Okay! Here Goes! Let Me Have The Truth Vets!

My surgeon said it is okay to have wine two to three times a week. What do you vets think? Also, what do you think of popcorn that is air popped and lightly salted. It's 39 calories and 4 carbs a cup.

I can only speak for myself.....I have alcohol when I want it.  I waited about a year after my surgery before I tried it.  However, I am not addicted to anything.  Some folks will warn of transfer addiction (if you are addicted to food) so be mindful of that.  Also, alcohol is empty calories, so when I do have it, I know I've got to go for a run or a boot camp class to burn it off. Alcohol hits most of us fast and hard, and the buzz doesn't last long, so try it at home first.  Wine hits me the hardest-beer and hard liquor affect me the same as pre-surgery. I'm a dirty martini girl.  I have 1 or 2 or Friday evenings....but I also run 8-10 miles on Saturday, so that burns it off.

Popcorn-my DH is a huge fan, I can take it or leave it.  When I do eat a few bites, it is the old fashioned, popped on the stove in oil and then covered in melted real butter. I go big or go home!!  Just count the calories in your overall food plan.

If your surgeon says it is OK, no-one on here is qualified to disagree! I don't have a sleeve but my take on food and alcohol is that we all decide what works for us and go with it.

if you lose weight at a rate which satisfies you and you are getting a balanced diet then you are doing it right. 

I drink alcohol and eat all food types, not really popcorn simply because I am not a particular fan. But if I liked it, I would eat it!  Just not much and not every day!

Apart from rules designed to stop physical harm  (not being sleeved not sure what they would be for you but say, for example, the sleeve rule was never drink with a meal because it will do you harm), there is no right or wrong way. If you don't drink wine and eat popcorn, you may lose faster but I prefer to stick with a lifestyle I can manage.

You have no metabolic changes, so alcohol should affect you the same today as it did before.  Just keep in mind that if you're losing weight rapidly right now, that it's already a strain on your liver, and alcohol adds to that strain.  As for the popcorn, just add it as you would anything for your total of calories and carbs.

My understanding is that both the RNY and the sleeve, also the DS because of its sleeve component, are effected by alcohol after surgery.

A quote from http://obesitycoverage.com/before-after/2013-02-25-01-44-50/ alcohol-need-to-know : 

"Which Procedures Affect Alcohol?

We all know that if you drink alcohol on an empty stomach then you tend to become inebriated more quickly than you would if you had a full stomach. It takes longer for the alcohol to pass through your stomach and get into the intestines where it is processed. So it would make sense that you might feel drunker quicker if you had a smaller stomach with less food in it – as would be the case after gastric bypass surgery or gastric sleeve surgery (not Lap Band surgery).

While you should always be cautious while drinking, it appears alcohol is particularly stronger in effect and time to peak in post-gastric bypass and post-gastric sleeve patients.

How It Works

Alcohol is partly metabolized in your stomach (Alcohol Metabolism And Absorption, 2011). However, the alcohol that is processed in our stomach is typically not enough to cause inebriation. That happens in our small intestines.

Our stomachs are normally processing some food (a snack, a prior meal, etc.). The opening to our small intestines remains nearly closed for much of this time to keep the food inside the stomach long enough for the digestive juices to break it down.

As our stomachs process food and slowly push that food into our small intestines where it can be processed, the alcohol quickly fills this void and follows the food into our small intestines. This creates a steady flow of alcohol since food is processed slowly over time. And this would also be the reason we tend to feel ‘drunk’ quicker on an empty stomach. Alcohol literally has to wait its turn in line.

A study in 2002 (Faster Absorption of Ethanol and Higher Peak Concentration in Women After Gastric Bypass Surgery, 2002), showed that gastric bypass patients do, in fact, feel the effects faster and their blood alcohol levels are raised higher compared to people who have not had gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery."

I just had popcorn last night.  And I'll have the odd glass of wine or two with a nice dinner out once in awhile.

Like so many things postop, the choice is yours.  Personally, I don't ban anything from my eating/drinking.  I'd feel like I was on a "diet" if I did and I am trying to avoid that mentality like the plague.  But it's so different for everyone.  You get to make your own journey.

good luck

amy

Two or three times a week?  Well, if you don't mind the calories, I don't think it will hurt you.  I do drin****asionally, usually a glass of wine, but certainly not that often.

I think popcorn is a good snack as long as you don't put a ton of butter on it.  I used to use it when I really wanted to munch on something crunchy but now too much of it makes my blood sugar crash.  I can do a couple handfuls along with a piece of cheese or something.

My take on this topic is you need to find out if they are trigger foods for you.  In other words, will the wine or popcorn make you crave other things?  If they are, then it's like telling an alcoholic they can drink one glass of wine two or three times a week.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise:  alcohol will affect you MUCH differently post-op than pre-op.  Many, many sleevers on here will testify to that.  It will hit you hard and fast so make sure that when you try it the first time that you do it safely at home.  My experience is that it affects me much faster and the affect also wears off faster.  Does my BAC number go down quicker?  I don't know that and I wouldn't bet my driver's license on it.  

I can tell you that I got absolutely stupid and tipsy on a half-glass of champagne at 7 months out and it's not something I'm willing to try again.  But I'm not a drinker.  There are plenty of vets on here who do drink on a regular basis post-op.  You're a newbie though so I'd at least wait until you hit maintenance.  

I agree! I can have half a drink and feel halfway drunk. Although, it then wears off very quickly. I refuse to drive even after one drink now that I have the sleeve. It isn't worth it.