How to Succeed After Weight Loss Surgery
Dr. Kesarwani is a pioneer in body contouring after massive weight loss, has lectured on this topic internationally, and always applauds the tremendous effort and commitment these patients to making choices to improve their health. In the last decade it has been the fastest growing part of our practice.
Weight loss surgery of any kind is not a cut and dry, quick fix for your weight problems. It’s the first big step in the journey towards achieving a healthier lifestyle and a healthier weight. To reap all of the benefits of weight loss surgery and to ensure they carry forward into the long-term, it’s time to start forming healthy habits.
Post-Op Diet and Nutrition
In the first few weeks of recovery most weight loss surgery patients are asked to stick to a diet consisting of liquids and soft foods. During this time the body is slowly reacquainted with solid foods. This transition period is the perfect opportunity to boost your intake of fruits and vegetables in the form of smoothies and juices. Increasing the intake of high nutrient foods is especially important due to the weight loss. A rapid change weight can make it more difficult for the body to absorb nutrients like iron, folate, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D, from food. In addition to consuming nutrient rich foods it may also be necessary to begin taking supplements.
Fitness and Exercise
The dramatic decrease in weight after the surgery can not only have a positive effect in terms of lowering the number on the scale, but it can also make it much easier to engage in physical activity. The absence of excess weight results in less stress on the muscles and the joints, making weight training and cardiovascular exercise like walking and running, much more manageable. To keep the weight off and achieve your goal weight exercise is an absolute must, especially to preserve respiratory and cardiovascular health.
Dealing With Fluctuations in Your Weight
Changes in weight, the gaining and the losing, are to be expected. In the weeks after the surgery the weight will likely fall off much faster than others, with patients typically losing as much as five or ten pounds. Eventually, provided that healthy eating habits and fitness habits have been adapted, the weight loss rate will taper off to around one or two pounds. At some point a plateau may be reached where patients are unable to reduce their weight any further, but this too is to be expected. Changes in exercise routines and diet can help break through the plateau.
Reaching your goal weight will take some patience, even with help from the surgery. The good news is with the right lifestyle changes, weight loss will be much easier to achieve and maintain.