Health Fitness

Inexpensive Tips for Healthy Eating After Weight Loss Surgery

After gastric bypass surgery, gastric band or gastric sleeve for weight loss, we know that we must follow a healthy high protein diet to lose weight and maintain weight loss. In these tough economic times, it is natural to worry about the cost of a specialized diet. Follow these helpful tips to maintain your diet for weight loss surgery without spending a lot of money. By making a special effort to plan, buy and prepare meals, it is easy to save money and follow a nutritional program for the benefit of our health today and in the future.

  • Make a weekly dinner menu. Focus on protein dishes that can be repurposed as lunches. Side dishes should be fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits or frozen vegetables that require minimal preparation.
  • Plan two or three “routine” breakfast selections. Most WLS patients have a lower tolerance for food upon awakening and eventually find some things consistently settling well in the stomach pouch first thing in the morning. Keep these routine picks on hand at all times to avoid starting your day with a bag of bad moods.
  • Follow weekly grocery deals and take advantage of specials and coupons. Use grocery store loyalty cards to save more. Avoid sales of processed simple carbohydrates (junk food) because these foods are called “slide foods” and often lead to weight gain in WLS patients. Remember, a sliding food on sale is still a sliding food.
  • Buy items that can be used in multiple recipes and for different foods, like canned beans, eggs, and instant frozen chicken and fish pieces. Stock sale items and repack bulk purchases for individual meals or individual servings and freeze to avoid waste.
  • When shopping, follow the “Protein First” rule and select protein first. Look for fresh lean meat, pork, and lamb in the meat department. Add poultry and fish from the meat department or frozen meat section. Buy low-fat dairy proteins and select low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, as well as eggs. Add plant protein to your diet with canned beans, dried beans and legumes, and tofu products.
  • Take advantage of locally grown produce available seasonally at roadside stalls and farmers markets. For an exercise bonus, gather your produce at “pick it yourself” farms and gardens to save money and burn calories.
  • Eliminate expensive drinks from your diet in favor of filtered tap water. It is less expensive and better for the environment. Season the water with a dash of lemon or fresh ginger. Add frozen berries for a refreshing treat. Make sun tea with tea bags instead of buying manufactured tea drinks. You will get a purer drink and save money too.
  • Prepare your meals at home instead of eating out. You can control the ingredients and avoid things that interfere with your healthy dietary goals after weight loss surgery.
  • Take advantage of their expertise each week to become a health and budget savvy shopper so you can enjoy your healthy life after surgical weight loss.

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