No drinking rule with snacks?

[tinyforks 6]

I am five weeks post op and finally starting to feel hungry enough to want a small snack in between lunch and dinner. I was wondering if you enforce the no-drinking 30 mins before/after rule with small Snacks. I've been holding firm to the rule and totally understand the rationale behind it, but it definitely is making it hard for me to reach my Water goals. I have no problem drinking, but having to give up 1.5 hours of drinking time per meal really adds up! It seems like giving up another ~1.5 hours for a snack just isn't worth it.

How do you handle drinking around snacks? TIA!

[catwoman7 10,873]

the no drinking rule applies to Snacks, too, unfortunately.

P.S. one thing I started doing early out which seemed to help (and I still do it, nine years later) is drink 16 oz of Water as soon as I get out of bed in the morning - before eating Breakfast, even before drinking my morning coffee. That way I'm 1/4 of the way there (i.e., to my water goal) before eating breakfast and getting dressed!

Edited January 18 by catwoman7

[Shanna NYC 130]

It does apply to Snacks as well, however for myself personally, I don't have to withhold liquid prior to eating or snacking and depending on what volume I'm eating, I don't wait the full 30 mins after. 15-20 mins suffices for light snacks. I will wait the 30 after a meal. I'm not suggesting this for anyone -consult your team and listen to your body- but like all things not every rule is going to be 100% hard and fast for a 100% of people.

Same way I am with carbonation and straws. I can't always handle a full seltzer bubble, but some fizzy energy drinks do not bother me. Drinking with a straw also keeps me hydrated. I did not implement any of these until after I felt fully healed and I started slow, testing out what each felt like.

That being said, yeah start drinking Water from the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes at night. Walk around with your water so you can sip throughout the whole day.

[KathyLev 284]

I didn't know about the 30 minute rule . I guess I've been doing it wrong the whole time ! I constantly have a drink in my hand and usually end up drinking about 90 oz. a day!

[BeanitoDiego 119]

I'm like @Shanna NYC, I stick to waiting 30 minutes after a snack, and always 30 minutes or more after a meal. And like @catwoman7, I drink Water first thing in the morning, usually getting in at least 16 ounces before having breakfast or coffee.

I'm almost 6 months post-op, and the timing of my water intake has become a habit and I'm able to get in at least 80 ounces a day. One difference that I can see between us is that my program told me that I can have a drink/water at any point before I eat.

[BlondePatriotInCDA 230]

12 hours ago, tinyforks said:

I am five weeks post op and finally starting to feel hungry enough to want a small snack in between lunch and dinner. I was wondering if you enforce the no-drinking 30 mins before/after rule with small Snacks. I've been holding firm to the rule and totally understand the rationale behind it, but it definitely is making it hard for me to reach my Water goals. I have no problem drinking, but having to give up 1.5 hours of drinking time per meal really adds up! It seems like giving up another ~1.5 hours for a snack just isn't worth it.

How do you handle drinking around Snacks? TIA!

I actually did the math and took it to my surgeons office asking exactly how did they expect me to do it!? I further explained I'd have to drink right up to bedtime and sleep was just as important in the healing process, so if I drank just before bed..I'd be getting up several times in the night. I was told they "know right out of surgery there is no way to get in the entire Water requirement." They just want you to try.

My math (basic because I suck at math):

Average "day" (excluding time for activities you can't be actively drinking water i.e. driving, showering, different tasks at work): 12 hours

No drinking water 30 mins before and after and during a meal: 90 mins+-

90 x 3= 270/60 = 4.5 hours per day you aren't allowed to drink

12 hrs a day +- - 4.5 can't drink. = Leaves you 7.5 hours to get down 60+-oz each day

7.5 hours to get down 60oz each day @ 2oz. max each "drink" = .12 to get your sip in. In other words not real easy or possible if you also add nauseous! This isn't taking into consideration snacks (which I didn't do and still don't).

Needless to say they found me funny. I wasn't going for "funny!" Said they'd never had a patient break it down before. I told them I'm a Histologist who manages a laboratory measuring in microns/millimeters/centimeters etc. everyday what did they expect?..

Perhaps they should have done the math before asking patients to do something! I asked who has time for that!? That's when they said to work up to it, its not expected for awhile, to just try..its a goal to shoot for. Eventually you'll be able too. So no worries, just do the best you can!

😆

[ms.sss 14,693]

since the beginning, i found that however amount of liquids i drank before eating solids didn't seem to matter. i could drink as much as i want right up to the first bite, with no issues.

what i DID have to adhere to was waiting 30 mins (sometimes 45) AFTER my last solid bite before i drank anything again. if i didn't, i would feel overly full and maybe barf.

[Spinoza 1,190]

At 5 weeks post op I was just having 3 teeny tiny meals and lots of fluids. When you say you *want* a snack in between meals do you mean that you fancy something in particular (head hunger) or that you can't distract yourself from proper hunger with fluids or random activities, or that even if you do that you still feel proper hunger? 5 weeks would be super early for proper hunger to return!

In any case, and to answer your original question - I stuck rigidly to the 30m before *and* after rule for about 18 months. I found after that that I could drink right up to the point of eating so I relaxed that part. However I still wait for more than an hour after eating before I drink fluids. It seems to prolong my satiety.

Best of luck - I hope you can find your way through.

[Tomo 1,138]

I have been following the rule the way @ms.sss has, I have always drank up till the meal but afterwards, I've been hardcore about not drinking till at the very least 30 minutes, but usually go much longer, until I feel my stomach has emptied. The times I have drank after 30 minutes, I feel hungry much sooner so I wait as long as possible. It applies to Snacks and meals, any time you have anything other than a liquid, including Soup.

[Arabesque 6,491]

You drink you pee. Flush those toxins out. Reduce risk of bladder/kidney infections.I can easily pee 6 times a night & I still average 8 hrs most nights. I still drink during the night every time I get up to pee & get in another 250 odd mls (8ozs).

Even your Snacks should be nutrient dense which is why the waiting before & after eating to drink still applies. Don’t want to waste any of those nutrients, esp. Protein, by washing them through your digestive system too quickly,

Yes, in the beginning it can be a challenge to meet your fluid goals. But as long as you’re making an effort & are close & getting closer all is good. And it does get easier. Take larger sips, & more frequently.

[catwoman7 10,873]

I did forget to mention that even though I had to wait 30 minutes before and after eating, once I moved on to solid foods, I only had to wait 30 minutes AFTER eating. I could drink up to the point I started eating something. Not sure what the rationale was there - maybe there's more of a risk of nutrients being washed out of your stomach when you're on liquids and/or purees when you drink BEFORE eating, too (which makes sense since those don't stay in your stomach for very long).

[BabySpoons 533]

I was told drinking before a meal took up space that should be reserved for food. That never made much sense to me since liquids usually move quickly through. But in the beginning, I still waited 30 minutes before and after eating. Nowadays I wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour but only after a meal. Depending on the meal. It is quite painful otherwise if I don't.

I would forego the Snacks if I had to choose between them and staying hydrated.

GL

[GMaJen 78]

I felt like all I did was eat and drink. That was my job, all day long. My biggest problem was that if I slept in or my work was keeping my attention, I'd fall behind on my drinking. I was so glad when I could start drinking more at once. Do your best, just don't let yourself get dehydrated.

I always have Water and drink flavoring in the car. I drink best while driving and walking because I have nothing else to do. As some of the others say, I drink up until I.m about to eat. How long I wait to drink after depends on what and how much I ate. I get a warning hiccup if my stomach is full. If I don't stop, my stomach will hurt.

[tinyforks 6]

On 1/18/2024 at 10:30 AM, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

I actually did the math and took it to my surgeons office asking exactly how did they expect me to do it!? I further explained I'd have to drink right up to bedtime and sleep was just as important in the healing process, so if I drank just before bed..I'd be getting up several times in the night. I was told they "know right out of surgery there is no way to get in the entire Water requirement." They just want you to try.

My math (basic because I suck at math):

Average "day" (excluding time for activities you can't be actively drinking Water i.e. driving, showering, different tasks at work): 12 hours

No drinking water 30 mins before and after and during a meal: 90 mins+-

90 x 3= 270/60 = 4.5 hours per day you aren't allowed to drink

12 hrs a day +- - 4.5 can't drink. = Leaves you 7.5 hours to get down 60+-oz each day

7.5 hours to get down 60oz each day @ 2oz. max each "drink" = .12 to get your sip in. In other words not real easy or possible if you also add nauseous! This isn't taking into consideration Snacks (which I didn't do and still don't).

Needless to say they found me funny. I wasn't going for "funny!" Said they'd never had a patient break it down before. I told them I'm a Histologist who manages a laboratory measuring in microns/millimeters/centimeters etc. everyday what did they expect?..

Perhaps they should have done the math before asking patients to do something! I asked who has time for that!? That's when they said to work up to it, its not expected for awhile, to just try..its a goal to shoot for. Eventually you'll be able too. So no worries, just do the best you can!

😆

Yes, exactly this! My friend and I were crunching the numbers, too! We are both teachers and were joking that we were probably the only ones to taken written directions so seriously 😂 Thank you for the advice (and the validation)!

[tinyforks 6]

On 1/20/2024 at 12:46 AM, GMaJen said:

I felt like all I did was eat and drink. That was my job, all day long. My biggest problem was that if I slept in or my work was keeping my attention, I'd fall behind on my drinking. I was so glad when I could start drinking more at once. Do your best, just don't let yourself get dehydrated.

I always have Water and drink flavoring in the car. I drink best while driving and walking because I have nothing else to do. As some of the others say, I drink up until I.m about to eat. How long I wait to drink after depends on what and how much I ate. I get a warning hiccup if my stomach is full. If I don't stop, my stomach will hurt.

I feel so much better knowing I’m not alone in feeling like my Water and Protein goals are a full time job 😂 Thanks for the words of advice!