While many patients want to wait until after having gastric sleeve surgery to make any serious life changes, you can certainly benefit from making some lifestyle adjustments in the weeks and months leading up to the procedure. Having performed gastric sleeve surgery on thousands of patients, I have seen firsthand how the patients who work on altering their behaviors and mentalities in advance tend to have the most post-surgical long-term success. In this blog, I share some of the main lifestyle habits you should consider adopting.
Be Mindful of Your Eating
Switching up your eating is less about taking off weight before the surgery and more so deliberately changing your habits. If you have no practice moderating or paying attention to your diet, that can be a rough transition to make after your surgery.
Start by keeping a food journal and making the conscious effort to cut out high-caloric foods in favor of healthier alternatives. Proving to yourself that you can make good choices will build the confidence that you can do it later on. Consuming protein will be a critical component of your diet after gastric sleeve, so experimenting with different protein-rich foods to find what you like is a good idea as well.
Add Physical Activity to Your Daily Routine
Again, the point here is to adopt smart, healthy habits so it does not seem as jarring after your surgery. Undoubtedly you will find it easier to exercise weeks after gastric sleeve, but by devoting the time to it in advance, you will be more likely to keep it going.
Be aware that physical activity is not limited to going to the gym or playing a sport. Going for evening walks, taking the stairs rather than an elevator or doing sit-ups while you watch television are all good choices that keep your body active.
Quit Smoking
Smoking and vaping are counterproductive to your overall health goals: if you are looking to live a healthier lifestyle, that should not include tobacco products. In fact, I will ask you to stop smoking as soon as possible — at least a month — prior to your bariatric surgery. The main reason for this requirement is that smoking can impair your recovery from gastric sleeve, as well as increase your risk for complications.
Learn More about Gastric Sleeve
I have devoted my career to helping people live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Gastric sleeve is a highly effective way for most people to lose weight, but keeping that weight off requires an ongoing commitment by you to make healthier choices. The Endobariatric team and I are here to help you through this process and set you up for lifelong success. For a consultation, please call 1-800-381-8115.
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“Changing lives…one sleeve at a time”.
