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After undergoing weight loss surgery, you may wonder whether it’s okay to have wine with dinner or enjoy a social drink on occasion. You may be surprised that we actually discourage any consumption of alcohol drinks for the first year. Why? Actually, our reasoning is quite simple.

The first reason has to do with how alcohol can affect you. After having a gastric bypass weight loss surgery, we’ve found that patients can be affected quickly even from just a small amount of alcohol. Since you are eating much less and your body is already undergoing tremendous changes, we strongly encourage you to refrain completely from drinking alcohol for the first year. Just because you could have a few drinks before your surgery and felt just fine, that very well not be the case now. And since you are already needing to monitor what type of food you are eating and how much and how often, the last thing you need following weight loss surgery is trying to monitor how your body may react to alcohol as well.

The second reason is that alcoholic drinks tend to be high in calories and can slow down your weight loss goals. While some alcoholic beverages are much lower in calories than others, a Texas favorite drink like a margarita can typically set dieters back a whopping 500 to 800 calories! And with a restricted diet, not only are the calories a huge hit but the alcohol’s effect on your system can be a double-whammy.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun at your next social gathering or party. There are plenty of low-calorie or no-calorie drinks readily available so you don’t feel like you’re missing anything. In addition, keep in mind that as the pounds come off, you’ll be getting positive attention, compliments, and encouragement - which by far more than make up for any drink you may have typically enjoyed in the past.

Once a year has passed and you would like to resume drinking alcohol on occasion, we ask that you consult with us first.