How bad is it to not get the recommended amount of Water daily? I was never a big drinker pre-band and that remains now. I am supposed to drink 64 ounces of liquid (of which 8oz can be fruit juice and up to 16 can be milk) but I'm getting no where near that. Pre-band it would take me all day at work to drink a can of coke and then I would have a glass of milk or water with dinner and that was all I drank for the day. Now I am drinking half a bottle of water, about 6-8 ounces of a homemade Protein shake, a glass of milk and maybe about 6 ounces of unsweet caffeine free tea and I feel like I'm drinking all day. Pre-band, I knew I was always a little on the dehydrated side - it was mainly only noticable if I had to have bloodwork done or something - they would have a hard time sticking me because my veins were so small because I was dehydrated. I feel the exact same way I did pre-band, so I don't feel like I'm extra dehydrated or anything right now. I just don't know if I'm doing damage to my band by not drinking what I should. I also find it very difficult to drink much more than I am right now. My throat closes up and I choke on whatever I'm drinking if I try to force it down. I don't know what to do and wanted to get some opinions/advice.

Thanks y'all!

sip all day long. Water is good and you need to stay hydrated. i drink alot of crystal light all day long. i carry a bottle w/me everywhere. i also drink half sweet/half unsweet tea.

being dehydrated is not a good thing and can end up in hospital. one of our banders was severely so and was in ER for it. i hope she see's this and responds. you need to try hard to get up to 64 or more. daily i am 75+ easy.

yep i am short so i pee alot but its a good thing

you can do it.

This is interesting to me....I was told to consume 100 oz of Water a day and I too am very challenged I can reach 60 to 70 oz but getting to 100 is challenging during my work week. I am not at a desk much often on the run and it is challenging to get fluids in consistently. Good luck to you in your journey! Yes you can and I will as well master this somehow!

As an average person (minus the band) we are suppose to take in 1/2 our body weight in ounces every day of LIQUID. It does not have to be Water, it can be fruit juice, milk, Soup broth, etc. That would put me at 101oz a day! INSANE! I can't even get the minimun 64 down! I have attempted, but I am constantly sucking down water and then we can't drink for 90 minutes after a meal, so that cuts 4.5 hours of drinking time out of our day.

Obviously water is good for you and the more you can drink the better, but don't drowned yourself. It is mainly used (after hydration) to remove excess sodium from your body, which is partly what helps shed the pounds. If you only drank 20oz a day prior to the surgery and now you are at 40, that's amazing! Don't try to throw your body into shock. Just lift the bar little by little. Day by day try and drink a little more. As long as you consciously are aware that you need more and are trying, the world will not end.

Being dehydrated can cause a lot of various side effects. While I don't think it will particularly hurt your band, it does hurt your health. You should really try to get in more fluids, particularly water or flavored water. Be proactive about this; don't wait for an emergency situation to arise because then it may be too late.

This is a huge problem for me as well. I am pre-op now and trying very hard to increase my fluid intake. I am chronically dehydrated, and I know that. However, I pee about 30 times more than I drink, so increasing the intake pretty much means I am chained to a bathroom all day! Gah! Well, baby steps are happening, and I am starting to see a slight improvement in the ratio of intake and outgo...still can't swallow sometimes because I am so dry. I figure if I get past that being noticeable, I am on the right track.

It is so interesting reading these posts. All the different amounts of water or fluids. I was told to drink a minimum of 32 ounces of water. No problem. I like drinking water. Weird.

It is so interesting reading these posts. All the different amounts of Water or fluids. I was told to drink a minimum of 32 ounces of water. No problem. I like drinking water. Weird.

Yeah, but you love math, so maybe that just follows...LOL

(couldn't figure out how to highlight Weird, so I changed the color)

Yes. Math nerd here!

That's understandable, I like algebra.