Ep 18: WLS Nutrition | Top 3 Areas of Nutrition Which Cause Confusion with Mabel Joseph
This post is a companion to Episode 18 of the Bariatric Nutrition Coach Podcast. Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
In this episode I joined Mabel Joseph on her podcast to talk about the three biggest areas of nutrition confusion after weight loss surgery. If you have ever felt overwhelmed, conflicted, or stuck when it comes to eating after surgery, this one is for you.
1. Protein
Protein is the most common area of confusion, and no wonder — there is a lot of conflicting information about how much you need, where it comes from, and how to reach your goals when appetite and stomach capacity are so reduced. A few key things to know: your protein goal will change over time, so a figure given at discharge may no longer be right for you. Getting enough in the early days is genuinely hard — the goal is progress, not perfection. And the habits you build around protein early on are the same habits that protect your results long term.
2. Protein Shakes — When to Stop
Many people misunderstand when to transition off protein shakes. The moment their centre says they can eat a "full diet," they stop shakes entirely — and then find their protein intake drops dramatically because they simply cannot eat enough food to compensate. Shakes stay in your diet until you can comfortably hit your protein goals through food alone. That transition is gradual and individual.
3. Special Recipes and Meal Plans
So many people believe that if they could just find the right meal plan, everything would fall into place. But success after bariatric surgery is not about finding a magic menu — it is about learning how to eat in any situation. The real work is behaviour change: learning how to plate your food, how to eat slowly, how to prioritise protein, and how to listen to your body. Once those habits become automatic, food stops being such a heavy topic and becomes something you just do, naturally.
🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Listen to the full conversation on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and subscribe so you never miss a new episode every Monday!