Nutrition Before and After Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric surgery requires following strict dietary guidelines both before and after the operation.
Begin losing beforehand. Before undergoing gastric bypass surgery, patients must lose 10 percent of their body weight through diet and exercise; smokers must quit smoking and lose 5 percent of bodyweight.
Eat slowly. Learn to eat slowly and chew foods thoroughly. Use children’s utensils, take small bites and put the utensil down between bites. Chew, chew, chew to applesauce consistency. It should take 10 minutes to eat 1 ounce of food. A 3-ounce portion (the size of a deck of cards) should take 30 minutes to eat after surgery.
Sip/separate liquids. Practice sipping all liquids, as it should take 45 minutes to drink an 8-ounce cup of liquid following surgery. After surgery, you should drink liquids 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after your meal. Do not drink liquids with meals.
Cut caffeine. Slowly decrease caffeine consumption and stop drinking caffeinated beverages altogether two weeks before surgery. Remember that caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola beverages, Mountain Dew, and root beer.
Nix straws, sodas. Do not use drinking straws or consume carbonated beverages after surgery.
Post-surgery diet. Following bariatric surgery, patients must take a calcium supplement, children’s chewable vitamins with iron, and vitamin B12 injections. Foods will be reintroduced slowly:
| Day 1 | Water |
| Stage 1 | 2 days after surgery — small portions of sugar-free clear liquids |
| Stage 2 | Usually 24 hours after stage 1 — high-protein liquids and snacks |
| Stage 2B | Starting at week 3 after surgery — 1-2 high-protein drinks per day if able to meet protein goal with alternate protein food choices |
| Stage 3 | 4-6 weeks after surgery — pureed and soft protein foods |
| Stage 4 | About 8-10 weeks after surgery — low-fat, low-sugar foods |
For more information about Geisinger’s nationally recognized program, please e-mail us today or call 1-800-275-6401 and ask for bariatric surgery.
