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We take it for granted and perhaps do not recognize the many properties of water. Open the tap, and here it comes. Travel to the shore front and there it is, oceans and oceans of the stuff. It fills rivers and streams. It fills the shelves of markets and convenience stores. It falls on golfers who shake an angry fist and lament that their day on the green is ruined. Just imagine how ruined all our days would be if it never rained. To state the obvious, water is vital. How Much Water Should I Drink? For as long as I can remember we have been told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day – more if you exercise heavily but less if you drink other beverages frequently. That seems a bit outdated to me. More recently, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) of water daily and women should consume about 2.7 liters (about 9 cups). Read, Planning a Great Bariatric Diet Grocery List During a workout or other physical activities, on hot or cold days, and owing to your weight and certain medical conditions, you may need more. The online daily hydration calculator is a great tool that calculates how much water you need by factoring in those criteria. I just used it to calculate how much water I need today. The result - 3.2 liters. The benefits of this simple discipline are many. Water for Optimal Health Water is an energy booster, relieving the dehydration that makes you feel fatigued. When you are thirsty, you have already become a bit dehydrated. Dehydration also makes the body and mind feel stressed whereas 70 to 80% of your brain tissue is water. Water helps to prevent muscle cramping and is a lubricate for the joints of your body. Water also hydrates your skin cells and gives your face a younger appearance. In addition, it is a good for digestion and helps to keep your bowels regular. As an added bonus, it has been proven that drinking water helps to lose weight. Water for Weight Loss It has been shown that people who drink two glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before they have a meal lost weight more quickly and lost a greater number of pounds then those who did not drink water prior to eating. It was also discovered that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 less calories over that course of that meal. If this action were continued for one year, a person would lose 14 ½ pounds. It has also been shown that being just 1% dehydration causes a drop in metabolism that can interfere with weight loss. The body has difficulty differentiating hunger from thirst. If you do not consume enough water across the day, thirst might be interpreted as hunger and more food will be eaten then is necessary. Read, My Top 10 Bariatric Diet Tips for You! Finally, drinking plenty of water to stay healthy during a fasting diet is essential. Drink Iced Water for Maximum Calorie Burn Calories can be used to define the amount of energy contained in food. Another definition for calorie can be the measure of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Therefore, your body burns calories when you simply drink iced water. Read, Eating Foods that Burn More Calories Your body burns 17.5 calories raising the temperature of a sixteen ounce glass of iced water. If you comply with the eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day recommendation but drink iced water instead of non-iced water, you will burn 70 calories per day. Over the course of a year, the numbers will add up and translate into weight loss. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

Another helpful addition is “Added Sugars”, which is found under the carbohydrate information. Naturally occurring sugars are primarily from fruit (fructose) and dairy (lactose). Vegetables and grains can also contain a small amount of naturally occurring sugar. For added sugars, look for the words sugar, syrup, agave, molasses, juice, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado and honey. Now that we have the total and added sugars, you can determine if the food or beverage is something you can work into your eating. While there are no formal guidelines, limiting foods and fluids to products that have less than 5 grams of added sugar is a starting point. A rule of thumb for carbohydrate foods is to eat the food that is closest to the farm. That means the least processed the better. For example, a peeled apple is better for you than applesauce. Applesauce is better for you than juice. One hundred percent real fruit juice is another way to say “sugar water” for bariatric patients. The Nutrition Facts Label will list naturally occurring sugars, but you won’t see added sugars listed. So, juice is a high sugar item. Your dietitian will assess your activity level, blood sugar readings, body composition and tolerances to help you find a healthy carbohydrate goal to work into your eating. We now have a better tool to hunt down the added sugars in our foods and beverages. Happy hunting!

Freedom from Medical Chains Medical benefits are probably most closely related to weight loss, but they are still worth noting as a “side” benefit of Weight Loss Surgery. As you lose weight, you may have improvements in blood sugar control, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. You may have less joint and back pain. You may have fewer trips to the doctor, and be able to take fewer medications. Better Sleep Never underestimate the power of sleep! Losing weight can help you sleep more deeply so you feel better all day, every day. Your sleep can improve as you feel more comfortable in bed, and if you had sleep apnea that goes away or diminishes with weight loss. Just think how good life could be if you did not have to did not have to use a CPAP machine! New Food Finds Strange but true…there is a whole food world aside from burgers, burritos, fries, and bagels. Who knew that you might end up loving to start your day with oatmeal cottage cheese protein pancakes? Your favorite snack could turn out to be kale chips with parmesan. Dinner might be roasted cauliflower with grilled salmon – something you might never have considered when your go-to was mac and cheese from a box. Sure, you might miss a few foods, but you might notice that you are loving all kinds of new health foods, and the way they make you feel. On top of it, eating slowly can help you savor each bite and enjoy the textures and flavors more. Saving Money Saving money probably was not your main reason for considering weight loss surgery, especially if your insurance is not footing the bill. Still, Weight Loss Surgery could be a financial gain in the long run as you consider some potential savings. Lower medical bills for doctors’ visits, prescription medications, and complications such as complications of diabetes. Fewer sick days taken from work. Lower food bills as you eat less and potentially eat more homemade food. Fewer “extras,” such as higher prices of plus-sized clothing or needing to reserve two seats on a plane. More Meaningful Relationships Were your relationships built around food before Weight Loss Surgery? Did you consider your friends your best eating buddies, with each of your meetings at a restaurant or each other’s houses for a (unhealthy) meal? Weight loss surgery frees you up to explore other interests. Deepen your relationships with your friends as you walk together or meet at museums or other sights instead of depending on food to bring you together. And, if you do meet for a meal or snack, feel good knowing you can focus on the conversation as you eat slowly. Confidence Ultimately, weight loss surgery is for you, and you can benefit inside as you look better on the outside. You can gain confidence from your new looks, maybe as you fit into clothes you love, or you see a few muscles popping out. Confidence also comes from your achievements. If you can do something as hard as going through Weight Loss Surgery and sticking to all those healthy lifestyle changes, you can do pretty much anything you set your mind to. Energy Energy is a wonderful thing, but it may be in short supply when you are carrying around extra pounds. Lose a few, and you might feel your endurance explode. You can keep up with your kids, enjoy a day at the mall or beach, and go on vacations. Getting through the work day can be easier. Life is better all around when you have energy. Bariatric surgery is a weight loss tool, and it is so much more. Use it properly, and you can make great gains in many areas of your life. Part 2 of the series – to be published soon – will discuss ways to get what you deserve – maximum gains from Weight Loss Surgery!