Diet for Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass surgery is an operation to reduce stomach size and bypass part of the small intestine in an effort to help the patient lose weight. The diet that is prescribed after surgery is different from what you can eat once you are healed. However, even after healing, your diet will need to change compared to what you ate before. This doesn't mean you will be confined to a boring diet, just that it will be altered.

First Months

• Following surgery you start out with liquids only for the first few days. This progresses to slightly thicker foods such as creamed soups and cooked oatmeal. After a few days more, pureed foods are allowed. These are like a thick paste. Introduce soft foods by the end of the first month. Ground meats, cooked vegetables, and soft fruits are on this list.

During Overall Recovery

• Eat only small amounts of food at one time. This means you will have many meals in one day in the beginning. Once you are used to eating less at each meal, reduce the number of meals over time until you are eating the normal three meals a day. You should include foods containing protein to aid in healing after the operation. These include such things as lean beef, fish, beans, and cheese.

Long Term

• Changes to your diet will be permanent after surgery. Your stomach is smaller and does not take in as much food at one time. Meals will consist of smaller amounts of food for a lifetime. Eating more than your stomach should hold can lead to nausea and stomach pain.

  Drink liquids throughout the day, but not when eating. Since the stomach is so much smaller, drinking during meals can take up all the space available. You should also eat slowly to avoid nausea and dizziness, and you should avoid fatty foods and sugars for the same reasons. Examples of these foods are bacon, hamburgers, candy, and ice cream. You should also be careful of foods that seem safe, such as orange juice or cereals. Juice often contains added fructose beyond what is in it naturally, and cereals that state that they are whole grain are sometimes coated in sugar. On the other hand fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean meats are among the foods that are allowed. You can develope many recipes from these so that you keep your diet interesting.