Nutrition
Regardless of the type of Bariatric Surgery you may have had, the importance of Post Surgery Ongoing Nutrition & Supplements cannot be underestimated . It is absolutely crucial to your long term health and weight loss success.
Pre-surgery, some of you will have been eating junk food and food that mostly satisfied an emotional need or emptiness. Let’s face it, its easier sometimes to get ready made take away than actually thinking about what you are going to prepare, cook and eat. It takes thought, organisation and preparation. When we are on the slippery slope of not really caring about ourselves and faced with what feels like insurmountable weight issues, its just easy to give in to the immediate gratification that can be found in fast food and take aways.
Here at Savvy we are not about dieting. We are about eating for health and wellbeing but enjoying everything we put in our mouth. Eating after surgery is going to be quite different. You need to acknowledge that and understand it in order for you to embrace the journey you are on or about to embark on.
How good would you feel to finally be in control of food instead of food controlling you? Eating without deprivation, automatically knowing what portion size relates to without measuring anything, and finally tasting your food, savouring every bite just like a wine connoisseur experiences wine. Well you can and when you master this you will master your weight.
New Lifestyle - New Adjustments
As you progress through the stages of re-introducing food in to your new lifestyle most likely you will find that some of your favourite foods don’t agree with you anymore. This can be really frustrating. Its a matter of keeping a list of what foods you can now eat without consequence and which ones cause problems. Taste buds change and the effect of some foods on our systems change – its just a matter of adjusting to the new conditions as it were.
Quality Food
We are so fortunate to have such an array of wonderful fre
sh foods available to us now. It’s time to fill your body with good wholesome product. Only buy the best that you can afford. You deserve it. Putting good quality food into your body will ensure that your body returns to health and functions at his optimum. I have heard clients say that good food costs too much. Really? Well what price do you put on your health? Nothing tastes as good as what Healthy feels. Choose quality and variety and eat like Royalty.
Being Organised
Being organised is going to be an integral part of your new eating lifestyle. Spending a couple of hours a week cooking, preparing and packing food containers will take the pressure off you in regards to always having healthy nutritional meals available at any time.
By having prepared ahead meals & snacks in the freezer you are less tempted to buy on impulse.
I find it helpful to weigh out my portions before putting into containers to freeze. There is no guessing, it gets you accustomed to portion sizes and its EASY. Get the containers, have a cook up, fill up the freezer and make sure you have those fresh vegetables and salads available as well.
Portion Control
Bariatric Surgery has given you the tool of having restriction created surgically.
This is a unique tool, and the last thing you want to do is go back to the volume of food you ate before. Luckily now there are a myriad of implements and products that are available to help you keep on track with portion size and control. Re-adjusting your mindset to smaller portions can take some practice and its why it is an important component of our programs. You need to master this for long term success. Surgery is not an easy way out. You have to put in the work and change everything that was once normal. It can be a real mental blockage for a lot of people once they realise just how little they will be able to eat after surgery.
Eating more than your controlled portion will create problems and can even stretch your surgery. Use the portion size products that are available and before long you will be able to just look at something on a plate and know whether it is too much or not. You really need to note that, after surgery your stomach is going to be roughly the size of a ping pong ball or a golf ball.
Food Labels
Reading Food Labels is a very useful and necessary tool for anyone let alone those of us who wanting to control weight. Its one thing to read them and another to understand them. A lot of people will buy LowFat/NoFat versions of food products. But what you probably don’t realise is that when they take Fat out of something (Fat gives flavour) they replace it with extra Sugar and/or Salt. So you think you are doing the right thing by buying these low fat/no fat products but in actual fact they are detrimental to your overall weight loss. Next time you are at the supermarket read the labels on original yogurt and a fat reduced yogurt. You will see what I mean. If you have been struggling with Plateaus or Regain this will be one area where you need to be looking for answers.