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Drinking water after surgery can cause some discomfort (like a rock hitting your stomach), sometimes it doesn’t taste right because of taste changes after surgery, and sometimes the temperature of the water can leave you feeling uncomfortable. Other times, you may simply just forget to drink and you just don’t feel as thirsty.
Not drinking enough water can leave you dehydrated.
How do you know if you’re beginning to get dehydrated? There are 3 main ways of figuring this out:
Do I pee 3 times per day, or less? Is my pee dark yellow in colour and smells more than usual? Do I get dizzy when I stand/sit up or bend over? If you’ve had bariatric surgery and answered yes to one or more of these questions, there’s a chance you may be dehydrated. Some of these symptoms can be related to other causes as well, so check with your doctor, bariatric dietitian, or nurse if you’re unsure.
Here are our tips for drinking more water after surgery:
Make water more convenient by…
Buying a fun new water bottle for work and home that gets you excited. Ideally, something colourful that catches your eye; Keeping a water bottle or water glass within arm’s reach at all times, regardless of where you are (e.g. at work, in the car, on the couch, in bed, etc.); Keeping cold water in the fridge at all times. Buy a water pitcher or a water filtering jug and place it at the front of your fridge. It needs to be visible and easy to reach to be convenient; Knowing your environment. Do a tour of your workplace to remind yourself of where the water fountains or coolers are. Check if the cafeteria charges for hot water or if there’s a vending machine that sells water bottles close by; Buy a smaller water bottle to carry in your purse or backpack for when you’re on the go. Ideally, it should hold no more than one to two cups. Large water bottles are often intimidating and if they are too heavy or bulky, they’re more likely to get left behind; Leave a reusable water bottle in your car at all times so that you always have some on-hand.
Get excited and add some flavour by…
Trying infused water. Add one of the following combinations to your water pitcher or water bottle:
Sliced cucumber + fresh mint leaves; Sliced strawberries + fresh basil leaves; Sliced lemon + fresh lavender; Blackberries + fresh thyme; One cinnamon stick (for best results leave overnight in your water bottle); Using flavoured ice cubes.
This idea involves freezing concentrated fruit purees, spirals of citrus rinds, and/or fresh herbs into ice cube trays. Adding one to three of these ice cubes into your water not only adds a fun flavour and keeps your water colder, but it’s also a colourful touch. This is a great alternative to store-bought water enhancers that contain artificial sweeteners.
Example: puree two cups of chopped watermelon with the juice of one lime. Freeze the mixture in ice cube trays. Add two ice cubes into your reusable water bottle; Making a homemade tea with an added twist. Add eight ounces (one cup) of boiling water to the combinations below. Drink hot or refrigerate overnight and enjoy cold.
1/2 sliced lemon + 1/2 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger + 1 tsp honey; A green tea bag + fresh mint leaves; A black tea bag + orange slices or peach slices; An earl grey tea bag + sprig of lavender + lemon slices +1 tsp honey; A white tea bag + mint leaves + dash of lime juice; Treating yourself to some loose tea leaves or flavoured tea bags at specialty shops. Set reminders by…
1. Downloading an app. There are countless free apps out there to help you track your daily water intake and even ones that will send you constant reminders throughout the day to drink;
2. Add a sticky note to your computer monitor. Be sure to change the placement of the sticky note every week so it doesn’t blend into the background;
3. If you’re someone who does repetitive tasks at work, use this to your advantage! For example, challenge yourself to take three sips of water every time you read a new email and every time you send an email;
4. Buy a ‘time stamped’ water bottle or simply recreate one by writing the hours of your work day down the side of your bottle with a permanent marker. For example, evenly space 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 12 a.m. down one side of the bottle and 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. down the opposite side of the bottle. This strategy will also help you to pace yourself throughout the day.

– Lisa & Monica, your bariatric surgery dietitians

I heard I should be avoiding carbohydrates, is this true?
This is 100% false! Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of fuel. Just as your car needs gas to run, your body and brain rely on carbohydrates to give you the physical and mental energy that you need to get through your day.
What are carbohydrates actually?
The majority of patients identify carbohydrates simply as grain products (e.g. bread, pasta, and rice). When dieters say they’re going on a low carb diet, they typically plan to eliminate or reduce their consumption of these grain products.
In reality, carbohydrate sources include many other foods, like milk, yogurt, fruit, plenty of vegetables, and legumes.
Did you know that one cup of milk has the same amount of grams of carbohydrates as a piece of toast? Or that a large apple has twice as many grams of carbohydrates as that same slice of toast? Or that a 1⁄2 cup of chickpeas has three times the amount of carbohydrates as the toast?
Confused?
This is why we challenge our patients in why they want to experiment with low-carbohydrate diets. What does that mean to them? And which foods are they planning on restricting? A lower carbohydrate diet is not necessarily a healthier one!
In a world where our food apps can track everything, it’s sometimes hard to make sense of all of the numbers they give us. You shouldn’t be blindly trying to decrease your total grams of carbohydrates or total grams of fat per day without understanding how that translates into food choices and your overall health.
The type of carbohydrate is more important than the amount of carbohydrate.Not all carbohydrates are created equal. The most common forms of carbohydrates are:
 Fibre (for the purposes of this book, we will refer to fibre as a ‘complex carbohydrates’);
 Sugar (for the purposes of this book, we will refer to them as ‘simple carbohydrates’).
 Starch. Starch is calculated by taking the total carbohydrates and subtracting both the fibre and sugar from it (for the purposes of this book, we will refer to starches as ‘complex carbohydrates’).
Foods that are high in carbohydrates but contain a fair amount of fibre and starch, and a low amount of sugar (i.e. high in complex carbohydrates and low in simple carbohydrates), are typically healthier choices. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, which is why they make you feel fuller longer.
Examples include:
 Barley;
 Oats;
 Quinoa;
 Whole-grain products;
 Legumes.
Similarly, foods that are high in carbohydrates but contain high amounts of sugar and low amounts of fibre and starch (i.e. high in simple carbohydrates and low in complex carbohydrates) are typically less healthy choices. Simple carbohydrates are quickly digested, which is why they give you a quick boost of energy, but also why you don’t feel satisfied for very long.
Examples include:
 Pastries;
 Donuts;
 Chocolate;
 Candy;
 Juice;
 Regular soda;
 Sugary cereals.
After WLS, protein should always be eaten first, followed by your vegetables and then your grain products (e.g. rice, quinoa, pasta) or starch (e.g. potato, sweet potato, squash). Eating in this order will naturally limit the amount of carbohydrates you consume at each meal because of the limited space in your stomach.
Patients who restrict their carbohydrate intake, in our experience, typically have a harder time finding a healthy balance and joy in eating again. One of the biggest consequences of skipping out on carbohydrates at mealtime is that your blood sugar is less balanced, which can result in sugar cravings later on in the day.
Remember: All foods fit, but it’s the portions of food that should be the focus in a healthy diet, post WLS.
- Lisa & Monica