Eating Healthy after Weight Loss Surgery

Posted: Jan 04 in Post-Bariatric Diet by Staff

Eating healthy and eating healthy after weight loss surgery are two very different things. To eat healthy is to make the smart choices that support your body. The idea stays the same after you have weight loss surgery, but the process actually looks very different. Once you have weight loss surgery, the choices that you’ve always known to be smart for supporting weight loss goals might not be smart for supporting your adjusted digestive and dietary needs.

This is why your weight loss surgeon will provide you with strict rules and culinary ideas as to what you should eat after coming out of weight loss surgery. While your diet will be restricted intensely as your body recovers from surgery initially, in time you’ll be able to return to a more normal diet. From there, it is up to you to make the choices that will help you remain healthy and working towards your weight loss goal long-term.

Nutrients after Weight Loss Surgery

Every form of weight loss surgery supports weight loss efforts in different ways. While Lap Band surgery encourages weight loss by restricting hunger via the use of a laparoscopic band that sits around the stomach below the esophagus, gastric bypass surgery actually reroutes the colon to reduce the consumption of nutrients and calories into the body during the digestion process.

You have to keep your digestion in mind when you are eating after weight loss surgery. Whatever form of bariatric procedure you opt for, there are several eating habits you’ll need to adapt to support a healthy lifestyle.

Here are a few of the healthy eating habits you’ll want to follow after weight loss surgery:

• Avoid large meals and instead opt for smaller meals throughout the day. Trying to eat too much, too fast can result in severe stomach discomfort, and in some cases after weight loss surgery can even create medical concerns.
• Make sure that your meals are nutrient dense. Opting for low calorie meals is a plus, but you want to make sure that the calories you are consuming are giving you all the nutrients you need to power through your day.
• Choose your nutrients wisely, and make sure that you are getting the right amount of protein and vitamins. Check with your weight loss surgeon to find out exactly what vitamins and nutrients your body needs to maintain ideal health after weight loss surgery.

If you have any questions about dietary choices after weight loss surgery, it is better to be safe than sorry. Talk to your weight loss surgeon about dietary advice and food choices. Keeping up with healthy meal choices after weight loss surgery can help you maintain your weight loss long-term.