Search the Community

You can do it mate. Just tell peeps you've developed an allergy to alcohol if that helps! Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

Yeah, I was cleared to start on soft foods 10 days after my surgery. I started with easier stuff like yogurt and cottage cheese and refried beans -- chicken wasn't for a couple of weeks, for me, and I started with chicken cooked in a crockpot with barbecue sauce, pulled apart with a fork like pulled pork -- but it was fine. I tried a new food almost every day and worked my way through the list without much trouble. I was on that until almost the 6 week mark (so, 4.5 weeks on soft foods), and now I'm allowed to try anything I want (except for rice, pasta, or alcohol, anyway). I haven't tried any raw veggies (besides a little lettuce) or steak or anything I know is super hard. But I've had grilled chicken and hamburger patties without problems, and I'm not 7 weeks out yet. The other thing they told me was, if something does settle wrong, and you throw up: give yourself a day of only liquids, to rest your stomach.

Cristin- my wife, my best friend, and his wife all three told me after surgery you will feel cold. I didn’t believe them. I went from sleeping naked under just a sheet and the thinnest blanket we have, to now wearing long John’s, a sweatshirt, a sheet, a blanket, a comforter, and my wife’s anxiety blanket. I’m wearing long John’s and an undershirt at work. I too am one week plus one day post op. Just had my first follow up with my doctor, and boy were they pleased! I’m down from 289 at my presurgery weigh in four weeks ago to 260, while the scale at home has me going from 261 morning of surgery to 251.2 this morning (I weigh nude after my morning relief for maximum consistency) I agree about the shakes pre-surgery just not tasting the same. I’m in my second day of shakes, and the chocolate Premier Proteins which were my go-to are now not that tasty, plus I’m much more sensitive to the alcohol sugars so it’s giving me diarrhea. The good news is I have enjoyed some homemade cream of mushroom soup. Super easy to make, and having a good savory flavor after all the sweet protein waters of the first week was a welcome change.

Been falling back into old habits myself these last few weeks. Started off with a pint. Only drank half and felt "great". Finished the other half the next day and same. Repeated again a few days later. Then moved onto a 1.75ml bottle thinking it'll last me waaaay longer and wind up cheaper. Well it lasted longer but my intake increased quite a bit. and started feeling like **** the next morning. Of course I had to finish the bottle because my brain works that way when it comes to alcohol. I've done great up to this point since surgery not drinking but old habits die hard. For me I think the only way to avoid it is to stay away from it completely. I can't have it in the house otherwise it will be in a glass and being consumed. Pre surgery I was drinking a 1.75 sized bottle every two nights. That was for at least a year long period. I can't remember how many years it's been I've had an issue but this surgery was a way to help me kick it. The way I've felt over the last few months is amazing. I thought I'd never feel like this again. It's way to important to me now to give it up. I always said I'd never completely quit drinking but I think that's the only way I can be successful. Never saw myself as an AA type of guy so couldn't bring myself to ever going but being here helps tons even though the support here is not for this issue. You've got my support as much as you need it. If you need an ear to bother DON'T hesitate to hit me up. Best of luck to all of us fighting this battle as well!!!

I've never had problems with this, although I know some people do. I wonder if part of it might be due to too many carbs or sugar alcohols - I know the latter, at least, are tough on some people's GI tracts.

I'm post RNY. Am a long term low carber in ketosis for a long time. As @Matt Z and @CrankyMagpie shared, it is possible. I am definitely in ketosis. I am still low carb rather than calling me a keto girl. I do have to do low-er fat in order not to have bad reactions. If I eat too richly (too much fat/too much cheese) then I will get horribly nauseated and feel like I'm so ill. But I routinely eat between 40-55% fat on some days and am fine. You'd be surprised how little extra fat that represents, once you factor in the need to stay at your personal present "protein adequate level" and reduce your carbs to 20g net carbs (or total carbs) per day. I personally aim for a loose average of 30g net carbs per day mostly from leafy greens, low glycemic veggies, berries, seeds/nuts, eggs, dairy and eat very very few sugar alcohols. I do use some small amounts of liquid stevia drops.

I had a 14 day liver shrinking diet so you definitely still have time!! Mine was protein shakes for breakfast and lunch (and I could have a small apple or orange for a snack). Then 4 oz lean protein and 1 cup non-starchy veggies for dinner. (Sounds similar to yours). And the great news is your “cheating” wasn’t with really bad stuff - or even worse - alcohol! It was a little extra of the food you were supposed to be eating!! :) I was/am a BIG girl (highest weight 365 - surgery weight 327) and this diet shrunk my liver just fine! I do agree with what others have said about alarms. I’m so busy at work I set them to remind me to drink water!! Don’t stress - you can totally do this!!!! We are here to support you!!!

Yes, head hunger is a major b!tch. But, even though you're losing weight now, you're setting yourself up for major regain once the "honeymoon" is over. You sound like you may be getting pretty dehydrated. Everything that you listed is a diuretic. (Coffee, alcohol) Are you getting other liquids in? Dehydration can mimic hunger. You need to get those non-calorienon-caffeinated drinks into you. Maybe try a decaf coffee with 1/3 of a protein shake for the sweetener/creamer? Many on here love to add the Premier Protein caramel or chocolate to their decaf. I love vanilla in my decaf chai tea for a chai latte (grocery stores or online for the decaf chai tea bags.) Acid also mimics hunger. The next time you're hungry, try chewing a Tums. If the hunger subsides, check with your doctor about an acid-reducing medicine. Above all else, if you can't get this under control yourself, please reach out to your team or to a therapist. You've gone through too much to not give yourself your best shot at success. Good luck!

Gosh. I don't even know where to start. I'm seriously concerned for you and your well being. Not just from the drinking your calorie part, but as much the alcohol (and juice) combo. Did you receive any pre-op education? Do you have a post-op dietary guideline from your doc or RD? The first place to start if you CANNOT do this on your own by accessing and applying your personal responsibility would be to see your doc, your RD and ask for a counselor PDQ. Your surgery is a tool. It's a "nail", but you are the hammer. Without your actions (repetitive and applied force), the nail does not do its job. And even then, there are MANY nails that will need to be employed to lose and maintain your weight. Not just the one nail from the surgery. Think about it. It takes multiple nails to hold up a house! WL Nails: Healthy Diet Plan WLS Exercise Relaxation Exercises and Deep Breathing Re or Balancing Your Once Toxic Relationship with Eating for Comfort or Eating Emotionally Re or Balancing Your Once Toxic Relationship With Food (making healthy choices over eating crap) Re or Balancing Your Once Toxic Relationship With Family/Friends Balancing Work Schedules and I could go on and on with the number of nails you need to act upon as the hammer, in order to keep your house level!

4 shots of alcohol every night is not a good idea! That certainly won’t help your weight loss.

Very few people know about my WLS and perhaps it because of the nature of my procedure but I am not too bothered by food smells or those who are eating things that I can't. Obviously I can't expect people to change their eating behaviour but if they did know about my procedure I wouldn't expect them to change what and how they eat. I had the procedure not them. My friend who kept me company for two days after my procedure kept apologising every time she cooked or ate. I asked her not to apologise as it wasn't bothering me, and that was the truth. At work this week we had an afternoon tea for the Melbourne Cup (the horse race that stops a nation lol) on Tuesday, Wednesday was a morning tea for customer service awards, Thursday was pizza lunch to celebrate a milestone in our office renovations. Met with friends for drinks Thursday evening ( water for me) and met a friend for dinner (again I drank water and had nothing to eat). I was in the free liquid stage in the week just gone (today I start pureed foods yeah) and while I didn't partake in any of the foods or alcohol, I was able to celebrate the intentions behind the events. I can only hope my mindset stays the same while I work on changing my attitudes, behaviours and habits that contributed to me being obese.

This is very true and there have been lots of studies about it. If we BAN a food it makes it more attractive and we crave it more. If we know that it is allowed ( as a sometimes food) it loses its power. Having said that though there are some people that cannot stop at 1 bite, once they start they have to eat the whole packet . A bit like an alcoholic that cannot safely have just 1 drink . If this isn't you then I don't see the harm in factoring intreats, so long as you account for them and they don't become a habit.

I'm in AA and in the beginning I learned and I share this with my sponsees if NEVER seems too long, that's why we say "just for today" and you say it every day. If I go back to drinking and doing heroin I'll never see tomorrow eventually. The same goes with making changes now regarding my eating. We also say "progress not perfection". I'll never be perfect and as long as every day I'm doing what I need to in order to get better than I'm heading in the right direction. When someone gets upset to give up alcohol that they "only" have a couple of nights a week then something isn't right. Why is alcohol so important? Food we need in order to live that's why I have to develop a healthy relationship with it. Alcohol and drugs I don't need to live.

Late to this thread ... but adding anyway ... I do a lot of travel and entertainment for work. So that is several nights a week usually that absolutely revolves around food and alcohol. It's my job, so I can't avoid it, or change the focus. Additionally, spending time with friends usually revolves around food and/or alcohol as well. Happy Hour, wine tasting get together, cocktails at X's house, etc. Maybe because I'm older, but it hasn't really been that hard. At first I was hyper focused on losing the weight so it was an easy decision to make to have water. When you're only eating 500 cals or less a day, then a 100 cals for a light beer is a lot, and not worth it. As I've gotten near goal, I have relaxed a bit. I'll have a glass or two of wine, or cocktail, or beer. But it is much more so in moderation. I'm mindful that drinking like I used to would add 1000's of cals a week to my diet, many 1000's some weeks. There is no way I'm going to sabotage all my hard work in that way. So it really comes down to the fact that losing and keeping the weight off is much more important to me than drinking alcohol in excess.

Thank you guys. I normally used to drink coffee every morning and thats been a big struggle.i also read over my information I’m allowed one lean meal a day and a non starchy veggies. I think since this is all new me and I was just overwhelming myself. I’m proud of myself I went out with my friends last night and I didn’t not have any alcohol. That’s a huge step for me

Obviously dumping is something that most wls patients fear and all want to try and avoid it. But after reading countless articles and threads I find it all very confusing. There are some food which are obvious triggers e.g alcohol, high fat and high sugar foods. But what I am curious about are things like fruit - fruit is very high in sugar but a lot of the articles and recommended diet plans include fruit as an ok food. This confuses me. Are certain fruits better than others? Is fruit ok but only in very small quantities? I am also wondering if "food combining" helps. Is eating fruit with protein e.g yogurt better than eating it on its own? Does this apply to other foods as well? We all know how before going to a party and consuming lots of alcohol people would "line" their stomachs with a glass of milk. Does this kind of approach work for bariatric patients? I am also interested in if there is anything that can be done to relieve or reduce a dumping episode once it starts? Obviously there isn't a lot that can be done if the dumping gives you the trots but what if your symptoms are the shaky, lightheaded , palpitations kind of symptoms? Usually people with hypoglycaemia need to get instant , easy to digest sugar but if sugar is the cause then its not going to help.

True. However, maybe this is why alcohol becomes so attractive. I can't remember talking about addiction transfer either, however, as a reflux conversion patient I didn't have to attend any pre-op program and back in time nobody seemed to be too concerned about addiction transfer.

Good post! I’m avoiding alcohol for a while bc I was warned that it is easy to become dependent after sleeve. It is not mentioned much probably bc there are some really hardcore and super judgmental folks on here that call themselves veterans and shame anyone that they see as weak or not conforming to their brand of advice. I encourage you to keep reaching out. This isn’t something I struggle With right now but I’m very aware of it and am taking precautions because I do not want to become an alcoholic. Thanks for sharing the info. Keep going to your meetings and hang in there! I have seen this discussed maybe on here but maybe elsewhere. Best to you!

Funny. At my center all they said was, "You're going to be much more sensitive to alcohol. One drink and you'll be flying! Your friends and relatives will love that you're such a cheap date!" They sold it as a bonus!

This is absolutely fascinating. I know that at my center we had to attend a mandatory session on the increased risk of alcoholism developing due to this surgery. I am pretty sure the percentages were listed higher than you quoted, with an even greater chance if alcohol dependency runs in the family. I definitely get the transference as I have seen that first hand in a number of former addicts who have successfully resolved their dependency on alcohol and drugs, but I have not heard of vitamin deficiency being a potential contributor. Would be interested in seeing if there is a link!

"transference" in an interesting notion, but based on my current experience, I've become convinced that there's a brain chemical explanation for my alcohol increase post-bariatric...... First off, let's acknowledge that heredity has a lot to do with addiction. Some of us are just born wired to fall prey to over drinking. Study: If neither of your parents were alcoholics, you have a 1 in 10 chance of developing alcohol issues. If one parent was an alcoholic, your odds move to 1 in 2, and if both parent were alcoholics, your odds move to 4 in 5. ack!! Guess who drew that last lucky straw! AA calls it being born 'allergic' to alcohol. Second, alcoholism is a scientifically provable brain chemical disorder; not some kind of moral failing or weakness of will-power. Here's a snippet from a great video that really helps explain. Third: There have been studies which link vitamin deficiency with an increase in alcohol abuse. I'm describing this study from memory, but it goes something like this: Back in the 50s, they did a study where they placed rats in a cage with a bowl of water and a bowl of alcohol and then fed them Puppy Chow. About 10% of the rats turned into alcoholics, which is in line with the general US population. Next they re-ran the experiment with a new set of rats, except this time, they extracted all the vitamin nutrients out of the food. About %85 of the rats turned into alcoholics. Finally, the re-ran a third time, but with Puppy Chow mega fortified with vitamins, specifically B and C. None of the rats turned to the alcohol. When I read this study - true or not - I was inspired. It made a connection in my head. What is one of the major issues facing post-bariatric patients? Vitamin deficiency. And who hasn't been a very good boy about taking his bariatric vitamins for the last two years.... the exact time frame where my drinking went from the occasional bender, to daily drinking? Me!! So two weeks ago I started getting really serious about my vitamin intake, including getting B-12 injections every two days. Wow! what a difference! My craving went from a scream to a whisper. This last 12 days of sobriety has been a piece of cake compared to all my other attempts (none of which lasted more than seven days before giving in to the cravings). Your milage may vary, but if you are struggling with managing your alcohol cravings, give b12 injections a try. Hopefully it makes the same difference as I've experienced the last two weeks (knock on wood) I'll keep this post updated and honest.

I'm glad that you've made the effort to get your alcohol controlled and very interested in vitamins helping with that. When you searched for alcoholism, did you also search for "transfer addiction"? That's what I've seen on these boards a few times. They were discussing how common the problem was to transfer a food addiction to other addictive behaviors. Good luck!

Oh yes, Me and sugar alcohols are not friends. *smile*

Hey guys, This may be a tough subject, but if it can't be discussed on an anonymous forum where we regularly discuss our bowel movements and farts, were else can it be discussed? I've kind of hinted at this in a couple of my previous posts, but four weeks ago, my issues with alcohol had gotten to the point that I finally had no choice but to start attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, as well as various addiction treatment options provided through my health plan. For background on what I'm talking about, see: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/popular-weight-loss-surgery-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass-linked-to-alcohol-problems/ According to some studies, the odds of a post-bariatric patient having alcohol struggles goes up 28%. Wow. I've done a couple of searches on this board for alcoholism, and come up with basically zilch. Given the increased odds, how can that be? I can't possibly be the only one on here who can directly correlate my increased drinking to the date of my surgery. I bring this up, mostly because it's what I'm living right now, and I have a lot of information to share and well as unanswered questions. NOTE: I'm 13 days sober since making a few key changes in my vitamin intake, which has me very excited. Would love to start a discussion and share with anyone out there who is struggling. PM is fine as well. -ds