Sleeve holds 2 oz vs "I can drink a lot more than that" Questions and Confusion.

[Beck90 189]

I'm slightly afraid to start another topic in this forum but here goes...

okay so when I went to my teach I was told my sleeve would hold 2 oz. period. and that's all I should put in it at one sitting.. but then I read another post by someone here at the forum that was two weeks out and could drink far more than 2 oz of her Protein Shake, Water, etc at a time.. and someone said it was because the swelling had gone down and liquid runs right through the sleeve so this is normal..

So then.. how much of my shake should I be drinking once I'm post surgery.. I had planned to make it in 2 oz increments... but apparently this may not be necessary? 0.0 *bit confused*

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

The sleeve/stomach has a pyloric valve at the bottom that empties the stomach. liquids do not sit in the stomach indefinitely, they pass through the stomach. If you drink slowly, the stomach can empty as fast as you fill it.

[ssflbelle 829]

Inner Surfer Girl if this is the case then why are we told not to drink for 1/2 hour before during and after eating?

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I have a sleeve. I am allowed to drink up to the time I eat. I usually wait a while after I eat just because my stomach is full of food.< /p>

[Beck90 189]

This is interesting.. so if I drink slowly - I'm allowed to drink my entire Protein shake in one sitting? (it's anywhere from 8-24 oz depending on how much fruit, ice, greek yogurt, etc gets added) or is that a no no?

[2goldengirl 2,076]

I couldn't handle 24 oz at once, but I can and do handle an 11 oz Premier Protein shake each morning. I drink it over about ten minutes.

[James Marusek 5,244]

I am 3 years post-op RNY surgery so what I say in regards to sleeve patients may be a little off.

Protein shakes are liquid and you can consume them without worrying about the 2 ounce limit. Provided you blend everything that you put into the Protein shake all is good. But on the other hand, if you add a lot of calories to your Protein Shake, it might affect your weight loss. I would recommend adding only the amount to make the Protein shake taste tolerable.

Because your protein shake is a liquid, it can count towards meeting your daily liquid requirements. So all liquids count towards that goal, including the Water you use to swallow your Vitamins, the liquid portion of the Soups, tea, milk etc.

The 2 ounce limit applies to meals. If you exceed the 2 ounce limit of food in your meals, it can get you into trouble.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

This is interesting.. so if I drink slowly - I'm allowed to drink my entire Protein Shake in one sitting? (it's anywhere from 8-24 oz depending on how much fruit, ice, greek yogurt, etc gets added) or is that a no no?

I don't know why not.

[LibrarianBecky 91]

I had gastric bypass on April 26, 2016. I can drink my 11 oz Protein shake in one sitting without any problems. I am eating puréed foods, and 2 oz seems to be about right for the amount of food I can tolerate at once.

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

[Beck90 189]

That makes sense! Okay I understand now - and I'm also glad that Protein shakes count in my liquid. LOL Thank goodness..

[Daisee68 2,493]

Don't be afraid to ask. It is all a little confusing. And honestly, some of it, you just won't be able to figure out until after surgery. Your stomach will be swollen and getting in very much at all will be tough in the first few days. As @InnerSurferGirl says, liquid will go through your stomach fairly quickly once the swelling goes down. I would suggest making your shakes very small in the beginning. They aren't very good (depending on what it is) if they sit around for a while. In the first few days, it is very likely to take you a long time to drink even 8 oz. Work on 8 oz at a time and take little sips. In my first week, I used a medicine cup which held 1 oz of Fluid and then had to drink that in 2 or 3 sips. If I downed the whole 1 oz, it hurt in my chest. If you need to, set a timer for every 5 minutes to remind yourself to drink and then you will finish about 4 oz in an hour. This is pretty much for the first week and then it gets easier and you can drink more at a time. When someone is saying they can drink their whole shake at only 2 weeks out, they are not (surely) meaning they gulped that whole amount down in one gulp. They are probably meaning they can get it done in 30 minutes if they work at it (drinking small sips albeit larger than the sips taken in the first week). I remember around Day 10 or so asking if it was ok if I was suddenly drinking so much easier. Nope. Totally normal. (Even though at 11 months post-op, I still do not gulp. If I do take 2 big sips, it hurts in my chest for a minute before it all passes through.)

One more thing - check with your NUT on what you can put in your shake that early out. I was instructed not to use fruit until a little way out.

Hope that helps!

[Sophie74656 1,572]

This is interesting.. so if I drink slowly - I'm allowed to drink my entire Protein shake in one sitting? (it's anywhere from 8-24 oz depending on how much fruit, ice, greek yogurt, etc gets added) or is that a no no?

what you're "allowed" to do might end up being very different than what your body can handle post op. Your insides will be swollen and confused, you won't feel your best, you most likely won't be able to have a whole shake in a sitting. Eight months post op I still can't.