Diet Specialist

Why is your diet important prior to bariatric surgery?

Proper diet before and after surgery is essential for reducing complications, achieving proper weight loss, and maintaining optimal health. You’re also given specific nutrition guidelines immediately before surgery to avoid complications and hasten your healing.

How should I frame my diet before bariatric surgery?

Before you have surgery, you may be tempted to eat all of your favorite foods and visit your favorite restaurants. But this doesn’t properly prepare you mentally or physically for your procedure.

The pre-bariatric surgery diet begins three days before your surgery. These three days prepare your body appropriately to undergo the rigors of surgery. 

It shrinks and reduces fat around your liver. Because the stomach and liver are quite close to one another, a liver that’s reduced in size and healthy makes for a less complicated procedure.

The specific three-day diet consists of two Celebrate protein shakes, one healthy meal, two protein snacks, and 46-64 ounces of fluid every day. 

The liquids you choose should be sugar free, non-carbonated, and decaffeinated. Examples include: water, calorie-free water flavorings, such as Crystal Light and Mio, unsweetened herbal tea, Propel Zero, and Vitamin Water Zero.

How should I plan my diet after bariatric surgery?

Following a precise postsurgical diet is also critical in your healing and weight-loss success. The team at Turnquest Surgical Solutions provides you with clear instructions about how to eat in the immediate days, weeks, and months following the procedure. 

They’ll help you develop an appropriate meal plan full of nutrients you need to thrive. You’ll change your eating pattern to include multiple small meals during the day. 

The small stomach created during bariatric surgery means you can only tolerate a limited amount of food at one time. Eating large meals can cause complications and extreme discomfort.

While bariatric surgery can help you reduce a significant amount of weight in a short time, it’s not a replacement for a healthy diet and lifestyle. 

The team at Turnquest Surgical Solutions helps you develop a long-term eating plan to support your weight loss and maintenance of a healthy size.

If you’re planning bariatric surgery, alterations to your diet are necessary. Learn more about what to do before and after your procedure. Call Turnquest Surgical Solutions or use the online booking tool to schedule an appointment.