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I have kept to the diet described in my Surgery Bible. I do not eat anything that my nutritionist says is objectionable. I know me. If I start binging on foods that are sorta on the list of bad things. I will explode! I know of 1 person that lives in my building that had the same surgery. He lost some weight. But started eating all the same FAT and SUGAR stuff he ate before. That is not for me! I have a long journey before I am through. I will not eat pizza. I will not eat Junk food. I am a FOOD ADDICT. If I start down that road, The Gremlins in my head will tell me SURE IT IS OK. Eat what you want. Your tummy is all shrunk up. No problem. BULLCRAP! I have to not give in to my cravings. now Addictions. I have been Sober from Alcohol for over 24 years. I had just switched Addictions from Alcohol to Food. I had to learn how not to drink 1 day at a time. I am learning how not to Eat as an Addict. This to me is a WAR that I aim to win! 1 meal at a time!

food has been an integral part of my life for so long. A lot of my social life revolves around food (and a bit of alcohol to some extent). I am mentally trying to prepare myself to change that aspect of life, and there's a part of me that does not like it. However, I cannot continue down this path I'm on, so I definitely need to change my mindset. I'm also afraid of not making it through that pre and post op liquid diet when it's time...but I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, the food = celebration part is the most important piece that I have to change.

I'm 42 and single with no kids. At this stage of my life I wouldn't call myself a "party girl", but I do still on occasion enjoy going out and having drinks and sometimes taking a cab home because it wouldn't be a good idea to drive. It's pretty infrequent now, but something I still enjoy. I realize that this probably won't be the same for me if I have the VSG surgery, but I thought I would ask how it would change. What are the recommendations you have gotten from your doctors? What are some of your personal experiences? Do you have to wait a certain amount of time after surgery before having any alcohol? Is it something you have to give up forever? Thanks.

LOL! Glittereyes, I've been married to a wonderful man who has spoiled me relentlessly for the last 36 years. I haven't had surgery yet, but he is cutting out all alcohol and snacks with me (a huge effort on his part!) and will be going on the same diet as I when "the time comes". Talk about 100% support!

Darn hit enter too soon and cannot edit on mobile. I was also going to add that for myself personally I am trying to hold off on drinking as long as possible. Right now at 4 weeks post op I am still dealing with head hunger and feeling like I still want to emotional eat. I am an ex smoker and now working on becomming an ex food addict. I do not want to fill the voids with alcohol, so for myself, I am choosing to hold off on alcohol until I can get my mental game to a much better place.

I was cleared for wine consumption at 3.5 months out. My surgeon warned me to steer clear of red wines. I didn't drink until I was at goal, I was pretty carb/calorie conscious and didn't want to waste my calories on alcohol. The first time I drank a glass of Riesling, it hit me hard and fast then I sobered up pretty quickly. I am that "party girl", and have been socially drinking for the last ummmm few months. I tie one on monthly with mixed drinks and shots, and my tolerance is the same as it was pre-op now. In my little social circle of military wives, I'm know as the "afternoon cocktail" girl, and have been known to drink a strawberry mojito, have a glass of wine, or even a rum/coke at lunch. I don't drink at home, and I typically keep my drinking to a 4-6 times a month kind of thing, and it's typically just one drink unless it's my monthly "girls night out". I'm below goal, and the only thing I do notice is that I retain Water like the hoover dam after a big night out. Other than that, I have zero ill effects from drinking with my sleeve. I refuse to give up anything forever that includes any type of food or beverage. I had surgery to be as close to normal as possible, and being a social drinker is part of my "normal".

3 months, no, no, no. I still choose not to eat and drink at the same time just because I don't want to risk getting sick from being full and taking in liquids too soon after that. I don't feel like I'm affected any more now by alcohol than I was before surgery. I've tried wine, mimosas, amaretto sours, but will usually stick to cape cods (vodka and light cranberry juice). Can't drink fast and carbonation of champagne has to go even slower. Still kind of nervous to try my luck with shots, but if someone else who answers has any advice, I'd love to hear that too.

Good questions! How long did I wait? About 3-4 weeks. Wanted to make sure I was getting my full 64 oz of liquids first before any alcohol. For fear of dehydration! Any complications? I'm a big wine drinker and most of the time the acidity gives me major reflux or heart burn. Liquor I haven't noticed a problem. Don't mix with sugary stuff, high sugar can cause some "dumping" effects. Still can't handle carbonation, champagne, or beer, one sip can be painful. Weight gain? None, still loosing and I'm 6 months out. Drink much less than prior to surgery. Sip much slower. Addiction? I can stop whenever. It doesn't go down as fast and easy as it use too.

Would you say cut some slack to a person who brought in alcohol when there was a recovering alcoholic in the house?? I'm not saying they can't eat it, there's plenty of places other than the house they can have it.... just don't bring it home.

aaaahhh, Marybeth have your La Margaritas now because we aren't allowed to drink alcohol for at least a year after the surgery...or so says my surgeon. sort of sad too - never been much of a drinker but I was really enjoying trying out the variety of ways a margarita could be flavored...DInner's at La Casita, Wednesday the 20th at 6:30-ish for those of us who can do a central location. For those of us who can do a trip to the Becker/Albertville area or a return to the Maple Grove area...I'm seeing some interesting places in the immediate Albertville area - Space Aliens: http://spacealiens.com/albertville-mn/menu , D. Michael Bs: http://www.dmichaelbs.com/ordereze/Menu/0/Menus.aspx or Neighbors: http://www.neighborseateryandsaloon.com/# or we have several we can do in the Maple Grove area - 3 Square, Pittsburgh Blue, Granite City, Biaggis, Sawatdee, Claddagh Irish Pub, etc. Any thoughts? If we can do on Saturdays, that's good too... Share folks - what do you think? Later, Tyra

this is just gonna sound wrong cuz im a girl.. but im only 3 weeks out i know i shouldn't be drinking but its really hard not to when you work in a bar.. im not downing shots by any means, but ill have a shot and sip on it for a while or a drink and sip on it.. I found out why they tell you not to drink.. IT MAKES YOU GAIN WEIGHT! lol.. Damn.. so i will stop drinking for now until im a while out cuz i don't wanna hinder my losses.. However i do have to admit.. that it didn't really bother my stomach and i think im part of the few that alcohol doesn't really affect me any differently than before. i have noticed tho that it burns of quicker.. but i dont get uncontrollably drunk or anything.

Hi all! Just got back from being out of town over the weekend. Hoping I didn't gain very much as it was for a social (eating event). I tried to make good choices and as I look back over the weekend I think I did. I even made my alcoholic drinks with sugar free Tropicana LOL. I still probably went over my carbs on Saturday but over the whole weekend it probably averaged out. I still have two and a half weeks until my next fill so I will get back on track and be fine. I think I'm going to go out tomorrow and seek out places for us to meet. I think I know the general area, just need to scope things out and make sure it's a bandster friendly place. It looks like Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday around 7:30 is going to be the best. Unfortunately, there is no one day where everyone is available so maybe we can shift the days around a bit instead of staying on one single day of the week. Dr. Cywes gave me the talk this past appt about not concentrating on the scale and focusing more on my lifestyle. He said that once I took care of my lifestyle, that the scale would take care of itself. I think I'm doing my part so far! I sure as heck didn't go as overboard as I normally would have this weekend! I'll let you guys know what I find in my looking around tomorrow!

@ms.sss Wow congrats on your surprise vacation. Get bikini fit before you go, You deserve to indulge and enjoy. You know yourself best. Try to be ok with a small weight gain. You can trust yourself to work it off after you get back. I am just checking in after a short vacation and family wedding. A fantastic time was had. I was 130 at the start of vacation and I’m now 143. A bit over my ten-pound bounce range. Clothing is tight. My body is not used to the craptacular food and alcohol choices over the last week. I feel sluggish and not myself. I appreciate how good I feel when I eat on plan. Looking forward to getting my weight back in range.

We just had to take a 150 or something question test for our psych clearance. I told the psychologist about my issues with my appearance but they didn't consider body dysmorphia an issue... they were SUPER just focused on if I was a drug/alcohol addict or an emotional eater. Probably 50% of the questions were about drinking habits. I just took that test and that was it. I sorta think everyone figured when I got down to my former weight my body dysmorphia would just disappear because I would have a) experienced being actually fat and b) realize that at 140 I wasn't fat... thus solving the problem. Wrongo. My psychiatrist signed my clearance form no questions asked. I treat with her mostly for my Tourette's, however. We just recently started discussing the body dysmorphia, but I have seen a LOT of therapists in my past for it but have always been a therapy flunky. My current doc has always known about my body image issues, but until recently my biggest concern has been my motor tics so that is what we typically focus on since it outwardly affects my life (socially). But now the body image stuff is playing a more dangerous role, which is why we are focusing on that more now, too.

I love to drink too! I have not had the surgery yet so I'm not sure either. All I know is you have to wait 6 months but I thought beer was off the table.?? No bubbly stuff. Plus if you drink a lot you can gain the weight back. I hope someone that has experienced this will comment. I have cut way back on the drinking since I decided to get the surgery so I'm prepping myself for no alcohol. Good luck!!

EE The liquid phase is hard - I wanted to eat - I chewed and spit out just like you at that phase too.. Sometimes we forget that we have the band - Congrats on preparing the food and not eating it - There are pple here who will eat real food when they are suppose to be in liquids... Yep the tiny bites eating slowly and not drinking takes a while - I still suffer from eating too fast sometimes and I am almost 2 yrs out... I will occasionally pb but not often. Thanks for the props - I have worked really hard to get where I am and am still working at it. Yesterday - I was making all these excuses in my head as to why I didn't need to go to the gym... But alas I went - I have to if I want to maintain my weight and still eat.. Ya I am a real person with a real life - I will over indulge with various things (alcohol and food) from time to time - but what I know now is that after I have - I have to get back on track - this is what skinny pple do - we all see them eat drink and be merry and think that they do this stuff daily - well most don't they enjoy life from time to time but on a daily basis they watch their intake and exercise.. Keep up the good work - Good thought on your fill today... When you visit the doc - remember in your head he is a person just like you - you pay him he really works for you - just cuz he's a doc with a degree doesn't mean he's any better than you are.. So stick up for what you want -

The US divorce rate is 50%. The divorce rate for people who have had bariatric surgery is 75-85% Read that again. If you have had bariatric surgery, your chance of getting divorced within two years is 75-85%. Split the difference....and 8 out of 10 of us....will get divorced in the next two years. There is no way in hell I would add alcohol to that equation and those odds. it is really important to pay attention to your relationships and do the work required to keep them healthy. I don't see alcohol as a beneficial part of that. My marriage is incredibly important to me. 25 years this year. I have seen way too many marriages go down the crapper...over something as utterly unnecessary as alcohol. Given the physical changes in digesting and tolerating it....and the fact that we're already losing a big coping crutch (food) and that alcohol abuse and dependency are documented to increase post surgery.......it just seems like the perfect storm for a really bad outcome. To me. Others will have different views and keep rolling the dice. To each their own. Free will, and all that:)

Hey all, back from my 2+ week vacation and wanted to give an update: First, you look awesome Lindsay! Second, the update (2 weeks traveling around Germany and Italy): Protein was VERY hard to hit. The "on the go" protein mixes that I brought got real tiresome real quick. I wasn't able to do them everyday. Thankfully, I got approved to have protein bars the day before I left, so I made use of those pretty heavily. Water was also VERY hard to hit. I wasn't keeping exact track, but based on the color of my urine, I wasn't doing great. I was also sweating a substantial amount too, so I needed even more water. The 30m no-drink after eating restriction was a killer. We would stop for some food, I would grab a nice cold bottled water, then have to wait 30m for it to warm up to 80 degrees before I could drink it (I never realized how spoiled I was with cold water) Exercise was easy. Nothing specific, but we averaged 15000 steps a day so I counted that There was a significant amount of cheating: I would usually order a meat based meal, but then try a bunch of different pastas from my family (tiny bites, but 3 or 4 different ones usually). I also occasionally had a bite or two of bread, and ate a piece or two of pizza. I drank wine...quite a bit. We had a couple of wine tastings booked, but I would also do wine before dinner with all my family. I had a grand total of 3 bites of gelato (which I am pretty proud of). The kids got gelato pretty much every night, and I only stole 3 bites as I wanted to try the flavors (coconut, stratiacello, and milk???) In addition to wine, I did have a glass+ of champagne (so double dip of alcohol and carbonation) I had unapproved meats. I didn't always have good options for meat, so there was a couple of nights I shared steak with somebody, or had some other non-approved meat. That being said, I only ever had one stomach issue on the whole trip. I ordered a plate of various meats (ribs, bacon, sausage). I am not sure what the problem was, if I ate too fast, didn't chew enough, or it was too fatty, but I had a pretty quick reaction and didn't feel good at all. There was pain in my stomach area for about 15 minutes. After getting up, walking around, and burping a WHOLE lot, the pain passed. Overall, I was very happy with how it all went. While I have a decent list of cheats above, other than the wine, I really only had a bite or two of non approved stuff each meal. My stomach felt great 98% of the time, and....I lost 9 pounds!!!

I used to smoke cigarettes, 2 packs a day for over 30 years..... Along with a lit of things, I quit for good. I am now a cigar aficionado. Yes, I smoke cigars, drink coffee, double espressos, consume alcohol, enjoy ice cream and other delights, At 63 soon to be 64, I am enjoying life more now than I ever have. I can now appreciate the things life offers, rather than being a glutton and sitting on the sidelines as a spectator. Of course, listen to your Dr. and gauge your results/successes against your new lifestyle.

I like your attitude! I think a lot of people lump cigarette smoking and cigar smoking together. One is dangerous habit and while the other is rather benign. I belong to a social club and smoke cigars with several medical professionals. None smoke cigarettes. I look forward to the day when I can have a drink too. Life is to be enjoyed. I used to smoke cigarettes, 2 packs a day for over 30 years..... Along with a lit of things, I quit for good. I am now a cigar aficionado. Yes, I smoke cigars, drink coffee, double espressos, consume alcohol, enjoy ice cream and other delights, At 63 soon to be 64, I am enjoying life more now than I ever have. I can now appreciate the things life offers, rather than being a glutton and sitting on the sidelines as a spectator. Of course, listen to your Dr. and gauge your results/successes against your new lifestyle.

3 month update! 5/4/23 - Start Pre-surgery diet - 324 5/15/23 - Surgery - 307.6 8/15/23 - 3 month - 242.4 Had my 3 month visit with the dietician and have blown past all of the targets (both the 3m and 6m ones). The year target is down 100 pounds (from the 324), and I am only 18 pounds away from that one. Should be able to hit it by 6 months. Have had very little in the way of side effects. I have thrown up twice when I over ate and had 20-30m of pain after eating some pork that I apparently didn't do right (not sure if I didn't chew it enough or what). I have been pretty low energy only when working out (but that is getting a little better), but have been fine the rest of the day. I have occassionally had an alcoholic drink (started on vacation and has crept back into one or two drinks a week), but I am trying to be a little more strict about that. Currently reading a book called Wheat Belly that talks about how evil Wheat is. Pretty interesting stuff, but heavy on the science behind it all. In the past week I have averaged: 975 calories per day, 78g of protein, 64 oz of water. Given that I workout in the Texas heat (Crossfit gym), I need to be drinking more fluids, otherwise I am really happy with where I am at. I don't feel like there is anything that I want to eat that I can't (or haven't been) eating already. I cheat a little bit with tortilla chips, but that is really the only thing. Honestly, I feel like this whole process has been as painless as possible. I feel incredibly lucky, especially after hearing Synlee's story (I hope you are doing better!)

Umm, if you really want to be really scientific about this, you are really in murky territory. All we have are educated guesses. For instance alcohol. There is a set calorie amount based on how much energy it produces when ignited. Now how much of this enters your system? That's a guess. It gets even stranger when you consider the VS changes absorption rates. So you are really looking at potential calories. That said, after tracking a couple of years I am fairly confident that the "relative" accuracy of the protein/calorie counts on myfitnesstracker. You are not going to be 100% confident, but you will be close enough for your use. BTW, fascinating article: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/10/cocktail-science-do-alcohol-calories-count-digesting-spirits.html

I am a pooping machine... Ugh.! Trying to figure out this last week which med, food, what exactly is making me shoot out whatever I put in. Because frankly, it's starting to make me feel not so nice.;( I think it may be sugar alcohols in the Popsicles but not sure yet. That'd be great to be sensitive to sugar substitutes wouldn't it?! Grr. I'm done b*#%^ in, down ten pounds so that's a good thing but I sure don't want to cramp/poop out the other 70 for cripes sake. hanging in there. How's everybody?

Try sparkling water instead of soda. All the bubbles but no sugar or artificial sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners in the zero sugar drinks could be what’s upsetting you @naynay77. The sugar alcohol ones (any ending in ‘ol’) are the usual culprits.

After all I had to do to GET the surgery and all that I have to do to make sure that it works for a lifetime, you couldn't pay me to have a drink. I am following my surgeon's instructions to the letter and that means no alcohol. Besides, I'd rather chew the very few calories that I consume.