Foods to Eat After a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

If you have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), you may wonder what foods you can eat following this severe weight-loss procedure. Your stomach will be smaller, and it will be some time before you will be able to consume and digest foods that you previously enjoyed. By adhering to the a specific dietary plan, you should be able to ease your way back to a solid foods diet and work at maintaining a healthy weight.

Liquids

• Following surgery, you are at risk of dehydration, so you must drink plenty of fluids as you begin
  your sugar-free, clear liquid diet, in conjunction with a protein supplement. After surgery, a common tray of food may include clear broth, diet jello, decaffeinated tea or sugar-free juice, and water. You will sip small amounts of liquids (you will not use a straw, as it may increase gas problems and cause discomfort).

  Your physician will decide when you can progress to a full liquid diet. When you do move to that stage, you can eat items like cream of wheat cereal, fat-free cream soup, fat-free pudding, oatmeal and sugar-free plain yogurt. Your physician may send you home once you have shown you can tolerate this diet.

  You should take a mineral or vitamin supplement daily following your surgery. In the first four to six weeks, consume these supplements in chewable form. Once you are on a regular foods diet, you can take the supplement in pill form.

Soft Foods

• Some patients are able to advance more quickly than others to a pureed diet consisting of soft semi-solid foods. If you feel full after only a few teaspoons of food, then you may need to stick to a full liquid diet for up to six weeks before moving to soft foods. Consult with your physician to determine when you are prepared to move from liquids to soft foods.

  When you do progress to a soft foods diet, you should consume nonsolid foods for four to six weeks, eating 550 to 700 calories and at least 60 g of protein daily. You should eat small foods that will pass through the newly formed pouch and stomach with no problems, as your new stomach pouch can only handle 1 to 2 oz. at a time. As time goes by, your stomach pouch will expand some, allowing you to eat about one-half to two-thirds cups of food during each meal.

  Some foods you should consider eating include cottage cheese, egg whites beaters, ground meats, hummus, oatmeal, pudding (fat-free and sugar-free), ricotta cheese, skim or 1 percent milk, soft cheeses, soft flaky fish, tofu products and tuna.

  At this time, your liquids of choice could include coffee, noncarbonated diet drinks, skim or 1 percent low-fat milk, or tea. You should consume at least six 8-oz. cups of liquid spread throughout a day. Check with your physician to see if, at a later time, alcoholic beverages like beer or wine are acceptable to have on occasion.

Regular Foods

• Eventually, your tolerance for soft foods will allow you to move on to a regular diet, where you can consume regular foods. You will learn how to chew food carefully and to drink liquids between meals rather than with them. See which foods you can tolerate and try to have three small meals daily (eating slowly), with one or more protein supplements. Continue to limit fat, fruits, sugar, vegetables and whole grains, and unless your physician says otherwise, do not eat snacks between meals. If you start to feel full, stop eating.

  To keep your protein intake at high levels, eat eggs, fish, legumes (beans and peas), meat, nuts and poultry. You also will get good protein from dairy products such as milk and yogurt. If you're a vegetarian, you can get your protein from beans, grains, nuts, soy, tempeh, tofu and vegetables.

  After your surgery, you may not be able to eat fiber-rich foods, or red meats, rice and pasta; in fact, you should avoid red meats for the first three to six months following surgery. Keep in mind that eating the wrong kinds of foods (for instance, fatty foods, high-calorie liquids and sweets) can result in nausea and vomiting.

  Six months or so after your surgery, you will follow a long-term maintenance diet, which you will follow for the rest of your life. Your diet will consist of regular table foods, but in small portions. Continue to consult with your physician, as your dietary needs may change as time goes on.