A soft mechanical diet is made up of foods that are easy to chew and swallow. It is perfect for people who have recently had weight loss surgery; it is easy on the digestive system that is still slow from medications and anesthesia. At the beginning of Week 4 post-surgery, you can follow the soft mechanical diet and even stay on this plan for several weeks until you gradually transition to regular soft foods.

During Week 3, most people seem to do well with small amounts of pureed food throughout the day.

When you are discharged from the hospital, you should follow the clear liquid diet for 5 to 7 days. After that, you will be able to move on to the next stage of full liquids. You need to follow the liquid diet to protect the staple lines that created your new pouch and to prevent vomiting. A full liquid diet includes foods that you cannot see through, and you must be able to pour them off a spoon.

THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY FOR POST-OP PATIENTS The following foods, recipes and info are only

Stop vitamins, B12, and biotin 72 hours before labs are drawn. Make sure that you are fasting, which means nothing to eat or drink past midnight the day before the bloodwork.

Can I use a straw?
There is no evidence-based practice that shows using a straw will be harmful to you. There is a small amount of air at the top of the straw that might get sucked into your stomach each time you take a sip. Air in your stomach can cause some pain. That space would be better used for something nutritious instead of air, so we suggest not using a straw for at least the first 6 weeks post-surgery.

Now that you have made it through the first three weeks of the post-surgery diet, which are by far the toughest, you can add much more variety to what you eat.