Gastric Bypass Diet: Proteins, Complex Carbohydrates and Healthy Fats

Calories are important when you think about what to eat on your gastric bypass diet, but just as vital are where those calories come from. The three main components are proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

By your fourth month after surgery your calorie intake will increase to around 1,200 a day. The food you consume that totals that is very important. You’ve come this far, now its time settle in and make the right choices for the rest of your life as the numbers on the scale go down.

Proteins

Proteins are an important part of your gastric bypass diet so you don’t lose your muscle strength. Who wants to end up slimmer without any muscle tone? You’ll end up showing signs of aging even in your younger years. So read the labels and know the amount of protein you are eating.

In general you should eat 60 grams of protein a day. This may be hard because your meals are quite small. You will undoubtedly want to find some good quality protein drinks and protein bars to help take up the slack.

Meat generally has the most protein content. When you eat meat be sure to pick good quality low fat cuts and chew slowly and thoroughly. 3.5 ounces of roast beef contains 28 grams of protein, where an egg only has 6 grams. 3.5 ounces of chicken has 25 grams, compared to 3.5 ounces of deli meat has only 13 grams.

Carbohydrates

Not all carbohydrates in your gastric bypass diet are created equal. Some carbohydrates will actually increase your appetite because they raise your insulin levels. This raises your blood sugar levels making you crave more sugar.

Complex carbs won’t raise the blood sugar as rapidly as refined ones. You will find these complex carbohydrates in your whole grain foods and fruits, so reach for these instead of simple carbohydrates made of refined flours.

When considering your gastric bypass diet you should limit your carbohydrates to 25 to 30 grams a day. Your nutritionist or doctor should have given you basically the same guidelines, so be sure to talk these numbers over with him or her if you are having concerns about how much to eat.


Fats: Beware of Bad Ones and Embrace Good Ones

Most of us think all fats are bad, but they are necessary to fuel the body during your gastric bypass diet. Because they are digested slowly, they can help you feel full longer. But not all fats are created the same. Some are horribly bad for you and some are actually good for you.

Hydrogenated (also known as trans fats) and saturated fats are the two you want to avoid, especially the trans fat. You’ll find these in many packaged foods, because their shelf life is longer, which is why companies use them. They are processed fats and must be avoided at all cost, even in the diets of people who have not had weight loss surgery.

Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are considered the healthier fats because they can help lower the LDL (the bad) cholesterol. My studies have shown me that olive oil, coconut oil, and canola oils are the best, so my cupboards don’t house any of the others.

Doctors recommend a healthy individual to keep their total fat intake to 30 percent of daily calories eaten. For people with heart problems that amount drops down to as low as 10 percent, which is probably closer to what your doctor told you to strive for.

As you struggle to follow your goals just remember that eating healthy will help your quality of life. At times you will get frustrated, but hang in there, because life will get better.

Instead of reaching for food not planned on your gastric bypass diet pick up the phone and call a friend. Or find an activity or hobby you enjoy and keep it close. For me, I reach for my hand held game and my embroidery and spend time doing those. I find my craving for food is forgotten and I haven’t eaten those extra calories.

Are you considering gastric bypass surgery and want more information about a gastric bypass diet after? J Ruby loves to research various topics. Researching different weight loss methods and learning their pluses and minuses helps her to stay focused on eating the right foods and trying to get her weight to where it needs to be and to keep it there.

Check out her blog http://gastricbypassdietnow.com/ and follow along as she learns more about weight loss solutions.