Your Pre-Operative Weight Management Plan and Goals

Weight loss surgery is a powerful tool, but it is just one step in a comprehensive approach to a healthier lifestyle. A successful weight loss journey requires making strides to change eating habits before surgery, following a prescribed pre-operative diet in the weeks leading up to your procedure, and closely adhering to nutrition guidelines after surgery.

Pre-Operative Weight Management

There are many ways to incorporate healthier habits into your routine. If you are in the process of preparing for bariatric surgery you should gradually add in the suggestions below. Texas Laparoscopic Consultants, a partner of Nobilis Health, offers weight management classes for pre-operative patients. We highly recommend the support and structured setting of a weight management class to help you tackle these goals.

• Increase vegetables, whole fruits, and unprocessed grains in your diet
• Reduce portion sizes
• Choose low-fat versions of dairy products
• Eliminate concentrated sweets and added sugars
• Limit takeout foods and dining out, and make informed choices when you do eat out
• Increase activity with swimming, daily walks, or low impact exercise videos
• Eliminate sugary drinks, including carbonated beverages
• Drink 8 cups (64 oz) of water each day
• Eliminate fried foods and use low-fat cooking methods such as baking, broiling, steaming, and grilling
• Don’t use food as a reward or emotional comfort

Two week Pre-operative Diet

Two weeks before your surgery, you will be prescribed a strict low calorie, low carbohydrate liquid diet.  It is important to follow this diet because it has been shown to reduce liver size, which allows for a faster and safer surgery. The diet consists of the following:

• Four to five liquid meal replacements per day. The drinks must be made with products specially designed for bariatric patients, such as Bariatric Advantage. Other meal replacement products may contain too much sugar.
• Eight glasses (64 oz) of water per day (Crystal Light may be used also)
• Multivitamin and calcium supplement
• Sugar free gelatin may be eaten as a treat

Post Operative Nutrition

All procedures require that you follow a liquid diet for at least two days after surgery. In the following weeks you will be prescribed a high protein diet of pureed foods, and then graduate onto a period of soft foods before resuming a normal diet.  The exact timeline and nutrition guidelines will vary slightly among different procedures. Your surgeon or dietician will direct you in what types of foods to eat after surgery, and following their instructions is crucial to a healthy recovery.

Weight Management After Surgery

Weight loss surgery is highly effective in treating obesity, but it is not a means to an end; it is a doorway to a healthier, more active lifestyle. In order to successfully lose and keep off weight, you’ll need to adopt new habits for life.  Going forward after the prescribed recovery diet, you should be eating smaller portions of foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Foods that are sugary or high in fat will no longer be part of your of your diet. It is also important to incorporate an exercise regimen to maintain your health.

Lifelong support

The team at Texas Laparoscopic Consultants, a partner of Nobilis Health, is honored to be a part of your weight loss journey, and we are invested in helping you maintain healthy habits and succeed in your goals. We offer a variety of resources to help patients maintain weight loss long term, including classes, pre-operative weight management, and post-operative nutrition counseling. We also offer a line of vitamins and minerals designed to meet the unique needs of bariatric patients, as well as meal replacement products for purchase at our office.  Your relationship with our practice doesn’t end after your surgery; our team is here to provide support and guidance as you embark on an exciting journey to a healthier and more active you!