i am 4 months into my 6 month program required by my insurance and just had a class on how to chew and "drink" i just wanted to see when i should start practicing my new chewing and "drinking"? i'm not going to lie those small sips are not easy to quench my thirst.:wub:

The only real drinking rule is don't do for 30 to 60 minutes after eating.

I guzzle Water at all other times.

Taking smaller bites and chewing is much more important.

I lost 95 pounds during my 5 month pre-op practice.

I am 9 months out, have good restriction, and can very freely drink fluids. I haven't ever experienced the need to sip. I can't take in huge volumes---after 4 oz or so, I stop and wait a few minutes (it moves through quickly). But liquids present no problem at all.

The small bites, chewing, and waiting in between bites to assess your fullness are good habits to start cultivating. In reality, though, you're not apt to experience much in the way of restriction for a good while after banding, and will have the opportunity to continue to practice for quite some time.

thank you guys for your responses. i must have misunderstood what the nutritionist was saying. maybe the sipping is for the first couple of weeks post op. i am so excited about this journey i must have zoned out for a minute while she was talking. i can't stop thinking about 'life after' being banded.

so excited! so determined! to be successful!

thank you guys for your responses. i must have misunderstood what the nutritionist was saying. maybe the sipping is for the first couple of weeks post op. i am so excited about this journey i must have zoned out for a minute while she was talking. i can't stop thinking about 'life after' being banded.

so excited! so determined! to be successful!

If you are unsure about something your surgeon or nutritionist say, please ask them to clarify. There really is no such thing as a stupid question and this is for the rest of your life.

You'll be fine if you keep a positive attitude!

Thatgurl

Were you by any chance at the Kaiser (Towson MD) class on 10/27/10? I am also in my 4th month and our last class was on sipping and chewing LOL.

Mary

I was in the kaiser (woodlawn,md) on 10/28/10.

I don't think you heard wrong. My nutrition class had both band and bypass people and was very generic. They said during the immeidate post-op phase I was to sip sip sip and take in about an ounce over a 15 minute period. They didn't want us stressing our stomachs in any way, and they wanted to be sure we were hydrated.

As to the small bites, it was hard for me to practice. Without restriction, there were no consequences. Once I had restriction and started feeling that stuck feeling with bites that were too big, I learned quickly to take small bites and chew well. It only took a few episodes of pain for me to learn. :frown:

cocoabean you are right, i have kaiser and all of information is geared towards bypass patients. there was little to non about lapband patients. now that i've thought about it, the sipping was for the first stage of clear liquids. i have brain freezes from time to time. i blame the kids and the hubby :-)

cocoabean you are right, i have kaiser and all of information is geared towards bypass patients. there was little to non about LAP-BAND® patients. now that i've thought about it, the sipping was for the first stage of clear liquids. i have brain freezes from time to time. i blame the kids and the hubby :-)

I blame it on getting older, as I have no kids. But I balme hubby from time to time, also!