Meet Amy Kellner APD - My Weight Loss Journey

Background & credentials

A different kind of dietitian

Qualifications

Bachelor of Health Science — Nutritional Medicine
Masters of Nutrition & Dietetic Practice
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) — Dietitians Australia
Specialist focus: cosmetic and weight loss surgery nutrition

Practice

The Cosmetic Dietitian — thecosmeticdietitian.com
Telehealth consultations — Australia-wide
Monday to Saturday availability
Collaborates with Dr Kumar's surgical team

"Surgical success starts with what's on your plate — long before you reach the operating table."

Amy Kellner is one of Australia's only dietitians who works exclusively with cosmetic surgery and weight loss patients. Her practice — The Cosmetic Dietitian — is built entirely around the nutritional demands of surgical preparation, recovery and long-term maintenance.

Most dietitians treat weight loss as a number on a scale. Amy's approach goes deeper — understanding that the quality of weight loss (preserving lean muscle while losing fat), the state of your nutritional reserves before surgery, and the choices you make in the weeks after an operation all determine whether your result is good or exceptional.

Amy works across all weight loss pathways: patients on GLP-1 medications who need to preserve muscle mass and optimise body composition, patients preparing for bariatric or body contouring, and patients who have achieved significant weight loss through diet and exercise and are now approaching surgical refinement.

Her Personalised Surgical Nutrition Protocol (PSNP) was developed through years of working with surgical patients and is designed to prepare the body for surgery, optimise healing, and support results that last — not just in the weeks after an operation but for years to come.

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What Amy offers

Nutrition support at every stage

Whether you are at the beginning of your weight loss journey or in the final stages of surgical preparation, Amy's expertise covers the full spectrum — from first consultation through to long-term lifestyle maintenance.

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Weight Loss Nutrition

Evidence-based dietary strategies for sustainable, muscle-preserving weight loss — whether you are on GLP-1 medications, post-bariatric surgery, or pursuing a lifestyle approach. Protein targeting, meal planning, habit formation and plateau management.

GLP-1 medication dietary optimisation
Post-bariatric nutrition protocols
Protein targeting and muscle preservation
Metabolic adaptation strategies
Sustainable habit formation

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Pre-Surgical Nutrition (Pre-hab)

The Personalised Surgical Nutrition Protocol — Amy's signature pre-operative programme designed to prepare your body for surgery, minimise risk, and optimise your healing capacity. The 3–12 months before body contouring are the most important nutritional window of your entire journey.

Nutritional assessment and blood work review
Micronutrient deficiency identification and correction
Protein loading protocol (1.8–2.4g/kg)
Liver reduction diet planning (if bariatric)
Weight stabilisation nutritional support
Anti-inflammatory dietary preparation

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Post-Surgical Recovery Nutrition

Recovery nutrition is where results are made or lost. Amy's post-surgical protocols support wound healing, manage inflammation, ensure adequate collagen synthesis and protect the lean muscle mass you've worked hard to preserve.

Wound healing nutrition — protein, Vitamin C, Zinc
Anti-inflammatory dietary approach
Collagen peptide and micronutrient support
Return-to-training nutrition planning
Appetite and GI management post-operatively
Staged dietary progression (post-bariatric)

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Long-term Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining significant weight loss requires an ongoing nutritional strategy, not willpower alone. Amy works with patients long after surgery to ensure results last — building the eating patterns, resistance training nutrition and mindset that support a lifetime of health.

Sustainable maintenance eating plans
Weight regain prevention strategies
Body composition optimisation
Ongoing telehealth support — as needed or structured

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GLP-1 Medication Nutrition

GLP-1 medications dramatically suppress appetite — which means patients often fail to meet protein targets and inadvertently accelerate muscle loss alongside fat loss. Amy's GLP-1 nutrition protocol specifically addresses this, preserving lean mass and maximising body composition outcomes.

Protein targets for GLP-1 patients (minimum 1.6g/kg)
Strategies for eating adequately despite reduced appetite
Muscle preservation through nutrition and activity
Transition planning when medication is stopped or paused

Amy's signature protocol

The Personalised Surgical
Nutrition Protocol

Developed through years of working with surgical patients, the PSNP is a structured, individualised programme that prepares the body for surgery and recovery and recovery.

01

Comprehensive Assessment

Full nutritional history, current diet analysis, review of blood work (albumin, iron, Vitamin D, B12, zinc, HbA1c), body weight and composition assessment. Establishes your baseline and identifies priority areas.

02

Deficiency Correction

Targeted correction of identified deficiencies through dietary change and supplementation. Iron, Vitamin D, B12, zinc and Vitamin C are the most common — all critical for healing capacity and immune function.

03

Protein Loading Programme

A structured 8–12 week protein loading protocol targeting 1.8–2.4g per kg of body weight. This is the single most impactful nutritional intervention for surgical outcomes and healing quality.

04

Pre-operative Preparation

In the two weeks before surgery: anti-inflammatory dietary approach, liver reduction diet if indicated (bariatric patients), optimisation of all nutrient reserves. Your body arrives at surgery prepared to heal.

05

Post-operative Recovery Plan

Staged dietary progression, continued protein targets, wound healing supplements (Vitamin C, zinc, collagen peptides), anti-inflammatory eating, and graduated return to normal eating as recovery progresses.

06

Long-term Maintenance

Once recovery is complete: a sustainable long-term nutrition plan that protects the surgical result, maintains body composition, and prevents weight regain. The result you've worked for — protected.

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Telehealth · Australia-wide · Monday to Saturday

The evidence

Why nutrition determines your surgical result

Surgery repairs and reshapes. Nutrition determines the quality of everything that happens afterward.

The body's capacity to heal — to close wounds cleanly, build new collagen, manage inflammation and recover from the physiological demands of a major operation — is directly determined by its nutritional status at the time of surgery. This is not a minor factor.

Patients who arrive at surgery well-nourished — with adequate protein, corrected micronutrient deficiencies and stable body weight — have statistically lower rates of wound complications, better scar quality, faster recovery, and results that last longer. Patients with nutritional deficits — common in post-bariatric patients who haven't had adequate dietitian follow-up, or in GLP-1 patients who have been under-eating protein — face significantly higher complication rates.

The pre-operative period is not a time to continue dieting. It is a time to eat strategically — to build the nutritional reserves that surgery will draw on. This is exactly what Amy's PSNP is designed to achieve.

Key nutrients for surgical healing

Nutrient

Role in healing

Protein

Primary substrate for collagen synthesis, tissue repair and immune function. Target: 1.8–2.4g/kg/day.

Vitamin C

Critical cofactor for collagen hydroxylation. Deficiency impairs wound tensile strength significantly.

Zinc

Essential for cell division, protein synthesis and immune function. Low in obesity; often deficient post-bariatric.

Iron / Haemoglobin

Oxygen delivery to healing tissue. Anaemia significantly increases surgical risk and lengthens recovery.

Vitamin D

Immune regulation, inflammation control, calcium metabolism. Deficiency extremely common in obesity.

Albumin

Marker of protein nutritional status. Low albumin (≤35 g/L) is an independent predictor of surgical complications.

Nutritional assessment and correction of deficiencies is a key component of Amy's pre-surgical protocol. Blood work review is recommended 12 weeks before surgery where possible.

Ask Amy a question

Send an enquiry to Amy

This form goes directly to Amy Kellner APD at The Cosmetic Dietitian. Amy is an independent Accredited Practising Dietitian who works with Dr Kumar's patients, and she will contact you about your enquiry. For questions about surgery, call Dr Kumar's team on 1300 267 726.

Ready to start?

Begin your nutritional journey
with Amy today.

Whether you're beginning weight loss, approaching surgery, or in recovery — the right nutritional support at the right time makes a measurable difference. Amy's telehealth consultations are available nationally.

Book with Amy → Contact Dr Kumar's team

thecosmeticdietitian.com · Telehealth · Monday to Saturday

Amy Kellner APD