Question:
I have a confession to make ~ : )

I am almost 6-weeks out from surgery and have done pretty good - not sure where I am in pounds but know I've dropped between 26 - 27 inches so far. Here's my confession: I haven't given up drinking during my meals, not completely anyway. I use to have two 16 oz. glasses of lemon water during my meal and now I drink MAYBE 6 oz.. I just can't seem NOT to drink - it's kind of nasty to me to have nothing to help wash things down a little bit..maybe it's just an old habit but this is what I've done. Does anyone else...or has anyone else ever drank through their meals and still lost weight? Would love to hear from you. :)    — Lisa J. (posted on May 18, 2002)

May 18, 2002
I know that when I feel like I need to wash my food down it is because I have not taken the time to chew it enough. If you are chewing your food to liquid consistancy, you won't need to drink with it. Early on I couldn't get used to not having anything to drink with my meals, so I would include a juicy piece of fruit (a couple of grapes, piece of pear, etc) and eat it last. That gave me what I needed. Also, when you don't chew enough you miss out on the natural process that occurs when the saliva mixes with the food to help digestion. We no longer have the digestive juices in our pouch to help with breaking down food, so we really need to let our body do what it was intened to do before the food gets to the pouch. It will take some getting used to, but YOU CAN DO IT!!!
   — livnliter

May 18, 2002
Most people I know personally that are pos/op Sip with their meals. I too cannot eat DRY food. But I do not guzzle and I make sure I chew thorougly, I don't sip w/every bite. Maybe 2-4 oz at the most per meal.
   — jsuggs

May 18, 2002
I usually try and drink ALOT an hour to 2 hours before meals. Then I am not thirsty and not dehydrated and have plenty of saliva to fight the dry mouth. I find that if I drink with meals, I get too full. But that is just me:) 2 1/2 post op down 148 pounds and still doing good!
   — M B.

May 18, 2002
The reason I NEVER drink with my meals or after taking vitamins is becauase a friend of mine had terrible nutritional deficeincy from doing that. She was pushing all of her food through so fast it didn't have time to absorb. I also worked in a Gastro clinic and we saw whole pills in the colon when a person had to take a colon prep, so this is the same thing, water rushes throught the system so fast it pushes all the nutrients through. Yes, you will still lose weight, but perhaps the cost of your health. I never thought I could do it, but you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Good Luck!
   — ZZ S.

May 18, 2002
I am a long-term post op and have lost 180+ lbs. For the first six months after my surgery, I couldn't drink a drop of fluid with my meals. If I did, it just "sat" on top of my food and made my tummy extremely uncomfortable to the point where I would have to throw up. Nowadays, my stomach has stretched to about 8 oz. (Dr. says this is normal for being 14 months post-op.) At this point, I can sip a little fluid with my meals. Still not huge amounts like I did pre-op, but 8-12 oz. or so. Absolutely no nutritional deficiencies and still losing weight at approximately 1-2 lbs. per week. 36.5 lbs. to go!!!
   — Terissa R.

May 18, 2002
Hi, I usually do not drink with my meals, after almost 10 months out, I have trained myself no to, but when I eat my protein bar, which was two a day, but now only once a day, I admit I do sip a little water. Those bars are so dry. If I do happen to drink more then I should I don't feel so well afterwards. The best thing to do as another poster stated is to drink a lot of water prior to eating, about 30 to 45 minutes before, usually when you've downed that much liquid your desire to drink with meals will diminish. It is hard at first but if you make yourself aware of it and train yourself, it will become like a normal routime for you. Good luck :)
   — Carey N.