I call "drinking 64 oz water" BS

[No game 14,432]

I realize that Water poisoning can ocur after drinking 91 ounces or more of Water in one day.

But what I'm saying is that ... :

I drank 94oz yesterday, I just checked, yup alive and kicking still

And as far as the "rules" we signed up for this knowing that we had to make these changes.

For life. When you whack off most of your stomach you have to make certain concessions.

I do that because clearly the "rules" I followed before were not working for me, including not drinking enough water a day!

[lsereno 2,525]

For me, I count on the Water to flush out the stuff I don't want hanging around. I count it as liver and kidney protection.

Lynda

[LipstickLady 25,679]

91 oz a day will kill you? Crap!!!! Am I in heaven or am I in hell, cuz girl, before surgery I drank at least 120 oz a day EVERY DAY for the last 5-6 years, so days more. My WWs leader told me to drink half your body weight in ounces of Water and I sure as heck didn't go into this weighing 128 pounds.

[LindaS 316]

I had a hard time drinking Water right after surgery. It took me more than a month before I could drink more than 64 ounces in a day. It felt like such a chore trying to get all of that Water into my system.

But time passed, and it became easier. I was able to drink more at a time. I also started drinking flavored water because that made it easier to drink. Personally, I love Sobe Zero Lifewater.

Later in my journey, I found that I couldn't lose weight unless I drank at least 64 ounces of water a day. If I don't, I stall.

[DonRodolfo 1,416]

But what I'm saying is that ... well, I guess I'm tired of all the pressure of all the rules we have to follow to be sucessful in this journey.

I'm following too many rules already... keeping track of all those ounces of Water is just the tip of the iceberg. so I call it BS.

WLS is probably not a good thing to have if a person doesn't like rules. Most of us were given rules of some sort - as doctors vary many of us differ in what we're expected to do. If you don't want to drink the water/fluids you were told to, that's your business. What concerns me is a noob reading what you've said and thinking "if she can disregard the rules, so can I". THAT bothers me.

[nmck 68]

I drank so much Water before surgery, I feel dehydrated if I only get in 64 oz/day. I don't know how anyone, regardless of surgery status can feel good with much less than 64!

[mrs.petethecat 62]

If I do not take in enough fluids I get bad leg cramps at night. Not drinking enough is not an option for me if I want to avoid PAIN.

[Ima Loser 197]

I drink about 120 oz of Water a day and this doesn't include my coffee or other liquids I may consume. I have a 20oz cup and I fill it at least 5-6 times a day. Here is a good tool to tell how much water you should be drinking...http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Hmmmmmm....I still log my Water. My goal is 128 oz per day and I usually exceed that. I'm still alive. Hyponatremia is very rare and very difficult to do without doing something really stupid or really strenuous, like running a marathon in Texas heat while drinking nothing but Water. If you add electrolytes to your water occasionally, you can be assured of never getting water intoxication....especially with the sleeve.

People forget that before surgery we took in alot of our daily water in the form of food. Now that the food intake is drastically reduced, we have to replace that water volume somehow.

[gamergirl 4,607]

WLS is probably not a good thing to have if a person doesn't like rules. Most of us were given rules of some sort - as doctors vary many of us differ in what we're expected to do. If you don't want to drink the water/fluids you were told to, that's your business. What concerns me is a noob reading what you've said and thinking "if she can disregard the rules, so can I". THAT bothers me.

So if I can build on this...I am doing my best to drink 64 oz daily. I really, really am. Yesterday I almost passed out at costco because it's hot in Texas, I was outside, and I didn't drink right before I got there. By the time I realized I was thirsty, it was too late and I was a mess. Sweating, tired, dizzy, light-headed, had to go sit down like a small child, hoping I'd make it without falling down.

This morning, I was trying to drink but it was 10 am and I had only drunk 14 oz. I was rushing to get out the door to go for a meeting in Dallas. I couldn't. I had to sit down, my husband had to come help me, and I had to down a G2 in 30 mins before I felt better. So now I'm lying her in bed listening to a boring meeting when I should have been AT that boring meeting.

My blood pressure fell to 100/55 not because I am not drinking 64 oz, but because it's either not enough in the heat, or because I'm not drinking it consistently.

Like several others, I worry about newbies, the newly-sleeved, and those who are looking for advice, reading something like this and thinking it's okay to not drink the 64 oz.

Drink your Water, people! Don't be like Gamergirl, passing out and sh*t.

[Nursebarbie 389]

64 ounces of Water will not give you Water intoxication. It takes at least 2 gallons to do that and even then, it may not happen. 8 glasses of water about 8 ounces each? Its this kind of information on here that is dangerous. There is absolutely no truth or merit to this whatsoever. That being said, you may be getting in almost that much through other liquids and foods that contain liquids like fruit or vegetables.

Think of it this way, when you get an IV at the hospital, we give you a hanging bag of one liter of Fluid, right? That is 1,000 ml. Most patients get 2 of these bags while in the ER or each 24 hours they remain in the hospital. That is way more than 64 ounces and none of these patients develop "water intoxication."

The only patients who get Fluid overload are mainly Congestive Heart Failure patients or kidney failure patients.

Please don't be afraid to drink 64 ounces of water a day.

[wlq 18]

2 smart Water 33 oz. bottles a day work for me. I start my day with Vitamins and water (right next to my bed) and find myself being successful when I finish one bottle by noon each day. If I finish by 10 am, I can get almost 3 bottles in and move the scale! It just happened this week after a 2-month stall. Don't underestimate the power of the right amount of water. Good luck!

[sanks51 214]

Rules are not always made to be broken... In my humble opinion life is kinda like a set of rules.. you don't follow the rules you end up in prison!! I find drinking Water can be hard sometimes too, but if you don't obsess about it, it will come naturally and soon enough you will find that drinking 64oz is no longer a challenge.

[Slave to Senor Sleeve 40]

I have to agree with NurseBarbie, she is right, unless you have heart or kidney problems you will not get Fluid overload without really really trying.

But to elucidate the OP statement that 64oz is bs, she is right. It's a myth, there is no study that says 8 cups of Water a day is necessary. It's too dependant on you body's needs. However, adequate hydration is proven to important in basic life functioning.

The best indicator that you are well hydrated: what color is your urine?

I tell my patients that your pee should be pale by the time you leave work (about 8-10 hours after getting up). If it is not, then grab a bottle of Water to drink on your commute home. This method may not work for everyone here because we take Vitamins that color our urine, but I take them early or late in the day and leave the no dye ones for the afternoon (like Calcium, or D or fish oils) so my urine can be a good indicator of hydration. Also if you are newly sleeved, just drink as much as you can, keep a bottle with you at all times, figure what your sleeve likes (hot, cold, flavored, etc) and keep it in your hand. Dehydration will slow your healing. It's not a numbers game it's what your body needs, so figure out a way to understand your body's thirst signals.

[Arts137 1,811]

Great topic and discussion by folks with a STRONG opinion on both sides. I drinks me Water, and I pee clear.

The rule I break is -- I still drink coffee, well 1/2 and 1/2 with Decaf, black.

Reminds me of an old saying...

"I like my women the way I like my coffee: cold and bitter".

Bwa ha ha...