Losing weight via bariatric surgery requires permanent lifestyle changes. Although the surgery will help you to lose weight, you can protect your health and sustain your weight loss by following your doctor's directions. Your diet immediately after surgery will be liquid. You will drink just small amounts, which is all that your stomach will be able to handle. You will then transition to soft foods that will provide nutrients without damaging your stomach while you heal. Eventually, you will begin eating soft and then solid foods, but it will be in much smaller quantities -- about 1 cup of food per meal.
Liquid Diet
You can expect to consume nothing but liquids for about two weeks after your surgery.Your liquid diet will be protein rich to promote healing and support your muscle mass. Additionally, you may drink clear or full liquids, such as broth, tea, gelatin, ice pops, coffee and water, as your doctor advises.
Pureed Meals
You can expect to start eating pureed foods about three to five weeks after surgery. These will have a consistency between liquid and semi-solid. You will continue to lose weight while your body adjusts to taking in less. Some pureed foods are available for purchase and are convenient and easy to eat. You can include items such as plain yogurt, applesauce or pudding in your diet at this time. You can also puree foods at home in your blender. Some ideas for these foods are hummus, strained soups, rice cereal, mashed potatoes and cottage cheese. You will have to avoid large chunks or seeds that could injure your stomach, which is still healing.
Soft Meal Plan
About six weeks after surgery, you will transition into eating soft foods. Your foods will be soft enough to mash with a fork. While eating soft foods, you are preparing your digestive tract for regular foods, but you may still need to limit your intake to about 3 tablespoons of each food at a time. You will be able to eat eggs, peanut butter and soft cheese. You may include meats such as fish, poultry and even beef, but they need to be tender. You may eat soft fruits and vegetables. Cereals such as oatmeal should be cooked to the point at which you can mash them with a fork. Additional foods that you can eat include bananas, beans, farina, peas and legumes.
Regular Foods
You will begin eating regular foods about seven weeks after you have surgery, which when eaten in small amounts, will allow you to continue losing weight. You can eat regular foods as part of a low-fat diet, but your total intake will remain at approximately 1 cup or less of food at each meal. Chew your food thoroughly with each bite, approximately 25 times, to ensure that it is broken down. Your physician may recommend that you avoid drinking fluids while eating, as your stomach may be unable to tolerate both food and drink at the same time. Some foods will be entirely off limits, regardless of the amount of time that has passed since your surgery. Among them: nuts, stringy foods such as raw celery, foods with skins and foods with large amounts of fat.
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