Preventing dehydration is one of the most important things you do after surgery. This is especially true with bariatric surgeries such as a gastric sleeve procedure. Drinking enough water during the first few weeks and months will reduce hunger, help with digestion, and a host of other beneficial effects.
After the procedure, you will be required to drink at least 96 ounces of water or other hydrating fluids per day. In fact, liquids are one of the few things you can enjoy for two weeks following a gastric sleeve surgery. Any amount of food during this time is forbidden.
Along with post-surgery prescriptions, the liquid is the only other substance you’ll be allowed to ingest. In the weeks that follow, hydrating fluids and liquid protein supplements will be your main source of nutrients as you heal from your procedure.
Drinking Too Much Water After Gastric Sleeve
However, make sure to monitor how much fluid intake you have at one time. Drink the water or other liquid slowly – we’re talking about sips instead of gulps. Remember, you’ve just had surgery on your digestive system. Drowning it with too much water will overwhelm the much smaller stomach.
This could lead to pain, discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. In some cases, the surgery has been compromised and even caused injury to the patient. Besides, you want to make sure you’re drinking water throughout the day, so pace yourself. Consider setting a schedule for yourself – drink 8-10 ounces of water every hour for example.
Avoid caffeinated, carbonated, and sugary drinks during this time as well. Carbonation can cause bloating or acid reflux. It can also take up a lot of room in the diet meant for healthier items, such as vegetables and protein. Caffeine can cause indigestion, reflux, and regurgitation for up to 30 days after a procedure. It can also increase the chances of becoming dehydrated.
In the following weeks, soft and then solid foods are re-introduced to your diet. Once that happens, refrain from drinking any liquid (including water) during your meal and for 1 hour after eating. Although 30 minutes is considered standard by some, WeightWise believes 60 minutes is the ideal time to wait.
While you need liquid and food, there isn’t enough room in your stomach right now for both. So while the amount of fluids you bring in remains the same, you will need to alter your schedule.
It certainly sounds like a lot of rules for something as simple as drinking a glass of cool, refreshing water, doesn’t it? But these guidelines are in place for a reason. While each post-op diet plan is created especially for the individual patient, these protocols are required to protect the patient.
In time, your body will grow accustomed to your new lifestyle and you will start enjoying a wide variety of dishes. WeightWise has a blog full of yummy recipes that anyone can make. Just remember: you won’t be able to eat the same amounts you once did. That’s one of the reasons you came to see us in the first place.
Other Bariatric Surgeries
Most weight-loss surgeries require a special post-op diet to give the body time to fully heal. The body also needs time to adapt to smaller levels of food intake. Water and protein supplements are the only items recovering patients are allowed during the first two weeks after surgery. Other than food intake, you are able to return to everyday activities.
Laparoscopic surgery is a process that uses several tiny incisions instead of one large incision for faster healing. This makes it so you can resume day to day errands in as little as 24 hours. This means walking around the neighborhood, taking kids to their practices, or grocery shopping. However, the surgery still needs time to heal properly.
Are you a candidate for gastric sleeve surgery?
If you are overweight and looking for a safe, fast way to drop some pounds? Gastric sleeve surgery is just one of the procedures we offer to lose weight. Gastric bypass, duodenal switch, and revisional surgeries are other options we offer at WeightWise.
Unfortunately, not everyone is a viable candidate for bariatric surgery. Before admitting any patient, they must first meet with our surgeons. The conversation will center around what lifestyle choice brought you to WeightWise, how we might be able to help, and the health history of the individual and their family.
The purpose of the meeting is to let WeightWise know as much as possible about the potential patient as well as let them know as much as possible about WeightWise. As you can tell from above, there are some pretty strict rules in place after surgery. Some may even say the surgery is the easiest part!
Easy or not, surgery is just one part of the WeightWise Program. After the consultation, patients meet with the support staff to talk about what they can expect during recovery. Water intake is just one aspect of the new diet, which will be outlined by one of our dietitians.
The dietitian will find out more about the patient for information to better create a specific diet for the patient. Food and emotional triggers and how to deal with them will be discussed. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, we will take that into consideration as well.
After meeting with a dietitian, the patient will discuss physical activity with our exercise physiologist. After reviewing any past injuries or other health issues, a workout plan will be designed. Will you be running marathons in a month or two? No, but many of our patients have gone to lead very active lives. Including marathons!
Overweight and looking for a proven method to lose 40, 50, or even 60% of your body weight? Contact WeightWise today, or watch a free online seminar to find out why our patients have been so successful. We look forward to hearing from you.