Bariatric Diet
Bariatric surgery is the process of removing fat from stomach area. This surgery is advised for extremely obese people and consists of removing a portion of the stomach. The success rate of this surgery depends on the post- Bariatric diet. Lack of proper adherence to Bariatric diet means total failure of the operation and further medical health complications.
A Bariatric diet consists of 4 steps. It is really essential to complete all the four steps of Bariatric diet to resort back to normal food eating lifestyle.
- Immediately after operation, the Bariatric diet includes only liquid consumption because the stomach is so small that it cannot bear any pressure. This includes dependence on water, broth, nutritious juices, and others. Patient is advised not to gulp full amount all at once but should take little sips at quick intervals. This post Bariatric diet continues for one week most.
- In the second week, Bariatric diet includes having pureed and blended food. High protein rich diet such as yogurt, cheese, and eggs are recommended. The foods should be blended well so as to not to leave any chunks because if there the stomach is not able to digest the chunks, it will lead to pain and vomiting.
- In the next month, the Bariatric diet includes trying out soft solid foods, which can be in pureed form. The aim is to make the patient chew soft pieces of food. Food items like meat paste, fish, cottage cheese, canned fruits, pasta, rice, rice cereals, noodles, eggs, meat paste and others are fed as post Bariatric diet.
- The last stage includes weaning from Bariatric diet and resorting to normal solid foods. But now, the food should be low in fat and sugar content so as not to increase weight again. Dieticians recommend intake of maximum 1400 calories daily.
The initial few weeks after your gastric bypass operation are the most critical times. First, you have to deal with your body recovering from the trauma of a major operation. Next, you have to deal with going from eating 3,000 – 5,000 calories a day to a restrictive 1,000 calories a day. This is a big step and requires the utmost planning before your surgery.
The First Week
This week is by far the hardest week. Your body is in full on healing mode from your operation, and you are also dealing with some heavy emotional issues with effecting such a drastic lifestyle change. Right after the operation you will want to take it easy to give your body a chance to heal quickly. Still, you will want to remain active. You need to keep your body moving in order to burn calories and develop your new healthy habits. You should be up and in the kitchen as soon as you can move so that you can take control of your new diet.
For the first week or so you will probably not have much of an appetite. In order to allow your stomach a chance to heal you will likely be on a liquid diet consisting of different soup broths and protein drinks.
Be sure to drink plenty of water during this time. In order to get the 64 ounces a day that you need you should be sipping water every 15 minutes or so. You can tell your body is getting dehydrated if your urine turns a dark color, or if you become constipated. You should avoid juice and other high sugar drinks at this time as this will slow your weight loss and can lead to dumping.
From Weeks Two To Weeks Seven
You should be getting back into a more routine now. In order to maintain control over your eating habits, now is a good time to start a food journal. In your journal you should write down everything you eat, the time you ate it, and the quantity of food eaten. This journal will allow you to note any subtle changes in your diet as well as your mood. By writing down what you eat every day you are holding yourself accountable and will feel more empowered over your eating and your body.
Also at this time you will want to start your daily exercise routine. Although your exercise options will be limited at first due to your surgery, you will want to start a daily walking routine. At first you will want to walk at least 15-20 minutes every day, until you gradually build it up to longer distances.
