10 commandments of bariatric eating!

1. - You shall eat all your protein first: Protein rich foods delay stomach emptying and will help keep you feeling full long after you're done with your meal. Post bariatric eating involves protein at every meal and snack. Be sure to eat your protein first and avoid filling up on other foods and leaving no room for your protein!

2.- You shall eat solid foods over soft, mushy, or liquid foods: Solid foods will fill up your pouch and stay in your pouch longer than soft, mushy, or liquid foods do. You'll require more food to feel full when the consistency of your meal is soft, mushy or liquid.

More food = more calories = slower weight loss!

Examples of "solid" foods: chicken, turkey, fish, beans, whole fruits and vegetables, salad, whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.

Examples of soft, mushy, or liquid foods: soup, Frappuccino, milkshakes, ice cream, etc.

3. - Avoid eating and drinking at the same time: Solid food + liquid beverage = slushy, mushy consistency. Also creates a full sensation which is not good and doesn’t allow you to get all the nutrients.

4. - You shall avoid drinks/liquids with calories: After bariatric surgery, the liquids pass through the pouch fairly quickly without giving you a feeling of fullness or satisfaction. Drinks like regular soda pop, juice, milkshakes, coffee drinks, and sweetened beverages contain a lot of calories.

You can drink a lot of liquids without getting full and that means you can take in a lot of calories without ever feeling full if you're not careful to choose zero calorie beverages.

5. - You shall take small bites: Take bites only as big as a pea, pencil eraser, or a dime when eating after bariatric surgery. A small bite of food in your mouth guarantees only a small bite of food will find its way down to your stomach.

Having only a small amount of food trying to pass a gastric sleeve will lessen your chances of causing an obstruction.

6. - You shall chew thoroughly: Chewing thoroughly help you slow down, avoid overeating, and minimize the chance of obstruction caused by large food particles.

Bariatric surgery eating requires that you chew each bite 25-30 times or until the food in your mouth is unidentifiable.

7. - You shall eat slowly: This will prevent you from overeating which can cause you to vomit and/or cause your pouch to stretch. A stretched pouch means you'll need more food to feel full. Try putting your fork or spoon down between bites and allow 20-30 minutes to finish a meal.

8. - You shall stop eating once you are full: Persistent over eating after bariatric surgery can also cause your pouch to stretch which means you'll need larger portions of food to feel full.

9. - You shall stay Hydrated: Drink 6-8 cups of calorie free fluid every day.

• Water

• Sugar free, non-carbonated, caffeine free or decaffeinated beverages:

• Diet Snapple

• Sugar free Kool-Aid

• Decaf tea or coffee

• Herbal tea or coffee

• Artificially sweetened flavored wáter

• Crystal Light

10. - You shall take your daily vitamins: Good quality bariatric vitamins are essential so remember to take them daily.

For more information visit: www.longtermwls.com

Carbonated Drinks & why you shouldn’t drink them!

Carbonated Drinks after weight loss surgery - Long Term VSG

What are carbonated drinks?

A carbonated drink is a drink that bubbles and fizzes with carbon dioxide gas. There is a natural process (Mineral Water) and also the man-made process (canned mineral water, soft drink or soda).

...But, are they bad? The overconsumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, and low nutrient levels. Experimental studies tend to support a causal role for sugar-sweetened soft drinks in these ailments, though this is challenged by other researchers. "Sugar-sweetened" includes drinks that use high-fructose corn syrup, as well as those using sucrose.

Many soft drinks contain ingredients that are themselves sources of concern: caffeine is linked to anxiety and sleep disruption when consumed in excess, and some critics question the health effects of added sugars and artificial sweeteners. Sodium benzoate has been investigated by researchers at University of Sheffield as a possible cause of DNA damage and hyperactivity. Other substances have negative health effects, but are present in such small quantities that they are unlikely to pose any substantial health risk provided that the beverages are consumed only in moderation.

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight and obesity, and changes in consumption can help predict changes in weight.

The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks can also be associated with many weight-related diseases, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors, and elevated blood pressure.

Now that you know how Soda or soft drinks affect your health let’s talk about how it also is a bad choice after Weight Loss Surgery... Due to the gas that this types of drinks have in them they can hurt your stomach also they create a sensation of fullness (or bloating symptom) which can prevent you from eating your meal at your planned schedule and makes you feel uncomfortable, also due to the fact that they have sugar added (even if they are Light) they can stop the weight loss process and get you into a stall. So avoid them if you want a better achievement on your weight loss journey.

Contact us for more information! 

1 888 349 4769

Plastic surgery after weight loss - Long Term WLS/VSG

Once you are out of bariatric surgery and start losing weight you’ll be healthier, you’ll feel better and you’ll look better, for many patients that’s all they could want or hope for... But the extra skin that many patients have after wls, leads them to consider reconstructive plastic surgery. In addition to improving your appearance, patients often take this route for medical reasons including rashes and problems maintaining hygiene between the skin folds.

The most used plastic surgeries that are made are:

• Abdomen (Also known as a tummy tuck)

• Breast (Such as breast lift or breast augmentation)

• Neck or face (Neck lift or facelift)

• Thighs (Thigh lift plastic surgery)

• Upper Arms (Upper arm lift)

• Entire body (Total body lift) But before rushing to get your cosmetic surgery it is really important that you wait about a year or two. 

But before rushing to get your cosmetic surgery it is really important that you wait about a year or two...

You might be wondering why? Because after a year or two you’ve already lost as much weight as the surgery let you, so after all that time you already know how to eat healthy and also how to take care of your body which is really important after a cosmetic surgery.

Remember that the recovery after a weight loss surgery does involve careful attention so sticking to what the doctor instructs is the best option and this will allow you to heal better and also your stomach will heal better.

In your recovery process you can experience:

• Nausea or vomiting is especially common within the first few months following weight loss surgery. After your stomach is fully healed, you’ll quickly learn what your stomach can and can’t handle. How you eat is as important as what you eat when it comes to preventing nausea and vomiting, avoid eating and drinking too quickly or too much, take small bites and chew your food thoroughly

• Body aches – should pass with time. If they become too uncomfortable, talk with your doctor about which pain relievers are safe. You should typically avoid NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen or Aleve.

• Weak or tired feeling – should also pass with time, especially once your new bariatric diet is in place and, as soon as you are feeling up to it, begin your exercise program.

• Feeling cold – this is caused by metabolism and weight loss and the fact that you have less fat insulating your body.

• Constipation – drinking more fluids, eating fibrous foods or taking fiber supplements and moving around regularly should help.

• Diarrhea or loose stools – usually diet related and requires the avoidance of “trigger” foods that disagree with your stomach.

• Gas – also diet related.

• Dumping syndrome, especially after gastric bypass, is caused by rapid emptying of your stomach after a meal. Symptoms include weakness, dizziness, flushing and warmth, nausea and palpitation immediately or shortly after eating.  If you don’t adopt the right habits, this problem can continue over the long-term.  

• Gurgling noises – not necessarily uncomfortable, but it’s worth noting. Gurgling noises are completely normal and are due to the different way your new digestive system pushes air through. The best way to prevent gurgling noises is to avoid swallowing air (i.e. avoid carbonated beverages, sipping through a straw, eating or drinking too quickly and chewing gum).

• Thrush (yeast infection) – this can be a side effect of the antibiotics you are on to prevent infection. Symptoms include changes to your tongue such as a white coating, redness or inflammation. Thrush is easily cured with medicine, so let your doctor know if it starts to develop.

Your emotional state may also be a little shaky immediately following surgery. It’s common for patients to feel scared, uncertain or moody due to hormonal changes and to the emotional effects of adjusting to a new life after weight loss surgery.

Other things you may experience include:

• Skin changes such as acne or dry skin occur with some patients. The right bariatric diet and bariatric vitamins are your best defense. There are also many over the counter creams and lotions that can help. Worst case, partner with your dermatologist to find a treatment that works.

• Hair loss this can be an alarming side effect of rapid weight loss, but it is only temporary. It happens in about half of all patients in the year following surgery. Proper nutrition is the best defense, including protein and the right bariatric vitamins. Several other treatments can also help, including the application of special shampoos and oils (Nioxin shampoo, flax seed oil, biotin tablets or powder).

It typically takes patients anywhere from two to six weeks to start feeling balanced and back to normal again. After getting through the bariatric surgery recovery phase, following are the ways that your life after weight loss surgery will be permanently changed.

Post Op Bariatric Surgery Diet! - General guidelines

The Long Term WLS / VSG Post-Op Diet is designed to bring about significant weight loss, and learning new eating habits helping to maintain this weight loss over time...

In general, the diet includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat, fiber, calories, and sugar. Important vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. It is also crucial to get enough protein right after surgery, to make sure that wounds heal properly and over the long term, to preserve muscle tissue. Too much fat delays emptying of the stomach and may cause reflux, nausea, stomach discomfort, or diarrhea. Sugary foods like candies, cookies, ice cream, milkshakes or soft drinks, sweetened juices, and most desserts are foods high in calories and fat, and they can promotes dumping syndrome in some patients with by-passed stomach.

The Long Term WLS / VSG Post-Op diet (basically, in gastric bypass or restrictive procedures) unfolds in 4 Phases:

•  The first phase of the restricted diet, after the operation, consists in clear liquids for 2-3 days.

•  And then followed by phase two a low-fat full liquid with high protein content (At least 60 g/day) for 2 to 4 weeks. Liquid yogurt based-diet, preferable with added protein or commercial products of enteral nutrition vs. formula-diet (as usual in the very low calorie-diet) are some of the alternatives at this period.

• Soft/blended diets are indicated 4-6 weeks after discharge (some patients may need to wait longer).

• The puree diet includes very soft, high-protein foods like egg, low-fat cheese, or blenderized lean meats like chicken, veal or pork and fish (red meats are usually less tolerated).

The regular diet starts about 12 weeks or later after bariatric surgery... It is important to start with high-protein foods, like white eggs, lean meats, cheese or milk, at every meal. Each meal should take between 20-30 min, in much smaller amounts (50-100 g), and chewing carefully. Fluids should be consumed on a near-constant basis; sip slowing but only in between meals. It will be necessary to contact to a dietician for advice on planning an individualized regular diet pattern, and management of lifestyle changes.

Remember to follow the meal to make sure that you lose more weight and also to create a better eating habit, once you learn to eat better and healthier you will feel better and prevent future digestive problems.