My WFL is working!

A success story to share.

I was banded 7 months ago - December 18th, 2014. Since then I have been a great and compliant patient - modifying my food choices, increasing Protein, eliminating white foods (rice, Pasta, breads). And TODAY - this very morning - the day after my 46th birthday, I have lost 50 pounds. HOORAY!

What is a WFL? WINE-FREE LIFE. Sounds silly to give it a goofy acronym, but I'm trying to stay positive here.

Up until 3 days ago I was stuck at 47 pounds lost. Like REALLY STUCK - the scale has not moved in 9 weeks. I was at 212-214 for weeks and weeks and weeks... the culprit? Red wine.

I love fine wines. (My husband is snorting and reminding me that I love cheap plonk too, but that's another story). In another post I detailed how this love came about because of receiving training in the 1990's in wines, varietals and vintages.

ANYWAY.

My enthusiastic (to say the least) consumption of wine has been stalling my progress with my lap-band. The band reminds me what I can and cannot EAT, however it is not fussy when I throw high-calorie bevvies (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz...) down my throat. The band does not restrict fluids, and so I have been joyfully justifying my 3-glass-a-night (roughly 500 calories) indulgence but reminding myself of how little food I've eaten.

Reality check - it doesn't work that way.

It takes 3500 calories to 'create' a pound of weight. If I do the math, I've been consuming roughly 4000-5000 calories a week in WINE alone. (Hello, AA?!) So although my caloric intake through food may be down, and my exercise up (I started walking 18 kms a week), I'm derailing my weight loss because of wine.

SO!

I finally realized this last week. I think I was in denial. Last week as my birthday approached, I decided on a WFB - wine-free birthday. (This is huge for me as I Celebrate anything and everything with wine). I went wine-free a couple of days before my b-day. Today it's the day after and I am down THREE pounds. THREE POUNDS. Remember - the scale hadn't moved in weeks. Coincidence? I think not!

So for those of you who are booze enthusiasts, regardless of your WLS method, those calories add up. I am enthusiastically (with only a small sob) going wine-free, and enjoying a WFL - Wine-Free Life.

Woo!

Edited July 20, 201511 yr by TheProfessor

Congrats !

I also love wine. I attended a family birthday party yesterday and did not even look twice at the array of appetizers and impressive selection of vino. Not to mention the meats that were being grilled. I ate my Boca burger and drank my crystal light.

megmom757 - What's a Boca burger? Do tell!

A fake hamburger lol

15g protein. I put a little reduced fat cheddar on it. It's not to bad. I also like the morning star spicy black bean burgers. Both can be found in the freezer section. It makes for a quick lunch or dinner just pop in the microwave.

I'm in the same boat. I am going to go wine free for a while and see what happens. My habit leads to over eating at night so it's wine plus whatever other junk I eat.

We just might be on to something here, Ladies...

I've had another wine-free day and I feel terrific. Let's keep each other posted...!

HUGE TRIUMPHANT update!

Since giving up my 4000-5000 calorie per week red wine passion last week (yes, just last week!) I am down another 2 pounds bringing me to an all-time record low of 207 pounds. (Start weight: 259 pounds).

A mere 5 days ago, I stopped my over-consumption (and consumption completely) cold. My 500-calorie per night wine-guzzling habit ended on July 17th. I have been alcohol free since then, and, consequently, I am down 6 pounds.

This cannot be a coincidence, especially after the scale had not moved in weeks and weeks.

I feel terrific. I am triumphant. I feel like I've won the lottery.

To think - the ONE hundreds are just 8 little pounds away. I cannot believe how easy this 'sacrifice' has been, and how quickly I have seen results.

Should have given up the grape months ago...!

UPDATE: Another pound gone. I'm 206. (Down from 256). This giving up wine thing is easier than I thought it would be. Feeling this good is BETTER than the little euphoric high I get from that first glass of wine.

And.... I'm sleeping better. I have more energy during the day. Had a wee little adjustment today (.2ccs) and am pretty sure I am firmly and completely in the green zone.

Exercise + no wine + band adjustments = happy me.

I'm in the same boat. I am going to go wine free for a while and see what happens. My habit leads to over eating at night so it's wine plus whatever other junk I eat.

Yes my wine consumption led to me eating after dinner as well, and those calories ADD UP big-time! Since stopping drinking wine (the only type of alcohol I consumed on a regular basis) I've noticed no desire or temptation to snack in the evenings.

ADDED BONUS: I've also lost an annoying and persistent eye twitch that started back in October 2014. 9 months its been driving me crazy. One week after stopping wine? GONE. Coincidence? I do't think so!

Hi All, I am 23 days post op and on purée stage in the 8 weeks since starting my journey I have lost 15 kilos (30 pounds) I have really stuck to my diet but would really love a glass of red! How soon after surgery did people indulge? I don't want to put my self at risk so I would love some information on others experience also with carbonated water before surgery I also enjoyed having a mineral water with fresh lime thank you in advance

Hi All, I am 23 days post op and on purée stage in the 8 weeks since starting my journey I have lost 15 kilos (30 pounds) I have really stuck to my diet but would really love a glass of red! How soon after surgery did people indulge? I don't want to put my self at risk so I would love some information on others experience also with carbonated Water before surgery I also enjoyed having a mineral water with fresh lime thank you in advance

Watch out for anything carbonated - your band may react very unhappily to it, and you could have a painful episode. As for wine, if you read this thread, you'll see I started it as I am now wine-free and seeing the results of my WFL - wine-free life. Being banded doesn't mean you can't induldge, but as someone who had a REALLY PASSIONATE LOVE for wine, I saw that it was de-railing my weight loss.

It's a liquid - your band will have no problem tolerating it at any stage, (Obviously NOT recommended immediately following surgery!) but I would be very cautious about keeping the glass small and sipping slooooowly. If you're going to treat yourself to a glass of red, meter it out slow and enjoy every drop.

Great thread, and a bandwagon I need to be on as well. The Wine & cheese Party does not lead to success, that's for sure. I like it that I can have whatever I want, just in small amounts, blah, blah, blah, but if what I really want is to lose this last twenty pounds I need to give up the vino as well. Sigh.

I am going to go make my several bottles of cranberry Water. I fill up 32 ounce bottles with our delicious well water, add 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry and 1/2 cup of aloe. This is my comfort drink and this is what I will drink this evening.

@@Narda G congratulations on your surgery! I waited quite a while before having alcohol as I was worried about addiction transference. And I talked to my surgeon, who has no prohibitions for alcohol but recommends martinis over wine for the caloric intake. As for carbonation, I can't tolerate carbonation and it is not recommended for Lapband patients. Talk to your doctor and see what she/he has to say on both scores. And good luck to you -- you're doing beautifully.

Hi everybody

24 days WFL and I lost 15 lbs after 7 months stall, yes wine was definitely the cause for not losing anything for that long. I knew that was the case but I wasn't ready to quit drinking wine or quit drinking period. Well I invested way too much money and my time to sabotage my success so I told my self this is it, get on with the program and figure it out what's the right path, drink wine and stay overweight or quit wine and get healthy. I chose to get healthy and only when we are ready to make that commitment things will work out for us. We made a commitment to get banded but we had no clue how difficult will be to adjust our lifestyle completely as bandsters.

I love support we have on here and it can only get better from here

Thank you everyone

PS. Do you guys have Facebook page for Bandsters? Would love to join

I am a wine conisseuer as well. I love it , ,but yes it can hinder weight loss. I treat myself to a bottle which I share with my husband once a month. During that week, I just make sure I do extra workouts to subtract the wine calories! Enjoy

For most people, 'Everything in moderation' is key, and that includes wine consumption...!

Embarrassing as it is to admit, once I opened a bottle of red, there would be NONE left at the end of the night. I knew those 3000-5000 extra calories a week were inhibiting my weight loss progress, so I had to stop cold. No moderation for me... I required a FULL STOP.

Now, at a single pound shy of being in the one hundreds for the first time in 15 years, I know my love affair and temptation with the grape is NOT worth it, not after investing $16K in WLS!

No matter whether you cut wine out entirely or simply cut down, we have to remember that WE are in control of our awareness and consumption, and we are in this together!