Liquor And The Lap Band

[bandedbob 1]

I have a group of friends who are 'party animals'. As an example we have a summer home, and individual guests will regularly bring a 40-pack of beer for a Saturday visit, or a 'handle' (a 750 ml) large bottle of (pick your hard stuff) and mixers.

I am a Lap Band patient and admittedly party too, however knowing that my weight is health-affecting, need to slim down.

I am trying to find an 'acceptable' alternative to significant beer and random liquor consumption. I have given up beer for the last 14 months and I came across conflicting anecdotes regarding vodka, which seems to be the low-calorie / lo carb drink of choice for Lap Banders -

1. Vodka is the lowest calorie liquor and the best choice especially when combined with crystal lite
   
2. Vodka has 7 calories per gram which is equivalent to lard or Crisco (pure fat)
   
3. Vodka is made from various source materials (potatoes [carbs], grain ,other)
   

In consulting my bariatric surgeon on which path to choose (band or bypass) he indicated if a patient took in the most calories from liquid sources (fraps, Soups, sauces, liquor (?)) he would recommend gastric bypass.

I find myself drinking regularly to counteract work related stress, I am very highly compensated for my work (6+ figures / and have hit 7 figures) and need some stress relief - not interested in 'seek help' from other sources and reply’s (fyi)...

I see gastric bypass patients losing 100+ pounds and am getting frustrated with limited weight loss which I m sure is affected by alcohol consumption.

What are band patients doing (consuming / using) for alcohol consumption while trying to progress with weight loss????

Save the liquor soap box for your congregation – just answer the question pls…

Thanks/ Banded Bob

[motivatedlap 8]

I'm a social drinker myself and I usually try to do wine because it's not bubbly, so I can have a couple of glasses. I love champagne and was able to consume a respectable amount on NYE, but I find I just can't get through much beer in one sitting. I haven't really done any liquor since banding because where I live it's just not a common drink that people go out for- there's a local alternative that I find intolerable to get down.

As far as the calories and the weight loss with drinking, I try not to eat too much on the days I know I will drink a few- which in turn helps me drink less and get a buzz quicker. I don't drink often though, so that might not be an option for you...could you possibly add some sort of extra workout to try to burn the calories?

[Kim Lap Band Talk 10]

I've stuck to diet coke and rum or flavored vodka and sprite. It's not calorie free but it's what I like. Once you start to lose a lot of weight your tolerance will go down, like by half. I didn't give up social drinking and I'm at goal so it can be done

[lellow 1,713]

My tolerance has definitely dropped. I used to be able to drink 3 times as much to get as affected but now I'm a cheap date - 5 drinks and I'm done like dinner. I drank right through losing but I compensated - if I had a few drinks, I upped my workout to work it off over the next few days. Everything has a cost - alcohol is no different.

In saying that, I lost consistently and got to goal in 7 months, despite my social drinking, and I still drink now, just a lot less than before, simply because it takes a lot less these days to affect me. And my drink of choice has always been vodka and pineapple juice - easy on the band and no hangover the next day. I generally don't tolerate beer too well because of the carbonation.

[elcee 3,343]

These days I have 2 glasses of wine and that's it. Anything more and I am well on my way to becoming drunk.

[brownie012 1]

Go to d. Ozs show there should be a link from a christmas episode where the drink master had super low cal alcoholic drinks

[I-wanna-be-a-loser 10]

I am one month banded and have turned to wine or vodka and crystal light. ( really haven't been able to drink beer since I had my kid, tastes change after pregnancy??) I have a drink or 2 about 4 nights a week and I "save" 150 - 200 calories on those days so I can have my drink.... I too had a $$$$ job and enjoyed the destressing time in the evenings and am having a hard time kicking it - even though I am now a stay at home mom now. I still need that destress time!! hahaha. By saving the calories you will def feel buzzed faster and will not need to drink as much..

You will definatly need to step up the work outs to burn the booze off later..

[lorena st 33]

I'm not much of a drinker, but my surgeon sent me a book (written by Australian doctors) and they actually recommend a glass a wine per day! I have a glass of a really good red wine with a small amount of cheese 3 to 4 times per week. What a treat!

As to party drinking, you may have to curb it (at least the amounts you described) while you are trying to lose weight. I'm sure your friends will understand and hopefully be supportive. When you get to your goal weight, then the maintainance diet will likely allow for more alcohol consumption.

[728newlife 2]

I am 5 months banded and didn't drink for the first 3 months. What I have realized is that I can have a couple drinks (cranberry and vodka with twice as much cranberry) and I feel buzzed until I use the restroom. As soon as I pee, I sober up!! haha...with that said, I can get drunk about three times a night. Pace yourself...On NYE I drank one beverage and did a shot of 100 proof (didn't know it was) at about 1030 and by 1115 I didn't know where I was. It took hours for it to get out of my system. Just take it slow and DO NOT DRIVE!!

[bmmb2009 6]

I still drink and enjoy a nice cold beer or 2 or 3. I didn't drink for the first 2 months..out of fear but have zero problems with it. I know it's high in calories but I don't like vodka or most other liquors. I can no longer drink near as much as before the band so I save some calories there...right? My Dr. asked about drinking and I told him I was still having beer, he told me I need to switch to wine...

[Catherine55 43]

Bob -- The one thing I miss about being at goal is that martinis are a no-go these days! I can't handle that much alcohol without my weight's help.

I primarily drink wine these days -- first, because I really enjoy it, and second, because of the lower alcohol content. I might start with one (seriously though, only one) mixed drink at a nice dinner or a party, but generally, I find that I have a better time and can stay out longer if I stick to wine.

One thing I've noticed too is that wines with high acidity don't work that well with the band (they bother me more now.. maybe because the wine is spends a little time in the pouch, instead of going straight down). So, I find that big reds are great and, while I still enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Torrontes and Albarinos, a French white Burgundy (read: Chardonnay) is always a safe bet.

I hope that helps! I'm 3+ years out and drinking isn't an issue. Just be sure not to drink so much that you are hungover to the point of being sick, or to drink so much that you sabotage your weight loss.

Cheers -- and best wishes for your success!

Catherine

[msdv 5]

I think alcohol and not exercising as I should have contributed greatly to my slow losses. I have found that alcohol stalls my weight loss. If I drink on the weekend I can count on not having a loss that week no matter how well I have eaten.

Since I recently stopped the drinks on the weekend my loss has picked up a bit.

So try to monitor yourself and see how your body responds to the alcohol.

I have found that in all the many different threads about this topic different people do different things and some can drink regularly and have no problem whereas others like myself just can't mix alcohol and dieting, sadly.

I can go for a cool vodka and Crystal lite right now. I had to put it aside for now though I want to reach my goal at last.

[Mpurnell617 0]

Well I am one yr out and I lived in nyc and was out social drinking 4 nite a week 2-3 drinks(cocktails not beer) and I still lost consistently, granted I was not eating much and I am not an advocate of the life. However, I have moved to atl, where I have to drive so I cut way back on drinking to once a week and weight loss picked waaay up.

[sld21 26]

Although you will ultimately lose more weight when you cut the alcohol out of your diet, if you must, and I like to have one socially or every now and then, I stick with gin or vodka mixed with sugar free cranberry and a splash of OJ, or Crystal Light. Low to zero carbs, and 1 or 2 won't kill your efforts. But this sparingly. I do not do anything carbonated, beer, champagne, soda, etc...it just puts too much pressure on me and it is openly frowned upon in banding.

My big concern that I see across responses is that people feel the need or even desire to deal with stress(work, family, school, etc) and correlate it with drinking. To be drinking 2-3 drinks 4 or 5 times a week....no matter how you put it, is A LOT. Stress should never be the reason you drink. I bet you use to eat when you were stressed, and you see where that got you. You have just substituted one thing for the other and I'd rather be fat than a drunk. I am neither...goodbye 120lbs, hello size 6.

Stress is ultimately alleviated with relaxation techniques(hobbies, me time, sleep, rest, etc) or exerting it out physically through exercise. So why not kill two birds with one stone and when you are stressed from your so many figure positions, take your unhappy behind to your fancy gym or equipment, work the stress out and lose weight as a result. Drink if you like socially but definitely do believe that you need it to relax...scientifically it just doesn't work like that.

I don't earn six figures or more as I am a public school teacher(so I should). I also am a special education teacher, so I teach students who are the lowest in the school and are emotionally and behaviorally difficult. I sometimes complete 15 hr days, plan until midnight, up back at 4 to be back at 7 doing it all over again. I am also working on my second masters/last rank. So I know stress.....

[laddie1229 18]

SLD21, you put my feelings into words. Thank You.