Medical Weight Loss Options

Adapting a well-balanced nutrition plan

A message from our Medical Director

Bariatric surgery is an excellent way to limit the amount of food you eat and assist in weight reduction, but significant adaptation of your diet and lifestyle is required to achieve maximum success. After your bariatric surgery, you will be losing weight very rapidly. Hence, proper nutrition is essential to maintain lean body mass (muscle), hydration, skin elasticity, and to minimize hair loss. Bariatric surgery will help you lose weight, but it is not “magic.” A well-balanced nutrition plan will help you develop good habits for your weight loss and maintenance phase.

The primary nutrition goals after surgery are as follows:

• Be an active participant in your weight-loss program
• Learn proper eating habits that will promote continued weight loss
• Consume adequate amounts of protein to minimize loss of lean body mass, and facilitate wound healing
• Drink adequate amounts of fluid to maintain hydration
• Take in nutrients for optimal health via healthy food choices
• Replenish vitamin and mineral requirements with supplements
• Make new habits for meal planning
• Avoid fried or high fat foods at all costs

Post-operative diets are specific to each surgical procedure. All patients meet with the Bariatric Program dietitian at Desert Care Network prior to surgery in order to learn more about each specific diet plan. And after surgery, the program manager and dietitian are there to answer any questions!

Ramy Awad, MD. Medical Director
Center for Weight Management at Desert Care Network.