Bariatric Diet

Personalised support for your bariatric diet and lifestyle.

Our Tree of Life Dietitian Eleni has undergone external training from Dietitians Australia specifically for bariatric patients from pre to post-surgery and is well equipped to be that support you need during this process. Not only do we care about your bariatric diet and your food intake, but we also take a holistic approach and support you through the lifestyle change both emotionally and psychologically. We understand the difficulties that come with weight loss surgery such as coping with eating out, family functions, after all, our lives revolve around food!

eleni georgiou dietitian

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery refers to a variety of weight loss surgery procedures an individual can have with the primary goal of weight loss, which can then improve associating chronic conditions. There are three main bariatric surgery types that are commonly used including Gastric Bypass, Gastric Banding and Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Statistics of overweight and obesity

Our weight is always on our minds, we can all admit it. We are taught from early that maintaining a healthy body weight can protect us from poor health outcomes. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 67% of adults were overweight or obese in 2017-18. Excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers. As the level of excess weight increases, so does the risk of developing these conditions. In addition, being overweight can hamper the ability to control or manage pre-existing chronic conditions.

Based on these factors, it is not difficult to understand why bariatric surgery is used as a strategy to combat obesity. Bariatric surgery is quickly becoming more common in today’s society. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, surgery numbers are increasing. Between 2005-06 and 2014-15, weight loss surgery increased from 9,300 to 22,700 surgeries.

How can a dietitian help?

A dietitian is a vital member of a patient’s treating team when undertaking their bariatric journey. Dietitians assist in all stages, including pre-operative, peri-operative, and most importantly, post-operative.

bariatric diet small seafood dish

Pre-operative

  • Our Dietitians will perform an initial assessment to gain an insight of you as a person and your lifestyle – no bariatric journey is the same, therefore we tailor our care to you!
  • Pre-operative diet: We will guide you through the pre-operative diet in the best way possible to ensure the best results are achieved to support your surgery.
  • Provide you with the information you need to prepare for your journey post-surgery.

Post-operative

  • The most important period – we are here to support you from day 1 post op all the way through months and years post-surgery
  • We take you through step by step, the post-operative diet upgrades (fluid 🡪 puree 🡪 soft 🡪 solids).
  • We will tailor recommendations based on your lifestyle, likes, and dislikes.
  • Post-operative is not just about the food! This is big transition period for bariatric patients and we work together to overcome any barriers you may face.
  • We will support you during the times where it is difficult to stay on track.

Let’s work together to reach your goals

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