I am currently 3 weeks post op and I am having the HARDEST time not drinking while eating. I thought I might have a problem giving up the soda, but that has been a breeze. But I can not give up all liquid at meal time! I think it is mostly because that is when I would typically take in most of my liquids. I've never been very good at getting enough fluids throughout the day, so I would always make up for it at meal time. I will say that I have "gotten better." I am down to half a glass of water/tea with my meal instead of 2-3 glasses. Anyone have any tips/tricks they use?

Overtime you will get used to it. As you get more restriction it'll be the band stopping you from taking in more liquid, if any. After a while you won't want to drink. I'm almost a year out, I still take very tiny baby sips while eating and I do drink in between courses when I'm at a restaurant. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, because "those are the rules" no drinking and eating. Giving it up completely is still very hard for me, but I used to drink 2 to 4 glasses of soda, tea, anything during meals, now when and if I do drink it's barely half a cup of something. I do have most meals without drinking and I wind up drinking earlier than I should after meals, but again, baby sips. I don't and physically can't guzzle down fluids like before. I find I need to take these baby sips when I eat dryer food out of fear of them getting stuck. I know when I have to wait, I know when I can get away with baby sips and I know when I just can't drink at all. You'll learn this too over time. Everything is always hard at first, but as humans we can adapt to anything.

You have to make the effort to drink your liquids through out the day. Getting the band was a life style change, therefore you have to change your lifestyle. Make drinking Water during the day a priority, you will not be as thirsty at meal times and it will help with in between meal hunger. I would advise not pouring yourself a drink when you sit down to eat your meals, if there isn't a cup infront of you, you won't have the urge to drink it. If you are out at a restaurant keep the drink far away from you so you don't just pick it up to drink out of habit. Good luck!

Keep a Water bottle with you at ALL TIMES! As far as not drinking while eating, don't even tempt yourself and bring a cup to the table with you. Leave the drinks elsewhere while you are eating. I've been told that very small sips of water is ok, but you really need to avoid it if possible as it works against the band, flushing food though that was supposed to stay and keep you full.

Drink more tea with non-calorie sweetener at set times, I've got a large coffee mug that holds 1/4 my total days water intake, I'll nuke that to temp, put in a stevia pack and a tea bag and sip that. 4 of those a day and I've got my total intake, but I usually go above and beyond my normal intake.

You just need to work at changing the habit. It's not easy but with time and effort your habit will change. Just remember to stay focused and stay strong!

I had a really hard time in the beginning. I just stopped bringing drinks to the table with me. It definitely helped. I also use my timer on my phone to make sure that I wait enough time to drink. I am really bad at getting my fluids in. I keep a Water bottle with me at all times and drink a lot watered down crystal light, decaf iced tea, and decaf coffee. It works for me.

Also, once I got restriction I physically cannot not drink while I eat. It gives me a painful stuck feeling.

You can do it!! Once you get used to it you won't even miss it! Good Luck!

Can only speak from my own personal experience........

Given a certain amount of restriction, there is just so much food (or total volume) that will fit in my pouch while eating. It will pass to the stomach eventually, but slowly. If I drink while eating, then the liquid will take the place of food and I will be finished with my meal sooner than I had hoped. (not to mention pain!)

Don't want the Water to take the place of what small portion of food I can take in at any one sitting.

Also, if I eat first then drink on top of that too soon, I will overfill my pouch and since it cannot pass downwards, it has to go somewhere.......and that's back up. Some people will say that drinking while eating will wash it down.

I have never found that to be the case with me.

Either way, I have learned the hard way not to drink while eating, or too soon after eating. I have found that drinking right before a meal, with a empty pouch and stomach, is not a problem at all. But once the food arrives, then that's it or else.

So for me, I CAN'T drink anything while eating no matter how much I may want to.

There are many little lessons that they taught me, like drinking with meals, etc, that at first were things that I felt I had to do because I was told to do it once I had the surgery. But it never made much practical sense.

But once my band got tight, and I am now in the green zone, all these little lessons happen naturally and then I remember "So that's why they said that" and "Now I understand why"

Thank you everyone for the helpful information! This is why I LOVE this site!!

Since I've had actual restriction (about 20 mths now), I physically can't drink while eating. I read in a lap-band instruction book that some people have the "cork effect" - where the food clogs up my esophagus and when I drink, it backs up and I vomit up all of the liquid. But when I first got my band, until I had restriction (about 5 mths), I continually drank while eating. I don't think I followed many rules back then. But now, I actually CAN'T drink. In fact, this morning, I had to take a pain pill after Breakfast. I had to wait an hour before I could even take a sip of Water to down the pill. I can tell when the food has settles into my stomach - usually about 45 - 60 mins.

If I knew 2 yrs ago what I know now, I would've followed the rules a little better. I have lost over 100 lbs and am about 9 lbs from goal, but that's totally the band working, not me at all. I waited until I got restriction before I made any changes. For almost the full 5 mths after my surgery, I ate pretty much the way I did before my surgery - I couldn't even stick to liquids only for 4 weeks. I now know there's a reason for the rules. Back then I didn't see the point.

Good luck!

Marci

I use to always drink with meals. My dr said it was fine since I was still full for at least 4 hours between meals and my food intake was about 1-1 1/2 cups of food. Now, since my last(and only) fill, it's much more difficult to drink with meals. I can take sips sometime, but I can drink even 1/2 a glass. I do drink before and after though. I'm not saying you should, it just works for me. :-) you'll figure all these things out. Everything about the band is a learning process.

I found that as I started to eat food that was less salty I had a much easier time not drinking while eating.