Type of Foods to Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery
Rapid weight loss is possible, thanks to a surgical procedure called the gastric bypass. In essence, this weight loss surgery reduces the size of a part of the stomach and connects it to the small intestine. By doing so, it prevents overeating and helps gain satisfaction after eating small meals. After the surgery, the stomach volume becomes smaller and, as a result, can contain only 1 ounce of food (which stretches to 8 ounces over time).
Have you gone through weight loss surgery? Because of the changes in your digestive system, you need to follow a diet after the surgery. You also need to consult a registered dietician to know the foods you must eat, how to eat them, and how much to eat. Your post-surgery diet must be planned carefully to avoid sudden weight gain and other complications such as vomiting. Also, the right diets helps shorten the recovery period, ease pain on the surgical areas, and adjust your body to the changes in eating habits.
For the first two days after your surgery, eating is not allowed. Then after several months, you are required to eat certain foods that vary in softness and texture. Weight loss surgery patients follow a diet progression that begins with liquids and proceeds to pureed foods and soft foods. The first phase is the liquid diet consisting of water, milk, juice, broth, and soup. It is followed by three to four weeks of puree diet that includes foods with a texture of a thick liquid or a smooth paste.
Examples are yogurt (low fat or sugar free), oatmeal, pureed meat, and pureed fruits, among others. The third phase is an eight-week soft diet that consists of foods that are easy to chew such as fresh fruits, ground meats, and cooked vegetables. Afterwards, you can move on to the last phase, which is the solid diet. Just be sure to avoid overeating and skipping meals.
Usually, every meal should include foods rich in protein such as cheese, lean meat, and eggs. You need protein because it helps in repairing and maintaining the tissues in your body after the surgery.
After the surgery, it is recommended that you start with six small meals every day. After a few weeks, move on to four meals a day and then reduce it to three meals a day once you have started following a regular solid diet.
The rate at which your body adjusts to the new diet and eating habits determines how fast you must proceed from one diet phase to another. Most patients begin eating solid foods three months after the surgery, but for some, it can happen sooner.
When complemented with regular exercise, following the right diet leads to a 50 to 60 percent weight loss two years after the surgery. What’s more, you enjoy the weight loss benefits of the surgery for good of you consistently maintain the right diet.
Of course, there’s a price to pay for not following the doctor’s or dietician’s recommendations on diet and exercise. Weight gain is the usual result of bad health practices such as lack of exercise, overeating, and high-calorie food and beverage intake. If it happens to you, visit your doctor to discuss the possible solutions. That way, you will be able to get the most out of gastric bypass surgery.