Gastric bypass is a weight-loss surgery in which more than half of your stomach is closed off with staples and only a small pouch is left in place. People who are eligible for this surgery typically have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 and are at a risk of obesity-related medical conditions. This bariatric procedure helps the patient lose extra weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. India is a popular destination for people seeking weight loss surgery such as a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Gastric bypass surgery cost in India is relatively lower than other countries but with high quality services. However, for successful results post-surgery diet is very important. The surgery will enable a person to limit food consumption but diet and exercise is important to maintain the weight-loss.
There are certain food items that should be avoided after a gastric bypass surgery. This includes:
- Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages contain more calories and should be avoided post-bariatric surgery. Alcohol drinks will take up space in stomach that should ideally be for food rich in vitamins and minerals in your post-surgery diet. Also, absorption of alcohol increases significantly after the surgery, which can lead to early intoxication.
Bariatric surgery patients are usually recommended to drink atleast two litres of water or fluids with no caffeine or sugar every day.
- Dry Foods
It is recommended to not drink fluids with food for 30 minutes before and after the meal. As you can’t have any beverage while you eat, it is better to avoid dry foods, at least in the beginning. Foods such as nuts or granola bar can be too hard difficult to swallow. Regular cereal softened with low-fat milk can be a better solution. You should try with small pieces of such foods to test if they are tolerated by your body as part of bariatric surgery diet.
- Bread, Rice, and Pasta
Food items such as bread, rice, and pasta, have a starchy nature after the surgery as they can hurt your throat and are hard to swallow without liquid. In some cases, they even block the hole at the entrance of the stomach pouch. However, you can include these high-starch foods later in the diet, but not in the beginning.
- Fibrous Fruits and Vegetables
Include lots of nutritious fruits and vegetables in your diet and also avoid fibrous vegetables that are hard-to-digest. This includes corn, broccoli, celery, cabbage, asparagus and other such foods should be avoided in the early days. With time, your ability to tolerate these kinds of foods will improve, but until then it is better to eat properly cooked, soft vegetables, such as beans and peas. These will provide extra protein that help maintain proper nutrition level after the surgery.
- No Calories
After this bariatric surgery, the stomach is small size, it is important to get daily nutrition by having a balanced diet daily. This means that your diet should not include foods that have little or no nutritional value, such as potato chips, pastries, pretzels, sweets, and others. If you continue to eat these foods after gastric bypass, it may cause nutrition deficiency or weight gain. Fried food or food with high sugar content can cause a condition called dumping syndrome. In this, the food is dumped in the colon as soon as you eat them. The symptoms include weakness, nausea, cold sweats, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Drinks with sugar and high caffeine
Sugary beverages that contain corn syrup or fructose should be strictly avoided post-gastric bypass surgery. These sugary drinks such as soda and some fruit juices can lead to dumping syndrome. Instead, include unsweetened beverages, decaffeinated coffee, and tea in your diet. Caffeinated drinks can lead to dehydration and it is better to avoid them as you get used to the smaller stomach.
- High-Fat Food
Food with high fat content may make you feel nauseous after surgery, and don’t help with the long-term weight loss success. Avoid having food such as bacon, butter, sausage, whole milk, and hard cheeses. Try to include lower-fat food options such as low-fat sandwich meats, chicken, lean beef, turkey, and low-fat cheese. In fact, eating too much fatty food post surgery can make you feel sick, resulting in dumping syndrome.
- Tough Meats
One of the things bariatric patients must keep in mind after the surgery is to chew food properly. The better you chew, the easier it will be to swallow and digest the food. As lean meats are important part of post-gastric bypass diet plan for enough protein intake, it is important that you get used to chewing more. Choosing meats without fat or gristle can help in this. Also, start with small bites, typically the size of an eraser. Avoid tough meats such as steak, hot dogs pork chops, and ham. Rather, include soft meats such as minced chicken, turkey, baked chicken or fish in your diet.