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In This Digest
Water Terms Defined
Restrict Liquids, Drink Lots of Water - HUH?
The Neighborhood
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You Have Arrived
Snow Crystals by Kaye Bailey

 
Whatever else you have on your mind,
 
Wherever else you think you're going,
 
Stop for a moment and look where you are:
 
You Have Arrived!




I believe in you.
You deserve to be healthy.
 You deserve to be kind to yourself.
You deserve to achieve your greatest level of success with weight loss surgery when you harness your inner resources.
--Kaye Bailey
5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual

 

Understanding Water Terms For Optimum Water Intake After Weight Loss Surgery

Assorted Bottled Water

Morbidly obese people that undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss are instructed to drink lots of water as part of their post-surgical dietary plan. In fact, "Drink Lots of Water" is the second of Four Rules most bariatric surgeons require of patients following any gastric surgical procedure for weight loss. The Four Rules are essential behaviors to be followed during the early months and weeks following weight loss surgery during which weight loss occurs. For life-long weight maintenance patients will continue to follow the Four Rules once goal weight is achieved. In addtion to drinking lots of water patients will follow a high protein diet, avoid snacking and engage in daily exercise.

 

Water makes up about 60 percent of the adult body's weight and is essential for the transport of nutrients and waste products throughout the body. When a person drinks an adequate amount of the correct type of water it may have a positive effect on their health. The first sign of inadequate fluid intake is thirst and symptoms of dehydration may soon follow.

 

Weight loss surgery patients who struggle to drink enough water often ask if other beverages count toward their total fluid intake. The advice from bariatric nutritionists varies, but in most cases patients learn the cleaner their fluid intake the more favorable health outcome they will achieve. Below is a glossary of terms one may encounter when purchasing water. A basic knowledge of these terms is useful in helping achieve good body fluid balance.

 

Artesian water is drawn from a well that taps a confined aquifer in which the water is under pressure.

 

Bottled water is drinking water sold in bottles.

 

Carbonated water contains carbon dioxide gas, either naturally occurring or added, that causes bubbles to form in it; also called bubbling or sparkling water. Seltzer, soda, and tonic waters are legally soft drinks and are not regulated as water.

 

Distilled water has been vaporized and recondensed, leaving it free of dissolved minerals.

 

Filtered water is treated by filtration, usually through activated carbon filters that reduce the lead in tap water, or by reverse osmosis units that force pressurized water across a membrane removing lead, arsenic, and some microoganisms from tap water.

 

Hard water has a high calcium and magnesium content.

 

Mineral water comes from a spring or well that typically contains 250 to 500 parts per million (ppm) of minerals. Minerals give water a distinctive flavor. Many mineral waters are high in sodium.

 

Natural water is obtained from a spring or well that is certified to be safe and sanitary. The mineral content may not be changed, but the water may be treated in other ways such as with ozone or by filtration.

 

Public water is from a municipal or county water system that has been treated and disinfected.

 

Purified water has been treated by distillation or other physical or chemical processes that remove dissolved solids. Because purified water contains no minerals or contaminants, it is useful for medical and research purposes.

Soft water has a high sodium or potassium content.

 

Spring water originates from an underground spring or well. It may be bubbly (carbonated), or "flat" or "still," meaning not carbonated. Brand names such as "Spring Pure" do not necessarily mean that the water comes from a spring.

 

Well water is drawn from ground water by tapping into an aquifer.

 

Kaye Bailey (c) 2010 - All Rights Reserved

 

Article Source: Understanding Water Terms For Optimum Water Intake After Weight Loss Surgery.


The Nurse Warned Me,
But I Gained Some Weight Back Anyway

"Dear Kaye,
Thank you for the Day 6 book. I guess I am one of "those people" - had the surgery and lost and then it came back, the weight. My WLS nurse warned me I could regain the weight and I didn't take her serious or maybe I thought I was more determined than everybody else or smarter or something. I wish I had asked her what would cause me to gain the weight back. I'm not sure that back in 2007 I ever heard of slider foods or liquid rules or anything like that. I just knew WLS was the answer for me. So now I'm up 48 pounds and want to stop it before it gets to 50 pounds and all of the sudden another 50 and I'll be back where I started. Thanks for explaining so many things in the Day 6 book. I wish I read this book before I even had the surgery, maybe I wouldn't be one of "those people" or at least not a 48-pound-regain one of those people.

This is the first time I have hope since the re-gain started.
Kelly Marca
Northern Ohio"

Printed with Permission.

Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test
Because we are all "One of those people" who have or could regain our weight.

Day 6 by Kaye Bailey

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After Weight Loss Surgery: Pass the Water, Hold the Ice

 

I just read this conventional diet tip - and we've heard it before:Ice Water"Burn away fat with ice cold water! Ice cold water is calorie-free and fills you up so you can eat less. Drink ice-cold water and you'll even burn a few extra calories as your body warms it up!"


If you are in the phase of rapid weight loss or have lost quite a bit of weight you know exactly why gastric bypass patients don't drink ice cold water - we're already freezing - even in the heat of summer. The last thing we want to do is get colder!

People who experience the massive weight loss associated with weight loss surgery experience feeling cold for two reasons: loss of insulation and less energy generation.
 
Fat is a highly efficient insulator. When gastric bypass patients follow the rules: eating protein and exercising, the weight lost can only come from fat or stored energy: insulation. Less insulation increases the likelihood of feeling cold.

The second reason for feeling chilled is that the metabolic cell processes are not working as hard as when you were heavier; it takes fewer calories and less energy to maintain and move a smaller body. A heavier body must generate more energy to operate, as a result more heat is generated.

Most weight loss patients report that their body temperature regulates after their weight is stabilized, usually eighteen to twenty-four months after surgery. Patients who incorporate exercise in their weight loss program experience less chilling than patients who do not exercise.

Kaye Bailey © 2005 - All Rights Reserved

 

Article Source--  After WLS: Pass the Water, Hold the Ice


LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest

The Four Rules: #2 Drink Lots of Water
 

Understanding & Accomplishing Water Intake

Without Floating Away!
 

 
February 2, 2011

Greetings!

Welcome to February and Happy Groundhog Day! Puxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring and I'm not alone when I pin a great deal of hope on the rodent prognosticator's ability to get it right! Today North America is a veritable tundra of glacial ice from  Phil's Gobbler's Knob in New England to Minnesota to Montana and moving south to deep in the heart of Texas. Yes! Snow in Houston. Wouldn't you know it? Just when so many of us are losing that excess body weight (aka insulation) global warming heads south and we are left shivering under a blanket of freezing cold winter! (Join this Neighborhood conversation: How Cold is It? and share your weather story and pictures!)

Did you know that body temperature regulation is one of the most difficult adjustments a person faces after losing significant amounts of weight? Not only did our excess weight literally insulate us from cooler temperatures, the very metabolic process of keeping a larger mass body alive generated a significant amount of heat. Less body mass equals less heat from energy consumption, therefore we are more likely to feel chilly or outright cold at a lower weight. Learn more about body temperature regulation after weight loss here.

Today's LivingAfterWLS Digest is the second in our New Year's refresher series about the Four Rules. We are looking at Rule #2 - Lots of Water. Water consumption and weight loss is old news to those of us who are lifelong dieters. We know drinking water flushes away toxins and facilitates weight loss. As weight loss surgery patients we must make water intake a priority, but we also have to manage water intake around our quirky liquid restrictions. Frankly it can be a hassle sometimes to meet the daily requirements of Rule #2 - Lots of Water. Today's digest features several articles about the hows and whys of water consumption. Take a minute to fill your glass right now and then refresh your memory on this important rule. Remember, when we signed on for surgery we agreed to follow these rules -- for life! Bottoms up!

 

Happy 2011 - We are all in this together!

Kaye

KayeBailey@LivingAfterWLS.com



Link to view the Weekly Digest featuring Rule #1 - Protein First:
 
LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest January 20, 2011 

 

 

The Four Rules: Before surgery most of us were taught the Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are:

  • Protein First
  • Lots of Water
  • No Snacking
  • Daily Exercise
     

In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. 

 

If it has been a while since you have given consideration to the Four Rules I invite you today to spend a little time refreshing your knowledge and enthusiasm about Protein First. Actually, this is my favorite rule because it means good food without the guilt! Link to the articles of interest and take a look at some of our great WLS recipes. There is something for everyone as we get excited again about the Four Rules! 


 


 

Every now and again it serves us well to step back into our pre-op mindset when we were hell-bent on making surgery work to achieve weight loss and improve our health and quality of living. Take a look at this article with your pre-surgery eyes. I think it will help renew your enthusiasm for working "the tool" and living well today:

 

Understand the Four Rules of WLS

Before Going Under the Knife

Weight loss surgery is frequently perceived as an easy means to weight loss that requires little or no effort by the patient. However, patients who undergo bariatric surgery are prescribed Four Rules of dietary and lifestyle management that they will follow for the rest of their life if they wish to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Here is what you need to know about the Four Rules of weight loss surgery before going under the knife.

Link to Article



Keep them Close:

The Four Rules of WLS

 

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Restrict Liquids, Drink Lots of Water - HUH?

Making Sense of Weight Loss Surgery Guidelines

By

Kaye Bailey

 

In a country where food and drink go hand in hand weight loss surgery patients are challenged to follow the liquid restrictions as instructed by their bariatric center. But understanding and following the liquid restrictions plays a key role in long-term weight maintenance following gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, or adjustable gastric banding (lap-band) surgeries.

In general, bariatric centers instruct weight loss surgery patients to avoid drinking liquids for thirty minutes before a meal, during the meal, and for thirty minutes following the meal. This easily adds up to 90 minutes of no liquids three times a day: four-and-one-half waking hours. It is easy for patients to become frustrated with these restrictions because another rule of weight loss surgery is to drink lots of water, at least 64 ounces a day. Understanding why the liquid restrictions are necessary and how water intake affects weight management will increase the likelihood a patient will follow the guidelines.

When a person undergoes any of the currently practiced bariatric and metabolic surgeries for weight loss the size of the stomach is reduced significantly to restrict the amount of food which may be eaten at a given time. The size of the restricted pouch varies by procedure, surgeon and patient. What is consistent, however, is that the smaller stomach pouch fills quickly and the patient experiences a feeling of fullness and satiation, which must be sustained following the meal to avoid hunger and cravings later.  This is to keep the patient from over eating.  In addition, the longer food is kept in the digestive system the more opportunity the body has to absorb and metabolize nutrients. The best way to sustain this fullness is to eat lean protein and low-glycemic complex carbohydrates in a ratio of two bites protein to one bite carbohydrate.

For many weight loss surgery patients the feeling of tightness or restriction that results following eating is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. In weight loss surgery street talk these patients learn to "eat around the pouch". In many cases that means drinking liquid with solid food which relieves the tightness as the chewed food (chyme: semi-liquid mass of partly digested food) mixes with liquids to form a more fluid liquid slurry which passes through the new stomach outlet more rapidly. The result is increased food intake because patients can eat more food during a planned meal and they are likely to eat again later because they are hungry and the slurry meal failed to satiate hunger for a reasonable amount of time.

As important as it is to follow the liquid restrictions it is equally important to drink adequate water. The body is made up of about 60 percent water. Water assists with the transport of nutrients and waste products throughout the body. Water is present in every process of human biology. Most centers recommend a minimum intake of 64 ounces a day. Others suggest morbidly obese patients drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.

Organized planning is helpful when following liquid restrictions and drinking lots of water. Begin the day with water and enjoy water between meals, which will also help keep cravings away. Keeping a glass or bottle of water at arms reach is a steady reminder to sip often and stay hydrated. Newly post-operative patients report drinking tepid or room temperature water is easier on the pouch thus making it possible to drink more.



Link to more informative and helpful articles about Rule #2: Lots of Water.

Danger! Warm Weather May Lead to Dehydration For Weight Loss Surgery Patients
Following bariatric surgery for weight loss patients are instructed in the Four Rules of weight loss surgery; the second of which is drink lots of water. This rule is of particular importance during the warm summer months when perspiration and elimination cause greater water losses and the potential for dehydration increases. To avoid dehydration and illness caused by insufficient water balance weight loss surgery patients can take several measures to insure adequate water intake. Read full article.

Understanding the Liquid Restrictions of Weight Loss Surgery
Liquid restrictions are imposed on patients of all bariatric procedures including gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve. For thirty minutes prior to eating and thirty minutes following eating patients are to abstain from drinking fluids. They must not partake of liquids while eating. Learn why liquid restrictions play a key role in weight loss for bariatric patients. Go to article.

Emergency First Aid For Gastric Bypass Dumping Syndrome
For patients of gastric bypass surgery an episode of dumping syndrome or rapid gastric emptying is physically dramatic and lifestyle disruptive. Prior to surgery patients are instructed to avoid sweet processed carbohydrates, greasy fried food and all simple carbs in order to avoid dumping syndrome. Inevitably, patients will at some point experience the symptoms of dumping after eating food that is too quickly absorbed in the small intestine. Learn what to do in the event of a gastric dumping episode. Read this article.


Three Keys to Lasting Weight Management
Nearly a quarter-million people in the United States will undergo weight loss surgery this year to arrest their morbid obesity and lose weight. In spite of the drastic nature of gastric surgeries not all patients will reach a healthy weight and some may eventually regain weight they lost initially with surgery. Read full article.


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Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test
Harness the momentum of your 5 Day Pouch Test and continue forward with a positive effort at Day 6 Living. Great support from others, like you, who are trying their best to live healthy happy lives with weight loss surgery.


The You Have Arrived Alumni Club
Connect with others who had weight loss surgery the same year you did and share the journey! From the Pioneers of the 1980s to our newbies of 2010, everyone has a place in the Alumni Club to call home.

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A place to stop and share the things in our daily lives beyond weight loss surgery. A neighborly place of support and friendship.

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Carbonation: What it means for us after WLS

In Kaye's usual comforting style she talks about drinking carbonated beverages after Weight Loss Surgery: Three reasons we should avoid it. Take a look: You Tube


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Thank you for being a loyal Neighbor of LivingAfterWLS. We are proud to serve you in your weight loss surgery journey.

Sincerely,
Kaye Bailey
LivingAfterWLS, LLC
The health content in the LivingAfterWLS website is intended to inform, not prescribe, and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice and care of a qualified health-care professional.