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Wow, being discussed so thoroughly seems oddly unsettling (?) @SteveT74, thanks for taking the time to write all this, I can tell you have put a lot of thought and research into your posts. As someone who to tends to lose hours reading about subjects that interest me as well as take pride in composing a well thought out essay/email/argument/post-it note, I can appreciate your efforts. To be clear, both my nutritionist and surgeon (and while i'm at it my PCP) are satisfied with my progress so far (despite my NUT preferring that I up my calories). I'm sure they think I could be doing even better, like more calories, more exercise, more sleep, less salt, less special-occasion alcohol, less Perrier (my nemesis!) etc, but for now they are cool with what I'm doing. Come three months from now, they may advise me differently, and thats cool too...I could very well be in a different position to better address that, then.

If you're only eating 6 or 700 calories a day and almost all of that is coming from protein, it sounds like you're not eating enough calories to support a healthy nutritional balance. You're also eating so much protein that you're excluding important micronutrients. I am a big believer in going ultra-low carb (love Keto), but to cut out carbs AND fat is definitely going catch up with you. You can live without carbs (except for fiber, which we really need a lot of), but fats and protein are both essential. Protein is very important--particularly in the month or two after surgery when you're recovering since amino acids are required for tissue growth, neurological repair and growth, hair growth etc. However, you can't really live long term on protein alone. First off, your body will convert protein to glycogen to compensate for the reduction in available glucose that you might ordinarily get from carbs. Protein molecules can be converted to glucose by your liver in a process called glyconeogenesis. It's an inefficient way to create glucose--which is a good thing in most instances since it means that your body consumes about three time the amount of energy to create glucose from protein than it does from carbohydrates. However, this process also creates a lot of unpleasant by-products and waste that needs to be processed by your liver and kidneys. If this is your primary/only source of energy for a long enough period of time, your going to risk liver and kindney damage and possibly failure. This is one of the things your Surgeon is checking for when they do your blood work every three months (it shows up in your creatine, thiamine and protein level reports). This will tell him or her if you're eating to little or too much protein. Second, you need to have fats in your diet. I am not talking about cheese burgers and bacon. We can all live without that crap. However, healthy fats are very important for neurological function, heart health, liver function and hormone production etc. You need to also be eating the right kinds of fats from things like avocado, fatty fish oil (wild caught sockeye salmon), extra virgin olive oil, ghee etc, nuts (pecans, macadamia, brazil nuts--all great). These are all great sources of omega-6 fatty acids, which are also very important for your immune function and will help you suppress free radicals and mutations that can cause cancer and other health issues. Third, even though I am a Keto evangalist, you do need to some carbs in your diet. Those carbs need to come mostly in the form of fiber along with some nutrient rich foods that will help improve your micronutrient profile. Sure, we can take supplements but most of those pills only mimic the vitamins we would otherwise get through a healthy diet. There not one in the same. That said, 20 net grams of carbs is more than enough to live on---but your total carbs (including fiber and sugar alcohols does not require any limitation). Depending your choices though, you can certainly have more than 20 net grams of carbs and still be very healthy and lose lots of weight. You just have to monitor your calories a little more carefully. Finally, even with your tiny tummy, you can easily get your calorie (nutrient) consumption up to 1000 to 1200 a day if you add in fats. A small handful of brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds or pecans will get you plenty of healthy fat, protein and fiber to fuel you through the day. Sure, these are calorie dense foods, but if you can't eat food in quantity, you should still try to get your calorie consumption up near 1000k a day. It's not going to really change your rate of weight loss significantly (it might slow things a tiny bit), but it will help you prevent regain to get yourself to a point where you can eat a sustainable amount of calories daily. You don't want your body to adapt to 600 calories a day and base your new set point on maintenance at that level. That's not a recipe for long term success.

Alcohol is absorbed entirely by the stomach, via the stomach wall and into our bloodstream directly and rather rapidly. A few things to be mindful of, not necessarily in any order, but all of them important: The size of the stomach post VSG is very compromised, being a fraction of what is used to be pre-op. This means that absorption usually is much more rapid than it was and, that a much lesser amount of alcohol will be needed to both be perceived physically and felt physiologically by the body. This is important in, for example, being stopped for DUI whilst driving and likely 'blowing over' the limit, or otherwise tested as same. Of course, perhaps the most important aspect for any of us having gone through such a radical series of events, leading up to bariatric surgery etc should be, that alcohol is very high, relatively speaking, in calories. Alcohol is converted into sugars, and these are to be minimized or, better yet, avoided altogether for optimal results. Easy enough to say, I hear many uttering about now, but really, in my own humble opinion, I feel it really is a necessary sacrifice. I certainly haven't gone through all of this only to compromise it massively by continuing as once I did.....any more than continuing with what were wrong and unacceptable eating habits, be they emotional or otherwise, they all must go. I rarely drank alcohol when driving, ever, and so the matter of being 'over the limit' back then was never an issue.....now, post VSG, the risk is very real and for me, far too great, along with the much more important aspects of ongoing weight loss being optimal and sustainable. I should also add, that I am in my early 60's and have other things compromising my health that make my decision to avoid alcohol a no-brainer, but it is unquestionably the case, surely, that being on this bariatric journey, and having taken such huge steps with same, we should all deeply consider if alcohol is worth it on any level. It does represent a challenge to cease drinking, but for mine, a much greater challenge by maintaining, even partially, a life that includes alcohol. Good luck to all with this, whatever your choices

Early on I would have NIGHTMARES that I was doing something contrary to my plan like eating and drinking at the same time, alcohol, etc. I stop giving these (subconscious) fears real estate in my life by being moreproactive and vigilant. I don't dream like that anymore. I started thinking about my life on a whole beyond my weight. I was entirely too fixated on one aspect in life. There are sooooo many more. I put this diet/lifestyle on automation so i can focus on other things.

So a question... (with some background first): I think I’m probably the worst post op surgery patient on this forum. I don’t get my adequate water, I don’t take vitamins (I use patches), I have skipped about 20 calcium supplements at minimum, I have been eating basically anything I want for almost 2 full weeks now. Oh and let’s not forget I get no exercise. That said, I feel better than I have in ages. I am consistently losing about a half a pound a day, give or take. I am moderately active in my regular life just with the day-to-day chores, going on sales calls, etc. Concurrent with this surgery I have been getting epidurals in my back which have alleviated most of my pain. So I feel pain-free and I feel like I look much better. My energy level has returned and I basically feel normal again - just improved. I am thrilled at how I feel these days. I actually have a very positive attitude as where last year I would say I was almost clinically depressed. I just feel joy now. I am excited to be social again. Last year almost stayed home hundred percent of the time hiding away from the world. A lot of it does have to do with NOT having that back pain but I just feel positive and optimistic and empowered now. I know my WL surgeon would probably kill me if he knew that I have had alcohol or bacon but it is in such moderation... Come to find out I don’t need a double bottle of wine or 3/4 a package of bacon to make me happy. One glass of wine and one strip of bacon brings me all the joy I need!!! Do you think I am teetering on that slippery slope or is my attitude about this healthy?

No I don’t drink any. I was not a big drinker before my surgery so it wasn’t hard not to drink any after. Plus what I liked before was a Coors Light and I don’t do any carbonation at all since my surgery. I don’t miss it. To me it’s an awesome trade off. I’ll take losing a whole human being off of me to occasionally having a alcoholic beverage.

The answer is both! First off, you don't count total carbs because the carbs that you eat in the form of fiber and sugar alcohols generally pass through undigested and don't contributed to weight gain or energy productiion. You have to deduct them from your total carb intake--so the focus is on net carbs. I am personally follow an ultra-low carb diet and try to keep my total carb intake under 30 net grams (usually under 20). I also count calories and track what I eat. I budget 1500 calories a day, with 45 percent come from protein, 45 percent from fat (healthy fats) andn 10% from carbs. It's working for me.

I'm a year and a half out. Per guidance, I had avoided alcohol and carbonation. My daughter and I we're on a cruise, and I decided to enjoy a mimosa with her on our balcony. I had about half a glass when the pain hit my stomach-- Lesson learned for me-- no more than a sip of bubbles. And no more than a sip of alcohol.

Hey, Joe. I'm another man who is an "honorary" member of the February group. I was supposed to go on February 25 but was postponed until March 4. By that time, I had already bonded with the February group. I finally went back to work today, 3 weeks after surgery. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but otherwise all went well. I am so sick of the pureed/soft diet and have been pushing the envelope a bit by nibbling on some "real" food from time to time--but it was still all protein, so I feel virtuous. Regarding the alcohol discussion: I'm definitely going to avoid it for a year, since I want to get the most out of the honeymoon. I'm hoping to give up drinking permanently, but we'll see down the line. At the moment, my stomach is mildly upset all the time and I and can't even imagine drinking alcohol.

Re alcohol: There were many nights hubs and I would kill a bottle of wine between the 2 of us. On the weekend, it was “normal” for us to kill the bottle of wine plus a bottle of bourbon. Or Rum. Or vodka. And I never used mixers. I was a “neat” gal. In all honesty, I’m scared to death to try to consume liquor at all because while I’m in this honeymoon phase, I just can’t second-guess any of my choices. If I hit a stall, it will be because my body stalled— not because I stretched my sleeve with food and drink. I don’t want to ever play the “what if” game if I only lose 50-60 pounds by the time this is over. I’ve sworn off alcohol for 6 months and maybe longer depending on my progress. Hubs is on board with me on this which almost guarantees sainthood. It’s tough bc there are times where I think I miss it, but I’m also wearing a pair of pants that haven’t seen the outside of my closet for 3 years so there’s that

I’ve been finding the same with alcohol I have been kind of excited to have a drink but after one or at most two I’m kinda over it , not getting the same type of feeling either

Just returned from a weekend family (3 of our adult kids who live out of state, sister in law and the kids friends) trip to Las Vegas. I’m feeling like I need an accountability post.... 6 weeks out, I brought a cooler with Power aid zero, protein drinks, yogurt, cheese and other protein foods that barely got touched. I ended up eating in the buffet twice with the family. I did make decent choices, sticking to protein, few carbs and no sugar but probably ate more that I should have. At another restaurant I didn’t order food and just ate bites from my family’s plates...more carbs than I normally eat for sure. I also ate 1/2 of a KFC chicken thigh including the breading on the long drive home....way too much grease and sat like a rock in my pouch. I was never much of a drinker at home, occasionally socially, but in Vegas tequila shots were the norm. Well not now, I didn’t do any shots but I did however have Captain Morgan and water with Mio style pineapple/mango drops consistently while playing slots....we played a lot of slots. The alcohol did seem to take effect quicker, but I drank slow and free Vegas drinks are not strong, so I was good. I was cautious and mindful though to be extra aware. So....Today I’m feeling like I’ve been on shaky ground and it’s time to get back to WLS reality. Priority number 1 is to make sure I get in 80oz plus of water, make sure my food is all protein, no carbs and keep calories in the 600 range. I was so happy to spend time with the kids. I don’t get to see some of them very often, but I’m not thrilled with way I handled my responsibilities as a WLS patient.

I didn't order any alcohol in bars or anywhere while losing as that was the Cardinal sin for our program (doc was also a liver transplant specialist and didn't want any of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table - seriously).

My Dr said to avoid alcohol for the first month. I have since reintroduced it, but to my (pleasant) surprise- I don’t really like it! Wine was my favorite thing on the planet. Very stressful year last year and even without the stress I was known to regularly drink an entire bottle (or more) every night. I have tried a few different types of wine and I just don’t seem like them very much anymore and it takes me over an hour to drink 1/2 a glass. How wonderful is that!?! Tried one cocktail didn’t like it either. And I attempted to drink a sip of beer which I found to be completely intolerable. I went to the pool on Saturday and some of our (drinking) friends asked me what I had in my water bottle because it was pink. I told them Crystal light. They were like “you’re not drinking?”... Felt good to be on the other side and more importantly not to care. I don’t really miss it at all at this time.

What kind of alcoholic beverages do you guys order at bars that are low sugar/no carbonation? Is it appropriate to bring sugar free crystal light packets into a bar to mix with vodka? Or is that ride?

I took a two week cruise 2 months post-op and just made serious choices and conscious decisions on what to eat at meals. I don't drink alcohol, so that wasn't a problem, but I read that if you do drink alcohol you have to be careful because with our smaller stomachs it'll get us drunker faster.

Dubchild I'm 3 1/2 weeks post surgery, lost 19 lbs. I have a group of friends who we get together once or so a month for a few beers, wings, watch the game and generally BS. As you can see from the various posts doctors orders vary widely. From reading posts from other threads it is apparent that many men are able to have a occasional drink. I would check with your surgeon and explain the situation. My plans are to try a lite beer in a few months, I'm more concerned about the carbonation rather than the alcohol content as most of the light beers have minimal alcohol content. With the wings peel off the skin and enjoy one or two, with both moderation is key. Until a few months pass I would simply say to the guys that you have been on a doctor ordered diet and no booze right now. Make use there is some non carb drink to enjoy. People aren't going to count how many wings or drinks you are having. Rest assured the best is yet to come, don't miss the good times- just make a plan. Congratulations on your success! Curiously I believe that you, Marine, and I are the only men in the feb group.

I am going out town unexpectedly in two weeks. I am 2 1/2 months post-op. What have you guys done about about eating on vacations and drinking alcohol? This is my first trip post-op. I am really nervous!

Thanks for sharing, I'm not a drinker or a fan of alcohol so staying away won't be hard for me at all[emoji4][emoji173] Sent from my SM-G925T using BariatricPal mobile app

If you mean drinking alcohol, wait at least 6-8 months before you try 1 drink.

Doctors' philosophy on this vary from a few weeks to never again depending upon their experiences. The basic issues are: Healing - alcohol is somewhat corrosive to the stomach lining so one needs to give things a chance to heal first, Alcohol tolerance - rapid stomach emptying means it tends to hit faster, and with less (i.e., a "cheap drunk") so care must be taken there, Transfer addiction - we can no longer satisfy whatever addictive tendencies we have with food, so it is easy for transfer that addiction to something else, like alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, etc. What was a casual habit of a glass of wine with dinner occasionally can easily turn into full blown alcoholism. Liver health - starting as morbidly obese, or worse, our livers are not usually in very good shape to begin with (hence the "liver shrinking" pre-op diets that are often prescribed) and the liver is further stressed from its role in metabolizing all that fat that we are rapidly losing. It doesn't need any more stress from ingesting a known liver toxin like alcohol (not a judgemental thing, just our physiology at work). My surgeon is also a biliopancreatic (livers and pancreas) transplant surgeon, so he is in the no alcohol as long as we are losing weight camp (and ideally forever) and indeed we sign a contract to that effect - he doesn't want any of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table! Those are the issues in play, and some aspects bother different surgeons to different degrees, so they have different policies. Check with what your surgeon's policy is, and decide for yourself - we are all adults here.

It may depend on the type of surgery you have. My surgery team said one year. I'm going with it because I've met a number of people now that have had bariatric surgery and alcohol became a problem for them. I don't want to become an alcoholic and I'm wary because it runs in the family. Oh, and yes, I work with individuals in recovery from addiction.

Most surgeons want you to obtain from alcohol but it will vary. I've seen 3 months, 6 months, a year.... There isn't a hard and fast rule of one year no alcohol.

Mine hasn't told me that, but I have read that after surgery we have to be careful because with our new stomachs the alcohol will be intensified and affect us/make us drunk a lot faster.

I'm not a drinker but normally I'll have a glass of wine or martini on my birthday or special occasions (so about 8 glass of alcoholic beverages for the year). My surgery date is April 19 & I celebrate my 30th bday in June. Also my brother getting married in Jamaica (island) in August & I'll be attending. Read a diary entry online that after bariatric surgery no alcohol for one year. It's Saturday so my nutritionist is not in office. Is it true? Did your surgeon or nutritionist said that no alcohol for one year? Thanks Sent from my SM-G925T using BariatricPal mobile app