Having a weight loss surgery is just one step. The main thing is how to go through the process after the surgery. Now you have a healthy life, a beautiful future in front of you. For this, it is very important to pay attention to some rules both in your healing process and in your progressing life. As we Dr. HE Obesity Clinic, we list these rules here to help you.
Here are our 10 Golden Rules to be followed after obesity surgeries:
1- Doing sports is a part of your daily life
You had surgery to end an unhealthy life. Now it is time to adapt sports activities to your life for healthy tomorrows in your renewed life. Compared to the old times, sports will be much easier and more enjoyable. Also, you can easily overcome aesthetic problems that may occur due to excessive weight loss after surgery with sports activities. You should take the time to do sports for at least 2 days a week. You can increase your rhythm by walking in the first month, swimming in the second month, and heavy sports after the third month.
2- Do not forget to have your tests done in certain periods
After obesity surgeries, food portions are getting smaller. Therefore, vitamin-mineral deficiencies can be observed in patients who do not have regular, healthy, and various eating habits. Besides, due to rapid weight loss, stones may be found in the gallbladder in the following periods. To keep these possibilities under control, you should have your blood tests and gallbladder ultrasound at certain intervals.
Your blood tests;
- In the first year after surgery, in 3-month periods,
- You should have it done in 6-month periods in your second year after the surgery.
Your gallbladder ultrasound,
- In your first year after the surgery, you should have 6 months.
Remember that these tests should be done not only for 'diagnostic' purposes, but also to protect you from diseases or to see potential health problems early.
3- Take care to come to your control appointments
The process after obesity operations requires close follow-up. You should definitely contact us in 3-month periods and make an appointment to meet. If you live abroad or cannot come to your check-up appointment, you should contact us regularly every 3 months, especially with the results of the analysis mentioned in the second article. You can share your test results with us in the WhatsApp group we have created specifically for you.
4- Always keep in touch with your dietitian
Remember, surgery is just a step for healthy living. This is possible with proper nutrition. After the surgery, your eating habits will change completely. Therefore, it is very important to communicate with your dietician in this process to learn your changing diet periods and to apply your new eating habits more easily. Do not hesitate to contact your dietician if you have any questions about nutrition, ask your dietician before researching on the internet. Undoubtedly, knowing that you are not alone with the support of your dietician will make you feel better in this process.
5- Make sure to make the solid-liquid separation
Your stomach is now quite small. Therefore, you should be careful while consuming solid and liquid foods. Solid-liquid separation is a new nutritional habit that should be acquired for patients undergoing obesity surgeries. You should start this rule, which includes stopping the fluid intake half an hour before and after meals, starting from the puree diet period.
Yes, it is not easy to change your eating habits at once.
- However, if you consume fluids just before meals, there will be no place for food in your stomach. This leads to protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies due to nutritional deficiencies.
- If you consume fluids during or immediately after eating, digestion problems will occur in your stomach and your stomach will expand. This can cause weight gain.
If you do not pay attention to this rule, you will feel some discomfort in your stomach. In fact, this will be a message your stomach will give you. So you can adopt this rule more easily in your life.
6- Check your water consumption
After obesity surgeries, it is very important to consume water to maintain fluid balance of your body and to lose weight effectively. The body's water needs vary depending on the person's weight, existing diseases, and seasons. When a sufficient amount of water is not drunk, people may experience weakness, dizziness when standing up. In order to avoid these symptoms and stay healthy, you should comply with the solid-liquid separation, but you should take care to drink at least 1.5 - 2 liters of water per day. We should say that we do not count the tea or coffee you drink instead of water. To increase water consumption, you can flavor your water with fruits and vegetables or increase your herbal tea consumption.
7- Review your nutrition model
The risk of leakage continues for the first month after your obesity surgery. The most important measure to be taken to prevent this risk is to drink liquids very slowly and with small sips. Some patients may experience problems such as congestion, vomiting, indigestion, and pain after the meals they eat. These problems arise from not applying the right nutrition model. You should not continue your old eating habits with your new and small stomach. You should eat the food very slowly and chewing very well. Remember that each meal should take at least 30 minutes.
8- Be aware of the calories you take, try to stay in balance
There may be pauses at various periods in your weight loss process after your operation. If you are experiencing pauses in your weight loss period exceeding 1 - 1.5 months, danger bells are ringing for you. You should review your daily diet and calculate the calorie amounts of the foods you consume at your meals. You may be eating a little bit, but don't let this mislead you. You may be consuming too many calories even if you consume small amounts of nutrients. You should stay away from small but high-calorie foods such as chocolate, sugar, sodas and sauces as much as possible.
9- Be aware of protein-based nutrition
Protein intake is very important in every period after surgery. The use of protein powders recommended by your dietician, especially during the first 15 days of liquid diet, is very effective in terms of healing the suture line of the stomach and protecting the muscles. In this first 15-day period, where people will have a hard time catching the amount of protein they need to take daily, protein powders meet some of this need, but they are not sufficient alone. Besides, other protein sources such as milk, buttermilk, broth, and chicken broth should also be consumed.
The protein sources to be taken after the puree feeding period will increase. You must consume at least one source of protein in each meal. Protein should be in the first place in the order of nutritional value in the meals you consume, followed by dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. Protein is a food that takes a long time to digest. So you feel full for a long time. It also prolongs the digestion of the foods consumed with it.
10- Avoid from carbonated drinks
Carbonated drinks can cause stomach pains and burns due to condensed acid inside. In addition, these non-nutritious drinks containing refined sugar make it difficult to control calories and may lead to stomach enlargement in the long run. With the surgery, you need to remove carbonated drinks from your life.
These 10 Golden rules, which we mentioned above, will provide a great convenience for your health in your post-operative life. In fact, most of these rules are universal rules that every person must follow, regardless of obesity surgery. The way of healthy life that you want and dream of is through following these rules.