• Hi, If you cannot get into the site, be sure to Contact Us. Please be advised that the app is no longer in use!

Post op diet tips

clare12345

New Member
I thought this maybe useful for some people pre op. most of it you may know but here goes. This article was for a variety of surgeries so not wrap specific. The drinking bit was most useful for me.


Post Bariatric Surgery Diet

After your weight loss surgery you will progress from a liquid diet to a pureed diet/soft diet, then on to a regular diet. (Your new regular diet.) How long you spend in each stage will depend on your surgeon's recommendations.

Once you're back to eating regular foods, there are some general meal planning/eating guidelines you'll need to adhere to, regardless of which weight loss surgery you've had:

Eat 5-6 small small meals per day

You won't be able to eat very much at one time so you'll need to eat frequently in order to avoid low blood sugar and to assure adequate nutrition. In the beginning your "new stomach" (also called a "pouch") can only hold about 1 oz, but eventually will stretch out to hold 1/2, 1 or even 1 1/2 cups.

(In other words, your new stomach will eventually stretch to the size of 1 egg or 1 lemon, whereas it used to be the size of a football!)

It's important to make good sensible nutritional choices at each of your small meals...

...you don't want to be eating 1 oz of M&Ms every couple of hours!

That being said...

Every meal should include a protein rich food:



chicken
turkey
fish
meat
milk
yogurt
cheese
eggs
beans
tofu
protein powders
Protein is essential AND protein fills you up!

Chew thoroughly

I'm guessing your mom told you this at some point, but with your post bariatric surgery diet, good chewing has never been so important!

You should chew your food so thoroughly that it's unidentifiable before you swallow it. This will help slow you down and assure you get the maximal satisfaction out of a very small portion of food - as well as prevent painful blockages that can be caused by big chunks of undigested food.

Drink 6-8 cups of non-caloric beverages/day (48-64 oz)

Water is the best choice to hydrate yourself with, but if you need more variety, it's ok to have calorie-free, caffeine free beverages:

water
decaf diet ice tea
Crystal Light
diet Gatorade
diet Snapple
decaf or herbal tea
decaf coffee
Liquid to Avoid:

regular soda pop
high calorie coffee drinks like frappuccinos
Sweetened beverages such as Hi-C, Kool-Aid, fruit juice, sweetened tea
milk shakes
alcohol
These drinks are sometimes refered to as "soft calories." That's because they go down easy, don't fill you up and can prevent weight loss.

Carbonated beverages will give you gas, but it's never been proven that carbonation stretches your pouch as once thought. So in theory, diet soda might be ok to drink. However, it's not exactly a health drink! Follow your surgeon's suggestions, as opinions vary about drinking diet soda pop.
Immediately following your surgery, you'll likely have trouble getting all the liquid you need. That's because your new "pouch" has just been formed and it's swollen! There's not room in it for much in the beginning!

Since you won't be able to drink very much at one time post surgery you'll need to sip all day long in the beginning.

Try to drink 1 oz over the course of 15 minutes. That means 4 oz per hour. Remember you need 48-64oz per day to stay hydrated, so you'll need to sip for 12-16 hours/day!

Know the signs of dehydration:

dry mouth
dark urine
infrequent urination
constipation
light headedness
fainting
Now here's the tricky part:

Your body needs you to drink 48-64 oz of fluids per day, but your bariatric surgery diet says...

Avoid eating and drinking at the same time

Eating and drinking at the same time "washes" food out of your pouch and leaves you not feeling full. (And isn't that the feeling that got you into this mess in the first place???)

The general guideline is no liquids 20-30 minutes before and after solid foods!

Bariatric Surgery Diet: Foods to Avoid

Simple/"Junky" Carbohydrates:

white bread
white rice
white pasta
sweets
chips
pretzels
candy/ice cream
These foods provide excess calories that will make weight loss almost impossible, and the sugary ones can cause "dumping syndrome" if you've had gastric bypass.

Dumping syndrome occurs when the undigested contents of your stomach are transported or "dumped" into your small intestine too rapidly. Common symptoms include abdominal cramps and nausea.
Lactose intolerance may also be a problem following the the gastric bypass. You can generally try to reintroduce dairy products a few weeks after your surgery. However, follow your doctor's specific advice.

In general, consuming high calorie, high fat and high sugar foods and/or drinks on a regular basis will minimize the effectiveness of your weight loss surgery.

Post Bariatric Surgery Diet: Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation

Depending on which surgery you've had, you may or may not need vitamin/mineral supplementation. Consult your doctor.
 
Top