How to Eat Properly After Bariatric Surgery
Having bariatric surgery means completely altering how you eat post-operatively and for the rest of your life. Bariatric surgery reduces the size of you stomach to about the size of a walnut, so it will be physically impossible to eat the same way you used to. Still, about 20 percent of bariatric patients fail to eat properly after surgery and end up either losing no weight or gaining weight. Read on to learn how to eat properly after bariatric surgery.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Follow post-operative diet strictly. For the first three months you will progress from a liquid diet to a pureed diet and then to a soft foods diet. The emphasis will be on many small meals throughout the day.
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2
Chew solid foods 30 times before swallowing. Solid foods have to be made mushy in order to be digested properly.
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3
Take small bites. It is helpful to cut food up into tiny pieces for each bite.
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4
Eat slowly and only sip beverages. If you eat too fast you can get dumping syndrome which leads to nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, fainting and diarrhea.
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5
Visit a dietitian to make a new diet plan. There are some foods including those high in sugar that you should avoid altogether. A dietitian can help you make good choices to get the most benefit from your bariatric surgery.
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6
Take vitamins daily. You won't be able to get all the nutrients you need from food alone, so you will need supplements to avoid vitamin deficiency and malnutrition.
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7
Stop eating when you begin to feel full. Feeling pressure, nausea or pain in your torso usually means you are full. Eating past the point of fullness can cause problems after bariatric surgery.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Set aside time for each meal where you are not distracted by the television, computer, telephone or anything else. If you are distracted when you eat, it will be harder to eat properly.
When eating with others, tell people why you have to eat differently so you aren't self-conscious.
Start an exercise routine early and stick to it. Without proper exercise, all the weight you lose could come right back.
Don't cheat on your post-operative diet or your stomach might not heal properly, and you could have serious complications.
Don't drink beverages while you eat because your stomach isn't big enough for both food and liquids.
Avoid eating several new foods at once. Give your stomach a chance to adjust. Your stomach may not respond favorably to certain foods like raw vegetables, spicy foods and carbonated beverages.
