Gastric bypass patients lose weight because the procedure reduces the size of the stomach to a small pouch and reroutes the digestive system to block some calorie absorption, according to MayoClinic.com. To allow the surgery site to heal, patients begin drinking clear liquids and progress through full liquid, pureed, soft and regular diet phases. Regardless of the texture of foods allowed at any given phase, patients must avoid sugar, fat, carbonation, alcohol and hard-to-digest foods.
Sugar
Because the procedure causes food to bypass part of the intestines, postoperative gastric bypass patients may have problems tolerating certain foods. Foods with added sugar move quickly through the stomach pouch and dump into the intestine, causing dumping syndrome, reports MayoClinic.com. The patient feels flushed and experiences sudden nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea and light-headedness for several hours. Although foods with less than 8g of sugar per serving may not cause symptoms, those with high added-sugar contents, such as desserts, candy and sweetened yogurt, may cause dumping syndrome. Dried fruits and bananas have high natural sugar contents and may also cause problems.
Difficult to Digest Foods
Certain foods may block the narrow opening of the stomach pouch, causing abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, according to MayoClinic.com. Difficult-to-digest foods include dry or stringy meat; doughy bread; popcorn, nuts or seeds; and stringy or fibrous vegetables, including corn, cabbage, celery and broccoli. Some patients tolerate these foods if chewed carefully, while others must avoid them altogether.
Beverages
Some bariatric surgeons caution patients to avoid alcohol completely because they may experience inebriation after a tiny amount of alcohol, whereas others allow patients to drink small amounts after six months or so, according to Linda Aills, R.D., lead researcher in a study published in the March 2008 issue of "Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases." Patients should avoid caffeine altogether, or delay drinking coffee until at least six months postoperatively to avoid irritating the stomach pouch. Carbonated beverages and any liquids drunk with a straw should be avoided or delayed because the gas allowed into the stomach may inflate and stretch it, says Aills.
Fried and Fatty Foods
Although gastric bypass patients do not count calories, they must focus on getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals to remain healthy on a reduced intake diet. Consuming empty calories---foods high in calories but low in nutrients---such as fried or fatty foods, potato chips and other snack foods, can inhibit weight loss or even cause the patient to regain weight, according to MayoClinic.com. Foods high in fat may also cause dumping syndrome.
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