What to Eat After a Sleeve Gastrectomy

A sleeve gastrectomy requires a drastic change to your diet and your lifestyle. According to obesityhelp.com, the procedure restricts the size of the stomach by 85 percent or more, so tailoring your eating habits will help you lose weight and stay healthy by emphasizing nutrient-rich foods---lean protein, vegetables and fruits, and whole grains. While the initial phase of your post-surgery diet will consist only of liquids, you'll gradually work up to soft foods and eventually will be able to eat solid food again.

In the hospital

• After the sleeve gastrectomy procedure, your doctor will restrict your diet to clear, sugar-free liquids for two to four meals. You can have about 3 ounces per hour of water, tea, broth, sugar-free gelatin or uncarbonated sports drinks, according to the Cornell Weight Loss Surgery Program. For the rest of your hospital stay, a diet of pureed foods that are low in fat and sugar is typical---pureed meats, vegetables and fruits, including mashed potatoes and applesauce.

Soft Diet

• After discharge, your diet will change to accommodate your new lifestyle. The Cornell program recommends staying on a soft diet for three to four weeks. Soft, poached eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, sugar-free pudding, oatmeal, grits and applesauce are all fine to eat during that period. Meats and cooked vegetables should be pulsed in a blender until soft.

  The amounts of food you can eat after the sleeve gastrectomy are still limited---between ¼ and ½ cup of bread and cereal, fruit and vegetables. Proteins are limited to ½ to ¾ cup per day, while dairy intake should stay between ¾ and 1 cup of milk, cheese or yogurt. Drink at least six to eight 8-ounce cups of water, unsweetened juice or sugar-free drinks.

Solid Diet

• Based on your success with the soft diet, you can begin experimenting with solid foods. Lean proteins, vegetables and fruits, and whole grains should be staples of this diet. Avoid foods that are high in fat or sugar. The Cornell program advises that the solid diet will be different for everyone: Some foods won't agree with you and will need to be removed from your diet.