At Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, we want you to be successful with your weight loss. Learning about the process and preparing is absolutely key, which is why we require all weight loss surgery patients to take an online nutrition/prep class before your surgery. 

While you will learn much more in the class, in this article we will cover some of the basics about what to expect from the class.

Nutrition/Prep Class at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery

Our class is led by our bariatric coordinator and bariatric nutritionist. While already very knowledgeable in these areas, she brings a much more personable and relatable quality to the class because she had gastric bypass surgery herself. When she shares information, she’s coming from a very personal place of having gone through this process, including the emotions.

The class is required for both private pay patients and those paying with insurance. You will have a chance to ask questions and bring up concerns while learning about pre-op nutrition, post-op nutrition, and everything else you’ll need to know about the surgery, such as tips to help you prepare mentally. You will attend the nutrition/prep class one to three weeks prior to your surgery. 

We will talk to you about our recommendations for prepping your home life in order to make things easier on yourself after surgery. Along with having a friend or family member come stay with you, especially if you have children, we encourage you to have your pantry and refrigerator stocked full of easily-accessible foods and liquids that fit in with your diet plan. We will also talk more about the medications we prescribe after surgery and recommend that you have those filled prior to surgery.

In the class, we will also prepare you more for what to expect after surgery. Most insurance companies require a one-night stay in the hospital, but if you’re not paying with insurance, surgery will be performed in our outpatient surgery center, and you’ll typically go home the same day. We’ll talk a lot about what you’ll eat right after surgery and how that diet progresses over the coming weeks. The class also includes information about when it’s safe to start exercising again and how that process should progress.

There is a lot to learn in the nutrition/prep class, but it’s crucial to know it all in order to be successful. The patients that take their medications as prescribed and actually stick with the diet after surgery are the ones we’ve seen be the most successful. We’ve also found that patients who seek out support are more likely to lose the weight and keep it off. 

Contact Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery to Get Started on Your Weight Loss Journey

The caring group of professionals at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery will help you get started on your weight loss journey and stay with you every step along the way. Dr. Long and his team specialize in all types of bariatric surgery, including gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass, and the LAP-BAND. Visit us today at http://www.bmisurgery.com/ or give us a call to set up a consultation at 205-833-6907.