Wouldn't drinking before meals be a good thing?

I've been very conscious lately about my drinking before/after eating.  I usually do great after eating because I'm full.  Drinking before eating is still an issue.  Normally, I'm running behind on my schedule and still need to finish off my Propel before I'll allow myself to eat lunch.

Is it such a big deal to drink before eating? 
Isn't it a good thing to fill the pouch so I don't overeat?

I know the argument that if we fill our pouch with water and not food that we aren't getting in enough nutrition.  Is that a true statement or just a scare tactic?

Hi!

I have always heard don't drink for 30min before you eat and same for after you eat...

If you google "pouch rules for dummies" they have something called "waterloading" the gist of it is that if you fill your pouch with water (as much as you can for 15 min prior to eating if i remember correctly) then you eat less (get satisfied with less) doesn't sound to great to me though...

Hope that helps not much advice though...

I've never understood the reasoning behind not drinking for a full 30 minutes BEFORE a meal.  My pouch is a funnel, water flows right through.  It might take a minute or two to clear all the water, but it certainly doesn't stick around for 30 minutes. 

SO... I break the rules and drink right up until I eat my first bite (ok, maybe I wait 1 or 2 minutes before that first bite).  I'm not advocating that anyone follow my example, just telling you what I do.

Maybe someone has a brilliant explanation for why this rules exists, but in the 2+ years I've been part of this community - I haven't heard any real reason.

BTW -- I know all about the no drinking after meals and follow that rule religiously. 

As for the water+food=no nutrition .... the only place I've ever seen this is on the Mayo Clinic website and that's the only reason they give for why we don't drink with meals.  They say nothing about washing food out of the pouch faster or stretching the stoma because you're forcing food through before it's ready.  Again, water flushes food out, so obviously you'd have plenty of room for more food.  It's not like the pouch holds onto the food and the water at the same time.  So that just sounds like an uneducated statement to me.  (It would definitely be true for people with DS or Sleeve though.)

Pam

Great question and it is many that weight loss surgery post-ops struggle with. Think of your pouch like a funnel. When you eat, especially lean dense proteins (chicken, fish, beef, turkey, etc.), the food sits in your pouch. That food staying in your pouch allows you to feel "full" or a sense of satiety, that you've had enough and don't want any more food. Dense proteins, healthy foods will slowly empty out of your pouch keeping you satisfied for longer. When you're satisfied, you won't be as hungry as soon or often.

When you drink soon before/after your meal or with your meal, it will essentially flush the food out of your pouch emptying it by washing it through you. Thus, you feel hungry sooner than you would otherwise. Some surgeons want their post-ops to wait even an hour after eating. The majority though want 1/2 hour before drinking. If you can wait for longer to start drinking, you're just keeping the food in your pouching emptying slowly.

Before my surgery, I was a huge drinker before, during, after my meals. After I had surgery, this was something I really had to work on. When I visualized and understood my pouch as a funnel and the key to weight loss and maintenance was to retain the food longer and for it to empty slowly, I was able to stop. Drinking relating to your meals is a habit. Habits can be exchanged for other habits such as not drinking with your meals and waiting 30 minutes. It can be difficult but it can be done. You will lose weight easier, faster and keep your sense of satiety longer if you don't drink with your meals and wait for 1/2 hour before drinking again.

One way you could avoid drinking before, with or 1/2 hour after is not to have water readily available to you before, during of after as it relates to your meal. Also, when you know you'll be eating in 1/2 hour or so, put your beverage away. When you eat, don't have water sitting by you to drink if drinking during your meals is a challenge. Leave the area you were eating at after your meal, don't have any water or drink next to you. When the 1/2 hour is over, then go get your beverage. If it isn't around you before, during of after meals it will possibly be easier to stop.

I hope this helps. Let me know.

Cathy

At 4yrs post op I still follow the no drinking 30/30~it was difficult to deal with in the very beginning, but now its just what I do! I have never truly understood the concept of "water loading". I know it explains it in the Pouch Rules for Dummies, but I never got why it would work or be helpful to me??? If someone has an explaination for it I'd love to hear b/c I like to learn as much as I can about wls~what works and what doesn't.

Hi Tracy,

I'm with you.  I've read the explanation many times and theory behind water loading but it doesn't really click with me.  I've tried it before and haven't found it do anything except make me need to go to the bathroom more times than normal. 

If someone else has any other experience with it, please let us know.

Cathy

Thanks Cathy for your post and clarification on the drinking before and after rules.

For me I am always thirsty? why could this be? I drink 64 oz plus each day and still feel thirsty.

My daily lunch is usually soup ( low salt ) , would you consider that meal or liquid?

Curious about soup, for a meal, maybe I should switch to something else?

Cathy

Since reading these posts, I've had a mini reform.  If  I drink before I eat, how can I be washing food down since my pouch (well it's tummy for me as a lapbander) is already empty.  Besides I take some supplements that need to be taken with meals.  So I am still drinking just before eating my meal.

BUT I am making a concentrated effort to wait 30 min after I eat to drink.  I even went so far as to set my alarm at noon just to be sure I didn't fudge on the time.

Thanks to each of you for motivating me to do better

Have a good BOTT week coming up