Hey everyone!

I was just banded April 9th and I've been losing. I haven't been able to get to a scale in the past few days, but since surgery I've lost at least 16 lbs! :wink2:

Anyway, I'm 23 and really need help with a few things!

1. How does everyone who is young and still going to bars and nightclubs cope with the situation? ALL my friends are thin and gorgeous and we all love going out and dancing and having a few drinks! Being not even 2 weeks post-op clearly I'm not drinking, but in the future how does everyone deal with it when they go out? My brithday is in August and I'd like to go out and have a few drinks (non-carbonated of course!). What are some suggestions?

2. My friends and I are huge Pens fans and with it being the playoffs we like to watch the games outside the arena (when available), or at a restaurant or sports bar. The problem is this incorperates tailgating and places where sometimes Soup isn't even an option. I've brought in my Protein shakes, but it being a restaurant sometimes I feel self-conscious. Sometimes we go out with people who I don't really know and I'd rather them NOT know I have the band. How do I handle this situation of the restaurant not having anything I can get and handling my post-op diet in front of others?

Thanks! My stomach is starting to really heal and I'm feeling myself getting hungry a lot more. I'm sticking to the diet so I don't mess anything up, but sometimes it's SOOO hard, especially being 23 and having such thin friends who love to go out and drink and just have fun! I don't want to be left out, I'm just struggling!

THANKS AND HOPE ALL IS WELL FOR EVERYONE!!

I'm 19 years old and i just got the band in december. I felt like it was limiting my food intake for a little bit but after about a month i noticed my appetite was rather still fully intact.

Unfortunately i have been a bit neglectful of the rules when it comes to eating, but I am always careful. Its tough, i'm not even of the legal age to drink yet and Now that i have the band I basically have to pass up drinking. I have had an occassional beer that i sipped and burped out slowly as i drank it. But i don't know... i don't think i am doing anything wrong. but is there a chance i'm just an idiot?

I keep getting the feeling that a lot of the lap band procedure they give us is moreso targeted at the gastric bypass and not as much at the lap band. This makes it harder for me to actually distinguish what i should be listening too and what is just protocol.

Hey everyone!

I was just banded April 9th and I've been losing. I haven't been able to get to a scale in the past few days, but since surgery I've lost at least 16 lbs! :w00t:

Anyway, I'm 23 and really need help with a few things!

1. How does everyone who is young and still going to bars and nightclubs cope with the situation? ALL my friends are thin and gorgeous and we all love going out and dancing and having a few drinks! Being not even 2 weeks post-op clearly I'm not drinking, but in the future how does everyone deal with it when they go out? My brithday is in August and I'd like to go out and have a few drinks (non-carbonated of course!). What are some suggestions?

2. My friends and I are huge Pens fans and with it being the playoffs we like to watch the games outside the arena (when available), or at a restaurant or sports bar. The problem is this incorperates tailgating and places where sometimes soup isn't even an option. I've brought in my Protein shakes, but it being a restaurant sometimes I feel self-conscious. Sometimes we go out with people who I don't really know and I'd rather them NOT know I have the band. How do I handle this situation of the restaurant not having anything I can get and handling my post-op diet in front of others?

Thanks! My stomach is starting to really heal and I'm feeling myself getting hungry a lot more. I'm sticking to the diet so I don't mess anything up, but sometimes it's SOOO hard, especially being 23 and having such thin friends who love to go out and drink and just have fun! I don't want to be left out, I'm just struggling!

THANKS AND HOPE ALL IS WELL FOR EVERYONE!! :smile:

LOL...you know "old" people have thin friends and go out and want to drink too!

I am getting ready to turn 20-10 (aka 30) in Sept. But you can still drink. Just not things like beer. Anything that is bubbly and has carbonation has a potential to stretch your stomach back out....and if you are going to do that...what's the point of going through all this. I am 3 months post op next week. I had a martini last week. So pick a cocktail. I tend to drink even less now though, bc I dont want to drink my calories. I would rather eat them and get some sort of nutrition from them....so if I go out with people who are drinking and getting drunk...I think which is more important to me? Drinking or losing weight? I choose the second option, drink one cocktail and then stick to Water.

Once you progress past mushies, you will find plenty of options to keep others from wondering whats up. Most restraunts have Soups, and if not...maybe a bean dip or artichoke dip? If I am going somewhere where I think food might be an issue, I try to see if I can find a menu for the place and scope it out before I go out in a group.

Hope some of that helps! You are doing great! Keep it up--Amy

Thanks guys!

Haha...I consider young I guess more of a generalization...sorry! I know I've seen 80 year olds who are in better shape than me! Maybe they are the young ones :rolleyes2:

I am starting to feel a little bit better about this whole thing! You're right about empty calories. I'd rather save them for nutrients and food, rather than a drink or two.

I'm 2 weeks post-op and just added in the low fat cream soups and well blended no sugar added, diet yogurt. Not feeling too much restriction (maybe I've hit Bandster Hell?), but I've been doing my best to stick with it!

Definitly looking forward to August...hopefully I can buy a cute summer dress!

Yeah, it'll never be as hard as it is in the first weeks. I'm not young, lol, I'm nearly twice your age, but us old bags like to go out on the town too.

If I were at a bar watching a game, which really, nothing is as Aussie as going to the footy on a Saturday, then I eat what's there to eat. I might have a glass of wine and I'll have a few fries. If DH buys me a hot dog, I'd eat the sausage and not the bun, but I'm not worried about people looking at me weird. Otherwise I'd just pick at whatever it is, eat very slowly and carefully and leave half of it on my plate - honestly people dont notice or car what you're eating. I'd differ from the advice above in that I'd never ever pick a cocktail - horrendous calories. White wine is much more diet friendly, or red, but it turns my teeth grey, lol.

And a drink and a couple of nachos does not derail a healthy lifestyle - its what you do 90% of the time that counts and if most of the time you eat healthy and exercise, then at your age, there is no need to give up on fun things like this.

I agree with Jachut. I'm not too old, only 33, but me and my husband still go out and have drinks once in a while. I eat what is there, or what looks good on the menu. You don't have to finish it. Share a plate with your girlfriends. Have bites of whatever you want, you are out to have fun. Just chew well and take your time.

I don't drink beer anymore, but I do have soda when I'm at the bar. And this is the ONLY time I have a soda. I always drink 7&7's. I try to get diet 7up, but not every place has that. I always ask for extra ice. The more ice, the more it bubbles up in the glass when they pour it, and it takes up more room in the glass. Then I stir really good to pop even more bubbles. The more the bubbles fizz up, the less bubbles go in my stomach. Don't use straws either, that's just more air in your stomach. Sip from the glass and make it last longer.