Eating and drinking together

[Sumsuz68 53]

2 more weeks til my sleeve! I'm so excited! But....I'm concerned with eating and drinking together. I'm told I can't do that. Why? What happens? Will there ever be a time that I can drink my Water while eating a small meal to help wash it down? And one last question. How long after I eat do I have to wait to drink water? I'm referring to when I'm on eating solids again post op. Thanks for any insight!

[Tawnie 99]

Because you need food. If you fill up on liquids you cannot eat. Trust me it will make sense soon.

[Aaron in Tulsa 147]

Drinking while eating causes the food to exit your stomach more quickly, which means you feel hungry again too soon. There's no physical harm to drinking while eating, but it makes it a lot harder to lose weight.

[Aaron in Tulsa 147]

I have been instructed to wait an hour after meals before drinking. But every nutritionist is different.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

2 more weeks til my sleeve! I'm so excited! But....I'm concerned with eating and drinking together. I'm told I can't do that. Why? What happens? Will there ever be a time that I can drink my Water while eating a small meal to help wash it down? And one last question. How long after I eat do I have to wait to drink Water? I'm referring to when I'm on eating solids again post op. Thanks for any insight!

You should follow your physician's instructions, but I think ALL of them say no drinking while eating your meal. Like you, I couldn't imagine that, I even practiced for weeks prior to surgery to get use to it. Now days, it's my 'norm'. If I have a drink on the table while I'm eating, it's ONLY for looks!

All doctor's seem to be different, mine says I can drink up until the time I eat, and then I must wait 30 minutes after I finish before drinking anything. It's really not that difficult. The couple of times I tried to take a sip while eating, it is not comfortable. The reason is without water or iced tea to wash it down, the food will stay in your tummy longer, therefore you stay full longer. I use water and tea as an example because that is what I always had and what I drink up until I start eating.

[Geminidrive 389]

I was advised by the Nutritionist and Surgeon to stop drinking fluids 30 mins before a meal and resume drinking 1 hour after eating (I do 30 minutes). Drinking fluids immediately before will fill your sleeve with liquid and you have no room for the nutritious food you need. Drinking immediately after will wash the food out of your sleeve too quickly and you won't maintain feeling full and will want to eat again too soon.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

If I drink before meals I can actually feel the liquid move through my stomach and out. So I do drink before meals, not necessarily right away, but as everyone has mentioned you won't be able to drink and eat anyway. If you do try the liquid will wash the food from your stomach making you less full sooner. Believe me you wont want to drink and eat at the same time. I haven't done this in over 6 years, you won't miss it.

[Chaparra 85]

My nutritionist also told me that if I drink after eating, and I had eaten food that will soak up the Water, it will expand and if I do it all the time, it could stretch my stomach.

[atPeace55 71]

We just had this discussion in my WLS Support group last week as a reminder. You should eat and drink separately because you allow your body to absorb the nutrients of the food you just consumed if you drink while eating you will push the food through fast not allowing absorbsion and it will cause you to be hungry faster.

You can drink 30 mins to and 1 hour after you eat but if you have ate something that is a little dry you can take a sip during to help it go down easier but I would say stay away for those dry or tough foods it will make your digesting alot easier. I drink 30 minutes after I eat and it works for me.

[BeatrizS1974<3 sleeve 94]

I agree with everything that everyone has posted. I am one that pre surgery always had to sip through dinner. I have never been a gulper. Post surgery I don't even have to think about it. Even my kids when setting the table dont bother putting a glass out for me. You wont miss it.

[PdxMan 4,292]

This is not just for WLS folks, but has been recommended for as long as I can remember to lose weight.

The stomach is the mechanical part of digestion. Stomach acids and stomach churning makes the food a liquidy paste. When it gets to this state, the pyloric valve opens up allowing this paste to pass into the intestines where absorption takes place.

If you add liquid by drinking with your meal, that food will get to the paste state quicker and pass into the intestines sooner allowing yourself to consume even more food.

Here is my real-life experience with this.

When I was running somewhat competetively, I could only run a maximum of 4 miles before I would run out of energy or "bonk" as it's referred to. Consuming 1,000 calories a day was just not enough to support the level of activity I was demanding from my body. So, I started drinking with my meals so I could get more in. Let me tell you, it worked. I was able to get 1,800 calories in, no problem. My wife would laugh at me as I would do this. She would say, "Open little pyloric valve, OPEN!" ... and it would. I would be full, have something to drink, and 5 minutes later could eat pretty much the same quantity I had just taken in.

It worked. I was able to run up to 17 miles before I started having back issues (not related to running, but rather being morbidly obese for so long). I just had my second back surgery a month ago and am in PT hoping to get back to running. During this time of lower activity, I do not drink with meals, so I do feel the restriction sooner and have that "full" feeling longer.

Water is not going to cause your stomach to expand. First off, the stretchy tissue has been removed. And if you are eating the right foods, lean Proteins and veggies, those foods don't expand with Water. Rice, Pasta and breads, yes, but you shouldn't be eating those anyway, right?

You'll get used to it, don't worry.

[PdxMan 4,292]

is a great video to illustrate this which has been posted on here many times, but is worth reviewing. This is related to bypass, but it is true for any WLS or non-WLS person.

[leeann71 539]

I have tried a couple of times to eat and drink, let me tell you it is no fun. I threw up both times, what it did is the Water would sink to the bottom of my stomache and cause the food to come right up gross. I also tried to drink afterwards and the same thing. I learned my lesson.

[Sumsuz68 53]

This is not just for WLS folks' date=' but has been recommended for as long as I can remember to lose weight.

The stomach is the mechanical part of digestion. Stomach acids and stomach churning makes the food a liquidy paste. When it gets to this state, the pyloric valve opens up allowing this paste to pass into the intestines where absorption takes place.

If you add liquid by drinking with your meal, that food will get to the paste state quicker and pass into the intestines sooner allowing yourself to consume even more food.

Here is my real-life experience with this.

When I was running somewhat competetively, I could only run a maximum of 4 miles before I would run out of energy or "bonk" as it's referred to. Consuming 1,000 calories a day was just not enough to support the level of activity I was demanding from my body. So, I started drinking with my meals so I could get more in. Let me tell you, it worked. I was able to get 1,800 calories in, no problem. My wife would laugh at me as I would do this. She would say, "Open little pyloric valve, OPEN!" ... and it would. I would be full, have something to drink, and 5 minutes later could eat pretty much the same quantity I had just taken in.

It worked. I was able to run up to 17 miles before I started having back issues (not related to running, but rather being morbidly obese for so long). I just had my second back surgery a month ago and am in PT hoping to get back to running. During this time of lower activity, I do not drink with meals, so I do feel the restriction sooner and have that "full" feeling longer.

Water is not going to cause your stomach to expand. First off, the stretchy tissue has been removed. And if you are eating the right foods, lean Proteins and veggies, those foods don't expand with Water. Rice, Pasta and breads, yes, but you shouldn't be eating those anyway, right?

You'll get used to it, don't worry.[/quote']

Thank you so much everyone! It's all good insight. And pdxman, your story is amazing and completely makes sense! Thank you! Wish me luck because I LOVE to wash my meal down with something. This will probably be my biggest adjustment. 2 weeks and 2 days! I can't believe it!!!!!