The decision to have bariatric surgery represents not only a choice to have surgery, but also to follow a strict diet for a lifetime to keep you healthy. Following gastric bypass or gastric banding surgery, your bariatric clinic will recommend a multiphase diet that helps you stomach heal and your body to adjust to changing nutritional demands. In addition to following a bariatric clinic diet concerning the foods you eat, you also will change the way that you eat them.
Immediately Following Surgery
The first phase of a bariatric diet is the one you follow immediately after bariatric surgery. This portion of the diet is intended to gauge how well your stomach tolerates food after surgery. You start this phase one or two days following surgery. During this phase you have only liquids, and foods include unsweetened juice, milk, broth, strained cream soup and sugar-free gelatin. Sip these slowly, consuming only about 2 to 3 oz. at a time. Once your stomach has had time to heal, your physician will clear you to begin the next phase of your bariatric diet.
Pureed Foods
After the liquid diet, you will move on to pureed or liquefied foods. This phase typically lasts between two and four weeks, depending upon your recovery progress. You should only eat foods that do not have visible food pieces in the liquid mixture. For this reason, what you eat should be soft and easily blended by adding liquids like water, fat-free milk, broth or no-sugar-added juice. Examples include yogurt, beans, fish, egg whites and soft fruits and vegetables. Your doctor also may recommend drinking 2 oz. of a high-protein liquid supplement hourly. To prevent dehydration, you also should drink about 2 oz. of a noncarbonated, noncaffeinated liquid every 15 minutes.
Soft Foods
The next phase involves incorporating soft, solid foods into your daily diet. As a rule of thumb, these foods should be so soft you can easily mash them with a fork. Examples include oatmeal, mashed potatoes, fresh fruit, cooked vegetables or finely diced meats. The foods should have a consistent texture throughout. This phase typically lasts about eight weeks.
Lifetime Eating Plan
The last phase is the maintenance or lifetime eating plan you will follow after bariatric surgery. Choose foods that have as much nutritional value as possible. Because you can only eat small amounts, you need to maximize nutrition. Choose lean proteins, low-fat dairy and vegetables instead of junk foods. Chew each bite completely and thoroughly -- you should not be able to eat a meal in less than 20 to 30 minutes. Although you can eat most foods in this phase, there are a few you should avoid, including nuts, seeds, tough meats, granola, stringy vegetables and carbonated beverages.
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