Month: December 2019

If you are overweight or obese and planning to lose weight, it’s important to understand the benefits of losing weight. Actually weight loss has to be pleasing or it isn’t sustainable. You are either stressed or relaxed. Anything stressful will give you a stress response. Find things that are enjoyable and use it to construct a healthier lifestyle.

Every weight loss plan falls apart at the seams at some point. Therefore, to set yourself up for favorable outcome, understanding the extended weight loss benefits that help to keep you motivated after Bariatric Surgery (Weight loss surgery) include: Health benefits, lifestyle benefits and social benefits. There are different approaches to lose weight depending on your BMI and health issues. BMI greater than 32.5 with one or more significant obesity related medical conditions or BMI 35 and above can be taken up for Bariatric Surgery (Weight loss surgery).

Diet and exercise would work for people with BMI less than 32.5 but beyond this Bariatric Surgery (Weight loss surgery) is recommended for realistic, sustainable and long-term results. This also means that surgery is more likely to improve their health conditions connected to obesity.

Health Benefits of losing weight

• Lowers the risk of some types of cancers
• Lowers the risk of / resolves Diabetes
• Decreases the risk / resolves Hypertension
• Improves / resolves Lipid profile
• Reduces / resolves backache
• Improves Fertility
• Reduces the symptoms of Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
• Lowers the risk of Cardiovascular disease
• Improves breathing
• Reducing the risk of Kidney disease
• Decreases risk of / resolves Sleep Apnea
• Reduces risk of a weak bladder (in women)
• Decreases / resolves Joint pains Reduces symptoms of Gastric Reflux
• Reduces the risk of Stroke
• Reduces the risk of varicose vein or DVT
• Improves mobility

Your doctor would inform you more information about the health benefits you can expect when you lose weight. He may also recommend a dietician and physical activity post Bariatric Surgery.

Lifestyle Benefits of losing weight

• Better Hormonal Imbalance
• Better Sleep
• Clearer and brighter skin
• Increased sexual performance
• Improved memory
• Active social life
• Stress relief
• More confident
• Improves vitality
• Better wardrobe
• Less medications
• Better mood
• Improves energy level

For many people, their weight defines how they feel about themselves. Our body image states how we connect with others, our confidence and effects how healthy we feel going about our daily lives. Apart from medical benefits of weight loss, you will also experience an improved lifestyle.

Social benefits of weight loss

• More comfortable in your body
• Moving around is easier
• Satisfaction of knowing you look your best
• You can focus on improving yourself in other ways
• Decreases the perspiration levels
• Being confident in a group

Social benefits of weight loss are mostly very substantial short-term motivators. However, these incline to be less potent at sustaining long-term lifestyle change because they often are geared towards short-lived events, such as some social function. Positive changes in lifestyle that are not externally imposed may more likely be able to sustain themselves over time.

Enjoying the Benefits of Weight Loss

If you decide that there are significant reasons for you to lose weight, then there’s no time like the present to start your weight loss journey. Our physique dictates how we feel about ourselves and that lightens up our confidence. Your first step should be to set a reasonable goal. Then make small changes to your daily routine and eating habits.

It is important to make healthy food choices throughout your weight loss process to be as healthy as possible while losing weight. Healthy food and lifestyle choices after bariatric surgery are critical to maintain your weight loss in long term. These tips are recommended for people who are in the maintenance phase of weight loss:

Eat small & frequent Meals:

• Eat three main meals along with 3-4 minor meals each day.
• Have a healthy snack only if hungry. Skipping meals does not promote weight loss and results in overeating in the long run.
  

Don’t drink empty calories:

• Don’t ruin your surgery by taking in empty or liquid calories, like juices and sweetened drinks, as they provide no nutrition and will interfere with your weight los process.

Eat protein first:

• It is necessary to take in 60-80 grams of protein a day.
• Space out the intake of protein in the entire.
• Add recommended protein supplements to meet your protein needs.

Avoid Sugar:

• You will still be able to absorb sugar and gain back.
• You must moderate your sugar intake, cut on simple sugars as these will slow down your weight loss.
• Read food labels for the sugar content.
• Avoid castor sugar, honey, jaggery, jam, juices and squashes etc. as these may cause dumping post-surgery.
• Diabetes surgery helps you resolve diabetes, taking sugar may interfere with the surgery’s response and results.

Avoid Soda

• Aerated drinks or soda produces gas and cause can cause gastric pain and inflate your stomach, which can be harmful to staples and sutures, especially in the months immediately after surgery.
• In long term use this may increase your stomach pouch size, tending you eating more.

Avoid drinking liquids with meals:

• Fluids may force foods through your pouch too quickly.
• This may cause dumping syndrome in gastric bypass patients and also all patients to become hungry quickly and eat more throughout the day.
• Keep a gap of 30 minutes before and after meals for liquids.

Do not use Straws:

• Don’t use a straw to drink liquids after bariatric surgery.
• Straws not only let you to drink too swiftly, so you may end up with an uncomfortably full stomach, but you also gulp in air into the stomach that can cause serious discomfort.

Practice the new diet behaviour:

• Chew food thoroughly.
• Your stomach pouch will not be able to physically break down foods that have not been chewed to a liquid consistency.
• Avoid problematic foods such as tough, fibrous or overcooked meats, skin and seeds of fruits and vegetables, nuts and popcorn.
• Stop eating when you begin to feel full. It is critical that you do not eat to the point of feeling overfull.
• Your pouch may get dilated by eating too much and you may regain weight.

Do not weigh yourself everyday:

• Weigh yourself in the gap of one month.
• It’s much easier to correct 1 2 kg weight gain (physically and psychologically) than a 10 Kg weight gain.

Exercise:

• Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
• Physical activity is defined as activities in addition to normal daily routine such as work, shopping or housekeeping.

Take enough liquids:

• Strive to drink 6 to 8 cups of water each day. Artificially flavoured, unsweetened drinks are fine, but we recommend that you avoid juices, squashes etc.
• Take coconut water, lemon water, lassi, butter milk, veg soups and veg juices to fulfil this requirement.

Do visit for Follow-Up:

• Post-surgery, your progress will be carefully observed.
• Avoiding follow up appointments may mean that a nutritional deficiency, surgical complication, weight loss trend or other health issues may not be discovered in time.
• Also, frequent meetings with your surgeon and dietician are a worthy motivator for keeping on track to achieve your goals.

Take recommended nutritional supplements:

• Obesity causes nutritional deficiencies, so many patients are already deficient before the surgery.
• Surgery produces restricted food intake, mal-digestion and mal-absorption of macro and micro nutrients.
• If your surgeon or dietician recommends a supplement to correct or prevent the nutritional deficiency, take the supplement.

Do not self-medicate:

• Don’t take any medications without your surgeon’s approval.
• Most health issues will improve with surgery and weight loss, so take all medications as prescribed.

Say no to Alcohol:

• Alcohol is full of empty calories 7Kcal/ml, and provides no nutritional value.
• May contribute to stomach ulcers.
• Weight loss surgery also makes you more sensitive towards alcohol because your small stomach pouch absorbs it quickly, so a little goes a long way.

Avoid Pregnancy:

• Avoid pregnancy for the first 2 years after surgery.
• Your body will be in weight reduction mode during 1 to 1.t5 years after your surgery.
• During that time, pregnancy would be unhealthy for you and terrible for a developing foetus.
• If you are sexually active, use approaches to birth control, and check with your surgeon before trying to conceive.

Do attend Support Groups:

• There are many people having weight-loss surgery each year, so people who have walked in your shoes are not difficult to find.
• Attending a support groups offers you emotional support though making you meet people who have undergone the feelings, nitty-gritty and success.
• They can also help you on the varied kind of changes you are facing during your weight loss journey.
• Support groups are a great platform to build healthy bonds and achieve your health goals.

Remember Surgery is a tool:

• Remember that surgery is a tool to help you lose weight, you need to practice it well each day.
• It is not a dream solution for every problem in your life.
• You need to be disciplined to achieve and maintain your health goals in the long run. Be realistic in your expectations of life after surgery.

These tips shall help you go easy after weight loss surgery, stick to your goals and stay happy!!