Drinking While Eating/Using Straws

 I know that both of these things are big "no no's" according to our surgeons, but why? Does anyone have any experience with this post op? 

 Hi, the reason you don't drink anything will eating you will push the food through to fast.
Thats why you have to wait a 1/2 hour after you eat. So body absorbs the food.

Drinking too soon after eating causes the food to be pushed through your pouch too fast.  You'll be hungry before you know it and you'll most likely gain weight.  I have experienced it first hand before because I have been so thirsty while eating.  I have learned to hydrate myself before eating and wait an hour. 
The straw issue, I'm not sure "why" but I do carefully drink from a straw now at almost a year out. 

Yep, my doc says drinking with meals flushes the food you eat through and causes you to become hungry again sooner.  I was told no straws because you can pull in too much air.  I am not so sure about that one, but I am a rule follower so I sip.

The no straw deal is because you will inhale air when using a straw and it will cause a gas bubble.  Most people suck in air when they use a straw and don't realize it. 

You already have an answer to drinking with meals, but I wanted to add that it might not seem like  a big deal when you are early out and NOT hungry.... but it WILL become a big deal down the road.  One of the things that is most common among people who have started to regain is that they started drinking with meals (and that is why it is one of the very few things that is universal amoung WLS surgeons).  DON'T DO IT.

Not all surgeons prohibit straws and many only prohibit them very early out (first month or so) while the pouch is healing.  Most people who use them, with or without their surgeon's blessing, find that they are NOT a problem. Many of us found that using a straw not only did NOT cause a problem with air in the pouch, but that it actually made it much easier to get our daily fluid in (and is an excellent way to gag down a protein shake that does not taste very good)!

Lora

No straws at first because of the air factor. I use straws all the time now and have never had a problem.

I didn't use a straw at first because I didn't like the way so much air came into my mouth, but I never was a huge fan of straws. I use a straw now regularly, for Sonic drinks, and especially when driving. The extra air doesn't seem to bother me now.

Regarding drinking while eating, I ignored that for a long while, because I just couldn't get used to it. Before my surgery, I would routinely drink 3 or 4 glasses of liquids at each meal. After I got off liquids post-op, I dropped down to one glass or less, but I couldn't quit entirely, I guess I just like to get the intense food flavors out of my mouth, and add more liquid. Now, I am still eating very small meals (compared to my pre-surgery days for sure), but I am also getting a bit hungrier than I did in the first 6-9 months post-op. So, it seems to be helping to reduce my liquids during meals even more. It also helps if I have a liquidy side dish with my meal, like an orange.

9 weeks out and I had a Starbucks the other day, the first one since surgery, iced, decaf, non fat sugar free vanilla latte , it tasted damn good, let me tell you...i used to be a Starbucks junkie! But point is, I drank it half way before I realized I was drinking out of a straw and figured I got this far... I had no ill effects. Perhaps an extra burp... but other than that, golden.

The transition to not drinking with meals was a hard one for me and I did experiment with it preop. Now, I drink about 2 cups of water in the hour before I eat, so I am well hydrated. I find that even salty things and intense flavors are fine, because I'm not already thirsty. I've tried plenty of salty things, including lox/smoked salmon, and I've been fine. Give it a try...it's worth it now to build a good habit.