You have finally made the decision to have gastric bypass surgery and now you have to learn about the gastric bypass diet. Most people realize their life will be drastically different in the future, but their thoughts are about how much weight they are going to lose and not what changes they will have to make to get there.
What you will be eating will be a big part of the changes you will be making. You will not be having surgery and be eating a hamburger the next day. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most bariatric surgery programs include the diet specification as part of your pre-op information. I was actually required to take classes that taught the particulars of the bariatric diet. The other thing that is important is that these foods are purchased and in your home prior to your return from the hospital.
Step 1 of the diet for gastric bypass was not something that I had to be concerned about too much. It was administered while I was in the hospital by the dietitian. I had to be able to eat a step 2 meal before I could leave the hospital.
Step 2 foods are bariatric protein shakes, pureed and strained foods and baby foods. You can have any combination of these foods. The most important thing here is to try to consume 60 grams of protein per day.
You should be drinking 32 ounces of water or sugar free beverages. You should also eliminate any carbonated beverages at this stage of your diet. Step 2 of the bariatric diet will last 2-4 weeks following your surgery. Step 3 will be the step where you begin reintroducing soft foods back into your diet. I started with cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. No matter what you begin with, you have to make sure it is chewed until it is liquid. During the next month, you will be trying out different foods and learning what foods your body likes and what things your body will not tolerate.
Step 4 will come at about 2 months following your surgery. At this point, you can eat almost anything. Meats are going to be the most difficult. You will want to cut it into small pieces and/or add it to broth. You should always limit your fat and sugar intake. Sugar presents a large problem for most gastric bypass patients. If you have the lap band, you probably will not have as much of a problem as a roux-en-y patient.
The best way to eat is to reintroduce all foods moderately. This way you will know how your digestive system is going to handle each new food. This is going to be an exciting time in your life as you begin a new lifestyle.
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