Weight loss surgeries such as gastric bypass and laparoscopic banding become more popular as the rate of obesity rises in the United States. Around 103,000 people had some type of weight-loss procedure in 2003, Bariatric Surgery states, but having the surgery is only the first step in losing weight and improving health. Even after bariatric surgery, you can -- and people do -- fail to lose weight, regain lost weight or end up sicker than they were before surgery. Eating correctly helps to prevent complications and maximizes weight loss after surgery.
Drink Between Meals
Drinking during a meal increases the chance of developing dumping syndrome, the Mayo Clinic explains. Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting can also occur. Wait at least 30 minutes after eating to drink liquids, the Mayo Clinic suggests, then drink slowly, taking between 30 and 60 minutes to drink a cup of liquid. Staying hydrated after bariatric surgery requires drinking at least six to eight cups of liquid per day.
Restrict Simple Sugars
Weight loss doesn't come just from having a bariatric procedure; you have to follow dietary restrictions, too. Most importantly, you have to restrict simple sugars, which include candy, cookies and other goodies that probably contributed to your weight gain to begin with. Eating sugar can cause dumping syndrome, a highly unpleasant complication that results from too much too much sugar entering the small intestine too fast. Dumping syndrome affects people who have had gastric bypass surgery. Symptoms include weakness, nausea, sweating or fainting after ingesting sugar. The other reason to restrict simple sugars involves weight loss: simple sugars supply too many nutritionally empty calories. You must eat well after bariatric surgery because the surgery decreases the amount of nutrients your body absorbs from food. You can develop nutritional deficiencies if you don't eat well, Frank Jackson, M.D. of Jackson/Siegelbaum Gastroenterology warns.
Chew Thoroughly
Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the opening between the stomach and the intestine. Large particles of food can get stuck in the opening if not thoroughly chewed, causing abdominal discomfort, nausea or vomiting. Chewing thoroughly also takes more time, which helps you realize that you're full, so you stop eating sooner. The Mayo Clinic recommends taking at least 30 minutes to consume your meal.
Don't Overeat
Changing eating habits takes more time than simply having the weight-loss surgery. While bariatric surgery does reduce the size of your stomach, limiting what you can eat at one sitting to 1/2 to 1 cup at a time, according to Jackson, overeating can stretch the pouch so it accommodates more food. Many people overeat for reasons that have nothing to do with physical hunger, and this doesn't change after bariatric surgery. Joining a group that deals with overeating or talking with medical personnel about ways to avoid overeating can help you keep off the 50 to 60 percent of excess weight you'll lose in the first two years after bariatric surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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