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Don't beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day. In my experience, alcohol allows me to eat anything and everything regardless if restriction. I have to be careful when I decide to drink. So occasionally we have to give ourselves a break. :-)

If you are on the fence about it, take your time coming to a decision. Even if you are theoretically eligible for it, you might have a funny feeling about it still. Here are five signs that might be saying that you are not yet ready for WLS. 1. You want to know how soon you can have … Whatever “…” may be, if you are counting down the days until you can have it after your surgery, you might be missing the point. This is a lifetime commitment. It is not a 30-day period of abstinence from alcohol or from pizza. If your mindset is that this is a short-term race to goal weight, bariatric surgery might land you where other diets have: at goal weight and then back to starting weight, plus a few pounds. 2. You’re looking for any excuse to be found ineligible. You may technically qualify for weight loss surgery based on your BMI and any obesity-related health conditions you may have, but are you ready? You might not be if you are grasping at straws to come with reasons you that you “should not” have surgery. For example, you practically ask a doctor to disqualify you because your great-grandfather (who was a smoker) died of a heart attack at age 92 and therefore you worry your heart is not strong enough to withstand surgery. (Note: it is absolutely the right thing to do to explore all of your health history to be sure that the surgery is a relatively safe option for you. Just distinguish between real and imaginary reasons). 3. You are seeking fourth, fifth, and sixth-second opinions. Let’s say your primary care doctor recommends that you have the surgery, and you found a surgeon who gave you the go-ahead. It’s one thing to ask another expert for a second opinion, just to be sure that you are making the right choice. It is quite another to ask several more experts for their opinions, hoping that one of them will advise against surgery. If that is the case, it might be a sign that you are not ready to commit to weight loss surgery and the lifestyle changes that are part of that commitment. 4. You are not sure how it would be different than dieting. Bariatric surgery is worlds away from dieting. If you are thinking of bariatric surgery as a new diet that you will follow until you reach goal weight, you probably will not be prepared to sustain your new eating habits for life, and the weight will come back, just like it may have after countless diets. If you cannot explain to yourself why this is different than previous diet attempts, you might end up with the same results. 5. Your SO is doing more research than you. It seems like every day, your significant other or your mom or your sister is telling you factoids about surgery that they discovered while researching online or talking to people. In the meantime, you have not seemed to be able to find the time to look things up. The fact may be that you are just not that engaged, which may be a sign that, deep down, you are not ready to take the plunge.

Hi everyone, I’ve been lurking for a while, this is my first post. I’m from Ireland but will be traveling to Brussels for a revision from Band to mini gastric bypass on 14th Jan. I’m a few days into my pre-op diet which is just a low fat / no alcohol diet for 2 weeks. Good luck to everyone changing their life in January x

Same, except I'm 46, never have, have no desire to. But I also have no desire to judge. Some turn to the pharmaceutical world to relieve some issues, some turn to pot...they both have their positives and negatives I'm sure. But what I will say, most especially to the younger (under 30) crowd is this...in my experience, both in life and work (I'm a nurse), I've known people who were regular to heavy users of cannabis from a young age into middle age and past, whose minds are so messed up it's sad. There are diagnosed psychoses that stem from heavy and/or prolonged use. Is it personal to me? Yes, my oldest sister is one of them. Was smart as a whip growing up, started smoking in her teens, the only time she did not was at 30 when pregnant with her son. She's now 55 years old, and could barely think her way out of a paper bag. Having a conversation with her is painful. Some will argue pot isn't as dangerous as alcohol, or overindulging in food (in most of our cases), or whatever it is that floats your boat and seemingly makes life easier to get through, and I truly don't know. All I know is what I've witnessed from my sister, others I've known, and from patients, and say what you will now, that you remain productive, and you're totally in control of it, etc, but there is fallout just like any of the other choices. And I'm not talking about people who have gotten in to other "heavy" drugs, but strictly pot use. Before I get any hate, again, I have no dog in this fight... I believe fully in we all do what we do and so what. Like the post I referred to, I wish nothing but peace and blessings to all, but I've been following this post from the beginning, and had to get that off my chest. I do thank everyone for the honesty and bravery in their posts....it's been very enlightening. Sent from my SM-G928V using the BariatricPal App

I drove 5 days post op after I had stopped taking the pain meds for over 24 hours. I was overly cautious about it. First time, I drove a very short distance with my wife to make sure I felt OK and that I wasn't driving badly. It's important to note that in many places, DUI laws don't make any differentiation on alcohol or drugs. If something happens and they determine that you were impaired by drugs or alcohol, you can be charged. Not something I wanted to risk.

@sleevedreamer so in 18months how much did u lose??r u happy with the new life?can u drink alcohol or we can never drink at all!?

My boys were 7 and 6 when I had my surgery in April this year. Last year my husband had to have emergency quadruple bypass which terrified them when they were able to see him and he was in the hospital right at a week. I sat them down before going to the bariatric doctor and told them what I was trying to do. they told me I didn't need to because I was pretty the way I was. I had co morbidities and I needed it for my health. I told them that I was trying to do what I can to be a healthy mom. they also know I'm in recovery for drugs and alcohol and they know what my AA book is and I told them momma is trying to be a healthy mom both from bad things like germs and things I can control so I can be with them as long as possible. I was in the hospital for my wls for about 4 days and they stayed at their grandmothers house for a few days and then my hubby went and got them to see me and see I was ok in the hospital and being taken care of. They also were told because I was going to be sore and walking around uncomfortable for a little bit. They were my big little helpers when I came home. Now, since I've talked with them like miniature grown ups (on their level) they actually look at calories and ask me if I can have certain foods. They are a huge part of my journey because they have motivated me to be the best me.

*laughs* You didn't piss me off, Donna. In fact I agree with you. At our support group last week (which really is kind of pointless at only 1.5 hours per month in a group of 25 people) several people talked about what a crock the psych eval was and how stupid the questions on there were. They pointed out how many questions about drugs and alcohol were on there and asked how in the world that pertained to getting the band. I guess what they were overlooking was that while those questions might not be relevant to them, there is a very real chance that they might be very relevant to the next person. I too have a very hard time with blanketing everyone with the same conclusions based upon the "normal" or "typical" responses from a test study group. Everyone is an individual and letting a stranger speak to you for a few hours out of your life to determine something so important about you is down right scarey. I guess it comes down to this. They'd rather be safe than have us be sorry. Getting a bit healthier, mentally or physcially, before going through something so extreme can't be all bad. It's not a permanent "NO", it's just a "Get a little better first so you can have better success" kind of a thing. Like Crystal said, it's not a patch you can pull off and return to old habits. I was just reading and posting on the thread about what others think of your weightloss, and it really hit me. It's time for some serious issues in my life to be dealt with as I progress to my physical goal. Otherwise, my mental state will have a heck of a time dealing with my physical state. I think those pre-tests picked up on that - for me anyway. And his advice was right on the money, "Whether it be me or another counselor, you need to start seeing someone to help you through this."

I was on track through the holidays, meaning, I always did Protein forward, no alcohol and maintained my exercise routine. I did indulge in sweets that I baked, which I never do. Since the holidays are over, no more baking, so that won't be an issue. I also added back in a 4th meal for. the day. I had cut back to three thinking I didn't need the fourth (my hunger hasn't returned). Then I noticed I was filling that space with candy, so I went back to my protein friendly Snacks, better it be that them sugar calories.

I agree with @@LipstickLady, but I did have my first drink 6 weeks post opt and gradually returned to social drinking by month 3. At this point I was 10 pounds from my goal. It took two months to hit my goal along with social drinking and it probably would have been one with no alcohol. I researched medical advice and found ZERO consistency. In Europe most surgeons have no limits while others say never. I did drink extra water and take an extra antacid when I drank. I stuck to low calorie drinks and logged them along with everything else I ate that night. I also started with weak V-8 bloody Mary's or bourbon and water. I think it's a personal choice, but proceed with due caution, particularly if you still have a lot of weight to lose.

Alcohol is metabolised by the small intestine, but primarily affects the liver. Legally it leaves your system in 5 hours but metabolically 10 hours. Do you really NEED to drink alcohol? Which is more important?

I used to LOVE the children's cherry cough syrup. Then again, it was the early 70's and the children's cough syrup had alcohol back then. I think we also had lawn darts... That was also when we learned I was allergic to alcohol. I'd have a cough and take the cough syrup. Then I'd stop coughing but I'd start sneezing. That never stopped me from drinking as an adult, I just don't drink much, and just as I'll be doing with food after my sleeve, I go for quality over quantity. When you can only have two beers, you don't waste your time with Budweiser...

Hi all, I celebrated my 6 months surgiversary last Thursday. I made the goal I wanted: 70 lbs. lost post-surgery in 6 months. The six-month checkup went well. I've been trying hard to stick to Kaiser's guidelines and they are working for me. I'm now cleared for 1-2 alcoholic drinks per week. Yahoo! I'm going to start out with a small glass of port, probably this weekend. I'm planning on enjoying Thanksgiving this coming week, but I hope not so much that I dont' lose. I've lost every week since surgery and I don't want to break that streak yet! Lynda My Christmas Goal also includes reaching the following goals: 154 lbs.: I'm a NORMAL BMI!!!! and I have 19 lbs. to goal 154: I've lost 100 lbs total - 32 pre-op and 68 post-op. I'm in the Century Club! 152: I've lost 70 lbs. post-op 149: My number starts with 14. I haven't weighed this since the mid-90s. 146: I've lost 10% of my total body weight for the fourth time since the operation. I have less than 10% of my body weight to go to goal, so it will be my last 10% loss. 145: 10 lbs. to go to my final goal! 144: My Christmas goal and I've lost 110 lbs. (32 pre-op and 78 post op). 9 lbs. to my final goal!!! Christmas Goal: SW-157.9.............CW-150.4...............Christmas Goal-144 Oct 28: 157.9 Nov. 4: 155 Nov. 11: 152.8 Nov. 18: 150.4 Nov. 25: Dec. 2: Dec. 9: Dec. 16: Dec. 23: Christmas:

My Dr says one year before alcohol again. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It is too late to ask your doctor today, but what were your post WLS instructions? Are there any medical reasons why you need to follow a slightly different plan? You were sleeved ~2 months ago. If you do have a drink, be careful, alcohol may have a stronger affect on you post WLS, so let someone else drive. Alcohol, as compared to a battery acid martini with a carpet tack instead of an olive, when you don't know if it is safe to consume, is a better choice.

This thread is causing me to rubberneck. Just when I am ready to look away, something new catches me. On my doctor's plan alcohol after a month is permitted if it isn't carbonated and if the patient wasn't a heavy drinker before. The plan says nothing about Cheezits or Catholicism, however. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My dr says to wait a year and that sounds about right to me. Your new tummy needs time to heal. Adding alcohol to it too soon after surgery seems like a bad idea. In addition the empty calories go against getting the most you can out of the short honeymoon phase.

Clearly this is a difficult post for me to write, because this is the sixth time I've wiped it out and started over. So forgive me for poorly constructed sentences, the occasional grammatical error, and even -- heaven forbid -- typos. I've always been the lazy perfectionist... if I can't do something perfectly, I don't want to do it at all, and since I can (very) rarely do something perfectly, I find myself not making the attempt all that often. Nonetheless, here I am. Again. I had surgery on January 31st, 2005. I thought I'd be done with this whole "weight loss thing" by now. And here I sit, only 44 lbs down from where I was, with about 100 lbs still to go. What went wrong? In June, I completley changed careers, and I'm a full time graduate student now in addition to working a full time job. About that same time, my wife and I divorced, for the 2nd time. (Yes, from each other, for the 2nd time.) For 3 months, I was a "full time dad" too, but now they've gone to live with their mom and I miss them terribly. Lesson: life happens at a pace most people can barely hang on. But, we do. Somehow. Maybe nothing went wrong. Maybe I expected too much, too fast. Maybe as long as I'm making progress, that's all that matters. Lesson: I didn't get fat overnight, so I'm not going to lose weight overnight. But, the fact of the matter is that I'm not making progress. In fact, I've gained 18 lbs in the past 3 months, so I have to think that something's not right. I was having bad reflux at night and thought I needed an unfill, so I got one. And now, though I can't eat like I did pre-band, I eat too much, and I eat stupid stupid foods. And, if I eat at night, I STILL have reflux. Lesson: don't eat at night. And when I started gaining weight, I left my support group. That would be you guys. I'll be honest -- I don't find a lot of accountibility here, because you guys are just so loving and understanding, and despite what the world thinks about how quickly a weight-loss-surgery patient should lose weight, we know better. But, in the past, accountibility is what's always helped me lose weight. What I find here instead, though -- overflowing constantly -- is love and grace. And somehow, that's what it really feels like I need. What kind of group would this be if forgiveness and understanding were sacraficed for the sake of harsh accountibility? Not one that many (if any) of us would stick with, I suspect. Lesson: when things get hard, don't run and hide. The band isn't working for me. It's not tight enough. What ever shall I do? Duh. This "tool" isn't right for me because it's not restrictive enough; fortunately, it's an adjustable tool. Clearly, I need to get off my ass and get an adjustment. Lesson: the band is a tool, and you have to have the right tool for the job. Even with all of that, I'm still so damned stubborn. When the band was tight enough, I was PBing all the time, because I ate food I shouldn't eat, and in quantities that I KNEW I couldn't handle. Why? Because I'm addicted, and addicts make really stupid choices. Lesson: sometimes the band isn't enough. There are alcoholics on antabuse who still drink, despite the reaction. There's a 12 step program for people like me. I used to go. It used to help. Then things got hard, and an ran and hid. Lesson: when things get hard, don't run and hide. Hmm, that one sounds familiar. So now I now exactly what I need to do. Should be easy from here on out, huh? Lesson: there's a mile between knowing and doing. But at least I know what I should be doing. I miss you guys. Can I come home?

It will get better. I liked to keep ice on my belly. I would do it all day and night. I sucked down the liquid pain meds when I needed it. I just used a chaser like I was doing a shot of alcohol. Take it easy if your in that much pain! No need to rush yourself. Relax a little.

soda makes me throw up I would never drink soda again... I have had popcorn and I've been fine with that. I even eat cookies here in there.. I love cheese I used to be bad when I started out because I was always on the go because the way I work I used a lot of chicken nuggets i would get a four piece it would take me a couple hours to eat it... but I asked my dad about it and she told me was bad because all the carbohydrate . so I broke my stuff out of that so what I do is I a lot of Lunchables because the protein and it easy on the go... I do a lot of Gatorade or I do that things are going to water but I'm so tired of water and I'm picky when it comes to my drinks at 8 Friday some but they made me sick so I don't do fries no more. I have had alcohol I cant do beer because of that frizz it makes me sick to bread makes me hurt bad so I'm so over it.

As you can see you're going to get as many answers as there are surgeons advising patients. There is nothing you cannot eat for the long run. The advice about carbonation? Varies by surgeon. The advice about carbs, bread, etc.? Varies by surgeon. The only real solid rules you'll see? Alcohol should be avoided for at least six months. However, many drink before that and are fine. Foods that cause some people discomfort and that you might want to avoid? Spinach, or any greens, for at least a few months. eggs are iffy - some people do great, some people have problems. Beef is very hard for some people. It took me nearly a year to be able to eat more than a few bites. Some folks have trouble with chicken, too. Definitely popcorn, at least until you're well into the healed phase. The hulls are dangerous around the staple line and it takes longer for that to fully heal than you might realize. I couldn't eat lettuce, particularly iceberg, for more than a year without problems. Foods I still eat in very small portions, and only once in a while (I'm 3 years out): Flour tortillas (I avoid them altogether, they hurt me) Rice (one or two bites and I can be fine, or one or two bites and I'm in pain and I never know which it will be) Pasta (I might eat a bite here or there but it swells like rice) There is a line to walk. Moderation and being "normal", feeling like you can eat without depriving yourself, is important. But there are clearly foods that you should not be incorporating into your diet as a normal or regular habit until you're much closer to goal. Just because you find you can drink soda and eat popcorn (my particular set of trigger foods, and oh, does it slide) does not mean you should engage in that behavior regularly. That's the line - and losing weight is far easier than you realize. Walking that line for the rest of your life, eating so that you feel normal without going out of control? That's the hard part. So incorporate what you need to later on, but be cautious about forgetting what made you obese in the first place. ~Cheri

The alcohol is always a big question and big issue. I am quite sure my alcohol consumption had something to do with my excessive weight. I am being sarcastic of course, but alcohol should always be accompanied by moderation, self-control, etc. My brother had a gastric bypass and his doctor gave him two stern warnings: 1) your body cannot process this stuff like it used to and 2) if you drink and drive with a bypass you will get a DUI. The physical difference between the band and bypass is obvious. For me, I need to be aware of my new diet (and changes) and change my definition of moderation. Personally, I like Bombay Sapphire martinis - dry with two queen olives. It has been two months and my wife and I will be going to Vegas on business the end of this month. I would love a martini, but if it is not on the diet or advisable then I will just wait. I like a good single malt scotch too (as well as a good Churchill). I like chicken fried steak to but that is over. I guess it is a matter of personal preference, ability and need. I have made the mental adjustment to booze early in the game because above all else - a good Delmonico needs an excellent cabernet. I just need to adjust the portion size accordingly.

Alcohol AND common sense...Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...Interesting....It will never catch on!!

The purpose of a pre op diet is to shrink the liver. Drinking alcohol probably won't add weight to your liver but alcohol will lower your inhibitions and you could pig out on a plate of nachos which would make you gain another 2-5 lbs of fluids. If you do, stay away from carb and sodium loaded margaritas. I'd stick with wine or hard liquor with no sugar additives. tmf

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.