Drinking and Eating ?

[CALI118]

Hey Friends -

I have been told that we should not drink 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after eating....

what is the reasoning on this? I am guessing to not stretch your stomach pouch.

Right now I am almost 2 weeks out and they told me to not worry about this right now since I am doing all liquid (except yogurt and sugar free pudding.)

THANKS FOR YOUR ADVICE!

[RehabNurse]

Those of us who are sleeved don't have stomach pouches...we've got sleeves. People who have undergone the Roux-En-Y gastric bypass procedure are the ones who have stomach pouches with simple stomas.

The 30-minute rule is one that's mostly applicable to bypass patients. Since they have simple stomas without a pyloric valve, drinking with meals could flush the food out of their stomach pouches prematurely, leaving them hungry and likely to overeat because their brains have not yet received the signal that they've just eaten. After people eat, it takes 20 minutes or so for the stomach's stretch receptors and hormones to convey the message to the brain that we're full.

Drinking immediately before meals results in a 'wet' pouch that is theorized to be less likely to hold onto the food they (read: bypass patients) consume. Drinking immediately after meals is thought to flush the food they've just consumed out of their pouches, leaving them hungry and likely to graze.

On the other hand, those of us who are sleeved still have our pyloric valves at the bottom of our stomachs. This valve controls the rate at which food empties from our stomachs. Gastric bypass patients do not have pyloric valves, so they have no mechanism to control the rate at which food leaves their pouches.

During the first few months, you shouldn't drink with meals because doing so may cause you to feel full too soon, so you're less likely to obtain adequate protein.

However, drinking with meals will not stretch your sleeve. Drinking with meals will not cause the food you've just eaten to be flushed out of your sleeve (the pyloric valve prevents that).

Essentially, the 30-minute rule is a vestige that appears to be taught to all bariatric patients regardless of surgery type, but it will not really apply to you the further out you get from surgery.

[CALI118]

THANK YOU REHAB NURSE...I really want to understand the why behind things. That helps a lot. They are calling my stomach a pouch and I did get the sleeve. It is hard to not have a common language. Your response really helped - thanks!

[Christie13]

I am 8 1/2 months and can eat and drink together if I want to. I usually don't and here is why. I get full too fast and feel uncomfortable. Usually I will drink some water when I first get to a restaurant and then wait and eat. If I need a sip of water, I will have some. I am sure it will be easier to do both in time.

[GigiUSA]

I had my sleeve surgery July 3rd and today is the first day I am eating a few bites of tunafish (canned tuna in water mixed with low-fat mayo) and a little low-fat cottage cheese. I wanted a drink so bad and this post/response could not have been more timely for me. Thank you for the clarification xo

[tripletdadof5]

My doctor recommended no drinking 15 minutes before eating and 30 minutes after. His rationale is that too much water in the stomach puts pressure on the pyloric valve, causing it to release food too soon.