Hey guys,

Are you able to drink when you have the band. I know that beer looks like it is out. If you do drink, what are you drinking? How much compaired to pre-banding. Some people say that they can drink, but not as much. Not that I am looking to drink a handle of JD, but would like to have some drinks at a party or on a Friday/Saturday night.

I know that drinking is not good for weight loss....but you know....game time...BBQ's.....I like to tilt a few.

Your thoughts........

Hi I can honestly say I have had one O'douls since being banded. I do know some people that have a drink now and then. Not many that I have talk to that have the band Drink every week . It will be like any thing else More calories than you need. Don't get me wrong I have been known to knock down quite a few. It's liquid so I don,t see any problems going down. I look at it like anything else moderation. Just for the calories. . I still eat ice cream ate a birthdat party .not just has much I feel a drink would be the same . Thats why we where banded. Not to deny our selves but to help with control. I hope this made since .Paul

I work in a brewery so my job is to drink (well not really Taste is a better discription). So yes you can drink with the band. The issue with drinking is moderation. Since it is a liquid calorie you don't feel full like you would if you were eating a solid protien. The liquid passes straight through to your lower stomach. Subsequently you can drink whatever you want. Albiet some folks have issues with carbonation. That being said - my dr said the target caloric intake for me should be 1200 calories or less a day. if you can have a beer or a glass of wine in that and hit all your protien requirements, no problem. For me it is next to impossible to hit under 1200 calories a day on my present restriction and not feel hungry. At about 1350 i am not feeling any hunger pains. Still a far cry from the 6000 i was used to eating.

so after all that - moderation is the key - have one not 6 in a day and you will be fine. But always keep in the back of your mind that liquid calories (unless a low cal protien shake) are your enemy. (this also includes ice cream, shakes etc). i have included a link to a website with a ton of calories for beers. check it out. the brewery i work for produces 4 beer (3 of them contract brewed) but on average our amber is about 140 calories for a 12oz bottle.

Beer Alcohol and Calories

Screwdriver here, with lite orange juice.

Beware, although liquor goes down, keep in mind, the wasted calories.

yea i learned my lesson the hard way.. me 21 keep in mind went to the bar had a few cran and vodkas.. well after that i tried a beer and wow it went down..so i went to a party a drank alot more beer..talk about a hangover from hell the next day.. i dry heaved all day because i didnt have anything in my stomach..oh god..

but i know now to just drink liquor ok that sounds bad.. make a mixed drink it dont even have to be a girly one.. take a shot...

but keep in mind the wasted calories..

I don't have any restriction yet but am able to to pretty much drink whatever I want. I don't know what will happen when I have my first fill, right now a beer goes down fine. Wine is great. I'm sticking with low cal juices with spirits. If I fail on journey the reason is obvious. Straight to Hell! lol

Jack, I drink Water too, but I still enjoy a cocktail in moderation from time to time.

Are you still unfilled, and if so why? Hope you don't mind me asking..

I find no restriction whatsoever when it comes to any liquids including beer. My MO is to only drink ZERO calorie drinks but I do enjoy a drink or 3. A large glass of DIET Cranberry with a shot of vodka keeps me entertained at a cost of only 125 cal per drink. If you can plug in a bottle of water between drinks you can hang all night without getting loaded and sacraficing little calories.

Just to be on the safe side, you are going to be effected by much less alcohol...I used to be able to drink a handle and be coherent...now I drink the same amount as some lightweight girls I know.

I have drank fifteen beers and had no problem. Except the weight problem i have always had.

Wow Jack,

I guess you have more than enough motivation to stay away from the booz.

Personally,

Pre-banding, a 12 pack of beer would last me about a month. I did not even consider myself a drinker. I just liked to have one after a hard day at work. I have not had any alcohol in the 2 weeks since banding. If I ever do have the hard stuff it is usually at large family gatherings. Then I might have a few scotches or maybe a white russian.

I suppose the three or four times a year I usually partake in a few hard ones wont hurt me in the long run.?

I myself have not had a drink in 3 years and a beer in over 7. I see nothing wrong with drinking but I just choose not to. I quit smoking and knew to do that I should not drink because I would want to smoke. So now I just don't do either and its been so long I could care less anymore.

I just think if someone is trying to lose weight and get healthy they should limit there intake. Not saying someone should quit but don't over do it by drinking all the time because its not going to help your progress.

I second what f14aman324 said...be careful if you do drink. I am not a drinker anyway but with dinner every now and then when we go out I will have a cocktail...talk about knock me on my $^(@#(@. Holy cow. Pre-band, I could drink several mixed drinks and be ok. I drank one...thats right one and was buzzing horribly. You forget that you don't eat as much and alcohol really does affect you differently, at least in my experience....talk about a cheap date! Hehehe

Here is why alcohol is really bad when your trying to loose weight. The body uses alcohol as fuel first, and only after all the alcohol is used up does it obtain energy from your fat stores. So basically drinking is stalling your fat-burning process. I got this info directly from "the complete idiot's guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss". Seems right to me.

Beers are out for me, as the carbonation gives me problems. When I drink, it's usually screwdrivers or some sort of diet pseudo juice and rum.

Beware the lowered tolerance. Losing (almost) a third of me REALLY affected the blood alcohol levels.

Finally, I have been looking for answers about drinking alcohol, and have found it! I am getting banded on the 19th and there are just a few things that i am worried about. One is not being able to drink. I'm a college student at LSU, and my friends and I like to go out to the bars and have a few drinks. And I know that in order to lose wight, you have to give up a few of the things that you enjoy, but a lot of the social scene around LSU involves alcohol and i enjoy having a drink or two. I was just wondering, how long after surgery are you advised to wait before you start drinking again?