Obesity is a chronic disease that requires ongoing effort and permeant lifestyle changes. Bariatric surgery is not a cure nor is it to be considered a “one and done” approach to treating obesity. Weight loss surgery is a simply a tool to help you achieve a healthier weight and lifestyle.
In order to have a successful long-term outcome, it is necessary to make a number of permanent lifestyle changes. You will need to change your eating habits, behaviors, mindset, stress management strategies, and physical activity.
Building Healthy Habits
-
Establish regular meal times throughout the day; never skipping meals or goingmore than
4 – 5 waking hours without eating.
-
Studies indicate prolonged fasting might lead to a bigger than normal increase in ghrelin, known as “hunger hormones.” This encourages you to overeat at your next meal and leading to peaks and crashes in your glucose and energy.
-
Eating breakfast primes your metabolism to maintain stable blood sugar levels after subsequent meals.
-
Protein is the cornerstone of your diet after surgery but not all proteins are created equal.
-
High fat meats, such as pork sausage, salami, prime rib, bacon, and cheese can be substituted for leaner, healthier options: fish, chicken, lean pork, lean red meat, low-fat dairy products, eggs, and soy products.
-
Start to buy different protein shakes and powders to find ones you like. Drink them for breakfast or as a quick snack.
-
Vegetables and fruits are packed full of nutrients, are low calorie and very filling.
-
Start with 1 fruit and 1 veggie a day.
-
Gradually increase until consistently eating 5+ servings per day.
-
- Eat slowly, making meals last 20 minutes. Check in with your hunger level at 20 minutes and decide if you are still hungry or full and ready to stop eating.
- Change your food shopping habits. Place lean proteins and fruits and vegetables at the top of the list.
Pre-op Bariatric Diet
You must prepare your body before surgery, this pre-op diet is to shrink the liver; also to decrease blood lipids and prevent post surgical complications.
The pre op diet consist in 2 stages.
FIRST STAGE
– Do not smoke.
– Use a prepared canned or powdered protein drink (prefer a fat free and low carb one). You may purchase these in any health food store or many grocery stores. Please be sure it contains at least 20 grams of protein per serving. You can make your shake mixing half water and half unsweetened vanilla almond milk, coconut milk or skim milk. (Preferably mix it only with water)
MENU EXAMPLE
Breakfast: 1 protein drink
Lunch: 1 protein drink
Dinner: Salad with Protein (chicken, fish, egg, etc.), small amount of fat-free dressing.
Evening Snack: 1 protein drink (if needed).
* You can eat one small portion of raw or cooked vegetables if you feel hungry at other time during the day.
• Discontinue vitamins, hormonal medications, Aspirin (unless it is baby-aspirin prescribed for heart condition), Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, Nuprin, Aleve or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. This includes most arthritis medications. These medications can cause unnecessary bleeding after surgery. (If you are not sure, please check with our doctors.)
• For headache or minor pains you may use Tylenol. • Do not take any herbal medications/remedies.
CLEAR LIQUID STAGE (2nd stage)
In a clear liquid diet you can only have transparent liquids (liquids you can see through); this kind of liquids stays liquid at a normal temperature.
Some examples of these liquids are:
– Fruit juices (apple, grape, cranberry, etc.) mixed with water. – Non-fat broths: chicken, beef or fish. (Just the broth).
– Jell-O
– Tea.
– Flavored Water.
– Gatorade.
– Popsicle. (Water base; not milk)
You also should take a Whey protein Supplement, low carbohydrates and low fat. And mix it with water. You can have from 1 to 3 servings of this protein per day.
Characteristics of ideal whey protein suplement:
Content per portion: >20gr of protein. <6gr of carbs. <3gr of fats.
*Milk or dairy is not allowed on this diet.