So I'm having my surgery in around 4 months or so. No set date yet. I used to drink a lot on the weekends, but I quit that so I can lose weight. I probably won't be drinking after surgery until I lose the weight I want to lose. So, can you drink when you've had the surgery?

I tend to believe the perceived effect people are experiencing from the alcohol has more to do with decreased tolerance than anything else. The less you drink the less it takes to achieve the same intoxication level - especially having stopped cold turkey for a period of time.

Brad

I was never big on drinking but enjoy the occassional cocktail. Yes, empty calories but you can cut back in other areas or do more at the gym.

I started drinking again about 3-4 weeks post surgery. I felt a buzz after about 3 oz of vodka :cool:, but im assuming thats because I hadnt had a drink in about 2 months. I mixed it with zero calorie Vitamin Water and found I could taste the vodka much more than if I had mixed it with, say, orange juice, but I was able to tolerate the taste better than before as well. Dont know why. As you get smaller it takes less alcohol to get you buzzed too. I've had drinks the last 2 weekends and it hasnt affected my weight loss, so as long as I keep losing I dont see a reason to stop

:wink2:

Well are you low carbing it, because that way is would be zero carbs oh say vod. and zero poweraid! Please respond

Well how soon for alcohol then? I am about 10 days post op and would love a glass of wine but I really do not want to mess myself up after spending all that money!!!!

Well how soon for alcohol then? I am about 10 days post op and would love a glass of wine but I really do not want to mess myself up after spending all that money!!!!

I had surgery June 14th, and went out for drinks and dancing on July 3rd.

Be responsible and know that drinking will effect you differently after surgery, my suggesion is if you insist on drinking, even though you are under age, then do it supervised for awhile after surgery, and that does not mean in the company of your other underage friends, in order to avoid any situations. Also self control is a lot of what makes the band sucessful, so be mature enough to know that if you are going to go through surgery adn dish out that kind of cash, or your parents are going to, then dont sabatoge the process! Just some advice, not trying to harp on you...

Well, being a mother of two boys now in their 20's, the reality is they both drank underage, but it was always understood between them and I that I was not giving them permission to drink, I did not aprove, but IF they chose to drink anyway, they would have to be responsible, and NOT DRIVE! They would have to know ahead of time that they would be staying where they were at or they would call for a ride. I know of only one time that my younger son, now 22, called my older son, now 26 for a ride, and I know my older son has pre arranged for my younger son to pick him up at the end of a night drinking with friends (he was legal age at this time). But the reality is 18 year olds do drink, and it is better he ask the questions now then go out and have a drink and not know how it will effect him. Actually this thread was even helpful to me, I am 50, and don't drink all that much but I am heading on a vacation to see friends and family, I know I will be drinking a bit, usually I am the designated driver because I don't like to get drunk so I limit myself to 1 or 2 drinks for the night, it sounds like that may be enough to effect me now so I better have a back-up plan if it does. Pam

I also used to partake of the daily white russians during cocktail hour. It would normally take about 3-4 to get me buzzed. My Dr. says i can have one on my birthday in Oct. And he assures me it will affect me sooner. I think perhaps it's due to decreased body mass? A bigger person will tolerate alcohol more then a thinner person. And after you've been off the stuff a few months I'm sure you decrease your tolerance. I still plan to have the occasional cocktail but have to remember that our bodies DO NOT use the calories in alcohol for energy. It gets stored as fat and can be utilized later if needed with the breakdown of fat into energy. That's why alcohol makes us fat. In men especially it gets stored around the abdomen, hence the "beer gut". When I started drinking at age 40 is when my abdomen started getting so big.

By the way Laura, I LMAO reading about you getting a buzz on Nyquil. That stuff is 80% alcohol. Next time just make yourself a "hot toddy"! Cheaper and probably better tasting!

I would consider myself a 'heavy drinker' before surgery. I used to drink almost every night and could drink most of my friends 'under the table'. While its true that lapband doesn't change your plumbing at all (like gastric bypass), the alcohol will hit you harder. Basically, it hits me like I'm eating low cal (like on WW), BUT (and here's a big BUT) I often forget that I am eating low cal because different from WW, I am NOT hungry. So, I feel like I ate dinner, but I didn't, and whamo, I just got a little more 'tipsy' than I meant to. So, definitely be careful w/the alcohol!

Also, as someone who really loves to drink, I did finally have to get real w/myself and accept that fact that alcohol is A LOT of empty calories. And, although I could still lose well for many months w/the alcohol, I finally hit a plateau and had to cut back dramatically to get the scale moving again. So, experiment w/it, but realize its definitely one of the first places to cut if you stop losing. For me, the things I have to work on the most is cutting back alcohol, sweets, and upping exercise to keep the scale moving. :->

I would consider myself a 'heavy drinker' before surgery. I used to drink almost every night and could drink most of my friends 'under the table'. While its true that lapband doesn't change your plumbing at all (like gastric bypass), the alcohol will hit you harder. Basically, it hits me like I'm eating low cal (like on WW), BUT (and here's a big BUT) I often forget that I am eating low cal because different from WW, I am NOT hungry. So, I feel like I ate dinner, but I didn't, and whamo, I just got a little more 'tipsy' than I meant to. So, definitely be careful w/the alcohol!

Also, as someone who really loves to drink, I did finally have to get real w/myself and accept that fact that alcohol is A LOT of empty calories. And, although I could still lose well for many months w/the alcohol, I finally hit a plateau and had to cut back dramatically to get the scale moving again. So, experiment w/it, but realize its definitely one of the first places to cut if you stop losing. For me, the things I have to work on the most is cutting back alcohol, sweets, and upping exercise to keep the scale moving. :->

Not banded yet but am quite the same way, will take your words to heart

Alcohol likely won't affect you differently postop, except inasmuch as you won't be eating as much with the alcohol--and food can delay absorption.

I know my tolerance is nil--but that's because I very, very rarely drink at this point. That's not really band-related--it's just what happens when you do it less