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Like you, I'm at goal, and I tend to find myself being a little obsessive about what I can and can't eat. Outside of drinking my butt off in college, I'm not much of a drinker, so I don't really have a hard time not having alcohol. I could, however, happily eat an entire bakery in one day. I only each chocolate around Christmas, or I will end up eating it way too often otherwise and I generally don't eat sweet stuff on a regular basis. I don't see a problem though with having something sweet and a glass of wine on special occasions. I had cake pops the first few days after my last plastics procedure, I have a few bites of cake when it is ordered at dinner events (a few times a year) and sometimes when I feel like it, I get myself a blueberry muffin from Starbucks. If anything my sleeve has helped limit my all or nothing mindset because I know that in theory I can eat whatever I want but I can only have a little bit of it so I'm no longer in danger of eating the entire pan of brownies. One piece and I am quite content. I think you should enjoy a piece of cake and a glass of adult beverage today. Life is about living and the few extra calories won't hurt you. Maybe add an extra workout into your day today as a way to offset the calories and to assuage any guilt you might feel.

You probably didn't do a lot of damage to your weight loss, but the reason for no alcohol is to prevent tissue damage to the surgical sites. Alcohol can cause erosions and ulcerations - even years later. I know everyone makes their own decisions, but personally, I think it is best to avoid alcohol forever after WLS. I am a GI nurse and the worst ulcers I have ever seen are in WLS patients who started drinking again. It is pretty horrible. These tissues seem to remain fragile forever, and we need to do all we can to take care of them. I gave up sugar because I don't want dumping. I gave up coffee and alcohol because I don't want ulcers. Gave up soda, as I already had fatty liver disease, and soda contributes to it (diet as well as regular.) Gave up simple carbs because I don't want to be fat! BUT...... got a whole new life that is so precious and worth taking care of.

I try to stick with decaf tea. Here is the reason. I used to be a huge coffee drinker. When I gave up sugar and caffeine, my energy levels stabilized and evened out unbelievably. No need for the morning wake up cup, no afternoon slump. Just really level throughout the day. It made me see how addictive both substances are, but also how much caffeine really is a drug in a sense. I like feeling energetic WITHOUT needing caffeine. I do have a regular tea in the mornings sometimes, especially the chai flavored ones, but then it is water for the rest of the day and herbal chamomile in the evenings. Every drink of alcohol damages tissue. Period. Once someone is down the road a bit, and the tissues are completely healed, a little wine with a meal once in a while probably won't do anything significant. Regular intake is dangerous, in my opinion, for the damage it can cause, and also the possibility of transfer addiction. Again, I don't want to NEED anything. After having no wine or alcohol for so long, I don't miss it at all. I realize the only reason I liked it was for the sweet aspect, going back to sugar. Alcohol also has a lot of empty calories. I can see no reason to drink again (for me). It has absolutely no nutritional benefit - (at least none that can't be derived from fresh food), and only the possibility of harm. I am trying to make my eating as clean and nutritionally dense as possible. Alcohol doesn't tick the boxes.

Hi all, In the past month I've fainted twice. Fainting is not new to me, used to faint due to dehydration Pre-op, so the first time I fainted (in Vegas, no alcohol) I thought it was due to dehydration so my NP ordered for me to get IV hydration. Today I fainted again (this time in a Verizon store), but didn't feel it coming like I usually do, and after fainting I've been more tired than normal and kind of nauseous. I called my surgeon's after hours number and my surgeon doesn't think it's hydration related because I'm further post-op than typical for dehydration to occur. He said just to rest, eat a snack, keep drinking water, and call the office tomorrow for an appointment and maybe some blood work. Has anyone else experienced something similar? If so what was determined as the cause? Thanks!

I had my surgery on dec 12 its my brother bday n i just turned 21 in oct n I really want to drink with him im also go to my first concert with him

From a medical standpoint I have to agree with your nutritionist. Alcohol is a poisonous liquid that has no real nutritional value on its own. Also, WLS patients are more likely to suffer from transfer addiction which includes alcohol. From a WLS patient perspective, one drink isn’t the end of the world and if that’s how you choose to spend your birthday then that’s your business. Just choose a really good drink and just have the one as alcohol can affect people different after surgery.

My name is Morgan and I am 22 years old. I have been overweight all my life. I grew up where we would go to burger king about 4 nights a week and on the way to school we would get McDonalds for Breakfast. Once I hit 200 pounds at a very young age I kept telling myself I wouldn't gain anymore weight. Then I would get to 225 and tell myself I would never get to 250. Then I hit 250 and said I would never hit 300 pounds. The huge BUT (not pun intended lol) is I never did anything about the whole losing weight thing. I kept eating the way I did. I was so self conscious and had zero self esteem. I ended up turning to drugs, alcohol, sex, and self harm. I have come a very long way in this journey already. I met the most amazing, caring, honest, trustworthy man and I quite the drugs and alcohol and self harm. We got engaged and set our wedding date and then found out we were expecting We kept our wedding date though because I knew if we pushed it off until after our son was born, then who knows how long it would be before we could actually plan the wedding and get married. We got married May 14th, 2011 while I was 8 months pregnant and it was incredible. I loved being pregnant while I got married. The feeling is indescribable because yes it was a commitment day for myself and my now husband but also to our unborn child. The pregnancy was a rough one and I was on bed rest from 14 weeks until about 30 weeks. Normally during pregnancy you gain weight but I ended up losing 40 pounds which was ok because I went into the pregnancy at 370. After my son was born on June 10th, 2011 I weighed about 330. Over the last year I have gained all that weight back and am now up to 374 I am sick of being overweight! I have tried diet plan after diet plan and I get so frustrated when I know I am doing good on the diet and exercising but I would only lose a little bit of weight. I want to raise my son with him knowing how to eat healthy. I want to be healthy for my son and husband and obviously myself so I can live longer and be able to enjoy doing activities with them instead of losing my breath after walking up a small flight of stairs. My aunt had gastric bypass done in 200 and has lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off. After seeing my aunts success, my mother decided to get the surgery done in 2003. She has lost over 150 pounds and has maintained a healthy weight since then. I have been wanting to get this surgery done for a long time now there were just things holding me back. 1. I didnt have the insurance or out of pocket money to get it done. 2. I was mentally not ready to get it done. Now I know it is the right time and I am ready to jump in and make the commitment. I am ready to change my life for the better by starting fresh. Eating healthy. Exercising. Taking up softball and hip hop dance. I am determined!!! I finally have insurance that is going to cover my surgery and I could honestly not be happier! I have my first pre-op appointment September 5th to meet with the surgery center, psychologist and dietitian. I cannot explain how motivated I am and 110% ready! I will be starting weight watchers on September 1st so I can get in to the routine of things before surgery. I have an amazing support system that will help me through my life long journey. I also have been diagnosed with PCOS so it has been very hard to conceive. Our son was a miracle baby, due to having PCOS and not having a period or ovulating for more than a year. Having this surgery will hopefully improve my PCOS and eventually after my surgery and weight loss we will be able to try for baby number two. I also know that this surgery will improve my depression, self esteem, self confidence and make me enjoy and respect life life more. I am on here to look for advice, support, input, similar stories and make friends. I am looking forward to starting my new and healthy life Here is a recent family picture when we went to Yellowstone at my highest weight of 374. The second picture is of my mother at my sons 1st birthday in June. She used to weigh the same as me and got the gastric bypass done and is now in her target weight range, healthy and happier than ever. It is very inspiring!

I'm not a huge drinker but occasionally would like to enjoy a drink or two on a night out with the hubby. I don't like wine and obviously I avoid carbonation. I have tried a few mixed drinks but they are too sweet and upset my stomach, help! I need suggestions! Banded 11/12/12 243 pounds sz 20/22 Current weight 182.6 sz 14/16 and feeling awesome!

Find out what kind of sterile prep they used on you. there is a newone called Chloroprep that numerous people have had an allergic reaction too. I had it after a biopsy. It occured several days after surgery. I had to wash real good and clean with alcohol, and they gave me a cortisone to put on it. It went away right away.

wait we cant have liquor until 1 YEAR post op??????? Im about to be 1 month post op and I plan on drinking on my man's bday this week...I really hope I'll be allowed 2 atleast drink a glass of something cuz dats all I want..im not a heavy drinker so im not dieing. I only drink when I go 2 parties and clubs but if I have 2 wait 1 year then partyin is gonna really blow...I gave up alcohol on the 4th of july (first day of pre-op) and that was HARD cuz there was nothing but liquor and fireworks.. I can live without drinkin beer but no liquor for 1 year sucks...guess turnin 21 this year meant nothing :biggrin:

@@brilemons, I came across some information today, in the Big Book on gastric Sleeve that states the folowing about alcohol intake and the sleeve: (All this said, I think a sip will be okay. ) Alcohol and the Vertical SleeveWhat about alcohol? It’s not an essential nutrient. Moderate consumption of red wine may have some benefits for your heart. It may raise your levels of healthy HDL cholesterol and help protect your blood vessels against damage.29 Alcohol also helps you relax. However, drinking alcoholic beverages can throw off your weight loss and cause health problems. Calories, Alcohol, and Your WeightAlcoholic beverages are high in calories. Each gram of alcohol has seven calories, and that’s not even counting the carbohydrates that are in some alcoholic beverages. A 5-ounce serving of wine has 130 calories; an 8-ounce cup has 200 calories, or about twice as many as a glass of juice. A 1.4-ounce shot of vodka has 103 calories, or nearly 600 calories in an 8-ounce cup. A 12-ounce can of beer contains 164 calories. Drinking alcohol can cause you to take in more calories than you wanted to. Beyond the calories in the alcoholic beverage, the alcohol relaxes you so much that it makes you lose your inhibition. That means that you’re less able to resist high-calorie foods and more likely to give in to temptations. You’re also more likely to eat without planning for it or writing it down. Drinking alcohol may not be worth it after the sleeve because you don’t want to work so hard to lose weight and then end up taking in way more calories than you wanted just because your judgment isn’t good. Other Concerns with Alcoholic BeveragesAlcohol, even in moderation, can cause problems in addition to interfering with weight loss:30 It can make your blood sugar levels spike. It interferes with memory. It can increase blood pressure. It can damage your liver. Alcohol Metabolism and the SleeveYou may be more susceptible to the effects of alcohol after the sleeve gastrectomy than you were before it. Your blood alcohol content may get to higher levels than before, and alcohol can stay in your system for longer than it did before the sleeve. Although not all studies have found that the sleeve changes your alcohol metabolism,32 it is best, based on current knowledge, to avoid alcohol with the sleeve. Source: 2013. Alex Brecher & Natalie Stein, The BIG Book on the GASTRIC SLEEVE: Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Live Well with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.

My surgeon requires a waiting period of 6 months before drinking alcohol. I will probably follow his direction. It's not something that I will really miss.

I had a glass of wine 3 weeks after surgery but didn't try anything harder until I was almost 2 months out. Thing to remember alcohol can pack a lot of calories on. If it is is moderation it's ok to occasionally treat yourself but try not to go overboard. Start slowly and see where your tolerances are limited as well. Alcohol will affect you differently once you are banded although not as much as if you had the bypass or sleeve.

I eat the Stoneyfield Plain Greek Yogurt and add splenda and vanilla extract for flavor. You can subtract the fiber and the sugar alcohols from the carb count. I manage to keep mine between 20-40 a day most days. I eat alot of spicy pork rinds for the crunch factor! They are my chips and they are awesome with just about everything (except yogurt - lol) I manage to get about 80-100 grams of Protein a day. I do add some unflavored Protein Powder to my coffee and sometimes to my Propel Zero Water to bump up my intake. If you aren't on My Fitness Pal think about joining it and getting friends because you can view their food diaries each day and get ideas of the different kinds of foods they eat that are low in carb and get an idea of how others are doing it.

I don’t think we would be on this forum if we weren’t mostly terrible dieters ☹️ But we have made a decision to change our lives for the better 😊. You can rock this diet! Good luck! Your pre op is more the UK’s post op, mine is just 1000 calories a day no alcohol, as it’s Christmas they said I can have a relatively normal Christmas Day (probably not my normal 🐷) and then 800 calories to compensate until the 30th.

Oh hey just an FYI a wonderful non traditional was to treat my nausea that my recovery nurse did, was put an alcohol pad on my nose, so as i could sniff it! Worked wonders!!!

Definatly stay away from carbinated beverages I have learned though after a few months you will become a light weight at drinking so know your limits. Every now and then I'll have a wisky and flat dr. Pepper and that will give me the desired affect of drinking. But, something else to keep in mind is that your body converts alcohol into suger, so definatly count it as an ordinary soda. Best of luck and have fun on your birthday.

Xylitol is probably the only sugar alcohol (so far) that doesn't have a laxative effect on me, and I use to chew a lot of it in th past.

my snacks are usually something like a protein shake or a Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt. Occasionally I'll have some baby carrots with about 1/4 C hummus (raw vegetables can be hard on my stomach, even two years out, but because they can be irritating, it stops me from eating too much. Hey - whatever works!). At night I'll sometimes have a couple of sugar free popsicles. Like raw vegetables, the sugar alcohols in sugar free popsicles bother my stomach, so all I can handle is two of them. I also eat Light & Fit yogurt occasionally at night, too, especially if I'm craving ice cream. The creaminess/sweetness/dairy aspect of the yogurt hit the same spot as ice cream would. I also drink *a lot* of fluid (usually Crystal Light) - which helps sometimes, but I know sometimes you just have to have real food...

I had a class reunion last weekend (actually it was the hubbys but we went to the same school) anyways I'm only 5 weeks post op. I had a cocktail. Vodka and cranberry juice. Slight buzz but not really. Then we went to like an after party. I had at least 6 Jello shots. I could Taste the alcohol but no effect really. I was disappointed. A. For drinking. B. No real effect. What a waste. I was never a big drinker because my Tolerance was low. No more alcohol for me. Plus I'm stalling this week now... hmmn I wonder why??? Living and learning.

Hello, As of my 3 month anniversary, I have dropped 49 lbs. I am not watching my diet and drinking alcohol due to the holidays this past month, but I have been spending 2 hours at the gym 5x week and did put on muscle weight too. I believe I can lose more by watching my intake, but I just wish to lose another 40-50lbs and hopefully will be there soon.

Hey good luck, I had a sleeve done dec 2012, lost a heap of weight and then tummy stretched and everything went downhill from then on, suger, alcohol, chocolate, I'm sure you get the picture. I decided to have an omega loo Bypass done 29th May and haven't looked back since, no nausea, no hot flushes, no diarrhoea have lost 26kgs in 10 weeks, I'm absolutely over the moon

I did know a RNY person that turned to alcohol instead of food and it ruined his life - he lost his job, ability to drive and other things. I still think many bariatric programs need to mandate therapy for 6 months prior ad 1 year after because so many people fail to find a coping mechanism to replace food and have a multitude of reasons behind the symptom of using food. There is of course a wide spectrum to disordered eating and many are unwilling to admit or tackle that - oh I just eat too much, etc.

Congrats on your success so far... Contact your team that handled your surgery if possible and form a plan. Return to nutritional visit if you can, support group if available, then pull out your binder /original plan and see where you are. While at a support group a few weeks ago the topic was regain and how to manage it, these were some of the questions the NUT told everyone to pay attention to if fighting regain: How far have you drifted? What was the original weight goal (realistically)? Did you change anything to cause the weight gain? Any life changes (health, job, relationships,etc)? Can you go back to basics (protein and vegetables only to test for weight loss ) or reset for a week? What is your protein intake? What is your vegetables /fruit intake? What is your carb intake? Do you have hidden calories (too much sugars, carbs, condiments, slider foods) ? Are you drinking your calories ( juice, soda alcohol) ? What is your Water/zero cal fluid intake ? Safe journey again! VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Does your filler do a barium swallow first? Use betadine, alcohol, or other agent to clean your skin.? Use fluoro to find the port? Use lidocaine to numb the skin. Use a three way stopcock on the needle to fine tune the fill? Use barium and fluoro to determine if the ideal amount of fill was performed? thanx jones