Nutrition Goals Before Gastric Reduction Surgery
Gastric Bypass Surgery does not cure obesity. It will cause you to lose
weight at first, but ultimately, your success will depend on your
lifestyle choices. The transition to a successful gastric bypass
lifestyle starts before surgery. You can optimize healthy weight
loss by starting to re-shape your food behaviors now.
Your goal is twofold; one, optimize your immune system
to speed your recovery, and two, learn the behaviors you will
need for long term weight loss success.
Here are the top pre-surgery behaviors that will promote a successful
surgery and help you thrive in your new “small stomach” life.
1.
Learn to read food labels. Keep sugar out of the first three ingredients.
This means avoiding all sugar, sweets, desserts, juices, and sugared
beverages.
2. Focus on protein first at meal times. In preparation for and after surgery,
your goal is to have a minimum of 70 grams of protein daily. Your
dietitian will work with you on carbohydrate counting and will devise a
plan for the amount of carbohydrates you should be consuming per meal.
3. Take multi-vitamin/mineral supplements daily. See your Dietitian for
individualized recommendations, regarding Calcium, B-vitamins, and iron
supplementation as needed.
4. Wean off all caffeine and all carbonated beverages. They are gastric
irritants. Caffeine can also cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
5. Avoid all alcohol. A recent study found WLS patients reach a blood
alcohol level above the legal limit after just one drink.
Alcohol does not remain in the stomach long enough to be properly
metabolized. It is moved directly to the small intestines in an undiluted
form where it is absorbed into the blood stream.
6. Avoid fried foods and fast foods.
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7. Sip liquids (no straw). Please drink a minimum of 10 cups of water
between meals everyday to prevent dehydration.
8. Chew each bite 30 times. Eat meals very slowly, putting your fork down
for several minutes between bites. Get a timer so you can really learn to
slow the pace of your eating to a mealtime of 45 minutes.
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9.
The opening from your stomach into your intestines is about
the size of the tip of your little finger following surgery. Food
must be chewed thoroughly so it can pass out of your new
stomach.
Listen to physical signs of hunger and fullness and remember, even one
bite past feeling full will stretch your pouch. This could result in slower
rate of weight loss and even weight gain. Try using a small plate at meal
times.
10. If hypoglycemia occurs after surgery, consume at least 5 grams of soluble
fiber with meals to delay the time it takes food to leave your stomach.
Ask your dietitian about soluble fiber food sources.
11. Taste-test high-protein, low-carbohydrate shakes and recipes. If the
shake you are using is not on our list, please bring in the nutrition facts
label.
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Do not use boiling hot water to prepare protein shakes. Hot
water will destroy the protein.
Only mix as much as you will drink. Protein shakes lose their
potency if stored after mixing.
Examples of high protein drinks –
 Whey Delicious
 Protein Delight
 Atkins
 Slim Fast – low carb
 Unjury
 Novartis-Optisource
 Medifast shakes
12. If you have Diabetes, it needs to be under good control or at least stable
before the surgery.
13. Some patients create a Weight Loss Surgery notebook to
document their journey. Put pictures of yourself in
throughout the process and journal your successes and
struggles as you move toward a healthier lifestyle.
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