So my surgeon recommends 3 small meals a day (4-6 oz) and 2-3 snacks per day. He also says that I should not drink an hour before or 15-30 minutes after my meal. Doing the math, if it takes me 30 minutes to eat, I can't drink for 2 hours. If I eat something 6 times a day that makes 12 hours where I cannot have a drink. How am I supposed to get my 64 fluid ounces in the leftover 12 hours assuming I'll be sleeping at least 7 to 8 of those hours? For those of you who have been very successful with this process, when do you drink?

My doc says a half hour after...and ideally a half-hour before. However, they say if you are going to scrimp...scrimp on the time before the meal and not after

My doc says a half hour after...and ideally a half-hour before. However, they say if you are going to scrimp...scrimp on the time before the meal and not after

If I were to try and eat 4 ounces. I would have to drink Water to flush it down. It's always been that way. The surgeon said you are just to sensitive.

So it's painful !

I average between 800 - 1200 cal a day. This way I give myself a large window to work with.

As long as I don't go over,,,,, then I don't see the point.

Once I eat, I'm not hungry. so,,, I guess if that's the way it is with meats for me, then I will drink a little water to not be in pain.

Interested in Feedback.

I'm out four months, I eat 4 oz meals 3 times a day. If I snack I eat 1oz of cheese this way its adding Protein to my diet. I also drink milk, adds protein, Calcium and counts for Fluid. I also keep a bottle of Water at my bedside, if i wake up enough to know I'm rolling over I take a small drink. Normally I get any where from 5 to 8 oz this way. I stop drinking 15 to 20 minutes before I eat, I start drinking 50 to 60 minutes after I eat kinda depends what I had. All protein I wait the full 60 minutes, 50% protein and 50% veggies or fruit usually around 50 minutes.

It really is where you can fit it in for fluids, but I don't snack alot for this reason. It does give me more time to consume liquids.

So my surgeon recommends 3 small meals a day (4-6 oz) and 2-3 Snacks per day. He also says that I should not drink an hour before or 15-30 minutes after my meal. Doing the math, if it takes me 30 minutes to eat, I can't drink for 2 hours. If I eat something 6 times a day that makes 12 hours where I cannot have a drink. How am I supposed to get my 64 fluid ounces in the leftover 12 hours assuming I'll be sleeping at least 7 to 8 of those hours? For those of you who have been very successful with this process, when do you drink?

I eat 2 meals a day and 1 snack. I don''t drink for 1/2 - 1 hour after I eat. I drink aprox 100 oz. of Water a day. Drinking up until I eat (or about) doesn't seem to affect me. I'm too full to drink directly after I eat. If I drink during a meal... I can eat WAY more! I see your delema. I think the biggest thing is to not drink right after you eat so you stay satisfied longer.

I eat 3 meals a day and add a snack if I need one to get my calories in...I stay between 1,000 and 1,100 calories a day. As far as drinking around meals goes...I was told not to drink 30 minutes before, during and 30 minutes after eating. I do great with the 30 minutes after and during part but I don't even try to stop drinking before meals and it hasn't bothered me yet. I keep either water or decaf tea with splenda next to me from the time I wake up until I go to sleep and I average about 100 oz per day.

I do the before and after meals part 30 min before and usually 45 min after. As for snacks I usually don't bother following that rule, because they are not usually because I am hungry, but because I need to get my calories in so if it pushes right through it doesn't bother me. Also I figure my stomas pretty big to begin with because I have no fill, so not sure if it will go through any faster anyways

This is a great question. I have been worrying about how I will get my fluids in as well. I drink a lot when I eat now, so it's going to be hard after the band. If I drink too close to bedtime I'm up to go pee in the middle of the night. I'm wondering if you can still drink fast after the band? Like, can I drink 2-3 cups of water within 15 minutes or do you have drink slowly as well as eat slowly?

I drink up until my meals but I wait a full hour after I eat to drink anything. I found out though if I drink something really cold before my meals it makes my band tighter so I let it get almost room temp before I drink it.

Thanks for the advice! How slowly do you have to drink? Like how long would it take you to drink a 12 ounce bottle?

I've had the same problem so I have had to put my water on a sort of schedule like my eating. I know that once I start drinking that it will make any food in my band go down faster so I have sort of made my water schedule a little closer to my meals. In the morning, I will try and have my coffee and a full bottle of water before I eat breakfast. Then once I eat, I will wait an hour and then start sipping on my next bottle of water and try to finish it and have another bottle before lunch. Then after lunch, I wait the hour, if I can or I will take small sips. Then as it gets closer to supper, I will start increasing and try to get two full bottles in before supper. After supper, I try to wait the hour and then get in another bottle before bed. This also seems to help keep me from snacking as I know I have to get the water in and it fills me up to compensate for any hunger between my meals because I really want to still eat with my family and I know that if I don't wait that I will be to full to sit down with them and eat when they do. Then I fill left out.

There's no reason you can't drink right up until you take that first bite of your meal. The Water is going to go right on through. I always waited 30 minutes after a meal and only then because if I drank with my meal, I'd get stuck. Any effect the meal in your pouch is going to have on your band/vagus nerve will happen in that 30 minutes.

Sometimes I don't think these people actually think out the logical progression of how to accomplish all their interesting rules.

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I have to agree on drinking before. My doc said not to for a half hour before and after, but then the nutritionist pointed out that before doesn't matter because liqud goes right through. Remembering how quickly the barium slid through during my swallow study and fills backed up his point giving me a "duh" moment. Hope that helps. Also interested in all the different recommendations- my doc says three meals and 2 or 3 glasses of milk period.

-Laura

Yes, but can you drink as fast as you used to?

If you mean gulp it down. Yeagh ! When I go in for a fill one will tell me real slow ,((P.A.) and if I see my Doc He'll give me a glass and say go! I want that whole thing down. He means move it, so he can see if you can handle the fill.

That is a quart of water.

I drink right up to about 5 minutes before I eat - and I agree with the above, I usually drink something warm, like a cup of tea, because it will open me up a little. I wait about 30-45 minutes after. I find drinking enough is the most difficult thing for me. I can't drink cold things quickly at all. I drink a lot of caffeine free warm tea.

Meal wise, I don't get the snacking personally. I find that, for me, it kind of ruins my meals. I have a Protein shake in the morning if I work out but then eat 2 other meals - at about 12:30 and then at 6:30. I do a snack if I am having a bad day getting in enough calories or protein.