After you’ve had bariatric surgery, you may notice a lack of appetite, especially when you drink water during meals. However, eating too little can have negative effects on your health. You should avoid drinking water 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after each meal. Here’s why drinking water during meals can become a problem after bariatric surgery.
Drinking water makes you feel full, so you may not finish your meals. While portion control may have been a concern before your surgery, you need to focus your energy after surgery on getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. It’s especially important to finish your protein to make sure you get enough to keep your body healthy, maintain muscle mass, and provide sustained energy.
Water neutralizes the digestive juices you need for proper digestion, which prolongs the process and makes it harder on your body. This also makes it difficult for the body to absorb essential vitamins like B12 that your body needs more than ever after surgery. Drinking too much water with meals also leads to similar outcomes that overeating would, such as bloating, heartburn and acid reflux. It can also contribute to nausea or diarrhea, which can set you back on your health and weight loss journey.
Rather than drinking water around meal times, drink water throughout the day, especially right when you wake up and before and after exercising. This is the best way to ensure you will get enough water without spoiling meals. It also helps wake up your body after a night of sleep. A general rule of thumb is drink a number of ounces that is half your body weight in pounds. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink about 90 ounces of water each day, which is about 11 cups.
You need to make sure you’re getting enough water after bariatric surgery, and part of that is making sure you’re drinking it at the right times. By drinking water throughout the day and avoiding it during meal times, you’ll be one step closer to your health goals.
