Alcohol- I was a drinker

I work out of town, staying in a hotel for the week, and my colleagues find it amusing how half a drink will get me buzzed (on the rare occasion that I inbibe at all).  They have no idea why I am such a cheap date, but they don't let it stop the fun...and neither do I.

I'm about 8 weeks out. I was not a drinker before hand, but kind of like when i was pregnant, i crave a drink when we go out only because you told me I couldn't have one lol. I tried wine, it burned my stomach. My boss is big into wines and he said try a white vs. red b/c there's less of something in the red that would cause the burning. I dont know what that term was LOL. Im afraid to do beer b/c of the carbination.  But, then I had cheap red wine, and it was fine. But, Vodka went down fine! I try to stay away from the alcohol's with too much sugar. So if you have vodka, mix it with like pink lemonade crystal light or ask for vodka straight up and throw some of that in there! The raspberry lemonade is also very good with vodka! I also had a white sangria at Benihanna (in cherry hill - from your name i see that you may be in jersey), and it was fine! I just sip slowly instead of gulping. 1 drink lasted me throughout the meal. I made sure I did not drink after the meal either. I felt...human if that makes sense. Since we can't drink out of straws, the drink lasted longer.

What I have noticed is that in the first 1/4 of the drink, i get buzzed very fast, then as I slow down, the buzz diminishes...so just make sure you dont drink too fast. I know i sound like I drink a lot...i have had a drink on 3 occassions post-op, this was my experience those 3 times.

Thank you for telling your stories :)

I was a person who drank and now I'm not. I found the addiction transfer to be all too real and hae been doing intensive outpatient therapy (I'm not an AA type person) to become a non-drinker. After 2 1/2 months I am not a person who drinks.

It would have been better to just say no to that first one 2 months post surgery, but I didn't. I did not end up passing out with only 1 drink as I had been warned might happen, but it is not a good thing to be able to drink 3-4 glasses of wine in the evening. IOP is seeing many people post surgery dealing with transfer additions and it makes me sad to think we need to learn new coping behaviors when the old one does not work anymore. Sad but very true for many. Some gamble, some shop, some drink. All because they can't stuff emotions with food anymore. It is something to be aware of post surgery if food was your drug of choice. Other things can light up that pleasure path in your brain and become powerful addictions just like food did. Brain chemistry is hard to overcome anyway you look at it.

Here's the mantra:

People who matter won't mind --- people who mind don't matter.

I hung out at bars playing pool for a few years as a post op, and would sip on a diet coke or iced tea and enjoy myself just the same.  The main difference it made was that I always was sure that I had a safe ride home and I had the clarity to remember events accurately when someone made a complete ass of themselves, so I was that authority of actual history in our circle of friends.

I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt here, but do want to let you know I find it offensive and on the edge of a slur to say you must drink because you are Irish. My mother in law is first generation off the boat and while my family has been here since the 1700s, I am still very much Irish and take offense to how you have effectively blamed your ethnicity on your penchant for alcohol. 

If you are going to drink, then own it. Don't find blame in your heritage or slur others of that same heritage. Not cool. Not cool at all! :(

Sorry to offend you Mother in-law but my Mother straight off the boat herself (God rest her beautiful soul).  Raised me right not to judge others so I will calk your comment up to you taking me the wrong way because after all how could you know me from reading one post. My family is Irish all my family that come here to visit all of us we like to drink I'm not saying any of us are alcoholics I pray for people that are.  I'm not saying that I have a drinking problem I'm saying is part of my culture being raised by woman from Ireland I guess her part of Ireland that's just what they did because that's how we were. Every gathering is a celebration there's food and drink that's just what we do.  None of them were obese however so I guess that's my problem to deal with. I did and I'm fixing it have a blessed day

I'm off the boat and neither I nor anyone in my family or my extended circle in Ireland would take offense at what you posted. We drink, we like to. Family get togethers and in fact all social occasions revolve around it.  

I've heard Italians like pasta but maybe that's too much of a stereotype. I apologize in advance.

I was a wine drinker pre-op, did not drink till 8 weeks out. Slowly I have started back to drinking more than I should. I notice that my weight loss has stopped. Don't quite know what to do. My husband drinks after work everyday. its something we always did. I have tried to change my schedule and stay gone till around 7. But now that summer is just around the corner, I am worried since we always stay outside in our pool and have ****tails.

I am glad you posted this, it helps to read of others with similar issues.

I read. I sat back. I re-read.

I'm not trying to be a ***** I am not trying to get in your face... I want to offer up something I shared on my blog last year. I am going to quote the entire point I made at the time so you can see why I am surprised everyone has let this post go gently thus far:

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3. I don't eat any "added sugar/carbs" and then they drink a skinny, sugar free frappucinno with whip cream (while snubbing you).

Why would you think that drinking empty calories regularly is better than eating a few bites of something?
Why did no other surgeon lay it on the line and tell them "It is possible to fail a VSG (or any surgery) by drinking a high caloric liquid diet." like mine did?
Don't even get me started on the number of people who push this no added sugar/no carbs thing and then pound back shots of alcohol like they are a fat kid with a package of smarties. WHAT do you think you are consuming... Especially under a year out from surgery when you are taxing an already over taxed liver/kidneys. Yet I get the "look" or the "lecture". Go figure.
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Now my thoughts about you having permission to have a drink:

I do not think a single drink is an issue. I do not think a couple drinks from time to time once your weight loss stabilizes is an issue. I do think you need to remember those are calories which count in a big way, and I want to strongly caution anyone about drinking with regularity while in rapid weight loss. I would strongly encourage you at 6 weeks to wait (even with permission****il you are further out.

I had a sip of wine to toast at 1 month out to toast my step granddaughters christening.
I got permission at 11 months out to have a glass of wine over the holidays (she said hell have two) from my PCP right after we got the results of liver and kidney function tests I requested she run.
I went and had a night out with the girls at 1 year, and 1 day post op and celebrated my ass off.

I have no issue with drinking alcohol but I really want those who are doing it (especially while losing or trying to lose) to understand what they are doing to their body and the process they are working within. As a VSG'er you do process things differently, and your body may not be able to tolerate the after effects so soon post op.

Please wait people. Please?

Don't do something which you may later regret because you either didn't lose as fast as you wanted, or worse your body failed to thrive when it was already doing it's best to cope with a very large change.

Shelley

Great post. My church uses real wine at communion and I swear that little tiny plastic sip cup of wine gives me a buzz LOL 

I haven't really wanted a drink since the surgery but last weekend I sort of thought half a glass of wine sounded good. None in the house and I was too lazy to go fetch it. I may try that half glass of wine down the road but right now I'm good. It IS sort of weird being with people that you are used to drinking with and not having a drink with them. Just like anything else, we have a new normal now, it's all good