Bariatric surgery can be exhausting on your body, and you’ll need some time to recover. Give it all the rest it needs, and as soon as you get your clearance, it’s time to throw yourself at work. Healthy diet, exercising, and supplements. Look for no excuses, because you already went through the hardest part of the whole journey. Right now you need to be healthy and maintain your optimal weight. Your whole life will change.
In the following article, we’ll share some tips that every bariatric patient will find useful. They’ll help you maintain your weight and become a lot healthier than you were.
The importance of vitamins
When it comes to healthy weight loss, having regular exercise and a well-balanced diet just isn’t enough. You need to take vitamins and other supplements in order to meet the needed daily amounts. The most important vitamin for weight loss is B12 and it’s on top of the vitamin list for bariatric patients.
B12 is an immensely important vitamin that helps the process of converting the food we eat into sugar and other types of nutrients that the body uses as fuel in order to function properly. B12 has a strong ability to boost the metabolism, meaning it will help digestion and provide lasting energy to keep one active during the day despite the change of the diet. We recommend you try using the b12 patch. It’s a way of giving the body b12 through the skin. This way you will avoid having digestion problems that vitamins and supplements can cause if you take them on a daily basis. It also is a more efficient way of absorbing the vitamin that releases slowly into the body through the skin and keeps your energy levels high throughout the day.
Giving your body proper rest
Bariatric surgery is invasive, and you’ll feel groggy once you wake up and the anesthesia wears out completely. You’ll be given some painkillers, and you’ll be advised to rest. Make sure to follow that advice, because they’ll shorten your recovery period, and you’ll be back on your feet in no time.
As soon as your doctor gives you the green light for exercise and solid foods, you should consult with him if you don’t feel ready. That is completely fine, and they’ll listen. But, you should also listen to what they have to say, and slowly, but surely, you need to start the long journey ahead of you.
When will I eat sweets?
Now, this is the hardest part of every diet. Your healthy version will require some sacrifices, and in this case, those are sweets. You’ll be having some sugar cravings, but there are plenty of other delicious options to switch them. For example, have you heard of smart cakes? They’ll give you the feeling as if you’re eating the yummiest cake out there, but without all those extra calories to it. Eat your cake guilt-free, without worrying about the weight. You deserve some treats after all the hard work you’ve been doing.
You can also deal with sugar cravings by having a piece of your favorite fruit, or you can distract yourself by keeping busy. Have you ever tried painting, reading, or taking a walk to silence your hunger? Next time a sugar craving appears, try jogging it off. You’ll feel victorious!
Maintaining your weight after bariatric surgery
The first few months
You’ll be losing weight like crazy, that’s for sure. But, this is the period where most people fall back, feel depressed and sad about everything, so they can easily lose their will. You mustn’t fall off track, because the hardest part is behind you, and in those few months you’ll see the biggest changes happening. In the beginning, you’ll be on liquid and mushy food, and soon enough, you’ll start with softer foods, while slowly progressing to normal food that you’d normally eat. Because of the liquid food, and the amount that you’ll be taking, you should expect to lose weight really fast. As your body recovers, you’ll notice that the scale stops for longer periods.
Everything that comes after
After the first few months, you’ll be stabilized, and your body will get used to its new state. This gives you two options. The first one is to continue with your journey, eating healthy, exercising, supplementing…the second one is to get back to your old self and throw away all those efforts. But, you’ve got this far, why stop now?
There will be some ups and downs, you’ll reach for that sweet chocolate bar that you’ve kept in your pantry. Having some chocolate here and there is totally fine because it will prove to you that you have control over what you eat, and you won’t be feeling like you’re punishing yourself with salads.
Make sure to have several smaller portions, filled with various nutrients, such as proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Optimally, you need to have 3 main meals throughout the day, completed with 2 snacks to keep you fueled and get you going. If you try doing this, you’ll instantly notice that you’re energetic and fulfilled, without the sense of hunger.
