, feel free to chime in. Best of luck to everyone!

Alcohol is certainly not beneficial in the direct sense of weight loss. I'll say this, though.....I've lost almost 170 pounds and enjoying myself. If that means having some Tito's vodka on the rocks with a splash of cranberry then so be it. I'm going to have fun and enjoy myself. Turning loose and relaxing a bit helps keep me on track. I stay fairly strict on the "Protein first & normally only" eating. On a cruise this week and killing the lobster, shrimp, steak and Breakfast Proteins.....but also having fun. Making sure I get some productive gym time in daily, too.