How to Prepare for the First Few Weeks after WLS?

Medically Reviewed by Katelyn J. Mock, US-Registered Dietician (R.D.)

Our US-registered bariatric dietitian discusses the first few weeks’ diet after weight loss surgery. She underlines the importance of measuring spoons and dime-size bites post-surgery.

By the end of this article, you’ll know some tips to survive the first few weeks after WLS. It is normal to struggle with nausea or even some vomiting after bariatric surgery.

There are a few life hacks you can use to keep yourself feeling light and healthy.

Phase 1: Clear Liquid Diet

Now, first few weeks if you are still on all-liquids:

• Take out your measuring spoons.
• Keep your sips of liquids to a teaspoon or less.
• Measure your teaspoon with your thumb. It should fit in the spoon with the edges aligning. This will help you measure out your portions of food.
• If you are having really hot liquids like hot tea, hot coffee or ice cold liquids is well you might want to do a smaller amount, more like the quarter to half teaspoon size.

Phase 2: The All-Liquid Diet

• For whatever reason, those extreme liquids tend to be a little bit harder to tolerate.
• Room temperature usually works better. So, keeping this out, on the counter, as you are going to sip your protein drink or your water or whatever it is, as a reminder to not gulp.

Phase 3: Solid Diet Post-Op

• The other thing, if you are moving to more solids is to get out the dime. Here is my dime.
• You do not want to have bites that are any bigger than the size of a dime.
• Thickness wise, you can maybe do two dimes for thickness but overall just keep that dime on the counter when you are having your meal as a reminder of how big each bite should be.
• When you do have those bites, wait at least thirty seconds, in between each bite
• So essentially, you should have no more than two bites of food per minute.

Sometimes, I think, it is good to just wait a minute, initially, between each bite to really learn where that is for yourself.

Stage 4: Soft Food Diet

• Portions, for most people, are somewhere about a quarter to half a cup. This is my quarter cup serving, as you can see, next to my tablespoon. It is pretty small.
• Having that amount out can really help, just be a good visual from where you want to stay. Hope this helps!

If you have any questions please leave them in the comment box below or if you have any comments about what helped you.

Time Your Bites

I also think about having a timer with me but even using your phone and using the stopwatch setting, so that you can watch how many bites you are taking per minute can really help to slow things down.

You are not going to have a lot of fun for the first couple of weeks or so but just take this time now:

• To practice eating slowly
• To pause between bites
• To put your fork or spoon down between bites

All of these little actions can really help set the basis for mindful eating and to hopefully prevent that nausea and vomiting after bariatric surgery, that some of you may be experiencing.

This Post Addresses

• What to do in the first few weeks of post-op?
• How to eat mindfully in the first few weeks?
• How can I start my weight loss journey?
• What can I do to help my post-op diet?