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?

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 also cannot eat without drinking something.....get hiccups and indigestion right away. This happened prior to getting banded. I'm not a big drinker but just cannot eat without it. When I told my Dr. he said to do what I have to do to be successful......so I'll see what I can tolerate. Just banded Monday...cat

I also cannot eat without drinking something.....get hiccups and indigestion right away. This happened prior to getting banded. I'm not a big drinker but just cannot eat without it. When I told my Dr. he said to do what I have to do to be successful......so I'll see what I can tolerate. Just banded Monday...cat

Just make sure you don't drink anything cold. It will close the muscles in the throat up, and can cause you to throw up.

Drink room temperature, or Lukewarm, even a little warmer, but small sips, and give it a chance to go down. If you over load it will come up.

Feel free to send a message, and I will gladly talk to you.

Good Health to you, Shirley.

My surgeon's recommendation is that it's ok to drink up until the beginning of a meal, then don't drink during the meal and for 20 minutes after. I follow this pretty well for meals but there has been a few times when I'm having a small bedtime snack and I drink a little milk with it.

One thing I've wondered about is if you have to continue following the not drinking while eating rule after you've reached your goal and are at the maintaining stage. Anyone know?

Well had a long chat with my surgeon after a 7 pound weight gain on my 5 month follow up two days ago. This issue came up as I told him I routinely drink 24 or more oz. of water with every meal. I havn't been loseing anything for 3 months and he was surprised that I was drinking like that. He thought I was following the no drinking with meals guideline and confirmed what others have said that drinking with meals is the # 1 reason for non weight loss. This highlighted a real dilemma as adjustment to this non drinking mode is scary and a hard habit hadn't been able to break. I can look back on it now and without bullshi**ing myself that I have been eating much more than I thought I was and in effect self sabotaging my weight loss goal. Sheesh! do I feel dumb! The doctor gave me lots of non judgemental encouragement and re-eductated me on the band basics.

For the past two days per his instructions I have avoided drinking 15 min prior, during and 30 min after meals. God its hard. First couple of bites of my first meal after seeing him I realized that along with the drinking issue I was taking too large a bite and not chewing long enough thus I got stuck for a few mins. I waited for the food to pass and thank God it did. I then resumed eating with much smaller bites and lots of chewing and the meals now take a lot longer. Now I'm the last one done. I have noticed already that I feel full sooner and stay satiated longer and don't need a snack between meals (I was browsing a bit too, lotsa bad habits I now see)

Perhaps these adjustments will make the difference and get the scale moving. I have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks to see how I am doing and hopefully the scale will show improvement and joy back to mudville...

So to all of us who like to slosh our food down and derive comfort while eating that way I can really relate. If this turns out like I think it will with the weight coming off quicker I'll be sure to share that info. Gosh it's had to give up the fluids while enjoying the meal but I am determind to get slimmer and this may be the key to why the weight hasn't been coming off. Heck, I am sure that its a major part of the problem. Good luck everyone..

Tom

I usually cant drink during meals as it will get stuck or go down slower if I do, so I usually wait 20 -30 minutes after.

Well had a long chat with my surgeon after a 7 pound weight gain on my 5 month follow up two days ago. This issue came up as I told him I routinely drink 24 or more oz. of Water with every meal. I havn't been loseing anything for 3 months and he was surprised that I was drinking like that. He thought I was following the no drinking with meals guideline and confirmed what others have said that drinking with meals is the # 1 reason for non weight loss. This highlighted a real dilemma as adjustment to this non drinking mode is scary and a hard habit hadn't been able to break. I can look back on it now and without bullshi**ing myself that I have been eating much more than I thought I was and in effect self sabotaging my weight loss goal. Sheesh! do I feel dumb! The doctor gave me lots of non judgemental encouragement and re-eductated me on the band basics.

For the past two days per his instructions I have avoided drinking 15 min prior, during and 30 min after meals. God its hard. First couple of bites of my first meal after seeing him I realized that along with the drinking issue I was taking too large a bite and not chewing long enough thus I got stuck for a few mins. I waited for the food to pass and thank God it did. I then resumed eating with much smaller bites and lots of chewing and the meals now take a lot longer. Now I'm the last one done. I have noticed already that I feel full sooner and stay satiated longer and don't need a snack between meals (I was browsing a bit too, lotsa bad habits I now see)

Perhaps these adjustments will make the difference and get the scale moving. I have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks to see how I am doing and hopefully the scale will show improvement and joy back to mudville...

So to all of us who like to slosh our food down and derive comfort while eating that way I can really relate. If this turns out like I think it will with the weight coming off quicker I'll be sure to share that info. Gosh it's had to give up the fluids while enjoying the meal but I am determind to get slimmer and this may be the key to why the weight hasn't been coming off. Heck, I am sure that its a major part of the problem. Good luck everyone..

Tom

Tom, I appreciate your insights, but have to say, I think your lack of weight loss has much more to do with what and how much you're eating, and very little to do with the liquids. Water has zero calories, but all foods do. Eating larger than a bandster should is probably resulting in you taking in more calories than you're expending. And since weight loss is about calorie deficits, I'm betting the larger problem is related to food volumes taken in being greater than your caloric expenditure out.

Every time my weight loss has slowed or stalled, I've examined my diet and exercise amounts. Once I make sure the calories I burn are greater than the calories I'm eating, the weight loss resumes. It's all about the math.

Good luck sorting things out.

Dave

Tom, I appreciate your insights, but have to say, I think your lack of weight loss has much more to do with what and how much you're eating, and very little to do with the liquids. Water has zero calories, but all foods do. Eating larger than a bandster should is probably resulting in you taking in more calories than you're expending. And since weight loss is about calorie deficits, I'm betting the larger problem is related to food volumes taken in being greater than your caloric expenditure out.

Every time my weight loss has slowed or stalled, I've examined my diet and exercise amounts. Once I make sure the calories I burn are greater than the calories I'm eating, the weight loss resumes. It's all about the math.

Good luck sorting things out.

Dave

Dear Dave,

I completely agree with what you are saying but (there always has to be one ) the drinking with meals seems to be washing my food through my stoma and allowing me to eat more food before my brain gets the signal that I am full. You're right in that water has zero calories so more food was being taken in than I needed hence the stalling and now weight gain.

I currently spend 2 hours 4-5 times a week at the gym doing mostly cardio exercise and I don't want to do any more than that right now.

I am on day 3 of avoiding water with meals and its very tough for me to do but I have noted a decrease in food intake due to this small change. I hope that I did not give the impression that I believed that the water caused my weight stall and gain if so I apologize to anyone that thought that was what I was saying. I absolutely was overeating and the water flushing my food through was making it possible for me to do so. I will continue with withholding the fluids during meals at least until I see the doctor again in 10 days I really hope that this breaks the stalemate and that I begin a cascade of weight loss. If this happens I will know for sure that the no drinking guideline is one that I will have to follow.

Thanks, Dave, for the good thoughts and well wishes, I really appreciate having you root me on and also for the sharing of your personal experience. I'll certainly let everyone know how it turns out the Tuesday, August 9th after I see the doctor again.

Tom

When I try to drink with my meals it normally ends badly. For some reason if I drink while trying to eat I get stuck bigger than you know what and it must either come up or go down but it normally does a little of both.. I have only been banded since May 17th and I am just learning my lesson. I must wait. You would think I would learn the first time.

Kb

I have a question that's never been adequately addressed:

What's the reasoning behind the "no drinking 30 minutes before a meal" rule? If the problem with drinking during a meal is that is washes food through the stoma too quickly to fully stimulate the vagus nerve, then drinking before a meal shouldn't have any effect on that at all. So what gives?