Having second thoughts...

I have been trying to get WLS for some time. I have spent the last year finally getting into a program that will allow me to get the VSG and be covered by my medical. So cost is not my hang up. My hang up is all the things I have to give up that are a big part of my social life like Coffee and Alcohol. I just met with the nurse yesterday from the hospital as I have been accepted into the program. But I am all caught up in these things that she said I would have to stop. I understand I will have to give them up if I want this to work, but how many really struggled with giving up coffee, and beers with the guys, or carbonated drinks?

And why are you needing this surgery?  For all those things you need to give up and also to control.  Right?

You'll figure out new and better (for you) ways to socialize :)  I don't miss any of those things since my life now is just so much better.  And it's better in ways I never could have predicted or dreamed of pre-op.  

Now?  Now I LOVE running!  I love yoga!  I'm even going to start college in the fall to get a degree in Exercise and Sport Science!  My friendships and socialization have adapted.  Yours will too!

Oh man I know where your coming from . I would drink a pot of coffee every day. And soda and beers and wings and triple cheeseburgers and 5 lb cheesesteaks at Tony Luke's . I can go on and on. I did go on and on and that how I got to be 427lbs.  So I tried many many ways to loose weight. I myself lost 100lbs 4 times only to gain back more every time. So YOU need to do whatever you need to do. So far I like how this is working.  Even if I wanted to eat a 5 lb sandwich I could not. Good luck with your decision. People on this site will be here for support if you choose surgery or not. 

If you're happy at the weight you are and not ready to change your lifestyle, maybe you shouldn't move forward with surgery.

Life is about choices.  Many people still drink coffee after surgery, but not right away.  Many people drink carbonated beverages after surgery, but not right away and not regularly.  Alcohol is nothing but empty calories.  It's best to put it aside while you're losing weight.

Your perspective on your priorities can change after you lose a significant amount of weight.  Things that you think you can't live without now just aren't that important.   I haven't had pizza in 16 months.  I don't miss it.  I haven't had pasta in 16 months.  I don't miss it.

Feeling better, having the stamina and strength to do things I couldn't accomplish before are more important to me than food at this point.  You have to decide what's more important to you.  Good luck!

Nothing tastes as good as THIN feels!!!

This is definitely a lifestyle change & there are probably things you need to give up.

Some things however aren't things you have to give up forever, but for awhile yeah, especially right after surgery. I forgot how long I had to give up coffee, but when I was further along I was able to have it again.

I definitely had to change how I had alcohol, so in social settings, yeah it was severely limited, like I only drink on special occasions & even then it had to be very special, going out on a Friday night was not special. Plus whenever I did drink, it was 1 drink, that's it & I sipped on it all night till the ice watered it down so much that I didn't want to drink it anymore. Plus I had to learn to live with the repercussions, like stalling my weight loss, etc.

I wasn't into beer, other than Coronas & I still have 1 beer that's been in my fridge for over a year.

Carbonated drinks is still a little tricky for me & I'm almost a year out. I definitely can't gulp it down like I used to, but I can sip on it & let the fuzz out a bit.

Overall you have to think really hard on why you're getting the surgery & if it's worth it. It was for me, but you have to decide for yourself. Stay where you're at or move forward to a possibly more rewarding life. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

I was in your shoes. I had second thoughts too. I will be six months out Friday & this is the best decision I have ever made. I will be 40 this year & I wish I would have had it at 30. Like you I loved beer, heck I still do love beer. I haven't had a beer since Oct. 11th and tonight I had dinner at a brewery. Guess what? I was okay!! I'm almost 90 lbs and I feel amazing. I'm not saying I'll never ever have a beer again.....football season is only four months away. As far as coffee goes, I drink one cup of coffee every morning. I know many people who have had the VSG and still drink coffee. As far as carbonation I feel like I have broke my coke zero habit. I don't miss that, but do miss the beer. The point is, the beer, carbonation and other things we will miss led us to inquiring about VSG. You have to make lifestyle changes if you want to be successful with the VSG. If it was easy everyone would be thin and healthy. What are your priorities?? Mine was my health!

You've gotten a lot of good advice about this, but I'll toss in my two cents. 

Pre-op I was a Diet Coke addict, I drank alcohol occasionally (not usually beer but I would have some occasionally), and rarely drank coffee. What I decided, based on my surgery instructions, was to cold turkey cut out the Diet Coke - I never intend to drink that stuff again; wait until I get to my goal weight to consider drinking again; wait 3 months for coffee (that's what my instructions specifically said).

I'm at a year post-op now. Couldn't care less about the Diet Coke. I don't miss it. The further out I get the less I care about adding alcohol back in. Maybe I will at some point, but I don't miss it. Coffee, on the other hand, I drink every day now. I drink coffee mixed with a Premier protein shake every morning for breakfast. I do know that there are plenty of sleevers that add all 3 of those things back in at some point post-op; it's a choice you'll have to make for yourself.

There's a good chance that your social life IS going to change after surgery. There's a good chance you'll be a happier, healthier person who doesn't care quite as much about what you're eating or drinking. I can only speak for myself, but what I've gained from having surgery is worth so much more to me than anything I had to give up.

The best approach during the losing phase is to simply focus on those foods that contribute to health, nutrition, and weight loss.  Beer, wine, spirits are empty calories that should be put aside during that period, in the same category as sugar, refined grains, etc.  In maintenance you can incorporate the things that are important to you, in moderation.  Most of us do have a hard time with carbonated drinks.  I was never a beer drinker, but I did have a couple Heinekens last summer with no difficulty - to my great surprise.  That was at four years out, mind you. 

I have a glass of wine when I'm out with friends, which is usually only a couple times a month.  I know someone (not a WLS patient) who put down all alcoholic beverages several years ago.  Now he drinks Diet Coke, and no one in our circle thinks twice about it.  Really, who cares?

I was advised to switch to decaf coffee a few months before surgery, so that I wouldn't be dealing with the headaches that come with caffeine detox at the same time as surgery recovery.  I stuck with decaf for about 3-4 months after surgery, then went back to my beloved leaded coffee.  I have always had it black/no sweetener, so doctoring it up wasn't an issue for me.  If you drink your coffee with stuff, consider alternatives.

With the VSG, most of us find there isn't any food we can never eat again.  However, there are whole categories of things we CHOOSE not to eat, or eat in very limited quantities, in return for our new, healthy lifestyle.  And there's the rub.  As others have said, it's a choice.