So what happens if you really don't get in all of your water??

Besides the obvious of dehydration...what about getting some, just not getting enough?  I posted this question on the RNY board, but someone suggested I post it here too and I thought that was a great idea.  I really want to know!! I am hard-headed and having a hard time getting in all the water I should.  I didn't drink a lot before surgery and now it's even harder after.  TMI...but I know my urine is too dark.  I have noticed that my weight loss has slowed down considerably...could this be the cause?  Does not getting in all of your water stall or slow weight loss?  I know we are supposed to drink, drink, drink, but I can't remember exactly WHY it is so important after RNY in relation to weight loss.  Can you all remind me?   Oh, and while we are on the topic of drinking, tell me again why we can't eat and drink at the same time...this is really hard for me too!!  Does it stretch the pouch, wash out nutrients, or what?  I need to remember why so I'll stop cheating and taking sips!!!   Thanks guys!! Nanette

Well besides the obvious of dehydration... Maybe the seriousness of dehydration is not understood here.  When people die of lack of food & water, they are dying from lack of fluid - period.  Your body can go without food for MONTHS.  Your body can go without fluids for DAYS - sometimes hours.  Your body has systems that are dependent on transport of nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide removal, waste removal - everything goes into the river of your circulatory system.  If you have no fluid to circulate, your lungs have to work harder, your heart has to work harder, your kidneys have to work harder.  In time, they get sick of working so hard & they shut down.  Simplified answer, but hopefully conveys the seriousness of dehydration. One of the number one causes of elderly people admitting to hospital is dehydration.  They have reduced thirst associated with age & forget to drink.  Sometimes the blood pressure drops (due to dehydration) and they fall - resulting in any number of injuries from hips to closed head trauma and everything in between.  We have to hook them up to an IV to rehydrate them, get their electrolytes under control - and then treat whatever happened to them. If you talk to post RNY'rs about what got them in the hospital - I would bet that 75% of them had dehydration (maybe in addition to other things).  Dehydration can kill you. As a side note, death by dehydration is a relatively pleasant way to go, you get disoriented, start to hallucinate, your body releases endorphins to deal with the pain of the toxemia.  Then the body shuts down. Do you understand why fluids are so important? Regarding timing of fluids.  Yes, drinking while you eat can stretch your pouch.  Yes drinking while you eat can wash the food through your pouch, thereby allowing you to eat more at a meal AND stretching your pouch.  It doesn't "wash out" nutrients, it just sends them to the intestine a little faster. Did I get you thinking? regards,

Well, besides getting me 'thinking' you have me shaking in my boots!!  I am drinking water as I type!!!  I know I have to make myself drink more, I guess I am just fooling myself that I am doing "okay" since I don't really feel bad.  You've helped me to understand that my insides might not be doing as well as I would like to think without enough of the water.  If I drink enough, I'll make it a habit and it will get easier.  Thanks for scaring the pants off of me...I needed it!! p.s.  Does anything liquid count towards the 64 oz. a day we need??  Milk?  Tea? Coffee (all decaf) diet juice?  Broth?  I am trying to think of other creative ways to get liquids besides jus****er!!  Nanette

Yes, m'am!   Thanks for the crystal clear explanation, I'll have a drink as soon as my dinner gets digested a bit!

If it's wet it counts. We have posted on this before - so if you look around a little you will find more info on the topic. BTW - glad I could get you motivated.

I have a 24 oz water bottle I fill with water and a single serve chrystal lite (that I buy at Sam's club).  I drink a bottle between breakfast and lunch and another between lunch and supper.  I usually have coffee in the morning ...I know not good and sf cocoa at night most of the time.  It is habit after a year and easy to work into the day.  If that helps.  Linda