I've been thinking about this alot. My dietician said that I don't really have to worry about the drinking before but mainly after (although I'm not following her advice and I am actually drinking and then waiting 15 minutes and then eating)

But really my question is. If it's liquid which goes straight thru why exactly do we have to wait so long and then eat? I understand the after part - Because it pushes food thru and is painful and if you push the food thru then you're going to be hungry again. But can anyone really tell me why we have to do the before? Thanks

I've never heard not to drink before eating. I always drink right before so that way I don't find myself thirsty right after eating.

If your dietitioin told you not to worry about it, why do you think it is an issue?

I was told to stop drinking 30 minutes before and resume one hour after.

Maybe they want to make 100% sure that the pouch is empty???

I dunno skinny, I mean I don't want to eat and then feel hungry and hour later because there was still liquid in my pouch I guess. I just seriously don't get the before tho you know, especially when it goes straight thru.

I have no idea. I've been wondering the same thing.

I am with you all! My instructions said to wait 30 minutes before. I keep wondering why also!!

No water 30 minutes before and again no water until 60 minutes after--that's what my dietiician said also. But since I'm not a big drinker naturally, I don't have any problem with those two rules (I have to force myself to drink my 68 oz. of water a day--and reward myself with a sticker on my calendar). I get the wanting to understand the "why?" on your part, really I do. But, someone on this board said that she figures that her doctor knows a lot more about the human body than she ever will, so she's just going to follow her doctor's orders (that sounds like such a harsh word--what else would you call it though?). I took that to heart for me personally, because I have a history of rationalizing and reasoning myself out of doing what I really should be doing. Sometimes it's like Mom used to say: "Because I told you so."

My doctor says stop drinking 5 min before eating & resume 20 minutes after eating. I can habdle that.

I am allowed to drink right up until I eat, but then not for 30 min. after.

My understanding is that it is two fold: fullness and satiety.

Fullness: Not drinking before or after (the times vary, but it comes down to don't drink/eat in combo) let's the whole system (before, during and beyond your band) deal with food and only food. This allows us to have a genuinely full feeling. The full feeling you get from liquids is much more fleeting and, unless its Water, gives an excess of calories.

Now, satiety is another issue. Think of your most fantastic meal. Mine is a Beef Filet (tenderloin) cooked med rare. The first bite is fantastic...but many bites in, well they just don't measure up to the first bite. So, to renew the taste, the practice is to cleanse the palate with a liquid (water OR a fabulous Sonoma Valley Zinfandel, for instance) so that the next bite of steak is just a scrumptious as the first. Get the idea? If you take away palate cleansing between bites, then you end up with the genuine experience of just the food...you are much more likely to finish the whole filet if every single bite is dazzling. Likely to stop before it's gone if this is not so...