Question:
Will water loading stretch your pouch?

I am 6 months post-op and stay hungry quite often. I am water loading to supress the hungry. My question how much water is to much at one time. If you drink more than 6 to 8 ounces at one time will this stretch your pouch? How long should I wait after water loading, to drink more water?    — june22 (posted on June 17, 2003)

June 17, 2003
When you drink water, it's not actually filling up the pouch...it's still going right through. So it won't stretch your pouch. You can drink water pretty continuously, but I wouldn't gulp it. In other words, I wouldn't drink down 6-8 ozs. in swallow after swallow. I would sip and wait a bit between swallows.
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 17, 2003
Sometimes when you think you are hungary you are actually thirsty. I try to stick to my scheduled meal times and if I feel hungry in between I'll load up on water and see if the hunger goes away. If it does.. then I was mistaken my thirst for hunger. <P> Take Care, Be Well, Be Happy!
   — John T.

June 17, 2003
my dr says u can gulp an it still wont stretch ur pouch. he says stretching ur pouch is harder than u think, and if u get to much water at one time ur tummy will let u know it. so gulp and drink on. the other posters were right, the water passes on thru, and sometimes when u think ur hungry u r realy thirsty
   — amanda W.

June 17, 2003
I am coming up on five months post op and occasionally drink water so fast it backs up my esophagus, which is not a cool feeling...or maybe it is actually...cold...lol! Yet, I can never seem to get down more than a full 1/3 cup of food at a time. I also drink all day, sometimes taking an hour or more to drink 20 ounces, sometimes finishing in 15-20 minutes. The only time I stop drinking is right before, then, 30-60 minutes after meals. Bottoms up!
   — eaamc