Meal Plans

How To Restart Weight Loss after Gastric Bypass or Other Weight Loss Surgery

The BariatricPal pouch reset plan takes you through the post-op diet progression, but faster. You start with liquids and progress to solid foods just like you do after bariatric surgery, but this time, it takes only 5 days to get to solid foods. The entire plan is made with high-quality nutrition in mind, with a reasonable calorie count and it’s made to get you back to eating normal foods as quickly as possible. It can be incredibly helpful if you’ve struggled with being obese and decided a weight loss surgery is the solution.

Tips for success:

• Continue to follow the rules of your weight loss surgery diet, such as choosing protein first and only drinking liquids when you are not eating a meal or snack.
• Eat only a small amount of food at once. A half-cup or cup of few (4-8 ounces) is plenty. Remember, you are retraining yourself to eat less, just like you did after weight loss surgery.
• Drink at least 64 ounces of calorie-free fluids throughout the day.
• Revisit your nutritional supplements. Ask your doctor if you are unsure about which multivitamins and other vitamin and mineral supplements you should take.
• Ask your surgeon, doctor, or nutritionist, or another health professional, before starting this plan.

The Plan

• Day 1: Clear Liquids
• Days 2 and 3: Liquid Proteins
• Days 3 and 4: Pureed Foods
• Days 5 and 6: Semi-Soft Foods
• Ask your surgeon, doctor, or nutritionist, or another health professional, before starting this plan.

Days 2 and 3: Liquid Proteins

Stick with liquids to give your pouch, sleeve, or stomach a chance to reset. You want to remember what it feels like when you do not have solid foods filling up your stomach. Protein shakes, protein gelatins and protein puddings, protein hot drinks, and protein soups are all great choices.

Days 4 and 5: Pureed Foods

You get to add back in some regular foods now, but make sure you puree them to a smooth consistency. Protein shakes, protein gelatins and protein puddings, protein hot drinks, and protein soups can still help you hit your protein goals during this stage.

Days 6 and 7: Semi-Soft Foods

All foods on this diet should be semi-soft. Stay away from hard foods such as raw vegetables and crunchy fruit. Most well-cooked proteins should be okay, and you can enjoy cooked vegetables and soft, ripe fruit such as cantaloupe.

Days 8 and Beyond: Solid Foods

You can follow this diet for as long as you want because it resembles your long-term solid foods diet for weight loss and maintenance after bariatric surgery. Tweak it as needed to add or subtract snacks. Proteins should still be your top priority, and vegetables come next. Protein breakfasts, protein lunch and dinner entrees and protein bars and snacks are great-tasting and convenient choices.

* Before starting this pouch reset plan, check with your surgeon or another doctor to be sure you have no medical issues, such as a leak, that could be causing your weight regain or plateau. Also, check with your doctor before starting this or any other restrictive meal plan.