Just a couple of questions... - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

CarrieP · 01-27-2009, 02:41 PM

Ok, so I am 43 days away from surgery and have a few questions that I need some insight on from those of you post op. Nothing major, just wondering...
1. How long do you have to 'sip' water? Is it for the rest of your life? There is nothing like a big glass of ice water and just chugging it down! Especially after working out, how do you just 'sip' water to hydrate yourself?

2. Along the lines of drinking...I know the rules of not drinking 30 minutes before/after a meal. Is that forever as well? Sometimes, while I'm eating dinner I try not to drink and find it so hard. I understand that the meals will be much smaller and will have to chew much longer, but still, don't you need to wash it down?

Ok, I guess i only had 2 questions, but I'm sure I'll think of more, and other people can use this to ask questions too

ragazzarosa · 01-27-2009, 02:43 PM

I have the same questions...anyone?

Phoenixfire · 01-27-2009, 02:50 PM

Just want to suggest that if you haven't done so already that you do a search on the "drinking rule" or "30 minutes" and you'll see a lot of posts from post-op people on this subject.

LOTS of information!

Gwrenchgal · 01-27-2009, 02:53 PM

Well, I can definately drink more water than in the beginning. I no longer sip..but can take drinks of water...maybe a mouth full. But was far as gulping and chugging water, I am 8 months out and believe me it is very uncomfortable to drink to much water in one swallow. I can drink a bottle of water in about 15 minutes now, and it used to take a couple hours, but that is drinking steadily, definately not chugging.

As for the 30/30 rule, it is for the rest of your life. My surgeon said drinking with meals is one of the MAJOR contributors to regaining weight. For me in my mind this was going to be the hardest thing to do. And in the beginning it was...but drinking with meals makes me foamy and the water just sits on top of food, its unpleasant so I don't do it. My instinct was to try and drink water to get food moving if something felt uncomfortable, this is a mistake for me. The water just sits on top and it makes it more uncomfortable for me. Gravity works better to get food moving. Depending I can either lay down or take a walk or some combination of both to get it moving. Not drinking with meals is second nature now. I don't really miss it. It only took a couple of really uncomfortable experiences to help me to realize this..lol.

OsoDelDesierto · 01-27-2009, 02:54 PM

Welcome and congrats on your upcoming surgery!

1. With respect to sipping water and other beverages, it may be for the rest of your life, but probably not - you will probably be able to drink more normally the farther out you are post-op. Everyone is different, so some people can drink more water fairly quickly, while others who are well along are still taking constant baby-sips. Personally, I can drink water reasonably quickly and get in 7-10 liters (230-330 oz.) per day. I'm almost a year post-op, but could get lots of water in fairly soon after my Sleeve healed, and many RNY patients have been able to do so as well. Just don't push it - the pain is not worth it and your body will tell you when it can handle more than just sipping...

2. The "30-45-60-whatever specific minute" rule your surgeon sets out is for life - waiting after meals to drink water prevents flushing food out of the pouch too quickly (and drinking too soon can cause pain and vomiting as well), which could result in earlier hunger and overeating. It's a very different way of doing things, but you do get used to not drinking during meals and waiting a certain amount of time after you've eaten, honest!

JumboJulie · 01-27-2009, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarrieP

Ok, so I am 43 days away from surgery and have a few questions that I need some insight on from those of you post op. Nothing major, just wondering...
1. How long do you have to 'sip' water? Is it for the rest of your life? There is nothing like a big glass of ice water and just chugging it down! Especially after working out, how do you just 'sip' water to hydrate yourself?

2. Along the lines of drinking...I know the rules of not drinking 30 minutes before/after a meal. Is that forever as well? Sometimes, while I'm eating dinner I try not to drink and find it so hard. I understand that the meals will be much smaller and will have to chew much longer, but still, don't you need to wash it down?

Ok, I guess i only had 2 questions, but I'm sure I'll think of more, and other people can use this to ask questions too

Question 1 .....
The sipping thing will go on for quite a while. Right after surgery I was sipping 1 ounce or water an hour. A few weeks later I was sipping about 6 ounces of water an hour. And from there it just gets easier as your pouch heals. I'm 10 months out and can drink 16 ounces in about 30 minutes if I really try. But still, if I do anything more than sip, it will back up in my throat and might vomit it up. It's VERY uncomfortable when you sip too quickly. But you WILL get used to it.
As far as working out goes ... it's VERY important to sip as you go ... don't wait 'til you're done to start drinking because it is physically impossible to gulp it down.

Question 2 .....
Personally I modified the drinking before/after meals ... because my pouch demands it. I wait 15 minutes before I eat. Then, depending on what I ate, is how long I wait to drink again. 1 hour works best for me. But if I eat something really 'solid' like fish, I need to wait about 2 hours before it moves through my pouch. If I drink too soon, it hurts like hell and is likely I will throw it up. Everyone's time-lines seem to differ ... mine is dictated by the pissy-ness of my pouch.
Again, eating your meal "dry" is something you will just get used to. Once in a while I will be very thirsty after I eat, and feel like I just have to drink something. And sometimes I do have a sip of water even though I know it will hurt. But that's rare for me.

All in all, it's your pouch that sets your own personal "rules". I understand that the drinking before/after eating rule is for life. For reasons of maintaining your 'tools' effectiveness.
It takes some time, and some trial and error ... but eventually you WILL find your groove ...

nittinnana · 01-27-2009, 05:00 PM

Hi--I am about 4 1/2 months out and I still sip--I thought that not drinking a glass of two of milk with meals would be tough and in the beginning it was but now it is nothing. I don't drink anything 20-30 minutes before eating and wait at least 30 minutes afterwards. While working out I sip the whole time--don't like anything--including water coming back up. Like Julie once in a great while if something was really dry I may take a small, small sip but very, very rarely.

pummychal · 01-28-2009, 10:07 AM

I have been fine with drinking water as early as 3 weeks out. I sipped at first and worked up to bigger and bigger drinks. I don't guzzle but I can take a pretty good sized drink..like three gulps at once. The before and after meals thing is for life so you don't wash your food down and get hungry faster. You want it to sit there and do it's job making you feel full. I don't drink for 30 minutes before or after. Sometimes I only wait 15 before I eat. But after I never drink until at least 30 minutes and I try to wait even longer than that if I can. The longer I wait before the less I can eat at the meal so that's better. That's why I can't eat much breakfast. The pouch is all shrunk up and dry.

hexx2003 · 01-28-2009, 02:00 PM

i am two weeks out, and i dont really call it sipping. i have never really sipped, just drank slower? Started off post surgery in hospital with 1-2 ounces every 15 minutes. Not I can drink 22 oz in about 1 1/2 hours just with drinking. No discomfort or anything like that. It really depends on person to person how long it goes for.