Glad you are doing well. I drink coffee on the weekends with no problems but can't seem to drink it during the week. i guess because I usually drink my breakfast and the coffee at work is awful! Keep up the good work!

Congratulations on the 10lbs and glad your feeling better. The gas stays for a while but does get better, Gas=X will be come your new best friend and you will need it time and again so buy some and always carry it with you. As far as soda there is mixed reviews, some say yes some say no. I have found that it is just better to give it up, carbonation creates a lot of gas and it makes you burp. Some of the early literature says that it may stretch the stoma and I was just not willing to risk that. I am 17 months post-op and I have had a sip of diet coke and honestly the taste is not the same. i do agree that drinking water all the time is boring and I use alot of the flavored water packets to mix things up and the diet Lipton green tea, makes me feel like I am having a soda. I do drink coffee and sometimes have a skinny latte from star bucks but my doctor told me if I drink coffee that for every cup of coffee I drink I need to drink that much more water, so I cut back on my coffee consumption. As for the family BBQ, next time it comes up you will be able to participate, so you have something to look forward to. I was banded 3 weeks before Thanksgiving and believe me it was a tough fall and winter holiday season but it tested my dedication and I made it and so can you. Good luck!