Eating Following Gastric Bypass Surgery

Leading up to and following gastric bypass surgery our life makes some dramatic changes. As we work toward our goal of a healthier slimmer body we continue to learn and practice new habits. Often we find ourself eating less than we did as a toddler. We may find that there are certain foods that we no longer tolerate. Going into surgery we were informed that weight loss surgery was not a magic cure. We are told that weight loss surgery requires a lot of discipline on our part and we quickly learn that it does. Even after attending the pre surgery classes some of the new daily challenges may still come as a shock. The following is a brief outline and some tips on eating as we face these challenges of dieting after gastric bypass surgery.

We quickly learn that we no longer are able to engulf our meals as if we were starving.

Meals are now a special time and we train ourself to take smaller bites and chew every morsel very thoroughly as we enjoy flavors that perhaps we cannot recall previously when engulfing our food.

Meals are now very small and as such must be more nutritious and for some at more frequent intervals. After gastric bypass surgery the new pouch is about 10 percent the size of our old stomach. Too much food we will start to over stretch the pouch. Too little of the proper food can lead to malnutrition.

We start our meal with protein for we must get the most out of each meal.

Fried foods, fatty meats and fats of all kinds should be avoided.

Moist meats and foods will usually go easier than dry and course foods.

When reintroducing foods into our diet we should try only one at at time. In this way we have a better idea of what we can and cannot tolerate.

Salads with more tender forms of less are easier to eat then those made with coarser leafs.

Processed foods should be used in limited quantities to avoid filling our small pouch with foods of limited nutritional value.

For most we will still be able to tolerate foods with very small amounts of sugar. Too much sugar is likely to trigger dumping syndrome. Dumping results in very unpleasant and often very painful bowel symptoms, cramps and diarrhea.

Drink liquids between meals taking in at least 64 ounces of fluid each day to prevent dehydration. Drinking liquids at mealtimes causes the pouch to empty more quickly and signals the body to feel hungry sooner. Beverages taken with meals can also result in a full feel more quickly resulting in lesser amounts of solid foods being taken in! To help insure an adequate intake of fluid we should carry a bottle of water with us.

Our physician will likely recommend the avoidance of alcoholic beverages. These beverages are usually high in calories and may cause ulcers and liver damage. For those that decide to drink anyway they will surely discover that it does not take much to become intoxicated.

Avoid carbonated beverages for they may cause cramping and stretching of the pouch.

Avoid high calorie beverages such as energy drinks, fruit juices and milkshakes. Only drink beverages such as Gatorade and PowerAde if they are diluted.

Avoid caffeinated drinks, sparkling water and whole milk.

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