I was wondering if anyone else cheats on the liquids before eatting, and how do you think it's affecting you? I drink water before I eat if I'm super hungry, not so that I can eat more, but it "primes" my pouch if it's been a long time since the last meal. If I don't do this, I will get sick.

I have to admit (because this is my only safe place to do be so honest), that sometimes I do drink liquids prior to a meal because it is a special meal, or I'm going out to dinner. It's a way for me to be sure that I won't get stuck or sick during dinner, which has happened and is very embarassing to vomit in a public restroom. I don't think my band is too tight, I don't get stuck or sick often.

What;s your experence with liquids affecting your band?

I will admit, I have fallen off the liquid bandwagon, also. What is the true reason for not eating before and after a meal? Maybe that's why I'm having so much trouble, but it's just such a habit to grab your food, grab your drink, that I don't usually give it much thought. Maybe I need to adjust my thinking! I'm only down 35 pounds since Feb 23, and maybe this is the reason why? Looking for other opinions here, does anyone see a huge difference in whether they eat right before/after meals or if they don't?

I drink warm water or tea in the mornings before I eat. If I eat first things get stuck. I also drink right after meals because I'm thirsty. Not a full cup but I do take small sips.

I don't think anyone is "falling off the bandwagon" by drinking liquids. We should all be hydrating ourselves. The reason your band loosens up a bit and allows you to eat without problems when you drink liquids before hand is probably because you are hydrating yourself. I drink liquids all day long. Always have a bottle of Water next to me and will drink a half a bottle of water right before eating, not because it helps me eat more, but just because. We should all be drinking as much water as we can throughout the day - it really makes a world of a difference with the band. I will say the only time I do anything to aid in my band more than just keeping myself hydrated would be by drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, because that is when i am the tightest.

I've told many of my band friends that have trouble more often than I do with eating to try keeping a bottle of water with them all the time and re-filling throughout the day. If I drink at least 6, 12.9oz bottles (of COOL water, not ice cold) a day I usually don't have problems eating at all. I definitely notice when I am not hydrated, get stuck more frequently.

I will admit, I have fallen off the liquid bandwagon, also. What is the true reason for not eating before and after a meal? Maybe that's why I'm having so much trouble, but it's just such a habit to grab your food, grab your drink, that I don't usually give it much thought. Maybe I need to adjust my thinking! I'm only down 35 pounds since Feb 23, and maybe this is the reason why? Looking for other opinions here, does anyone see a huge difference in whether they eat right before/after meals or if they don't?

The official reason for the no drinking while eating rule is that filling your stomach pouch with liquid changes solid food into a sludge that doesn't provide the early and prolonged satiety that the band is supposed to give you.

In Australia, where the band has been in use a lot longer than in the USA, current thinking that drinking (that's sipping, not chugging) and eating during a meal are OK. Dietitian Helen Bauzon wrote an interesting article about it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/healthy-living/food-nutrition/yes-you-can-drink-and-eat-at-the-same-meal-time-r63

My own experience was that when I drank while eating, there was nowhere for the liquid to drain, so it came right back up and out my mouth, like a baby spitting up. The resulting fountain (or at times, drool) was not at all socially desirable.

In almost 5 years of banded living, I drank copiously up until about 5 minutes before starting a meal. Since I got to my weight goal a year after my surgery, I don't think that hurt my weight loss. However, I didn't drink while eating or for 30-60 minutes afterwards (depending on the circumstances).

Some doctors are slowly coming around to some new statistics regarding fluids before and during meals. Here are a couple of links to some good information regarding liquids with meals:

http://www.globalgastricbandsolutions.com.au/lap-band-diet-drinking-and-eating-with-your-food/

This is a series of 4 videos and I highly recommend all 4. Go to about 6:30 minutes into this video before the lecture on eating with fluids begins:

I have always drank before a meal with the band and don't understand the panic from doctors over drinking before we eat. I stll monitor my beverage intake while eating and keep it very low.

tmf