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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

What to Eat When One is on a Gastric Bypass Diet

By George Peters

A gastric bypass diet should be followed after gastric bypass surgery to promote healthier weight loss. A registered dietician can be consulted regarding what food the patient is allowed to eat and how much he or she is allowed to eat. Great benefits will come if this is followed to heart.

For a few days directly ensuing the gastric bypass surgery, the patient is not permitted to eat. After that, he or she is only allowed to eat certain kinds of food that strictly follows a diet progression. This will give the patient's body some time to recuperate and adapt to the new eating patterns, as well as lessen the stress on the area where the surgery was performed.

These are the common phases in the gastric bypass diet progression:

1. Liquid foods - broth, juice, milk, cooked cereal to be taken in 1-2 days

2. Pureed foods - foods with a consistency of a thick liquid, usually for 3-4 weeks, or as recommended by the dietician

3. Soft foods - finely diced meats, soft, fresh fruit, cooked vegetables, and the like usually for 8 weeks, or as recommended by the dietitian

When you are going through the gastric bypass diet progression, you can eat many small meals and several sips of liquids in between meals. It is never advisable to take liquids together with the meal. A recommended start is 6 small meals a day, then down to 4 meals, then decrease to 3 meals a day. Foods rich in protein such as lean meat, low-fat dairy products and eggs are recommended to maintain and repair the body after the gastric bypass surgery.

The speed with which the body adjusts to these new eating patterns determines the rate of progression. In order for the patient to get the needed nutrients for the body needs, here are some tips:

1. Small amounts should be taken in meals. Eating a lot when on a gastric bypass diet might cause pain, nausea and vomiting. So, you should stop eating once you feel full.

2. To avoid dumping syndrome, eat and drink slowly. Also a person must avoid foods high in sugar and fat.

3. Chew your food thoroughly and well. This will prevent blockages in the stomach since the new opening leading to it is smaller than before.

4. Only drink liquids between meals. When a person takes them with the meal, it makes him very full and cause dumping syndrome as well. 6-8 cups of liquids are recommended so as to avoid dehydration.

5. Try new foods one at a time, so that the body can easily adapt and adjust to the new food. Meat, bread, pasta, rice, raw vegetables, milk and carbonated beverages will find it very hard to be tolerated by your body.

6. Take the recommended vitamin supplements since the body may have problems absorbing certain nutrients since most of the stomach and small intestine is already bypassed.

The gastric bypass diet should be followed to get the right results after the surgery.

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