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I'm home right now too until Aug 8th when I go back. Initially when I detoxed from carbs and alcohol (semi-liquid diet), I did not feel weak. The first three days were a b*tch because withdrawal. Yes, even from carbs. But on like day 4, I was really feeling good. I had energy, I was in ketosis, and I was sleeping sooo much better at night. I think you'll do great at the beach, just please hydrate and take your shakes, maybe even no sugar, super low-carb protein bars, and have a good, healthy dinner.

Hello my fellow Gastric buddies. I'm 3 weeks out from my surgery. I was told not to consume alcohol for a full year. In my nurses education class we were told that the chances of becoming an alcoholic after surgery has become a true fact. I usually have 1 drink in a year,so I'm going to just stay completely away from alcohol like I usually do.

i was given the full go ahead for anything and everything (except alcohol) at 1 month post op. i didn't have any salads nor veggies at 1m post despite the all-clear cuz of food aversion issues...but that's another story. i think, if i remember correctly, i probably had my first go at raw veggies around 3 months (?) post-op and had zero issues.

Ohhh, the soda thing is good to know. I don't have a habit of drinking them, but this is incentive not to develop one before surgery! Also, to the OP, have you checked out the little bento box containers you can get on Amazon? There are a variety of them. I have two different ones and love them because they make it so easy to prep meals and snacks! I have the Kinsho small bentos and the Easy Lunchboxes bento snack boxes. The sugar free drink mixes can be overly sweet but you can cut them with unsweetened tea! Or carbonated water if you are craving carbonation and don't want to quit. Or just use a portion of the pack/dilute it more and add fruit/lemon slices. I find I crave the taste of sour fruit things, so adding lemonade powder and lemons or limes to things usually cuts the cloying sweetness some of those other fruit flavors have. I often use the unsweetened Just Lemon or Just Lime powder in things. I think you can even get a grapefruit one. Just avoid the sugar alcohols, they are brutal on the gut!

What helped me pre-op was I started detoxing and dieting a whole month before my surgery. I started with a semi-liquid diet on May 11th. Protein Shake for breakfast and lunch and a healthy, no carb dinner. I stopped drinking alcohol and upped my water to 6 or 7 bottles a day. Then 10 days (because they had a cancellation and asked if I wanted it sooner than scheduled) before surgery, I started on all liquids. In the first 24 days before surgery, I lost 23 lbs. That really, really motivated me and made me feel so good both physically and emotionally. It also helped the surgeon with a successful surgery because of the liver shrinkage. Y'all have some awesome ideas!

Hello All- i posted for the first time just about three years ago with some anxieties as a spouse with my wife prepping to undergo the gastric sleeve. I originally noted being concerned about our lifestyle changes, relationship impacts (I had heard all the horror stories) and most of all health concerns into the future. The community was incredibly supportive and I had learned tips and useful knowledge that helped me coach and support my wife through it. I am happy to say we are better than we ever have been and her self confidence is through the roof. However the MAIN reason the surgery ever was even considered was to get her diabetes that started while she was pregnant with our first child and got very concerning bad with our fourth has still stuck around and caused issues….. First- this is Life changing not just for the partner getting the surgery, but the spouse too. We used to be foodies and that all had to go out the door. Same with alcohol. Two bites and you are full, a pint and you are drunk. So activities, dates, etc. and new hobbies should all be prepared for well in advance. Luckily we are both athletes and coaches and this allowed to have an outlet that wasn’t our prior foodies and beer/ brewery culture pastime. Two- Relationship, anyone who tells you that this leads to automatic divorce/ break up is paranoid or lying. Out of her support group offered by our health network, I think only 1 or 2 of about fifteen women ended up separating and that was from the other spouse cheating. I have to say that in many ways, after four kids and all our activities, youth sports and coaching- it created a second honeymoon period for us and really strengthened our romance and relationship because we both focused on our health again jointly and the magnetism increased dramatically. Third- It might not fix the problem…. We did not jointly go into the surgery for cosmetic or weight loss reasons. It was the diabetes and the doctors said it was a solid shot to cure or mitigate the disease. It was for a while, but it keeps back up. despite healthy eating, despite exercise and coaching, despite the surgery- medications came back into the picture and so did the celebrity weight loss drug (which is really supposed to be for diabetes…) This has been keeping everything under control but is a case of the cure being as bad as the sickness. The side effects are brutal and definitely have a quality of life impact, but we both want to live to see grandkids someday….. Fourth- dysmorphia is VERY really. We are both naturally larger people. I was a lineman in high school and college and she was a softball catcher in high school and college and ended up also playing women’s rugby there as well. Even with the surgery she went from an XL to L but she got her college/ high school figure back and as such her confidence went through the roof and started dressing like she hadn’t in years. With the medication though??? Her figure, face shape, everything changed. Down to a Small or Medium. For almost a year and a half she hasn’t recognized herself in the mirror. It’s a double wham with the surgery and the medication. Between her best friends and myself (we have all been in the same friend/ team group since college) the support was to have fun with it and go with the flow. Instead of worrying about it (the dysmorphia) it was embrace the change. All new clothes she could never wear before, she’s been a redhead now and then blonde and still is. Cut her hair shorter, started wearing makeup (never really did)- all just to try and put a positive spin on it. I’ve been the spoiled recipient of having a brand new girl (don’t think I haven’t romanced and spoiled the you-know-what out of her), but at the end of the day it’s been mitigation of all the life changes. The last part has been the most detailed because it’s the most recent and to me has been the most impactful- NOT having the surgery do its intended purpose and the dysmorphia we’re both very difficult given the efforts and life changes made. We’ve done everything we can to make lemonade out of those lemons though. We had an anniversary vacation better than our honeymoon this past summer (she has always been way out of my league and these days it’s very much over the top- I feel incredibly spoiled) and we have made time to ride our bikes together with our oldest babysitting the kids and we come to each others games when we coach. I would tell any spouse; husband or wife of someone who is going to have the surgery and then or also do all the meds: 1. Support. It’s a huge deal and you need to show up. 2. Don’t get insecure about your relationship because of the surgery. If you are worried it means you might not have a great relationship to start with…. 3. You will need to change your life too. Because of my size and my weight lifting, I need a lot of protein and calories. I will never look like a Hollywood star (like she now does) and always an NFL lineman- BUT- if I bring a cannoli, pie or a full growler into the house in addition to steak/ salmon, etc it’s teasing and not fair. You will need to learn self control to support your spouse… 4. Inspire and come up with ideas for positive re-enforcement. If the dysmorphia or depression sets in, you need to find fun things to do, supportive steps to take and positive angles to keep things going. 5. If you are doing all this as a spouse, what about YOU??? Are you going to die a martyr? Take care of YOURSELF too. I go lifting 3 times a week, go fishing in season. And for my 40th birthday when she asked what I wanted?? I got us a long weekend on the Cape, bought her some dresses I wanted to see her in and sent her to get her hair, nails, toes, eyelashes, etc.. done. Said I wanted a long weekend with my movie star wife. It was a great time, kid free and continued to strengthen our marriage. Anyways- why am I writing this? Posterity? Self reflection? Not really…. I just want to give Spouses a roadmap. It’s a huge change and you need to navigate the waters well. If you do you will benefit as much as your loved one. Good luck.

I went to a friend's for xmas dinner at exactly the same point post op. I got to sit the whole time obviously so I hope the standing isn't too long for you, but if you make an average/good recovery I think you'll have no problems at all. Bet you're looking forward to some major last minute alteration of that bridesmaid's dress too (and please can we have a photo in the OOTD thread in the lounge?? I'm a bit obsessed with weddings). I'm sure you'll enjoy it. My dietician cleared me to have a glass or two of bubbles at my dinner but might be worth just checking with your team if you intend to drink any alcohol. And - definitely the chicken, just a tiny portion. And then hide most of that under the salad/veg, LOLOL!!

3 month update! 5/4/23 - Start Pre-surgery diet - 324 5/15/23 - Surgery - 307.6 8/15/23 - 3 month - 242.4 Had my 3 month visit with the dietician and have blown past all of the targets (both the 3m and 6m ones). The year target is down 100 pounds (from the 324), and I am only 18 pounds away from that one. Should be able to hit it by 6 months. Have had very little in the way of side effects. I have thrown up twice when I over ate and had 20-30m of pain after eating some pork that I apparently didn't do right (not sure if I didn't chew it enough or what). I have been pretty low energy only when working out (but that is getting a little better), but have been fine the rest of the day. I have occassionally had an alcoholic drink (started on vacation and has crept back into one or two drinks a week), but I am trying to be a little more strict about that. Currently reading a book called Wheat Belly that talks about how evil Wheat is. Pretty interesting stuff, but heavy on the science behind it all. In the past week I have averaged: 975 calories per day, 78g of protein, 64 oz of water. Given that I workout in the Texas heat (Crossfit gym), I need to be drinking more fluids, otherwise I am really happy with where I am at. I don't feel like there is anything that I want to eat that I can't (or haven't been) eating already. I cheat a little bit with tortilla chips, but that is really the only thing. Honestly, I feel like this whole process has been as painless as possible. I feel incredibly lucky, especially after hearing Synlee's story (I hope you are doing better!)

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienced this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and havent started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

How much pain you have is variable. I had none after my sleeve but I really knew about it with my gall removal. But the surgical gas is mostly in your abdominal cavity not in your digestive tract so burping & farting have minimal impact. The surgical gas rises up behind your lungs putting pressure on nerves which cause the pain. The gas is absorbed into your lungs & breathed out. Walking, marching on the spot, pumping your arms up & down, slow deep breathing all help you breath that gas out. Heat packs can help with any discomfort. It usually takes about a week to fully pass. Additional burping or farting can be from the shakes, any sugar alcohols used in the shakes or drinking too quickly, plus the change in your digestive process could be adding to it while your body gets used to the changes. GasX may help with this gas. As with everything if it persists or gets worse give your team a call.

Awesome to hear of y’all’s progress! Synlee, I hope you are getting some relief, or at least some answers and hope going forward. I am almost done with my travel-palooza (28 days of travel in a 41 day span). The diet has been a little wheels off, mainly around alcohol (have a few frozen cocktails on the beach). Been doing good at home and decent overall, but will need to rededicate myself next week once I am back home for good. All that being said, I couldn’t be happier with my results. Down 69 from starting (53 from surgery date), and closing in on 250. My face is much thinner now and I have dropped a size or two in clothes. Daily energy has been good, but I have noticed a huge change in my energy and strength levels while working out. I feel like I am running at 50-60% of what I was at pre-surgery. Everything I have read said that gets better as the caloric intake increases, so I am not too worried about it. also reading an interesting book called Wheat Belly that talks about the damaging effects of modern wheat, and I think it has convinced me (along with the general guidelines from my doc) to move to a paleo type diet long term (very very low carb).

I am slowly preparing with dieting as well. I'm eating all the right foods, but probably not limited my intake as much as I should. I completely cut out alcohol too and don't plan on drinking again. I never liked soda or carbonated drinks so that part will be easy for me, but I love water haha and right now I drink a lot of water. I was worried that it would be hard for me not to drink water because some medications I'm on give me dry mouth and make me really thirsty. How far in advance did they tell you to do all liquids before surgery? Mine is two days but I thought maybe i should try to do it for a week to shrink my liver more too. I asked the office and they told me no I don't need to do that but I want the best recovery possible...

I've never been much of a drinker because alcoholism also runs in MY family, so the most I drink now is a glass of wine (and this only once or twice a month). I just know I get "buzzed" much more quickly now -- but I stop after one so I can't really comment on the rest of your experiences. And yes - transfer addiction is real. I unfortunately know of some WLS patients who are now dealing with alcohol addiction. I never feel social pressure to drink, fortunately. Even before WLS, I'd usually just order soft drinks after my one and only drink - and sometimes I wouldn't drink alcohol at all - just soft drinks. Even at bars. I never felt particularly weird about doing that, thankfully...

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienceD this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg I take 2-3 liters of water throughout the day no compared to 3 months ago. Up to 1liter during my work out and the rest throughout the day. mostly sips. I do get hungry but try to drink water to quench or use the plantain (carb for the day) to satisfy myself i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and haven't started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

I was not consuming alcohol at this event nor have i had alcohol since before my 2 week pre op diet I mentioned I've consumed alcohol at this event in the past before i thought about having surgery just to give some context on how much things have changed for me now that I’ve had RNY I’ll make it a little more clear in my OP 😊

Spent the last 4 days at the lake. I tried a few new foods with no nausea. I was released to drink alcohol at 3-month post-op, so I tried 1 shot of Vodka mixed with sugar free cranberry juice at the recommendation of my nutritionist. Fresh air and sun. Boating, fishing. friends and family. Great fireworks show Sat. night. Sitting around the firepit till 3 am nursing my drink. I had 2. Nice little buzz without getting drunk or passing out as I've heard some WLS patients have experienced. Weighed myself when I got home and dropped 3 more pounds FTW. Happy 4th of July!!!

Here's a weird one. I often heard after getting WLS, that alcohol can be this really slippery slope and transfer addiction is real. It's funny because I was simultaneously worried and not worried at the same time because alcoholism runs in my family and I've seen it ugly, up close and personal which has made me incredibly reflective on my alcohol use, always checking it and monitoring to make sure it wasn't something I was doing out of habit and only in moderation. Basically, I've never been really into alcohol but don't get me wrong, I had my party days in college and I remember being able to drink soooooo much for a long time when I was partying with friends. Fast forward to today, I'm a year and like 5 months post op from bypass and I've found a couple things with alcohol and want to know if anyone is having the same experience: Getting drunk now is horrible, a surefire way straight to my head in the toilet, and not because I'm too drunk but because alcohol makes me incredibly nauseous if I have more than 2 drinks. I also don't drink sugary drinks either - I do usually a hard liquor like vodka and soda water. I find now though that I don't even feel drunk like I used to. I'm incredibly cognizant of everything, don't feel "silly" or "loose" like I used to, then I just get sleepy, and then I just hit a wall and get really nauseous and want to puke. If I have a drink then I eat later, like I've been in a situation where I am going to a dinner, have a cocktail like a couple hours before my meal, then I eat and the food makes me so nauseous and almost dumping. It could be that I'm just older now and drinking is different but I barely drink now since getting my bypass because it just makes me feel like crap. I don't miss it, I think drinking is really bad but I will admit it has taken a toll on my social life (but ultimately it's good to know who wants to actually be friends and who just wants a drinking buddy) But I've always heard that drinking can be a problem after, but now that I have had WLS, drinking is not fun like it used to be and I just don't want to do it at all. Anyone else experiences this? I think it's an interesting topic.

Can we pretend this is an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and it's my turn to stand up front and bare my soul?...especially since I never had the balls to set foot in a live meeting during my 35 years of having a BMI score higher than my IQ. There's donuts in the back...JOKE😁 It's been almost a year since my sleeve surgery and I couldn't be happier with the physical results. I was 60 years old, 5'4" and weighed close to 210 when I finally made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon. I'm now 61 and 134 pounds...I'm still 5'4" though. The past few days I've been in deep thought mode and was just hoping to use this forum to vent and hopefully get some feedback, positive or negative. Dining out: It's going to happen. It was probably part of your life pre-surgery, so it's naive of you to think it won't be a part of your life post-surgery. So maybe it's just me and my family (obese mother) and significant other (F, normal weight), but the minute the menu appears, I get a barrage of "Oh..they have plenty of appetizers and small portions you can order. Be careful, etc. Did you see the vegetable plate?" OK, so I know my significant other and my mom love me and are probably just concerned about my health and eating habits post-op, and if I'm being overly sensitive, just tell me and I'll shut up, but when they say things like that, it's not helping! If anything, something deep in my primordial starving "fat" brain wants to order the biggest thing on the menu and attempt to eat it. When it happened yesterday at lunch, I calmly and nicely asked both of them if they could refrain from offering me ordering advice, as I assured them, thinking about the ordering process and the actual eating of said meal in a healthy manner was the number one priority on my mind pretty much 24/7. They didn't seem to take it too well. Which leads me to my next thought... I might be stereotyping, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of us here were never/are not selfish people. I'm sure there are pages of psychological data written about the personality traits of the chronically obese and the myriad reasons we ended up as we did. My point is, after bariatric surgery, you might have to become a little selfish. You may need to put yourself first, sometimes to the detriment of others. Obviously, it helps if you can do this in a nice manner, but with certain people and situations in your life post-surgery, you might just have to be a selfish a*****e. If your new lifestyle (diet, whatever you want to call it), exercise regimen, food habits, etc don't quite mesh with those around you, too bad. This is your last chance at success and you need to make YOU the priority. I walk a lot now...and it takes a lot of time. Some of that is time I used to spend with other people...now it's not always like that. Some have mentioned it. I don't care. I always invite them to walk with me but I'm not going to not walk because they want to do something else or don't feel like walking. When I think about some of the healthiest people I have known in my life, they were/are quite selfish when it comes to exercise. One of my friends has been to the gym every morning from 5:30-7:30 for 35 years. He never misses. It's not an option. That's amazing to me because despite the genetics of obesity, there's no question that having some type of exercise regimen helps at some level. Did I ever have that level of commitment? Only to stopping at Whataburger several times a week. So as much as I read pre-surgery and even with the psychological profiling the doctor did, I never read much or heard anyone talk about some of the changes I needed to make mentally to make this work. It seems like most of the pre-surgery discussion is about how to eat before and after the surgery and most of the psychological discussion is about not letting one addiction (food) be supplanted by another (drugs, alcohol, etc). The crux of this dissertation, if you're still reading, is that there couldn't be more truth to the phrase bantered around here...."They operated on your stomach, not your brain". Prepare yourself for some mental challenges that being thinner does not make any easier. I must look a lot better because everyone tells me so...but I don't always feel better. Some of the same issues I've dealt with all my life, totally unrelated to weight, are still around. It's not that I expected them to disappear, but I think at some level, deep down, many of us think/thought, "Oh, if only I weren't so fat, I wouldn't have to deal with this problem [insert the problem/issue of your choosing]". Maybe I was just being naive or stupid, or both, but even being "thin" comes with plenty of challenges. I know these are "first world" problems and I'm not trying to sound like a complaining, spoiled brat. I just wanted to let off some steam here in the hopes that I'm not alone. Thanks for listening.

Two ppl I know who had WLS waited about a year to drink alcohol. I myself, never drank. Sad to say the beers and cocktails kept piling on over the course of the following year and before you know it one gained 22lbs the other 20lbs. That's only after one year of going back to alcohol. Like many they thought they could enjoy an occasional brewski. Sadly not the case. I have found through my group sessions this happens quite often.

Hello this is my first time on here and I couldn’t help but feel that I needed to respond to your message but you shouldn’t be consuming any alcohol at 4 weeks out from surgery or 4 years out from surgery because we don’t absorb alcohol like the average person would since we have had our stomach altered with a bypass procedure

The sugar alcohols used in many artificial sweeteners cause problems for many people: diarrhoea, bloating, discomfort, … Personally I try to avoid or reduce as many artificial sweeteners, sugar alternatives & sugar as I can. It’s hard because it’s in almost everything you buy. I did it to kill my sugar craving - it has. (Artificial sweeteners & sugar alternatives still feed your desire for sweet.). Also there is a lot of research being done into how artificial sweeteners still lead to weight gain, affect your immune system, etc. But this has been a personal choice for me. Generally if I want something sweet I’ll eat some fruit. But again it’s been my choice to do this. I have made chia seed pudding & used vanilla extract as flavour. There is natural & added sugar in it but it’s very little. Also added milk powder which gave some sweetness (& extra protein) & a natural sugar. What about a fruit crumble? Cook up apple, berries, rhubarb or other fruit & sprinkle the top with a mix of rolled oats, coconut, nuts, a little plain flour, cinnamon a little butter & bake until golden. Use a little monk fruit for a touch of sweetness if the fruit is a little tart & in the crumble topping. Congratulations on your daughter’s weight loss. So wonderful she’s been inspired by you to make changes in her life too.

I'm so glad you're okay! It sounds like a fun event! And yes, alcohol is OK, in moderation and at an appropriate stage. Nothing is a no no after surgery. Life is to be enjoyed and that includes a treat occasionally.

I very truly feel your pain. I was sleeved in 2009 and I did fantastic the first 6 years. I lost 149 lbs and 9 dress sizes. At first, I wasn't even exercising and the weight just melted away daily. When I got down to the weight limit that could not be exceeded on an elliptical machine that I borrowed from a sister, I started exercising on it. Eventually, I was using the elliptical for an hour, non-stop, 5 days a week. Everything began to change in December 2014. My father passed away and he was the be all end all of existence for me. I am the youngest of 13 kids and was totally a daddy's girl. He was very ill already, but he ended up dying on my mom's birthday from a heart attack in his sleep. I was the first one to get to his house after my brother who was taking care of him called us all. When I got to my dad, his eyes were still open. My brother was dealing with the coroner and the police officer. I really freaked out and thought I'd better close his eyes before my other sisters or my nieces and nephews saw him. So I did. I closed my father's eyes. My heart broke in half right at that moment. I kinda lost my sh*t. My doc ended up putting me on Xanax and Ambien. Fast forward a few months to April 2015, I ended up getting divorced. Then 15 months later in July 2016 my mother died. Her heart stopped, and during CPR administration, her ribs broke and one pierced her lung. It filled with fluid and because she'd had respiratory issues most of her life, they couldn't help her. She died after 3 agonizing days in the hospital. Then in 2017, I was transferred from one job post to another. They weren't even going to tell me until right before I showed up for work, I found out sooner by accident. I'd been at that post for 10 years. It was a retaliation from a supervisor who knew that I knew too much information about illegal activity that went on under his nose. Literally, every year something horrible was happening to me. The anxiety, depression, and meds led to me not giving a sh*t about what I ate and a lot of drinking. I was drinking every night. I wasn't exercising anymore. I was eating anything I wanted to eat. It was still very little food, because I had a lot of restriction. But I was eating every kind of junk food you can think of. I was eating at all hours of the day. I was grazing, as they call it. I could eat every 3 hours. And the alcohol was just straight shots of tequila. By 2022, I had regained most of my weight and gone back up 6 sizes. You can lose weight again. You can detox from carbs. You can go back to protein shakes. This past May, I started dieting (on my own) because the doc wanted me to lose weight before he'd do the revision. I was drinking a protein shake for breakfast and for lunch, then I was eating a good, solid, very low carb (even zero carb) dinner. No alcohol. In 30 days, I lost 30 lbs. And this was before my surgery. It is absolutely possible, but you have to make the effort and you have to have the discipline. The first 3-4 days are tough as you detox, but then it just gets easier and easier. I wish you luck, friend.

i just wrote a long-ish post about alcohol yesterday, ha. instead of putting it all here again, i'll just include the link for reference: take it as personal anecdote, a validation, or a cautionary tale, however u see fit.

You just had a pretty major surgery & are still recovering it’s no wonder you passed out after undertaking what is quite a strenuous activity for you at this time. Though you hit your protein goal you still are eating very few calories, possibly have some low blood pressure & maybe some hypoglycaemia (sugar drop) as well. Check with your team as to their activity recommendations. Many of us are advised only gentle walking for the first weeks, slowly increasing. Take things slowly & listen to your body. While you are recovering you can’t do exactly what you did before surgery but you will again soon. Not being able to drink alcohol after surgery isn’t an absolute no @Carol97045. Sure if your post surgical plan says no alcohol for a period it time, it is best to follow that. But after that there are a few considerations around the consumption of alcohol post surgery. Empty calories & carbs is one. The habit of usually eating high fat, high sugar, high calorie, highly processed food while drinking. How your body & changed digestive system tolerates it & processes it (like feeling the effects more quickly). The most important is the possibility of addiction transfer - from food to alcohol. Does this mean you can never have alcohol again? No. What it means is you have to make your own choices around whether you do or don’t drink & if you chose to drink how much & how often based on those considerations. I drank while I was losing. Had a gin & tonic at about 8 weeks. Nursed that drink literally for hours & didn’t have another drink for another month or so. Four years out & I still only have a drink maybe once a month & usually only one. I still take a while to drink it or sometimes don’t finish it. My choice. I don’t enjoy it in the same way either. And I used to have a drink every night. And I’m far from being alone in continuing to consume alcohol.