After Weight Loss Surgery Diet!

After undergoing weight-loss surgery, going back to your old eating habits is out of the question for a few different reasons. Initially, your body will only be able to handle very small volumes of food, but eventually, healthy eating habits will be required to maintain your post-surgery weight loss.

Start Out Small

1. Right after the surgery, your stomach will not be able to accept more than an ounce of food at a time. For the first few days, only consume liquids. After that, move up to pureed food. Doctors usually advise patients to stick with pureed food for three or four weeks. After the pureed food period, you will be able to add soft foods like bread and fruit to your diet, but in small amounts.
   
   Typically, patients begin adding normal foods to their diets three months after surgery, but your doctor will work closely with you to determine exactly when you should progress to this step.
   
   At every stage, quantity is as important as the food choices you are making. You need to strike a balance between consuming enough calories to get the nutrients you need and not eating so much in a sitting that you become ill. You can spread out your calories and avoid sickness by starting out with six small meals a day, then five slightly larger meals and so on until you reach a point where you can comfortable consume enough calories in three meals a day.

What to Eat

2. After weight-loss surgery, it is important to establish healthy eating habits that you can maintain for life. This means limited (or eliminating) high-fat, high-sugar foods such as candy, baked goods, ice cream and fried foods. Immediately after your surgery, these foods are not well tolerated by patients anyway; however, you should avoid adding them to your diet as you heal simply because you can tolerate them again.
   
   Directly after your operation, lean protein and low-fat dairy products should form the foundation of most of your meals. Protein will help your body heal, and these healthy foods will help you stay on track with your weight loss.
   
   When you make the move to regular foods, you can begin to add fiber-rich carbohydrates to your diet. They key is to add new foods back into your diet one at a time, so you can monitor your reaction to them. If you find that digestion is difficult, put that food on the back burner while you continue to heal from your operation.
   
   A nutritionist can help you develop an eating plan that suits your personal needs and tastes. Most weight-loss surgery centers provide nutritionists for their patients as part of the recovery process, but if your center does not, ask your doctor to recommend someone.

Dealing with Liquids

3. Liquids count when it comes to calculating the volume of food you can eat at each sitting. For the first few months after your surgery, you should not drink anything while eating your meals. Since you are eating such small amounts anyway, drinking while you eat will prevent you from getting enough calories at your meals.
   
   When you make the move to regular foods and get on a stable diet, you can start consuming liquids with your meals. Just add them slowly and work with your doctor to determine when you are ready. In the interim, sip liquids slowly through the day between meals, aiming to drink six to eight cups of liquid per day. Water is the best choice, but diet sodas, coffee and tea are acceptable, provided you can tolerate them. Avoid regular soda and sugary juices.