You will need to adjust to the alterations in your digestive system after a gastric sleeve operation. Your nutrition is a key factor in this, especially after your treatment. Each person will have unique needs. This page gives a general overview of what to anticipate.
If you’re considering getting gastric sleeve surgery, you probably have questions about how you’ll be able to adapt your eating habits. While tough, preparing for life following gastric sleeve surgery will be exciting.
You will be needed to adhere to a highly precise diet that is intended to speed recovery and prevent issues before and after surgery.
Your diet will change over time to focus more on encouraging you to develop healthy eating habits so you can keep losing weight and, in the end, keep a healthy weight for the rest of your life.
It’s vital to keep in mind that this article is by no means a clinical recommendation that will apply to every patient; rather, it is merely a general description of what to expect before to and following surgery. Your doctor should regularly monitor your recovery from surgery and adjust your diet to suit your specific requirements.
What Should I Eat Before Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
The pre-op diet is your recommended eating schedule for the weeks before your gastric sleeve surgery. For three reasons, the success of the surgery depends on your diet:
- It simplifies and makes the procedure safer. Preoperative nutrition helps to minimize fatty liver deposits, which facilitates easier stomach surgery.
- It reduces the possibility of complications. Weight loss can reduce the risk of medical complications during and after surgery, which is increased by obesity.
- It helps you establish the behaviors you’ll need to commit to weight management for the rest of your life. By creating objectives and accomplishing them, you’ll earn the confidence that comes with success.
In many circumstances, three weeks prior to your gastric sleeve surgery, you should start your pre-op diet. For further information on how to start your diet, please speak with the coordinator or dietician of your program.
Pre-gastric sleeve diet
The primary dietary objective before surgery is to reduce liver size. If you are overweight, your liver likely has a buildup of fat cells both inside and outside of it. It becomes larger than it should be as a result.
Your stomach is right adjacent to where your liver is. Gastric sleeve surgery is more difficult for your doctor to do and riskier for you if your liver is too large.
You will be given a specific diet to follow beginning two weeks before your scheduled surgery date in order to get ready for the procedure.
It’s a stringent diet that limits both calories and carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes, and sweets. Lean protein, veggies, and low- or no-calorie liquids make up the majority of your diet. Your doctor might recommend a daily calorie target for you to follow.
You will transition to a clear, liquid diet two days before the procedure. One sugar-free protein shake per day, along with broth, water, decaffeinated coffee or tea, and sugar-free popsicles, may be included in this. Avoid drinking carbonated and caffeinated beverages.
Week 1 diet
You’ll maintain the same clear liquid diet you did in the days before surgery for the first week following the procedure.
This will lessen the risk of postoperative problems such dehydration, intestinal blockage, gastric leakage, diarrhea, and constipation. This regimen will aid in your body’s need for time to repair. Keep in mind the following advice:
- Ensure that you consume a lot of clear drinks. Ask your doctor about electrolyte beverages to try, like low-calorie Gatorade, if you have difficulties staying hydrated.
- Avoid drinking anything sweet. Dumping syndrome, a problem brought on by too much sugar entering the small intestine too soon, can be exacerbated by sugar. This causes intense nauseous symptoms, exhaustion, diarrhea, and perhaps vomiting. Sugar contains a lot of unnecessary calories. It ought to be avoided right away and diminished over time.
- Avoiding caffeine can also help prevent dehydration and acid reflux.
- Gas and bloating can be caused by all carbonated drinks, including those with sugar, zero-calorie alternatives, and seltzer. All of these should be avoided following surgery and perhaps even in the long run.
Week 2 diet
During the second week after surgery, you will graduate to a full-liquid diet. Options include:
- no-sugar nutrition shakes, such as Ensure Light
- instant breakfast drinks
- shakes made with protein powder
- thin broth and cream-based soups with no chunks — soft soup noodles are ok in very small amounts
- unsweetened milk
- sugar-free, nonfat pudding
- sugar-free, nonfat frozen yogurt, ice cream, and sorbet
- nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- fruit juices with no pulp, diluted with water
- thinned, hot cereal, such as Cream of Wheat, or oatmeal
You can have an increase in hunger during this time. That is entirely normal, but it is hardly a justification for eating solid meals. Solids are still too much for your system to manage. There may be difficulties, such as vomiting.
You can get ready for the next phase of your diet by consuming enough of liquids and limiting your intake of sugar and fat. Caffeine and carbonated drinks should still be avoided.
Week 3 diet
You can incorporate softer, pureed meals into your diet during the third week. Eat slowly and, if feasible, chew each bite of food at least 25 times. Any low-fat, sugar-free food that you can purée is okay, including nonfibrous vegetables and lean protein sources.
It’s critical to start consuming more protein. If you don’t enjoy the flavor of pureed lean protein sources, keep consuming regular servings of eggs or non-sugar protein shakes. Eatables include:
- jarred baby food
- silken tofu
- cooked, pureed white fish
- soft-scrambled or soft-boiled eggs
- soup
- cottage cheese
- canned fruit in juice
- mashed bananas or very ripe mango
- hummus
- pureed or mashed avocado
- plain Greek yogurt
During this period, continue to abstain from solid and chunky foods as well as caffeine. Additionally, you ought to limit your diet to bland, lightly-seasoned foods. Spices might aggravate heartburn.
Week 4 Diet
You can begin introducing solid foods to your diet at one month following surgery. Now is the moment to fully implement your newly acquired knowledge about healthy eating. Still, it is best to stay away from foods that are difficult to digest, such as steak, fibrous vegetables, and nuts, as well as sugar and fat, particularly high-fat dairy.
Pasta, white potatoes, and other high-carb foods are also to be avoided. At this point, caffeinated beverages can typically be resumed, in moderation. You can add the following foods to your list:
- well-cooked chicken and fish
- well-cooked vegetables
- sweet potatoes
- low-fat cheese
- fruit
- low-sugar cereal
Week 5 diet and beyond
It’s time to permanently implement your new normal eating schedule now that you can safely eat solid meals. Maintain a focus on vegetables and lean protein while introducing new foods one at a time so you can track how your body responds to each.
Sugary treats and soda are two foods you should either completely avoid going forward or simply have occasionally. If no additional foods cause problems, you can resume eating them all.
Pick nutrient-dense foods when making your dietary selections, and stay away from empty calories. Sticking to your plan could be made easier if you eat three compact meals and few snacks each day. Make sure to drink enough of water at all times.
