Make sure that you are setting reasonable goals and taking in enough fluids and healthy foods. At this point, you should be having three small meals per day that are approximately 4 to 6 ounces each, plus two small, healthy snacks that are 100 to 150 calories each. About half of each meal (3 ounces) should be lean protein. About 2 ounces should be non-starchy steamed or baked vegetables (preferred) or a soft fruit without skin or peels. You should also have about ½ to 1 ounce of healthy fat like avocado, olive oil, eggs, poultry, and/or nuts.
Stalls are a very normal occurrence with the weight loss surgery progression and should be expected.
Avoid certain foods & keep a food journal
You should not be eating flour tortillas, rice, breads, potatoes, pastries, cookies, candy, soda, sugary coffee drinks, or sweet teas.
A liquid and exercise journal can be helpful as well. These will help you stay on track and make you accountable. They will also help you see where you are having issues or stressful times and making the wrong choices.
Make sure to consume 60 to 100 grams of protein daily.
Sleep + Exercise
Get enough sleep. Try to get at least seven hours per night.
Focus on exercise. Make sure to incorporate 150 to 300 minutes per week of routine exercise. This is important for long-term weight loss and weight management.
Fluids and good carbohydrates
Drink plenty of fluids. Make sure to drink at least 64 ounces of fluids, at least half of which should be water!
Eat “good” carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruit. See list of non-starchy vegetables. Avoid “simple” carbohydrates and refined sugars.
Try not to challenge your surgery and sabotage your progress
We all try to see what our new tummies can hold. Fluids slide right in and pretty much right out. You will feel restriction in a few weeks. Most people will feel it immediately, but if you do not, that is perfectly normal, and you will feel restriction as soon as you start to incorporate more solid types of foods.
Do not get discouraged by plateaus.
Once you have had bariatric surgery, your body is changed. The surgery gives you an extra advantage to help lose and control your weight with diet and exercise. This is a metabolic procedure, and you need to incorporate lifestyle, diet, exercise, and environmental changes to ensure that you are successful.
Your body has a pre-set weight set point that was created through years of yo-yo dieting. Before surgery, your set point was rather high. Plateaus are to be expected and are normal. Your fat cells are literally changing to lean muscle mass. You may be stalled for weight loss, but you are losing inches.
Our bodies are very good at maintaining and preventing changes, so as you lose weight, stalls and plateaus will happen. Your body is resetting that set point for your weight. Ride them out and stay the course! Make dietary and exercise changes as needed.
Do not compare yourself to others
Your weight loss journey may be completely different from someone else’s. Some will lose 25 pounds in the first month, while others will lose 12 pounds; this is to be expected and is very normal. It will be hard, but try not to compare yourself or your progress to anyone else, especially on the Facebook group. Everyone started at different points. Starting weight, genetics, sex, age, stress levels, exercise levels, medications, and hormones all play a role and may affect your progress.
Make an appointment with a registered dietician
Try to find someone who specializes in bariatrics. Make sure to have at least a couple appointments with your new dietician, because in order to design a plan that is specific for you, he/she will have to do a complete dietary work-up.
Join a local support and exercise group
Join a gym. Some gym memberships cost just $10 per month. There are tons of Facebook support groups including E.O.C. Reach out if you are struggling, because you are not alone!
