Ideally when can drink alcohol and ideas for low calorie drinks or mocktails

HI I'm 6 months out and wondering whether I should drink alcohol. I did have a glass of wine a few days ago and noticed I was really depressed that night.

My doctor said I could drink wine after 3 months but I've heard other doctors think its best to wait one year to let the stomach and liver heal. My goal is to be the healthiest.

If I don't drink, any ideas for good mocktails especially when at lakehouses or other vacations?

If I do drink, ideas for good low calorie ****tails?

Many thanks

Drinking is highly discouraged after surgery, though there are posters here who claim to drink daily with no ill effects. There are several main reasons for this:

Alcohol is nothing but empty calories and carbs, which are best avoided during weight loss (and maintenance).

Our bodies are already taxed due to the stress of losing weight; throwing alcohol into your system can cause serious damage to your liver and kidneys.

Because of our altered anatomy, alcohol can hit you VERY hard. I find that I get very buzzed after a single beer!

"Transfer addiction" is also a very real possibility. Because WLS removes our ability to cope with food, it is easy to turn to other things, like drinking or shopping, to cope with our feelings.

Your best bet is to not drink at all, or limit your consumption to a single glass on special occasions. Mocktails are a great option! Mineral water with a twist of lime, club soda with SF flavored syrup, and similar can work well.

Diet tonic water (leave cap open to lose the fizz) over ice with a couple of thin slices of lime. It's refreshing (plus I need it for my nightly leg cramps . . .or rather how I avoid them ).

There are two components to booze. The first one is calories. Can you absorb them on your weight loss plan? The second one is a little more subjective. Can you handle the things the alcohol does to you? Answer them both and you have your answer.

Be careful with alcohol. I've a had few drinks on special occasions and let's just say I can't handle my liquor anymore! It happened so quick too. Not enjoyable.

Like others have said, it can be very taxing on your liver since it's already busy with all the fat burning. For that reason, I chose not to drin****il my weight had leveled off for a period of time (so once I was in maintenance) and then only to drink truly occasionally. Meaning not 'a few drinks a week', but instead a drink or two a month or every couple of months.

Prior to surgery, I had the alcohol tolerance of a competitive frat boy (I was still not a common drinker) and now I'm the lightest, lightweight. I also hate sparing the calories to drink. But, I have found that Premier Protein mixed with 1 shot of flavored Vodka and topped with a squirt of Redi-Whip is really good. On the same token, I've been known to do the same thing (in a wine glass) and leave out the Vodka. It gives me a decadent drink without the extra calories.

Might be safest to just not drink and lose the taste for ****tails.

I would stick with your doctor's advice and recommendations and not worry about the opinions found on here. While I'm sure the advice on here is very well-intended, I've noticed that a lot of posters get very "high and mighty" on the subject of alcohol. Just like when it comes to eating food.... just because it isn't best for them, doesn't mean it's wrong for you. Even without WLS, the effects of alcohol are different for everyone.

There have been members here who have died from alcohol after weight loss surgery. A great many have ruined their lives from alcohol. Many studies have looked at transfer addiction post-WLS. It's real.

I don't see that warning people about that has anything "high and mighty" to it. There are far too many medical reasons to completely avoid alcohol, especially during the weight loss phase. It has nothing to do with morality. Zero.

Andca surgeon saying it's ok goir a postop to drink alcohol after 3 months is really, really ****ty medical advice.

"Even without WLS" doesn't apply here. Because we HAVE had WLS, and that makes a great many things different for us.

There is zero need to consume alcohol in that first year or so after surgery. It's a matter of want, pure and simple. And giving in to food wants over needs got us all on the operating table. Giving in to alcohol wants over needs can do a lot worse.

It's not the message. It's the delivery. Experience and knowledge doesn't give people the right to be ******** But that is exactly where it is with a lot of veterans. They see themselves as God's gift to the rest of us. Being obnoxious is just "tough love" they say. Sorry. It isn't.

There are a number of people here who have good knowledge, good experience, and even good advice. But they are so inept at actually dealing with other human beings that it is all rendered useless by their obtuseness.

I was trashed last year by the flying monkey squadron. It all happened over a minor argument regarding an ancillary post. But that didn't matter. I got into it with one of the Anointed, and next thing I knew, the rest of the monkeys showed up. Some complained about how long it took to open up a post and read it, and how it took too much of their valuable time. But they had the time to compose lengthy replies disparaging me.

One of the Anointed told me in so many words that she could not wait for me to fail and come crawling back begging for mercy, so she could refuse advice. Good luck honey. I am, as my surgeon said, hitting it out of the park. Screw you. Don't stand on one foot waiting.

I am sure all of us peons are fodder for you all in your private club room. Good for you. Line up to get to me for all those who don't like me. WLS isn't even close to some others who hate me for various reasons. I don't lose a lot of sleep over that. I have blocked who I've blocked, not because I can't take criticism, but because I can't take hubris. Have a nice day.