Lesson learned about alcohol consumption

[shriner37 249]

February is always the most challenging month for me personally. My company conducts a week long national sales meeting, usually at an offsite location. Other work projects involved travel and I also try to take vacation with friends and family to escape the cold Midwest winters. This year I was on the road for 20 of 28 nights during a four week period in February/March.

I was a regular drinker before surgery, but after surgery have cut back to just a rare drink on special occasions. During these trips, though, of those 20 nights I ended up consuming alcohol to some degree during 14 of them. This is the first time since surgery I've consumed more than just an occasional drink. This, in addition to not being able to totally control my food selections, would have been a disaster for me pre-surgery. In years past I would have ended the month 4 or 5 pounds (at least) heavier than I started.

The good news is that I didn't gain anything. I ended up exactly where I started the month.

The bad news is that I lost a month of weight loss opportunity during the first year "honeymoon" period after surgery.

This tells me that the sleeve works. Despite not following my program well I was able to maintain my weight during this challenging period.

In evaluating the month I came to the conclusion that the main culprit was the alcohol. Some days I had a drink or two, others I had probably way more than i should have. Remove the alcohol consumption and I would likely have continued to lose weight, perhaps at a slightly slower rate.

So, for me the lesson learned is this: I have no problem handling an occasional drink on special occasions and still losing weight. Regular consumption of alcohol, however, will absolutely derail weight loss.

[Babbs 14,680]

Drinking calories are a WLS patients absolute worse enemy. They are easy to consume and have absolutely no nutritional value while serving up tons of calories. Just ask my husband who had a bypass 10 years ago and packed on 30 pounds in a matter of a few months from drinking Starbucks coffees and beer.

That's why I never understand why people are so damn worried about how soon they can drink after surgery and then get bitchy with people if you tell them that drinking other than very occasionally after surgery may not be such a grand idea for the reasons stated above.

But whatever. Not my monkeys, not my circus.

[Sexy Granny 23]

Hi,

I am glad you posted this topic. I am 15 months out and all I dare to drink is a glass of wine weekly. In your opinion, is wine or liquor best in our post op period after the year of having surgery?

[Babbs 14,680]

Hi,

I am glad you posted this topic. I am 15 months out and all I dare to drink is a glass of wine weekly. In your opinion, is wine or liquor best in our post op period after the year of having surgery?

You mean in the maintenence phase? I feel in moderation and factored into your daily caloric consumption there is no issue having a drink once a week or even once a day if it's not causing you any adverse effects like weight gain or dependence.

The losing phase is a bit more challenging because like stated above, drinking can hinder weight loss and rob you of the precious honeymoon period window of time where hunger is low and weight loss is easier. The honeymoon period is also a time where you should be setting up healthier habits in preparation for the maintenence phase, and in my opinion, drinking other than ocassionally doesn't really fit into that equation.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I agree with Babbs.

I'll add this thought. What and how much you should eat and drink will depend on how large your maintenance calorie budget winds up being. And that's a function of your metabolism, which depends on how and how much you exercise, your muscle mass, height, age, how much you fidget, your ancestry, your gut flora, your macronutrients, other things, and the luck of the metabolic draw.

What one person can tolerate, another may not. We each must mindfully observe the choices we are making and how that affects our weight.

[shriner37 249]

Thanks for the comments. As I said, this was a very good learning experience. I knew that caloric beverages are the arch enemy of weight loss. I don't think I can pinpoint the flawed logic that enabled this behavior. It may have been "I'm on vacation" or "it's only once a year" type of logic, or it may have been that I've had drinks before on occasion (very limited and very occasionally) without much weight loss impact.

Whatever it was, this was a very good eye-opening reinforcement that for me alcohol or any caloric beverage is not compatible with weight loss.

Edited March 13, 2016 by shriner37