Preparing for Bariatric Surgery

You have decided to have bariatric surgery.  Now what?

Preparing for bariatric surgery properly is a significant factor in long-term success.  Regardless of the surgery you decided to have, there are a number of steps to take at this time to help you transition smoothly to your post bariatric surgery life and help you achieve sustained weight loss.

Step 1: Learn about your procedure.  Study basic stomach and bowel anatomy, and become very familiar with what the surgery entails.  Spent time reviewing the videos and diagrams on our website and understand how the procedure works, what it does and does not do, and what some of the side effects might be.

Step 2: Learn about nutrition and the various food groups.  Focus on the sources of protein and healthy fats.  Understand why refined or simple carbohydrates are unhealthy; these include refined and processed sugars, such as sucrose (table sugar), high-fructose corn syrup and agave syrup, as well as refined grains, such as white flour made from refined wheat.

Step 3: Work towards cutting out all snacking for good.  Many of us have been told we need to snack throughout the day or have multiple small meals a day to “keep the metabolism running” or to avoid overeating; this is simply wrong.  Think about your current habits and try to maintain a food journal for a few days, writing down anything you might eat or drink (beside water) with the time of day when you had it.  Everything counts, from the piece of candy you took from the candy bowl to the cracker you had with your coffee or the small juice you had mid-morning.  When you write it down, you may realize that you are eating or drinking 6-8 times a day or more. Start to cut out all snacking from your eating habits but do it gradually.  Your goal is to ultimately limit yourself to no more than 3 meals or "food encounters" a day. 

Step 4: Improve your food choices and forget about calories.  Bariatric surgery will help you control your portions and your hunger; it will tell you how much to eat but not what you eat.  It is important to start making better food choices before you have surgery.  Gradually cut back on all sugar and refined carbs such as white bread, pasta and white rice.  I also recommend avoiding artificial sweeteners.  Beware of high fructose corn syrup in processed and packaged foods.  As much as possible, try to consume whole unprocessed foods including vegetables, meats, dairy, nuts, healthy oils, etc. Do not worry about counting calories; weight loss is not about how much calories you consume but more about where these calories come from.

Please be patient with the process and do things gradually.  Don’t be disappointed with yourself if you have a bad day.  Things will get easier as you slowly build new habits. Maintain a positive attitude and always remind yourself of why you are doing this, beyond just weight loss.

- JRS