What do gastric bypass patients eat

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. Losing weight before surgery helps reduce the amount of fat in and around your liver and abdomen. This may allow you to have a laparoscopy rather than open surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery is less invasive, requires much less recovery time, and is easier on your body. Losing weight prior to surgery not only keeps you safer during the procedure, but it also helps train you for a new way of eating.

Your exact eating plan and pre-op weight loss goal will be determined by your healthcare provider and likely with the help of a registered dietitian.

For this reason, you should start the diet plan as soon as you can. The pre-op diet largely consists of protein shakes and other high-protein, low-calorie foods that are easy to digest. Protein helps bolster and protect muscle tissue. This can help your body burn fat instead of muscle for fuel. Protein also helps keep your body strong, which can speed up recovery. As the date for your surgery nears, you may need to follow a mostly-liquid or liquid-only diet.

Based on your weight and overall health, your doctor may allow you to eat some solids during this time. These might include fish, watered-down hot cereal, or soft-boiled eggs. These suggestions may vary depending on your situation. For example, your doctor may want you to drink carbohydrate-rich fluids up to 2 hours before 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. During stage 1, your nutritional intake is geared toward helping your body heal from surgery. Your diet can help you avoid postoperative complications. This helps your stomach heal without being stretched out by food. Spicy seasonings may irritate the stomach, so avoid these completely or try them one at a time.

Avoid fruits and vegetables that have lots of seeds, such as strawberries or kiwi. Do not snack between meals. Stop eating as soon as you are full. Follow these guidelines for drinking: Do not drink anything for 30 minutes after you eat food. Also, do not drink anything while you are eating. The liquid will fill you up.

This may keep you from eating enough healthy food. It can also lubricate food and make it easy for you to eat more than you should. Take small sips when you are drinking. Do not gulp. Ask your provider before using a straw, since it may bring air in your stomach. Follow Your Diet Carefully. Low-fat protein choices include: Skinless chicken.

Lean beef chopped meat is tolerated well or pork. Whole eggs or egg whites. Dairy products, which includes low-fat or nonfat hard cheeses, cottage cheese, milk, and yogurt. You will need to take these vitamins and minerals for the rest of your life: Multivitamin with iron. Vitamin B Calcium mg per day and vitamin D. Your body can absorb only about mg of calcium at a time.

Divide your calcium into 2 or 3 doses during the day. Calcium must be taken in the "citrate" form. You may need to take other supplements also. Calories Still Count.

Do not eat foods that have a lot of fats, sugar, or carbohydrates. Do not drink much alcohol. Alcohol has a lot of calories, but it does not provide nutrition. Do not drink fluids that have a lot of calories. Avoid drinks that have sugar, fructose, or corn syrup in them.

Remember, everyone is different and will progress at different speeds. Eating after bariatric surgery will become easier over time, as you progress through the post surgery diet plan. In some cases, they can block the stoma, the hole to the pouch that is your new stomach. When you do eat them, try to have very small portions and make sure that you only eat small bites of each. You should be eating lots of nutritious fruits and vegetables as part of your diet, but avoid hard-to-digest, fibrous vegetables.

Celery, corn, broccoli, cabbage, and asparagus are foods to definitely avoid in the early days. Over time, you may be able to tolerate these foods, but in the short term, eat cooked, soft vegetables with no skin. Beans and peas are a good option because they will also provide the extra protein that you will need to maintain proper nutrition on your post-surgery diet. Skip the bacon, sausage, butter, whole milk, and hard cheeses and choose lower-fat options instead. Select low-fat sandwich meats, lean beef, chicken, turkey, and low-fat cheeses.

Eating too much fat on your diet can make you feel sick and may result in dumping syndrome. Any drink with sugar, corn syrup, or fructose is something to avoid post-gastric bypass.

Drinking sugary drinks like soda and some fruit juices while on your diet can lead to dumping syndrome. Instead, choose water, unsweetened packaged drinks, decaffeinated coffee, and tea.

Caffeine leads to dehydration, so as you are getting used to your smaller stomach, avoid it. One of the habits bariatric patients must learn while on a post-surgery diet is to chew their food really well.

The more you chew, the easier it is to swallow and digest your food.