Nutrition & Exercise Tips

1. Protein supplements, if used before or after weight loss surgery, should be low in carbohydrate, less than 10 grams per serving is optimal.

2. Protein supplements used before and after weight loss surgery should contain at least 20 grams of high quality protein, whey, soy, egg or casein, per serving.

3. Using a straw and drinking very hot or cold beverages is not recommended after surgery since it may cause you to swallow air and become quite uncomfortable.

4. Signs of protein deficiency can include general weakness, loss of muscles, brittle nails and hair loss. If these symptoms occur after surgery, notify your bariatric program; you may need a protein supplement.

5. Some research indicates that the amino acid, glutamine, may increase the body's absorption of protein and assist in the prevention of muscle wasting.

6. Walk a short distance after each meal to help your food settle and improve digestion.

7. Sit up straight while eating.

8. Flavor your protein supplements with sugar-free Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite, iced tea mix, cocoa, or extracts such as vanilla, maple, chocolate, black walnut, rum or peppermint.

9. Try marinating meats or poultry overnight before cooking if you are having difficulty tolerating high-protein foods. This adds flavor and helps in digestion of protein.

10. Non-fat dry milk powder can be added to foods and beverages to increase protein content (1/4 cup = 11 grams protein).

11. Sugar substitutes are usually well tolerated and contain little or no calories. Examples include saccharin (Sweet 'N Low), aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), acesulfame-K (Sweet One), stevia (Opti-Sweet), and sucralose (Splenda).

12. Look at total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, and sugar content values on nutrition labels. Concentrated carbohydrates, high sugar and very high fiber items may be poorly tolerated.

13. When seeking motivation to exercise, remember that exercise helps improve and maintain tone of all connective tissue including muscle and skin. This benefit becomes increasingly important as weight reduction occurs. In addition, muscles burn more energy; i.e. the more muscle you have the more fat you'll burn - even while you sleep.

14. Always warm up for a few minutes before exercising. Your goal is to slowly increase heart rate, warm the muscles, and help prevent injuries.

15. If you are not currently exercising, you can design a walking program by planning to walk ten minutes per day, four times per week. Just add 2-3 minutes to your daily walks each week until you are walking at least 25 minutes per day, five times per week.