Re-Learning to Eat after Gastric Sleeve
Undergoing weight loss surgery will prompt a number of changes to your diet, lifestyle and exercise habits. One of the most important things to consider following a sleeve gastrectomy in Pembroke Pines is the way that you think about food. Many of us have tried to diet, only to succumb to a piece of chocolate cake that is left temptingly on the counter. While eating the cake may have not helped you to lose weight prior to the operation, following the gastric sleeve surgery a big piece of cake could come with a number of consequences, including a severely upset stomach.
Getting weight loss surgery was a big step along your weight loss journey. Don’t wait until you are home from the hospital to think about how the operation will change different aspects of your life. Your weight loss surgeon can provide you with insight and resources that will help you to prepare for the changes that you will undergo, but one of the best things that you can do for yourself is become mentally prepared to change the way you look at food.
Your favorite foods are your favorite for a reason—they taste good. While we all love to eat treats that spike our taste buds, this is not why we eat. We eat for sustenance, not for pleasure. Remind yourself of that and become OK with the idea of not eating an entire plate of food. Instead of focusing on how much food is on the plate, think about your body and how much food your stomach is asking for. Once you have reached that limit, be ready to put the fork down.
In the weeks immediately following your surgery your weight loss surgeon will place you on a liquid diet as your stomach heals from the operation. Thinking about all of the food that you are missing out on can be damaging during the liquid diet phase. Instead, focus on how your body feels. Enjoy every sip as you drink water or tea, and appreciate the changes that your body is experiencing.
By changing the way that you think about food after gastric sleeve surgery, you can re-learn to eat and successfully lose weight.