drinking water, advice needed...

[Band Chick 3]

I am trying to do everything I can to prepare for my new Bandland life. I am struggling with the "no drinking with meals" rule. How did you get over this? Also, I drink a lot of Water, but it tends to be in gulps and small clumps of time, like 32 ounces in 1 hour. How do you drink your daily water?

[Teachlady 3]

I started the no drinking with meals the week before surgery. It was tough, but it can be done. My treat inbetween meals now is my icy cold Crystal Light slushie. I put my Crystal Light in a Deja Blue bottle and put it in the freezer just before I eat Breakfast. It's ready an hour later when I can drink it. I do the same before lunch. I drink 1/2 of one bottle between breakfast and lunch, 1/2 a bottle between lunch and dinner and then 1 bottle from dinner til bedtime. That's 66 oz a day, a little more than the recommended. And you must remember to sip, sip, sip.. no gulping!! Your band will remind you of that rule!

[Rhonda39 0]

Thanks for the advice, I've been trying and not having much sucess with it either. I'm trying to practice for when I start my band life as well.

[captain danbo 0]

I am almost 3 weeks post op and let me tell you for the first week it was very hard for me to drink very fast. it would take like 1 1/2 hours to drink one 16.9oz bottel. but now I drink fast. not as fast as I was pre op but I gulp and I can't really tell anything.

[Jeni 85 0]

this is by far one of the hardest things for me to get used to... I am so guilty and i wish it were easy but its not... im am getting slightly better at this but still struggling and im 4mts post-op:rain:

[mariecarmen 1]

I started not drinking with dinner at the same time I started my post lapband diet of a shake for breakfast and lunch and a small Protein dinner--about 2 weeks before surgery.

I'm a visual person and what helped me was to imagine all between meal liquids as cool and refreshing. I would visualize cold mountain streams or waterfalls to entice me to drink more.

At meals I would imagine liquids as oil or melted butter. Would I consider drinking either with food, heck no.

Try also to keep your eye on the prize--not drinking for 2 hours a day is a small price to pay for permanent weight loss.

Good luck! We all know how tough it is to break old habits.

[OH Juli 15]

The first time I gulped and went "holy crap!" pretty much kept me from doing it again.

I just keep liquids away from my plate at meal time.

As for inbetween times, when I think about putting something in my mouth, I go for Water or Decaf iced tea before I eat anything. Keeps my hydrated and I typically don't want to eat.

[TracyinKS 7]

With 2 fills and 2.75 cc's in my band I am still able to gulp Water..... I drink 1-2 30 oz glasses between Breakfast and lunch and another 1 or 2 before leaving work.

I constantly remind myself that I will only be washing my meal through the band if I drink with meals... I have a daily talk with myself about it because I WANT to STAY FULL!!!!!!!!! Right now my restriction has loosened so I can eat plenty, any liquid would empty my stoma...

Not drinking with meals takes some getting used to but you can do it.