Facebook Live Video: Top tips for eating with a sleeve.
November 2, 2016Facebook Live Video: Eating out after sleeve gastrectomy.
November 10, 2016
After surgery your stomach will be very swollen and you won’t be very hungry at all. The focus at this stage is on healing and adjusting to the surgery rather than losing weight. You will be required to follow a thin fluid diet for up to two weeks. Some surgeons recommend this for a shorter period of time, but this is what the surgeons prefer in our clinic.
Drinking fluids after sleeve gastrectomy :
- Allows your stomach to heal
- Stops the new stomach swelling too much
- Prevents unnecessary vomiting
What can I drink?
In this phase you need to drink smooth liquids that are thin enough to pass through a straw. It is essential that you take small sips slowly, yet frequently, to remain hydrated and minimise pressure in the stomach.
Avoid lumpy fluids, fizzy drinks and alcohol
Immediately following surgery, the nurses will help you to start drinking clear, non-fizzy fluids, such as water, tea and fruit juice. In the beginning while the swelling it at it’s worst and there isn’t much room in your stomach, 50ml will take about 30 minutes to sip. Using a shot glass is a good reminder to drink small volumes often. As the swelling goes down, you’ll find it easier to drink, to the point where you are able to drink about one cup (250ml) in 30 minutes (usually around day 10). This is really important as in the long run, we want you to take about 20-30 minutes to eat a cup of food, so practicing “one cup; half an hour” will help you form the habit of eating slowly and adjust later on.
What to drink?
At this stage your nutrient requirements are met by liquids only – total fluids and protein are key. You may drink anything from the list below but remember that it’s vital to drink protein-containing drinks to get enough protein and essential nutrients to maintain healthy body functions and allow your surgical wounds to heal.
Aim to drink the following each day:
1. Â 3 x 250ml serves of protein drinks each day from the following list:
- Optifast shake or soup (this is ideal)
- Milk
- A breakfast drink like Up & Go
- Drinking yoghurt (no lumps)
- A medical nutrition supplement like Sustagen Hospital Formula, Ensure or Resource Fruit Beverage
- A protein supplement like Bodiez Protein Water, Protein Revival or Musashi P30
2. Â Plus another 1.25 litres from the following list:
- Diluted fruit juice
- Vegetable juice
- Thin strained soups
- Water (+/- diet cordial/lemon)**
- Tea and Coffee
- Electrolytes such as Hydralyte, Gastrolyte, High 5 Zero, Nuun or Powerade Zero
- Lo Cal Vitamin Water
**Water is often difficult to drink, so flavour it to help you drink more.
A few final notes…
- Multivitamins: Start taking a daily liquid multivitamin (like Supradyn or Berocca Performance) or chewable multivitamin (like NutriChew or Nipro BN Multi available online). Allow them to go flat before drinking.
- Fibre: A liquid diet provides minimal fibre, so constipation and/or diarrhoea are common. Begin a daily fibre supplement when you get home from hospital to help even out your bowel motions. Benefiber or Metamucil are both good options but Benefiber is much easier to take as it is clear and tasteless. Take your fibre separately to your multivitamin as it may stop the nutrients being properly absorbed.
- Constipation: As well as the fibre supplement, also try 50ml of prune juice 1-2 times per day, drink plenty of water and keep active with light walks
- Medications: Small tablets may be swallowed whole, but large tablets such as multivitamins or Diabex may not. Please check with your GP or pharmacist before crushing medications.
**Please remember that this information may not be exactly the same as what your surgeon recommends. Be sure to check with them first, before making any changes to your post op diet.
