Seven Deadly Bariatric Sins

Once you’ve had your weight loss surgery, the months and years that follow are the most important to ensure your surgery is successful. 20 per cent of patients who fail to lose enough weight with surgery do so because of their desire for certain foods. These foods are also responsible for weight gain when patients often return to familiar habits after their weight loss.

Here are our seven deadly bariatric sins following your weight loss surgery:

1. Cheese – cheese consists of up to 50% fat; no other common food has so many calories per gram.
2. Milky drinks (especially coffee!) – most purchased coffee drinks are essentially just milkshakes and laced with hidden calories/fats.
3. Fruit juices and soft drinks – you may be fooled into thinking that fruit juices are good for you, but they can often have a very high sugar content, as do soft drinks.
4. Salty snacks such as crisps and nuts – this is a particular problem area for men, and consumption of these products doesn’t seem like much at the time but a few handfuls here and there certainly add up.
5. Cakes, biscuits and other morning/afternoon tea foods – it goes without saying that these foods have high sugar content and should be avoided.
6. Common carbohydrates: bread, rice and pasta – although it is important to maintain a balanced diet, these foods can stimulate hunger and easily contribute easily to weight gain if not eaten as part of a balanced diet.
7. Alcohol – regular consumption of alcohol (even though I’m sure you don’t want to hear this) is 100% likely to lead to failure. Alcohol is not only high in calories it’s also an appetite stimulant, often leading to poor food choices. Patients who have Gastric Bypass surgery are especially at risk of increased addiction to alcohol, and higher risks of driving “over the limit” if they are careless with their drinking

We know that it is difficult to change long-term habits following your weight loss surgery, but it really is the conscious efforts made by our patients after surgery that ensures their success. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy diet (or are guilty of committing any of the above sins) it is really important to attend our support group that offers advice on managing your diet and habits. Our blogs often feature helpful tips and useful articles on how to manage your weight loss so make sure you keep your eye on that too.