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.
You had surgery. You are 6, 7, and 8 months post-op now. You have lost a lot of weight but you are still not at your goal. You are getting there … Your diet has greatly improved. You’ve stopped drinking soda. You have started exercising. Things are going really well.
I am so happy for you.
I am still going to ask you something. “What can you do to improve”?
I celebrate you and all the goals you are accomplishing but I want to keep you focused on what lies ahead. Your weight loss is going to drastically slow down as you get closer to your goal weight. This is not the time to lose focus. This is the time to double down on your efforts.
Remember, YOU are in charge of your weight loss. It’s not your bariatric tool. It is YOU. You get to decide if you want to lose more weight, or if you want to stay where you are. That’s all up to you.
I have some ideas. Are you drinking enough water? Are you hitting your protein goals with “real” food, not supplemental protein? Are you snacking or grazing? What does your exercise routine look like? What does your sleep routine look like? Are you meal planning? Are you drinking your calories? How are your stress levels? Have you added back carb-laden foods? Are you food logging?
I think “checking in” with yourself weekly can be a good habit. You don’t have to attack the entire list above. Just pick one or two things and work on that. It’s not “all or nothing”. It’s just making sure to move forward and not backward.
For example, I’ve been going to bed too late. I’m going to wind it down earlier this week. I am not focusing on my water intake and I can do better.
We don’t have to completely rehaul our lives. We can just look for little improvements along the way. Do a periodic check-in. Ask yourself some questions and be honest with your answers.
The journey doesn’t end. It changes along the way.
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.
I know that meal-planning can be overwhelming. Doesn’t have to be…..
Who says we can’t repeat meals? This eliminates food waste and it’s a great way to spend LESS time in the kitchen.
All the portions here are measured out with the “smaller bariatric tummy” in mind.
The meals included here are all high protein and low in carbohydrates.
I prepared this meal plan with a bit of intermittent fasting in mind. Who says we need to “break our fast” at 8am sharp? I personally don’t eat before noon. Sometimes I go for eggs but often I open my eating window with a protein salad.
The caloric intake in this meal plan is low. Why? I want you to choose a healthy snack to add to this meal plan. You have the space to do so.
If you follow my 7 day meal plan, you will be happy you did. Adios to all those sugar cravings. See ya later “swollen gut”. Buh Bye mid-afternoon sluggishness.
Call it a vacation. Call it work. Call it a work-ation … I always have the very BEST intentions – and then “French fries and bagels” happen.
This blog touches home because I am coming off of a “work-cation” – a little bit of work, a little bit of vacation, and a lot of LIFE can get in the way.
Sure, I am going to be a good girl. I am not going to eat C$%#. I am going to exercise while I am away from home/the office. I am focused. I’ve got this …. Until I don’t.
What now? What if your plans get changed and your diet goes haywire? Do you just say F-it and fall down the pasta slide? No No No.
Look, there are going to be times when you will eat the bagel. Tell you what, you don’t need to fall ALL the way down and dust yourself off 2 weeks later. Make the next meal better. It’s just that easy. Go for a long walk. Stretch. Eat a salad. Go for a swim. It isn’t the end of the world if you eat French fries.
Don’t have the “all or nothing” mentality, please. If your breakfast isn’t perfect, have a chicken salad for lunch and get over it. Get back on plan. Be kind to yourself. You are doing your best and you are only human. Tell your internal voice to “be quiet”. This is life and you are human.
I see you and I understand. I know that there are so many perfect people out there on social media, sharing their perfect ideas. Guess what …. Bagels happen to them also. They just choose to show you their perfect meals.
A little bit of grace. You are perfect as you are.
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.
