Which Foods Are Suitable
The main focus for your meals and snacks is protein so always eat this first. All of the foods in the table below will need to be pureed. Foods from other food groups such as carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables are also suitable, but are not a rich source of protein. If you choose to eat these then add some extra protein such as protein or skimmed milk powder, high protein yoghurt, skimmed milk or low fat cheese to fortify them.
Bariatric Clear Liquid Diet
You will start a clear liquid diet the first day after your surgery while you are in the hospital. You may drink skim milk, water, chicken or beef broth, or sugar-free gelatin. Do not start this until your surgeon orders this diet.
Your goal is to drink 3 cups of skim milk and 6 cups of water.
Drink your milk before other clear liquids. Sip small amounts slowly throughout the day. Use your check-off sheet to make sure you are meeting your daily goal.
Diet After Your Surgery
The post-surgery diet plan consists of several stages. How long each stage lasts and what you can eat and drink will be determined by your healthcare provider or dietitian.
All stages stress the importance of controlling your portions. This habit will help you continue to lose weight and prepare you for how youll eat for the rest of your life.
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Possible Complications Of The Surgery
Gastric bypass is by no means a silver bullet in the fight against excess body weight. It is true that many patients who undergo gastric bypass do lose the majority of their excess weight in the first year or so after surgery, but as many as 20% of those people will regain much or all of that weight over the next 10 years. Often, this can occur as a result of failure to follow diet guidelines set out for you after your surgery.
A more serious complication can arise as a result of long term nutrient deficiency. The average American is rarely at risk for serious malnutrition given how much food we eat. After gastric bypass, however, the extreme reduction in caloric intake can mean you are at serious risk of not getting enough nutrients out of the food you eat.
The serious, and possibly lethal, consequences of malnutrition can take a long time to manifest, and could take a long time to reverse once they have been identified. This is one of the main reasons to be sure you have a good relationship with a team of doctors and dietitians who can work with you long after your surgery to ensure you stay healthy.
Are You Eligible For Bariatric Surgery
Discover if youre a suitable candidate for bariatric surgery here. You can also learn more about obesity surgery options by downloading our Obesity Surgery Information Brochure. Reading this information is a mandatory requirement prior to attending an appointment with us.
If youve already read about your options and want to proceed to the next step of your weight loss journey, you can request an appointment via our contact form or call us on 02 4032 8777.
References
The Bariatric Surgery Patient. Nutrition Considerations. Vol 42, No 8, Aug 2013, pp547-552. C Shannon, A. Gervasoni, T. Williams
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Whats Your Take On The Long Term Diet After Bariatric Surgery
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Quick Disclaimer:This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have. We cannot guarantee or promise any results. Nothing stated on this page and nothing in what we say or do can be construed as a guarantee about the outcome of the long-term diet after gastric bypass surgery. Our past or future comments about the outcome or opinions are not guarantees.
Improving Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery
Even before you go in for surgery, your bariatric surgeon will recommend a low-calorie diet, typically with medically recommended shakes, to lessen the risks of the operation by reducing your liver size and fat tissue around your stomach.
Remember that even with these careful steps, your stomach will be very swollen after your surgery. So its important that you strictly adhere to your gastric bypass as recommended by your dietitian. You then can upgrade slowly over 6 weeks before returning to normal textures of foods.
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Role Of Diet In Gastric Bypass
Before undergoing gastric bypass surgery, you must first qualify for the surgery and understand the risks and benefits involved.
Adults eligible for this surgery are typically more than 100 pounds overweight or have a body mass index over 35.
You may also be eligible if your BMI is between 30 and 35, your health is at risk due to your weight, and making lifestyle changes hasnt led to weight loss, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery .
To be a viable candidate, you should also be ready to re-learn your dietary habits. New dietary habits can help ensure the surgery has positive and lifelong effects.
Before your surgery, you need to make plans for a special diet to follow both pre- and post-surgery.
The pre-surgery diet is geared toward reducing the amount of fat in and around your liver. This reduces the risk of complications during the surgery.
After the surgery, your doctor will tailor the general diet guidelines for you. The post-surgery diet usually consists of several weekly phases. It helps you recover, meet the needs of your now smaller stomach, and gain healthier eating habits.
Post Bariatric Surgery Diet Phase : Solid Foods
Once youve reached 6 weeks after your surgery, your staples should have healed and your swelling should be gone. This means that you can now start eating normally textured foods again!
You will still have to be mindful of eating at least 3 meals each day, chewing your food well and slowing your pace of eating. Focus on drinking between 1-2L and consuming 60g of dietary protein every day.
As you are only able to eat small portions, you need to ensure that youre making healthy choices to maximise your nutrition. Your dietitian will help guide your food selection.
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Stage : Clear Liquids
Starting the day after your surgery, you will start a clear liquid diet, continuing for about 4-5 days. During this time, you should try your best to work up to about 3 ounces of clear fluids a day every 30 minutes. This might be difficult right after your procedure, but it will continue to get easier and feel more comfortable! During this time, drink slowly and do not drink liquids out of a straw or chew gum, as these can lead to gas and bloating. Some examples of liquids to try during this stage are:
- Diluted apple juice
- Sugar-free citrus gelatin
- Pedialyte Popsicles
You should also be adding diluted protein shakes to your diet. Use a combination of ½ protein shake and ½ water.
Diet After Gastric Bypass: 2 You Won’t Feel Hungry
The hormones responsible for hunger are produced in the part of the stomach that’s bypassed. That means you won’t feel physically hungry…
…for awhile anyway.
While it may sound dreamy to not feel hungry, it can be a barrier to meeting your protein goal. It’s helpful to set up a schedule and eat at regular planned times every 3-4 hours in the early post op months in order to avoid skipping meals and under eating. Your body’s lack of hunger cues won’t be a good guide. Undereating is just as extreme as overeating! How often you should eat will change over time.
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Consumption Of Fruits Vegetables And Whole Grains
Patients who are morbidly obese typically do not eat the number of servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains recommended for a healthy diet. This habit should be modified as part of the surgical process to ensure adequacy of fiber and certain vitamins and minerals. A low fiber intake can result in either constipation or chronic diarrhea because of the lack of dietary bulk. In addition, a higher fiber intake is recommended to reduce serum cholesterol. Fresh fruit can be incorporated into a smoothie made with cow’s milk, yogurt, or soy milk. Vegetables can be grated into soups or tomato sauce, and chopped or grated vegetables can be added to omelets.
Diet After Weight Loss Surgery
You’ll be given a diet plan to follow after surgery.
These vary from person to person, but a typical plan is:
- first few days water and fluids
- first 4 weeks runny food
- weeks 4 to 6 soft food
- week 6 onwards gradually return to a healthy, balanced diet
You will also be advised to:
- eat slowly, chew carefully and only eat small amounts at a time particularly during the early stages of your recovery
- avoid, or be careful when eating, foods that could block your stomach, such as soft white bread
The charity WLS Info has more information about eating after your operation.
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Gastric Bypass Diet: What You Can Eat
Medically Reviewed by:
You will have to change your diet after you have gastric bypass surgery in order receive the maximum benefits from your procedure. The gastric bypass diet that results in the most weight loss and highest cure rate of obesity-related health problems is described below.
- You need to start practicing your new long-term diet at least 3 weeks before surgery
- You will gradually transition from clear liquids to solid foods after surgery
- You must eat primarily whole foods with limited snacking
- You should eat at least 60 grams of protein per day
- You need to drink at least 2 liters of low-calorie fluids per day
- You will have to follow a strict vitamin regimen
Read the sections below for detailed information about your short- and long-term diet after gastric bypass surgery.
The Fourth And Fifth Weeks Soft Foods
While the amount of food it is recommended to have at this stage remains the same, the range of products you are now allowed to consume widens. Accordingly, you can safely eat soft foods, which refer to any product you can easily mash with a fork. Fruits and vegetables should be ingested without seeds or skin. Some examples of soft foods you can have during the fourth and fifth weeks after your gastric bypass are:
- tofu
- tomatoes
- squash
In addition to multivitamins and calcium citrate, you will likely be prescribed vitamin D and a daily dose of sublingual B12, too.
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Post Bariatric Surgery Diet Phase : Pureed Foods
At this stage, your staples are continuing to heal and your swelling is reducing. Its still very important not to place unnecessary stress on this area by consuming bulky, textured foods that promote pain and risk a gastric leak. We recommended following a strict pureed diet during weeks 2-4 after your surgery.
All food needs to be placed in a blender and pureed to baby food consistency. There are lots of different food options available to you in this phase, including full bodied soups, cereals, fruits, vegetables with gravy or sauce and even main meals like stews and curries.
Portion tolerance varies person to person but you can generally expect to eat between ¼-1 cup in one sitting. It is recommended that you eat at least 3 times per day and choose nutritious foods. You will still be focusing on maintaining hydration by drinking between 1-2L each day, as well as consuming 60g of dietary protein.
Tips To Stay On Track
Successful gastric bypass patients need plenty of support and encouragement from family, friends, and other patients in order to maximizing weight loss and avoid side effects.
The most highly recommended tips from successful patients include:
Other top patient tips for the best diet after gastric bypass surgery include:
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Plate Breakdown And Proteins
Your plate should consist of around 50 percent protein, 25 percent vegetables, and 25 percent starches. Your protein intake per day should be around 70-90 grams for men and 60-80 grams for women, and it helps if you eat the protein on your plate first. This way, if you start to feel full and like you cant finish the entire meal, youve at least received your protein for that meal. Eventually by 3-6 months after surgery you should aim for each meal to be around 4-6 oz. of food, although initially after surgery you may only be able to tolerate around 2 oz per meal. When you reach the 4-6 oz. mark you want to avoid increasing this volume and you must avoid eating quickly both of which can stretch your gastric pouch and undo benefit.
Recommended Meal Plan For Two To Six Months Post
Consume 900 to 1,000 calories and at least 65 to 75 grams of protein a day. For balanced nutrient intake, your daily servings should include:
- 3 servings milk and dairy products
- 3 servings meat or meat alternative
- 3 servings starch
- 1 serving fruit
- 2 servings vegetable
Recommended portion sizes are 1/4 cup for solids and 1/2 cup for liquids.
Discontinue taking high-protein liquid supplement drinks or powders if possible. We recommend meeting your protein needs with food.
Sample Menu
This sample menu includes different foods that are safe for you to eat. You may adjust the menu to fit your tastes and tolerance.
Breakfast1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute1/2 cup hot cereal
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Diet For The First Two Weeks Post
You will begin adding thicker liquids that are high in protein and low in fat and sugar. You may use high-protein, low-calorie liquid supplement drinks or powders to meet your protein requirements during this period.
The goal is to consume small portions that will empty easily from your pouch. Begin with 1 tablespoon portion sizes and increase to 2 tablespoons as tolerated. Begin drinking 1/4 cup of liquid at a time and increase to a 1/2 cup as tolerated. Your daily caloric intake should not exceed 400 calories.
It is also very important to stay well hydrated. Drink 1 to 1.5 liters of water or other non-caloric liquids per day.
Recommended thicker liquids:
- Nonfat or 1% milk, if you can tolerate milk
- Lactose-free or soy-based low-calorie drinks
- Sugar-free pudding
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Blended broth-based soup or other low-fat soups
- Refined hot cereals that are low in fiber, such as cream of rice or cream of wheat. Make them with extra liquid to create a soup-like consistency. Do not eat oatmeal.
- Optional high-protein, low-calorie liquid supplement drinks .
To increase your protein intake, add 2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk powder, egg substitute or powered egg, or other protein powder to each 1/2 cup of nonfat or low-fat milk. You can also add these to soups, hot cereal and other thick liquids.
Remember to drink 1 cup of water or other non-caloric fluids between meals. Take a multivitamin supplement every day.
Bariatric Full Liquid Diet Suggestions
- During this period, you need to eat three very small meals a day. Initially 1 to 2 tablespoons of food may be all your body is able to tolerate. Stop if you feel a full pressure. Do not take an extra bite.
- Take your time and eat slowly.
- Walking can help food move out of stomach pouch.
- Overall goal is to get 100 grams of protein and 100 grams carbohydrate each day, but you are doing well to get over 50-60gms of protein and carbs at this stage. Drinking 3 cups double milk each day provides 48 grams protein and 72 grams carbohydrate. These can be consumed hot, cold or flavored in a variety of ways.
- If you feel gassy, bloated or have loose stools on this diet, it may be lactose intolerance. This is generally temporary. Take Lactase enzyme tablets or eat yogurt or try soy milk or lactose-free milk to alleviate symptoms.
- Constipation is not uncommon on this diet. Add Benefiber, FiberSure or Metamucil-Smooth to each double milk to promote regularity.
Keep walking to promote regularity, as well. Walk at least 30 minutes/day. If you lift weights, you need to lift less than 10 lbs and avoid any abdominal exercises.
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