Some advice please...how large of sips are you taking when drinking? I'm three days out and obviously I am taking the tiniest sips of water and protein shakes, but I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to take "normal" sized sips of water again, but obviously not chugging it, haha.

Yes you'll be able to take normal sips and drink liquids "normally" again. Once you're past the post-surgical phase and all the swelling is down liquids should pass with no problem whatsoever (unless you've been over-filled, in which case you'd need an unfill anyway)

For now, just stick to little sips. You're stomach is still very swollen and you need to be very gentle with it. When I was in the hospital, they had me drink 1oz every 15 minutes to get a feel for how often I should be drinking and how small a sip to take.

Best wishes to you.

Take as big of sips as you can tolerate. If you take too big of a swallow, even Water, you're band will let you know.

Think of the band as a slow drain. You have to let the water slowly go down the drain before adding more water. Add more water than the drain can let pass and it will overflow, and with the band, probably some pain.

But that is after you get some significant restriction. Till then, do what you can tolerate. The band will let you know if you're swallowiNg too much too fast.

Can chugging water or taking too big of a drink all the time lead to slips or problems with the band? Or just some discomfort in your chest? I like to take big sips so I'm curious. I don't want to mess the band up.

I don't know about slips, but given enough restriction and you will not want to chug water.

I go to the gym every day, and drink about 32oz of water while I'm there.

I do everything I can to take large swallows, but I can't without discomfort.

But I can take one fairly large swallow at a time, spaced out a bit.

I drink like a fish but can only fill a restriction with my morning shakes. Can drinking too much too fast stretch out the pouch/stoma? Thats my fear.