Rule 2: Lots of Water

Greetings Neighbors!

Last week we talked about the first golden rule of weight loss surgery: Protein First. This week we are going to look at rule #2: Lots of Water. Below is the article from our LivingAfterWLS Library about water. It is pretty straight forward. What I'd like to add is "Yes! It all counts." You see, I am often asked, "Does flavored (Crystal Light) water count? Does coffee count? Does tea count?" I say yes to all of those. Now when asked, "Does diet soda count?" I cringe a bit. I mean, here we are gut-whacked and testing the system with diet soda? Really! Diet soda has no nutritional value and ingesting it makes our bodies work overtime just to filter out the junk to get the H2O we need to fuel our metabolic processes. Why drink it?

Take a moment to review our second golden rule: Lots of Water. I'm sure at the end you'll be ready for a big refreshing drink of mean clean clear liquid hydration. Enjoy!

Rule #2: Drink Lots and LOTS of Water!
by Kaye Bailey

Dieters are often told – drink water. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces a day – eight glasses a day. Gastric-bypass patients don’t have a choice: they must drink lots water. Other beverages including coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks and alcohol are forbidden. Water is the essential fluid for living. Water is one of the most important nutrients the body needs to stay healthy, vibrant and energetic. A tell-tell sign of a gastric bypass patient is the ever-present water bottle.

The human body is a magnificent vessel full of water. The brain is more than 75 percent water and 80 percent of blood is water. In fact, water plays a critical role in every system of the human body. Water regulates body temperature, removes wastes, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, cushions the joints, prevents constipation, flushes toxins from the kidneys and liver and dissolves vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for the body’s use.

Nutritionists say a precise measure of the body’s need for water is to divide body weight (pounds) in half and drink that many ounces every day. That number could well exceed 200 ounces a day for morbidly obese people actively engaged in weight loss.

The body will panic if actual water intake is significantly less than required. Blood cannot flow, waste processes are disrupted and the electrolytes become imbalanced. Proper hydration prevents inflammation, promotes osmosis and moistens lung surfaces for gas diffusion. It helps the body regulate temperature, irrigate the cells and organs and promotes all functions of elimination. Certainly by drinking plenty of water many people could resolve inflammation and elimination problems that result from insufficient water intake. Adequate water facilitates weight loss.