For many weight loss surgery patients, there’s a worry about what they can or can’t eat after the procedure. And it’s true, what you can eat (and how much) after a gastric sleeve, duodenal switch, or gastric bypass bariatric surgery may change dramatically. But bariatric shakes can help provide the nutrients you need in the two weeks following surgery.
Any new diet plan can be difficult to follow, and often leads to sliding back into old, bad habits. After bariatric surgery, you will need to follow a specific diet to ensure a positive outcome. Because your body won’t be able to handle the amount of food you once ate, bariatric shakes play an important role for the two weeks after surgery.
How Often Can I Drink Bariatric Shakes?
Bariatric shakes provide a quick and easy way to get the nutrients you need when you’re on the move. It is essential to consume three meals per day leading up to surgery. Protein shakes can be used as a meal replacement during the pre-op phase to get into the habit of eating regularly.
Bariatric shakes are critical in the days leading up to surgery and two weeks following the procedure. Many patients have a protein deficiency before a procedure and need to build their protein levels up before the surgery. These bariatric shakes are also necessary after the surgery for the same reason.
For the most part, we get the protein we need naturally from the foods we eat. Meats, some dairy products, eggs, and even certain fruits and vegetables give us all of the protein we need to function properly. However, after surgery, you won’t be able to eat solid foods for two weeks.
So you’ll need to replace those missing nutrients with protein supplements and other nutrients that your new diet may be lacking. Bariatric shakes do a great job of giving you what you need. One thing to keep in mind, however: While they may be tasty, you aren’t meant to drink them all day long.
Bariatric Shakes are Part of a Well-Rounded Post-Op Diet
After your weight loss surgery, you will be limited to liquids for the following two weeks. This will allow your body to heal and get it ready for less food intake from this point on. In fact, during this time, your body will be making hormonal changes that will make you feel fuller faster and lessen hunger pangs.
But you’ll still need to give the body the nutrients it needs. That’s when bariatric shakes come into play. Packed with protein, other vitamins, and nutrients, these protein shakes (along with other clear liquids like water and sugar-free drinks) will nourish you until your body is ready for soft foods.
Bariatric Shakes from WeightWise
Want to make sure you’re getting protein shakes made specifically for bariatric patients? Visit the WeightWise shop and see all of the bariatric shakes, drinks, and other snacks, treats, and meals. Our Bariatric Advantage high protein shake mix tastes great and meets the needs of weight loss patients.
We also carry multivitamins, calcium, iron, and other nutrients in chewies, capsules, and tablets to ensure every bariatric patient can get the necessary supplements. These products are specifically made for weight loss patients and include higher levels of the nutrients you need. So it’s important as a weight-loss patient you get the correct products.
In many cases, our patients have seen a dramatic improvement in their health, including no signs of diabetes a year after a bariatric procedure. Our products are not intended to be the sole means of weight loss, but rather as just one piece of the weight loss puzzle. Our protein products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. A proper diet, physical exercise, and the surgery itself all work together to give you the best chance to lose that excess weight.
The WeightWise Program for Weight Loss
As we mentioned before, diet is just one part of the WeightWise weight loss program. Bariatric surgery will make the necessary changes to your body to hasten weight loss, but how you take care of your body afterward is just as important as the procedure itself.
This is why we assign you a dietitian and exercise physiologist to create diet plans and workout routines that adapt to your needs over time. You’ll also have a patient advocate to provide emotional support, help with insurance, and other aspects of the program.
Although bariatric surgery–along with diet and physical activity–is proven to be the best way to lose excess weight and keep it off, it’s still a big decision. All patients must have an initial conversation with one of our surgeons to make sure it’s the right decision for them.
Unfortunately, not all candidates are accepted into our program. This could be because of injuries or preexisting conditions, past surgeries, or even psychological roadblocks that could hamper recovery or adherence to the necessary steps to weight loss. If you’re considering a bariatric procedure for weight loss, watch a FREE seminar online and then reach out to WeightWise for more information.