Alcohol Consumption

[iwasbanded 0]

Hello all,

I am 4 weeks 3 days post op and i am going to dinner at my in-laws tonight! (OMG) I will be having some grilled fish and some cooked carrots for they are very supportive of my WLS! I know that at the in-laws there will be wine and i am all for it, but, will i be able to have a glass of wine with them for dinner without putting myself at risk of any post op problems since my first fill is scheduled for 4/28. Can anyone who has had alcohol post op help please i am a bit scared or nervous! PLEASE HELP!

[KarinB 0]

Hi, I was just banded on monday so I have not had alcohol yet of course but I did look into it because there are times when I would also like to have a glass of wine..my Dr. said it is fine in moderation. One or two glasses of wine but no beer..I have read where people have had vodka and cranberry and bloody mary's. So if you want to have a glass of wine it should be fine enjoy..treat yourself for a job well done so far. Good luck.

[Ssauce74 0]

I was banded on 3-31 and I had several glasses of wine within a week of surgery. There were no problems at all. I dont have any fill in my band so if you do it might be different. I hope this helps!

[Melissannde 41]

At a month out, you will likely cause no problems with your band or tummy.

However, remember that alcohol does lower our inhibitions and increases appetite. I know a bariatric nurse who says that alcohol consumption can slow weight loss for up to 3 days.

Personal choice. Myself I rarely have alcohol. Usually my husband will have something and I'll have a sip and that's enough. YMMV.

Have a great time at your inlaws.

[vlp1968 83]

I would add to figure the wine into your calorie consumption for the day. You should be fine. Enjoy

[MelBanded 4]

I usually wait an hour or more after dinner and have a small glass of Merlot for my dessert. I was banded 03/30/11.

[vickyd 24]

There is nothing wrong with having a class of wine but I would have it either before or after the meal since you aren't supposed to drink during the meal. Also, as others have said, you do need to consider the calories so be careful of how much you have...

[AlienBandit 10]

Though my doc says eating and drinking at the same time isn't good, he did say sipping small sips of wine during a meal is ok ( I keep my band a secret so I need to appear normal)

I think you're ok to drink a glass of wine, since its been a few weeks since surgery.

[stateofzen 46]

You should be fine.

When I drink wine, I do so with dinner (in other words, I don't follow the no liquids with meals rule, but ONLY with wine). This seems to work for me just fine- you'll have to try and see if it gives you any problems. And of course, count the calories

[Belledata 0]

I was banded on 4/1/11. I had a couple of bloody marys this morning for Easter brunch. Mixed them heavy on the V8 and low on the vodka. Ate hardly anything after that. You should be OK, moderation is the key.

[iwasbanded 0]

Well thank you all for your very much needed and helpful answers! I had two glasses of wine and of course counting calorie intake stopped. Felt great and had no probs but felt very hungover the next day so on that note think i will stick to just one glass for now...lol! Thank you all for being so supportive!

[Mommyto1 1]

I was banded in October and tonight I had a small glass of Skinny Girl Margarita over a lot of ice. I have to say, after that one drink I felt a little tipsy LOL! I guess the combination of not drinking anything alcoholic for such a long time and only eating small portions throughout the day, really made a big difference in my tolerance.

[Spartan 4]

First, I think it's wonderful that you have the support of your in-laws….in these types of situations, in-laws can often be particularly critical. It's nice to have support from that area.

The subject of alcohol consumption does come up frequently here, and it usually provokes some pretty strong opinions on all sides.

I'll state the same things I have stated on this subject before.

If you are really serious about losing weight, you need to consider giving up the booze, at least while you are in the process of losing the majority of your weight. Alcohol is NOT conducive to good health OR weight loss, regardless of what some small studies say about the occasional glass of wine.

Don't get me wrong; in the past, I always enjoyed a good blast of hootch, but NOTHING could make me feel as good as I do as a thin person.

Sure, you could have a drink occasionally; you could also have a Snickers on occasion. Or a Hot Fudge Sundae. But WHY would you want to, after everything you have been through with your weight?

It's the little decisions that we make on a moment to moment basis that impacts our health so dramatically. A shot of booze here, some cheez whiz there,....it all adds up. And you don't NEED a drink to be happy or have fun....if you DO,....well,,,,there are perhaps some other issues that you might want to address.

There are certain things you need to eat to live.... alcohol is one of those things you do NOT need. And it can hurt you in a number of ways.

I saw a post recently where one member here had difficulty losing her last 10 or 15 pounds. When she cut out the glass of wine she had every once in a while, the weight came off. It is NOT always a matter of Calories in/calories burned…..different types of food have different effects on your METABOLISM. Alcohol is one of them.

Also, consider the very real idea that after you have had one or two drinks, your will-power does tend to diminish, if not vanish entirely. This could lead to more drinks, and then the snacking that can often accompany a buzz.

Sure, you can drink. Sure, you can have that piece of pizza, that slice of cake.

But will that move you ANY closer to your goal? Nope. Will it keep you away from your goal? A little, tiny bit, yes. And will it continue to expose you to the foods that made you fat to begin with? Sure will.

A couple of you have said your Drs have said that it is OK to have a drink. Some people on this site have said their doctors advised against consuming alcohol. You will find Drs that say both.

But….I would challenge you to ask ANY Dr if it would be better that you did NOT have a drink/Pizza/whatever. I can guarantee you that probably %100 would say that it would be BETTER if you didn't.

You always have a choice. And you should always strive to make the HEALTHY choice.

S.