Diet and Exercise after Bariatric Surgery
Steps to Achieving Success.
Dieting properly and
exercising are mandatory in order to achieve success with your surgery and
reach your goals. You are not going to be able to eat all the foods you are
used to eating before the surgery. You will also not be able to eat as
much. It is very important you are very
strict with your portion controls. More
than likely you will not have the urge to overeat, because your stomach pouch
is much smaller, and you will get full much more quickly. When eating you should take small bites and
chew your food well. The meal should be savored, think of it as “quality not
quantity”. If you fill your stomach with too much food, you risk getting sick.
You should also avoid liquids during meals. Liquids are consumed throughout the
day and not while eating a meal.
Snacking throughout
the day is very wrong. Snacks offer very little nutritional value and take up a
lot of room in your stomach. You must use this space for health supplements or
mini meals. Protein is going to be a major part of your life from now on. When
you feel like snacking, have a protein shake. There are many different kinds of
protein to choose from. More than likely you will not like the taste of
protein. It takes a bit of trial and error to find a protein supplement you
like, but they are out there. Go to the message boards or a local support group
and see what fellow post ops recommend. There are also all kinds of creative
things to do such as making protein pancakes with any wheys tastless protein,
or taking achievONE (coffee flavored protein drink) and heating it up, it
actually tastes like real coffee. If you’re
in the car or in the office, or simply don’t feel like making a protein shake,
try a protein bar, or a high protein food such as kay’s natural’s pretzels. The
world of protein may seem daunting at first, but once you accept it, you will
start to realize protein doesn’t taste that bad and you will come up with
creative ways of getting your daily recommended protein intake.
Exercise is also a
very important part for post bariatric surgery. You committed to the surgery,
which is a life commitment. Yes exercise is very important. Exercise can be as
simple as just walking. Walking is actually a recommended exercise for post
ops. Keep it short in the beginning and as time goes make your walks more
vigorous. This is important for keeping your weight down and just feeling
healthy. Make walking part of your lifestyle. If you would prefer not to walk
around the streets, you can purchase a decent treadmill for relatively cheap.
Do not feel overwhelmed.
Early on some people tend to question and regret why they got the surgery. That
feeling is normal, but it will pass. Your future is so bright, now that you are
on track to getting in shape and staying healthy. To stay motivated, find support
in other post ops, by going to various support group meetings, and finding a
support message board online. Keep your mind strong, stay motivated, get your
protein, and watch the weight fall off!
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