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I drank at 3 weeks post op. I was at a week long work event that was very social, and had a heavy emphasis on drinking. I had no desire to drink and did only to try not to attract attention to my WLS. Despite only consuming on average 700 cals per day (including alcohol), at the end of the week I had gained 2 lbs. Quite honestly that pissed me off, and made me swear off alcohol for the most part.

So I’ll be 6 weeks post op next week. I’m going to New Orleans and I know I’ll want to have at least one drink. I feel like I have and Angel on my left side saying don’t do it and the Devil on the right saying one would be ok. So now long did you guys wait?

Had an appointment at my weight loss clinic today for my 30'ish day check up and decided to post an update. This is a summary of the past 30 days and will include.... THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY..... wahhha..wah. wha.. wha (okay as close as I think the good, the bad, and the ugly theme would sound like in print) The Good: I have lost 40lbs post op (I weighed in at 271 lbs, my surgery weight was 311) I do not include my total weight weight loss from start of the program, just from the surgery date (I weighed 329 at my heaviest). I am getting my energy back, slowly, but I feel it coming back. I am able to go to the gym and use the treadmills with my wife and son, walk farther, go up stairs without feeling my hips and knees grind, and I can mow the lawn and do yard work again. This next one may sound silly, but to me it meant a lot. I was able to take a bath. Normally for the past several years I have showered daily, but there have been days I would have loved a good hot bath to just soak for a bit. For years I was afraid of lowering myself and slipping and falling, and even the last time I did take a bath I displaced so much water into the run off drain it was basically just me laying in about 2 gallons of water. Our tub is a normal size garden tub. I was surprised to not only be able to bathe but actually see space between me and the edge of the tub. My family has been very supportive. My kids think it's great i am looking out for my health, and my wife...well some days she is like a Marine Drill Instructor while going over my food choices and if I took my vitamins or not. I may need to buy some new clothes soon. I normally wear XXXL T-shirts and XXL pants but have noticed my shirts hanging on me a lot lower. Before I did not have to tuck them in because my gut would hold them out like a circus tent, now I feel like I am wearing a mini skirt with the shirt bottom hanging so low. My friends and family say they can see the weight loss but I think a lot of us have body dysmorphia and just can't see any improvement, so all i have to go on is my clothing feeling loose an dthe fact I don't have to turn sideways in supermarket aisles to let others pass. I do not feel hunger. Do I think of food I can't or shouldn't eat? Hell yes I do!, but it's more like food memories of what i used to eat for comfort, and I know that's what they are. Not feeling hunger is a double edged sword because I do have to remind myself to eat and it is very easy for me to go an entire day and realize I have not eaten anything. THE BAD: This is where I confess all the things I should not have done, but did anyway, and the consequences. The first, I have to come clean to upfront. I was a smoker for 30 years before I quit for the surgery. I felt I had quit the habit for good by the time of my surgery but during a stressful time I stupidly bought a pack of cigarettes and spent the next 4 days smoking that pack. (Now I can hear the boo's and hisses coming through the internet and the comments of "But you had quit! why did you start again stupid!"). I am not going to explain it or give any excuses or ask for any forgiveness except from my wife. Here we come to the main reason I mention this at all. I developed the worst case of GERD's, acid reflux, heartburn, etc I have ever had. I am still trying to clear it up. Stupidly I kept asking myself what was causing it. The food I was eating was the same, my liquid intake was normal, what could it possibly be I would ponder as I took another drag off of my cigarette. Yes I am a slow learner (Just ask my wife) but the correlation to smoking and immediately afterwards having a severe GERDS flare up finally dawned on me. What chantix could not do, severe burning hellfire in my esophagus was able to do. I put the smokes down for good. I have experimented with some foods I probably should not have. I figured I eat chicken salad and softened chicken...I should be able to eat a chicken nugget right? I do not know if it was the breading, that fat it was cooked in or what, but I was throwing up (Dry heaving really) for about 20 minutes. There have been other experiments, and I do forsee more as my food choices increase. I do not go out and try to eat a double cheeseburger in one setting, but I may tear a piece of meat off the side and nibble on it (and then dry heave for 20 minutes, make a mental note not to do that again and foolishly go and find something else I shouldn't eat and nibble on a bit of it) I did mention I am a slow learner right? During a phase of nausea I had my wife go out and get me a bottle of diet ginger beer. This is non alcoholic and is basically ginger ale except 10 times stronger in the amount of ginger in it. I opened the bottle, poured a shot glass worth and let it sit for an hour until most of the carbonation had worn off. Drank it and it did really settle my stomach. We since that worked a week later after working in the yard I got a can of ice cold soda..yes plain old sweetened soda. First mistake is I gulped it (I go more into liquids below), second mistake I did not allow the fizz to dissipate, third mistake well was drinking the damn thing at all. This time I threw up for real..kinda..just the soda coming right back up and even up and out my nose. sigh....Now I know you may not have heard this...but I am a slow learner THE UGLY: This is where I mention things that are kinda sucking that I actually did not cause to myself. At least i think so..maybe. Drinking, no not booze (not yet as least) I mean just normal drinking of water, fluids, etc. Before surgery I used to love to just guzzle a soda, or water, or even the first cup of coffee of the day. (Aha! I can all ready hear you all out there wagging your fingers saying "sip, sip, sip") Well as many of you post ops know, that doesn't quite work for many of us now. Even an ice cold glass of almond milk can be an enemy if I drink to fast. The other issue I have is not drinking with meals, or before, or after etc. It is an ingrained habit that I will admit I am still struggling with (easy fix is just not having liquids around me during meal times). Hypoglycemic events. I have had two and they scared the bejeesus out of me. I don't know if it was from lack of food, from eating/drinking something I shouldn't have or what but as soon as I start sweating and shaking, feeling sleepy and weak i check my blood sugar and normally I run 100 and to see it down in the 60's or 70's is scary. and as promised really shameless before and after pics.....not for the weak of heart

I was really nervous telling my husband...he is on the other side of the planet right now...his ex wife had bypass years ago and she failed terribly and it enhanced her already changing personality (not in a good way) and she is now a bad alcoholic (she already had an unhealthy relationship with food and needed help prior to surgery and she replaced it with drinking) so needless to say he was not excited lol. When I told him it was dr’s recommendation and reminded him that I have medical issues that require drastic attention he was better. I made him admit (feelings not hurt at all bc it’s what I want as well), as he said he loves me the way I am (

Shouldn't it be Live-It instead of Diet? Maybe I'm being narrower in my outlook, but I think Eternal Vigilence against Devious Snackland is in order. I want to do Well, but like an Alcoholic with alcohol I'm going to have to be careful these bad things don't sneak into my life again. 😣

For anyone pre-op, this tip from my nurse: Let the alcohol that you used to sterilize the skin dry completely before you inject. It's the alcohol that stings.

I had sleeve on 4/25/2018. Sw: 215 cw: 192 gw: 145. I’ve been struggling with depression and binging on the soft foods for about a week. Here’s what I’ve come up with: walking is my meditation. Bariatric is my hobby for the foreseeable future. Like an alcoholic I NEED support. Having low energy and being inside too much really brought me down. Also my hormones are whacked right now. Estrogen is off. Sex is off. So I’m sure our hormones and serotonin are off so walk. If you want to connect directly I’m kgbhalloween@gmail.com

Hi, I have not had my surgery yet, I will have it in October . I am a insulin dependent diabetic right now . I have been following the eating plan my Nut gave me in March 2018. I have had some very low glucose scares,. They usually happen in the middle of the night . I have dropped my insulin way down and I make sure I get something with protein and a few carbs about 1 hr before bed. My diet looks like this 3 oz lean protein 3x a day 3 servings low fat dairy 3x a day ( this counts towards my protein) 3 or more servings of veggies a day ( 1 c raw or 1/2 c cooked) 2 servings max of fruit 1 healthy fat ( oatmeal, quinoa 1/2 c I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks for anywhere of 1000 - 1200 calories daily 100 g protein 60 - 90 carbs ( I never reach this ) I have not had surgery yet 64oz water ( I drink about 80oz) No caffeine ( decaf is ok) no regular creamer sf only I use vanilla protein powder in my coffee that helps with my protein also No alcohol ( empty calories, high sugar) No pop or anything that is carbonated No candy, chips, bread , anything made with flour, rice, bananas, cream soup, tomato soup ( unless I make it myself without sugar) No pasta No juice (regular or diet) I used to have juice to help with my bs lows before I started this Now I use glucose tabs with 4g sugar. No real sugar ( stevia, Splenda ,other subs are ok with my Nut ) I drink at least 1 protein shake a day to get my 100g in. I will be going down to 80g in the beginning of June If you would like to know more send me a private message. I have lost 44.5 lbs from following this and exercising 5 days a week. I don’t miss the carbs anymore, I do miss my club soda but I can live without bubbles in my water. I will be very honest I started this diet change 7 months before I am even having surgery because I know myself. It will take me that long to be clean as I call it. I do have a treat now and then ,I have gone out and eaten a pice of fried food but I always ask for a box to be brought out when they bring my meal I take most of it and put it in the go box. My husband gets any fried food left over and I get the veggies , I always order veggies as my side . I don’t always get my protein in or my water but I try. I was never up before 9 am and now I am up at 5:30 and leave for the gym at 6:30 Monday - Friday . On the weekends I am usually walking around our doing yard work that is my exercise for the weekend. You can do this. You will have some bs lows but you will deal with them and move on. Please don’t get discouraged because of 1 person. Ask all the questions you have this forum is full of the best people around . They have experienced everything after there surgeries and have the best suggestions and great ideas to help get through this. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

from what I have heard, if you have nicotine, alcohol, or recreational drugs in your system the day of your surgery the doctor will cancel your procedure.

If you are finding that post- sleeve you are much more vulnerable to alcohol, you're not alone. Here's a link to an article that examines recent research. Basically, because our stomachs are so much smaller, we absorb more alcohol, and it peaks in our blood more quickly. My doctor said the alcohol is acting more like crack cocaine in terms of speed and intensity of the high. And therefore much more dangerously addictive. So, in addition to alcohol being empty calories, we are at much more grave risk of becoming alcoholics if we drink after gastric sleeves/bypass. Here's the link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171120133922.htm I'm now struggling with this myself. Snuck up on me quickly, within 2 or 3 months of dealing with some personal trauma and depression. Kept finding that when I'd try to stop drinking, the shakes and intense anxiety were overwhelming. After consulting with a number of agencies and doctors, found there are some meds that make the withdrawals much more manageable, and those have helped tremendously. But insurance limitations make obtaining additional support much more challenging - still working on overcoming that hurdle. Anyway, be very very careful with alcohol after the surgery. One shot of tequila can affect you like 5 shots. And the brain really gets to liking that way too much. Then that's another battle to fight.

No way around it, liquid diet sucks. I am 8 days out and bored as hell with my food choices. It is because I enjoy eating good food, how I got here to begin with. 😔 I am trying to look at it like detox for any other addict (drugs/alcohol). Food is gone. Maybe I need to take this time to adjust my relationship with and the way I think about food. I am detoxing from Food, it needs to have less of a hold on me. That is just my Zen moments, the rest of the time I am grumpy and want something good to eat. Trying for more Zen moments. . . . . FluffyChix said something in another post that I also try to keep in mind: Embrace the suck, you will never lose weight this quickly again.

I’m almost 4 years post op. I have indulged in to much alcohol and put a lot back on. So to reset my sleeve, I’m doing all the post op food stages again. Clear, liquid,purée, soft, normal foods.

Everyone is different and swelling can last for months but it did go away over time for me. If you are not already try and drink warm liquids at least once or twice a day. I had to do that with the lapband and it eases up the swelling. I mean your stomach can be fine one day but then you could maybe eat to much etc. and the next day swelling again. I have been drinking warm bone broth the last few weeks and I think it is why I am getting less heartburn now. I am not currently taking my protonix everyday. I just chew gaviscon when I need it. I went years with the lapband without it. And then the last 2 years I have gotten heartburn even with the lapband out. I pretty much think mine is only triggered by carbonation, alcohol and bending a lot after eating.

Honestly I don't get it either. To me alcohol is a lot more harmful. How many families have been torn apart because of marijuana compared to alcohol? I don't think either is good for you and consumption should be limited but I don't get why pot gets the side eye from so many people when getting drunk does not. Plus with pot at least you don't get a hangover the next day! I actually have a couple family members who are on medical marijuana for chronic pain and/or anxiety.

Brilliant! No jackwagon psychs allowed! Seriously, do the cruze. Have a plan though before boarding. Find out about the restaurants and dining experiences especially the buffets. And choose your day!!! You can do this and make it more than about food and alcohol. Or is that the definition of a cruise? I've never been on one!

I will be doing a variation of keto in that I have no intention of eating any fruit since I don't care for most of it and I don't want to trigger any sugar cravings. I also have gluten sensitivity and don't eat any gluten containing products (wheat/barley/rye) or the gluten free crap they sell at the store. I do make my own almond bread which I do not plan to have until much later. I love almost all vegetables and I am the queen of cauliflower. I absolutely adore chicken or shrimp fried "rice" with cauliflower as well as other recipes. I plan for this to be my ongoing weight loss diet. I do not purchase any fat free stuff and use small amounts of regular unsalted butter and/or EVOO. I did get some plain, reduced fat FAGE greek yogurt for my current postop period but not eating much of it (2-3 ounces per day) Protein sources of chicken breast, salmon, shrimp, fish, black or red beans. Not a big red meat fan. Love all types of cheese but will have very little, more like a garnish. I dislike sodas and juices so no worries there. My downfall are the candy type protein bars (atkins and others) and sugar free chocolate stuff that taste so good that it is hard to eat a reasonable portion so those are out. Swearing off all alcohol until football season at the very earliest. Hopefully by then I will not want it.

I'm soon to be in the same boat. Totally unsupportive alcoholic husband that doesn't want to change is on his way out the door. I don't know how I'm going to make it with one fixed income but I'll soon find out. FYI it's okay to feel sorry for yourself once in a while. This is a rough journey nevermind the journey + life woes. Best of luck to you [emoji106]

I'm starting again for the second time. i had lost 40Kgs put have put most of it back on. Back on shakes. I'm going to do shakes 2 times a day for 3 months. I just brought the nutrition guide to get back on track. Any one else starting again after putting weight back on. I'm not drinking alcohol either until i get back on track

I drank at 3 weeks post op. It was a week long work event that had nightly cocktails hours. And was otherwise very alcohol focused. I was really drinking just to fit in and to not draw attention to my WLS. i did not enjoy drinking. Which was very different from pre op! I felt no difference in the effect of the alcohol though. I never even got the slightest bit buzzed. After that week I have mostly swore off drinking because it caused a weight gain. That week I averaged 700 cals per day, including alcohol, and returned home to a 2 LB gain. That pissed me off, and made not drinking an easy decision. Since then I have had a couple of glasses of wine. One was forced upon me by my boss when we were out to dinner on my birthday. The other is when I was having a nice tapas style dinner w a friend that had an amazing wine by the glass menu. That was the first time I really wanted a drink. I had one, it tasted good, but not as good as before. These glasses of wine did not hit me harder than usual, in fact I didn’t feel any effect from them at all.

My surgery was on May 9th as well. I just got home from hospital I started running fever as well as having major naseau. Now that I am home these gas pains are horrible but I am drinking my protein as well as sugar free popsicles. Be careful I have found with sugar alcohols cause it will cause gas pains as well. I pray for each of you! And pray that each of you as well as myself reach the goals we have always wanted to be at.

I know what you are all going through. Lost almost 90 pounds to begin with 10 years ago when initially banded. Kept down to 148 pounds for almost 8 years then started gaining 5 pounds, then 10 pounds and now I have to lose about 30-40 pounds and this website has given me the resolve to do it again. I am just totally cutting bread, pizza and all the dough products that I have been eating over the last 3 years. We can all do this, this is our Lifetime Fight to get this weight off and keep it off. Somehow I think if I was an alcoholic it would be easier to do stop that instead of this weight issue that I have been battling my whole life.

Well,i have another story to tell, honestly not every life experience leads me to,pist,it merely sees that way. Way back,in the Bad Old Days, 34 years ago I had my gall,bladder removed. Now every abdominal operation in that time was open and I was no exception. Most people have what is called a right subcostal, diagonal, about 2-3 mm below the ribcagen not me. I'm so speciall, I had a right paramedian, right to the ringt of the navel, 3 inchs a above, 3 inches below, a nice white fine scar, except slightly wider at the top,where the JP type,drain was. The year before,my,mothers had been removed and when I mentioned I was having symptoms also I was told I was merely envious. When mine was finally removed I had many more stones, pointed instead of round in appearance and they had so abraded the inside of my gall bladder to the point it would have ruptured soon. Jealousy-Shmelousy, I said I was sick! Many years later in May 2015 I awoke in absolute mis3ry and pain. Never had i had such pain and I trust I never shall,again. I had 3 over 9 lb babies, natural and unmedicated, no pain like this! And the vomiting made morning sickness minor league. Told my son to call our local transportation company for they had a wheelchair lift, I had managed to pivot to,my whe3lchair left over from my,last knee replacement and I couldn't stand again. Turned out I had acute pancreatitis. And I was also out of the ordinary. there too. Most cases are caused by wayward gallstones traveling into the pancreatic duct,or alcoholism. Nope neither of those, so it is charted as idiopathic, this is physicanlanguage for," I don't know WTF caused it either!" So I cannot help but think,5he pain of a RnY will,be the difference between jumping into a volcano and a garden party. As the,little mouse said "Bring on that cat, 'I M Ready!"

I'm so glad I'm not the only one, I wonder what they are from. It's the same here, it feels hard to catch a breath after I have the hiccup... I was a bit confused on the crushing or not, and I did get one. There was a booklet my doctor gave me that said to crush all meds and not to use capsules.. but then his nurses were telling me that small pills and capsules are fine and the whole time I was there they were giving me pills whole with water. I even asked to clarify and they said it was absolutely fine... I may crush some though if it keeps feeling the way it does. I didn't take my vitamins yesterday but I will today. (All but the multvitamin.. I got liquid and it's 6% alcohol, go figure. I called and he told me to wait until Monday for that one. So as long as he knows about it.) Oh my gosh, I'm glad I'm not the only one but I'm sorry other people have this too baha! I didnt know how to explain the half hiccup other than to call it that- it makes breathing afterwards a real pain in the butt. The pain is about the same here, but I will say getting up out of bed today was a breeze for me. Sitting on the toilet hurt a bit, but then got better after I was back up and walking. Yay for gas going away! I'm a bit jealous.. I'm on a clear liquid until Monday diet lol. Though Im not a big fan of yogurt so that's not too bad, but wouldn't mind having a few other options. Just finished my protein and felt super nauseated for a bit but feeling better now.

The effects of alcohol consumption soon after surgery can be dramatic. The effects of drinking one glass of wine might be equivalent to drinking 5 glasses of wine prior to surgery. Two months post-op is probably too soon.

The sad fact is, many don't look at bariatric surgery like they do other surgeries. If someone told their friends or family that they were getting breast implants or other cosmetic surgery the overwhelming majority would not have a negative comment. If someone told their family and friends that they would be having surgery for a medical condition like removing their tonsils, still not many negative comments. Tell people you're having bariatric surgery to improve your health and the negativity starts to flow. Why? Because most people blame you for being obese. If only you can control yourself you'd wouldn't be so fat. If you took the initiative and exercised more, you wouldn't be so fat. What they fail to realize is over eating is a compulsion like drinking. No one would have a negative comment if they knew an alcoholic was having a liver transplant due to excessive drinking. No, most would say, hope this helps to get him/her to stop drinking and to be healthier. We don't get the same empathy because it's automatically assumed it's our fault that we are compulsive eaters. Work hard toward your goal of better health. Do not let the negativity derail you. After your surgery you will lose weight and you will begin to get healthier. Just remember that's only the first part of your success. After surgery you will have a period of time where the weight will come off easy. The mechanical part with surgery is taken care of. Now, you must work on the mental part to find out why you are a compulsive eater. Once you do, you will probably have many years of weight loss success. Be strong you're nearly there. It's nice to have support but if you must go it alone do so because your health depends on it.