Resetting Your WLS Journey

It’s the New Year! That means new goals to set for yourself. If you are on a weight loss surgery journey, chances are the holidays were really tough for you. No matter how far out you are, holiday foods can be very tempting. If you caved on some holiday treats, don’t beat yourself up about it. However, to be successful on this journey, you must stay accountable for yourself. Holidays will come and go, but what needs to be consistent is your outlook on food. Getting back on track can be challenging and many people decide to do it in different ways, whether it be by adding working out into their routine or cutting calories and/or carbs down. In addition to these ways of getting back on track, sometimes going back to the basics helps bariatric patients. 

Going back to the basics might be a good idea for you if you are struggling to get back on track.  Some people choose to do a pouch reset diet. This consists of going back to all the phases that you went through when you first had the surgery. Pouch reset diets can be very effective for weight loss surgery patients. Typically, people shorten the phases and do a few days on the clear liquid diet, then transition to thicker liquids for a few days, followed by the puree stage until eventually eating solid foods again. The process usually takes about 2 weeks. There are some people who stretch it out even longer, but you must do what you are comfortable doing. 

It can be a very challenging process, especially if you are farther out in your journey. It isn’t like the beginning of your weight loss surgery journey where you could only eat or drink a small portion at a time. Chances are you can eat more now which can make it more difficult to go back to those early days. I would recommend discussing it with your surgeon and nutritionist before starting the diet to make sure it is safe for you to do. There are so many support groups out there that can help you during this process. I would also recommend that you keep track of what you are eating. You need to make sure you are getting enough nutrition, so you don’t get deficient during this process. It is critical that you make sure you are taking your vitamins during this diet as you are dropping your calorie intake significantly, which will make it more difficult to hit all your nutrition goals.

Another important thing to do during this diet is making sure you are getting enough water. You don’t want to get dehydrated because it can be very dangerous for you. You also don’t want to starve yourself because this will have a negative effect on you and more than likely you will gain the weight back once you add solid foods back into your diet. Take the time to research the pouch reset diet and always discuss it with your doctor before beginning something like this.  Good luck to you as you get back on track! You got this!