When you’re considering weight loss surgery, it goes without saying that you’re doing so because you want to lose weight; however, you can’t expect the surgery to do all the work for you. You’ll need to put in effort by changing the way you eat and drink. You can improve your weight loss results both before and after surgery by following some simple food and hydration guidelines.
- Slow down: It takes a good 15 minutes for your stomach to communicate the message of fullness to your brain. For that reason, you want to get used to eating slowly by making each meal last between 20 and 30 minutes. Make sure you chew each bite at least 20 times.
- Make space: It’s important to dedicate the proper space to eating. Do not eat in front of the television or the computer. Instead, eat at your kitchen table. Additionally, don’t bring all the food you cook to the table. Instead, prepare your plate with the amount you can eat, then put the leftovers away and go to the table with your plate.
- Learn to cook: After your surgery, it will be easier for you to eat moist foods than it will be to eat dry foods. Learning how to cook food in a slow cooker (or Crock-Pot) is a valuable lesson, as foods that cook slowly tend to retain more moisture.
- Focus on nutrition: Make sure you choose lean, low-calorie foods that pack an impressive nutritional punch.
- Three square: Eat three meals each day, carry healthy snacks with you, and avoid all sugar-filled, high-glycemic index foods since they offer little to no nutritional value and will impact your weight loss negatively.
- Think about your plate: Since you cannot eat large quantities after surgery and because everything you put in your mouth must be nutritionally sound, you should begin eating on smaller plates (around 9 inches), and you should learn how to divide your food. One-half of your plate should be filled with protein, one quarter with vegetables or fruit, and one quarter with a complex starch like wheat bread or brown rice. The smaller plate will help you feel like you’re eating a normal portion and the allotment of certain foods ensures that your nutritional needs are covered.
- Follow the patern: When you eat, be sure to eat each of your food items in the right order. Start with three forkfuls of protein, then two forkfuls of your fruit or vegetable, and then one forkful of starch. Repeat this pattern until you’re full. Make sure to leave some food on your plate and never go back for a second helping.
Hydration
Dehydration can cause your body to hold on to fat. That means that your weight loss results are very dependent on you drinking enough water. You should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day. Do not drink while you’re eating, as doing so can keep you from feeling full and cause you to overeat as a result. Instead, wait 30 minutes after finishing your meal to drink liquids. Avoid caffeinated, carbonated, and sugar-filled drinks.