After you’ve had bariatric surgery, it’s important to stick to the guidelines your weight loss clinic and surgeon have set out for you. This includes a strict dietary and nutrition plan that will ensure your new digestive system can heal well and begin to process foods accordingly.
It is absolutely imperative to strictly follow the recommended dietary guidelines after your bariatric surgery. Failure to do so could result in post-surgery complications or nutrient deficiencies. The guidelines set out by your physician will be designed by a multidisciplinary team, carefully designed to limit the amount of calories consumed while providing balanced and nutritious meals.
This new diet may seem scary at first, so it’s important to take it one day at a time immediately following the surgery. The first week will focus on liquids, helping your body heal from the surgery. This includes beginning at a clear liquid diet, moving onto additional types including decaf tea and coffee, skim milk, thin soup and broth, unsweetened juice, and sugar-free gelatine.
The second stage of the diet will involve purees. Once your doctor decides, you’ll be able to move to thick purees that are generally blended up with a food processor or similar device. It’s important to avoid spicy seasonings, fruits with seeds, and foods that are too fibrous to liquefy.
Stage three includes a soft diet. You may not be able to move to this stage until week 4 or 5, wherein you can consume soft foods that are easy to chew. This includes things like soft-boiled eggs, ground meat, cooked white fish, and canned fruits.
Stage four means moving onto reintroducing solid foods back into the diet. This will generally be around 2 months after the surgery. This stage will also focus on slow introductions, small portion sizes, and avoiding fibrous fruits and vegetables. Eliminate any foods that cause abdominal discomfort, vomiting or nausea.