I'm pretty much right in the middle of bandster hell and believe me reading about it and trying to be prepared is not near the same as being there! My problem is the drinking thing. How on earth do I not drink with my meals or after my meals having done it for the past 28 years! This is sooo hard! So, there has to be a secret for not thirsting to death, so please, what is it????

just dont do it. trust me, i've been there. pre-banding i would have 3-4-5 glasses of tea gulped with my meals.

dont even pour something for you to drink when you eat at home. if you eat out, if you MUST have something before the meal, ask the server to take it away when your meal comes.

you can do this. think of the benefit that not drinking will give you (stay satisfied longer).

good luck.

This one is a biggie, IMHO, so it's worth working on. For me, I don't have a drink nearby when I eat at home. When I go out, I've learned to not order anything besides Water, too tempting. If I want a glass of wine or something, I get it and drink it before ordering dinner. I also drink water right up to the food arriving. That all seems to help.

Breaking habits isn't easy, so give yourself time, and make a very specific plan for how you are going to approach it.

I'm pretty much right in the middle of bandster hell and believe me reading about it and trying to be prepared is not near the same as being there! My problem is the drinking thing. How on earth do I not drink with my meals or after my meals having done it for the past 28 years! This is sooo hard! So, there has to be a secret for not thirsting to death, so please, what is it????

Hi, I recommend water-loading before meals. Drink as much as you can about 15 minutes before eating, then sip some more until you absolutely cannot drink anything more.

I've weaned myself down. I'm not 100% drink free..

I use to drink 3-5 glasses of coke or tea at dinner. I'm 100% coke free since 1 month pre-op.. but I still drink tea (with sweet-n-low)..

I order a glass of tea with every dinner, and by the end of dinner, I've had maybe 2-3 sips. I drink sparingly and the sips are very small.

It's one of the hardest things for me to give up also.. I'm getting there.. I can go sometimes only drinking my sips before the meal, and not having anymore during or after. I do find that when I take my sips while eating, it's an uncomfortable feeling.. so it's sort of self-reinforcing for me.

Eventually, I plan to stop ordering a drink.

I don't pour myself anything at home. I tend to drink up until the moment I start eating.

When I'm finshed eating I look at the clock and say "Okay, 30 minutes."

After that set time I start drinking again.

I dearly loved my beverages before being banded, but it's a small price to pay. EVENTUALLY, you'll not miss it so much. It's a new habit. That's all. You'll not die. you're taking small bites anyway. You don't need the liquid to wash down the food.

Good Lucky.

I make sure I have had plenty to drink before my meal also. I tend to be a lot less thirsty while eating and immediately after when I do this. The other thing is I only get Water when going out to eat, sometimes I will have just enough to wet my mouth but no more than that.

It takes some getting used to but you can do it, and will notice you stay full longer if you do.

I totally know where you are coming from. First, the no soda thing about killed me but I have gone almost 2 mths without ANY. That is huge for me. I work midnights so I loved my mt. dew. and then there is the no drinking thing....that about killed me. but it is worth it....I do see results for the first time and that makes it all worth it. I also just don't have anything near by that I could drink and my family does remind me...especially my 5 year old....he will say "mommy, you aren't supposed to drink with your food" then I realize what I did this for in the first place...GOOD LUCK TO YOU....stay with it....it will get easier.:clap2:

I drink a lot before a meal.... If I'm at a restaurant, I order a drink, usually water, and drink a bunch until the meal comes. Then I have a ritual of pushing the drink out of reach, as the meal arrives. The ritual is my reminder that I'm starting a bandster meal, and to be mindful. It's harder for me to not drink after, but it's just a matter of practice like so many other changes.

It's not that hard, really. I drink a lot in between meals. I had already gotten the habit several years ago of drinking nothing but Water all the time. I am very concerned about the chemicals they put in diet drinks. juice is too fattening. Plain water is the best!

I look at the clock when I am finished eating and get busy doing something and pretty soon, my hour is up and I can drink again.

Well, that's a key for me. When I get busy I'm OK. It's when I stop in front of the TV that I get in trouble in all kinds of ways. Cravings=Get Busy!

I make sure I have had plenty to drink before my meal also. I tend to be a lot less thirsty while eating and immediately after when I do this. The other thing is I only get Water when going out to eat, sometimes I will have just enough to wet my mouth but no more than that.

It takes some getting used to but you can do it, and will notice you stay full longer if you do.

Ditto! It's not all that hard to abstain from drinking while eating when I'm well hydrated before the meal. The only time I have trouble is if I didn't drink enough prior to the meal OR if I don't take small enough bites OR eat too quickly.

The problem I have is snacking. Not that I snack all the time, but sometimes if I am hungry I have a healthy snack. I go by a strict time schedule for eating. Lunch is noon dinner is 5:00 . So if I get hungry between noon and 5:00 or after 5:00 before bed, I might have a string cheese. Does that mean I can't drink for an hour after a string cheese? That's where I get confused.

denise,

yes, that's what it means. even if i just have a bite or 2 of something, no drinking. my surgeon says 1/2 hour is fine, but follow your surgeon's guidelines.

it does get easier!

1/2 and hour is way better than an hour. I am really careful to not drink anything for an hour after a meal, but I will follow your instructions for an in

between meal snack. I have never remembered to ask my dr. about this one.

What is the actual reason that you can't drink while eating? Is it because it makes you be able to eat more? Is there any other reason?