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During your pre-operative meeting with our Registered Dietitian you will be given a diet to follow for the next 5 weeks. Briefly, the diet consists of:
- Week ONE being clear liquids
- Week TWO moving into full liquids
- Week THREE and FOUR you will progress to puree foods
- Week FIVE, you will transition into your regular diet
These diet modifications made to your gastrointestinal tract will require permanent changes in your eating habits that must be adhered to for successful weight loss. It is important that you strictly adhere to our recommendations. The follow are just some of the generally accepted dietary guidelines a weight loss patient may encounter. Remember to:
- Eat only 3 meals a day, and a protein rich snack
- Always eat your protein first
- Eat slowly and chew thoroughly (15-20 times a bite), your meal may take approximately 30-40 minutes
- Stop eating when you feel full
- Watch your portion sizes
- Drink only low-calorie or zero calorie liquids between meals
- Eat only quality foods. Solid food is more important than liquid food
- Do not chew gum
- Avoid carbonated or citrus drinks to decrease nausea and the discomfort of bloating
- Do not drink fluids at least 30 minutes before and after your meals
- Do not drink during your meals
- Alcohol has many calories, but an occasional glass of wine or another alcohol beverage is not harmful. *** Gastric bypass patients especially have to be careful with alcohol because of the disruption in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Caffeine products are not a part of our program’s diet, so if you feel that you want/need some, keep them to a minimum
- Drink a lot of water per day (48-64 ounces per day)
- Although the quantity of carbohydrates required in your diet is very small, it remains an essential nutritional component. Choose complex carbohydrates for optimum nutritional value
Your ability to resume pre-surgery levels of activity will vary according to your present physical condition, the nature of your activity and the type of weight loss surgery. Many patients return to full pre-surgery levels of activity within 3 to 6 weeks of their surgical procedure. Ultimately, your surgeon will decide what is best for you.
It is strongly advised that women of childbearing age use the most effective forms of birth control during the first 16 to 24 months after weight loss surgery. The added demands pregnancy places on your body and the potential for fetal damage makes this a most important requirement.
Although the short-term effects of weight loss surgery are well understood, there are still questions to be answered about the long term effects on nutrition and body systems. Nutritional deficiencies that occur over the course of many years will need to be studied. Periodically, you will need to be tested for anemia and/or certain vitamin deficiencies. Follow up testing for this program is bloodwork every 6 months. To help patients achieve their goals and deal with the changes surgery and weight loss can bring, the program at Monmouth Medical Center provides a five year follow up plan that includes clinical, emotional and nutritional education and support for all of our patients.
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