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For some people, alcohol is problematic post-op or even a serious no-no. For others, it seems to be OK. @@Cape Crooner laid out the issues above pretty well, I think. In my case, I stopped drinking completely 2.5 months pre-op and didn't have a drink until 6 months post-op. During that time I also made many other changes in my life so I could build a new post-op lifestyle and maximize the odds that my new lifestyle changes would stick. I do have one alcoholic drink now most days (5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of scotch). That's my limit and keeps me within the behavioral definition of a "female social drinker." Please know yourself and respect what your body and you can and cannot tolerate. And respect that to be successful long-term you'll have to change some things in your life. Your relationship with alcohol may (or may not) be one of those things.

Nahhhh... Unless you are planning on drinking directly from the ocean, you should be fine. I was. Take your favorite insulated Water bottle, fill it with ice and the non alcoholic beverage of your choice and sip sip sip. If you must, set your timer to remind you to take a drink every five minutes. I actually think there is an app for that. For realz...

i dont know why i am responding, i just felt truely led to do so. You are not alone in your addiction. There is a small percentage of people with thyroid problems or a screwed up matabilism but most of the rest of us are just like you, addicts. I think that food is the worse and hardest of them all. If you truely seek out treatment with drugs and alcohol the best thing in the world to do is to go cold turkey, stay away from friends that do the drugs, stay out of bars etc. with food it is different. We have to eat to live. The problem is some of us lived to eat.n when i look at the big picture, i realize this is going to be a long daily battle. But I did it for me and my family. I love love love food but I love my family more. They are worth it. I am worth it. I am 14 days banded, early in the game for me too. You feel now like you may have made a horrible quick decision, before you make another one sit back enjoy the small things like your pants fitting just a little better, 9 pounds that is awesome, Give it some time, dont jump the gun. My good friend(when I was having a horrible day and was starving and feeling sorry for myself) said to me"Girl, nothing tastes as good as skinny will feel." God bless you and I hope you get this message. I will be thinking of you

I quit all of my vices within three weeks time. On day 1 of my pre-op diet I quite Diet Pepsi, Caffeine and sugar I had my last cigarette the night before surgery and of course since then have kicked my addiction to food/emotional eating. About a month or two post-op I went through a couple of weeks of being a ball of nerves and desperately looking for an outlet. Admittedly alcohol came to mind a couple times but I made it through without picking up any new bad habits. I guess my only regret it taking on all of that at once but I figure what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! I am very proud of myself now.

I waited until I was 6 weeks out. Alcohol can be a major stomach irritant, and since you are on liquids it's highly likely to affect you much faster than it would if you could eat real food. I would definately follow ALL of the rules to the letter for the first 6 weeks after surgery. It's supposed to be the healing phase, and you don't want anything to go against your healing.

can you still drink alcohol ?

Be careful when you first start to drink again, my Doc said no alcohol for the first month...by then I had been on liquids and mushes for a month, one glass of wine and I was giggling and talking TOO loud!

@Aginn10 MY tastebuds have not changed at all. I also gave up soda like 2 years before surgery, and it took me a really long time to do it, so I am pretty dedicated to not drinking soda. The only time I have something carbonated is with alcohol, but I don't really drink. I gave up alcohol a few years before surgery also. I did both in an effort to lose weight and be healthy, I wasn't thinking about WLS at the time. When I gave up sugar, alcohol and soda and still wasn't losing weight in large numbers that is one of the things that pushed me to surgery. Taste has nothing to do with not having it, carbonation just involves things that don't benefit me or my goals. If I am going to drink alcohol I have to change my macros and calories for 2 days, it isn't worth wasting the calories on alcohol I could spend on pork chops. I think of my calories as currency, alcohol is a poor value compared to meat. I love food, I'm a foodie. I eat lots of great and interesting stuff. I just refuse to waste calories. I was food snob before and I am more of a food snob now. I was a picky eater before, no leftovers, food has to be piping hot, my food can't touch. Tastebuds are unchanged. Lifestyle is changed.

I was told by my NUT & Surgeon not to drink soda or alcohol that it stretches the stomach. My NUT told me I could have alcoholic beverages a year out as my surgeon told me to never drink it. So for me I just don't drink either of them. I'm 9 months out.

I think you make some very valid points. There is a not too subtle message out there from many sources that says if we want to be a normal weight we must eat things we don't like and don't eat things we do. Do you think thin people think this way? No. My former nutritionist said there is only one purpose for eating - nutrition. Really? Food is an integral part of our social network. Have you ever been to any social or holiday gathering that didn't involve food? And what did they serve? Tofu? No. Food has a lot of tradition with different ethnic groups, too. And carbs have been demonized. The poor baked potato is the cause of our obesity? Obvioulsy making wrong food choices on a daily basis is wrong. But it doesn't make you a bad person for longing for your grandmother's banana bread or a big mac. And there is nothing wrong with having a bit of either once in a while. If a person's band is so tight that many or most foods are eliminated from your diet, then they should re-think about getting a slight unfill. And this is especially true if you are vomiting, have heartburn, reflux or pain. Those of us who are obese have been made to feel guilty about eating all our lives. Food is bad. I remember doing a mental mantra "Food is evil". Food is not evil. Thin people don't look at it that way. Maybe we should quit studying about what makes us obese and study what allows adults to remain thin all their lives. Do you observe thin people when you are out eating? Aren't they eating pizza, fried foods, etc.? They are where I go. But they probably do it once a week, not every day. We've got to stop demonizing food and our desire for things that taste good. It's okay to want to be able to eat all the stuff that tastes good. It's just not good to actually eat it on a regular basis. We can come up with a way to incorporate it into our lives without it causing a problem. Maybe some are like recovering alcoholics who can never have alcohol again, but I suspect most of us can handle the occasional cookie, piece of pizza, etc... without going overboard.

Here's a question for some long time sleevers and people who've achieved their goal. How did you deal with refocusing the energy that you used to put into food and eating into something else ? I'm keenly aware that some surgical weight loss patients become addicted to other things, like alcohol or sex, once the compulsion to overeat has been taken away from them. I worry about transferring my food addiction into something else that's unproductive. I like to say that I'll put it into exercise or hiking or something good for me, but I'm dubious long-term. How did you readjust that energy into something else?

Fiddle, what was the restaurant. I think I know it We had a management retreat in Seattle not long after I got out of hospital and I loved the joint. I had that little chocolate ice cream with no issues For your next dining safari try RN74 downtown. It's a perfect sleeve joint as they are a tasting menu and they pace the meal well if you have more than one course. I've had no issues with anything they have served me in three trips there. Lark is also great for their small portions (tasting menu size). And I forget who asked but red wine and white wine don't differ as to how they effect your tummy. I drink both with no problem. I can drink a couple of glasses of wine without tipping over, though I'm much slower than I used to be! I've become the queen of the half glass request LOL I drink mostly white since my sleeve because the TPN really threw my palate off wack and good reds are still kind of wasted on me. I used to be able to pick out the most subtle flavors and now I just don't get them But...it's great to keep practicing LOL Some people have issues with the tannins in wines, which you'll find more of in red than white. I do find that they bother me more now than they ever did. Three glasses of red wine during a day will ensure a pounding headache the next day, but with whites I'm fine. (people say thats sulfates which is a myth...it's the tannins that are an issue). I don't know why tannins effect me now more. I should ask a wine chemist....I wonder if the high Protein diet makes a difference? We collect pinot noir so it kind of sucks! White and red wines have very low carb counts and the calories aren't bad either as long as you aren't drinking fortified wines or cheaper sparkling (where they add actual sugar to the wine). It's like 120 to 150 cals and 2 to 5 carbs per glass. I make sure to log it into my daily food intake and still don't ever go over my 800 limit. I never have gotten the instant drunk thing though. I wonder if it's because you went so long without alcohol and if that will go away?

Arabian I don't think I'm wrong, I think Splenda is sucralose, and gasp, that's a sugar alcohol, look for Stevia instead. I believe Svelte is soy-based and stevia, the bad news. is it doesn't contain 30 grams protein but less. What can I say? 👈😝👉 Life just isn't perfect!

Then we are both abnormal I do the same thing. I think, OMG, am I that fat? I know how much I weigh, she doesn't weigh much more than me, I know she's not more than 220, am I that fat?! I guess I am. So, does self-loathing create fat? No. Not for me. Like Crystal, it's not about hating myself. But for me, it's not about protection either, so we have different issues there. ((((((((HUGS))))))))) Vinesqueen!! It's not even about control, I don't think. But then again, I dated that alcoholic guy for almost 4 years and didn't think that was about control. A few AL-Anon meetings taught me otherwise. It's more about creating excuses to get past the lack of self-doubt. I find it a tad too easy to be incredibly hard on myself about the littlest things. Not good enough, smart enough, together enough, motivated enough, just not enough of anything good that I would attempt to strive for. It's excuse-making. THAT is what turns into to vicious eating/fat/eat more/get fatter cycle. I want to eat, I like to eat, it's immediate, satisfying, warm and happy there. Why not create a darn good self-loving excuse to go there to the eating place by convincing myself I'm pitiful? At least in some way pitiful! Isn't that sick? I think that's what it is...at least partly? Wow, this thread has made a sharp turn down the therapy road! Good stuff people. Keep it coming! One more hug for you , Crystal ((((((((((((((HUG)))))))))))))))

It is funny but it is the American way. We only know how to socialize with people as llong as it has to do with food or drink. For me, I would love to be able to go out more for dinner. I am just tired of hearing the crap................ IT IS A WASTE OF MONEY FOR YOU TO GO OUT AND EAT. You see, he forgets I can bring home the doggie bag. I will not eat the appetizers as I do not eat fried foods anymore. I do't even drink alcohol anymore and he will not order because I don't have one. To tell you the truth it bothers other people and it doesn't bother me at all. This is the life I chose for myself and no one else. I don't expect anyone else to change because of me. If they are uncomfortable then it is their problem. Josephine

Butterthebean...your post should be required reading for all people using this site! I will say, without judgement implied, that I am daily amazed by some of the things posted here...how long did you wait to have macaroni and cheese, or a milkshake, or to drink alcohol, or to smoke pot, or whatever other unhealthy thing you can imagine....and I wonder (usually to myself)..."Have you learned nothing about why you ended up needing this surgery??" Most of us had (and, I dare to say, still have) no real concept and understanding of "moderation.". We didn't track every bite we put in our mouths prior to surgery, so how can we know what is "moderate" in comparison? Without honest tracking, we rarely have a realistic impression of what was consumed (there have been amazing studies done on the disparities between what we "think we ate" versus what we actually ate!). Like you, I have made the conscious choice to not eat things that are harmful to me...to continue to do so, after having gone through the pain of surgery, makes absolutely no sense to me. While I understand I can't do anything to directly help anyone else on their journey (and I often get "smacked" on here for trying), I do sincerely worry for those who give every indication of not having changed their relationship with food. Best of luck, to each of us, as we continue on our journey to better health! Laura

want, today is day 12 and no chips!! OMG I'm actually doing it, I can't believe it! The longest other time that I know I recorded going without chips I believe was 35 or so days. That's a good long time, and for some strange reason I brok that and have been eating them ever since. I believe it was April of last year even. I lost about 20 Lbs. that month too... so sad I gained it back. :crying: But, today is a new day and I won't dwell on the past. I will only look to my future and and what I can do to improve my attitude and my willingness to succeed. That is a wonderful idea to cut out the Reese's. Make sure you count the days, I do and it seems to work wonders for me. Almost like how an alcoholic counts the time in from their last sip. That is exactly what it is for me, and addiction. I won't down play it any more than a drug addict should. It not easy but I have to do it, for a better me!! So far I have been doing an excellent job. I just got back not to long ago from my 2.25 mile walk at lunch time. The sun is starting to blaze here in CA so I might need to consider upping the time which I go out there. I feel overheated by the time I get back. I'm sure the smaller I get the better that will be, as far as overheating. Too much padding = too much over heating!! :rolleyes2: LOL!! I'm doing so good even that I'm making sure I'm even splitting my healthy snacks into servings. I took my almonds and made them into 1/4 cup servings which is one serving. It's about 28 almonds. I know it sounds like alot, but when your eating them, trust me it's not!! Haha!! :laugh::laugh: All week I have had my small dinners too. I had two Lean Cuisines on Monday and Wednesday. Then on Tuesday I had a half sandwhich and a bowl of soup. Not bad! It's starting to show finally on the scale. I was starting to think I was never going to lose weight again. I won't let that stop me though, I won't take a breather until I'm under 200 Lbs. I'll need to let my mind catch up to my body. I don't know what happened before but when I lost all that weight so quickly, my mind just flipped a switch! It was kind of scary to be honest and I did lots of things I wouldn't normally do. I think it was also a major contributor to my gain (along with BC pills) and falling off the wagon. I won't let it happen again though, ever! I have way too much at stake, and I need to take care of myself. Many people depend on me for that. I have to LOVE me too!! One thing I have been working on specifically is ensuring I'm getting enough fiber in my diet. I'm eating more whole grain cereals, along with the milk. That is a great meal packed with Protein, Vitamin D and Fiber. Being a bandster a tiny bowl makes it. It makes me feel good! A good snack also is the Fiber One cereal bars. They are about 170 calories, so I break it in half and mix it in my FF yogurt. It's really delicious and there again is that Protein/Fiber mix! I think when I'm regular, I feel "normal"... LOL!! I don't know, I just feel more energetic and ready to take on any task. Now again I'm usually really good during the week. It's the weekends that I have the most trouble. Wish me luck because it starts in about 2 hours. :crying:

Someone at my job commented to me yesterday, my first day back after the surgery, he said this: Make sure you don't become addicted to something else. A friend of my wife was a food addict, had a gastric bypass, and is now addicted to alcohol. Turned out she had an addictive personality that was not discovered in her psych profile. I was stunned, and realized that now, everyone will be full of advice, good, bad or weird, and I have to take it as it comes. As long as you are true to yourself and sticking to your goals, things will change if you want them to.

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!

1. Stalling is normal and inevitable. It will happen at Week 3 or 4 for sure and then sporadically throughout your weight loss. It's the time when your body is adjusting. 2. Not all surgeons agree about coffee. Mine didn't limit me/restrict me. Plus I drink decaf. 3. Alcohol probably within 8 weeks post-op.

Congratulations on acknowledging that you have a problem with alcohol and resize something is wrong. Are you interested in 12 steps? If not can you meet with your doctor? My husband and I stopped drinking a little over a year ago. It was very rough for him. I was never a big drinker and never drank beer, so me quitting in support of him was right to do. Do you have sober friends? We found out that hanging out with other sober peep and having fun while sober, retrained our brains so to speak to start to realize that we can have fun without alcohol. If you need to talk, PM me. Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

I do think transference of addictions is a legitimate thing. Addiction issues usually aren’t limited to just one thing. You see people quit smoking and develop gambling or food addictions. It happens all the time. It is super common for post ops to develop alcohol dependencies. As someone who previously went through some dependency issues, I’m incredibly aware and sensitive to being at an increased risk. I think the worst thing people can do is think it can’t happen to them. If you don’t think you’re susceptible to addiction transference, then you’re less likely to recognize the signs.

Crystal Light, Water, Coffee. As for alcohol, it's usually a Blush or White Zinfandel glass of wine. I only indulge once a month, tops. Usually less though.

VERY very interesting -- after taking some addiction courses years ago in college they have come a long way into understanding that 'alcoholism' is a disease -- and obviously it affects the body in many ways -- so it will be really enlightening if you can make a connection between alcoholism tendency in your family and what you are going through - keep us posted as you continue to unravel all of this -- thanks for sharing!

Jachut hit the nail on the head in the first paragraph. Nothing has changed being banded for me other than I eat A LOT less than I used to. I can eat bread, in small quantities, I can drink alcohol, although it doesn't take much to get me drunk anymore, I can go out and do exactly what I used to, i am just more careful. Maybe I am one of the more fortunate ones and am not so limited as others. I lose slower than some on this site, but I still LOSE! I had a BMI of 34 when banded with no other complications. I paid for it on my own. I didn't want to wait until problems came about for my weight. If you are not ready for what might come, you may want to wait and do more research. Good luck in whatever you do.