Overeating After Gastric Bypass
At Oasis of Hope Bariatrics in Tijuana, Mexico, world-renowned surgeons offer a number of bariatric techniques to reduce the size of the stomach, limit calorie absorption, and encourage weight loss. One popular technique is gastric bypass. During gastric bypass the stomach is divided into two sections (one large and one small), and the small intestines are rerouted to connect to the smaller pouch.
Gastric bypass offers fast and effective weight loss results. As with any other surgical procedure, there is a small risk of complications after gastric bypass. Patients can increase the risk of complications by overeating after gastric bypass. Here we discuss some of the potential complications of overeating after gastric bypass, and offer tips for maintaining good nutrition habits after surgery.
Is it Possible to Overeat After Gastric Bypass Surgery?
After gastric bypass any food that a person swallows goes into the smaller pouch of stomach that is created during surgery. The procedure significantly reduces the size of the stomach and limits the amount of food it can hold. This causes many to mistakenly believe that it isn’t possible to overeat after gastric bypass. However, this is not true. The stomach pouch can stretch over time. If patients resume old habits, like binging, excessive snacking, or overeating, the stomach will gradually stretch, so that it can hold more and more as time goes on.
Risks of Overeating After Gastric Bypass
Overeating after gastric bypass compromises surgical results so that patients may not lose the weight they desire after treatment at our Tijuana center, or they may gain back weight that has already been lost. Unfortunately, the potential complications of overeating after gastric bypass go beyond an inability to achieve desired weight loss results. Overeating can cause a number of uncomfortable physical symptoms as well, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Heartburn
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Dumping syndrome (a condition in which undigested food passes through the intestine, possibly leading to abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, and dizziness)
Tips to Prevent Overeating
Many people who come to our Tijuana bariatric center for gastric bypass surgery have struggled with overeating in the past. Overcoming that habit can be difficult, but it is essential to the success of bariatric treatment. There are several tips that gastric bypass patients can consider to avoid overeating after treatment:
- Eat five to six small meals throughout the day, rather than three larger meals
- Avoid snacking between meals
- Avoid drinking carbonated beverages, which produce gasses that can expand the stomach pouch
- Eat and drink slowly, allowing around 30 minutes per meal and 30 to 60 minutes for every cup of liquid
- Chew food thoroughly
- Drink liquids between meals, rather than with meals
- Listen to your body’s cues and stop eating when satisfied, rather than after feeling full
Contact Us
If you are obese and are struggling to lose weight through diet and exercise, you may be an ideal candidate for gastric bypass. To learn more about this, or the other bariatric techniques offered at Oasis of Hope Bariatrics, send us a message online, or call (619) 690-8417 and request a personal consultation.