How do you get used to the fluid rule?

Its frustrating sometimes! I have to make sure, i stay, hydrated and by eating I have to devote a little over an hour of no fluids just to eat. I am 10 weeks post op and still cannot, get used to this. Any advice? Also,i am eating 3 greek yogurts a day for, protein, mostly is this ok? Its the dannon, light and fit. How do, you all, adjust, to no drinking while eating? I suppose, had, I worked on, this, before surgery it wouldn't, be such a huge, problem. I am typing from, my, onscreen keyboard on,my, phone so please forgive all, the commas.

I drink till I eat, then eat and once I am done i wait 30 mins to start drinking again. Normally I dont even bother getting a drink out or if we eat out I order water, and just move it to the other side of the table. Measure your food, eat what your allowed and chew well. You get used to not drinking while eating.

I got used to that rule the hard way. If I drank after eating, even sips of something, I got sick. Ugh. Real sick. I still do.

Now when I eat there is no drink in sight. Whether I am at home or out. Period.

I got my fluids in just by drinking whenever I wasn't eating. All the time. No rest. It gets sickeningly regular after awhile, just a learned habit.

Yogurt is fine but try to eat high protein items all the time. Protein first, meals, snacks if allowed, protein all the time.

I drin****il I eat and then nothing for half an hour.  Some meals are more difficult than others, so often I will chew a piece of sugar free gum after my meal until I can drink again.

As for yogurt three times a day, its fine, but I would get so bored if I did that.   I try to get a variety of proteins with veggies and/or fruits in all my meals only adding in whole grain carbs if the rest aren't filling me up (which is rare).    Even once a day yogurt and after a week I'm sick of yogurt.  

Trust in us, you will.   This all takes time and a lifetime of habits are really hard to change at first.  No, don't beat yourself up because you didn't practice this prior to surgery.  It would not have mattered because you see, you have to experience this first hand.  It would be impossible to tell anyone getting ready for surgery how this is going to feel trying to get fluids in.  Some people have very little problem, most it can be a struggle.  It was months mzlaura, before I could get use to having to drink all the time.  I was drinking as much as could even though I was so nauseated right out of surgery but was terrified of getting dehydrated and I sure as hell didn't want to go to the hospital for IV fluids. 

I now drink water with Mio water enhancer literally all day and through the night when I wake up every few hours.  I sleep sporadically and so I LOVE drinking.  OMG I never drank water like this in my life.  I do not drink at all with meals and for our protocol we drin****il 5 minutes before, even though I drink right up until I eat, and we only have to wait 20 minutes before eating again.  They, meaning many surgeons were finding out patients were getting dehydrated waiting 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes or even an hour after a meal.  I see many folks on here panic trying to figure how the heck are they going to get their fluids in right after surgery and I so understand.

So hang there, I didn't feel human until the fourth month.  Take care and keep on the water wagon!   Jane

I think you get used to it just by doing it.

There is no reason  to to drink right  until the time you eat.  If your surgeon's rules say not to drink for a certain time before meals, ask him/her WHY they say that since liquid goes out of the pouch almost as soon as it enters it.  (I have yet to hear a surgeon give a reasonable answer... it is usually something very vague.)  What difference does it make once the water is in your intestines (where it flows down until it hits food so the water you drank a half hour so and the water you drank 2 minutes ago are in the same place)?

The best way to get used to not drinking with your meals is to not have anything to drink on the table.

I don't see anything wrong with eating 3 yogurts a day for protein other than that yogurt is a slider food and once you get your hunger back it is probably not going to keep you from being hungry very long.  Solid protein (cheese, eggs, meat, beans) will keep you full MUCH longer.

Lora

I think what's really helped me adjust us I try to force myself to have atleast 16 oz of water immediately upon waking and before every meal. I also drink between meals once the hr is over but if I force myself to do it before the thirst isn't bad, and I know I'm doing a good thing by getting in my water

I agree that if you had done it before surgery, it would have helped. From my first appt (Jan 2) I was told no water for at least 30 minutes prior or 60 minutes following a meal. And I am now really used to that. It was always funny to me when I would tell a waitress nothing to drink and they'd say "Oh, I'll just bring water then!" really brightly like they had just brought world peace to light. ;)

One thing I do is leave a Tervis tumbler filled with ice and some water by my bed. When I wake during the night, I drink and go right back to sleep. I don't even notice I am doing it necessarily, but in the morning, it is down 10-12 ounces and yes, I am accounting for the melted ice. :)

My husband had to keep a water cup with him constantly until he was about 5 months post-op.