If you have had a weight loss surgery recently, you need to make certain alterations in your lifestyle so that your body recovers better and responds well to the surgery. Here you will find 15 simple tips that will help you to reduce any painful sensations, boost your energy levels and improve overall weight loss.

Include nutrient-rich foods in your diet
You should consume plenty of vegetables, fresh fruits and lean meats. Stay away from snacking with junk foods and stick to normal food over carbonated and/or sugary drinks. As your calorie intake after surgery should be limited, you should watch your eating habits carefully and consume only those foods that have a positive impact on you.

Stay away from sugars
Keep your sugar consumption at the minimum level as it is the ultimate form of empty calorie. It will not only raise your blood sugar levels, but also cause hunger pangs, deliver no nutrients and even lead to dumping syndrome in patients having certain forms of gastric bypass. Avoid sugar or any food items that have sugar as one of the main ingredients.

Stay away from carbonated drinks
The effervescent nature of carbonated drinks like soda can lead to gas pains and increase pressure in the stomach, which can cause harm to sutures and staples, especially during the first few months after surgery.

Take a multivitamin on a daily basis
Multivitamins are an excellent way to supply the body with everything that it needs. By consuming multivitamins, you can get all the necessary nutrients that you will ever need without having too much food for it. Also, you should ideally get your minerals and vitamins from food instead of supplements; it is good to include a multivitamin in your daily diet as it can help your body to settle after a surgery.

Avoid drinking fluids just prior to, during or after a meal
After your weight loss surgery, it is important that you save the little amount of space that you have in the stomach for foods that are nutrient-rich and high in quality. Drinking fluids prior to or during your meal simply fills up your stomach with fluids instead of food. Drinking like this can also wash the food away from the stomach quickly, thus making you hungry very soon. Hence there should be a gap of at least 30 minutes between food and fluids.

Include fish oil in your diet
Fish oil has omega-3 fatty acids that can help to reduce appetite and improve weight loss. Hence, try including fish oil in your recipes.

Keep up with your regular follow-up visits
Your progress after surgery will be monitored closely by the doctors. It is important that you do not skip your appointments as this might make it difficult to detect a surgical complication, a nutritional deficiency or some other issues on time. Regular doctor’s appointments also serve as good motivators for keeping up with your weight loss goals.

Do not indulge in overtly strenuous activities for the first few days after surgery
Avoid getting involved in activities that are overtly strenuous, at least for the first few days after your surgery. This is because it may lead to prolapse of your gastric lavage valve.

Do not stop taking any of the prescribed medications without asking for your surgeon’s approval
Quite often people tend to stop certain medications suddenly as they feel that this might protect them from harmful side effects or that they simply do not need to have the medications anymore. This should not be done at all after a weight loss surgery. If you feel like you need to stop certain medications, ask your surgeon about it before actually doing so.

Avoid swimming after your surgery
Do not swim for at least the first few weeks of your surgery. Water from the swimming pool might enter your surgical wounds and accentuate the propensity of a serious infection.

Skip alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic beverages are filled with empty calories that offer no nutritional value. They can also cause stomach ulcers, which you are already prone to develop as you had a surgery. A weight loss surgery makes you additionally sensitive to the ill effects of alcohol much more than ever before. Hence a little alcohol can affect you much more intense than what it did before.

Develop better understanding of the implications of your surgery
Ask your doctor in details about the various implications of your surgery. Although your weight loss surgery can reduce your appetite to some extent, it won’t be completely eliminated. Hence it is up to you now to change your dietary habits and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.    

Avoid pregnancy for first two years after surgery
During the first year after your weight loss surgery, your body will reduce its weight greatly. At this point of time, it will be highly unhealthy for you to develop a fetus or support you and your baby’s weight. If you still decide to be sexually active, opt for a reliable birth control method and discuss any plans of pregnancy with your surgeon.

Chew your food properly
Chew your food thoroughly while eating as this will help you to prevent symptoms of vomiting and nausea both during and after the meal. Chewing also breaks down large portions of food which can have difficulty passing down the digestive tract post surgery. If they get stuck in any part of the digestive system, it can lead to pain.

Pay heed to the signals from your body
Avoid eating if you are not really hungry. Just because it is the time for your meal does not mean that you have to eat one. Eat only when your body truly craves for food.