Gastric Bypass Diet

Juice it up your diet. (courtesy: robertoguglielmo)

Gastric bypass surgery is a surgery which modifies your stomach and other gastrointestinal organ’s structure in order to help you lose weight. Your stomach’s size is reduced, thus you can only eat a small amount of food and already feel full. And if you have had gastric bypass, there is a specific diet which you should stick to.

Usually your hospital’s dietician will give you instructions regarding your diet after surgery. But to further reinforce your knowledge, here are what you should include and what you should avoid for post gastric bypass diet:

Reduce

It is necessary to stick to diet modifications as after surgery, your surgical site is connected with staples, so to keep those in place while letting them heal, you should eat small amounts of foods. It will also be an adaptive process because since you have a smaller stomach, you should also eat a small amount of food.

Can Eat

Immediately after surgery, you will be place on NPO or you will not be allowed to eat or drink anything. This will take at least 24 hours up to 48 hours after surgery. And depending on your recovery, you will slowly be progressed to a liquid diet and then to semisolid foods. At this stage you will be allowed to eat something like liquid broth, juices, milk, or soups or gelatins.

If you are able to tolerate liquids well, you can begin eating pureed foods after a few days. They should be blended very well to prevent you from eating large pieces of foods. This can last for 2 to 4 weeks the most.

After your doctor clears you, you can start consuming a soft diet. This time you can eat foods with distinct textures and can include soft, thinly cut meat, cooked vegetables and soft fruits. This type of diet can be done for at least 8 weeks or as prescribed by your doctor.

After that, you will not be ready to eat the usual foods that you can eat before you had surgery. But, it is highly recommended that you still do it slowly.

Don’ts

Usually it is recommended for you not to eat foods with seeds. Do not eat too much as your stomach can only tolerate a small amount of food, this is very important on the first few weeks post-op. Also do not eat the same things every time. You will still need your usual vitamins and minerals. So, make it a point to still have a balanced diet.

Avoid eating too fast as this can cause foods and liquids to empty form your intestine at a really fast rate. This can cause development of diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal problems. Also avoid sugary foods. It gives your digestive double the work if you eat foods with too many sugars in them. The same goes with foods high in fats.

The Bottom Line

Gastric bypass diet plan is very important after the surgery. It is crucial for you to be familiar of what you can eat and what you can’t. This will allow you to stay healthy and enjoy things you love.