I know its empty calories, I know too much is a bad choice but just curious, a bon-fire and a beer is part of being Canadian........no? Haven't seen much talk about socializing, most of my friends love to get together and party. I suppose that the restriction of food is going to make a few drinks feel like more. Love to hear you're experiences and views on this subject.

You can party without booze. Holding a drink in your hand doesn't make the fun. You do. Take your own Nesttea or whatever. My friends don't look at my glass and query what is in it. As for eating look around you most thin people are not eating. Drinks and food are props you make the fun. Doddie

I have been banded for almost 6 month. I do enjoy a drink every now & then. Yes it is empty calories, but I make up for it through my workouts etc.

I have beer & wine with about the same regularity as I did pre-band and I dont think it has slowed me down. Do keep in mind that you will likely feel the effects more due to your reduced food intake & your reduced weight. Take that into consideration.

Andrew

I can drink beer fine.... I could go to a restaurant and drink a glass of beer easier than I could a glass of pop, for some reason. But of course... I always get water! :heh:

Same here, I drink about the same now that I ever did. I was on a big Caesar kick for a while, and rather than bring all the mix and such to parties, I'd buy the pre-made bottles. Nowadays, they're a little too iffy for me... quite often causing me heartburn = no more drinking. I'm not condoning anything, but last weekend, I saw a commercial for the Bailey's "SHIVER" (pretty much ice and Bailey's, blender-ized), and went out and bought some... man oh man... yummy.

One thing, if you tend to drink TOO much, too the point of nausea, or hangovers with nausea, or there's the slight chance of it... I'd go get some Gravol suppositories. The last thing you want is to be puking your guts (and band!?) out the next day. They're a good thing to have around ANYway, just in case you are nauseous for whatever reason.

It's really up to you (and your surgeon)... you might not be able to handle something like beer (Have you tried?) anymore, like I am with pop.

I couldn't/wouldn't go to the parties we have around here without having a drink or few. It really is easy to say 'you dont need alchohol to have fun' when you don't drink, but if you're at a party where everyone IS drunk, it's not fun being the sober one.... I'm sure everyone would agree. That said, I, by no means am going to 'classy' parties. :phanvan

I have a few drinks a week too, I only ever drink wine, but I have had a beer once or twice since banding.

Yes, alcohol is empty calories, but life is about more than staying on a strict diet 24/7 for the rest of your life. If you're not having more than a few and not having them too often, there's not a problem in the world with relaxing the rules every now and again.

Good thread - I really want to lose this weight and am fully prepared to make the necessary food choices. I have always enjoyed a glass or two of red wine and beer - Now that I'm in the Optifast stage, I am not going to drink alcohol, but once I am banded I don't want to totally miss out on the things that I enjoy. I will simply just have to watch very carefully and ensure the calories are deducted from somewhere else, or my activity is increased to compensate.

Cindy, that's a great way of looking at it. I have always enjoyed my cocktails but I'm much more conscious of the calories I'm consuming now. If I want a drink when I'm out with friends, I don't order the 400 calorie sugar-laden margarita. Instead I'll order wine or something less bad for me. I still enjoy the fruity martinis or mojitos (my avatar, my favorite) on girls night out but just not in the same quantity... pre-band I could put down 6 or 7 martinis in a night. Now, I'm totally looped at 3 - and that's for about 4 hours of drinking!!! I love being a lightweight and a cheap date! So go ahead and imbibe, just make sure you're cognizant of the empty calories.

Cheers!

"If everyone is drunk I want to be drunk too". Why when all there are is regret and sickness? Drinking is a social event meant to relax everyone but getting drunk brings out the worst. Besides someone has to drive home.

Right on Doddie! I am with you ... I tried a glass of wine, just didn't taste quite as good as before banding(?) Don't know why but why force it eh??? So I dont' with the wine.

Now Sat. I did try a Ceasar/Vodka... and it was nice although SPICIER than I had recalled... what';s up with my taste buds?? Anyways, it was a non carbonated drink so it was tolerated well... until I got the bar bill!!! Man it was $7.50 before the 3 taxes were added on + the tip... it was definelty NOT worth it...

I'll volunteer to be the DD and bring my own Crystal Lite! LOL

I gave up on all carbonation since being banded! So im not touching beer and soda...even if it turns out it wont harm, why do it, for alcohol i can always drink liqueur and soda...well, nothing there but sugar (if diet...well its still crap) So yeah, beer i miss sometimes, but too bad, i actually drank for the first time the other day, i was never a big drinker anyways, but i know what argon is saying.

I think enjoying a drink once in awhile is fine, if that's what you choose to do. I had a glass of wine yesterday afternoon with my brother who was in visiting from out of town. However, I noticed that the wine affected me more that it did pre-band. I assumed it was because my stomach was likely more empty than it would have been pre-band. I stay fuller between meals now than anytime in my life before. Anyway, since I felt the wine more this time I ended up drinking less. I didn't go for the second or third glass.

Hi Beau

I will be banded on August 15th, so I cant speak to anything post-op. I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, so I need to be careful with alcohol for that reason. I was up at the cottage this weekend (just got home) and I found a special treat at the liquour store. Smirnoff ice has a product called smirnoff ultra 1. It has 5%alcohol and only 100 calories per bottle. The bottle is almost identical to the regular so you really have to look for it at the liquor store. It was very yummy, and it only has 1g of carbs, so the effect on my blood sugar was very minimal.

Thanks everyone for you're response. I am in the research stages of all this and was really beginning to think that my lifestyle would change so dramatically that it wasn't the thing for me. I don't consider myself to have a problem or anything, but coming from a place who's biggest "cultural attraction" is the Bushplane Museum, we do tend to party here. Just want to know the water before I dive in.

I can drink beer fine.... I could go to a restaurant and drink a glass of beer easier than I could a glass of pop, for some reason. But of course... I always get water! :heh:

I have noticed this too, I think that it has to do with the beer being "naturally" carbonated by the yeast vs. the pop being carbonated using gas. You may have noticed that beer has finer bubbles that does pop.

I have the rare pop, maybe 1 per week but I dont like the taste the same as before. I would often drink 6-7 cans of diet pepsi per day and would crave it all the time. Now I could care less.

Andew

I am awful fond of Scotch-rocks/a glass of wine (preferably French) but now that I am suffering from acid reflux it seems that I am going to have to smarten up and avoid all alcohol until this biz is under control. Bummer, eh. Drinkies were my favourite empty calorie zone. I guess I am going to have to switch to icecream. :eyebrows: Green isn't going to have the same bounce or whatever.... :bounce:

Alcohol is fine in moderation but Inamed does not recommend drinking beer because of the carbonation. After spending $16,000 on this band I do not wish to chance any complications. What alot of people don't seem to realize is just because you may be able to drink beer or pop and not feel any discomfort at the time it does not mean it won't cause any problems long term. To me it's just not worth the risk...

Donna

Banded By Dr. Cobourn /06 Revised From VBG/87

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