Bariatric providers require patients to take a bariatric multivitamin after weight surgery, along with other vitamins, to ensure optimal health. After bariatric surgery, the digestive tract will be altered, reducing the amount of vitamins and minerals absorbed by the body. Therefore, to avoid malnutrition, patients will be required to take vitamins for life after their weight loss surgery procedure. Yet, choosing a bariatric multivitamin can become overwhelming. In this blog, we break down what you need to look out for when selecting a complete bariatric multivitamin. Bariatric Multivitamins ..read more

Cheat Days have become a popular trend amount dieters and fitness enthusiasts alike. Life after bariatric surgery comes with many changes, the most significant being a change in your eating habits. Transitioning from a diet high in carbs and fatty foods to the typical post-op diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein can be daunting. You may have thought that one way to overcome this drastic change would be to allow yourself one cheat day to eat the foods that are off-limits after bariatric surgery.  However, cheat days create a negative narrative around certain foods – categorizing ..read more

It is not unusual to become overwhelmed and confused when sifting through the latest nutritional data to improve your health after bariatric surgery. However, when it comes to improving your diet, sometimes the little steps can make a big difference. Here are five foods that you can substitute for healthier options to improve your overall health and wellness, especially after weight loss surgery. Whole Grains Over Processed White Foods Although we recommend that patients limit their carb intake after weight loss surgery, we encourage you to opt for whole grains as the most nutrient-dense opti ..read more

For most people, the 4th of July celebrations involve grilling out, drinking beer, soaking up the sun, and sharing laughs with family and friends. As glorious as this may sound, holidays can lead to anxious feelings for bariatric patients, though, as they are typically surrounded by food.  As we come together to celebrate the red, white, and blue, you want to avoid over-indulging, as this can cause you to get off track. However, no one likes to be that person who can’t eat anything at the party. So we have crafted these yummy yogurt popsicles that are not only full of protein but taste g ..read more

For most individuals, summer in the south means backyard barbecues, outdoor festivals and fairs, and lots of time with family and friends. This can also mean battling the urge to eat whatever and whenever you want when surrounded by all the temptations. As an individual interested in losing weight or who has just had weight loss surgery, we highly encourage you to stick to a strict dietary list to promote weight loss. However, often our patients feel at a loss as to what healthy food options they have, especially when on a budget. So I have gone ahead and compiled a list of summer foods that ..read more

We have all heard of calories, but do you know what they actually do? Calories are what make our bodies run; they are the gas to our tank. Calories are needed for our organs to function and for our brains to work; they are what allow us to live. Remember, from last week’s blog, A Guide to Reading a Nutrition Label, fat has nine calories per gram while protein and carbs have four calories per gram. If you want pure weight change, counting calories is enough and will yield results. However, if you track and control your individual macronutrient levels, results will be far more fa ..read more

Nutrition facts are on any packaged food item and even pertain to produce and meat products. Nutrition labels are essential to providing valuable information on the quality of food you are eating and making informed, healthy food choices—which is especially important after bariatric surgery. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created the nutrition label to compare food items on a standardized scale. If you are unfamiliar with reading a nutrition label, it can become overwhelming due to all the numbers and percentages. In this blog, we are going to walk through how to read and understand a ..read more

Despite what you may think, all “healthy” foods are not created equal. The food industry has spent billions of dollars on marketing certain foods that they claim to be “healthy”. And unless you are doing your own research on food nutrition and food science, you are likely falling prey to this form of information dissemination.  As a bariatric dietitian, I see patients all the time who complain of weight regain or weight loss stalls after bariatric surgery. The first question I ask them is, “What are you eating?”. I find that many patients are actually indulging in these “health ..read more

The holidays are a time when family and friends gather together, and food is usually a huge part of the celebration. Food is part of culture and heritage, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, family recipes and ethnic or regional dishes are one of the things that makes holiday meals so special. As a bariatric patient, Thanksgiving, and the weeks that follow, are intimidating. Food is a large part of the festivities and is nothing short of carb-filled goodness. It is recommended that bariatric patients who are a year or more out from weight loss surgery eat less than 75 grams of carbs ..read more

Carbohydrates are naturally occurring sugars, starches, and fibers found in food products. Like fats and protein, carbohydrates are a macronutrient, meaning a nutrient that must be consumed in relatively large amounts as fuel for the body. In fact, you may have heard that carbs are the body’s primary source of energy. So if carbs are so highly praised, why are we telling you to avoid carbs like the plague after bariatric surgery? First, it is important to understand the role that carbs play in the body and the different types of carbs because some are on the good list, and others are on the n ..read more