If you’re hunting for weight loss surgery gift ideas because a friend or family member is having surgery and you want to get them something to show you’re thinking of them, how do you communicate your support with more than the typical offerings of magazines or flowers? Here are some ideas that’ll show you understand the important journey they’re embarking on, make their recovery more comfortable and make their next steps more confident:
Protein Shakes
After bariatric surgery, patients begin their recovery on a liquid diet, and they take in far fewer calories than they did pre-op. Even when they progress to eating solid food, protein will be a primary component of their nutritional intake. So, a selection of flavored protein shakes makes a great gift. But be careful – you don’t want protein drinks created primarily for bodybuilding or for people who need to gain weight, for instance. Look for a drink that has at least 20 grams of quality protein, keeps sugars under 15 grams, and contains 300 calories or less.
Look for the letters IAA – they stand for Indispensable Amino Acids, and they’re very important. And watch for the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS); try to get as close to 100 as possible. Qualifying protein sources will be whey, casein, soy, or egg whites.
My Bariatric Pantry offers a variety of protein drinks, ranging from hot chocolate and coffee flavors to teas and fruit-flavored drinks. Each product description details the grams of protein, carbs, sugars and fat the product contains; click on “nutritional facts” for even more information. $12.79-$23.99.
Health and Wellness Journal
After weight loss surgery, patients will be hyper-focused on their health for a long time. Everything about their lives has changed; not just what they eat and how they exercise, but also how they see their future and the world around them. The best journals enable their writers to keep track of and download almost anything about their lives. It can be a very personal choice, so if you’re buying one for someone else, take everything you know about them into account.
Would he want to keep a food diary, or not? Did she always hope to become a runner? Will he appreciate writing prompts? Will she take the time to record her thoughts and feelings? Then choose a health and wellness journal that seems to fit the bill.
The HealthMinder Personal Wellness Journal is set up for keeping track of many kinds of information and then tracking back through that information to learn about your progress. New Habits, New Me is a dedicated food and exercise journal set up to help you track goals, weight loss, workout progress and health. And New Me is set up specifically for the weight loss surgery post-op patient who simply wants to record diet, water intake and exercise accomplished. $6.99-$14.36.
A Microbead Bed Pillow
Recovering from surgery takes some time. A Mooshi microbead pillow can squish into any spot that needs a little support – it easily fits under your neck, between your knees, behind your back or to prop up an elbow. Filled with thousands of tiny microbeads in a pillow casing, it shapes and molds to anyone’s contours – and comes in 18 colors. $24.95.
A Killer Water Bottle
Help make drinking water front-and-center in your loved-one’s day with a colorful, take-along BPA-free water bottle that makes the habit irresistible. The HydroFlask double-wall vacuum bottle comes in 16 colors and lets you choose between 12-ounce, 18-ounce, 21-ounce and 24-ounce sizes. It keeps liquids cold or hot, so it’s also usable for those protein drinks or soups.
Or the Brita water filter people have a water bottle that holds 26 ounces with water filter inside, just like the ones you put on your tap. With the Brita, you can also choose between BPA-free plastic (which comes in seven colors) or insulated stainless steel. $24.99-$29.95.
An Inspiring Cookbook
Sarah Kent is a certified health coach and registered dietician who has written two cookbooks for bariatric surgery patients, Fresh Start Bariatric Cookbook and The Gastric Sleeve Bariatric Cookbook. The recipes address dietary and nutritional needs after weight loss surgery – such as increased protein requirements, or foods that can be liquified or pureed – and give prep-time, serving-size, nutritional and labeling information. $11.69-$13.05.
Brilliant Food Containers
Food preparation and portability become daily missions for the recent bariatric patient, who must carefully monitor nutrition intake and make sure he always has what he needs. Make the whole thing a visual and organizational joy with well-designed take-along food containers like Bentology, a six-piece lunch box that’s BPA-free, leak-proof and microwave-safe, and Joseph Joseph’s 12-piece multi-colored food containers, which nest inside each other when not in use. $12.99-$34.95.
A Shopping Trip
This can be a couple of different things. Volunteer to accompany your friend or family member to the grocery store as soon as they feel up to it, helping them investigate the aisles, read labels, calculate protein grams, find possibilities and seek out products that are good for them. It’s a formidable task to learn all-new eating habits, and having a friend along for the ride could be a big help.
Or, pledge to take her on a clothes-shopping trip a month or two down the line, once some weight has fallen off and none of her current clothes are fitting. The trip down in size can be daunting for a person who hasn’t enjoyed shopping for clothing in a long time.
Be Their Accountability Buddy
Sometimes, what we really need is an external source of continuing motivation, and an accountability buddy can make a lot of difference. Volunteer to be there for your friend. Write a note in which you suggest different approaches that might fit her needs. Can you set up regular check-in times when you will talk about specific goals and behaviors? Call every few days? Talk over tea? Walk in the neighborhood together a couple mornings a week?
Soma Weight Loss is Dedicated to Patient Success
Many things contribute to the success of bariatric surgery patients: excellent medical care, continuing follow-up after a procedure, and a supportive environment.
The Soma Care Team is dedicated to patient healing and recovery. Our patient care continues well after surgery, and we work with our patients as they find their feet on this exciting portion of their weight loss journey. Call Soma Weight Loss to ask about our approach to weight loss surgery today. Our client care team is standing by to assist you.
Ami Soma
Ami has served as the patient coordinator for Soma Weight Loss for over five years, and is responsible for calling new patients, discussing procedures and scheduling consultations and follow-ups. She assists patients with setting up financing for their procedures and advises patients on their non-surgical weight loss options.
