Life after Bariatric Surgery for Sky Ridge Patients

Surgery is the beginning of your weight-loss journey; commitment and hard work are needed after surgery to reach your weight-loss goals. Diet and exercise will be important in your recovery process. To assist all Sky Ridge Medical Center patients in their recovery from surgery and through their weight-loss journey, we offer Free Support Groups with our Registered Dietician Kelly Elliot.

Featured Article: Changing Habits for Success After Weight-Loss Surgery by Dr. Glenn Kaplan, Board-Certified Clinical Health Psychologist>>

Diet after Weight-Loss Surgery

The modifications made to your gastrointestinal tract will require permanent changes in your eating habits. Some of these changes include:

• When you start eating solid food, it is essential that you chew thoroughly. You will not be able to eat steaks or other chunks of meat if they are not ground or chewed thoroughly.
• Don't drink fluids while eating. They will make you feel full before you have consumed enough food.
• Omit desserts and other items with sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients.
• Omit carbonated drinks, high-calorie nutritional supplements, milk shakes, high-fat foods and foods with high fiber content.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Limit snacking between meals.

Exercise after Weight-Loss Surgery

Following recovery from bariatric surgery, regular cardiovascular exercise and strength training must be part of your daily routine. Exercise is also vitally important to helping you reach your weight-loss goal.

Going Back to Work

Your ability to resume pre-surgery levels of activity will vary according to your physical condition, the nature of the activity and the type of weight-loss surgery you had. Many patients return to full pre-surgery levels of activity within six weeks of their procedure. Patients who have had a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure may be able to return to these activities within a few weeks.

Follow-Up after Weight-Loss Surgery

Over time, you will need periodic checks for anemia (low red blood cell count) and Vitamin B12, folate and iron levels. Follow-up tests will initially be conducted every six months or as needed, and then every one to two years afterward. Additionally, all patients are encouraged to attend regular Free Support Group meetings with our Registered Dietician Kelly Elliot.