ATTN: Band Vets :)

[Jennifer]

Hey all you experienced Bandsters!

I have a few questions.

1. Do you drink beer? I know carbonated beverages are discouraged but I wondered if occasionally it's ok??? (I have 3 kids, trust me...I don't drink very often)

2. Are there any foods that you still have to avoid with the band? Like foods you can't tollerate?

[HeatherGurl]

I can drink beer. It does not bother my band at all. I know some that can't though. I think it depends on the person.

I can not eat bread. It gets clumped up and stuck. My Dr. doesn't want me eating bread anyways. No kind of bread whatsoever. (Ex. pizza crust, kolaches, tortillas...)

[Kathy]

I'm not sure I'm a "true" veteran but is 18+ months long enough?

I'll take a sip or two of beer on occasion (like you, not often) but if I do alcohol, it's usally a glass of wine. Part of the is because of the band, the other is just that I prefer wine over beer anyway. ???

I avoid asparagus...not worth the risk...and I'm super careful with celery and bacon and I have given up oysters. Again, not worth the risk. Anytime I have red meat, I end up with little wads of unchewable that I pile into a napkin. Ick. Good chewing is the key. If it doesn't chew, don't swallow it. I have no shame about spitting anything out that doesn't chew well.

Oh, and Heather reminded me of tortillas. I can do whole wheat, well chewed, but the regular ones are just too chewy. Other kinds of bread, whole wheat in particular, I can eat fine. Again, well-chewed.

This may change with my fill in a few weeks. I'll update then, if needed. :lol:

[Alicia521]

Ok, I am not really a veteran...I am at 6 months post op. I just had my 3rd fill on Tuesday so this may change once I am eating solids again but here goes.
On beer, I can drink it from a bottle or in a glass if it has been sitting out. I don't indulge often...maybe like once a month and so far it has been okay.
As far as foods that are now off limits: bread...unless it is whole wheat and I chew really slowly and really well. Spaghetti, broccoli, some rice, scrambled eggs and dry meat (which is a given anyway). So far that is all I have a lot of trouble with and just not worth the effort and the risk of upchucking.

[kelliebelly]

I hate beer, but carbonated drinks used to be ok until my last fill, now they just make me feel yucky.
I cant eat any bread products...I end up in the toilet.
I dont have problems with anything else really though, and I am glad I cant do bread now because I was eating so much pre band it wasnt funny...Literally 8 - 10 slices a day.

[kelliebelly]

Oh, I forgot, I cant really eat eggs now either.

[Kat817]

Hi jack in progress!!!!

Kathy--like you I could not eat bacon....BUT...then I was told to bake it..and it made a huge difference...I can eat it now, it tenderizes it, and it is not greasy. I lay severl folded paper towels on the bottom of a cookiw sheet, cover it with waxed paper, lay the bacon on it, and bake at 375, for about 20 minutes or so until it is the crispness you want. I can eat it now no problem. And I don't get popped with grease!!!

Ok y'all sorry for the hijack!!!
Kat

[margo]

There are several things I avoid, but the biggest thing to avoid for me is Chinese food!!

[oneflew]

I'm not a veteran, but thought I'd share. I can have beer sometimes, it hasn't been a problem. Breads have been an issue, and chinese food as well. I'm glad to hear someone else having problems with that, because I couldnt understand it. :( Very unhappy about that. Anything eaten too fast, or not chewed well enough, of course, but I still have problems with this occassionally.

[503-250]

Beer is bad, I can have carbonated stuff, but I hate beer, some users here have found ways around beer carbonation issues.

1. I say avoid that foul tasting horrible carbonated fluid altogether...have a nice glass of Jack instead.

2. I haven't tried it yet, but shrimp seems to be a common one with people i've spoken to. My personal nightmare is pizza crust...evil evil crust.

[HeatherGurl]

Oh my gosh... I can eat shrimp the easiest out of all protein... It IS MY ABSOLUTE favorite!!!

Fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, grilled shrimp, shrimp gumbo, shrimp etouffee, shrimp scampi, shrimp pasta....... :)

[stilldreaming]

I hope I am doing this correctly as its my 2nd time on. I find that breads are a no as well as pizza or certain cheeses. Broccoli is fine and I can eat most chinese except the breaded ones. Those are a big no no for me. :nod:

[stilldreaming]

I find shrimp is really easy too. I love them and good protein

[PhotoNut]

The list of foods that seem to be the most commonly troublesome for bandsters are fiberous fruits and veggies such as pineapple, celery, and broccoli; fruit and veggie skins like on grapes or potatoes; dry meats (learn to use the slow cooker again! it helps!), carbonated drinks which cause gas and bloating in the lower portion of the stomach and can be very uncomfortable (besides, liquid calories should be a big NO NO for all of us), and last but not least.. breads. Gooey bread type products tend to glom up into a ball of glue and refuse to pass the band without a fight.

I have found that what I can eat differs with each fill/unfill. When I started, I could eat anything but avoided foods I knew I had a weakness for, such as breads. With my current level of restriction I'm having problems with foods that have always been fine before now.

One thing that stays constant about our bands and the restriction they provide is that it's always changing. Stress, certain times of the month for females, illness.. all of these things can affect the level of restriction we have. So, I think you have to get in the mindset of approaching each bite with care. Don't take things for granted. That's when you'll get careless and eat something too quickly, not taking into account that today may be different than yesterday. If you do find a food that is good for you but you can't get it down without problems, put it aside for a week or so and then carefully try it again.

Oh, and as Kathy said.. If you can tell its not going to chew down to nothing.. SPIT IT OUT! :)