If you have undergone bariatric surgery, you have completed half the journey to maintaining a healthy weight. Bariatric way changes the anatomy of your stomach by a little. Thus, it becomes important to understand its impact on your overall health. Sticking to regular food and lifestyle habits will not suit your gut. Instead, you will have to follow a new approach by adopting healthy habits to achieve long-term success.
Bariatric surgery is an invaluable medium for losing weight. But at the same time, it is not a permanent solution to obesity. Moreover, things may go downhill if you do not alter your dietary habits and stick to a sedentary routine. When you talk to your surgeon after the surgery, they will give you a detailed list of how to maintain your weight loss in the long run after surgery.
Things Not to Do
Many people regain weight after bariatric surgery. It is because they don’t understand the importance of adopting healthy habits or sticking to them. They go back to their old routine and diet, eat whatever they want, and indulge in other unhealthy habits that take a toll on their overall well-being and never solve their obesity problem.
For you to get long-term success with the surgery, it is crucial to refrain from doing the following things.
- Stop binge eating, binge drinking, or emotional eating at once, for it may affect your overall health.
- Do not fill your stomach after the surgery. Leave some space so that food gets digested properly.
- Check your eating habits throughout the day. Eat only when you feel hungry and not otherwise.
- Do not eat fast food items or make frequent visits to restaurants while you are on your weight loss journey.
Things to Do
It is vital to mention that you cannot do everything at once. Start taking baby steps and change your lifestyle slowly by adopting the following things.
Consume a Healthy Diet
Eating healthy food is the key to the long-term success of bariatric surgery. After your surgery, the surgeon will give you detailed dietary instructions about what to eat and what not to eat. You must take the advice of the doctor seriously. Your body will require a different approach to eating. You will have to start with a liquid diet and then transition to solid foods.
Consuming a healthy diet helps in long-term weight management. Include more lean proteins, and unsaturated fats to your diet. Understand the importance of portion control. You can also adopt the practice of quantifying your food as it will help you keep your calorie consumption in check.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydrated body is not a healthy sign after your weight loss surgery. You must consume enough water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated after the surgery. Aim to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water daily. Besides keeping you hydrated, water helps in digestion which is an important part of healthy weight management.
Do not drink water with meals as it may cause the food to pass through the stomach too quickly, and you will feel hungry soon after eating. Wait for 30 minutes after a meal before drinking.
Stay Active
A sedentary lifestyle does no good to your body after bariatric surgery. You must stay active and energetic after the surgery. The surgeon will advise you to incorporate physical activity into your routine to manage weight loss. You can begin with low-impact activities, such as walking, yoga stretches, and swimming, and then slowly increase the intensity.
When you increase the intensity of your physical workouts, ensure to focus more on building strength and muscle mass as it will boost your metabolism.
Attend Follow-Up Appointments
The surgeon will schedule regular follow-up appointments after bariatric surgery, and you must not miss them. Regular check-ups with your healthcare team will monitor your progress with the weight loss journey.
With the help of regular monitoring the surgeon can adjust your diet, exercise plan or any concern you have been experiencing. They will also suggest you to undergo regular blood tests for nutritional monitoring.
Monitor Your Weight
At each step of your weight loss journey, you must monitor your weight. It doesn’t mean checking your weight on a weighing scale daily. Start doing it once every 15 days or a month to monitor your progress. It will help you stay on track and allow you to address weight regain.
If you notice weight gain, you can adjust your lifestyle after speaking to your surgeon. They will suggest dietary and other changes.
Set Realistic Goals
Last but not least, always set realistic goal when you are on a mission to achieve healthy weight. Weight loss is not cakewalk. You should focus on your overall health and celebrate even small victories as they will keep you going.
Be patient with your weight loss journey. Remember that things don’t happen overnight and you will have to give some time for the results to reflect.