Nutrition for Weight Loss Surgery – Bariatric Bypass
After completing your weight loss surgery, your journey has really just begun. These are exciting and transformational times for you, but the procedure isn’t a free pass to slimming success. You still have to be proactive to ensure you successfully reach your goals. Here are some of the most important keys containing tips about what to eat after surgery:
1. Avoid sugar. Refined sugars are not only nutritionally empty, they are often not well-tolerated after gastric bypass, sometimes leading to dumping syndrome, which includes uncomfortable symptoms like sweating, nausea, dizziness and diarrhea.
2. Adjust your drinking habits. No, not just your alcohol intake, though that is also important since it will take less to impair you. Since the “real estate” in your stomach is much smaller, you need to reserve what you can for nutrient-dense food. If you drink before or during a meal you will lose your appetite too soon. Drinking right after may risk washing the food through your system too quickly. Drink fluids at least 30 minutes before and after your meal.
3. Avoid carbonated drinks. Another consideration with your fluid is to avoid carbonated drinks. Not only are you more susceptible to gas pain, but the increased stomach pressure can compromise staples and sutures after surgery.
4. Limit snacking. Again, due to the limited space in your stomach, snacking will make it more difficult to get the most important nutrients your body needs. Follow the advice of your doctor and nutritionist.
5. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly. You must learn to eat differently, and one way is to savor food. Eat it slowly and chew thoroughly to get your food to a pureed consistency before swallowing. This will help with proper digestion and avoid blockages.
6. Vitamins and supplements. Since you will be on a much more restricted diet, it’s important you avoid nutritional deficiencies. In order to do so, you will need to take daily multivitamins and supplements.
7. Go to a weight loss support group. Your surgeon will likely recommend one. Not everything you need to do after weight loss surgery is related to how you change your eating and exercise. You need to work on your mental state as well. Weight loss support groups that are dedicated to you and your fellow bariatric patients helps you share your struggles (and successes) with people who can directly relate to what you are going through.
Guest Post By Dr.Samuel Bledsoe
About Samuel Bledsoe, MD, FACS
Dr. Samuel Bledsoe is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. He has been performing weight loss surgery for over 10 years and is currently practicing at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana. He is the Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery and past Section Chief of Surgery. Dr. Bledsoe is available for presentations and interviews upon request. By Kevin Angileri