Questions About Diet After Gastric Bypass
What Food Can I Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Obese patients who undergo stomach bypass need to make significant dietary changes to their normal daily eating habits. For the first couple of days after your operation you ingest only clear liquids. For the following 14 days, or so, you may add other liquids. Then you progress to a pureed semi-solid diet for about the next five weeks. Finally, about eight weeks after bypass surgery, you progress to a solid food diet, low in fat and sugar.
How Many Meals Should I Eat Each Day, After Gastric Bypass?
To begin with, you need to eat about 5 to 6 small meals/snacks each day. Over time, your new small stomach pouch will stretch more and allow you to eat slightly larger meals. With time, you will be able to eat 3 meals and 1 to 2 high-protein snacks a day.
How Do I Maintain the Proper Intake of Nutrients?
As part of your post-operative support, your dietitian will help you plan healthy meals with maximum nutritional ingredients. For example, you learn how to include a variety of foods in your diet that are rich in nutrients like protein, fat and carbs, plus micronutrients like vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals for optimum nutrition. However, since your digestive system cannot absorb all the necessary nutrition from food after a gastric bypass operation, your bariatric physician or dietitian will place you on a lifelong program of nutritional supplements.
How Do I Recognize the Dangers of Over-Eating?
The symptoms of overeating or eating the wrong foods are immediate. They include:
- Pressure or fullness in the center below your rib cage
- Nausea
- Pain in your shoulder or upper chest
Note: When you start to experience feelings of fullness, stop eating, even if you have not finished your meal.
Can I Exercise After Having a Stomach Bypass?
Yes. Bariatric surgeons recommend some immediate gentle exercise, like slow walking. Physical activity helps to maintain muscle mass and maximize your weight loss. However, for optimum health, always discuss exercise options with your doctor.
What Support is Available to Help Me Make These Diet Changes?
Most weight loss centers that perform bariatric bypass surgeries offer comprehensive counseling on post-operative diet and eating guidelines. In addition, a dietitian will help you to plan meals and recipes. Finally, most surgical centers maintain local support groups for mutual patient support and motivation.
What Happens If I Cheat and Overeat After Gastric Bypass?
Many obese patients who have gastric bypass surgery have experienced problems with overeating. The causes for this type of disordered eating are complex, involving genetics, emotions, hormones, family-upbringing, and even brain function. None of this changes after stomach bypass surgery, except that the stomach is now much smaller and can accomodate only small food portions. If you eat more than your new stomach can hold, you will experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and dehydration, expansion of the pouch, and ultimately reduced weight loss and possible weight gain.
Note: Gastrointestinal weight loss surgery, whether bypass or stomach banding, to reduce severe clinical obesity is a serious undertaking requiring detailed consultation with your doctor and bariatric physician. In particular, it necessitates significant lifelong changes to patients dietary and eating habits.
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