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This is more of what I was looking for when I posted my question. I was, in no way, judging anyone for what they do and don't like. Personally, I couldn't get past the taste or smell of alcohol enough to get to the point where I liked it enough to do it everyday, or even every once in a while. What I was more curious about was if it was that way for others of if they liked it right from the beginning. I know some people in my everyday life that hate the taste but drink it for the effects it gives, and that's more important to them than how it actually tastes. I know some who actually like the taste. And some who don't care either way but drink it in social settings more to fit in than anything else. So I was wondering how those on here that refuse to give it up (or even those that have no real opinion on it but still drink just because) got there. Do they have an addiction to it? Do they just enjoy the taste? Do they not care either way? I always wonder the same thing about cigarettes. I hate the taste and smell, the idea that if I smoke, others could breathe in the 2nd hand smoke and it could hurt them, how it makes clothes/skin/cars/furniture/breath smell, etc... My mom smoked like a chimney and I never understood it. I'm not judging anyone who smokes, either. I literally just don't understand it. I have an addiction to food, and I don't know why I turned something that I had a normal relationship with into an addiction that was slowly killing me. I don't know why it took having a major surgery to help me get back in control and on track. But I know food tastes good. Food smells good. There are exceptions, of course, but it's easy to find the good stuff. Since I've never thought of drugs, alcohol, or smoking as the good stuff, I'm always curious how anyone gets started on it to begin with. I know I can't go back to eating the way I did, or refusing to change the way I did things, or else I'll be right back to where I started. But why it took a surgery to get me here? I honestly don't know. I've been on here long enough that people should know I don't have ill intentions when I ask a question. I have a genuine curiosity, and the only way people learn, is to ask.

I don’t really understand drinking to excess either. I don’t really understand why people take drugs or smoke either. Logically I realise for some, just like many on this forum did with food, it’s to comfort & soothe. To forget or avoid, at least for a while, the challenges & issues in their lives. Yes, I drank & still drink after surgery. I don’t enjoy it as much but I was never a big drinker as such - never large amounts. No I’ve never been drunk & only to the edge of tipsy. Personally, I don’t like the potential of losing control of what I’m doing or the situations I’m in (control freak). Also if I did drink more than a couple of glasses, I’d end up with the most hideous hiccups & that would be the end of my night anyway. We’re not a family of big drinkers either so that’s likely an influence too. I do find enjoyment in the flavours of alcohol much like the flavours & ingredients in an interesting recipe/meal. Can’t stand sweet wines or adding sweet mixers (except tonic & soda water in Gin 😉) to spirits but that’s the personal taste aspect. Much like I don’t understand people who say they love coffee but add syrups, cream & sweeteners to drink it. I’m more of a purist that way. I get the drinking, smoking, using & eating to fit in or feel more confident in a situation. I briefly smoked cigars. It was the 90s & I admit I did it to fit in & for attention. I was changing some of my friendship circle & wanted to be accepted. I look back & shake my head but during that time I came to realise a lot about myself & my needs. Like I didn’t need or want to smoke & if those people I was trying to impress didn’t like me for me I didn’t need or want them. Thankfully I only smoked a handful of times over a bout a year. Have no desire to do it again. And came out of the whole experience a stronger person. I’m not going to judge if someone drinks, smokes or uses. (Or mixes cola with scotch or lemonade with vodka.) They’re adults & it’s their choice. I’ll worry about them for sure & ensure they’re safe & not harming themselves or others. I might have just added more fuel to the discussion. Sorry @jparadigm, your original post has been hijacked.

being on these forums long enough i would assume that one should realize by now that everyone is different. we say/post it multiple times a day, every day. i don't like weight lifting . it's don't like olives. i don't like talking about my wls. others don't feel the same way. i get that. we are all different people getting our own versions of joy. i may not make the same connections to things as you do, and thats cool. i mean, some people have sex every day while others don't. some people weigh themselves every morning others don't. some people read books while others don't. why do people drink too much and become alcoholics? alcohol is so gross. this line if thinking is the close sibling to why do people eat too much and get fat? being fat is so gross. to paraphrase you: "but how did you get to the point where <eating> was enjoyable enough to do it often <that u end up being 300 lbs>?" the incredulity in your post is loud and clear...but really, if u think about it, its not that impossible to understand (especially from the point of view from a person who was morbidly obese) your intention may be not to sound judgy...but in my very insignificant opinion, you kinda do. but i mean, you are entitled to say whatever you want. i guess i just wanna ask you to take a pause and reflect on how ur post may or may not have come across. sorry. 😔 i don't normally weigh in this heavily in anonymous internet chats as i hate confrontation, but this touched a wee nerve for me. (i may just delete this post after i overthink it to death...we shall see...i have already edited this post a gazillion times in my overthinking, ha.)

I hope I don't come across as rude when I write this but everyone has different likes or dislikes and you clearly say you have never liked alcohol from the outset so good for you but the post does come across as judgmental. If someone likes to have a drink it is up to them as adults to do as they wish, be it too many calories etc. It is everyone's choice to make if they would like to have a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and deal with the consequences, if there are any like weight gain, reflux, dumping etc. Do you like eggs? I don't like the smell or taste of them so why do you eat them? Just making the point!

Not judging at all, but how do you guys tolerate the taste and smell of alcohol? I don't get the joy in it, the joy in being buzzed, in daily drinking. Like...why? Again, not slamming your choices, but how did you get to the point where it was enjoyable enough to do it often? I drank 3x as a teen and absolutely despised it (did it because I was at parties and was trying to fit it). Then as an adult, I figured I'd willingly give it another try, to see if my opinion changed at all. It did. I hated it even more. Never touched the stuff again. I read through this thread, and honestly, I don't understand why you guys like drinking so much and why some refuse to give it (and the calories) up after the surgery. How did you get to the point that you liked drinking that much? Just the smell of alcohol is enough to make me leave.

Thank you for posting! I have been wondering the same, however I was a daily drinker. Never drunk but after work I enjoyed 2-3 High Noons/ hard seltzers. I developed a high tolerance. On the weekend I would drink and party, Honestly I am scared to start up again. I haven't had any alcohol since September and I feel better, but I would be lying if I said that i don't miss it and haven't been tempted. Everyone's input has been really helpful!

I have not had any limits on alcohol drinking or coffee or drinking with straws etc. I think patients in Europe have slacker rules than you American cousins. I tried my first drink at 6 weeks, I had a weak Bloody Mary and it was yummy. I was born and raised in a pub, had pubs myself and drunk a lot over these years. I could hold my alcohol well. Now one glass of wine has me smashed for about 20 minutes. Last Christmas I went out with a friend and it got a little silly, I had at least 3 glasses and for the first time in my life, I don't remember going home. That scared me. I felt as if I had been spiked. Wine and cider give me awful GERD, Baileys gives me get the foamies. Something and lots of soda seems to work best for me. My husband calls me his cheap date, Cheap means different here.

When I first had my sleeve surgery, I was losing pretty rapidly. BUT, I had a LOT to loose. If you look in my signature, you can see my stats. The bigger you are, the faster the weight comes off. It also depends on what you eat, how often you eat, and how you move your body. The more you work out, the more calories you need. The less you work out, the less you need. If your body thinks it's starving, it'll hold on to every single bit of fat, every calorie, to protect you from starving to death. Maybe think about walking more, swimming, not so much heavy work outs. Lower your calories (try going back to your post surgery calorie amounts of 1000 - 1300). Look at your sugar, salt, carb, and fat intake and start adjusting/lowering it. Are you getting enough protein? That should be key in all this. And hit your fluid intake. Minimum of 64oz per day. For now, limit your alcohol and soda intake, if you drink either of those. Kind of do a reset on your body AND mind and get yourself use to doing things the post surgery way again.

So... I could have written your same entry 10 years ago. I lost 120 lbs with VGS. At six months post-op I resumed my weekend drinking. Mind you I could drink like a master before surgery. I had NO doubt I could handle it fine post-op. Aaaand that "worked" until it didn't. My body processed alcohol so differently post-op but I didn't realize it until too late. I wish I had remained alcohol free. I found this information below helpful. Best wishes.

Whether you drink alcohol or not or how much or how often you drink is really a personal one. You know yourself best & you are best placed to see how & if it affects you. I was a big glass of wine every night person before surgery. Never a big drinker as such but would enjoy a glass or three if socialising over a couple of hours. After surgery I had a gin & tonic at about the 2 month mark at my cousin’s 40th. Literally sipped it for hours. Had another 1or 2 gin & tonics over the next 4 months while losing, always nursing the glass for hours. Honestly, I lost my taste for it. Think I was only able to tolerate the rare g&ts because of the bitterness of the tonic. Now I usually have a glass of something about once a month when out or celebrating something. Still usually only one & I drink it over about an hour now. I have a fridge & a cupboard full of alcohol I just don’t drink. LOL! When I do drink I go for quality over quantity these days. A glass of real champagne, a glass of good quality scotch or a good gin (they’re my go tos). Certainly addiction transfer is a consideration. As is the increased effects of the alcohol on your body & how fast it can affect you is another. Then there is the calorie & nutritional impact. But again, your choice, though if your plan says no alcohol while losing, I’d probably stick to that as closely as possible to take best advantage of your losing phase.

ok, gonna throw my story on the table...take from it as you will, as a lesson to live by, a cautionary tale, or a personal justification...you choose. pre surgery i was also a weekend warrior, actually, more like a yearly quarterly warrior, lol. i had like a couple drinks every 2-3 months. probably got stupid drunk once a year or less. during weight loss phase (which lasted 7 months) i had maybe 5 partial drinks. i don't think i finished any of those drinks. my first "drink" was 3 weeks post op. I had maybe 2-3 sips of a glass of red wine. it was really weird, i swear i could feel the burning of the alcohol pass down my esophagus, through my stomach and along my intestines. my second drink was about 1 month later (christmas) and it was a very sugary soju-sake drink. again i had maybe 2-3 sips but this one resulted in my second worst dumping experience ever. *shudder*. the next 3 or so drinks were vodka or gin sodas (learned my lesson! less sugar!) ok. now its 2019, im in maintenance and i'm looking hawt and feeling awesome and me and mr. go on a couple vacations and i drink way more than i normally do. but its vacation, right? so its ok. i also took up smoking again after being smoke free for 10 years (but thats another story). now its 2020 and its effing covid, and i, like many others i know started drinking at home (i never did this before, i was always a go-out drinker) ...and now its 2024 and i drink every day. i don't get stupid drunk every day or anything (not that i'm trying to justify anything - i fondly call myself a high-functioning alcoholic), but i do drink every day. its at a point where others (i.e., my doctors and my hubs) are chastising me with the amount i drink. i know i drink too much and its probably doing a number on my health despite nothing showing up on any of my labs or whatever. i quit drinking for a month last year because my son said i couldn't stop drinking for a week. so i know i can stop (or at least slow down) if i really wanted to. trouble is i don't seem to really want to. last year, my OBGYN said i really should stop smoking AND drastically cut down the amount i drink. i told her i'm not sure i could do both, so i made her a deal and said i would stop smoking. i'm proud to say i have been smoke free for 9 months (after smoking for 4 years after quitting for 10, after smoking for 20...say that ten times fast, lol). its been surprisingly easy, but i think its because i can still drink. ANYWAY. i'm hoping to get into a mindset soon to address my drinking problem. i don't doubt my ability to reduce, but i'm not sure i will actually WANT to anytime soon. le sigh. so there you have it. i am the poster child of transfer addiction. despite all this, my weight has more or less remained unchanged (go figure). i continue to stay below goal weight this entire time. ....and i am literally typing this post out with an espresso martini in hand. dont judge me! lol. i am relatively chill about all this so even if you do judge me, i wont take it personally. p.s. oh, i should also mention that i get "affected" real quick and on very small amounts. and i also sober up real quick. this phenomenon is a purely post surgery thing. i needed lots more to get drunk before surgery....although my smaller size now may also be a factor....

OK this is a biggie. You might want to treat alcoholic drinks like a big glass of sugar. Empty calories and not helping you to your goal - hindering actually. However I am Irish and therefore have to acknowledge the fun/relaxation/social stuff associated with imbibing those totally worthless calories. Lots of people who have previously had a completely healthy relationship with alcohol (even if on the slightly heavier side of healthy alcohol intake) can develop a very UNhealthy relationship with alcohol after bariatric surgery. You get a bigger hit, you get it quicker, and you get all the neurotransmitter rush associated with that that makes you want to repeat the experience. For lots of us it has been a big trigger for regaining weight. Just do a search for alcohol and read some of the posts here describing it as THE factor on people's regain. Lots of others have been able to maintain a healthy relationship with alcohol too. If you do your research AND are aware of all that AND vigilant AND able to take immediate action if your relationship with alcohol changes then it might be OK to drink it earlier than your programme allows. Otherwise it might be best to just concentrate on the lovely honeymoon period when you lose weight with not too much effort. I was sleeved 7 weeks before Christmas 2021 and negotiated a glass or two of bubbles over that first holiday season with my dietician. I have been able to continue to drink alcohol at my previous rate and not regain. UNTIL I stopped losing - that was about 2 years post op, 5 months ago. Since then I have been regaining (albeit very slowly). I do wonder whether if I had just ditched alcohol (my only sugar now) early on whether I wouldn't have put on 5lbs in 5 months. I know that third year regain is a thing, but I will never be able to say what effect alcohol may have had. It does seem to have stabilised for me and I know my regain is tiny (not angsting, LOL) just wanted to share my thoughts and my experience. Sorry that turned into a bit of an essay. I hope it helps. Long story short, my programme said no alcohol for 6 months, my (Irish) dietician said go right ahead.

So... I'm told I have to wait a minimum of 6 months to reengage in drinking fun...Which I was totally OK with in the beginning and still am, I just want to know about others out there who have drank alcohol PO and their experiences. I'm no daily drinker but I am a weekend warrior lol. I honestly can't wait for summer to be able to have a drink with the fam. I am absolutely aware of drinking being a conflict with my journey but it's something I've discussed with my care team and I'm not ready to fully give up on alcohol yet. I'm also aware of the "addiction" that can develop by drinking and I am NOT at all worried for that lol. Forgive me if this is triggering to some.

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. Break ups can be very hard. I had a bad one when I was about your age & went through a period of depression & anxiety. Ended up leaving my job & moving back home. The depression coloured everything in my life. It may be doing the same for you too & causing you to regret the surgery & a change of behaviour that has bought you many benefits (weight loss, health improvements, more active, fewer restrictions, etc,). Yes, I’m considerably older than you & that means I can look at things differently than you so I don’t mind if you think I’m talking rubbish & don’t understand. 🙂 My friends are big eaters & drinkers & the first couple of times we went out after my surgery I felt a little uncomfortable & conspicuous because I sipped one alcoholic drink for hours, took a while to eat & ordered small plates. Then I realised, I wasn’t going out with them to eat & drink, I was going out with them to spend time with them. What I ate or didn’t eat & what I drank or didn’t drink was irrelevant. It was our friendship that was important. We socialise often (though likely not as often as you). At each others’ homes, bars, fine dining restaurants, etc. My surgery & food choices haven’t stopped us or slowed us down once (oh, except when they wanted to go to an high tea with unlimited champagne - I rarely eat sweet & one glass of champagne would be ample so not worth it. We did dinner instead.) Actually one of my friends decided to have surgery the year after me though she is more flexible in her food & drinking choices than me. Another one wants to have the surgery. And the fourth in our group, has slowed her eating & is making better food & alcohol choices. Not for anything I’ve said. I guess I’ve become a bit of a role model for a healthier life. LOL! Maybe have a chat with someone, like a therapist, about how you’re feeling to help you work through this.

I have had insomnia since I was a kid and have to change sleep meds every few years. Oh and I have anxiety/ocd and ADHD. I was on an extended release form of ambien prior to surgery and just like you, I found that it stopped working. I had to add alprazolam to it to sleep through the night, but that's not great long term. My therapist said because of the absorption rate, going back to the highest dose of ambien should fix that. Unfortunately I still struggled to sleep more than 3 hrs unless I added the alprazolam again. But I recently tried alcohol free zzzquil in its place and it does the trick! I started with a 15ml dose and I'm adjusting down from that, because it was a little hard to wake up the first time but I wasn't groggy at all. Hopefully this works for you too or gets you closer to something that does!

Caffeine is usually restricted for the first few months in a virgin DS/SADI surgery to help prevent dehydration. You may not have this restriction put on you since you already have your sleeve and should keep food and fluids down fine post-op since they probably won't resleeve you unless yours was done wrong. Even if they put you on caffeine restriction, it is only for a little while. There is no reason to restrict it long term, it doesn't harm the digestive system. My partner loves to dine out and we don't have kids, so I've been eating out since a month after surgery. I am careful with my choices, the first thing I ate out was grilled swordfish and sauteed green beans. It was fine. I've since eaten Thai curries (mild), pho without the noodles (they put veggies instead), sashimi, fajitas with guacamole and cheese sauce (no tortillas, rice, or beans), steak (ribeye is my favorite and digests better now than it even did pre-op), wings, traditional Chinese food (nothing fried, no rice), Peruvian chicken, the list goes on and on. I try to stick to protein/veggie options. Anything I wanted to eat at a restaurant I tried to have a version of at home first to know how it would affect me. I tolerate most things pretty well, though it seems my digestive system prefers baby spinach over iceburg or romaine lettuce, but that's not a huge sacrifice. And I can't eat beans at all, but I never really tolerated them pre-op either. Also I try not to have too many cruciferous veggies at once (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), as they cause bloating, but I had that problem before surgery too. (I have had IBS and an inflammatory bowel disease since I was a teenager.) That said I try to make healthy choices in general whether eating out or eating at home. DS patients don't really need to restrict fat because we malabsorb so much of it (regardless of what the dieticians tell you) and SADI patients can eat a moderate amount of fat as they malabsorb a moderate amount of fat. Too much fat in one sitting can cause diarrhea, but you'd have to really make an effort to do that, and any bariatric surgery other than the sleeve can cause that issue. Coke Zero does not have sugar alcohols in it, it has Splenda, so it is fine from that perspective. Carbonation is only an issue if it bloats your sleeve. However, it can cause you to be hungry faster, or cause gas due to the air bubbles, so it isn't the best habit to have long term. But it won't piss off your intestines. I switched to unsweetened iced tea and carry Splenda or Equal packets with me! Sugar alcohols are things like erythritol, xylitol, and malitol. Allulose can also cause gastric upset depending on how tolerant you are of it. I can usually have a little of any of those, but more than a tablespoon and I'll be in the bathroom half the night. 🤣

Two questions. One I thought I read somewhere that caffeine was a no no post SADI?? Or was it just carbonation, maybe. After I gained it all back I started back on my Coke Zero and I have to kick that again pre op if sugar alcohol is bad. I gave it up for over two years so I can do it though. Second, , have you eaten out yet? If so, How are you with oils and stuff that they tend to sneak in even the “healthier options” I am a little worried I won’t be able to eat in public ever again.

Hi ShoppGirl, I replied to you in the DS forum. You'll probably find the answers you need in the Facebook group I'm in. It says it is for the Duodenal Switch, but we also have plenty of SADI patients in the group and we have veterans of both surgeries in there. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1799552573392212 I highly suggest joining that group and posting your questions. Regarding gas, yes, the SADI can have gas issues if you eat too many simple carbs. And eating too much junk food may make your bathroom visits rather unpleasant. I had the DS done about 4.5 months ago and I don't usually have any gas issues and my bathroom visits are pretty normal except my stools are pale colored now due to the fat malabsorption (perfectly normal). But I stay below 50 total carbs per day and eat about 120 grams of protein a day and about 100 grams of fat. With the SADI or DS surgery you are more focused on your macros than calories because we malabsorb a portion of everything but simple carbs. If you keep your carbs low after the SADI you will lose weight better and maintain weight better...and you should minimize the side effects. You'd also want to stay away from sugar alcohols and you might find that some foods digest differently, like lettuce or other leafy greens. Usually most SADI or DS patients learn within the first year what their trigger foods are and learn to eat them at home at night or not at all.

I'm almost 5 ½ years out. At this point i don't have a "typical" day of eating at all. It all really depends whats in my fridge, or where i am or what i feel like eating (and yes that includes cookies and bread). Now yesterday we went to costco and i loaded up on my fave lettuce mix (bought 2 boxes), also picked up a bag of avocados. so i had a salad for lunch and will probably going to be eating salads with avocado for the next week or so if/when i'm home...but its fair game to whatever when i'm out and about. for instance last night was margaritas (2) and 3 spicy chicken wings (oh and i bite of my pals' dessert crepe..spoiler alert it was NOT good) 🤷🏻‍♀️ i average 1800-2000 cals a day these days tho. BUT...at your stage (2 months post op, if i do my math correctly?) here is a sample of what i ate for a week back then: this week was the xmas holidays for me tho, so there was alot of eating out and not so much prepared foods at home. and you can see that i consumed almost double the amount of calories i normally take in on xmas eve...and i remember having a barf at some point that day (i was still learning my full cues so barfing was pretty common for me around 1-3 months) overall, slightly higher than normal calories (for ME at that time) on a couple other days that week. i also remember that i probably would have eaten more on the actual xmas day, but i drank a few sips of a super sweet alcoholic drink that night and i was counted out for the night due to a bad bout of dumping. yikes...it was NOT pretty. *shudder* anyway here are some screenshots from MFP for the week at my 2 month post op mark: also note that while these are logged as "meals" i generally pecked at each "meal" throughout the day and didn't actually eat all listed at one sitting. note also i did NOT make my protein goals by any means. i didn't come close to doing that regularly until sometime after the 3 month mark. and why there doesn't seem to be any protein shake consumption this week, i do not know! lastly, i had a lot of fun looking up my old food logs, so thanks for inspiring me to, lol.

My words of encouragement are these: Know why you're doing this and don't let yourself forget. I am long past my teen years but I have kids at that age now, and I know what a hard time in life it can be. It seems like everyone else can make bad choices and have zero consequences. It's the age where every meeting you go to for school or extracurricular activities has pizza and soda, where ramen is a legit choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and where even the skinniest kids pack on 20 lbs thanks to college dorm food, pulling all-nighters, and overindulging in alcohol. Swimming against the stream is going to be a struggle. So stay focused on that reason or list of reasons that you're doing this. Have faith and confidence in yourself, and don't be afraid to be different. Young people often have no filters. They say things that are mean because they are insecure or unaware of how it will sound to others. If they're eating wings and beer for dinner and you have some poached salmon and broccoli or only drink water with lemon in it, they might feel bad about their own choices, but they're instinct may be to make you feel bad about yours instead. Be strong and remember why your health is important. God willing, you have a very long life ahead of you. You also have decades of hard times, stress, and the temptation to turn to food for comfort. Work on that now, and don't stop. Take care of your mental health while you're young because life is a challenge. The good news is, you will never be so resilient physically as you are right now. Your body wants to be healthy. Your skin wants to bounce back like a stretchy piece of elastic. You're going to do great and you've got a brilliant life ahead of you!

first off, @newbegining2024, you will have zero complaints from me, food porn is my favourite kind of porn, ha! re: food funerals, like @Arabesque, i didn't really have time (or thought) to have one. i had postponed my surgery twice in the year and a half prior deciding to finally (again) go through with it. I called my surgeon to say, lets do it in early to mid september 2018, and he booked me in for surgery in a little over a month later for October 2018. I got into tunnel-vision like mode of like, "Lets GOOOO!" while i didn't do any specific diet prior to the 2 week liquid diet before surgery, i DID make conscious efforts NOT to stuff myself or eat mindlessly. i did this for about 2-3 weeks, and didn't lose any weight, interestingly enough. then it was time for my 2 week liquid pre-diet of 3 protein shakes a day. and since i'm a self-proclaimed over-achiever😂, by the end of week 1 i was doing 2 shakes a day, and by mid week 2 i was down to 1 shake a day. yes, i know i was NOT supposed to do this, but i just wanted to prove to myself that i could for some reason (i blame the tunnel vision). again, interestingly enough, i lost 11 lbs. fast forward 5 and half years and life is good, i'm skinny, healthy, happy, and full of energy. i also eat whatever i want...in fractions of amounts i used to, of course. and we aren't just talking salads (though i do LOVE salads!), and boiled fish. i will order items displayed in that awesome spread that @newbegining2024 shared. i eat bread and pasta and fatty steaks, deep fried whatever, chips, bacon, pizza, cheese, alcohol and yes, even desserts. JUST IN VERY SMALL PORTIONS (and yes, i also eat steamed vegetables, grilled lean meats, greek yogurt, and a ton of water). i guess what i'm trying to say is that you don't have to say good bye to your fave foods forever. good luck! ❤️

I am not open about my surgery. Very few choice people know that I have gotten done. When they ask how I lost weight I say, I am sticking to a lower carb diet, cut out alcohol and am walking for 30min 5x a week. This is all true so technically I am not lying lol If they ask why I have lost so much, I just tell them well because my family all have health issues so I want to take control before that happens to me. Usually works. I get compliments and when people ask "Have you lost weight?" I just smile and say ya a little. I just make it light and don't make a big deal about it. This is my journey no one elses.

I was searching the Bariatri Pal Store and found my favorite Quest Protein Bars. They have various. sugar alcohol amounts. Is it ok to eat one of them with 5 sugar alcohol?

Thanks for your really honest post. I can see this happening to me and others years after surgery - there are just so many pressures to eat and drink things that aren't good. It sounds like you're ready for a change and to lose some of that regain if possible. I agree that there will be headwork as well as diet work to do. Arabesque's post is super sensible and I hope you can take all of that on board. I would just add, returning to the basics of protein first, veg second for a few weeks might let you see a loss again. Maybe set a time limit of 4 weeks adhering strictly to that and see how you progress? I like a glass or two of wine at weekends but if you can cut out alcohol completely (empty calories) then do. If not, then minimise. Think about why you need to have a few drinks in order to socialise online and think about what joy that socialising brings to your life (Vs the joy of being at your ideal weight). When you start losing weight again hopefully this will reinforce your new choices.

Weight regain happens. You’re not the only one you had or will experience it. We get over confident or complacent & poor choices slip in. We go back to old behaviours of using food (or alcohol) to comfort us or sooth us in times of stress or emotional upsets. It’s why what you need to do is reset your head not your tummy. Remember how we always said doing the head work is a very important aspect of our weight loss & maintenance. A pouch reset won’t reduce the size of your tummy (not that your’s would be stretched) nor do anything to get to the root of your eating & change your behaviours. Stretching your tummy is pretty difficult. It would take a concentrated to eat excessive portions multiple times a day for a prolonged length of time to do it. You’ve made the first two steps already by acknowledging & recognising the what & why behind your regain & by starting to track your food again. Best advice then is to go back to how you were eating (food choices, portion sizes, eating behaviours, meeting protein & fluid goals) when you were nearing your stabilised weight. Would you consider going back to your dietician to help you get back on track? Did you see a therapist when you had your surgery? Maybe get in contact again for the regain & also the drinking. We have to be careful with addiction transfer after surgery. It can be a slippery slope. All the best. You got this.