i know this sound simple - but this has been one of my biggest struggles w/my band. I know that this is hindering my complete success and i truly want to enjoy living the 'banded life' as well as loose my additional weight. i would appreciate any non-judgemental advice on how to not drink while i eat. what are some tricks, tips, ideas for those of you who are succeeding in this area? thanks in advance..... when we rarely go out to eat, i've started telling the waitress that i don't want anything to drink - they look at me funny sometimes - but at least i don't have the temptation!!!

I feel ya! It was the hardest struggle for me to overcome but now, now it's second nature to me and I'm 9 mos post op. When I go out to eat sometimes I order a water and drink right up to eating if I'm thirsty and sometimes I just tell them I don't want anything to drink, it's none of their business as I see it, let them look at us strange. I just say I don't drink while I eat and laugh it off. When I'm home, I do the same, I drink only bottled water with crystal light and I will drink right up to mealtime and then I eat. I have stopped eating anything spicy to make me want to drink or anything really salty. I know its hard, really hard but I just do it. I wait an hour after meals to drink and sometimes I even lose track of time and before I know it its been 2 hrs, sheesh. With that said, there are times I count the clock waiting to take that first sip, like right now! Its just something you have to train yourself and get used to, I know thats not a lot of comfort for you but if you want to stay full and not wash the food down, you cannot drink. I have been known to take a tiny and I mean tiny sip after eating to satisfy me till I can drink. In the beginning someone suggested to me taking a piece of ice and putting it in your mouth letting it melt a min then spitting it back out to get your mouth moist to help out with thirst. I did this and it did help me along the way.

same for me,,, If we go out, I order water, sip until I get my meal, once I eat, I usually have a to go container anyway and I ask for a to go cup.. so once my time is up I can drink...sometimes we run errands while in town (we live 25 miles from town) so by the time we do that it's okay for me to drink my water...I had to re-train my brain about the drinking while eating ..but it's okay now I'm used to it.

I was told no drinks 30 minutes before or after eating. My hardest was Chinese restaurants. I am a big tea drinker and that was hard. I never order drinks anymore but always have one in the car. You have to get use to it. My doctor also said no straws, ever.

At home... just don't bring a drink to the table. When you eat out... if it is nearby... push it away. If I can reach it, it is going in! LOL. This was a huge struggle for me at first, but it gets easier.

I agree with Chez. when I eat I do not have drink around me. When I go to restaurant I have them take my water when my meal comes. I have chronic dry mouth so I chew gum (mentos) after I eat until I can drink again. I know there are a lot of people that dont chew gum for worry of swallowing.

Why would drinking with meals hinder your weightloss?

I am nearly nine months banded and a few pounds shy of loosing 100 pounds, in that time and I have drunk Water with my meals when I have needed too ( as per my surgeon and nutritionists instructions).

I still have to follow the eat, chew well, swallow, wait a minute, sip, wait a minute etc. rule

I drink right up to my meal, during my meal and right after and I've also been to a dinner with my nutritionist, surgeon and ten other banded people and we all drank with our meals.

When we swallow our food we wait one minute and the food has passed through in that time it doesn't sit in the tiny pouch above the band otherwise we would constantly be stuck, so if no food is sitting in that pouch drinking does not dilute the food and make it pass through quicker.

Do a youtube search for professor Paul O'Brien and drinking with the lapband, he explains it nicely.

Now people will jump up and down on me for saying its fine to drink, those are my rules from a leading lapband pioneer here in Australia, if you've been given the no drinking rule that's fine, they are those rules given to those patients but to say it hinders weightloss, you should never drink with meals etc etc is in correct these days.

maybe the Australians do things differently.. my Surgeon explained that the food in your pouch is what signals your brain that you are satisfied.. if you wash it down quickly not sure you would get the benefit of the band.. also I can only assume that washing it down would leave more room for more food.. I will do whatever my surgeon tells me at this point . I am not suffering by not drinking while I eat..

but my theory is, if it works for you that is great... As in all cases, if you are in doubt please consult with your surgeon....

maybe the Australians do things differently.. my Surgeon explained that the food in your pouch is what signals your brain that you are satisfied.. if you wash it down quickly not sure you would get the benefit of the band.. also I can only assume that washing it down would leave more room for more food.. I will do whatever my surgeon tells me at this point . I am not suffering by not drinking while I eat..

but my theory is' date=' if it works for you that is great... As in all cases, if you are in doubt please consult with your surgeon....[/quote']

What signals the band is the food being squeezed through the band, the band is placed around the part of your upper stomach where all those nerve endings are so as it squeezes through it squeezes against those nerve endings which signal your brain and takes away your hunger. If it sits in the pouch above the band then you get stuck if you keep eating. If you drink whilst that food is in the pouch above the band then yes you will either wash it through or get a stuck episode, hence the rule wait till your food has passed through the band ( a minute or so) then sip ( if you've been given the ok to drink) then wait then eat again.

I wasnt saying that what we Aussies do is the only right way, I'm sure plenty of Americans and Europeans have the ok to drink with meals, I was just pointing out that some of us have been given the ok to drink ( with current info that is available to some of us) and we still lose weight, it does not hinder our weightloss.

Why would drinking with meals hinder your weightloss?

I am nearly nine months banded and a few pounds shy of loosing 100 pounds, in that time and I have drunk Water with my meals when I have needed too ( as per my surgeon and nutritionists instructions).

I still have to follow the eat, chew well, swallow, wait a minute, sip, wait a minute etc. rule

I drink right up to my meal, during my meal and right after and I've also been to a dinner with my nutritionist, surgeon and ten other banded people and we all drank with our meals.

When we swallow our food we wait one minute and the food has passed through in that time it doesn't sit in the tiny pouch above the band otherwise we would constantly be stuck, so if no food is sitting in that pouch drinking does not dilute the food and make it pass through quicker.

Do a youtube search for professor Paul O'Brien and drinking with the lapband, he explains it nicely.

Now people will jump up and down on me for saying its fine to drink, those are my rules from a leading lapband pioneer here in Australia, if you've been given the no drinking rule that's fine, they are those rules given to those patients but to say it hinders weightloss, you should never drink with meals etc etc is in correct these days.

Every doctor and dietitian have their own rules and reasons. I always say follow what you are told by them not by other Banders. I was told no gum, ever, forget about straws, which I miss and other things. Also it is what works for you.

Every doctor and dietitian have their own rules and reasons. I always say follow what you are told by them not by other Banders. I was told no gum' date=' ever, forget about straws, which I miss and other things. Also it is what works for you.[/quote']

Again I was not saying what my instructions are is what all bandsters have to do. I was asking the original poster ( in a polite manner) why would drinking hinder weightloss?

And yes I agree 100% we are to follow the rules we are given by our surgeons and aftercare team, no matter how different they are.

But I know personally just because my rules are my rules it doesn't mean others rules are wrong. I have an open mind and I do from time to time ask people why they have posted what they have to gain their understanding.

Heck I've even questioned Missy's posts at times because I wanted to understand why she had posted what she did ( again in a polite fashion) and she politely gave me the answers.

Again I was not saying what my instructions are is what all bandsters have to do. I was asking the original poster ( in a polite manner) why would drinking hinder weightloss?

And yes I agree 100% we are to follow the rules we are given by our surgeons and aftercare team, no matter how different they are.

But I know personally just because my rules are my rules it doesn't mean others rules are wrong. I have an open mind and I do from time to time ask people why they have posted what they have to gain their understanding.

Heck I've even questioned Missy's posts at times because I wanted to understand why she had posted what she did ( again in a polite fashion) and she politely gave me the answers.

You are right. I was not being harsh, sorry. I wish all doctors etc. had the same rules. They use the same tool, THE BAND. Weird how it is.

I sometimes drink with my meals and I see no difference. I don't chug and I try to wait till the food has passed through the pouch, through the stoma and into my stomach. jmo

tmf

I also have trained my brain and my stomache, band and throat appreciate it weather I am at home or out to eat , that I don't have a cup or glass in front of me , I think about it later after my food has settled , cause if I drink while I eat I get stuck quickly and the next thing you know I will be at a sink or worshiping the porciline throne or I will have to pill over somewher to let slimer appear and I can't really call ghost busters lol so I don't have to see the glass half empty or full I am just me lol

I can't drink when I eat or I get plug , but I do Wait a couple mins ,and then sip then I'll eat wait a couple min sip again, and it works fine