Eating After Gastric Bypass Surgery

During the gastric bypass procedure, your stomach is divided into a small pouch, which will hold about 1 ounce of food. Then, the surgeon removes attaches your small intestine to that pouch. This allows your small intestine to digest the enzymes and acid produced by your stomach. It also reduces your body’s ability to absorb calories and nutrients, since it bypasses most of the small intestine; this makes it easier to lose weight. 

After gastric bypass surgery, there are strict dietary guidelines patients need to follow in order to lose the weight, keep the weight off, and stay healthy in general. Along with exercise, proper hydration, and good sleep, diet is a vital part of your weight loss journey post-surgery. 

Post-Surgery Diet

Since gastric bypass surgery makes your stomach smaller, you will need to change both your diet and eating habits. After your procedure, your health care provider will provide guidelines regarding the foods you can eat, along with the foods you should avoid. It’s recommended to stay on a strict liquid diet for the first 2-3 weeks after bariatric surgery, unless told otherwise by your surgeon. After 2-3 weeks then you can slowly add in solid foods. 

Gastric bypass patients need to be aware of portion size—since your stomach is smaller, you will feel full a lot faster. Over time, your stomach will become slightly larger as your body adjusts, however, it’s important to not stretch your stomach out by overeating.

Gastric Bypass Diet

Your diet after gastric bypass surgery is designed to help you lose and maintain your weight over the course of your journey. Your surgical team will help you understand your meal plan, which will be designed with respect to your age, weight, and unique nutritional needs.

While your diet plan after gastric bypass surgery may look different than the next person’s, there are several tips that will help you find success: 

• Eat and drink slowly, and chew your foods thoroughly before swallowing

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine 

• Drink at least 64 ounces of fluid every day

• Slowly drink liquids between meals but not with meals

• Avoid drinking any liquid 30 minutes before and after a meal

• Eat lots of protein and lean foods whenever possible

• Avoid high-fat and high-sugar food and drinks

Finding Weight-Loss Success with Gastric Bypass Surgery

For some people looking to lose weight, traditional diet and exercise don’t always work. If you’re struggling to lose weight, gastric bypass may be an option. While diet and exercise are still a vital parts of weight loss after bariatric surgery, gastric bypass could be the helping hand you need to meet your weight-loss goals. Find out if you qualify here.

At Wellstar Georgia, we have a team of experts ready to help you take control of your life. We offer several different types of bariatric surgery, and we can help you determine which is the right option for you. 

Questions? Reach out to our team! We look forward to helping you get on the path to a healthier lifestyle.