Gaining Weight After Gastric Bypass? Bad Snacks May be the Cause

As I become acquainted with many of our LivingAfterWLS.com community members I'm finding that old snacking habits have crept back in to our lives. In my third year post-op I returned to the miserable habit of snacking and snacking on all the wrong Foods. Crackers, popcorn, toast, cereal, pretzels, sugar-free candy, granola bars. The unpleasant result of this is I regained some weight, several dumping episodes, vomiting and bouts of fatigue.

According to my bariatric center "Snacking, nibbling or grazing on Foods, usually high-calorie and high-fat Foods, can add hundreds of calories a day to your intake, defeating the restrictive effect of your operation. Snacking will slow down your weight loss and can lead to regain of weight."

Almost universally the snacks WLS patients admit to eating are high carbohydrate, nutritionally void processed foods. In order to maintain weight loss after gastric bypass successful patients avoid these poor snack choices:

Pretzels, potato chips, corn chips

Crackers - sweet or savory

Trail mix, sunflower seeds, nuts

Cookies, cakes, pies, pastries

Popcorn

Sugar-Free Sweets (except Jell-o)

Granola

Full-fat, full-sugar frozen desserts (ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen custard)

Smoothies

Foods containing butter or mayonnaise

What you will notice about the poor snack choices is that most are nutritionally void foods - they do nothing to feed your body the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs to function well. In addition when grazed upon many of these foods can be consumed in large quantities by gastric bypass patients. It's called the "soft foods phenoMena". When WLS patients eat soft foods (think crackers) which mix with stomach fluids a slurry results. This mixture passes through the pouch into the bypassed intestine allowing for steady intake without satiation. In addition, these foods may cause dumping or vomiting.

You may be surprised to see trail mix and granola on the foods to avoid list as they are well known "health foods." It's true trail mix and granola are nutritionally dense but most bariatric patients report a low tolerance for nuts, seeds and raisins. In addition many of these foods contain hidden sugars.

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Treadmill Weight Loss Tips

These treadmill weight loss tips are a great way to help you shed a few pounds and shape up. A treadmill is designed for the most natural form of exercise which is walking. You don't need any special skills to use these machines because if you can walk, you can exercise on a treadmill.

Treadmill weight loss is one of the most successful methods of losing weight. Just be consistent and work within your fat burning target range for 45 minutes or more per session at least 5 to 6 days per week.

If you are looking to shed unwanted pounds, impleMent a treadmill workout routine along with a sensible, healthy diet. The treadmill allows you the convenience of exercising in a safe, comfortable, climate controlled environMent anytime day or night.

If you are just starting out, check with your doctor before you begin any exercise regime. When you begin, start at a nice, easy pace, do shorter workouts for a few weeks and increase the length and intensity as your fitness level improves.

The main thing to keep in mind is to keep your body moving for as long and Fast as you can but still remain comfortable. The Faster the pace the more calories you will burn. The more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose.

Regular exercise on a treadmill will increase your body's metabolism and make it work more efficiently to burn more fat. The best treadmill workout plan is one that becomes a daily habit, just like brushing your teeth.

If you do a treadmill workout routine everyday you don't have to think about it, and it becomes a good habit. It soon becomes part of your normal day and you look forward to it. Consistency is the key to success.

Here are some important tips to remember when walking:

Maintain a proper posture, keep you head up, relax your neck and look straight ahead.
Let your arms swing naturally at your side and loosely cup your hands.
Hold your tummy in and keep your hips relaxed and loose.
Take steps that are comfortable for you, not too short or too long.
Concentrate on your breathing. Try to breathe normally, taking in deep, smooth breaths.

A few good tips to help break the boredom while exercising on the treadmill are:

Listen to up beat music, books on tape or teaching tapes.
Read a book or magazine.
Chat with a friend on the treadmill next to you.
Watch yourself in the mirror to work on your posture and walking technique.
Watch your favorite talk show or sitcom.

Walking a treadmill to lose weight will consistently provide you with quality results and lasting benefits. It allows you to work at your own pace to burn calories effectively.

If you apply these treadmill weight loss tips they will have a positive impact on your weight loss as well as many other aspects of your life.

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