Gastric Bypass Information
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The Dumping Syndrome and Your Post Gastric Bypass Diet
A syndrome of uncomfortable digestive symptoms called The Dumping
Syndrome often occurs after weight loss surgery.
The post-gastric bypass diet is specially formulated for
three purposes – to give you all the nutrients your healing body
needs, to help you lose weight quickly, and to avoid the uncomfortable
symptoms of the “dumping syndrome.”
If the wrong foods are eaten after gastric bypass, you
may experience nausea, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea and a cold and clammy
feeling. These symptoms can be particularly upsetting if they occur
in public, so you must stick to the diet even when you eat out.
The dumping syndrome is very uncomfortable, so few people
have any trouble avoiding the wrong foods after the first encounter
with the symptoms. In fact, the dumping syndrome may be one of the reasons
why gastric bypass patients are able to lose weight in the first year
so much faster than patients who have undergone a surgery using the
LAP-BAND® sysem. The syndrome causes behavior-modification in much
the same way Antabuse helps alcoholics kick their drinking habit.
During the first few weeks after surgery, while you are
still on your liquid diet, you must avoid any yogurt that has been sweetened
with sugar or which contains fruit chunks. The sugar would cause nausea
or cramping, and in the first few weeks after surgery the fruit chunks
could block the opening from the stomach into your intestinal tract.
You will be sipping water, tea, low calorie (non-carbonated)
beverages or skim milk throughout the day. High-calorie drinks that
have been sweetened with sugar will bring on the uncomfortable symptoms
of dumping syndrome, (and they certainly won’t help you lose weight).
Dumping syndrome symptoms are usually less noticeable
about a year after your surgery, but may never go away entirely. You
should expect to make a lifelong change to your diet.
Foods with high sugar content, red meats, foods high in
fat, and liquids drunk with your meal will cause the symptoms.
Since protein is needed for you to heal properly after
your surgery, you may be asked to take liquid protein supplements in
place of one of your meals each day. Some protein supplements contain
sugar, and these must be avoided because of the dumping syndrome. Your
obesity center will give you a list of brands that you can safely drink.
To avoid constipation, you must consume enough liquids
throughout the day, but not within 30 minutes of a meal. Your nutritional
advisor will give you a list of drinks to choose from. You will be asked
to avoid carbonated soft drinks, which cause bloating, alcohol and sweetened
fruit drinks.
You will need to follow the post-gastric bypass diet carefully
in order to get all the nutrients your body needs, even while eating
very small quantities of food. This is not an easy task, especially
when so many foods will bring on the nausea and diarrhea or the dumping
syndrome. To give yourself the very best chance of success after your
surgery, you will want to follow the dietary recommendations carefully.
In fact, most centers will advise you to continue with
nutritional and behavioral counseling indefinitely, because it helps
you make these drastic changes to your lifestyle. Studies have shown
that post-gastric bypass patients who receive ongoing support are the
ones most likely to have a successful long-term outcome.
To read first-person accounts from people who have experienced
gastric bypass surgery, click
here.
Note: The information given here should
not be taken as medical advice. Be sure to talk to your doctor
about any concerns you may have about gastric bypass surgery.
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