I came across a Web site for some surgeon in Mexico who does gastric bypasses and his FAQ. And one of the questions was, what can you eat after a gastric bypass? His answer? The same things you eat now, just in smaller quantities! I was shocked. I was horrified. So much so that I actually emailed him explaining how that is just not true (shouldn’t he have already known that?) and practically imploring him to stop giving prospective patients such bad advice. What do you know? He did not bother to respond to my email.
So what’s wrong with his answer?
Well, to being with, many people are unable to tolerate certain foods after a gastric bypass. Sugar is a biggie. It can cause something called dumping syndrome. What happens in a “normal” person when they eat something with a lot of sugar in it, is that it sits in the stomach for a while and starts to digest in there. Then the food is slowly released, little by little, into the small intestine. Well, after a gastric bypass, you no longer have a pyloric valve between your stomach and small intestine. There is just a small opening there. So food can pass into the small intestine much more rapidly, and all at once. Then, because the first part of the small intestine has been bypassed, all this sugar can get absorbed into your system much faster than it normally would.
Dumping syndrome causes all sorts of unpleasant symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, profuse sweating, dizziness, feeling faint, and extreme fatigue. It might only last for 15 minutes, or it might last for a few hours.
Not everyone dumps on sugar after a gastric bypass, but many people do. Some people can eat more sugar than others. Some might be fine with 15 grams of sugar, while others dump on as little as six grams.
And it might not just be the sugar in things like candy, cookies, and cake, either. Some people dump on “natural” sugar, like fruit. Bananas seem to be a common culprit. So does orange juice.
People may dump on foods other than sugar. Fatty foods and greasy foods frequently cause dumping syndrome.
And here is something else to consider. Even if you can eat sugar or fatty foods without dumping, do you really think you will lose much weight if you do? You won’t. Well, you will lose some weight in the beginning, because the amounts you can eat will be so restricted. But over time, your stomach will stretch and you will be able to eat larger portions. If you are eating a lot of sugar and fat, your weight loss will slow down, way down. You might start to regain your weight. If you are heavy enough to be considering a gastric bypass, I am guessing you eat a lot of high-calorie foods. You will not be able to eat that after a gastric bypass if you want your surgery to be successful.
There are other foods you might not tolerate so well after a gastric bypass. Some people become lactose intolerant after a gastric bypass. Dairy products may cause nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramping. Some people are only mildly lactose intolerant and they can’t drink milk but do OK with foods like yogurt and cheese. Others can’t tolerate any dairy products.
Some people have trouble with eggs after a gastric bypass. I’m not sure why that is exactly, but it happens.
Some people have trouble with bread after a gastric bypass. When you eat bread, it kind of forms a doughy ball in your stomach. Some people complain that it feels like a rock in their stomach. But you know what? You shouldn’t be eating a lot of bread after a gastric bypass anyway. Too many carbs and not enough protein.
Some people have trouble with pasta and rice. Those items kind of soak up liquid in your stomach and expand, which can make you feel overly full and uncomfortable. But you know what? It’s just like the bread. Too many carbs anyway, and not enough protein.
Some people even have trouble with meat after a gastric bypass. Moist meats go down better. Dark meat chicken may be easier to eat than white meat chicken. Putting some sort of gravy or sauce on meat may make it easier to eat. But I know one woman who pretty much became a vegetarian after her gastric bypass, because meat just made her stomach feel bad.
So you see, you cannot eat the same things after a gastric bypass that you ate before. If your doctor tries to tell you that you can, please, find a new doctor.
