Drinking Fluids

[jstarr]

I just had a gastric sleeve, I'm a week out of surgery.

How much fluids can you take at one intake? Should I really be sipping 4 oz of water over an hour? I feel like I can swallow a big sip pretty quickly...

Not sure if the question makes sense... but I'm curious as to how much fluid intake you have when your drinking whatever it might be.

[tinman]

The answer is...as much as you can. You cannot stretch your sleeve by drinking fluids and your body need to be fully hydrated in order to stay in peak weight loss mode. I wouldn't recommend taking huge sips at first because you will definitely be giving it back if you push your sleeve at this early stage. But, if you can drink 4 oz in an hour, then by golly, drink it. It won't hurt a thing.

[jstarr]

Tinman, Thanks for your response. But what do you mean by "giving it back if you push your sleeve this early".

Thanks again!

[tinman]

LOLOLOLOL....with your stomach as tender as it should be at this stage of the game.....if you push it too much....what goes down usually comes right back up.

But...having said that, I am a firm believer in finding your limits early and working within those boundaries. Each of us is different so you're boundaries are going to be different than mine were or what anyone else's were.

Feel free to reach out via private message if you have any questions or concerns you don't want to air on here. I've been sleeved for almost five years now and have kept my weight off for a little less than four years. I think I've got this system down. Lots of others on here who have also been very successful losing and maintaining. Take a look at Ann2. She lost her weight about 180 differently than I did and she's been very successful in keeping her's off too. Her method of losing and maintaining is really opposite of mine. She hasn't been at maintenance as long as I have, but, I can tell you that she knows what works for her just like I know what works for me. She's always willing to help the newly sleeved and she is a very, very gentle soul.

She's one of my favorites on here.

Good luck to you in the future!

[Trastan]

You are lucky if you can drink that much at that stage. My first six weeks were a real struggle but I remember being amazed the day I left the hospital I shared a ride with another girl to the airport who had surgery the same day as me and she downed a whole bottle of gatorage withen the hour drive and I could barely get a few sips in. I guess everyone's tolerance is different. I learned the hard way at my six week post op mark about not drinking enough. I thought I was getting enough water in and ended up with a kidney stone because I was dehydrated. Trust me you don't want that so drink what you body allows you.

[Christie13]

It is great that you are able to drink. A lot of people struggle post op to get fluids in. It took me several months to be able to get my fluids in comfortably post op.

[sraebaer]

I was told to drink 64 ounces a day. I don't think it matters how much or at what time. They tell you to sip because many people find it uncomfortable if they don't after surgery when their stomach is healing.

I would write my ounces down throughout the day so I was sure to meet my total, along with my protein grams. Like my morning coffee was 12 ounces. (Yes, my doctor told me one cup a day was fine after surgery.) Then my protein drinks, water, whatever.

You're doing fine!

[Kindle]

Drink as much as you can. It's great that you can. Like Tinman said, you can't stretch your sleeve or do any damage with liquids. The general rule is 64oz/day, but that it bare minimum for a "normal" size person who is not doing any kind of excercise. A better guideline is 1/2 your body weight in ounces (i.e. 250 pounds = 125 ounces). I struggled to hit 64 ounces the first couple months and did it only by making sipping a full time job from waking to falling asleep at night. And even at 64oz, I ended up needing IV fluids for severe dehydration three times when I was 2-3 months postop. But once I was able, I've drank over 100 ounces/day pretty much every day for the last 3 years, even though I'm down to 140 pounds and should only "need" 70ounces. Drink up!!!