Things That Might Surprise You After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
After gastric sleeve surgery, you expect to lose weight. You expect to change your diet, and you probably expect to feel better. But there are also some things that happen after gastric sleeve surgery that might surprise you. That is — until you read this article and learn what to expect.
You'll start off on a liquid diet.
People often talk about the long-term diet you have to follow after a gastric sleeve procedure. You'll do best on soft foods, you'll have to keep portions small, and you'll want to avoid really spicy and fatty items. What you may not realize, though, is that before weaning yourself onto that diet, you'll have to follow a liquid diet for a few weeks. This gives your body time to heal from the surgery. However, it also helps jump-start your weight loss. When you do start eating solid foods again, you should feel full a lot faster.
You'll feel more energetic.
You might expect that you'll feel tired and drained post-surgery because you're not eating nearly as many calories as you're used to. But actually, once you start healing and your body gets used to burning its own stored fat as fuel, you will probably feel more energized than you have in years. Dropping the pounds makes your body easier to move and leaves you more energy for activities you enjoy.
Your face will look different.
After gastric sleeve surgery, people often lose weight in their face first. And your face can change pretty dramatically once you lose 20-30 pounds, which happens pretty quickly — within weeks for most people. Most people are really happy with the change in their face. They think they look younger, slimmer, and more energized post-surgery. This can really help motivate you to keep losing weight post-surgery!
Other health problems will disappear.
Your weight plays a role in so many other aspects of your health. It impacts your immunity, how you sleep, and the state of your blood vessels. As such, patients are often surprised how much their other health problems change once they get gastric sleeve surgery. You may become sick less often, feel less swelling in your ankles, and notice other positive changes.
Gastric sleeve surgery can be life-changing, in ways you expect and in ways you don't expect. If you're ready to have this surgery, talk to your surgeon to ensure you have a clear idea of what to expect.
For more information on gastric sleeve surgery, contact a professional near you.