Community Corner

Gardening- Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

March 12, 2026

Exercise and stress management are major components of the healthy lifestyle necessary for continued weight loss success after bariatric surgery at Griffin Hospital. Regardless if you had the Gastric Bypass, the Sleeve Gastrectomy or the Lap-Band, knowing how to manage stress and exercising daily is just as crucial to a successful weight loss experience as knowing which foods to eat and which vitamins to choose. In order to be able to stick to this healthy lifestyle, it is important to choose activities that you enjoy. Gardening is an ideal component of a healthy lifestyle. It incorporates exercise and mediation and promotes healthy eating. Gardening is a great form of exercise. Bending, digging, and reaching are repeated many times through the course of a mornings’ worth of gardening. If you have been working out in the gym but feel discouraged because you cannot see immediate results, then gardening may be what you need to boost your morale. With gardening, you can see your work and feel it the next day. You do not need to be an expert gardener to enjoy... Read More

Developing a Healthy Long-Term Diet After Gastric Bypass

August 24, 2024

Gastric bypass is more than just a weight-loss surgery, it’s an opportunity to adopt long-term lifestyle changes that support a healthier, more vibrant existence. One very important component of your lifestyle change after gastric bypass surgery is learning how to adjust your diet long-term to support your evolving health goals year after year. Once you've fully recovered from surgery (typically six months post-operatively), our weight loss surgeons at Griffin Bariatrics recommend adopting these important dietary guidelines: Make sure you are meeting your daily protein goals - your dietician will educate you on how many grams of protein your body requires. Keep the amount of fats and carbohydrates you are eating in balance with your dietician’s recommendations. Ensure proper meal frequency and meal sizes - weigh the food you prepare and keep track of calories to avoid overeating. Your dietician will provide you with an optimal calorie range to abide by. As you progress in your journey, this calorie count may be adjusted. Each meal should contain 50% protein, 25% vegetables, and 25% starches - eat protein first, followed by veggies... Read More

What Should My Diet Look Like After Gastric Bypass?

July 1, 2020

Following your gastric bypass surgery there are specific dietary guidelines you should adhere to in order to minimize side-effects, reduce the potential for complications, optimize weight loss, and ensure you get the proper nutrients. While your weight loss surgeon will provide you with specific instructions to follow that are personalized for your unique needs, generally speaking the dietary intake guidelines you receive are designed to assist in stomach healing, prevent stretching of the stomach, aid in safe and comfortable digestion, prevent nutrient deficiencies, help you become accustomed to eating smaller amounts of food, assist you in losing weight, and prevent weight gain. Our weight loss surgeons generally make the following dietary recommendations for post-operative gastric bypass patients: Following surgery, start with clear liquids while you are in the hospital. Once you go home you will be on a full liquid diet for two weeks. Then you will move on to pureed foods for a week and then move to soft foods for a week. When you get approval from your doctor, you can move on to advanced foods. Most patients... Read More

Ways to Save Money on Food during the Pandemic

June 17, 2020

Still at home? Here are some ways to save money on food during the pandemic. This pandemic has brought with it a unique set of challenges for bariatric patients. While some people are able to work from home, some have been laid off altogether making finances (and eating healthy) a challenge. The positive side of being home more often is that you have more time to prepare healthy meals. Now that you have a little more time to focus on food, let’s look at a couple ways you can save money at the grocery store. Purchase dry beans instead of canned beans Yes, rinsing, soaking, and cooking dried beans takes time – around 3-24 hours depending on the bean; however, the cooked beans can then be frozen for future use in chili’s and soups. The prices difference is significant if you purchase dry beans. According to The Bean Institute a serving of dry pinto beans comes in around 15 cents while a serving of canned beans can be as high as 48 cents. Another benefit of using dry beans? There... Read More

Eating a Balanced Diet after Bariatric Surgery – Choose More Plant-Based Foods

March 6, 2020

Are you so focused on getting in enough protein after weight-loss surgery that your diet is lacking in essential nutrients? It might be a good time to start adding in other foods – specifically plant-based foods. Switching to a more plant-based diet does not mean becoming a vegan or a vegetarian. A more plant-based diet would mean eating less animal products, such as meat and dairy, and consuming more vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fruit. Plant-based eating and your weight A weight-loss plateau is a common complaint among patients following surgery. Patients will steadily lose weight each month and then…...nothing. In my experience counseling patients I have found that adding some whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (plant foods) back into the diet has actually helped people get past a weight-loss plateau. In other words – eating a more balanced diet might trigger your body to start shedding pounds again. Research shows that consuming a more plant-based diet reduced body fat in overweight and obese individuals. The exact reason for this is unknown; however, we do know that plant-based foods... Read More