Authored by Malcolm Tatum in Weight Issues
Published on 12-04-2009
Also known as a gastric bypass, bariatric surgery is a procedure that involves reducing the ability of an individual to consume larger quantities of food at one time. The procedure involves stapling off a portion of the stomach, effectively shrinking the amount of space contained within the digestive tract. As a result, the individual feels full quicker and is unable to eat as much food at one meal.
However, some people think that once they have this type of surgery, their weight issues will simply disappear. That is not the case. Patients must be concerned about managing weight gain after bariatric surgery, both from the perspective of not gaining enough as well as gaining too much.
The root of any type of weight gain after a gastric bypass has to do with the type of eating habits developed by the individual. As a general rule, someone who exhibited little to no control before undergoing the surgery will have problems changing old habits to match their new dietary needs. People who do not take steps to change their eating habits before the surgery are much more likely to keep testing their limits, and eventually stretch the available portion of the stomach back to proportions much like those before the surgery. In addition, people who underwent the older process involving staples in the stomach run the risk of tearing tissue as they consume ever larger meals, which can lead to a host of other problems.
Still, there is also a need to make sure that patients who lose too much weight immediately after bariatric surgery develop responsible eating habits that slows the weight loss and allows them to get back to a normal weight range. This often involves identifying foods with high nutritional content and learning how to consume several small meals throughout the day, rather than eating the more traditional three meals. Some people find this very difficult to accomplish, and may need counseling in order to truly get into the swing of their new way of perceiving food. This is especially true if the individual has come to view food as an enemy, and is having trouble forcing themselves to eat much of anything at all.
Your doctor can help you to come up with a healthy and responsible diet that will allow you to manage your weight in a healthy manner. For those who’ve lost too much weight, and need to gain back a few pounds, learning what to eat and how frequently to consume small quantities will be invaluable. At the same time, people who are overindulging will need to learn how to limit their portions and stop trying to see how much they can eat at one meal without becoming ill. In both scenarios, you will learn how to make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs each day to keep all your organs functioning as they should, while still enjoying the food that you do consume. By developing the right dietary habits for your situation, you greatly increase the chances of achieving and maintaining your ideal weight, as well as minimize the potential for health issues connected with your bariatric surgery.
