Question:
It is so hard not to drink while eating. Is this going to ruin everything?

I have a very hard time not drinking while I eat. I get SO thirsty. Is this going to mess up my pouch? I am trying so hard not to do this. Also it seems like I am hungry too often lately. I am 4 weeks post op and I eat about 4 small meals a day. I am hoping this is normal and I am just used to not being able to eat like right after surgery.    — amanda nelson (posted on April 8, 2003)

April 8, 2003
Amanda, at your stage, drinking with eating will not affect your weight loss but it may be the reason why you are getting hungry too often. Our pouches are just a few ounces or less in size and when you drink with food, you literally wash the food out of it, and then no longer feel "full" or satisfied. We stress not to drink when eating or for a good 45 minutes afterwards right from the start so that you can develop good Pouch habits that will become routine for you as you get further out and can eat more. Staying full longer becomes more important the further out you get. Perhaps you could try weaning yourself off of drinking with eating, like just taking tiny sips while eating to help, and perhaps timing yourself after you eat to see how long you can go without drinking. It is hard for some and does take some getting used to. I used to drink a ton of soda with meals pre-op. Now at 14 months post-op, I no longer even think about it and never drink with or right after a meal as it has become habit. Also, if you are hungry with just 4 small meals, go to 5 or 6. I used to have a good 6 small meals in the beginning and even to this day, if I am hungry (not head hunger but actually hungry) I just eat-just try to choose small amounts of good for you foods, like fruit, cheese, etc. There is nothing that says you have to go hungry with this surgery.
   — Cindy R.

April 8, 2003
Don't worry, you aren't going to mess up your pouch if you drink while you eat. What you will do, though, is cause your stomach contents to empty out faster since they are mixing with liquid, thus making you hungry again in short order. I had a very hard time with it myself, I used to drink 3 glasses of something (anything!) with my meals pre-op. I still take a sip here and there occasionally when I am just dying of thirst but I did try it the other way and noticed a big difference. I stopped drinking a half hour before my meal, and waited about a half hour or so afterwards to drink again. I did find using that method does keep me full longer and I am not wanting to snack in an hour or two. If you do drink with your meals, it might slow down your loss since you'll be able to eat more often and consume more calories. Think of it this way, if you make yourself wait, you will be soo thirsty an hour after your meal that you will be able to get all your fluids in very easily:-)
   — Dee ,.

April 8, 2003
Usually I keep my mouth shut about this, but I DO drink when I eat. I also drink carbonated beverages, and I have lost 126 pounds in 8 months. Of course I don't gulp down water when I eat, I just take sips, and I only drink pop maybe once a week. But anyway, nothing bad has happened to me!
   — fropunka

April 8, 2003
I forgot to add...if you are hungry all the time, maybe you should try not drinking with your meals. It doesn't make a difference to my pouch, but maybe it does for yours. Try not drinking when you eat, and see what happens!
   — fropunka

April 8, 2003
Hi! Here's a suggestion. My surgeon who was trying to make the point during our group presentation that our "need" to drink with meals is mostly psychological that we have control over. He suggested that you drink a full glass of water one half hour before your meal (finish your water a half hour before eating). Don't gulp it, but don't take all day to sip it either. Then in 30 minutes or so eat your meal, and every time you think you are dying of thirst, tell yourself you know you are not dying of thirst because you just hydrated yourself with an entire glass of water before your meal. I think some of it will just be a mental fight to not drink with your meal -- I too drink alot with my meals. Anyway, the water will have filtered out of your pouch before you eat and you can at least know mentally that you are not going to dehydrate. Hope this helps!
   — beeda

April 8, 2003
Yes it is very hard, but so are all of the changes after surgery. Still- It is good advice to follow and I reccomend you trying it until you get used to it- then it becomes a no-brainer. Soon - you will start noticing what you put in your mouth, rather than what you can wash it down with. I actually think it is good advice for anyone (even those without WLS) to not eat and drink at the same time. They would probably get fuller faster, realize how much they are eating- rather than washing down their chow. JMHO.
   — Karen R.

April 8, 2003
I am 10 weeks post op and i drink sips with my meals. My doctor said to drink at the end of the meal, he didnt say anything about not drinking for this amount of time or that amount of time. I dont have a problem with getting hungry often either. I have a problem of when i am busy i forget that i need to eat, i dont get hungry until the food is in my face and i'm ready to eat then. Its quite weird. Anyway, i drink with my meals when i eat and havent had any problems, also, i make my meals last for 15 min to a half hour by eating and doing other things at the same time. If i just focus on the food i would be done eating in 5-10 min and my doctor said to take my time and have a meal last about 20 minutes so i do. I eat normal portions of stuff, i ate tonight a half baked potatoe and a grilled steak the size of a deck of cards (thats a serving size). I drank my water at the end of the meal and its been over 3 hrs since i last ate and i'm still not hungry (but talking about eating is making me want to eat now) so i better go. Good luck
   — rachel W.

April 8, 2003
It could, yes. Try drinking up to the first bite, then waiting 30 min. Even 15 would help. It's the bite-sip-bite-sip that iw so deadly. You can get in 3-4 times as much food as you want to really be taking in. The object is to eat comfrotably for about 15 minutes or 2-3 oz, whichever comes first. Chew, savor, think about the textures & flavors. But hydrate well first.. Not gulping, just drinking easily before you eat. I also have trouble with this now & then. But if I rememebr to hydrate FIRST, it's not so bad. And in all honesty, I do the 15 min. By then the pouch is full, mcuh liquid doesn't feel good & I'm away from the food, so I'm not tempted to eat. And the "wanna eat" switch is already flipped.
   — vitalady

April 9, 2003
Just try drinking more before you eat. this gives the intestines a chance to swell, and hydrate. when you eat, the salt in the food takes what fluid you do have, and if it isn't a lot you do become thirsty. drinking as much as you can right up to the time you eat, about 15 minutes before your first bite, helps keep the food intake to a minimum and the thirst down. you aren't out long enough to follow the "pouch rules for dummies", but it's all in print at this web site : http://www.digitalhorsewoman.com/pouchrules.htm Check it out! Best of luck!
   — wiggie34

April 9, 2003
I leave room for a popsicle. It soothes the thirst without washing out the pouch.
   — susanje

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