Hello, I have just started researching the lap band and believe I am ready for this journey. I will be attending my first seminar March 12th and am sure I will get alot of my questions answered. But I kinda want to know from some of you...... Are you ever normal again? Can you ever have the occasional night out where you can get kinda drunk? Can you smoke ciggarettes? I know these are horrible things and I shouldnt do them anyways, but I am just curious what kinda life changes I am getting myself into. Either way I think I am ready to give all that up for this, I just want to start preparing for it now. Haha. Also, I am petrified of the actual surgery. I have been reading alot from this website though and have seen very little negatives. Which is a relief. Anyways any support and advice would be appreciated. Thank you so much and you are all such an inspiration. I am so gald i found this website.

Well, I never smoked cigerates nor have I been drunk. But what comes to my mind is if your considering life-style changes then why approach it half way?

Why not consider a health-style change and give up those unhealthy habits? Sure, it is easy for me to say, because I don't get drunk nor do I smoke, but why put your body through all that?

Anyway, as far as normal. What I considered normal is what drove me to this surgery in the first place. I never want to go back to where I was before. Eating what I thought was normal. :-)

If you decide to have the procedure, then approach it as a health-style change. You are the priority, so in that regards put your health first and move towards eliminating unhealthy habits.

Good luck on your journey!

Thank you for your response. I agree about doing a total lifestyle change, it's just scary, I worry I will miss that stuff more than I will be happy being healthy and skinny. Isn't that terrible. Anyways, that is a decision that I will have to make once I have been through all the steps and hopefully by then I will be 100% confident in my decision. My other concern is how do you get enough nutrients and how do you not get dehydrated when you can only sip things?

At first, right after surgery, I was told not to worry about calorie intake and nutrients. I was told to take my chewable Vitamins every day.

The staff at the hospital gave me several little one ounce cups and told me to drink one at least every 15-minutes, and drink more if I could.

I always drank more Fluid. I would not gulp it down, but I would sip it down. I could sip an ounce every couple of minutes, when I was awake. For the most part, I was drinking, Water, crystal light, and Isopure Protein drinks.

The Isopure Protein Drinks are like a crystal light product, in that they come in fruit flavors, but have 40 grams of protein, and are a clear fluid. Meaning you can see through the product.

So I never felt dehydrated, yes I did not get all my nutrients, but I survived and I am doing well.

Just focus on the fluid intake during your recovery and you will do great!