Mediterranean diet – benefits for weight loss surgery patients

The Bariatric Surgery Diet

The diet that you will be asked to follow after bariatric surgery will likely sound very similar to the Mediterranean diet, that’s because it is. Following bariatric surgery, you will have to follow this post-op diet as your body recovers from surgery and you adjust to eating smaller volumes of food. To get the best results from surgery, it’s important to follow a healthy diet to maximise your weight loss. 

But once your weight loss plateaus as it inevitably will, being able to maintain that new lower, healthier weight may be more difficult than losing the weight in the first place. It requires lifelong changes to diet and lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet is perfect for weight loss surgery patients who are wanting to maintain their weight, whilst enjoying a tasty and varied diet that doesn’t feel restrictive, and therefore sustainable long-term. 

Do

• Eat lots of plant foods, i.e. fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts/seeds. They can be fresh, dried, canned or frozen (just check that they don’t have any added sugar or high salt content). 
• Include seafood in your diet at least twice a week, whilst aiming to reduce meat (red or processed) in your diet. Poultry and eggs are a great source of protein. 
• Switch to wholegrains for your rice, pasta or bread to follow the Mediterranean diet. 
• Have a healthy source of fat in your diet, from using extra virgin olive oil in your cooking to avocados, nuts/seeds, tahini or milk (within reason). It’s important to use extra virgin olive oil, as not all olive oils are considered high in antioxidant phytochemicals. 
• Get creative and use fresh herbs such as basil or rosemary, garlic or spices to keep your dishes tasting delicious. Don’t forget an important part of the Mediterranean lifestyle is sharing food and enjoying dishes together, embrace this. 
• Drink plenty of water, and maybe even enjoy a small glass of red wine with your meal! But remember, as a bariatric patient we don’t really want you to drink while you are eating, so this should be an occasional treat. 

Don’t

• Overindulge; just because something is ‘healthy’ doesn’t mean it isn’t high in calories or should be consumed in high quantities, a good example of this is cheese. 
• Consume highly processed foods. This is a very simple rule to follow, that will keep you on the right track. This will also help limit trans fats that are found in highly processed foods or fried foods (such as fast food or convenience meals). 
• Eat foods that are high in sugar like ice cream or fizzy drinks, or baked goods. Same goes for refined grains such as white bread or pasta. Avoiding both sugar and refined grains is an important part of the Mediterranean diet that will leave you feeling more energised throughout the day. 
• Drink your calories. It is very easy to drink excess calories through sweetened juice drinks, various fizzy drinks, alcoholic beverages or coffee. Instead focus on drinking plenty of water, natural fruit juices with no added sugar, and be conscious of how you are consuming your tea or coffee (use a natural sweetener instead such as Stevia or Monk fruit).

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet for Weight Loss Surgery Patients

1. Easy to follow and includes a huge variety of foods, making it sustainable for long-term weight management. A quick Google search will lead you to countless recipe ideas to try at home.
2. As it includes foods that are high in fibre and protein, you are more likely to feel full for longer and less likely to snack. It’s the combination of different food groups that make the diet so effective.
3. Studies have suggested that the diet can help to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, improve cardiovascular health and brain function. It has also been shown to decrease the risk of some cancers. 

Bariatric surgery can be a step towards a longer, happier, healthier life, the rest is up to you. A diet like the Mediterranean diet provides an easy blueprint to follow that provides enough variation to never become boring, and could be a key to long-term weight management for bariatric patients.