I am quite certain it is counted toward liquids, it doesn't have caffeen in it so its considered liquid.

I am not sure what you mean about mixing a shake with your fluids. If I am reading you correctly, your shake is a source of protein and you should not be chugging water along with it. It is one or the other. You still have to wait the 30 minutes before taking water again to give the protein some time to be absorbed. However, a protein shake DOES count as part of your total daily fluid intake.

Caffine asside because I do add a teaspoon of hazelnut coffee I cannot drink water and a shake but the article above states that we should wait 1 and a half hours after a meal to start water loading.
Should I have the shake and maybe wait an additional half an hour for the protien to settle or do I have to wait another hour and a half as with solid food as the article suggests.
It makes sense to wait an hour and a half to drink so food stays in the tummy longer (I do realize many say only half an hour) but they do not address the issue of protien shakes.
No wonder people goof up.

Hope, this is something your should ask your nutritionalist, because like evry thing else each team is different. Mine follows kinda what bighotmama says, after the protein drink I should wait 30min before starting to drink my water. She REALLY does not like the phrase, "water loading", but sees it as getting your fluids in to keep our machines running - lol, again different teams, different rules. I haven't heard of the hour and a half after eating but if those are your rules......

Hello Hope I'm 6 days post op and I can tell you that your protein shake is definitely a liquid not a meal. That is what I was told on discharge and it's in my literature . I hope this helps .

There is a lot of good information in those "Pouch Rules".. but take a look at the credits at the bottom (some versions out there don't show them).. MUCH of that information was generated from the 1980's. "Water Loading" is something that is not recommened at all anymore. I'd take a copy and show it to your team. I asked about it and was told that it was the craziest thing they had ever heard of.

Hey Hope,

My understanding for waiting to drink anything after we eat is because we no longer have a pyloric valve and by waiting the pouch does it's thang and remains fuller longer before the food moves along. If you drink something then it could 'push' or 'slide' the food onto the next stage which may result in creating hunger sooner rather than later.

I follow the no drinking rule for at a half an hour before/after eating anything. And it seems to be okay. I know buzzy waits 90 minutes after eating and does some type of water loading thing so you'll have to ask him. His program is out in MN.

The only way I'm getting my protein drinks in which is lame is with a cup of coffee. Good, strong, decaf or not with a scoop of Max poured over ice. I'm so elated to be tolerating and enjoying my protein that I'm not finding it difficult to get all my fluids in because the protein drinks just seem to take me forever! I only count them towards my liquids, calories and protein on Fitday.com

Water loading sounds scary : 0

Colleen : )