pliberati

I was given mushies from day one after surgery in the hospital and the surgeon said it was okay. The funny thing is that when they sent me home they gave me a booklet with nutrition guidelines that said only liquids for 3/4 weeks. So out of fear I started doing liquids only (I am one week post op). Tomorrow I am seeing the surgeon and I will ask him about this. I am bit confused. By the way when I ate mushies I felt ok.

can anybody please explain what's the rationale against drinking coffee? does it damage the band (like carbonated drinks are supposed to do) or is just this stupid notion the caffeine increases appetite? from personal experience I can tell you that caffeine actually decreases appetite (there are a ton caffeine products still sold out there as hunger control supplements - eca stack anybody?). so why this prohibition?

Hello, this is my first thread. I am Italian and got banded yesterday (12/4/2009) in Rome, Italy. Before deciding to do the surgery I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to eat like a normal person ever again but my surgeon told me that this is not true. Eventually, he told me, I will be able to eat normally but certainly not like my old self (that was abnormal, to say the least). One thing bothers me though: the fact that drinks (I am talking about water) are not allowed while eating. Now, normal people drink while eating, right? So why can't I? Is it because drinking eases the passage of food trough the sleeve thereby making the band ineffective (or less effective) or because it makes you feel sick (vomiting, reflux etc.)? I'd be happy to hear about your experience on this point. Thank you.

do you think beer and sparkling wine (champagne) should be avoided for the same reasons of carbonated drinks? I think you should be able to drink reasonable amounts of both every once in while without compromising your goal. I think the secret has always been to eat and drink a little bit of everything in moderation. Which by the way is a lot more fun!

Thanks to all of you for your kind advice and the warm encouragement. I am afraid this water/eating thing is going to be a major issue for me, but I am confident that I will get over it eventually. Anyway I also strongly believe in the possibility of customizing the diet, making it your own creation, discovering your own rules and make them work for your unique self. This means that I'll try to bend the rules as far as possible, especially if this means becoming freer and living a more normal life, which is my primary goal.