Healthy Eating Tips after Surgery
Your Health, Your HospitalThough weight loss surgery provides you with a tool to manage your eating, you must follow a healthy diet to lose weight. Bariatric surgeries are designed to reduce calorie consumption by shrinking the stomach, and gastric bypass also prevents the body from absorbing all the calories the patient consumes. But, despite these changes to your digestive system, it is important to eat healthy food if you want to lose fat and achieve a healthy weight.
Bariatric Surgery Diets Emphasize Protein
If a sensible diet is followed, bariatric surgery can produce significant weight loss. Typically the bariatric diet will largely emphasize protein.
Patients should eat protein first at every meal since the new stomach pouch the operation has created will fill faster than before surgery. Protein supplements may be recommended as well.
Good protein sources include lean meats, eggs, and dairy protein. Ask Marina Weight Loss’ nutritionist or bariatric nurse about appropriate sources of protein.
Produce: Staples of a Healthy Diet
Fruits and vegetables are vital components of a good diet, as well. Vegetables should be prepared in a healthy manner, such as steaming, while high-calorie ingredients, such as butter or creamy dressings, should generally be avoided. If possible, fruit should be fresh, or canned in water rather than syrup. Some foods may be hard for you to swallow or digest after weight loss surgery. These foods vary from patient to patient, but we will review a list of potential “problem foods” with you prior to your operation.
Healthy Recipes
Lots of resources are available online and in print to help you prepare healthy food. A good weight control diet can also be delicious, and the following list of ideas should help get you started.
When evaluating a new recipe, be sure to follow any advice given to you by Marina Weight Loss’ dietitian. The dietitian will also be able to make suggestions for new sources of healthy recipes. Losing weight should taste good. We recognize this. Our Marina del Rey office has lots of information about diet plans after weight loss surgery. To find out more, please call us at 310.577.5540 and make an appointment.
