Gastric Bypass Diet

The gastric bypass diet is what you will be following for the first 8 weeks following weight loss surgery. This post bariatric surgery diet will be the same regardless of the type of weight loss surgery that you underwent. This diet is essential following the surgery and many people will be given information or attend classes that will teach this diet prior to having your obesity surgery. It will take time to eat each meal. So, take your time and allow 30 minutes for each of the 5-6 meals that you will be eating each day. This diet is necessary to allow your body time to recover from the surgery and to give you time to get used to your much smaller stomach.

The gastric bypass diet consists of 4 stages and it takes about 8 weeks to go through all 4 of these stages of the gastric bypass food plan. You will return to eating many of the foods you ate in the past, but hopefully your food choices will be wise and your portion sizes will remain under control.

Stage 1-This stage will be gelatin and clear liquids. This stage is will last 24-48 hours and you will have to be past this stage before you leave the hospital in most cases.

Stage 2-This stage begins 24-48 hours following your surgery. This stage can last anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. This stage of the gastric bypass diet consists of 3 things only…baby food, low-sugar protein shake and strained pureed foods. You can eat any or all of these options. Keep in mind; if you have to chew it, it is not stage 2. Nothing in this stage should have to be chewed. You should be consuming 32 ounces of liquid each day as well as 60 grams of protein. You should stop any fluid consumption 30 minutes before you eat and should not drink for 30 minutes following eating.

Stage 3-This can begin at 2 weeks or you can wait as long as 8 weeks to begin this phase of your gastric bypass diet. At this point you will begin adding soft foods back into your diet. Cottage cheese and eggs were 2 of the foods that I ate first. They were high in protein and soft. It is important that you remember to chew this food until it is liquid. You cannot chew too much. This may be difficult to remember, because many people are not used to chewing their food in this manner. If you eat too quickly or do not chew enough, you may end up with results that you will not forget. You could end up in extreme pain or end up vomiting. Experiment with the different foods that you eat. Vegetables and meats will prove to be the most difficult.

Stage 4-Your surgery should have healed enough that you can eat almost anything you ate before. You will just be eating a lot less of it. Firm meats should be cut up into small pieces and you may want to soften it with liquid. Proceed with caution when you are eating a food for the first time. Always limit your sugar and fat intake. These are the food products that are likely to cause discomfort and possibly, dumping syndrome.

This is an exciting time in your life. It is a chance for you to regain your health and diet will always be a big part of that. The time will come when you may be able to gain weight again. Now is the time to change your lifestyle. Learn to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, keep a healthy mental outlook on life and develop a support system. You have been given a new lease on life. Take advantage of it!