Search the Community

Ask for your cocktail as a "tall" where the ratio of mixer to alcohol is greater which would minimize the alcohol effect. I like grapefruit and vodka.

Wondering what folks are doing in terms of drinking. If I want to go for a night out, but don't want to get plastered what can I drink if I don't do beer or wine? Beer is too fizzy and wine puts me to sleep, so I stick to low calorie mixed drinks, problem is they tend to be way stronger so over a couple hours I can easily have more than I want. Anyone have any low cal / low alcohol mixed drinks?

Many centers/surgeons sell Bariatric-marketed products as a revenue stream for them, not because they’re better or necessary, but instead to make $$. IMO, don’t waste your money on new vitamins that are equivalent to the ones you already have. I got caught up in the madness and purchased chewable and dissolving vitamins prior to surgery, but then afterwards they made me nauseous or caused me to throw up because they contained Sugar Alcohols. Post-bypass, SAs no longer agree with me. You don’t need to worry about vitamins the first month post-op; instead, your #1 priority should be on getting more than 64 oz of fluids each day. Then after the first month you should be able to take vitamins in pill form, but preferably one at a time, not a big handful like what you may have done pre-wls. And the large pills may need to be cut in half. REMINDER: Iron, calcium, and thyroid medication need to all be taken separate from each other (2-4 hours apart) as they will impede absorption if taken together.

I totally agree Lee, losing the amount of weight we did required a massive amount of self denial and re-adjustment to eating. I do understand that fast food has become such an issue that its almost up there addiction wise to drugs/alcohol/cigs etc. I am in maintenance mode so i do allow myself the odd moment of home cooked treats like a fruit cake, or home baked oat Cookies but i control the calories and the ingredients, it is mainly made only with wholewheat flour, there is no fat added or extra sugar so i dont feel food like this is addictive or harmful, i make any recipe i cook as healthy as possible, it seems to work for me and taste much better than anything i can buy in the shops.

There isn't doubt that I have changed since my surgery. Some people may tell you I have changed for the worse. Others, myself included, will say I have changed for the better. I am certainly more confident, and I have become less tolerant of being treated poorly. I have had to readjust some friendships and relationships along they way as I realised how some were not that good for me. Those people may well say that my WLS changed me for the worse. I know that I am now more authentic, honest and true to myself. It is hard to measure our own behaviour by other people's expectations. All we can do is be honest with ourselves. As for the alcohol, we are all different. I drink alcohol, I regularly have a glass of wine with dinner. I occasionally over indulge (the last two weeks have been particularly over indulgent!) but I do not see any difference with tolerating alcohol post sleeve. Certainly this was the case when I first had a drink about eight weeks after surgery but over time this normalised and it is no different for me now. I just factor it in like any other calorie that I have to burn. I know there are all sorts of stories about cross addiction with food to alcohol post WLS. Certainly there is some evidence to indicate a risk for individuals with addictive type personality ,family history of addiction and so on. Remember of course that the plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'. There are definitely stories, trends, and indications but little in the way of double blind randomized controlled trials on addiction transfer post bariatric surgery. I do not consider I had a food addiction prior to WLS. If you consider you do, then it may well be wise to avoid alcohol post surgery. Only you will know what is right for you here as only you will truly be able identify whether you have addiction.

After WLS, booze is different. Your metabolism is obviously much different and alcohol hits you different. My buddy's mom had bypass and her "wine with dinner" turned into full bore alcoholism in seemingly no time at all. For me, I made the decision to become a tea totaler. I always enjoyed the flavors and feeling of a fine adult beverage. But with this new stomach, I really dont see much benefit there to outweigh the risk.

So many excellent points, @@VSGAnn2014! (As always.) Just to close out my last post... I don't disagree that it's the responsibility of the one going under the knife to learn everything they can about the surgery and the long road ahead. But the "When can I have pizza?" question from those who are only a few weeks or months out indicate that the education portion of their program has not been effective. Maybe that's a better way to say it. Now, on to your question... I think driving through to goal weight and having some degree of success in maintenance requires a single-minded focus on the prize. We didn't get heavy through self-discipline, but that's what it takes to get thin. Other factors: Not merely fear of failure, we all have that going into surgery, but some degree of terror of the "slippery slope" that certain foods might put us on. Accept that the 12-18 month window for optimizing our weight loss is real and must be used to its full advantage. I was told by my doc that it takes the 12-18 months to inculcate the good eating habits. Learn quickly from our missteps. If we eat just two bites of cake, but then eat a whole slice the next day, then we know that the two bites were a bad idea and we shouldn't do that again. Certain foods are never going to be a good idea for us, and the list is different for everyone. But my doc told us that ice cream and fruit juices should always be avoided as pure empty sugar calories -- the ultimate slider foods. Realize that alcohol is not only empty calories, but can also lead to poor eating choices. I've done an informal poll of everyone I know (including myself) who quit smoking and then started again. 95% to 100% had an alcoholic beverage in their hand when they took that first puff. I finally quit smoking permanently 20 years ago when I became terrified to have even one puff. It's the same with food! Stress and boredom eating are real. Stress and loss don't cause me to eat, but watching TV does. Many of my friends go for the comfort of food when stressed. We're always going to have a certain amount of stress in our lives, so finding non-food coping mechanisms is crucial to our weight loss success. The ability to embrace our well-deserved success, look forward to the new slimmer/healthier self, believe what we see in the mirror, and don't look over our shoulders waiting for our former selves to pull us back. There are many more reasons, but that will suffice for now.

I have not taken the time to share my story, as a matter of fact I have still not changed my Facebook pictures, or the ones of me at work. food. I believe I had an actual addiction to food, the same as an addict, I didn't see it as an issue... But now I realize that I had a problem. I eat to live now, instead of living to eat. The surgery helped by taking away the cravings, but I worry that if I reintroduce things like breads, fried foods, and other crap, I will develop the addiction again, just as if an alcoholic was to just have " 1 drink". It is a disease, with horrible side effects including low self confidence, depression, and humiliation. I have made it my mission to find healthy foods, and replace all of my old favs, with healthy... And what I call, feel good foods. An FG food is one that I can eat comfortably, and they just basically feel good. for me, my list of items that I probably have a little of everyday would include... Chobani Flips. (190-210 cal, 12 gram protein)... These are my go to, if I haven't eaten in a while and am hungry, I can put this down a bit faster, and the size is pretty perfect for a meal. Love them all! Pickles- (0-5 cals) I love the spicy pickles, but I can eat them all. Pickles have become a regular snack in my life. Spears, slices, whatever, they all rock! Soup, soup, and more soup!!! My souls have been a huge part of my success. I make a huge crock of soup and it lasts me weeks. You can freeze some, but always have some in the fridge ready to microwave. I make a few varieties, but the basis is always the same. chicken broth base, cut with Water. Chicken or Cod fish, yep... I said fish! My family hates the smell of my "fish soup" but I loved it! However if you are not a big fish can just go with chicken. Vegetables- carrots, onions, mushrooms, kale, spinach, and even Brussels sprouts... Whatever you like and then I would spice it up with Cayenne and red pepper flakes, I even used Sriracha at times. This soup has been a staple for me since the 3rd month post, and I still make a lot here and there now. It was just great for me to grab a coffee cup, fill it, microwave it, and enjoy it. I pushed myself to walk, and then I started "1 TED" lol. That means 1 thing every day. If it was parking in the back of the parking lot when at a store, or walking down the street and back when going to pick up the mail, I would just push to do 1 thing, which then would keep except use in the front of my mind. Get an Apple Watch or Fitbit, make goals and hit them! What I learned is that we are capable of so much! When you are used to walking around with an additional 100 plus, your body has been working out for a long time. Now when the weight is gone, you still have that strong frame. Put it to work! I made some new friends that are athletic, I try and play Pickleball ( the game kicks ass, combo of tennis, volleyball, & ping pong) instead of cardio... I want to transition to a healthy lifestyle, not a 30 minute gym session that I won't be looking forward to. Think of your weight loss as a super power, but only if you stick to the guidelines. This works for me, and I believe it to be a super power... Let me explain. Since the weight loss, the world has been easier for me. I can go to an amusement park and get on the rides. I can fly on a plane and not need an extension. I can walk into a crowded bar and not start sweating my ass off! I can buy clothes at a normal store, and with actual brand names on them. I can tie my damn shoes, and without holding my breathe! I can sit in any chair, and not just the ones without sides... I can even sit in the plastic ones. Woman treat me so differently! I am no longer just the funny guy... Even though I haven't changed! Life has just become much easier, much better, and much healthier, and I never want to go back, so I will continue to treat it as an addiction and will not look to be able to re introduce "everything" back into my eating habits, but instead I will work to find better foods. The nice thing about eating less, is that you can afford to buy smaller portions allowing for better quality foods. Take advantage of that! I always have almonds in the house, and I love veggie chips, especially the jalepeno, but now I grab a handful and walk away... If I want another handful, I will go get it at 30 cals, per handful, but I am going to force myself to get up and walk to the kitchen to get a handful I feel so lucky to have had this surgery, and if I can help you in anyway let me know! I hope you have found this helpful, I know that writing it has helped me... So thanks! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

There are two or three threads out there specifically titled "You can gain weight" so yes, it's entirely possible. As for the stomach stretching like that? NO WAY. But you don't need a stretchy stomach if you choose to eat high calorie foods that slide. It's easy to consume enough soda, alcohol, ice cream or even chips and Cookies to gain weight if you choose to do so. No, not immediately post op. But definitely in maintenance. The sleeve relies on restriction. If you eat around the restriction, it's as if you never had a surgery. That said, I think it takes effort. It means completely ignoring everything you know is right. It means indulging in self destructive behavior. It means that instead of eating a pizza in a sitting, eating a piece every single time you have room. And you'll know what you're doing. You won't be able to mindlessly eat an extra thousand calories at dinner because you won't have room. You'd have to choose to do it. It's a tired line but no less true for that: The sleeve is a tool. Just a tool. How you use it is entirely up to you. Overcoming bad habits and being honest with yourself about what/how you eat is critical for long term success. ~Cheri

When I told her I was going through with the band, she said no alcohol ever again. Then explained the liver stuff. Then said "I'm basically trying to to put the fear of God in you"....mmk.

This is how I explained it to my (slim) husband: it's as if someone is an alcoholic and you tell them, "I know you're addicted to alcohol, but you're going to have to drink it every day for the rest of your life, only it's up to you to make sure that you drink only a reasonable amount and that you keep yourself from overdoing it."

ive never been much of a drinker. im the type that has a social drink 2 or 3x a year. when did you have your first sip of alcohol? when did your dr say it was ok? i asked my nurse practioner and she told me to wait a few weeks because my tummy just healed from a leak. i wasnt going to drink anyway but i was just curjous if i had an ok.

That was a great explanation...never heard that from my doctor! I'm having a hard time with the alcohol myself....

My doc said no alcohol for 6 months, no carbonation, period. He gave the same explanation the one in the video did. He also explained that one drink has the power of about 3 because you are drinking on an empty stomach.

I acted like I had just had the surgery done. I went back to those post op eating habits and exercised. Counted my calories. Nothing white, no alcohol. 100 grams of protein a day. Carried a pedometer and walked at least 10,000 steps a day.

I really feel for you. Things don't always go the way we expected. It's great that you have recognised your battle with alcohol. Not everyone has such in site. Sobriety will give you back so much more,than a normal liver function test. It will give you piece of mind, self belief and improve your health and self esteem. This is a difficult game that we play but it is worth it. First things first, believe you deserve the best and take one day at a time.. The rest will follow. You are worth it.

Well, I have alot of allergies, both medical, seasonal, and food allergies. So the first thing I would look into is if you have any problems with the soaps or washes you've been using. I found out that chlorhexadine which is a heavy medical disinfectant is also being used in shampoos, soaps, even lubricant(that as an aha! moment). I happen to be highly allergic to it, but for others it dries them out just like alcohol would. Since it's in alot of products, I now use olive or coconut oil for lube, but there is also a very natural lubricant called H20 that is for all practical purposes a gelled Water. Very nice. You can of course, verify that oil is alright to use with your pharmacist or doctor as I am not a medical professional just someone who has been through the grind. *smiles* Hydration is key of course. Making sure that you get enough water every day. I know that I don't have enough if I even get an inkling of a headache. Some people praise premarin cream, but I had to go as far as full hormone replacement with the patch. My hair had began to break off in clumps and I had lost over a full inch in height in less than a year. It wasn't pretty. I hope this was maybe a little helpful. I can tell you more if you like, just tag me back.

The Bariatric Nurse in my Dr's office advised us to wait at least 4 weeks. The Doctors instructions said one year, but I only believe its because of the fact that alcohol effects us a lot faster. I am having a couple of sips of a apple martini tonight.....I did not have my first real alcohol beverage until my 30th Bday so needless to say I can not hold my liquor so therefore I will be a sipping betty. I worked all day to get in my protein, nutrients and vitamins so I am okay w/a few empty calories.

I, personally, feel like counseling can only do good, (if it's a good counselor). So, if you're questioning needing counseling, seeing one is probably a good thing... even if they are just a sounding board to your own fears. Sometimes just getting things off of your chest helps. I have a friend that was not ready to be happy. She had been very heavy since the age of 11 and finally got a gastric bypass. She had been in counseling for years but never shifted, she was always doom and gloom and verging on hypochondria. She dropped weight, after the bypass, in no time but is now an alcoholic. The moral of this story is that everyone deserves to be happy and, if you're not, counseling will help *if* you're receptive to it and READY to heal. She still isn't ready, and maybe never will be, but I hope she will at some point. (I always recommend the "Dance of Intimacy" to anyone that is feeling badly, especially if family, or relationship, issues are part of the problem. It's by Harriet Goldher Lerner, I believe, and it is AWESOME!) I hope you also will feel like you deserve to be happy and healthy and that you can work through this and be pleased with yourself. For starters, maybe focus on the fact that you have lost weight and kept it off, that's awesome! :thumbup: If you focus on what you HAVE done and what you CAN be proud of things will shift and pessimism will slowly be blocked by positive reinforcement. Focusing on how poorly you have done and what you still haven't accomplished, though, is definitely a self defeating cycle. I hope this helps and isn't "preachy". I come from a family of counselors so this type of discussion is a norm at family gathering. :wink: My husband was floored when he moved up and saw what dinner was like at our house! LOL Keep up the great work, of sustaining your weight, even if the positive thinking and counseling just help you become less stressed that should help you break the barrier. Best of luck with this wonderful tool and being happy, I am sure you can do it. Shannon

I drink alcohol socially. Maybe once or twice a month I dont think its a big deal. The only thing is, not to do it too often. Lots of calories! And I can't drink as much as I did before the band because I get tipsy a lot faster, probably because I never have that much food in my stomach. Cheers!

I am very grateful to see the video I must say. That will give me this push I need to stay off of ALL carbonation. I wish I could get a doc to be honest about it more than just 'alcohol is empty calories.' The counselor at my docs practice did say lap band and bypass people look like hell when they get a lot of calories from alcohol. Your hair and skin go to hell. Which is why I don't drink 7 days a week to start with, that and general health, but I do want a night out every now and again with a few margaritas. I plan to wait two more weeks and see how a glass of wine goes down.

If you hang around here more, you will bump into many many bandsters who have lost 100+. My mom has lost over 100 w/her band and I've lost just over 50 in 6 months. My goals is 100 and there's no way I'm not makin it! I think if you have your mind made up and you follow the rules, there's no way you can't succeed w/the band. My weightloss did start to slow dramatically about two months ago. I did some soul searching and decided I didn't have surgery just to get halfway to my goal. So, I gave up alcohol and increased my exercise A LOT! Yes, there are challenges for everyone and everyone's challenges are different. But, if you have your mind made up that you are gonna get to goal and this great tool to help you, you will achieve your goal. Best of luck to you!

The 100 reasons was fantastic. What so many people don't realize when they have never been fat or yo yo dieting their whole life like us is that unlike alcoholism, you can quit drinking and live. Food is a necessity and we just have to learn to limit the amount, we cannot stay totally away from food and survive. This website is the greatest part of this journey for me. Thanks to everybody here.

My surgeon also said by two months your stomach is completely healed. He said things like drinking by straws can't really hurt you but can cause gas. I drink from a straw all the time because its easier for me to take in smaller amounts. Even things like alcohol my doc said they are empty calories and in excess can do damage but a glass of wine isn't going to kill you.

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. .