I had surgery 3/22/2024 and have only been able to drink a few ounces an hour. This morning I woke up hungry and drank a 12 oz protein drink with 35 minutes, I have NOT been able to do that since before surgery. Have I inadvertently stretched my stomach? My eating yesterday was still only 3-4 oz per meal and water in between. I really don’t want to mess up this surgery. I am 8 weeks post op and I thought my stomach could only hold 4 oz - but the drink is 12 oz.

Liquid clears your stomach pouch in a matter of seconds after gastric bypass. I know this because on the morning after my surgery, I had to do a swallow test and l literally watched on the screen as my new little pouch filled with a swallow of liquid and immediately started dripping it into my small intestine. By the time I took the third swallow, the first one was no longer in my stomach pouch at all and the second one was mostly emptied, too. That's how it is supposed to be.

"Stretching out" your stomach is 99% myth for two reasons. First, at the early stage, your stomach is swollen and stiff. You couldn't stretch it out if you tried, let alone with a mere few ounces of liquid. Second, as time goes on, it's supposed to stretch a bit to allow you to eat a healthy quantity of food because you can't live on 400 calories forever. If you stick to your recommended portion sizes, eating schedule, and fill up on healthy foods, it won't be an issue. I highly recommend watching Dr. Pilcher's video about stomach stretching if you're concerned. Bottom line, most people do not actually stretch their stomachs, they learn to eat around the size restriction by grazing all day and eating high calorie junk, and then blame their "stretched" stomach for their bad behavior when they gain back all the weight.

At 8 weeks post-op, swelling has decreased and capacity is closer to what it's meant to be. Drinking 12 oz in 35 minutes is totally normal and healthy at this point. It means you are healing. Solid foods take longer to empty, so eating 3-4 oz per meal will feel very different than drinking 12 oz of water. At 3 months post-op, I can drink 32 oz of hot decaf tea in 30 minutes. I can eat 5-6oz yogurt/bean soup or only 2-3 oz of chicken breast in the same amount of time. It's a function of how much your stomach has to do before it can move along.

My advice is to follow the instructions you were given with regard to your number of meals per day, quantity of food at each sitting, macros, etc. Stop when you feel fullness cues, but don't eat more just because you don't feel fullness cues, if that makes sense. You will never need more than 4 oz of chicken at a sitting, but you will likely be able to eat more than that in a year or two. Resist the temptation, and add non-starchy veg instead if you feel hungry. Build good habits now that you can stick to forever.

Thank you for your response, I was so concerned this morning thinking I’d messed up my surgery. What you said make sense, thank you again

I want to echo Nickel, and also point out that this is why many care teams warn you not to drink for at least 30 minutes post meal -- because the liquid will flush that meal down faster than you want it to in order to be able to absorb all those nutrients.

I'm 2 months post-op, and even though I usually try to take my time with a protein shake and spread it over 30-40 minutes, sometimes at work I'll realized I downed it in 15-20 and am feeling no troubles. (But heaven forbid should I try to eat anything chewable in under 35 minutes, my body will punish me immediately lol)

As others noted, liquids typically pass through the stomach within 10 to 20 minutes and don’t risk stretching it. The stomach is designed to stretch temporarily to accommodate food without permanent change. However, consistently overeating after surgery can lead to permanent stretching. Repeatedly pushing the stomach’s limits with large meals may increase its capacity over time.