The role of a nutritionist after gastric sleeve

Now that you understand why it is important to take care of your health and your eating habits, it is time to talk about the person who will help you have the correct practices. The role of the nutritionist is that of a special companion during the post-operative period.

Before the surgery is done, it is good that you have a consultation with your nutritionist so that they begin the preparation phase. There in that session, you will know the feeding parameters for the first days after the surgery. The diet after bariatric surgery is progressive and changes as the days go by.

At first, it is completely liquid until you reach a normal diet. It is the job of the nutritionist to inform the patient about the changes that come in the postoperative period. The role of the nutritionist is absolutely important in the postoperative period because adequate nutritional information depends on an adequate adaptation to the surgery, the results are optimal when the nutritionist has the opportunity to talk with the patient and explain the reason for the changes and the moment of these.

A patient who is taken to surgery and only has some written instructions and does not have contact with the nutritionist again, usually will have a more difficult postoperative period because he will try to introduce changes that are likely to be made at times that are not appropriate. . The role of the nutritionist is very important in the period of weight loss and adaptation to the diet.

In the long term, there is also an important role for the visits that should be made with some periodicity to the nutritionist, this in order that once the patient has adapted to a normal diet we can review and evaluate that she has not developed some habits that

The recommendation then is that all patients who are going to undergo bariatric surgery have a consultation before the surgery with the nutritionist who must be a person with experience and knowledge of bariatric surgery specifically.

The follow-up in the postoperative period is absolutely important and we recommend that in the long term, with some periodicity, patients make an appointment with the nutritionist so that they can review their eating habits so that the weight loss results are maintained in the very long term.

Most common recommendations

During the postoperative period, the patient must follow a diet in order to modify their eating habits to achieve weight loss. Some recommendations for this stage can be:

During the first three or four weeks, the patient should only consume the food allowed in the liquid diet until they are informed by their doctor or nutritionist to switch to a soft diet. Following the postoperative diet is important because the stomach must be given adequate time to adjust to its new way and way of processing food.
Consuming food outside of the liquid diet can have consequences such as a perforation in the stomach, in those cases, the patient must be taken to the hospital with a serious complication. Although each organism is different, it is advisable not to break the liquid diet for any reason.
Once the soft diet is started, it is recommended that the patient eat slowly and chew the food at least 25 times, this indication applies even if it is only porridge or soft foods, the idea is to facilitate the work that the stomach does.
For some patients, weight loss is slow due to the consumption of concentrated sugars, its intake should be avoided in the first days because it could ferment and cause bloating. Those in liquid form should be avoided later because they are full of non-nutritious calories.
Limit your intake of fat and fried food for the first few days, and even weeks or months after surgery. This type of food causes diarrhea, bloating, irritation, and hypersecretion, which is not good for gastric sleeve, in addition, they are a concentrated source of calories that will inevitably delay weight loss.
The new stomach shape can only hold 4-6 ounces. The patient should not exceed his food intake because this could perforate the stomach. In addition, at the beginning of the surgery, 2 or 3 tablespoons of food will be enough to feel satisfied. Over time, your stomach will stabilize to allow you to eat the normal amount of food. Vomiting usually appears when the patient does not stop when feeling satisfied, this symptom should not be ignored because eating too much food will only stretch the size of the stomach or even perforate it.
Dehydration should be prevented by drinking at least 6 to 8 cups of fluids per day. Some signs of dehydration may be headache, dizziness, nausea, lethargy, a whitish coating on the tongue, and dark urine.
Meals should be eaten in order: protein first, then fruits and vegetables, then whole grains. Stop drinking fluids 15 minutes before meals and continue 30 – 45 minutes after meals.
Exercising is the key to long-term weight loss and maintenance. Walking should be the main exercise for the first 6 weeks. After 6-8 weeks, more vigorous exercises can be added.

Although the person in charge of determining what you can and cannot eat should be a nutritionist, a wide variety of protein-rich foods (lean meat, eggs, low-fat dairy, fruits or vegetables) is normally accepted, since they produce prolonged effect satiety.

Gastric Sleeve vs. Gastric Bypass

The most important thing is to eat small portions to avoid discomfort and, in addition, avoid the consumption of uncooked vegetables, hard or fibrous foods, and nuts, that is, foods that can harm the new condition of the stomach and intestine.