adapted from http://www.lap-band-surgery-site.com/bariatric-eating.html
#1: You Shall Eat Your Protein First
Protein rich foods delay stomach emptying and will help keep you feeling full long after you're done with your meal.
Post bariatric eating involves protein at every meal and snack.
Be sure to eat your protein first. Avoid filling up on other foods and leaving no room for your protein!
#2: You Shall Choose Solid Foods Over Soft, Mushy, or Liquidy Foods
"Solid" foods will fill up your pouch and stay in your pouch longer than soft, mushy, or liquidy foods do. You'll require more food to feel full when the consistency of your meal is soft, mushy or liquidy.
More food = more calories = slower weight loss!
Examples of "solid" foods: chicken, turkey, fish, beans, whole fruits and vegetables, salad, whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.
Examples of soft, mushy, or liquidy foods: soup, frappuccinos, milkshakes, ice cream, etc.
#3: Avoid Eating and Drinking at the Same Time
Solid food + liquid beverage = slushy, mushy consistency. (Refer to Commandment #2!)
#4: You Shall Avoid Drinks/Liquids With Calories
Liquids pass through the pouch fairly quickly without giving you a feeling of fullness or satisfaction. Drinks like regular soda pop, juice, milkshakes, coffee drinks, and sweetened beverages contain a lot of calories.
You can drink a lot of liquids without getting full and that means you can take in a lot of calories without ever feeling full if you're not careful to choose zero calorie beverages.
#5: You Shall Take Small Bites
Take bites only as big as a pea, pencil eraser, or a dime when eating after bariatric surgery. A small bite of food in your mouth guarantees only a small bite of food will find its way down to your stomach.
Having only a small amount of food trying to pass a gastric band (or through the new opening created between the pouch and small intestine by a gastric bypass) will lessen your chances of causing an obstruction.
#6: You Shall Chew Thoroughly
Chewing thoroughly help you slow down, avoid overeating, and minimize the chance of obstruction caused by large food particles.
Bariatric surgery eating requires that you chew each bite 25-30 times or until the food in your mouth is unidentifiable.
#7: You Shall Eat Slowly
This will prevent you from overeating which can cause you to vomit and/or cause your pouch to stretch. A stretched pouch means you'll need more food to feel full.
Try putting your fork or spoon down between bites and allow 20-30 minutes to finish a meal.
#8: You Shall Stop Eating as Soon as You Feel Full
If you don't, you can get sick...
...as in vomit...yuck!
Persistent over eating after bariatric surgery can also cause your pouch to stretch which means you'll need larger portions of food to feel full.
#9: You Shall Stay Hydrated
Drink 6-8 cups of calorie free fluid every day.
- water
- Sugar free, non-carbonated, caffeine free or decaffeinated beverages:
- Diet Snapple
- Sugar free Kool-Aid
- Decaf tea or coffee
- Herbal tea or coffee
- Artificially sweetened flavored water
- Crystal Light
#10: You Shall Take Your Daily Vitamins
YES! You will need to take bariatric vitamins after weight loss surgery...
...every day for the rest of your life!
You Shall Follow The Commandments of Eating After Bariatric Surgery if You Want to be Successful
Do you know the #1 reason why people don't lose all the weight they want or even gain weight after going through bariatric surgery?
Not following the post-op bariatric diet!
Make a commitment to following the "commandments" and make a regular date for yourself and a notebook on the first of every month to "check in" and assess how many of the 10 you're actually following.
Should your weight loss slow, stop, or start moving in the wrong direction, re-commit yourself to following ALL 10 Commandments!
