If you’ve had gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, lap-band, or other weight-loss surgery, it’s always important to talk with your doctor before making a significant change to diet or lifestyle, including starting any Isagenix System.

However, to help you get the conversation started with your health care provider, we have put together a list of reasons for why you should talk to your doctor so that you can make a choice that is right for your personal health needs.

1. Your health is highly individual.

No two people who’ve had weight-loss surgery are alike. For instance, there is more than one type of weight-loss surgery. Some operations, like gastric banding, restrict the amount of food you can consume. Other procedures, such as gastric bypass, also reduce the amount of nutrients that your body can absorb in addition to limiting the amount of food you can eat. The type of procedure that you had, how long it has been since your surgery, and your personal medical history are a few factors that affect your nutritional needs and should be part of the conversation with your doctor.

2. Your unique needs require a personalized plan.

After undergoing weight-loss surgery, each person will have a unique set of nutritional needs and limitations. You should speak with your doctor about what factors are important for you to consider when making your own personalized plan. For example, you may need to individualize the way you use Isagenix products to suit your needs. A half serving of IsaLean® Shake (4 ounces) may be more appropriate for people who can only consume a small volume of food at each meal.

Often, people who have undergone weight-loss surgery also take medications to manage health conditions. Since the effects of some medications are influenced by factors like diet, exercise, or weight loss, you should ask your doctor to monitor your medications and determine if adjustments are appropriate.

3. You may have special requirements for nutritional supplements.

Nutrient deficiencies can be a concern following some types of weight-loss surgery, particularly procedures like gastric bypass that limit your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. For this reason, The Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recommends that physicians prescribe appropriate multivitamin-mineral supplements and monitor patients to prevent nutrient deficiencies (1). If you are already using nutritional supplements and are considering Isagenix products, you should talk with your doctor to ensure that you are getting the level of supplementation that is right for you.

4. A proactive approach to a healthy diet long-term is essential.

For long-term success, it’s important to stay focused on healthy lifestyle choices and balanced nutrition. Weight-loss surgery can help many individuals lose a significant amount of weight, although most people will regain some weight in the years following the operation (2). Additionally, many people who’ve had weight-loss surgery struggle to get enough protein every day to support good health. Weight-loss surgery can also increase a person’s risk for poor protein status and loss of muscle mass over time (3). Because these factors are important for your health after weight-loss surgery, you should talk to your doctor about protein and calorie levels that are appropriate for you.

There may be many reasons for wanting to use Isagenix products, whether you are looking for a convenient choice for balanced nutrition or just want tools to help with your long-term weight-maintenance goals.

So if you’ve had weight-loss surgery, you may benefit from the use of Isagenix products. Just be sure to talk with your doctor before starting Isagenix or before you make any other significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Isagenix offers meal replacements and nutritional supplements and no information used in the promotion of our products should be misinterpreted as medical advice.

References

  1. Mechanick JI, Youdim A, Jones DB, Garvey WT, Hurley DL, McMahon MM, Heinberg LJ, Kushner R, Adams TD, Shikora S, Dixon JB, Brethauer S; American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists; Obesity Society; American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Clinical practice guidelines for the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric surgery patient–2013 update: cosponsored by American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013 Mar;21 Suppl 1:S1-27.
  2. Courcoulas AP, Christian NJ, Belle SH, Berk PD, Flum DR, Garcia L, Horlick M, Kalarchian MA, King WC, Mitchell JE, Patterson EJ, Pender JR, Pomp A, Pories WJ, Thirlby RC, Yanovski SZ, Wolfe BM; Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) Consortium. Weight change and health outcomes at 3 years after bariatric surgery among individuals with severe obesity. JAMA. 2013 Dec 11;310(22):2416-25.
  3. Schollenberger AE, Karschin J, Meile T, Küper MA, Königsrainer A, Bischoff SC. Impact of protein supplementation after bariatric surgery: A randomized controlled double-blind pilot study. Nutrition. 2016 Feb;32(2):186-92.