I did ask this question to a member of my surgical team and they said that it didn't really apply to Sleeve patients as much as it does to Bypass patients.

How do you guys have your fluids?...Do you make sure you don't drink anything 20 minutes before and after your meals?...Or do you just drink whenever you want?

Snow xx

I drink right up until that first bite. I do wait 30-45 minutes after eating to resume drinking. Occasionally, if I'm eating spicy/salty foods, I will take small sips to just "wet my whistle". If I'm having wine with my meal, I do sip it throughout my meal without issue. I could not do this early out, but now I have zero issue with taking small sips, never big drinks, while eating occasionally.

For before meal drinking, we have a pyloric valve, and no pouch. The liquids go in, swish around and go right into the intestines. It doesn't hang out in that little banana shaped belly we have. This is the explanation that was given by my surgeons and 2 nutritionists.

Edited June 28, 201016 yr by Tiffykins

My nutritionist advised that the 'rule' was that I was to stop drinking 15 min prior to meals and 30 min afterwards to resume fluid intake. While I stick to that for the most part, I find I cannot resume anything for at least an hour or so .. I am just too full. The premise though is that you want your stomach empty (enough) so that when you start to eat, the food will settle in your stomach and satiate you. If there is fluid in there before or after, the food could slide through quicker and therefore you could consume more food than you should. Just my 2 cents ..