800 Pound Gorilla in the Room

[Gregorio Punderschmidt 2]

Hello all,

I know this may sound like a really insignificant, possibly moronic question, but it's always better to know what you're getting into. So what exactly is the story with drinking after you have had this procedure? Is it contra-indicated? Any restrictions on what you can drink, or is it just not really in the cards practically speaking? I don't mean to sound like Joe 12-step alcoholic, but I'm attorney who runs his own firm with three cosmic-sized egomaniac attorneys, insurrectionist disloyal staff, and clients whose pathetic needy clinging is only matched by their boundless rage, usually aimed at yours truly. It's a miracle I only stop in for a drink or two on my way home every so often. By all rights I should have a superhuman heroin addiction.

But that's enough of my cheerful thoughts for the day. Looking forward to my new sleeve in two weeks, and I'm glad that this resource exists!

Take care,

Tom

[swizzly 901]

They say not to have any alcohol in the first few months, but it's not permanently banned or anything.

[Go Kart Mozart 44]

I drink fairly regularly without issue.

[Tiffykins 673]

Alcohol is typically not recommended until you get or are close to goal. It's simply wasted calories. Early out, alcohol can have a diuretic effect which compromises hydration so it is contraindicated for those reasons as well.With that being said, I was released for alcohol consumption at 3.5 months out. I wasn't at goal, but I could take the calories and figure them into my intake for the day, but chose to wait. I waited until I was at goal to indulge in alcohol. I chose to do this way because I had zero desire to drink my calories. My first experience with alcohol was 1 glass of wine. I got buzzed quick and hard. Lips tingling, face numbing drunk, it wore off just as fast as it hit me. I've been a fairly social drinker since about 8 months post-op. I'm known as the "afternoon cocktail" girl in my circle of friends, and it has had zero negative effects on my ability to maintain my weight loss. Plus, my tolerance is back to what it was pre-op. I drink everything from mixed drinks with soda, to shots. I've never been a beer drinker, and to this day, it just doesn't taste "right".

Transfer addiction is also a concern with alcohol. Some choose to not eat a meal to "allow" the calories in their alcoholic beverages, and that's when drinking becomes a problem for some.

[Beadingnurse 116]

Hello all,

I know this may sound like a really insignificant, possibly moronic question, but it's always better to know what you're getting into. So what exactly is the story with drinking after you have had this procedure? Is it contra-indicated? Any restrictions on what you can drink, or is it just not really in the cards practically speaking? I don't mean to sound like Joe 12-step alcoholic, but I'm attorney who runs his own firm with three cosmic-sized egomaniac attorneys, insurrectionist disloyal staff, and clients whose pathetic needy clinging is only matched by their boundless rage, usually aimed at yours truly. It's a miracle I only stop in for a drink or two on my way home every so often. By all rights I should have a superhuman heroin addiction.

But that's enough of my cheerful thoughts for the day. Looking forward to my new sleeve in two weeks, and I'm glad that this resource exists!

Take care,

Tom

Tom,

I don't know the answer to your question but I loved your post! Your description of your work life made me laugh out loud.... but with empathy.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Tom,

I don't know the answer to your question but I loved your post! Your description of your work life made me laugh out loud.... but with empathy.

Agreed, it was very well written. I love your style Tom, I hope you'll stick around and entertain us with your amazing ability to express yourself.

As for myself, I'm not a drinker - never have been and I doubt I ever will be. But, nothing wrong with having a drink here and there if you so wish. I would wait until you are close to goal though as alcohol carries a lot of calories. Other than that, enjoy your life, that's what this is really all about.

Cheers!!

[bugwitch 37]

Hey...tequila and vodka are Clear liquids....

Yes, as mentioned above, empty calories, diuretic, wakka wakka wakka.

I've also heard from others that they get drunk WAY quicker then before having surgery.

[massindex 346]

Couple of things. First of all you will find your mood changes and you can 'even' out your stress levels as you lose weightt. Also, once you start down this path, you realize the commitment you are making and become a little anal about what you are putting into body. If I'm going to comsume the small amount of food that I'm able to then I want to make sure it's beneficial to me. Tiffykins is right. It's empty calories and you soon begin to find other coping measures. Good luck!

[Gregorio Punderschmidt 2]

Thanks to everyone who replied, and for your kind words. As a former prosecutor/public defender, I do tend to have a sense of humour on the darker side. Like nurses and ER doctors, we get to see the repellant side of human nature up close and personal. (As in, sitting next to you in a suit that only a kodiak bear could possibly make look less well fitting.) It's a bit of a defense mechanism. It's hard to not empathize with your clients and feel low when you can't help them (not that they should go around shooting people, no matter how much you agree with their "enemy identification") because they're really not all that bad. It can take it's toll, unless you're a full-on sociopath, which, unfortunately, my profession seems to be OVER-represented with. Didn't Ted Bundy make Dean's list or somesuch?

Anyway, as I said, I'm two weeks out, but work has really kept my mind off the epic life-change I'm about to go through. It's not the surgery, that's kind of like flying. After two-three times, it's just not that big a deal. Besides, the older you get the more welcome death seems by comparison anyway. Getting used to a new way of eating isn't that big a deal, either. I don't eat all day long as it is. I don't stop from the minute I walk into the office until I leave. So the liquid diet/soft food phases *shouldn't* be too rough. I'm sure eating out/travelling will be much trickier, but I'll adapt quickly. Besides my Irish whiskey, there isn't much diet-wise I really can't live without. Except really hot foods. Any feedback on how that goes over? Just as a reference point, I mean hot enough to melt the lining of a reactor. I put away bottles of Dave's Insanity Sauce, the only hot sauce (to my knowledge) that has a confirmed kill to it's credit. For anybody reading, that wasn't a joke. This hot sauce has actually taken a human life.

Again, thank you to everyone who has replied. This kind of information just isn't available from anywhere but firsthand experience. Without people willing to share it, it wouldn't be available at all. So everybody give yourselves a little chuck on the shoulder.

Thanks,

Tom

[Used2b575lbs 29]

Thanks to everyone who replied, and for your kind words. As a former prosecutor/public defender, I do tend to have a sense of humour on the darker side. Like nurses and ER doctors, we get to see the repellant side of human nature up close and personal. (As in, sitting next to you in a suit that only a kodiak bear could possibly make look less well fitting.) It's a bit of a defense mechanism. It's hard to not empathize with your clients and feel low when you can't help them (not that they should go around shooting people, no matter how much you agree with their "enemy identification") because they're really not all that bad. It can take it's toll, unless you're a full-on sociopath, which, unfortunately, my profession seems to be OVER-represented with. Didn't Ted Bundy make Dean's list or somesuch?

Anyway, as I said, I'm two weeks out, but work has really kept my mind off the epic life-change I'm about to go through. It's not the surgery, that's kind of like flying. After two-three times, it's just not that big a deal. Besides, the older you get the more welcome death seems by comparison anyway. Getting used to a new way of eating isn't that big a deal, either. I don't eat all day long as it is. I don't stop from the minute I walk into the office until I leave. So the liquid diet/soft food phases *shouldn't* be too rough. I'm sure eating out/travelling will be much trickier, but I'll adapt quickly. Besides my Irish whiskey, there isn't much diet-wise I really can't live without. Except really hot foods. Any feedback on how that goes over? Just as a reference point, I mean hot enough to melt the lining of a reactor. I put away bottles of Dave's Insanity Sauce, the only hot sauce (to my knowledge) that has a confirmed kill to it's credit. For anybody reading, that wasn't a joke. This hot sauce has actually taken a human life.

Again, thank you to everyone who has replied. This kind of information just isn't available from anywhere but firsthand experience. Without people willing to share it, it wouldn't be available at all. So everybody give yourselves a little chuck on the shoulder.

Thanks,

Tom

I am 8 months out and haven't drank, before surgery I would easily consume 12-24 beers in a day but the doctor told me nothing with carbonation. I'm not big on the girly drinks or those that mix with juice so I haven't been enticed but I do know that many start drinking not to long after surgery say 4-6 weeks out.

As far as hot sauce and hot foods i'm an addict and my first and second meals (cottage cheese, and egg whites with cheese) I was able to have after surgery both were smothered in it. I didn't go for the Dave's though I've had it in the past, I use chalula (sp?)... I've also had many buffalo sauces and habanero and jalapeno and serano chili peppers and on and on... The chili peppers made me tear up but didn't hurt my sleeve.

Of course this was a question I asked in my orientation and my nutritionist said it was fine and tolerated by most. Hope this helps... Good Luck!!!

[Tiffykins 673]

. Except really hot foods. Any feedback on how that goes over? Just as a reference point, I mean hot enough to melt the lining of a reactor. I put away bottles of Dave's Insanity Sauce, the only hot sauce (to my knowledge) that has a confirmed kill to it's credit. For anybody reading, that wasn't a joke. This hot sauce has actually taken a human life.

Thanks,

Tom

I don't eat "that" level of hot/spicy, but I have had zero issues with Mexican Spicy, or Thai (Thai Medium toThai Hot) foods. I remember early out, around 5-6 months post-op, I did get some breakthrough heartburn with some chipotle jalapeno ranch dressing. I'm not really sure if was the dressing, or the fact I probably took 1-2 too many bites of the stuff. That being said, I popped another prilosec and all was right in my world.

Of course, super spicy stuff should be avoided while the stomach is healing, and I've been on Prilosec since 6 weeks out, and recently switched over to Nexium. So, I load up on Thai Hot Pepper steak without issue, eat cajun seasoned infused egg salad for lunch today, and can wash back a good 1/2 cup of spicy salsa at out local Mexican joint. I'm not sure how it would effect me without my PPI because I'm stubborn and won't attempt to wean off of it. Of course, this has all been cleared with my medical team since they have to continue to write the RX for me.

You may find your taste buds change temporarily, and things you once loved will be instant "gross out" for you. It happened with several of my favorites early out, but again, it's a temporary side effect and all my favorites are back to being my favorites without issue.

[swizzly 901]

I'm just 2.5 week post-op and I already use hot sauce as I did before (the fact that I'm on food right away post-op is already different to most programs, though, so my situation is not meant to be normative ). Not nuclear sauce like yours, but hot nonetheless. I made chili yesterday and made it just as spicy as I always do, with extra cayenne. I love spicy and my sleeve seems fine with it. I'm on Protonix still as well.

[Stacy160 201]

I actually have greater tolerance for spicy foods post-surgery than I did beforehand. I'm still of the mind that if it hurts to eat it, then what's the point, but I can handle a little heat now and then!

With your situation, it sounds like you'll really need to be careful about how much and how often you do drink. It's such a quick, easy buzz now, I think if I kept that wine I now love in the house all the time, I'd be getting into it every night. Transfer addiction really is a big deal that we don't hear enough about, and you'll REALLY want to be careful about it! But physically, there's no reason why you can't have a few now and then.

Good luck with the surgery!

[Goofyspice 1]

There is always lite beer...

didn't budweiser get a beer down to 55 calories.

Just watch out for the really cold ones Might take awhile for it to get back to a liquid state.

Thanks Tom for the additional question on spicy foods. I also like spicy stuff ... Cajun and Jerk spices and buffalo wing sauce and the list continues...

Also whenever my "co-workers" were especially "trying" I always claimed they were idiots with an E (ediots) they were not good enough for the correct spelling

[Derp 3]

This thread has helped me. I am dying for a drink... not an all nighter, just a cocktail or 2 after work with my co-conspirators.