Nutrition Guidelines after Gastric Bypass, Gastric Band

3. Low-Sugar & Low-Fat Foods and Beverages
SUGAR
- After weight loss surgery you will also need to follow a diet that is LOW IN ADDED SUGARS.
This will help not only with tolerance to foods/beverages after surgery, but will also help with
optimal weight loss.
- Dumping Syndrome: After gastric bypass surgery, some patients experience a
phenomenon known as “dumping syndrome” after eating concentrated sweets, fatty foods
and/or drinking fluids with meals. This occurs when food exits the pouch rapidly and “dumps”
into the intestine. This part of your intestine does not tolerate concentrated foods (sweet or fatty
foods), so it immediately pulls water out of the rest of the body to dilute the food. It then rapidly
flows down the remainder of the small intestine; it enters the large intestine (still flowing rapidly)
and exits via the rectum. Some patients have shared stories about their dumping syndrome,
describing the sudden onset of diarrhea and have reported having accidents in public places.
Dumping syndrome can cause not only urgent diarrhea, but often patients will also feel nausea,
lightheadedness, flushing, and stomach cramps.
- Read Food Labels: Foods may have hidden sugar, so be sure and read food labels
carefully. Aim for approximately 10 grams or less of sugar per serving. To prevent dumping
syndrome you will need to avoid eating sugar and foods containing real sugar. Avoid products
which list any type of sugar as one of the first three ingredients: including sugar, maple syrup,
honey, molasses, corn syrup, corn sweeteners, glucose, lactose, maltose, dextrose, sorghum,
sorbitol or mannitol.
- Artificial Sweeteners: NutraSweet, Splenda, Sweet and Low and other artificial sweeteners
are acceptable substitutes for real sugar. They will not cause dumping and will help with weight
loss and maintenance since they contain very few calories.
FAT
- Your food choices will also need to be LOW-FAT. Fat may be difficult to digest or tolerate
after weight loss surgery, especially fried foods, fast foods and snack foods. Small amounts of
fats are fine such as those found in lean meats and fish or low fat dairy products and in fact,
your body needs a certain amount of fat each day.
- Cooking Methods: Use low-fat cooking methods to prevent adding fat to your foods. Try
baking, broiling, or grilling and avoid frying foods.
- Added Fat: A healthy, low-fat food can be made unhealthy from added fat. Be careful of the
following ways that fat can be added to food: salad dressing, butter, sauces, gravies,
mayonnaise, cheese, and nuts.
- Read Food Labels: Read food labels for TOTAL FAT content. Total fat should be around
5 grams per serving as an average.
**** NOTE: If a food is labeled “Low-fat” it does not necessarily mean it is also low in sugar and
vice-versa. So, it is important to read the entire food label.
Please save this packet and review it for the best results after your surgery!