Importance Of Nutrition After Weight Loss Surgery By Gerald Witt on August 16, 2022

nutrition after weight loss surgeryIf you had a Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico, or anywhere else in the world, it is very important to get your nutrition post-surgery and to do so you must follow strict nutritional guidelines concerning the food you are allowed to eat. After Weight Loss Surgery, the patients, following their surgeon’s eating recommendations, start to feel great because of the rapidly weight loss. However, after some time, patients don’t always get the nutrition they need from the food that they eat, either due to the fact that the quantity is reduced or they are just making poor choices over time. This over time can cause health problems for the patients, as well as a lack of vitamins and minerals in their bodies.  As such it is very important to get proper nutrition after your weight loss surgery.

The success of a Weight Loss Surgery depends on how well you follow the instructions and the post-op diet provided by your surgeon. Most importantly however, is a lot will depend on how committed you are to changing your eating habits, getting the correct important amount of  nutrition you need for a healthy life, and creating a great relationship with the food you eat.  Basically, the idea is to change your entire lifestyle to a healthy living plan lifestyle. As such, it is important to tackle plant-based diets post-op to be successful, and get in healthy and lean protein. Early on after surgery, patients may not be able to eat the portion recommended by the surgeon but their stomach will get used to the new size and the body will pull out as many nutrients as possible from the food that you eat.

One of the best ways for a post weight loss patient to get all of their nutrition is in a meal replacement protein shake.  Some of these shakes are much more than your typical Premier Protein or Fairlife nutrition shakes.  For example, there are sugar free protein shakes available on the market that contain 45 essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, biotin, and even 8 extracts of vegetables in every shake, so that when taken as part of your postop lifestyle you are ensured a way of eating healthy and getting the nutrients your body needs so that your hair does not fall out, your skins elasticity remains firm, and overall you get the nutrition your body is typically lacking post weight loss surgery.  At Weight Loss Team in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, the patients are typically advised pre surgery on what they need to eat post-surgery to not only have success, but also to keep their nutritional levels at optimum.  Weight Loss Team actually recommends one of these shakes to their patients, and these shakes not only are ideal for the postop phase of weight loss, but can be used for the preop diet, and long term to help the patients fill in the gaps, of their eating habits, especially if they do not eat a lot of vegetables in their daily routine. 

There are several diet steps after weight loss surgery which includes foods of different types.  For example the preop diet should consist of lean protein, green veggies and salad with lite dressing.  Patients that need to lose a large amount of weight should contact their surgeon for additional steps to prepare for their surgery.  After surgery there is a 30 day postop diet that usually consists of protein shakes, then ultimately puree’s and finally at day 30 regular food.   At day 30, Patients should start with softer proteins, but it is still important to get in a protein shake a day and a good quality protein shake is very important, especially one that is sugar free.

After the post-surgery diet progression and eating related behaviors, patients must follow recommendations for lifelong supplementation and advice for nutritional follow-up in order to maintain their weight goal and to prevent complications.  It is in this phase that most patients do not get enough nutrition, so some are advised to take a good quality bariatric multivitamin and others are recommended to drink vegetable supplements or find a quality protein meal replacement that has everything in it.

During the post-operative period, vitamins and minerals may decrease in the patient’s body due to the fact that the patient does not or cannot consume the amount of food for the daily recommended allowance of these nutrients.

It is important weight loss surgery patients understand that nutrition plays a crucial role on their post-operative diet and overall weight loss success. Malnutrition may affect recovery and the actual weight loss process causing complications or slow weight loss.  It is also very important to stay hydrated post-surgery as the hydration also helps with the healing process.  The success of the weight loss surgery might be affected by the patient’s nutritional status.

Weight loss surgery patients need to follow dietary guidelines established by their surgeon, limiting the number of calories they will consume and balancing their meals based on the advice of their surgeon.  Remember to focus on low calorie, sugar free foods, low fat proteins and avoid sweets and foods that are high in bad carbohydrates.

Long-term weight loss success after surgery requires a patient’s commitment to good eating habits, taking vitamins and minerals supplements and being aware of their nutritional levels in their blood for the rest of their lives.


For more information regarding Clinics/ Hospitals and Weight Loss Options mentioned in this article:

Weight Loss Team – Bariatric Surgery Center in Puerto Vallarta

Lead Surgeon – Dr. Juan F. Hidalgo

Website: www.weightlossteam.com/

Email: info@weightlossteam.com

Telephone: Toll free 1(800) 404-9064 or + 1(818) 949-6911

The Weight Loss Team Staff

The Weight Loss Team

The Weight Loss Team in Puerto Vallarta is dedicated to the continued weight loss success of every patient. Through our state-of-the-art technology, advanced techniques, and easy access to online support, patients can expect successful weight loss surgery that creates lasting results. Patients travel from around the world to our practice to experience:

  • State-of-the-Art Facilities
  • Experienced Surgeons
  • Multiple Surgical Options
  • Advanced Laparoscopic Methods
  • Affordable Care
  • Life-Changing Results

If you're ready to lose weight and sustain a healthy, happy lifestyle, contact our Puerto Vallarta practice by filling out our online form or calling 800-404-9064.

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