Alcohol and Weightloss

[katcycler 95]

@@Cape Crooner,

I too have been having a couple drinks since was 4 months out of surgery. I continually lost weight as well. I am over one year out of surgery now and lost 160 lbs. and am 20 lbs under goal! My weight loss has pretty much stopped now. I still have a few drinks every week so you keep doing what your doing because it seems to be working for you. What difference does it matter if your burning 3000 or 30 ? You're losing so enjoy it. Just remember, it will slow down at some point!

[Cape Crooner 589]

@@Cape Crooner,

I too have been having a couple drinks since was 4 months out of surgery. I continually lost weight as well. I am over one year out of surgery now and lost 160 lbs. and am 20 lbs under goal! My weight loss has pretty much stopped now. I still have a few drinks every week so you keep doing what your doing because it seems to be working for you. What difference does it matter if your burning 3000 or 30 ? You're losing so enjoy it. Just remember, it will slow down at some point!

Thanks for the insight and support. I'm actually trying to design a maintenance lifestyle that can stand the test of time.

I think most everyone will stop losing once they get to 20 lbs under their goal.

Congratulations and keep up the good work!

[Proud2BMe 1,016]

You are almost at goal at 15 weeks???? Wow! That is amazing!

I've noticed quite a few people are setting unrealistically low goals for themselves with regard to the sleeve. Ideally, one's goal weight needs to put them at a BMI under 25. The basic BMI breakdown is as follows:

Under 18 BMI - Underweight

18-24 BMI - Normal weight

25-30 BMI - Overweight

30-39 BMI - Obesity

40+ BMI - Morbid Obesity

Some people are posting that they've achieved their goal while still at a BMI that either means they are still overweight or even obese. It's their life and they can form whatever goal weight they want but it does sort of send the wrong message to people who assume that by goal weight that the person means they are in the normal weight category.

[Cape Crooner 589]

Fair point. I was a nationally ranked skier and I competed (and won) at 200-210 pounds. I was also 6' tall back then. Due to severe arthritis and cartilage deterioration, I'm now closer to 5'10", but still have an overly muscular lower body.

I discussed this with my surgical team and they suggested 200 lbs as a goal. I subsequently lowered it to 190.

I know 175 is theoretically "normal" for an average 5' 10" person, but I'm not an average 5'10" person.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Cape Crooner

[allenjf 16]

What kind of fitness tracker are you using? To really burn 3000 calories in a day you would literally have to do several hours of hard core cardio and even then 3000 is a lot.

Are you sure your fitness tracker is working?

If it's anything like my fitbit, it's tracking how many calories you burn in a day, which includes what you burn by just existing (I can't remember the term for that). For example, I've burned 3300 calories so far today, and about 350 of that was from exercise.

[Babbs 14,681]

I definitely knew that OP was including the BMR + calories burned from activity and stating total calories burned in a day. I have noticed that this site has many ultra sensitive folks, and ultra critical folks, and that combo is not always good. I posted a lot in the beginning but I stopped because I feel ppl are often overly critical when some folks are just trying to be honest about their experiences and get feedback from those who have experienced it too.

For example, I have drank alcohol multiple times since surgery and I also have continued to lose. I think it's also because when you drink, you tend to eat less, and most likely you're active to some capacity. I'm sure someone will tear me down for this, but I don't follow every single rule and I've still been successful. I'm more than halfway to goal at only 4 months out. Just like any diet or lifestyle change, there will be some days where you splurge a little but the most important part is staying on track and being accountable.

On a side note, I wish that we could just be honest adults without worrying that someone will jump all over us. I think the OP got defensive and maybe went a little far after, but I have seen this so many times on here. We all know what it feels like to be criticized, let's try to look at things from the other person's perspective. With that said, Carry on everyone lol

I think it's so cute when people say "Well I'm still eating or drinking XX and I'm still losing weight!"

Hate to break it to ya, but the first 6 months or so you could be eating Ho Ho's and washing them down with milkshakes and still lose weight. You do realize you're not really steering the ship that early out, right?

Get back to us in about 3 or 4 years when you've kept your weight off and I'll take what you have to say a little more seriously.

[Cape Crooner 589]

So @@Babbs, did you gain weight down the road?

[Babbs 14,681]

So @@Babbs, did you gain weight down the road?

Nope, but I'm pretty much at the end of my honeymoon phase at 18 months out. But I've seen hundreds of posts saying things change drastically the further out you get. The food you used to eat that didn't effect gain before suddenly does. The 2 or 3 pounds you could easily drop before suddenly won't come off, and sometimes they even see the scale inexplicably climbing by not doing anything different.

My point frankly is this: Don't get cocky.

I was a cocky newbie, too. Thinking I had this whole thing figured out and I wouldn't struggle with hunger and have the great restriction forever. Thinking that a few days of cocktails and hamburgers won't cause a gain, because how much can I REALLY eat anyway?? Well, at 18 months out, quite bit, actually!

That's why choices, no matter what stage, are important. The choices you're making now may not effect your weight currently, but they sure as heck may down the road. Don't believe me? Search the veterans forums and count the hundreds of "I'm 4 years out and have gained 40 pounds!"posts.

Just sayin'.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@Babbs,

Damn! You mean I could have been eating ding dongs! Clearly I missed that opportunity because if I even indulge a little bit, my weight either stalls out or I gain.

I love this point because it really is so valid. You can pretty much eat whatever you want in those 6 months and especially if you are exercising as well. Remember you are not really in charge at that point and the more you stick to the plan you will get the best results in a shorter period of time.

I had to stay away from the ho hos and wine because of my inability to exercise the last 6 months. (2 spine surgeries)

I still have not had a drink but my son (a whiskey expert), has picked out a fabulous whiskey for me to try for the first time. A sipping whiskey no less.

Great point @@Babbs!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

logger of food, Water, and exercise. consuming 1000 calories, 70 grams+ of Protein, 64 ounces of Water, and burning 3,000 calories - weekend comes and I have a drink (or two) and the pounds fall off.

@@Cape Crooner

hey bud

when i read you first sentence - i thought to myself, cool

you are tracking, eating ,drinking (water LOL) Protein - exercising

you are doing great

many people don't weigh everyday (I do)

if you don't weigh weigh during the week,

you don't know if you have stalled

(an OFFICIAL stall refers to not loosing weight for at least three weeks)

NOT if you haven't lost in 3 days or so LOL

after NOT weighing yourself all week

you step on the scale

it might show a weight loss

it's time to show that loss!

happened to coincide with after you had drank a "little" alcohol

personally i don't think the loss had anything to do with a few drinks

as far as burning 3,000 calories a day

for fear of death (or worse!!)

i wouldn't touch that statement with a 10 ft pole LOL

truth is, i don't know the right answer

I don't think any OP were cruel about the tracker situation

they gave their opinion

an "opinion" is just that, an opinion

no one can be right or wrong about an opinion

like others, i think this thread has gotten out of hand

The Horse Died!!!!

enough said?

that's great that you have lost 82 lbs

sooooo close to GOAL

keep up the good work

congrats on weight loss

kathy

[debp1953 35]

That sounds about right if you are consider that a person burns .4 to .5 calories per hour per pound just while sleeping. Do the math. This is in general - look it up. Some people have a faster or slower metabolism. Men burn more than women (of course).

[Cape Crooner 589]

Yes, I weigh every day and do have mini stalls (4 days at exactly the same weight to the tenth of a pound).

No, I can't eat Ho Ho's and lose weight. Over the holidays, I ate Christmas Cookies on 4 different days and instantly gained 3 pounds. It came off a few days after I went back to my program, but I'm sure I would have stalled if I kept it up.

I have also studied all the posts of people who failed and gained weight down the road. I found no one who claimed it was caused by having a few glasses of wine a week. I even started a thread that was "hot" for a while specifically asking this question and not one single poster reported gaining back weight due to a few low-sugar alcohol drinks a week (some had problems with margaritas, daiquiris, beer, etc, but they were also eating junk food).

Virtually everyone who had failed cited Ho Ho's! Well, not exactly, rather sugar. Regular soft drinks is #1, sweets in general #2, simple carbs #3, and junk food #4 (which I assume means burgers, fries, and milkshakes).

I am not cocky, I am a scientist. It took me 50 years to put on 75 pounds and 80% of those 50 years I was on one diet or another.

I have no doubt that I will fail if I just eat "normally". I also have no use for second hand tales from others who eat perfectly, don't drink alcohol themselves and feel they know it all (kinda feels like the "Church Lady" from SNL).

I have read all the major wls books and most all the posts on this forum and others. I know all the "official rules" and I also know that there is much disagreement among experts throughout the process in terms of food, alcohol, and coffee. I also know that it varies based on your surgery.

That's why I ask for real world experiences.

I love this forum for the first hand accounts of what worked or didn't work FOR YOU!

This thread is about a question for people who drink alcohol. If you don't drink, good for you, but please don't bother jumping in.

Thanks

Edited January 19, 2016 by Cape Crooner

[WorkinOnMe 597]

I still have not had a drink but my son (a whiskey expert), has picked out a fabulous whiskey for me to try for the first time. A sipping whiskey no less.

@@Djmohr ... Pm me. I'd like to hear more about this whiskey! Current favorite is The Knot, but hard to get where we are.

[SleeveMe247 184]

I definitely knew that OP was including the BMR + calories burned from activity and stating total calories burned in a day. I have noticed that this site has many ultra sensitive folks, and ultra critical folks, and that combo is not always good. I posted a lot in the beginning but I stopped because I feel ppl are often overly critical when some folks are just trying to be honest about their experiences and get feedback from those who have experienced it too.

For example, I have drank alcohol multiple times since surgery and I also have continued to lose. I think it's also because when you drink, you tend to eat less, and most likely you're active to some capacity. I'm sure someone will tear me down for this, but I don't follow every single rule and I've still been successful. I'm more than halfway to goal at only 4 months out. Just like any diet or lifestyle change, there will be some days where you splurge a little but the most important part is staying on track and being accountable.

On a side note, I wish that we could just be honest adults without worrying that someone will jump all over us. I think the OP got defensive and maybe went a little far after, but I have seen this so many times on here. We all know what it feels like to be criticized, let's try to look at things from the other person's perspective. With that said, Carry on everyone lol

I think it's so cute when people say "Well I'm still eating or drinking XX and I'm still losing weight!"

Hate to break it to ya, but the first 6 months or so you could be eating Ho Ho's and washing them down with milkshakes and still lose weight. You do realize you're not really steering the ship that early out, right?

Get back to us in about 3 or 4 years when you've kept your weight off and I'll take what you have to say a little more seriously.

You're the exact person I had in mind when I mentioned the judgemental people. This is why people can't feel comfortable sharing honest feedback. I never said that I know it all and I'm first to admit I've made mistakes but I don't give into it, I pick up and make better choices. 3-4 years from now you won't hear anything from me, thanks for proving my point. I don't believe alcohol helps you lose weight by any means but id be lying if I said I never drank since surgery. I was just sharing my experience I'm not here to tell anyone the right or wrong way to do things because I don't claim to have all the answers. But thanks for you criticism ????????

[Cape Crooner 589]

From Oxford Dictionaries

Definition of Judgmental

Having or displaying an overly critical point of view: "l don’t like to sound judgemental, but it was a big mistake"

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/judgemental

Edited January 20, 2016 by Cape Crooner