Is Constipation a Side Effect of Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

One reason that many patients come to Tijuana Bariatrics because of our straight talk about bariatrics. Whether patients undergo low-maintenance and highly effective gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), a gastric band procedure, or gastric bypass, we will always inform patients of the benefits as well as the risks involved. This goes for subjects that may be taboo. For instance: constipation after weight loss surgery.

How common is constipation after weight loss surgery?

Constipation is actually a fairly common side effect that weight loss surgery patients experience. This is something that people don’t often consider, but changes to the digestive tract–even with a relatively low-maintenance weight loss surgery like the gastric sleeve–will result in changes to the body that you may not have expected.

There are a number of reasons that weight loss surgery patients may suffer from constipation, though it’s generally most noticeable during the first three months after the surgery has been performed.

Causes of Constipation Following Bariatric Procedures

The most common causes of constipation in bariatric surgery patients are as follows:

  • Reduced food intake
  • Reduced intake of water
  • Reduced physical activity
  • Side effects of iron and/or supplements
  • Side effects of pain relievers

The combination of multiple or all of the above can result in some major problems with constipation that can alarm patients as they recover. Never fear, there are solutions.

How Bariatric Surgery Patients Can Treat Constipation

If you have not had a bowel movement in two or three days, many bariatric surgeons will recommend that patients take laxatives, such as Dulcolax. Because of your surgery, the recommended dosage and use will need to be carefully considered, so be sure to consult our team before taking any laxatives on your own.

The use of Dulcolax is good to address the intestinal discomfort that you may be facing in the short term. As for long-term solutions, there are plenty of things that patients can do to prevent constipation from happened.

How Bariatric Surgery Patients Can Prevent Constipation

In order to prevent constipation, weight loss surgery patients should consider the following tips:

  • Stay Well Hydrated – Drinking water through the day will help you soften your stool
  • Get Fiber In Your Diet – Though your post-bariatric surgery diet stresses high-protein foods, be sure to consume healthy fiber to assist with bowel movements; fiber supplements may be helpful as well
  • Avoid Foods That Cause Constipation – Foods such as bananas, rice, potatoes, peanut butter, and cheese can make bowel movements more difficult, so be sure to avoid or limit intake of those items
  • Exercise Regularly – Regular exercise can actually help you have better digestive health and can reduce the likelihood of constipation

Consult with Your Surgeon for Additional Tips and Advice

If you are still having issues with constipation and bowel movements, it’s important that you get in touch with our team. We can discuss a better diet plan as well as what dietary supplements may help you become regular again. Do not feel embarrassed to ask us anything–we are here to help you.

Learn More About Bariatric Surgery Options

For more information about side effects following weight loss surgery and how you can improve your overall health and wellness, be sure to contact our bariatric surgery center today. The entire team at Tijuana Bariatrics look forward to your visit and helping you make smart choices about your health and wellness.

Excess Skin after Gastric Sleeve Surgery: What Patients Can Do

Our Tijuana weight loss surgery practice has helped numerous patients. Many times these patients undergo gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), a safe and low-maintenance bariatric procedure that reduces caloric consumption and sensations of hunger.

As patients lose weight, they’ll notice a number of changes to their body. One such change is loose skin. We’d like to consider this issue right now and what can be done to improve your appearance once you’ve lost all that weight.

Why do I have loose skin and stretch marks after losing weight?

As you gain weight, your skin stretches to accommodate the added body mass. When the weight is lost, your skin will shrink back a little bit but only so much. The result is stretch marks, loose skin, and excess folds in and around the body where the weight is lost.

Is there any way that these skin laxity issues can be prevented?

No. This is a natural part of major weight loss and is simply the basic nature of skin laxity.

Body Contouring Surgery Is the Key Solution

Given the amount of loose skin that you will likely have, using skin creams and other non-surgical and topical measures will have limited effect if any on the tightness and appearance of your skin. The ideal option to address these matters is body contouring surgery.

Body contouring surgery refers to various cosmetic surgery options that reduce the amount of loose skin in targeted areas in order to achieve a trimmer and slimmer frame.

Types of Body Contouring Procedures

There are many types of body contouring surgeries out there that target different parts of the body. These include:

  • Tummy Tuck – One of the most common and most well-known body contouring surgeries is the tummy tuck, which targets the lower abdominal area and the sides of the abdominal area.
  • Breast Lift/Male Breast Lift – The chest can sag after losing weight. Men and women often undergo breast/chest reduction surgery in order to improve the chest’s appearance after weight loss.
  • Buttock Lift – The buttocks have a tendency to sag following major weight loss. The buttock lift will be able to restore a better shape and contour to the buttocks.
  • Thigh Lift – When drooping or sagging affects the thighs, a thigh lift is ideal for targeting issues with sagging that affect the inner, lower, upper, and outer thighs.
  • Arm Lift – Shoulders and triceps are commonly affected by major weight loss, which is why an arm lift is a good idea for improving body contour.
  • Neck Lift – The neckline can be adversely affected by major weight loss, leading to loose skin. A neck lift removes the loose skin of the neckline and improves overall facial appearance in the process.

Multiple surgeries can be combined in order to achieve a total body lift. This body lift will be carefully tailored to the needs of patients in order to ensure the best possible results.

Other Adjustments to Life After Weight Loss Surgery

Changes to your skin laxity and appearance are just one of the things that you can expect following weight loss surgery. We can discuss other adjustments that you need to make in more detail during the consultation process at our practice.

Learn More About Bariatric Surgery Options

If you would like to learn more about bariatric surgery and your many options out there for sculpting and reshaping your frame, be sure to contact our bariatric surgery center today.

What to Do if You Start to Gain Weight Back After Gastric Sleeve

Our experts in bariatric surgery have drawn in countless patients to our practice in Tijuana thanks to our dedication to patient education and patient satisfaction. Much of this is also due to the growing popularity of gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), a low-maintenance option for surgical weight loss.

Many patients wonder about regaining weight after the surgery has been performed. It’s an important issue that’s worth addressing, so let’s tackle it right now.

Is weight gain after bariatric surgery common?

Regaining some weight in the years following your surgery is common simply given how your body adjusts to changes to the digestive tract. That said, regaining half or more of the weight that you lost from surgery is a sign of the surgery being unsuccessful or of various kinds of help/intervention being necessary.

We have discussed in the past various issues related to regaining weight after bariatric surgery, as well as tips for minimizing weight regain after bariatric surgery. We’d like to reiterate a few of these strategies here given how important a concern it is for many of our patients as well as people who may have found this blog online doing research about this issue.

Make Sure Your Diet Is Healthy

Sometimes the weight regain means that patients should take a closer look at their diets. Make sure that you’re eating healthy and not just consuming less food per se. Monitor your diet habits for a few days, and consider keeping a food journal/diary so you can count calories and consider the kinds of foods you’re eating.

Make Sure You’re Exercising Regularly

The surgery is just one step toward a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to get physical activity into your routine as well. Cardio and strength training will help make sure you’re burning calories while also consuming fewer calories.

Meet with a Support Group

Support groups, whether in person or online, are a great source of moral support and practical advice after weight loss surgery. Other people who’ve undergone procedures can share stories that will help you with your own experiences with regaining weight and trying to lose it.

Therapy Can Help Address Psychological Factors Related to Weight Regain

Sometimes psychological factors may contribute to the weight gain, or the weight gain may trigger psychological hardships. Whatever the case may be, it can be worthwhile to visit with a professional therapist about the hardships that you are facing. This can be an invaluable supplement to other kinds of assistance you are receiving.

Consult with Experts About Your Situation

Be sure to ask your surgeon and your general practitioner about your weight gain and what this could mean. A weight loss surgery specialist may find that you need a resleeving surgery or some other medical intervention. This professional advice will prove invaluable to getting your weight loss goals back on track.

Learn More About Bariatric Surgery

For more information about issues following bariatric surgery and what you can do to ensure the best possible results, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today.

How to Deal with Hunger and Cravings After Gastric Sleeve

We have helped countless people at our Tijuana and Fontana weight loss surgery centers. One of the most popular surgeries performed is gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), a safe and effective means of losing weight. We’ve discussed the surgery at length on the blog, though now we’d like to focus on the issue of hunger and cravings after surgery and what patients can do to address these matters.

How Gastric Sleeve Surgery Works

Gastric sleeve involves the reduction of the size of the stomach. By doing this, patients become full faster and also experience fewer cravings for food throughout the day.

Do hunger and cravings come back?

Patients who undergo gastric sleeve surgery will notice cravings return with time, though the type of hunger and cravings will vary, particularly as you heal and as your diet changes.

For instance, patients may notice differences with hunger early on since they are on a predominantly liquid diet. In addition, food does play a psychologically comforting role for people, so if cravings occur, it may be the result of a psychological need for comfort or gratification of some kind that food would have provided. Keep these matters in mind as you recover.

People’s Experiences Different

Each patient is going to have a different experience with their gastric sleeve recovery and with the occasional craving or hunger issues. These tips below will help you address hunger and cravings as they come up.

Try to Eat on a Steady Schedule

It’s a good idea to set up a schedule of some kind when it comes to eating. Eating at certain times on a regular schedule trains your body to expect food at those times. You will notice an adjustment in potential hunger and cravings simply by sticking to schedule.

Avoid Late-Night Snacking

Even if you do experience hunger or cravings, it’s a good idea to avoid snacking late at night. This will throw off your eating schedule and may lead to recurring cravings and hunger during late nights. Skip the late night snack and wait for a good breakfast instead.

Pay Attention to When the Cravings Are Worst

Sometimes you may notice that hunger seems to strike worst at certain times of the day. If that is the case, plan your meals and your diet accordingly around those most serious times of day so that hunger can best be addressed.

Consult with Your Support Group

Many other patients who’ve undergone gastric sleeve may have experienced similar issues as you have with regard to hunger and cravings. Check with your support group and support network for tips on how to deal with these matters.

Speak with Friends and Family

Talk to your friends and family about these cravings. Just discussing them with people you trust can help make the issues more manageable. This open communication may actually be a way around the psychological need for food that’s triggering your hunger and cravings.

Speak with Your Surgeon or a Dietician

Be sure to check with your bariatric surgeon or a dietician about your issues with hunger and cravings. They may be able to provide you with important professional advice when it comes to addressing hunger as it returns and arises.

Learn More About Gastric Sleeve Surgery

For more information about gastric sleeve surgery and what you can do to improve your recovery as well as the results of the bariatric procedure, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today.

Gastric Sleeve Before and After Photos: Patient Success Stories

Many people put their trust in the team at our Tijuana weight loss surgery center. Our bariatric surgeons place great emphasis on patient education and wellness, and he is more than happy to share photos and stories of successful gastric sleeve cases, which allows patients to understand the way that weight loss surgery makes positive differences in people’s lives.

Let’s take a moment right now to look at the basics of gastric sleeve surgery and note a pair of patient successes.

About Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Also known as a sleeve gastrectomy, gastric sleeve surgery involves the surgical reduction of the size of the stomach. This makes patients eat less and feel fuller faster, resulting in weight loss. It’s one of the more common options for bariatric surgery, the other two being gastric bypass surgery and gastric band surgery.

How effective is sleeve gastrectomy?

Gastric sleeve surgery is very effective, allowing patients to lose a good deal of weight safely and relatively quickly. We’ve talked a great deal about gastric sleeve surgery on this blog, and the reason for that is that we believe in the effectiveness of this surgery that much.

Dramatic Weight Loss for Obese and Morbidly Obese Patients

As you can see from the above before and after photo, the results of gastric sleeve surgery can be quite dramatic. Patients will lose a lot of excess weight and achieve a slimmer and more athletic frame as a result.

In addition to the appearance of the patient, they will often be healthier as well, and less likely to experience problems related to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Another Success Story

Here is another dramatic before and after photo of a patient who’s benefited from gastric sleeve surgery. In just four months, the patient has lost about 80 pounds and looks much healthier and happier. The weight loss continued for her as she healed and adjusted to her new diet, and her health improved a great deal as well.

The bottom line is that gastric sleeve changes lives for the better.

Seeing Is Believing, and Discussion Is Key for Success

The two before and after photos above are just a pair of success stories. There are plenty of other successes we can share with you.

We encourage you to browse our gallery of bariatric surgery before and after photos to see more excellent results from sleeve gastrectomy. We also have a gallery of before an after photos of gastric bypass surgery patients which helps you see why so many people are turning to surgical weight loss options to look and feel their best.

Is gastric sleeve surgery right for me?

If you have been wondering about bariatric surgery and would like to learn more, we encourage you to get in touch with our team. Our doctors will be more than happy to discuss all of your options for weight loss surgery in greater detail, helping you make the best possible decisions when it comes to your health and wellness.

Speak with Our Doctors About Surgical Weight Loss

For more information about gastric sleeve surgery and how it can help you lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today. The entire team here looks forward to your visit and helping you achieve a better overall body mass.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Guidelines: Candidacy and Surgical Information

Gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) is performed in order to reduce the size of a patient’s stomach. This helps reduce the amount of calories that a patient consumes, helps patients feel fuller sooner, and also cuts down on hunger cravings that patients may face. We feel that is is an effective and low-maintenance option for people who would like to lose weight safely, which is why the team at our Tijuana weight loss surgery center have written about it extensively on this blog.

There are some basic guidelines for any sort of bariatric surgery that must be met in order to ensure the most successful surgical outcomes possible. We’ll cover each of the basic guidelines below, but we’d be more than happy to discuss them in full detail during a consultation.

Weight Guidelines for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

In general, people who are going to undergo bariatric surgery should be at least 80 to 100 pounds overweight for their height and general build.

Body Mass Index (BMI) Guidelines for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

In addition to the weight guidelines specified above, bariatric surgery patients should also have a BMI greater than 40.

There are exceptions to this guideline, however. If a patient has a BMI of 35 to 39.9, he or she may qualify for bariatric surgery if the patient also suffers from a diagnosed obesity-related health problem. Examples of obesity-related health problems include:

  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • High cholesterol
  • Sleep apnea
  • Arthritis

Acceptable Age Range for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

The general age range for bariatric surgery is 18 to 70. The surgery can potentially be performed on minors, though this remains a controversial decision among many weight loss surgery professionals and is generally not encouraged. Weight loss surgery can be performed on older patients depending on their general health.

Physical Wellness and Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Patients should not suffer from any sort of systemic condition that would make weight loss surgery a potential health hazard. We’ll be sure to review your medical history and also note your diet and activity levels when making this assessment.

Psychological Suitability for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Psychological health is another important consideration. Patients should have a solid understanding of the risks and benefits of surgery and be positive about the choice that they are making. It’s also important that patients have any issues with depression, substance abuse, and binge-eating addressed by a mental health professional in order to ensure the best possible outcomes of the surgery.

The Patient’s Commitment to the Lifestyle Change

Weight loss surgery of any kind is not something that patients should consider passively. A bariatric surgery patient’s diet changes, and he or she will have to commit themselves to improving their general wellness and staying active to maximize weight loss and prevent regaining the weight. If patients are not committed to the lifestyle changes ahead, bariatric surgery may not be ideal for them.

Schedule a Consultation for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

To learn more about gastric sleeve surgery and how it can help you achieve a more ideal body mass, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today. The entire team here looks forward to your visit and helping you achieve a more ideal weight and overall body mass.

How Long Does Gastric Sleeve Surgery Take?

Our network of bariatric surgeons are leading weight loss surgery experts serving the greater San Diego and Tijuana area. One of the most popular bariatric procedures we offers is gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy), an effective weight loss surgery option.

We know that each patient’s time is valuable, and many patients often ask how long procedures take to perform and when they will see results. We’d like to consider these matters of time right now.

About Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve surgery is a form of surgical weight loss procedure. During the surgery, the patient’s stomach size is reduced. This means that patients eat less, consume fewer calories, feel fuller sooner, and also experience reduced sensations of hunger.

How Gastric Sleeve Differs from Other Bariatric Procedures

The other two popular options for surgical weight loss today are gastric bypass surgery and gastric banding.

Gastric bypass surgery involves the creation of a smaller stomach pouch and rerouting of part of the intestine to reduce caloric absorption. It’s more complicated in terms of overall surgery than a gastric sleeve simply given what’s involved.

Gastric banding surgery involves the use of a silicone band to reduce the size of the stomach. While this seems more convenient than gastric sleeve surgery, patients will often need adjustments to the band following the initial surgery, which can be expensive and time consuming.

How long is the gastric sleeve surgery itself?

Gastric sleeve surgery will usually take around 90 minutes to 2 hours. The exact amount of time can vary from patient to patient, but that’s the general range to be expected in most surgeries.

How long is the recovery from gastric sleeve surgery?

Overall recovery from gastric sleeve surgery will take several weeks. In terms of early recovery, patients will note the following:

  • Two night hospital stay after surgery to monitor vitals
  • Two night hotel stay near the practice to continue resting
  • Two months on a specially considered liquid-to-solid diet

During the first two months, you will need to limit strenuous physical activities until instructed otherwise and slowly reintegrate solid foods into your diet.

How long will it take for me to see weight loss results?

The rate of weight loss will vary from patient to patient, but given the changes to your diet immediately following gastric sleeve, weight loss should be apparent within that two month timeframe. By the end of the first year after surgery, patients will lose a significant amount of excess weight. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly will help you keep the weight off in the years ahead.

We will provide ample post-operative instructions and advice for you so that you can get the most out of your bariatric surgery experience.

Schedule a Consultation for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

To learn more about gastric sleeve surgery and how it can help you achieve a healthier and more ideal BMI, contact our weight loss surgery center today. Our team will be more than happy to answer your questions and address your concerns so that you can make the best possible decisions regarding your overall health and wellness.

Gastric Sleeve After LAP-BAND®: Converting Weight Loss Surgeries

The entire team at our Tijuana bariatric surgery center believe strongly in gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), a low-maintenance bariatric procedure highly effective in helping people lose weight and keep it off. We feel it’s the best option out there even though many patients express interest in LAP-BAND® surgery (gastric banding) and gastric bypass procedures.

Every now and then, patients have second thoughts about their options for surgical weight loss. In such cases, switching from one surgical solution to another may be possible. We’d like to consider the change from LAP-BAND® to gastric sleeve.

About LAP-BAND® Surgery

LAP-BAND® surgery involves the placement of a small silicone band around part of the stomach. This constricts the overall stomach size, making patients feel full sooner and limiting the amount of calories that a patient can consume in a single sitting.

While LAP-BAND® surgery sounds very convenient and simple, there are a number of drawbacks to consider when it comes to gastric banding.

Disadvantages of LAP-BAND® Surgery

Some of the disadvantages of LAP-BAND® surgery include the following:

  • Multiple adjustments of the band required after surgery for maintenance
  • Potential slippage of the gastric band, requiring adjustment
  • Gastric band can cut into the stomach tissue

Do many people get a gastric sleeve following a failed LAP-BAND® procedure?

If you compare the advantages of gastric sleeve over LAP-BAND® surgery, making the switch from one procedure to the other just makes sense. We have performed these kinds of procedures a fair amount in the past, though we generally recommend the gastric sleeve as the ideal weight loss surgery procedure to undergo.

During the consultation process, we will be sure to go over the various surgical options available to improve your weight loss experience.

Advantages of Gastric Sleeve Over LAP-BAND®

There are many ways that gastric sleeve is superior to LAP-BAND® surgery. Some of the advantages of gastric sleeve surgery include the following:

  • No need for adjustment surgeries after the initial surgery
  • Reduced sensations of hunger since it removes part of stomach responsible for Ghrelin hormone
  • A streamlined solution for losing weight and keeping it off

In many ways, the gastric sleeve provides numerous advantages that LAP-BAND® surgery simply cannot provide.

Is the change to gastric sleeve right for me?

While there are significant advantages to making the change, it’s not necessarily right for everyone. Some patients may prefer the reversibility of the LAP-BAND® procedure and would rather stick with gastric banding as their weight loss solution. In such cases, these patients may benefit from a better adjustment to their current LAP-BAND® surgery.

If you are interested in switching from LAP-BAND® to a gastric sleeve, we’ll be more than happy to go over the process in more detail during a consultation. This will also allow us to determine if you are an ideal candidate for the procedure of if some other bariatric procedure would be more ideal for your needs.

Learn More About Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you are interested in surgical weight loss options or altering your previous surgery to a more effective one, we encourage you to contact our bariatric surgery center today.

Average Weight Loss After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

You may have noticed how much we’ve written about gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) on our blog. That’s because our doctors believe in its effectiveness. In fact, many patients have come to our Tijuana weight loss surgery practice in order to undergo gastric sleeve because they know that the results can be remarkable.

How remarkable?

Let’s take a moment right now to consider how much patients typically lose on average thanks to gastric sleeve surgery.

How Gastric Sleeve Surgery Works

During gastric sleeve surgery, the size of a patient’s stomach is surgically reduced. By doing this, gastric sleeve help patients in the following ways:

  • Patients become fuller faster, consuming fewer calories
  • Patients experience sensations of hunger less frequently
  • Patients are restricted in the amount of calories they consume in one sitting

The combination of the above makes gastric sleeve one of the most popular options around for surgical weight loss. The results are notable as well.

Average Total Weight Loss for Most Gastric Sleeve Patients

According to statistics from 2012, the average gastric sleeve patient will typically lose 60% of their excess body weight. This number includes people who follow their post-op instructions to the letter as well as people who do not follow their post-op instructions at all, so the findings are a tad skewed.

If gastric sleeve patients follow their instructions closely and eat right, they can lose up to 80% of their excess weight and generally keep that weight off in the process.

Weight Loss from Month to Month After Gastric Sleeve

Patients should notice the most pronounced weight loss in the first six months to a year after the gastric sleeve has been performed. During this time, patients will lose more than half of their excess body weight, perhaps significantly more. By the end of two years, the total amount of excess weight loss should taper off and stabilize. This is where the 60% of excess body weight figure comes from.

While the weight amounts can vary, consistent weight loss from month to month tends to be key for the most ideal results. You and your bariatric surgeon can monitor your weight loss over time to determine how effective or ineffective your gastric sleeve is and what can be done to improve results.

What makes successful weight loss more likely after gastric sleeve?

Some keys to ensuring gastric sleeve success include regular exercise, eating healthy, speaking with friends and family about issues you may have, maintaining a support network, and regular visits to you doctor.

Is it possible to regain weight after gastric sleeve surgery?

Yes. Some patients do regain some of the weight they’ve lost after the initial year. This is normal to a certain degree simply given the nature of your body adjusting after surgery. However, the weight that is regained need not be significant so long as you follow the strategies for success above.

We Will Help Provide Information So You Can Maximize Your Success

Gastric sleeve surgery is a process and a lifestyle adjustment, which means it’s important to have the information and guidance necessary to take this journey. That is precisely what we provide to our patients. During the consultation process, we can discuss various means by which you can ensure the short-term and the long-term success of your gastric sleeve surgery.

Learn More About Gastric Sleeve Surgery

For more information about gastric sleeve surgery and how it can help you lose excess weight and keep it off, be sure to contact our bariatric surgery center today.

Gastric Sleeve Eating Schedule: Adjusting Your Diet

Our doctors have helped many patients begin a new and healthier life at our Tijuana bariatric surgery center. Many of our patients undergo gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy), an effective and low-maintenance weight loss option.

All bariatric surgeries involve lifestyle changes for success, and part of the change is patients creating an eating schedule for themselves. Each patient is different, but the information below will help you develop your own eating schedule that’s defined by your body’s needs after weight loss surgery.

Shifting from Liquid to Solid Foods

The first month to month-and-a-half after your gastric sleeve surgery will be spent making a transition from an all-liquid diet to the integration of solid foods. The idea here is to understand your new appetite and to really get patients to slow down and make the gradual change in their lifestyle.

We wrote about changes in your diet after gastric sleeve surgery previously on this blog, so we encourage you to read that piece for more information.

Smaller and More Frequent Meals

One of the things that you will notice after the first six weeks is you will be eating smaller yet more frequent meals. This is common as your body adjusts to the surgery. Patients should not be alarmed by this change as it’s part of what makes bariatric surgery procedures successful at promoting weight loss.

Eat Slowly to Get In Touch with Your Body’s Needs

As you’re adjusting to your new diet and working out an eating schedule that works for you, always be sure to eat your food slowly and to really savor your food. This will help you get in touch with how much food your body needs in one sitting. Eating slowly is particularly helpful since it prevents overeating and discomfort during digestion.

Pay Attention to When You’re Hungry

Maybe the best way to develop your own eating schedule is to pay attention to when you’re hungry throughout the day. If you notice you’re hungrier at certain times, sometimes a more robust meal or certain kinds of foods at a previous meal may be better.

In some ways, you’re not just creating a regular schedule for your post-gastric sleeve diet, but you’re also determining what kinds of foods are best for you and your needs as the day progresses.

Just Say “No” to Late Night Snacking

Snacking through the day will happen, and that’s fine so long as the snacks are healthy ones. Snacking late at night, however, should be avoided. Eating late can throw off your hunger in the morning, which can then alter your eating schedule for the rest of the day. Even if you’re feeling like food late at night, consider waiting until morning to eat again so you can maintain your eating schedule as best as possible.

Consult with Your Surgeon or Physician for Special Concerns

If you have any problems with your diet or any matters of concern when it comes to certain foods, don’t hesitate to contact your bariatric surgeon or your physician for more guidance about these matters. Getting professional guidance and advice is very helpful as you’re getting used to life after bariatric surgery.

Contact Our Weight Loss Surgery Practice

For additional information on dietary considerations after bariatric surgery, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today.