Tips About Food
- Track your foods and plan your meals ahead, especially once your restriction decreases a bit. You can even track your food before you eat it to help keep yourself on track.
- Use a protein drink to make sure you’re meeting your goals if you have a hard time with protein-rich foods.
- Use small, nice plates rather than eating off a full-sized dinner plate or kids’ plates.
- Pack lunches in bento boxes or other sectioned-off containers.
- Make sure your food habits are sustainable for you – everyone is different! This isn’t a diet but a way of life.
- Batch cook on Sunday or Monday so you have food for the week.
- Have pre-planned and pre-prepped meals and snacks ready to go to prevent you from ordering in or snacking on junk food when you’re not sure what to eat.
- Keep easy, go-to meals on hand like premade salad mixes, meats, and cheeses.
- Have a look at menus before going out so you can plan ahead what you will eat.
- Pack snacks with you so you’re not tempted to eat junk.
- Rather than keeping a written food record, take pictures of what you are eating.
- Limit how much sugar you eat.
- Listen to your body to learn how big of a portion works for you, and use bowls and plates that help you keep to that portion.
- Use the eating timer on BariBuddy if you tend to eat too fast.
- Find treats you enjoy that your body can handle so that you can enjoy the things you love without getting sick!
- When you eat food, enjoy it! Don’t feel guilty or constantly feel like you need to deprive yourself when it comes to sweets or rich foods. When you do eat those foods, do it in a setting that you can really enjoy them.
- Use portion plates that have sections for protein, veg, and carbs. Start with the protein and veggies, and if you are still hungry, dive into the carbs!
- Find inspiration for meals on Instagram or other social media and modify them to fit your portion and nutrition needs.
- Keep junk food or trigger foods out of the house.
Tips About Vitamins
- Stay organized! Use a pill case and fill it up every weekend to get yourself ready for the week.
- Put your vitamins where you will remember to take them.
- Take vitamins with food and/or separate your doses so they sit better in your stomach
- Make taking your vitamins into a routine along with something else you do every day, like drinking your morning coffee or tea
- Make it easy – use all-in-one Baricol Complete!
- Use BariBuddy to set reminders and track when you’ve taken your vitamins.
- Find vitamins that work for you – click here to order our sample pack!
Tips about Exercise
- It doesn’t matter what exercise you do. Just get that heart rate up and get hot and sweaty!!
- Show up once, and then keep showing up.
- Get the right gear to face the elements so that the weather can’t stop you.
- Put on your favorite jams and dance around the house.
- Get into your own world with a podcast, audiobook, or music while taking a long walk.
- Take on short 1-5 minute challenges throughout the day like doing a plank for a minute or 20 squats.
- Do 10-20 minute workouts on YouTube
- Find a workout buddy so you can keep each other accountable
- Find an exercise class you enjoy (online or in-person).
- Use the pedometer on your phone or another device to track your activity.
Tips about Hydration
- If you have a hard time with water and protein, you can use a protein shake or protein water to help hydrate and get your protein at the same time.
- Use a glass, bottle, etc, that you like drinking out of.
- Use low-sugar/sugar-free drinks, teas, a splash of juice, to help make water easier on your stomach.
- Keep a bottle of water in every room of your home.
- Drink hot tea – it keeps you warm, too!
- Set goals throughout the day for much to drink. Like 1/2 liter by 10:00, 1L by 14:00, 1.5L by 18.00, and 2L before bed
- Use reminders, like on the BariBuddy app!
- Add Baricol Effervescent to your water to stay hydrated and get your vitamins at the same time.
Other Miscellaneous but Important Tips!
- Motivation is not intrinsic, you need to find reasons why it’s important for you to make changes and have accountability for those changes.
- You can decide who you want to share your journey with. If you don’t want to tell many people, it’s ok to simply say you’ve been eating healthier and exercising.
- Take the people you love on the journey with you: cook together, exercise together, start new traditions together…and more!
- Hair loss is sometimes inevitable…but you can help by taking your vitamins, getting in enough protein, being gentle with your hair, and perhaps going with a shorter haircut to make it less intense. Don’t worry – it will grow back!
- Prioritize yourself in the top 5 things you need to take care of for the day.
- Look around for where you can get support. Friends, family, coworkers, online groups, your surgical team, support groups…there are so many people out there who can help you along your journey!
What tips do you have for success after weight loss surgery? Write to us, and we can add them to our ever-growing list!