Question:
I'm clueless to food with water too

If the water washes the food out of the stomach and also we don't absorb the much of what doesn't stay in the stomah, why then should it matter if we consume more. I really just don't get that at all. I would think, you should be able to pig out if the food is washed right out of there so quickly.    — Rosa F. (posted on August 29, 2003)

August 29, 2003
It's becasue the food is absorbed in your intestines, not in your pouch. Washing the food out of your pouch does not decrease how much of what you've eaten is absorbed. It only moves it out of your pouch and into the intestine, where it will be digested and absorbed. Having moved the food out of your pouch only makes room for more food (and creates hunger), but it does not decrease how much is absorbed in the intestines. The food is not washed out of the intestines.
   — Vespa R.

August 29, 2003
Exactly, Rosa -- which is why people who suggest that drinking after eating (or using a protein shake) are incorrect when they suggest that that somehow keeps you from absorbing the nutrients from your food. (If that were true, we all could've avoided getting obese in the first place by eating and drinking together, and I for didn't find that worked, lol!).<P>Obviously, though, if washing the food out makes you feel hungrier sooner, it would matter more if you consumed more food (more calories). That's one reason why eating and drinking together shouldn't happen -- it's just establishing a good post-op habit, NOT drinking and eating together. Some folks do it, but for me, it keeps me from grazing all day long when I realize I gotta devote some time exclusively to just drinking. It's not such a tough habit to learn, really, for the benefits it brings. JMHO.
   — Suzy C.

August 29, 2003
calories absorb in the intestine, not the stomach. rny according to all i have read is moe about restriction of intake and less about malabsorption. yes we malabsorb to an extent depending on how long the bypass is (my dr only does 2 feet or aprx 60 cm) but the restricted intake is far more important. Also , It may be that drinking with meals & pushing the food thru may stretch your stoma and make you more likely to regain and/ or have poor weight loss .
   — **willow**

August 29, 2003
I forgot to add, We all went thru a lot to have this surgery. Money , post op pain, heartache from being morbidly obese. I really think having this surgery gives us a RESPONSIBILITY to ourselves, our families and friends who have supported us thru it, our surgeon, our insurance companies who paid so much, but especially **ourselves** to do our best to make a commitment to follow the rules, follow the program and make this work for us. no fair looking for loopholes!
   — **willow**

August 29, 2003
Willow, FYI, I did not ask this question to find a way to gorge myself with food. I have no interest in reverting to old eating habbits. I was just curious because it just didn't make sense to me. And I guess I'll remain clueless, because even after all the wonderful explainations, I'm still a little unclear regardless of where the food passes through. But this wouldn't be the first time I found science to confuse me.
   — Rosa F.

August 29, 2003
I'm with you Rosa! I don't understand it ether. And I really did try NOT to drink with my meals. You know, don't drink so long before, and so long afterwards. I was just plain getting dehydrated and said to heck with it. I used to try not to drink alot with the meals, but now if I'm thirsty I drink. I don't enjoy a couple cups of coffee with a meal anymore, but do enjoy some water with lemon and splenda. No I could'nt get to goal, but losing 160 of the 190 lbs I wanted to lose is pretty good. And so far at 28 months post op I've kept almost all of it off. So I'm guessing that drinking "some" (not alot) at meals did'nt hurt me any.
   — Danmark

August 29, 2003
Hi, Just wanted to add my two cents worth: I'm now 10 days post-op, and I'm struggling with waiting 30 minutes before and after a meal because I feel really thirsty after I eat. However, at my pre-op class the nutritionist told us that waiting 30 minutes before eating allows the stomach to completely empty all fluids so it will accept the full amount of food we are allowed to have at whatever stage we're in. Waiting until 30 minutes after eating allows the stomach to empty all the food and prepares the pouch to accept fluid again. That's not to say if we get something stuck in out throat while eating, which we all do at some point or another, we can't take a sip to help get it down. I don't like the rule, but I don't want to risk stretching my pouch or rupturing my staple lines by over-filling it. Hope this helps! Good luck, and God Bless! proximal lap rny, 08/19/03, -17 lbs.
   — Moysa B.

August 29, 2003
Rosa, perhaps we are unable to explain due to not understanding what YOU mean by "passing through"?? The food you eat passes through your pouch into your intestines very slowly -- liquid just increases how fast the food goes through. The amount of liquid you take in and when you take it in has nothing to do with how many calories you absorb from your food. You are going to absorb the maximum amount your body allows from each bite you eat, whether it stays in your stomach for five minutes or five hours. Your calories, etc. are absorbed within your intestines. BEFORE surgery, they were absorbed in your intestines AND in your stomach, but because your stomach is now so small, you don't absorb as much AND because you have so much intestine bypassed, you don't absorb as much. SO... it DOES matter how much you eat... the more you eat, the more calories your body is exposed to and tries to absorb as much of as possible. Putting fewer calories in means fewer calories absorbed! The docs don't want us drinking just before, during or after so that the food stays in our tummy longer and keeps us feeling full longer. That's what they mean when they say "washing out" of the tummy. Does this help at all?? Hugs--sharon
   — Sharon m. B.

August 30, 2003
Bing, bing, bing bing. We have a winner. LOL Thanks Sharon and every. Sharon that definately clears things up for me very much. All of the info that was provided by you all was helpful, but Sharon put the icing on the cake and make it more mentally palatable for me.
   — Rosa F.

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