Post Gastric Bypass Surgery Nutritional Guide

Gastric bypass surgery promises weight reduction to obese patients who have been unsuccessful at weight loss with other diet methods. The most successful patients begin preparing for their procedure months in advance with lifestyle changes and diet education. After the surgery, diet modification becomes essential for the surgery to be successful. A step-by-step approach will ensure proper healing and recovery, promote steady weight loss, prevent side effects of the surgery and maintain adequate nutritional status.

Liquid Diet

In the days immediately following surgery you will be asked to refrain from eating to allow your incision site to begin healing. Once your doctor allows it, you can begin to take sips of room-temperature clear liquids, such as water, broths and unsweetened juice, about 1 oz. every 30 minutes while awake. About one day later, you can add milk-based liquids. During this period, which generally lasts three to five days, you should drink no more than 2 to 3 oz. of liquids at one time. As you advance your diet, include at least 64 oz. of calorie-free fluids each day.

Pureed Diet

The next stage of the post gastric bypass diet is a diet of pureed foods. This step usually lasts two to three weeks. The pureed diet consists of food that is prepared to the consistency of baby food. This diet can include all types of foods including meats, beans, potatoes, fruits and vegetables but must be smooth and without chunks. You should include protein in each meal and eat no more than 3 oz. of food at each meal, generally five to six meals per day. Avoid spicy foods, caffeine and foods with sugar.

Soft Solids

After tolerating puree foods without gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting and stomach pains, your doctor will likely advance your diet to soft solids. At this point in your recovery, you should gradually introduce foods with small pieces of soft cooked vegetables, soft fruits, finely chopped meats and other foods which can be mashed with a fork. Portion sizes should remain at about 3 oz. per meal and you should continue to eat five to six meals daily. Introduce one new food at a time and monitor your tolerance to each addition. Gradually increase the size of the pieces over the next six to eight weeks.

Solid Foods

About 10 weeks post gastric bypass surgery, you will be ready to advance your diet to regular foods. At this point, your diet will include most of the foods you tolerated before surgery, but in smaller quantities. While weight loss will continue based on smaller portion sizes you can enhance weight loss by eliminating foods like fried foods, junk foods, high-fat meats and high-calorie baked goods. For maximum comfort, should avoid foods that are spicy, crunchy or hard to digest. Chew food thoroughly and eat slowly to identify fullness. Do not drink anything 30 minutes before a meal or with your meal.

Other Considerations

Protein is an essential part to the postoperative period and to continued successful weight loss. West Penn Allegheny Health System recommends 60 to 80 g of protein daily. To meet this requirement, consider protein shakes and bars and eat protein-based foods first at all meals. You must remain well hydrated while avoiding carbonated drinks or drinks with calories. Do not eat foods containing sugar or sugary ingredients which may cause diarrhea. Lastly, speak with your doctor about vitamin supplementation. It is often hard to meet your vitamin requirements, so your doctor may recommend bariatric vitamins.