What you will eat and the portion size will definitely change after you undergo gastric bypass surgery. Gastric bypass diet should always be observed in order to make the procedure highly successful.
After the surgery, the size of the stomach will decreased up to the size of a walnut that is why you cannot continue eating the way you did before the procedure. You have to follow strictly the gastric bypass diet to ensure long term weight loss and to avoid complications.
You may ask a registered dietician in order to assist you in knowing the foods to eat and how large the portion of the meal will be.
Gastric Bypass Diet for First Three Months
You may not be able to eat anything after the first two days after the surgery. This is to give the body to adapt to the changes made to your stomach and make the healing progress faster. The doctor will advise you when and what are the liquid foods that are allowed for you after several days of gastric bypass diet.
The common phases of the gastric bypass diet may include:
Liquids - should be kept in room temperature and most commonly contain water. These are usually given one to two days after surgery. Samples of liquid foods are:
Milk
Broth
Juice
Strained Cream soup
Pureed foods - are usually given three to four weeks after the gastric bypass surgery. Samples of pureed foods include:
Protein shakes
Scrambled eggs
Yogurt (low fat)
Milk (skim or low fat)
Frozen yogurt (low fat)
Soft foods - are foods, which are soft and easy to chew, are usually given after one month to two months after the gastric bypass surgery. Samples of the soft foods you may eat are:
Finely diced meats
Cooked vegetables
Fresh fruit
Your dietitian will guide you accordingly the foods which you should eat and not to eat. Follow them strictly to avoid complications
Chew your food slowly. Eating foods or gulping drinks hurriedly may lead to dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome happens when your intake of foods or liquids is large and too quickly enters your small intestine and this may lead to nausea, vomiting, dizziness and sweating.
Eat only in small amounts. After the surgery, your stomach can only hold about one ounce of food and this may stretch over a long period of time. Do not eat more than what your stomach can hold to avoid complications. It is recommended that you stop eating before you become full.
Don't drink any form of liquid between meals. Drinking liquids during mealtime may result to pain, vomiting and dumping syndrome.
Introduce food at a time. There are foods that may give poor reaction so it is important that you introduce certain type of food one at a time in order to give your stomach the time to accept it.
If the food gives poor reaction, you may try that food after several weeks.
However, it is important that whatever pain you feel after surgery should be informed to your doctor.
