These suggestions are to help you prepare your food choices after laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding surgery. There will be certain foods you will need to avoid and portion sizes must be much smaller. Both laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding create a new pouch that restricts the amount of food that can be consumed.

The Gastric Bypass procedure creates a very small gastric pouch with a narrow connection to a bypassed segment of the small intestine. Because the size of your functioning stomach is much smaller and the opening from the stomach to the small intestine is narrower than before surgery, you will need to make changes in the way you eat.

The Gastric Banding procedure places an adjustable band around the upper part of your stomach, dividing the stomach into two sections, creating a new small stomach pouch above the band with a narrow outlet into the lower stomach below the band.

Please do not “test” the size of your pouch after the operation as over-eating during the first two weeks after the operation can be dangerous. Please follow Dr. Belsley’s recommendations; be careful and go slow. Embrace the early feelings of satiety and decreased appetite as this will help your initial weight loss. Do not be in a rush- although it may take several weeks, you will be able to eat regular foods again.

The gastric bypass and lap band surgery diets are designed to provide adequate fluids and nourishment while promoting weight loss after surgery.  During your hospital stay, you will be given liquids and instructed to advance them using a 4 x 4 rule. Please do not advance the diet without speaking to Dr. Belsley, the nurse practitioner, or dietitian.

The diet is divided into three stages:

Gastric Bypass: Begins the day after surgery, and last for at least 1 week. If no problems are experienced with clear liquids, your surgeon will add a high protein liquid supplement to your diet when you go home from the hospital.

Gastric Banding: Begins the day of surgery, and last for at least 2 weeks. If no problems are experienced with clear liquids, your surgeon will add a high protein liquid supplement to your diet when you go home from the hospital. 

Gastric Bypass: Lasts up to approximately 3 week after surgery. During this stage the surgeon will progress your diet to pureed foods.  All foods are blended to the consistency of applesauce.

Gastric Banding: Lasts up to approximately 2 weeks after surgery. During this stage the surgeon will progress your diet to pureed foods.  All foods are blended to the consistency of applesauce.

Gastric Bypass and Gastric Banding: Depending on your progress, approximately one month after surgery, your diet will be advanced to a regular texture no concentrated sweets low-fat diet.