Many patients don’t understand how to eat after Gastric Bypass surgery. The myth is you can eat anything you want but that is far from the truth. You must maintain a healthy high protein diet after Gastric Bypass surgery.
A healthy diet consists of 60 to 100 grams of protein each day. After gastric bypass surgery your daily caloric intake will 700 to 1000 calories. When you consider one piece of string cheese has 8 grams of protein and your stomach will be the size of an egg the challenge becomes clear. Protein powder supplements will be necessary to meet the protein requirements daily.
To prepare for your gastric bypass your doctor may put you on a liquid protein diet for two weeks prior to surgery. If you have difficulty taking supplements this would be the time to experiment with different kinds of protein powder to find the perfect one. The most common sources of protein are whey and soy. The protein powder you select should have a website listed on the label where they offer different protein drink recipes to try. Caution: just after surgery nothing solid or hard is allowed in your stomach. Do not use fruits that have seeds in your protein drinks. Sweeten your protein drinks with sweeteners instead of sugar or honey. After surgery your sugar intake is limited to only 5 grams of sugar at a time. Five grams of sugar is just slightly over a teaspoon.
Eating too much sugar will cause dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome is very unpleasant to experience and it will cure you of breaking your new dietary rules in the future. Dumping syndrome causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, lightheadedness, bloating, belching, fatigue, heart palpitations, or rapid heart rate. If dumping syndrome occurs just lye down and wait until it passes. Remember to never eat more than 5 grams of sugar (about one graham cracker) at a time.
There are five stages of eating to reintroduce food to your stomach after gastric bypass surgery. The most important rule to remember is to always eat your protein first. You will be eating very small amounts of food in the beginning and you don’t want to fill up on other things first and not have room for your protein. Protein will keep you full and satisfied.
Your style of eating will change. After surgery your eating will be slow and deliberate. Your stomach opening will be very small making it essential for you to chew each bite thoroughly. Get in the habit of putting your fork down after each bite and giving yourself time to chew.
The first eating stage is clear liquids and you will be eating clear liquids when you come home from the hospital and for a day or two after which gives your stomach time to heal. Clear liquids include clear beef or chicken broth, sugar free gelatin, and 3 protein drinks daily made with seedless fruit and sweeteners. Always eat your protein first and drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water each day. Once your stomach feels comfortable eating clear liquids move to full liquids.
The second eating stage is full liquids where you will be eating cooked cream of wheat or rice, skim milk, fat free cream soup, sugar free pudding, lite free yogurt, and 3 protein drinks daily made with seedless fruit and sweeteners. Eat your soup and protein drink first. When you feel comfortable eating full liquids move to pureed foods.
The third stage is pureed food where you will eat strained or pureed lean meats or poultry, low fat cottage cheese which must be mixed well in a blender, skim milk, sugar free pudding, lite fat free yogurt and 3 protein drinks made with seedless fruit and sweeteners. In this stage more carbohydrates are added. You are allowed cooked cereal (do not add sugar) and mashed potatoes (no skins). Fruits and vegetables must be strained or pureed. Because straining and pureeing food is labor intensive consider eating baby food during this stage. It is important to eat nothing that contains lumps or hard pieces. Once your stomach feels comfortable digesting pureed food, move to the fourth stage of mechanical soft food.
The fourth eating stage is mechanical soft where you will eat ground meat, chicken, or turkey for protein. Again protein must be eaten first. Potatoes are allowed without skins, dry cereal (no nuts or hard pieces) and canned unsweetened or soft fruit. You can eat either frozen or fresh cooked vegetables. Avoid vegetables with seeds, tough skins, or anything that is stringy like celery. Some vegetable juice, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and squash can cause uncomfortable gas and should be eaten in moderation or avoided entirely. Three to six moths after your surgery you will tolerate most soft vegetables. Continue having three protein drinks a day. Once your stomach easily digests mechanical soft food go to the fifth stage of eating.
The fifth eating stage is soft food which is more solid food including diced lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low fat cottage cheese or turkey. Remember to chew each bite thoroughly and eat your protein first. It will now become easier to eat your target of 60 to 100 grams of protein a day. You will still need to have 3 protein drinks daily. More carbohydrates are added in this stage and include cooked or dry cereal, potatoes (no skins), whole wheat breads, pasta, and brown rice. Unsweetened fruits packed in juice or water only and soft cooked vegetables are allowed. Once your stomach digests soft food easily you are ready to eating normal food again.
You are now ready to eat regular solid food again. This means you will be eating similar to the soft food stage but without having to process your food. You will still drink 3 protein drinks a day and eight glasses of water every day. Your sugar intake is still restricted so no adding sugar to your breakfast cereal.
Follow the basic principles of healthy eating. Avoid anything white which is white sugar, white flour, white rice and anything made with these ingredients. Add a chewable multi-vitamin to your diet as soon as your stomach can tolerate it which should be just a few days after surgery.
You will need to give up caffeine several weeks before your surgery. Caffeine is a very strong drug and will have to be slowly eliminated over several weeks to avoid strong side effects of withdraw. After surgery carbonated drinks are not allowed because they will stretch the stomach pouch.
Weight loss will be very quick after gastric bypass surgery. It is essential that you exercise by walking a minimum of 30 minutes a day. This will strengthen your body, your heart and lower blood pressure. If you take medication for type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol your doctor may need to adjust your medication shortly often after your surgery. Eat healthy, feel better, and live longer.
Eat healthy, live longer.
Reference:
- Blossom Bariatrics www.blossombariatrics.com/
