Top tips for hydration after sleeve gastrectomy

Drinking enough after a sleeve can be a huge pain. And wandering through life dehydrated is like driving your car without oil – not good! Dehydration can lead to tiredness, lack of concentration, increased hunger, constipation and put pressure on your kidneys. But, after a sleeve, it can be really difficult to swallow water or to find the time to drink between meals.

How do I know if I’m dehydrated?

Simples! Check the loo. If you’re well hydrated, your urine will be a pale straw colour, any darker and you need to drink more (see the pic below for an idea). Some other hints include:

• Feeling like grazing all the time (sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger)
• Struggling with constipation
• You’re tired all the time

Top tips to drink more and stay hydrated:

Below are my top tips for staying hydrated. Try a few and let me know how you go!

1. Flavour your water: A little lemon juice, mint, cucumber, a slice of orange or something like a diet cordial or electrolyte tablet will change the surface tension and flavour of the water and make it easier for you to drink.
2. Sip all day: As you can’t skull a full bottle of water anymore, you need to be proactive and sip all day.
3. Carry a water bottle: To help you sip all day, you need fluids at hand. If you always carry a water bottle, you’ll be more likely to keep sipping. You can find great motivational water bottles for sale now which might help give you a nudge!
4. Try a water tracker app: Waterlogged is a great app that helps remind you to drink and helps you to track how much water you’ve had over the day.
5. Vary the temperature: Room temperature water is hardest to drink for a lot of sleevers. Try it ice cold or hot (a herbal tea for example) as often a temperature change makes it easier to drink.
6. Straw or no straw: Sometimes drinking with a straw may make it easier for you as it stops you gulping and makes you feel less uncomfortable.

Water flavour drops such as these are great as you can chuck them in your bag or desk draw, rather than carrying around a big bottle of cordial.

There are lots of motivational water bottles out there. Try ebay or Etsy to find your favourite.

Try the Waterlogged App to keep track of your intake and set reminders