Gastric Sleeve Surgery is a surgical procedure meant to help severely obese individuals with weight loss. This procedure is also known by other names, such as the vertical sleeve gastrectomy or the sleeve gastrectomy.
In this procedure, the surgeon removes a part of the stomach and turns it into a narrow, tube shape. Hence, reducing the size of the stomach, allowing the person to get full really fast.
If you are thinking of opting for Gastric Sleeve Surgery and are wondering if diet is necessary before this surgery, this is just the blog for you.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery Diet: Before and After
Your preparation in the weeks before the Sleeve Gastrectomy is crucial to the success of your surgery. Your doctor may ask you to let go of smoking and might recommend certain physical activities, as well as a diet that will benefit your surgery.
To add to this, this surgery is not ideal for those who misuse medications. In fact, your doctor will tell you to stop using any kind of blood thinners during the days leading up to your surgery.
Furthermore, if there is some medicine, herbs, or supplement that you take, you should speak to your doctor about it at length so they can tell you if you should discontinue your use.
Diet Before the Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Your pre-op diet for your Gastric Sleeve Surgery is essential as it helps reduce the fat accumulation in the stomach area, minimizes surgical complications, and marks the beginning of your journey to adopting positive habits to reach your health goals. Your dietician will help guide you to make all these changes.
About 3 weeks before your surgery, you will begin with your meal planning to make sure you consume protein-rich foods and ensure you consume 60 grams of protein or more. You will also stay away from fizzy drinks and consume plenty of water for maximum hydration.
Furthermore, you will also cut down on calories and limit the intake of carbohydrates to help with weight loss. Focus more on eating foods with good fats such as olives, salmon, nuts, etc, and steer clear of trans fats.
To add to this, the last few days before your gastric sleeve procedure will include switching to a liquid diet, meaning you will cut out all solid food. This includes water, broth, tea (unsweetened), popsicles (unsweetened), etc.
Some beverages that you will have to avoid at all costs include caffeine, alcohol, and soda.
8-week Diet After the Gastric Sleeve Procedure
Your health professional will guide you on your diet after the procedure to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need to help your body heal as well as prepare you for a healthy diet afterward.
- In the first week, you will only drink smooth liquids such as water and broth. Start out by taking sips, and then eventually work your way to drinking more. The purpose of this is to prevent the stretching of the stomach.
- Once you enter the second week post-op, you can shift to liquids with a thicker consistency such as yogurt, pudding, etc.
- The third week you can move to consuming pureed foods. This includes eggs, hummus, cheese, etc. Try to avoid spicy foods as they can cause irritation. Stay away from fibrous foods and fruits with a lot of seeds.
- By the fourth week, you can continue eating soft, easily chewable foods, and remember to start off with small bites.
- In the fifth and sixth weeks, you can incorporate textured foods along with soft foods such as minced meat, rice, scrambled eggs, etc. Eat about 3 to 4 meals and chew slowly.
- The 7th and 8th week after the Gastric Sleeve Surgery is when you can fully transition to eating solid foods. However, your food should still be cut into smaller bites for easier digestion since the stomach is much smaller.
Make sure to gradually incorporate new foods into your diet. Give yourself time to heal and pay attention to what suits you and which foods cause you nausea and discomfort.
Don’t eat and drink really fast as it can cause pain. Chew your food properly and give yourself at least half an hour to finish a meal.
Moreover, avoid dehydration at all costs. Make sure to drink water between meals. However, avoid drinking water during meals as it can fill you up quickly and cause you to feel too full to eat. Moreover, you can consult your dietitian to help you with portion control.
With regards to exercising after surgery, it is best to stay away from intense workouts and take things slow. Start with simple walks or some light yoga and then gradually move to cardio and other exercises a few months post-surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We have compiled some frequently asked questions below for more information on the Gastric Sleeve Surgery:
Q1. Who needs a Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Gastric Sleeve Surgery is meant for individuals who suffer from severe obesity and have tried every weight loss method without any success. In such a case, individuals with a BMI of over 40 are recommended for this surgery.
Additionally, Gastric Sleeve Surgery doesn’t just help with weight loss but also reduces the risk of serious health issues that are caused by extreme weight gain such as Type-2 diabetes, heart disease, infertility, etc.
Q2. What if I don’t follow the pre-op diet for Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Following the pre-op diet is crucial for a successful Gastric Sleeve Surgery. This is what will make sure you do not increase the fat in your stomach area. Additionally, following the diet will also contribute to making the surgery more effective.
Q3. Do I need to stop smoking before my Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
If you are a smoker, your doctor will likely ask you to give up smoking before the surgery. The reason is that tobacco constricts the blood vessels which limits the supply of blood to the stomach pouch.
Not to mention, it also hinders the oxygenated blood from reaching the area of the surgical wound, hence, slowing down the healing process and boosting chances of infection.
