Hi! I'm a 38 year old married full time mom of 2. I just got my insurance approval this week. I still need to get an EKG and blood work, visit with a personal trainer, and lose 15-20 lbs before the surgeon will schedule me. My bmi is 52 and she said the surgery will be safer if I can drop a little weight first. Insurance didn't require months of dieting.

I've told my family and a few friends. Everyone has been pretty supportive so far. My husband is scared. I am scared too, but I am more scared of not being able to dress myself because of my weight. I am more scared of not being able to make it up the stairs to the bedroom. I'm 38. I need to get another 40-50 years out of this body. I feel so young on the inside. I want to travel and ride roller coasters and swim in oceans. I want my grandchildren to know me. I don't want to be kept from seeing shows because I'm worried that my behind won't fit in the seat.

I am being treated for generalized anxiety disorder, but I am still pretty OCD about stuff. I like spreadsheets and timers and measurements.

So...

How do I do the whole Water thing? I get kidney stones and really have to stay hydrated. Do I drink 2 ounces every 20 minutes? Do I set a timer? Will I someday be able to drink more water at a time? What about during a workout? How do you stay hydrated while doing an hour of cardio on just a few ounces of water???

Do any of you have water bottles with measurements that you love?

Are there any food or water tracking apps that are geared towards the way I will need to be eating? I've used myfitnesspal and I am not sure how to make it work for post-op.

Thanks!

Hi I was sleeved on the 31st and were the same age. I was surprised on how smooth the surgery went. I too suffered from chronic kidney stones. And honestly I would rather have 10 more sleeves than a double j stint for kidney stones. I find that the more I move the more I drink. I just keep a bottle of water that's 32 oz with lime or lemon juice my side at all times.

For the first few weeks out of surgery, I would fill up a 32 oz. Bubba Keg with ice and cold water and just work on sipping it regularly. I didn't need a spreadsheet and a timer, but I kept track of how much fluid I got each day.

I have used MyFitnessPal religiously since surgery. Just be sure to change your daily nutritional goals using the "custom" settings and set them so they match your program.

Don't set yourself out to do an hour of cardio until you can drink more than a few sips per 10 minutes. You'll get there eventually, I promise, but at the outset just focus on sipping and walking.

Search for HYDRACOACH water bottle. It's digital for reminders etc. Probably right up your alley!

Keep water with you at all times. I keep a bottle in my purse, my car, my desk at work, my night stand, etc. Good luck on your journey. You will do fine.

Immediately after surgery I set a timer on my phone to chime every 5 minutes to remind me to sip. Every day it got easier and could get more in. In those first couple of days after surgery I didn't get anywhere near the minimum Water or Protein - I just did the best I could.

Once I was getting more water in, I would fill bottles that equaled my daily requirement and my goal was to finish all of them by the end of the day. This was easy for me because I work from home and I put them on counter as an easy reminder.

I was able to start treadmill walking after surgery and was able to sip thru my workout. I wasn't doing anything strenuous, but it is important to stay hydrated.

I'm a little over a year out and I still can't take in lots of water at one time, but I can take a normal drink like prior to surgery. I can take three drinks in a row now, but any more than that and it's a little painful. I've heard some can go back to "guzzling" water post-op, but I can't.

As for tracking - I am horrible at tracking, I always have been! I tracked for the first few months after surgery - I used my FitBit app to track my activity, food intake and water intake. A lot of people use myfitnesspal, I just wanted one app to use, therefore I used my fitbit. I'm one of those people that eats the same thing day after day, so tracking became redundant. Now, I'll track for a few days if I feel I'm getting off track. That gets me back and track and sets me straight.

Best of luck to you!

As others have stated, it is simply a matter of keeping Water with you all the time. At 2 months post-op, carrying a water bottle and sipping regularly has just become second nature. I don't even think about it, I just do it. I buy cases of water in 16.9 oz bottles at costco. They come out to about 10 cents per bottle. It tastes much better than my tap water or even filtered water, and I can put a Crystal Light packet in if I want. When I'm done it goes in the recycle bin at home or work. I'm up to 5 a day at this point, or just over 80 oz. The point being, whatever you decide to do, it quickly just becomes part of your routine. I no longer have to remind myself to drink, it just happens. Plus, extended weight loss will reduce your risk of kidney stones.