According to studies, gastric bypass surgery can help get rid of excess body weight by as much as 90 percent. Sounds too good to be true, right? But thats possible if a patient follows a strict diet plan to avoid regaining weight and to enjoy the full benefits of the surgery. The aftermath of the surgery requires certain lifestyle changes, and that include eating habits. Make sure you get the proper nourishment you need by following these guidelines.

1. Follow your physicians or dieticians recommendations on vitamin and mineral supplements after the surgery.

The surgery causes most of the stomach and part of the small intestines to be bypassed. This, in turn, causes your body to have difficulty taking in some nutrients, which leads to vitamin and mineral deficiency. To keep your body from losing its much-needed vitamins and minerals, make sure that you take proper supplements regularly. Usually, the supplements include multivitamins, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, among others.

2. Dont take huge meals.

That would defeat the very purpose of your surgery. Just because you have achieved weight loss, that does not mean you can go back to binging or other unhealthy eating habits. Rememberfollowing the surgery, your stomachs volume has been reduced. Your tummy can hold only 1 ounce of food. Overeating wont do your tummy any good. Aside from adding unnecessary calories, eating too much can cause body pains, vomiting, and dizziness.

Be sure that you eat only small amounts of food. Follow your doctors recommended food amounts. Soon after the surgery, you can eat about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food in every meal. And before you feel full, resist the urge of taking another bite.

Over time, your stomach stretches and can contain more food. Thus, you can adjust your food intake as time progresses.

3. Chew up thoroughly.

Make your digestive systems job easier by chewing your food thoroughly. Why do you need to do so? After the surgery, the small opening between your stomach and your small intestine may be blocked by large pieces of food. When that opening is blocked, food will remain in the stomach and will not be able to pass through the small intestine. This will definitely cause nausea, pain in the abdomen, and vomiting.

Dont swallow food that you cannot chew well. To make eating easier and more comfortable, take smaller bites and chew them until their texture becomes pureed before swallowing.

4. Dont eat and drink like theres no tomorrow.

Avoid eating too fastthis will only lead to sweating, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. These are the symptoms of dumping syndrome, a condition wherein foods enter the small intestine quickly and in abnormally large amounts.

You must eat and drink slowly. Eating a meal should take at least half an hour, while drinking 1 cup of liquid should take half an hour to one hour. Also, avoid foods that have high sugar and fat content.

5. Dont drink liquids while eating.

Drink only before or after your meals. Otherwise, you will feel the symptoms of dumping syndrome. In addition, drinking liquids with meals make you feel full immediately, and this stops you from eating more nutrient-rich foods.

6. Try one new food at a time.

After your gastric bypass surgery, avoid eating just any food. Certain foods and beverages like milk, soda, meat, rice, and pasta may cause pain, nausea, vomiting. Try just one food at a timeand if it causes discomfort, do not eat it.

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Gastric bypass and other bariatric medical procedures are primarily performed to resolve issues of morbid obesity. Not only does gastric bypass help in weight-loss, but studies show that it has dramatic effects on diseases associated with obesity like heart diseases, hypertension, cancer and diabetes. There are significant studies showing that gastric bypass surgery was able to reduce or force the remission of Type 2 diabetes.

With gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is reduced in size. A small pouch is created on the top of the stomach and the middle section of the small intestine is connected to the remaining part of the stomach. Because of the stomach is smaller in size, it could accommodate smaller amount of food and would limit the calories that it would absorb.

After the surgery, the weight loss could be dramatic. Surveys say that patients would lose 5% of their weight immediately after their weight-loss operation. In a year after the surgery, patients could lose 50 to 60 percent of their original weight. Patients would be able to lose their lowest body weight two years from the time of surgery. That is, if the patients would stick with the dietary restrictions and follow the exercise program.

There are studies showing that diabetes was forced to remission after the surgery. This is not just about hormonal factors, the amount of weight lost by the patient has significant effects on diabetes. In a study conducted at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, they were able to identify that weight is a factor in decreasing diabetes. Hormones also have a factor, since the studies also showed an effect on the gut hormones. They have a stronger insulin resistance.

In the study conducted, obese patients who have Type 2 diabetes, showed that their diabetes control improved after undergoing the surgery. They had lower blood-sugar levels and take lower amounts of medication. About 48 percent of the respondents were able to achieve complete remission.

It is not just the weight loss and the hormones that keep diabetes at bay. Type 2 diabetes is often caused by diet. A person who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, is required to follow strict diet. Too much sugar at fat is best avoided after the surgery, since it could result into the Dumping syndrome which has vomiting, nausea, dizziness, sweating and diarrhea as symptoms. Because of the change in diet, the individual gets to eat less food and less carbohydrates.

The results are not only significant among adult patients. There are also studies showing that it would take a year before teen patients would be able to be off from the medication and for diabetes to go into remission. Teen who are suffering from diseases used to be only associated with adults, like high blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, would get lower counts or get significant improvements after surgery.

Experts agree that diabetes can surely be reduced by undergoing gastric bypass surgery. However, it is not the best option nor the only option. The gastric bypass surgery effects could fail especially if the same lifestyle before the surgery is still followed. It is still about eating healthy and getting regular activity into your schedule.

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Obesity is a serious health problem across the globe. That is why a number of methods, techniques, and technologies have been developed to help curb weight problems that usually lead to life-threatening diseases such as heart ailments and diabetes. One of the most popular weight loss strategies is gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that alters the digestive system (particularly the stomach) to restrain a persons food intake.

The results of the surgery are immediatea patient may lose 50 to 60 percent of his weight within two years following the surgery. With healthy lifestyle (including proper diet and regular exercise), one can expect weight loss in the long run after the surgery. Those who are overweight will experience easier mobility and better quality of life after undergoing weight loss surgery.

But theres more to this surgery than just weight loss. Aside from slashing off some figures from the weighing scale, the surgery also helps improve certain conditions that are often linked to obesity. These health problems include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood cholesterol, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Thus, people who have gone through weight loss surgery are less likely to develop cardiovascular problems than those who have not tried the procedure. Also, the surgery can lessen a patients possibility of death due to heart ailment, diabetes, or cancer.

Now for the not-so good news. Weight loss surgery is not for the faint of hearts. As with other kinds of surgeries, weight loss surgery leads to several complications. If you will go through this procedure, you need to know the risks before you head over the clinic or hospital. Being aware of what to expect after the surgery helps a lot in your recovery process. The most common complications of the surgery include infection, bleeding, and swelling. Other complications are ulcer, low blood sugar, kidney stones, gallstones, iron deficiency anemia, and vitamin D and B-12 deficiency. After the operation, a patient may also experience vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness especially when eating foods rich in sugar and fat. These are caused by a condition called dumping syndrome in which the contents of the stomach pass through the small intestine very fast.

There are certain postoperative risks that occur in rare cases but are severe and need immediate medical attention. The following are some of the complications and tips on how to deal with them.

1. Leak in the stomach

This is found at one of the staple lines in the stomach. The leak heals over time in most cases, though it can be treated using antibiotics. But severe cases require immediate surgery.

2. Thinning of the opening between the small intestine and stomach

This condition needs either a corrective surgery or a simple outpatient procedure wherein a tube is inserted through the mouth to make the opening wider.

3. Incision hernia or weakness in the incision

This complication happens if the surgery is an open procedure that involves a large incision on the abdomen. Incision hernia needs to be repaired through surgery depending on the severity of the condition.

4. Death

For every 200 to 300 weight loss surgeries, one case results in death. Although the risk of death has been linked to gastric bypass surgery, it still depends on many factors such as age and health and medical conditions.

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Gastric bypass surgery is among the most popular bariatric surgery, with the number of those who are choosing to undergo the procedure doubling since 2001 to 2003. The American Society of Bariatric Surgery, estimates the number to be 140,000 annually. This procedure is primarily done to resolve issues of morbid obesity and the diseases associated with it.

In gastric bypass surgery, a small pouch is created in the stomach. This small pouch is stapled and the small intestines upper portion is also attached to this small pouch. The middle section of the small intestine is attached to the rest of the stomach. Food will bypass the rest of the stomach and the rest of the small intestine. Te stomach will be in smaller size which would make it full faster. Less calories will be absorbed.

This procedure would require diet change. Since the digestive system is altered or shortened, every food intake would be valuable. Some common side effects brought by the surgery is nutritional deficiency like anemia and osteoporosis. This is why it is important for patients to follow a different diet and take mineral and vitamin supplements.

The special gastric bypass diet would make sure that weight loss will be maintained over time. It would normally involve high protein food. Foods high in protein would ensure that new tissues are being built and the wounds are healing properly. Ideal high protein foods will be low in fat like red meat, chicken or turkey without skin, fish, eggs and cottage cheese.

Sugar and fat is among the foods that are avoided. Gastric bypass diet would involve food low in sugar and fat. Sugary foods are high in calories and fat. Fat is difficult to digest. Consuming too much sugar could also result to the Dumping syndrome that has nausea, dizziness, vomiting, sweating, and diarrhea as symptoms. The body could also react the same way to too much fat. Foods with too much fat and sugar, anyway, do not have sufficient nutrients that would be essential to the body.

Foods high in fiber are also limited in gastric bypass diet. Fibers could block the stomach, small intestine and would require more gastric acid to digest it. A doctors approval is needed before ingesting any laxative or fiber pills.

This change is not done immediately. There are stages in a gastric bypass diet. Clear liquids would be the first stage. For the first two days, clear liquids like water, sugar-free juice, clear broth and no fizz soda are consumed in small amounts. Within the first two weeks, low-fat, high protein liquids are ingested. It is important to also take chewable multivitamins during this stage.

Doctors would determine when would be the suitable time for the patient to progress to soft or puree diet. Some would be able to eat after two weeks, while others would have to wait longer than that. Some people who are in this stage would sometimes resort to eating strained baby foods. While others would prefer eating soft foods like scrambled eggs, low-fat cheese, blenderized lean meats, etc.

Two months after the surgery, the patient could now start eating regular diet, starting with high-protein food. Food consumed should be in small amounts. Remember that the stomach is reduced in size. After the gastric bypass, the stomach could accommodate about an ounce of food. Eventually, it could stretch and hold about 4 to 8 ounces or a cup to half a cup of food.

One thing that people should be conscious of would be overeating. Gastric bypass surgery can make the stomach smaller, however this does not affect the overall attitude to eating. People could result to overeating because of genetics or emotions. Lifestyle change is important. Overeating could cause regaining the lost weight, expansion of the pouch, and in worst cases rupture of the stomach.

There are many support groups, education, and counselling available to help deal patients with these difficulties.

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