Life Style - Post Bariatric Surgery

Life style changes post bariatric surgery

1st Week: Liquid diet

You are not allowed to eat for one to two days after gastric bypass surgery so that your stomach can start to heal. After that, you may start with a diet of liquids and semisolid foods to see how you tolerate foods after surgery.

Foods you may be able to have on phase 1 of the gastric bypass diet include:

Broth
Unsweetened juice
Milk
Strained cream soup
Sugar-free gelatin

During phase 1, You will have to sip fluids slowly and drink only 2 to 3 ounces (59 to 89 milliliters, or mL) at a time. Carbonated or caffeinated beverages are to be completely avoided. You are not allowed to drink and eat at a time. You will have to give atleast a 30 minutes break before drink anything after you eat or vice-versa.

One Month: Pureed foods

Once your body is able to tolerate liquid foods for a few days, you can begin to eat pureed (mashed up) foods. During this two- to four-week-long phase, you have to only eat foods that have the consistency of a smooth paste or a thick liquid. There should not be any solid pieces of food in the mixture.

To puree your foods, choose solid foods that will blend well, such as:

Lean ground meats
Beans
Fish
Egg whites
Yogurt
Soft fruits and vegetables
Cottage cheese

Blend the solid food with a liquid, such as:

Water
Fat-free milk
Juice with no sugar added
Broth
Fat-free gravy

Please keep in mind that your digestive system might still be sensitive to spicy and diary products. If you'd like to eat these foods during this phase, add them into your diet in small amounts.

Two Months: Soft, solid foods

before you start off with a new diet, please consult your Doctor. And with your doctor's OK, you can add soft, solid foods to your diet. If you can mash your food with a fork, it's soft enough to include in this phase of your diet.

During this phase, your diet can include:

Ground or finely diced meats
Canned or soft, fresh fruit
Cooked vegetables

You usually eat soft foods for eight weeks before eating foods of regular consistency with firmer texture, as recommended by your dietitian or doctor.

Three Months: Solid foods

After about eight weeks on the gastric bypass diet, you can gradually return to eating firmer foods. You may find that you still have difficulty eating spicier foods or foods with crunchy textures. Start slowly with regular foods to see what foods you can tolerate.

Avoid these foods

Even at this stage after surgery, avoid these foods:

Nuts and seeds
Popcorn
Dried fruits
Sodas and carbonated beverages
Granola
Stringy or fibrous vegetables, such as celery, broccoli, corn or cabbage
Tough meats or meats with gristle
Breads

These foods are discouraged because they typically aren't well tolerated in the weeks after surgery and might cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Over time, you may be able to try some of these foods again, with the guidance of your doctor.

A return to normal

After 3 to 4 months after bariatric surgery you may return to your normal diet depending on your situation. Its possible that few foods that were irritating your stomach might slowly become tolerable as and when your stomach is healing.

Throughout the phases:

To make sure if your body receives enough vitamins and minerals, you need to keep these things in mind.

Keep meals small. During the diet progression, you should eat several small meals a day and sip liquids slowly throughout the day (not with meals). You might first start with six small meals a day, then move to four meals and finally, when following a regular diet, decrease to three meals a day. Each meal should include about a half-cup to a cup of food. Make sure you eat only the recommended amounts and stop eating before you feel full.
Take recommended vitamin and mineral supplements. As a portion of your small intestine is bypassed after surgery, your body may not be able to absorb enough nutrients from your food. You'll need to take a multivitamin supplement every day for the rest of your life, so talk to your doctor about what type of multivitamin might be right for you, and whether you might need to take additional supplements, such as calcium.
Drink liquids between meals. Drinking liquids with your meals can cause pain, nausea and vomiting as well as dumping syndrome. Also, drinking too much liquid at or around mealtime can leave you feeling overly full and prevent you from eating enough nutrient-rich foods. Expect to drink at least 6 to 8 cups (48 to 64 ounces or 1.4 to 1.9 liters) of fluids a day to prevent dehydration.
Eat and drink slowly. Eating or drinking too quickly may cause dumping syndrome - when foods and liquids enter your small intestine rapidly and in larger amounts than normal, causing nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating and eventually diarrhea. To prevent dumping syndrome, choose foods and liquids low in fat and sugar, eat and drink slowly, and wait 30 to 45 minutes before or after each meal to drink liquids. Take at least 30 minutes to eat your meals and 30 to 60 minutes to drink 1 cup (237 milliliters) of liquid. Avoid foods high in fat and sugar, such as nondiet soda, candy, candy bars and ice cream.
Chew food thoroughly. The new opening that leads from your stomach into your intestine is very small, and larger pieces of food can block the opening. Blockages prevent food from leaving your stomach and can cause vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain. Take small bites of food and chew them to a pureed consistency before swallowing. If you can't chew the food thoroughly, don't swallow it.
Try new foods one at a time. After surgery, certain foods may cause nausea, pain and vomiting or may block the opening of the stomach. The ability to tolerate foods varies from person to person. Try one new food at a time and chew thoroughly before swallowing. If a food causes discomfort, don't eat it. As time passes, you may be able to eat this food. Foods and liquids that commonly cause discomfort include meat, bread, pasta, rice, raw vegetables, milk and carbonated beverages. Food textures not tolerated well include dry, sticky or stringy foods.
Focus on high-protein foods. Immediately after your surgery, eating high-protein foods can help heal your wounds, regrow muscle and skin, and prevent hair loss. High-protein, low-fat choices remain a good long-term diet option after your surgery, as well. Try adding lean cuts of beef, chicken, pork, fish or beans to your diet. Low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and yogurts also are good protein sources.
Avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar. After your surgery, it may be difficult for your digestive system to tolerate foods that are high in fat or added sugars. Avoid foods that are fried and look for sugar-free options of soft drinks and dairy products.