Dietary Guidelines After Bariatric Surgery

Dietary Guidelines After Bariatric Surgery

It is crucial to adhere to the suggested dietary recommendations after having bariatric surgery. These recommendations were carefully crafted by your healthcare professionals with the intention of reducing the number of calories you consume while offering balanced meals that support the preservation of lean muscle mass and the prevention of nutrient deficits.

At first, this new eating regimen may seem daunting, but most patients discover that after a while, the rules have subconsciously become a part of their daily routine. Contact Deva Hospital if you are having problems following the instructions. Our team is available to assist you.

General Guidelines

• Consume balanced meals in moderation.
• Consume food that is low in calories, fats, and sugar.
• Keep a daily log of your dietary quantities, protein, and calorie intake.
• Eat slowly and fully chew each bite of food.
• Steer clear of foods like rice, bread, raw vegetables, fresh fruit, and tough meats like steak and hog. Typically, ground meats are easier to tolerate.
• Do not eat ice, drink fizzy beverages, or use straws. They may bother you by introducing air into your pouch.
• Steer clear of sugar, foods and drinks with added sugar, concentrated sweets, and fruit juices.
• You should consume between 300 and 600 calories daily for the first two months after surgery, focusing on thin and thicker liquids.
• No more than 1,000 calories should be consumed each day.

Fluids

• To prevent dehydration, consume more water and calorie-free or low-calorie beverages in between meals. Caffeine should be avoided in all liquids.
• Six to eight times throughout the day, drink roughly 1 cup of liquid between each little meal.
• A minimum of 2 liters (64 ounces or 8 cups) of fluid should be consumed each day. You will eventually be able to accomplish this goal.
• We urge you to abstain from all alcoholic beverages. Alcohol's hypnotic and mood-altering effects are harder to predict and manage after surgery since your body absorbs it considerably more quickly than it did before.

Protein

Consume foods high in protein to preserve muscle tissue. Eggs, meats, fish, seafood, tuna, poultry, soy milk, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products are examples of high-protein foods. Your daily protein intake should be between 65 and 75 grams. If you are unable to accomplish this aim in the first few months following surgery, don't worry.

Supplements

The following supplements must be taken every day to avoid vitamin deficits. Please keep in mind that every pill needs to be broken up into six to eight little pieces. It may be challenging for pills to pass through your new anatomy and you may not be able to absorb complete pills as well as you may have before surgery.

Multivitamins

Use a daily chewable multivitamin and mineral supplement with a high potency that contains at least 18 mg of iron, 400 mcg of folic acid, selenium, copper, and zinc. This formula is found in products from Centrum Adult chewable multivitamins and Trader Joe's. After your operation, take two pills a day for at least three months, then one tablet a day for the rest of your life.

Calcium Supplement

Take 1,200–2,000 mg of calcium per day to avoid bone disease and calcium shortage. Take the calcium in two to three divided doses throughout the day to improve absorption; an example would be a 500–600 mg supplement taken three times per day. The most desired calcium type is calcium citrate.

Vitamin D Supplement

Take 800–1,000 international units (IU) or more of vitamin D per day. This total should be consumed twice day in divided doses of 400 to 500 IU. Along with your calcium supplement, take vitamin D. If you'd rather avoid taking numerous pills, you can take a calcium-vitamin D combo supplement if it has the right amounts.

Vitamin B₁₂ Supplement

daily intake of 500 mcg of vitamin B. You can put it under your tongue in sublingual forms or as a pill.

Other Supplements

Some patients, especially women who are still menstruation, require supplementary folic acid or iron supplements. You will talk about this with your nutritionist.

Diet Progression After Bariatric Surgery

You'll start off with a clear liquid diet right after surgery. When you are released from the hospital and begin your regular diet, you may gradually start including thicker liquids.

You can move to blended and puréed foods two weeks after surgery. To meet your protein needs during this time, you can utilize liquid supplement drinks or powders that are high in protein (more than 20 grams), low in calories (less than 200 calories), or both.

It's crucial to understand that your stomach will be quite small after surgery—less than 1/4 cup, or around the size of an egg. Additionally, your stomach's exit point for food is extremely small. This is why it's crucial to consume any new meal in small amounts—two to three nibbles or sips at a time—and to wait 10 minutes between servings. You will discover more about your tolerance and limit as a result. Your stomach will empty from liquids more quickly than from soft solids.

You can feel sick or hurt if you consume too much or too quickly. Avoid consuming heavy, creamy liquids like gravies, sauces, and ice cream.

Diet in the Hospital

Your first meal after surgery will be clear liquids like juices, Jell-O, and broth. Juice and Jell-O include a lot of sugar, but you won't be eating much of it at this point. As you can take it, gradually increase how much you drink at each meal.

Diet for the First Two Weeks Post-Surgery

You'll start incorporating more viscous liquids that are low in fat and sugar and high in protein. (See the list below for examples.) To meet your protein needs during this time, you can choose liquid supplement drinks or powders that are high in protein and low in calories.

The idea is to drink little amounts that will pass through your pouch with ease. Start with portion sizes of 1 tablespoon and work your way up to 2 tablespoons as tolerated. Drink a quarter cup of liquid at first, then as it feels comfortable, go up to a half cup. You shouldn't consume more than 400 calories every day.

Additionally, it's crucial to maintain proper hydration. Each day, consume 1 to 1.5 liters of water or other non-caloric beverages.

Recommended thicker liquids:

• If you can handle milk, try nonfat or 1% milk.
• Lactose-free or low-calorie beverages made from soy
• Pudding without sugar
• Nonfat, sugar-free yogurt
• cottage cheese with less fat
• soups with blended broth or other low-fat soups
• refined, low-fiber hot cereals, like cream of rice or cream of wheat. To give them a soup-like consistency, add additional liquid when making them. Don't consume oatmeal.
• Optional liquid supplements that are high in protein and low in calories (drinks containing less than 200 calories and more than 20 grams of protein in an 8- to 11-ounce serving).

Add 2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk powder, egg substitute, powered egg, or another protein powder to each 1/2 cup of nonfat or low-fat milk to improve your protein consumption. These can also be included in thick liquids like soups, hot porridge, and others.

In between meals, don't forget to consume 1 cup of water or other non-caloric beverages. daily multivitamin supplementation

Diet for Weeks 2–4 Following Surgery

As tolerated, start introducing very little amounts of puréed and soft meals. Eat everything slowly and thoroughly by taking very little mouthful. When introducing a new cuisine, don't eat more than two bites every 20 minutes.

Recommended puréed and soft foods:

• Applesauce
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Well-cooked, puréed vegetables
• Hot cereals
• Mashed potatoes
• Noodles
• Scrambled egg whites or egg substitute
• Canned fruits
• Canned tuna fish
• Lean fish
• Tofu
• Lean ground meats or poultry

All bread and tough-to-chew foods should be avoided.

You can make an appointment at Deva Hospital for your obesity treatment.