Hello- I was banded June 18th. I'm starting to eat more regular non mushy food. The "no drinking" rule is difficult. I am having the hardest time following this : ( I can go the entire meal without drinking. The problem is immediately after. I know i need to wait 30 min correct? Any best practices out there? Thank you!

Im a drinker too... It has always been a habit for me to sip while I eat, BUT I KNOW if I do it, I wont be as successful at attaining my goal as I want to be... Now with that said, I must say this, keep in mind I am only 2 weeks post op, so it is easier said than done right now.... ask me about it when I get on to more solid foods....

I just know this.... they make these rules to help us attain our goals and be successful at weightloss so we can have better lives... I didnt go through all I went through to be able to have the surgery only to self sabotage it....

Good luck on your journey....

trixj..here are a couple of suggestions..1) at the beginning of your meal get a large glass of ice and set it on the counter...when it melts you can drink it..it should take about 45 minutes or so and you will have an ice cold glass of Water..

I LIKE that!!! Great idea and will have to use it!!!:grouphug:

Like everything, you'll get used to it. It's amazing how many changes we have to adapt to - and sometimes it takes longer to get there. But - you'll get used to not eating and drinking at the same time.

I, too, LOVED me some drinks with meals. However - I now follow all of the rules. And, honestly, it HURTS when I try to drink while eating. THAT makes you not want to do it too!

Hello,

I was told atleast 15 min prior to eating and 30 min after. I find that if I drink with my food it comes back up. Especially a big gulp....bad news. It is hard to do but it gets a little easier with time. If I can give up soda than anything is possible! That was very hard for me.

so hard to do.. my doc said 30 min after... but I sometimes will take maybe a small small sip if I need it during the meal. If I am eating something dry like chicken breast... just a small teaspoon sip... I was told it keeps the protein in your pouch longer if you don't drink.. so ... I know that is a hard one..

I was banded April 1st 2010. At first the doctror said no drinking with meals ! This was horribly hard for me. But ....... (every doctor is different) I went for my second fill and the doctor told me that there was a new studying that had taken place. She told me that I could drink with my meals IF i followed this rule. Wait 1 to 2 min before a drink and 15 second after the drink before i can take another bite. This has helped me alot. I am still losing weight and it makes me feel better.

I typically wait 30 minutes. If I'm out to eat, I just won't order a drink until I finish my meal. I normally sit and chit chat with who ever I am out with and then drink right before we leave, if I am thirsty.

The same for when I'm at home. I will not grab a drink until I am finished with my meal.

So, I was at my goal weight and had very little in my band. Physically I was able to drink while I ate so I did. Months later I went back to get a fill and found out I had stretched my pouch by eating and drinking at the same time, and carbonation. Just a thought.

I've found that if I rinse my mouth out immediately after eating, that helps enormously. Waiting 30-40 minutes afterward is not such a problem then. Good luck!

Hello- I was banded June 18th. I'm starting to eat more regular non mushy food. The "no drinking" rule is difficult. I am having the hardest time following this : ( I can go the entire meal without drinking. The problem is immediately after. I know i need to wait 30 min correct? Any best practices out there? Thank you!

My doctor recommended 30 minutes, and I usually keep to it. After a while (I got banded over a year and a half ago) you'll learn to listen to your body. I'm not sure about how Water pushes food through faster or anything, but I'll tell you that if I take a sip right after I eat, it hurts like heck! If you take a sip after 30 minutes and it doesn't feel like it goes down right away, then wait. However, my doctor also told me if you absolutely need a sip that a good idea is to roll an ice cube, or a little bit of water on your tongue. It'll help you feel more hydrated. Good luck to you!

It is hard when you start. I found to fill up my cup with ice as soon as I finish eating and then in about half an hour the ice is sort of melty and then I can drink it. Some trick I played with my mind.

In the beginning I just didn't drink because I knew I would stay fuller longer. But now that I have restriction if I drink right after a meal I will throw up.

I have other things I have learned along the way on my blog

www.bandedup.blogspot.com

This is a difficult rule for me, too! I try my best to follow it, and I appreciate all of the advice given here! Thanks for sharing!

I appreciate all of this information, I am having the same issue! I have not had a fill yet so I may feel differently after that. I really try not to drink while eating, it's just difficult so far. I get plenty of water in during the day so it's not that, I think it's just habit!

WOW- I'm realizing how strict my doc's rules are -----no drinking 15 min before eating and 2 hrs after. He also told me that if I need to "wet" my mouth while eating......get a glass of ice and whatever melts WHILE eating is what I can use.

Pretty much once you get used to it, it won't be a big deal anymore. Band life consists of learning a whole new way of learning to eat and this is a major rule.

Two reasons:

If you are on the looser side of restriction, drinking while eating or soon after will cause the food to wash straight out of your band.

If you are on the tighter side you will get the jolt of your life trying to pack Water into your esophagus with food in your pouch.

Both being bad things.

I personally wait until 30 minutes before my next meal if I'm not hungry and I'll drink up to 16oz of water. I drink during my workouts (2x per day) and I also drink at 32 oz during the day. It becomes routine and second nature, no big deal.

I want my food in my pouch for as long as humanly possible, the longer the better so I don't feel hungry.