Your Diet After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
There are many compelling reasons why a person should consider undergoing surgical weight loss treatment. When you're morbidly obese, the chances of serious illnesses and health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke are much higher. By visiting our bariatric surgery center and undergoing weight loss surgery, you can make a dramatic improvement on your overall quality of life.
We have talked a lot about the various ways that gastric sleeve surgery can be of great benefit to you. Right now, we want to consider what patients can expect after they undergo their gastric sleeve surgery. Specifically, we want to consider the nature of the patient's diet and how that changes following the surgery.
About the Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery is a restrictive weight loss option, meaning that it reduces the stomach size in order to limit the amount of calories that a person can consume. Rather than having a large pouch for a stomach, the gastric sleeve surgery will reduce the stomach to the size of a banana.
The Slow Integration of Solid Foods During Healing
Following any sort of bariatric surgery--whether it's a gastric sleeve or a gastric bypass--patients will need to slowly reintroduce solid foods into their diet over the course of several months. In the early phase of healing (usually up to the first three weeks), patients will be on a liquid diet. This will include skim milk, protein shakes, nutritional supplement drinks, broths, and so on.
By the end of the first month, patients will be able to slowly start eating certain soft foods, such as eggs, yogurt, tofu, soft fruits without skins, lentils, and very tender meats. Patients will need t avoid crunchy foods, sticky foods, fibrous foods, and foods high in fat during this time. A list of food do's and don'ts will be provided by the bariatric surgeon.
By the end of three months, patients will be able to eat solid foods again, though they will be encouraged to make healthy eating choices, which means eating lean and healthy while avoiding junk food.
Things to Consider While You Eat
When you undergo gastric sleeve surgery, there will be a number of changes to consider with regard to your eating habits. A few tips to keep in mind are:
- Chew your food thoroughly so it is easier to digest
- Eat slowly so that you can stop as soon as you feel sated
- Avoid foods that are high in sugar in order to prevent dumping syndrome
- Avoid foods that are high in fat to avoid nausea
- Do not drink for 30 minutes before your meal as this will take up space in the stomach for food (you should also avoid drinking with your meal for the same reason)
Reduced Hunger Sensations Thanks to Gastric Sleeve
Many people will notice that in addition to dietary changes, they will feel hungry less often following gastric sleeve surgery. This is because the surgery reduces stomach size and in the process reduces the secretion of the ghrelin hormone, which is responsible for sensations of hunger.
Learn More About Your Bariatric Surgery Options
For more information about gastric sleeve surgery and how it can be of great benefit to you and your needs, be sure to contact our Tijuana bariatric surgery center today. The entire team here looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve optimal wellness through surgical weight loss methods.