Gastric bypass surgery provides you a way to lose a large amount of weight -- 100 lbs. or more -- by decreasing the size of your stomach. By stapling a line across the top of your stomach, separating it from the rest of your stomach, the surgery creates a pouch capable of holding at most a few ounces of food. This change in your gastrointestinal system requires a change in your diet as well.
Significance
The gastric bypass diet is not only for weight loss and maintenance, but also prevents complications, gives your body time to heal and allows you time to get used to eating smaller portions as your body learns to digest in a new and more comfortable way, explains MayoClinic.com. The diet has four phases, progressing over a period of approximately 12 weeks. Some phases may take longer than others, depending on how well you tolerate the food and its consistency. You do not move on to the next phase unless your doctor gives his approval.
The First Two Days
Immediately following your surgery -- usually the day after -- your doctor orders a liquid diet consisting of broth, strained cream soup, skim milk, unsweetened apple or orange juice and sugar-free gelatin. This allows your stomach to heal, while testing your tolerance for beverages. If you experience nausea or begin vomiting, your doctor may wait another day before attempting this stage. Vomiting can tear the staples in your stomach, causing a set back in your recovery. This stage lasts for a few days until you show you can tolerate liquids.
Stage Two
Stage two moves you on to pureed foods. This lasts for two to four weeks, or until your doctor feels you are ready to move on to stage three. The consistency of your food should be similar to a thick liquid without any pieces of food in your mixture. MayoClinic.com recommends using broth, fat-free gravy, water, fat-free milk or unsweetened juice to blend your food. The foods you can eat at this point include beans such as black, lima, kidney and pinto, cooked cereals such as oatmeal, fat-free cottage cheese, blended meat such as chicken, turkey or fish added to mashed potatoes or cream soup, blended fruit added to milk or fat-free yogurt and vegetables. Remove the skin from fruits and vegetables, as it may be difficult for your stomach to digest. Red meat may irritate your stomach and be hard to digest -- avoid it at this time.
Stage Three
Your doctor will give his approval to move on to stage three once you prove you can tolerate pureed food. During this stage you can eat semi-solid food, food you can mash on your plate with a fork. You typically remain in this stage for a period of eight weeks before moving on to the final stage. In addition to the food you already eat, you can add eggs cooked any style except fried, canned fruit in its own juice, macaroni and cheese in moderation, tuna with light mayonnaise and cooked vegetables without the skin.
The Final Stage
This is the stage you remain in long-term -- the stage that assists you in continual weight loss and weight-loss maintenance. Gradually add firm food into your diet, one food at a time to judge your body's reaction. Heed the advice of your doctor or dietitian as you do so; this ensures the efficacy of your diet. Red meat, raw fruits and vegetables and bread can now be added. However, bread should be last. It can form a ball, which makes it difficult for it to pass through your pouch, or stomach.
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