Give me the cold hard truth about... ALCOHOL!

 Soooo how many of you still drink? What kinds of Alcohol do you drink, how much, how often? And most importantly… how do you feel after? Did you wait till you were at maintenance? 
Thanxxxxx

I was 6 months post op when I drank.  It was for a party we went to, it hit pretty fast!!  Which was very strange for me...I was one that could drink almost an entire bottle of Rumplemintz and be barely buzzed!  It hit fast, but left fast as well!  The next time was 1 yr post op.  Jan & Aug we have 2 big events that we go to, that involve much drinking!  So those were the only times I drank post op......until April of this year.  I went away on a business trip & hubby went away on a business trip (same time).  We hooked up 1/2 way through my trip and had a great time.  I got hooked on Merlot wine!!  He got hooked on Amstel Light Beer.  I was NEVER a beer drinker (still not).  No we drin****asionally.  I have a glass or 2 of wine, he has a few beers.  In the summer time, its weekends.  Here in the winter time, once a week or two.  Not as often.  What is nice...I get a slight buzz going and if I pace myself, it stays a nice buzz!!  

At our 2 events...Jan (last night as a matter of fact) I was drinking Cherry Vodka & OJ.  And we were doing Kamikaze shots!!  Aug...I drank 99 Berries & fruit punch, wine, buttery nipple shots & Kamikaze shots!!  What is nice, I get a buzz before dinner, sober up while I eat and then I can drink after dinner and get a buzz going again!  I feel fine the next day.  But I never had an issue with the morning after, no matter how drunk I got!!!  I got totally wasted New Years Eve (this past)....I didn't eat anything but a sandwich for breakfast...no lunch or dinner.  Then drank 3 glasses of wine at night!  TOTALLY trashed!!!

But honestly, there were a few times that I thought maybe I was having a problem controlling my drinking (alcoholism runs in my family).  But then I will go a couple of weeks and be fine and not miss it.  So I know I'm ok.  I do drink to get buzzed or drunk, which I'm told isn't a good thing (but I was always like that).  I figure as long as I'm not neglecting my like or family and I can go an insurmountable time without drinking, there is no problem.  A friend of mine did get hooked on drinking.  She will be 4 yrs post op in June.  Her & hubby would go through 2-3 Big bottles of tequila in less than a week!!  They saw the problem and fixed it!  

Hope this helps you!  Just remember, drinking alcohol is like drinking soda....it won't help you to lose, it will make you gain weight!!! 

 I rarely drink. For one thing, the kind of drinks I like have a lot of sugar and calories in them. For another, it hits me really fast now, so I try to just stay away from it.

Where are you in your journey? How long ago did you have surgery? 

Hugs, 

 Im having a sleeve done Thursday :)

 Ok. I think with the sleeve you can drink after about 6 months. 

I'm sure that some of the people who have had the VSG will chime in and help you out here!

Hugs, 

I gave myself a year of just dealing with me and my emotions before I started to drink.  My family of origin is lined with all sorts of addicts, so I wanted to make sure I did not turn from food to alcohol.  But too, a lot of folks around Christmas were fussing they were not losing weight and when I looked back through their latest posts, I saw they had been having drinks at Christmas, your body processes it first, and then it kind of funks up whatever metabolism you *had* going on (general you, not specific you, because, specific you knows, we are all different!  :})

That being said, when we were in Mexico, I had a delicious mojito or two, and at Christmas I had an irish coffee, but honestly, I drink it, I hot flash, get an impressive headache, and I really just want to go lie down and sleep.

So, its not worth the price of losing the rest of the evening/afternoon because all I can think of is "where/when/how can I slip off and sleep this off!?!"  :} 

I used to love a good beer on a hot day. With the no carbonation rule, I had to say goodbye to beers. I have a family member who had RNY and lost over 100 pounds. She regained the weight mainly because of her love of wine. In some ways, it was a case of transferred addiction. I know that this is not a risk for most of us but it will make me think twice before I take a sip. BTW, a lot of folks advise to try a drink at home the first time to test how you react.

I'm 5 months out and have only had about 3 partial glasses of wine so far. I had one on my birthday, one on New Years and have had one to help me get to sleep recently.

I'm still following my program until I get to goal and then I might incorporate a little more in my diet. I'm not much of a drinker but I like a little red wine occasionally. Since alcohol is empty calories, it's a good idea to wait until goal.

I'm going to become a non-drinker. I figure the extra calories will sabotage my weight loss and since there really isn't a benefit to drinking, I'm just dropping it totally. But I never was a big drinker, probably 2-4 beers per week (wine makes me have bad heartburn) or gin and tonics.

I'd suggest going slowly if you want to reintroduce alcohol at some point in the future - if you have to have it, then just go slowly.

 My bariatric program says no alcohol for at least a year. In the beginning you are healing and alcohol is toxic to that process. Then they are very specific about the fact that many people transfer addictions, when food is taken away as an emotional outlet.

My main reason for staying clear (at least till goal) is that I want to lose as much as I possibly can. There are calories in all alcohol that I need for healthy food.

I made it through the holidays without alcohol and I was amazed at how little I missed it. I am in the honeymoon stage, so I probably shouldn't comment, but it seems we go through so much to get surgery, why risk a good long term outcome with alcohol?

That said everyone makes their own choices and I know some people do drink alcohol after surgery without apparent harm.