Exercise program

What we expect you to do after surgery

After the surgery we expect our patients to follow the following “Golden Rules”!

Activity and Mental State

• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day: Physical exercise is critical to the success of your weight loss goals. Exercise consumes energy and burns calories. That is the key to losing weight. You can start with simple exercises such as walking or swimming. With weight loss, it will become easier to exercise. Your ultimate goal is to achieve 10,000 steps per day measured by a pedometer or equivalent exercise activity.
• Self-control and motivation: You have taken a major step toward reaching your weight loss goal by choosing to have weight loss surgery. Now you need to motivate yourself to exercise and maintain self control when it comes to your post-surgery diet.

Eating and drinking behaviours:

After surgery, you need to make changes in your eating habits in order to reach your desired weight loss goal. It is very important for you to develop appropriate eating habits to prevent ENLARGEMENT of your NEW STOMACH. These changes will also help prevent some of the pain and vomiting experienced by patients who do not follow these recommendations.

• Eat only three small meals a day: Weight loss surgery creates a small stomach pouch that can hold a very small quantity of food. If you try to eat too much at one time you may become nauseous and/or vomit. You need to learn how much your “new stomach” can hold and not exceed this amount.
• Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly: Once you are beyond the initial five weeks and started on some solid food, be certain to CHEW YOUR FOOD until it reaches a mushy consistency . Take your time eating each meal (20-30 minutes) and swallow small bites of food. Swallowing chunks of food may block the opening of your “new stomach” and you will feel pain and may vomit.
• Stop eating as soon as you feel full: Sometimes it takes time for you to become aware of the signal that your stomach is full. If you hurry your meal, you may eat more than you need. Try to recognize the feeling of fullness and stop eating as soon as you feel full.
• Eat from small plates: Eating from small plates and with small utensils will help to control portion sizes.
• Start with your proteins: When eating a meal, start with your proteins, progress to your vegetables, and then finish with the grain products. To avoid trouble tolerating some proteins (meats, chicken, etc.), make sure to add low-fat sauces, gravies, broths, and tomato-based sauces to moisten your meats. This will help the food you eat to ‘go down’ better. Cook your meats with liquids and broths at all times. Think ‘crock-pot’ style of cooking. If you continue to have trouble with meats, consider a meat mallet or a meat tenderizer and cut your meat into bite-size pieces ‘against the grain’.
• Savor your foods and avoid distractions: Do not read, text, e-mail or watch television during meals.
• Drink a lot during the day: You need to drink large amounts of liquids every day (at least 6-8 large glasses) to prevent dehydration. You can tell if you are drinking enough by looking at the color of your urine. It should be a light “tea color”. If it is dark brown, you are not drinking enough. Remember to drink only water, decaffeinated coffee/tea (no cream), herbal teas, low-calorie flavored water, or milk. Avoid caffeinated drinks, soft drinks, fizzy water, alcohol and juices.
• Try one new food at a time: As you progress through each dietary stage after the surgery, it is important to try one new food at a time. This way, if a certain food is not well-tolerated, you will know which food was the cause.
• Do not lie down after eating: This is to prevent burning in the center of your chest, a sign of acid or gastric reflux.
• Take your vitamins everyday for life: If you have issues or dislikes for some of the vitamins prescribed, discuss this with our bariatric dietician or nurse for alternate solutions.

Foods to avoid: