Staying hydrated immediately after weight loss surgery is a big job. We recommend that you consume a minimum of 50 ounces of fluid daily after your discharge from the hospital, working toward a goal of 60 ounces daily with limited caffeine. Accomplishing this can be a challenge. Learn more about the reasons for these challenges and how to maintain good hydration after your bariatric surgery:
Hydration after surgery
After weight loss surgery, your stomach is very small and is swollen so you will feel full with only a sip or two of fluid. For this reason, it can be helpful to time your fluid consumption and drink one sip every three minutes. Keeping up with your hydration should be one of your main priorities after surgery. If you fall behind on your fluids, it’s hard to catch up because of the swelling and your smaller stomach. In addition, a typical symptom of dehydration is nausea which makes it even more difficult to drink.
Once you’ve recovered
As you recover and become more active, your fluid requirement will increase. For example, you lose more fluids when you’re doing physical activities, exercising, sweating or spending time outside on a hot summer day. As a result, you’ll need to drink more fluid to maintain adequate hydration.
We recommend a minimum of six to eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day once you’ve recovered from surgery. It may be helpful to have a reusable bottle with you at all times that you can easily refill throughout the day.
Tips for healthy hydration
Remember, it’s best to drink zero or very low calorie beverages. Some options include:
- Water
- Water with lemon or low-calorie flavoring drops
- Crystal Light
- Gatorade Zero
- Diet Snapple
- Vitamin Water Zero
Stop drinking 15 minutes before your meal and wait at least 60 minutes after you finish eating to resume drinking fluids.
Sip continuously until it is time for your next meal.
Support for change
Learning new patterns for eating and drinking can seem daunting. That’s why the whole team at Lake Health Bariatric Surgery Center is here to support and coach you before and after your surgery.
Watch our private online webinar. It’s free and on-demand.
