Life after bariatric surgery means many exciting changes to both your diet and lifestyle to help you get the most out of your surgery.

One of the biggest changes of course is the changes in diet that you will need to make. Your surgeon and their team will help make sure you're well prepared for life before and after surgery. But prior to settling into your final diet that you will be following to maintain your weight loss, you will be following a modified diet plan to let your body heal and adjust to changes after surgery.

Additionally, it helps to hear how someone else's post-op journey was like or what their experience was like throughout the weight loss journey. And that's where a PatientPartner™ Mentor comes in! A PatientPartner™ Mentor is someone who has had a successful weight loss journey and wants others to have success as well. They share their journey through candid conversations and support you emotionally and with practical tips on how they got through their obstacles. What's even better is that connecting with one is totally free!

Remember your medical team will help you determine when you are ready to transition from one stage to the next and you should reach out to them for any specific questions regarding your post-op diet plan.

So what are the 4 post-op diet stages that most patients go through immediately after surgery?

Stage 1- Liquid Diet

Immediately after surgery you will be limited to a few ounces of clear liquids at a time to allow your stomach to heal. From there you can progress to other liquids such as skim milk, broths, gelatin or ice pops. This diet can typically last for a week or two and when you are able to tolerate the liquids your team will progress you till the next stage.

Stage 2- Pureed Diet

The next stage involves a pureed diet, where you can have foods that have a thick, pudding-like consistency. Although it may not be as appetizing, this will re-introduce your stomach to "heavier" foods in preparation for solids. Many foods can be pureed with a blender at home but try to avoid foods that contain a lot of spices and/or seeds. This is also a great period to start with protein shakes as well. This stage can last for about a week.

Stage 3- Soft Foods

The soft food stages involves food that are easy to chew such as eggs, ground meat or fish. It is tempting to eat more per meal during this stage but remember to eat slowly and take small bites. Small, frequent meals will help the progression to the last stage easier. This period can last up to a month.

Stage 4- Stabilization Diet

This is the final diet stage and the one that you will maintain. You are able to eat foods that have regular consistency but will have to stick to your new eating habits and patterns. You will have to avoid foods high in fats and sugars and eat well balanced meals. At the beginning, introduce new foods slowly to make sure you can tolerate them and will still need to eat small amounts of food. Be sure not to forget your vitamin supplements to meet your daily requirements!

Having all these new changes and guidelines will be overwhelming. Luckily, your surgeon and their team will be with you every step of the way. Things such as apps and diet plans will help you stay on track with your diet plan. Adding on a PatientPartner™ Mentor will help you complete your support circle as they can give you tips and tricks they used to overcome obstacles during their weight loss journey. PatientPartner™ Mentors are people who have had weight loss surgery and want to help support others along their journey.

Start setting up your weight loss journey for success and connect with one today!

PatientPartner™ is proud of meaningful connections the program creates. Get insider tips on how to start or maintain your healthy habits by speaking with a free PatientPartner™ Mentor.

We connect those who are about to have a bariatric surgery with patients who have previously had that surgery so you get to know the surgical journey from the patient's perspective.

Our PatientPartner™ Mentors are there to guide you through your surgical journey each and every step of the way.