Bariatric surgery is a life-changing event that helps you shed extra weight and achieve your desired body weight. It has a high success rate and is an ideal option for individuals struggling with obesity and obesity-related issues. Your weight loss journey doesn’t stop at bariatric surgery alone. It is important to understand how lifestyle will affect the result of your surgery. After the surgery, the surgeon will give you a detailed list of the food items that you must eat and avoid from eating. Taking these guidelines seriously and making healthy food choices is the key to maintaining a healthy body weight.
At each step of your weight loss journey, the surgeon will advance you through a diet plan until you reach the final phase. Here’s how you can make healthy food choices after the surgery.
Know That Food Will be a Smaller Part of your Life
It is important to acknowledge the fact that after bariatric surgery, the food you eat just becomes a small part of your life. If you mentally prepare yourself for it, you can achieve long-term success with weight management. Do not focus on the quantity of food, look at the quality instead.
Stick to a Routine
You have to stick to a routine when it comes to changing your diet after bariatric surgery. People who do well with the results of the surgery generally eat the same thing every day. Eating the same healthy foods helps you in many ways. You can find the healthy food you like and stick to the diet. It will also save you from calculating calories and protein every time you switch to a new dish.
Sticking to a routine also removes emotion from eating. For any bariatric patient, it is important not to attach themselves emotionally to the food.
Consume More Protein
Protein plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy weight after bariatric surgery. Eating lean protein ensures you get enough nutrients and maintain a healthy weight. The surgeon will connect you to a nutritionist who will give you a list of all the food items rich in protein. Distribute them into each meal and consume these foods regularly for better results.
Eating lean proteins and vegetables and pairing them with fibers increases satiety, which further helps you avoid those pangs of hunger. As a result, the amount of carbohydrates you would otherwise consume is reduced.
Count your Calories
One of the most vital tips to follow with your diet after bariatric surgery is to always count your calories. It ensures you are eating mindfully. Counting your calories has become extremely easy nowadays, thanks to many apps that help you track food consumption and associated calories.
You can also adopt a quantified food practice by measuring raw food and consuming the exact amount of calories you require and nothing more.
Say No to Emotional Eating
The more you attach yourself to food, the difficult it will become to maintain healthy weight. Understand the negative impacts of emotional eating on your health. Consuming high calorie food will interfere with your weight loss goals.
If emotional eating is taking a toll on your health, reach out to a professional for therapy, and they will help you come out of it. They will recognize your triggers and help you develop solutions for the same.
Stay Hydrated
You must not undermine the importance of staying hydrated throughout your weight loss surgery. Hydration plays an important role for rapid and optical recovery after weight loss surgery. Drink fluids half an hour before and after meals. Do not consume water during meals as it may lead to discomfort to your stomach.
Drink at least two liters of water daily for the first few months of the surgery. Depending on your body weight, you can adjust the quantity later.
Limit Fatty Foods
Fatty foods can be your biggest enemy. Consuming foods that are fatty or high in sugar may lead to dumping syndrome, a condition resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. It also increases your overall daily calorie intake. The worst part is that sugary and fatty foods do not have any nutritional value.
The sooner you limit eating sugary and fatty foods, the better it will be for your overall health. Opt for a balanced diet and healthy alternatives.
Introduce Foods Gradually
After bariatric surgery, your diet will gradually transition from liquids to mashed foods and then solid foods. You must understand that eating all kinds of foods at once can have a negative impact on your body. Your recently altered digestive system will not be able to digest these food items together.
Start a step-by-step approach by discussing with your surgeon and nutritionist. Listen to your body’s signals post-surgery. Listening to your body becomes extremely important at this stage. If certain foods do not suit your body or lifestyle, stop eating them instantly.
Takeaway
Adapting to a new diet after bariatric surgery may be a little overwhelming at first. However, once you start making healthy food choices to maintain a healthy weight, there will be no going back.