If You are Overweight Prior to Surgery

If you are overweight, losing weight prior to surgery is the healthy thing to do. Making small changes to your eating and exercise habits can make a big difference. It can help you shed enough excess weight in the weeks or months before your surgery to make a difference in your recovery. And, you don’t necessarily need to achieve your ideal body weight right away. Losing even a portion of your excess body weight may lower your risk of complications during or after surgery. If your BMI is above 27, we recommend that you consider losing 3-5% of your current weight.

General tips:

Eat at least 3 times a day.
Pay attention to your body. When you feel you have had enough to eat, stop. Quit before you feel full.
If you still feel hungry, wait 15 minutes before you have more food. If not true hunger, cravings will go away.
Drink plenty of calorie free drinks or choose to just drink water.
Focus on adequate protein: Choose lean meats, fish, and seafood, low or non-fat cheese, fat free milk products or soy milk, Greek yogurt, beans/peas/lentils, ¼ cup nuts or 2 Tbsp. nut butter
Try a protein bar with more than 7 grams of protein/serving and less than 150 calories/snack (meal <300 calories).
Choose ample fiber: vegetables, fruits and whole grains are good sources.
Reduce sugar.
Limit alcohol.
Keep all food in the kitchen, only eat in a chosen place, and keep food on the stove to avoid unnecessary seconds.
Prepare meals without added fat and sugar.