Post-Surgery Bariatric Diet

After bariatric weight loss surgery it is absolutely essential to follow specific bariatric eating guidelines that will ensure that you properly heal and obtain adequate nutrition. Weight loss surgery is a surgical "tool" that can help you reduce unhealthy weight and body fat. It is successful about 80% of the time. The number one reason for failure 20% of the time, is due to not following the post surgery diet prescribed by the bariatric surgeon or dietician.
Ideally, your diet should have changed before bariatric weight loss surgery to get you into the habit of eating more protein, eating less and eating healthy. Immediately after your bariatric surgery, your eating habits will drastically change in ways that will have a major impact on your lifestyle, for the rest of your life. After surgery, it will generally take about 9-12 weeks for you to gradually progress to eating solid foods.
After bariatric surgery, you will always have to take supplements to provide vital vitamins and minerals protein and other nutrients that you'll no longer be able to absorb in your surgically modified stomach and intestine. You must also realize that, for the rest of your life, protein will be your top priority when making food choices. The minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60 grams per day and men need 60 to 70 grams of protein per day. It's usually not possible to consume that much protein from foods alone during the first month after bariatric surgery. Most bariatric surgery patients useliquid protein supplements of some kind during the first few months after surgery, and many continue to use them as a convenient source of protein for the rest of their lives. Some of the more popular liquid protein supplements used after bariatric surgery include shakes, fruit drinks , hot drinks, smoothies, soups and puddings and also protein waters with lno sugar added.
Post weight loss surgery diet guidelines will vary by surgeon. Every bariatric surgeon does not perform the exact same surgery procedure; therefore, the prescribed bariatric diet guidelines will be different for each surgeon and each type of weight loss surgery. It is very important to strictly comply with your surgeon's or dietician's recommended diet guidelines. Following are some generally accepted post bariatric surgery guidelines a weight loss patient may be required to follow:
Gastric Bypass Bariatric Diet: The First Three Months

After gastric bypass surgery, your newly created stomach pouch, which is about the size of a walnut, is healing. It is absolutely essential to follow specific bariatric eating guidelines that will ensure that you properly heal, while obtaining adequate nutrition. In most cases, you'll  will need to follow a gastric bypass or bariatric diet for approximately three months. Once the pouch has healed, you'll still need to keep your portion sizes small and calorie levels reduced, in order to continue your weight loss. Your gastric bypass diet, which your surgeon or dietitian will create for you, typically involves a four phase plan. You will advance gradually through the phases, depending on your tolerance. Keep in mind, every person is different and will progress through the phases of the post surgery bariatric diet at a different rate:  No worries we are here to help support you along the way.

Clear liquid diet - For the first one to two weeks after gastric bypass surgery, your most important goal is to keep well hydrated. Your aim should be to drink 64 ounces of fluids per day. Immediately after gastric bypass surgery, you will need to sip only clear liquids that you can see through. Clear liquids include Crystal light, broths like clear beef, chicken and vegetable broths, sugar-free gelatin and artificially sweetened non-carbonated beverages. Avoid using a straw and continue to sip slowly throughout the day, 1 to 2 ounces over 30 minutes.

Full liquid diet - Within a week of bariatric surgery, you can add full liquids to your diet. Full-liquids are basically fluids you cannot see through. They include the broth of low fat, cream soups, protein shakes, skim milk, yogurt and diet puddings.

Pureed diet - Pureed foods are foods with a consistency of apple sauce. Pureed foods contain no pieces or chunks. Foods that are merely cut into small pieces are not acceptable. Incorporate high protein, pureed foods into your diet. To puree, place food into a blender or food processor ( magic bullets works well) and add some liquid broth, skim milk or low-calorie gravy. Puree until smooth. When your surgeon allows, begin taking a chewable vitamin supplement with minerals. Continue to drink plenty of fluid, however do NOT eat and drink at the same time. It is suggested that you stop drinking fluids 20-30 minutes before you plan to eat. After eating, wait 20-30 minutes before drinking fluids again. Pureed foods are usually eaten for three to four weeks, allowing the opening in the stomach pouch to heal.

Soft foods, regular diet - By five to six weeks after surgery, incorporate soft foods with more texture into your bariatric diet. Soft foods should be tender and easy to chew, such as ground or finely diced meats, canned or soft fruit, cooked vegetables, rice, macaroni, noodles. During this diet transition, you will eat many small meals a day and sip water in between. Perhaps starting with six small meals a day, you will then gradually progress to four meals. Meals should include protein rich foods, such as lean meat, yogurt and eggs. You will usually eat soft foods for about eight weeks before progressing to regular texture foods, as recommended by your surgeon of dietitian.