Embarking on a weight loss journey with metabolic and bariatric surgery marks a significant lifestyle change, particularly in dietary habits. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the bariatric stage 1 diet, focusing on recipes and guidelines to support healing, tolerance, and healthy weight management post-surgery. This new staple diet is a protein-centered phased approach diet plan. Proteins are the building blocks of all life.
Introduction to the Bariatric Diet
After bariatric surgery, patients progress through a series of diet stages designed to help them adapt to a smaller stomach and establish healthy eating habits. Over a four to five week time frame, you’ll progress through a bariatric diet aimed at helping you heal in the short term and learn healthy eating habits in the long run. The bariatric diet starts with a brief period of liquids only and works your way up to eating six small meals of regular food each day. This phased approach ensures adequate nourishment while promoting weight loss. This special diet is constructed to help you adapt to major surgical changes - getting used to feeding a smaller stomach.
Phase 1: Clear Liquid Diet
Phase 1 post-op is typically a clear liquid diet. This initial phase, usually lasting 1-2 days after surgery, focuses on clear, sugar-free liquids to prevent dehydration and ease the digestive system. Depending on the individual, this phase should only last about 1-2 days after surgery.
Importance of Hydration
Dehydration has become a common occurrence after metabolic and bariatric surgery, resulting in readmission to the hospital within 30 days after surgery. A goal during your diet phase 1 post-op is to consume at least 48-64oz of fluids daily. To combat the difficulty of drinking fluids after surgery, try drinking from a small cup and taking small sips throughout the entire day.
What are Clear Liquids?
Clear liquids apply to fluids that you can see through. Examples include:
Read also: Diet Before Bariatric Surgery
- Water
- Sugar-free broth
- Sugar-free gelatin
- Unsweetened tea
- Clear, sugar-free juice
Transitioning to Protein Shakes
Your after gastric bypass surgery diet plan will progress when medically feasible and cleared by your healthcare provider. This will start to include protein shakes. Protein shakes and bariatric surgery are important when not enough protein can be consumed through dietary food sources. Protein drinks for bariatric patients are a great investment for your health after surgery. They are a great vehicle for getting your protein-packed nourishment. Gastric bypass and Gastric sleeve protein shake recipes have yummy and nutrient-dense ingredients to sustain you.
Week 1: Full Liquids
For the first week you’ll need to focus on drinking 64 oz. of liquid each day. Protein-packed liquids are important to the healing process. You will start to establish the habit of having six small, nourishing meals through the day. Protein will become the centerpiece of meal planning. Between meals you will sip enough calorie-free liquids to meet the daily liquid goal.
Liquid Recipes
Some liquid recipes include:
- Peanut Butter Cup Smoothies
- Breakfast Boost
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies
- Pudding Pops
- Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream
Week 2: Pureed Foods
Foods pureed to a smooth consistency (no lumps, clumps, or chunks) are introduced at mealtime during week two. These foods can be naturally smooth (like applesauce), Stage 1 or Stage 2 off-the-shelf baby foods, or food you puree yourself. When planning meals, choose your protein first and complete the meal with fruits and vegetables. Focus on eating slowly and savoring your food. This allows your body to accept and comfortably digest the food you’re taking in. You will also feel more satisfied with your meal. Between meals continue to sip liquids following the 5/30 rule. Stop drinking liquids five minutes before a meal and wait until 30 minutes after a meal to start drinking again.
Week 3 and 4: Soft Foods
Naturally soft foods are introduced at mealtime during weeks three and four. These include finely ground meat or chicken, cooked vegetables with skins removed, and silken tofu. You’ll also continue to sip liquids between meals following the 5/30 rule, eat slowly, and savor every bite. Soft foods make up your gastric bypass and gastric sleeve diet week 3. The timing of this diet stage will range post-op depending on your tolerance and healing. A soft food diet will include more dietary options that should consist of small, tender, and easily chewed pieces of food. This time frame will vary based on the individual.
Read also: Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
Week 5: Regular Food
As you enter week 5 you’ll start adding regular cooked food at mealtime. Your daily food intake will continue to be spread across the day in six small meals. Food selections will always start with a source of protein that helps you meet your daily protein goal. Fluid consumption between meals, with mostly calorie free beverages, remains a regular part of a healthy bariatric diet going forward. At this point you’ll be well on your way to adopting bariatric eating practices for life. We’ve found that people who maintain this routine are more successful at reaching their weight loss goals and maintaining their health and weight loss over the long term.
General Dietary Guidelines
After about eight weeks on the gastric bypass diet, you can gradually return to eating firmer foods. Start with eating three meals a day, with each meal consisting of 1 to 1-1/2 cups of food. Depending on how you tolerate solid food, you may be able to vary the number of meals and amount of food at each meal.
Portion Control
Portion size will vary after metabolic and bariatric surgery based on the food stage and tolerance. You can eat 3 to 6 small meals a day. Each meal should consist of 4 to 6 tablespoons of food. After a few weeks of pureed foods, and with your doctor's OK, you can add soft foods to your diet. You can eat 3 to 5 small meals a day. Each meal should consist of one-third to one-half cup of food.
Food Introduction
Try new foods one at a time. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the size of your stomach and changes the way food enters your intestines.
Eating and Drinking Habits
Eat and drink slowly. To avoid dumping syndrome, take at least 30 minutes to eat your meals and 30 to 60 minutes to drink 1 cup of liquid. Keep meals small. Eat several small meals a day. You might start with six small meals a day, then move to four meals and finally, when following a regular diet, three meals a day. Drink liquids between meals. To avoid dehydration, you'll need to drink at least 8 cups (1.9 liters) of fluids a day. Sip liquids between meals, not with meals. Chew food thoroughly. The new opening that leads from your stomach into your small intestine is very narrow and can be blocked by larger pieces of food. Blockages prevent food from leaving your stomach and can cause vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain.
Read also: Is Bariatric Surgery Right for You?
Nutritional Focus
After surgery, it's important to get adequate nourishment while keeping your weight-loss goals on track. Focus on high-protein foods. Avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar. Take recommended vitamin and mineral supplements. After surgery your body won't be able to absorb enough nutrients from your food.
Long-Term Diet
The regular diet meal plan marks the beginning of your lifelong diet. At this point, your diet may fall into the 1000-calorie bariatric diet plan. You will find that you are able to explore more dietary options, but may require alternatives to typical recipes. This would include if you are a fan of sushi. It doesn’t matter whether you are eating 2 months after your procedure or eating 6 months after gastric bypass, it still calls for a low-calorie, high-protein diet. Over time and with patience you’ll become acquainted with this new norm of eating.
Restrictions
Gastric bypass and alcohol are one of the limitations that are highlighted after surgery. Alcohol typically is not allowed after surgery unless otherwise stated by your healthcare provider. Alcohol can also create fluctuations in blood sugar. Caffeine is another hot topic after surgery. Why no caffeine after gastric bypass? Large amounts can be a diuretic. Carbonation after gastric sleeve is also not recommended. Also, stay away from controversial topics like diet pills after gastric sleeve or gastric bypass unless you have consulted a qualified healthcare provider. Another thing to remember is to stay away from fad diets after surgery. Fad diets are restrictive, lack major nutrients, and lack sustainability. A keto diet gastric bypass would fall under this category, despite giving short-term results. Long-term outcomes are unlikely.
Recipe Tips for Success
Choose wisely. The bariatric diet is designed to help you heal and adopt healthier eating habits. It’s not meant to be torturous. Remember: You always have a choice. You can choose foods and recipes that appeal to you and that you find satisfying. Your Barix Clinics nutritionist is always happy to coach you on how to prepare healthier versions of your favorite recipes.
Potential Complications of Not Following the Diet
The gastric bypass diet can help you recover from surgery and transition to a way of eating that is healthy and supports your weight-loss goals. The greatest risks of the gastric bypass diet come from not following the diet properly. If you eat too much or eat food that you shouldn't, you could have complications.
- Dumping syndrome: If too much food enters your small intestine quickly, you are likely to experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating and diarrhea.
- Dehydration: Because you're not supposed to drink fluids with your meals, some people become dehydrated.
- Constipation.
- Blocked opening of your stomach pouch: Food can become lodged at the opening of your stomach pouch, even if you carefully follow the diet. Symptoms of a blocked stomach opening include ongoing nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Weight gain or failure to lose weight.
Long-Term Success
Having bariatric surgery is an important first step. To be successful with losing weight and keeping it off for the long term, making the commitment to change eating habits makes all the difference. Always remember that no matter which surgery you get it is only [one] tool in the tool box of success. It isn’t a miracle cure. You must be dedicated, willing to change your old habits, willing to become educated about the food you are eating and be active to live your best life after weight loss. Reach out for help. Your Barix Clinics nutritionist is always available to help. We know that making these changes takes effort and can be overwhelming. Your doctor or a registered dietitian will talk with you about the diet you'll need to follow after your surgery, including what types of food and how much you can eat at each meal.
Bariatric Recipes
Importance of Protein
I developed these bariatric recipes to help you meet your protein needs, minimize unnecessary carbs and focus on healthy fats after weight loss surgery. Each surgery center has different guidelines for a long term diet after bariatric surgery - so it’s important to also consult your center to see what is right for you. My goal in providing these recipes is to give you some simple ideas of what might work for you. I hope it will inspire you to create your own post-bariatric meal plan. An optimal bariatric meal plan should include foods you love, foods that nourish you, and foods that make you feel your best. I also love simple recipes that can be made in large batches ahead of time. I also believe there is no need to spend hours in the kitchen to make healthy food.
Recipe Organization
After surgery you will move through several stages of food textures. How quickly you progress between each phase will depend on how well you are tolerating your food and your doctor’s recommendations. Generally, the phases are liquid, puree, soft, then regular. You can read more about each one in my Ultimate Guide to the Bariatric Diet. To make meal planning easy, I organized the recipes on my site in two different ways. You can either click directly on the stage you are in to be taken to a page with stage-specific recipes. Each stage has slightly different characteristics. The pureed and soft stages are high in protein and low in carbohydrates to help you maintain your lean body mass after bariatric surgery, assist in optimizing weight loss, and preventing protein malnutrition. As you progress towards a regular diet the focus is still high protein, but I begin to reintroduce high fiber carbohydrates like beets and quinoa. I also wanted these recipes to be flexible, so they could accompany you along your entire journey. Most of these bariatric recipes can be altered to each diet stage to meet your texture requirements. Remember these are just ideas for what could work when you are transitioning through the different phases. The characteristics of the pureed diet after bariatric surgery are:
- Smooth texture
- High Protein
- Low carb
- Healthy Fats
When it comes to puree, it’s important for the consistency to be smooth without any lumps. Remember at this point your stomach is still healing, so digestion is challenging. You don’t want your stomach to do too much work during this time. Protein is of utmost importance because your body is healing from surgery, although of course, it is always important no matter where you are on your journey. Aim to include high protein food items in your bariatric pureed meal plan, such as chicken, eggs, or cottage cheese. The characteristics of the soft diet after bariatric surgery are:
- High Protein
- Cooked vegetables
- Low carb
- Healthy Fats
The goal in the soft stage is to continue to include high protein food items, while allowing for a greater variety of foods with a soft texture. At this phase, the texture no longer needs to be blended. This means you can eat a wider variety of foods, like cooked vegetables. This expands your options when creating a soft diet bariatric meal plan. You will still need to limit carbs, like breads, pasta, and rice. These foods are easy to overeat and don’t provide much nutrition. The soft phase also excludes fresh fruits and vegetables. At some point after surgery, you will be able to eat a fairly regular diet. “Regular” refers to the texture of your diet, you can start adding back different textures. There may be some foods you cannot tolerate, this will depend on the individual. You will still need to eat a diet that is:
- High Protein
- Includes raw & cooked vegetables
- Focused on low glycemic index carbs
- Healthy Fats
Once the regular food stage is reached most foods can be included. This means that fresh fruits and veggies can be reintroduced. Low glycemic carbs may also be added as long as you are meeting your protein needs comfortably. Protein will always be a priority! When making a bariatric meal plan for your regular diet, any of the below recipes are a possibility for you. Typically there is no difference between gastric sleeve recipes and gastric bypass recipes. Those that have had bypass surgery may experience more dumping so they need to be extra cautious of added sugars. But, no matter what type of surgery you had, sugar shouldn’t be a significant part of your diet. Sometimes you are preparing food for just yourself and I wanted to be sure to include some single serving option. High protein drinks are a great way to get in your nutrition, but it’s important to also keep the sugar intake low. Please select your corresponding post-op diet stage from the options below.
Additional Tips
- Post-bariatric vitamins are always recommended and should be taken as directed. Some healthcare providers will recommend starting bariatric supplements before surgery and continuing after, while others will recommend starting them in the hospital after surgery.
- What to eat before gastric sleeve surgery and gastric bypass? A protein-enriched diet, and then you’ll be gradually instructed to follow an approved clear liquid diet. The clear liquid diet before gastric sleeve will help to cleanse your system for your operation and support your weight loss.
- When it comes to eating after metabolic and bariatric surgery, when the time is appropriate, eating out after gastric bypass shouldn’t be a burden. However, creating meals on your own is always a great option when it comes to your health and wellness. Meal plans for gastric sleeve patients and patients with gastric bypass consist of high protein (eg.
- Another great investment is a gastric bypass cookbook. This is a very beneficial tool as the bariatric diet will be your lifelong staple.
- You have a choice in the food you’ll eat. You can choose food that you find satisfying.