If you have chosen weight loss surgery as a means of shedding excess pounds and improving your health, you need to prepare yourself for eating after your surgery. The choices you make are imperative to your weight loss success and reducing your risk of post-operative complications. While the surgery assists your weight loss efforts, it is not a cure-all for your condition. You also need to do your part and make a life-long commitment to dietary change.
Step 1
Start slowly. According to the health experts at Mayo Clinic, you will not be allowed to eat for the two days following your surgery. This is to allow your surgery site time to heal while giving your body time to adjust to its smaller stomach.
In the 9 to 11 weeks following your procedure, you will be placed on a progression diet. This introduces foods to your body in varying stages of consistency, ensuring that you are able to physically handle food without adverse reactions, such as nausea and vomiting.
Step 2
Follow the stages. During your progression diet, you will travel through three pivotal stages of eating. The first stage is the liquid meal plan, and you generally follow this for the first week after discharge. Once your doctor feels you are prepared for the next stage, you will begin the pureed meal plan and remain on it for approximately four weeks. During this stage, everything you eat must be pureed and smooth, even the meat you eat. Next comes the soft stage, which lasts for six to nine weeks, depending on your rate of recovery. During this time, you can add more foods and eat them in their natural state as long as they can be chewed easily. Once your doctor deems you healthy, you can move on to solid food again.
Step 3
Devise your menu. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, you need to eat proteins with each meal, consuming at least 60 g per day. Protein will help you heal faster and provide you with energy because of the amino acids it contains. You should also make protein the first item you eat.
After you have eaten protein, fruits and vegetables should be the next item you eat. These foods contain essential vitamins and minerals needed to help fight infection. They also contain a good amount of fiber that will help fill you up and prevent you from overeating. Although raw is typically preferred to get the most nutrients from fruits and vegetables, vegetables should be cooked to a soft consistency after weight-loss surgery.
Step 4
Choose foods low in sugar and fat. Foods high in these items can result in Dumping Syndrome, a condition that causes your food to pass through your new stomach too fast and spill over into your intestines.This can cause you to become dizzy and suffer from diarrhea. Eating foods high in sugar and fat only cause you to gain weight, defeating the purpose of your surgery.
Step 5
Save your liquids. Your new stomach, or pouch, is the size of a walnut and can only hold about an ounce of food at one time. Therefore, drinking liquids with your meals can fill you up too quickly, making it difficult for your body to absorb the nutrients it needs from the food on your plate.
According to the University of Rochester, no drinks should be consumed 30 to 45 minutes before eating. You can enjoy low-fat milk, sugar-free iced tea or Kool-aid 30 to 45 minutes after eating. However, refrain from drinking water 30 minutes after eating, as this can lead to Dumping Syndrome.
Step 6
Chew slowly. This gives your brain time to send the signal to your stomach that you are full. As soon as you receive this signal, stop eating. Continuing to consume will only make your pouch expand, resulting not only in weight gain, but in complications at the surgical site as well.
Once on solids, eat three meals a day, spaced four hours apart. Each meal should last between 30 and 45 minutes. Chew your food into an applesauce consistency. This makes it easier for the food to pass through your stomach.
Tips and Warnings
- Although this is an example of a typical diet after weight-loss surgery, your doctor may adjust your diet according to your condition.
Things You'll Need
- Low-fat foods and drinks
- Sugar-free foods
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