Alcohol and the Social Drinker

[Denise73 89]

Hi, I'm new to this site an I am scheduled for VGS on June 30th. I am a social drinker and many times attend social events with coworkers after work. How has everyone adjusted to drinking alcohol after surgery? Is it something I will have to completely give up?

[Kking1205 21]

I was a social drinker also...I liked beer and wine. I stopped drinking beer because of the carbonation. Wine however I have tried. I am not a fan anymore. I can drink about a glass and I have the worse hangover. Not worth it anymore. I just order Water and put my crystal light in it.

[cryss 96]

Just my humble opinion - as someone who was a social drinker for years:

Best advice I have seen with regard to this question: 1) Do what your doctor says, and 2) always consider how we phrase things, as it will help how we learn to re-relate to food and our process of reinvention. Whether foods/snacks/treats, alchohol, or anything else, its best to phrase someting along the lines of "want to" verses "half to". Our taste for things (sugar, alchohol, etc.) often changes. Whether or not that holds true, our choices MUST change, else we wouldn't be here.

Sometimes personal sacrifice of these things is worth everything, and the difference between absolute and mediocre success, or outright failure.

I'm not suggesting someone cant have an occasional drink. I am only suggesting that the success stories I have read and discussed with others, were with people who decided that an overhaul in both food and social choices, and how they related to them, was absolutely necessary.

Alcohol, even socially, still has its price. At 20 grand for this surgery, most choose to give up a few social habbits that were not really important anyway. I mean, why not jump into the pool all the way, rather than just wade up to our necks.

Just my two cents.

Edited May 23, 2014 by cryss

[Denise73 89]

I was a social drinker also...I liked beer and wine. I stopped drinking beer because of the carbonation. Wine however I have tried. I am not a fan anymore. I can drink about a glass and I have the worse hangover. Not worth it anymore. I just order Water and put my crystal light in it.

Hi Kking1205, thanks for your response. I hope that's the case with me.

Congratulations on your weight loss, 61 pounds in 4 months. That's great!!!! I hope I'm half as successful as you. Keep up the good work. I know you'll reach your goal weight.

[cryss 96]

You TOTALLY got this, Denise

[Denise73 89]

Just my humble opinion - as someone who was a social drinker for years:

Best advice I have seen with regard to this question: 1) Do what your doctor says, and 2) always consider how we phrase things, as it will help how we learn to re-relate to food and our process of reinvention. Whether foods/snacks/treats, alchohol, or anything else, its best to phrase someting along the lines of "want to" verses "half to". Our taste for things (sugar, alchohol, etc.) often changes. Whether or not that holds true, our choices MUST change, else we wouldn't be here.

Sometimes personal sacrifice of these things is worth everything, and the difference between absolute and mediocre success, or outright failure.

I'm not suggesting someone cant have an occasional drink. I am only suggesting that the success stories I have read and discussed with others, were with people who decided that an overhaul in both food and social choices, and how they related to them, was absolutely necessary.

Alcohol, even socially, still has its price. At 20 grand for this surgery, most choose to give up a few social habbits that were not really important anyway. I mean, why not jump into the pool all the way, rather than just wade up to our necks.

Just my two cents.

I will definitely keep that in mind try to think of it as you do. Thanks for your response. Congratulations on your surgery and good luck with reaching your goal.

[cryss 96]

Thank you, and you as well!

I'm certainly preaching to myself with this one.

One day at a time

[MKCMom 17]

I work in an office that definitely likes its alcohol. We even have a conference room with a liquor cabinet. But, I decided that I would avoid alcohol until I get to goal. In addition to the calories in the alcohol, after a drink or two, I like to eat junk-- more calories. I don't miss the drinking nearly as much as I thought I would.

When people ask what I am doing to lose weight (I kept my surgery private), I tell them that cutting out alcohol is part of my program. Nobody has batted an eye. My surgeon said no alcohol for 3 months post-op, and I do plan to starting drinking once in a while after I get to goal. I'll figure out my 'rules' for that when I get there.

Edited May 26, 2014 by MKCMom

[NewBeginning2014 45]

when the girls get together, there is alcohol involved. At four weeks post-op, I met with friends and had one glass of wine. I sipped slowly and it took me the whole evening to finish it off. (I also drank a large glass of Water with the wine) Refills kept coming but no one seemed to notice I had the same glass all night. I like the idea of saying you are eliminating alcohol as part of you weight loss program. (I haven't told my friends of my surgery but have told them of my added exercise and food changes as the reason for my weight loss.) Good luck to you!

[Blondiecakes77 18]

My friend is a bartender and I went out to visit her bar. My drink was always rum and coke. So I told her no carbonation and she ended up giving me a shot of honey whiskey with lots of ice so it looked like I had a mini drink. I sipped it and was fine. I felt a slight buzz that didn't last long and I've gone wine tasting and didn't really have any issues. From my friends who have had weight loss surgery, they say it hits you fast but the buzz disappears quickly. That's the downside. But even though you feel sober, you still have the alcohol in your blood so you have to be careful not to continue to drink to chase the buzz because you could black out or get alcohol poisoning.

[Denise73 89]

@@Blondiecakes77 Thanks for your post and congratulations on your 81 lbs. weight loss. Keep up the good work.

[Denise73 89]

@@NewBeginning2014 Thanks for your response. Congratulations on your 33 lbs. weight loss. Keep up the good work.

[Denise73 89]

@@MKCMom

Thanks for your response. Congratulations on your 31 lbs. weight loss. Keep up the good work.

[brendann2014 0]

I wasnt a big drinker bf sleeve but i like to go dancing and drink some now. I think carona is smoother to drink but i can drink couple shots patron and good for the night. Lol

[rastus 35]

Possibly a similar situation may arise for others....

My wife & I had cocktail hour @ home or used to visit a local watering hole for a few pre-diner drinks.

I used to make beer & have the equivalent of about 6 beers a day.

Now I don't even like the taste of beer & never liked wine, so it was easy to stop drinking it & other beverages altogether.

This started a downhill situation that could have easily ended in divorce.

Some may want this outcome & consider it a positive.

I certainly didn't, so had to adjust my habits to adapt to the other half's needs after GS surgery to having @ least one drink each day. This took the steam out of a very sticky situation.

There are social occasions when one is invited to drink, such as dinners with friends @ their place. I always take my own preference including suitable glass for lots of ice & limited quantity of my drink.

Non sweet, low carbonated apple cider poured over ice [reduces carbonation further & markedly] & is a drink that I now like & can easily sit on about 500ml/1 pint over an hour. Other participants don't really notice or care, plus may have 2 or even 3 drinks while I just sip away.

I can drink slowly right up until food is served, then have normal small size well chewed food portions.

Taking about the same time as others with portions 4 or 5 times what I can handle.

But I can't drink for up to an hour after eating.

Then I can be sociable again if required or I feel like continuing drinking, which is generally not the case.

I have also found that I have re-acquired a taste for bourbon [i stopped drinking that 20 years ago] & can handle a couple of those with a non caffeine cola poured from a distance over ice, in a long glass.

Seems one can start this drink sooner after eating.

Maybe it is the higher alcohol content [using less fizzy even flat cola] that relaxes things more quickly?

DON'T DRIVE AFTER DRINKING if you have had gastric sleeve surgery....you will have a higher blood alcohol reading if pulled over & be a danger to yourself & others, plus more likely to have a wreck.

Stating you are driving & have finished drinking makes it very easy to explain to friends why you don't drink after eating, if pressured.

My friends are unaware I have had GS surgery [just think I have good will power] & think my eating/drinking habits have changed, due to gall bladder removal, which I had a couple of months prior to GS surgery.

Actually it was the surgeon who did the gall bladder surgery who suggested I should consider weight loss & GS surgery was a good vehicle to do this. He did not do the GS procedure.

Hope this helps someone else who likes a couple of drinks now & again & is not hooked on or abuses alcohol.