Weight Loss Surgery Diet:
FAQs
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Your weight loss surgery diet will follow a similar path whether you have gastric sleeve, gastric bypass or gastric band, and you'll have similar questions.
Here are answers to the most common questions I hear as a bariatric dietitian.
I use what I call the “5 R’s” to describe how the whole journey looks from the time you start to prepare for surgery thru all the years beyond.
Everything You Need to Know About the "5 R's" of the Bariatric Diet©
Weight Loss Surgery Diet:
Common Post Surgery Questions
Calories
The answer to "how many calories should I be eating," is a tough one, because it's a moving target.
The number of calories you can eat will change over time. In the beginning stages after surgery, you just can’t eat very much and it’s common to consume less than 500 calories a day. Bariatric calories will gradually increase over time.
Read more about bariatric calories per day here
Post Op Diet Stages
The immediate post op diet is intended to help you heal and prevent any diet related complications. These are common questions I get about the recovery phase:
"What am I going to be able to eat right after surgery? "How long do I have to be on liquids?" "When do I get to start "real food"
- Read about the progression of the Bariatric Diet Stages here
Protein
Immediately after surgery, malnutrition is a concern...
...so a high protein diet after gastric sleeve, bypass, or band, is crucial.
- What are the best protein sources?
- What happens if you don't get enough protein?
- Can you eat too much protein?
In the recovery phase, most of the calories on your weight loss surgery diet will come from protein, in the form of bariatric protein shakes. You'll gradually progress and add food sources of protein.
Carbs
Carbs aren't created equally. The carbs in pinto beans are different than the carbs in jelly beans. There's lots to learn about carbs!
- How many Bariatric Carbs per day?
- Low Carb Diet: A Guide to Sticking to It
Portions
Immediately after bariatric surgery, your stomach is swollen from the surgery, and therefore VERY limited in how much food it can hold. Don’t be surprised if you feel full after just a few bites.
But don't worry...your portions won't be THAT small forever. As you heal, the inflammation goes down and you’ll slowly be able to eat a little more at a time.
Read more about portion sizes after weight loss surgery.
Learn how to eat mindfully to get the portions "right"
Miscellaneous
