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Immediately following your bariatric surgery, it is important that you follow your doctor's orders regarding diet. Even though you changed your diet before surgery, eating fewer calories, reducing your fat intake and incorporating more proteins, grains, vegetables and fruit into your diet, you will be required to follow a very strict diet after surgery if you plan to succeed at losing weight. After surgery, you will be restricted to a liquid diet for a time period of 9 to 12 weeks. You will also have to pay strict attention to your protein intake. The minimum protein requirement for women post-bariatric surgery is 50 to 60 grams per day; for men, this minimum intake requirement is 60 to 70 grams per day. For at least the first few months after surgery, you will be taking liquid protein supplements since it will not be possible for you to obtain your daily requirement any other way. You may find it necessary to rely on these supplements for the rest of your life.
Once you begin eating solid foods, you will have to chew each bite thoroughly and wait for two to three minutes before taking another bite of food. You won't be able to drink liquids when you eat. You will not be allowed to drink carbonated sodas, milk shakes, high calorie nutritional supplements or alcohol. You will have to limit your between-meal snacking and limit desserts with more than 3 to 5 grams of sugar per serving size. - Because you are not able to take in as much food (or nutrients) since your stomach and intestines have now been surgically altered, you will be required to take vitamins every day so you can maintain your daily requirements of minerals and vitamins. These supplements will have to be chewable.
- Sexually active women who have undergone bariatric surgery will have to use a reliable birth-control method for the first 18 to 24 months after surgery. Because of the demands pregnancy will place on your body and the risk for damage to the unborn fetus, it will be very important for you to comply with this requirement.
- Because your body is now required to exist on far fewer calories than it did before, it can begin to burn muscle instead of fat. As soon as your doctor allows, you must begin an exercise program, which will change your metabolism so you begin to burn fat instead of muscle. You will also benefit from an exercise program by losing weight more quickly.
