Bariatric Surgery, also known as Obesity Surgery, is preferred by people who struggle to lose weight by trying alternative methods such as exercising and dieting. However, alternative methods do not work for everyone, because everyone is not the same and everybody has unique bodies. One thing that works for someone might not work for anyone, but weight loss surgeries such as gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and gastric balloon give life-changing results for everyone. Your weight loss surgery does not end after your operation, the real journey starts after the surgery. After your bariatric surgery, you should follow some instructions that your surgeon gives to get better results. During the recovery period from the weight loss surgery, people make some mistakes that negatively affect their healing time. Here are the top 10 mistakes that people do:
Drinking With Meals
One thing you should not do during your recovery period is not to eat and drink simultaneously. This is because the liquid you drink with your meal washes your stomach and makes you feel hungry faster. People say that they get thirsty while eating their meals which is why they drink water with their meals. Drink one glass of water, then start eating your meal. After starting to eat the meal, do not drink any water unless you are choking. This can be seen as an irrelevant rule, however, it is crucial to long-term success for weight loss surgery.
Drinking Soda
Another thing that patients should not do is drink carbonated drinks such as soda and coke. Drinking soda will not make your stomach explode, however, consuming a lot will eventually get you back to pre-operative weight.
Not Eating Healthy Foods
The reason people want to get bariatric surgery is that they made bad food decisions before, so, people who get bariatric surgery once should change their eating habits. Start cooking yourself healthy meals and make this your new habit. Eating fresh and healthy foods will make your recovery faster and will give you better results. Avoid eating big meals in one seat and do not eat fast foods that will make you gain weight. Follow this motto for the rest of your life, “First protein, then lower carb vegetables.”
Drinking Alcohol
Everyone loves drinking alcohol on weekends to relax and to unwind from the week, however, people who get bariatric surgery must not drink even one sip of alcohol in their first year of the recovery period. Because of your small stomach, alcohol will bypass the intestine and will be consumed faster and make you drunk easily. Another important thing is the sugar level alcohols have. Consuming sugar is restricted during the recovery period of the weight loss surgery. One cocktail has at least 50 grams of sugar in it, so, alcohol will get you back to your starting weight if it is consumed routinely.
Not Taking Vitamins or Supplements
After your surgery, a big part of your stomach will be not used by your body and it will cause you not to consume enough vitamins. Someone can’t take enough vitamins from eating small portions of meals. The recovery period of bariatric surgery should be supported with vitamins and supplements to maintain a healthy recovery and get better results. If it is not supported with vitamins and supplements, other medical problems can occur in the patient’s body, so, it is essential to take vitamins and supplements during the recovery period of the obesity surgery.
Not Drinking Enough Water
STAY HYDRATED! Dehydration is the most famous mistake that bariatric patients do. Your aftercare specialist will tell you to not forget to sip. Always carry a bottle of water with you and whenever you remember, drink at least one sip of water. Dehydration can cause health problems such as dizziness, nausea, headache, not being able to focus and falling asleep. Staying hydrated is one of the most essential rules for the recovery period of bariatric surgery.
Grazing
Grazing
Make yourself an eating plan and do not eat extra meals like snacks. Do not taste everything by taking one bite. You may think it does not cause a negative effect on your recovery from gastric surgery, however, it does. If you take one bite from 5 things, it makes an extra meal for your daily eating plan. Another thing that is important is eating your meals slowly. You are not in an eating contest, take your time and eat slowly in order not to harm your stomach. Your stomach is sensitive after the operation, so let’s not push it to the limits.
Not Exercising
Going to the gym or doing daily exercises do not do it because they love exercising, they do it because they want to be in better shape. Not only people who get gastric surgery, everyone should exercise daily to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Remember this EAT LESS BURN MORE, this way you will lose your excessive weight. Put exercise in your daily life and make it a habit.
Consuming Too Many Carbs
We said it before, first protein, then low lower carb vegetables. While planning your alimentation plan, first you should consume enough protein than carbs. You should not consume too many carbs because it will cause you to regain your weight and make you go back to your starting weight. Another thing that is important is choosing the right carb sources. You should eat vegetables and fruits as your carb sources.
Thinking You are Not More Morbid Obese
You lose a lot of weight and the world now seems brighter to you, when people reached their weight loss surgery checkpoints, they think that they cured their morbid obesity. People think that they cheated the system because they continue to lose weight even if they eat anything they want. This is a mistake and will cause long-term harm to the patients. You should continue to follow the diet program that your surgeon gives you for the rest of your life to maintain a healthy life and make your results permanent.
