What to Eat When One is on a Gastric Bypass Diet

After gastric bypass surgery, one has to follow a specific diet to promote healthier weight loss and better health. A registered dietician can help in creating a gastric bypass diet, which includes what to eat and how much. This should be followed strictly to get the best results.

For a few days directly ensuing the gastric bypass surgery, the patient is not permitted to eat. After that, he or she is only allowed to eat certain kinds of food that strictly follows a diet progression. This will give the patient’s body some time to recuperate and adapt to the new eating patterns, as well as lessen the stress on the area where the surgery was performed.

A gastric bypass diet follows these phases in progression:

1. Liquid food - broth, juice, cooked cereal, milk and similar foods to be taken in 1-2 days

2. Pureed foods - foods with a consistency of a thick liquid or paste, usually for 3-4 weeks, or as recommended by the dietician

3. Soft foods - finely diced meats, soft, fresh fruit, cooked vegetables, and similar foods for 8 weeks, or as recommended by the dietitian

When you are going through the gastric bypass diet progression, you can eat many small meals and several sips of liquids in between meals. It is never advisable to take liquids together with the meal. A recommended start is 6 small meals a day, then down to 4 meals, then decrease to 3 meals a day. Foods rich in protein such as lean meat, low-fat dairy products and eggs are recommended to maintain and repair the body after the gastric bypass surgery.

The progression in the diet depends mainly on how well the patient adjust to the new eating pattern. These are some tips on how to ensure that your body gets the much-needed nutrients:

1. Small amounts should be taken in meals. Eating a lot when on a gastric bypass diet might cause pain, nausea and vomiting. So, you should stop eating once you feel full.

2. Eat and drink slowly so that dumping syndrome will be avoided. Also avoid foods high in sugar and fat.

3. Chew your food thoroughly and well. This will prevent blockages in the stomach since the new opening leading to it is smaller than before.

4. Drink liquids between meals. When you take them with the meal, it makes you very full and it can cause dumping syndrome as well. 6-8 cups of liquids are recommended to avoid dehydration.

5. Try new foods one at a time. This is to help your body adjust to the new food. Some food may not be tolerated well by your body, such as meat, bread, pasta, rice, raw vegetables, milk and carbonated beverages.

6. Take the recommended vitamin supplements since the body may have problems absorbing certain nutrients since most of the stomach and small intestine is already bypassed.

The best way to get the results is to follow the recommended gastric bypass diet.

About the Author: George Peters

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