Stage One to Four: Foods to Eat after Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve surgery is one of the methods of weight loss diet through surgery. In this method, your stomach is cut to be smaller. It belongs to long term diet because the result may be able to be seen after 2 or 3 years. With a smaller stomach, you will eat less. However, you have to control your eating portion and also pay attention to the foods to eat after gastric sleeve surgery. You have to make sure that you eat healthy foods.

A Few Days after Surgery

After you take the gastric sleeve surgery, you cannot go home directly. You should stay at the hospital for a few days. The doctor may suggest you to stay at the hospital for 3 days to 5 days. It depends on your condition. If your progress is good enough, you are allowed to go home before a week. During at the hospital, you will be monitored, including your daily foods. In this case, you are only allowed to drink water. The beverages to drink after gastric sleeve surgery should only be water. Foods is not allowed to eat.

Stage One: Liquid Phase Week (Weeks 1–2)

After you are allowed to go home, you are still at the stage one. It is also called as liquid phase because you are still allowed to drink liquid. Any food is still not allowed. So, you have to focus on liquid only. You should prioritize fresh water. However, some other drinks are also allowed as long as they belong to smooth drinks. For example, you may drink fruit smoothie, fruit juice, skimmed milk, slim fast, and complain. You should be consistent with these drinks until the second week.

Stage Two: Soft or Puree Foods (Weeks 3-4)

In the third week, you enter the second stage. In this stage, you are not only allowed to drink liquids. Now, you are allowed to eat some foods. However, not all foods are allowed to eat. The foods to eat after gastric sleeve surgery are only soft or puree foods, such as yoghurts, blended fruits, smooth soup, blended fish, liquidized meat, etc. You should also keep in mind that you cannot drink before, during, or after you eat soft foods. You have to wait about a half hour after eating if you want to drink. If you need to drink before eating, you should drink about a half hour before it.

Stage Three: Soft Texture (Weeks 5-6)

During the fifth week, you are allowed to eat soft textured foods. The meals to eat after gastric sleeve surgery are such as low sugar cereals, scrambled eggs, baked beans, fish pie, cheese, mash potato, soft vegetables, etc. You can also consider eating some snacks such as rice pudding with low fat, mousse with no sugar, tinned fruits, low fat yoghurt, cottage cheese, etc. You should stay with these foods until the sixth week.

Stage Four: Normal Texture (Weeks 7-8)

When you enter the seventh week after the surgery, you are allowed to eat normal textured foods. The foods to eat after gastric sleeve weight loss surgery are such as skimmed milk powder, fruits, yoghurt, etc. However, you have to make sure that they belong to healthy foods. In this stage, you have to prioritize foods that contain protein. Besides that, carbohydrates are also important. Then, you should also consider eating vegetables or salad. Some snacks are also recommended such as custard, chopped raw vegetables, etc.

What to Eat after Stage Four?

What foods are allowed to eat after stage four? It depends on your condition. Sometimes, the stages above are different. If your condition gets better fast, you may eat normally after the stage four. However, it does not mean that you eat like pre surgery with large portions. You have to control your eating portion so that you can lose weight gradually.

Some people may need about 2 years to get the best result, but some others need 3 years or more. After you reach your weight loss target, you have to change your lifestyle, such as to quit smoking, stop consuming alcohol, do regular exercises, etc. In addition, you should also pay attention to the foods to eat after gastric sleeve surgery above. You have to plan healthy foods. So, you will not only lose weight, but also live healthily.