I have been told by the Doc and Nut since day one that once I am banded I should not drink anything including Water for 30 before and 30 after a meal. Does everyone follow this or is it something that really doesn't make a difference?

I follow the 30 minute after rule but I have never followed the 30 minute before rule (not sure why, I just never did).

I follow the 30 Minutes after but like Vickyd never the 30 minutes before --

I have been told by the Doc and Nut since day one that once I am banded I should not drink anything including Water for 30 before and 30 after a meal. Does everyone follow this or is it something that really doesn't make a difference?

I cant eat without drinking and my doc and nut are aware of this. but i would be loosing more weight if i did follow this guideline. if you dont drink then the food sits at the band longer and causes you to get full quicker. when you drink you wash the food right through the band. now if you get something stuck and it gets painful then drinking can push it through so it doesnt hurt anymore.

If you get stuck DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING COLD~~~ Only drink warm or hot liquids when stuck - Cold may cause more issues and not move the item down\

I cant eat without drinking and my doc and nut are aware of this. but i would be loosing more weight if i did follow this guideline. if you dont drink then the food sits at the band longer and causes you to get full quicker. when you drink you wash the food right through the band. now if you get something stuck and it gets painful then drinking can push it through so it doesnt hurt anymore.

I was at a support group meeting last week and the facilitator said the absolute number 1 reason that the band doesn't work the way it should is when bandsters drink with meals. It's been proven in studies and everything. Just don't do it!

Well,,, i have to ! I would only be able to eat 1 or 2 tsp. of something, and not be in pain "resembles a Heart Attack"

I was told that I am too sensitive. So as long as I stay between 800-1200 calories a day, and don't go over... It's O.K....

I have to stick with what works, otherwise I would gladly do it the other way. Lord knows I have tried!

So this works for me..

I drink with my meals and after. It is very difficult to eat if I dont. I plan all my meals, I eat what I plan to eat and stop. I dont go back for more. I stay at 1000-1200 calories a day. I am satisfied after I eat and typically dont get hungry unless one of my meals is significantly delayed.

I drink with my meals and after. It is very difficult to eat if I dont. I plan all my meals, I eat what I plan to eat and stop. I dont go back for more. I stay at 1000-1200 calories a day. I am satisfied after I eat and typically dont get hungry unless one of my meals is significantly delayed.

Great Minds think alike !

OK I am about 7 months out and 70 pounds down, I have been pretty happy with my weightloss, of course I wouldve loved to have lost more... anywho, Im def. not the perfect bandster, but I try to follow the rules, one rule that I have never followed was the "no drinking while eating". frankly, i thought it was stupid and couldnt imagine eating food without drinking. Im one of those people who sip after every bite so I didnt even want to try and stop. Oddly enough I never realized why this rule was set in place, so i did my research a little over a month ago. When you drink while eating the liquids push the foods through the band and you upper pouch, making it harder for the band to do it's job and allowing you to eat more food. While researching I found an article (ill try to find for you) that said one of the main reasons Lap Band patients are unable to use to tool in its entirety is bc of drinking while eating. I decided to try and stop and Lord have mercy I feel like slapping myself! I get full so quick now and although its a little weird not drinking, Im getting used to it. Ive dropped a whopping EIGHT pounds in one week since I started doing this. im truly amazed and I feel that If i wouldve done this sooner Id already have lost 100 pounds. The thing is, the band will still help you if you drink with your meals, you will still get fuller quicker than you did preband, but I personally can say it has made the world of a difference for me! Ive only had two small fills so far and I go in for another next week, but atleast just try not the no drinking rule. I learned a tip from someone on here to fix a glass of ice when Im eating and allow myself to drink whatever has melted throughout my meal, which isnt alot but it helps to trick my mind lol

I pretty much follow the rule, though when I drink wine with dinner I do drink while eating.

I was on vacation two weeks ago and started trying to drink water while eating because I was trying to stay hydrated. BIG MISTAKE. I have never been fully stuck or PB'ed but I came super close at least 3 times because I took a drink of water on top of a bite of food. That taught me my lesson I don't know why the wine is different.

I will say this-- because I don't drink while I eat, I never get in enough water. Some days none at all-- all I have are my morning coffee. It's something I'm trying to work on and fix now because obviously it's not a healthy thing.

I was told the same, however find that I do not follow it. The reasoning behind both is to allow room in your stomach for food. The only thing I have found is that sometimes it will cause a bit of pain if I drink too much when I am eating.

Do not drink if you are stuck. It does not help it normally makes it worse.

I drink with all my meals. Not a lot, but sips as needed to keep things moving. My surgeon and NUT both know it, and they're fine with it. Why? Because my weight loss has been textbook in its regularity, and I've had zero problems. As of this morning, I've lost 108 pounds in seven and a half months. Results like that have to count for something.

I don't understand the logic behind not drinking with a meal. Some say it flushes food through the band too quickly, so you get hungry sooner. But food only stays in the pouch for a minute or two anyway before moving through the band, so how much effect are "they" expecting to occur? If my meal is a fixed amount of food, and I eat only that amount, what difference does it make if I also drink with that meal, if I know that after the food is gone, I'm done eating till the next meal? I don't graze, snack, or eat between meals. So how does it make a difference in my eating if I also drink with the meal? As I say, it makes no sense.

If you are someone who DOES snack, graze, or eat between meals, then maybe drinking with your meal isn't a good idea. But for me, and my weight loss, it works.

Dave

Same way here Dave ! All my Doc's know about it, and they see it's working. So no complaints on this end.

nice to see your doing so nice on the weight loss.

I followed the no drinking with meals for many months after surgery (January 2011) but just recently stopped following that rule a few weeks ago because I am trying a new vitamin program (multi, antioxidant, calcium x 2, probiotic). I'm supposed to take the vitamins with meals and obviously I can't do that if I can't drink. I tried taking them a half hour before food with water but they made me a bit nauseous so I now take the morning ones with a protein shake and the evening ones immediately after supper with water. My weight is still dropping and while I'm not a perfect bandster by any stretch, I think I've done really well on my journey so far. If I were you, I'd stick to the rules to see how you do and then if all is well you can try different things but if something stops your weight loss, go back to what you were doing before.