How to choose a gastric sleeve surgeon you’ll love
June 10, 2016
Is a gastric sleeve right for me?
August 1, 2016
Having a gastric sleeve is a big deal. If you're not sure what a gastric sleeve diet looks like after surgery, then this is the post for you. Even if you've already had a sleeve, you'll love these simple tips and tricks which will help remind you what to focus on again.
How does a sleeve work?
The sleeve gastrectomy removes a large part of your stomach, creating a small pouch for your food. It helps you to achieve weight loss as it:- Allows you to feel satisfied with a smaller amount of food
- Reduces hunger between meals as it removes the part of the stomach that produces a hunger hormone “ghrelin”
- Assists you in establishing a healthy relationship with food
Achieving success...
Most people will lose approximately 60-70% of your excess body weight (more on that here), but the real aim is to improve your health, reduce risk factors for poor health or your dependence on medications. Studies have shown the most successful candidates are those who have regular follow-ups and make long-term changes to their lifestyle. The main thing is that you have to want to change and want to try to eat well.What's the timeframe I'm looking at?
Pre-surgery
2-6 weeks Very Low Calorie Diet (Optifast) to reduce the fat around your liver and reduce surgical risks.Weeks 1 & 2 After Surgery
Thin fluids only while the stomach heals. Optifast is ideal.Weeks 3 & 4 After Surgery
Smooth purees and gradually increasing the consistency to soft foods as you feel more hungry.Week 5 After Surgery Onwards
Normal healthy foods! When you are tolerating soft foods you may commence a normal healthy diet with lots of variety, focusing on protein, vegetables, dairy and fruit plus supplements. You'll have to get focus on changing your eating habits, too.
The gastric sleeve diet long term: What can I eat?
Most foods fit as part of a healthy gastric sleeve diet! However, the portion sizes will be small. You only need 3 small meals a day (about 1 cup). Use a small plate for main meals and don’t be surprised if you leave food on your plate... it is a good sign. These plates are designed for bariatric surgery and will give you a good visual of portion sizes
Choose good quality foods
As you now eat a limited amount of food each day you need to choose good quality foods for optimum health and nutrition. Your daily diet should be made up of a variety of foods, focusing on high protein like lean meat, fish, poultry, legumes, beans, tofu, dairy products or eggs, and vegetables plus a smaller amount of fruit and wholegrain products. These are the same healthy foods recommended for the general population.Your Daily Checklist
To ensure you are getting the right combination of food groups’ everyday. Aim for…
- Once a day - some fruit (apricot, 1/2 apple or 1/3 banana)
- Twice a day - veggies, salad or legumes
- Three times a day - protein or dairy
- And a few whole grains if you like
- PLUS 1.5-2L water
Gastric sleeve diet no-no's: Cheating the sleeve
It's really important to AVOID calorie-containing liquids, (juices, soft drinks, cordial, alcohol, excess milk etc) and mushy, liquid or meltable foods (like ice cream and chocolate) as regular features in a gastric sleeve diet. The reason? These foods pass through your stomach quickly, giving you too many calories without making you feel full.
Avoid snacking unless hungry, especially on high calorie, low nutrient snacks like chips and biscuits. Always ask “Am I actually hungry?” before you snack. If the answer is "No", then you need to ask what else you can do instead...
How you eat is just as important as what you eat:
- Serve your meals on small cutlery and crockery – entrée or bread & butter plates, yum cha bowls or ramekins and teaspoons or baby forks.
- SIT down & make time for your meal every time you eat.
- Relax and eat slowly. Make your meals last 20-30 minutes, after that time THROW OUT the rest!
- CHEW, CHEW, CHEW!
- SAVOUR each bite: swallow one mouthful before taking another.
- Try eating with your non-dominant hand - you'll be much slower due to incoordination!
- Try an app that helps you slow down: Eat Slower, Bariatric Meal Timer or SlowMow Eating Timer.
- Put your cutlery down between mouthfuls
- Do not drink with meals – do drink plenty of WATER between meals. Leave 30 minutes before and after meals before drinking again.
- LIMIT high calorie, less filling foods and drinks such as excess milk, soft drink, juice or cordial, chocolate, chips, cake, biscuits and ice cream.
Your hunger and fullness signals will feel different to before surgery. Listen carefully to your stomach when eating. On a hunger scale of 0-10 where 0 is absolutely starving and 10 is Christmas Day full, aim to stay between a 3 and 7.
