drinking with meals??

 I was told not to drink for 30 minutes before and 30 min to an hour after meals.  This is probably one of the most difficult things for me right now!  I used to drink glasses and glasses of diet coke with my meals!  Of course now I only drink water.  Is this restriction forever or just in these beginning stages?

My surgeons plans allows drinking  before my meals, but no drinking 30-60  mins afterwards. That is a forever rule...

The first month or two I remember being able to drink throughout the meal and I did. I wish I had developed that habit earlier on.

My surgeon's rule is nothing 30 minutes before or 60 minutes after. However, I drink up until about 5 minutes before I eat and then wait 30-60 minutes.

I find that if I drink during my meals... a few things happen:
1. I can either eat a LOT more than I should
2. I get very uncomfortable because the fluid sits on top of the food and feels just awful
3. I can't eat enough protein for that meal because I've put food, then water then food and there's no room.

Follow your surgeon's rules, of course... and remember that early out you don't have always have sensation in your stomach so you might not feel overly uncomfortable. Follow the letter of the law early out. It's really one of the things I wish I had followed better.

My surgeon's rules are no drinking for 15 minutes before meals and one hour afterwards.  And yes, this is for life.  You want to eat dense protein first so that it fills your new stomach and drinking with meals or immediately after pushes the food faster thru your digestive track.  Eating dense protein will make you feel satiated faster and not drinking will allow that feeling to last. 

Good luck!

Marie

I think it's a shouldn't not a can't.  My nutritionist told me she can always tell when people start drinking with their meals because their weight loss stops. 

Early out, literally you can't. There isn't your room, your stomach has no idea how to function properly. Liquids soften, liquify food and makes it pass faster, leaving your stomach empty (refer to Frisco's post about pyloric valve function).

If you want overeat, cheat the sleeve, you CAN drink with your meal and resume drinking after eating, it'll give you more opportunities to put more food in your stomach.

Tips to just stop the behavior

Just stop bringing a glass of whatever to the table with you for your meals
When out, because I know that's going to be brought up, just tell the server, No thank you, I do not drink with my meals, and Oh no thank you, I don't even wan****er. Smile and proceed to order your food.

The 30 minutes after a meal should be for life.

The simple explanation; ever watched a hot dog eating contest, all these contestants dunk those buns into a glass of water, guzzle glass after glass of water, right? Well, it's so they can fit more in.

As for my surgeon's rule on this one:

I can drink right up until I take that first bite. No drinking for a minimum of 30 minutes after eating.


3 years out, I can SIP (big difference in sipping and drinking) with a meal if it's spicy or overseasoned. I still do not start really drinking for 30-60 minutes after a meal.

Your capacity will change. I can eat twice to three times as much as I could in the first 3-4 months post-op depending on the consistency of the food. Break the habit now or you'll be trying to cut calories later on and beat the regain monster.

 Forever!!  I can tell you it will get easier... I was one that went out to eat, ate my meal and drank 4-5 glasses of Diet Coke or Sweet Tea.  I always joke and say I was a Camel when eating/DRINKING...  It will become second nature not to.

I did learn one day the hard way, I ate something and was soooo super thirsty and drank like 3 sips of tea, 15 sec later I threw it up.  But in 3.5 months Its only happened one time, it will get easier I promise!! Hang in there  I WAIT 1 HOUR BEFORE DRINKING AFTER I EAT!!

Read Frisco's Pylori Valve 101 informational post as to why drinking with a meal is not a good thing.  My surgeon and nutritionist said the drinnking pattern is forever.  Perhaps a small sip might be okay if what you are eating is causing you to cough or choke or it it's very spicy/hot, but otherwise, save drinking for 30-60 minutes after your meal.

Forever... I know all programs are different only consistency is 64 oz of water daily and 30 min before and after eating