In this article, we will talk about the importance of a diet before and after the endoscopic gastric sleeve. This non-surgical endoscopic weight loss procedure seeks to reduce the capacity and size of the stomach. The success of this procedure will be strengthened with a commitment on the part of the patients to change and improve their eating habits and commit to physical activity for at least 1 hour a day.

Patients should keep in mind that the weight loss procedure is just the beginning of a long journey to lose weight and keep it off. If you as a patient have discomfort, any doubts, or questions, you should immediately contact your medical team, in our case our entire medical and nutritional team will be willing to help and accompany you during this process of transforming your life.

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Diet Before the Procedure

Prior to the procedure, patients are required to have a green light from the medical team. At Innova Weight Loss Solutions we take care doing the pertinent studies to be able to approve the procedure for our patients. For this reason, it is important to follow all the recommendations regarding behaviors and diet that are also important to carry out before the procedure.

A few days before the procedure, patients should begin to include more liquids in their diet, mainly because the stomach must be empty when the procedure begins. Also 12 hours before the procedure, patients are not allowed to eat or drink any food.

What to Expect During the Endoscopic Gastric Sleeve Procedure?

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is an outpatient procedure, the medical team uses general anesthesia for this procedure so the patient will be unconscious for a maximum period of two hours. This is an endoscopic procedure so there is no cut or scar involved. The endoscope is inserted through the mouth into the stomach. The small camera allows the doctor operating the endoscope to see and perform the procedure working inside the stomach without the need for a scalpel.

With this device, the doctor places stitches in the stomach. The sutures change the structure of the stomach, leaving it in the shape of a sleeve. This restricts the number of calories the body absorbs and aids in weight loss. This procedure takes between 30 and 60 minutes. After endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, you’ll wake up in a recovery room, and then in about 60 to 90 minutes, you’ll be on your way home again to rest for a couple of days.

What Should I Expect after This Procedure?

After the procedure, the patient is usually started on a liquid regimen. After a few days on a liquid diet, patients can switch to a bland diet consisting of puree, porridge, or smoothies, and then to a normal, healthy diet. Next, we will talk about the different diets that a patient who has undergone a change of life with Innova Weight Loss Solutions must complete.

Liquid Diet

The next stage of your weight loss journey is to begin the diet recommended by our medical and nutritional team. In this case, the first two weeks after the procedure, it is essential that patients follow a liquid diet consisting of a combination of clear liquids and protein drinks to get the body used to consuming fewer calories and accommodate the new size of the stomach.

The patient’s body needs time to adapt to the changes and thus move towards effective weight loss. It is important to follow these recommendations because if we try to introduce pureed foods too quickly, it will not allow us to take advantage of the proposed weight loss.

Soft Diet

At this stage of the diet about two weeks after the day of the procedure, the patient will be able to include pureed and soft foods in their diet. During this stage, the patient will be able to start consuming purées and semi-solid foods. This allows the slow and effective reintroduction of food into the body. Without forgetting the hydration and the number of both calories and proteins that your medical team has indicated.

Solid Food Diet

During this stage approximately 4 weeks after the procedure, the patient will be able to start eating solid foods. It will be very important that patients adhere to the recommendations of our health professionals to maintain the weight loss that has already begun. This is the key moment to improve and maintain healthy and nutritional habits that must be constant and forever.

Importance of Diet for the Endoscopic Gastric Sleeve Procedure

To carry out the endoscopic gastric sleeve diet, it must be done following the 5 main points that we are going to describe below:

Vegetables: The diet must be based on the intake of vegetables: vegetables and fruits provide very few calories to the diet, since their main component is water, helping to achieve greater weight loss. In addition to containing water, vegetables contain various vitamins, minerals, and fiber that provide many more nutritional levels for feeding patients. It is very important that greens and vegetables are included in all meals for patients. They can be eaten raw (in salads), cooked (grilled, baked, boiled, in stews, microwaved, etc.).
Consume Quality Proteins: to achieve weight loss, it is necessary to lose fat as well (and not muscle mass), in addition to starting with the physical exercise routine, protein should be consumed. The foods from which to obtain quality proteins are fish, eggs, white and red meats, legumes, and dairy products. This type of food should also be present in all meals of patients.
Eat Healthy Fats: the fats that should be part of the diet with the endoscopic gastric sleeve procedure should come mainly from olive oil, avocados, nuts, fish, and dairy products. However, some types of poor-quality fats that patients should avoid: those from snacks, “junk food”, sausages, processed meats, precooked meats, margarine, etc.
Consume Quality Carbohydrates: those foods that have a high carbohydrate content should be consumed in their whole form (pasta, rice, flour, bread, etc.). It is also advisable to include tubers and roots in the diet, such as potatoes, carrots, beets, radishes, and cassava. On the other hand, those that are accompanied by large amounts of sugar, such as cookies, sweets, and cereals, should be avoided.
Drink Water: water should be the main daily liquid intake, reaching at least 1.5 liters a day. In addition, patients with Endoscopic Gastric Sleeves may also consume tea or infusions, coffee, dairy products, juices, or homemade fruit smoothies or lemonades without sugar. Sodas, sugary milkshakes, commercial juices, slushies, alcoholic beverages, and energy drinks should be avoided.

How to Succeed With Your New Diet

Patients’ eating and drinking after weight loss surgery will be directly responsible for their overall success or failure in losing weight. Our medical nutrition therapy team recommends that the amount of fluid a patient should drink is 48 – 64 ounces. As well as recommendations will be given on how much you should drink based on your needs.

Drink up to 16 ounces of skim milk or 1% milk as an excellent source of protein and calcium. Take small bites and chew food thoroughly As the diet progresses, the patient may choose foods with more texture, we recommend taking small bites of food and chewing food to a soft consistency before swallowing. Also, when you start to feel full, stop eating and drinking.

To transform your life you are just a few steps away. You can make an appointment here, or you can contact one of our offices in New York and Puerto Rico to start a complete and adequate weight loss journey.