My nutritionist says to not drink any liquids 30 minutes before a meal, during a meal, or 30 minutes after. Is that how it is for everyone else too? I'm finding it very, very hard to not drink during or right after a meal. I'm only a week out of surgery so my meals are still consisting mostly of broth. I guess it's just going to take some getting used to. Just wondering if anyone else is having this problem?

My rules are pretty much the same, but my Dr. does not believe in the 30 mins. before a meal because he said it makes it too hard to get our 64oz. I too have found it hard to not drink with or after my meals, but I have gotten used to it. The reason is that if you eat with or right after your meal you wash all the food down and won't get the "I don't want to eat anymore feeling" and it won't last as long. During the liquids faze I did not follow the rule because I was not going to be washing anything down, but it helps to get into the habit asap. Good luck to you.

once you reach restriction you won't be able to drink while eating....it really hurts. start practicing now! don't set a cup @ the dinner table...it will help

you will get used to it:) I was told I can drink "before", but nothing during or 60 minutes after my meals. This helps your band work correctly so you feel full--good luck:redface:

Some broths have a lot of sodium. That might be making you extra thirsty. Look for a low sodium option.

And while not drinking after "eating" while on liquids does seem a bit silly, it's good practice for later.

I felt the same way at first. I always drank 1-2 big glasses of water or tea with my meals. I thought it would be very difficult to break the habit. Once I got good restriction, I wasn't able to do it. In the beginning, I would just sip as needed. I think out of habit I still have a drink with each meal, but very seldom drink more than a sip or two. Good luck!

I wouldn't worry about it while you're on liquids. Afterwards, I'd get into the habit because at some point, when you get close to your sweet spot, it will drinking while eating will most likely cause you to get stuck.

My doc says I can drink right up to that first bite...then no more until 30 minutes after eating. That's only to prevent getting stuck. He doesn't go with the whole 'you'll wash your food through more quickly' because he said it doesn't stay in the pouch that long anyway because as soon as you start drinking again, it will wash right through. It has more to do with making your body kick out the hormone that says 'enough'. I don't even begin to understand all of it.

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My Dr. allows fluids 15 minutes prior to eating but no sooner than 30 minutes after. I started this prior to being banded because I knew it would likely be the hardest habit to break...and it was!

Now, I don't even think about it unless I've had something spicy like LF refried Beans with jalapenos.

I agree with trishfish, don't even take a drink to the table with you. For me, it reduced the temptation to drink while I was eating.

If you read the article in the thread "Worth the Read" on here and believe what it says, then the not drinking before and after meals doesn't really make sense.

I am also 1 week out of surgery, and my Dr. told me to do 10 minutes before and after. So that makes it a little easier for me. Cause I too love to drink water while eating. But as everyone says, I will get used to it.

My Dr and nutritionist advised the same. Before banded I would drink two glasses of diet soda or water while waiting for my meal and then one or two glasses during! So this is a huge transition for me! I will say I read on here not to have a glass at all in front of you when you eat and that has helped a lot. I love reading advice on here as it really does help!! It is something I am still struggling with myself so you are not alone.

When I go out to eat, I just order water and not drink it. I tried not ordering a drink at all, but the waitress was like "Are you sure? Nothing???" I decided I didn't want to go through that all the time so now I just order water and let it sit. And then when I leave the restaurant, I go through McDonald's and get my large tea and drink it when I get home! That works out perfectly usually. When I am at home I just go watch TV for a while and before you know it, it is time to drink! My doctor makes me wait an hour between eating and drinking. I thought it would be very difficult, but it really hasn't been too bad. Sometimes are worse than others, but it is really one of the minor things compared to all that I have had to deal with/give up for this band! Now if I could just get skinny already! :wink2:

My rules are basically the same and this has been one of the hardest things to do. I have just done the best I can and once in a while I just have to take a sip though I try not to drink much.

Right after I am finished eating I swish some cold water around in my mouth and then spit it out. It makes it much easier to wait the 30 minutes my doctor requires. Of course I only do this if I am at home.

5 minutes before eating should be fine. It's actually encouraged to drink before you eat, that way you won't be tempted after. I'm not sure why doctors are telling people to do it 30 minutes before eating...That sounds like over kill to me.

If the food is slowly going through your band, drinking water dumps the food all at once through the band. Having too much pressure on the top of the band might result in a slip, so if the water creates a blockage of the dumped food, it will be quite painful.

The problem with drinking is if you're eating and then decide to have a big massive gulp, you're not going to realise there's a problem until 2 seconds later, so by then you could've drunk the whole glass and there might be a problem. Some people are told to drink slowly, and I think that's some pretty good advice to follow.

About 10 minutes after you've eaten, take a small small smalllll bit of water to test, then larger and larger, but give it time to go down before taking the next. I think the times are just a precaution, but if you're smart about it, you can get away with it slightly if you're dying for water.

Thanks so much to everyone for their help. I'll definately try the suggestions and hopefully it will make it a little easier for me.