17 St George Obesity Surgery Unit | Bariatric Book | What To Expect - An Overview The majority of the weight loss occurs within the 12 months after surgery. Your small stomach needs to heal and adapt and you also need to learn how to eat and drink with it. This will take some time. The following timeline will help you with your progress after surgery. First six months after surgery Initially your small stomach is swollen and needs to heal. The main aim is to prevent unwanted gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, pain), be well hydrated and ensure an appropriate diet is followed, using this nutrition timeline as a guide. The first priority is protein. Adequate protein intake ensures appropriate weight loss, good nutrition status and prevention of nutritional complications. By 2-3 months post op you can start increasing your vegetable and fruit intake, however we still ask you to avoid grains and starches at this stage. These foods tend to expand in your new stomach, are very filling and are not a source of protein. Hence they may cause discomfort and also displace your protein intake. You are also recommended to take Multivitamins daily and possibly Calcium with Vitamin D. Six to twelve months after surgery At this stage your stomach has adapted well and you will be used to its new capacity. You will be on a normal healthy diet, but eating much smaller portions compared to before surgery. You may feel hungry at times, which is normal, and you can also eat more volume of food at a time. Your weight loss slows down at this stage and therefore you need to continue making good food choices, eat each meal slowly over 20- 30 minutes, avoid snacking, and continue your commitment to regular exercise. We recommend that you base your food intake on protein and non starchy vegetables, limiting grains, avoiding grazing, limiting discretionary (junk/ fast/processed) foods and continuing to take the recommended vitamin and mineral supplements. Nutrition Management Stages After Surgery
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