Anyone between the ages of like 20-24 that have been sleeved? Was it a challenge going out to dinner with a group of friends or going out and being the only one who couldn't drink?

My group of friends live all over the place so we get together every few weeks and go out to dinner or to a bar and I feel like it's gunna be hard to go and just sit there

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I am not of that age(29) but I realized how much of my socializing involved eating out at restaurants after I got the surgery. Almost every time I went out, it was to eat. No other activity.

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How did you cope with it after? Did you still go out?

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In your group, I am sure at least one person knows about your surgery if not all. I share my meal with that person or make sure to get something super small. Also, every outing doesn't have to end up with a meal anymore. AND, it's not a sin to leave food in your plate if you are full.

If it's a special occasion and I feel like I don't have that person that I can share my meal with or too many people are around, I eat very very slow. Others will be having their Desserts while I am still munching on my meal. But, I am almost one year post op and I only have 15 more pounds to lose so I don't suggest this last part to others.

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You might realize that going out just to eat is boring af.

When I go out with my friends that just want to eat I am so bored. I want to go rock climbing! LOL which no fat girls want to do.

I am almost three months post op. I thought this would be an issue during the holidays. Instead it was great practice to take tiny bites and eat slowly. I didn't finish first and found I was far more engaged with people around me. I was designated driver which everyone appreciated

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I was 23 when I had my sleeve, and almost one year later, I must say it hasn't been a problem at all.

Of course, if I go eat with friends, I eat less, but we still have great conversations and have fun. I have a glass of wine from times to times. Just be prepared to pay as much as before and leave 70% of the food in the plate (or to bring it home with you).

I also went to Italy to visit some Erasmus friends, I even had some pizza (actual Italian pizzas are way healthier than Pizza Hut and Dominos though) and good wine, of course I counterbalanced these bad calories by swimming in lakes and hiking in the mountain.

I also visited Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia this summer with one of my best friend, I had a drink with some locals (I use Couchsurfing to travel), tasted weird (but tasty) Baltic food and of course we had so much activities on the side that I actually lost 6kilos in a bit more than two weeks (13,5pounds) even though I was already 7months post-op!

I never felt social awkwardness around my friends and since I have done the sleeve, it's actually completely gone! I was the only fat person in my whole group of friends, they never said anything about it actually, it was who I was.

But nowadays, the activities I do with them are more varied: paintballs, biking hikes in the countryside, long walks in the woods with the dogs, damn I even dared to go to a club (I hated every minute of it, I hate dancing, I hate club music but damn I dared to go in!), I used to say no to these activities and would just hang out if we had a drink or we would just sit down and play videogames.

But, indeed, if most of your friendships are based on eating at restaurants and having a drink then it might indeed get boring real quick. But will it be socially awkward? Probably not.