Diet After Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass surgery may seem like a quick fix to someone who has struggled with their weight for years and, it is in many ways. It's vital though that your diet after gastric bypass surgery is suitable both to keep you healthy after your procedure and to help you lose weight.

The Right Diet after Gastric Bypass surgery

Istockphoto.com©Mikhail Kokhanchikov

Week 1: The day of your operation you will be able to drink small sips of water which the day after will be followed by free fluids such as tea, water, coffee (no sugar), light broth, and sugar free gelatine. You will stay on free fluids for the remainder of the first week.

Week 2 to 4: This is when you will be able to progress to solid foods as long as they are pureed. You may eat 4 or 5 small pureed meals a day (approximately 100g each) which can consist of almost anything as long as the texture is smooth and even a little bit runny at first. Start off with foods such as potatoes, vegetables and fruits that you can puree in a blender. Add water as needed to help thin them out to the right consistency.

Be sure to stop eating when you begin to feel full, which for many patients is a feeling of tightness or fullness in the upper abdomen and chest - not in the lower stomach as you were used to before surgery.

Into the third week you can begin to add proteins such as meat, cheese and beans, as long as you puree them. Avoid too much sugar or fat.

Week 5 and 6: You can now graduate to slightly less runny food, meaning that you can mash your foods and no longer have to puree them. You want to continue to eat 4 or 5 small meals per day and continue to avoid excess sugars and fats.

After the 6 Week Point and On: This is when you will be able to start eating what will be your diet for the rest of your life. It's important to remember that your diet is not a slimming diet in the same sense of the word that you may be accustomed to after so many years of trying to lose weight.

Your aim should be to eat to fuel your body, keep yourself healthy and also enjoy your meals since you'll be doing this for the long haul. Avoid over-indulging not only because you want to lose weight but also because it will make you feel uncomfortable. You should eat only 3 meals per day without grazing between.

A crucial point is that you must avoid eating a lot of sugar. If you've had gastric bypass surgery, your body produces excessive insulin if you eat a lot of sugar and this can make you feel nauseous and unwell.

Your diet after gastric bypass should always focus on healthy foods, eat small portions and cut fatty, sugary foods out as much as you possibly can.

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