Why no water with meals?

[Pam Peltz 56]

I just ate some chicken and would really like a few sips of Water. Can someone remind me why we can't drink for 30 minutes? My pouch hurts!

[YoColeFleet 246]

I just ate some chicken and would really like a few sips of Water. Can someone remind me why we can't drink for 30 minutes? My pouch hurts!

In my pocket that I received, no Water with food because the water will move the food quickly through your pouch, when your pouch is there to slowly digest the food, so that you will stay feeling full longer.

[pookybear 284]

I was told if you absolutely need a drink, drink no more than an ounce. I occasionally take a couple small sips when I'm eating if I need it, but no more than that.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Agree with the others, the Water won't hurt you, just pushes things through faster so you get hungry faster. To a good thing to do regularly but okay if you need it!!!

HW 312, pre-op (RNY) 255, current weight 204.6

[Pattiroo 5]

And I go along with everyone else - Water will just wash the food straight through.

[DLCoggin 1,788]

Prior to having RNY you had your stomach and the pyloric valve at the base of the stomach. The valve kept food in the stomach to allow time for the digestive process and then periodically opened to allow small amounts of digested (partially) food into the small intestine. That process continued until the stomach was emptied - approximately two to three hours.

After RNY, the pyloric valve is still there but there is no path from your newly created pouch to the valve. So the valve is effectively removed from the digestive process. Instead of the valve, you now have a "stoma" which is simply the opening between the pouch and the intestine - no valve to open and close. And since the pouch does not produce gastric acid like the stomach does, digestion in the pouch is more dependent on saliva (which contains about 40% of the digestive enzymes needed to digest our food) to do most of the digestive work in the pouch. The longer the food you eat remains in the pouch, the more digestion takes place.

Food can remain in the pouch for up to two hours IF you don't drink any liquids for at least 30 minutes before and after eating. The longer food stays in the pouch, the more it is broken down in preparation for the intestines to do their job of absorbing the nutrients. The minute you add fluids, the consistency of the food in the pouch is obviously reduced and it passes through the stoma into the intestine much more quickly. Since the food is only partially digested, the absorption of the nutrients by the intestine is reduced. The partially digested food can also be a source of Constipation and even intestinal blockage in extreme cases.

And as noted above, moving the food too quickly from the pouch to the intestine reduces (or even eliminates) the feeling of fullness or satiety. This is partly because of the empty pouch but also partly because if the food moves too quickly, the pouch does not have time to signal the brain that it is full.

Finally, there is some risk of stretching the stoma as the result of partially digested food being pushed through by the addition of fluids. Some doctors consider that to be an even more serious problem than stretching the pouch since there is nothing restricting the movement from the pouch to the intestine.

There are very sound reasons for not drinking fluids 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating. Follow the protocol as closely to the letter as you can possibly can and you're gonna love the new you!!

[oldoneyoungagain 200]

Prior to having RNY you had your stomach and the pyloric valve at the base of the stomach. The valve kept food in the stomach to allow time for the digestive process and then periodically opened to allow small amounts of digested (partially) food into the small intestine. That process continued until the stomach was emptied - approximately two to three hours.

After RNY, the pyloric valve is still there but there is no path from your newly created pouch to the valve. So the valve is effectively removed from the digestive process. Instead of the valve, you now have a "stoma" which is simply the opening between the pouch and the intestine - no valve to open and close. And since the pouch does not produce gastric acid like the stomach does, digestion in the pouch is more dependent on saliva (which contains about 40% of the digestive enzymes needed to digest our food) to do most of the digestive work in the pouch. The longer the food you eat remains in the pouch, the more digestion takes place.

Food can remain in the pouch for up to two hours IF you don't drink any liquids for at least 30 minutes before and after eating. The longer food stays in the pouch, the more it is broken down in preparation for the intestines to do their job of absorbing the nutrients. The minute you add fluids, the consistency of the food in the pouch is obviously reduced and it passes through the stoma into the intestine much more quickly. Since the food is only partially digested, the absorption of the nutrients by the intestine is reduced. The partially digested food can also be a source of Constipation and even intestinal blockage in extreme cases.

And as noted above, moving the food too quickly from the pouch to the intestine reduces (or even eliminates) the feeling of fullness or satiety. This is partly because of the empty pouch but also partly because if the food moves too quickly, the pouch does not have time to signal the brain that it is full.

Finally, there is some risk of stretching the stoma as the result of partially digested food being pushed through by the addition of fluids. Some doctors consider that to be an even more serious problem than stretching the pouch since there is nothing restricting the movement from the pouch to the intestine.

There are very sound reasons for not drinking fluids 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating. Follow the protocol as closely to the letter as you can possibly can and you're gonna love the new you!!

DL, Love your explanation because I was told the same thing, 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after, but wasn't given the reasoning as to why nor did I ask for some stupid reason. So thank you for a very clear understanding as to the reason. But do have a question. If there isn't any food in the pouch 30 minutes before we eat what would be the reasoning of not drinking 30 minutes before? Is it because we are more apt to feel full and not eat the amount that we should or would it be we are washing the salvia down and out that is needed to help the food digest when we do eat? Or is it something else. I just have an inquisitive mind and trying to figure the logic behind it. Would you possibly know?

[Pam Peltz 56]

Thank you all and DL I greatly appreciate the detailed explanation. It also helps me understand the chew chew chew instruction! Wow. Wish they had explained all that!

[DiminishingDawn 50]

Watch this

[zuzuspetals 78]

Prior to having RNY you had your stomach and the pyloric valve at the base of the stomach. The valve kept food in the stomach to allow time for the digestive process and then periodically opened to allow small amounts of digested (partially) food into the small intestine. That process continued until the stomach was emptied - approximately two to three hours.

After RNY' date=' the pyloric valve is still there but there is no path from your newly created pouch to the valve. So the valve is effectively removed from the digestive process. Instead of the valve, you now have a "stoma" which is simply the opening between the pouch and the intestine - no valve to open and close. And since the pouch does not produce gastric acid like the stomach does, digestion in the pouch is more dependent on saliva (which contains about 40% of the digestive enzymes needed to digest our food) to do most of the digestive work in the pouch. The longer the food you eat remains in the pouch, the more digestion takes place.

Food can remain in the pouch for up to two hours IF you don't drink any liquids for at least 30 minutes before and after eating. The longer food stays in the pouch, the more it is broken down in preparation for the intestines to do their job of absorbing the nutrients. The minute you add fluids, the consistency of the food in the pouch is obviously reduced and it passes through the stoma into the intestine much more quickly. Since the food is only partially digested, the absorption of the nutrients by the intestine is reduced. The partially digested food can also be a source of Constipation and even intestinal blockage in extreme cases.

And as noted above, moving the food too quickly from the pouch to the intestine reduces (or even eliminates) the feeling of fullness or satiety. This is partly because of the empty pouch but also partly because if the food moves too quickly, the pouch does not have time to signal the brain that it is full.

Finally, there is some risk of stretching the stoma as the result of partially digested food being pushed through by the addition of fluids. Some doctors consider that to be an even more serious problem than stretching the pouch since there is nothing restricting the movement from the pouch to the intestine.

There are very sound reasons for not drinking fluids 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating. Follow the protocol as closely to the letter as you can possibly can and you're gonna love the new you!![/quote']

Thank you, very clear and helpful!

[Sparklette 381]

I just know that I get nauseous if I drink too soon after eating.

[LeticiaHuggins 177]

If you need a drink take a few sips because you probably could use the wetness.

I do the same thing too. If I grow funny about drinking Water with my meal I'll take a few bits of watermelon after dinner and the wetness from it usually helps quinch my thirst.

~Leticia **HW: 259**PreOp: 216**SURG: 3/21/13 **Discharged @: 221** 3 mons post op. CW: 165.0 lbs. --- Only 15 lbs to my goal ---

[DLCoggin 1,788]

DL, Love your explanation because I was told the same thing, 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after, but wasn't given the reasoning as to why nor did I ask for some stupid reason. So thank you for a very clear understanding as to the reason. But do have a question. If there isn't any food in the pouch 30 minutes before we eat what would be the reasoning of not drinking 30 minutes before? Is it because we are more apt to feel full and not eat the amount that we should or would it be we are washing the salvia down and out that is needed to help the food digest when we do eat? Or is it something else. I just have an inquisitive mind and trying to figure the logic behind it. Would you possibly know?

My understanding of the no liquids 30 minutes before is exactly what you said - you are more apt to feel full and are tempted to eat less than you should. Or some might eat the same amount of food but that raises the potential problem of the combined volume of the food and the liquid stretching the pouch.

That said, your comment about washing the saliva from the pouch prior to eating would certainly seem to be a valid one. And would result in reducing the digestion of the food in the pouch in much the same way that drinking after eating does. Thank you! We're learning!

[DLCoggin 1,788]

Watch this

Wow - how good is this?! Show and tell is always a lot more fun than just plain tell! Thank you Dawn!!

FYI I had to expand the video to "Full Screen" in order to see it so if you can hear him but not see what's happening, just expand it. Great video!

[punkin 20]

I also heard that you don't retain enough nutrients if you drink too soon after because the fluids prevent the absorption.