Alcoholic beverages

[Myonlybattle 65]

One thing I can say for sure after reading these boards for over a year, is that everyone is different. So my advice is to choose the alcoholic beverage that appeals to you and drink it slowly -- the first time I had a drink was about 6 weeks after surgery. I ordered a skinny cosmo - a drink I had many times before surgery and considered it to be a fruity light thing - and it burned like I was drinking grain alcohol! I had to give it to my friend to drink, I could barely get down 2 sips. I found that I was able to handle wine soon after that, but if that doesn't appeal to you then you will find something that works for you. I am able to drink every kind of alcohol at this point and have been able to since 6 months out. I don't like beer and I stay away from carbonation because I don't love it, but I enjoy all kinds of cocktails, sangria and wine. You are on your own journey and it can be fun figuring out what works for you and what doesn't. It is a new world, enjoy it!

[Trinn 139]

I really didn't mean to create a controversial thread here. I'm a lobbyist and in my line of work I attend functions where the social norm is to have a drink and Celebrate. Maybe I should rephrase the question as this:

Please list your adult beverage of choice post-op.

This will allow me to look at suggestions rather than opinions. Thank you to all who have responded and on another note I was sleeved on July 20th at 292 lbs and I'm now 256 lbs as of yesterday morning. This was the best decision I've made. Hope everyone is enjoying success.

I am still wading into this thread, but one of the things I've seen is this repeated insistence that "I have to drink, it's part of my job." Hey, you know, there are a lot of recovering alcoholics or other folks in the world with jobs that have a social component like this. As a result, there are plenty of great alternatives to have other than liquor which will allow you to "look" like you're participating, if that's the issue. For example, a bit of cranberry juice with Water on the rocks or shaken and into a martini glass with a twist of lime. Looks like a cocktail, has much less bad going for it than a drink. Basically, if you need *appearance*, then your fabulous bartender can create that for you with ease. You walk up to a bartender you know and say, "I need a great looking virgin cocktail with no carbonation and easy on the sugars." Done!

So, when someone says, "Oh, but I need to have the actual alcohol," then I agree that's something else. I'm not going to go so far as to say "OMG red flag," but as someone who grew up doing peer alcohol education, I don't think it's terrible to say to someone, "Have you considered some non-alcohol options that might be healthier and let you have more than one "drink" a night?"

[auntjanny 289]

Beer remains my drink of choice. I gave up a terrible diet coke and carbonated Water habit, but have changed up my beer habits, opting for lower carbonated options. I have found porters and stouts to be replacements for coors light. I do drink lots less but am afraid of wine and alcohol...

[lclemur 161]

My surgeon said he wouldn't recommend any alcohol because of co-addictions. IF I did decide to drink, he said to drink at home. You don't know how it will affect you, but, more often than not, you become an extreme "cheap date."

[Kiba 47]

Almost 6 months out, still can't tolerate even a sip.It immediately comes right back out. Honestly not too distraught, I don't have to drink my calories this way. I do miss the occasional glass of wine though, we'll see what happens!

[formerfatguy 16]

I don't have any issues with beer, I'd just recommend you drink it slowly. I also really like hard ciders, many of them aren't as heavily carbonated as beer. Be ready to be a cheap date. One drink makes me very mellow these days, and I'm still 240. Doesn't make logical sense, but there it is.