This seems to be the hardest part for me so far. How do you guys do it? I'm always so thirsty after I eat, but I know that drinking will just wash down the food. What do you guys do? Chew gum? Ice Chips? Cry and wait it out? I'd love some advice.

thanks

It took me about 3 months to stop drinking with my meal. Of coarse I had to adjust my meal too. I dont eat really hot food anymore because I dont want to have to drink with it. Also I do not eat Ice chips. For me they tend to sit in my pouch and actually burns I guess because it gets so cold Same thing with icecream. If i eat a frozen treat its usually frozen yogurt and I tend to let it melt a little and take small bites. As far as gum. I was told when i went in for pre op that you can cause more gas pains by chewing gum and drinking thru a straw. PERSOANLLY....i hate the feel of the gas pains that i get in my upper left sholder. so...i DONT DO IT! Everyone is different but just to fill you in on what I do.

Its the hardest thing for me.... but I just do it.... but my Dr said 30 min before and after.... not 60. I will tell you that I have on occasion only made it 15 minutes after... but then I only had a sip of water until I waited the whole 30 minutes..

My Doctor said to stop drinking 30 minutes before and to wait 30 minutes after eating to take a drink. Do I follow this? Honestly, no. I tend to lose track of time before and after meals and if I'm thirsty I'm going to drink. This hasn't made me hungry faster as I stay full for long periods of time, but that's just me, every BODY is different.

I also sometimes take very tiny baby sips while eating, which is a big NO NO and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but I do it because I just can't not drink. But I don't always do this, it depends on what I'm eating. Sometimes it's barely enough of a sip to wet my tongue but I do it out of habit, if I gulped any Fluid while eating I wouldn't be able to continue to eat. You get used to not gulping down 2-3 cans of soda while you are eating pretty quickly! (this is what I used to drink on a regular basis).

Your new eating habits will mostly change out of "can't" rather than "want", which will in turn make you not want to eat or do certain things anymore. At a good fill level, you will not want to drink alot because you can't. This was a big worry for me because I'm a big drinker.. But after 9 months of band life, I'm more than used to my new habits with drinking and other things. So don't worry too much about it, your mind and body will adjust over time. After a while your body will know what you are comfortable with.

I have really started to focus on this in the past month. It is easier than you think. Although I will have a coffee with my oatmeal in the morning as I know that I am at the office and that is all I have until lunch anyway. When I am home or in public I will not drink as I know the cupboards are close by and ordering more food at a restaurant is easy. Seems to work for me. Adjust it as you see fit.

I was also told only 30 minutes before, and 30 minutes after.

It is SUPER hard for me to, but do a decent job at it. I've been trying not to eat too many dry foods. I've noticed that really helps. I tend to forget before meals, but don't drink with my meals at all. Sometimes I'll set a timer, or go do something to completely occupy my time for a half hour.

I haven't had a problem with chewing gum, and have used that as an option, but I've read that others get really bad left shoulder pain. That is the worst pain I've felt and try to avoid it, but chewing gum hasn't given me any gas pains yet.

It's annoying that doctors have such drastically different rules from place to place. my doctor says no drinking 5 minutes before/ 20 minutes after eating. this has been easier to do than i initially thought it would be. i couldn't hold out for an hour before or after though...that's not drinking anything for 2 whole hours and i have to stay hydrated. i don't know how you do it either.

This seems to be the hardest part for me so far. How do you guys do it? I'm always so thirsty after I eat, but I know that drinking will just wash down the food. What do you guys do? Chew gum? Ice chips? Cry and wait it out? I'd love some advice.

thanks

I have heard many times that drinking right after eating will "wash it down".

I do not have that experience, but the opposite.

I cannot drink right after eating, or I will upchuck!!!

People say it will wash it down. To do that means it is still sitting there passing thru the band slowly. Someone once said it is like a slow drain, it will eventually go down. I tend to agree with this.

It best describes the way I feel when I eat, with the restriction I have been experiencing.

What happens when you add Water to a slow drain?? It fills up even more. If I am done eating, and I know there is food in my pouch, the last thing I need to do is add water.

I simply cannot drink following a meal. Early on I did. After dinner coffee, etc. But now I can't, no matter how much I may want to.

Many things I have been told soundly like silly "Rules" to try and follow. I will say that now I am in that green zone, all these silly rules happen to me naturally. I don't find them to be rules but guidelines

to deal with the band and restriction.

I agree with B-52. Drinking right after eating makes me hurt. I really enjoy the Water so much more if I wait the 30 minutes after eating.

I have found these "rules" to be very helpful.