Getting bariatric surgery is a major life event. It is a net positive as it will give you control over your health that you haven’t had in years. However, it also comes with some responsibility to make sure that the surgery wasn’t in vain. A weight loss myth is that it is a lose-weight-fast system that is easy. The reality is that it is a life-saving procedure that also requires exercise and the right diet.
Both before and after your surgery you will have to maintain a very strict diet. You’ll also have to supplement your diet with things like chewable calcium citrate for bariatric patients. It is difficult to get the diet right when you’re going through bariatric surgery. In this article, we will go over what you should be eating before you go through the surgery.
1 – Get lots of protein
Protein is very important for the muscles. It is very essential that you eat lots of protein before the surgery as it will help you keep your muscle mass as you lose weight. The weight will come off so fast that you risk losing some muscle in addition to fat and this will be bad for you overall.
This doesn’t mean that you should load up on steak. The point is to get a lot of protein but still limit how much fat you take in. If you do eat meat, the portions should be small and the meat should be very lean. Look into getting protein from things like chicken breast, tenderloin of beef, and even octopus so you can get the amount of protein you need without adding too many calories and fat to your diet.
Protein shakes are also a great way to get enough while still keeping your caloric intake low and your belly full at the same time. A big benefit to eating plenty of protein during this phase is that it does keep you full so you aren’t likely to overeat while getting ready for surgery.
2 – Low carbohydrate foods
Eating lots of carbohydrates is likely one of the reasons for the huge weight gain that you experienced. They have also contributed to your risk of diabetes since refined carbohydrates will turn quickly to sugar and trigger an insulin spike.
It is essential to limit your carb intake in the months leading up to the surgery. This means eliminating pasta, bread, and many processed foods that are high in carbohydrates. There will be a time when you will also have to limit how many carbs you get from whole foods like grains so this is a good time to cut down on how many you eat.
3 – Easily digestible foods
A small part of the colon is going to be cut away with bariatric surgery so it is important to eat only easily digestible foods. This means lots of vegetables primarily. They will give you easily absorbed nutrients and minerals and are not difficult to digest.