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Posted on: 9 March 2015

Are you considering gastric bypass surgery? If you're very obese, then surgery could be a great option. It reduces the size of your stomach, which means it will take less food to make you feel full. Gastric bypass surgery isn't a sure thing, though. There are some people have the surgery and initially lose weight, but soon return to their original weight. To avoid having that experience, you'll need to change your habits. Here are four tips to help you make the most of your bypass surgery:

Stay active. A lack of activity may have contributed to your pre-surgery obesity. Even with a smaller stomach, you'll still need to be active to drop weight and keep it off. Immediately after surgery, your doctor will probably tell you to rest for a few days. Once those few days of rest are over, start working regular activity into your daily schedule. Go on walks and try to increase your distance and speed each day. Do more of the active household chores, like cutting the grass and mopping the floors. When you feel like you have the strength, try joining a gym or a group exercise class. Bypass surgery doesn't eliminate the need for regular physical activity.

Avoid empty calories. It will take a while for your body and your appetite to adjust to your smaller stomach. You may feel hungry and tired because you're getting smaller amounts of food and energy into your body. Once you drop weight, your body will adjust and the fatigue will go away. In the meantime, though, it's important that you get the most energy possible out of every calorie. Try to get as much protein as possible. Avoid empty calories like sugar. Your doctor will likely give you a post-op diet. Follow it to the letter and you'll have a much greater chance of success.

Don't drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol is a big no-no after bypass surgery for two reasons. First, alcohol is the ultimate empty calorie. When you drink alcohol, you'll fill your stomach up with calories that carry no nutritional value. Also, you won't have as much food in your system to break the alcohol down. You'll likely find that your tolerance is much lower than it was before surgery. It's easy to get very intoxicated after only a few drinks.

Get support. While your family and friends may be supportive, there's really no way for them to know what you're going through. Your doctor can probably recommend a support group and it may be a wise idea to attend the group's meetings. You can pick up tips and tricks for being successful. You also may be able to make a friend who can help keep you accountable. Having support from people who really know your challenges can make all the difference between success and failure.

Talk to your doctor, such as Iqbal Nauveed MD FACS, about other tips for making your surgery successful. He or she can likely design a full program to make sure that your surgery has the outcome you desire.