I'm a drinker....a gulper...a 4 glass kind of drinker during meals....

[optasia 3]

I haven't have the surgery yet, but I'm wondering if there are any people out there who used to drink a lot. I don't mean alcohal, but diet sodas and Water. I take huge gulps and will go through several glasses during a meal. Here's what I'm wondering...how much can you drink in a day, during a meal and at a time? I mean, could you sit down and drink an entire glass? I'm just a thirsty kind of person (not diabetic) and the job I do is very physical, so I sweat and gulp Water. How much at one time can I get down in the first couple of months? I'm concerned I'm going to feel faint while working.

Also, diet sodas....how did you give those up?! Can't imagine.

[Rovobay 920]

sleeve will change all of that!!! I can chug 16 oz bottle of Water in a few seconds.... not any more!!! I am a few days out of surgery and I am too scared to drink fast as I do not wish to feel the pain of drinking too fast. I am learning to sip constantly throughout the day. hopefully some veterans can chime in with the longer outlook.

[marmello 77]

Im almost 6 months post op and can chug some. Not nearly like i used to . Never with meals. I can get away with a couple small sips during a meal but thats it.

[Cairobat 52]

Well, here's the bad news - you'll have to give up drinking with meals. Most doctors recommend that you wait AT LEAST 30 minutes after your meal before you consume any liquids due to the "funnel effect" of the liquid pushing food out of your pouch (where you want it to make you feel full) into your intestine. I wait an hour. But the good news is, getting lots of fluids is highly encouraged.

And as for diet sodas, which I used to love - I got a really lucky break! One day, they just didn't taste good anymore.

[snowkitten 371]

I was a big drinker too (nonalcohol). I would drink WAY more than the required amount a day easily. I'm 3 wks out from surgery and while it's become easier to drink than the first few days, I still can't drink as much as I used to. Maybe 4oz at a time if I'm concentrating on it. But the good part is that I always drank so much Water to keep the hunger at bay. Now I don't NEED to guzzle water.

You actually won't be able to drink any fluids at meal times. Every dr is different with their rules but in general it's something like no fluids 30 mins before and 30 minutes after a meal. Thats something i still struggle with but I hear it gets easier.

Soda... Ah I miss it. You can still have it as long as you get rid of all the carbonation. I have found the trouble isn't worth it and to tell the truth the one time I did it to a 7up (had a bad upset tummy) it ended up being WAY too sweet.

[jessiquoi 623]

i hear you, i was concerned about that too. i have the same drinking habits as you, except i don't do diet soda. i've decided to just trust what everyone else tells me about tastes and habits changing post surgery.

about your job being physical... maybe you just won't need as much Water after the surgery, as you begin and continue to lose weight, because you won't be working so hard to do whatever it is you do? does that make sense?

[KQH 69]

Diet Coke tastes nasty to me now. I can't stomach even a tiny swallow - yay!

I can do about 3-4 swallows at a time. Any more than that and it's uncomfortable. Your body will let you know how much you can do at one time and it'll change.

Still no drinks during meals, other than an occasional sip. It's been the hardest thing for me to get used to as I was a meal drinker like you!

[Katcloudshepherd 630]

optasia,

I was amazed that after losing a significant amount of weight, how much less I would sweat. I used to be a BIG drinker of liquids with my meals. I learned to adjust to my doctor's recommendations of nothing 15 minutes prior and waiting an hour after eating to drink. It was difficult at first because it's a habit. Like any habit, it takes practice to stop doing it. A few times I took a drink without thinking about it and my body immediately let me know that it was not acceptable. I take a small sip to take pills with food--but it's a super small sip to get the pill down.

Even in a South Texas summer, I was amazed at how much less I sweat.

Blessings,

Kathleen

[McButterpants 2,846]

I'm 10 months out and cannot chug or take more than 3 drinks in a row. If I do, it hurts. I've heard that some people can get back to drinking quickly, I am not one of them. I have learned my limits and strategies for getting in more liquids - I do hot yoga and staying hydrated during an 80 minute practice can be challenging when you can only take in a couple of ounces at a time.

During meals, you should not drink. You should not drink 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after a meal (follow your doctor's rules - some might be slightly different from this one). This will help keep food in your stomach longer, giving you a full sensation. This is important - if you drink while you eat, you will force the food out of your stomach and will need to eat sooner than if you didn't.

If you haven't had surgery yet, this is the perfect time to start "practicing" for post-op lifestyle. Start cutting back on the amount you drink during meals, eventually cutting back to nothing.

As far as diet soda, or any soda for that matter, carbonation is bad. It's bad for your body, it has no nutritional value. Post-op, the carbonation is bad for your new tummy. I've tried to have a couple of sips of soda and UGH, it made me feel bad. Again, start weening yourself off the soda. (I had to be caffeine free prior to surgery - my vice is/was coffee. I had to slowly cut back, then pinkie shake with my doctor that I wouldn't go back to my old coffee drinking habits.)

This journey is a series of gives and takes. I can tell you, if I was given my choice to live my as I do today or going back to my old way eating copious amounts of food and doing what I want, I'd chose my life today. All the sacrifices, all the frustrations, pain, hours a the gym....so totally worth it!

Edited September 15, 2014 by McButterpants

[4grands 10]

I'm one month post-op and I must say it was challenging to remember that I couldn't chug down Water or juice. I'm not a soda drinker, so that was easy. This is most definitely a life changing event and if you're going thru with the surgery, you MUST have a made up mind to adhere to the Dr post opp instructions. It's for the best, I promise!

Good luck on your journey!

[optasia 3]

Thanks everyone! I'm thirsty just reading this post. Guess I'll have to work on this. I had a friend who had the surgery and I was asking her how she dealt with eating in front of people at first. She said she would take a small bite, then sip some Water. Doesn't seem like she was following the rule, but I guess that worked for her.

[Yasman 195]

Hi Guys! I'm a former guzzler during meals. Having wait staff refill my Water glass 4-6 times in a single meal sitting. Switching now to not drinking anything during a meal is hard.

I confess I am still trying to work on developing the habit of 30/30 around a meal... the first half of that is tough because I haven't always planned out when the meal is going to happen. Poor planning. The second half of that is hard because I'm just dying to have a sip... either while eating or shortly after finishing. I have started/perfected the habit of checking what time I'm done eating and am working on making it to 30 minutes because the desire is just so strong i'm like 6 minutes? 12 minutes?! 22 minutes only?!?!? and somewhere in there break and have something before I go stir crazy.

Some wise person on this forum wrote once about making sure the last thing you eat tastes good because you're going to be tasting it for 30 minutes... how right she was!

I am still a gulpy if not guzzly kind of person. I know the size of my tummy and know that I can take as many as 5 good size swallows before I cause myself any pain, but I choose to only do that when my body is screaming for some liquids. Otherwise, my 64oz of liquid get a swallow here, two swallows there. Which should be ok.

Anyway, good luck to you in your journey!

[optasia 3]

So I'm wondering....the problem is that the liquid moves the food quickly through, so you don't get that full feeling, right? I wonder if that's the same issue for people who haven't had the surgery like me. I'm so busy drinking and eating that maybe if I just slowed down the food could sit and I'd get a chance to feel full?

[Paloma68 31]

I was a 25 year diet cokeaholic. I'm 6 weeks post op. The other day was craving a diet coke so bad and ordered one. Was only going to take a few sips. Yuck!!! One sip made me sick. Threw rest out. Now I don't have craving at all.

There's a video on funnel effect and Water with food. I would cheat a little on that 30 minute before/after rule, but stopped after watching that video. Really opened my eyes. IDK if anyone knows how to post link but it'll help.

I hated not drinking w/ meals, but now, 6 weeks out, I've adapted. Find that I'm fuller longer also. I was a chugger too, and definitely can drink more than at beginning but my 44oz drinks are now 16-20 oz. I use straw, even though not recommended because it helps me drink more and I haven't seen any negative side effects from it.

[JadedMage 39]

cant drink during a meal, cant drink 30 min before or 30 min after, if you are not ready to give up diet soda and follow the rules then you are not ready for this surgery. (btw diet soda is just as bad if not worst than regular soda)

but think about this, you were gluttonus enough to get to where you beleive you need to have this surgery, Its now time to give something up to get what you want, what we all want and thats to loose weight.

Seriously dont go into this thinking you can still do what you have always done, if you are not willing, right now to sacrifice then you are not ready for this surgery.