Hi everyone! Quick question for all you experienced bandsters. I know we have to wait 1 hr to drink after we eat. But, what if we eat soup which is liquid also, can we drink at the same time we are having soup?

If you're eating a thick soup as a meal, the drink will wash it through your band, and you'll be hungry faster than if you didn't have a drink. If you're hungry faster, then you're going to want to eat again sooner. If you're on a liquid diet, I don't think it would matter. But you'd be getting less nutrition from the soup because the drink would water it down and fill you up faster. Probably best to just get in the habit of no drinks with any meals.

Bandsters should not be eating much soup unless it is during the first 2 weeks post op stage. Liquid calroies will kill ya and slow your weight loss down. You need to focus on hard proteins and solids that will stay in the pouch for a long time. I have not had soup in 9 months unless I had gotten a fil land had 3 days of liquids. There are some bandsters who do eat soup on a regular basis, but Iam not one of them. I stay away from all liquid calories...It is one of the rules I can honestly say I follow very good

Thanks for the advice, I am 13 days post op and still on the protein shake phase. But, I eat egg drop soup for dinner. It's hard to not drink at eat at the same time when you are used to it all of your life. How do people do it if they eat spicy or salty foods? Also, I heard that you cannot drink 30 min before a meal. Is that true? and why?

I drink right up until I eat, it actually makes me feel fuller so I eat less but I do wait an hour after I eat befor I drink any water.

It does take some getting used to..the first time you are eating and take a big drink, it could be very painful for you...drinking while eating for me is not comfortable, it back me up and is painful..I've only done it once and thats all I needed to do to never do it again

I've been wondering this very questions. I'm finding it impossible to not only not do it, but to remember not to do it.

Take care, Rachel.

The drinking situation was explained to me by my Dr Office as the following

No drinking one hour before during or one hour after eating. I know for you newbies its hard and was for me too but I follow this rule and I have gotten used to it.(somewhat)

The reason is if you have good restriction the Water before eating may not have passed thru totally giving you less space to put food you need in there. Drinking during combines with the food and can do several different things. One it can wash it thru faster or it the food bloats up when water is added you fill up fast on less food then you should. And the one hour after is so the food stays in the upper part longer and not washed thru to quickly.. If you think about it it makes sense...BUT

There are 24 hours in a day. I sleep at least 6 So now I have 18 hours to drink the min of 64 oz water. No drinking one hour before and one after that with three meals brings me down to 12 hours. No drinking during the meal and since I take a min of 20 mins to eat at each meal(sometimes longer) thats another hour. now its 11 hours. I try not to drink for 4 hours before bed so I get the six hours uninterrupted (know what I mean) so now I'm down to 7 hours. I work near computers and there is a no drink policy by these sensitive computers. So I get one 30 lunch and two 15 minute breaks in my 8 hour shift so thats actaully only one hour out of the reamining 7 I had left to get my water in. And sometimes I can dump water down with no trouble other times I fill up half way thru a glass and have to stop.

Bottom line is that its hard for me to get my water in.( I do cheat and sneek my water bottle under the desk) but still its hard. many days I don't get it all in unless I break the before bed time frame and then I'm up once or twice. I have no trouble falling back to sleep just a pain in the butt cause I have sleep apnea and I have to disconnect and re connect to the breathing machine. And most of the time I don't wake up till its do or die for the bathroom and then murphy's law kicks in. Someone will be in the bathroom near the bedroom and its run thru house down stairs and then back up(which counts as exercise...lol). Since I work midnites when i get up during sleep its normal time for normal people to be up so good chance the bathroom is occupied.(three women in the home)

But i will survive. Good luck to you all with your water consumption.

I'm like Michelle. I drink right up to when I eat. I think it helps keep my esophagus well lubed that I have less problem with food sticking or being too dry. I wait only 45 minutes after to start drinking. This has not affected my weight loss at all.

When we go out, I sometimes will drink a glass of wine and/or a glass of Water while others are having an appetizer and then I have my appetizer as my dinner. I find this works very well.

I'm almost three months out and I still have trouble with the water before/after issue. Since my fill I have to wait an hour after drinking anything before I can attempt to eat and thank goodness for soup. I couldn't even get chili down today after putting it through the "bullet blender" and I've always been able to do chili, I was so disappointed. Tonight, it was all better.

I am too having a hard time with the water issue. After all-there are so many minutes in the day-and it takes so looonnnggg to chew properly! I get so thirsty after my meals!

I too drink right up to my meal, but not for an hour afterwards. I do have soup once in a while, but when I do, I eat the liquid first, then the rest. It is extremely hard for me to wait that hour, but I find if I remove the glass of liquid from around me, it makes it a whole lot easier. If it is sitting beside me, I will pick it up and drink it before I realize what I am doing.

I think the hardest part is when you're sitting in a restaurant and the server sits that glass of water down in front of you as she arrives at your table. I usually add my swt-n-low and lemon, then just before I leave I ask for a large cup to go, then I take my water with me so I'll have it when it's time to drink. It's so refreshing then.

Bandsters should not be eating much soup unless it is during the first 2 weeks post op stage. Liquid calroies will kill ya and slow your weight loss down. You need to focus on hard proteins and solids that will stay in the pouch for a long time. I have not had soup in 9 months unless I had gotten a fil land had 3 days of liquids. I stay away from all liquid calories...It is one of the rules I can honestly say I follow very good

Great post- learned alot & had no idea of liquid calories-as applied to soup. thanks La Madam

I had to do 6 weeks of liquids...when I was on liquids, the drinking before and after rule didn't apply.

Now that I am past that, my doctor's rule is only 1/2 before, during and after. Not as tough to follow.

If I have a liquid meal -- occasionally, I'll do 1/2 of a Carnation Instant Breakfast for breakfast, I don't worry about the rule.

Good luck!