What Happens After Bariatric Surgery?

So you’ve made the decision you must do something about your weight. You’ve been on every diet and either the diet didn’t work, or you when you went off your diet, you gained it all back – and then some.

You decide it’s time for drastic measures and find you are a candidate for Bariatric surgery. You’ve talked with the surgeons and they’ve prepared you for the procedures and recovery time. Now what? What happens after Bariatric surgery?

If you’re looking for Bariatric surgery to be a quick fix, a cure-all for your weight issues, think again. After Bariatric surgery, diet becomes an integral part of your life. Following your surgeon’s guidelines after Bariatric surgery is extremely important.

In order to digest your food, you must chew your food thoroughly and slowly, waiting two to three minutes between bites.

Drinking while eating fills you up before you can eat enough food. Fluids with meals can also cause vomiting. Avoid alcohol altogether.

Limit snacking between meals. In fact, avoid any foods with no nutritional value. This surgery will change your life and you cannot go back to your old eating habits.

If your Bariatric surgery was an enormous success, you may have a new problem. Because your weight loss was so extreme, you may discover the unsightly fat deposits and/or excessive amounts of skin hanging loosely on your body. To correct this new dilemma, you might decide to explore plastic surgery. But before you do, check with your insurance company. Depending on your diagnosis, plastic surgery to correct this condition may actually be considered “cosmetic” in nature by your insurance carrier, and therefore, excluded from coverage.

After Bariatric surgery, regular exercise is another important change you must make in your lifestyle. After all, bad eating habits and lack of exercise are some of the behaviors that lead to many weight problems in the first place. No time to exercise? Split up your physical activities. You can commit to fifteen minutes in the morning and maybe fifteen minutes at night. A brisk walk is a great way to connect with your loved one and get the exercise you need for a thinner, healthier you.