The Best Bariatric Diet Meal Plan: Pre and Post Op

The Best Bariatric Diet Meal Plan: Pre and Post Op



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Did you know that you should follow a specific diet before and after your bariatric surgery? To produce the best possible outcomes, both during and after the surgery, you’ll need to keep an eye on what you eat. Although there are plenty of bariatric recipes and meal plans out there, many are designed in ways that are tough to follow.

If you’re looking for something that will give you more success, check out this bariatric diet plan put together by our experts.

Why Do You Need a Pre-Op Bariatric Diet Plan?

Most patients can’t just head into bariatric surgery, having eaten their normal diet. Many have to spend about three months before the surgery losing weight, following a specific diet plan, for their weight loss surgery to go as well as possible. There are two reasons for this.

First, since most bariatric surgery patients are obese, they face surgical complications if they don’t lose a little weight beforehand. Depending on the circumstances, most gastric bypass patients are instructed to lose around 10 pounds or 10 percent of their body weight.

Second, people who are overweight tend to have fat deposits around and on their livers. This is known as Fatty Liver Syndrome. This can lead to surgical complications because the deposits will make it tough for the surgeons to maneuver their laparoscopic instruments around the abdomen.

By dieting beforehand, these deposits may shrink or go away, allowing for a better outcome during surgery.

A Pre-Op Bariatric Diet

Generally, bariatric patients need to meet with a dietician, doctor, and bariatric surgeon around three months before the surgery. At this point, they’ll discuss how much weight the patient needs to lose and the diet that should be followed. In addition to the diet, several unhealthy habits need to be changed as well.

For example, at this stage, you need to:

  • Quit smoking cigarettes and tobacco products, as they can slow the healing process
  • Stop drinking sugary, carbonated, caffeinated, and alcoholic beverages to get the digestive system ready for the post-surgery diet
  • Avoid eating sugary or carb-filled foods
  • Stop binge eating entirely
  • Quit eating and drinking beverages at the same time; instead, wait half an hour after eating to drink something

A pre-op bariatric diet usually consists of 800 and 1,200 calories daily. It may include some lean proteins, a lot of chicken and beef broth, and plenty of vegetables, as well as other healthy foods.

The diet is designed to help you lose weight before the surgery, prepare you for what’s to come after the surgery and get your digestive system used to eating foods that are low-fat and easy to process. All of this can mean the difference between a bariatric surgery that’s a success and one that needs to be pushed back until your health and weight improve slightly.

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Right Before the Surgery

Although you’ll be allowed to eat small, bariatric-friendly meals before the surgery, this changes a bit in the days leading up to it. You’ll need to go on a full liquid diet several days beforehand. Again, this makes the surgical changes easier on your digestive system.

This diet consists of:

  • Very Few Solid Foods – For the most part, your pre-op diet at this point consists mostly of liquids. You can, however, get away with eating some thinned-out cream of rice. In addition, thinned cream of wheat is also allowed. These are the only “solids” you can have several days before your surgery.
  • Protein Shakes– You’ll need to get your nutrients and protein intake from somewhere; in this case, it’s protein shakes. You can have meal replacement shakes as well. Both contain high protein (hence their names) and can make going on a liquid diet a little less harsh.
  • Broth and Vegetable Juice – Although fruit juice is not allowed (too much sugar at this point), you can have vegetable juices. Broth, plain and without noodles or vegetables, is another option. Some of the most popular choices are chicken, turkey, and beef broth.

It helps to acclimate yourself to this liquid diet prior to your surgery because immediately afterward, you’ll be on a clear liquid and then a standard liquid diet for several days or more.

After Bariatric Surgery

Once your bariatric surgery (whether it is gastric bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, or another type of procedure) is complete, you’ll have to follow a four-step diet plan. It starts immediately after you wake up in the recovery room and continues after you fully heal from the surgery and your digestive system and smaller stomach have acclimated.

Throughout this entire process, you’ll still be eating around 1,200 calories as a part of your post-op bariatric diet plan.

Stage One

Immediately after weight loss surgery, the first stage is a clear liquids diet. You’ll be able to drink broth, similar to the ones that you can right before the surgery. Other options include sugar-free popsicles, Jell-O, and watered-down fruit juices.

You can even have decaffeinated teas, coffee, and a little skim or one-percent milk. In addition, exercise drinks that are sugar-free and watered down, and the obvious choices of water and ice chips, round out this part of the diet.

Stage Two

Things get a little better in stage two, where you can have regular liquids. This is also known as the pureed diet because you’ll spend time blending your fruits and vegetables before drinking them.

You’ll start to enjoy smoothies simply because you’ll be able to customize them slightly instead of sticking with the boring broth options that were among your few clear liquid diet options. You can also have pureed soups.

During this stage, you can have yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and even scrambled eggs as well, but you have to puree them first. Also, you should avoid any fruits with seeds, like strawberries, or vegetables that are particularly fibrous, like broccoli.

Stage Three

Once you leave the liquid or pureed foods stage of your post-op diet, it’s time for soft foods. This considerably opens up your options, although you probably won’t want to put away your blender.

You can have all the smoothies you want (as long as you stay under the 1,200 calories a day mark with small portion sizes) and enjoy things like soft cheeses and eggs without putting them in your blender.

In addition to those options, you can have fruits that have been canned or processed, as long as they don’t have any extra sugar added to them, and tasty things like lean and low-sodium lunch meats and refried beans. If it’s easy to eat, you can enjoy it.

Stage Four

Finally, by stage four, you’ll be back on solid foods. However, you still need to keep your meals small and healthy and avoid certain foods that can cause your digestive system to get angry with you. That said, you can have just about anything at this point, providing that you keep your diet low in sugar and fatty foods. Stick to lean proteins and vegetables that aren’t overly fibrous.

You can even start adding snacks to your diet at this point. Some tasty options to consider are bananas and peanut butter, sliced apples with peanut butter, handfuls of nuts (be sure to chew them thoroughly), and crackers and cheese. String cheese also makes a great standalone snack that’s easy to carry around.

Also, at this stage of post-bariatric surgery, you’ll need to ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Some, like calcium, iron, and vitamin D, are tricky for your body to process, so you may have to add some vitamin and mineral supplements to your low-calorie, high-protein food diet.

Following a Pre and Post-Op Bariatric Diet Plan

As you can see, following a specific diet plan before and after your bariatric surgery is crucial. You’ll need to cut out certain foods beforehand to lose weight, lose liver fat, and prepare your digestive system for what’s to come.

After the weight loss surgery, your digestive system needs to adjust and heal, and you’ll want to lose weight (hence the purpose of the surgery), so your restricted diet is designed to do just that. If you want the best possible outcome, you’ll need to follow your healthcare provider’s and registered dietitian's orders.

If you have any questions about this bariatric diet plan, please contact us.

Sources:

Gastric Bypass Diet: Pre and Post Op Bariatric Weight-loss Surgery Meal Plans | Baptist Health

Disciplined Diet Before and After Weight Loss Surgery | OSF Healthcare

Your Guide to the Gastric Bypass Diet | Healthline