Drink Questions?????

1. I am one who does not drink much water. I never have. I just dont like to, Im not thirsty ever. Im pre-op but hearing about all the water that is necessary post op is making me a little worried...Even if I try, I just dont know if I will ever be able to drink that much water. Right now I just drink coffee for am, pop with lunch and pop with supper. Thats all! What are things that help you get all your water in???? 2. Post-op will I ever be able to drink pop again???? I really do like it? Will I have to give it up forever??? 3. What can anyone tell me about beer and alcohol(sp??) after WLS? I'm 27 and still like to social drink with my husband on the weekends sometimes! I like to have a margarita sometimes too, which I am assuming will be completely out since it probally has alot of calories. Is beer to bubbly? Any info would be great!!

Summer, I too had never been a water drinker. It has to be really hot & I have to be very thirsty to drink it. My Dr. said to get at least 32 oz of water in if I can, otherwise Crystal Lite or Decaf tea. Prior to surgery I usually only got in maybe 24 oz of fluid a day, now I force myself to get in at least 40oz. It hurts to drink cold fluids but I can handle diet popsickles. Try to give up the pop now. Do you drink diet? I gave up Pepsi 1 week prior to surgery, you DO NOT want caffine & sugar withdrawl after surgery. You have enough to deal with after surgery. I gave up caffine but not the sugar & the headache from withdrawl was horrific. I tried to drink a Sprite 2 weeks after surgery & the pain in my stomach was terrible & I only had a sip of pop. Remember why you are having surgery: to lose weight. Pop & alcohol are empty calories. I've lost 28lbs so far & it feels great. My husband took pictures of me the night before surgery & again at 4 weeks, I can't sop looking at the pictures & I can't believe the difference 28lbs make in my appearance. Giving up pop & alcohol are well worth the results. Good luck with your journey, Denise

Prior to surgery I only drank water when there was absolutely NOTHING else around to drink. I love and still crave pop. Not diet either - regular Mountain Dew or ice cold Coke!!! I could drool now just thinking about them. When my family goes out to dinner, I want to wrestle my kids for a couple of sips of Root Beer! But as the last person said (and rightly so) soda and alcohol are completely empty calories. When you only have so much room in your little stomach pouch to fill, why put things like that in there? And as far as the alcohol, it turns into sugar when your body processes it. If your blood sugar levels go up, it can cause food cravings in some people. Sabotage, you know?!?!? I drink a little Crystal Lite lemon aid but otherwise it's WATER. I have found that sometimes it goes down easier if it's closer to room temperature. I drink about 20 ounces first thing in the morning. Another 8-10 before lunch, 20 more in the afternoon and then 10-20 oz of the lemonaid in the evening. If you regularly get headaches, especially morning-type ones and your urine first thing in the morning looks dark, you're dehydrated. It can cause you to retain weight. Even after surgery, you want to keep well hydrated as it aids weight loss and keeps your kidneys functioning well. Hope this is helpful! Best wishes on your journey - Deb W.

You need to drink the water, it really helps with the eating. I find if I havae not had enough water, espicially before a meal, I have trouble eating. Just get in the habbit of having water with you all the time and just sip it. My Dr. says that I can dring diet pop, but I had to wait several months out. I have to again just sip it and I always pour it in a glass. I only have maybe a couple of pops a week. Drink lots of water. My Dr. says that you can try a glass of wine or something, but a lot of people don't tol. the sugar content of alcohol and it has a lot of cal. I had a glass of wine New Years Eve and it went down fine. I am over 4 months out, 9-3-03 was my date, and I have lost 80lbs. Do what you Dr. says. It is important not to drink pop at first while you are healing, but later the Dr. said it was ok. Just go very slow with it and see how you tol. it. Good Luck, drink lots of water, it is worth it to lose the weight.

Thanks for all of your replys.......they were all helpful. Just trying to get all the info and as many details as I can "before" the big day (whenever that will be) It sounds like water does the body good!!! I am going to work harder now at getting more water in!!! Thanks. Sunny

Hey I know how you feel...before surgery all I could think abuot was what I had to give up. I am four months post-op and what a difference! Everyone is different, but I lived on pop before my surgery...but now, saying no is easy...way wasier than I thought it would be. For me the cravings are drastically diminished. Pop definately hurts going down at first, but now I can have small glasses of diet pop...but honestly my stomach feels the best with water. As for the margaritas you're just gone to have to wait and see....there is a crystal light strawberry slushi mix you can buy, then mix in your tequila...I've tried a small glass and no problems...I bet if you just used strawberries, splenda, ice and tequila, that would work too. But if you go out you don't know how much sugar is in it. I'm not much of a beer drinker but my husband has had no problems "sipping" on his beers now. I'm 28 and when we go out with our friends, I usually just drink water now, because it feels the best on my new stomach. Deb Paul

hi sunny,iam 5 month post op . iam 36 and i like to have my drinks too. i drink michelob ultra and i dont have problems and i drink margarita all the time but i make them myself .go to rauls and get grandpa margarita mix ,go to store get juarez triple sec and dont forget the jose cuervo.on the back of the rauls bottle is the way you will mix it. my family loves to drink margarita .so it taste better when you make you self. good luck. cindy