Fluids While Eating

[bndjones]

One major concern I have had since committing to the sleeve is fluid intake before during and after meals. My dietician warns me about it and reading some posts have mentioned it also. I'm trying to curb my habit of taking fluids while eating but boy is it tough. What are the experiences of the group to having a few sips of water or some other beverage while eating? I can see that it would take up space but it seems that it would help food go down and also speed up moving it through the sleeve. Looking for comments.

Thanks

[Pam G]

One of the reasons for not drinking while eating is because it moves food faster through the sleeve, which means you'll be hungry sooner and take in more calories, which is counterproductive to weigh loss.

[sraebaer]

My nutritionist told me to think of my stomach as a funnel. Food will just sit there. If I drink a glass of water, it would wash through much quicker. We can't drink while eating and for a while after eating so our food stays in the stomach and keeps us full. Wash it out right away and you'll be hungry right away.

You really won't miss it, it gets to be a habit. Plus you feel full and don't even want to drink.

Good luck!

[Shirl]

This is one issue I'm not 100% compliant, but I'm getting the hang of it specially after a few instances that I had extreme restriction and once I had to throw up. I really think it was because I was having sips of water in between bites. It was very painful and scary. I also made an extra effort to eat slower and chew my food longer, I posted it about a few weeks back. I was confusing that symptom with dumping syndrome.

I was not drinking much water, it was tiny sips during dinner but it sure was a learning lesson.

Now I am being more strict and if I automatically take a sip which sometimes I do. I stop eating for 5 minutes. I get up check the laundry, go to the bathroom or walk around. I am getting better and it's true you do get used to it. We just have to break the habit because for me at least caused a lot of pain.

So do practice your sip sip sip, and chew chew chew. Another thing about masticating your food thoroughly it does go down easier.

[Sandra3]

For the first six months I was really careful not to drink during a meal, unless I had an "emergency" (something unexpected like...spicy or too dry). Drinking during meals felt weird and uncomfortable unless I was having only soup. I stopped drinking usually 15 mns before the meal, not 30. For the past two months, I can drink a little during meals, I feel ok, but I don't like to do it (takes space I could use for veggies, if I drink I can't finish my portion) but living in a tropical country sometimes I'm just too thirsty to wait 30 minutes after my meal to finally drink!
I was drinking a lot during my meals before surgery. Now I don't and it's fine. You'll get used to it, it's not a big deal. Don't worry about it!

[Kindle]

I discovered early on that drinking while eating had zero impact on when I feel hungry. In fact, I actually feel full faster and eat less when I do drink and eat. So no, I do not follow this "rule" at all.

Besides, this rule is more or less carried over from the rules of bypass surgery. With bypass, you do not have a pyloric valve. So yes, your pouch is like a funnel and fluids will wash the food into your intestines quicker. But with VSG, we do have a pyloric valve, which prevents the sleeve contents from just dumping into the intestines until they have been properly "processed" by what's left of our stomach.

And Don't even get me started on the silly straw thing

[Pam G]

For the first six months I was really careful not to drink during a meal, unless I had an "emergency" (something unexpected like...spicy or too dry). Drinking during meals felt weird and uncomfortable unless I was having only soup. I stopped drinking usually 15 mns before the meal, not 30. For the past two months, I can drink a little during meals, I feel ok, but I don't like to do it (takes space I could use for veggies, if I drink I can't finish my portion) but living in a tropical country sometimes I'm just too thirsty to wait 30 minutes after my meal to finally drink!
I was drinking a lot during my meals before surgery. Now I don't and it's fine. You'll get used to it, it's not a big deal. Don't worry about it!

exactly! I get so thirsty sometimes, I just can't wait all that time to drink...usually makes me uncomfortably full, though....

[Lee6Lee]

My daughter and I had the same surgeon. She eats and drinks at the same time and swears she's never heard you shouldn't. She got 30 pounds lighter than I did. Take your pick! She looks amazing.

[Ann2]

When I was losing weight, I didn't drink with meals.

At all.

But then I've lost only 100 pounds and have maintained my weight loss for a year. I am 25 months post-op and weigh 135 pounds at 5'5".

So what do I know.

P.S. Non-snarky response: Why not just follow your surgeon's instructions?