If you are considering gastric sleeve surgery, you may be wondering what to expect after the one-year mark. Will your diet change? Will you have to make any major adjustments? In this blog post, we will explore what happens to your gastric sleeve diet after the one-year mark and give you some tips on how to adjust your diet accordingly.
How Gastric Sleeve Surgery Impacts your Diet
The gastric sleeve surgery is a restrictive procedure that reduces the size of your stomach. The goal is to help you feel full after eating smaller amounts of food. After the surgery, you will be on what’s called a “full liquid diet” for two weeks, where you can only eat liquids like soups and smoothies or protein shakes.
As time goes on, solid foods will slowly be added back into your diet, in small portions at first before moving onto larger meals over time, eventually reaching what we call a “maintenance diet,” which consists of smaller portions than what you ate before surgery but less restriction in general. However, at about one year after surgery, you may need to tweak this diet.
Why Your Diet Changes One Year Post-Gastric Sleeve
One year post-gastric sleeve, most patients have lost a significant amount of weight and are closer to their goal weight. Because of this, your body’s nutritional needs have changed as well. You may need to eat more protein or vitamins and minerals in order to maintain your current weight or even lose more weight.
After the one-year post-op gastric sleeve diet mark, you may find that your weight loss plateaus, or even that you gain a bit of weight. This is normal, but it can be frustrating. Some patients are able to get back on track by changing their diet slightly. For example, you may want to increase your protein intake in order to keep losing weight or maintain the loss that you have achieved so far.
How to Adjust Your Diet at The One-Year Mark: Tips & Tricks
If you are looking for ways to adjust your diet after the one-year mark post-surgery, here are some tips and tricks:
Talk with a nutritionist about changes you could make in order to meet your nutritional needs while continuing on a healthy path towards weight loss and wellness goals. A nutritionist can help determine which foods would benefit from adding more of them into your daily routine and help you stay on track while avoiding any unhealthy eating habits.
Consider a supplement that can provide you with the protein and other nutrients your body needs to continue losing weight healthily post-surgery.
Keep a food journal to track what you are eating each day, as well as how much and when. This will help you see where you could make small changes in order to better accommodate your new diet after the one-year mark.
Lastly, remember that it is okay to indulge every once in a while! A healthy diet doesn’t mean completely depriving yourself of all your favorite foods; just enjoy them in moderation and be mindful of how they fit into your overall daily calorie intake.
For more guidance on life after gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana, Mexico, contact Dr. Jalil.
Curious about diet and gastric sleeve surgery? Read about the pre-bariatric surgery diet.
