DIET PROGRAM
Get ready for some significant changes to both what you eat and how you eat.
Don’t worry… it may not be as hard as it sounds. Many patients find that their unhealthy food cravings completely go away (33), plus your new stomach will cause you to feel full much sooner than before surgery.
Appropriate changes to your diet are so important that we have devoted an entire section of our site to them. Here are a few pages to get you started…
Bariatric diet:
The right bariatric diet and eating techniques include:
- High-protein, low-carb diet, & no cheating before surgery
- Slow transition from clear liquids to solid foods after surgery
- Healthy foods, proteins first
- Lots of sugar-free liquids, but never around meals
- Minimal snacking
- Small portion sizes, chew thoroughly
- Adhering to prescribed vitamin regimen
- Avoiding “trigger” foods and alcohol
Bariatric eating:
The right bariatric eating techniques help prevent complications, weight regain, and malnutrition. They include:
- Preparing your food properly
- Controlling portion sizes
- Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly
- No drinking before, during, or after meals
- Being mindful of warning signs
BARIATRIC VITAMINS
Not routinely having your blood tested or ignoring your doctor ’s supplementation guidelines can lead to significant problems up to and including death (2) (3)…
- Calcium deficiency – leads to osteoporosis.
- Iron deficiency – can cause anemia (when your body does not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body), increased feelings of fatigue and hair loss
- Folate (folic acid) deficiency – can also lead to anemia.
- Protein deficiency – protein is one of the most important components of your body as it makes up most of your major organs. Not getting enough can lead to a myriad of problems, including muscle deterioration, organ failure, gallstones and even death.
- Thiamin (Vitamin B1) deficiency – affects the heart, digestive system and nervous system. If not caught and treated quickly, learning and memory could be permanently affected. Ultimately, coma and death could be the result.