What To Expect After Bariatric Surgery
What to expect post Bariatric Surgery?
Now that you have undergone Bariatric Surgery, it is critical that you change your lifestyle. Starting a daily exercise regime and sticking to a healthy diet is a lifelong process, and Bariatric Surgery makes it easier to stick to this schedule.
Follow Up after Bariatric Surgery
A close follow up with your primary surgeon is the extremely important. This will ensure that you stay on track with your lifestyle, and any changes can be made if needed. Usually, patients need to follow up at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after the surgery, and once a year thereafter.
Diet Progression After Bariatric Surgery:
Immediately following surgery, you will begin with a clear liquid diet. You may gradually start adding thicker liquids to your diet after you are discharged from the hospital.
It is important to know that following surgery, your stomach size is very small. The opening that allows food to pass out of your stomach is also very narrow. For this reason, it is important to take only two to three sips or bites at a time of any new food and then wait 10 minutes before taking more. This will help you learn your limits and tolerance. Liquids will empty faster from your stomach than soft solids.
If you overeat or eat too quickly, you may experience nausea or pain. You should avoid rich, creamy liquids such as gravies, sauces and ice creams.
Diet Progression After Bariatric Surgery:
- Eat balanced meals with small portions.
- Keep a daily record of your food portions and of your calorie and protein intake.
- Eat slowly and chew small bites of food thoroughly.
- Do not use straws, drink carbonated beverages or chew ice. They can introduce air into your pouch and cause discomfort.
- Avoid sugar, sugar-containing foods and beverages, concentrated sweets and fruit juices. Avoid smoking and alcohol.
Fluids:
Drink extra water and low-calorie or calorie-free fluids between meals to avoid dehydration. All liquids should be caffeine-free.
Sip about 1 cup of fluid between each small meal, six to eight times a day.
We recommend drinking at least 2 liters (64 ounces or 8 cups) of fluids a day. You will gradually be able to meet this target.
We strongly warn against drinking any alcoholic beverages. After surgery, alcohol is absorbed into your system much more quickly than before, making its sedative and mood-altering effects more difficult to predict and control.
Protein:
Preserve muscle tissue by eating foods rich in protein.
High-protein foods include eggs, meats, fish, seafood, tuna, poultry, soy milk, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt and other milk products.
Supplements:
You must take vitamin and mineral supplements on a daily basis to prevent nutrient deficiencies. Please remember that all pills must be crushed or cut into six to eight small pieces. You are not able to absorb whole pills as well as before surgery, and it can be difficult for the pills to pass through your new anatomy.
Nutrition Labels:
Read NUTRITION LABELS carefully. These are a very helpful to guide your daily calorie and protein intake.
These contain complete information about the amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in each serving. Most also contain details of the amount of cholesterol, sodium and vitamin content in each serving.
Use these to ensure you stick to your protein goals.
Nutrition information of all foods is available online on multiple websites. Use these to calculate your calories.
Nutrition information of all foods is available online on multiple websites. Use these to calculate your calories.
Long-term Dietary Guidelines:
Over time, you will be able to increase the variety and consistency of foods in your diet.
Some foods may continue to be poorly tolerated, including red meats, chicken, breads, and high-fiber fruits and vegetables. It is upto you to figure out which foods suit you, and stick to them to ensure a good quality of life.
Always avoid SNACKING. All types of snacks are rich in carbohydrates and fats and very poor sources of protein. Eating these frequently will lead to weight regain.
Focus on high protein, low-fat, low-sugar and low-calorie foods and continue to count your calories every day. Try to meet your serving goals for all food groups.
A good diet is always balanced with regular exercise. SO do not give up on either one of these!
To stay well hydrated, drink at least 2 liters of water or non-caloric fluids daily, unless this is contraindicated due to a medical condition.
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
- Do not eat/ drink in front of the TV/ while reading/ while working. These habits cause you to overeat without you realizing it.
- Keep a food and exercise diary. Note down your daily calorie intake and expenditure. Health apps on your smartphone are very useful (eg: My Fitness Pal, S Health, etc).
- Do not take second helpings.
- Keep tempting foods (bread, sev, bhel, biscuits, wafers, etc) out of the house. Your family members will also eat healthy!
- Continue walking at a fast pace daily, and slowly progress to jogging.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevators.
- Do not eat anything at least 3 hours before your bedtime.
- Get adequate sleep.
- Take your nutritional supplements on time.
