Having a bariatric surgery is a turning point in the patient’s life. Adjusting to the new life isimportant to overall success. Recovering from surgery can be challenging when the patients have to balance their old routines with the new lifestyles. With some help and self-care, it’s possible to transition smoothly from pre-surgery to life post-surgery.

Highlights during the recovery period

• Make accommodations. Whether it’s asking your boss for work-from-home days, or getting your spouse to start picking up the kids from school, there are some changesyou need to make as soon as you get back from These changes will betemporary and will allow you to recover as quickly as possible. Listen to what yourbody tells you, and if you need to reach out for extra help in the first few weeks, that’scompletely normal.
• Create a schedule. You’ll shift to a new lifestyle after surgery, and it can be hard tomake the transition when you’re used to doing things a certain Making aschedule for yourself, that includes regular eating and sleeping, exercise, and social time, can help you establish a new daily routine.
• Don’t rush in too soon. After surgery, you will probably be looking forward to trying new and exciting activities that you couldn’t do before your But be sure to take itslow, and ease back into your usual activities before trying new ones. It will take timefor your body to fully adjust to the new you.
• Check in with your health care team. Let your doctor know about challenges you’refacing in your daily routine, whether it’s at work or at They can help you overcome any barriers in your daily life to stay on track with your diet and exerciseplans.
• Stay in touch. Having had the surgery doesn’t mean you’re done with your Continue reaching out to your support network and keep attending support groups tohelp your physical and emotional transition go smoothly. Remember, they’re with youfor the long haul, so don’t feel guilty about asking for support after your surgery isover.

What about healthy eating habits after surgery?

An important part of bariatric surgery is committing to lifelong healthy eating habits andbehaviors. Good nutrition can help you reach and stay at a healthy weight. Bariatricsurgery changes the way food passes through your body, limiting how much and whatfoods you can eat. A new way of eating may seem overwhelming at first. But the key is tofocus on balanced meals that give your body the nutrients it needs to function well andfeel your best.

Eating after surgery. Your healthcare team and dietitian can work with you to develop a nutrition plan that’s right for you. It’s important to follow their recommendations to supportweight loss and healing after surgery. Immediately following bariatric surgery, there arestages of eating to help your body adjust and tolerate foods. You may start with a liquiddiet and progress to pureed or soft food and eventually to more solid foods. Eating abalanced and healthy diet will continue to be a lifelong commitment.

Here are some general lifelong healthy eating habits to expect after surgery:

• Planned meals. Eat small balanced meals, with limited snacking in
• Smaller portions. Control the amount of food you eat in one Recording yourfood and fluid intake can help you stay on track.
• Protein first. Focus on protein-rich foods with every meal and Lean meats,low-fat dairy, beans, and other plant protein sources can help you feel full longer.
• Stay hydrated. Drink water and other no-calorie fluids throughout the day, not justduring meals. Take supplements Additional supplements may be required after bariatric surgery to make sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs.
• Eat slower. Take small bites and chew your food thoroughly to give your body time to After you finish eating that portion of food, reassess whether you’re stillhungry.
• Avoid high-fat and high-sugar foods. Foods high in fat and sugar may have a lot ofcalories but few Instead, choose lean foods that are low in saturated fatsand sugars.

Medications and vitamins after surgery

• Vitamins:

After bariatric surgery, your body will function differently. It won’t use the same process to digest food, so it won’t be able to absorb certain vitamins and nutrientslike it could before. To stay healthy, you’ll need to take supplements every day. Yourdoctor can help you figure out a supplement routine that best fits your physical needsas well as your daily schedule.

There are a number of vitamins and supplements that bariatric patients may takeafter surgery:

• Offers a basic range of vitamins and minerals
• Helps build and maintain strong bones
• Vitamin Helps absorb calcium.
• Helps prevent iron deficiency anaemia
• Vitamin B12. Helps maintain red blood cells
• Vitamin Helps maintain vision

Keep in mind that everyone is different, so the supplements you need to take aftersurgery may differ from this list. Always follow your doctor’s instructions about thevitamins and supplements to take.

• Medications:

If you took any medications before the surgery, you’ll also need to talk to your doctorto determine whether your previous medication routine needs to change. Sometimes,people who go through bariatric surgery need to take fewer medications, becausetheir health improves and they have fewer health conditions. Other times, people willneed to take more medications than before to help them deal with the side effects of surgery. Talk to your health care team on a regular basis to see how your medication needs may change over time.

Getting a good night’s sleep

Restorative sleep can help you handle the physical and emotional challenges of weightloss. It can help improve your mood, and help give you the energy to support yourlifestyle changes.

Follow the 30-Minute Rule. When you’re awake in bed for more than 30 minutes:

• Get Get out of bed and go to a different room.
• Do a quiet, relaxing activity. Wait until you feel drowsy before returning to Makeyour bedroom sleep friendly
• Another way to start sleeping better is to prepare your bed and bedroom for It’s hard to sleep well in a place where you work, worry, toss, and turn. The trick is tomake sure your mind only associates your bed with sleep. Light, noise, discomfort, or distractions may keep your bedroom from feeling restful.
• If you’re not getting enough sleep, one way to get more rest is to use sleep scheduling. The goal of sleep scheduling is to regulate your body’s internal Sleep schedules have three parts:
• Wake-up goal: Choose a regular wake-up time to stick to, even on the This can help train the body’s internal clock so you become sleepy at bedtimeand feel awake when it’s time to get up.
• Maximum sleep-time goal: Think about how many hours of sleep you usually geteach There’s no set amount of sleep that everyone needs, but the averageadult functions best with at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. If you’re getting less than that, add an hour to your average nightly sleep time.
• Bedtime goal: Subtract the maximum sleep-time goal from the wake-up Forexample, a maximum sleep time goal of 8 hours and a 7:00 am wake-up goalwould equal a bedtime goal of 11:00 pm. Only go to bed when you feel sleepy.

Starting a fitness plan

Your surgery team may give you a personalized exercise plan to help you lose weightbefore surgery and to maintain your progress over time after your surgery is over. It’simportant to talk with your doctor about your plan, to learn about the activities you will doand how to do them properly.

Plus, discussing your current activity level will give you a great base to measure your progress against.

• Follow your doctor’s Don’t overexert yourself. Many people have atendency to do too much too soon. Your doctor has shaped your exercise planspecifically to your needs, so you will build your strength and energy over time.Make sure to increase your activity level slowly, and always include a warm-upand cool-down for each workout.
• Stick with the plan. Even though it may be challenging, it’s important to continueyour exercises for the long haul. Keeping up with your exercise routine is a keypart of staying healthy in the long term. Customize your Having an exerciseroutine that fits your lifestyle can make it easier to get around obstacles, such asa busy schedule or frequent travel. Make sure you talk to your doctor to find thebest way for you to fit exercise into your life.

Some recommendations to get more daily exercise:

• Park farther You’ll get more steps as you walk the rest of the way to your destination.
• Take the stairs instead of the Even if it’s only one or two trips a day.
• Housework, gardening, or lawn Anything from cleaning up kids’ toys to mowing the lawn counts.
• Go for a walk on your lunch break. Take a few minutes to walk around, by yourself or with a co-
• Be active with Not only will you get to spend time together, you’ll all getmore exercise for the day.
• Try water This low-impact activity can help you get more physicalactivity, while being easy on your joints.