Some thoughts on drinking

Regular readers will be aware of my previous posts about dehydration, dry skin, ketones etc. I've been thinking quite a lot about drinking, particularly, how much fluid I consume each day (currently about 2-2.5 litres), because I think getting fluid consumption right is the key to lots of things. I was reading a thread on one of the forums which started off with somebody who was struggling to keep any food down after a fill. A number of people replied, saying things along the lines of, 'yes, this is something we all struggle with - you just have to put up with it'. But then another person suggested that perhaps the original poster should try drinking more. Finally, a lady posted a message outlining when and how much she drinks each day - and it was such interesting reading I've re-written the essentials below. This particular lady has no problems keeping food down at all even though she has 11mls in a 14ml band.

6.30am - Tumbler of water and cup of tea (before leaving for work).
8.00am - Cup of tea or coffee and a pint of orange squash (when at work).
9.00 to 9.30am - Breakfast.
10.30am - A pint of water.
12.00pm - Lunch.
1.00pm - A pint of water.
1.00pm to 4.00pm - A pint of water and a hot drink.
5.00pm - Tumbler of water and cup of tea or coffee.
After dinner - Another pint of water and a glass of water before bed.

Now, assuming that "a cup" and "a tumbler" are equivalent to 250mls, and a "pint" is more or less 500mls, this equates to at least 4.25 litres per day!! This is serious drinking. I don't think I could physically manage that amount. For a start, I'd be spending half my time at work going to and from the loo! Also, I don't mind a bit of water but I find it much easier to drink fluids that have some flavour! However, it does sound as though increasing my fluid consumption to around 3 litres per day might be a good idea. In particular, I'm a little nervous about the restriction I will get after my first fill - and not being able to eat enough. I have heard all sorts of horror stories about productive burps (PBs) and vomiting in public - and understandably I'm quite keen to avoid them myself! So, I am going to try and increase my fluid consumption in the next two weeks so I am in the habit before my first fill (19th January - 12 days away).

Currently, this is my typical drinking pattern:

Breakfast: 200ml fresh orange juice and mug (300ml) of tea. Followed by cereal (muesli).
Mug of tea (300ml) mid-morning.
More tea (300ml) an hour after lunch.
Occasionally 500ml bottle of sugar-free Ribena drank throughout the day.
More tea (300ml) before evening meal.
More tea or diet coke (300 to 500ml) an hour after eating.

I think there are two things I need to change:
1. Finding other suitable and attractive drinks (I may not be able to drink diet coke once I have restriction)
2. Drinking more during the morning (I've often only drunk about 6-700ml by late afternoon).

I'll keep you posted on progress.