Hi all

I have a hard time remembering to not drink with meals!

im afraid if i dont get a grip on this now that i will mess up my band! any advice, please help:frown:!

Don't get a beverage and put it on the table...simple!

It hurts me to drink with meals, Until I got restriction it didn't matter and I drank whenever. Now that I have restriction it isn't hard at all to "remember" not to drink. One sip and I'm in agony.

I keep the drink in the other room till at least a half hour after I eat, I have found it hard when I go out to eat with family/friends because there are drinks all over the table. I had a very hard time last night, my niece had a pepsi and it looked so good.....but I held it together and did not drink any of it. :-)

I don't put a drink on the table either. As soon as I'm done eating I look at the clock so I know when I can start drinking again. When we got out to eat and they automatically bring water I push it far away from me so it isn't within easy reach.

What others say is the truth.

There is no secret for "remembering" not to drink... you just have to make yourself do it. We all have to "retrain" ourselves in proper eating habits. (mine is, now that baseball season has started, how to eat ice cream - or more importantly how not to... we always have it during baseball season as a treat when the Astros win).

While the band is a great tool, it still comes down to making the right decisions in life, and using your mind to make it work.

Unfortunately it's not about hurting the band - but hurting yourself. The no drinking while eating is to prevent the liquids from washing the food down into your lower stomach quickly. Thus you would get hungry faster.

My doctor recommends if eating out put a napkin over your drink or take the straw out. You can always ask them to take it away. At home it is a matter of convenience. Keep it out of sight and out of mind.

Best of luck to you!

I struggled with this until restriction hit. Once you hit restriction, you will understand how much it hurts to eat and drink at the same time. I don't even try anymore. Relax and do the best you can until then. It will work itself out eventually.

I'm with RESTLESSMONKEY. Don't put anything out for yourself to drink during your meals then you wont be tempted to drink or forget not to. It's hard at first, then you get use to not drink while eating. GOOD LUCK!

I pretty much agree with everyone else! If I am home, sometimes I will get a drink before I eat and then get rid of it once I start eating. If I go out, once I get my food, I push my cup all the way away from me. I also make sure that they do not refil my drink.

I cannot eat and drink at the same time. The couple of times that I have don't it accidently, I suffered miserably by getting stuck...so I don't order anything to drink when I eat out and while at home...I just don't fix a drink with my meal.

When I go out to eat I will not let them bring anything for me to drink. Only when I get choked will I take a sip of my husbands.

I'm three weeks out and have more trouble eating that drinking anyway. I just try not to drink so I don't vomit later. Unfortunately NO FOOD sounds good to me right now. I'm just terribly thirsty all the time.

Hi all

I have a hard time remembering to not drink with meals!

im afraid if i dont get a grip on this now that i will mess up my band! any advice, please help:frown:!

Agree with others. Don't beat yourself up about this. The Lapband system will still work even if you drink with your meals....but will take a heck of a lot longer.

And remember, no drinking with meals is just temporary.

I have had some bad time with eating and drink. I dont even want to anymore. Hurts to much.

I am so glad you asked this question. I have had the same problem during this pre-op diet. Afraid I would screw up after the band. I like the idea of just not having the drink near me while I eat. Good idea!!! Too easy. I would rather not experience the pain. Thanks everyone that replied. B-lo

I learned this the sorta hard way last night.

We went to Chinese for dinner.

All I had was a small bowl of egg-flour Soup (I was banded recently and am still on mostly liquids).

That was fine, but it was the small sips of the hot tea before the soup and the small sips of Water during the soup and the small sips of hot tea after the soup that made the meal uncomfortable for me.

Lesson Learned

-BSG