Alcohol

[mmartin3 3]

So, just got banded last Friday and I'm trying to stick to pureed foods. It's very hard since it seems like my stomach can tolerate big portions and I'm feeling good, but extremely hungry. Can anyone tell me if it is ok to have a glass of wine already? How about smoking?

[DavidK 19]

Different doctors have different rules, mine banned drinking for the first 6 weeks. As far as smoking goes, it supposedly slows down the healing process, so the longer you can avoid it the better. I personally made it about 3 weeks, I am vaping not smoking though.

[girli565 7]

My doctor said to avoid alcohol for almost 6-9 weeks. 6 weeks was good but 9 would be best.

Edited to add: just looked through my paperwork from the doc and they recommend a year without alcohol. I'm not a big drinker (maybe once a month) but I do have a vacation coming up so I don't know how I'll do.

Edited June 21, 2015 by girli565

[Bandista 7,466]

Be careful about replacing eating with drinking and smoking -- this is called transference. It may be helpful to work with a therapist to discuss food addiction, triggers and the feeling of having given something up and what that means. I benefitted from working with some one to break down my behaviors around food. I used food for various things -- mostly tamping down emotions. Now I experience them and they are not so bad. Don't drink and smoke to make yourself feel better. So many side-effects and you did not have this surgery just to be thinner, did you? Hopefully you did it to be able to get healthy and have a healthy future. You can do it but don't get started with bad choices and substitutions,