no drinking with meals

 this is the hardest thing for me to do ..... as i sit eat and try to choke down oatmeal .... argh  lol i have always had my diet soda with every meal and i got back into doing that and had to stop that .... anyone else havin issues with this ? lol seems so easy yet hardest 

I had a rough time getting use to this also but trust me it gets alot easier as you go along . I dont even think about it after meals now and usually its about a hr till I even pay attention and think dang I could have drank something 30 min ago lol.

What I do is after I get done eating I have some sugar free candy here I love the Baskin Robbins ice cream flavored ones and I pop one of them into my mouth and that helps to get that taste of the meal out of my mouth .

Or go brush your teeth that helps :o)

It gets easier Im three months post op now and I dont even think about it no more. 

I had to learn how to eat slower (otherwise I felt like the food was stuck in my band). Also, look at the clock. When that 30 minutes is over, drink slowly. It's hard to adjust, but it makes the food last longer so u feel full. 1 can of diet soda lasts me over an hour now! LOL

Do you drink diet coke still?  Do you let the carbonation out of it first?

Yes I still drink diet coke... I don't find myself drinking it everyday since it does cause a lot burping. I would say I have about 4-8 cans a week now. Before it would be like 2-3 cans a day!! I concentrate more on drinking water when I am home, and drink  soda if I need a change of pace. Because it is cold out now, I drink hot tea & sf cocoa too.
as for the carbonation, LOL... it's really hard to keep it in! :)
take care

Thx for the info - up until 2 days pre-surgery I drank probably 6 cans a day - I havent had one since end of last year - does your doc advise against it or is he neutral & how far out are you? I have a lot of crystal lite, s/f hawaiian punch etc in my water and I drink cold tea but I love fountain drinks diet of course & would love to have one now & then just as a treat when I am out & about on occassion...

My doctor is not against he. He says as long as it is not overdone, it is ok.
I had my surgury on 11/15/10. So, I am now 3 1/2 months post op. Not an easy lifestyle, since you have to really give thought to what u put in your month and concentrate on chew, chew, chew.... but that's what it takes..
Great progress on cutting down on the cans. That's not easy to do either! You are doing well and I know you will reach your goal.
I definetly have soda when I am out & about.. Otherwise, I would be making frequent trips to the bathroom!!! LOL

wow u are brave drinking that much diet coke in a week 4-8 cans.  I havent had a soda since this past Oct  .

My doc would kill me if I was drinking that much in a week  and if I needed fills he would refuse to give them to me if I was doing that .

You have a very laid back doc if he dont say nothing to you about that, because most docs dont allow you to have any of that after you get the band.

I have been thinking about that for the longest. I had my surgery 1/27/11 and the not drinking with meals is the hardest thing for me. As I eat, my food sometimes get stuck as to where I need to drink in order to get rid of that "brick-in-the-chest" feeling.

 It becomes a way of life.
Once in a while i do have a craving for water during but not often.
wendy