Popular Diets after Bariatric Surgery
Popular Diets after Bariatric Surgery
Updated February 2024
Do popular diets such as keto or intermittent fasting work in the post-op weight loss surgery lifestyle?
I get asked all the time.
In this series we will cover:
As the title suggests, in this series I am covering the diet plans I get asked about most. At the bottom of this page you’ll find the links to articles that dive into Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Noom, WW and more.
In this particular post, I’d like to orient us to why someone would be interested in one of these diet plans after surgery.
Why, after a bariatric surgery, would someone want to know about Weight Watchers (now named WW)?
We will cover that along with a large, heaping dose of compassion and support. Because even after bariatric surgery, managing weight is still HARD.
For each diet, I will cover how it got started, what it’s recommending and how it compares to bariatric recommendations for best nutrition. I will take a honest look and discuss the pros and cons. No shaming here, but honest thoughts for sure.
We will also touch base on the bariatric plate method and the eating style I preferred even more.
Wait, isn’t diet a bad word?
Allow me to make a quick clarification. Our “diet” is just a word for what we eat. You’ve heard the word used as a joke like “diet is a four letter word” or you’ve heard “it’s not a diet it’s a lifestyle.”
In my articles, I use the word diet in its most simplest form. It’s the food someone eats. If we study other animals we might say “they eat a diet of produce and tree matter.” So instead I may use phrases like “diet changes” instead of “going on a diet.”
When I say “what are the most asked about or most popular diets,” I am using language we know. These are eating plans that change someones diet.
Why would we need to talk about other diets after weight loss surgery?
Before we get into these diet styles, let’s orient ourselves to why this is a good conversation to have.
Obesity is a complex disease (as defined by many medical associations) though we don’t think of it that way in our society.
If it’s helpful, we could instead call it a complex medical condition.
Bariatric surgery is a treatment option to manage the complex medical condition of obesity. In fact, it’s the most effective treatment option for obesity. It is not a cure to obesity. It instead allows the medical condition to become more manageable.
The first year after surgery (the honeymoon year) is the most powerful time for weight loss. Metabolic benefits are strong, hunger is lower, portions are smaller and results are at their best in that timeframe.
When the honeymoon year is over and weight loss is slowing, stalling or the scale is going up, it becomes more and more enticing to know if a diet you’re hearing a lot of about could help you move forward again.
Elephant in the room blog…yes..you CAN lose weight after the Honeymoon year. Don’t you worry.
If you’re ready to learn how, my course After the Honeymoon: Managing Regain after Surgery is cued up and ready for you!
Expectations after bariatric surgery
This is why it’s so helpful to talk about expectations after a bariatric surgery.
Let’s chat about BMI for a moment. I am not saying it’s the best way to view weight but chances are you are familiar with it.
A BMI of 25 is what puts someone in the “normal” category on the chart. It might be reasonable to look at the chart and think “I want to be in the normal category if I have Gastric Bypass.”
However, what we’ve come to see in research over the years is less than 5% of patients lose to a BMI of 25.
We, of course, don’t know who will be in that 5%. AND the good news is that more than 95% of patients lose half their extra body weight or more.
If that same Gastric Bypass patient lost to a BMI of 31 and their weight was maintaining there instead of a BMI of 25, they may feel like they didn’t succeed.
But what if their BMI started at 49? What if they started at 278 and now weight 175?
That would AMAZING. Over a hundred pounds of excess weight off their body! But if that person is feeling like they didn’t lose enough, it may get really discouraging and harder to stay on track. Or perhaps she wants to try Keto to see if more can come off.
This is why talking about expectations after surgery is so important.
A dose of compassion for managing obesity
I said we would have a healthy dose of compassion so here it is: managing the chronic condition of obesity is HARD.
It not without a LOT of emotions. It can be so defeating. Why can’t a BMI of 25 just be a reasonable goal? Why would you have to be satisfied with a BMI of 31 when you want more??
Without getting too philosophical, I think it’s okay to have a moment of acknowledgement and compassion that managing obesity is HARD. This chronic disease that is multifaceted, genetic and seems to want to fight against you back to a higher weight is HARD.
Like any chronic condition it is bound to have a lot of emotional impact. Feel those feelings. Name those feelings. Ask around for recommendations for a therapist if you need a safe space to explore those feelings. Obesity is not about willpower and it’s not your fault that it’s this hard.
And while you do that, consider this. Without bariatric surgery, losing to a BMI of 31 would be far, far harder. It’s okay to wish it was more, but it’s also very powerful to focus on what you HAVE lost. More may come with time.
(Also, take heart. I have a really exciting course releasing at the end of May on losing regained weight!! Be sure to sign up for my emails to stay in the know!)
What are the most asked about diets after bariatric surgery?
Below is the list of diets I cover in this series based on which ones I’ve been asked about the most.
Before I get into each of these diet plans I am going to start off with
The Bariatric Plate Method (and the method I prefer more)
Then we cover:
Have questions about a diet plan that’s not on the list? Leave a comment and let me know!
Ready for more? After the Honeymoon: Managing Regain after Surgery Video Course is for you!
The images below link to all the diet plans in this series:
I notice a lot of people counting “macros”. I have no idea what that is. I know what a macronutrient is but is this a way people diet as well?
@Sarah GREAT question! Yes “macros” is short for macronutrients and many eating plans will have a background of a different percentage of each macronutrient. They vary a ton too! For example, someone on a keto diet may want their macros to have 90% fat (not advisable) but another person on a different version of a keto diet may want 75% fat. They may say “I want to hit my macros” meaning they want their food to distribute between carbs, fat and protein a certain way. I will deep dive into this throughout the series…it gets confusing for sure!
I think i’m going to just follow the Bariatric cook books in stead of all the programs they have out there.
I think that’s a great plan!