I am 15 days post op and I am having the HARDEST time trying not to drink while I eat (especially if I'm eating anything starchy). I make myself do it, but then about 30 minutes after I eat I can drink a gallon! Why is it again that we shouldn't drink and eat?? This so far has been the hardest thing for me.

Luluc I could diet too and did. repeatedly. Lost more than my body weight. And I didn't mean to insult you, either, but in fact to say that if you can drink and eat, you are achieving loss etc WITHOUT using the band. It's like owning a hammer...you seem to be building your house without ever picking it up. Good for you! But for many of us, that super full feeling isn't promoted by liquids. Many stomachs don't recognize liquid as "food"...no matter if it's nutrient rich. And if liquid pushes my "real" food through my stomach faster, then it won't help me. I have the band and no restriction and I might just as well have not gone through the process at all, for how "full" I DONT feel. Many of us are that way. If you can feel full on 1/2 cup of food and drink with your meal, then I applaud your willpower! That's all! for most of us it doesn't work that way. They don't understand satiety and hunger yet so it's possble that full pouch does something for many but not all of us. It's possible that just having the band triggers something in you that it doesn't in me. Who knows? If it works for you, good. I can just say the band BETTER work the way I said, for me, Or I just wasted a bunch of money and time.

i think i must clear a few things up.

i had to have 8 fills for restriction. 8.5 in a 10cc band. if you go and look at the food & nutrition as well as the exercise threads i used will power to not exceed my needed weightloss caloric intake and worked my butt off.

so i understand not being full - and i never could sustain myself on 1/2c of food at any meal. this is trial by error ; one has to determine what it will take calorie wise vs what you burn thus resulting in weightloss.

normal people (those not banded) lose weight having a glass of Water w/their meal.....

i don't view me wasting 15k on getting the band, because i 2 was self pay & in double fashion as hubby was banded the same day x 30k.

i don't buy your theory of getting the band / hammer & drinking w/meal story - i said i'd be the dissenting voice & i'm ok with that ...

i know what you mean missy. That is the hardest thing for me to do also. Does anyone know how long they require you to stop drinking alohcol before surgury? i was banded Aug. 22 but my hubby will be banded Oct.6 and he drinks alot of beer!

Sorry to say Beer is carbonated,and my doc says no soda,beer or champagne.

I have found that if you include seedless grapes in your meal they will supply enough moister to take care of the dry foods.

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but my doctor's info pack (the one you get at surgery) says drinking while eating can cause your pouch to stretch. I would love to know if this is false, because it has me SCARED to death, lol.

I drink before eating and while eating I do a kinda gross thing. I take sips of Water swill them around and while keeping the glass at my lips put the water back into the glass. This has really helped me to not need a drink, but I MISS it!!

It bugs me when out with a group if everyone is having wine, I feel like I need to slug mine back in order not to break the rule.

I have been having severe low to mid back pain now and then and one bandster told me if you drink while you eat you'll feel like you have a fist in your back. I am now wondering if this has caused my pain or it's just exercising. Anybody experience back pain after drinking during meals or heard of it? I try not to but need to drink a little bit of water sometimes. There have been times when I forget and take more sips and then think " OH NO, WHAT AM I DOING DRINKING WITH FOOD?" Hard habit to break, used to guzzle water or diet tea during meals before surgery. I also have a nutcracker type esophagus so drinking helps it go down. ps. I was banded 12/26/08 and am down 48lbs, just had 1 fill of 1cc so far and feel good except back problems.

Edited May 1, 200917 yr by AuntGigi