Drinking with meals

I know it was a rule to stop drinking fluids 30 min. prior to eating and not to drink for 30 min. after eating. Is this something forever or what is the case?  Just curious!

I was told it was so that you wouldn't fill up your pouch with liquids instead of the protein, veggies, starches that you were eating and your body could extract the nutrients from the food.  Liquids will wa**** right on through and make you too full too fast.  I am 2 1/2 years out and I have water with my meals but I only may take a couple of SIPS to clean out my mouth.  I just get too full if I drink with my meal.  Then later (not much later), I'm hungry again.  If you haven't started drinking with your meals, I wouldn't!

I sip occasionally with my meals- especially if I'm eating out and the meat isn't as moist as it should be, but I've done it before and I get hungry about 45 min after.  Hugs, Angie

Jenny, Liquids wash the food right out of your pouch. To maintain a full feeling longer, don't drink with meals. It is suppose to be a lifetime thing. I would really recommend your trying to stick with that for at least the first year. Quite honestly, when I have meals at a restaurant, I drink with my meals. I don't normally at home though. For me, the biggest reason for that is food texture. If it's too dry and I can't keep it down at home, no big deal. At a restaurant though, I don't want to have to be running to the ladies room to when a glass of water/tea can help me avoid that. I probably started that about a year or so ago...so ~2-2.5 yrs out.  Sherri

I dont drink with my meals now. I was just curious if this was a lifetime thing.  Thanks for your input.

Hey Jenny.  I want to pass along something I was told at my last meeting a few weeks ago.  I'm still having trouble getting meat into my meals.  It's the only thing I'm having problems with.  The NUT recommended that I sip on something hot before I eat meat.  I said, "But I'm not supposed to drink before my meals."  She told me it's ok to sip on liquids up to the time of eating now but not to drink afterwards.  I asked Dr. Diaz about this and he agreed.  I actually tried it yesterday at a restaurant.  I ordered a cup of decaf coffee and sipped on it before fixing my plate.  I got a small piece of turkey from the buffet and didn't have any problems with it.  Guess it really works! Dr. Diaz also told me I could take a few sips if my food is really dry but not to drink during the meal if at all possible.   Hope this helps. Jacqui

Thanks Jacqui!

Just dittoing everyone else...my dad is 18 months post op, and still doesn't drink with meals.  I've already been trying to get into that habit, by waiting until after I've eaten to drink something....it's weird, but everything Sherri and the others posted makes sense!

I don't drink with meals, but might sip when going out to eat. But, I have only ate out a few times. And I do not use a straw, well maybe when eating out. Hugs & Blessings, Gail

The not drinking thing is supposed to be lifetime.  The best analogy I ever heard was from a nutritionist who said that when you drink with your meals or right after it is like flushing a toilet, it flushes the food right out of your pouch allowing you to eat more at one time and makes you hungry that much sooner.

A trick I found for helping me with dry foods is to eat a small bite of a juicy fruit (my ideal is watermelon, found on most salad bars and buffets) with a bite of meat.  It is very easy to drink more than you realize since you are not measuring each sip, but a 1/2 inch square of watermelon provides just enough moisture to make the meat more tolerable.  I was able to implement this as soon as I started back on solid foods and I can now tolerate all meats (chicken, steak, pork, as well as lean ground meats).  Hope this helps.