How does one handle special occasions like Christmas Day, birthdays, special dinners out?

I'm not fussed by the thought of going out to dinner and only eating 1/4 of what's on my plate, I'm talking about drinking with meals. I understand why that's not advised but can you do it on occasion?

Like on Christmas day etc you're going to want a champagne or two and when you go out you normally have wine with your dinner and finish with coffee right?

Is that impossible to do? Does it just wash the food through quicker so you're less full for less time or does it overfill you so you puke in your handbag, lol? That wouldnt worry me to be honest, evening has never been a hungry or picky time for me and I dont mind going to bed hungry, but surely you wouldnt be anyway as you'd still have a reasonable quanity in your bottom part of your stomach?

Funnily enough, this is one of the things worrying me most. Stressful as it feels to think about not being able to use food to soothe myself when I"m overwrought (Like when Eliza has covered her entire bedroom AND the new carpet with talcum powder), I worry about the many enjoyable social rituals of food. I can give up overeating and I want to gain control of those occasions but I'd like to be able to "normal" for little snippets of time. I dont know if I can never be "normal" again.

I will be the first to admit giving up my drinks while I eat is the worset thing. I thought I would never overcome it. Well I haven't completely. When we go out, I still order my water and even have some while I am waiting on my meal. With my meal I just take a few sips. At birthday parties I have done the same, I normally carry my water with me though. I am getting better maybe one day I will be there completely.

Now as far as socal events, I never much like wine and that stuff so it's been very easy for me. So I would say as long as sip little amounts and maybe keep to one glass you should be fine. As for being normal....not sure anyone is ever normal.

Sorry I didn't answer you questions exactly but hopefully it helps. I am sure there are alot of others out here that will be able to answer it with no problems.

When I go out for a big night or something, I tend to drink while eating. I never do it at home, or at work, just maybe once a month or so when we're out. I like my wine w/ my steak...

That said, I mostly do it to help wash stuff down, because I had one really embarassing PB in public a while back.

Jachnut,

Believe it or not, this was one of the things I often pondered pre-surgery.

Not drinking with ANY meal is going to take practice. There's no getting around that one. Ive found that when I go to a restaurant, I drink my Water really fast - THEN eat. And yes, drinking with your meal washes your food down faster - and it can cause you to pb as well.

Wine and coffee are fine to have, but I promise you, after you are banded, the habits you have NOW - will change after banding. That cup of coffee after your meals may not be so "enjoyable". Not in a bad way, but you may be SO full that you are just not wanting it.

Regarding those special feast: A year later and I sometimes I still want to eat TONS of food. I want it, but just cant/dont do it. The ONLY consolation I have is when everyone is finished eating they feel like a stuffed turkey, and I am smiling and still full of energy - ready to go shopping!

But this is a hard one for me, because I LOVE the taste of food. And just because I KNOW I am full, Im still not ready to stop eating. This is where the banding head work come in .

Oh, and since Ive had my first fill, I can honestly say that Ive never really been hungry - much less gone to bed hungry. I can remember those pre-band days and the stomach hunger pains - HOW PAINFUL! But now? I can eat a small something for supper (like nuts) and wake up with NO painful hunger pains. When I DO get hungry, I will start having lots of gas coming up - needing to burp, thats when I realize that I actually need to eat something.

Good luck!

Holidays can be hard.... I find that what works for me is to see what foods are available but still try and make the best choices of whats there. I won't say that I don't eat something I shouldn't but I deffinatly eat lots less of it. I feel just as satisfied with eating a little of what I want as I would if I could eat alot of it. As for drinking with meals I never started doing it. I drink a cocktail once in a while before dinner but none after dinner. If I know I'm going out with friends and they will be doing more drinking than eating I will eat before I leave my house and by the time I get to a resteraunt to have a few drinks its time enough after a meal that I can drink with them. Drinking and eating doesn't work well for me anyway... I can remember right after my first fill I was in a resteraunt and had ordered water. I drank some of it before dinner but I took a bite of food and then before I thought about it and out of old habits grabed my water and took a big drink and had it swallowed before I could stop myself... BIG problem it caused my food which was chicken to get stuck and like Paula said it made me PB and I felt like I couldn't eat anything after that. It completley ruined my dinner and I felt awful. I now order water and as soon as my food comes I sit it on the other side of the table or at least out of reach... this way if I reach for it it gives me time to remember it is a no no... I think the longer you ae banded some things do get easier.. for me drinking inbetween meals has become no problem... eating the wrong things is a problem some... but over all since being banded I eat less and make better food choices!!!

Thanks guys, its kind of hard to get my head around the concept that some of my most enjoyable rituals may not be that enjoyable anymore. I cant help panicking. What will I replace them with? But it sounds like they may not need replacing anyway.

I really like the idea of eating before you go out, lol. I had a friend who used to do that. She couldnt drink AND eat so she chose to drink. I'd prefer good wine over food any day myself. Not that I have a problem with drinking but it is an enjoyable thing for me.

It's funny but eating out isnt one of my problems. I usually get so wrapped up in the conversation and the company that I barely eat anyway. And I find if I eat lots while I"m talking lots I get lots and lots of tummy pain, it can be crippling. So I hate getting full when I"m out.

I've convinced myself if I drink before or during, I'll cause a pb episode, because it did/does happen, nothing worse than having to rush to restroom while everyone else is eating. I do push it as far as waiting 30-45 minutes after the meal, sometimes I'll get my glass of water to go, it's like desert.

I have enjoyed and learned a lot on this post!

I go out for a birthday dinner for the first time this friday (which is exactly 1 week after banding) and I don't get to eat with everyone. My husband was afraid this would bother me, but I don't think it really will. I'll just have a drink of juice and be totally too full for anything else I suppose....but maybe I will have cravings???

First time so I'll just have to find out by experience : )

None of them know I've been banded so they'll just think I'm dieting....again.

Good advice about putting the glass far away so that you don't just instinctually take a big drink to wash down a yummy bite!

Last night I dreamed that I ate a whole burrito and forgot I had been banded. When I woke up, I was sooo relieved!

Stupid dreams!!! Put me in a flipping panic!!!

P.S. And "NO" my pillow wasn't missing : D

It is really hard for me because I am the "cook" for our family! I try really hard to drink while getting ready and then I spend all the time running around and fussing so no one notices I am not eating. I tried to wait for our traditional liqueor drink till after I did the dishes- but it is my house so I run the show!

In regards to going out- I get Water before itcomes and drink as much as I can get in- depending on what we are eating will depend on what I do with drinking (Ie- if I am eating mushies only - I might sneak some) but usually drinking while eating makes me PB!

Please remember - I have four small children so I do usually eat only mushy stuff or stuff I know will not cause a problem- because I can not leave them and run to the bathroom and I can not drag them all there in time either!

For me now...drinking with my meals is a good way to PB. Just can't do it anymore. No breaks for me.

jayme

I can take a small sip during a meal if needed without the Pbing, and for that I'm grateful. The only time a sip of Water can be a problem is if I'm stuck, now THAT'S asking for it. Sometimes a small sip at the sink, while it may provoke a PB, may also help loosen what's stuck so it's a calculated risk. Either way, up or down, I'm unstuck. You can't really just do that in a restaurant though. So you learn. And you know what? Even with this band and the small procedures involved with living and eating with it, I feel very normal. I just weigh less. No prob.

And I do after dinner coffee regularly. Nightly. I try to wait an hour before I start sipping but I still have no trouble with feeling the least bit hungry after supper, perhaps because I have my trusty coffee cup in hand?! It's a crutch like a cigarette after dinner would be. Whatever. I can live with it.

You will figure it out. Jump on in, the water's fine. Some things you just gotta do to wrap your brain around it. People 'splained it to me all day pre-band and it all started coming together. It will for you, too. So, no worries. It will be a new kind of normal, but you will still be you enjoying all special occasions.

You may not want a Champagne ever again. Many people have a very difficult time with fizzy drinks, and bubbly is certianly fizzy!

You might discover that your rituals don't need changing at all. Or you mnight discover that they change and evolve on their own without intervention on your part.

Because of tummy issues and digestion problems, I actually stopped drinking with meals some time before I even considered getting a band so this aspect hasn't been tough for me. I mention this only to say that after a while it gets easier. You get to the point you don't even think about liquid while eating.

HI... I can't drink at all when I am eating... I "Will" PB!!!!... I have learned to drink before my meals... and wait at least 20 mins. afterwards... or I will be very very sorry!!.. its really a horrible feeling...