By its very definition, gastric bypass surgery alters how the stomach can handle food which means that you can consume less calories over time. After first having surgery, you will be given a post-surgery meal plan to follow. Because the stomach is now smaller, it will take less calories for you to feel full up. However, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the surgery and calorie intake after gastric sleeve surgery so allow us to help!
How Many Calories Will I Need After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
First Six Months - As mentioned, you will be given a meal plan at first and this will be entirely liquid to aid the healing process. Over time, you will progress to soft foods before then resuming a solid food diet. For the first six months, your meal plan should contain three small meals and two snacks. In total, this will see you consuming a little over 1,000 calories per day.
Breakdown - After surgery, you will be consuming less calories which places a greater emphasis on the quality of your diet. Therefore, each meal should contain fruit or vegetables and you should aim for 60-80 grams of protein per day. If you aim for between 1,000 and 1,200 calories each day, your snacks could hold up to 150 calories each. With this in mind, your main meals could go up to around 300 calories each.
Maintenance - After the first six months are up, your calorie intake will increase slightly on a bariatric plan. Normally, patients will keep the same layout with three small meals and two snacks but there is a little more room for quality ingredients. Of course, balance will still be the key and you can increase protein to 60 grams per day whilst keeping fat and sugar low. During this period, you can go up to 1,500 calories each day.
Typical Menu - If you’re looking for a helping hand, we will show you a typical menu and an example of how a day can be broken down. In the morning, start with one cup of cereal and milk along with a piece of fruit. For a snack, yoghurt is a wise option whilst a tuna sandwich could be the main focus for lunch. In order to meet your nutritional needs, feel free to pack the sandwich with tomato, a little cheese, baby carrots, and use wholewheat bread. For dinner, three ounces of chicken with half a cup of brown rice will work perfectly with a little broccoli on the side.
Summary - So there we have it, your guide to calorie counting after gastric sleeve surgery. Although it may seem confusing at first, you will be absolutely fine as long as you follow this and listen to what your doctor advises!
