I miss....

Wine.

I have found that to be the hardest thing to give up. I was not a wine connoisseur by any means and my tastes in wine tend to be the local cheap wine that we get for $7 a bottle. But as I see posts about people missing chips or cake or ice cream, I think I am okay living without those. I miss my wine.

So I take my raspberry ice flavored crystal light and put it in my wine glass to trick myself into thinking that I am still partaking. But it is not the same. I understand it is for the better. But I'm not happy about it.

This brought a question to mind for me. What about stuff like grape juice? Can we drink that?

Grape juice is full of carbs.  You can drink it will not hurt your stomach but they don't recommend drinking your calories/carbs as a rule as it will slow down the weight loss.

I would have thought that about the sweetened version; but not about the unsweetened. Interesting.

I don't know check the carb content on the unsweetened version.  If it's low you probably can have it. 

8 oz. 100% white grape juice (welch's) = 36 grams carbs

Welch's LITE Grape juice, 8 oz = 12 grams carbs

If you haven't already, spend some time looking up your usual foods on Myfitnesspal.com  -- it will make you think about "investing" your calories, carbs, etc...

I've been doing that some. Scary.

Maybe one day someone will invent a wine flavored protein shake.   You never know. 

But in a year or so you'll be able to have a small glass on an occasion.  I think the Vets says it's okay if it's just on occasion and you don't have more than a small glass or 1/2 a glass at a time. 

I think the best (and still sort of the worst) thing to happen to me was having to go on TB medication the month before having my VSG.  I don't have active TB, but I do have the virus/germ/whatever in me and so SEVERAL doctors recommended that I take the full 9 months of medication to get rid of it.  Since the medication is very toxic, you cannot drink ANYTHING alcoholic.  I'm 27 and LOVE wine, so this was a big blow to me. I know it sounds ridiculous but I was like HOW WILL I LIVE???  But, realistically, it was the best thing/time for this to happen to me because I really believe it has helped me lose weight.  I know myself, at this point I would be drinking wine freely (I'm only four months post op) and probably screwing up my whole weight loss journey.  I still miss wine ALOT and I look forward to when I can have a glass again but I know it was for the better. 

This may help put the lack or loss of wine in perspective for you. I have a friend who had VSG about 4 years ago. She lost over 100 pounds. She still eats in a mostly VSG friendly manner - not perfectly, but okay. She has great restriction, too. However, she started drinking a glass of wine each night with her dinner - actually before her dinner - about a year and a half ago. Now she usually has two glasses of wine when we go out. She has gained about 30 pounds from this habit. She is struggling to lose the regain, but refuses to give up her wine.