Can I drink with band

April 13, 2004

Hello all,

I just went to a meeting this week and one of the questions was beer. I like to drink about every other week, or maybe ever week in the summer. He told the lady that ask the question, you might as well not have the band if you are going to drink.

Is this so? I have lost weight on diets while still drinking beer, shouldn't it be the same here?

Another question:

I do not eat a lot at one setting, but eat often. Is the band going to help? I see a lot here talk about exercise. If I exercised in the first place I wouldn't be here now, how does the Lap-band change this?

I have pretty much given up on loosing weight and will not diet anymore. With this attitude will I have a chance?

Audrey · April 13, 2004

Hi there

I don't know about beer.... but I was certainly told NOT to drink ANY carbonated drinks.... The fizz can dilate your pouch & may cause you problems with slippage etc..

When I want to have a drink (my tipple is Whiskey & "diet" Coke) I let the diet coke go flat before drink it... That suit me fine.. BUT, one of my friends who drinks Vodka & Coke has problems with flat coke too... mostly the following day when her band seems tighter... almost to the point of closing.... She doesn't drink that anymore... she's found an alternative. ! lol

To be honest mate, Weight loss surgery is just a tool to aid you in your weight loss goals... it's not an easy option.... I wish it were ! It can be hard work sometimes... BUT If you use your band to YOUR advantage, theres no reason why it won't work for you!

I hope this helps a little

Audrey

donali · April 13, 2004

Hi Kram -

The opinions vary widely about the effects of carbonation and the band. My doc says "No!" I'm not one to necessarily follow rules, and reading other people saying they drink carbonation with no probs might lead me to do so anyway, but for me it just isn't a big enough deal to tempt fate. A teeny sip of champagne at New Years, and I was good to go.

You will have to read more opinions, pro and con, and then decide yourself 1) if there is a risk and 2) if you think there is a risk, how much you are willing to tempt fate.

Then there is the unknown factor - the band. Whether or not carbonation is harmful, you may be one of the people whose BANDS do not allow it - some people have great pain, and abstain because of that alone. So, you have to know going in that it may not really be YOUR choice - the band may decide for you.

As far as "will this band really work for me?"... It really depends on you. I also have thrown away the dieting mentality forever. I paid a lot of money to a therapist to help me do so. I am forever grateful. However, I do mostly think about eating healthily. I would say that at least 80% of the time I eat pretty healthily, which to me means lean meats and veggies, with the occasional complex carb thrown in. It may be less than 80% - you know how we unintentionally lie to ourselves. Everytime I write that figure, I think about what I've just eaten, and sometimes it's not pretty... lol

I indulge occasionally in chocolate and chips. I eat the occasional slice of pizza, the occasional potato gems... Possibly every week - not everyday. I satisfy my cravings. BUT - I have also done A LOT of mental/emotional work, so I am constantly analyzing "why" and "what" and "how much" and is there something I could do instead of eating if I'm not physically hungry.

So, for someone who is NOT dieting by any stretch of the imagination, and exercising very intermittantly, if at all, and being a woman on top of that (less muscle mass to burn fat as a sedentary person), I have still managed to lose 92.5 pounds in 14.5 months.

Every individual has to take stock of their own situation, and be brutally honest with themselves about what they're willing to do to become more healthy. Even if you're losing weight, if your diet consists of nothing by fried foods, batter dipped veggies, carbonated drinks, chips and candy - you are NOT going to be healthy!!!

For me, I find that the weightloss is almost become a secondary goal - my higher priority is to be healthy. For some reason that makes it easier to make the healthy choices I make.

Many fitness sites will recommend more small meals throughout the day, as opposed to three larger meals. It doesn't really matter how often you eat a day, but the end result of that eating. If you consume more calories than you burn, then you will not lose weight, whether you eat once a day or 30 times a day. The band helps control hunger and portion size. It does not control the quality of food that you consume - that part's up to you. It cannot make you exercise - that part's up to you, too. But knowing that muscle increases metabolism, and that you can build muscle with very little effort and time each day, hitting the gym occasionally doesn't seem that bad.

Good luck to you - think about what you really want to accomplish. If it's a rich and healthy life, look at what you're doing to achieve that. If you live a healthy lifestyle you will be healthier. And generally weightloss goes along with that. But if you suddenly become a gym rat or exercise fiend, don't rely on the scale to tell you if you're doing well - look at your inches and bodyfat percentage for more accurate feedback.

shellyj · April 13, 2004

my dr says carbination is ok. i personnally can hardly drink it it does hurt for me!

as for dieting...there are plenty of bandsters who dont 'diet' and are BIG LOSERS!!! if you are expecting to be able to eat pizza, burgers, fries, chips, candy, milkshakes and still lose then maybe RNY is the better chioce because atleast that way you have the 'malabsorbtion' to help you lose. but of course you could dump.

you have to make healthy food choices with the band. i would say if you are drinking once a week but watch what you eat you would still lose. it might make you a slower loser but a loser none the less!

i always prepare for the worse and hope for the best so if you decide on the band you might want to be prepared to say bye bye to the beer just in case.