Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Advise depending on the type of bariatric procedure that was made....



While getting the post-op meal plan that we provide it’s also good to know some recommendations or specifications that go with that procedure. But always remember eat healthy...

  • After a gastric sleeve the first thing that you need to know is that your stomach is going to be smaller than it used to be that’s why it’s really important to eat healthy and it will also help you to achieve better result on your weight loss.
  • After eating you’ll feel full a lot faster, eating too much and fast can cause discomfort and also a natural defense system gets activated and prevents food from going down, when this happens you normally vomit.
  • To prevent this, take your time to eat your meal, chew from 25 to 30 times, take small bites not mouth full ones.
  • Diarrhea is a common side effect so don’t get scared and also happens when you have to much dairy products in your diet, try drinking more water to prevent dehydration and eat less dairy products.


  • This type of surgery doesn’t only reduce your stomach size but it also makes some hormone changes to your body.
  • When eating too much fat mostly 80 % of these type of patient get affected by the Dumping Syndrome (a group of symptoms, including weakness, abdominal discomfort, and sometimes abnormally rapid bowel evacuation, occurring after meals in some patients who have undergone gastric surgery.).
  • Some patients present diarrhea and others constipation that’s why we always recommend to drink water along the day.
  • And remember to have your multivitamins to prevent any future problems.


These procedure not only changes your stomach size it also re-routes how your food gets digested, that’s why it’s really important to get the vitamins, minerals and protein your body requires.
The most common ones are:
  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Vitamins A, K, E, and D
  • Probiotics


Also you have to keep track on what you are eating and stay in contact with your Doctor to make sure you are getting all the absorption that you need

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

What's next after my post-op diet plan?

A lot of people who go under weight loss surgery (Gastric Sleeve, Duodenal Switch, Gastric Bypass..) to reach a desire weight or improve their health quality, but once they finish their post-op meal plan they don’t know what comes next or what to eat or how they can continue their new lifestyle...
We understand that It’s hard to change a lifestyle, but it’s never impossible, the secret here is DETERMINATION and also eating healthy and a little bit of exercise!
Many times we start stalling on our weight loss progress at first it’s normal this can happen for a short period of time, what we need to do or double check is:
  • What am I eating?
  • How am I eating?
  • Am I doing enough exercise?
  • Am I eating at the right time?
  • Calorie intake
These are just a few examples on what can keep you for reaching your weight loss goals. Remember that you just went through a procedure that helps you lose weight in a much faster rate,  but it comes with some changes in your every day life.
We share you some good life changing recommendations:
After the first month of the weight loss surgery, continue with long walks (30-40 mins.) Make sure to know how much calories your meals have and try to check how those calories are distributed within the macros (Protein, Carbohydrates and Lipid or Fat.) Mix colors on what you are eating that way it looks more appetizing and you feel that you are eating because you have to, more likely because you want to. Its recommended to eat 5 o 6 times per day. (Small meals) Add multi-vitamins and keep hydrating. Always have a positive mind, don't lose the motivation, every day you're closer to reach your desire weight loss result!

 

Type of food that I should be aware...

Remember that this weight loss surgery is a life changing decision and you can no longer eat certain foods some people have bad reactions to them and others don’t but here is a list of the most common type of food that can give you an unpleasant experience...
  • Carbonated beverages (Soda)
  • White Bread
  • Pasta
  • Rice
  • Red Meat
  • Hard Meat or Dry Meat
  • Nuts
  • Corn
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Caffeine
  • Citric Juices
  • Saturated Fat Food
  • Fried Food
Not all persons react the same way to this type of food, this is just the most common ones listed by the ASMBS (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery).

For Your Information
This normally happens between weeks 1 to 3 after your surgery that’s why it really important that you follow your 4 phase post-op Meal Plan. Once that passes you can try some of these foods and see how you react.


 



4 Easy Steps for a better bariatric meal plan!

Step 1: Eat Healthy
When we say eat healthy we are referring to have time to get a full meal, a balanced meal that has all the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to be healthy, you can include this types of foods:
  • Farm Animals like Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Milk and Eggs. Try to stay away from steak (Cow), it’s harder to digest and can cause indigestion.
  • Water Animals: Fish, Sardines and Tuna are recommended but don’t go eating to many seafood because it can also give you indigestion.
  • Fruits and Veggies are also recommended, whole grains and nuts.
What should I be aware on my meals?
  • Stay away from Chemically Modified Foods
  • Try not to buy food that in the label has 4 o more ingredients your doctor told you not to consume.
  • DO NOT FRY YOUR MEALS!! Use the Oven or the grill or a different method of cooking.
  • Drink Skim Milk instead of whole milk
  • Use different cooking oil.


Step 2: Make Protein your priority
Protein is really important and now it’s even more because of the procedure that you just went in, Protein helps you recover muscle tissue and right now that’s what you need so you can have a better healing process and your body can get use to your new stomach.
If you do not get your recommended protein intake you’re your body starts attacking your muscles and also you’ll feel week and tired, not just that some people may experience hair loss, swelling and on the skin.

Sometimes it’s recommended to have protein shakes or protein bars but we have to make sure how much protein are we getting from them and also how much carbs.

Step 3: Beware of the sugar you eat
Why is this important, mostly is because sugar in our body translates to Carbs that translates to glucose, if you know how to manage that glucose level you’ll have a better chance to make a faster recovery.

How to stop the carb cravings?
It’s easy just stop eating simple carbs like white bread, potatoes, white rice, corn, peas, food that has a lot of sugar in it like ice cream and donuts.
Try more of these instead, whole grain bread and whole grain rice.

Step 4: Drink water through the day
Remember that it’s really important to drink water all day try to keep it between 1 ½ to 2 quarts of liquid a day. This will help you keep your body hydrated and helps you digest your food better.

Try drinking water 45 min. before and after 45 min. after your meals that way you don’t feel bloated, also try drinking one glass a soon as you wake up and one before going to sleep.