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I must be drunk aunty. Alcohol feels exactly the same as it did pre-op

I agree that it works for some people. I happen to one of the few that attending these type of meetings only upset me more than help. I seriously loathed WW meetings, and I attend alanon meetings when I was younger due to my father's alcoholism. I am not sure if I can pinpoint why this type of setting doesn't work for me, but I've been hesitant to even attend our monthly support group because of my past experience. I promise I wasn't trying to say that it doesn't work for some, but for me and my personal demons, I have to work on them through different venues.

I would consider myself a 'heavy drinker' before surgery. I used to drink almost every night and could drink most of my friends 'under the table'. While its true that lapband doesn't change your plumbing at all (like gastric bypass), the alcohol will hit you harder. Basically, it hits me like I'm eating low cal (like on WW), BUT (and here's a big BUT) I often forget that I am eating low cal because different from WW, I am NOT hungry. So, I feel like I ate dinner, but I didn't, and whamo, I just got a little more 'tipsy' than I meant to. So, definitely be careful w/the alcohol! Also, as someone who really loves to drink, I did finally have to get real w/myself and accept that fact that alcohol is A LOT of empty calories. And, although I could still lose well for many months w/the alcohol, I finally hit a plateau and had to cut back dramatically to get the scale moving again. So, experiment w/it, but realize its definitely one of the first places to cut if you stop losing. For me, the things I have to work on the most is cutting back alcohol, sweets, and upping exercise to keep the scale moving. :->

Yes, you can, but also keep in mind that alcohol will affect you much more instensely post op. My surgeon said one glass will hit you as much as 3-4 glasses. Heck, I got tipsy on a dose of Nyquil post op. Good times.

If your surgeon allows carbonation (many do) and if you tolerate it, beer is still on the menu too. Drinking beer slowly gives me no problems. :sad: OK someone needs to explain this to me.... There are no plumbing changes with the band and when properly adjusted, liquids go straight through the band, so how would alcohol have any different metabolic properties? Brad

I'm sleeved since this past February and I have this issue as well mostly the running to the bathroom part with an occasional plugged up incident can't seem to find a normal I have noticed that I cannot tolerate sugar free foods as they make me so sick and they don't taste bad but my insides revolt my nutritionist said I likely cannot tolerate the sugar alcohols also noticed nuts and peanut butter can't have either even tried a lower fat type nope not happening however the upside is I'm healthier can buy clothes in regular stores and have to keep getting new pants as they keep getting too big

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 was pretty bad pre-op. I did cut out alcohol though (was a big drinker). But I had a birthday, kids parties and long work hours where I forgot to take the shakes with me and ended up eating toasted cheese sandwiches! One day I went allll day without eating and ended up eating a burger... I felt terrible so then I had about 5 days where I was ‘good’ pre-op. My surgeon was impressed with my liver (phew). Haha. I lost only a tiny amount of weight which I think was just the cutting out of booze. I also took ‘vegetable’ capsules which are full of antioxidants supposedly good for the liver. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m actually glad I gave into my burger craving pre operatively.... it’s a long time until I can have one again! Good luck. You’ll be fine :)

Janine-Golly, don't apologize for being "Chatty!" You've made a good point about being reenergized with the first of the year. It's true. It's like a fresh start, a time to look at things a new. I'll support everyone for not beating themselves up and I'll start with me. I had a super "bready" weekend. And while it was delicious, it was not what I needed to be eating to get to the goal I want. I'll just let the guilt go. As for wine or other alcohol, hehehe, yeah it's a quicker buzz so it takes much less. But it's not like you'll act any differently than you did before you had the band. So if you were one to get up on the tables and dance before you still will! LOL! Happy Tuesday everyone!

I work at a hospital where they send people for alcohol and drug rehab. The majority of the "guest" are court ordered to attend for a minimum of 21 days so they are not happy with their situation anyway. While walking to my office I had to pass a fenced in area where these "guest" smoke. One said, "look at that pig". Pissed me off so I looked at him square in the eye and said, "I may be a pig but look who is in the cage". The guy he was standing beside started to laugh and the guy who said it to me was so shocked he could not respond. I felt wonderful all day long. I may be fat but fat does not pad my feelings.

WE will never be cured of this food addiction. Its something we have to fight every day. I too get angry with myself and wonder why I cant eat like a "normal" person and just go about my business not thinking about food and what I'm gonna eat next. But we are food addicts, just like there are drug addicts, and alcoholics. I see a therapist to help me understand why I have this addcition and to help me be aware of when and why I want to eat. For me, I am an emotional eater. I eat when I'm bored, sad, angry. We just need to stop for a second, figure out why we're getting up to go into the kitchen and look for something to eat. I tend to eat when I'm thinking about my mother, whom I miss. It really is an unconcious thing antil I stop and realize that I'm looking for comfort from the food. It helps at the moment, then I am disgusted with myself. I know its hard and I do slip at times, but it is what it is. We have to try harder than other people, but it will be worth it. Good luck to us all.

Glad you look forward to my posts It's nice to know people actually read what I write, even though just writing it out is therapeutic in itself Awesome question!! When I was thinking about having the surgery, this was one of the biggest things I was worried about. I am a very social person and I enjoy going out with my friends - what can I say..I'm only 23 My good friends and my boyfriend (we've been together for 5 years and live together) know that I have had the surgery, so going out with them is not too difficult. They will offer to just order appetizers for the table and share...that way I fit in and don't look like a bird picking at my food! When I go out with people who don't know, I always go for the soup!!! I always have the excuse, "Hey...I'm a broke college student." As far as drinking...I wish I could say I just never drink but I would totally be lying haha I loved trying different beers before the surgery and was terrified I would never be able to have a beer again!! I did not have one sip of alcohol for the first 4 months after surgery. Now when I go out (It's not all that often-maybe twice a month?), I will order a beer or a glass of wine and it's fine. I get tipsy quite fast, so usually one is good for me. Beer gets filling and I have a hard time finishing one. I've had one night where we "got drunk" and were at the bars all night and I had 2 shots. Yes, probably not the best decision but I honestly eat healthy 95% of the time and I work out a lot for this reason. I don't want to be so restrictive that I can't have fun with my friends. Hope that answers your questions. Feel free to ask whatever - I'm a pretty open book Overall, I've been lucky - I have a great support system. My friends and boyfriend have been awesome. We like to joke and say "through thick and thin"

I'm loving the Skinny Girl Margaritas. I buy the one by Bethenny Frankel but I ordered one at TGIF and they had berries muddled in the glass so that's what I do. I muddle some blackberries or a couple of strawberries in a glass and a little bit of Splenda with ice and it's good. I also like the vodka with one of my diet Snapple Iced teas. I have not had any carbonated drinks since my surgery and I will continue to stay away from that. I'm so glad to be out of my Diet Coke habit. Honestly though I need to stay away from alcohol altogether . I find that it stalls my losses and if I was not having the drinks on the weekend I'm sure I would have lost more by now. I'm like the poster up thread I can go for weeks without having a drink and then I see someone on Tv with a nice frosty looking cocktail and then I have one and continue that for a while until I decide to stop so I'm gonna stop now.

I don't think I had more than a sip or two of wine for the first year or two. Now that I ponder it I probably don't do much more than that even now. Except of vacation. I drink fruity drinks in the mornings. Less fruity drinks in the afternoon. A couple glasses of Cognac after dinner. I've had RNY and the all the phases of how alcohol affects me move pretty quickly. My next vacation is in September. Really looking forward to it. Corona killed three vacations, so it won't be getting a Christmas card this year.

For going out i always get a couple of shots of vodka but if I go to a liqour store I get those Budlight Seltzer 12 packs and they're pretty good. Maybe bars have them but I'm not sure. Let me warn you though, all alcohol hits me SOOOOO MUCH HARDER than before my RNY! Lots of fights because it creeps up on you then BAM!

My friend was sleeved 2 wks prior to me and she had a cocktail this weekend and said she was fine.. I guess for each it's own..someone from this site emailed me and said they waited 4 wks and told me to add a splenda and add a splash of water in the alcohols used for the margaritas and mix w/fresh lime, lemon and oranges

We were sleeved the same day. I haven't tried any alcohol yet, but I know my dietitian warned us that we will be cheap drunks from now on =) So if you do drink - just make sure you do it safely and maybe try a little at home so you know how it hits you first!

I believe anyone that has 85% of their stomach removed will lose weight. You can't help but lose, if you are limited to 4oz of food every few hours. Now the big question is, where is your hunger coming from? Only you can figure that part out. Is it from emotional eating, boredome, stress, or is it because you have hunger pangs caused by the hormone ghrelin? From my own experience, I knew that my hunger was real (even though I had eaten 2 hours earlier, I'd be hungry again). It wasn't until I talked to my surgeon that he told me that I had an excess of the hormone ghrelin (produced by the stomach). The bigger the stomach, the more of the hormone produced. The surgery stopped my hunger pangs. I have not had that nagging sense of hunger (other than my stomach growling) since surgery 7 weeks ago. And 4 or 5 oz of food keeps me satisfied, whereas before, I could eat 1 lb of steak and know I'd be raiding the fridge in 2 hours. And I don't have any cravings anymore for certain flavors. Whereas before, I'd think about something that would taste good and I couldn't get the thought out of my head until I ate it - and a lot of it, not just a small portion. Don't get me wrong, you can sabotage yourself after surgery. There are foods, called slider foods, that are calorie dense (ice cream, peanut butter) that pass through the stomach quickly, so it's possible to eat more. And it is possible to just graze all day on snacks that are high in calories. The sleeve gave me the control over my eating that I needed. When I eat, I have full control of what I eat. I can pass on the donuts or just have 1 and be satisfied. With the exception of pasta - it triggers my sugar cravings. So I have to be real careful about eating it. But I don't know if I'd the same success if my hunger was tied to my emotions instead of hormones. I really believe food was an addiction - one you can't quit and never touch again. Other addictions can be quit and never touched again. But what if a heroine addict, smoker or alcoholic knew they had to take some every day or their body would die? What if they had 75 TV channels that ran commericals for cigarrets every 10 minutes during their favorite programs? Or had reality programs (like the best places to pig out or the food challenges) devoted to the best places to get their fix and showed people taking drugs and loving it? Could the addicts just reduce the amount they took every day and never over do it or would they give in to the nagging voice in their head telling them how good it was going to feel? Ok, rant over. :-)

My husband suffers from horrible gout in his toes and ankles. It literally cripples him when he is having an attack. He can fortunately take NSAIDs which sort of helps but I know Bariatric patients can’t take them. His Dr told him it’s caused by foods rich in purins. I know specifically like red meats, seafoods, mushrooms, cauliflower and definitely alcohol. I don’t know how far out you are from surgery but maybe it’s from something you are consuming more of or maybe just from levels being out of whack and causing more Uric acid. He also ices it (if you can stand the weight of the ice on it) and elevates it. Fortunately the attacks only last about 48 hrs.

I was told to watch out for the sugar alcohols as well Sent from my LGMS631 using the BariatricPal App

Ladies! How nice to come home from work and find your messages. I don't know how to reply all--so I'm going to hop in and out of conversations. This is addressed to all! It's amazing how losing mobility will have you "two-stepping" it into the surgeon's office. Mo Grandma, I'm impressed with your progress both with weight loss and getting to the gym! Like Mo.Grandma, I had my "moment of clarity" when I was at my son's house, and I couldn't carry the baby up the stairs. Well, I could barely get my own big self up the stairs. I've been plagued with a bad knee, sciatica, and back pain which my orthopedist promises will get better as I lose weight. I lost about 40 pounds a couple of years ago doing Atkins. I regained about 15 of those after my husband died, and I could see the path before me, as pounds would creep up unbidden. This Christmas I had a marathon eatathon and ate enough candy covered pretzels to gain 8 pounds over a long weekend. I just plain got tired of it. Now, having had the surgery and returned to work, I think I can see the biggest stumbling block. Like an alcoholic, food was my addiction. What am I going to do with the time I used to spend, planning, shopping, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after dinner? So, I'm collecting recipes and cutting down the proportions to 1/2 to 1 Cup per meal. What are you guys doing? Oh, my name is Nicki. I've got to get one of those cute ticker things to put at the bottom of my posts! Cute--geeze, I haven't felt cute in a hundred years!

amillerjones, I struggle with alcohol too. Right now I am trying to not drink during the week. I haven't had a drink in a few days now which is really good for me. Try and just limit yourself.

Hi there. My name is Jess and I live in Oregon. I am 23 (24 next month). I am 5'5" and ~250lbs. This month I am going off depo prevera and eliminating all carbonated and alcoholic beverages from my diet. I already exercise three to four times a week (going to do more soon). On average I lose maybe a pound or two a month, but gain double that in muscle. I am considering lap band, and have been doing research on it the last couple weeks. I even got to watch it done through a streamed video. In the next week or so I'm going to be inquiring of my doctors a specialist I could get more information from. In the mean time I was wondering if there was anyone here from Oregon or the Northwest area who I could ask some questions of. Nice to meet you all, hope to hear from you soon. Jess

@@My Bariatric Life lol! I know they are processed. It's hard to cut out all processed foods...baby steps. I think I'm going to buy the variety pack of these. I like the fact that they are very high in fiber and no sugar alcohols. I was hoping someone tried them to give an opinion. I do eat a Quest bar from time to time but they are not my favorite. We will see what these are like. I'll keep you posted.

What are your go-to alcoholic drinks when out at bars after surgery? How do you tolerate them?