Avoid These Foods after Bariatric Surgery
Eighty percent of people who have weight loss surgery lose weight, but the operation is not a magic bullet. Permanent lifestyle changes are necessary for the procedure to be effective. One of the ways that people backslide after lap-band surgery is by eating high-fat and high-sugar foods that cause them to gain weight. Here are a few of the most common culprits:
- Saturated fats. Avoid eating marbled meats and chicken with the skin on. Sausage, bacon, and other fatty pork products are also too high in calories to be part of your post-surgery diet. It is also important to avoid eating things that are breaded and deep-fried. Full-fat and 2% milk should be switched for non-fat versions. Butter should also be removed from or at least severely limited in your diet. These foods add too much fat to the diet, which packs in the calories.
- While it is important to eat servings of fruit each day, fruit juice and juice drinks add too much sugar to the diet. Instead, eat whole pieces of unsweetened fruit.
- Sugared sodas should be avoided, as well. These add calories to your daily diet without adding any nutritional benefit. Instead, drink unsweetened iced tea, water, or other non-calorie beverages.
- Products made with white flour should be limited. The starch in these products is quickly broken down into sugar, which can add unnecessary calories without adding enough nutrition. Additionally, many pastries that are made with white flour also contain excessive fat. Most grocery stores in Michigan will have the whole-grain items that you should eat instead.