Proactive Health And Weight Loss Steps You Should Take Following Bariatric Surgery
Many people think that bariatric surgery is a no-work form of weight loss. They expect the weight to simply fall off following the surgery.
It is important to understand that Melbourne FL bariatric surgery will support and facilitate your weight loss efforts, but the weight will not just disappear without effort on your part.
One immutable fact regarding weight loss is that it requires consistent, focused, intelligent effort to be successful.
People who wish to lose weight must work to improve their health by eating well and replacing poor lifestyle choices with smart ones.
When you do this, you will not only lose weight, you will be able to maintain an ideal weight once you have attained it.
Don’t Starve Yourself
Instead of starving, learn the art of intelligent snacking. Your stomach will be smaller following bariatric surgery, and you will want to eat smaller portions of food. This is a good thing because it is wiser to eat six-to-eight mini-meals daily rather than three large meals.
Snacking is a good thing as long as you make healthy snack choices. Select fresh, whole foods and avoid processed foods. Select high quality sources of lean protein, fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains instead.
Incorporate Fresh Fruits And Veggies Into Your Diet
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the perfect convenience food. They are handily packaged in their own self-contained skin ready to taken with you wherever you go. Moreover, they contain a bounty of good things such as:
- Liquid for hydration.
- Fiber to keep you regular and help you avoid cancer, diabetes and other serious ailments.
- Natural vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system and general health.
- Remember that fresh produce is always a smart snack!
Make Small, Smart Choices In Sugar
Processed sugar is hardly a food. It does not provide any nutrition, so all people should avoid it. This is doubly true for bariatric patients who do not have the stomach capacity to waste on empty, detrimental calories.
Remember that fresh fruits and veggies contain naturally occurring fructose, which is a better form of sugar than processed sugar. Remember to reach for the fresh fruits and veggies when you have a sweet tooth.
Your body will soon adjust to this reward and feel perfectly satisfied by it. If you are very hungry, select a high quality protein source. Nut butters are satisfying and naturally sweet. The protein they provide will satisfy your hunger in a lasting way.
TIP: Try apple slices dipped in nut butter for a tasty, satisfying snack!
Practice Mindfulness In Shopping And Eating
Impulse buying and impulse eating are major culprits in weight gain. It is so easy to just grab whatever you fancy at the store or from the fridge without giving it a thought. Mindful planning will eliminate this tendency and help you slim down and stay healthy. Be sure to keep a running list in preparation for shopping.
Before you go to the grocery store, review your list and plan your meals for a week or so in advance. Follow your list when you get to the store and avoid buying anything on impulse unless there happens to be an excellent sale on fresh fruits and veggies!
Once you get your groceries home, continue practicing mindfulness by following your meal plan and taking time to sit down and savor your food. Avoid eating while talking on the phone, watching television, working or doing anything else. When you eat, sit at a table, take a break and enjoy your food.
TIP: Avoid the center aisles in the grocery store. That’s where they keep all the junk food. Shop fresh produce, meat and dairy for simpler, whole food choices.
Include Healthful Fats In Your Eating Plan
We need healthy fats in the diet to promote heart health, good central nervous system function, good joint function and much, much more. Healthy fats are non-hydrogenated, natural fats such as:
- Coconut oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flax seed oil
- Fish oil
- Sunflower seed oil
- Peanut oil
Including these oils in your diet is a delicious way to enjoy your food, feel more satisfied with it and boost your overall health. Avoid hydrogenated oils (shortening, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.) altogether. They are bad for your health.
TIP: Add nuts, avocados, fish and other naturally healthful, fatty foods to your diet!
Breakfast Is Still The Most Important Meal Of The Day
Whenever you are working on losing weight and becoming healthier, it is important that you never allow yourself to become too hungry. Eating breakfast is a good way to be certain of starting your day off on the right foot and nipping hunger in the bud. Breakfast is the perfect time to enjoy healthful, whole grains.
A bowl of old fashioned oatmeal, some fruit and a cup of tea or coffee make a great start to your day. Remember that people who eat breakfast tend to have better success at both losing weight and keeping it off.
Include Foods Rich In Omega 3 Fatty Acids In Your Daily Diet
Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely important to your health. They support your central nervous system, brain function, joint health, immune function and much more. Luckily, many of the healthy oils you should include in your diet also supply abundant Omega 3. This is especially true of fish. The old fashioned belief that fish is a “brain food” has been proven to be true. Choosing to eat fish is a smart food choice!
Journal Your Food
Keeping a food diary is a good way to identify patterns in your eating and get in touch with how you feel about food. This is an important step in changing your relationship with food and substituting healthy eating habits for unhealthy ones. It also helps you to get a realistic picture of your food habits. You may be eating more or less than you realized.
If you can begin your food journal before your surgery, it is most helpful. Keep track of what you eat and why. Write about how you feel and what you want from food. Think of healthier alternatives.
TIP: Creating a food chart to accompany your food journal will help you see the big picture in terms of your eating habits. This helps you identify and change your eating patterns in a specific manner.
Add Exercise In A Consistent Manner
Consistency is the most important quality in any health and fitness plan. If you have been in very poor health and very overweight, you are unlikely to have success with jumping right into a rigorous fitness plan. Instead, add fifteen to twenty minutes of light to moderate exercise to every day.
Take up yoga, walking, cycling, water aerobics, dancing or any number of other enjoyable forms of exercise. Be sure to do something every day. Consistent effort earns positive results. When you become more fit and feel better, you may wish to join a gym and take up a more aggressive fitness program to hone your efforts.
TIP: Be kind to yourself when it comes to health, fitness and weight loss. Give yourself credit for your efforts and forgive yourself easily if you slip up.
Developing Healthy Habits Leads To Successful Weight Loss And A Happier Life
When you have been very overweight, bariatric surgery can give you the support you need to lose weight successfully and keep it off; however, bariatric surgery is not magic. If you want to be fit and healthy, it is necessary to take responsibility and develop a sensible, healthy lifestyle. It probably took quite a while for you to become overweight and out of shape.
By the same token, it will also take a while for you to lose the weight and regain your health. Take your time and follow these tips in a steady and incremental manner. Gradually, you will lose weight successfully, keep it off and enjoy a new, healthy way of life.
Contact Dr. Diego Velarde today to see how he can help you achieve your bariatric weight loss goals.