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Not drinking water with a meal?



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I have not heard this question talked about, but I cant imagine not drinking with or after a meal. How hard has that been for you all? Did you get use to it quickly? This seems very hard to me.

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It takes some getting used to but you will adjust. I would suggest to start practicing before surgery - but actually it is much easier to deal with post surgery. The not drinking for 30 minutes before a meal wasn't a problem for me but initially waiting 30 minutes after was harder. However, i did try drinking about 10 minutes after a meal and it didn't feel so great so now I make sure to wait. To help, I set the timer on my phone. For reference, I'm about 6 weeks out from surgery now and still use the timer on my phone as a reminder but it isn't hard to wait anymore.

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For me it's been really hard because before surgery I was a major Water drinker I loved my Water now I get nauseous some time drinking my water but having to wait 30 minutes is hard because you have to keep the taste of food in your mouth like eggs nasty not great but I am starting to get used to it and you will to it all just takes time getting use to all the changes best of luck

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I was a major Water drinker as well. I'm just about a month post op now. It didn't matter so much during the puree stage, but now that I've moved on to dense Protein it is actually uncomfortable to drink water after eating, sometimes even an hour or 90 minutes after! So I have to rethink my eating/drinking schedule to make sure I get enough water in. I do believe it gets easier as more time passes.

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Once I made a commitment to it and made a habit of it, it wasn't hard at all. Now the thought of eating and drinking at the same time seems very strange to me. I've done it a couple of times post-op, and it is not a comfortable sensation. I can't say it is painful but it feels uncomfortable and just wrong, physically.

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I've drank a couple times without thinking..immediately my body reminded me why it wasn't a smart choice. I felt discomfort for the 30 mins plus.

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I'm three years out and I never adopted this rule. I decided I wasn't eating with a dry mouth for the rest of my life. The rule is in place so you don't wash your food through your stomach more quickly and thus end up eating more, not because there's a medical reason you would hurt yourself. As long as you're paying attention to what you eat, there's no medical reason you can't drink at the same time.

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This has been one of the hardest things for me to adapt to. It's torture not to drink while eating AND have to wait 30 to 60 minutes after. :(

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I have not heard this question talked about, but I cant imagine not drinking with or after a meal. How hard has that been for you all? Did you get use to it quickly? This seems very hard to me.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

It has been a very, very, very easy adjustment.

It is now very natural and normal for me to not drink with meals.

The thing that I have the most difficulty with is eating slowly. I still tend to eat too fast, which means my small meals are done really quick and I feel full right away.

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I'm a year and two months out. It is still a challenge not to drink after eating. Like many others, I was a major Water drinker pre-op. I am finding that the "waiting" period after eating has gotten easier - but is still something I struggle with.

Certain foods make it difficult - chicken breast, pork, etc. - which is often why you'll hear eat these type of foods with some sort of sauce.

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My surgeon says no drinking 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after. However, taking a sip or wetting your mouth while eating is ok. This guideline is just another part of committing to a new way of life. I would rather stay full longer by not washing my meal thru than to end up consuming too many calories because I got hungry sooner.

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What is so strange to me is if Water washed the food through and makes you hungry faster (which I believe after seeing the applesauce /funnel video) why is this not well known for anyone dieting? Shouldn't just apply to barbaric patients.

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What is so strange to me is if Water washed the food through and makes you hungry faster (which I believe after seeing the applesauce /funnel video) why is this not well known for anyone dieting? Shouldn't just apply to barbaric patients.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

A normal stomach holds food because of the shape. A sleeve is vertical so there isn't much of a place for food to rest.

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I have not heard this question talked about, but I cant imagine not drinking with or after a meal. How hard has that been for you all? Did you get use to it quickly? This seems very hard to me.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

It has been a very, very, very easy adjustment.

It is now very natural and normal for me to not drink with meals.

The thing that I have the most difficulty with is eating slowly. I still tend to eat too fast, which means my small meals are done really quick and I feel full right away.

Not drinking 15 minutes before or 30 minutes after, is not a problem for me.

Yes, I feel your pain. Eating fast is an old bad habit that still lingers for me.

I am getting better, at least it isn't as bad as in the past where I ate so fast that sparks were flying off my knife and fork the same way it looks when a circular saw is cutting thorough a piece of aluminum.

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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

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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. 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.

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        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💪
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