Bariatric Lifelong Nutritional Guidelines
- Weight loss surgery is designed to help people lose weight after previous attempts have failed. However, safe and successful weight loss with this procedure requires you to make a commitment. A dedicated commitment to change your current eating habits and behavior is essential to developing substantial weight loss.
- EAT SLOWLY. Immediately after surgery, your stomach is swollen and needs time to heal. Eating too quickly may cause you to overfill your stomach and bring forth discomfort (such as nausea and vomiting)
- EAT AND DRINK SMALL AMOUNTS AT A TIME. Learn to sip. Try mot to fill your entire mouth with fluids or food. Use a child’s spoon and a 2oz medicine cup to help determine a safe amount to swallow.
- STOP EATING AND DRINKING WHEN YOU FEEL FULL. Learn to listen to your body. Once you feel full, 2 more bites WILL NOT FIT. They will make you feel terrible. Stop eating so you do not eventually stretch your stomach back out and sabotage your weight loss efforts. Overfilling your stomach can also lead to explosive diarrhea requiring emergent access to a bathroom.
- CHEW FOOD THOROUGHLY BEFORE SWALLOWING. Try to chew each bite for 20-30 times before swallowing. This is especially important if you have had a hiatal hernia repair. A big chunk of food can get stuck in your esophagus and make your VERY, VERY miserable.
- DRINK ADEQUATE FLUIDS IN BETWEEN MEALS TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION. Consume at least 6 cups of liquids per day (>48oz). No drinking with meals!
- EAT PROTEIN RICH FOODS FIRST. This is necessary to meet your protein goals. Protein is necessary to promote adequate healing and to help you maintain lean muscle mass as you lose weight. Aim for >80gm per day.
- KEEP YOUR FOOD CHIOCES SUGAR FREE AND LOW IN FAT. Foods high in sugar and fat may cause diarrhea and abdominal discomfort (AKA dumping syndrome). They also take up valuable real estate in your small stomach that would be better utilized by protein.
- AVOID STARCHY CARBOHYDRATES. Bread, rice, pasta, pretzels, chips, grits, oatmeal, cereal, cracker, etc. all expand after they reach your stomach just like when you put them into a cup of water. Not only can this lead to severe discomfort and dumping syndrome, but it will prevent you from reaching your protein goals as well as your weight loss goals.
- REQUIRED VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS. Take a bariatric vitamin every day. If it does not have iron in it, take an iron supplement (at least 18gm per day). Also take a calcium citrate supplement (1200mg per day). DO NOT take calcium and iron within 2 hours of each other or they will bind together in your stomach and you will not absorb either. You should also take Vitamin B12 supplements (500mcg/day, 2500mcg/wk, or 5000mcg/2wks)
Ainsley Freshour, MD, FACS, DABS
Robotic, Minimally Invasive, and Bariatric Surgeon
Board Certified General Surgeon and Surgical Intensivist
