Healthy eating guidelines for first month after weight loss surgery

Days 1 to 3 (Phase 1 Diet)

In the first two days after surgery, your diet should only consist of clear liquids. The clearness of the liquids should be such that you can see through it the other side of the glass.

First day:

1- Start consuming clear liquids from day 1 by drinking 15 milliliters of clear liquids (one spoonful) every 30 minutes for 2 hours.

2- after 2 hours and until the end of the day (before sleep), drink one spoonful of clear liquids every 15 minutes.

Second and third days:

1- Drink 2 spoons of a clear liquid every 15 minutes in the 2^nd and 3^rd days after surgery.

2- You can start your daily walking right after regaining your consciousness after surgery, with the permission of the coordinating team (AriaMedTour).

Foods you are allowed to eat in Phase 1 Diet after weight loss surgery:

• Water
• Protein supplements (as prescribed by a nutritionist)
• Diluted ‘no sugar added’ fresh fruit juice (half a glass of juice mixed with half a glass of water)

• Reduced-fat meat or chicken broth (stock)

  

  Apple juice is one of the best choices for the diluted juice you are supposed to drink after your weight loss surgery.

Key recommendations:

1- You should drink 1700 to 2000 ml of water and clear liquids a day. After being discharged from hospital, gradually increase your intake as your body’s tolerance to liquids also increases.

2- If your urine color is dark yellow to orangish, and it has a bad smell, it is a sign that your body is dehydrated and you need water.

3- Six to seven light meals are enough for you in this phase. Do not eat more than recommended and keep off solid foods.

4- Drinking weak tea or herbal tea is allowed in this phase, but avoid drinking fizzy drinks, soda, caffeinated drinks like coffee, milk, concentrated juices, undiluted juice, or sweetened natural juice.

5- As for the diluted juice (half water, half juice), Apple and grape juices are the recommended choices.

6- Sip water and liquid slowly, not gulp it down, as it causes stomach ache, nausea, and vomiting. Do not use a straw to drink, as it causes you to inhale air into your stomach.

 7- In the first days after surgery, avoid sweetened drinks such as sugary tea, as it may cause dizziness, excessive sweating, and heart palpitation.

8- Avoid smoking cigarettes and hookahs, as it increases the likelihood of acid reflux.

9- Do not take protein supplements without a prescription or if you do not know the correct dosage.

10- Drinking alcoholic beverages is very dangerous in this phase and it might cause shock and even death.

11- Eating candy and chewing gum should be strictly avoided.

Sample meal plan for the first 3 days after weight loss surgery (Phase 1)

• 8 a.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water. 
• 9 a.m.: A cup of weak tea (unsweetened)
• 10 a.m.: A cup of fresh fruit juice with no sugar added (half a cup of juice diluted with half a cup of water)
• 11:59 a.m.: A cup of meat or chicken broth (completely filtered and without pieces of meat or vegetables)
• 1 p.m.: A cup of green tea or chamomile tea (unsweetened)
• 3 p.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water
• 5 p.m.: A cup of fresh fruit juice with no sugar added (half a cup of juice diluted with half a cup of water)
• 6 p.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water
• 7 p.m.: A cup of meat or chicken broth (completely filtered and without pieces of meat or vegetables)

Days 4 to 14 (Phase 2 Diet)

Three days have passed now since you had your weight loss procedure and now you can have a more diversified diet. This dietary phase is still based on liquids and soft foods, but the liquids should have thicker consistencies. In fact, the liquids you drink in these 10 days should have a density similar to that of milk.

1- Drink 120-150 ml of liquid an hour

2- Keep your protein intake above 70 grams per day by taking protein supplements prescribed for you. This amount cannot be completely taken from liquids such as broth.

3- Make sure to drink 4 cups of plain water a day.

4- Resume your normal activities with the permission of the coordinating team (AriaMedTour)

5- Before consumption, sift the liquids and stir them until they have the thickness of milk. After 10 days you may gradually increase the thickness of the soup up to the consistency and softness of pudding.

6- To prepare chicken broth, clean chicken with bones and remove the excess fat and skin. Then boil it with aromatic vegetables until it is cooked perfectly. After that, remove the vegetables from the pot and sift the broth with a sieve, then let it cool by putting it in the refrigerator for one hour, until a layer of fat is formed on the surface. Finally, remove the fat layer and slightly heat the broth again before consumption.

Foods you are allowed to eat in Phase 2 Diet after weight loss surgery (from days 4 to 14):

• Water
• Protein supplements (as prescribed by a nutritionist)
• Protein shakes
• Diluted ‘no sugar added’ fresh fruit juice (half a cup of juice mixed with half a cup of water)
• Reduced-fat meat or chicken broth (stock)
• Skimmed or low-fat milk, yogurt or yogurt drink (doogh)
• Thin well-mixed soup NOT containing rice, potato, peas, corns, cream, butter, noodles, and vermicelli.
• Vegetable juice
• Home-made fruit yogurt with no sugar added.

Key recommendations:

1- All the dietary habits and recommendations you have adopted during the last 3 days, including sipping water and liquids and gradually increasing liquid intake, hold true in this phase as well.

2- In days 4-8 after surgery, it is recommended that you drink no more than one glass of milk a day and that you divide it (equally) between two meals, gradually increasing the quantity in the following days. Bear in mind that chocolate milk, coffee milk, and milk mixed with yolk is not recommended, but you can eat soy milk or lactose-free milk if you like.

3- Stop eating once you feel full or nausea.

4- Do not drink water one hour before and one hour after meals, and do not lie down for 45 minutes after meals.

5- In the first days after surgery, avoid sweetened drinks such as sugary tea, as it may cause dizziness, excessive sweating, and heart palpitation.

6- Avoid smoking cigarettes and hookahs, as it increases the likelihood of acid reflux.

7- Do not take protein supplements without a prescription or if you do not know the correct dosage.

8- Different kinds of plain soups NOT containing rice, potato, peas, corns, cream, butter, noodles, and vermicelli are allowed in this phase and it is recommended that you use meat or chicken broth for making soups instead of water.

9- Soups must be thin, well-mixed, and have the thickness of milk.

10- On the day 10 you can add parsley, coriander, or finely-chopped celery leaves.

Sample meal plan for days 4-14 after weight loss surgery (Phase 2)

• 8 a.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water
• 9 a.m.: A cup of skimmed of low-fat milk
• 10 a.m.: A cup of diluted fresh fruit juice with no sugar added (half a cup of juice diluted with half a cup of water)
• 11 a.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water
• 11:59 a.m.: A cup of well-mixed soup
• 1 p.m.: A cup of diet jelly
• 2 p.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water
• 3 p.m.: A cup of pulp-free carrot juice
• 4 p.m.: A cup of diluted fresh fruit juice with no sugar added (half a cup of juice diluted with half a cup of water)
• 5 p.m.: A cup of milk or yogurt
• 6 p.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water
• 7 p.m.: a cup of well-mixed soup
• 8 p.m.: A cup of warm or tepid water

Days 15 to 30 (Phase 3 Diet)

Two weeks have passed now, in a blink of an eye, since you had a weight loss surgery. Your stomach has partially recovered now and you’ve lost a few kilos of weight. If you have followed the dietary guidelines given to you for the first two phases, now you have a better understanding of the principles of a healthy diet, thus you would not experience side effects like acid reflux, pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Now you are prepared to add semi-solid or pureed food to your diet. In fact, a blender is your best friend during these two weeks, because all your foods should be pureed and softened with a bender before consumption. For eating solid foods, you should be more patient as it is too early yet.

1- For each meal, eat 30-50 grams of pureed protein-rich food and 30 grams of cooked and pureed vegetables.

2- Until you are able to tolerate half a cup of food for each meal, eat 5-6 light meals a day. After that, eat 3 main meals and 2 light meals.

3- Plan your eating in a way that each meal last 20-30 minutes.

Foods you are allowed to eat in Phase 3 Diet

• Egg (white and yolk)
• Cheese or soy cheese
• Chicken, fish, and meat (well-cooked and pureed)
• Fruits and vegetables (well-cooked and with no oil and sugar added)
• Mashed banana
• Skim or low-fat dairy products (1.5%)
• Home-made pudding or Haleem with no oil and sugar added

Foods you are forbidden from eating in Phase 3 Diet

• Sticky or gooey and extremely thick foods
• Bread, pastries, cookies, biscuits, ice creams
• Pizza cheese, peanut butter, nuts, popcorn, margarine, French fries, cream, mayonnaise, chocolate
• Raw vegetables, unpeeled fruits
• Pepper and spices
• High-fat milk
• Fatty or fried foods
• Carbonated drinks, alcohol, concentrated juices
  

  You must refrain from eating high-calorie foods and beverages, as they undermine the effectiveness of your weight loss surgery.

Key recommendations

1- All the dietary habits and recommendations you have adopted during the last 14 days, including sipping water and liquids and gradually increasing liquid intake, hold true in this phase as well.

2- Eating white meat is allowed on condition that it be perfectly cooked and pureed; but red meat is not recommended for it may cause some digestive problems, and in this case, you should put off eating red meat for two more weeks.

3- Eating cooked vegetables is allowed, but raw vegetables should be avoided.

4- Add only one new food to your diet each day and do it after making sure that your body has the tolerance to a new food. If you get abdominal bloating or severe stomach ache, remove the newly-added food from your diet.

5- Avoid frequent snacking during the day for it makes you stop losing weight or even gain weight after surgery if it continues for a long time.

6- The quantity of each meal should not be bigger than the capacity of a small bowl or a cup. Thus, use very small plates instead of normal serving plates.

7- To pureeing foods, first cook them well or finely chop them. Then add some milk, chicken or meat broth, vegetable juice or olive oil and mix them well with a blender.

Sample meal plan for days 15-30 after weight loss surgery (Phase 3)

• Breakfast: A cup of low-fat milk and one pureed egg
• Elevenses: A cup of melon juice or a cooked and grated apple
• Launch: A cup of boiled and pureed chicken breasts with tomato juice
• Afternoon meal: A cup of fresh fruit juice
• Dinner: A palm-sized portion of grilled fish and two spoons of pureed carrot
• Supper (before sleep): A cup of low-fat yogurt or yogurt drink (doogh)