Committing to a post-bariatric surgery diet and making lifestyle changes are ultimately in your hands. In choosing surgery to achieve significant and permanent weight loss your success will directly correspond to your commitment to embracing a new lifestyle. You’ve likely already heard a great deal of bariatric surgery information about “lifestyle change”, but let’s break it down and take it a step further. Here are the fundamentals of what we mean by lifestyle change, and the winning tips and strategies you need to succeed.

Top 5 Keys to a Successful Post-Bariatric Surgery Diet & Lifestyle

First Key

Eat no more than three meals a day. The body doesn’t need more than three meals a day. Learn to listen to your hunger cues and not the clock. Pay attention to the food triggers that govern your impulses. Your awareness of why you want to eat (hunger versus emotion) will be 50% of the battle with your post-bariatric surgery diet. The rest is your motivation and commitment to living a healthier life.

Second Key

Eat protein first every meal – Protein foods best meet the nutritional requirements of the body. Protein also typically takes longer to digest, meaning that the food will stay in the pouch longer resulting in less overall food consumed. It is important to remember that you must stop eating before you feel full as you manage your post-bariatric surgery diet.

If you don’t, 9 times out of 10, you will feel uncomfortable following your meal. You do not want to get used to the feeling of being overfull, nor do you want to resort to patterns of behavior that will relieve your discomfort but also leave you feeling hungry.

Third Key

Drink water – 64 oz. or more is the goal. Water does not mean soda, coffee, tea, or juice. Avoid drinking liquids with calories. Flavorful liquids increase your appetite and lead to snacking, a bad pattern for your post-bariatric surgery diet. The exception to this is the BariatricSmart® Protein Shakes. Avoid drinking 30 minutes before a meal and 60 minutes after a meal.

Fourth Key

Exercise Regularly – You may have read other bariatric surgery information or guides that say you don’t have to exercise to lose weight after bariatric surgery. While exercise may or may not have an effect on weight loss following bariatric surgery, exercise releases hormones into the body that not only make you feel good, but also help to curb your hunger. Exercise will help your mobility and have a residual benefit to just about every major organ in the body. As you progress with your post-bariatric surgery diet, consistent exercise is what will help you lose more weight, keep it off, and live a healthier life.

Fifth Key

No Snacking, No Snacking, No Snacking. Our brain lives off glucose and oxygen and it remembers how good sugar makes it feel. We can alter your digestive tract, but only you can alter your eating habits. Snacking is one of the biggest enemies of your post-bariatric surgery diet.

You have five fingers. Use one finger to help you remember each one of these keys to successful weight loss.

If you’re ready to become your own motivational weight loss surgery success story, take the next step and contact the New York Bariatric Group at 800-633-THIN today. We’ll provide you with all of the bariatric surgery information you need and help get you started with the process.