I would like to know if anyone else has drank water or tea while eating? Does it stretch your pouch out? I cannot eat without sipping water.

not neccessarily STRETCH, but my understanding is that if you have food in your stomach, any Water is going ot reduce the ammount you can eat because the water will stay in the stomach while the food is being processed.

if you need a few sips to clear the palette, it's not going to hurt you, but you don't want to drink so much water that you're nto eating enough.

Yep....not supposed to drink liquid while eating. It can be done - just takes some getting used to. I have been practicing to get ready for my surgery since I am trying to break the habit of chugging something after each bite.

From what I undestand...food and liquid fight for space in your sleeve....so if you drink...its less food (which equals less nutrition) in the long run. Even if you are sipping...its taking room away from that exra bite of Protein which will be beneficial to you.

Best of luck!

I sometimes take a couple of sips of water during my meals, it depends on the food (baby food doesn't need water, fish does in order not to get stuck in my throat!). My sips are very little otherwise I really have no more space for food!

There's a big difference between "drinking" and "sipping". It's a tough habit to break and because of my band experience, we had to stop drinking 30 minutes before and wait 30 minutes after eating to commence drinking. The big difference with the sleeve is that I could drink right up until I take the first bite. We don't have a pouch. We have fully-functioning stomach just like we had before they removed that big stretchy part so liquids go in, hit the pyloric valve and empty into the intestines.

When we add liquid to the food, it can make food mushier, and it can move the food from the stomach to the intestine faster which can allow you to eat more, and cause you to get hungry faster. This is a "trick" to cheat the sleeve. I do take sips with my meal if it's super spicy or salty, but it's a minimal amount of liquid. Essentially just enough to wet my whistle.

Early out even sipping can cause discomfort because the swelling is still there, and there is not room for the liquid with the food sitting in the sleeve. Stretching your stomach is pretty difficult, but drinking with your meals can lead to overeating, discomfort, vomiting so you have to find what works for you. If you want to stay within the guidelines provided by your surgeon, and establish good habits post-op, it's best to follow the rules. I can say with 100% certainty that if I do take more than a few sips through my meal, I can fit more food in. During my losing stage, this would have been detrimental to my success. I would have gone over my calorie intake, and that wasn't an option for me. I was too hellbent on getting to goal to sabotage myself with bending the rules. Maintenance is different, and it takes time to figure out what works, and what doesn't.

I have not had surgery yet. However, I know that this is going to be a HUGE issue for me. I have always been a BIG drinker with my meals. It is nothing for me to drink 2 glasses of tea with every meal.

I have been practicing for the past 2 months and I am doing pretty good. I drink up till I eat. Then, not for 30-60 minutes after. It is not so hard at Breakfast cuz I have fruit and it is juicy. I make sure to save one bite to wash it all down!! Then my drive to work takes me over 30 minutes so I am good! lunch is a little harder, but I do it. dinner is the hardest but, after I eat, I usually go for a walk.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Kelly

I was a HUGE drinker with meals too and just like anything in life...you will get used to it. I don't eat 1/2 hour before or after a meal and I am very used to it. To be successful you have to follow the rules. Sipping when you need it, like Tiff says is okay but the idea to this it to fill your cute little stomach with good food and allow it time to digest so you won't get hungry. If I can do it, anyone can