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Erm, I think some surgeons say carbonated drinks is a no no, so it depends. I imagine when you've reached eating normal textures then you can try. Alcohol has to be limited in quantity though.

If I confess here, maybe my willpower will grow. Thursday night I had popcorn with butter. Friday I rode 430 miles and had a bee nick me in the eyebrow. To console myself, I went to the hotel restraunt and ordered wine, then crab and artichoke dip, then another wine. Saturday I went to a wedding and did fine food-wise but alcohol showed up again. I rode home yesterday and am ready to follow good bandster rules. I am now snacking on Wolverines high protein dried turkey nugget - 39 grams of protein and 7 carbs in a bag (260 calories).

For a while when I posted something after you, I finished my sentences occasionally with an "a" but you never got the joke. At least you never mentioned it. Know what I mean, a? Like that. Pronounced similarly, eh? I am very sorry to hear that you're ailing. I can tell that you are not following Dr. BJean's orders. Do not make me have to come up there! Have you been to the health foods store? Have you purchased the refrigerated acidolphilous? Have you taken it, as prescribed? Have you taken Prevacid? (I don't know anything about that stuff your other doctors have given you.) Have you raised the head of your bed? Have you stopped drinking coffee and alcoholic beverages? Have you stopped smoking? Have you given up chocolate? If your answer to the above questions is "no" then I'm beginning to think that Green is reveling in her agony. Please say it isn't so. Remember that at least one other health professional here, other than myself, has told you that these things are a must if your health and comfort are to improve. I don't like having to lecture like this, but I'll do what I have to do to help you get on the road to recovery. :sick Green wasn't meant to be green, you know.

​The thought of loose skin was one of the reasons I didn't want this surgery many years ago (plus no carbonation and no alcohol - or at least limited alcohol). This last year I changed my mind and went full steam ahead not worrying about those things as I was more worried about my health and inability to do some of the things I wanted to. I am 5'10". My highest weight a few years ago was 336. Starting weight at consultation in January was 326. I am 3 months post-op and now down 75 pounds. My neck looks awful on some day (not all days oddly) and my belly button looks like grumpy cat's frown. The skin on my arms and thighs is really starting to get loose, but guess what?! I can cross my legs now and it is all covered up! I will have skin surgery some day but for now, it is what it is and I have to concentrate on getting healthy then I will worry about looking better. In the meantime, cute clothes fit better. All to say, don't let this be the one thing that scares you off. This, of all things, is fixable.

My mom is an amazing cook! When she and my dad were first married (pre VHS/DVD) she used to find out what was being prepared on that days Julia Child episode on PBS get out her cookbooks and measure and chop ingredients and then do the prep with the show so she got it just right. She said she'd go through 2 lbs of butter in a week cooking or just the two of them. Once as a child I had asked for a Twinkie like my friends had. I wanted to try one. My mom got so annoyed! She said she'd show me what Twinkies were supposed to taste like and bought me an eclair. When I was really young we lived overseas in a place where you couldn't even buy Pasta or cheese in the stores... so she made them by hand. Seriously, she can make liver taste amazing. All it takes is a mustard cream sauce. However by the time I was a little older there were five kids and my dad was seriously focused on not dying at 52 as his dad had. So the regular meal became salad, rice (often brown), a steamed vegetable, and broiled chicken. Liver for Breakfast on the weekends. Snacks and special recipes came out of the Pritiken Promise cookbook and my mom was miserable as cooking was her primary creative outlet. Weekly trips to a french restaurant after my piano lessons were a bonding activity for us and while my dad was at work we did eat a fair amount of fast food but by no means every day. My siblings never had weight issues as kids and I didn't really until I was in puberty. While the others occasionally have issues with weight as adults they seem to have had better luck with it just being a blip that happens in response to stress or injury that they then get under control whereas I have been overweight since my teens. I think that was in part because as the oldest and a girl I had to fight the hardest to be allowed to play sports. My parents were living over seas in a place gender equality is still an absurd idea during the whole get your girls playing sports things and holy crap when we got back I had to FIGHT to even be allowed to play soccer and didn't succeed until I was 10. All I had was swimming as that was a safety issue as we lived in a beach town so being a really good swimmer was very important. But food has always been how my mom comforted us and how she comforted herself. The same with several of her siblings who also have serious weight issues. So it was less about knowing what was healthy and more about not having a healthy emotional outlet.... at least it wasn't alcohol? Also she really hated being the only fat one in the family, so when I'd start to diet, the same woman who wouldn't buy Twinkies would buy double stuff Oreos which are my kryptonite.

katmeg99-If I drink alcohol, it is a guaranteed 3-10 pounds depending on how much I drink...I think it's all the sugar turning to fat, unfortunately. Drink LOTS of Water to flush it back out. I am on day 5 of my medifast journey to lose 20 by the 21st and I have been thinking of celebrating my 10 pounds, but you convinced me I shouldn't! Just get back on track and you will be good to go!

Tried sparking water once a year out without thinking (was at a party looking for something non alcoholic and sugar free) and OUCH! Never again for me personally.

You put in the time. You put in the money. You go to all the appointments and you jump through all the hoops. You do the pre-op diet. You have the surgery. You cared enough about yourself to make the commitment to WLS and you physically and permanently alter your body... And then you get mad because someone tells you not to eat the d@mn taco? Not to drink alcohol or soda 2.783 days after surgery? To put down the freaking pizza'? To stop eating bread/rice/pasta/bananas/hoagies/20oz steaks TEMPORARILY while your body heals and you get to your goal weight? To actually stick to YOUR doctor's plan? Even better, you get mad when they only do so AFTER you ASKED???? SERIOUSLY PEOPLE? Yes. I'd guess most of us have head hunger and cravings. I'd guess most of us had a nibble or sip of something off plan. I've no doubt that most of us were not 100% compliant 100% of the time. But I'd also guess that those of us who have done this, gotten to goal weight and stayed there have been compliant the majority of the time. I'd also guess that many of us who have been successful would appreciate a swift kick in the rear if/when we ask a question I bet we already know the answer to. It's not rocket science and this isn't Romper Room. Make good choices, stick to your doctor's orders or don't, but don't get mad if you fail to get the results you want when you refuse to do what you are supposed to do. And don't get mad when someone tells you that what you are putting in your mouth isn't the best idea in the world even though you want it right now. Value yourself more than that. Seriously.

Effing awesome nannie!! The analyst part of me (professional hazard, sorry) is fascinated though that, to Celebrate your success in abstaining from old behaviors, you indulged in 3 donuts. This is not a judgement of you by any means, I am fascinated because I would have done the SAME thing. Why is this ... if we look at it in terms like alcoholics, why would we celebrate our sobriety by having a drink? Yet, we do ... man this is one complex journey. We are the only group of addicts on the planet that are required to partake of our addiction in order to live! Booze or drugs are not necessary for survival but nutrition is, so this requires even more delicate navigation imo, than substance abuse. I have stayed low cal/low carb/ high exercise for 2 weeks now, first 5 days I lost 5 lbs, then went up 2 lbs and have stayed there. Any ideas what is going on? Trying to cut out the salt but man alive I'm craving it! Trying to drink more Water.

Well ME personally I was banded 6/5 and last weekend I went out and got drunk. Am I going to turn in to an alcoholic to replace my food addiction? Hell no. Do I drink often? Nope. You are given directions/instructions and you choose whether or not to follow those. I chose not to for an evening. I'm 23 yrs old and to never drink again even sounds ludicrous. Would I have had a drink 2 weeks after surgery? Probably not. But to each their own.

I just want to point out, if you ask a question, your gonna get answers. Some you may like, some you won't. But you asked. That being said...I don't think NC was honestly being rude or nasty. Just giving her opinion, and looking out for the rest of us in the online community. What ever you decided to do about the Alcohol I wish you luck. We're all different and unique individual's. What works for one, may not work for another. I love beer, used to be a big beer drinker. But my surgeon is big on the carbonated beverages not fitting into the Lapband lifestyle, so I've crossed it off my list 5 months ago. I do love me some wine though and I look forward to drinking responsibly in the future, but not a concern anytime soon. Surgery is Aug 15th...happy Bandday to me:) Good luck to you!!!! And have fun regardless!

I was told to wait 30 days before having alcohol. I have also heard that for some, surgery makes their tolerance go down but mine has stayed the same.

FYI, everyone has a different story to tell. I was banded on January 14th of this year and have not experienced bandster hell. I've not yet had a fill but I still find that I can eat my 1,000 calories daily and not be hungry between meals for the most part. Sometimes I have cravings...but I find something to take my mind off of them. I've dropped 34 lbs. since the pre-op diet started....it's not a huge weight loss as others have had, but it's been steady and I'm happy with that. Much of this journey is about changing the head along with the stomach. Feeling full is gone...don't expect it, don't look for it. Learn to feel satisfied, or 'not hungry'. Make the choices each and every day to avoid those foods that are not going to help you. I've still got some Cookies and ice cream in the house but have not touched either...I'm working too hard to slide back into bad habits. No chips or other junk food either. Again...it's choices you make every day....the same choices thin people make too. We have to start thinking like people who do not have weight issues. Stop eating once you are satisfied, make food part of your life, not the focus of your life, and remember that we are like any other people with addictions. Know your triggers and look for other ways to cope with the bumps and bruises life has in store for all of us. I know it's silly but I've stopped watching food related TV shows. What's the point? Would you watch a story about how cocktails are made if you are an alcoholic? I think not. I avoid the food related articles in the magazine's I read as well. For me, the band gives me the restriction to not overeat. That helps me to control myself. It reminds me of when I stopped smoking. I used Welbutrin to stop the cravings. I was a smoker for more than 35 years and I loved to smoke. Once the cravings were gone though, I was able to walk away from the cigarettes. I'm hoping the band sort of works the same way. If I'm not craving food, I can walk away from the table. So far, it's working for me and I'm grateful for it. OK, done with my speech...sorry about that but I did want to say congrats to you for starting the journey towards better health and better quality of life.

You might want to cut your calorie intake a bit. You seem like you are eating a lot. I generally consume about 500 calories a day-maybe 750 on a rare heavy day and I am about a week and a half behind you. Definitely cut the sweets and alcohol.

Thanks LowCho. I guess I just hoped that since my problem was always with volume eating, the fact that I can eat so little now would mean that I would lose. My dietician and surgeon's guidelines only said to use moderation where alcohol is concerned, and to ensure I take Vitamins. There was no 60g Protein, 40g carbs etc rules. I do think I am following a fairly healthy diet though, and really didn't want to cut out all treats and deprive myself. If I felt I was over indulging then I could understand, but in my opinion I am not. But in all fairness I asked you for suggestions on how to break my stall, which you have done. So I guess I am just being childish and stamping my feet about these little treats which I might have to give up, but didn't think I would have to

I'm on dexilant, carafate, zantac, and prevacid (OTC) and still have chronic reflux. I sleep sitting straight up. No alcohol, tobacco, spicy/greasy foods, caffeine, carbonation, etc. Currently waiting for revision to bypass

Bella, you really are focused on how skinny you are. Just go back and read your recent posts and threads you've started. You want to lose five more pounds, even though your doc has told you to put the weight loss skids on. You've said you now value yourself so much more highly than you did when you were 125 pounds heavier. Oh -- and your ex-husband (you just posted) spent 8 years emotionally and verbally abusing you, calling you a fat pig. Surely, that left some awful psychological scars and affected how you judge yourself. (I'm not telling you anything you don't know, I'm sure.) And now you're finding out that some (a lot?) of men also value you highly for being skinny. And you're mad at them for judging you by the same standards you judge yourself. Any chance you're ... dare I say it ... projecting your own discomfort and fears about your new looks onto them for reasons that you would understand better than any of us here? The important thing is that you are probably going to figure all this out. Your new normal really will turn into something that feels normal. You'll figure out the relationship scene and find out how to relate to (and find men who can relate to) someone not just on the basis of how skinny they are or how much they love how skinny you are. You did good recently in getting shed of that alcoholic who kept physically hurting you when he fell on you in his drunken stupors. There's a lot going on here. A lot. A whole lot. For my two cents' worth (aren't you glad you asked my opinion?), I think your sensitivity around all this really does start with your own concerns / fears / transitions. Good heavens -- you've been through so much lately. And as they keep telling us in classes and online and in the shrink's office: "Losing weight doesn't fix everything that we need to work on." Just breathe in ... and out. Keep doing it. (Big hugs.)

i'm three months post op and there hasn't been a day i;m not thinking about my eating constantly but i've had 50 years of wrong choices, yo-yo dieting and binge eating, isn't it natural that it will take some time to get used to making the right choices? but it looks harder than it really is. without the constant feeling of hunger you can make better choices. i'm sure that once we reach our goals and we level out everything will start to come more naturally. A friend of mine - 8 years post op - told me she doesn't need to think about her eating but she still needs to watch out for her trigger points - in her case alcohol. I guess there's still no fix for emotional eating (or drinking). Good luck with your surgery and i'm sure you'll do whatever you need to.

Carol, do you really think mentioning alcohol is smart? Did you MISS the part where I was running around the back yard in a red lace thong after a few buckets of your famous marguerites? And Vera, I remember you raving about the eggs Bene. I'm all about dinner at Bellagio! Carol, guess what? I was wrong (and right) cuz Chris's football game is the same night. This works out awesome! What time is the show? Michelle, thanks for noticing! Guess who took that picture? Miss Chloe did! She's only five and she takes such nice photos!

Hey, where I can find this book? Does it helped you? I would like to read it too 'cause I really cannot stop eating sweets and I really need a detox. You know I think that chocolates are making a real addiction. It is the same as drugs or alcohol. I'm really afraid of my health. I even started to look for some clinics that can provide some sugar detox but the only think that I found is this site https://www.lifeline.org.uk/heroin-addiction/ they are working with drug addictors but I guess that for me, my heroin are sweets lol. Do you think that they can give me some advices?

Adding to what SpartanMaker mentioned above, the other major concern with alcohol use post op is that it is a liver toxin (physiology here, no moral judgement) and that our livers already tend to be in poor shape owing to our obesity (hence the "liver shrinking" pre op diets that some programs put their patients through) and then the liver is further taxed by its role in metabolizing all of that fat that we are rapidly losing. The last thing that it needs is the added stress of metabolizing alcohol. Surgeons vary on how much this point bothers them, largely depending upon their experience with such things (and maybe their own alcohol tolerance?) Our surgeon also moonlights as a biliopancreatic (liver, pancreas) transplant surgeon, and the last thing he will tolerate is one of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table.

I think all docs are different. Mine says no alcohol for 6-8 months.

In Europe we have a more relaxed view of alcohol use. Red wine is seen as good for you if you have a glass a day etc. I don't drink much these days, but I was the same before surgery. I went on an All-inclusive holiday about 2 months after surgery and carefully tried a few drinks here and there. I kept the alcohol content small and the drink long and tall. Every time I felt slightly tipsy for 30 minutes or so and then nothing. I am the same now. Its your birthday, have a drink if you want to

I know that I eat as a coping mechanism. I think many WLS patients do that and it's why so many turn to alcohol after they get surgery in order to find another way to cope. I've said this many times in these forums that I think WLS patients should get therapy afterwards to help deal with the changes in our coping mechanisms. When I went to therapy he broke it down very simply for me, I eat to cope. I need to cope because of stress. I have a choice, reduce the stress in my life or find a different way to cope. By thinking of it like that it's easier to address the stress and why we are eating to deal with it. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you find a healthy way to cope or a way to help reduce the stress in your life.

I would ask your surgeon how they feel about carbonation after surgery. My surgeon says no way no how, my fiance's surgeon says once in a while is ok. You probably will get drunk faster since you can't have liquids after meals and there won't be anything in your stomach to absorb the alcohol. You probably won't be able to drink the way you used to, but see how you feel. Take it slow at first. My doc says no booze til 6 weeks post op, but every surgeon is different.