After weight loss surgery, the first and most dramatic change you will make is how you eat. Whether you have had a Lap-Band® or gastric bypass procedure, the rules are essentially the same. Your stomach has been altered so that anything you eat goes into a small pouch the size of a golf ball. That means after just a few bites, you feel full—something that might come as a shock if you’re used to devouring huge portions at the dinner table.

Bariatric surgery will alter your eating habits dramatically, particularly in the first few months after surgery. To gain the greatest benefits of the surgery, Dr. David Provost recommends patients follow a simple formula:

3 x 3 + 30

What this means is that you should only eat three bites of food at each meal, and separate each bite by three minutes. In addition, you should not drink anything—including water—for at least 30 minutes before you eat and 30 minutes after you eat.

That may sound like a ridiculously small amount of food, but the truth is, after weight loss surgery, you won’t want to eat any more. Both the Lap-Band and the gastric bypass restrict the amount of food that you can fit in your stomach. If you try to eat more than your stomach can hold, you will feel extremely uncomfortable and you may even vomit. In addition, waiting at least 30 minutes after drinking liquids before a meal and also waiting 30 minutes to have a beverage after you eat will help ensure that you get enough nutrients and keep you from cheating your surgery by washing down your food through your pouch.

Finally, slowing down your eating will also let you experience your meals in a whole new way. When you wait three minutes between bites, you have the chance to savor your food, and also appreciate the people who may be sharing the meal with you. So, remember 3 x 3 + 30 at each meal will promote rapid weight loss and help you achieve your goal weight faster than you ever thought possible!