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I've had a beer or two on a few special occasions. I've found that in order to be able to drink it at all I need to pour it into a glass and let it foam up well. That releases enough carbonation that I can drink it. Otherwise a couple of sips and I hit a wall with the carbonation. To your point, though, alcohol of any variety is generally not recommended because it is empty calories and doesn't create fullness like food does. I used to drink a good amount of beer several times a week, now it is only maybe one or two on a very special occasion. I try to remind myself that I earned a lot of the fat I'm burning off by drinking beer; that seems to help.

I see so much variation on here with different surgeon's post-op liquid/food phases, it's incredible actually. My surgeon is very conservative. Phase 1 - Clear liquid diet (days 1-14) Phase 2 - Protein drinks, creamed Soups (week 3-8) Phase 3 - Full liquid/Blenderized (week 9) Phase 4- Soft to Regular Foods (week 10) Foods to add after 11 weeks: Shrimp, scallops, lobster, salmon, halibut, soft cooked vegetables, cold cereals less than 3 grams of sugar, toasted bread Foods to add after 12 weeks: Soft bananas, apples, melons, peaches (no skin on fresh fruit), plain lettuce, low fat dressing Foods to add after 13 weeks: chicken or turkey without skin, chicken or turkey salad, ground turkey, chicken meat, fajita meat, soy products, refried Beans, Peanut Butter, Pasta, untoasted bread Foods to avoid for 6 months after surgery: red meat, pork, raisins, grapes, nuts, seeds, popcorn, corn, alcohol Next week I enter phase 2 and will be there for 5 weeks....sigh...going to have to google some good creamed soups. Compliancy is not an option for me, this was a HUGE surgery and I get one shot at it. The good news is that in 2 weeks, I'm down 22 pounds. That's crazy, right?

NO MILK NO SUGAR NO ALCOHOL NO CAFFINE NO CARBONATION EVER Two weeks prior to surgery I was on a liquid diet, I lost 10 % of my weight 24 lbs. I was excited for the loss, but I am still on a liquid diet for 1 week post op, no protein shakes. At least pre-op I had the protein to fill me up, but I am so hungry now 3 days post-op. I am weak, grumpy and not happy at all. This is my Dr.s menu, I wonder if he has ever tried to survive on this little. I know I am complaining, but I am so frustrated!:frown:

Jodie being bipolar does not make you crazy. You are the one who keeps using that word. Plenty of people here have given you advice to try and help you but you seem to just want to do your own thing. Fine, do your own thing if that makes you feel better. There are plenty of people in the world who can't afford everything they would like. However for some if they know it is necessary they will do everything in their means to get it. My point is that if you really wanted that fill you would save up money for it. You would find another job, you would do something other than complain. The meaning of alcohol having empty calories is that they are just more calories to burn that give you no nutritional value. If a beer has 120 calories and the "typical 19-20 year old" has 6 beers, that is 720 extra calories you have had for the day.

okay, so many of you may be wondering where on earth Ive been, and what Ive been doing? Well it has been a bumpy road to tell you the truth...I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which I am still trying to find a cheap therapist to really evaluate me again because I really really dont think that I am. I moved back to my hometown due to excessive partying, overspending, and lack of school work. I have to pay for my own college now, which is not a result of losing the money this year, we really could not afford another year at a 4-year university. I am going to finish out my Associates at the community college I attended in High School, I only have a year left, then I can take that degree and hopefully get a job that can help me pay for my Bachelors. I havent given up on my education whatsoever. I moved back to my hometown also to get my life straight, and to chill out with the party scene. I only go out on the weekends, which I only include Friday and Saturday night. Im doing really well with my drinking as far as not doing it as often as I used to, Im very happy for that, I was on the road to alcoholism. Now for the bad...Im very depressed since I moved back, I am trying to get a good job here in hopes of getting back to Corpus Christi ASAP! No real good bites so far but Im trying. Recently I was diagnosed with having multiple, large Ovarian Cysts which I will have checked again in June as well as a cancer test, just to be sure. Im a little scared because I am displaying MANY symptoms of the known cancer symptoms, however that doesnt necessarily mean I have it. I am infertile, but its only temporary, for about 2-3 years, which Im too young to have children right now anyway. Recently, I had the worst weekend in a LONG time, and I just cant help to think it wouldnt have happened had I been in CC. It started Friday night....... Friday night I called and had my friend (Mando) buy me and my friend some beer...Ive known him for about 7 years! And when he got back he charged me an extra 6 dollars for getting it for me, which is ridiculous because he was already at the beer store buying for other ppl, BUT not to be the Bitch, I just paid it. My friend and I went to use the restroom, came back and EVERY SINGLE BEER was GONE, disappeared from the fridge! My best friend's BF and his friend let me have their beer so I was cool, but I figured out Mando took our beer, which is ridiculous! So we are all boozing, having fun, and all that left at that party are the two guys that live there, their friend, my friend and her man, and Mando and I. Im a little tipsy, and when Im that way I dont get mad at anything or anyone, I love the world, so Mando and I are talking or whatever and he's like lets go to my house and grab another CD, I trust him because Ive known him FOREVER, never would have touched me when I was bigger...he made a pass at me and I shot him down. Then next thing I know he gets me in the car and drives off too fast for me to jump out...he took me to someones house and raped me...I fought back best I could without causing too big a scene....last thing I need is the Mafia after me for ratting him out....I cant really do anything about it....ofcourse you all are going to say I shouldve reported it, but gangs here are scary, hes not in one, BUT they would back him because he is mexican and Im white...I have to live here another year, I dont need my life to be miserable, or worse, ended. Then Saturday night, no body knows what happened Friday, nor will they ever, mind you Im still upset about the previous night, the only reason I went out is because I knew he wouldnt be there, someone starts running their head asking me what did mando and I do the previous night....I got pissed off and just said, "absolutely nothing." Then some other guys made some lude comments about women, which pissed me off....I went to another party with other friends and get a phone call that all my old neighbors (whom I lent a lot of money and other items too, they used me til I had nothing left), stole some decorations and stuff off my door in CC....I got pissed off, got into with all of them, BUT it felt so good to let it all out. My Saturday night was mostly ruined.....THEN Sunday I got a phone call from a lawyer in Corpus and they wanted to hire me onto their firm starting at secretary, then moving up to Paralegal! Had they called 2 weeks ago, I would still be in CC and none of this would have happened. Also, I called Dr. Spiegel's office this morning, and Ive got to tell you, they have the worse customer service EVER! I havent been in town, and I need a fill BADLY! Im gaining weight. Im going to be in the area on Thursday, but they couldnt do it, so I was like well, I can wait as long as the 20th of May......they couldnt get me in til June 11! Thats too late, thats a 2 hour drive for me and gas is almost $3 a gallon! I cant afford a trip JUST to get a fill, I had other things to do in the area before the 20th, now I have to make 2 freakin trips! They used to would be be able to get me in within a week or week and a half! Im so pissed and upset about the situation! So there's my life for the past little while, if youve read my previous posts youre probably wondering what about the boys? WELL........I got rid of the bartender, the breakup issue was actually my fault, lol, however it was funny! The stripper and I still talk every now and then, but its strictly that, I had started seeing the bartender's friend (which probably wasnt the best of ideas lol) but had to end it when I left, however he still calls me and checks on me whenever he has time.....AND through the magic of MySpace, a waiter that had flirted with me at a restuarant a little, but I didnt pick up on it, found me and without being creepy told me that he thought I was gorgeous the first time he saw me, and thats why he picked up the table! It wasnt even in his section! AWWWWW! lol He's actually a good guy! I wish I was back in CC, he knows Im not there and he wants me to come back so badly! I want to too. Hes super cute, in the Navy, and so far a gentleman, however they all are at first lol! So there it is..........sorri so long

Like I said, Because I struggle with obsessive complusive disorder, I brush my teeth as many times as 10 times a day or more. Always have gum with me. I havent heard about not chewing gum? Mouthwash is always in my purse, car and backback. Kinda a funny sidenote, a few people have asked me if I am an alcoholic because I am always concerned about my breath. ALcoholics are always using mouthwash and gum and use tons of visine. Sorry, I could only handle one addiction at a time. But now that I got the weight thing figured out, maybe I'll look into either excessive drinking, drugs, or random sexual acts with strange men. Have tried therabreath,breathassure, and herbal tablets. Chlorophyl tablets and much more. My next move is trying to drink even more Water than I do already. c

Yeah!! Lets gietter done! 17 lbs and counting! Yessssss Buddies make the job easier. I have sooo enjoyed conversing with everyone. I have to go to work tomorrow and I feel bad cause I won't have all the time I have had in the last few days. I also have so enjoyed staying in my home and just doing whatever I pleased and not feeling like I had to do a million tasks. You all know how that feels. I told my husband that this little cocoon I have built where the food is safe and the environment is friendly. It will be hard to go out and face the challenges of real life. He is a recovering alcoholic and he said he understood my point so completely. Home is haven. I can and will succeed!!

I think that a LOT of people have the reacation "All fat people self medicate with food...why should anyone be delayed from weight loss surgery because they do? Are the therapists on a power trip, are they just making money?" There is some truth in this...that nearly all of us medicate with food. But why is that an issue? There's a very common phenominon that occurs with bariatric surgery called cross or transfer addiction. It is said to affect about 30% of people who have surgery. When people find they can't eat to self medicate, they can switch to other addictions for relief. Not just alcohol and drugs. They can also become sex/intimacy addicts. They can start spending too much, gambling, there are a lot of ways for this to manifest. Exercise addiction. Controlling behaviors with family/children. Annorexia. Most of us think of annorexia as something absurd that could never happen to us....but it happens! Same disordered eating...just a different expression of it. Also, there's a reason they call it divorce surgery. It can and does add strain to a relationships to have dynamics change profoundly. Eating is a big part of socializing, relaxing, relating to family, friends, coworkers. Eating dysfunction can be familial and codependent. There are some big changes that go with this whole process. Sometimes, they're easy changes, and sometimes they're not. Sometimes they cause all hell to break loose for the person inside them. Also, there is tremendous risk of remission...where you lose weight for a little while, then the food addiction and disordered eating come roaring back and you can physically injure yourself if you don't have other coping mechanisms in place. I am not saying that ANY of these situations describe any particular posters here any more than they could potentially describe all of us. Just sayin....if at your psych eval your therapist recommends more support, more preparation....that can be a good and responsible thing to do for yourself. That can help guarantee your best chances. It can make this time of change more joyful and less stressful. It can make you more successful in the long run. Figuring this stuff out is a great investment in yourself. Best wishes to all.

I am also a self-pay. I had no other issues other than being overweight and according to my insurance company I wasn't enough overweight to qualify. To start - I went to a bariatric surgeon's seminar, then set up an appointment (free) with the surgeon to discuss if this was something I wanted to. My PCP is still of the mind set that if you do the right thing you can lose weight. I am a new patient of hers so she has no idea of my story. Overweight since 11 and never been able to lose. I went through the hoops of pretending I would qualify for surgery and that helped me A LOT. For 4 months I met with a nutritionist to plan my meals and discuss issues with food, I met with a psychologist (just once), I hired a personal trainer I met with once a month regarding exercise and confirming calorie intake and output and I met with my PCP. In these 4 months I gave us soda and alcohol along with learning to not drink with meals. And to confirm I can't lose weight - I gained 1 pound in those 4 months on a 1200 cal a day diet....go figure. They still filed the insurance request and of course it was denied. Your hospital may have payment plans. I also know of people who have borrowed from their 401K, or even a loan from the bank to pay for the surgery. Best of luck to you!

You don't need to give up alcohol with the band. Some opt to, because of the calories, but if you tolerated it pre-op you're probably going to be able to tolerate it post-op. Just keep in mind that after meal drinks may be a little more potent, since you'll have a lot less food in your stomach. :eek: negative/positive experiences -- just be careful not to drink too soon after eating, and be careful what/how you eat. And try to know where the bathrooms are, just in case.

shaggs, The thing that worked for me with gas pain was peppermint tea (which I loathed but, damn, it did the trick) and walking. Exercise, to this day, helps me get gas out. And as you get more fills and get tighter, burping becomes harder to do without exercise. As for the alcohol - hell, it used to take a LOT to get me tipsy. Now it takes 2 glasses! And try to stick with not giving in the the sugar cravings if you can - you get over them soon enough, believe it or not. Now if I have something too sugary, I feel a little ill. And don't be surprised that things you used to love the taste off suddenly don't taste the same. There was a thread about it recently and I think a lot of banders go through it - and it may well mean the end of your love affair with food (and drink!) and that's not such a bad thing, trust me!

I use Atkins protein bars for snacks. They are high protein, low calorie and low fat. The sugar alcohols in them do cause flatulence, however.

I am wanting to the sleeve surgery but my surgeon keeps pushing the gastric bypass which I am not doing. I had AR bad so I had my lap band removed a year ago. I did not have AR before he lap band and did not start getting it until 6 years after having the band. I do not take medication daily for AR but I do take them. I mainly get heartburn after drinking alcohol, carbonation, or bending over after eating a heavy meal. Is there anyone that did not get worsening of acid reflux after getting the sleeve. Is there anyone who might not get it all now since they have lost weight with the sleeve? Thanks for the help.!

I agree with Art. I am 2 weeks out and I have no trouble drinking fluids. I can drink just about the same as pre-surgery. Even after a few days it was pretty easy for me. I guess I am one of the lucky ones. As far as alcohol, I am not planning on consuming alcohol. I was never a big drinker anyway so this might be easier for me than others. I am planning on finding new things that give me comfort and happiness. With my imporved health and new figure, I am sure I can think of a lot of fun things to do that do not including drinking empty calories. Bonnie.

I am super lucky that I was reunited with my first love from 27 years ago in June and now we’re engaged and he adores every inch of me. Before him, if I was seeing someone and it seemed to be a potential, I would go he’d never let them know. My last boyfriend also had surgery. He wasn’t even a year out and was still eating all the junk and alcohol he wanted being in the honeymoon phase. After almost a year and him not changing, I ended it and then my now fiancé stepped on the scene!

Good Morning Everyone.. I wanted to share a post with you. I have two Facebook accounts, of course 1 for my WLS and my everybody account!! I posted this on my Everybody account last night.. Yesterday I turned a year older!!! This is a new year, new, plans, new goals, and I’m living in the new me. I have come FULL CIRCLE and I am Free!!! This post is long but Have a Wonderful Hump Day!!!! Hi Every...one!!!! So again I will say a lot of folks wont see or read this and I'm ok with that.. I wanted to let you all know that earlier this year I made a very profound statement on my Facebook page about myself, here is another one.. 1 year ago Yesterday 7/16/13. I made a decision that would change my life forever.. A lot of you know that I had been sick for a long time, it had gotten to a point that I thought Slick would find me dead lying next to him. My sickness had gotten that bad. Although I had a few people that would check on me and Slick during that time, the support needed was not there by many.. Anyway, during March of last year when I was finally diagnosed with my illness, I also decided to have weight loss surgery. I started telling people that I thought would be in my corner and stand by my side but instead was slapped in the face person after person when I would tell them even family members. I had phones hung up in my face, people stopped calling, others would say why when you can lose the weight on your own.. If you had seen me and or if you knew that I was very sick you would have know that it was out of my own hands to do it alone. You would also know that for years I had been trying very hard to lose the weight on my own. I had been on bed rest for months!!!! I was very offended by all of the negative responses that I was receiving from friends and family that I completely shut down. I stopped telling people.. I told less than 6 people... Folks was more concerned about me not losing weight on my own than they were that I could barely move, breath, or take care of myself and was near deaf. It was Just me and Slick!!! On 7/16/13... I had weight loss surgery!! I also lost a lot of friends and family along the way.. I slowly started posting pics here and there and when someone would ask me how did you loss or how are you losing weight, I would say, "high Protein, low carb, no sodas, no sweets, no alcohol, etc..." these were and are still all true but I left out the weight loss surgery part... I am at a place in my life now that as I said in my previous profound post, you can either be on my bus or not.. But I didn't do this for Vanity reasons, If you really knew me, you would know I did it to live.. I have a 2 year old Granddaughter that I could not play with, a family that I could not hang out with.. a husband that I could not take care of.. I Can do all those things now and so much More... I'm living NOW!!! I am Very Happy, I have lots of Energy!! I'm Stronger than before!!! I'm 122lbs lighter!!! I work out 5-7 days a week, I have done several 5k's and I'm running when I was told that I would NEVER run again. I have told quite a few people since and I felt that it was time for me to let you all know.. I did this for me and my Family no one else.. It was time to put me 1st.. For years I have taken care of others and I was the one dying.. I'm loving and living life at the age of 40!!! and Next April I will be running my 1st Half Marathon!!! I am ALIVE!!! and I LOVE ME!!

I haven't heard of that particular one, but I do know there are lots of "Protein breads" out there. But again, there's always way more carbs than protein in anything like that. It's the nature of the beast...baked goods, bread, Pasta and grains will ALWAYS be carb heavy, no matter what they do to try and sell it as a protein or low carb product. Believe me, I don't eat perfect 100% of the time, but I sure did for the first 4-5 months. Since then I have had ice cream, tiramisu, cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, blueberry muffins, alcohol, crackers, noodles, etc. But not until I was at (or darned close to) goal weight. I don't plan on dieting the rest of my life, so I'm OK with eating these things in moderation since I'm technically in the maintenance stage. But 90% of the time it's still protein first, then veggies, fruit and whole grains/fiber.

Animal protiens are best if you have any leeway in your choices. Also, Greek Yogurt has a variety of flavored. Dannon Light and Fit is low in carbs too. It helps with any desire you may have for fruit too. You can also get goo protein bars (whey protein). Again make sure they are low in sugar. Sugar alcohol as a sweetener is okay in the bars. Atkins and other some other brands are good.

Per my NUT, the issue with caffeine is not only acid, but the absorption rate is different, just like with alcohol post surgery. While I am not sure of the effects of getting too much caffeine being a huge issue, just be cautious!

Yes that's wild alcohol free for a year but however my procedure did get postponed for the use of nicotine (cigarettes) [emoji2955] had to quit completely Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all, I’m scheduled for surgery sept 21st all appts are done and drs have signed off . I got a call today from the surgeon and she says she got a letter from the insurance (tufts) saying I need to have been alcohol free for the past year. She said in all the years she’s done surgery she’s never heard of this. I honestly don’t drink more than one drink a month and it’s been months since that , so she’s writing a letter to them stating I haven’t drank in months. But, I think this is something made up as a reason to try and deny my surgery since Covid has taken a toll on the insurance companies. Anyone else have this issue? I really hope it’s resolved because I’ve done everything for this surgery, and something like this should of been brought to my attention months ago.

when getting lotions, be sure to look at the ingredients. Any lotions that contain any sort of alcoholwill dry out the skin, and will cause scars to not dissapear the way they should. If you see alcohol, stay away. Any other lotion without alcohol, that contain vitamin E is great for your skin all over. I also use a soap that I get here at a local shop that contains goat's milk. It has so many great properties, nd leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. I also sometimes use a soap with olive oil in it, but the goats milk is by far my favorite.

I waited 3 months post-op to have any alcohol. Since then, I have had it in moderation (mostly in social situations and only red wine or carb-free liquor drinks). At 16 months post-op, and below goal with a 225 pound total loss, I have no issues with it. In fact, I usually weigh less after drinking because it dehydrates me a bit. While I return to my regular weight the next day, I have never gained an ounce from it. YMMV. But, as folks have said in the thread, be mindful of the calories, and watch out for the sugar and carbs in many of the mixers. And, most of all, listen to your doctor's advice.

This is the bigger reason so much caution is used in regards to alcohol. I'll have to look up the stats but the rate that people turn into alcoholics after WLS is significant. Lower inhibitions may lead to eating more or eating things that you shouldn't.

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.