1 Year After Bariatric Surgery: What Your Diet Should Look Like?

Immediately after your Bariatric Surgery, you will be kept on specially formulated diet plans as your doctor recommends. Often, patients need to go for liquid diets. But if it has been one year since your Bariatric Surgery, you must maintain a proper diet. It is when your body is not completely done with healing, but you are out of immediate consequences of post operations. So your diet will have a specific look that will accelerate your recovery and at the same time maintain a healthy weight. So let’s look at what your diet should look like after one year of bariatric surgery.

• Multiple Meals a Day

After a year of your Bariatric Surgery, your doctor may recommend you to have multiple Meals per day. It will fill up the nutrition needs of your body and will also make you feel sated. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are irreplaceable. But it would be best if you had healthy snack times in between.

• Need to Consume more protein

Although you will have several meals and quite a few snack times here and there, protein should remain your principal source of energy throughout the day. It would be best if you were consuming various lean sources of protein such as –

• Beans
• Egg whites
• Lentils
• Low-fat dairy
• White meat poultry
• Tofu
• White flesh fish

If your doctor recommends, you can also include some healthy protein shakes in your everyday diet. Make sure to drink as your doctor says.

• Eliminate Excess Sugar Intake

You will become more conscious of your sugar intake now. So you will check out the ingredient list of your foods. You must be surprised to see how much sugar is there in your favorite foods, which you once enjoyed in a guilt-free way. Now, you should focus more on avoiding sugar as much as possible. You should also eliminate your sweet snacks from your diet. If you wish to go for sugar replacements, consult your doctor first.

• Limit Carb Consumption

A myth says you should avoid all carbs after bariatric surgery. But your body needs to have carbs to function correctly. So, it’s best to limit your carb consumption but do not eliminate this significant nutrient from your diet entirely. Avoid eating packaged foods and limit your visits to restaurants. Home cooking is ideal for lowering your carb intake.

• Don’t Drink water while you Eat.

Keeping your body hydrated plays a significant role in your diet after one year of bariatric surgery. Drink a lot of water when you are not eating, especially. So try to drink water in between your meals. On the contrary, drinking water during meals makes you feel full sooner. It may also make you feel bloated. So avoid drinking water when you are eating. Also, remove packaged fruit juices from your diet as they contain excessive sugar.

• Savor Your Food

Remember how your parents taught you to chew your food properly in your childhood days? Yes, that has its benefits. Savor your meals after one year of bariatric surgery. It will help you improve your digestion by making digestion easier by chewing your food correctly. It also helps weight management as you become more aware of being full.

• Foods You Need to Avoid

There are many foods you are most likely to enjoy but will cause more harm to your health. These foods can be your favorites, but you need to eliminate them now that you have already decided to eat wisely. Some foods that you must ignore:

• Soft drinks
• Dried fruits
• Sugary beverages
• Sweets and candies
• Milk chocolate
• Red meats
• Processed foods
• Fast food.

Final Words

You may also be prescribed some additional nutritional supplements along with having a proper diet. But make sure to consult with your doctor first. Your doctor will know if your body needs supplements like iron, calcium, b12, zinc, folate, or vitamin D, and so on. If you do not acquire sufficient nutrients from your diet, you opt for supplements. But make sure to talk to your doctor to know more about your dietary needs.

Book your free appointment today with best bariatric surgeon of India Dr. Manish Khaitan today to clear your doubts related to surgery.

About the Author

Dr. Manish Khaitan

Dr. Manish Khaitan is the Best Bariatric Surgeon in India, with 20+ years of experience in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery and 30+ years of experience in other Gastro and Minimal Invasive Surgeries. He has successfully performed 8000+ Bariatric Surgeries. He is one of the best motivational speakers for obese individuals confused about undergoing Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery in Ahmedabad. He has more than 20 national and international publications and presentations in bariatric and metabolic surgery to his credit.