Drinking while eating?

Anybody putting milk on their cereal, eating protein shakes during a meal, etc? I am still not mixing fluids with food but I sure miss it! I get soooo thirsty during meal times, I sometimes think about not eating, just having a big ole glass of water or tea. For instance, I just ate dinner and I am SO THIRSTY, but I know I have to wait another 1/2 hour before I can drink! Waaaahnn! What are you doing in reference to this and how is it going? Belle

I do have issues with drinking while eating. 95% of the time I don't, even though I want to, but occasionally, I do. Sometimes you just have to have a sip. Or if you eat something hot/spicy, you just gotta have something cool to wa**** down with! I realize it's bad. I should probably avoid foods that make me want to drink urgently, but it's hard!

Here's the truth- atleast currently- I have never been able to master this rule. I drink before and after my meals without waiting and sometimes I drink with my meal- although usually only when I'm eating out. On a positive note I consume more fluids now than I ever have in my life. I have almost completely stopped drinking the watered down juices that I was craving. I drink a boatload of the WalMart version of Crystal Lite. Speaking of which- has anyone else noticed a residue on the bottom of the glass after going through the dishwasher- like a powder? I'm wondering if I need a new dishwasher or if that's normal. If it is normal- my intestines have some serious powder in them!!! I know this is a self-defeating behavior and one that I swore I would never do. It's hard to be that organized - planning your meals around your fluids. Definately something I need to work on... Holly

Belle, like Holly I have never mastered the whole waiting before and after a meal. I wish I could and a lot of times I try but I usually end up taking a sip of water. But ya know what I don't drink enough to really wash anything down and I don't get the hungry feeling either so I figure what the hey. I'm still losing so...... Anna

Well, since you ladies are all doing great, it cannot be too horrible right? You know, I was really good at it to start with, but mostly because if I tried to "wash food down" with a drink, it caused me a lot of p`1ressure-type pain in my esophogus, so that helped me break that habbit quickly. Now that my pouch is a lot more flexible these days, drinking while eating doesn't seem to be a problem, but I know I should avoid it. ESPECIALLY since I know that drinking too quickly after eating makes me hungry again! Holly- I am the worst about it when we eat out. I always ge****er with lemon and sip on it during the meal. I don't know why it is harder when we are eating out?! BTW- I don't do Cyrstal Lite, so I don't know about the film in the cup. I really like water and tea, so that is what I stick with. Although, since we are being honest, I do drink caf-free pop a couple of times a week!

Hi there, I wanted to let you know my experience. If you read my profile you will see that I had allot of complications with my surgery I have not updated it in a while and hopefully I will soon. but I had to have my insides stretched 3 times since my surgery and they were all close together. My new plumbing keeps closing I found that when it wants to close again it is hard to eat then the food I can get down (about two tablespoons at a time) gets stuck so I have to force it down with water or tea. My surgeon told me not to do that because I am getting no nutritional value from the little food I am able to consume. so I had to decide between getting scoped every month or losing some nutrition. So I chose to drink my food down. I now take all my vitamins regularly whi*****lude a multi vitamin, calcium, B12, and biotin. My blood test came out fine all my levels were in the average range. My other home remedy when I feel like I am starting to close up I know this by the amount of food I can consume I drink a diet 7-up this stretches my plumbing and allows me to eat without pain for about three weeks. If I drink with my food and have a diet 7up every three weeks I do fine. Is this wrong OH YES it is but it works for me and I don't have to be scoped every 3 weeks. I have lost about 92 lbs give or take a few. I feel great. I eat about a cup of food at each meal which is 3 times a day I snack on sunflower seeds throughout the day. Warmly, Alice

Alice: Like you I have had gastroscopy procedures three times since my surgery as well. I might just have to try the diet 7-up trick to see if it works. It has been 2 weeks since my last stretch so far so good but I can always tell when the stoma is starting to close again. I am willing to give anything a try. It is better than vomitting and having that pain and choking feeling. Good luck with your journey and thanks for the tip! Debbie Orangeville, Ont. Canada 303/201/150?

This has honestly been the most difficult part for me. Lately I will sip after a meal a little but I won't have a full glass. It is getting pretty hot here so I can't imagine that I'm going to adhere to this very well coming soon. I don't really wait 30 minutes after I drank to eat. I find that I'm not affected by waiting or not waiting. Remind me again the reasoning behind this? If I'm messing up I need to know so I can resolve it. I honestly thought it was only the beginning stages of the surgery that this was most important. Adrianne

Hi Belle - As annoying as this "rule" is, I have to say that I do stick to it diligently. I stop drinking 30 min b/4 and wait 30 min afterward. I haven't tried cereal or really even eat chunky soups because of it. My nut. said that I could try cereal, just don't use alot of milk. i do find that my tummy rumbles more when i have soups or even chili that has alot of liquid. The only time i have trouble with the eating and drinking is when i drink alcohol..... i can definitely feel it quicker so i try and off set feeling "tipsy" by snacking alittle bit when i have a drink. Thankfully this does not happen on a regular basis. Marta

So, I am kind of with Addrianne... what is the rational again for not eating and drinking at the same time? Washing your food through your pouch? Stretching the pouch? I really cannot remember exactly why we are not supposed to do this and if it is a "forever" thing.