ok, so I know sip, sip, sip and to just drink every time you think about it and then some but I am reading so much (way more than I expected) of people getting dehydrated and returning to the hospital.

I am sure a lot of these people thought they would do what they needed to and did not plan on that happening but inevitably it did. So I am wondering what can you do to increase your chances of staying hydrated?

Any tips on what you did or anything to recommend specifically - what type of glass/water bottle, etc did you use? What did you drink the most of (I know everyone is different in what they can tolerate)? Anything.....

Thanks

I'm glad you posted this! I am eager to see responses. I drink as much as I can and am on the verge of asking my doc for an IV of fluids. I am ALWAYS thirsty and ALWAYS have a bottle of water in my hand.

Everyone is different, so you have to find what works for you. What works for me is to have a plastic Water bottle without a straw (since my surgeon says no straws for 3-4 months). I sip from it every few minutes throughout the day & keep it full with water or a Protein drink diluted with water. The one I use is 28 ounces, so I make sure I have at least 2 of them a day & usually have 3 of them now that I'm getting more active. I just carry it with me wherever I go throughout the house & out of the house. Now that I'm on soft foods & can't drink around meals, I make sure my water bottle is in the fridge and not near me while I eat, but I get it out again as soon as I can & drink out of it until it's time to eat again.

A guy in my surgeon's support group says he tried that once, but always forgot how many times he filled it, so now he uses the 20 ounce bottles of water & just counts how many he uses each day. He said his wife makes sure he recycles since he does it that way!

I scheduled my Water throughout the day. At first I drank one ounce every 15 minutes while I was awake. After my tummy settled a bit, my schedule was more:

1 cup soy milk with my coffee

1/2 cup with my pills before Breakfast

2 cups before lunch

2 cups in the afternoon by 4 p.m.

1 cup tea after dinner or third cup of water before dinner if eating late

1/2 cup with my pills before bed

1 cup while reading in bed

I use Blender Bottles for my Protein shake drinks and they have ounce-measurements on the side like a measuring cup. I make most of mine with 10-12oz and have two a day now (month 6). Then I measured all the glasses in my kitchen to know how much they hold, so I can fill what I need and count it in MyFitnessPal journal. I make sure to have 2-3 glasses of Water or iced tea every day. For workouts, walks and bike rides I used my 23oz water bottle and drink the whole thing before, during and after the activity.

I drink mostly water, otherwise I make iced teas (green, chamomile, dandelion) for summer or hot tea on the cooler evenings. Don't do a lot of milk, and rarely have more than 2-3oz of fruit juice over the span of an entire month, watered down.

Since Ive been sleeved I cant get enough water. The first 4 days I didnt want even that but day 5 picked up and you never see me without a water bottle in my hand. I feel like i need a water hose wrapped around my neck. The pounds are coming off at about 1.5 - 2 lbs a day. One week out today.

I feel like I'm dehydrated. I try really hard to drink! I'm making a conscious effort because I battled constipation this weekend and dark urine. Since we are ingesting more Protein we need to protect our kidneys and colon.

SF Ice pops, Water, crystal light etc;

I must admit I get a little thrown off course because I eat every two hours and then you can't drink before you eat and after you eat then I forget to drink in between. My life is hectic but I have to make it work. We all do.

I bought a half gallon bottle and keep refilling my glass; since I am supposed to do 80 oz of water I add a 16 oz bottle. I make tea and diet drink from 4c from the half gallon bottle ( pour 16 oz in a cup and add the powder ).

Everyone is different, so you have to find what works for you. What works for me is to have a plastic Water bottle without a straw (since my surgeon says no straws for 3-4 months). I sip from it every few minutes throughout the day & keep it full with water or a Protein drink diluted with water. The one I use is 28 ounces, so I make sure I have at least 2 of them a day & usually have 3 of them now that I'm getting more active. I just carry it with me wherever I go throughout the house & out of the house. Now that I'm on soft foods & can't drink around meals, I make sure my water bottle is in the fridge and not near me while I eat, but I get it out again as soon as I can & drink out of it until it's time to eat again.

A guy in my surgeon's support group says he tried that once, but always forgot how many times he filled it, so now he uses the 20 ounce bottles of water & just counts how many he uses each day. He said his wife makes sure he recycles since he does it that way!

Putting it in the fridge during meals is a great idea. I have three 20 oz camelback bottles and plan to just fill them each day and be sure that I use them all.