The goal of gastric bypass in Tijuana,Mexico, and of any bariatric surgery, is to lose weight. And weightloss only happens when one specific criteria is met: you burn more calories than you consume.
Gastric bypass helps patients achieve this calorie deficit by modifying the stomach so it cannot hold as much food, as well as changing the intestinal tract so that food passes through fast, preventing as many calories from being absorbed.
As a result, calories in after gastric bypass are greatly reduced. However, you have to do your part with diet and exercise to support your weight loss. Here is what you should know about how many calories a day you eat after gastric bypass.
Gastric Bypass Calories: The First Six Months
Directly after surgery, you will be on a liquid diet, allowing your stomach to heal after the surgery. Your doctor will give you a customized plan that steadily scales you up from clear, thin liquids to colored and thicker liquids, finally transitioning to pureed foods. After you are on pureed foods for a while, you move to soft foods, and finally get back to eating solid foods once more.
Once you reach the solid foods stage, you will usually be put on a post-op bariatric diet plan that consists of 1,000 to 1,300 calories per day. This is broken up between three small meals and two snacks a day. This diet will continue for six months, though your doctor may choose to adjust this schedule based on your needs.
Gastric Bypass Calories: The Maintenance Stage
How many calories you should eat after gastric bypass changes during the maintenance phase. At this point, you get to increase your daily calorie consumption a bit, eating between 1,300 and 1,500 calories a day. This is typically spread out over three small meals and one to two snacks. This diet is maintained indefinitely.
Getting the Right Nutrients
With a calorie-restricted diet, it is essential that you plan and eat balanced meals that deliver the nutrition you need. After gastric bypass, you will be on supplements since your body no longer absorbs what it needs, but these don’t replace the nutrients in food; they just help you round out what you need.
Are you interested in learning more about the right calorie consumption for your needs? Check out the calorie calculator if you have never had bariatric surgery. If you have, consult with the ALO Bariatrics team.