I've done alot of research about the post op diet requirements and one thing is driving me crazy. I've read that you cant drink fluids with meals and should actually wait a predetermined amount of time before and after a meal to drinking anything. What i cant find out is WHY! I fully intend to follow the rules, but Im one of those people who have to know the reason. Is this just so that you can ensure that when you eat that you fill your pouch with only nutrients, or is there some other bigger reason?

Have you all followed this rule faithfully, and if not, did you notice a consequence to not doing it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0VM3mnsgM

(sadly, I know there is a way to embed videos here but I can't figure it out!)

Edited April 21, 201412 yr by Bufflehead

Well you can drink with your meals if you want to feel super uncomfortable, sick and vomiting. Just a couple of days ago I made the mistake of taking a couple sips of Water during dinner and when I went to stand up, I threw up. It was bad. Lessoned learned! and I'm 4 months out.

So I think that is the reason you are told not to drink with your meals, plus of course your doctors want to make sure you are getting all your nutrients in and you cant do that if you don't have the room in your stomach when its fill up with Fluid. I was actually advised not to drink a half hour prior to eating or a half hour after eating, or during my meal.

It's so you don't flush the food out of your stomach too fast... And believe me it is a hard rule to follow!! Sooooo hard! It's so easy to be like "hey I'm done so I'll just sip my Water while you all finish".... NOOOOoooo that doesn't work! Ugh. Personally I feel downright rotten if I drink anything right after eating... And 10 weeks out I am STILL messing that up!!

Some folks are even told to not use sauces / condiments (ketchup, mayo, BBQ sauce, etc) to keep food from sliding on through.

That's going to be the hardest rule for me to follow after I have my sleeve

That's going to be the hardest rule for me to follow after I have my sleeve

It's one of the rules that's COMPLETELY counter to non-WLS weight loss.... Without WLS people say "drink a big glass of Water before your meal so you're more full" and post WLS it's like "never drink ever!

When we're out at a restaurant, I drink 'til the salad comes - it's not a full 30 mins pre-food but it's at least 10.... My nurse was like "close enough, just don't drink AFTER"

I used to drink 3-4 glasses of Water every meal. I thought this was going to be the hardest thing for me after WLS. But I got used to it and I don't even think about it anymore. I drink up to about 5-10 minutes before a meal and then wait about an hour afterwards. I've gotten to the point where I can feel if it's OK to start drinking again and most of the food has left the sleeve.

For me, if I drink with food or too soon afterwards I feel very nauseous and the liquid bubbles back up my esophagus. Believe, me, I am not tempted at all to drink with meals now. The worst of it is no wine with meals if we are at a nice restaurant. So if I am having wine, I have it early and make sure I'm done before the food comes. If there is any left I give it to someone else at the table. I tell the server to make sure my wine comes well before the food. If it doesn't get there until the food arrives, I send it back.

I'm so high maintenance

Edited April 21, 201412 yr by NMJG

Thank you all so much for the replies. It makes sense now. I think that will be the hardest thing for me to alter. I always have a dry mouth and are thirsty so I've got fluids next to me constantly.

Having the lapband previously scared me enuf about drinking with my meals. The Fluid would back up in the "cork" and come right back up. At time, after eating, it still feels like I have "something there" (like the band), preventing liquid from going down, so that scares me enuf to not want to drink with meals. I can tell when the food is passed (usually 25-40 mins) and then I can drink.

It's really hard to eat Mexican spicy food without drinking. If I eats something too spicy, I will suck on an ice cube till the burn goes away. Wish my cravings for Mexican would just go away!

Good luck!

Sometimes if my food feels like it's stuck..... I have a few sips of Water . I have drank more after eating and It makes me feel very uncomfortable....

Someone already said this but, the reason is that you'll flush the food in stomach right on thru and you'll get hungry again sooner than you would if you didn't drink. I can attest to this. I've tried it. Also; it can overfill you and possibly stretch your sleeve or even make you vomit.