This simply works as a guide and helps you to connect with doctors of your choice. Please confirm the doctor’s availability before leaving your premises.
Emergency bariatric care may be needed if you experience severe abdominal pain, complications from weight loss surgery, or symptoms of nutritional deficiencies.
I know just how many of my bariatric clients have tried to exercise their way to a healthier place. They would hit the gym for two hours a day, 6 days a week. What do you think happens when you exercise for two hours a day?
You get hungry …. very hungry! You may need to eat a bit more to satisfy your hunger. Your body is sore… really, really sore. When your body is sore, you could have some inflammation and when inflamed, you retain fluids to cushion those sore areas.
So here they are, exercising two hours a day and gaining a pound or two. Talk about a frustrating situation.
Another scenario goes: my clients are exercising 2 hours a day, trying to lose weight and get healthy, and they get injured and have to stop all exercise.
I do not recommend committing to two hours of exercise each day. Jumping into a program like this will 1/ cause injuries 2/ cause burnout
First of all, why do you want to get active after bariatric surgery? Don’t you want to save your bone mass? Don’t you want to save your muscle mass? If you don’t use it, you will lose it. It’s not just an expression. It’s the reality.
Exercise is one of those lifestyle changes that I talk about with every client. We do not exercise for weight loss. We exercise for good physical, emotional and mental health. We cannot exercise our way to weight loss. We eat our way to weight loss BUT, exercise keeps us healthy in the process.
So what’s the deal? How do you get active? Here are some of my biggest tips to get active and stay active.
1/ find an activity that you like to do
2/ create a space in your day that is convenient.
3/ be realistic – in the beginning 3 x a week is sufficient
4/ consistency trumps intensity
5/ don’t “negotiate” with yourself. If you plan on exercising, just do it.
6/ mix it up. If you are feeling bored, change your routine.
7/ create exercise goals
8/ treat yourself to small gifts when you reach those goals
9/ be accountable to a best friend, spouse, or workout group
10/ don’t allow a few days of inactivity to let you fall off the cliff.
I wish I had the magic pill to make exercise something you love and want to do. I can say that if you just keep doing it, the magic DOES happen. It just takes time and more time.
What are you going to do to get active and stay active? Send me an email with your “get active plan”. I would love to read it and encourage you to stay the course.
About the Author: Sheri Burkeis a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.
Old buzz words = Atkins, Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Opti fast, Weight Watchers, Vegan, Vegetarian.
New buzz word = High Protein Diet
Yes, folks, it’s all about the protein today. Will this also go out of fashion? Maybe, Probably? If we look to the past, we can see what the future holds. I think that it will change again and we will all make a “hard left turn”. But, in the meantime, high-protein diets make a lot of scientific sense.
If you dig deep into the studies and understand from a biological standpoint just “why” we are on the protein train, it will make a whole lot of sense.
Low blood sugars = low insulin levels.
We are striving for lowered insulin levels.
If you just remember this point, a high protein, moderate healthy fat, and low carbohydrate intake is what we are currently striving for.
What does a high-protein diet look like? If you focus each meal/ snack around your intake of protein, you won’t have to work too hard to meet your protein goal.
What is your protein goal to stay healthy? Here is an equation to help you work it out.
Your goal weight, multiplied by .36 = grams of protein.
150 x .36 = 54 grams of protein per day.
This is an average. Remember, we are biochemical individuals. For men, add a bit more due to increased muscle mass. Are you very active? Add some more grams to your day. Injured? Recovering? Illness? The same rules apply. Protein is your “building block”.
We are not computers. Some days we will hit our protein goals, some days we won’t. Our bodies know exactly what to do.
At the beginning of our bariatric journey, it will be difficult to be able to eat 60 grams of protein. You won’t be able to do it in 1 sitting. What about splitting it up between 3 or 4 meals. What would that look like? Let’s look at some specific foods and the amount of protein they contain:
2 eggs = 12 grams
½ chicken breast (4 ounces) = 31 grams
½ can of tuna = 15 grams
½ cup of Greek yogurt = 10 grams
½ cup of cottage cheese = 12 grams
Fish filet (4 ounces) = 25 grams
Cheese (1 ounce) = 7 grams
Almonds ¼ cup – 4 grams
Notice how I didn’t mention “protein shakes or supplements”?
Want to know why?
Protein shakes are not healthy food. I don’t consider them “whole, live, fresh, natural, good quality food. They are a lab-manufactured item that we use before surgery for a few weeks and a month to two months post-surgery. These shakes are a tool to get us prepped for surgery and to help us get in some protein after surgery.
Once you have enough space in your new bariatric tool, it’s best to switch off of them and replace them with REAL FOOD. Sure, they contain some protein in the form of whey protein, pea protein, hemp protein etc., but they also contain a lot of things that we don’t want to be consuming such as artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, etc., etc.
Remember, real food for the win.
What I have learned is that for me, and my biochemical individuality, I feel fuller for a longer period following this style of diet. When I eat a lot of processed carbs, I feel bad. My body feels bad. My head feels bad.
Let’s all tune into our bodies and ask ourselves, how does this food make me feel? Am I craving a salad? Does fish sound like a good idea? What if I add some avocado to my scrambled eggs? Will it keep me more satisfied?
If you have protein questions, reach out to me. I’m right here behind my screen and I would love to help you navigate all of this.
Healthy Hugs,
About the Author: Sheri Burkeis a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.
Recently I participated in a bariatric event in Costa Mesa, California where I gifted a QR code to all attendees. The QR code when scanned, pulled up 20 bariatric-friendly recipes. All the recipes are high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and the perfect portion for the smaller bariatric pouch.
Today, I want to gift all of you who read my blog with these recipes.
Enjoy, and if you make any of my recipes, tag me on social media or send me a picture of your dish. It’s so much fun for me to see my recipes come alive.
About the Author: Sheri Burkeis a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.
