My Fit Foods Bariatric Meal Options
Like most major surgeries, bariatric surgery should not be taken lightly. Although it is considered an elective surgery (read: voluntary) in some cases, it’s definitely something you must research before deciding to go under the knife.
You’ll find that while there are plenty of good things about bariatric surgery, there are also some bad ones, so it’s crucial to weigh these pros and cons and speak to your doctor before proceeding.
Here’s what our experts know about the surgery.
What Is Bariatric Surgery?
You’re probably familiar with the term, but if not, “bariatric” is a medical term that refers to a group of doctors and nurses that specialize in weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. In some cases, that requires bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of your stomach either surgically or with a specialized band and also changes how part of the intestine attaches to the stomach.
The successful idea behind the surgery is to change how the digestive system takes in nutrients, making them harder to absorb, leading to weight loss and a lower BMI. A smaller stomach is designed to only allow for smaller meals, causing you to lose excess weight because you won’t be able to eat the way you did before.
There are several weight loss surgeries, including gastric bypass surgery, gastric sleeve gastrectomy (or gastric sleeve surgery), roux-en-y gastric bypass, duodenal switch, and other laparoscopicbariatric surgery procedures. These procedures are meant to support long-term weight loss and health goals, including a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and other obesity-related issues.
However, the surgery is not without its issues, which need to be carefully weighed.
Possible Issues With Bariatric Surgery
Nothing is perfect. As expected, there are some possible downsides to getting bariatric surgery. They include:
Additional Medical Issues
As with all surgeries, there are some risks associated with bariatric options. For example, you could be at risk for blood clots immediately after the surgery is complete. Also, if you have any pre-existing conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, or even kidney stones, you’ll still have to deal with them after the surgery.
As they lose weight, many patients see these conditions lessen, but it takes time.
Recovery Times
Although most bariatric surgeries are done laparoscopically, the surgeon makes small incisions and uses instruments guided by tiny cameras to complete the surgical procedure; there’s still a weeks-long recovery period afterward. It isn’t easy to bounce back once your stomach has shrunk and your intestines have changed, let alone deal with the small incisions in your abdomen.
You can experience side effects, including vomiting, nausea, reflux, and constipation. You can expect to have to take it easy for up to six weeks or longer before you can lift heavy things and be physically where you were before.
Dietary Changes
After undergoing bariatric surgery, you’ll need to make some major dietary changes. The types of snacks you can eat will be limited, and you’ll have to cut out many different foods you regularly ate beforehand. Of course, before you even reach that point, you’ll need to allow your digestive system to adjust to the changes.
My Fit Foods Bariatric Meal Options
You’ll have to follow a clear liquid diet right after the surgery. After a few days, you’ll be able to progress to a standard liquid diet and a soft foods diet. You will also have to pay close attention to your vitamins and minerals (often through supplements), so as not to end up with vitamin deficiencies or nutritional deficiencies from malabsorption.
Finally, weeks down the line, after your stomach has healed and gotten used to the changes, you’ll be able to eat regular meals, albeit a much smaller amount of food, like those made specifically for people who’ve had these types of bariatric surgery.
Other Conditions
On top of everything else, a few additional conditions can appear after weight loss surgery. If you lose weight quickly, like some patients, you’ll have skin that sags. It’s not uncommon for patients to have more surgery to lose the additional skin.
Also, you run the risk of dealing with depression, hair loss due to dietary changes (which can also lead to depression), and gallstones. Thankfully, all these conditions can be treated, and your hair may grow back naturally once the weight loss and surgery shock have worn off.
The Positives of Bariatric Surgery
It may sound as though there are too many negatives to consider with these types of weight loss surgery. Thankfully, this isn’t really the case at all.
Many positive things occur, all of which can lead you to live a longer, healthier life. Let’s go over them.
Weight Loss
Obviously, the entire reason for getting bariatric surgery is to lose weight. That’s where this surgery succeeds. You’ll lose weight easily if you follow your doctor’s orders, exercise a little, and get on a healthy diet plan.
Where it was tricky to lose weight beforehand, especially for many people who are obese, it’s easy to do once the surgery changes the size of your stomach and reroutes your intestines a little. In fact, most people who have this surgery lose plenty of weight and get down to a healthy body size.
Improved Quality of Life
As you can imagine, you can move more freely once you lose body weight. You won’t get as tired as fast, and with a good exercise regimen, you’ll have a lot more energy. It will allow you to make the lifestyle changes you may have been trying to make for years. After getting past the initial recovery period, you’ll see your overall quality of life improve quite a bit.
Many patients have reported being in a better mood (after getting past that post-surgery depression stage), having higher self-esteem, and going on to live their lives in a better manner afterward.
Changes to Medical Conditions
With obesity comes several medical conditions. Things like diabetes and heart disease are the most common, but others, like pancreatitis, kidney issues, and even sleep apnea, often go hand in hand with being overweight. As time passes after your surgery and you begin to lose significant weight, you’ll also notice your health improve.
Make sure to follow your doctor’s orders and don’t stop any medications without permission, but in time, you might be able to stop needing a CPAP mask at night. You may even find out that you no longer have diabetes, heart disease, or any other related conditions.
Positive Physical Changes
Have you noticed that your knees and back hurt? Do you have problems walking long distances or standing up for periods of time? All of these things can be caused by being overweight. Unfortunately, all of that extra weight puts more strain on your knees, back, and other joints.
Thankfully, you’ll see these physical issues slowly disappear after weight loss surgery. As you lose weight and follow a strict diet and exercise routine, you’ll feel better physically. There will be less strain on your back and joints, making life more enjoyable.
Increased Fertility
Women who want to have a baby may find it easier to conceive after undergoing bariatric surgery. This is because fertility issues and obesity tend to be linked together.
Although you’ll still need to wait for several years before trying to get pregnant after your weight loss surgery, just to ensure that everything goes well, it’s entirely possible to have a baby without interfering with the surgery results. Just make sure that your doctor gives you an “all clear.”
Longer Life Span
Compared to people who are obese and haven’t had weight loss surgery, the difference is clear: those who undergo bariatric surgery end up having a longer life than those who don’t. They may live for several decades more than their doctors previously believed.
However, this depends on many other health conditions and can vary based on the patient and their health. For the most part, though, the correlation is clear.
Choosing Whether or Not To Get Bariatric Surgery
Now that you’ve weighed the pros and cons of bariatric surgery, it’s time to make that decision. You can live a longer life, feel better about yourself, lose weight, mitigate other health risks, and many other positives.
While there are some negatives, such as having to make dietary changes, dealing with a recovery period, and having the potential for blood clots, it seems as though the positives outweigh them. That said, the decision is yours, and no one can make it for you. So, which option will you choose?
Do you have any questions on bariatric surgery or our pre-made meals? Contact us!
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Sources:
Weight Loss Surgery: Pros and Cons | Duke Health