Preparation for bariatric surgery is crucial if the surgery is going to work. You will need to start eating in a way that is similar to your post-op diet to help prepare your body for the reduced food intake. The important thing is to follow your doctor's instructions rigorously.
Instructions
1. Follow your doctor's orders. The majority of doctors who perform bariatric surgery require that you attempt to diet to lose the weight first. If you do not successfully lose weight, you become a candidate for weight loss surgery. One positive effect of this diet is that you've started training yourself to eat better. Your doctor will help you determine what kind of diet you need.
2. Attempt to reduce your food intake gradually. If you know your surgery is scheduled a few months out, slowly try to reduce the amount of food you're eating. While calorie count does have a major effect on diet, your main concern here is to start getting used to eating smaller quantities of food, since that is the goal of your bariatric surgery. Eating small meals throughout the day is key.
3. Listen to your body. When you start feeling full, it's time to stop eating. This will be a very important rule to follow after your weight loss surgery, so start getting used to doing that now.
4. Try to wean yourself off solid foods before jumping straight into a liquid diet, if that's what your doctor orders. You can do this by drinking smoothies and eating brothy soups. Don't drink too fast, though, as a main component of your post-op diet will be sipping your liquids slowly, not taking them down in large gulps.
5. Write down your doctor's recommendations for surgery preparation. Many require that patients consume only liquids for a few days before surgery. This can be hard, so try to occupy yourself with other activities, like walking, biking or hitting the gym, to keep your mind off of food. The support of your family and friends will help you greatly at this time as well.
