Gastric bypass surgery encourages rapid weight loss by decreasing the size of your stomach and the amount of calories you can consume. It's a major operation that carries the risk of serious health complications. Minimize your risk by following your doctor's diet and lifestyle recommendations before and after surgery. Following your bariatric diet after surgery will allow both healing and weight loss.
Pre-op Bariatric Diet
It's common to change your diet three months before your scheduled surgery. Most doctors recommend a low-calorie, high-protein diet that emphasizes lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and foods high in soluble fiber. Expect to eat between 800 and 1,200 calories to encourage weight loss -- especially abdominal fat -- which can make surgery shorter and safer. Eating a high-protein diet will ensure fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass. A few weeks before surgery, your doctor may recommend a liquids-only diet. It should still be high in protein, but it will be low in calories, carbs and sugar.
Your New Stomach
There are several types of bariatric surgeries, but the most common is the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Your stomach will be divided into two sections; your small intestine will be re-attached to the new smaller "pouch" at the top of your stomach. Although a normal stomach can hold up to 4 cups of food and drink, your new stomach pouch will only be able to hold a few tablespoons after surgery. The pouch will stretch to be able to hold almost 1 cup in the year after the bypass. Following your post-surgery diet closely will ensure that your pouch does not overstretch, allowing you to consume too much food and stall weight loss.
Post-op Bariatric Diet
After surgery, you'll only be allowed clear liquids such as broth and unsweetened juice. You'll only be able to sip 2 to 3 oz. at a time. After a few days of clear liquids, your doctor will allow you to have pureed foods -- still liquids-only, but your diet can include blended foods and thicker liquids, such as blended soups, cream of wheat and low-fat yogurt. If you're healing well, after three weeks, you'll be allowed to include soft foods, such as scrambled eggs, soft or canned fruit. You'll eat only soft foods for two months before adding solid foods back into your eating plan.
Diet Tips
After surgery, do not use a straw for your liquids-only diet -- you don't want to suck air into your new, small stomach. Drink and eat slowly, paying close attention to how full you feel. You don't want to overeat, which can cause vomiting. Eat slowly; try to take 30 minutes per meal, recommends the National Institutes of Health. Eat six small meals daily, but don't snack between meals. Don't drink with your meal; you don't to fill up on liquids and lose the vital nutrients your body would get from eating food. You'll need to take a high-quality multivitamin -- probably for the rest of your life.
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