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Can someone explain why eating and drinking at the same time is forbidden?



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I am having trouble separating eating from drinking. Can someone explain to me why we are told not to do this? I need convincing at this point.

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Ive heard that it will stretch your sleeve and it will not allow you to get your nutrition FIRST...just eat then wait 30 mins for your beverage!

Im having a hard time not drinking and eating too...its a habit we must change. Im still working at it...Im post op 5 days

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My doctor said since our sleeve is a malabsorption surgery we eat and drink at the same time it basically rinses the food down to our new stomach as well as we are suppose to chew very well so we can absorb the nutrients. Trying to put it in the best way that I knew. Hope it helps ;)

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I have had Water too soon after eating and it's not comfortable! I have also taken a tiny sip when things are to spicy or make me cough a little I try really hard not to tho.

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Um...there is no malabsorption...no re routing of the intestines at all...just not able to eat as much...one of the reasons I chose this surgery. As far as drinking with eating...it does wash some of the food down faster...so you can eat more sooner. In the beginning I didn't listen to this and got very sick a few times and learned my lesson. Now almost two years out I can eat and drink a little bit at the same time...but I do notice that when I do this I am able to fit more in. Good luck!

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Two reasons...first is that because our sleeves are so small, there isn't room for both food and liquid...second is that when you mix the two the liquid acts to break down the food faster and move it through the digestion process faster, and they want you to stay satiated for as long as possible, so no helping it along.

As to the other poster who mentioned malabsorption... The majority of the absorption of nutrients happens in the small intestine, so not sure about that as a reason to keep food in stomach longer.

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My surgeon said that if you eat and drink at the same time, it flushes the food thru your system faster allowing you to eat more food / calories which in turn equals slower weight loss. Also, I tend to think that pushing your food into your intestines before your new stomach has time to break down the food will cause some unintended side effects (constipation or more likely diarrhea).

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This is definitely my struggle also, if I remember ... Drinking causes volume in your stomach, which takes away from the space needed for food. I also heard somewhere that it can push the food through your stomach quicker... Not in a good way. Again, I am not sure if either are true. I am not good about not drinking up until I eat, but I have learned my lesson on waiting 30 min after, otherwise unpleasant things happen!

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Will it always be like that? Is it temporary or forever?

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It will be like that forever. I am actually really used to this now. I only stop drinking about 5 to 10 minutes before eating but I wait 30 minutes or more after eating to drink--especially if I eat a meal with some Fiber, like raw veggies. I don't feel well if I accidentally drink too soon after. This was actually my biggest concern about the surgery (not drinking while eating) but it becomes the norm pretty quickly post-surgery. My RD suggested I practice doing it before surgery and just couldn't bring myself to do that--but after surgery, it makes you feel the best, so it's easy to embrace it.

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This is one of the FEW topics that ALL plans agree on. So first, you don't need convincing, you need to set new habits!

OK, when you eat food, you get full. That tells your brain to stop eating. Adding liquid (as others have said) causes food to move too fast into the small intestine, and you lose the benefit of saity. After a month, I am very used to this new behavior, and it has become natural.

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I eat and drink together, same as always. I have never heard a compelling reason not to. I met my weight loss goal in a reasonable time and am having no trouble maintaining. Sleeve surgery is NOT malabsorptive, it is restrictive.

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I am having trouble separating eating from drinking. Can someone explain to me why we are told not to do this? I need convincing at this point.

I throw up. Violently.

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http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/vsg/4458217/The-Pyloric-Valve-How-it-works-with-the-VSG/

^ This pretty much covers it.

VSG is a life changing procedure and it is ultimately up to you whether it succeeds or not. Some people may get lucky and they don't have to make major changes to their diet (other than eating less) to effectively lose the excess weight but most people must sacrifice a litany of things to be successful.

It's important not to dwell on those things you give up, however, and instead focus on all the benefits weight loss and improved health provide. Think of it as a cost/benefit analysis.

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Lots of good answers and advice. I am aware of not drinking and eating at the same time, I just do it in small to medium amounts, and nothing happens that others have mentioned. No running to the bathroom or throwing up. So I really had no reason to change that habit. But I knew it wasn't what I was supposed to be doing.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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