After weight loss surgery, permanent lifestyle changes are needed to make sure you keep off all of the weight you have lost. Many patients’ appetites return about six to nine months after surgery. Establishing these smart habits will make it easier to maintain your new, healthier weight:
1. Eat Breakfast Every Day
Breakfast is one of those meals where most people have no problem eating the same thing every day. This makes it a great place to start with healthy eating. Choose a satisfying meal that includes some protein, fiber and fruits or vegetables. Good choices include oatmeal with fruit, a cup of low or non-fat Greek yogurt topped with dried fruit or an egg white and vegetable wrap.
2. Exercise Daily
Diet alone will not keep you healthy. Make sure you incorporate some physical activity every day. In the weeks after your lap band surgery, this can be a short walk and several reps with small weights. As you get stronger, walk faster and longer and increase the intensity of strength training exercises.
3. Be Careful with Simple Carbs
These foods are quickly digested, so, they leave us feeling hungry soon after eating. Because these foods are calorie-dense, this can mean consuming too much. Instead of using crackers or chips when eating foods like salsa or hummus, use fresh vegetables as a carrier to add satisfying crunch.
4. Cut Down on Calories from Drinks
When we consume caloric liquids like juice, specialty coffees and soda, we take in lots of calories without ever feeling full. Instead, satiate thirst with water or unsweetened herbal teas. Sugar-free hot cocoa can satisfy an urge for sweets while low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth can help with salty food cravings.
5. Cut Out Grazing
It’s easy to overeat when you are mindlessly munching on a bag of chips. Instead of wandering through the kitchen and grabbing a handful of whatever looks appetizing, take time out to sit down and truly enjoy snacks. When we concentrate on what we are eating, we are more likely to feel satisfied and less likely to overeat.
Successful weight loss and maintenance of your new, lower weight requires a lifetime commitment to healthier habits. By making conscious choices to change the way you eat, you can make it easier to naturally do what is best for your health every day.
Suggested Reading
Eating and Exercise Behavioral Changes to Lose Weight
Weight Loss Doesn’t Come in a Can
Set Up your Home for Weight Loss Surgery
Also In This Section
- Sleep Better after Weight Loss Surgery
- Getting Active in the Cold
- How to Boost Your Health After Weight Loss Surgery
- Setting Realistic Goals After Surgery
- Eating in Restaurants After Weight Loss Surgery
- Can Being Overweight Hurt You in the Workplace?
- Strategies to Add Activity and Burn Calories after Bariatric Surgery
- Weight Loss Medications: Barriers to Acceptance
- Your Joints and Osteoarthritis
- Benefits of Pilates after Weight Loss Surgery
- Reasons You’re Not Exercising – And What to Do About It
- Setting Goals for Weight Loss
- Walking to Lower Blood Pressure
- Staying Motivated after Weight Loss Surgery
- Exercise for Brain Health
- Boosting Your Mood after Weight Loss Surgery
- Healthy Shopping after Weight Loss Surgery
- The Best Foods for Protein
- Strategies to Prevent Weight Re-Gain
- Considering a New Exercise Program? When to Check-In With Your Doctor First
