I wanted to know how everyone gets their water in?? I have always been a big water drinker but now Im lucky to get 40oz in a day. Can you guzzle water if you have not eaten anything? I have no problem drinking fast but I keep remembering them telling me sip, sip, sip. I still feel full before I even eat something but I know that I need to eat. I have still not had a fill yet and Im 5 weeks out, don't know if I need one or not time will tell. Thanks in advance for any answers to all of my questions.

Bernadette

I don't "Guzzle" it usually but you can drink like 2-4 ounces at a time in good healthy swallows. Right now you don't have much restriction and I believe water just flows right on through. If in doubt, ask your doc, but once you aren't swollen from surgery and before you get much restriction, your band is fairly wide open; kind of like a belt that you have sitting around your waist that you haven't buckled or tightened yet. It's there, but not doing much.

I will tell you what is working for me right now. I am about as far out as you. I had my surgery March 16th. While I am at work, I have a 32oz mug that I fill with ice water as soon as I get to work. I commit to having that gone by the time I leave. When I get home, I try to have a 20 oz bottle of water drank before I have dinner. After dinner, I commit to another 20 oz bottle before I go to bed. All together, 72 oz for the day. As Restless said, right now we don't really have any restriction. I am taking regular swallows when I drink.

Like the poster before me, I have a 32 oz bottle at work. I drink 3 of those a day. To help me, I add those little Crystal Lite packets to each bottle. They are only meant for 16 ozs, but I find that its just enough flavor to make me drink, and only 10 calories! Also, try putting a glass by your bed at night, if its accessable, you will drink it!

Good Luck! Jodi

I drink some in the morning to wash down my Vitamins (I am a year out so I do some chewable and some pill) trying to get about 12 to 16 oz. I carry a Water bottle everywhere. Since reading about plastic bottles I stopped buying bottled water and purchased an insulated water bottle (laptoplunches.com) that holds about 16oz or so. I fill it at night and leave it in the fridge, so the water stays nice and cold. I finish that at work and fill it again from the water cooler which is refridgerated. In the evening I drink another 16-20oz with my evening vitamins. I even drink and drive! Those cup holders in the car need something to do. I find the water stays cool even on 90 plus days when I go to walk in the park. I come back to my car, the insides of which is probably 100 degrees, and have a nice cool drink of water.

I kind of do what heavy coffee drinkers do. I am never far from my water bottle. I sipped in the beginning but now I can swallow a fair amount at one time. I am very sensitive to the amount of Fluid in my band (my first fill 6 wks after surgery--3ccs in-next day 1.5ccs out-2weeks later .5ccs out)(second fill in 8/08 1.5ccs). That is all I have had. I see my surgeon 5/12/09 and am debating whether I need a small fill. I am getting hungry 2-3 hours later instead of 4 hours, and seem to be snacking more, even though healthy Snacks. We'll see. But, anyway, I wanted to share the water thing with you. Good luck on your journey.

I have learned to carry a water bottle with me wherever I go. It seems to really help because I was forgetting to drink throughout the day. I would get busy and not think about it. Now, I am drinking significantly more each day

It will slowly get better. I could't drink more than a couple ounces at a time for the first month. Now, I cant get enough to drink and find myself drinking many more ounces than I actually need a day!

I was banded in mid Dec and am down from 200lbs to 170 I just try and drink 3 x a 20oz bottle of water each day , morning, afternoon and evening, I found that works the best for me , I just refil the bottle during the day as a need