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I won't judge you......hoping you don't judge me. Granted, everyone's sleeve experience is limited to an army of one......themselves......I will tell you how I've proceeded as far as alcohol is concerned. I began last June with a bariatric surgeon affiliated with the area's largest hospital...a place that I'd had success with on prior orthopedic type surges to repair stuff I'd torn up being stupid. He was firmly against three things for his patients: never again smoking, never again having caffeine and never again drinking alcohol. I was with that program 3 months and then my insurance company played the ultimate trump card....they'd only fund wls if I went with a "center of excellence". So.....I swapped over to such a program. They are affiliated with a much smaller local hospital in town. A couple things happened upon switching over.....I discovered that my cost would actually be lower if I simply did 100% self pay (crazy scenario....long story) and I discovered that my new surgeon was uber experienced and had a high level of confidence and approached things.....life choices of his patients.....in a very realistic way. I told him during my two month check in that I wanted coffee. He said, "Sure...I drink two cups a day, why can't you?". I told him during my 4 month check in that I wanted occasional mixed drinks (with skinny mixers) and that I wasn't losing the weight just to live like a monk. He paused at that and gave me a sly grin. He acknowledged that life is best when lived fully. He was very direct about his concerns with drinking. He said that my sleeve would handle it....but could I ? Would I chose to drink responsibly ? Would a couple of drinks lose me up and pave to way towards a poor food choice ? Would I begin drinking beer again (highly caloric beers were my favorites before...go figure)? He then said, "I have a couple glasses of wine when I'm unwinding sometimes....why can't you?" I was glad to hear this and I weighed his advisements heavily. Wanting something....and then being told you can have it brought on some odd feels. It was like I really wanted to bust loose...but then once given the reins....I sorta dug in and shied away for a while. I do enjoy drinks on the weekends. Skinny mixed drinks. An ounce or two of premium vodka on the rocks topped off with a splash of diet 5 calorie Ocean Spray is the normal adult beverage. I'll order similar when I'm going out somewhere. I've found that the drinks do impact me harder than prior to surgery. I think a big part of that is simply due to not eating much of anything along with or after drinking. I keep a calorie tally in my head and I carve out calorie space for the alcohol calories. I don't want to let the occasional weekend enjoyment derail my weight loss. I'll only eat packs of tuna, hardboiled eggs or Protein powder shakes to get my protein on such days. I have learned to limit the frequency and that consecutive days of enjoyment are not well tolerated by my body. A couple of drinks on a Friday night....and then on Saturday night are it. I shut it down for the week then. I learned the limits of what I can tolerate on two recent vacations. One was a bar hopping me-only trip to a place known for fun nightlife. I was sorta proud of how I navigated the potential perils that week. I did okay. I was faced with many temptations, yet I picked and chose wisely. The most recent was a 7-day cruise taken with my wife a month ago. It didn't begin well for her....she was stressed out bigtime by a few delays the ship encountered at departure and a skipped port that resulted. I chose to have enough fun for the two of us that week. By mid week I was getting down with the flow of things onboard and having a bit too much fun. I shut it down for a couple days and killed it in the gym and hot tubs. I did have a big night towards the end.....and didn't fool with the stuff for quite some time after getting home. Again....your surgeon may have different instructions than mine did. I've seen firsthand how they lay down different ground rules. I had sleeve surgery to improve my life. Being able to enjoy some drinks.....in moderation....in social situations....isn't counter to me improving my life. My decisions and approach are not posted here as advice to anyone....simply to reply how I'm currently operating. I may change tactics one day....who knows? For now, though.....it's working. I'm down a good chunk of the weight I wanted to lose and can see reaching and even exceeding my goal. I've picked up some good habits along the way and feel I have a good plan for living lean. I wish you the best and encourage you to seek the advice from your surgeon. Know that they may give you a firm no as my first surgeon did. I get that. They are, after all, accustomed to dealing with people who don't demonstrate self control and discipline. Why the hell would they say, "Sure, have a drink". I get that. I'm grateful that my surgeon possessed extremely high levels of confidence in both his skills, his experience and in me. I'd sort of proven myself to him by the time we had the alcohol discussion. I'm quite sure this was a factor in his response. Had the discussion been had in the pre-op days.....he'd probably have been way more firm. It's all about your overall goals and what you are going to do to meet them. I wish you the best. Having a partner that is willing to slow down is a good thing. Perhaps you'll get him to join you in some other hobbies.....active hobbies.

I opted to stay on Protein drinks only for the first 4 weeks. I figured that doing so would allow my new stomach to heal. I also did not trust myself to open up the door and invite pureed stuff in. I knew that it wouldn't take much for me to skip yogurt and go to ice cream. Even now, at 6 months out....I can go on a liquid only diet for 2-3 days and come out of it really feeling my restriction. I'm grateful for my restriction, too. Knowing it's there in case I break down and cheat is comforting. For what it's worth.....it took me a bit over 2 months before I reached that "normal" state again.....the state where I'd allow myself to enjoy the flavors of stuff I'd cook or grill. I became a carnivore.......a T-Rex sized carnivore that took only tiny portions to fuel. You will certainly get there. It's coming. You are in the tough days of the sleeve experience, in my opinion. Everything will get very easy really soon. Hang in there and know that good changes are coming.

I was advised that the frequency of the walking was crucial, too. Surgeon said, sure, going on a long walk is great.....but it's important to get up and move every couple hours, too. Stay active is what he emphasized. I'm not sure what the normal time window is for the post-op concerns.

Good news on your revision being approved. No more ports to worry about. No more fills. I've found my sleeve to be extremely easy to live with. The only times I've had heartburn has been when I've had coffee and Advil on mornings following a spicy food for dinner. I was a frequent adder of jalapeño & habanero peppers to a great deal of what I cooked & grilled. I love some spicy rubs, too. I've had to tone things down a small amount and realize that those spices are even more concentrated as I consume them without the carb loaded side dishes I was accustomed to eating along with them. At my 6 month check in I was encouraged to slowly add in vegetables in smallish amounts to my meals. Perhaps this will help me keep on spicing up the meats. Sleeve has been trouble free. I hope that yours and your husbands are equally agreeable. I think it is awesome that you are doing this together. Once you both get back to what normal eating is (was around 2-3 months for me) you will be in sync. You'll go out for dinners and be ordering some very small quantities and laughing about it. Food prep at home will be simple and easy. You'll have those same post-op wonderment feels, too. Shared awesomeness !!!!

I skipped the puree stage and just stayed on Protein shakes during that time. I kept reading about the dreaded 3-week stall from many posters. I also see what some of them were eating during the pureed stage and could't help but see a correlation. Too many carbs for what my goals were. I knew there were certainly healthy pureed choices that I could have....but I just was scared to open that door.....yogurt one day may lead me to ice cream the next. lol. I just didn't trust myself enough to go there. I'm simply being honest. If I had it to do all over again.....I'd proceed in the same way as before. That 4 weeks....following the 2 weeks of pre-op Protein Shakes only....that month and a half really helped me cement the changes in how I viewed food. I was done with cravings....done with food as an answer. All I wanted was to burn off as much fat as I could and take in the fuel that my body needed...not what my mind may be compelling it to do. The sleeve is a powerful tool for weight loss.....but I see now that it's only there as a parachute when we lose our willpower. Our minds are the most effective tool we have....but not always in the game, obviously. I do feel that we gain considerable mental toughness as a result of our wls. I'll bet that many of us could take our post-op mental strength......and lose considerable weight without the wls......and keep it off. I really do. It's that toughness and confidence that keeps me grinning all day long.....even when job stress or other stressors conspire to steal a brotha's grin.

Best wishes for you. See you on the Loser's Bench !!!!!!

I herniated T-12 disc 13 months ago. The MRI's and x-rays showed arthritis, stenosis and even where I'd broken a bone in my spine and it had healed. Funny....I knew when it happened....but never realized I'd done damage like that. Hunting accident...fall. The pain from that herniated disc is what tipped me over the fence into the bariatric world. I had sleeve surgery 6.5 months ago. Just prior to sleeve surgery, I had another round of steroid injections in my back. This, combined with whatever I was given in the hospital for sleeve surgery found me coming home and feeling great in all aspects. The back issues have returned, but nowhere near as bad. I'll feel them developing, too. I will begin to get shooting pains and know that the spasms will return if I don't take corrective action....which in my case is two-fold: 1) quit sleeping on the new tempurpedic bedding which I freaking hate but bought because my wife fell in love with it.....horrible mattress choice for me at 478.....and now at 296....horrible choice 2) get on the floor and do my stretches on a daily basis. Learned these in physical therapy and they work to keep things loose and in the right place. I should add that it's a compounded problem as in I become less active when it flares up. Inactivity is not good. It can allow it to stiffen and ache. Frequent walking is the key for me. I will be so damn glad to get my abdominal hernia repaired again (4th time doing so) and letting it heal....so I can finally do some direct muscle training on my abs. Core strength is going to be key.

The dieting we do leading up to surgery is done so under the watch and mentoring of our doctors. We are cutting out carbs and living with an extreme calorie deficit. It's certainly a shock to most of our systems. I would cation her to consult her primary care physician prior to jump starting such an extreme diet. I think it's very cool, though, that you'll have a person close to you living the diet with you. I hope that all goes well.

There is nothing about the changes that I don't gladly welcome. The weight comes off....the physical burden.....the physical stress.......the threat of pending developing health scares.......all of that going away.....leaves one with a better frame of mind to embrace life and take on each day in much better manner than before surgery.

No....I never had such worries. I was in great hands. The surgeon I chose was top notch and a master of his craft. His surgical staff were all very experienced with bariatric patients....the wing of the hospital my room was in was 100% wls patients. This is what they do.....we are who they help on a daily basis. The risks for my sleeve surgery were pretty much the same as with my prior hernia repairs, ankle surgery, knee surgeries, etc. There wasn't much that concerned me about the surgery. There was, however, a great deal that concerned me with the physical state I was in BEFORE sleeve surgery. I was a wreck......a heart attack waiting to happen. Losing 50+ pounds during the pre-op time frame that led up to surgery had my confidence up....and actually feeling a bit better. I would go back and have the sleeve done again and again. It was a piece of cake. Now is the time to push aside any drama and relax. Focus on working hard on the pre-op diet and get in as much exercise as you can. You'll feel better for it and be able to sleep much easier. All good things are going to happen if you allow them to. Work hard.......rest hard......be at ease.

I feel like you'll be great in that time frame. You'll be feeling rock solid and ready for the world by 3 months for sure. You've given yourself plenty of time. That is going to be a fun trip. Have fun. I would simply make sure I had follow-up appointments scheduled just prior to the trip.....share your concerns with your pcp and your sleeve surgeon......perhaps they'll write you a proactive prescription for antibiotics and such to take along with you just in case. The traveling....airports and handrails and such are where you'll be most exposed to foreign germs. I really wouldn't fear the food so much. You'll be presented with a wide array of of tasty eats.

Everything by Chike has been golden. Their Mocha and their coffee Protein powders are outfreakingstanding. My next try will be the new powders by Quest Nutrition. I love their bars and chips......hoping their powders are great, too.

Holy Hell.....I'm lacking badly in fiber intake it would seem. Do any of you supplement with Metamucil or the like ???

You look great !!!!!!!!

Watched Deadpool with Teenage T-Rex yesterday.....funny flick. Watching Sicario right now. Great movie. Excellent acting. Benicio Del Torro plays a killer role. Really killer. Mile high club thoughts ?

Outstanding results !!!!!!! You have done great. How did it impact your golf game thus far?

This is a great question. I'm looking forward to seeing their daily menu as well.

My insurance would only cover 1/2 the cost....which would have left me out of pocket $24,000. By simply self-funding the surgery....my bariatric center only charged me $20,000. Evidently the drop the rates severely for self pay folks. That $20,000 also included a insurance policy against any type of sleeve related complications that may occur.

I was coached by my surgeon to eat a 1/4 cup of food per meal....3 meals a day at that point....moved up to 1/2 cup meal size by the time I'd reached 4 months. No real snacking. Just the 3 meals. I try to either measure it out with the cup or simply portion out what I feel is the correct amount....then eat just that amount and no more. I seldom have room for side dishes.....just the Protein.

On my days off I'll take time to cook some eggs, bacon and such. May even have a piece of leftover steak on hand, too. Work days.....I'll mix some Protein powder and Water in a shaker bottle and call it good.....that or a Quest bar.

Wow.....I used to love pancakes. These may come in handy when I overshoot my goal weight and am trying to maintain or add a couple pounds back on. Right now the carb count in them is just not to my liking. One day, however, I'll give these a try.

I've been enjoying coffee since my second month post-op. Real coffee, too. Very grateful for it.

You are going to do great. You are in the toughest days of it.....that first month. After that you'll kick off those training wheels and really start to coast....and in no time at you'll be jumping ramps. Much respect for your fast return to work. Remember to have fun along the way and do things that interest you.

Wow !!!! Wow !!!!!!!! You are killing it. Looks like your activity level is tremendous. Huge respect for the changes you've made and the health concerns you've headed off with your efforts. Great Job, sir.