BariatricEating.com Health & Nutrition

Post-Ops - Old Pro's

A great place to be... I've almost made it!

A year has passed, you made it though the stalls and plateaus and you are within close range of that goal weight or have reached it. You are wearing your smallest size since 3rd grade and complements are flying at you from all directions. You hardly recognize the person smiling back in the mirror. Life in this spot is pretty comfortable and it feels absolutely terrific.

It is very difficult at this stage to keep it together and not get too close to the edge. Resist the urge to push your limits. There is no need to revert back to old habits and food patterns even though they don’t seem to affect your weight loss status… yet. This is the point where you should integrate the eating patterns you have cultivated since your surgery into your new way of life so that you can make those good choices without a lot of thought. Protein first is a rule for life. This is where your post op diet becomes your lifestyle and not a bad word.

Recognize that this is the phase that can make or break you. If you are dabbling in sugar and carbs or have once again embraced them … STOP, or it will bite you. If you have stopped drinking protein shakes yet still cannot physically eat 10-12 ounces of proteins foods a day you need to rethink your plan or you will find yourself growing tired in the middle of your workday. If you slacked off your vitamin regimen, taking them just when you happen to remember, which is once or twice a week at best... change your attitude or you could find yourself getting sick and losing hair.

This is the phase when many of us need a gentle reminder that we have permanently altered the configuration of our gastro-intestinal system and that we don’t function or process food normally. We are never the same after this surgery and although we may look slim and healthy we must pay close attention to our nutrition forever.