HEALTHY HABITS BEFORE BARIATRIC SURGERY

Pursuing bariatric surgery requires a long-term commitment to changing aspects of your lifestyle. Adopting healthy habits is one of the most important things you can do to support your long-term weight loss and overall wellness. We’re covering why making these changes before surgery matters and a bariatric surgery pre-op checklist of healthy lifestyle habits you can begin to implement before surgery.

What You Need to Know

• Adopting healthy habits before bariatric surgery can help reduce your risk of postoperative complications and set you up for success. 
• Nutrition is a crucial piece. Optimizing your diet by increasing nutrient-dense foods, reducing ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages, and taking prescribed supplements is imperative.  
• Other important habits include getting regular exercise, leaning on a social support system, and not smoking or drinking alcohol.  
• Adhering to your bariatric team’s guidelines is key to a successful procedure and lasting weight management.

Why Preparation Matters

While not all bariatric facilities have the same pre-operative requirements, it’s important to adhere to what your surgical team outlines for you. Making lifestyle changes before surgery can help optimize your outcomes and reduce potential complications.  

For example, having excess body weight is a known risk factor for complications in general surgery patients, such as wound infections and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — a blood clot in one or more deep veins that can lead to a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.  

Making lifestyle changes now can also help you get into a routine of following certain healthier habits that you’ll continue to follow. After all, bariatric surgery is a one-day procedure, but it requires consistency to achieve your desired long-term results.  

We’re covering 5 healthy habits to adopt before bariatric surgery next. Consider it your bariatric surgery pre-op checklist of lifestyle changes. 

1. Improve Your Nutrition

Many bariatric facilities will require you to achieve a certain degree of weight loss before your procedure to help promote better outcomes. This may include a very low-calorie diet for up to three months before surgery, on which you’ll work with a registered dietitian. (1) 

Good nutrition is a key factor in optimizing your overall health, achieving weight loss goals, reducing your risk of developing chronic diseases, and supporting your immune system to prepare for surgery.(2) 

Eat More Plants 

A pre-bariatric surgery diet based on a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting compounds like antioxidants that support wellness and weight management.  

Increase Lean Protein 

Boosting your intake of lean protein, such as beans, peas, lentils, fish, poultry, and soy products supports weight loss by promoting satiety and helping curb appetite.  

Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods 

Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat while falling short in beneficial nutrients. Unfortunately, they also make up the majority of the American diet and are associated with a higher risk of obesity and related diseases. (3) Examples include bacon, hot dogs, fried foods, packaged snack items, and pastries. These should be limited as you prepare for surgery. 

Avoid Sugary Beverages 

Sugary drinks like soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, fancy coffee beverages, and energy drinks are often high in added sugar and calories. They spike your blood sugar, leave you hungry, contribute empty calories, and are considered a key player in the global obesity epidemic.(4) 

Consider Meal Replacement Supplements 

Meal replacement shakes can be beneficial as part of your bariatric pre-surgery diet for promoting pre-operative weight loss and liver shrinkage. (5) Choose ones that are high in protein and low in sugar (ideally no added sugar).

2. Adhere to Supplement Recommendations   

While understanding how to optimize your nutrition through your pre-bariatric surgery diet is essential, it’s also necessary to follow your provider’s recommended dietary supplement regimen before surgery.  

Depending on the type of bariatric surgery you’re undergoing, you may be at a higher risk of developing certain micronutrient deficiencies. This is because of the way your anatomy is altered, which can reduce the absorption of certain nutrients in food. (6)  

Furthermore, research shows that, even before bariatric surgery, people living with obesity experience a higher incidence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies — especially thiamin, vitamin B12, folate, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, and vitamin D. (7) 

This is why you will receive a pre-operative screening for nutrient deficiencies. It’s common for pre-operative bariatric patients to have at least one vitamin or mineral deficiency identified. (8) 

Commonly prescribed supplements include:  

• Multivitamins with minerals to help fill in micronutrient gaps before surgery (like GNC Mega Men Multi Powder or GNC Women’s Multi Powder, which also contain protein and fiber) 
• Calcium citrate with vitamin D supports bone health and prevents calcium deficiency that may occur after surgery due to reduced absorption 
• Vitamin B12, as deficiency can lead to anemia and neurological issues 
• Iron to prevent iron deficiency anemia, especially among menstruating women 

You might be considering weight loss supplements before you have surgery, in which case it’s important to speak with your doctor first. For example, GNC Total Lean® GlucaTrim™ contains chromium, the Slimvance® patented blend, white mulberry leaf extract, and Indian mulberry extract. It’s designed for use alongside diet and exercise to support a healthy weight and normal blood sugar.  

3. Move Your Body More 

Physical activity is an essential piece of overall health and long-term weight management. If you’re new to exercise, it’s a good idea to start moving your body more before undergoing surgery (while adhering to your provider’s guidelines for exercise safety). (9) 

Experts recommend working up to at least 200-300 minutes of varying-intensity exercise per week to promote healthy weight loss plus resistance training at least twice per week. This combination helps increase calorie burning, increase lean muscle mass, and improve cardiorespiratory wellness. (10) 

4. Lean on Social Support

We were never meant to do life alone and embarking on a long-term weight loss journey is no exception. Studies show that individuals are more likely to experience successful weight loss when they have encouraging and supportive relationships around them, versus only instructional ones. (11) 

Friends and family can be excellent support systems. However, support groups for bariatric surgery can be vital in achieving weight loss goals. This provides a community of individuals who are going through similar experiences as you, and the relatability to one another can be invaluable.  

5. Smoking and Alcohol Cessation

 

Smoking increases the risk of complications during surgery, such as poor wound healing, infection, and respiratory issues. It can also exacerbate existing health conditions, like cardiovascular disease and lung disorders, which may complicate the surgical process. (12) 

Excessive alcohol intake can impair liver function, hinder healing, and increase the risk of postoperative complications such as bleeding and infection. 

Some research suggests that smoking within one year of bariatric surgery significantly increases postoperative complications. (12) If you need help to stop smoking or using alcohol, your provider will be able to give you resources.  

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits is the best way to support your weight management journey while improving your overall well-being. In the months leading up to your procedure, it’s important to make improvements to your pre-bariatric surgery diet, exercise, and other everyday habits to set yourself up for success.  

References 

1. Sherf Dagan S, Goldenshluger A, Globus I, et al. Nutritional Recommendations for Adult Bariatric Surgery Patients: Clinical Practice. Adv Nutr. 2017;8(2):382-394. Published 2017 Mar 15. doi:10.3945/an.116.014258 
2. Bettini S, Belligoli A, Fabris R, Busetto L. Diet approach before and after bariatric surgery [published correction appears in Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2020 Aug 17;:]. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2020;21(3):297-306. doi:10.1007/s11154-020-09571-8 
3. Harb, A.A., Shechter, A., Koch, P.A. et al. Ultra-processed foods and the development of obesity in adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 77, 619–627 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01225-z 
4. Malik VS, Hu FB. The role of sugar-sweetened beverages in the global epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022;18(4):205-218. doi:10.1038/s41574-021-00627-6 
5. Ross LJ, Wallin S, Osland EJ, Memon MA. Commercial Very Low Energy Meal Replacements for Preoperative Weight Loss in Obese Patients: a Systematic Review. Obes Surg. 2016;26(6):1343-1351. doi:10.1007/s11695-016-2167-3 
6. Lange J, Königsrainer A. Malnutrition as a Complication of Bariatric Surgery – A Clear and Present Danger?. Visc Med. 2019;35(5):305-311. doi:10.1159/000503040 
7. Parrott J, Frank L, Rabena R, Craggs-Dino L, Isom KA, Greiman L. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Integrated Health Nutritional Guidelines for the Surgical Weight Loss Patient 2016 Update: Micronutrients. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2017;13(5):727-741. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2016.12.018 
8. Benalcazar DA, Cascella M. Obesity Surgery Preoperative Assessment and Preparation. [Updated 2022 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546667/ 
9. Pouwels S, Sanches EE, Cagiltay E, Severin R, Philips SA. Perioperative Exercise Therapy in Bariatric Surgery: Improving Patient Outcomes [published correction appears in Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020 Jul 23;13:2603]. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020;13:1813-1823. Published 2020 May 25. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S215157 
10. Balfour J, Boster J. Physical Activity and Weight Loss Maintenance. [Updated 2023 Jun 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572051/ 
11. Karfopoulou E, Anastasiou CA, Avgeraki E, Kosmidis MH, Yannakoulia M. The role of social support in weight loss maintenance: results from the MedWeight study. J Behav Med. 2016;39(3):511-518. doi:10.1007/s10865-016-9717-y 
12. Chow A, Neville A, Kolozsvari N. Smoking in bariatric surgery: a systematic review. Surg Endosc. 2021;35(6):3047-3066. doi:10.1007/s00464-020-07669-3