1shauna1

Good suggestions! I was going to say the spa (treat yourself to something nice!) or a nice new bag if you're into them. I like the haircut/colour idea too! Mine's a little more outrageous....when I get under 200 lbs I'm getting a new tattoo!

Me too! Even if it's only a 30 minute nap, I'm still tight again when I wake up. Weird!

I've had beer although it's not my favorite. I still have mixed drinks on occasion and haven't found any issues. I think you can tell after the first one, if it's going to irritate you or not that day (at least I can). Don't know if there's such a thing as less carbonated beer?!

Woo hoo! Congrats!

I used Scar Zone on mine. And over time as well, they've faded to white lines.

Sounds not too bad! That's when we have to listen and stop, for sure. At least it went down and didn't come back up!

I can have caffeine, no problem. I think the main concern there is if you drink too much it can help dehydrate you. I love my morning coffee, and the rest of the day is spent with water/Mio/ etc. I have had soda since. I just find depending on the day, the bubbles can irritate. I don't have it too often, and I don't worry about it!

Yep, youth helps. As you age your skin loses collagen, so it loses it's elasticity. As mentioned, how long you've been overweight matters too, as well as how quickly you lose weight (slower is better in regards to skin). I would suggest moisturizing EVERYTHING every day, and working out to build a bit of muscle, which would help fill in where the fat decreases.

For me, the bubbles in soda sometimes irritate, but I never heard of them eroding the band.

Some people do seem to have being perfect locked down (either that or they are glossing over things a bit, lol). I'm definitely not perfect. If I had even been 75% I'm sure I would have been very close to if not at goal by now. It's much harder once you're doing it, and life intervenes. This has been way more difficult than I ever thought. All we can do now is just keep going and do our best to follow the rules we're supposed to. I hope we can all get there at some point!

I honestly wonder too! I can't eat when I first get up; I have to wait at least a couple of hours. And then, maybe a protein bar really slowly! Maybe it's dehydration from overnight of not drinking....although I do find if I happen to have a nap in the afternoons I'm tight after I get up from that, so maybe it has something to do with lying down. But I'm sorry, I have no answers for you, only that I sympathize!

Um yeah, I would think you should be worried! Go to the ER, if you can't go directly to your surgeon's office Monday morning. Wire things shouldn't be sticking out of you!

My band totally gets tighter with stress, and it sounds like you have a lot. As recommended I would suggest getting just a bit removed, so you can cope with the rest of your life! If things settle down then you can get another fill. You need to have the energy to do everything you need to do!

I agree with Krussell. If I'm stuck, I can't drink. It will have to come back up then!

Yes! I don't feel there's a problem with it if you're aware that they have "empty calories" and you plan for it. Also, I drink more water with alcohol as it can dehydrate you (and makes my band tighter too).

Yep, it's a learning curve for sure! I think many of us overate before banding, and learning to heed that full feeling is tricky. Hopefully you've learned & it won't come to that again!

I am sure you'll be fine! It's all done laproscopically now, so much less chance of complications and healing time is quicker. I would advise staying away from reading up on complications now as you'll just freak yourself out. Be prepared for a little weight gain after surgery; you're just wanting to heal at that point. Good luck, it will all go well!

Yes, I can! It has to be thin crust and well done though. I take my time and enjoy it thoroughly!

I dunno.....I use drink crystals a lot. The water where I live tastes terrible. Sodium makes you retain water.

Sorry, I don't know what you mean. Are you talking about exercise? You should be able to do anything physically (of course you may have to work your way to up extended levels of physical activity but your band shouldn't prohibit you from doing anything if that's what you mean). Oh, as I read it over, are you meaning SUPPORT? There is tons of support and information here. Just search around!

Sorry, your post is a little hard to understand....do you mean drinking while eating after surgery? I generally don't even have a drink on the table when I'm eating at home. That seems to be the easiest (especially because I used to drink a lot when I ate). When I'm out it's a little different....I seem to have problems most times when I'm eating out so I do have a glass of wine usually, even though that's not recommended. But I'd rather have that than have to PB in a restaurant (which I've done too).

I do sometimes, but not if I'm having a "tight" day (the carbonation can irritate me sometimes). I have it maybe a couple of times a month.

Yes, mine were red for quite a while. They will gradually fade to white/silvery colour.

I was lucky in that no one commented to my face (just discussions and questions from family and friends). I don't know if they called me crazy/lazy/stupid behind my back! I've tried every other diet out there too. I knew I had such a hard time with them. This is definitely a tool which can make things easier. As long as your hubby is supportive, I hope that's all you need as he'll be the main one dealing with your new eating. Hopefully others will come around as they see you being successful, but as mentioned, you're doing this for yourself, not for what others are going to think!

What kind of diet is it? If it's liquid, that does suck. Try another protein shake because you need to get the protein. You can also eat soups, popsicles, jello, etc. I had to do a healthy diet for a week so I think I got lucky!