I’m A Foodie. What Is the Best Bariatric Procedure?

Finding delicious meals while traveling abroad or exploring your hometown is a food lover’s dream. Food brings people together. Sharing a fabulous dish and trying out new flavors with people you care about is an exciting way to live. And guess what? The best-kept secret about the foodie lifestyle is that eating incredible delights does not have to be bad for your health. Some of the best cuisine in the world is made with whole, nutrient-packed ingredients.

Unfortunately, highly processed foods are too often incorporated into American diets, and this remains one of the leading causes of the obesity crisis that plagues our nation. So, what should someone do if they are battling obesity but still love tasty provisions? What weight loss procedure is best for someone who wants to lose excess weight while enjoying an epicurean way of life?

The most effective weight loss surgery for bariatric patients wanting a foodie’s lifestyle is, without question, the sleeve gastrectomy or gastric sleeve. On average, a patient can expect to lose 65-70% of their excess body weight after this surgery. A highly motivated patient can lose up to 80% or more of their excess weight by working closely with their medical team and incorporating diet and exercise into their weekly routine.

During the gastric sleeve, we remove around 75% of the stomach, resulting in a slender, sleeve-like pouch that limits the amount of food you can eat. During the weight loss phase, you’ll work with us to create a low-calorie dietary plan to follow closely, which requires plenty of focus. While it may seem drastic initially, remember that a gastric sleeve does not starve your body in the long term. Instead, it will help moderate food portions, and not overeat. The wonderful thing about the sleeve gastrectomy is that once you have moved past the first six months to a year, you can enjoy a variety of foods in moderation, including small desserts. You can try unique flavors and dishes to keep your foodie cred while maintaining a healthy weight. With the gastric sleeve, you don’t have to sacrifice culinary exploration to lose weight and stay healthy. Our clinical team and your support group buddies can help you develop a diet and exercise plan beyond the typical flavors in the post-operative packet.

Remember Your Exercise

Along with a proper diet and cardio routine, which most patients find relatively easy to follow, you must also incorporate resistance exercises. Strength training is the best way for your body to lose even more. When you lift weights, you build muscle, increasing the calories you burn at rest and helping create a robust foundation for fitness. Following your medical support team’s diet and exercise plan sets you up for long-term health while enjoying your foodie cravings (always in moderation).

Hormonal and Taste Changes

Understanding the hormonal changes immediately after the sleeve gastrectomy and how the body changes over time is also helpful in knowing how you will react to certain foods. The fundus of the stomach, the production center of a hormone called ghrelin, is removed during a sleeve. Consequently, you will feel less hungry, but your tastes may also change, with many patients enjoying more natural foods and finding sugar less palatable. After a few years, however, the small intestine will partly make up for the low ghrelin levels by producing it independently. This will cause you to feel hungry more often than before and makes it critical to balance your enjoyment of food with your long-term goals.

The Bottom Line

The life of a foodie is more than just sampling waffles in Belgium or debating where you can find the best deep-dish pizza in Chicago. It is a way to connect with people, learn about new cultures, and explore different ideas. The gastric sleeve procedure allows bariatric patients to lose weight, get healthy, and still savor exceptional foods, with many patients becoming great cooks themselves. Remember, bariatric surgery is not a food lover’s purgatory. If anything, it will make you enjoy food even more, just in moderation! Bon Appetit.